Sometimes You Don't Reach the Top

I climbed Mt. Saint Helen's recently with my family.  We didn't go all the way to the top for various reasons.  I have climbed to the top before, but the conditions then were not as variable.  We started a bit late, 9:30 a.m. and planned for rain.  Luckily it just misted.  The major obstacle that we found was being able to see from one pylon to the next in the boulder fields, as the fog and at times clouds prevented us from easily following the route.  I mentioned to my family that it was kind of like life.  God only allows you to see so much and no more until you get a little closer to it or you really focus your vision on it searching for it.  Sometimes you have to wait for your eyes to adjust to the fog.

I always tend to second-guess myself thinking, man we should have just taken the extra 3 hours it would take us from the point we were at to go to the top.  In the back of my mind though, I was nervous about coming down and wondering if the weather was going to hold out.

There is always next year. 

Down and Out

It seemed like the most horrible weekend.  I came down with a cold, mainly coughing and sneezing.  On Saturday, I spent most of the beautiful autumn day in bed.  I was not happy about that.  I put my robe on and decided to sit on the front porch to drink my lemon tea with honey and soak up some mid-morning rays of sunshine.  I placed my cup on the side table and noticed that there was a small, hairy spider doing the same thing-sunning himself.  I retrieved my black flat and proceeded to try and smack it.  It darted underneath the table.  I didn't have the energy to try and get him.  I threw my shoe back in the house.  After a little while I moved to another chair on the porch.  After a little while the spider came back out in the same spot-as if to mock me.  I actually found it entertaining.  You win today, spider.  I am going back to bed.

I Am Guilty

Hold up your hand if you've ever texted someone that resides in the same household as you do while they were home.  You know who you are.  I've done it.  I attribute it to being kind of like a speaker system that some homes were equipped with in the late 70's.

Since getting back into the swing of social networking, I've been having a ball.  Mainly, I find it a great avenue for expressing myself through the photographs that I've taken.  I have so many photos. Some are of family and others are my creative shots, because deep down I think I am some professional photographer.  Sometimes, I like to "say" something with my pictures.  I suppose nowadays, everyone is a professional photographer with camera phones.

I love modern technology as much as I hate it (when I can't figure out how to do something that I want it to do) and like it or not, texting has become a way of life.  I do worry how auto correct and word abbreviations will effect our future generations as well as the current generations.

See u ltr

Part of the Shoebox Generation

I spoke with a friend today and I told her that I was cleaning out bedrooms because my son wanted to switch rooms.  He wants to move into the bonus room, formerly occupied by my oldest son, and by the oldest and middle son when they were toddlers.

The room still held remnants of that period of time when there were bunk beds, as the high shelf of trophies and soccer picture gives testimony to.  It also was additional storage space for some of my photographs that never got placed into albums.  He asked that all the stuff be moved except for the multitude of books.

I told my friend it was sickening to see how MANY photos were still in their sleeves just waiting for a proper home.  She said we were part of the shoebox generation, where we store photos and stuff in shoeboxes for a later date that sometimes never comes.  I really got a chuckle out that, thinking that we lived in an era of time that did that.  I wonder if the younger generation does that, or if everything is stored digitally.

I am not complaining about the number of pictures that I have--I'm still reeling over my stolen camera and most of our photos from the European family vacation we went on several years ago--I just need to make a concerted effort to do something with them, so they can be enjoyed.  I wish I had utilized the available technology for instant uploads.

Live and learn.

Running Through the Halls

I have been thinking about this lately, especially as I tweak the blog.  In my profile description it states that I am walking sometimes running on the road of life.

I don't know why, but when I am at church sometimes, either when I was working or when I volunteer, sometimes I run to my destination.  Often times, I am "caught" running through the halls.  

I suppose it makes me feel more energetic when I do this.  It's not a full-blown, drag-out run at full speed type run.  It's more of a light-hearted, tippy toe run.  I suppose I can get more done, faster.  Perhaps.

Spending a Small Fortune on Carpet Cleaning

You know the drill.  Get all your junk off the floor, vacuum up the dust balls, the stray Skittles and M&M’s along with the stuff-stuffed-into-boxes-so-you-can-deal-with-it-later frenzy so that you are ready when the carpet cleaner arrives.

Over the years I have cleaned my carpet in various ways.  I have cleaned it myself with a rented machine and used various carpet cleaner outlets.  Recently, I have used Linton’s Carpet Cleaners.  Linton and his wife Neela take pride in their work.  They charge a pretty penny for it, but you know what you are going to get.  Super clean carpets.

Linton will tell you that he will not haggle with the price.  He is very up-front about that.  Still, you try to weasel an area rug here and carpet mat there into the overall price.  Today, I think he was trying to make me happy.

The best part of getting carpets cleaned is the time right after, when, if you are fortunate to have a hot, dry day so that the carpets dry faster, you can spend a little time amidst your boxed clutter to admire how good each room looks unfilled and contemplate what stuff you might be able to get rid of.  You can’t move about your house freely, so you either lock up and go out or you sit with the drying carpets thinking about what else you would like to clean or update.  Really what you think about, is what items can be given away so that the next time the carpets are cleaned, the stuff won’t have to be moved.

My Last Day

I had a really nice send off from my crew at work.  I think, mostly, it was really good to get together outside of an office setting.

I am so glad it was a long drawn out process of losing my job.  It allowed me the luxury of living in denial for awhile and then finally coming to terms with it and then acceptance.  I guess that is the same for any "death."  We live little deaths each day.

Maybe, in the end, after I come to full acceptance, it will seem like a gift was given to me, especially since it is summer and the living is free and easy. It's only been a few hours--I really haven't unwrapped it yet.

I will try to make the most of it.

It's Only Been 5 Years-Why Have a Blog?

Wow, a lot has happened in five years that I am not even going to begin to summarize. The short synopsis is I began working for my church, thoroughly loved it, a reorganization is taking place and my last day is tomorrow. I had a really hard time yesterday.

 I've been ramping up my resume, created a Linkedin file and have been contemplating what I want to do next. As I was researching how to do something on Linkedin, I noticed a webpage that talked about blogging and how it is not as popular as it once was. I then remembered that I started one (a blog) only a mere five years ago. I hopped on it and was pleasantly surprised and I really did amuse myself all over again.

 But now, the braces are off, my hair is longer and more gray, I've obtained a few more inches around the waistline which I am going to work on in the interim between jobs and the kids are older and out of the house except for the youngest. The one thing that stayed the same is that I still have only one follower. I'll have to work on that. I might pick it up again because I find writing cathartic. Even if it is just rambling. Of course, that wouldn't be my objective with a blog.

 I am still making those connections in my life. Right now, I am trying to figure out why is God asking me to change and, of course, what is His will for my life. I feel lost right now. Nothing that a good, deep house cleaning wouldn't solve I suppose. Five years has flown by just like that.