Back to Reality..well for a few hours

Made it back from Texas. Tuesday night Daniel and I went to a concert in Fort Worth that was a blast. I had spent the day hanging out with Brooke. Doing the Target runs and shopping fun. The concert was fun... sort of a blast from the past. I didn't know any of the bands that played but they were mostly great. Only one of them made me want to pierce my own eardrums.

Wednesday was spent readin and lounging at the pool, then Daniel came over and we cooked dinner for Brooke and Charles. After that we headed to Arlington and wasted time for the evening since my flight was leaving at like 530am and it wasn't worth sleeping.

Overall it was a great trip and I am sooooo glad I went.

Ileave tomorrow to pick up my sister at the airport.. my brother gets married on Saturday. HURRRRAHHHHH.

Tejas.

So I am in Texas this week and it has been a lot of fun so far! Though stressful on some levels.

Saturday I got here in the morning and Brooke and I helped Charles set up his classroom since he starts his first day as a teacher today (monday). Then we went to their cute awesome apartment in Richland Hills to nap before people were coming over. Daniel had done his job of inviting some folks over and we went out to dinner, played some games and watched some Olympics. Then Sunday morning we went to church at pleasantridge then headed over to Brooke's parents house for some lunch. After lunch and some poster making Brooke and I headed to Abilene for the night. We met up with Megan, Cody, and Brandon for dinner and bowling then ended up at Brandon's house for some Rock Band. It was a blast! I had never played before! After that we headed to Cody's house where we were staying. Thats where Megan will live when they get married in November. It was good to be attacked by Jack a few times but I won't lie I don't miss living with Big Crazy dogs. They might be able to control them but I never could. We stayed up talking about the craziness of life and all of the drama going on. I feel like I am in a VERY weird transition phase right now that just won't actually transition. Hard to explain right here.. maybe I'll figure it out this week some time. Anyway.. Monday morning we got breakfast with Julie, talked with Ed at GSR for a bit, had lunch with some of Brooke's work buddies, headed to ACU to see the new buildings and visit with the Foreign Language Department. Then headed back to the Metroplex. I met with Daniel and we went out to Dinner with his sister, Rachel and Stev then to Stev's Softball Game. That was a lot of fun!!! Dinner was tasty and I am still full!

Weird thing of the week:

Last night my back freaked out. I have posted before about how I have had weird death dreams and my neck freaks out and it feels like this explosion sensation in my spine that is all buzzy, and numb sort of. Well this time it happened in the middle of my lower back where I've had so much pain. It was HUGE and horrible. It lasted for almost like 3 minutes and felt like someone tazered my spine. It felt like when the lady used the electrodes on my shoulder too close the muscle next to my neck and it made my shoulder spasm and freak out. My entire back arched and tensed up. i feel like I did situps and back exercises last night. So now I'm a bit worried about it. I wonder if that mattress this summer messed up my lower back and nerves are pinching.. I don't know but I do NOT want it to happen again.

More to come this week. I am excited to get ready for Mexico but glad I came here first!

ME VOY A JUAREZ POR UN AÑO!

Chaffeur.

I am about to head out to go pick up my dad from the airport. I leave tomorrow morning bright and early for Texas WOOOT at about 5am. I feel back for my dad since he already wasn't happy about me going, but I am very excited to get down there. We already have lots of things planned and I am pumped.

I talked to Liz and Shyle yesterday. They will BOTH be in Grand Haven the few days I'll be there so I'll get to see them even if it is only for a little bit. I am excited to see Liz's new baby.. All of the family will be in town for Andy's wedding.. My sister flies in around 1:30 so I am picking her up on my way into town and then going to get mom. She's hanging with Aggie the few days before and after the wedding but we are all sharing a hotel room. Girl's time I guess! I am so excited for my brother's wedding. He and vivian are too cute and he deserves it! He is one of my favorite people on this planet and I am sad that I haven't seen him much the past few years. It is always a crazy time coming to Grand Haven. Too many people to see in such short amount of time. It won't be any different this time around!

Once I get back from GH I will be at dad's for just under a week getting ready for the next year. Packing, paperwork, etc.. I am taking the train from Detroit to Minneapolis for 95 bucks!! I couldn't believe the price! It may take the whole day but seriously folks.. when you count in travel time to and from the airport plus exhaustion from planes airports take almost as long. Well ofcourse there's a huge difference between a train from Detroit to Minnepolis and one from New York to San Diego.. :)

Well I'll update when I hear my placement. I know nobody really reads this thing and I'm ok with that.

GW.

Well.. Got the email from Lisa.. I didn't get the Youthworks position so I'll for sure be doing the Greaterworks Internship. I wasn't totally sure which I would have chosen if they had offered it to me. Probably the YW one, but I am still excited to do Greaterworks this year. It is a pretty amazing program and should be fun. I am still somewhat in the waiting game as I wait for placements. The word is that we should know by friday what our placement is. Possibilities include:

Juarez, mexico
Pine Ridge, SD
Marvell, AR
Monessan (sp?), PA
Booneville, AR
Minneapolis
Milwaukee


So once again WHOO KNOWS.

I had dreams last night that I was in Texas and decided to move there. Arg. hahahha.. doubtful!

