Time

Dear Summer-

Where did you go?! I don't even know where to send this letter to. One day we were happily playing in park, laying under the shade trees, and the next I was sitting in a classroom without windows feeling the walls close in on me. What am I going to do without you?
What did I do to offend you? Was it because I took summer school? I understand you are probably hurt by my offence and apparent lack of understanding your very essence, but I didn't mean anything by it. I thought I could do it all, but as soon as I realized that was not possible, and school is a contradiction to summer, I dropped the second class! (I had to finish the first class--did you want me to get a bad grade and have to take summer classes again next year?) I'm sorry! Please forgive me and come back. I NEED you!
...You could at least call my school and tell them it's still summer time...then we could enjoy a few more evenings in the park. I bought a light-up Frisbee so we can play. OH! Or you can tell my that it's still summer and we need to close the office. That way they will get out their wind-surfers and you can play with all of us! For a whole day! Doesn't that sound nice?
Love,
Heather

Pop-culture necessities

When I started going to institute, in the time I refer to as "the good ol' days," it was common knowledge that one requirement to be my friend was the ability to appreciate the humor of "Billy Madison." Life was simpler then. There was no urgency toward planning my life, but rather to simply figure out who I am. With each new calender I've altered my standards-lowering some, raising others, forming new ideas of what I need from others. I'll probably post more about this some other day. My intent today is to find out if you have any requirements--is there a book you think everyone should read? Something so important that if someone doesn't like it, you know your friendship will never progress past casual acquantaince?
Also, I've added a book list and would Love your input--What should I add? What are your fav. books? What books do you remember from Childhood?

What were you thinking?

I love meeting new people and finding out why they are who they are, but sometimes I have to wonder what the logic is that governs their actions. Like the guy in my office who has been passing his mail through the postage meter, then putting his exact change in the money box for at least 2 years...but then today, as I'm busily doing 3 things at my desk, with envelops and CD cases in my hands, he walks up to me and tries to give me his 2 bills with 3 quarters a nickle and 2 pennies balanced on top of it. I just gave him a confused look and told him to leave it on the desk. ...Why would he suddenly decide today that he doesn't know how to use the meter machine?

Later, when someone called with a question about her bill that I couldn't answer, I tried transferring the call to him (because it's his job to answer our customers' questions) he said "I don't know...what am I supposed to tell her? ...I'll have to ask (our boss, who isn't here today) about it." but then instead of letting me tell the customer I'd find out and call her back, he insisted on talking to her...then he put a note on my computer monitor, which I found when I got back from filling my water bottle. It said "(customer name), billing question, $1825.00, Why?" (which is all information I gave him when I transferred the call to him--in fact, I also have the name of the caller, and their customer ID Number written down on my note book...so, I'm left thinking: Why? Why did you put a note on MY desk when you were going to talk to our boss? Why did you insist on talking to the customer if you were just going to pass it back to me? Why did you wait until I was away from my desk to put the note there, instead of asking me to talk to the boss when she walked in? WHY ARE YOU SO WEIRD!?

I've decided there are only 2 possible explanations:
He is just plain OCD and weird. -OR- He has an identical twin brother who comes to work for him sometimes. It would explain also why he has 2 houses and some days goes "home" to the desert, and other days to LA.

My Birthday in AZ.

I love my birthday!!! I can already tell it's gonna be a good year. If you are wondering why I know this, I'll let this picture explain:


Yep, that's me and my new BFF, "the drunk chick." ...OK, so it's just a black square...it's not my fault it was dark! I mean, how is a cell phone supposed to get a good picture in a bar? My cousins and I went to a karaoke bar because there was a misunderstanding about the date of a party we were gonna hit up --but really, no excuse is needed to go karaoke-ing. It was so much fun! I was full of attitude that night, so I sang "I'm a slave for you" to get warmed up, then "I will survive" during which the girl at the table next to us got up and danced with me, in an attempt to empower, and lift the spirits of her cousin who just ended a 10 year relationship. Then I really wanted to sing Lisa Loeb's "Stay" but I wasn't sure I remembered the beginning of it...so I asked my new friends to help me! They said of course, and invited us to move our table closer and join their fun...so we did. :-) From then on any time "the drunk chick" had to sing, she pulled me close to share the mic and help her out. Quote of the night: "I know this song, I'm just too drunk to read the words." I sang several songs I'd never heard before, and if I can say so myself, I was pretty dang good!!! Then later the DJ sang happy birthday to someone, so my cousins and new friends made her sing to me too. The other birthday boy even came up to me later and asked what I was drinking (um...sprite?)so he could buy me a drink in congratulations of being 21 (again). He was being so nice I resisted the urge to call him grandpa--aren't I kind?
We had so much fun that night, we decided to go back the next night, and now I'm an addict...seriously--I'm jonesing a karaoke! Anyone wanna go? My sister told me there are places you can rent a room and throw a karaoke party where it's just people you invite, for only like $25/hour...and if I had enough friends who'd do it I'd totally throw myself a birthday party, since I haven't done that yet...hum...maybe I should have a birthday month...

creating a future

This week I have been trying (once again) to plan my future--pick a major, talk to advisers to plan my classes, pick a career path, decide where I want to live, etc. ...and once again I have been unsuccessful. SO, I have a new poll :-) YOU get to plan my life for me! Aren't you excited?! I'm really generous, so make me successful and we'll all go on vacation-my treat. ;-)

