so, i'm a how-to-person. yep, i work at RONA.
i've had 1 8.5-hour shift, and i'm already being fast tracked as a headcashier and have been offered to advance to 2 departments, offered the position of personal assistant to the manager and been told that i'll be moving to contractor sales as soon as cash has more staff. it's good to be friendly and useful, i'm learning evermore.
i'm pretty sure that, once again, this is going to be a job that has daily stories rich in humour, especially if the dirtyoldmen are all as bold as the ones i met today. my favorite day1 story is as follows (Gav, i'm so writing this for your laughter.)
This old man is buying plywood, and the stickers are conveniently on the bottom of the stack of 10 sheets, so i measure the first sheet so i can look up the code, as i do so, i say aloud, as its easier for me to remember if i say something, ' an inch and a half' the old man, not skipping a beat, looks at me, and says 'little lady i'll show you an inch and a half...' oh man. i didn't know whether to laugh or run away in fear, so i shook my head, made some remark about having worked with welders so his humour was nothing new to me, and went on my merry way. and then, as i was musing on this story, i realized the incredible humour in what he said. an inch and a half, did he actually say that? oh man. i want that moment back. but then again, i'd rather have the job, so it's probably best i was tongue tied.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
selfish
driving is cathartic for me. it has been that way for most of my life, i used to ride the bus over 3 hours each school day, and once i began driving, i drove almost an hour each way to get to school, work, church, etc. in this, i became a friend with silence, i knew the roads i traveled with an intimacy only those who drive the same long stretch for many years understand. and so, driving became the time of day i spent thinking and praying. i passed the same fields, the same houses, the same farm animals every day. and i loved the familiarity as much as i loved the hours of introspection each day granted.
i now live in a world where school is 8 minutes from home, church is barely 15 and work is in my house or 20 minutes away. i miss the cathartic driving experiences, the way that the hay bales and fields full of cattle lulled me into deep thought. thus, i've had to adjust to the visually and auditorially (i think i just created that word, deal with it) loud world i live in, and find my way to introspection here. it hasn't been easy, but it has been found, for which i'm greatful.
nevertheless, on days like today, i wish my teensy tiny little older-than-me red and rust colored suzuki forsca was still running, so we could travel those roads again, with some freshly brewed kickass in hand, and the catharsis could begin.
life is not easy, but it's sure as smack worthwhile. i wish i could see clearly the woman, the person, God is calling me to be, and embrace her, live into all she is created to be. but i'm not seeing her right now, i'm seeing the pieces that don't seem to fit, but can't seem to figure out what should be in their place. but more and more i'm feeling discontent with where i am and who i am and it scares me. i want to do this easy thing, the easy school, the easy life. but i don't think it's where i'm supposed to be, and that's not a pleasant feeling. and i have a sinking feeling that it's the life i keep avoiding coming back to stake it's claim on me once again, which i sincerely do not appreciate. i want to do the easy thing, not the right thing. i want to be selfish. and i don't want to go thru another change. but then i wonder, have i only gone thru so much change because i'm being disobedient and that's why i am always left, eventually, in a place of discontent?
if obedience didn't require sacrifice it wouldn't be worth it. but dang, i'm selfish.
i now live in a world where school is 8 minutes from home, church is barely 15 and work is in my house or 20 minutes away. i miss the cathartic driving experiences, the way that the hay bales and fields full of cattle lulled me into deep thought. thus, i've had to adjust to the visually and auditorially (i think i just created that word, deal with it) loud world i live in, and find my way to introspection here. it hasn't been easy, but it has been found, for which i'm greatful.
nevertheless, on days like today, i wish my teensy tiny little older-than-me red and rust colored suzuki forsca was still running, so we could travel those roads again, with some freshly brewed kickass in hand, and the catharsis could begin.
life is not easy, but it's sure as smack worthwhile. i wish i could see clearly the woman, the person, God is calling me to be, and embrace her, live into all she is created to be. but i'm not seeing her right now, i'm seeing the pieces that don't seem to fit, but can't seem to figure out what should be in their place. but more and more i'm feeling discontent with where i am and who i am and it scares me. i want to do this easy thing, the easy school, the easy life. but i don't think it's where i'm supposed to be, and that's not a pleasant feeling. and i have a sinking feeling that it's the life i keep avoiding coming back to stake it's claim on me once again, which i sincerely do not appreciate. i want to do the easy thing, not the right thing. i want to be selfish. and i don't want to go thru another change. but then i wonder, have i only gone thru so much change because i'm being disobedient and that's why i am always left, eventually, in a place of discontent?
if obedience didn't require sacrifice it wouldn't be worth it. but dang, i'm selfish.
