Argh!

No, it's not talk like a Pirate Day...that was so last September...that Argh that you hear reverberating in your head is coming from me. One of my favorite things to do is organize trips. I love that stuff. One of my least favorite things to do is play the "is the airfare going to go up or down" game. I've been playing that game for awhile now and I'm getting pretty darn tired.

Our Mississippi Mission Team heads back to Pearlington on December 26th. There are 20 of us flying and we have specific times we need to fly because our trip is bookended by Christmas and then the wedding of a friend that many are invited too. We have to fly out on the 26th and back on the 2nd. The cheapest flight I have found has been $540 on S.West. Comparable flights have been seen on other airlines but S.West is the only one that doesn't charge for luggage. I could have gotten a cheaper flight on another airline but by the time we pay for luggage there and back the price skyrocketed...especially since some of us will be taking more than one piece of luggage. Quite a racket these airlines have going on.

Yo Momma is keeping track of the airfare costs as well and keeps calling me, saying "Check here or check there" which I diligently do because I'm her daughter and I want a good deal. I think, though, that she's checking sites that don't really exist because I can't find one of her good deals. Last Thursday I saw the above mentioned flight and tried to book it. Nope. It wouldn't go through. I was getting mad and finally gave up. The next morning, poof, the cheap flight had disappeared...cost had grown $60 overnight. ARGH!

Today the $540 has returned, only with a different flight that gives us 50 minutes to sprint through a big airport to our next flight. Do I take it or do I wait until Wednesday morning when the prices supposedly go down again? That's a tough question. Maybe I'll just go to lunch and figure it all out later.

Updated to add:
Booked!!! We've got tickets! One headache done!

Missing!

I can't find my Bible. I know, it's a bad thing when a Youth Director has lost their Bible. All kinds of trouble can happen there. Technically I have 5 Bibles on my shelf in my office, one of which is used pretty regularly but the Bible that I use all the time, the small compact one that I take with me wherever I go has gone missing. It's just gone. It's taken hostage the journal that has all of my study plans for the next year in it as well. This.is.not.good.


I've searched high and low, in the piles on my desk, in the piles at my house, in my car, in the 5 different bags that I carry things in, I've searched everywhere. I thought for a minute I lost them at big chain coffee shop that morning I took time to work there and then remembered that I didn't have them then either.


I first really noticed that they was gone two weeks ago as I was packing for my vacation/study leave time. I knew that I would want my Bible and I couldn't find it. Then I realized that I hadn't seen my journal either and I knew something was up. Looking high and low, I couldn't come up with either before I left on vacation/study leave. And they haven't come out of hiding since I've been home. While I can make do without the small, compact leather bound Bible that doesn't weigh 5lbs, it's getting increasingly harder to make do with out my study plans for the youth groups.

So, if in going about your business throughout the days you happen to run across a small, compact brown leather Bible (NLT) and a journal about the same size with YS on it, make them go home please. This youth director would greatly appreciate it.

A tooth tale

Sunday night at the NYWC general session, I was sitting with Opinionated Friend (you know who you are) enjoying my second 2-pack of Starburst that had two pink starburst in them...so unheard of but really, it happened. I have witnesses.

Anyway, this starburst was not so chewy so I didn't chew it a lot. About halfway through I bit down and noticed that my starburst was a little crunchy. I thought it odd but didn't worry, just found it odd. Then I was sitting there listening to whatever was happening on stage, it felt like there was still starburst stuck on my tooth. I tried to get it off but wasn't having luck so I went to the bathroom. That's when I discovered that the crunchy part of the starburst wasn't starburst...it was part of my crowned tooth. Not the whole thing, just a little portion of it but still, I have a broken crown...you can stop laughing now.

That was, of course, just before the speaker who got up and proceeded to talk about how our economy is tanking and that we should be prepared to lose our jobs, not because we're doing a bad job but because people are going to stop giving to the church and that means no money...okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a small bit but not that much. All I could think the whole time is that now I've got this broken crown that cost a ton in the first place, I'm still paying off the dentist from the last procedure, now I have a new problem and I'm going to not have a job or the money to pay for it in a month. Have I mentioned that I tend to over think things? Geez.

Then tonight I quickly checked my box at church and found a notice from our insurance people saying that my dental insurance is going to change as of November 1st...again. Oh yeah, someones having a good laugh at my expense.

BTW, it wasn't the starburst that caused my tooth to break. I remembered that earlier in the day, something happened that caused my teeth to clash together and that particular tooth was the one that clashed the hardest. The starburst just helped it come loose. TMI? Oh well.

This is not the Motel 6

It's been a crazy week. Last Thursday Gma and I were housed at one house in Tahoe, last Friday I was with my New Sis (to be at that point) at another house, Saturday I stayed at the Parents house in Tahoe and Sunday night I moved to yet another home in Tahoe for the duration of the week or until last night.

