Linda B., Healthy Food, etc.

Yesterday I went out in service from 7:30 to 2:30. I worked with Ishi; her congregation is doing their invitation campaign, which always promises a good time, so I helped with that. Linda B. was in our group. Linda is in her late forties (I'm guessing), one of those women who always look impeccable - makeup done, every blonde hair in place. I swear she must have one of those photographic minds. She reads voraciously and knows more than I do about every subject under the sun. She told me, and this is pretty cool, that there is only one molecule's difference between chlorophyll and hemoglobin. Hemoglobin has iron, which makes it red, while chlorophyll has magnesium, which makes it green. So it's no wonder we're supposed to eat our veggies! It also explains all those crazy people drinking wheat grass juice. I always thought it was some bizarre fad for vegans and health nuts, so they can feel superior to the rest of us. Apparently, though, it's a "blood builder."

I've never asked, but I think maybe it's Linda who started the healthy lunch fad in the Narrows congregation. For lunch yesterday she brought: a chicken and veggie wrap, a zip-lock bag of almonds, and one of fresh blueberries. My sister brought: lettuce wraps: tomato, avocado, and bacon. I brought: a gladlock box with a mix of brown rice, cubed skinless chicken breast, and Asian vegetable medley. We ate outside at the picnic bench, in the cool breeze and blinding sun. Linda complemented Ishi and me on our healthy choices, and I felt proud of myself. Just like in elementary school when my teacher would say something nice about how I always colored inside the lines.

Josie Dunn showed up and gave me a memento she picked up in California, at America's first-ever Punjabi Special Assembly Day. The memento is a glossy photo of a woodland with bluebells, and there's a scripture on it, "Keep watching your ministry, that you fulfill it." It's kind of like a giant post card. I don't know what I'm going to do with it, but I thought it was nice that she gave it to me. Josie is cool. She's white and black and Mexican, a mix which means she looks ambiguous enough to totally pass for Punjabi. In the gas stations where the Punjabis work, she can joke with them and it sounds pretty cool, although I have no idea what she's saying.

Today I am home, getting ready for our trip to Spokane. We leave tomorrow, one o' clock-ish. There's mountains of laundry, and since I want to leave the house spic-and-span, there's also floors to scrub, etc.

I tried to make this post somewhat interesting. Tried and failed, I fear. Agh.

:(

So today hasn't been very interesting yet. I went out in service this morning, which was ok. Kind of a ho-hum day. I talked to one man and he said please don't ever come back (or words to that effect - I'm giving the polite version), so I added him to the Do Not Call list. Not my favorite thing to do.

Now I'm home, and making roasted veggies and brown rice for lunch. I am so on-again/off-again with the healthy living that it is kind of frustrating at times. I want to be super good about it, one of those people who know 50 different tofu recipes and think carob brownies are just as good as the real thing. I want to be the kind of girl who does exercise first thing every morning just to enjoy the kick start to the day. I would like to lose weight, have more energy, and enjoy shopping for clothes. I would really like all of those things. If I could only get there.

Well. Roasted veggies and brown rice are a start.

I am kinda down today. I try to avoid the news usually, because it is so bad and always getting worse, but you can't help hearing about things, sometimes. Last week there was a shooting at Wal-Mart. My local Wal-Mart, where I just went in for an eye exam and bought some cute new glasses. Last Tuesday night after the meeting people were talking about it - Jamie Eaton works in a bank, and they had gone on lockdown that afternoon. Two men entered the store just as a Loomis driver was leaving with a bag of cash from the store office. One of the men shot the guard in the head, the other one grabbed the cash, and they ran off. The guard was killed instantly, and the same bullet hit another man who was carrying a small child. The other man is ok.

I am always appalled when something like this happens, but the fact that it was right here in my neighborhood really distresses me. The cruelty of it, the callous disregard for someone's life. They didn't even give the guy a chance to hand over the money. They just killed him. I read in the newspaper it was $60,000 in cash. The price of someone's life.

I was praying to Jehovah that the police would catch those guys, because I really wanted them to face justice for what they did. Thankfully, it didn't take long. The police caught up with them the following afternoon. They had been eating out at Red Lobster, shopping, and staying at a Motel 6. The police also arrested the driver of the getaway car, as well as a female Wal-Mart employee, one of the store managers who had planned the whole thing. It turns out, the guy who drove the car was one of Bryson's return visits. Bryson saw his name and photo in the newspaper and couldn't believe it. He said the guy had always been friendly, and had a bunch of kids.

I am just so sick over this. The police asked the guy with the gun how he would have felt if he'd gotten away with it. He said, "Sad, but I would have gotten over it because of the money." Well, he doesn't have the money now. So does that mean he'll never get over it? I wish that were true. I wish he would spend the rest of his life feeling sorry, not just because he got caught, but because of what he did.

Anyway I will stop now. I just wanted to get all that out. It's been bothering me for a while. We need the Kingdom so badly. I can't wait for the day when Jehovah will step in and put an end to crime, an end to murder. I really look forward to that day.

