Giving it to God...at the Airport

I'll try to keep this concise...

Today a good friend of mine was traveling and sent me a text message in response to me wishing her safe travels. As with any international flight, there was a long leg of the trip she expressed grief over. It made me think back to when I was in college.

Soon after my sophomore year of college began, my family relocated from 4 hours driving away to 4 hours flying away. Needless to say I began a stretch of time where I was traveling fairly regularly to visit on breaks. It was during that part of my life standing in O'Hare Airport often with two flights and a layover ahead of me (2 flights are cheaper than 1 ironically), that I learned to give things up to God.

Some would argue I was giving up to which ever airline I was flying that day, but in hindsight I think I was giving up to God. I realized talking to the ticket agents and flight attendants that these men and women completely determined if I was going to get where I wanted when I wanted. The harder I fought, the less likely things were going to improve. I also realized, simply by watching other disgruntled travelers, that yelling, pouting, screaming and threatening the airline employees would not make the delays shorter, the flights quicker or the weather more clear. It got to the point where I would prepare for the whole day to be consumed with travel, sometimes more than one day.

My goal was to get to my destination. And, that was as complex as it got - I removed time and comfort from the equation. I paid a significant amount of money to a company to get me from Point A to Point B, and with that exchange of money I transferred all control and responsibility. I was to simply show up and do my best to not become emotionally involved in the process.

Looking back I think I was learning to give things up to God. I give God my life and try not to get too emotionally involved in the process, and God gets me from Point A to Point B on God's schedule on God's route with and without weather delays.

How does your travel habits reflect your relationship with God?

Decades ago

I've been thinking about this blog post for a while now. It's just taken me a bit to get around to actually writing. Now, I have homework to do, but I think I'll pound this out. As it is, I really don't blog as often as I'd like.

So, I've been thinking about 10 years ago. And, when one does that, they begin to think about 20 years ago. I am currently in a place - time, space, location, relationships, etc - that makes me happy. I am content and pleased with where I'm at. When I really think about it though, I realize that 10 years ago I didn't think life could get any better.

10 years ago I had just recently completed an incredible trip to New York City. I saw Les Miserables on Broadway, Ellis Island, Mahanttan from the top of the Statue of Liberty (including the WTC), Strawberry Fields in Central Park, FAO Swartz (and I did play on the giant piano), Lincoln Center, Madison Square Gardens, Teresa Witherspoon (yes, I got a pic with her) and so much more. I also just celebrated my 18th birthday 10 years ago. Is there a bigger birthday than 18? Really now, I was finally an "adult"...as if I had any idea what that meant. And, quickly approaching was my graduation from high school. I truly believed that 1999 would be the best year of my life.

20 years ago I was sitting in a new town and new school. Now, I had been there for a few months. The whole experience though was surreal. I had my first, and last group, birthday party. I had balloons and flowers (from my grandparents) sent to school on my birthday for the first time. I also was getting invited to birthday parties and went to my first slumber party.

Looking back I just wonder. It's crazy to realize how much time has passed from April 1989 and April 1999. I'm connecting with people for the first time in decades online through services like Facebook. I'm remembering people whom were developing great relationships and friendships with me. I find it still very surreal.

I know I'm not old. And, I know I'm not alone. I just find it interesting how pinnacle those years were. It makes me wonder what's in store this year. It makes me wonder the next time I'll think "life doesn't get better than this" or "will life ever get better than this." How will I remember your influence on my life in 10 years?

What an incredible week

Hello, World.

Oh, where to begin. I'm not sure many know this, but I don't do well on my own. I figure it's my parents' fault for having so many kids, throwing me in day care and then, there's the whole public schooling thing. People were always around. Well, this week my sister is up to her usual shenanigans with work and her boyfriend. And, Susan is off on vacation with her family. That leaves me home at night alone with the puppies. This adds up to a minimal level of productivity and too long on the computer wasting time until it's bedtime. It makes for a long week, but I'm coping.

Then, there is the fact that I think we found an apartment out in Denver. I've been working with the Leasing Office this week to get the applications squared away. That's the good news. The bad news is that I'm totally freaking out about how much stuff I have. I think I'm going to have to kick it up on a notch on the sorting and giving to charity.