This morning I woke up bright and early and cleaned the house I'd been staying in. As I was heading out to pack my car the skies opened up and the snow fell down. I decided since I needed to be in Sac by noon I wouldn't dilly dally and zoomed out of town. K and Lora didn't believe me when I said it was snowing so on the way up the mountain I had to pull over and take a picture with my cellphone of the snow on my car. I don't kid about this stuff people! Geesh.

For the next three nights I'm lodged at a pricey hotel in the big city. I've got a king bed with six pillows...6!!!! All to myself!!! Heaven, I'm in heaven. This is SO not the Motel 6.

I'm in the big city for the National Youth Workers Convention and I have to say that if the first General Session and seminar is anything to go by, God has it in mind to do some pretty big talking to me in the next couple of days. I'm pretty unstable right now anyway, so this could not be a pretty weekend. I'm glad I have a room to myself so that I can hide while I cry...maybe. Tears don't seem to care when they are shed or who they are shed in front of. I did warn Trin though that I'm a little bit of a basket case, so at least one person has been forewarned.

I'm sure I'll post more about what God is saying, once I've had a chance to decompress a little. For now I'm going to sit back in my nice big bed, watch a little TV and hopefully fall asleep.

BUT I have some pictures to post from the wedding...There is one of New Sis and I but it's not good...in fact it may get lost in camera world. Not good at all.

This is Nesta, Lisa and Aunt C (though you can't see her face)...Yo Momma and Papa Bear are in the background. And yes, Nesta has a mohawk. He's so cute!
This is Brody and Kinuye, the dancing cousins. It's a very serious job.

And this is me with Gma and Lil Bro. I think this one is my new favorite.

I am a Sister-In-Law

Life has changed in my world. Last Saturday Lil Bro got married. I really truly pray that both Lil Bro and New Sis will be happy for years and years to come.

The pictures that I was going to post are on another computer, but their fabulous photographer has posted some pics on his own blog...so if you are interested in seeing those click here. Go to the October 4th heading and you'll see. Totally beautiful location. In the big room picture I'm last bridesmaid on the left.

Life has changed.

Vacation

Tomorrow is my first day of vacation. I will be away from my office for 12 days (counting the weekends). I will miss 2 Sundays, 2 youth group meetings, 1 staff meeting, 1 worship team rehearsal, 2 bible studies, 2 on campus visits and 1 ministry team meeting. While that may not seem like much to some, that's a whole lot to me! It has also means finding people to lead worship, making sure my volunteers have things covered for youth group, preparing as much Media stuff for three weeks as possible, choosing songs for the worship team rehearsal that happens hours after I get home, getting invitations together to send while I'm gone and so on and so forth. Seriously, it's a lot of work to get ready to be away!


After Lil' Bro's wedding on Saturday I have no commitments until the following Friday. That feels weird. My only goal that whole time is to write, relax and read. Then I head to the Youth Workers Convention to be recharged in a different way. Three different events in two different places means I'm going to have a really big suitcase!


I am the queen of procrastinating. I put clothes in the washer this morning because I forgot to do it last night (I still have two loads that need to be done before I leave) and haven't even started to pick out clothes for my time away. Just remembered that I need to stop at the Post Office and pay bills tonight and my car still needs to be cleaned out. Work today has been one thing after another and I'm not sure that everything is done for the time while I'm gone but I'm determined to leave it alone, to walk away...though I know that at some point next week I'm going to wake up in the middle of the night remembering all the things that I forgot to do today. That's just the way I am.

Oh yes, I'm looking forward to being away...just wish it didn't take so much work to actually go away!

Random Sunday Stuff

Last night at 11pm, I was getting ready for bed and decided to put some things to mail by my purse. I walked out of my bedroom (barefoot) and into the family room, dropped off my items and walked back to the door of my room where I found the thing, mere inches away from where my bare feet had been seconds before. Yep, the thing from Tuesday night had reappeared. This time I wasn't going to let it get away! There is a mini-battle in which I tried to tell the thing that I wasn't trying to hurt it, just wanted it out of the house and during which the thing put up a good fight. I won. Yes!

Today a friend spoke at her church, so after worship at my church I headed over to hers. I'm really glad I did for many different reasons but suffice it to say, my friend did an excellent job. It was nice to be a worshipper...not a lead worshipper, just a worshipper.

After church I had to go shopping to get undergarments to wear under this on Saturday. Lil Bro is getting married. If I don't eat for the rest of the week, the dress may actually look good on. Of course now I'm craving everything sweet I could possibly eat. Lovely. And while we're on the dress subject, self tanners should be kept away from me. I always end up splotchy. Hopefully it wears off by Saturday.

In happy news, by this time next week I will be officially on vacation with a house to myself, a computer at the ready and time to begin writing the book that God keeps talking to me about. Let a new journey begin!