Friday, April 25, 2008
things
i'm finally free of school, and the thoughts that are filling my head to day are entirely different, they are thoughts of the things i love and enjoy and thrive off of. and thus, i've decided to list a select few of them here for you to read, and i'm going to be honest about it too. this is the no-holds-barred list of things i love:
the scent of vanilla
vanilla earl grey tea mistos
throwback jerseys
cruel girl jeans
the feeling of a brand new hoodie
freshly shaved legs
cocoa butter lotion
hockey and football
my jeep
pickup trucks
horse back riding
bale tag
maple walnut icecream
black coffee
grey's anatomy
jewelry
reef flip flops
cute heels
finding cute shirts that actually fit well
two stepping
when people look me in the eyes
looking at and experiencing art
music
rockband
FGD
reading
feeling challenged and inspired
working thru the mac list my own way
eating breakfast out
lilies
my nose piercing
...
this is my list. you should make one too. it makes you feel good about life.
the scent of vanilla
vanilla earl grey tea mistos
throwback jerseys
cruel girl jeans
the feeling of a brand new hoodie
freshly shaved legs
cocoa butter lotion
hockey and football
my jeep
pickup trucks
horse back riding
bale tag
maple walnut icecream
black coffee
grey's anatomy
jewelry
reef flip flops
cute heels
finding cute shirts that actually fit well
two stepping
when people look me in the eyes
looking at and experiencing art
music
rockband
FGD
reading
feeling challenged and inspired
working thru the mac list my own way
eating breakfast out
lilies
my nose piercing
...
this is my list. you should make one too. it makes you feel good about life.
Monday, April 21, 2008
what i miss the most
i loved living in winnipeg. i am absolutely a farm girl, and i ache for the open fields and 4-legged companions i've always known. there are pieces of my heart spread all over the place, in different towns, in different churches and schools and on a certain lake in central AB. but more than anything, i miss Strathmore.
it's bizarre to be here, at 22, and wonder if the best job I will ever have has already ended. I absolutely loved my work for CBC, it so well suited my gifts, my passions, my heart. I loved conversing with people all over North America on a daily basis, I enjoyed the relationships I established with the students who were so much more than just a picture on my potential student board. We had a phenomenal team, even as it changed and evolved, i was humbled by those whose offices shared the same halls as mine, i was encouraged and loved and mentored daily. There was an encouragement to embrace the relationships i had established, and i was always having coffee with current students, or having them over to hang out in my basement. i had incredible roommates, and our house had the most fantastic kitchen i have ever known. it was a pleasure to bake in there! we had weekly CBC-I meetings, secretively titled 'economic summits' where we sat round with Rocky's Donuts and coffee and talked about our lives, and our ministry, and always closed in beautiful moments of corporate prayer. there was a great legacy to the ministry we were invested in, and there were always students interested in what we did and who we were. i miss my 'american accent', phone calls from Opal, understanding and relating so well to Shauna, having an office with a window seat, Jo's soups, coffee with the staff at 10 and hearing daily worship at 11am.
i know God has a plan and a purpose for my life, but for the last 13+ months, i've struggled with this. accepting the demise of CBC has long since happened for me, learning to maintain my relationships in a different way has slowly worked itself out, i'm happy and content in Edmonton. but there is an ache in me, an ache for that sense of purpose, of knowing that work i'm doing is important. but i am coming to see this as a good thing too, with it comes a drive not to settle for mediocrity, to discover venues where I am thru which i can be of benefit to Kingdom work.
even still, there are days, like today, when i wonder if the best job i will already have was the one that lasted for 16 months, and started a week after my 20th birthday. and, if it did, i am ever so incredibly blessed so have had those 16 months, to have shared my days with those people. And on days like to day, i'm glad for that emotional, and to be honest slightly awkward meeting at the final commencement, and the CBC board who presented us each resolutions. i will always carry inside of me that desire to be more, to do more, to work for and with a purpose, and for that i am deeply appreciative.
