Changes

So it's been a while, uh?

The latest, well...

Becca came up from Austin for this past weekend. It was awesome! We watched Twilight on Saturday (big disappointment), had dinner at Cheddar's then just crashed at my place.

Sunday was great though. We slept in then headed off to Peter Piper Pizza for lunch and spend two hours playing games...mostly skeeball and the video racing games. The best one was a snowmobile racing game...I got first place after five tries. It was exciting.

Also, I changed the name of my car while Becca was here. It used to be Pony, short for Pontiac. But now, due to its groaning as I turn the wheel left or right, I renamed it "Titanic" and it seems to like it. I actually think it fits very well...let's just hope it doesn't sink on me when I most need it.

I am towards the end of week three at EMSI. Still liking it, I might add. I've completed a total of 28 individual interviews for Columbia and have scheduled 16 appointments for CIP. It's repetitive but at least I don't have to sit there and wait until there's something new to do.

Anything new? I got a message on facebook from a friend I haven't heard from in about ten months. That was great.

I am spending Thanksgiving with Kevin and his family tomorrow, which is good, but I am missing the A&M vs. UT game since they don't watch football (I hope to get home and see if one of the two channels my tv carries may be showing the game). Other than that, I am back to knitting, have decided to renew my lease for another five months, and have decided to start cross-stitching.

Well, that's all for now. I was planning on getting philosophical but it's somewhat late and I am slightly tired. I will share one philosophical idea that came to me today:

If you plan to survive a tornadoe, you need to be anchored to something deep and solid.

THIRTEEN

That is my favorite number, believe it or not. Alot of superstitious people believe that thirteen is a bad luck number. I used to be seriously superstitious (except for the 13 bit...13 has always been my favorite number) but my second summer as a Senior Counselor at Camp ALOMA (this would be summer 2004) my fellow staff members found out about my superstitious nature and made it a goal to break me of said superstitions by the end of the summer.

Needless to say, it was a harrowing three months, but victory was theirs, my superstitions are no longer prevailant. I mean, yeah, I won't purposely walk under a ladder or break a mirror but if I accidentally do either, I am not going to freak out into a melting puddle of foreseen bad luck for something so...well, insignificant.

Anyway, thirteen is my favorite number and today, after six hours of work (in which I ate at my desk between calls and did not get up for a bathroom break) and fifty+ phone calls, I completed thirteen interviews and scheduled the corresponding thirteen appoinments. I barely started making calls for CIP (Care Improvement Plus) yesterday (I only scheduled two appointments yesterday) so I think for my second day making calls, thirteen is good...of course, Amber, my other co-worker that also started making calls yesterday, made a total of 25 today...but it's not my fault when people don't answer the phone, aren't home and the machine picks up, or aren't interested in the free in-home visit.

My goal for tomorrow is to schedule 15 appointments, 2 more than what I did today. If I do make fifteen interviews, I get an EXTRA $20 on top of the $30 I got from working today and tomorrow. This job is great...lots of incentives to work hard.

Well, other than that, my life's so-so. I got the 22nd and 23rd off for when Becca comes up to stay for the weekend but I had to agree to work the 28th and the 29th. I am also spending Thanksgiving with Kevin's family on the 27th. That will be great, something that I've done since I went to college...I never spend Thanksgiving with my family after I headed off to college...I only headed home for Christmas and summer break.

My first Thanksgiving at college was with my friend Shannon and her family in Georgetown. My second Thanksgiving, I think, may have been with Becca and her family in Austin, but I'm not sure. My third Thanksgiving was with Cory and his family down in Mission, Texas (since Becca was in London for that Thanksgiving). My fourth Thanksgiving was up in Chicago, Illinois with my father's family, which I met for that first time that same week. My fifth Thanksgiving was...was it with you, Becca? I think so. My sixth Thanksgiving was with Pastor Busch and his family in Talequah, Oklahoma. And now, my seventh Thanksgiving away from home is here in Waco, Texas.

I just hope I can keep the pattern going and get to go home to my parents for Christmas.

Well, that's all. More interesting stuff to come later.

Spectacular!

I don't know if y'all know this but I get extremely uncomfortable when people compliment me. That said, today was an uncomfortable day.

