Yep, we've been without water in our house for about 24 hours now and it might be another 24 before we get it back. I'm not really sure what happened. It has something to do with the pipes in the ground outside. It has been wicked cold here (well, at least for West Texas) and so it may be weather related. The nice thing about renting is, we do not have to pay for the repairs!
So last night, JJ and I went to the store and got one of those 5 gallon jugs of water to wash and flush with! This morning I heated up water on the gas stove so I could wash my hair and take a little sponge bath. I was thanking the Lord that we still had gas and electricity and although our minor inconvenience is nothing compared to the electricty problems my team in Mwanza, Tanzania deals with on a daily basis, I felt a little kinsmanship there! (Lindermans, Millers, Baileys, Guilds and Groens, we're thinking of you all!)
It's funny how much more I appreciated the things we do have when we lost our water. It would be an awful time to lose our gas heat! We had light so we could see where we were going last night and this morning. We could check our e-mail and recharge our cell phones. Funny the things we tend to take for granted, isn't it?
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Standing Out
I recently bought a package of English muffins at the store that went bad really quickly. Two days after the "sell by" date they had mold on them. Usually, I would just toss them and go buy some more. But for some reason, this time, I really wanted to follow up and let the company know what happened.
I went to the website that was printed on the package and very politely registered my complaint. I told them I would like to continue to use their product if I could count on it being fresh because the price was better than the other brands at my store. I thought maybe they would send me a coupon or something and then I promptly forgot about it.
The very next day when I came home for lunch, there was a message on my answering machine from this company saying that he would like to deliver some fresh English muffins to my house, but since I was not home he would try again on Monday. Whoa. Never would have expected that. And even if we are not able to make a connection (I doubt they will be able to catch me at home), the fact that they called and were willing to do this means that I'll try their product again. Any company that would go through that much trouble for one complaint really stands out in a market where companies bow to the almighty dollar without much concern for the customer.
This makes me think of a company that I heard about recently working in the country of Laos. Laos is closed to missionaries, but there is a Christian development organization working there that is thriving. The government knows that it is a Christian organization, but allows them into the country because of the agricultural and economic development that they are doing there. I recently spoke to a couple that works there and they said that in a country where bribes and corruption run rampant, their company, which is run by Christian principles, really stands out. They are thriving in a place where it was previously thought that you could not do business without "greasing the wheels". Their reputation is growing rapidly and countries from all over the world are asking them to come start a new work there. They are a light because they choose not to take the easy way out, but to stand on their principles and deliver a high-quality service.
That makes me wonder - what am I doing here in my little part of the world that stands out? Do I look like everyone else or is there something different about me? I'm afraid that a lot of the time, I'm too self-involved to really be available to others and see opportunities that are staring me in the face.
Lord, help me to be a light in a dark world today.
1-17
Update: Yesterday, JJ was actually home when a the delivery man for Cobblestone Mill called and wanted to drop off some fresh English muffins. Not only did he replace the yucky muffins, he also gave us 2 loaves of bread to boot! Not bad, not bad at all.
I went to the website that was printed on the package and very politely registered my complaint. I told them I would like to continue to use their product if I could count on it being fresh because the price was better than the other brands at my store. I thought maybe they would send me a coupon or something and then I promptly forgot about it.
The very next day when I came home for lunch, there was a message on my answering machine from this company saying that he would like to deliver some fresh English muffins to my house, but since I was not home he would try again on Monday. Whoa. Never would have expected that. And even if we are not able to make a connection (I doubt they will be able to catch me at home), the fact that they called and were willing to do this means that I'll try their product again. Any company that would go through that much trouble for one complaint really stands out in a market where companies bow to the almighty dollar without much concern for the customer.
This makes me think of a company that I heard about recently working in the country of Laos. Laos is closed to missionaries, but there is a Christian development organization working there that is thriving. The government knows that it is a Christian organization, but allows them into the country because of the agricultural and economic development that they are doing there. I recently spoke to a couple that works there and they said that in a country where bribes and corruption run rampant, their company, which is run by Christian principles, really stands out. They are thriving in a place where it was previously thought that you could not do business without "greasing the wheels". Their reputation is growing rapidly and countries from all over the world are asking them to come start a new work there. They are a light because they choose not to take the easy way out, but to stand on their principles and deliver a high-quality service.
That makes me wonder - what am I doing here in my little part of the world that stands out? Do I look like everyone else or is there something different about me? I'm afraid that a lot of the time, I'm too self-involved to really be available to others and see opportunities that are staring me in the face.
Lord, help me to be a light in a dark world today.