Blogger Guilt

I realized today that I have been avoiding my blog out of guilt. Guilt over never having done a write-up of my New York trip. And I also realized that I sometimes hate doing write-ups of vacations. I don't know why. I just don't like to do it. And then, of course, I feel guilty because I realize that my memory of the trip will lose all it's super sharp clarity, and it will slowy fade away to just a few shapshots in my mind, and so I feel guilt for not capturing it, and putting down every detail in writing, to remember forever.

But I just don't want to do it. I don't know why. But there you go.

And so I am now officially giving myself permission to go on with this blog, business as usual, and not feel hampered by the fact that I never really wrote about my New York trip. It was great, and I have lots more photos than the few I posted here, and those will just have to be enough.

The End

NY Trip Photos!

Here they are at long last, just a few highlights of the trip. I have meant to blog these for so long! I will do a nice recap of the trip asap. I meant to do that today, since I have the day off from service. However, what with wrapping up the Memorial campaign (I finished my last 2.5 territories yesterday, and came home and went to sleep until it was time to get ready), the house is a disaster and I really need to do laundry, dishes, clean Pongo's cage, etc.

Also, I have to get ready for my MYSTERY DATE tonight! Zack is taking me out and it is going to be a surprise. I am so excited to see what it is! I can't wait!

So now, without further delay, here are a few photos of the trip:

1) Ishi and Tate on the Brooklyn Bridge

2) An old book from a display case at Watchtower Farm

3) Ishi and Me with Bill Bellows, in the Art Department at Patterson. Those are some of his paintings in the background.

4) A Gilead Grad we met working in the kitchen at Patterson. He and his wife should have left for Nigeria last Sunday. It was so cool getting to talk to him!

5) "Working" behind the lobby desk @ Patterson

6) One of my favorite pictures from Times Square

Start Spreading the News...

I'm leaving today!
I want to beeee a part of it, New York, New York
If I can maaaake it there, I'll make it annnnny-

Oh, hi. I was just doing a little celebrating. I am 30 years old today and I'm going to New York for the first time in ten years! Two major milestones.

We just woke up to snow, and a phone call informing us that our meeting has been canceled. But since it is now raining steadily, I'm pretty positive that the snow will be gone long before tonight, when I leave for the airport.

I still have a little packing to do. And I'm going to clean up the house before I go. I don't know why, since it will undoubtedly be just as bad as it is now, if not worse, when I get back. But I just can't bear to leave it like this!

I am going to miss Zack so much. Leaving him behind is the fly in the ointment. Nevertheless, I am very excited. We have someone lined up to give us lunch in Brooklyn, a tour of the art department in Patterson, and morning worship at Walkill. So it should be pretty awesome. We fly out at midnight, arrive in Connecticut around 11:00 Monday morning, drive to our hotel in NJ, then do sightseeing in the city. Tuesday morning we tour, have lunch, then do more sightseeing, and after that I can't remember what the schedule is.

But anyway, I am so excited! I have my camera and two lenses packed and I'm using my camera bag as a purse, so i will have only one carry-on. I'm bringing my yearbook to read, and I loaded up the April magazines on my iPod, along with a audio version of Bleak House that i downloaded free from Librivox. Not only that, but Zack has been taking my favorite dvd's and nano-sizing them for me! So I've got Pride and Prejudice, Napoleon Dynamite, etc. to watch on the plane, if I want. Pretty cool.

I decided not to bring my laptop with me, so this will be my last post till I get back. I'm so excited!

:*(

Don't know what's wrong with me today. I feel totally good for nothing and on the verge of tears. I don't know why. Can't stand the thought of being around anybody. I feel overwhelmed, anxious, sad, depressed.

Ishi called about the trip. We leave Sunday night for New York. The airline charges $15 for your first checked bag. Wanted to know if we all wanted to store our good clothes in her giant suitcase/garment bag, and then just take a carry-on each. Honestly, I think that sounds like a headache. I'd rather just pay the stupid $15 and take my own suitcase. I didn't feel like discussing it though, so I may have told her or seeemed to tell her yes to the sharing thing. I can't remember what I said. I was trying not to cry.

I am in the dumps.

The Wrap Up

In other news, we had a pretty good meeting tonight. Luke had a couple of parts. One of them was a demonstration during the service meeting. He played a brother being confronted unexpectedly at lunch and having to explain to his workmates why he didn't attend the office holiday parties. so they start the demo, and Luke is saying a prayer before he eats. They obviously hadn't rehearsed much, because the other two brothers kept chatting away, while Luke kept his head bowed, waiting and waiting for his cue. He prayed, and he prayed. And he prayed. After a while his shoulders started shaking, and it looked like he was laughing. Then at last, it appeared that he'd heard the line he was waiting for and he finally opened his eyes. "Hey, Luke, you're back with us!" said Bro. Rigell. Everyone in the audience cracked up. It was great.

Zack is auxiliary pioneering, and his schedule is limited, so he's getting the guys together to do some more late nights. Not only that, but tonight after meeting Chase Correa invited us bowling. Zack has broken the friend barrier! I am so proud of him!

And now it is time for a very late dinner. Let the record show that tonight, March 10, 2009 Zachary Stevens Sjoden fixed us a veggie stir fry and brown rice. And it was HIS idea.

I totally love my life.