We started training this morning about half an hour after nine and most of the day was spent in practicing with the interview, first with the hard copy and then with the computer database, which still needs some bugs worked out.

I was interviewed the first time around and by the time I got to switch roles with Joanne, we were given a break, so I didn't get to do the interview. When we returned, I got to work with Mary Beth. She's the director of the program and has a Ph.D.

Halfway through the interview (by this time, we were using the computer database) she stopped to tell me that I was doing very well. I ducked my head, said thanks and continued with the interview.

Basically, by the end of the day, the two women from New York that are working this program told me that I was really good at the interviewing process and two of my co-workers (including one of the supervisors from the Dallas EMSi division) used the word spectacular.

Basically, everyone was amazed at the fact that I was able to completely grasp the computer database (the other co-workers in training were asking me to help them with understanding what to do and where to go) and do so well with the interviewing process despite the database bugs.

Why?

Because it was my second day on the job. If this continues, then I will be getting that raise Tessa mentioned AND will probably be asked to stay with EMSI after my trial period (which is what I am praying for).

Now why is a pay raise such a big deal? Because, at the moment, I am getting payed $10 an hour. That's great money! Enough for me to move to Hewitt (which I will do at the end of January if I am still going strong at EMSI), and continue paying my bills (credit cards AND school loans). If I get a raise and get asked to stay at EMSI, not only will I be able to do the above, but I will actually have money to save for my trip to Italy, as well as taking some classes at McLennan Community College AND looking into a Master's program in Counseling.

God is definitely amazing. He continually awes me when I see how He looks after me. I am continually praying to follow wherever He may lead me...so, Krysia, Stephen...I may not be heading down to El Paso on the 6th of December as I had originaly planned...but if I get the days off and I have the money, I'll fly down for Christmas!

Just for the fun of it, here are some more pictures to share. This is a picture of Tulsa in the evening, probably after a rainy day. One thing I must say I miss about Oklahoma is the beautiful sunsets and skies I got to witness practically everyday.

Here in Waco, I can see the sun setting behind the ALICO building from my bedroom window, but it is not the same as watching the sun setting while driving West on the highway towards your apartment...and yes, this picture was taken while I was driving. I am quite adept at doing that but after my Defensive Driving Class (which cost me $30) I won't continue mobile photography.

This is a picture of Memphis skies. Back in January of this year, when I had to fly down to Austin for the Mid-Year Reflection Retreat, I ended up having to take a connecting flight (both ways) through Memphis, Tenneesse.

While in Austin, the day before I was to fly back to Tulsa, I pulled a calf muscle, which made walking extremely painful, especially after the two hour flight from Austin to Memphis. Anyway, once in Memphis, because I had to hobble across the HUGE terminal to get to my gate, I actually missed my flight by three minutes and ended up on stand-by in Memphis for six hours.

And since I seem to be having a sky and clouds theme, I thought I'd share what a Florida sky looks like with a hurrican near by. This was taking last July, while in Orlando, Florida for the LCMS National Youth Gathering.

I think this was on the second day, when the "arm" of a hurricane actually passed through Orlando, bad enough to create menacing skies but not bad enough to cause any damage at all. In fact, it had stopped raining by the time we headed back to our hotel later that night.





My time in Florida was one of my favorites. I absolutely loved Orlando and the atmosphere down there. I also got to go to Kissimee, Florida to spend the day with my youth at Cocoa Beach and then we went to Medieval Knights for dinner later that evening. This great week in Florida was started by an all day trip to Disneyland in Orlano -Or was it Disneyworld?

This is a picture of the cross at Groom, Texas. I stopped there on my way home to El Paso last Christmas to see the Stations of the Cross at Groom before reaching Amarillo, where I speant the night with Amanda (who hasn't bothered to update her blog with information and pictures of her new home and work...shame, shame, shame).

I took pictures of all the stations and several of the HUGE cross that's right in the middle of the Stations (which are set in a circle).

Oklahoma, Florida, Tenneesee, and Texas...these are the spectacular skies that I've seen and have deemed worthy of photography and sharing. Now I wrap this blog up with a good bye and talk to ya soon!

It's Been A While!

I know it's been a while since I've posted, which I did on purpose. Don't want to bore you with my every day nothingness after all. So what have I been up to?

