Other Peoples Stuff

WARRING: this blog was inspired by my excitement over finding left over napkins on my table from the last person who sat here... I needed one really bad and was very happy and so thankful.... So who knows what will become of this....

I have been in the business of other peoples stuff for years now.... I am not talking about other peoples personal stuff... (that can get messy). I am talking material goods. I have a lot of friends who are "givers" and I have received some A perfect example is having a garage sale ... we get so disgusted over how cheep we sell everything for. Everything that to us is quite valuable. But what do we do with it all at the end? all that doesn't sell.... we give it away. Either in the form of a free pile or a bag for EF. I love free stuff. I love the stuff of people I love receiving old back packs,posters,left over communion pita bread,hand-me-downs,etc... Even temporary gifts like loaner sweatshirts,flip flops,a shirt to wear for a big night out, etc...

Better than receiving (all though not by much)is giving. I feel like we are suppose to say that... so I am just trying to be realistic and admit that its not all that much better.. sometimes its hard...Every time I have moved and left(mostly transferring) I have willed my closest friends something.

I left my friend Risa from Waldorf my Chicago CD because we always sang it together so that was "our movie".I believe she also got my Wonder Woman poster..which was really amazing... not sure why I did that.

When I left River Falls I willed my fave. string of (Star Window Lights)and my precious Mikes Hard Lemonade sign to J & K(my neighbor girls and friends). I realize that to you this stuff might be worthless but its hard to give up.

Once I gave my friend Lauren from Camp my fav. C.D. of all time. This was probably the hardest thing I have ever given away...mostly because I didn't really want to.
(I loved LaRue and it was their first CD (self titled for those of you who will Google it.)) I think I actually cried when I gave it to her..... but it reminded me so much of our time together and I knew she would know its worth and treasure it. So it was no problem in the end. I think my motive was that I was sure she would forget about me. She is an amazing women and we live separate lives but we talk twice a year once on April 16th and once on June 6th. Its really very neat. SIDE NOTE: Just last year I bought the CD a second time after getting a birthday card from laur and crying.

Anyway the moral of all of this is... stuff is good. receive it and give it away. And leave your left over napkins on the table. You never know the person who sits there next might really need one!

Thought of the day....

This doesn't count as a blog but its a question for the general public.... I am not very good with social norms but am wondering if you are in a room.... (I am at a coffee shop) and everyone in that room (still in a coffee shop) is wearing headphones... is it then ok to sing?

Family tree...Family forest

My ultimate goal is not to offend..... that means you mom... but I am refusing to be bound by the boundaries of a biological family. You can say what you wish but I am not a fan of being limited to a bloodline. I Know this isnt new information because many people feel this way.....meaning I am not the first to declare the following information.
There is a quote that friends are the siblings God forgot to give us. I don't hink that God exactly forgot to give me siblings but the fact of the matter is I don't have any. For years I was angry about this. Almost mad. Mad at my parents for never giving me a baby brother. Mad that I need to marry someone loaded wtih siblings to ever be able to be an aunt. Mad that on snow days while other kids had siblings to play with I had to entertain myself. My Fresman year of college I wrote a paper that was to be the preface for the book I would write some day. "More Than One or NONE," was to be the title. My singaltoness has only made me stronger. It has only made me more creative, and I do beleive because of this, I place a higher value on love through friendship. Recently I have been rediculed by my choice of friends. Maybe ridiculed is a harsh word... its more or less teasing. "Susie hangs out with 60 year olds." " Susie has married friends, married friends with babys." Its funny really because I think nothing of it.... When I was a server at a small town cafe back home my boss often teased me about my relationtionships with the customers that we might clasify as elderly. Its true I have always swung with an older crowd. My friends last weekend went to a lake cabin for a college graduation party. I drove myself to the cities for a retierment party.
The retierment party was for my adopted father from my Holy Land trip (I blogged about him months ago). This Celebration was an amazing experience. During the service/celebration they had the retiree go sit with his family. Represented were his wife, son, 2 brothers, and 2 sisters in laws. He sat right next to me. Not only did he sit next to me but also he put his arm around me. The whole service whether he was sitting by me or not I was beaming with pride. I am so in love with this man that it was just a privilege to be there. After the service I was asked to go to the front of the food line with the rest of my family, or "go stand by your dad and I'll take your picture." Too Funny! The moral of all this is I claim this couple as my own. I know they love me in that way and believe me its mutual. It’s so hard to justify my relationship with them because I feel that few people understand the deep connection we actually do have.
My sister Claira whom I have blogged about before is a simmular example. We have had several conversations about how lying about it is just easier. As it turns out it actually is. If I say she is my sister... instead of explaining that she’s (like a sister) there are no questions. Its obvious why I would want to talk to her so often and its perfectly acceptable for us to end the conversation by saying "I love you."
Many of my friendships have also become sisterhoods. Most recently I have become so comfortable with some of my Duluth friends that I feel I can make demands of them and pull the brutally honest card. Conflict then happens sealing the deal that there is truly something worth fighting for.
I love my biological family very much..... But believe me if God gave us absolutely everything we needed in the form of our biological family we wouldn’t need all these other people in our life. So glad it is what it is...

