Christmas in Florida

Mom, Dad and I flew down to Orlando, Florida to spend Christmas with Franz and his family. We pretty much just spent our time hanging out, watching t.v., playing video games, and getting to know one another. I can't believe it's been 4 years since I've seen these guys! Jenni and I hung out a LOT, just chillin' in her room and talking or watching t.v. and I spent time playing video games with the boys or tossing around a football. I kicked Matthew's butt in a game of Sorry, and helped Jake level up on his Guitar Hero he got for his Nintendo DS. We had a blast! Today Mom, Kristie, Jenni and I went to the Mall at Millennia (this ginormous mall) to walk around and, obviously, shop. I got some new sweats and tees at PacSun and some other random stuff (naturally). Gotta love those after-Christmas sales. My feet are SO SORE!!! So anyway, now we're just sitting around and relaxing, so I'm gonna go...participate? :-D

Abrasive = Endearing?

Weird title, I know. I was actually told at the dinner table the other night by my friend David (fondly referred to as Jasian, a fusion of Jew and Asian) that people seem to be drawn to me. I was puzzled, and remarked that I've been told in the past that my personality is abrasive. He responded with the quote of the century: "Maybe, but I think your personality is so abrasive that it's endearing." LOL I just about fell off my chair. Well, I DID ask. It made me wonder, though, if it's endearing in the way that some babies are so ugly they're cute.
NEW TOPIC....
I'm out of my mind. As in busy beyond belief. My iCal is getting a workout it never asked for or wanted, and I'm getting very little sleep. In other words, life goes on as normal. I somehow manage to be productive and relax at the same time. For example, crocheting while watching "Home Alone" with my Dad and laughing at people getting nails through their feet or their heads torched with...oh what's the word? It's not a flame-thrower (though it can be modified to be used as one) but it uses propane to make a large flame useful for all kinds of things. Handy Dads usually have them. You get the picture. Oh, and paint cans being used as projectiles. Another example is what I'm currently doing: updating my blog, copying much-needed new music to my iTunes off of CDs that I've been wanting to do for months but never got around to doing, and relaxing in my chair with my feet up before tomorrow. And an interesting day tomorrow will be! Bus routes on and off from 6 a.m. until 4-ish p.m. and then 2 basketball charters. I'll be out late, most likely. But it's okay, 'cause the basketball teams I'm driving are AWESOME!!! Then Saturday morning at 6 I have another charter, this time for boys J/V Wrestling. Ick. Double ick. Boys who enjoy rolling around on the floor together grabbing each other in public, in SPANDEX. I think I just threw up in my mouth. I usually bring my trusty Macbook along on those charters so I can be...productive. I usually use the hours to add yet another chapter to each of the books I'm working on and adding finesse to the previous chapters. It helps to look at the books with fresh, desperately bored eyes. The basketball games I usually watch, because I like basketball, and also because the teams (football, soccer, track, basketball) seem to like having the bus driver cheer for them (generally because I drive the same team all season, so I get to know the guys and the coaches).
AAAAAAAND yet another rabbit trail...
I'm getting kidnapped on Sunday. Not for real, but kinda. A few of my friends are taking me somewhere and refuse to let me in on it. Needless to say, I'm totally looking forward to it :-D Next week won't be too bad with the busy-ness factor, but the weekend's crazay. Dropping people off at Amtrak at ungodly hours of the morning, going to the ballet, singing for church, people getting married...sheesh! And THEN!!! I cover a bunch of routes for people who have to leave for home early, and THEN!!! I get to fly to Florida to see my beloved brother Franz (affectionately referred to as Goofy Tanzie) for Christmas. Should be interesting. Haven't seen him in a few years, and I haven't seen his wife and kids for at least 4 years. Hopefully we'll be able to find stuff we have in common, and even if we don't, I'm sure we're all creative enough to either bluff or come up with something.
So anyway, I'm coming up blank with more stuff to write about. Hopefully you're not asleep, but if you are, I'm glad I could be of some assistance with your insomnia problem; I wish it worked with mine :-D

*sings* Joshua, Joshua, Joshua 1 verse 9...

