For those who keep updated on my life through my blog

I am in Seattle for two reasons:
1) my grandfather died this past weekend
2) I couldn't find a job in Haines and my uncle said he had some work for me at his office down here

I technically live in Haines, but I have spent a significant amount of time in Seattle since I moved there in November (see points 1 and 2 above).

I don't know what I'm going to do with my future. Possibilities include:
1) going to University of Alaska Southeast to get my masters in teaching
2) moving to Vancouver and becoming Canadian to enjoy the Olympics next winter
3) finding a real job in Haines and staying there for a whlie
4) moving far, far away to go see something new

I live in a house with a friend and her three dogs. Love the friend. Hate the dogs. And our house is cold because it's really expensive to keep it warm.

I will do whatever I can to live in Alaska over the summer because I'm tired of spending cold months there and leaving when it gets bareable in just one layer of clothing. And if I can be in Alaska for at least 9 months, then they'll pay me next year :)

back in the saddle, back in seattle

wait, what? back in seattle again?
i "moved" to alaska in november, and since then I have been there for a total of 7 weeks and not there for a total of 4 and counting. which begs the question, "do you really live in alaska?" I went into work today (the same job I've had on and off for about 4 years) and the people asked me if i hide in a cave for small chunks of time just to emerge a few weeks later. i didn't think i'd be saying this anytime soon, but I want to be in one place for a while.

so, what's next?

I have no idea what my life will look like in the coming weeks... All I know is that I don't have to worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow has enough worries of its own... and that is comforting.

easy come, easy go

So, as rapidly as I got my job when I first got here, I lost it upon return from the holidays. Although I was assured that I would have a job when I got back from Mexico and Seattle, my boss hired someone else, so now I'm unemployed. I'm looking into things, but nothing seems too exciting at this point. But we'll see. I'm pretty much open to anything. If all else fails, the bakery reopens in February, so I should be able to get a job there. Or, if that fails, then I might move to Juneau or Seattle. Who really knows?
I sure don't.

525,600 minutes (plus 1,440)

How do you measure a year?
In how many places I went?
in seattle from the beginning of the year to june (with a trip to san fran and bend mixed in)... in the dominican republic for two months... in oregon for a week, seattle for two weeks, then around the country for 5 weeks... in seattle again... moved back to alaska... in mexico for a week... in seattle for another three weeks... and back to Haines just into 2009...
In the jobs I worked?
mortgage company... intern for non-profit... mortgage company again... vagabond... mortgage company... video store... mortgage company...
In what I learned?
i am valuable... i have gifts from God that i am called to use... i can't force people to like me... my worth isn't based on what people think of me... real estate and loan rates fluctuate for no real reason sometimes... people want change, but are sometimes afraid to see it happen...
In how many people I met?
too many to count...
In new relationships and ones that have ended?
too many to fully realize...
In movies watched?
a shameful amount...
In hours wasted on the internet?
way, way too many...
In band aids used?
ha...
In things living in me?
amoeba... parasite... infection... not enough of the good stuff...

I don't think I really can measure 2008... but one thing is for sure... God proved faithful, yet again, throughout this year.

Christmas Recap 08

This Christmas was pretty good. Although I was not able to eat normally and thus had to pass up the traditional Maxwell breakfast casserole and prime rib dinner, it was a good day. I got to hang out with my whole family in one place, which hasn't happened since April, I think. My niece and nephew are getting so cute. I like them a lot. We played a lot of Wii and made a lot of wii jokes. I was called wii-tarded a lot. One of my brothers got a wii-eat down. My sister-in-law told us about hitting her wii-mote against the wall. And Winnie, my brothers Wii-ton terrier was a fun target as well.

Oh, Alaska

I miss Haines. I wanna go back.

dreaming of a white christmas??

it's more like a nightmare. sure, snow is fun, but I was pretty sure that I left alaska. seattle can't handle this. and my parents won't let me take their cars out. so i'm stuck in shoreline. and playing a lot of wii. and i still feel a little sick.

so, how are things?

I think that I am going through a Quarter-Life Crisis. Well, maybe not completely, but it is really hard to quiet some of those voices saying that I should have things more figured out. Don't get me wrong, I know I'm intelligent and good-looking and all that good stuff, but with all that potential, I'm working 15 hours a week at a video store, barely paying rent (let alone eating). What am I really doing? I mean, really? But then I take a step back (when I can) and realize that I am more fulfilled by my 15 hours at the video store than I was this spring when I had a "good job" at a mortgage company. So who is to say that my definition of fulfilling is wrong? As long as I think I'm doing ok, then I am. I just sometimes wish that I was more consistent in my thinking that I'm doing what I should be. I guess that's what 3 days of laying in bed gets you... a lot of thoughts about the way things are or should be or something idealistic like that. Psh.
This pic has pretty well summed up my existence over the past couple days... or one with me on a toilet with a bucket in hand, but that's less appropriate.

pedro sucks

i'm pretty sure pedro liked mexico, because there seems to be a party in my stomach, and i wasn't invited.

oh, mexico

just got back from Mexico, where i did in fact hear james taylor sing about it, which made my day. it wasn't really all that great. i mean, i did get to hang out on the beach a bit and chill, but i went to clean out my grandpa's house of personal things, so it wasn't super fun. better in mexico than somewhere that it is only 30 degrees. so now i'm in seattle until the new year. i think one of my favorite parts of being in seattle is that i'm going to be able to see the new bond movie. there's only a few times that living in haines, and, thus, not having a theater, bothers me, but when a new 007 movie comes out, it for sure tops that list. so i'm stoked. i'm sure i'll post my review of the movie later :)

stuck in juneau

i'm dumb. i thought my flight left an hour after it actually did, so i missed my flight tonight. so i'm stuck in juneau tonight and get into seattle tomorrow and then leave for puerto vallarta tuesday morning. so i have one day less to help out in Mexico, which i'm pretty bummed about overall. LAME!! But things could be worse. I had a little bit of a rough weekend too. suffice it to say that I just acted stupidly, and some things came up that I wanted to ignore. it's probably for the best though.

almost a month...

well, four weeks anyway. it seems like i've been here for so much longer. of course, if that were true, then i would have worked a little harder on finding a second job, but whatever.
it's still so good to be here. i still have no idea what my future holds, but for right now, i totally trust that i am where i am supposed to be, and that is a great feeling. on the other hand, its only 4:00 and it's totally dark outside. that's not so cool.

Connie's, how can I help you?

So I got into Haines on Monday around noon and went over to the Summer Inn to see Lori and Ashley. After chilling for a little while there, Lori decided that we wanted something to eat. So we went to the Mountain Market, but she decided against that. So we went to Connie's (formerly Video 144). Connie greeted us upon arrival, but taking a closer look, realized that she knew me, as I had worked for her for about a week and half the last time I was in Haines. She asked me what I was doing back, and after hearing that I was in town for a while asked, "do you need a job?" Um, ok. So I had a job within two hours of my arrival in Haines. Pretty rad, huh?

mv malaspina

3 days on a boat is a long time. i'm bored. but so stoked to be hanging out in haines this time tomorrow. and for the record, i think Pedro likes the cold. that little bugger.