This is Jeopardy.

Ok, not really.  I just really want to say that in earnest someday, just like Alex Trebec.  Wait, does HE say that?  Or is it some very minor announcing role?  Whatever.

In seriousness, though, I have some news.  My last day of work will be June 11th!  The job just turned out to be not quite as I had pictured it after I mentioned that I’d be leaving in the fall.  Suddenly, I wasn’t worth putting in a room, and that means that I would be a ‘float’ for the rest of  the summer.  “Floating” means that I am a placeholder for all the ‘real teachers’ when they are on break or have a half day.  It also means that I never know what my day will be like before I get to work and they hand me a sheet of paper.  It could be with the babies, it could be with school age.  I never know.  I’m a planner.  Or at least a prepper.  Mentally.  And – ‘they’ don’t seem to care that I am extremely uncomfortable in some of the classrooms.  In school age, I had a rock thrown at me. The kids will hurt you. So – I found a way (thanks Dad!) to give the job the boot.

What will I do with my summer is to be determined.  Using today as any indication… I better find a part time job.  I had nothing scheduled.  So I had to do something.  It was amazing, actually.  Shower, bike to farmer’s market, hang out on state st., bike to picnic point, read and eat lunch, bike home.  I watched some enthralling infomercials and then noticed that I am burnt to a crisp.  And very warm.  So… now I am at church, where there is air conditioning, sort of.  I think it’s turned down because they don’t expect anyone here on a Saturday. Regardless, it’s cooler than my apartment, and has generally the same amenities, plus air!  No TV, but… remember what I was watching at home?

Amanda asked if I would consider coordinating fall christian education.  I agreed to it, because, what else am I doing?  And I made a commitment (internally) that I would do everything I could with or for Trinity before I left.  Cause then the party’s over.  I am sure it will be a good learning experience too.

There are other updates too, maybe I will write about those some other time.  A preview:

- Silent Auction Success

- Experiencing hospital pastoral counciling

- Solid summer plans

Happy Memorial Day weekend, friends!  Wear sunscreen!

This weekend will be awesome.

Sun!
Farmer’s Market
Devil’s Lake
Friends
Church
Sleep.
Running.

Speaking of the last bit – I kicked ass today, if I do say so myself. 30 minutes on the Treadmill produced 2.82 miles! Plus the 5 minute cool down and I’ve killed 418 calories.

My body is quite confused about how to handle the lentils. Figure it out!

LENTILS!

Lentils!  Say it with me!  Lentils!  Wonder Miracle food, people.  16 grams of fiber per serving = amazing.  Also, legume!  Protein!  Yes. Tonight I make lentil soup:

Assemble ingredients....

Separate the good from the bad...

SAUTE!

aaaaaaaand: Soup. Celebrate.

Movie Labels

Some movies should have personalized warning labels, just to remind people like me not to watch them.  Like: ‘WARNING: ARACNAPHOBES, THIS MOVIE DEPICTS LARGE SPIDERS’. Or even just a little picture of a spider on the spine indicating a new level of genre – like the elementary school library books with the little pipe for mystery or the heart for romance.  I know the movies I should avoid, but I end up watching them anyway, regretfully.

I shouldn’t ever watch movies with ghosts, spiders or people dying alone/never finding love.

Tonight I watched ‘Up in the Air’.  While it was a great movie…. it was one I should have left in Redbox.  What would this category’s symbol be?  How would you choose a symbol for loneliness?  It’s a LACK.  I guess it should just be a black, boring, depressing sticker.  Or a number 1.

I spent the early afternoon at my college roommate’s baby shower.  With her friends from the VA’s pharmacy.  There were about 10 of us and man was I the outlier.  It wasn’t as awkward as I’d like to make it seem, but in hindsight – I was a sore thumb.  The only one of us without a ring.  The only one struggling financially.  The only one who hasn’t been in school for 3 years.  I haven’t been around ‘normal’ people for quite a while… I forgot where society (i.e. the families of these women) expects us to be at age 25.  These women were all accomplished and successful, even if they were just starting on their actual careers.  As sad or boring as it may sound – I really wanted, and still want, all of that.

Being surrounded by ‘people like me’ – people who’ve done crazy shit like randomly going to a foreign country to teach because they don’t know or don’t like where their lives are headed – made me forget that it’s abnormal.  It’s fun that it’s a unique life, but it’s scary too.  I wish there were some assurances to be granted out there.

Someone promise me that I won’t be alone forever.  I probably won’t believe you, but it’ll sure sound nice.

Pizza Hug

I can’t even remember when I wrote last, but I can be sure that I’ve been sick at least twice since then. Earlier today I started to feel like I was developing a fever, but… I’m super sensitive to the signs of a fever. A couple of tenths of a degree and I get achy. One degree and you won’t want to be my friend anymore due to my meanness. I believe at about 101 my eyes start twitching periodically. That’s weird. And that’s not a high fever, I know.

Long story short is: I have a mild fever and I ordered pizza to try and either a) make me feel better, or b) induce a food coma at 930pm.

So far, so good. Must sleep.