iknowHimdou's Xanga

T-I-R-E-D

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 02:27:49 GMT

Seriously, I should be in bed right now. I really should be. It's really not that late, it's only 11 p.m. AZ time. I can usually last another hour or so. There is so much going on in my head that my brain is racing. Although, it could be the coffee I had about 6:30 or so. Who knows. I am literally exhausted which comes from pet-sitting in the summer. Since the end of May, I have had 4 pet-sitting jobs and I still have 2 more before it will end for the summer. I do enjoy the extra money, but when you're going from house to house, living out of a suitcase, driving back and forth, sleeping in someone else's bed all the time...it's literally exhausting. Speaking of a bed, oh man, my bed, not somebody else's, is sounding so good right now. I only get to sleep in it tonight before I am off again. I need to sit down and pay bills. Today I finally went through my mail after being gone for two weeks only to discover I had a meeting to attend for Vacation Bible School this afternoon. Crap! It's a good thing I checked my mail, I was able to attend the meeting. I have really been thinking of either raising my rates for pet-sitting or becoming employed with a private company. The gas to and from is literally killing me and I am not coming ahead with the money I make. It's all being put in the Camry.

I am one of those type of people who will try their darndest to hide if something is going on. I really don't want people to take pity on me, feel sorry for me, etc. Yesterday, one of my friends called to see how I was doing. She said I had been heavy on her heart for the past few days. I told her everything was fine. I hung up the phone and realized that something is going on, but I'm not quite sure what it is. I hate when someone knows me better then I want them to. Not that it's a bad thing, but I will try so hard to hide whatever I need to hide, but someone will usually see the look on my face or a change in my voice and know something is up. I am not good at disguising myself when I need it most.

So, what's up, Brandy? I'm not sure, to be honest. I'm either starting to go into a funk or I am in one. I guessing the first one. Isn't it funny, how one can determine when they are going into a "funk"? I think some of it maybe from flat exhaustion, pure busyness. It's my turn to write a devotion this week, guess what I am writing it on...making time for God. I seem to be slacking in that department lately. And when I don't make time for him, I can definitely feel it. Lately my quiet time hasn't been so quiet and my brain just doesn't want to shut off so I can listen to God. And I so just need to be quiet and listen to him speak to me. I need his guidance now more than ever with various things going on in my life. With my busy schedule, I've slipped up on my walking routine. Blasted I was doing so good. It's so difficult staying motivated and I am really doing this alone, which makes it even harder. I feel so distant from a lot of people, so close to others. Not sure what to do about the distant relationships, not sure if I even have the strength to deal with the distant ones. I have found as I have gotten older, that my strength when it comes to relationships is weakened. I've been hurt so many times by so many people that my heart has hardened to people and I really don't want to make the effort I should for a new relationship. Horrible? Yes, I know. It seems a lot of the times, I am the one keeping the relationship going and it's just draining. I'm so tired of it. Hmmm...this is just some of the things that are swirling around in my head. And to top everything off, August 5th is coming quicker than I want it to. And it never gets any easier, even after 8 years.

I'm out. I need to attempt to get some sleep, the way it's looking, I might get about 5 hours tonight.

Bran

"At the cross, you beckon me, draw me gently to my knees, and I'm so lost for words, so in love, sweetly broken, wholly surrendered."

I live in hell...

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:00:53 GMT

No seriously...I do. I live in hell..aka Arizona. It's just hot here, I mean seriously hot here. Granted we don't have humidity, but when it gets past 100 degrees outside, it's just disgusting. Lately for the past few weeks, it's has been over 110 degrees every single day. Yes, it gets that hot here. Last summer, I seem to recall on the 4th of July that is was 119. I'm not sure what the high is going to be today, but I'm guessing 112.

Here are some things to show how hot it is.