i know i'm convoluted. i imagine most of this doesnt make sense, but kristina said i suck for not updating, and this is what has been on my mind today, as i go about exam week, and study my hours away.
it's bizarre to be here, at 22, and wonder if the best job I will ever have has already ended. I absolutely loved my work for CBC, it so well suited my gifts, my passions, my heart. I loved conversing with people all over North America on a daily basis, I enjoyed the relationships I established with the students who were so much more than just a picture on my potential student board. We had a phenomenal team, even as it changed and evolved, i was humbled by those whose offices shared the same halls as mine, i was encouraged and loved and mentored daily. There was an encouragement to embrace the relationships i had established, and i was always having coffee with current students, or having them over to hang out in my basement. i had incredible roommates, and our house had the most fantastic kitchen i have ever known. it was a pleasure to bake in there! we had weekly CBC-I meetings, secretively titled 'economic summits' where we sat round with Rocky's Donuts and coffee and talked about our lives, and our ministry, and always closed in beautiful moments of corporate prayer. there was a great legacy to the ministry we were invested in, and there were always students interested in what we did and who we were. i miss my 'american accent', phone calls from Opal, understanding and relating so well to Shauna, having an office with a window seat, Jo's soups, coffee with the staff at 10 and hearing daily worship at 11am.
i know God has a plan and a purpose for my life, but for the last 13+ months, i've struggled with this. accepting the demise of CBC has long since happened for me, learning to maintain my relationships in a different way has slowly worked itself out, i'm happy and content in Edmonton. but there is an ache in me, an ache for that sense of purpose, of knowing that work i'm doing is important. but i am coming to see this as a good thing too, with it comes a drive not to settle for mediocrity, to discover venues where I am thru which i can be of benefit to Kingdom work.
even still, there are days, like today, when i wonder if the best job i will already have was the one that lasted for 16 months, and started a week after my 20th birthday. and, if it did, i am ever so incredibly blessed so have had those 16 months, to have shared my days with those people. And on days like to day, i'm glad for that emotional, and to be honest slightly awkward meeting at the final commencement, and the CBC board who presented us each resolutions. i will always carry inside of me that desire to be more, to do more, to work for and with a purpose, and for that i am deeply appreciative.
i know i'm convoluted. i imagine most of this doesnt make sense, but kristina said i suck for not updating, and this is what has been on my mind today, as i go about exam week, and study my hours away.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
tonight
tonight i went quadding thru 4 different sections of field. and it was epic. the stars were bright, the ground was hard, the creeks were frozen. and it was glorious.
i love moments like that, in the midst of ridiculously busy weeks, to disappear to the middle of nowhere and let some energy loose in the middle of silence. it's lovely. we turned the engine off and sat up on a creek bank, just watching the stars. it's good to be reminded that the world is so much bigger than i allow it to be most days, and that there is much beauty around me, when i let myself notice it. outside is good for my soul. catwalking up hills is a good stress reliever.
yeah.
i love moments like that, in the midst of ridiculously busy weeks, to disappear to the middle of nowhere and let some energy loose in the middle of silence. it's lovely. we turned the engine off and sat up on a creek bank, just watching the stars. it's good to be reminded that the world is so much bigger than i allow it to be most days, and that there is much beauty around me, when i let myself notice it. outside is good for my soul. catwalking up hills is a good stress reliever.
yeah.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
encounters
i love when my worlds collide. well, usually i love it.
last night i was headed to red deer, for an evening of twostepping with some of my girls, we stopped at sev-elev in leduc for some beaver-buzz, these energy drinks that we love. iknow energy drinks are the devil, but they have these grapefruit ones that are delightful. i digress. so as i'm paying at the counter, in my cowboy hat, with 3 other similarly dressed girls, in walks jonathan drebert. so with my energy drinks in hand, and dressed like the alberta farm girl i am, i proceed to have a conversation with jon about camp and his kids and then stop at the car to talk to tahra and see the sleeping babies. it was random, and crazy. but fun. fun to be two people i very much am at the exact same time, good to realize anew that who i am is congruent, generally speaking. and thats a pleasant realization.