* I got my first paycheck from First Baptist Preschool and Daycare (for a total of 47 hours)

* I've finished watching FRIENDS, Corner Gas and Reba in the past two weeks and have started SCRUBS yesterday due to the fact that I will be receiving the Seventh Season of SCRUBS either this week or next week

* I started a new job today at EMSI in the Medical Health Department (Clinical Trial) and started training today for the Columbia University research concerning breast and ovarian cancer and the BRCA 1 and BRCA 1, which are the cancer genes (in other words, the research consists of families with cancer among them so that means, one of them is a Carrier)

* I've decided that if I am still working at EMSI by the second or third week of December, I will be staying one more month in Waco until I find out if they decide to keep me permanently, in which case, I will be moving to Hewitt, Texas

* I've finished 32 chapters of the fanfiction story I am writing and am on chapter 33, which is the farthes I have ever gone in any story that I have written OR co-written

* Becca and I have changed the story line for the fanfiction story that we are co-writing and I am so excited about the new outcome of the story

* I got my molar pulled and now am dealing with a hole in my jaw, which is driving me crazy

* I've started re-reading THE HOST by Stephanie Meyer and am looking forward to going to the movies with Becca in two weeks to see TWILIGHT

Well, that's all that's going on with me. How are y'all doing?

Me? A Missionary?

I've been thinking and praying...is there a reason why God has not allowed me to put down roots? Is there a reason why I am heading back home before the end of this year to get a job and yet I feel like I won't be in El Paso by the time year 2010 rolls around.

Recently, I've been thinking of missionary work overseas. I've even talked to Erin Alter, the placement director at the LCMS World Mission about going overseas for a year or more. In fact, I am interested in going to Japan for two and a half years for a position as a Spiritual Leader in a LCMS partnered church in Japan.

I, of course, would love to go somewhere in Europe (Slovakia, Poland or Hungary) because it would get me closer to Italy. Those places have positions available as EFL Teachers and Relationship Builders through EFL (English as a Foreign Language).

I've decided, though, that I will send my application at the end of this year so that process can get started. If God has planned this for me, the doors will open, this I know. For this reason, I am willing to start the process, knowing full well that He will open or close doors the way He has done since I've moved to Waco. Also, I am keeping my application open ended...in other words, all I am requesting is to be sent somewhere foreign...although, I may have to think about the possibility of doing mission work in the United States.

Now, what is important though is what I have to ask of those who know me well and have come to be friends, confidants and mentors. If you could please take the time to answer my question at the end of this blog, I would greatly appreciate it.

Do you think I have what it takes to be a missionary?

Stress Induced Nosebleeds?

So I had about twelve to fifteen nosebleeds in the month of October alone. Some of them were twice or three times a day, four days in a row.

Being that I am slightly (Becca starts laughing here) hypochondriac, I've started wondering if maybe I have some sickness (cancer being my top guess) or maybe it's just that my brain is melting because it is not being used the way it's suppose to be.

Becca gave me the idea that maybe, MAYBE, the reason I've had so many nosebleeds this past month was because of the stress. I hated my job during the first two weeks (and I had about five or six nosebleeds during those two weeks), I didn't have a job the third week (I had about four or five nosebleeds that week) and then I got hired to work with First Baptist Preschool. I worked an entire week without a nosebleed...until last night.

I got a call on Friday from one of the two temporary staffing agencies that I've signed up with. Tessa called and left a message (I was working with the three-four year olds during that time) about a job opening for me. I started thinking about whether I wanted to do that. I mean, I know that, more than likely, that job opening will be paying me more money than what First Baptist Preschool pays me but I also know that I will hate whatever job it is within the first week.

For the first time in five months, I absolutely love my job. I enjoy playing with the kids, making sure they play nice with each other, changing diapers, handing out snacks, cleaning up after lunch, giving hugs, putting them down for naps, cuddling...I love my job. I don't really care about how much I am getting paid...as long as I make the bills before I head out of town.

So yesterday, I started thinking and praying about this job opening...should I take it? Which means giving up on the First Baptist Preschool job. Before you know it, my nose starts bleeding...a serious gusher. From that first nosebleed at eleven in the evening, I got three more nosebleeds...one at 3 in the morning, another at nine in the morning and a third at ten thirty in the morning. A total of four nosebleeds in less than twenty-four hours.

