duck and cover

Ah well, it turns out that the guy arrested the other night--had a loaded gun on him. great. makes me feel SOOO much better.

late night in da 'hood

My cell phones rings at 10:50pm tonight (Sunday) and it's my next door neighbor, Kirk. They only call late when it's important. He tells me not to panic, but there are 5 police cars out in front of our houses. Great. Seems that there is some young guy passed out in our median, the little grassy strip that divides our driveways. Kirk's partner was heading out to his car and hit the unlock button on his keychain. When the car headlights came on, it illumined the passed out dude who was on the grass between our garages. Our driveway's are very long so a person has to be intentional about coming up in them. The fact that this guy was in front of the garage is a little un-nerving.
John & Kirk called the police who responded very quickly. Then, they called me so I wouldn't be scared when I saw the patrol cars pull up. The police arrested the guy, looked to be about 20 years old and obviously drunk and/or high. I watched them pat him down and he didn't have any weapons on him (good) but still......He didn't fight them or anything, the guy could barely stand up. However, there were 6 police cars, all with lights flashing, that arrived. Must be a slow crime night in OKC.
There's a seedy house two doors east of me and ever since they moved in we've had more crime/problems in the neighborhood. I don't know if this guy was from there, but I wouldn't be surprised. What a way to end a Sunday..........

Have I mentioned I'm delicate?

I'm sitting in my 90+ degree house, waiting on the A/C repair people to call. Yup, it's hot. I don't do well in this hot, humid weather. I feel like my flowers outside---I'm wilting! I often say to people that I'm just too delicate for this weather, AND THEY LAUGH! Um, why do they laugh? I'm completely serious. I AM delicate. It's my dream to move to Alaska and live in the mountains. Every year I ask myself why I stay in Oklahoma because I hate the weather here. Last night I finally broke down and went and stayed in a hotel. I couldn't take one more night of the heat. Let's hope the A/C people can fix it today. Blah.........so YES, I am delicate. Now where did I leave my power sander?

Everything that can go wrong...

I wonder if my house has gremlins? First, my washer pump goes out. Then, my microwave gets psycho. Refrigerator died, and now my A/C is just not cooling the place. I am freakin roasting in my house right now!! I can't get the temperature below 80, sometimes it's as high as 90 in the house. I can't sleep in this!

In other news........I got the cat shaved today. She just sheds so much and she kept having hairballs so my vet said "shave her!" She looks a little funny, like a sheep that's just been buzzed, but I don't think she's traumatized.

I'm tempted to sleep in the bathtub tonight because the porcelin is cool. If I can't get someone out to look at the AC unit by Friday I'm going to have to find somewhere to stay or get a motel room. Hey....party at Rachel's Motel 6 room!! :-)

Sack o potatos

I'm having a Dan Quayle moment...I can't remember if it's potatoes or potatos. Ask me if I care......

When I got up this morning I decided to go out to a little country church where a friend is pastor...his name is David. He used to be my pastor at Epworth. Now, he and I had our disagreements and I was in a tough spot because I was Staff/Parish Chair when he left the church. But, David is a very sweet and good guy and for some reason I felt compelled to visit his church. I think it was God nudging me down the highway.......It's a small congregation, maybe 30 in worship. I think it was old-time religion Sunday because we sang the great hymns of I Love to Tell the Story, Victory in Jesus, and We'll Understand it Better By and By. I LOVE the old hymns. This church does a lot of singing, we sang praise music for about 20 minutes.
David's sermon was about forgiveness. Yes, it's important to forgive those who wrong us, but mainly the message was about how we make ourselves accessible (or inaccessible) to granting forgiveness. He also told of an experiment where participants wrote the name of a person that needed to be forgiven, or a grudge/bad feelings were being held. Those names were written on potatoes and then placed in a bag. For a week, the folks had to carry around the heavy sack, laden with the people that needed to be forgiven. By the end of the week, the participants realized the heaviness they were feeling was not only physical but also spiritual. Thus, they learned to be more free with their forgiveness. It was a good message and one I think I needed to hear. Yes, there are people in my life I need to forgive and there are people who need to forgive me. I can't control whether I will be granted forgiveness but I need to make myself open to the possibility.
I often remind myself of a marquee I saw on a local church: He who angers you controls you. My relationship with God is strong but it will be stronger when I quit harboring thoughts and feelings that do nothing but tear me down.

It was a good day.

Way to Go Leader Pelosi!

