Late Night Ramblings

This has been a big week for me. Really, I feel like if I sat down with any of you over a cup of tea....or a caramel macchiato, since that is my new Starbucks go to....that I would have a whole lot on my mind to share. So here it is and true to my nature, it is in list form.

-Remember that job I told you to cross your fingers and toes for? The one I was a perfect fit for? Yeah, I never heard back. This whole job hunt has been such an interesting process. I'm either finding positions and companies that I am really interested in, but I never hear back from them OR I find companies/openings with big fatal flaws that make me cringe but they are anxious to fill their needed spots. I have yet to find the combo of both. So that specific spot was with a trendy email marketing company and I even had a friend put in a good word for me...but no such luck. Thankfully, I'm making ends meet with the unemployment dollars so I'm not overly stressed. As long as I stay away from checking Craigslist for jobs, I don't get too discouraged. The only true interview I've had was with a missions organization which actually sounded really cool. They have a bunch of different trips that individuals or groups can sign up for--one of the neatest is called The Great Race. It is just like the TV show The Amazing Race, but with the missions twist. There are two teams that hit 11 different countries in 11 months. At each stop they do some mission work with the local communities instead of eating goat brains or whatever they do on the TV show. Anyway, the company sounded promising but I ultimately had to decline when they told me I would have to raise my own support and essentially be a missionary to work for them. I can understand the thought behind it, but not called to full-time missions right now. So all that to say....the hunt continues.

-Speaking of The Amazing Race, do you watch? I haven't for the past couple of seasons but this one is an all-stars cast of former contestants. One of the teams is a mother/son combo and the son is deaf. I remember watching them compete the first time around a couple of years ago and was mesmerized by their ASL communication. When they finished that season (they made it to the finals before losing) their exit interview showed him talking about how special he is to have a mom who would learn sign language in order to communicate with him. He knew that was rare for deaf children whose parents could hear. I found that to be so moving and motivating that I researched an interpreting degree soon after that season. So now to see them again and realize that I can understand their conversations on the show is pretty exciting. It's hard to see progress in your own life because you're around you every day. Deep, right? But to get a glimpse of that here is fun. Also, Marlee Matlin is on the Celebrity Apprentice this season so I've been watching and enjoying watching the dynamic of her and her interpreter on the challenges.

-Last week I got to cross some exciting things off of my never-ending to-do list. Do you ever make a list and whatever doesn't get crossed off just gets moved over to the next list you make? I do that. It's the curse of organized procrastination. Usually with tasks like "make a budget". I've been moving that one from list to list for YEARS now. Embarrassing, but true. Well, another one of the tasks was to update/create my ideas binders. Ideas binders? I know, stick with me here. So you know my obsession with magazines. It started my freshman year when I started tearing out pages/phrases/words/pictures for a scrap book I was making. Then, I went through a collage phase in college. (Say that 3 times fast.) I'm sure most of you received one as a gift or two. Since that time, I've never been able to let a magazine go without flipping through to tear our pages for different reasons. It's been my way of hoarding.....although I do keep the pages neatly filed so it doesn't get out of hand. The concept has grown from collage words to a large variety of topics, and always with the intentions of doing something with them some day. So for years I've been keeping these pages in file folders with the hopes of moving them into binders so I could easily reference the different ideas. Last week, in an effort to avoid responsibility at all costs, I created a few of my new binders. YAY! I now have a MASSIVE recipe binder with more meal ideas than I could ever really make, a travel binder with all sorts of local and international trips I'd love to take, and my last one is a modge podge of brainstorms including gift ideas, crafts, home decor ideas, organization tips, and party/entertaining ideas. I have a few more to make--one for quotes, and another for articles of interest and health/nutrition tips--but I figure I'm off to a good start. If you're interested, I can dedicate a post to the books and can scan some pictures of the fun ideas. I am fully aware that most people don't get so excited about magazine pages and paper cutters as I do. Any reason to buy a 3 ring binder makes my heart leap.

-So I have a new friend named Annie I think I've told you about before. She and I met at Buckhead Church a while back and get together for coffee here and there. She invited me to her birthday party earlier this month and I accepted, which really surprised me. I don't know any of her other friends, but made myself go to support her and it ended up being not as bad as I had imagined. Anyway, she texted me this past weekend and asked me if I would be interested in going on a missions trip to Guatemala. She has a friend at church who has been asking her to go on a trip, but Annie really feels like she needs to have someone who knows ASL to go along. She said she thought of me since I was a Christian too and learning to be an interpreter. I don't know any of the details of the trip, but am so excited to learn more. She and I met for coffee last week and ended up chatting for 2 hours. When I look at the little enthusiasm I have for my homework and classes, I really doubt if I should be an interpreter. But when I'm out with Annie and realize that I can carry on a conversation for multiple hours over a vast array of topics, I'm encouraged to keep going. I have no doubt that it is obvious that I still need more training in the language and culture when we're hanging out, but at least I see the progress of knowing a language well enough to converse and find common ground. I'm hoping it'll work out for me to go on the missions trip because I've been thinking recently that I'd really like to go on one again.

-I've gotta go to bed, but first I have to tell you the highlight. I got to be spontaneous this weekend and take a trip to New York City! I left first thing Sunday morning and came back Monday afternoon. I was seconds away from talking myself out of it because I was intimidated of the big city, but am so so so glad I went and will definitely fill you in on all of the details with it's own post (pictures included). God really used those hours to teach me a HUGE lesson about myself and I am still in awe. Oh, and I can never say "New York City" without thinking of this commercial from my childhood:

OK, I'm signing off for now.

Love you more than Screech Powers loved Violet Bickerstaff.