So maybe Becca is right...maybe my nosebleeds are stress induced...which is not good. I think stress is going to be a part of my life for the next five or ten years. Not only that, but why now? I had major stress in college and I didn't have that many nosebleeds. Maybe that was because I had other ways of releasing stress...blowing off school work to hang out with friends?

Something that I don't have here in Waco...friends. Oh well. Just five more weeks and I'll be heading home to El Paso and let my mother take care of me for a while.

Oh yeah!!! Becca's coming to town on Wednesday to take me to the dentist to get my molar pulled...which is good because, since it's broken in half, the inside of the molar that is exposed is starting to go rotten (at least that's what I think). It is hurting some (not a whole lot) and I am more than willing to pay what's needed to get that tooth out of my mouth.

Ready? Waiting...

I've put in a total of twenty four hours at First Baptist Preschool. I've taken care of one year olds and younger...the youngest being two months.

I spend all day hugging, kissing, patting, praising, feeding, burping, changing, cleaning, straigthening, playing and disciplining. You would think after two hours, I'd be fed up.

Well, I would think that too. Two years ago, I would have quit my job by now...afterall, when I was working at Redeemer, I only lasted three or four days in the nursery before I requested to be moved to the older (and already potty trained) kids.

Now, I can't help but enjoy cuddling a two month old as he takes his bottle (this being Jesse who likes to drink his bottle while he stares into my eyes...I introduced myself to him as Jesse Gumtow Jr. due to a joke with my friend Jesse when I decided to change my name so I could run off to Costa Rica and not be found) or talking to a blue eyed two month old girl named Ginger while I change her diaper (I tell her that while wiggling may be cute, it makes my job to put her in a clean dry diaper a little harder and she doesn't want to do that, does she?)

It has always been my belief that taking care of infants and young children is the perfect birth control...which always worked with me in the past. Everytime I said I wanted a baby and I ended up dealing with little kids I realized, Ha! No way Jose! No kiddos for me!

Now...I am twenty-four and that particular birth control is no longer working. I e-mailed Stephen to ask if my discovering patience with youngsters I knew I didn't have before meant that I was ready to be a mother...and I told him that I was going to have to wait because, obviously, though I may be ready for that responsibility, nothing else in my life lines up for it.

I couldn't help but laugh at his response to my statement that I want to do the parenting thing the right way so that I may not suffer consequences.

"...marriage THEN sex THEN babies." So, Stephen, does the capitalized THEN mean that there is no other order? Oh, you crack me up.

So I am ready to be a mother...so now all I have to do is wait for God to let me know when it is time. Wait for something that may or may not be in His will for me. Wait for someone that may or may not be the one He has in mind for me.

A whole lot of waiting and not much happening. Patience and trust is obviously essential as I wait...wait and watch as my life goes by, as the things that I want and desire drift further and further away.

Oh well. God's plans are perfect, His ways unattainable. So I wait...wait until He gives me what He wills.

Enough of that sob fest. I bet by now, you are pretty depressed along with me. Yeah, sorry.

Aside from that, I have a dentist appointment next Wednesday to get a molar pulled out...Becca's coming up to Waco to drive me to and from the office, since I won't be able to drive. Supposedly getting a tooth pulled messed with your sense of balance. Anybody ever heard of that?

Today, after work, I volunteered to do face painting for the Pumpkin Patch Festival that First Baptist Church had from 5pm to 7:30pm. It was fun painting kids faces. Flowers, rainbows, pumpkins, Spider Man, skulls and cross bones, hearts, butterflies. Allowed me to release some creative energy PLUS spend time with kids that I didn't have to take care of.

Well, I may have tomorrow morning off if there's no need for a substitute teacher. Otherwise, I'll just be doing two and a half hours with the infants in the afternoon. Gives me time to go to the Waco Municipal Court to finish taking care of my citation.

Either than that, and the need to do laundry (sadly, I only have enough change for one load of laundry), I don't have anything else to update on.

Wait! I do! I now wake up smiling and feeling happy...it has been five months since I've felt joy at heading off to work.