Finish This: Week Thirty-eight

Joining our fantastic hosts Jen from The Arizona Russums, Becky from The Java Mama, Lisa at Coastlined, and Nicole from Three 31. {I'm blogging from the app, so pictures are lacking today, sorry. But at least the hotel here in Texas has internet - yay!}

My relationships thrive because both my friends and I initiate conversation, texts, hang-outs, etc. We know that it takes two to tango, and we feel free to contact the other person anytime. We also know our lives are all ridiculously busy, so we aren't offended if plans are delayed or something. We all love each other and we'll get together eventually!

My favorite piece of advice is make your bed first thing every day. As a Type A OCD person, having my bed made keeps me sane. Plus, bedtime is nicer when crawling into a made bed.

My worst habit is pulling hangnails instead of cutting them off. My fingers always have red gashes where I've pulled (and pulled and pulled) the skin off, and they hurt! When will I learn?

That's all, folks! Go leave some comment love on the other posts, if you're so inspired. 

7 Quick Takes: End of February

Joining Jen at Conversion Diary for today's 7 Quick Takes.

1. First things first: the reason I didn't join the link-up last week was because I was in Kentucky surprising my friend! :D Twas a glorious and too-short visit, and I chose to enjoy being with my bosom friend and her kids {who happen to be four of my favorite children in theee whooole world}. There is a post on this surprise visit forthcoming.

2. I really loved this post by Emily at Chatting at the Sky. Making your blog really truly your blog is supposed to have some flexibility perks, right? On that note, there are a few blog posts that I've promised {like the one above} that I haven't yet written and I do want to actually write those. Since today is the last day of Bailey Jean's Blog Every Day in February challenge, look for these promised posts in March.

3. Also in March, you'll be seeing this blogger at a couple different blogs. What! That freaks me out just a teensy bit. But yeah, I agreed to write a post for my lovely friend Victoria, and then my friends Catherine and Yvonne and I are doing a blog swap/hosting each other/guest post thing in the middle of March. So yeah, that's gonna happen and it's gonna be great. I'm speaking in faith, obviously, but let's all agree together and amen and amen.

4. Did you take part in END IT? Thursday, February 27th was the day that people all over the country and world decided to Shine A Light on Slavery. Check out END IT's website as well as other resources like Made In A Free World.

5. Ok, maybe my OCD is getting the better of me, but even when "blogging experts" tell me to promote la blog on ye ol' Facebook, I can't do it. When I go on Facebook, I want to see people; when I go on Bloglovin', I want to see blogs, and hopefully ne'er the two shall meet. Am I crazy? I am feeling slightly crazy because the line from "The Quiet Man" is running through my head: "When I drink whiskey, I drink whiskey, and when I drink water, I drink water." {If you have never seen "The Quiet Man" then please don't even bother finishing the last 2 Takes because that is a John Wayne-Maureen O'Hara classic and it will add to the quality of your life and maybe even affect your definition of masculinity because hello it's John Wayne...end rant.}

6. This morning I totally thought I had my life together {hair looked good, chai was made}, but when I got to work, I found that only one earring had survived the journey from my bedroom to the office. Sigh. I don't know if I forgot to put in one earring because I was also choosing my socks for the day or if I put it in and it wormed its way out. This is a question that will haunt me until at least 5:30 pm today when I get home to check my dresser.

7. Today is the last day of February which means it's the last day of Bailey's Blog Every Day in Feb challenge, which is both awesome and sad. It's awesome because hello, a bunch of people just blogged for 28 days in a row! And it's sad because it's over.... but it's also just a teensy bit awesome that it's over because all good things must come to an end and this was definitely a good thing :) But seriously, this was a fabulous challenge and it was so fun to link up with Bailey and the gang every day.

That's all, folks! Have a happy, happy weekend!

Funny Friday on Tuesday...just isn't happening

Blame my dad for this...or my mom...or the stove. That's a lot easier, to blame inanimate objects. Blame the darn stove.

I'm trying to think of something funny I can share today instead of Friday, but my brain won't work. Alas, I got to work at 5:30 this morning because Dad trains at 6:00am today {thanks, Dad}. But Bek, why didn't you just ride in with Mom? Good question! Because Mom isn't coming in until later {thanks, Mom} because the stove is being replaced {thanks, stove}. Sigh.

Although I couldn't think of anything funny, I was able to come up with some "true confessions" type things. Again, re-read the above paragraph and recognize that I got 6.5 hours of sleep...on a couch. Yep. Anywho, here are some true, maybe funny, definitely weird confessions/ramblings/talking points from Bek:

1. The Oxford comma is where it's at. {You know it's early when the first thing that comes to mind is grammar!} Sorry, Samara, but it's the truth. {You also know you're best friends with someone when you know their opposite position on the Oxford comma and you still love them.}
   
2. Pet peeve: fingernails, particularly my own. I hate how frequently they need trimmed, and how shapeless they are...actually, they have shape, very distinct shapes...they're just un-named shapes. Actually, my friends and I went to get manicures, and when the guy came over, he said, "What are you here for? Oh, shaping." Yeah, thanks, that's just what I was going to say...not.
   