News From House Democratic Leader Nancy PelosiH-204, The Capitol, Washington D.C. 20515
http://democraticleader.house.gov
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Contact: Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider, 202-226-7616
Pelosi: 'Democrats Will Not Support Increasing Congressional Salaries Until We Raise Minimum Wage'
Washington, D.C. - House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on the Republicans' refusal once again to raise the minimum wage. A motion that would have allowed the House to vote on a bill offered by Congressman George Miller of California to increase the minimum wage was defeated by a vote of 214 to 189 along party lines.
"House Republicans have made their staunch opposition to raising the minimum wage quite clear: today they voted against it for the fifth time in less than a month. Yet House Republicans vote themselves a pay raise every year.
"The American people can't afford a Republican Congress that is so out of touch with the concerns of everyday Americans. Gas prices have skyrocketed, health care costs are rising, and too many working families are living paycheck to paycheck. Democrats will not support any increase in Congressional salaries until we raise the minimum wage.
"Democrats believe in a New Direction that will bring economic opportunity to all Americans."
# # #

cursed

There's something creepy happening here in my house...seems my major appliances have all started to go ka-put. a long time ago my dishwasher started making a very loud annoying noise while washing, but i have always just ignored it and gone on. about a month ago my washer went out...i think it's the pump. then today, my refrigerator died.
i am going to have to get the house blessed or exorcised or something.

sometimes it's a real pain being an adult.

Crispy

Even though I put on sunscreen, I still burned. My back is bright and getting a little painful. Even though I was already burned, I did spend some time out in my pool this afternoon. It's funny how the little things amuse me............

Basking

Happy 4th of July! Yes, I realize I should be using a red, white & blue font but you know, I felt like orange. I enjoyed a lovely day off of work today. I spent a bit of time out in the yard, basking in my new pool. Yes, I got a pool! Ok, it's only like 4ft long and 30 inches deep, but hey.....When I was reading the instructions for setting up this thing it stresses that you MUST place it on level ground. Well, there is NO level ground anywhere in my yard. My yard slopes downward and that's just the way it is. So, when I started to fill the pool this morning I figured out really quickly that a sloping pool doesn't work very well. I put about 3 inches of water in it and called it good. Hey, it kept me cool while I worked on a tan. I planted some flowers out front and put up a hanging basket of something purple. It makes the front of the house look so much nicer. The goal is to keep these flowers alive and I do not have a green thumb. If anyone needs me, I'll be by the pool with my sunglasses, water bottle, and SPF 45.

Milk Trucks

Ok, since Ellie asked, I'm going to tell...(and I don't think I know who Ellie is....reveal thyself).....
Milk trucks gross me out. Do you ever see those big, aluminum refrigerated trucks going down the highway? There's MILK sloshing around in there! Just the thought is revolting....I mean, it's milk just rolling around in that truck. I don't trust that those things are cleaned out and sterilized well. What, they drain out the milk, rinse with water & maybe bleach, and put more milk back in there?

Ok, I admit that I sometimes get obsessed with strange things, but when I see these damn milk trucks I get physically ill.

Here's my solution to the milk truck problem---keep the dairy cows next to the milk processing factory. Bottle the milk right there so it's fresh and THEN ship it across the country.

What if a milk truck has an accident and the milk spills (no crying). The milk is going to curdle and rot and then the area will smell like spoiled milk. Gross.

So, that's my deal on milk trucks. Just say no.

Exposure to the Son Prevents Burning

Yes, I live in the buckle of the Bible Belt. There are two churches near my house that always have one of these cheesy Jesus messages on their outdoor signs. I don't think I could ever attend one of those churches BECAUSE of those signs. I mean, I find the sayings silly and almost sacrilegious. Whenever I see them, I just want to run the signs over.

This subject gets me riled up and I really don't feel like venting....but if you really want to push my buttons bring up the subject. Oh, the other thing that gets me is milk trucks. Yes, milk trucks. Ask me.

Weekend part 2

Sunday...........
Like the good kid I am, I got up and went to church on Sunday. Actually, I was excited all week for church because we were doing a Blessing of the Animals. Everyone brought their cats, dogs, hermit crabs, etc. We even had a horse (but it stayed outside during the service). The news of the service generated some media attention so all three news stations were there to film. I packed up Aspasia and she did very well in the service. At the end of services, the owner of the horse brought her over and stuck her head in the doorway so the horse could be part of the blessing.