I walk 4-5 times a week. I do walk when it's hot outside because I sweat more, thus burning more calories. I have two water bottles that I put in the freezer to take with me. After 10 minutes of being outside, with them in my hand, they have mostly thawed out. By the time I finish my 30 minute walk, the back of my shirt is soaked and my Yankees cap is wet from sweating.
It is so hot outside, that the dog I'm pet-sitting for will literally abstain from eating or drinking anything until the sun goes down. It's too hot to go outside and pee, so she chooses to wait. She would rather starve herself and not drink any water then to have to go outside to use the restroom.
Although I haven't tried this, I'm willing to bet money you could fry an egg on the sidewalk. Shoes are an absolute must here in the summers. You can honestly get 3rd degree burn on your feet without shoes. Not only are shoes an absolute must here, but water is something else you absolutely need to drink...LOTS of it.
I'm seriously considering moving out of state in the next year or so. I love the winters here, but I'm that sick of the heat I'm willing to relocate.
We have plenty of stupid people here in Arizona. Plenty. Every summer there are always stories of people leaving their child or animal in the car for 10 - 20 minutes. Most of the time, sadly the child or the animal dies. Think about it, if it's 112 outside, what do you think the temp is in your car? It never ceases to fail that a news station will do a test to see how hot it can get in your car. In a matter of only minutes, the temp in your car can reach over 130 degrees.
The sun is so hot, that in a matter of 10 minutes, one can get burnt. And because it's so hot and so dry here, Arizona has been known for brush fires that turn into huge wildfires. The ground is so dry, the sun literally bakes it and starts a fire.
I got in the pool here yesterday and even that wasn't refreshing. The water was probably about 90 degrees.
In the summers, I mostly take cool showers. But after I get done walking, I can actually stand a cold shower with no problems because my body temp is so high from the heat.
Nobody wants to do anything but stay inside, it's honestly too hot to do stuff. Even at night, the temps are over 100 degrees.
Irregardless of how much gas costs, it's totally worth taking a trip somewhere cooler.

Here are some pics to show how hot AZ is.

So, it's a little blurry. This picture was taken at the beginning of May and yes, it does day 5:37 (in the evening) and it's 112 degrees.

Metro Phoenix forecast

Fri 112 / 88
Sat 111 / 87
Sun 111 / 87
Mon 111 / 87
Tue 112 / 87
Wed 112 / 88

I live in a beautiful state, I really do. It's just so disgustingly hot here.

Hey! Tomorrow is 4th of July! We celebrate freedom tomorrow. Take time to examine what type of freedom we really do have. There are so many countries where they do not have the priveledges we have and we are so, so lucky. Also don't forget about the men and women who make that freedom possible by fighting for our country. If you have served, are currently serving or lost a loved one in the line of duty. I thank you and I salute you for the sacrifices you or yoru loved one have given so our country can be free, remain free. God Bless America!

Hello firemen...

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 09:01:00 GMT

Although I was at church last night, I didn't make it to service at all. My plans were to attend the 6:30 with Vernae and Rachel like I always do. Well...a friend, Vernae, needed me more than I needed to go to church. Although she managed to get upstairs in the elevator, it broke shortly after and she wasn't able to get downstairs to come to church. At about 6:15, I began to worry where she might be. I found someone in Children's Ministry who proceeded to tell me the elevator was broken and she was stuck upstairs. My first comment out of my mouth was, "She's not stuck in the elevator is she?" She wasn't. Whew! I go upstairs and the maintenance guys are trying to figure out what to do, how to get her and her chair down. I ran down and got the police officers that were on campus. They came up with me and they immediately called the fire department. In that time Rachel came up as well. Probably about 10 of the HOTTEST firemen in Mesa came into help her. Rachel and I wanted to start being sick so we can get assistance as well. All joking aside, they were really helpful and it makes me extremely grateful fire/police/medics exist. They took her out of her wheelchair, put her in a folding chair with me and Rachel sitting next to her, then proceeded to carry her 400 lb. chair downstairs, 5 minutes later they came back up and got her and in a matter of no time she was safe on the ground. I'm so thankful that Rachel and I were both there, I wouldn't of wanted Vernae to experience that evening alone. Afterwards we just sat and loved on her outside of church, she needed us as that moment more than anything. Some thoughts came into her head and caused her to be upset.

I had a very random encounter last night as Vernae as getting on the bus. I was talking to a friend, when an old friend came up. He's the one I was referring to in my "Be the bigger person" blog. He came up and hugged me, which was weird, but good. We hung out last night, and although we didn't talk about anything I referred to in the blog (we had other people with us), somehow I knew everything was going to be okay with him.

