Doing Stuff #1

So I've been doing some stuff lately. I wrote out the hugest, longest, most picture-filled blog post ever, but I decided to break it up into four bite-sized pieces. Please enjoy.



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First off, I threw a baby shower for my little sister. It kind of made me a little crazy, but turned out pretty awesome. I was mostly excited about making fun food.

But Martin helped me to come up with some fun games and decorations too. This is me measuring Faybe at the nail-biting conclusion of the traditional "Guess How Fat She Is!" game.


(In case you are confused by the angle of that picture, she was satisfactorily fat.)

Sunday School

What I heard: "Sandwiches on the sea shore."

What they said: "Sand which is on the sea shore."

I didn't really hear anything after that. I was too busy thinking about picnics on the beach.

We've Got Cabin Fever!

So my mom and I have been staying with my grandparents for a week now. My mom tends to get a little stir crazy when she stays with her parents, often dragging me with her so she can get out and DO something. So I wasn't especially surprised to hear her yesterday, making dinner plans with someone on the phone. I assumed it was with some old acquaintance still living in the area.

And in a way, I was right.

Me: Hot date?

Mom: Yep.

Me: Oh yeah? Who with?

Mom: Steve.

Me: ...Steve?

Mom: Yeah, Steve [Last name].

Me: ...The guy you were engaged to before you married Daddy?

Mom: Yep, that's the one.

Me: And... you're having dinner with him?

Mom: Yeah.

Me: ...

Mom: What? His wife will be there.

Me: Okay, that's even weirder.

The Grand Old Duke of York.

I'm searching for a job right now. It is a frustrating process, but I think I've pinned down exactly what the problem is: too much hope.

I've been looking at a lot of help-wanted listings, and sorting out the positions for which I am qualified. Then I thin those down to just the ones I'm actually willing to do (and I don't think I'm being especially picky here--the biggest issue is location/commute).

During this vetting process each week, I usually turn up a few leads. With the good ones, I start to get a little excited. I imagine getting up every morning and going to these jobs. And I convince myself I am exactly what they're looking for.

I envision myself working there, and earning a paycheck. And I see myself engaging in frivolous behavior like buying things, and building my savings, and affording health insurance. And on this natural high of possibility and opportunity, I make calls of inquiry, and fill out applications, and set up interviews.

And wait.

And then I get turned down, or ignored, or passed over.

Which kind of sucks.
And for a while I think, no other job can be as perfect as that one would have been.

But then some new listing piques my interest, and the vicious cycle starts again. This would be a lot easier if I were less invested in the jobs I apply for. But then, the trade-off would be long-term misery when I finally get hired by them.




So I guess I choose this method for now. Doesn't mean I have to like it.

Eye of the Beholder.

I think my eyes have changed color.

I had an assignment in high school to write a descriptive essay about my eyeball. Not about the shape, the lashes, or the lid, but just the literal, actual eyeball. I remember it being a pretty hard assignment for me at the time, but it did give me an occasion to study my eyes pretty closely.

This is what I remember describing in great detail:



But now my eyes seem significantly less... brown. More like this:



What is that? Is that even possible? Do people's eyes just up and change color? What do you even call that color? Brownish-green? Hazel? I refuse to except that. I have brown eyes! MY EYES ARE BROWN! Nobody writes songs about their Ambiguously-Colored Eyed Girl.

Let's just hope this is a bad eye week and things will be back to normal soon. Because I don't think I can handle this.

"Only perfect practice makes perfect."

The quest for perfection is not about never making mistakes, or always choosing the right thing. It is more about becoming whole and complete. It is about becoming the woman I want to be. It is about looking at the person I am now and seeing how I can become better. And that's the key word for me: better.

My issue with perfection comes into play here. I look at all the things I love and in many cases see a "better" choice. The question is not “Can I do this and still be a good person?” but rather “Does doing this make me a better person?”

And that's where I stall. There are tons of things that I enjoy, and part of me is defined by them. If I give them up to become “better,” am I giving up too much? Am I giving up a part of me? Right now, I am not willing to do that. And a part of me knows that's okay, life is a refining process. I'm not supposed to become perfect all at once.

But... why the heck not? Why shouldn't I be perfect all at once? If I already know who the ideal me is, why shouldn't I become her now? Why am I not strong enough to throw off the things holding me back?

That's why I think I get frustrated sometimes. The things that I want right now do not mesh with my idealized best self. I should not want to cling to my vices so tightly, but I do. I like them. They define me. And until I am willing to give them up, I cannot be perfect.

And I don't know how to resolve that internal tension.



p.s.: In trying to brainstorm this out, I made a bunch of images to help me visualize what I thought perfection was. They kind of contradict each other, as I was arguing back and forth with myself. A lot of it had to do with deciding if perfection was a binary state. I'm not really going to explain them, but I figured I would add them on the end for funsies.

Best Scripture Ever? (Alternative View)

God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn. -Numbers 23:22

Best Scripture Ever?

God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn. -Numbers 23:22

IMHO

So I took this Narcissism Quiz today (which I found through this post).

After answering the questions, I got this result:


Now, considering the 'normal' threshold starts at 12, I am kind of surprised at how low my score is. I'm glad I'm not super narcissistic, but I'm not sure what the alternative is. Does this mean I'm humble? Or have low self-esteem?

Now, of course, this quiz is not perfect (though I think it is at least one step up from a Facebook quiz... but maybe not). Also, these results are based on my answers and therefore subject to a lot of my own personal biases. But still, It's got to indicate something. I'm not sure what to make of it.

What do you guys think?

Awesome, part 1

Martin and I ordered pizza the other day. There was a deal for 2 medium, 1-topping pizzas, so that's what we ordered. One with mushrooms, and one with green peppers.

When they came, one had mushrooms, pepperoni, and (oddly enough) a single piece of sausage. The other was predominately green pepper with a few random pineapple chunks.

Now, this seems like poor customer service, right? We should call and complain, right?

Except... we kind of liked it. It was exciting. Martin and I are both poor decision makers. (We don't make poor decisions, we just make decisions poorly.) So having no control over what goes on our pizza was kind of fun. And we got a few extra toppings for free.

Awesome.