Let Me Be Content

I heard on the radio today that Jerry Seinfeld makes $60 million a year just from reruns. Wow. That's a sizeable amount of money.

I tried to imagine what I would do if I made that much each year. My giving would probably increase sizably (I hope). I'd put more money into savings and investments. I'd buy some nice things. But what about the rest of it?

I can get to wishing I had more of this or that, but when it really comes down to it, I'm probably blessed that I don't have a lot. It would probably mess me up more than it would help me.

But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that (1 Tim. 6:8).

I have food, and I have clothing. Let me be content with that.

Car Crash

A few weeks ago, I heard Matt Nathanson's "Car Crash" on the radio on my way to South Bend. I instantly loved it:

I'm wide awake and so alive
Ringing like a bell
Tell me this is paradise
And not someplace I fell
'Cause I keep on fallin' down

I wanna feel the car crash
I wanna feel the capsize
I wanna feel the bomb drop, the earth stop
'Til I'm satisfied
I wanna feel the car crash
'Cause I'm dyin' on the inside
I wanna let go and know
That I'll be alright, alright

Just push me 'til I have to fly
I've shed my skin, my scars
Take me deep out past the lights
Nothing dims these stars
Nothing dims these stars

I wanna feel the car crash
I wanna feel the capsize
I wanna feel the bomb drop, the earth stop
'Til I'm satisfiedI wanna feel the car crash
'Cause I'm dyin' on the inside
I wanna let go and know
That I'll be alright, alright

So right
It's all wrong

I'm wide awake and so alive

I wanna feel the car crash
I wanna feel the capsize
I wanna feel the bomb drop, the earth stop
'Til I'm satisfied
I wanna feel the car crash
'Cause I'm dyin' on the inside
I wanna let go and know
That I'll be alright, alright

They're not your typical feel-good lyrics. Why are they appealing? Because we can feel numb and used to the way things are/tend to be? Because we want something out of the norm to happen? Just to give us variety? So we can have something to put on our blogs? Or do you not find them appealing?

Winking

In one of my classes this week, I had a slight scare. No deer jumped in front of my desk, but I thought someone was winking at me. It was scary.

Upon further observation of the individual throughout the class, I noticed his eye seemed to involuntarily twitch every other second. Whew! I was relieved. No psychos out to get me yet.

Now, winking in and of itself is not bad. But it needs to be in the right context. If someone I hardly know who is old enough to be my father is winking at me, that's scary. In a different situation, winking might not be so scary.

Okay, now I'm picturing a deer winking at me. What am I on?

Queen of Waterspilling

I am the Queen of Waterspilling. Bow down and behold my clutziness.

When God created me, he gave me a special power. Nothing great like spidey-sense or the ability to fly. No, that would be too useful. I can spill a mug of water multiple times in one day without even trying! And in completely different ways, too!

I can spill it while pouring it into my mug. I can spill it walking up some steps. I can spill it when picking the mug up, setting it down, or bringing it to my mouth. I can spill it standing up, sitting down, or leaning against a wall. I can spill it intense in thought or void of any brainwaves. I can spill it alone or while someone is watching me.

The point is, if you need water spilled, I'm the girl to call. No job is too great or small. I handle them all!

My Greatest Good

I read an article tonight about an Equadorian woman serving in India. (The article starts on page 4, but there's other interesting stuff, too.) There were many interesting details, but the one that sticks out to me is an obvious sign she received from God. One of those "Okay, God, you have something for me but how can I do that?" followed by an almost immediate "Follow me this way!"

Sometimes I forget that God is really there. I know He is. I believe in Him and His Son. I'm trusting and relying. But I can get used to just praying, asking for something without truly expecting an obvious answer. Of course, His answers aren't always immediate or obvious... Sometimes (or almost always) they're, "Wait. Listen. Trust."

There's a poster I see on occasion that says something to the extent of, "Trust is believing that God has my greatest good at heart when he says no." I sometimes forget that God's "No" or "Wait" is in fact an answer, not just Him taking the easy way out.