...and now I'll tell you about my adventure: so, I took a half day from work on Tuesday so I could go to school and talk to a councilor, or at least get the information list of classes I need to take. I think that the program I want is through the Child and Adolescent Studies department, but I don't like them (Last year I was in CAS and when I was trying to register for classes they put a block on my registration, so I couldn't register for ANYTHING. and when I tried to figure out why no one would answer my calls, or e-mails, and I couldn't talk to an advisor till I went to some other training meeting) so I was hoping to avoid them by talking to the careers in education department...but the secretary there just gave me some other phone number to call (which turned out to be a recording for the council for professional recognition) so I went to the CAS office, which I'm inclined to believe stands for Crappy And Stupid, to try to talk to the advisor (which is apparently allowed now, since I went to their stupid training meeting over the summer where they spent 4 hours explaining a piece of paper I could have easily read myself, from the school website where I'd already found it. Thanks CAS department) unfortunately, the advisor is on vacation so I had to make an appointment for next week (that's fine, I can totally appreciate the need for vacation!)
Then, since I was already at school, I went to the one place anyone has ever been helpful to me--the career center's walk-in office. Mostly I just wanted to make sure I was talking to the right people-I don't mind fighting for what I need to, but I'd rather not waste the energy on the wrong people! Shockingly they told me that I'd already gone to the 2 places they would send me for more information...so now I just get to wait another week and hope someone can answer my questions, or at least care enough to pretend to listen.
...although, I'd definitely be willing to drop out of school and become a star if that's what you recommend.

What is Ordinary?

Last night my family was talking about some of our favorite people and all that they've done. And I learned a lot about some people I though to be "ordinary," the ones that are content to stand at the sidelines and be overlooked. Like the family who lent their car and gas card to a friend who needed to make regular trips to a far away hospital. The wife that lovingly slaves in the background of her husband's chaos. The pioneer/immigrant who wrote about the smallest details, like the name of the ship, or what they ate. My uncle who when asked when the best years of his life were, always answers "right now;"and even though he doesn't have much, gave me emergency money to take to Brazil in case I got stranded for whatever reason.

While I'm sure we all agree that these acts are far from common, I'm also sure none of these people wrote about these acts in their journal because they thought these were ordinary acts. They were just doing what they thought was right. I'm sure they didn't sit down early in life and write these things on a "to do" list. I'm sure they don't look back on their lives and say "Man, I'm really generous." And I know for a fact that they don't bring it up in a crowd of people.

I often catch myself confusing the word ordinary, for unimportant..."I haven't done anything special with my life, so I must be doing something wrong. I'm obviously not that important in the day-to-day occurrences of the world." But when I think of what the world would be like without all those so called ordinary people...it brings a tear to my eye. A world full of crazy extremists, or people annoyingly bragging about their accomplishments, or simply doing absolutely nothing. That is not something I want to experience. Sometimes I see the people who I think are extraordinary and I realize how grateful I am to be ordinary--grateful I didn't have to fight off cancer, that I didn't have to overcome abuse, or neglect, or discrimination, that I didn't have to sacrifice my home, or family, or freedom. ...I only hope that if/when my chance to be more than ordinary comes I will make the right choice, and then be humble enough to act like all the amazingly ordinary people I admire.

In honor of the annual Lions Club sponsored Fish Fry...

I LOVE the month of August! Not only because it is my birth month (yes, I am a Leo), it is summer (aka no school), and there are tons of beach parties (hello, beach always equals good), but also because of the Fish Fry. Now, I dont eat fish, nor do I particularly enjoy the smell of it (bleh!) but some how this tridition has been deeply rooted in me. My Grandpa was a member of the Lions Club, so that's where it started. And even after my grandpa passed away, my grandma maintained her connections and got us tickets every year.

I remember going to the park in the morning to husk a truck load of corn. There were competitions for who could find the most baby corns, or the biggest ear, etc. As a little girl, I'd collect all the silk thinking I'd take it home and make wigs for my dolls, and my mom was always relieved when I'd forget about it and run to the play ground so she could throw it all away before I made a pig sty of the car/house. Then in the evening we'd eat and dance and play. And with every ticketstub, you could get a little bowl of ice cream--you know, the ones with the cardboard lid that you eat with the wooden "spoon." Us kids would always offer to bring the adults' to them, and then we'd eat the ice creams that they "didnt want."

Well, now my dad is a Lions Club member, so yesterday my sister and her football team of children came out and this morning they went to work. I took my lunch break early so I could go over and help too. It's sad, because every year it's getting smaller and smaller...but you know what I've decided? I could definately live on a farm (...as long as my husband took care of the weeding, I dont think I'll ever find that on my list of Productive Uses of My Time). And I think everyone should husk corn at least once in their lives. I dont know why. But if you haven't done it yet, let me know and we'll find some corn!

feeling left out

OK, so I'm not really funny like all of you are, nor am I as gifted in terms of the english language...but I had so much fun reading all your entries that I am totally jealous and decided to start my own blog! I'll warn you, though, I am really new to the entire concept of blogs, let alone their construction, design and maintance, so DONT JUDGE ME! :-) So, I guess thats it...I probably wont have anything funny on here, just the things I think are cool. But who knows--maybe with time I can become funny!