Sunday afternoon my friends and I went back to the park and I ran around. In addition to the information booth, my org was also doing a dunk tank! All in all I think they went well. The culmination of the day is the parade, which kicked off at 5. We rode on a float and threw cheap plastic beads to the masses of people gathered around 39th street. People go nuts for those damn beads....why is that??

After the parade I went home to change and then met some friends out at a club. We bar hopped but didn't drink....too tired and too hot. I was home by 10:30 and glad to be in my nice cool house.

Happy Pride!

Weekend part 1

It was a busy weekend and I have the sunburn to prove it!! This was gay pride and I was in charge of pride activities for the Cimarron Alliance Foundation (of which I sit on the board of directors). Visit us at cimarronalliance.org

My friends Dwayne and Christopher came in from Fayetteville for the weekend. They arrived on Fri evening and we tottered off to a party. I decided to be "sober sister" so the boys could drink. We got home LATE and stayed up late, thus I went to sleep about 4:30am. Yeah, not good. I got up about 8 when I realized my phone kept ringing. My co-chair, Ryan, decided to call me about 10 times that morning because since he was awake he thought I should be. Men. Anyhoo....spent the rest of the day down at the park doing an information booth for Cimarron. Had dinner with friends and then crashed while my guests went out to the clubs and didn't stumble in until about 11am on Sunday. hmmmm

To be continued...............

You Might Be a United Methodist If...

You Might Be A United Methodist If~
you don't take Rolaids when your heart is strangely warmed~
you know that a circuit rider is not an electrical device~
The Upper Room is as essential to your bathroom as the toilet paper~
you felt that the NCAA penalties against SMU football were too harsh~
you've ever owned a pair of cross and flame boxer shorts~
you sit while singing "Stand up, stand up for Jesus"~
you've ever sung a gender-inclusive hymn~tithing is encouraged but widely ignored~
half the people sitting in your pew lip-sync the words to the hymns~
the word apportionment sends a chill down your spine~
you realize pluralism isn't a communicable disease~
your pastor has a hyphenated last name~names like Aldersgate, Asbury, and Epworth are vaguely familiar~
you consider the monthly potluck a sacrament~
the only church camp song you know by heart is "Kum ba yah"~
you've ever attended an Annual Conference and actually enjoyed it~
you have an unexplained yearning to visit Wesley's Chapel in London~
your church is named for a geographical location rather than for a saint~
you've never heard a sermon on Hell and don't feel you're missing out~
you realize that VBS isn't a sexually transmitted disease~
your pastor moves every four or five years and you like it that way~
there's at least one person in every church meeting who says, "But we've never done it that way before"~
your congregation's Christmas pageant includes both boy and girl wise men~
you accept the fact that the hymn "O, for a thousand tongues to sing" has almost as many stanzas as tongues~
you know that the Wesleyan Quadrilateral isn't a trick football play involving four lateral passes~
you realize that the Book of Discipline is not a guide to getting your child to behave~
you understand that an "appointment" has nothing to do with keeping a lunch date~
you think "UMW" stands for United Methodist Women rather than the United Mine Workers~
you know the difference between a "diagonal" minister and a "Diaconal" minister~
"Good morning" has the status of a liturgical greeting in the worship service~
you say "trespasses" instead of "debts" in the Lord's Prayer and have no idea why~
your annual conference spends most of its time debating resolutions that nobody reads~
you'd rather be branded with a hot iron than serve on the Nominating Committee~
you've ever sipped Welch's grape juice out of a plastic shot glass during Communion~
you're asked to donate money to a "special offering" every other Sunday~
you pore over the Conference Journal with the same intensity you would read a John Grisham novel~
you have to fight through a cadre of greeters to get into the sanctuary~
when the worship service lasts for more than one hour, the beeping of watch alarms drowns out the final hymn

Not what I signed up for

It was a difficult day, to say the least, at work. NO, this is not a post ragging on my supervisor, or co-workers, or spilling great secrets. (So much has been in the news lately about potential employers going online to see what applicants have said about their current jobs & relationships & lives).
See, my title is AIDS Care Coordinator. That title doesn't tell you a whole lot...I know. But, the basis of my job is helping people access medications, a doctor, make sure they have a place to sleep, eat, blah blah blah. Case managers often are called to do a lot of different things and YES, we all know that. But, at one point today, I sat back and said to myself "this is NOT what I signed up for." I accompanied a client to an inpatient type facility and under the guise of going to smoke a cigarette, he bolted. I wasn't surprised, but still....so, three of us spent nearly 2 hours (each) looking for this dude. I was driving up and down streets, peering through alleys, gazing over vacant lots, trying to find him. It would have been unethical for us to NOT look. But jeez.....when did I become Search & Rescue? We didn't find him. I hope he calls. I tell you, if I could ground people I would. You are grounded for 2 weeks young man! Sigh.