1-17
Update: Yesterday, JJ was actually home when a the delivery man for Cobblestone Mill called and wanted to drop off some fresh English muffins. Not only did he replace the yucky muffins, he also gave us 2 loaves of bread to boot! Not bad, not bad at all.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
A Bit Frazzled
I was not quite prepared to face this week. The past few weeks have been pretty quiet and slow here at work with all the graduate students and professors out of town, but this is "Janmester week", a week of short courses before the actual spring semster starts. The program I work in is a small program, so I wasn't expecting things to really pick up much but oh my GOODNESS! I actually went home over my lunch break and took a nap today!
I thought I would share a picture of me at work so you might have a little idea of what I'm talking about!
I just needed to take a quick break and share my harried state. I feel much better now. (To tell you the truth, I'm glad to be back to having plenty to do again. Maybe if I could just spread it out a tiny bit more so I'm not doing 3 things at once!)
OK, back to the grindstone! Here's hoping you all are having a nice, calm, relaxing day!
I thought I would share a picture of me at work so you might have a little idea of what I'm talking about!
I just needed to take a quick break and share my harried state. I feel much better now. (To tell you the truth, I'm glad to be back to having plenty to do again. Maybe if I could just spread it out a tiny bit more so I'm not doing 3 things at once!)OK, back to the grindstone! Here's hoping you all are having a nice, calm, relaxing day!
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Dementia? At 32?
Last night, I had to run an errand at the mall. I was just going to run in and run out. (Yeah, I know, highly unlikely.) However, I was able to go in, return an item, and get out of the store pretty quickly. It was when I stepped out of the store that the trouble began.
You've probably had this experience before. You step out of the store you were in, look to the left, look to the right, and then ask yourself, "Where am I? Which way did I come from?" Well, that was me last night. So I had to stop and think, what did I see when I came in the mall? What did I pass by? Am I going completely crazy? After a moment of forehead-furrowing thought, I remembered a sign I saw several stores down. OK, now I have a direction. Once I got going the right way, I saw the theater and remembered that I entered there surrounded by giggling teenage girls and pimply teenage boys trying to look very cool (or tight or whatever they say these days).
So out to the parking lot I go when I realize with a groan that I have NO idea where I parked. So I just started walking up and down the parking lot thinking I'd see it soon. Nope. I try and console myself by reasoning that I must have just really been deep in thought or highly distracted thinking about the errands I had to run. After about 10 minutes of wandering around aimlessly, clicking the lock and unlock button on my key ring in hopes that the car would wink and alert me to its location, I spotted it on the first row that I had looked. Of course.
I hear dancing and puzzles are good brain activity to help delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Anyone for a tango?
You've probably had this experience before. You step out of the store you were in, look to the left, look to the right, and then ask yourself, "Where am I? Which way did I come from?" Well, that was me last night. So I had to stop and think, what did I see when I came in the mall? What did I pass by? Am I going completely crazy? After a moment of forehead-furrowing thought, I remembered a sign I saw several stores down. OK, now I have a direction. Once I got going the right way, I saw the theater and remembered that I entered there surrounded by giggling teenage girls and pimply teenage boys trying to look very cool (or tight or whatever they say these days).
So out to the parking lot I go when I realize with a groan that I have NO idea where I parked. So I just started walking up and down the parking lot thinking I'd see it soon. Nope. I try and console myself by reasoning that I must have just really been deep in thought or highly distracted thinking about the errands I had to run. After about 10 minutes of wandering around aimlessly, clicking the lock and unlock button on my key ring in hopes that the car would wink and alert me to its location, I spotted it on the first row that I had looked. Of course.
I hear dancing and puzzles are good brain activity to help delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Anyone for a tango?
Friday, January 05, 2007
Progress and LOTS of H2O
JJ and I went and weighed in yesterday after doing a 2 day "Take Off", which is the LA Weightloss version of a "cleansing". JJ was using it as a jump start to get back on plan and I did it with him. He lost 3 pounds and I lost 1. I am now only 14 pounds away from my goal! I CANNOT BELIEVE IT!
I gained 1/2 pound over the holidays, I think mostly due to not drinking enough water. Before I started LA Weightloss, I did not realize what a big effect a lack of water and too much sodium has on water retention. I always notice on the scales when I don't get my 8 glasses of water a day, especially if I don't get enough for several days in a row. So getting that water in might be a great New Year's resolution for those of you who are not in the habit.
