Sunday, September 30, 2007

Song of My Heart

Let me tell you a story.

This will be sappy.

Sometime this past spring I was riding the metro to work, standing beside a middle-aged woman who was singing. The singing was audible but not loud, a beautiful tune with seemingly no words or perhaps words meant only for her own understanding. Her eyes closed, serenity spread across the woman's face. This continued for a few minutes, and I stood listening, glued next to her inexplicably, when I could have easily moved away to take an open seat. A few others stared at her, judgment in their eyes, presumably regarding her as "crazy." When she opened her eyes and saw me smiling at her, she shrugged her shoulders, offering, in broken English, "I can't help it. My insides are singing."

Wow. Witnessing her personal happiness was something I'll never forget. I smiled for the rest of the day. Really.

I still think about that woman and her singing the song of her heart on the metro that day. If only everyone could be so attuned to our own heart songs and learn to embrace them as this woman had, rather than silence, squash, or disgard them as unimportant.

This memory comes to mind because lately I've found myself so HAPPY, maybe even radiating a little from the inside. I'm not sure how to explain it, but things just make sense lately. I'm in love, treasure the amazing relationships I have with my family and my friends, and feel truly purposeful and driven career-wise for the first time in my life.

My heart is happy. And just maybe my "insides" are singing a little bit too.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Oh It's War

Final straw.

Today a loud thump from the friendly neighbors upstairs sent my open makeup bag flying off the bathroom counter. No kidding.

I found my mascara in the garbage can.

Pug discovered my lip gloss floating in the toilet.

WTF?

Now it's personal.

Monday, September 24, 2007

The Next Steffi Graf


Pug and I having started playing tennis, and I'm really good. Just not in a traditional sort of way. My form and technique are what you could call unpredictably unique. I tried really hard anyway. Luckily I sometimes have a very high tolerance for putting myself in embarrasing situations--and tonight was no exception. Ugh, first of all, my shorts were WAY too short and riding up the entire time (ouch, big mistake there, never again), so yea, not pretty for anyone except maybe my husband who maybe found it cute because it added humor to the rest of the situation, and second, I was flailing all over the place, fly-swating style, literally twisting in circles, trying to anticipate where the heck the ball was going so I could make contact. Which happened twice I think, only one of which went over the net. (ok, I might be exaggerating a bit). We were those people, who kept smacking the ball into everyone else's court the whole time. But we had fun so who cares? Last time we played tennis was on our honeymoon, and these mongoose were running amuck through the court--a little unsettling honestly.

If you have any tips on how to perfect my already pretty tight game, please send them my way. :)

(and just to clarify, because I have to, that's NOT me in the picture--but you get the short shorts delimma I was having)

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Weekend Reflections

I was cooking a huge pot of green beans tonight after class, and it made me remember my blog today. And the beans were delightful indeed. A great stand-alone dinner, I'll say. Mmmm, now I want more.

Well, the long weekend was glorious. Too cold to go into the ocean, but we walked alone the beach on the army base, ate some yummy food, walked around historic Portsmouth and Norfolk, played on the swingset, and bought a plastic kickball at the dollar store and played with it in the park. It was a superb day off work, I must report.

Bec got a mountain bike! I haven't seen anyone THAT excited over anything in a long time-was really cute. And a great bike, indeed. I had a joyous time riding it all around the Target parking lot while they took an hour to figure out how to secure the bike holder-thingy onto the back of our car. Made me want a bike too--I just might look into it.

Then we got back to our apartment in MD at midnight this morning to the commotion of the woman below us screaming at the top of her lungs for someone to GET OUTTTTTT! Screaming and screaming, so Pug finally went down to yell, only to discover that she was alone and hallucinating. She is elderly and her husband has just died, we found out. After leaving her apartment, she momentarily quieted down but then started screaming again and banging the walls, trying to rid her apartment of the "intruders." Made me really sad. She needs help. Afraid she might accidentally harm herself carrying on and banging around her apartment, we called the police, hoping they'd send medical support, but only an officer came. We're trying to find out if she has relatives we can call to suggest they get her some help....it was a late night. But it made me even more eager to pursue my program of study...so that I can be a helper and have the knowledge, tools, and resources to at least refer people with psychological disorders to the appropriate people and programs.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Aw Heck

So not only did i NOT get fired this week, i got promoted instead. Sweet!! Yea, i bought myself a big, fatty blueberry muffin to celebrate. Pretty lame. Bar, anyone?


Working at home has proven to have one downside--well, okay, maybe more than one (such as loneliness, boo), but here it is:
The person/people who live above us clearly don't work and walk back and forth across their apartment ALL DAY. Must have restless leg syndrome and a hearty case of it. My apartment literally shakes during their continual and incessant pacing all day long. Not so good for my concentration. I can't remember the last time something got under my skin and irritated me so much. I just want to knock on their door and scream at them to sit the hell down for at least 5 minutes at a time so that I can have some peace and quiet down here! But I can't yell at them for walking around--I know they're not doing it to intentionally cause noise--plus, no need for me to make enemies so quickly--it's only been a week! It's not their fault the insulation sucks, but I do wish they'd get out of the house for a little or take really long naps or become addicted to watching soaps or find a day job or better yet, move out.

Granted, I work from home, so I don't have much room to talk, but I don't stomp around in big shoes all day, and I sit in one place for long intervals because I'm WORKING! What in the world are they doing? They better have the cleanest place ever, or they have no excuse for the constant motion from one end of the apartment to the other.

I went and complained to the front office today and told them that they need to have someone come check it out. It's driving me crazy, and crazy Sarah is no fun to be around. I need to go through all our boxes and find my earphones...I have a feeling they are going to become my new best friend.

Anyway, despite all this, I'm jollily looking forward to going to see Bec this weekend and enjoying Virginia beach without the crowd...even if the weather is gonna suck!!!

Happy weekend

Thursday, September 13, 2007

L'Shanah Tovah

May this new year bring love, laughter, and forgiveness easily.

There are always things we can improve in ourselves, and this year I will take this very seriously, as it is bound to be one of self-reflection. . .

I have so many deeply good people in my life. If each of you could only know how much I appreciate and love you, not just for what you've shared with me but who you are as as a human being. And I will continue in my efforts to tell you. A girl can never have too large a collection of thank you cards to send.

I am grateful for it all.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

beer

i need a beer. ( so i am drinking one--instant gratification is a must today). the last week has been rough. on so many levels. crap, is it seriously only tuesday?

change. so much of it. the past month has been incredibly tiring, exciting, but exhausting. crazy how sometimes when so many things change all of a sudden, we have to grip our lives tightly with two hands and just ride it out, because we know that if we let go, we will surely fall off, if even for just a few moments. it's like that right now for me, just hanging on, hoping that everything is flowing in the right direction. because it all happens at once. isn't that how it always goes?

keeping the job (for real this time), i just found out today, but working at home. i'll miss all my friends at work--you are amazing and have unquestioningly made the experience worthwhile for me. but i'll be back at least once a month to complain as usual and make you take random walks with me, so don't let them take my desk :)

school starts thursday. yikes!!

so tired. need to go numb my mind. reality tv should do the trick :)

peace out

Friday, September 7, 2007

Happy Friday





. . . . Enough said

Thursday, September 6, 2007