Still haven't heard back about the internship, still cleaning the apartment. I did start getting some of my stuff condensed and rooted out.. I have some weird stuff that I will never use ever again.. Off to Goodwill! I bought those compression bags for your clothes and mashed like two bins of clothes in one.. which is an amazing feat and important due to the size of my car :) If I have to drive to Minneapolis assuming I get the internship I'll need to take as much of my stuff as possible. The official move out.. creepy.

Update: My shoulder feels pretty goood.. but I still haven't gotten it checked out.. probably going to wait til I settle somewhere. Now my back problems are back though.. I think its just the lack of walking miles a day.. I had issues last year when I would be sitting for school all day long and its back. Its weird, and doesn't feel great.. Looks like I'll be caching this afternoon to make it feel better :)

Last interview..

I had my phone interview with Lisa tonight. It was pretty great. She seemed very positive about how it went, my experience, and what I'm looking for. It's pretty exciting. I feel great about where I am at with work stuff right now. I should find out in the next few days whether they offer it to me or not. It should be fun to speed apartment hunt. HOPEFULLY Becca will get a job too and she can be my roommate.. We were peeking on craigslist and found a BUNGALOW a block and a half from YW headquarters. Craziness.. its pretty good price too. I would love to just be able to say I lived in a bungalow in minneapolis. holy crap.

I heart Magic Erasers.. you know.. the cleaning thing by mr clean that totally erases like scuff marks and stuff.. I am cleaning Dad's place top to bottom and trying to do some decorating too. Kitchen is almost done, LIving room is a mess but the worst is the walls are so bare!! So I am on a mission to make this place look good while he's gone for the next few days. :) Then off to texas.


I missed Pandora. :)

to wait.. or to live. meh.

I went geocaching yesterday and today. It was refreshing to be outside in nature that I don't have to fear. I don't mind being in nature in the south or other places that contain rattlesnakes/bears/other creatures I would have no clue what to do with.. but it was liberating being in michigan woods and feeling at home. Given it was a park in the middle of the city.. but there were real trees. real dirt. earthworms and black ants. maples. evergreens. oaks. beautiful woods. Man it was surreal smelling dirt. I know its so strange but when I was little my friends and I lived in the woods. We were constantly in trees, digging up dirt, cleaning out old trees for amazing forts, sledding in the middle of nowhere. I remember one night a bunch of us went out to the old plant up by rosy mound and climbed up the dune and ehem.. over a fence around like 11pm. We found this huge hill and brought all of out sleds and stuff out with us. There was so much snow that if you broke the surface of the snow you were up to your hips without touching ground. We sledded for like 3 hours. I think at one point I didn't even have a sled I was just somersaulting down the hill. haha. Anyway.. yesterday I was 0 for 3. Today I went to 2 of those three and still couldn't find them, but I did find 2 others in another park. Its possible I was trudging through poison ivy... I don't know. I texted Daniel and Brandon.. they both said 3 leaves.. and thats what I was trudging through but I never got itchy. I rocked the listerene bath later.. maybe thats what helped. I don't know. Earlier today Dad and I went to go see Tropic of Thunder. HILARIOUS. It was only slightly crude at parts, but otherwise pretty hysterical. Tonight we are relaxing with burgers "Into the Wild" and some Phelps making history.

OH... I BOUGHT MY PLANE TICKETS TO TEXAS. I am going. Its happening. I am soo excited to come down. I am pumped to stay with Brooke and spend some time with her. I am excited to go to Abilene and see brandon and hopefully megan too. I am so ready to finally see Daniel again too. It is weird talking to him all the time and not ever actually see him. Sometimes it feels like he'll come walking around the corner some day ( I mean that.. its kind of strange :)). That would be a good day... Well anyway It should be an exciting week. It will be fun to see people, and reconnect. I get a full week down there.. from the 23rd to the 30th.. WOOOOOT!

Panera. Oh how I adore thee.

Today's jaunt to Panera was much more successful. Yesterday I came and totally forgot my powercord. Today I have my new laptop! Dad is letting me take his nice vaio because he got a new one for work. So today I am working hard as I try and figure out what the heck I should be doing for my practicum. So far I am still somewhat lost. I do know however that I am leaving for Texas a week from Saturday for a week then heading to the other side of the state for a few days to see SHYLE AND LIZ who will be in town HURRRRRAaaahhhhhh I am excited to see my girls!!!

Well I am off to REI to drool over a GPS and backback. ugh. I hate trying to save money.

SO ... Now what?

I am officially in Michigan, chilling out at my dad's house.. a recap.....

We drove up from Oklahoma to Kansas City on Saturday... From Kansas City to Minneapolis on Sunday.. we had debrief/check in stuff on Monday. Flew out from Minneapolis on Tuesday to Detroit.. and here I am.

Here's where I'm at:

I am in the process of applying/interviewing for some different things at youthworks. A full time position, a full time paid internship, and lastly a full time internship that is w/ housing and stipends. Pretty cool stuff but a little crazy on the decisions end. All but the last would be based in Minneapolis/St Paul which is fun.. I am pretty excited about that possibility. Its a pretty awesome city...

The internships/job would start in the beginning of september so for now I am hanging out. I am also hoping.. planning.. on going to Texas for a week towards the end of August, then hitting Grand Haven for a few days soon thereafter before packing up and heading out.

Trying to start getting to at least one of my papers for my RPP and some of the business end of that stuff.. yikes.. lots to do. My dad also wants me to start painting/decorating his place up a bit craziess.