I am honestly still struggling with being back at Central. I am trying to remember that it's not about me, it's about God, soley about God. I feel as though I don't have a purpose there anymore, but yet I feel as though God is not finished with me yet at Central. And I feel as though I'm wandering around that campus like a very lost person. Time has changed, things have changed, people have changed. It's my church that I've known for so long, yet it's not the same church at all. I came to help at the preschool ministry but they were fully staffed at the 4:30 service. I decided to just sit outside and do some Bible reading. Gosh, I really love Hebrews, it's my favorite book. I've read it so many times. God was really showing me some things on Saturday. A staff member's husband who I have known for years came up to me. They are older (maybe in their 60's), but I just have the highest respect for him. God pushed him in my direction yesterday, gave him the words I needed to hear. He sat and talked with me for about 20 minutes. We said our friendly hellos and then he said, "How are you, Brandy? You know I used to see you all the time, then I didn't see you at all, now I see you some, but not as much as I used to." I confessed to him that I had left the church for 8 months and God had brought me back and the things I was still struggling with. He confessed he struggled with the same thing. "Are you happy, Brandy?" My response was, "Yes for the most part. I just feel so lost here sometimes." I could feel the tears coming, one came trickling down my cheek, but forced them to stop. I can't cry in front of someone, especially him. He said he understood and if it made any difference he said he missed my smiling face on campus and I always brightened his day. He said he could see the love I have for God on my face, in my smile. If you can see it on my face....why can't I feel it? I love God, I really do. I try my hardest to keep on track with him, but it's the hardest thing I encounter in my life. For the most part, I surround myself with people who encourage me in my faith, but there's that one person, who does not walk with God. I see her more than anyone, and she makes it difficult for me to keep my light going. A few days ago, I got some food for a homeless woman. No biggie, I do that all the time. I always say, "God Bless You". They usually say thanks and take the food. Not this woman...she was different. She followed me back across the street and began to tell me her story and how she needed money. I explained to her that I don't give out money, but I will gladly feed people like I just did. I then explained to her irregardless of her circumstances, God still loved her, always loved her, no matter what. She broke down crying and said she knew that, but just needed to hear it. We talked for a little longer, then I left. As I drove off, I became really convicted of my actions. Why didn't I pray with her? Why? She was obviously reaching out to me. But...two things crossed my mind as I was talking to her, one is what would people think if they saw me praying with her? Why did I let myself get caught up in the world and lose focus on God? Because that is what happened. Also, there was another homeless guy across the street, who was making his way over to me. For a brief moment, I felt that my safety was in danger. Gosh, Bran, could you be any more caught up in "worldly" things? I could of fed him as well, and prayed with both of them. But I didn't, I was too caught up in my own thoughts and for that I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, that night I failed at being a Christian. I may have been the only encounter those people had to show God's love and I completely blew it. I cried myself to sleep that night, begging for forgiveness. I hate disappointing God more than anything.

"At the cross you beckon me, draw me gently to my knees, and I'm so lost for words, so in love, sweetly broken, wholly surrendered."

Shaq + Kobe = One mad sheriff

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:37:00 GMT

Okay, so the buzz here in Phoenix is all around the rap that Shaquille O' Neal did dissing on Kobe Bryant.

Okay, now, I'm not a fan of the Suns or the Lakers, but I will be honest in saying that this whole Shaq/Kobe thing has gotten way out of control. I'm mean seriously....Shaq, what are we in high school? Can't we just move past all this childish stuff? Aren't you supposed to a professional, a mentor, someone children look up to and want to be like? Shaq was caught in a New York night club doing a free-style rap about Kobe. Now, I thought it would be a fantastic idea to post the lyrics, I've had to bleep some of them out, but I just want to show how immature and unprofessional Shaq is being. I pulled these lyrics off of someone's blog site, not sure how correct they are.