Finally, the great news. (I've been building up for the excitement. Did you notice?) Long, long ago when email addresses weren't common and 8th Graders were intimidating, my family moved from Richland Center, WI to Sparta, WI (62 whole miles). I was in the 7th grade; we had lived in Richland Center for 5 years. That was the longest I had lived anywhere. Well, I thought the world was ending. Surprisingly, it didn't. I did lose touch though with a lot of good people and friends. A few relationships stretched out over snail mail, but eventually we all drifted apart. This week though, thanks to the glories of the internet and Facebook, I have found a few of those childhood friends. And, I am tickled pink about it! I don't know how hard it is to rekindle friendships from over half a life ago (I still struggle with those just from high school at times), but I'm sure going to try. Today I've just been grinning thinking of these girls and how they impacted who I am today.

It has been a good week. It hasn't been easy, but it has been good. Now, I should do something productive and not on the computer. Anyone up for coming and cleaning a lil' with me?

Tell Me You're Kidding...

A few weeks ago I was catching up with some friends. We were discussing our latest endeavors. My good friend -- well best friend but when I say it like that I feel like I'm on the playground making declarations, -- Susan, was telling everyone about how she's going to go back to school for library science. Yes, that means when she grows up she wants to be a librarian. She says it's because of her love and appreciation for books and knowledge. I think it has something to do with telling kids to be quiet and stop running. We're off topic. When a couple of people snickered at her aspirations, she deflected by telling them to ask me my plans. Well, my plans are to move to Denver, Colorado this fall. I'm going to go to school at Iliff School of Theology for a Masters of Divinity. Ultimately, I want to become an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church. One of our friends turned to me with what can only be described as horror in her eyes and said, "tell me you're kidding."

I'm not.

I have a lot of beliefs, morals and value structures. Most I'm sure I share with many other people. Some, I'm just as confident don't line up with as many people. At the end of the day though, I've always been this person. I'd like to expand more on my beliefs, morals and value structures in my other blog. Maybe sometimes they'll overflow here. But, that's not what this blog is for. On the other hand, I want each and every person I've ever known to know that I'm not leaving who I am for another person.

I know there are a lot of people out there with different religious views from me. I know that denominations aside, there are agnostics and atheists out there. I'm friends with a number of them. I'm not going to the dark side by becoming a minister. I'm not becoming closed-minded and an elitist by becoming a minister. I'm following what I believe to be a calling. As Martin Luther King Jr said, "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." My next step is school. I think ordainment will follow, but I'm open to other options as well.

In the end I want to assure people that I will still be me. If nothing else I hope to gain a stronger faith as my knowledge of the bible and religion increases. Perhaps some day we can talk about religion. Perhaps we never will. I'm okay with whatever you're most comfortable. If you have questions or concerns about this endeavor, talk to me about it. I'm cool with apprehension; trust me, I'm full of it all the time.

No matter what, I'm not kidding.

Long Grove Oktoberfest

Today Susan and I took the puppies to Long Grove for their Oktoberfest. While Long Grove is a great community for walking around on the weekend and being touristy, I think their Oktoberfest was a little weak. The whole reason we went was because last weekend we stumbled upon their Apple Fest. That was amazing! Lots of apples, venders, apple cider, music, apple donuts, crafts, etc. Their square and fountain area were packed. This weekend was much different. In addition to it being small, the brat I has was awful. So, if you're looking for a little Chicago suburbia tourism, hit up Long Grove any weekend other than their Oktoberfest weekend.

Oh, the puppies had a blast being flirted with by all the kids and people entertained with small animals. And, please don't get me wrong. The snacks, beer and weather were great. I'm exhausted from all of the walking around and reining in of the puppies.

Working Girl

Well, I've been at this job now for just over two weeks. Today was my third Monday. Today was also my first "real" day of doing my job. I headed out into the suburbs and talked up my company and product. While I'm not sure anyone can drive around talking to sales people all day, every day for the rest of their lives. I think this job will work out for a while.

