early mornings

I just realized that there is at least one thing I like about having crazy hours at the hotel: One of my favorite things to do is to drink coffee and read in the morning. This used to be what I looked forward to on the weekends. Now it’s what I do everyday due to my unusual schedule this summer. I get up around 8:30, make my coffee, tinker around on the computer for a few minutes, and pick up my latest reading material. This past week, though, this just didn’t happen. Starting my new job cut away a few of my mornings and the other mornings don’t offer much when I have something to do early in the afternoon. I need a completely unbooked 6-8 hours to get the full effect of a relaxing morning and now it feels like a luxury. Even this morning I don’t have much time to myself (even though this is my one day off) because I have to go to a job interview to try and get a real full-time job. And if that happens, I’ll go back to weekends-only coffee/reading/relaxing mornings. For a full-time, steady job, that would be OK with me.

By the by, my schedule this week rocks (though not for morning reading until Friday). I’ll get to go to yoga twice this week and hopefully have lots of time for Adam and me to watch more Lost, which I plan to pick up from Blockbuster post-interview. It is the weirdest, most-fascinating show I’ve ever seen. I’ll tell you later whether I like it more than 24!

24 hours

Last night was Adam’s first 24-hour shift, so Penny and I were home alone. Luckily, I got out of work very early and was able to go visit Vicki at the beach house for dinner and more Bahama mamas. I’m glad to have an open invitation there. It’s always very relaxing. I also started reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, though I already have a list of books I want to read soon. The Harry Potter series may have to be read intermittently. Oh well.

Adam and I watched Lost today and lounged around. He’s pretty tired from his adventures at the fire station. Now I must go to work for extreme serving. Joy.

2 articles

If you have a minute, read this:

Improve your gas mileage.

Love, activism, vocation.

goings-on

Last night was interesting. For once, Adam was doing the reading/studying and I was the one who was bored and couldn’t sit still. I remedied this by going to Blockbuster to pick up the first two discs of Lost Season 1 and grabbing a few things at Wal-mart. When I got home, we ate stuffed crust pizza and watched Last Comic Standing.

Right now I’m working at The Shoulder. We got the grant out and I’ve been working on a mailing list for the luncheon next month. I think I’m about to go blind from all the typing and yet here I am on my break typing into my blog. I must be a masochist. Ha.

I was called for another interview this morning before I left for work. My interview is Monday. By the by, this is exactly why I was hesitant to take the Shoulder job and why I’ve been kind of ambivalent about it. In spite of this, it is good to be back to sitting at a desk rather than waiting tables.

OK, back to work. But first, a question to ponder: Why is Jay-Z rapping in the background of that Amy Winehouse song “Rehab”? Does this make sense to anyone?!

new jobs

Today was my first official day of work at The Shoulder. I’ll be working there part-time on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Unfortunately, I will have to continue working at the hotel until they can offer me something full-time. I’ve been feeling sort of ambivalent about the whole thing and have been praying constantly. I’m just struggling with the uncertainty of everything and trusting God that he will carve out the right path and also that he will provide enough financial support.

On that note, Adam started his fire training yesterday. That is something for us to get excited about. He goes to classes Monday-Thursday from 7-4 and does shift work Fridays from 7a-7a. That will take some getting used to, but we’ll develop a new routine. It was nice, though, to wake up early this morning to a thunderstorm and not have to worry about whether he’d be going to work today. That I can definitely get used to.

the price is right

Check out the new host of the Price is Right.

of reverence

Burnside published this article on reverence on their site today. Reading it made me think about my own issues with church and how I often find going to (Christian) yoga more spiritually invigorating than corporate worship.

Similarly I’ve been re-reading Essential Truths of the Christian Faith by R. C. Sproul, a book Alan taught last year in Sunday school, which has been pushing me farther spiritually than church. The book focuses on the theology and doctrine of Christianity, concepts I often think get overlooked for a “practical Christianity” focus. What I’m realizing is that I need both.

beach fun

So we went to Vicki’s beach house yesterday. It was a lot of fun boating and laying in the sun and drinking Bahama Mamas. We took Penny on the boat, which she didn’t like at all, and then took her swimming, which we had not done before. Check out my Flickr pics.

melting ice

I was reading Del Tackett’s blog this morning–he’s the president of Focus on the Family Institute and spokesman for The Truth Project–and came across this post. It’s easier to throw money at things than actually get involved. The ramifications are saddening (read the last paragraph).

so it finally happened…

I decided against going into work today and gave myself a mental health day. Shhh! Don’t tell. After I got home from my meeting at The Shoulder (where I’ll be employed starting Monday!), Adam and I ran errands and visited the new Walmart. We came home, drank beer, and grilled out.

We ate Italian sausage with peppers and onions, grilled zucchini, and couscous. It was delicious. Then, when I went outside to take a picture in the back, I saw this:

I have feared seeing a snake since we moved into a country setting and it’s finally happened. By the way, Adam and I are both terrified of snakes. Also, it could be poisonous. Anyway, here’s the pic I took just after stepping out the back porch startled by this wretched snake.