Fitting in 8 glasses of water is easier than you might think! Buy yourself a good 32 ounce water bottle. JJ likes the ones that have a hook attached so he can hook it on to his book bag. If you keep that water bottle with you all day, you only have to fill it up once in order to get your 8 glasses in! My main problem is when I forget to refill or leave my bottle somewhere so I'm going to try keeping one at work and one at home. Besides, JJ got a cool new bottle the other day and I need an excuse to buy one too! =0)
If you just sip a little all day, you'll be surprised at how easy it is.
I gained 1/2 pound over the holidays, I think mostly due to not drinking enough water. Before I started LA Weightloss, I did not realize what a big effect a lack of water and too much sodium has on water retention. I always notice on the scales when I don't get my 8 glasses of water a day, especially if I don't get enough for several days in a row. So getting that water in might be a great New Year's resolution for those of you who are not in the habit.
Fitting in 8 glasses of water is easier than you might think! Buy yourself a good 32 ounce water bottle. JJ likes the ones that have a hook attached so he can hook it on to his book bag. If you keep that water bottle with you all day, you only have to fill it up once in order to get your 8 glasses in! My main problem is when I forget to refill or leave my bottle somewhere so I'm going to try keeping one at work and one at home. Besides, JJ got a cool new bottle the other day and I need an excuse to buy one too! =0)
If you just sip a little all day, you'll be surprised at how easy it is.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Tension
I heard this poem on Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion radio show. If you have not heard it before, go! quickly! T0 http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/ and check it out. It is hillarious and entertaining and touching. Anyway, I've always WANTED to like poetry and have found bits and pieces that I've liked, but never really pursued reading a lot of poetry. I mean, when you think of someone who reads poetry you think, wow, they must be pretty smart or at the very least, really deep. So anyway, here's my little addition with a not-so-deep poem that is really better to hear when it's read by Billy Collins, the author, who says you should never use the word "suddenly" just to create tension. If you go over to the Prairie Home Companion website to listen to the poem, you can listen to the whole show or just skip through the first segment to just catch Billy Collins.
Tension
by Billy Collins
Suddenly, you were planting some yellow petunias
outside in the garden,and suddenly I was in the study
looking up the word oligarchy for the thirty-seventh time.
When suddenly, without warning,you planted the last petunia in the flat,
and I suddenly closed the dictionary
now that I was reminded of that vile form of governance.
A moment later, we found ourselves
standing suddenly in the kitchen
where you suddenly opened a can of cat food
and I just as suddenly watched you doing that.
I observed a window of leafy activity
and, beyond that, a bird perched on the edge
of the stone birdbath
when suddenly you announced you were leaving
to pick up a few things at the market
and I stunned you by impulsively
pointing out that we were getting low on butter
and another case of wine would not be a bad idea.
Who could tell what the next moment would hold?
Another drip from the faucet?
Another little spasm of the second hand?
Would the painting of a bowl of pears continue
to hang on the wall from that nail?
Would the heavy anthologies remain on their shelves?
Would the stove hold its position?
Suddenly, it was anyone’s guess.
The sun rose ever higher.
The state capitals remained motionless on the wall map
when suddenly I found myself lying on a couch
where I closed my eyes and without any warning
began to picture the Andes, of all places,
and a path that led over the mountain to another country
with strange customs and eye-catching hats
suddenly fringed with little colorful, dangling balls.
Tension
by Billy Collins
Suddenly, you were planting some yellow petunias
outside in the garden,and suddenly I was in the study
looking up the word oligarchy for the thirty-seventh time.
When suddenly, without warning,you planted the last petunia in the flat,
and I suddenly closed the dictionary
now that I was reminded of that vile form of governance.
A moment later, we found ourselves
standing suddenly in the kitchen
where you suddenly opened a can of cat food
and I just as suddenly watched you doing that.
I observed a window of leafy activity
and, beyond that, a bird perched on the edge
of the stone birdbath
when suddenly you announced you were leaving
to pick up a few things at the market
and I stunned you by impulsively
pointing out that we were getting low on butter
and another case of wine would not be a bad idea.
Who could tell what the next moment would hold?
Another drip from the faucet?
Another little spasm of the second hand?
Would the painting of a bowl of pears continue
to hang on the wall from that nail?
Would the heavy anthologies remain on their shelves?
Would the stove hold its position?
Suddenly, it was anyone’s guess.
The sun rose ever higher.
The state capitals remained motionless on the wall map
when suddenly I found myself lying on a couch
where I closed my eyes and without any warning
began to picture the Andes, of all places,
and a path that led over the mountain to another country
with strange customs and eye-catching hats
suddenly fringed with little colorful, dangling balls.
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