Last week Kobe couldn't do without me
Ya know how I be
Last Week Kobe couldn't do without me

I call myself big but I'm not as good as Biggie
I call myself big cuz I live next to Diddy
Excuse me, Diddy live next to me, so in the hood dawg I feel like B-I-G
Cuz if Biggie was still here, he would be right there, on star island in a mansion somewhere chillin
sitting on about half a billion, cuz me and gunz can buy sh** that's half a billion

Forreal dawg now that's B-I-G, there aint nobody in the world do it bigger than me
That's like a white boy trying to be more n**** than me
That's like a homeless cat having more figures than me

That's like Patrick Ewing having more rings than me
That's like rappers having..cars (inaudible)things than me
That's ...like you saying to yourself you better than me
That's like Kareem saying to himself he better than me
Now stop, think about that, it aint about that, its about B-I-G AKA Shaq
Now that's the difference between first and last place,

Chorus:
Kobe, N****, Tell me how my a** taste
Okay, Kobe, Tell me how my a** taste
Okay, Everybody, Kobe Tell me how my a** taste

I'm a horse, Kobe ratted me out, that's why I'm getting divorced
He said Shaq gave a b**** a Mil, I don't do that cause my name Shaquille
I love em, I don't leave em' I got a vasectomy, now I can't breed them

Chorus:
Kobe How my a** taste
Everybody, Kobe how my a** taste
Yeah, you can't do without me
Kobe, You can't do without me (repeat 2 times)
Everybody, Kobe, Tell how my a** taste (Collective)

Well...he's made our sheriff mad here in Maricopa County. One person you do not want to make mad is Sheriff Joe Arpaio, seriously...don't do it. Now, I'm not a fan of Mr. Arpaio, however in the 10 years I've been here, I will agree with him on one thing, taking back the badge he gave Shaq. When Shaq first started with the Suns, he became a special deputy with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. Arpaio is quoted as saying, "I want his two badges back," Arpaio told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "Because if any one of my deputies did something like this, they're fired. I don't condone this type of racial conduct."

Wow, thank you for that Mr. Arpaio. Seriously, Shaq...it's very unprofessional to diss people in the league. Aren't you like 40 something and isn't it about time for you to retire? Do you seriously not have anything else better to do with your time? Another county in Beford, Virginia, also just took away a badge they had given Shaq as well. Awww....Mr O'Neal, such a bad example you're setting. Tsk, tsk...maybe next time you'll choose to keep your words to yourself. I am looking for Kobe's response on all of this, but everything is video, can't pull that up at work.

Can you clarify a few things for me, Shaq?

Now, I fully understand they didn't win the championship, but was it the Suns or the Lakers that were just in the NBA finals? Oh that's right, it was the L-A-K-E-R-S.
Oh and did I miss the part in the article that says you were on the U.S. Olympic basketball team? I know I saw Kobe Bryant's name on there, but I must of missed your name. Oh that's right...you're not on the team this year.
It seems like when you came to Phoenix, you said you were going to get the Suns a championship. Now, as stated earlier I'm not a fan of the Suns, but I live in Suns Country, so I'm around it all the time. I don't recall the Phoenix Suns going to the championship this year.

Photo blog...

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 03:24:00 GMT

Yesterday, Jason and I went on a day trip to Flagstaff. The goal was to get out of the heat. Little did I know, that is was in the high 90's yesterday in Flagstaff. Still very hot, but not nearly as bad as the 115 degrees in Phoenix. I had set out, intending to get LOTS of pictures yesterday. But wasn't very productive about it. So, here are the few pics I did take from the trip.

My goal was to go to Walnut Canyon, I have never been there and I want to explore my state more. Unfortunately, when we drove up to pay the entrance fee, there was a note that said the main trail was closed due to rock slides. Oh bugga! The sign guided us to the visitor center to pay the fee to get into the park. Even though the trail was closed, they were still charging $5 to get in. Jason and I walked around the visitor center for a little while, but before you knew it, we were outside on the open part of the trail. *Gasp* we didn't pay the $5/per person fee. Meh, this is what I would of saw if I paid the money...but shhhh...these are the "free" pics.

I came all the way from Phoenix, only to find the trail closed.

Walnut Canyon

Part of the Native American Ruins, Walnut Canyon

One of my bestest friends, but the only one who is guy.

