Post Project Thoughts

I am...

happy to be back, but even more excited to go back.
more mellow.  Go figure.
and less maintenance too.  Whoa.
relieved that I don't have to worry about finding a clean bathroom.
incredibly refreshed and rejuvenated. 

Yay Jesus.

In a week I'll be back for reals.

I wonder what my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual state will be like?

How will I have grown?

What will I have learned?

How many ice cream bars will I have eaten?

An infamous day, today is.

Can you guess why?

Five Good Things

1.  Mushrooms on a stick.
2.  Immodium
3.  Inside jokes
4.  Teams
5.  Hand Sanitizer

After the Hype

I type this post 13 days after the 7.1 magnitude earthquake and the 40 plus aftershocks that have devastated Haiti.

This however is being published four months later, after the major media hype.

I applaud the outpouring of compassion, sympathy, and funds, but I wonder how long before we forget?

It is guesstimated that it will take 30-40 years to rebuild Haiti. Sure, the funds poured in for emergency relief, for food, water, medical supplies, but what about next year? And the year after? 30 years down the road? After the next catastrophe?

Will the world still remember Haiti?

Will the world still give so that Haitians won't be building cheap flimsy buildings that will collapse at the slightest tremble?

I wonder.

Like a moth to a flame, like a moth to a flame.

That's the mental imagery that I have of myself these past few months.
Only, unlike the moth I know it's going to hurt me if I venture close.

Sometimes I wish my brain could just run my life on autopilot.

Cryptic much?  Yeah, I try.

Streamline

I need to streamline my life, proactively reducing stressors where I can, and plan for stressors that I can't instead of reacting to them.

So here's the plan:

1.  Identify top 5 stressors in life.
2.  Evaluate, is this something I can reduce or is this something I can plan for?
3.  Come up with game plan for each stressor.
4.  Put game plan into action.

Eagerly Anticipating... [Hawaii Edition]

1.  Climbing a volcano.

2.  Surfing.
And by surfing I mean swimming with a surf board, because I'll probably stay on that thing for a few nanoseconds.
I can see the headlines now:  "Tourist gets eaten by Lyle the local shark."

3.  Going to a Luau.
Aloha grass skirts and coconuts.

4.  Getting that golden brown tan.  Grin.

5.  Going camera happy.  J.D., B.B. and I are going to have a fabulous time.

Here We Go!

Cuz we're leeaaaaaaaaving on a jet plaaaaaaaaaaaaaaane...

All I ask for is a smooth landing.  That's it.

Later

Of all my bad habits, the one that I hate the most is procrastination.
I procrastinate when it comes to the smallest things, and especially when something stresses me out.
It bothers me so much now that I realize it that I constantly procrastinate.

How to outwit this dumb part of me?  I must come up with a plan.

Five Good Things [Memory Lane Edition]

1.  Lounging on a king size bed reading Gone With the Wind whilst listening to the rain and ocean.
2.  Driving on lolling hills exploring Martha's Vineyard.
3.  That horrendously, hilariously, epic FAIL of a parking job in Boston.
4.  FRESH seafood.
5.  Making super awesome memories with my BFF.

Stuck In My Head

1.  Whataya Want From Me- Adam Lambert
At first I liked it, but now it's overplayed, and I want to puke.

2.  Need You Now- Lady Antebullum
When I first saw their name, I thought they were a weird rock band.  Country was FAR from my mind.

3.  Alejandro-  Lady Gaga
Such a catchy tune.  Makes me want to move south.

4.  Bad Romance- Lady Gaga
Again...her tunes are so addictive, but I really don't like the lyrics to this one.

5.  Break Your Heart- Taio Cruz
Catchy tune.  Stupid lyrics.

Prayer

This marks the official start of my summer!

I am praying that this summer will be:

rejuvenating...
healing...
and transforming...

amongst many other things.

Five Good Things

1.  Driving in a red mini cooper with a sunroof and a hybrid transmission.
2.  Massages.
3.  Tying up loose ends.
4.  Ale.
5.  Leftovers.

Booyakalakashaka

Scene:  So my roommate just got a job at my favourite cafe in Toronto, Hotel Gelato.

Cute Barista (my nickname for the guy who always serves me):  So how'd you hear about this?
Roomie:  Well my roommate always comes here.  She's a regular.
CB:  Oh really?  What does she look like?  Maybe I know her.
Roomie:  Well she's Asian.
CB:  Is she hot?
Roomie:  Erm...I don't know.  I'm a girl, and I'm not attracted to girls.  And I'm not attracted to Asians.  She's not ugly.
CB:  I think I know who she is...She's REALLY HOT.

Of course it could be some other really hot asian girl, but I haven't come across any in my frequent visits there so I'm going to assume it's me, and allow my ego to be thoroughly stroked.  :)

Visual Overload

1.  What is with the trend of bridal parties sporting fake mustaches on a stick?
I've seen this in quite a few shoots in the various blogs that I follow.

2.  I need a mood board to design the interior of my new room.
I'm thinking Alice in Wonderland meets French chic.
There is actually a paint colour called Alice Blue...

3.  Need to streamline blogs that I follow.
You know it's too much when your google reader stresses you out.

Type/Delete

Type, type, type, delete, delete, type, delete...

Type, delete, type, delete.

That's what blogging has been like in my head. 
There are SO many things that I want to say, but I can't say.
The words are just festering inside like a pussing, oozing wound.

Things To Do Before I Leave on a Jet Plane

1.  Reload all my music onto the Sheep.
2.  Unpack all summer clothes.
3.  Pack all winter clothes.
4.  Download sermons onto the Jukebox.
5.  Go shopping for over the counter medication for every possible illness because no student on my watch is going to go without necessary meds.
6.  Pack for project.
7.  Write those talks.
8.  Resign lease.
9.  Buy things for the LTs.
10.  Remember all the stuff that I forgot to put on here.

Oh yeah and write future posts.  ;)

Five Good Things

1.  A very twirly skirt.
2.  Compliments: "You look divine tonight."
3.  When a man walks across the room to ask you to dance.
4.  Dances with Louis.
5.  Dips

Hit That Nail on Its Head

"Mei mei*, I couldn't sleep all night because I was thinking about you.  There's nothing wrong with you physically...You're emotionally exhausted."
~Mum

I had been super tired since mid-semester, but I'd just attributed it to sleep deprivation and a busy schedule.  But now I'm still fatigued even though I've been having 12 hour sleeps, and a mild schedule.  It didn't occur to me that I was emotionally exhausted until mum hit the nail right on its head except she was completely wrong about the cause of my emotional exhaustion.

I'd almost written off the fact that I am still recovering from burnout because really it's been two years, but earthgirl wisely reminded me that I took no time off whilst most others did so it's going to be a slower process.