The book of Joshua, especially the first chapter, has always been one of my favorites. I guess it's my mother's fault for playing those kids cassette tapes with all the Bible verses put to song. There was one in particular that was a favorite and it was an exact quote of Joshua 1:9:
"Have I not commanded you, be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
As I'm typing it, I'm singing it under my breath and typing to the rhythm of the song. Joshua's new job must've been terrifying. He saw how the people treated Moses- grumbling, complaining, whining. They were such BABIES! Not that they didn't go through some really tough stuff, but they had so many visible, tangible, POWERFUL, obvious interactions with God in absolutely fantastic ways that would shock the living daylights outta me. I mean, good grief! And now Joshua has to lead these people into yet another difficult set of situations against nations they didn't think they could defeat and having to do some really hard stuff (like wiping out entire cities). Joshua must have been freaking out bigtime. But then God comes to him right away and gives him not only instructions, but copious amounts of encouragement. He provides Joshua with everything he could possibly need and loves on him SO much. No wonder Joshua put that all in the first chapter, starting in the first verse! He gives the situation (Moses dies, then...the LORD said...) and continues from there. God goes through all of the promises He gave Moses and reasserts that they are still true and will still happen, because He WILLS it. It's a confident statement of God's sovereignty. "I WILL" do such-and-such. All the way up through verse 9, the Lord speaks to Joshua and tells him what's what in such a caring but still military way (Joshua was military, the Lord speaks to us where we're at in a way we can understand- personal relationship, remember?). THEN, in verse 10, "So Joshua ordered the officers...." blah blah blah. Basically, he goes and does what God said. End of story. Joshua is the first book in the O.T. up until now that has the Israelites consistently doing what God said to do. Incredible!! But what's so important is this: Joshua listened to the Lord and did what any normal person in his situation would (what??? wait. here's the catch) that was COMPLETELY CONFIDENT THAT THE LORD WAS WITH HIM. wow. *feels small* When God spoke, Joshua believed, and acted on that belief with certainty, and that certainty spread confidence to those who looked up to him as a leader appointed by God and Joshua was above reproach (which is what a leader SHOULD be, no?) and that built trust, and the trust manifested itself in obedience from the people. Again, wow. So many lessons in just one chapter, I can barely contain it. I know my Bible's margins are having a hard time containing my notes too. It looks like either a pen exploded or a grafitti artist was having a good time. :-D

Argh...I'm sick. But that's okay I guess. At least I'm not up-chucking or anything. Just feeling like I've been run over by an 18-wheeler repeatedly. Oh well. Chartering for Waukesha West's varsity football team tomorrow (YAY!!!)

Weekend of doom for awake-ness

This is the first weekend in probably months now that I haven't had a charter. I'm kinda sad about it, 'cause Friday nights are usually football nights for me, and saturdays are track meets at random state parks, but this weekend is empty. Well, not quite. I DID have an extremely fun (but exhausting) overnighter at the Wisconsin Athletic Club with my girls from NTBI. We worked out, swam, sat in the hot tub, ate pizza, and watched the Bourne Identity and the Bourne Supremacy, did nails, makeovers, the whole girly gamut. I was awake for 25 straight hours (woke up at 5:30 Friday morning, went to bed at 6:30 Saturday morning). I slept till 2 this afternoon (so I got about 7 and a half hours of sleep) and was woken up by Krystina standing in the door of my room laughing at me (she'd just woken up too and come over from the school), and then the front door slams and Jen walks in. So we watch Fried Green Tomatoes (amazing movie). In the last few minutes, I had to pack up and leave them to their movie-fest to go babysit for Rae's hooligans. That's where I am now, sitting in her recliner and watching Drumline on mute. Kidlings are sleeping soundly, and until just recently, so was the kitty (on my lap too, keeping me warm). Anyway, I'm gonna find something slightly more productive to do now. G'nite!

Just had a FABULOUS couple of weeks

Besides the surgery, of course. That part hurt. But the rest has been good.
Reasons:
-I finally understand (and like!) football so I don't feel like an idiot when I charter for fb games
-I got my brand spankin' new digital camera and it's incredible
-my bus works again so I don't have to drive crappy '03s
-I couldn't keep my fish anymore (sad) but I gave them to people who won't kill them, and got a betta instead
-I started writing again, for the first time in about 6 years. It feels amazing!
-I dunno, life's just been good. Busy...really really really crazy busy, but good. Maybe I'm finally learning to look on the bright side! (really comes in handy when people flip me off simply because they don't like the sunshine yellow vibe comin' off the school bus. Haters.)

Anyway, I know this is short, but I have to go to work again in a few minutes and I wanna get some stuff done quickly here. Love yaz!