That's what it's all about

As I get older, I'm (unfortunately) becoming more and more like my parents. I find that I talk to myself quite a bit and increasingly talk OUTLOUD to myself. I can be mid-way through a conversation and suddenly realize that I'm the only one in the group huddle. I'm not sure if I should be alarmed about this or not.
This morning as I was walking into work I realized I was talking outloud to myself and I had just uttered "...that's what it's all about." The instant thereafter, I started doing the Hokey Pokey!! Yes, I was standing in the parking garage elevator corridor doing the Hokey Pokey. I remember hearing a comedian or someone famous say once...maybe the Hokey Pokey is what IT'S all about. What is "it?" Who knows....and does it really matter? Maybe doing the HP is what cures the world. I was brave enough to give it a try. Nothing happened but I kind of expected delayed reaction from the universe.

Donate to Team Chi Chi!

Relay for Life, a project of the American Cancer Society, is a wonderful cause to steer those charitable dollars. This year, my stepsister and her friends are participating in Lawton, Oklahoma's Relay for Life in memory of a very special woman, Shelly Douglass McComber.

Shelly was one of those people you couldn't help but notice. Her smile, her laugh, her southern drawal........Shelly made friends with just about everyone. When she passed in January it broke our hearts because nothing and no one can replace Shelly, aka Chi Chi. Shelly's sister, Stacy, and many of her friends have banded together to walk this year's relay in her honor. Please visit www.acsevents.org/lawtonok and look up Team Chi Chi. You can donate through the website or mail in your contribution. No one, absolutely no one, should have to go through cancer and it's only that much harder when it affects a beautiful woman who was only 35 years old. My prayers and support go out to Shelly's family and friends who seek to honor her in this walk. I especially pray for my stepsister, Beth, who has modeled strength and spirit during the loss of her very dear friend. Love to all..................................

In this very room

This past Saturday my friend Bekah got married! Yippeeeeee. It was a LOVELY ceremony and she looked amazing. The decor was simple and I could tell that they weren't trying to overshadow the beauty of the church. My one word description is "elegant." Candlelight, dim lights, red roses, and a happy couple. What could be better? The wedding was fun because it was like a reunion of college friends, some I hadn't seen in quite some time. We had a great time visiting and catching up. Several of us went to supper and continued the chatting. I enjoy moments like that....when we can visit, laugh, and remember. Congratulations Bekah & Derek.

Presley drops

No one is going to care about this post but I'm just so ticked off I have to vent. The past three days have been the filing period for office here in Oklahoma. For the past several months there have been a couple of folks running for the 5th District Congress, which is the area I live in. I have been supporting Patricia Presley who I thought was going to really win this thing and finally put a Dem in office. The other person that is running, Bert Smith, is just not electable for reasons I won't go into. So, today, Ms. Presley freakin drops out of the race. I'm angry. Like, people spent a lot of time and money campaigning for her---she was very electable--she would have been a good Rep. And she drops. I would like my donations back. I'm serious. I put my faith and my $$ into a candidate and they drop for I don't know what reason but it wasn't a good one. I know I know...I get ruffled about strange things.

I'm not wearing underwear today

I'm not wearing underwear today....no i'm not wearing underwear today. Not that you probably care much about my underwear, still nonetheless i have to say---that i'm not wearing underwear today!!

Ok, so it's a phrase stolen from Avenue Q (it's a musical) and every time I hear the song I crack up laughing.

Now to REAL underwear issues. My washing machine decided to putz out on me over a week ago. I have not had time to call a repair person so I have been unable to wash clothes. I tell ya, I'm getting desparate. I meant to go to the laundromat this weekend but as always, too much going on. As I try to figure out what to wear to work tomorrow, I was pawing through my sock/undies drawer and realized that I have to go to the RESERVE underwear. Come on, you know what I'm talking about....the old pairs that you hate, but you keep around for emergencies. They are too small or too big, ugly, have holes, should have been burned years ago....Yup, that's what I'm talking about. Don't pretend you don't know.

Busy busy busy week ahead but I promised myself I would do laundry. I expect little sleep on Monday but it will get done.