last night i was headed to red deer, for an evening of twostepping with some of my girls, we stopped at sev-elev in leduc for some beaver-buzz, these energy drinks that we love. iknow energy drinks are the devil, but they have these grapefruit ones that are delightful. i digress. so as i'm paying at the counter, in my cowboy hat, with 3 other similarly dressed girls, in walks jonathan drebert. so with my energy drinks in hand, and dressed like the alberta farm girl i am, i proceed to have a conversation with jon about camp and his kids and then stop at the car to talk to tahra and see the sleeping babies. it was random, and crazy. but fun. fun to be two people i very much am at the exact same time, good to realize anew that who i am is congruent, generally speaking. and thats a pleasant realization.
Friday, March 7, 2008
just thinking...
so kyra's post really made me think. back when i used to blog over at xanga, and keep up with it alot more intentionally, i closed many blogs by saying '...may you find joy in face of day to day living...' i wish i lived into those words far better than i do.
there are many beautiful things in these days, but this is also a bizarre age to be. so many girls my age are getting married and having babies and buying homes, and being far more adult than i am. some days, that's frustrating. i'm in my parents basement, the only thing of value i own is a car, i can't seem to figure out dating, let alone fathom a relationship that will lead to marriage. and there are ZERO babies on my horizon for a long while to come. largely to do with the inability to even fathom marriage... haha. i can barely afford my car payments most month, let alone even consider a home. i feel like maybe i'm still stuck in my teenage years, like i should be more 'mature' than i am. and then i realize how much i cherish these days. i love the freedom to pick up and go wherever i want, whenever i want. i love that i can embrace these 'gypsy feet' that lead me hither and tither. i've met alot of great people this year in edmonton, and i'm enjoying building relationships with them. i love my church, and i'm enjoying school. these are good days, and i need to remember that more. i can't just live for tomorrow, and as a Disciple, i ought'n't live for tomorrow. i need to be living in these moments, living as I believe Jesus is calling me to live, to embrace my situation and circumstance and seek the ways that i can love and live and learn and laugh in each moment.
i do love these days, and i'm mostly denying myself a bounty of joy when i long for the days still to come. a healthy perspective of future is good, but living for the future is not. this is a good life stage. 22 is an age which i am greatly enjoying. my family is well and full of laughter. my friends are wonderful souls that are ever causing me to love them more. these are good days. and i want to look back on them fondly, knowing that i lived them the best i could, and gave to them all that i could. i can't ask more of myself than that.
so this is most likely incoherent, but it's what's floating 'round my head tonight, so since i'm procrastinating, you get to hear about it! lucky you...
there are many beautiful things in these days, but this is also a bizarre age to be. so many girls my age are getting married and having babies and buying homes, and being far more adult than i am. some days, that's frustrating. i'm in my parents basement, the only thing of value i own is a car, i can't seem to figure out dating, let alone fathom a relationship that will lead to marriage. and there are ZERO babies on my horizon for a long while to come. largely to do with the inability to even fathom marriage... haha. i can barely afford my car payments most month, let alone even consider a home. i feel like maybe i'm still stuck in my teenage years, like i should be more 'mature' than i am. and then i realize how much i cherish these days. i love the freedom to pick up and go wherever i want, whenever i want. i love that i can embrace these 'gypsy feet' that lead me hither and tither. i've met alot of great people this year in edmonton, and i'm enjoying building relationships with them. i love my church, and i'm enjoying school. these are good days, and i need to remember that more. i can't just live for tomorrow, and as a Disciple, i ought'n't live for tomorrow. i need to be living in these moments, living as I believe Jesus is calling me to live, to embrace my situation and circumstance and seek the ways that i can love and live and learn and laugh in each moment.
i do love these days, and i'm mostly denying myself a bounty of joy when i long for the days still to come. a healthy perspective of future is good, but living for the future is not. this is a good life stage. 22 is an age which i am greatly enjoying. my family is well and full of laughter. my friends are wonderful souls that are ever causing me to love them more. these are good days. and i want to look back on them fondly, knowing that i lived them the best i could, and gave to them all that i could. i can't ask more of myself than that.
so this is most likely incoherent, but it's what's floating 'round my head tonight, so since i'm procrastinating, you get to hear about it! lucky you...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)