Long and loud and clear

Let me first start out by saying I haven’t laughed as hard or as much in all my years of life than I have in the last two weeks. I have nearly tripled my weekly laughing quota and my out of control bursts of laugher are well…. out of control. In fact it wasn’t until the recent bite from the laughter bug that I even knew it was missing from my life. Everything has just gotten so much funnier. I believe the primary cause of this situation is the people I associate with. I have friends who are darn funny. I am taking a class with some of those darn funny friends right now and let me tell you my professor doesn’t find my obnoxious outbursts all that amusing. Today he had to stop me and ask what it was that was so funny. If only I could have stopped laughing long enough to tell him. After I composed myself (5 mins of self talk later) I was able to apologize to both him and the entire class. My relatives/and friends who are teachers and are reading I would imagine to not be to impressed. However I argue that it was a much needed interruption for all parties involved. Laughter is so healing… its is also very exhausting. I am not sure I can keep these ridiculous amounts of hysteria up for much longer… well not without taking a nap between episodes..

Busted

Turns out I have been busted by the Blog Police. You probably didn’t know that such a force existed but it does and the rumors are true…nasty little buggers! Not only has my phone been ringing of the hook but my e mail inbox is exploding with hate mail regarding my inability to commit to blogging. To save you some trouble the following excuses do not work:

“ I am taking a may term class…to busy!” (the response: Go in to school even earlier and do it when you check you e mail.)

“I don’t have Internet at my house!” (the response: type it in word and post it later (this is what I am currently doing.))

“Nobody reads it anyway…” the response: I do! and so does that Jim guy.)

It’s unfortunate that I have been caught. I have never been real amazing with commitment so it doesn’t really come as a surprise. Maybe that’s why I have attended 6 churches semi regularly in the last 5 years, 3 colleges in 4 years.
One of my favorite lack of commitment stories is that while attending UW-River Falls I was a member of the Figure Skating Club. Probably one of the proudest members the club had. I often bragged about being a part of it and just randomly dropping it as a conversation starter. I got the newsletter, the e mails, the event calendar but never once attended (no I didn’t order the t-shirt…who do you think I am anyway).

I must admit I do have a “facebook” account (to clarify: this is comparable to “myspace” or one of those other online networks you hear so many bad things about). This program however… I believe to be harmless. I enjoy the ability I have to keep in contact with people from my previous commitments. Friends from other schools and stages of my life. Within this page or community (my community being only people I know) is a group option. You are allowed to both create and join groups. I belong to various groups: cottonNstrings fan club, Knitting Fools, LPBC alumni, Sara Groves Fan Club, and the Yes I come from the center of the universe known as Paynesville group. I have decided and state very simply on my page that “facebook” groups are for me…. For the simple reason that they require absolutely no commitment on my part but at the same time I get the benefit of the label, and get to be a part of the big group.

Now that I think of all of this… Isn’t that why I played sports in Jr. High and High school. It wasn’t because I was good at it.. cause I wasn’t.. but I got to be a part of the team.
I am not asking to be captain blogging police. I am just asking to be a part of the team!!!!!! Is that so bad??? GOLLLL!!!!!!

I see the light!

I think I should feel more relived than I am. Today is Friday and the last "class" day of the semester. I imagine I am not feeling the light and free feeling simply because grades aren't in yet, finals still need to be taken, and a week from Monday I will start two May term classes... EEK! I know from last May term that this will be the most intense two weeks of my life. So I am pretty much expecting to fall off the face of the earth for a brief while.... My typical day will be class from 8:00am to 5:00pm followed by reading/homework until 10:00 when I pass out and sleep till 7:00am. Despite all that I am looking forward to it. I am oh so very done with Algebra, Bio, and Hist. and Systems. Very much welcoming the change of a new schedule and new classes... Along with the change in classes will also come yet another change in my housing situation. This too I am somewhat excited about. There is really something great about having your own room. I think the best part is the door. Looking forward to having that again... The moral of all this is that the end is indeed in sight.... Looking forward to June when I can just be. I will be working a lot of hours but fortunately I don't have job that requires much brain power... Gotta love jobs that allow you make a fool of your self and sing the hokey poky and the chicken dance... No I don't DJ at weddings.. I teach swimming lessons!

To Jim:
You can now share your snarky comments... I opened it to people like you... try again.

All Over The Place

I can’t take the time to blog because I am running off of productivity endorphins which are serving me quite well at the moment (wouldn’t want to slow down to think). It's amazing how much you get done when you are bouncing around Duluth with no real attachment to one particular place (I think its fair to say I am still homeless) .GOTTA LOVE HOST FAMILY'S/FRIENDS. I think Sunday I set the record by doing homework and doing some last minute prep before my sermon by bouncing between 3 coffee shops over the course of one day. I am getting sleep but never in the same place…(couch, floor, deck, chairs). For the record I am completely fine with this….. my sleep time is down, my wardrobe size is smaller than I would like, my space has significantly decreased but my passion for people and life is on the rise….. I should write a book…. Maybe title it… “All Over The Place” or “Life Unscripted” but tlc has already coined that one…..