Getting Back to Normal

I think my mind is returning to some sense of normalcy (if you could ever call me normal!) after a stressful month. It wasn't all bad stress; it's just the stress of dealing with a new home coupled with work stuff.

I'd been feeling pretty worthless at work lately. Things that should be seemingly simple were really difficult for me, especially when it came time putting some budgets together for my programs. We're in the middle of a lull which there's not much to do, or rather, I'm not given much to do... I hate when that happens because my mind just turns to mush. Part of it also is that I haven't been out in the field for more than month, so I feel like pretty stagnant. So, with all that, I just haven't had a lot of good feelings about my work performance right now.

Now, things are looking brighter... I hope. Not that I have much to do still, but I know that I'll get a good break in a few weeks for Honduras. I just need a change of pace.

I also know that this is the eye of the storm. Once my program starts picking up, I'll be spending extended stays in South Florida.

Well, enough of the gloom. Let's talk happy things... I'm going to start painting soon! I'm excited about that. My new home isn't feeling like home yet, and it won't until the painting is done. I haven't even slept my first night there.

Once everything is order, my house will be open to all my friends who'd like to visit Tallahassee (which isn't too excited, but I am a convenient stop for those of you from the west who want to go on to Orlando. Just let me know.

Starting my Lenten journey.

With Lent now here (well, in about a half hour as I write this in the last hour of Mardi Gras), I'm commiting myself to enter an intense spiritual journey.

I'm not necessarily giving up anything, as many do in fine Catholic tradition, but I thought I'd try to get back into the heart of my spirituality. And I have an exciting opportunity to grow...

I'll be leading a group of youth on a mission trip to Honduras in March. Four youth and two adults (that includes me) will be spending five days during the kids' spring break to do service projects for a school.

As we held several events to raise money for the trip, I began to realize how important it was for me to re-connect with my passion to serve. We held a rice and beans dinner to highlight poverty and hunger in the third world, which we posted startling stats on these issues all across the dining room. It's a shame that we live on the mountaintop and for many of us, we never venture down to see how the world truly is.

Most of us do live in a dream world compared to how most in this world do live. Yet, some of us feel trapped in a nightmare existence.

Well, I'm just rambling now.

Time to head to bed.

Black, Blue and Bruised All Over

Today, I have the bruises that prove I'm an idiot.

After work, I drove up to the other side of town to Molly's vet to pick up her Frontline and Heartgard when it started to pour. I walked out on the porch and the deluge intensified into a mini-hurricane with branches and leaves flying around.

I hesitated and then I was about to make a dash when I hesitated again. "Ah, hell... the car's right there!" I said to myself as I darted across the sidewalk into the parking lot.

I reached the sidewalk and touched the pavement and suddenly I was in flight. My treadless dress shoes (mind you, I had just come from work, so I was in business attire) and all of my body was hydroplaning across the lost, when I grabbed my car door handle, which flew open and just added the momentum that catapulted me like I was skinboarding right into the parking lot. Hmm.. the pavement broke my fall and I skinned my knee and elbow. To top it all off, I tore my slacks.

No one was around to see me fall, so I guess I was spared some embarrassment.

**Sigh**

At last, I'm a homeowner!

Whew! After jumping through hoops and hurdles in the final few miles of a long marathon, I finally closed on my first home.

Everyone kepo that saying that I must be excited about it all, but I was only anxious and nervous until I got the keys!

I'm slowly moving in, since I have my apartment through March. This allows me time to paint and not have to live with all the fumes. Plus,there are a few touches I want to add.

Molly was excited to see her new home. She walked in the door, and ran all over the place in laps, especially going up and down the stairs. She also did laps all around the backyard and that night we heard a lot of new "friends" barking all over the neighborhood.

I'm exhausted this weekend... as you can imagine with the stress of closing and going through the house. I'll update more later.