Hello World!   Or at least the few people who have not given up hope on me yet .  Yes I am alive!! 

Let's see....what is there to post.  Nothing too exciting, but a lot of good things!  I just got back from a week in Chicago where I went to a leadership conference.  GREAT stuff!!!!  I learned a lot about myself and brought a lot of good things back with me!  I worked hard...and I played hard .  It was one of those weeks that I got little to no sleep and I loved it!!!  It was bittersweet coming home...I met a lot of great people and although my body was thankful for the sleep, I really liked the routine of being so crazy busy with so many people!!  I think I also just like the process of getting to know people....I'm not always very good at it...but I like it. 

I also just met 6 of the girls that are in my new small group!!!  I really like all of them and I'm really excited about meeting more people around here that I can do things with.  No one can replace Eastern peeps, but I have to have some kind of social life . 

Work is good, but a little trying - office politics and all.  I still really like the people I'm working with and I am currently on a race with time to finish the employee manual before the new teachers come in. 

On a completely random note...I was watching little kids run through jumping water today and really wanted to be four again!  Watching them just run through laugh and run back.....I remember doing that!!!  Not that I still don't have my moments when I twirl in the rain....(I think the people in Chicago thought I was a little loony)...but its not the same carefree joy that four year olds have.  Watching kids play helps me understand what God meant when He told us to be like the little children.  I don't get a lot about God....but I get that . 

So yeah....I'm back in town and getting back into a routine, so hoooopppeefully (fingers crossed) I'll be updating this thing more often - but no promises!! 

Yes yes yes already!

So...I've been reading this book called "A Thousand Days in Venice"!  GREAT book!  It is about a woman who meets "a stranger" - a Venetian man - in Venice and after talking with him a handful of times decides to marry him, sell everything she owns and move to Venice.  (No, I'm not getting any ideas)  But....the good part of the book is the way the author describes Venice.  I can almost smell the food, feel the wind....I know, I'm a romantic ;). The point of all this being, if you want to read a book that helps you get to know Venice...try this one!

I have just had a great weekend with my family .  I am relatively excited to go to work tomorrow strictly to see the difference between school and summer camp from the administration instead of the kids/counselor perspective.  I am still in the basement typing away, doing the grunt work thing.  (Which is to be expected)  I have to say, one of the unexpected things about the last two+ weeks has been how quickly I've gotten to know people and how much I like the people I work with.  Maybe it is the easy-going-ness of the end of the year, class and finals were pretty much done when I got there.  Maybe it is because of politics and stuff, but everyone has been very nice and I actually like going to work!  And yes, I have a small realization of how lucky I am!

Now for a new experiment.  Tonight, the cats are spending the night in crates.  After scratching and meowing and all kinds of things, it is the last measure I take before I go get them declawed (which I really don't want to do).  So pray for me and my cats this week because if the boys have a problem with the crates, they are not going to have claws for much longer. 

I need to go to bed, I am supposed to be up and out of here in less than 7 hours and I had a grand total of 5 hours of sleep last night.  For those of you who I have not talked to recently, I apologize.  I am currently bringing my computer to work with me to do LOTS of typing (484 done so far!) and I usually do not feel like hooking it up just to unplug it again early in the morning.  If I don't update this before Tuesday....pray for me Tuesday afternoon....I've been informed I will be dying my mom's hair again....recognizing that the last time I was afraid my dad would disown or kill me the same fear remains - especially because Wednesday they leave for a BIG Sunrise grand opening in London and then spend 2 weeks giving speeches and going on vacation - no where a professional could help fix things. 

I promise I will try to be better about this!  (There is no angel smiley on xanga - What's the deal?!?!)

Friday's are wonderful days.  I spent 75% of the day counting sweatshirts and other random items of clothing.  I then spent some time getting a taste of what my next week will be like....going through each individual file of 6-7 filing cabinets with at least 1000 files in each.  The purpose...get an address, a name, and shred any documents with identity stuff and then toss the file.  Most of these files date back to at latest '97, with a lot of them dated in '90 and '91. Oh the joys...

I just finished reading Pilgrim's Regress and have begun reading Surprised by Joy (both by C.S. Lewis), both good books.  I admit when I started Pilgrim's Regress I was expecting more of a reverse Pilgrim's Progress.  Instead I started reading about Islands and Brown Girls.......however, at its conclusion I was reminded why I like Lewis' writing so much.  That being said...I still don't think I understood everything, and will probably end up reading it again in 10 years.  (If not sooner). 

So I have finished my second day at work.  It is kind of weird working at the school I used to go to almost 10 years ago...it makes you feel kind of strange.  I have a beautiful office and even have a business card!  So exciting!

Today I spent a lot of time in the storage closet organizing and inventoring...one of my many projects.  I found billing info from 1991, so I feel like I'm useful.

Well, I have to keep this short cause I'm exhausted...oh!  And my little sister came home yesterday!!  :)  Its great to have her back! :) 

I have been duly informed I need to "update this thing"...and I completely agree! So....

I now find myself in McLean, Virginia.  Currently there is a guy working on hooking up a dishwasher lying on the floor of my kitchen.  I have all the furniture up and almost working....(just need to plug the keyboard in).  I believe I have a grand total of 4 boxes left to unpack and a mess of odds and ends to put away.  I really like my new place.  I have big windows and TWO balconies!!!!  (So cool!!)  I overlook my brothers apartment and he drives by mine every day to and from work.  I am considering investing in some really high-tech surveillance equipment for blackmail purposes.  It is nice being so close to him, we just got back from lunch and I can yell from my balcony whenever I need him .  The people in the complex are also very friendly.  There is a boy about the age of 7 who I met the other day named Liam.  Liam informed me that he had just chased all the meat eating crocodiles out from the pool (the story included reenactments), so it is now safe to swim. 

My life has really been focused on getting settled here the last week or so.  Kristy moves in on Monday.  I start work on Wednesday as Special Project Manager of the Sunrise Foundation. A big title meaning...we're not really sure what this person is going to be doing for the next year so we'll make it up as we go. .  I am excited though.  I like the principal of the school....and I get official business cards!!

Well, it sounds like the dishwasher is working, so I'm going to make sure water is not on my floor and my cats aren't bothering the guy. 

To everyone that's tried to get a hold of me...I apologize for ignoring everyone.  It was nothing personal and now I can finally start making phonecalls and answering IMs!!