Proper Deer Avoidance Procedure

I stand corrected! I did not follow proper deer avoidance procedure on Monday. I got my dad's squirrel hitting tips mixed up with deer avoidance. Do not break for small to medium size critters. What are they going to do to you?

The first and most important action in avoiding a deer is not swerving, just as I thought. However, it is good to break. Assuming you're not being tailgated, it sounds like "you should hit the brakes up until the very last second of impact; suddenly releasing the brakes will send the deer propelling into the roadway rather than into your windshield." This makes sense to me. It also makes me smile. "Take that!"

Next time a deer is in my way, watch out! It won't even touch me.

See other tips at http://thefuntimesguide.com/2005/10/how_to_avoid_hi.php.

Dirty Business

Okay, I have to post this... So I'm at work, the fax line rings more than just a few times, so I pick it up and say my little script saying who I am and the office I'm at. A lady immediately starts in about her pet and something about a stool sample. I'm thinking, Oh, my! Definitely wrong number. After asking me a question about when she can drop of her pet, I tell her again what office it is she called. It turns out the vet's office she was trying to call has the same number as our fax number. (So she says.) But if this is the case, why is this the first call for the vet's office that I know about? She had to have written down the vet's number incorrectly.

I think I'll stick to my current job. I don't feel a pull in the direction of taking care of animals' dirty business.

Car Update

It turns out the only real damage to my car was aesthetic and won't cost too much. However... After much deliberation, my household has decided that I give up my little Saturn (sniff) to my brother who's away at school. I will get the newer and more reliable of the family Buicks. It's for the best.

When stopping by the place that has my Saturn to take a peak at it and make a decision as to what I want to have fixed, I saw "the shiny cars." I'm not ready for one yet, though. I've thought that I'd like to have at least half of the money for whatever I get up front. I've got some, but not half. Save, save. I might start looking into what I eventually want to get.

On Tuesday when I was at work, my mom cleaned off my car. She was telling me there was definite meat attached to the fur that got stuck in my hood. Yum! My dad said the important thing is there's one less deer on the road. At which my mother immediately exclaimed, "No! The important thing is that Emily is alright!" Gotta feel the love.

Continuum

I listened to Continuum on my way to South Bend for my Tuesday evening class last night. When I listen to it, almost every time a new song starts I think, "I love this song!" And throughout my listening experience I exclaim, "He is sooo good!" It's the truth.

This cd does not give me my typical cd experience. I almost feel as if John Mayer and I are hanging out and he's just letting me know what's up, what he's been thinking about lately. I feel like we've been buddies since we were kids, but now he's made it big, and I'm proud of him. Silly, I know.

Jinx!

Time: 10:41 p.m.
Place: A booth at a Subway inside of a gas station
Reason: I just hit a deer.

I'm afraid I jinxed myself by putting up a poll about what car I might get if I ever decide to trade up. Okay. Time to come clean: I grazed a deer. But part of it is still very much attached to my car. (I always wanted a red car... not.) So here I am sipping an o.j. (I'm craving it because of my slight cold.) I'm waiting for my dad to get here so he can follow me the rest of the way home (just in case.) I'm still shaking a little bit. Let me tell you--I thanked God it wasn't anything worse.

I "called it in" with the Marshall County Sheriff's Dept., but we'll see the damage. I don't feel like spending much $$$. Again... yet to see the cost/insurance coverage, etc.

I'll have to borrow one of my parent's cars in the meantime. Yeah '90s Buicks! Ugghh. I prefer my little Saturn. Complain, complain... I'm fine. That's what matters. When driving at night, I sometimes morbidly imagine what might go wrong. Then I distract myself with music.

An update will follow later in the week. Maybe I'll post something happy! (Before hitting/grazing the deer, I was thinking about looking into songs that tell you to close or open your eyes--half of them are Snow Patrol.)