Sedona

Sedona, from the back side of the Chapel.

Sedona

Chapel of the Cross, Sedona

Whom shall I vote for?

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 07:20:35 GMT

Okay, now I'm not huge into politics. But when it comes time to vote, I do my civic duty and vote. I've never been one for being a Democrat or a Republican. Instead, I look at what each person is for or against and make my decision that way. I don't normally talk politics because I'll be honest in saying I'm not 100% educated like I should be. And when it comes to our president, I may not agree with some of the things he does, but he is our president and I support him, only on that fact. I don't complain a lot about our government, it's different when you work for the government. Complaining about the government would in turn mean I'm complaining about myself since I am a government employee. Haha. I work for the State of Arizona, and I deal with enough politics at work.

Now, I know the election isn't until November, but I've been thinking about this forever. Let's look at our candidates and what they are for or against. I am only picking out a few issues. All information was obtained from CNN.

First up, we have Barack Obama.

Abortion: Opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v Wade. Disagreed with Supreme Court ruling to uphold the "Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act." Did not cast a vote on Prohibiting Funds for Groups that Perform Abortions amendment in 2007.

The Economy: Would pump $75 billion into the economy via tax cuts and direct spending targeted to working families, seniors, homeowners and the unemployed. The plan also includes $45 billion in reserves that can be injected into the economy quickly in the future if the economy continues to deteriorate. Would provide an immediate $250 tax cut for workers and their families and an immediate, temporary $250 bonus to seniors in their Social Security checks. Would provide an additional $250 tax cut to workers and an additional $250 to seniors if the economy continues to worsen. Would extend and expand unemployment insurance.

Education: Would reform No Child Left Behind, ensuring access to high-quality early childhood education programs and child care opportunities, recruit well-qualified and reward expert, accomplished teachers. Make science and math education a national priority. Reduce the high school dropout rate and empower parents to raise healthy and successful children by taking a greater role in their child's education at home and at school.

Health Care: Would create a national health insurance program for individuals who do not have employer-provided health care and who do not qualify for other existing federal programs. Allows individuals to choose between the new public insurance program or from among private insurance plans that meet certain coverage standards. Requires employers who do not provide health coverage for employees to pay into the national health insurance program. Does not mandate individual coverage for all Americans, but requires coverage for all children. Allows individuals below age 25 to be covered through their parents' plans. Cost estimated between $50 billion and $65 billion, to be paid for by eliminating Bush tax cuts for those earning over $250,000.

Immigration: Supported Bush-backed immigration reform legislation, which would have increased funding and improved border security technology, improved enforcement of existing laws, and provided a legal path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants. Voted to authorize construction of a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexican border.

Iraq: Opposed use of military force in Iraq. Voted for war spending bill that would have withdrawn most U.S. troops by March 2008. Supports phased redeployment of U.S. troops. Opposed Bush's plan to send additional troops to Iraq. Had once called for troop withdrawal to begin by the end of 2006.

Same sex marriage: Opposes same-sex marriage, but also opposes a constitutional ban. Supports civil unions.

Then there's John McCain:

Abortion: Voted for the Prohibit Partial Birth Abortion bill in 2003 and "yes" for Prohibiting Funds for Groups that Perform Abortions amendment in 2007. Believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned. Supports Supreme Court ruling upholding the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act.

The Economy: Would lower the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 25 percent. Would allow first-year deduction of equipment and technology investments and establish a permanent research and development tax credit equal to 10 percent of wages spent on R&D.

Education: Voted for No Child Left Behind. Stated during GOP primary debates: "We need more charter schools. We need vouchers where it's approved by the local, state school boards. We need to have, clearly, home schooling if people want that … We need to reward good teachers and find bad teachers another line of work."

Health Care: Opposes federally mandated universal coverage. Would increase awareness and promote the use of existing children's health insurance programs while expanding community health centers. Supports health care tax dividends for low-income Americans, medical malpractice reform, improving electronic record-keeping, expanding health savings accounts, and encouraging small businesses to band together to negotiate lower rates with health care providers.

