The write stuff

Last Saturday night I came home from my sister's house around 1am, We had spent the night playing with PJ and watching movies and I was exhausted and ready for bed. I climbed up the two flights of stairs and opened the door to my apartment. Ah heaven! I could see my bed in the near distance beckoning me to warmth and wonderful sleep-induced oblivion. I managed to convince myself to feed my cat and wash up before bed and then climbed into my warm comforter. About 5 minutes later I had read all I was awake enough to read of my book and so I turned comfortably onto my side to go to sleep. The wind blew heavily against my window and so I forced myself up to close the small crack I had opened a few nights before. I crawled back into bed and snuggled gratefully onto my side again preparing for sleep. Just as the world began to fade around me, a loud "bang" rudely pulled me back into my body. I lay silently with my heart beating wildly awaiting the return of the ominous sound.  

I'm not sure that 2011 is off to a good start for me...at least not financially. It all started when I decided to make a car appointment last Tuesday to get my Saturn Ion the winterize package at Certiguard. A few hours after dropping it off they called to tell me that it needed some new parts (a new battery, brake cylinder, plug in for the block heater, air filter, and two tires). I begrudgingly told them to go ahead with everything necessary. Though it was very expensive, I was relieved to finally have my startup issue resolved (my car would randomly decide to start or not start) which they claimed should be fixed by the new battery. The next day my car started with ease and the engine was blissfully quiet. I drove out to my dental appointment and was dissapointed to discover that I need to go to a specialist to get bone grafting done before I can get a dental implant put in. This means more time, money, and pain. It's a mild surgical procedure but does include cutting,

So, I've been bit again... It's a new year and despite every rational thought and argument against it, I want to travel. This shouldn't seem strange or bad except that I literally cannot afford to travel. Oh cruel fate. I've already made up two or three dream vacations in my head; an historic and island sightseeing tour of Italy and Greece, a luxurious and relaxing trip to either Cancun or Barbados, and a fun and playful road trip down the California Coast with a two night stay at Disneyland! This will likely be my first year having to pay taxes instead of receiving a generous refund cheque and I just found out that my work benefits do not cover my tooth implant. The tooth alone will likely cost me somewhere around $3000. Boourns. Oh well, at least there are always less expensive ways to scratch my itch. I'm thinking maybe a retreat next month. A weekend away to relax and regroup would be good. Also I have been invited out to a friends vacation house in Salmon

I was looking through my Churches books and noticed the Lutheran Guide which is a little blue book on Lutheran history, theology, and practice in a fun picture filled guide. I didn't quite expect what followed.  It was nice to see such a humour filled and even slightly irreverant guide to Christian life and spiritual growth in the body of Christ. The top one was especially funny to me as a past Charismatic...I have actually been smacked in the face by someone who was worshipping exuberantly and unaware of the lack of personal space.

My parents spent some time in their basement over Christmas looking through boxes. I'm always weary when my parents start looking through their stuff because that's when they start "passing down" items to me. Often these hand me downs are not exactly useful and so I know the likelihood is that I will end up with a few boxes full of stuff to add to my own collection of stuff. This time the damage was minimal (a 1950's Christmas bell, some vitamins, and a few of my Dad's Dilbert magazines). My Dad told me that now that I work in an office I can really appreciate Dilbert comics. He was right. Hahaha I'm not totally sure why but this bottom one really cracks me up!