Oh, and if you see a deer wandering around Central Marshall County with half it's body missing, please tell it I'm sorry. :)

Overrated Compliments

"You did an excellent job of chewing and swallowing your food today!" You probably have not heard this particular bit of praise. But it exemplifies a very real category of compliments.

Here's the situation: Someone sees you. He also wants to give you some form of encouragement. So he tries to come up with something good you did, or some good quality you possess. He searches and searches for what might very well be an eternity. (After all, how often do you do something well?)

Then he remembers! Earlier in the day he saw you eating something. Maybe it was a banana, maybe an orange. The point is, it was something. And you managed to bite it, chew it up into pieces, and swallow without causing any harm to yourself or anyone around you. Aha! An accomplishment! A very minor one, but an accomplishment none the less. And so he proudly praises you for the wonderful job of chewing and swallowing that you so masterfully performed earlier in the day.

Now how do you feel upon receiving such a compliment? You might at first feel good about yourself. Yes, I did eat that banana, didn't I? But then after the comment sets in, you slowly come to realize what little value it holds. However, it's meaning can be piercing.

Not to worry. This is just an exaggeration. But it allowed me to get out some frustration I have in another situation. And it was fun to rant.

Sweater Breakup Songs Revisited

Okay, to my amazement, without even trying, I found another sweater breakup song last night. I was listening to John Mayer's latest cd (Continuum) and heard it. However, instead of a guy wanting to keep his sweater, it's a guy wanting his ex to have her sweater. So it kind of messes up my previous thinking... But it's another song!

JOHN MAYER
I'm Gonna Find Another You

It's been your word, you made your stand
You got me crying, as well as you planned
But when my loneliness is through, I'm gonna find another you

You take your sweaters
You take your time
You might have your reasons but you will never have my rhymes
I'm gonna sing my way away from blue
I'm gonna find another you

When I was your lover
No one else would do
If I'm false to find another I hope she looks like you
Yeah and she's nicer too

So go on baby
Make your little get away
My pride will keep me company
And you just gave yours all away
Now I'm gonna dress myself for two
Once for me and once for someone new
I'm gonna do somethings you wouldn't let me do
Oh I'm gonna find another you

Scent-Obsessed

I am a smell person (not to be confused w/ a smelly person.) Call me scent-obsessed. More and more I'm realizing that some of my favorite things are scents... freshly cut grass (already touched on), coffee, country air (when not near some dog food plant or diesel trucks), my hair after washing it/using product on it, tea, something baking in the oven, clean laundry right out of the dryer, squash or sweet potatoes cooking on the stove, honeydew melon, etc., etc.

But on second thought, I really like tasting food. And listening to music is good, too. Maybe I like all human experiences. Minus pain. But if you don't experience some pain, how can you appreciate what you have? Okay, I so did not mean to go onto some philosophical tangent. (Hardly.)

Philosophy was not my favorite class in college... Most of the time I was thinking, "So what? Who cares what Mr. Deepthinker thought hundreds of years ago concerning why we are here? Can we just go to the Bible and call it done?" Maybe I'm just not as intellectual as some other people.

Envious Thoughts

I have realized that I don't have enough envy in my life. The meter's pointing to medium and I need to get it back up to HIGH immediately! Now... What should I focus my envious thoughts on? A new wardrobe? A more comprehensive music library? How about a new car! All shiny and new... yeah. Maybe in 2009.

If you care at all about what my envious thoughts should be focused on, take part in my survey. Vote as often as you like!

Nerd type

What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Musician Doo doo de doo waaaa doo de doo! (<-- That's you playing something.) Everyone appreciates the band/orchestra geeks and the pretty voices. Whether you sing in the choir, participate in a school/local band, or sit at home writing music, you contribute a joy to society that everyone can agree on. Yay! Welcome to actually doing something for poor, pathetic human souls. (Just kidding.)
Literature Nerd
Social Nerd
Drama Nerd
Science/Math Nerd
Gamer/Computer Nerd
Anime Nerd
Artistic Nerd
http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_be_your_nerd_type">What Be Your Nerd Type? http://www.gotoquiz.com/">Quizzes for MySpace

I need to stop taking these...