It is true that I have it easy right now though. All I have to do is get my business card into the managers' hands. I'm doing my introductions right now. On top of that it is down right gorgeous out. I love autumn. The leaves are changing colors, and everything just looks great. Now, if you ask me in four months what I think of the outdoors, I can guarentee that the Midwest's winter will be getting the best of me. I'll be hating the ice, snow, cold, glare of the sun and everything else that comes with winter.

I just thought an update was necessary. Oh, and I get a laptop for work, so now I'm mobile. Not that I wasn't mobile before with my N95 but I have an added toy thanks to my company. Yea company laptops! :)

Seattle, WA - Home for the Week

I'd love to tell you I'm here for a hot interview to add income back to my wilting bank accounts. Unfortunately, that's not the case. I'm here for loyalty and friendship. And, despite the fact that I've lived in Chicago for 7 years or so, this is not a trip for the Mob. :) A manager that I deeply respect asked me to help out at the center in Lynnwood for the week as they are very short-staffed. I can't tell Hilary no. She's the best, and so I'm here back in a glass box.

Other than all the hassle that goes with travel - which is always unavoidable - I'm having a great time. The hotel staff recommended a great place for dinner last night, and today my colleague gave the recommendation to just drive west. As simple as that seems, it was an awesome suggestion.

Last night's dinner was at a place called "The Rock." According to their menu, they have 6 locations in Washington. My geographical knowledge of the state is limited, so as to the other locations in relation to Seattle, I don't know.

Gotta love a place with Steve Miller on their menu

My micro-brew choice of the night

Team spirit rules here

Then today I took Malik's suggestion and simply drove west. The people here in Seattle and the surrounding areas have it all figured out. They have the best of both worlds - amazing coastal views and incredible mountain scenery. To say it's majestic may be an understatement.

While getting myself lost I found a cafe, Tazza Bella. First off, it was adorable. The decor was eclectic and pulled off extremely well. Also, they believe in child labor and the woman's daughter was running the cash register. Talk about quality customer service!

Outside view

Secondary Sign - In case your just hankering for espresso

I like the pretty triangle candle :)

Mmm...the English Muffet...loved the spinach feta spread

I'll be sure to keep you posted on everything else I do here. I'm definitely taking lots of photos. I'm hoping to actually get into Seattle for a while and experience it. It seems every city has it's own vibe, and I'm interested in what Seattle's is. Then again, maybe I can just pretend I'm part of Grey's Anatomy.

Here are some of the coastline shots:

Great America with the kids

The second full day that everyone was here we decided to do something Chicago but also action-packed. That goal lead Ty, Christine, Sami and I to Six Flags, Great America just north of Chicago.

The group needed to sleep in of course, but once we were all showered, fed, lunches packed and backpack packed full of the essentials, we piled into the Neon and headed north. Needless to say I didn't check traffic or construction, so a 45 minute drive took closer to an hour and a half. Don't worry though, the team was in good spirits and didn't whimper too much.

Once there we piled out and skipped the ticket lines. We had been smart enough to but the tickets online (buy 3 get 1 free!). First things first...I got the kiddies smiling at the viewing pool. With four people and a whole amusement park, it can be difficult at times to do what everyone wants. Again everyone was a team player though. We headed for the two-story carousel per Sami's request and followed it up with Superman. Wow! Those are two very different paced rides. I think the line was the worst at Superman. Sami wasn't too sure once strapped in and the seats folded back so we were in flying positions (staring at the ground). There was a bit of concern heading up the starting hill. The ride ended with her saying, "I was so scared I was crying, but I laughed too because it was so much fun!"

Sami was a trooper. We mixed the thrill rides with the more carnival rides. Christine and Ty even allowed for a few log rides. Despite the fact that we packed a lunch, we still splurged on ice cream, churros, pretzals, and cotton candy. Yum!

Everyone had a blast riding the variety of rides. Each of us is a full-blooded adrenaline junkie now, including Sam. Here are a few shots of the day...

What is your favorite amusement park and your favorite ride there?

What have I been doing?

