The dreaded pink slip

You know that dreaded pink slip?

I'm getting one.

It's official from the school board meeting, all district employees with 5 years and under in the district will be pink slipped.

Yippee.

My heart skipped several beats.

Praying for a new job...

Soul Cleansing

I went to Latty/Junction this past weekend and I am so glad that I did, because it ended up being a weekend of great introspective for me. I had fantastic conversations with people throughout the weekend, 2 powerful and thought provoking sermons, and then a soul cleansing ride from Latty to Toledo with just Jenay and I. I don't know what I expected going into the weekend, but I certainly got out of it more than I bargained for.

One of the things that has been on my mind lately is the issue of having full trust and faith and God. I have a tendency to question his will for me or complain because it is not what I wanted. Several times in the past few months, I have opened to Matthew where the angel Gaberial visits Mary and tells her that she will be giving birth to the Christ child. The more and more I think about this passage of scripture, the more and more it humbles me. Here Mary is, facing a situation that could mean her death and day and age that she lived in and we don't read that she complained or whined, just trusted. She said "be it unto me according to your word." It has really challenged me to work on my own faith and trust. When I compare myself to Mary and the issues she was facing, my problems seem so small. She had the faith to trust God and believe that everything will work out, why can't I. The thought has really humbled me and challenged me to do better.

So, this is one of the many revelations I came to this weekend. I laughed, I cried, I smiled, I talked, I listened - I did it all this weekend. Jenay and I decided on the way home that sometimes, a little cleansing is good for the soul. I am certainly glad I got to experience that this past weekend.

Arizona vs. Michigan

Finally sat down to re-write this blog that my lovely computer lost on me. It probably won't be as poetic and sarcastic as it was the first time, but here it goes.

As I flew home from Phoenix on Monday, I pondered the benefits of life in Arizona in comparison to Michigan (Bay City, specifically). This thought process was brought on by the numerous people I have ask me every time I go to Arizona when I am moving there. So I decided to break it down into specific catergories to help me with such a decision (all in jest of course).

1. Weather
Michigan - unpredictable - snowing one minute, raining the next, sunshine coming in 5.
Arizona - in the 70s this time of year, sunny, nice, nice, nice
Winner - clearly Arizona - can't beat that weather

2. Restaurants (cause food is vital to me)
Michigan - Olive Garden, Pizzeria Uno, Ruby Tuesdays, Los Quatros Amigos, etc.
Arizona - all those plus PF Chang, Cheescake Factory, Sweet Tomatoes, etc....
Winner - No contest - Arizona. Did I mention they also have Jumba Juice!!!!

3. Stores
Michigan - Kohl's, Christopher Banks, Old Navy, Meijer's
Arizona - Kohl's, Old Navy, and my favorite As you wish pottery place.
Winner - Tough call, but I would have no clothes without CJ Banks and how does one survive without a Meijer's - it's a mystery to me

4. Travel (road wise)
Michigan - pot holes everywhere but okay in the traffic department
Arizona - smooth sailing but crummy in the traffic department - especially when an accident happens.
Winner - again, hard to call, but I think I can live with pot holes over traffic jams

5. Housing
Michigan - the house I bought last summer
Arizona - Maryann's pull out couch
Winner - Michigan cause I paid for it, although I am sure the Arizona housing would change should I move there.

6. Job
Michigan - have one, would like a new one, job market stinks
Arizona - don't have one, job market not too shabby
Winner - I have to go with the one that is currently giving me a paycheck. I need money!

7. Family
Michigan - Dad, Mom, Sis, Bro-in-law, Brother and adorable niece
Arizona - favorite sister, aunts, uncles, cousins
Winner - sorry, the niece gives Michigan the clear edge on this one.

What have I concluded from all this......If you can find a magic place that has Arizona's weather and restaurants with all my family and a job and a house - I would be a happy camper. Tall order, I know. I guess I will just have to wait on God's will to show me where he wants me rather than to depend on my lists.

SO TICKED RIGHT NOW

I just worked over 20 minutes writing a great blog about my time in Arizona versus Michigan the stupid computer lost it on me!!!

ARGHHHHHHHHHH!

Now you will have to wait for it, cause I don't have the energy to do it again right now./

ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!

Olympic disappointment

Yes, the Olympics are over and I for one was actually disappointed in them. There were a couple of highlights that got me through them, but for the most part, these Olympics were just kind of blah for me. I got more interest out of watching curling than some of the sports I used to watch. (Curling is actually quite interesting when you figure out what is going on - and hey, they play it on ice, that must be good.)

4 Biggest disappointments
1. The lack of sportmanship among some of the athletes. It really was a mess, especially among many American athletes. There really is no excuse for it. Let's just say I am not a big fan of Bode Miller. If you are going to treat the Olympics as your personal party stage, stay home and let someone who appreciates the spirit of the games come. Americans are just too spoiled.

2. Poor coverage of medal ceremonies - I like watching the medal ceremonies and NBC almost completely cuts them off. Let us see them actually getting their medals please!

3. No competion in figure skating - specifically the men's and pairs. It is depressing to know that the gold medalist can skate less then their best and still win the gold because they are still so much better than the rest of the field. Pairs figure skating is usually my favorite, but not this year.

4. The lateness of the coverage - personally, it wasn't worth staying up to midnight to watch most of the coverage, everytime I did, I was disappointed.

My 5 highlights of the Olympic Games
1. Watching the 5 Swedish Redwings win the gold medal in hockey - - yeah!!

2. Watching Izzy (from Bay City!) win a bronze in short track.

3. Watching ice dancing - never thought I would say that in a million years but it was entertaining and fun and had some competion.

4. Watching biatholn mass start - surprising a lot of fun to watch and interesting dynamic.

5. The CBC channel - Canadian broadcasting, where things were shown live and coverage started earlier so I didn't have to stay up late to see things.

So, maybe I have learned my lesson when it comes to the Olympics. I think I will be less excited to see them next time they roll around, but I think that it would be good for me to like them less. There are better and more important things in life to worry about.