3. I totally have radio ADD. You know, when you're listening to the radio and you keep changing the channel because there's nothing good playing? Yeah, I do that all day, every day. Well, I knew it was bad when I was driving home the other night and actually found a station that was playing some good tunes, and they played three good songs in a row, but I still felt the itch to change the channel after 1.5 songs.
   
4. Ya know how bloggers have link-up parties and stuff? I don't know how to do that! Thanks to Ash I now know how to put a video in a blog post, and thanks to a kind lady who commented I learned about Bloglovin', but the link-up thing kinda baffles me. How am I supposed to put something on someone else's blog? Weirds me out.
   
5. Sometimes I wish I could email people and offer to correct their website typos. How's this sound: Hi, you don't know me, and you obviously don't care about your website enough to proofread it, but I care about proofreading, so if you could just fix this thing right here... Yeah, probably not too well, but it happens way too often for me to be comfortable raising children in the next few years. These websites threaten the very existence of grammar! What if things get so bad that I am unable to communicate with my grandchildren!? Guys, this is serious...bologna. And speaking of dangerous, bologna is the dumbest word ever and even dumber spelling, and bee-tee-dubs, what kind of meat is it anyway??? 

Things have gotten too out of control for me.  I better go sit down. Please laugh at this post; don't shed tears.  Everything will all be better after a nap...

Also, I just realized that two of my five confessions involved grammar. You'd never guess I majored in business, would you? In my defense, my mom, sister, and bff are all English majors. I'm surrounded. Oh, and I was a teacher's assistant, and I care about our nation's future. Happy 4th of July!  :)

Victory!

Alright friends, we’re gonna get real here.

I’ll be going home 4 weeks from yesterday. May I just point out that this is the going home to stay home for the first time in three years trip. Heck. Yes. But this is an aside. The point is that I’m going home.
The other point is that Grams’ favorite hobby is shopping. And related to this point is that I too have gone shopping {quality time-don’t be hatin’!} while living in the Frozen Tundra {ok, and there’s not a whole lot else to do. I said we were getting real.}.

These points lead to the point that I was really nervous about all my, ahem, stuff fitting into suitcases. P.S. I’m flying Southwest because a) they’re usually cheap and b) along with that cheap price, they let you check two bags included in the price of the ticket!!! Score for this gal moving across the country!

So even with these two suitcases, I was nervous. So what did my little OCD-self do? Yep. Packed tonight.
Not everything; just my clothes and half my shoes. I wanted to see how much space it all took, because I had a guess, but I wasn't sure. I’m a good packer, but didn't expect to be that good.

ALL my clothes fit into one of my checked bags, and half of my shoes {as in, 3 pairs of boots and 4 pairs of dress shoes} and my socks and undershirts fit into my carry-on suitcase. Bam. Victory.

There are probably those of you wondering why would she pack up all her clothes a month in advance? Why was she even thinking about packing?? Some of you are probably thinking she needs meds for this level of OCD. And still others of you are thinking Geez! How many pairs of shoes does this chick have!?!?

Well, dear readers, fear not: I shall answer your wonderings. I unpacked after I packed. {This may raise more questions, but let’s review how many times the term “OCD” has been used already in this post and just let it be.} As for the meds wondering, I do take meds…actually vitamins, not actual meds. And for you shoe haters or lusters out there, I will say that a) 2 pairs of boots are snow boots-one can never be too prepared in the Frozen Tundra! and b) yes I like shoes. I have feet. Duh.

So there. You are now a part of my victory. Congratulations.

And for those of you completely bored by this post, here is a picture that cracks my sister J and me up every time. Yay, “Big Bang Theory”! You’re welcome.

                                                                       source

Just Because

In the year 2009, I wrote 43 posts. It's July of 2010, and I've written 33 so far. This will be 34, and the little bit of me that's competitive and OCD makes me want to write as many posts in the first 7 months of this year as I did in the entirety of last year. But I still want to make these posts meaningful, so here goes.

You've probably heard the expression "boys and their toys." This can be used to reference classic cars, tools, generally anything with an engine, or video games. This post will be about the latter.

I know there are too many articles and books written, and too many studies done, and on and on about people who spend their lives in games. We are all familiar with the evils of continual gaming; I remember a Lizzie McGuire episode when Gordo got caught up in a gaming community. I'm not going to get on the soapbox about lifelong gamers... I trust that since you're reading a blog, you're not struggling with intensive gaming. :)

However, I want to spark a curiosity in you about playing games in general. Or even watching movies or TV in excess of 4 hours a week. Why? Why spend your valuable time, made even more valuable by my presumption that this is your free time, playing a game? Why lose yourself in an alternative, imaginary reality when you live in an amazing reality? Why watch a screen when you can live your own adventures? Why listen to special sound effects when you can make your own soundtrack? Why blog when you can just talk to people?