Well, if you're wondering why I haven't posted in a while, it's not because I've disappeared on another blogging hiatus. My sister, Sami, flew in from Colorado two Tuesdays ago. We were hanging out with her quite a bit. Then, on the next Sunday, my sister, Christine and her boyfriend, Ty, came down to chill with us as well. So, for close to two weeks we've had house guests. And considering two of them were my sisters and I live with another sister, you can only imagine the chaos and enjoyment for all, including Ty and Susan - the non-blood members of the crazy Jackson Club.

My intentions are to post photos and blurbs about what we did for the last week or so to keep them entertained. This will not include the massive amounts of videos, Gilmore Girl episodes on DVD, or video game playing - just the fun stuff out of the house.

I have pulled all of the photos from my N95 already and organized them to a point. Now I need to decide if I'm going to edit any of them before uploading them to my web album. What do you think? Should I post them raw or pretty?

We'll see.

Fourth of July in Chicago

Here is a short clip of the fireworks put on by Macy's in downtown Chicago on July 3rd. Yes, that is the wrong date, but that's how we roll in Chi-town. :) Enjoy!

I need to work on editing videos so you can have some tunes when viewing. I'll work on that next.

What did you do to celebrate Independence Day?

Last couple of the trail

More of the trail

Constituion Trail

This is in Bloomington-Normal and runs behind Susan's parent's house. Too bad it was so hot!

Should I be worried?

Now, I couldn't seem to edit this photo in Picasa the way I wanted, so you'll have it unedited. Why do I think I should be worried? Because I'm penned in by TWO student drivers. What are the odds? Aren't they supposed to stay away from eachother on the road? I just kept my distance and gunned it when given the chance.

What would you have done? Oh, and I was going to work, so I couldn't really just turn off and go somewhere else.

Hot Damn!

Check out this price of gas. I filled up. Wouldn't you? Oh, and this low on the Fourth of July. I thought they hiked up the prices for holidays. Not for me! :-)

Vacation Drinking

You know vacation is starting off right if Mom is ordering an extra shot to add to her margarita. Go Mom! :-) Dad and I just had beer.

America's Problems

Just a thought...have you traveled abroad? If so, did you speak the native language of every country you went to?

Or what about a foreign exchange? You lived there for a while, and you probably picked up the language a bit being submerged in it. But, did you speak it all the time?

Or better yet, ever move to another country for a while? Maybe you had some friends or family visit you while you were there. I'm guess while taking them out to pick up some groceries or seeing the sights you spoke your native language.

There is a problem in the United States. Scratch that...there are a lot of problems. One of them is not what language people are talking. Another non-problem, the traditional cultural and/or religious garb people are wearing. Now, while I respect the freedom of speech we Americans wear on our sleeve, I don't understand the need to put people down for stupid reasons. Focus on fixing the real problems and not creating petty ones.

I'm sure you have thoughts to share. What are they?

Note: I got the info for this post from a forwarded email from a family member. Yes, it did hit a nerve; but this is not a personal attack on any individuals including that family member. We all have opinions, and they often differ. This is just one, but I know we agree on many others. :)

Mini-Vacations to the P's House

This is my parents house where I'm spending the weekend. I just can't seem to get enough of my sisters Sami, Christine, and Bella! Hence why I come up here whenever I get the chance. I'm also a sucker for 3 or 4 day weekends. They're like mini-vacations. While it does cost me the gas to get here, the majority of my meals are covered, I rarely have to decide what to do, and sometimes my mom throws my dirty clothes in with their laundry. How can you beat that? It's just too bad it's only every couple of months. The crazy thing is considering how much Sami changes between each visit as she grows up, you can only imagine Bella. That girl's face changes between visits. I'm grateful for how close they all live, especially when compared to Reno, Nevada where they used to live. But, I would love it if we lived closer. I'd be happy to help haul Sami to a swimming lesson or catch one of Christine's band concerts. Oh well, I guess I'll just be depending on email, phone calls and mini-v!
acations.

Saturday Shopping

Here are the girls on our way to Birch Run for some outlet mall shopping. You know people just love being in a car for 45 driving through construction. Can you tell?