You are currently browsing the monthly archive for October 2004.
Music: None because my I-tunes doesn’t seem to want to work
I’ve had a very busy day, and this weekend is going to be really busy too. But I’m discovering I only make it worse for myself by complaining about it. If I would just except it, even try to enjoy it, things would be much more pleasent and enjoyable.
Highlight of the day: the concert and meeting Jesse’s grandparents
Lowlight: working sooooo much
Music: I Hope I Get It from a Chorus Line
So I just discovered that the site that I’ve been getting the daily thoughts from is THE Bruderhof, like the communal living communities in New York, Germany etc. The ones that Abby’s been talking about. How random is that. And I got to their website really randomly by searching under “quotes” and didn’t even bother to look at the site really. I just figured it was some christan right organization. So I was suprised when I started getting messages that were very meaningful about sustainable living, peace, etc. Wow, funny how these things work. Here was a comment I posted on the full article that I took an exerpt from in my last blog. Here’s the where you can see the full article. http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/Abortion-and-War.htm I was especially affected by the story of the driver who’s daughter aborted during a bombing raid. Regardless of how you feel about abortion, how can you ignore this? I just don’t understand.
I was greatly moved by this article. The thoughts presented in it were ones that I’ve been mulling over recently because of my close contact with people who seem to follow two different standards. They support the war, but are against abortion. Abortion is one of the key issues in the current election for a few people I know. What do I say to them? I think my biggest struggle is that there doesn’t seem any way to have meaningful conversation. These people are my friends and family. I love them. But when it comes to the war, we can’t understand what the other person is saying. I can’t understand their arguments for the war, because it seems so very clear to me that violence begets violence. Yet they cannot see an alternative. We need alternatives, ones that I or you or anyone can understand, at least the philosophy behind them. If these alternatives are out there, than we need to be shouting them from the rooftops. Please.
Who Is Pro-Life? by Emmanuel Charles McCarthy
As I read the triumphant headlines in the newspapers day after day–“U.S. Pounds Iraq from Air”–and saw the pictures of missiles streaking into Iraq, I could not help but hear the silent screams of all the little Iraqi children in utero who were having their lives ripped from them…Yet the silence on this matter of abortions induced by war–silence in the church, in pro-life circles, and in peace and justice efforts–is thunderous.
It is as if abortion for saving a person’s reputation is absolutely evil; abortion for saving a family’s economic life is absolutely evil; abortion for saving a person’s job is absolutely evil; abortion for saving a person from what he or she perceives to be an intolerable personal future is absolutely evil, but abortion to save oil fields for the present and future control and profit of American and British oil interests or to save the world from non-existent weapons of mass destruction or from a local dictator is morally permissible! It is as if patriotic earplugs have been discreetly employed by pro-lifers in order to not hear what they have been telling others to listen to for over thirty years–the silent screams.”
I get these things in my inbox everyday from a website called Bruderhof…. they’re really really interesting. I don’t know anything about the website, and I kind of signed up on a whim.
I also get quotes to my inbox here’s todays~ “If the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the computer, a Rolls-Royce would today cost $100, get one million miles to the gallon, and explode once a year, killing everyone inside.” – Robert X Cringely
music: Keep on the sunny side of life by the Whites from O brother where art thou
This morning I took a prospective to the airport. I enjoy driving, and I get paid to drive a nice car around 
Then I finished up some ASL homework, I’m getting sick of doing these projects day after day after day, all the time! But I love learning and using the language. I had an appointment with Bill Kensey after that to talk about an old gymnastics injury that has caused some recurring neck problems for me and an appointment with Ruth to talk about some major throat tension I’ve been having since last Christmas that’s affecting my singing. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t some medical thing that was causing it….turns out it might be allergies causing drainage down the back of my throat. We’re going to check into that. The main point of the visit though was that I’m fed up with being in pain several days out of every month. I’ve been considering birth control for a long time, but was hoping I had another option that I could try. I don’t like things that mess with your natural cycle. But it’s really my only option, and I’m planning on going on it someday when I’m married anyways, so I guess there’s not a whole lot of difference between starting now and then….I figure this kind of thing does damage slowly over a long period of time, so what are a few more years? But what if it’s more than a few years extra?? Is it worth it? Right now I’m leaning yes.