I know. Not all of my questions and reasoning is fair. Great values can be found in some films and shows, and playing games can be a good bonding experience. I understand all this, and yet something in me holds out as a "purist," so to speak. Really, face-to-face interaction produces better relationships, and focusing on a screen during your interaction detracts from the bonding experience. I wish there was a part of me that could accept a happy medium, but right now I can only think in black and white, and I'm not even describing the extremely extreme!

Sorry if I'm rambling, dear readers, but this is what is battling in my head, and maybe you have some thoughts that can clear me up... thanks for reading.

This is what happens when you sit at a desk all day with no job...

I'm working for at a conference right now, as a temp, and my job is to sit at a desk and radio for help when people need help with their exhibition booths. So after checking facebook multiple times, and checking my email at least once an hour, and reading for approximately two straight hours, I have decided to put some of my thoughts on this blog.

Please note: these thoughts, separated here by an extra line or two, are not at all related. They are just in the same post because I have a thing with posting four or five posts in the same hour. My OCD gets the better of me sometimes! ;)

So here are my thoughts on a few varying topics. Please comment and agree or disagree, support or tear apart. I would love to hear from you, and I'd especially love to hear your own thoughts!

Topic #1: technology can't make judgments.

At the conference I'm working right now, the bathrooms are ENTIRELY automated. Toilet, sink, and soap. Oh, and a few of them have the air hand-dryers. All automatic. The purpose of these automated objects is to be healthy and germ-free, and to conserve water. Nice idea, in theory. But in practice, these automations tend to waste resources. They are motion-sensitive; how many times do you move in the restroom? Not to be crass, but my point is that when washing your hands, you could be moving your arms to rinse all of your arms, but the soap dispenser will sense the motion and release soap. Not wanted. Not needed. But wasted.

I'm sure most of us ladies have experienced the toilet flushing its own water when we open the door to leave the stall. How does that save water? I'm not on an environmental rampage; I don't agree with a lot of what the environmentalists are selling.

My point is this: technology cannot make judgments. These motion-sensitive machines detect motion and do their task, but because machines cannot "decide" if the motion is the "right" one that requires a course of action. Machines can only respond to their programming, but they cannot judge the motive, intent, or situation.

Topic #2: politics

How can one enter into politics and remain strong in their specific convictions about public policy, but not be too extreme so as to repulse voters? I'm thinking specifically of the conservative party: there are some conservatives who are definitely not liberal, but they are not extremely conservative either. How does an extremely conservative politician appeal to those voters without losing his extreme views? Take abortion. You're either for it or against it. I don't understand how people can say "I'm against it, but I think it should be legal." WHY!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

I don't understand how people won't use their place of influence to influence the arenas where they have convictions. I guess this is a matter of prioritizing. If I agree with a candidate on most issues, the big issues, then I'll probably vote for him or her. But what if I don't agree with one of the big issues, but I do agree with all the others, and the alternative candidate is definitely not going to get my vote? I think this is where civil activity comes in, and I would send the first candidate a letter or email and try to persuade him or her to my side on that particular issue. This seems like a case of picking the lesser of two evils. Thoughts, readers?

Topic #3: community

My pastor has been speaking recently about the importance of remaining in community, versus living in isolation. I was reminded of his message during a conversation with my co-workers. The gentleman was saying that he and his wife burned all their wedding pictures, because they realized the wedding was for other people. He said they had a little ceremony of their own after that, and if they had to do it over again, they would have just eloped. There was a time when I would have agreed with him. I have been torn, when considering my own wedding {off in the waaaaaay distant future, just so you're all at ease!} between a grand, cathedral-style wedding, or a small ceremony on the beach with just our immediate families.

After hearing my pastor's messages, and after listening to my co-worker's opinion, I had to reconsider. I definitely could do a small wedding on the beach, but is that really embracing the community that I've been placed into? I would have to shake my head and say "no." Now, I'm sure there are situations when the small beach wedding fits the families and the couple better, and I understand that weddings are seriously expensive, and I'm not condemning people for keeping a budget! No, I commend you!

But my point is this: community is good for us. It keeps us seeking the Lord, both with and for the people we are around. So the next time you have a choice to be alone or be with a group of covenant friends, or your family, or even co-workers, I'd ask the Lord and choose the group.

Ok, those are my 3 topics that have been hovering around my brain for the past three days. This is the last day of the conference, and it is the end of this post. Please comment and let me read your own thoughts on any or all of these topics! :)