Immigration: Co-sponsored Bush-backed immigration reform legislation, which would have increased funding and improved border security technology, improved enforcement of existing laws, and provided a legal path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants. Voted to authorize construction of a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexican border.

Iraq: Voted for use of military force in Iraq. Supported Bush veto of war spending bill that would have withdrawn most U.S. troops by March 2008. Was an early proponent of sending additional American troops to Iraq.

Same Sex Marriage: Supports definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman, but opposes a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. Says individual states should decide the issue. Says a federal marriage ban might be appropriate if courts overturned state marriage laws. Supports legal benefits for same-sex partners.

So who are you going to vote for? Or are you like me and haven't made a decision yet?

Quote of the day: "George Washington is the only president who didn't blame the previous administration for his troubles." ~Author Unknown

Be the bigger person...

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 01:40:15 GMT

When I talk to a lot of people, and they are having an issue with someone, I always tell them to "Be the bigger person". I tell the kids at church that all the time. Be the first to apologize or make things right. In examples of my life, I try to follow my own advice. I really do, but unfortunately, I am better at telling someone else to be the bigger person than me actually following my own words.

*Sigh* But I don't want to be the bigger person right now. Why do I have to be the one to make the initial "I'm sorry" move? Yesterday, I mentioned this to Becky. We had talked about it on our way to Cali, but when I mentioned it again yesterday, she even said, "Oh you haven't done that? Be the bigger person, Brandy." Hmmm..I wonder where she heard that from. When situations like this arise, where you both don't think you did anything wrong, this is what happens: the friendship/relationship fizzles to nothing, absolutely nothing. Because each person doesn't feel the need to make everything better. I've really been thinking about a particular situation lately. Last year a friend of mine was in town, he contacted me and said he wanted to hang out with me. We made plans, the day we were supposed to hang out, I called him and asked where he wanted to meet up. He proceeded to tell me he had made plans with other friends and we would hang out again before he left to go back to school. But he never made time for me, I asked him about it via email. When he did respond back it was just a short answer. I honestly don't even remember what it said, but it really gave off the impression that he just didn't care and it upset me. And we haven't spoke since, it's been almost a year. But I've been thinking about him lately, been thinking about being the bigger person. I don't know why, God is working on me as usual. I think lately it has been where other people were being the bigger person for me, when I should of been the one to take the initial step to make something better. Our friendship will never be the same, my trust with him was broken. We will probably never hang out, but just the fact that we left everything unsettled. I feel compelled to be the bigger person. I feel the need to apologize, but for what though? I didn't say anything harsh to him. Should I apologize for not being the bigger person, when I honestly expected him to? I don't know what will come out of me being the bigger person in this situation, I guess that "cloud" of "what if" will disappear. Honestly, when my life ends and I'm standing in front of God, I don't want him to ever say, "Remember that one time where I was nudging you to do this and you didn't do anything about it?"

*Takes a deep breath* Okay, here I go...I'm going to be the bigger person and send him an email. I honestly don't even have his phone number any more.

Quote of the day: "Apologize only for your mistakes, but never apologize for the person you are." ~Unknown

Bullet points!

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:18:17 GMT

Ah, today....an update is needed in my ever so favorite form: bullet points.

