saying goodbye

so i posted about 2 months ago that i was leaving my job. after a strange twist of events, and a few answered prayers, i am happy to say that i have a new job that will start on may 5th.

last friday at our company staff meeting, everyone had gathered around a huge table with written notes to me...about what they appreciated about me, and their wish for me. it was kind of overwhelming and a bit surreal even...to hear people talk about you in a positive way. words like "compassionate" and "genuine" and "self aware" and "authentic" and "encouraging" were used. me? authentic and genuine? me? positive and encouraging? have we really met?

i've never thought about myself like that. i usually think of mildly pessimistic, selfish, and not flexible.

i was also greeted with great well wishes..for the happinesses of my heart, for the joys of parenthood, for all my dreams to come true. one of the cool things about my company is that we shared our dreams with each other, so the well wishes were authentic.

it's hard to say goodbye to folks who have been like family to me. it's easier knowing that they wish me well and that i will be missed.

adventures in (doggie) parenthood

i have 2 dogs...trey is a 2 year old lab/brittany mix who has lived with us for a year. brynn is a year old boxer mix who has lived with us for 4 months.

we recently got to a point where brynn was able to stay in the kitchen without creating a mess, so the two of them hang out in the kitchen and keep each other entertained during the day.

yesterday, they made a jail break.

i rolled in about 5:15, and was greeted by not only 2 dogs (which doesn't happen if they stay confined), but a horrendous stench. further investigation revealed more than i wanted. they managed to rip to shreds everything they could get their paws on...kleenex boxes, tupperware, papers, yarn, shoes, oh yeah, and the nearly brand new bottle of ibuprofen (200 ct bottle).

gel coated ibuprofen look a lot like the jelly beans that their father feeds them. fortunately, their little dog bodies must have realized this was a bad move and left their bodies fast. unfortunately for me, if was a mass evacuation out of both ends - mostly mouth - on every inch of carpet on my first floor. this continued until about 8:30 last night.

good news though, trey seems to have returned to his normal self. brynn is still a bit lethargic, but the wiggle butt is returning. steve tells me this is preparing us for children...hopefully my children won't chew through a bottle of ibuprofen when i'm not looking.

a moment to rant

so we are doing this adoption thing...and i'm totally on board, as is steve...and we know it is the work of God...but i need a minute to rant...

everything between the step of signing up to finally getting the child whomps! it does...and maybe it's supposed to make up for the 9 months of being uncomfortable and sleeplessness, but i guarantee a sleepless night didn't cost anyone 15 grand!

i'm a normal run of the mill american who just wants what most couples do, a family. for whatever reason, i get to go about it this way, and this way is not the most fun, at least at this point. i once heard that adoption is not a lucrative business...if not, please tell me where it all goes. 2k here, 50 bucks there, 15k here, 500 bucks there...pretty sure my preggo friends weren't shelling out this kind of cash, even for ultrasound.

not to mention the mound of paperwork and red tape to prove that i am who i am, that i do in fact make X dollar, live at said address, have a good upstanding character, am not a child molester, don't have dangerous living conditions, and am able to care for a child. i know my friends didn't have to do this much...maybe if everyone who wanted a family had these requirements and had to pay the costs for all this, teen pregnancy would decrease.

i'm sure in the end it will all be worth it, and it will seem like the easiest thing ever done, but as i'm hemorrhaging cash and the paperwork is piling...i say that this is for the birds.

biggest loser

yes, as a matter of fact, i am a big loser.

it started as a contest with some friends, who can loose the greatest percentage of body weight. and little miss competitive couldn't let someone else win.

between january 1 and march 31, i lost 8.92% of my body weight (14 lbs) and was the biggest loser of those in the contest.

as of this morning, i am down to 10.2%. i'm feeling better, i'm looking better, and i can wear clothes that i haven't worn in years. bad news, all the clothes that i wore 3 months ago don't fit.

oh well, guess i'll just have to go shopping.

people watching

i've always been fascinated by human behavior. watching people go about their lives as if no one else is around.

it's 70 degrees today, and my employer recently purchased patio furniture for us to be able to sit outside and eat lunch or enjoy the weather. i've got a laptop and a wireless network, so i decided i would work, rather, people watch outside today.

my office is located in the mainstrasse village in covington, ky...imagine a hip, trendy, eclectic place where you have the very rich who come for coffee nestled next to the tattoo parlor in the middle of a poor neighborhood. that is mainstrasse village.

most folks pull up, park their cars, get out, and go on about their business with out a care in the world. others get out of their cars with the expression that says today is our big trip to the city for a fancy sit down meal where we can still smoke while we eat! one woman got out of her car, went to have what i assumed was lunch with a male companion, only to return an hour later drunk as a skunk and yelling obscenities at the top of her lungs...the neighbors at whom the obscenities were directed did not appreciate so much. some walk up and down the street all day. i just saw the same girl for the 4th time in the last half hour. either she is bored, lost, getting exercise or enjoying the weather like me.

mainstrasse is also a a big dog community. one of my favorite parts of working here is the fact that everyone in the neighborhood regularly walks their dogs, and takes them to the restaurants, and lets you pet them. my dogs too enjoy coming here because there are so many scents and smalls, and they generally get to meet other dogs while here.

warmer weather also brings the drive by musicfest...you know what i'm talking about. everyone has their windows down, and music up...i've heard to skynard, tu pac, justin timberlake, something totally unrecognizable, and even the reds game. clothing is also an issue...for some reason, when the temp goes up, the clothes come off...and it's usually the most unattractive people who do the most revealing.

and it's not just me who noticed...one of my coworkers just walked up the street to get lunch and noticed the same thing. i wonder is someone is on the street thinking i'm odd because i'm typing on my computer...probably.

somehow, i'm not suprised

the world is small...really it is. everyday i discover new connections to people, especially those in the Kingdom, that i couldn't dream up if i tried.

my husband is in a small group - a group of 10-12 guys age 19-35, who love and want to know more about Jesus, and want to live in community with each other. recently some of the guys helped out a brother from another mother, and he wanted to express his gratitude to the group. steve has not stopped talking about this guy, or that evening. he has called it by far one of the best nights for that group in a long time.

i was at work today, and my coworker and friend dtrue asked me if steve was in a men's group that met on monday nights, and if he had a bushy breaded visitor recently. i replied yes and shared what i could about steve's amazing visitor.

turns out - i work with dtrue, who is friends with lew, who was the guest of honor at steve's small group, and would have never met if a bunch of guys decided not to love their brothers like Jesus loved us....

i rest my case.