Ah, Life Changes...

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY!!!!!
I truly pray for a lovely and blessed year to all my friends, family, and neighbors (even if they do like playing rap 'music' at 2am.) 

And, wow.  Married for three months already.  I'm sure it will sound bad if I said it feels like it's been longer, but honestly, without a job I'm starting to go stir crazy.  Actually I've taken up the habit of transporting myself to Barnes and Noble with my laptop, pens and notebook, books on writing tips, and the Writer's Market to write short stories and poems.  It's not too bad, really, and my cooking has drastically improved with the help of Rachael Ray and the internet.  
...But I'm sidetracking...
Married life is great and it suites me just fine.  Aside from little tiffs like where to place the bills, how to clean the bathroom, and if women really need purses or not  (well duh. of course they do!), it's always great to know that someone is there for me through thick and thin.  And that he understands why I can't sleep with the closet door open and the windows uncoverd. 
As for the apartment: we like it...for now.  I desperately want a puppy and a kitty and the cold-hearted terms of agreement says we can't have one.  It's gotten so bad that I can't let myself go down the aisle of kitty and puppy chow in the grocery store because I'll want to buy some ~ as if that will magically transport a cute widdle furry animal with big, melting eyes right to my door.  Paul just laughs, and says "...well, as long as it's not baby food!" with a considerable amount of relief on his face.    
No, dear friends, I don't have "baby fever," I have "puppy love." 

But, Uffda, what a year it's already shaping up to be.  I'm watching the updates on the Iowa caucuses (isn't it funny?  I mean, that state won't be so important again until 2016!) and it's interesting to think that in aprox. 11 more months Bush will be out, and the Dems and Reps will finally be balanced once again. (*ga-asp* there will be balance to the force...*ga-asp*)  I really can't see how the nation will vote another Republican into the Oval Office. 
It just won't happen. 
That is, it CAN'T happen.
That is,
dear Lord,
am I turning,
no...
....no....
.........wait......
*gasp*
I'm a LIBERAL!!!!!
(*insert howling at moon here*)

well.  life changes never end.      

May you have a Happy, Prosperous, and Delightful 2008!!!!

I like Blackadder.  I decided to use his font. 
Anyway,
Aside from needing to: order napkins, find a place that will rent wine glasses, order the gifts for the attendents, get tablecloths, get toule, order the wine and kegs of beer, things are going pretty well.  Always there's something more that I didn't take into consideration.  Nothing's ever done, but I did finally get dresses for the little girls who are carrying my train.  So!  The major headache is over.  
THANK GOD!
Another week of Elderversity is winding down.  I am going to miss the "old people."  They are so friendly, eager to help, appreciative of the work we do, and happy to talk with, it's going to be hard letting them go.  Well, the majority of them, anyway. 
A couple of elderly gentlemen remenisced about thier college days, showed me their picture in the Golden Valley Bible College yearbook we have here. One of them couldn't read the small print, so he pointed to his picture and asked "Now who is this, here?" 
"That's you." I would say.  I felt like I was humoring a small child, but he jsut laughed and talked about all the things he used to be able to do.  He was a handsome young guy in his day and he's still very sweet!  I hope I can be like that some day. 
Meanwhile, Emily and I are keeping the camp going.  Well, I should say us and Jasper, the cheeky gnome.  I will post pictures of his latest adventures, have no fear!
Interesting note:  When our friend Jakob was on staff this summer, he stayed here during the week and went home (15 minutes away) during the weekends.  Always.  Now that he's home, he visits us on the weekends to liven things up for us!
We give him lots of grief.
...but not too much  
Take care everybody. 
And Macbeth Rocks!


 

Look at this place.  Isn't it neat?  Wouldn't you say that this camp is so great? Lookin' around here you'd think: 
"Sure." 
But issues here span.... Everything!
We've got heartbreaks an love affairs plenty.  We've got burnt-out apathetics galore. (*that's me*)
You want Bipolar-Schizo?  She's 20. But who cares? No big deal.  We've got more!
We're understaffed with some alcohol issues.  Verney's required to talk some sense in.  Where's the guy who guards those (what-do-you-call-ems?)  Boats! 
When can I go?  When's it my turn?  I'd love to explore that bowling ally once more......
Just you and me.
Wish I could be
Normal once more!    

Oi.  Yet again I am exhausted.  Unlike college, though, I'm relatively stress-free.  Maybe I haven't been doing enough wedding planning....
Dun dun dunnnnnnn!

I am back at beautiful Mount Carmel for another summer of hard manual work, lake water, and roughly 200 miles between Paul and me.  I can handle it, but the really hard part is not having a permanent address.  I have stuff at my parent's home, stuff in Sioux Falls, and stuff here in Alexandria.  It doesn't bother me a whole lot until I lose something really important or really expensive.  So far I've lost both and I try not to panic when I think about these particular items.  As they were definitely not left in the vacated dorm room, I know they're in one of these three locations.  How wonderful it will be to have one spot that's actually mine!   
Ah, joyful Mount Carmel.  I may actually get some writing done; although it's been mostly taken up in the form of thank-you notes from my wedding shower last week.

I hate thank-you notes!  I don't really care if I get them, so I guess I don't really care if I give them.  I would rather invite the person over for coffee or something and show them that I'm using/displaying the gift and appreciative of their thoughtfulness.  How very un-writer-ish of me. 

The wedding shower was - after a lot of stress and worry - very nice.  I was actually surprised at how well everything went, how wonderful everyone was, how beautiful everything was decorated... it really was a lot of fun.  The only unfortunate aspect about this weekend was waking up the next day unable to move because a disk slipped out of place in my ower back and decided to pinch my siatic nerve.  Very painful.  I'm still recovering, but I can at least walk without bursting into tears now! 

Weddings, weddings, and more weddings!  I'm looking forward to having everything planned out so I can just enjoy the freakin' day! 

If certain people whom I love dearly try to create drama any sooner than a month before the wedding, listen carefully: you might be able to detect Bridezilla leaving a path of destruction to Carlos Creek Winery! 

Ode to Neff.

Walter Neff stares
from the top of my shelf.
The arm eternally extends back.
The 10 lb. pendulum freezes in place
as the notorious Neff
biffs every strike
in the gutter. 

The form perfectly sets in place
the legs just so
the arm flawlessly contoures
for that perfect bowl.
The aiming potion seeps the brain,
directing the the fireball 
to knock out the pins.
Booya, baby!
Another gutterball strike!