Today, I would like to take a moment to thank President Bush. I would like to thank him for putting an extra $600 in my bank account today. And I want to thank you even more for deciding that we don't have to claim this money next year on our taxes. Woot, woot! Although the money will not be used to stimulate the economy like it was intended for, it will however be used to pay for my tuition and with some of that money I paid of a debt on my credit report. One less debt, hooray! Oh man, that actually feels so good. One of my goals this year was to clear up my credit report, so far so good!
I am currently tutoring three kids (siblings ages 9, 12, 14) in Spanish. I'm having such fun with them! I've know them forever, since the 9 year old was four. So far, I've taught them colors, the alphabet, days of the week, numbers, months, and seasons. Today we worked on family names and greetings and farewells. I also taught them the "I" form of "to have" and I taught them to say how many siblings they have and what color eyes they have. They are doing really good. I went to Teaching Tools and got some books with activities as well as some flash cards. Sweet, I love flash cards!
Vacation Bible School is coming up in about a month at church. I'm excited to work with the kids, unlike last year where I was supervising. Working with the kids means I get to dance. And we all know how I thoroughly enjoy dancing with the little ones. Oh yippy skippy! I can't wait!
I started to lose motivation last week with the whole weight loss thing. In case you haven't noticed, it's CRAZY hot here in Arizona and sometimes I just don't want to get outside. But I've reached 10 lbs lost and that definitely kicked my motivation into gear. I notice that I am walking faster and further in my 30 minutes that I give myself a day. My roomie says she can see it. Hooray! Go me!
It's going to be a busy summer, I'm pretty much pet-sitting the entire summer. Be on the look out for blogs about my adventures. But Jason and I want to take a day trip. So, guess what that means, on one of the days trips, I'm taking one of the animals I'm pet-sitting for with us. I already talked to the owner, I've been pet-sitting for them since the dog was a puppy and she's 3 now. So, she gave me the okay. She's a good dog, good in cars. And she's a little dog.
As I am typing this, the Lakers/Celtics game is on. Boston is leading the series 2-0. I hope the Lakers start winning, they had quite a lead and now they are two points ahead of Boston. PHOOEY! I just glanced at the TV and now Boston is ahead of LA. BLASTED!
I totally got tickets to see NKOTB in October. Yeah, you read that right. Bring on Jordan Knight!
Speaking of tickets...if anyone has two tickets to an Anaheim Angels or a Los Angeles Dodgers game when they are playing the Yankees in California that you just want to give me (because you think I'm awesome or something like that), I will take them off of your hands. I so want to go to a game, but I can't spend that much $ on tickets...they are expensive. Of course, I must have two. Can't attend a Yankees game alone, you know, gotta bring along another fan. My niece pointed out that I could get nosebleed seats for $9. But if I am going to my first Yankees game, I want to be down in the action, where I can actually see the players. I just need to look a little harder, I suppose. But again free tickets are always welcome!
I still haven't figured out the reason for my funk on Sunday. But, my best guess is that I might of some what lost my focus about people in the world and that meeting was an eye opener. I didn't really lose my focus, but let things of this world blur my vision. If that makes any sense.

Okay, gotta go for now. Have a fantastic day and GO LAKERS!

Quote of the day: "We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have." ~Frederick Keonig

Hmmm...

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 19:59:17 GMT

I'm in a bit of a funk right now and I'm not quite sure why. My day started off good, except the roomie is annoying me. She seems to be doing that a lot lately. I just don't feel the need to answer to her about anything, where I'm going, who is texting me, etc. And yet she continues to drill me. But, I don't think that is what is bothering me. Earlier today, I went to a thank you party for some friends of mine who just got back from a missions trip to Albania and Greece. They put together a presentation for the people who financially supported them and supported them through prayer. It was a beautiful presentation, beautiful words spoken by people who went, beautiful pictures and of course food. However, a few minutes into the presentation, I started getting this uneasy feeling in my stomach and I began to feel so out of place there. Why was I getting this uneasy feeling when these people were sharing about how God moved in them and in the people they encountered? I really couldn't justify why the feeling was coming over me, but it hasn't left.

Driving home, I began to zone out the radio, which is what I do when I'm really thinking about things. But what on earth am I thinking about? There were so many thoughts running through my head, I couldn't quite pin point one. I began to think about the people I met in Chile and the Dominican Republic and how in such a short time of meeting those people (10 days for each trip), they completely changed my life. I remember their names, their faces, their hugs, even the way they smelled. Like Charlie...she was my house mom the first year I went to Chile and no matter how many people were in her small little house, she tended to my every need, no matter what the cost. We would have Spanish/English lessons. She would point to a picture and tell me what it was in Spanish and I would repeat. I would then tell her what it meant in English, and she would repeat my English word. And when I came back the second year to Chile, she still remembered me, telling everyone I was her American daughter. Or Dilio from the Dominican Republic, in 10 days, we became very close, he became a big brother to me, taking care of me when I came down with Dengue Fever, making sure I was drinking as much water as I could. Dilio, the man I gave my Spanish/English Bible to because I knew he needed it more than me and the man who through my tears at the airport, I managed to get out that if God ever brought me a husband, I prayed he was as Godly as Dilio. Oh man, I miss those people, I miss how simple their lives are and I hate the fact how complicated mine is.