In the next life...

Today, it came to me. In the next life, when I'm in heaven, I'll be playing driving piano parts like Paul McCartney. Not that I deserve such a change, but if some of our activities are "dreams," then that's one of my activities.

Center of Attention?

Your score on this personality test was 67%

Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, practical, and always interesting; someone who's constantly in the center of attention, but sufficiently well-balanced not to let it go to their head. They also see you as kind, considerate, and understanding; someone who'll always cheer them up and help them out.

Personality Quiz
Take More Quizzes

I'd like to think that I'm "kind, considerate, and understanding," (I'm not saying I am) but ... Fresh? Lively? The center of attention? This quiz creator obviously doesn't know me.

Heading south for the winter?

In the fall and winter, how do birds know which direction is south? If I were a bird, I wouldn't get anywhere...

I'd probably get all excited about going south for the winter, jump out of my little nest, and start on my way. Except I would be flying west, not south. Once I hit Nebraska, I'd probably start realizing my error and turn myself around, facing east. I'd fly back over Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana, but continue through Ohio. Somewhere at the Pennsylvania border, I'd see I am still not ending up in the sunny South. At this point, I'd park my little wings in the nook of a gas station roof, and, frustrated, cry out to God, pleading with Him to get me where I need to be. (Any of my family members can attest to my lack of direction, as well as following directions.)

Here's the problem. I am not a bird. And I do not know where I need to be. There is no map. Not definite. Not tangible. Certainly not obvious to me. How do I know what's what? And what gas station can I stop at?

Sweater Break-Up Songs

A few days ago at work, I got a song stuck in my head. This happens all the time. But on this particular remembrance of "that country song," as I have known it as, I came to an amazing realization. Break-up songs tend to contain the word "sweater." I found this intriguing as I recalled other songs I know of, some of which are listed at the end of this post.

Why? Why are sweaters so personal? Why do we worry about where our sweaters are when we break up with someone? Maybe it’s because once you wear a sweater a few times, it becomes an extension of you. It is stretched and pulled, keeping it’s misshapen state for the rest of its life. It takes on your scent. How dare your ex keep your sweater! It’s yours.

Upon digging deeper, it also becomes evident that guys are the ones worried about their sweaters. No girls here. I can see why this is. The sweaters I own would look rather silly on a member of the opposite sex. (Imagining…) Yes. Yes, they would. (Smile.)

What are your thoughts on this matter? And can you think of any other sweater break-up songs? How many are there?

Cake: It’s Coming Down
It's coming down.
It's coming down.
It's raining outside.
You've nowhere to hide.
She's asking you
Why you think it's funny.
It's coming down.
It's coming down.
She's leaving your house.
She had to get out.
She's mad,
And she'll take her mattress with her.
It's coming down.
It's coming down.
It's coming down.
You lie on the floor.
She's slamming your door.
She's gone,
And she's wearing your red sweater.

Keith Urban: You’ll Think of Me
Take your records, take your freedom
Take your memories I don’t need ‘em
Take your space and take your reasons
But you’ll think of me
And take your cat and leave my sweater
Cause we have nothing left to weather
In fact Ill feel a whole lot better
But you’ll think of me, you’ll think of me

Weezer: Undone – The Sweater Song
If you want to destroy my sweater
Hold this thread as I walk away
Watch me unravel,
I'll soon be naked
Lying on the floor (lying on the floor)
I've come undone

My apologies

The banner at the top of this blog might give you, the reader, the impression that most of the topics brought up will have some depth and relevance. My apologies. It is my intent to incorporate a little depth and a smidgen of relevance every once in a while.

Tornado warning

Two weeks ago my brother went back to college. But before he left, there was a night with somewhat bad weather. The two of us were in the kitchen while the tv was on for background noise. Whatever program was on at the time was interrupted...