Anyways, then Interpretation which was fun today and we took some PR picture outside afterward. Then……hum….a bit of cleaning, homework……oh! and I played a video game called “Fable” grrr… Jesse’s rubbing off on me 
Then supper here in the dorm (thanks Jess) and then over to Reith because writer Susan Neville was presenting some of her pieces. Quite interesting. I really liked her. She had one piece on touring the Hummer factory in Mishiwaka. Hummers (civilian) make me really mad! First of all, they are completely unnecessary and act only as displays of wealth and are a sad showcase of this country’s over consumtion!!!!!! And the gas that they consume!!! and what about when accidents start happening? huh? what then, do you thing that other drivers are going to be safe!!!! NO! of course not. They’ll crush everything in their paths. It doesn’t help my opinion that they are associated so much with the military. And they are just plain UGLY!!!! They’re almost like a couple teenagers having sex in public (bare with me, this makes sense….sort of) meaning that they are a blatant and public display of a social ill- greed. Ok, I’m done. (and Stephanie steps down from her soap box muttering bitterly to herself)
But there’s hope. There’s always hope. Well, I also worked tonight so it’s late. Did I mention that they scheduled me to close tonight and open tomorrow? Yeah….. luckily Marianne is working 6:30-8 so I only have to get up at 7:30. Sigh, off to bed of this little chicky 
Night all.
Music: The God’s Love Nubia from Tim Rice’s Aida
I have a really cool view from my seat here at the computer. For those of you who do not know, my desk is right next to the window. Over my right shoulder I look out into the world….and my window faces west (towards Oregon! so I get to see the sun set if I’m here at that time and the sky is clear. Today was really beautiful with clear skies and sun. And the sun is moments from leaving us for the day. There’s just a crest of peach coloured sky over the Umble center.
I started work in the coffee shop at 9 this morning. Then admissions at 11:45. Then class at 1:00. I made an appointment with Ruth tomorrow to talk about my PMS symptoms….seriously, I’m through dealing with it by overdosing on Midol and then suffering. I can’t function this way. Although the way I feel when the pain goes away is great. It’s like being really light and happy for no reason at all. It sneaks up on me so that all at once I notice I’m not shuffling around kindof gimpish like anymore and I don’t clutch at my stomach every few minutes. Sure the pain isn’t usually perminately gone, but it’s a brief respite and that’s always welcome. I also made an appointment with Bill to take a look at my neck. I injured it in gymnastics about 5 years ago and it seized up and wouldn’t function right for about 3 days. I walked around with my head perminately resting on my relaxed shoulder, a position I cannot assume naturally. It’s happened about 3 times since then, usually brought on by stress. I feel like that might happen again, so I want to stop it before it does. I also worked with Fallon on my voice lesson pieces and had my voice lesson. I have night class in a bit. Sigh…..I’m never going to feel caught up in my classes am I! The past few days has been a delicate balance between hope, joy, despair and frustration. But right now hope is winning out, so I shall relish it.
And darkness has fallen, so I’ll end. Goodnight world. God grant that you are more peaceful in the morning.
music: Only Hope from A Walk to Remember
Yeah, it’s been a while. sigh, what to say. Today I didn’t do much, but yesterday I had some interesting experiences. I shadowed Myron on an interpretation. There were several aspects of it that made it extremely interesting. I’d talk about it, but it’s that whole confidentiality thing, especially this one. I also talked to Myron alot on the way there and back. I mentioned the fact that I have a hard time with speed in interpreting using ASL. He agreed with me and said that I would just have to decide what I wanted and what I was willing to give to be an interpreter. He mentioned that there are other options for using ASL in a occupation.
Another interesting thing was that Becca and I had iniciated the revival of a childhood tradition of Assembly’s that had fallen by the wayside. We both have very fond memories of the lantern festival from when we were little children. David also remembers it fondly, but it was already discontinued by the time Abby and Zeb came along. We made lanterns out of tin cans by punching holes in the side in patterns and then sticking a candle in the bottom. Then we went around the neighborhood to houses where we know people and sang carols about light. Ummm…. it was wonderful, but a bunch of little kids running around can be a bit never wracking. There’s one really cute song about a jack-o-lantern that I particularly love. It was interesting to see that although I had not sung many of the songs since I was very young, I remembered them very well, even some of the words. Singing has been such an important part of my life.
Today…. well, I haven’t been very productive, but Abby, Jess, Becca and I took Libby out for her 20th birthday. We went and hung out at Steak and Shake and just generally had a hysterical delicious time.
I am AMAZING! 
Yeeees…..?
Yes, I am gorgous aren’t I!
O my……(hehe, that was definitly my handywork