I guess maybe the funk is I need to go on another missions trip? My heart is aching to do that, it's been almost two years since I've gone. No, what I need to do is get my nursing degree and just move out of this country. I don't know, is God trying to tell me something? I guess maybe I'm also a little jealous that my friends went on a mission trip, but maybe that's not it.

I know tomorrow is a new day and maybe God will decide to reveal to me the reason as to why my heart is a little heavy right now.

Bran

NBA Finals

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:50:00 GMT

Happy Wednesday everyone! How are you doing? I'm doing pretty fantastic, actually. Okay, so I'm going to rant today. This shall be a "soap box" post.

Tomorrow is the first game of the NBA finals and in case you're living under a rock and don't know who is playing in the finals, let me fill you in. The finals are between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Okay so, who are you going for?

The Los Angeles Lakers

Or...the Boston Celtics

I'm secretly going for the Lakers. I am not a fan of the Lakers, I'm a fan of the Trailblazers. So, why am I going to go for the Lakers and why secretly?

***Steps on soap box***

I happen to live with someone who is from Massachusetts, she's from Cape Cod. Now, in the 5 years I have lived with her, she has never been a sports fan. She's only a fan, when the teams from MA are winning. So, last year, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series. She NEVER once watched any of the games during the season, nor did she read up on them on the web...but the second she heard they were in the World Series, she became the biggest fan, insisting on watching every game. She's done this with the Patriots and now she's doing this with the Celtics. She is what I like to call a "band wagon fan". She hops on the fan band wagon only when they play the final series in the championship. This just drives me crazy! I used to be a big sports fan, but got out of them when I moved to Nevada. But just recently, that sports fan in me has been reignited. And although, I don't watch a lot of the games due to my schedule, I do get score updates sent to my phone and I have been recently reading the sports news again. I'm planning on going to a Yankees game this year and hopefully a Trailblazers game next season. And hopefully, I'll get to watch a Notre Dame football game at ASU. I do make the effort to keep up on the sports teams, especially the ones I like.

My roomie was called out one day at Outback. One of the waiters is from New York and he decided to put her on the spot because she was bragging how much of a fan she was. He gave her a simple task, "Name someone on the Boston Bruins (hockey) team." She spouted off a name from long ago, he said, "A current one." She couldn't name one player. I was secretly cheering inside and had to stop myself from crawling over the bar to kiss him for calling her out like that.

Oh and then on to the hat...the infamous hat. For my birthday, Jason and his family purchased me a Yankees hat. I wanted one, but couldn't purchase it for myself because roomie would of died. The Yankees and the Red Sox have had a LONG running rivalry. She hates the Yankees because she is a Red Sox fan. Last night she called me a horrible person because I am a fan of the Yankees and I told her I wasn't planning on watching the NBA Finals to cheer on the Celtics. One day when I was wearing the hat, she got mad at me and told me it was about loyalty to her. I explained I wasn't from MA and she said, "Well you aren't from NY either." Touche. She has a point, but then I pointed out that I at least watched the games when I could, got the score updates and read the news. She's not fond of Jason, because he's a Yankees fan...which turned me into a Yankees fan. And you know what...I will rock that hat just to annoy her. Oh yes, I'm horrible, I know. But we've actually gotten into some arguements about sports because she is a band wagon fan. She also thinks I should cheer on ASU since we live here. Yeah no, I have Irish blood (Notre Dame) running through me very strong.

But, back to basketball...I guess roomie and I are watching the games, she's the biggest Celtics fan all of a sudden. All I have to say is.... GO LAKERS! I want the Lakers to win, so I can just rub it in her face. But will try to avoid an arguement by cheering on the Lakers, and hence the secret cheering. Her being a band wagon fan is just...annoying. She won't watch any sports games next season either unless the Patriots, Red Sox, or Celtics go to the championship again.

***Steps off soap box***

Have a great day!

Bran

Quote of the day: "The only difference between a good shot and a bad shot is if it goes in or not." ~Charles Barkley