TV robot voice: There is currently a tornado warning for the counties of Starke, Kosciusko... If a tornado is headed for you, please do not run towards it. Instead, seek shelter in a low, secure area away from windows. [Break -- Part of OutKast's song "Hey Ya!" plays. -- Break] Repeat. There is currently a tornado warning...
Me: What was that?
Bro: That was Andre 3000.
Me: I know. But, like, why?
Bro: I think they want us to know that if the tornado gets you, it will shake you like a polaroid picture.

My brother is a genius. Ask him anything, and he's got the answer.

Warning!

I've had my suspicions for months, but now I am convinced: my boss is trying to kill me.

While lunching in a back room at work, I noticed for the first time that one of the containers on the table has a label which states, "Warning: This product contains chemical known to the state of California to cause cancer." A comforting thought.

However, I do not live in the state of California and do not plan on making the move, so maybe I'm okay.

Signs you didn't get enough sleep last night

An undeveloped "market" has recently come to my attention. Let's say you're not a good judge of whether the amount of sleep you had the night before was adequate. How can you tell? Who do you turn to? No need to worry... a book is in the works:

"Signs you didn't get enough sleep last night":

-As you begin to awaken and sit up in bed, you start to fall asleep again, while sitting upright.

-The pillow wrinkles on your face are more noticable than last week's black eye.

-Your first thought after gaining coherency is "...cofffffee..."

-Your eyeballs feel like they might sink into their sockets.

-It takes you more than a minute to remember why you walked into a room.

-You ask your boss the all-important question, "You know today's Wednesday, don't you?" (He then looks at you like you're missing a few bolts.)

-You laugh almost uncontrollably at random, mundane thoughts.

Please, I am running low on material. In order for my book to actually be picked up and published, I will need other "signs" people have experienced...

Goodbye summer

In case you're wondering, no, I do not always stay up this late. Tonight is the exception.

As we are leaving summer and moving toward fall, let me bid the warmer months goodbye in my own special way...

One of my favorite parts about spring and summer is the mowing of lawns. I have only mowed my family's lawn for a total approximate time of two minutes. (I decided this was plenty for a lifetime.) But I love hearing the distant sound of a lawnmower going about its business. I find the hum cheerful and comforting. It says, "The sun is shining! Come outside and join me!"

One of the few things I like better than hearing a lawnmower is smelling freshly cut grass. The smell is sweet and refreshing, lingering hours and sometimes days after the actual cutting. Once you sense it, you just have to stop and take a deep breath to get the full effect.

This leads me to an idea I came up with earlier this year. As far as I know, no one else has carried these ideas out, so please don't steal my genius.

I would like to develop and market a set of grass clippings aromatheraphy candles along with a relaxation cd entitled "Hummings of the Lawnmower." I realize the cd will more than likely receive mixed reviews. However, I believe it will have a very practical use in soothing infants to sleep. And it's a much more manly Father's Day gift than the selections of "Babbling Brook" or "Whispers of the Wind."

I do believe, though, that the aromatherapy candles will be more widely accepted. And not just accepted, but acclaimed. So often scents are called "rain" or "spa." But what does "rain" smell like? Doesn't it actually have a distinct dustiness to it? And afterward, there is the smell of worms hanging in the air. And who knows what "spa" really smells like. But my soon to be patented "grass clippings" aromatherapy candles will not only truly smell like grass clippings, they will also smell amazing in doing so!

So in these next few weeks, the next time you hear someone mowing his or her lawn, smile. The next time you smell freshly cut grass, stop and breathe. For it won't be long before these summer treasures will fade away.

The Book

To clear up any confusion, "The Education of Little Tree" is not my favorite book. I have read it, but I only remember that it involved a Native American boy who lived w/ his grandparents who enjoyed reading to him from the dictionary every evening. I've had the thought about being a tree (as greeny as that sounds) for a while, but not until a couple days ago did the name come to me. Although I did steal it, I guess.

Random Ideas

Right now this is just going to be a place for me to put random ideas. More for my benefit than anything. We'll see if it evolves.