Tuesday, October 24, 2006

The best news EVER.

I know, I know... two days in a row for blogging is a bit much. But I have some INCREDIBLY exciting news.

Not only have I never seen a live NFL game, but I don't even get to watch the Giants on TV because they never show their games on the stations here. I don't get cable, so I even missed the MNF game last night.

But, I just wanted to share the most amazing thing that happened today in staff meeting.

I was going over the calendar (which I keep up with for the whole church), and I see that on November 26th, someone has written me as "out." Very odd, since I am the only person who keeps up with the calendar.

I said, "Who wrote this? I'm not going to be out that day."

Mike says, "Yes, you are. It's on the online calendar, too."

I look, and there it is. Plain as day. It says, "Rachel out for the Giants/Titans game in Nashville!!!!!!"

The staff chipped in and bought me two tickets to watch the Giants play when they come to Nashville! I get to see them in real life!!!! They even gave me money for gas to get there and back. I cannot believe it. I am so elated. I work with the world's greatest, nicest, most amazing people! There is absolutely no reason for them to have done something so huge and so kind for me, and yet, they did!!!

The Giants won last night, the performances of Eli, Amani, and Gibril (my team captain) got the win for me in my fantasy league, and now I get to see them play LIVE!!!!

And, I have two tickets...

Monday, October 23, 2006

I need a boyfriend... or a pit bull.

I was looking online for the phone number of my apartment complex, and up popped all these articles on Johnia Berry, the girl who was brutally murdered there almost two years ago (things they don't tell you before you sign your lease).
I knew that it had happened, but didn't know any details. Reading this article was very scary! The most disturbing things about it are the following:
~ The people in the other apartments in the building (there are six apartments in each building) all reported hearing her screaming and knocking on their doors, pleading for help as she was literally dying in the hallway. They could see the blood, hear her screams. No one opened their doors or called the police. No one.
~ She was a girl that reportedly "had no enemies" and was the type of person that could make a bad day good. I always assumed that it was some sort of shady situation with a drug deal gone bad or something like that. Apparently, she was as innocent as they come.
~ The apartment complex distributed flyers saying that it was all a result of domestic violence, and refused to retract the statement even once they knew otherwise.

I suddenly feel very unsafe. I really want to meet my new neighbors and become friends with them, so that if I get stabbed (which is always the way that I die in nightmares, by the way, and thus one of my biggest fears), they will call the police. I miss the boys that used to live downstairs!!! They were so sweet, and I felt so safe with them down there. They would definitely have called the police if I was dying. I'm sure of it.

Monday, October 16, 2006

My messy, messy house.

Have you ever heard someone say that the inside of your house (or room, or car... any space you occupy as your own would probably do) directly reflects the inside of your mind? If not, some people say that the inside of your house directly reflects the inside of your mind. Now you have heard it. And I have been realizing lately just how true this is in my life.
My apartment was immaculate when I first moved in, and remained that way from the time I got unpacked until Jason and I broke up. Then things started going downhill. At first, it was just a jacket and a few extra pairs of shoes by the door. A plate, cup, and fork would rest rinsed in the sink, but not make it to the dishwasher.
As my stress level became higher and higher, my apartment reflected the mess in my head. A jacket turned into a week's worth of clothes on the bathroom floor. An extra pair of shoes evolved into every pair of shoes. A plate, cup, and fork morphed into a pile of dishes that surpassed the walls of the sink and slid crashing to the floor anytime you added another one (or a clumsy cat jumped on the counter).
While I was trying desperately to hold onto control of the situations I was in, my house reflected that barely contained chaos. When I lost control, the whirlwind in my head tore through every room. When I relenquished control to God, the mess began to slowly contain itself in strategically placed corners and closets. Tonight, I clean. And I am excited about the peace of mind that awaits.

Thursday, October 5, 2006

Grocery Shopping.

Have you ever had a moment when, all of a sudden, you realize that something you've been doing your entire life is really, truly strange? I had one of these moments yesterday, when I realized that I talk to myself out loud in the grocery store.
It's true! I realized yesterday as I was buying taco supplies for my small group that I was speaking at an audible volume, looking for tomatoes. Not loud enough to disturb the other shoppers, mind you, but loud enough that if someone didn't want to go through the mental process of finding the best value on any given product, they could just stand next to me and copy my answer after I've figured it out. It went something like this. "Okay, now I need tomatoes. Lettuce, cucumber, zucchini, squash... there they are. Tomatoes. Oh. These are organic. Probably better, but more expensive. Hm... where are the other tomatoes? These look good. Is this the best price? Yep. Okay, one tomato. Is that it? No, I still need cheese."
The horrible thing is that I think I have always done this, and I'm not sure that I can stop. Will you still be my friend if I talk to myself in the grocery store?