The One Where Dottie is Scared, But Ready to Go

Last week I was feeling a little discouraged about the whole job and moving situation. I had another call back about a job, but when I told them I was not in Chapel Hill already they told me to give them a call when I was there. So I was talking to God that night before I went to bed. I was telling Him I was discouraged and I really needed some encouragement and I asked Him to please speak to me in my dreams. I prayed this, not knowing whether He would or would not, but figuring that it couldn't hurt to ask, right? Well the dream I had that night went like this:

I am in my car, pulling out of a driveway onto a main road. So I reverse out of the driveway and onto the street, so far, so good. Then I put the car in drive to move foward. However the car just keeps going in reverse. I try to stop and the car just keeps going in reverse. I'm freaking out and cars are coming towards me and I can't stop and I can't go forward and then I wake up.

Someone who is better at communicating with God than I am, please tell Him, for future reference, that was the opposite of encouraging.
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But despite my decidedly opposite of encouraging dream, I am committed to Chapel Hill. I am ready to be there. I have been ready to be there for months now. I am to the point where I think I will be putting my notice in at work soon and just go, job or no job.
The hard part will be putting my official notice in at work. I love my job. I love the people I work with. I love the person I work for. It is going to be very hard to officially tell them I'm leaving.
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On a completely unrelated note, I loved those Jesus videos. Not that I like to make fun of Jesus. To me they are poking fun at stereotypes of Jesus and Christianity. So I hope everyone isn't out there seeing these on my blog and think that I am a complete blasphemer. But if that's what you think, oh well. I can't please everyone all the time I guess.

Vintage 21 Jesus Video #4

Jesus Video #3

Vintage 21 Jesus Video #2

Vintage 21 Jesus Video #1

Various And Sundry

My boss came into work today and said, "It smells like updog in here."

For any of you Office fans, you will know why that is hilarious and yet again proves that I have the coolest boss ever.
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My computer at work has suddenly come down with some sort of virus, I think. I will be on my computer working on a Word document, not even on the internet at all, and pop up windows keep popping up on my screen.
Apparently, while I was at lunch today a not nice pop up window appeared on my screen. And let me add that I do not have my own office, I do not have my own private corner, and my computer screen is not facing the wall. Everybody and their brother walks by my desk and would see this screen. So that's just great. I'll be getting a reputation as the office pervert.

A Break From Productivity

Well, I have been really productive tonight and I need a break. I consolidated my student loans, made payments on my student loans, renewed my car insurance, balanced my check book, tweaked my resume to apply for a position as a long-term substitute teacher, searched through classified ads, and I am about to write some cover letters and email my resume to a few more places tonight. But right now I need a break, so I'm thinking some Top 3 Lists are in order.

Top 3 Things That Happened This Year That Were Completely Unexpected
(In no particular order.)
1. LaGrange College sent me a letter stating that I had paid them too much money and they gave me a check for a little over two hundred dollars! Woo Hoo! I really never thought that would happen.
2. My boss has given me a total of about a week and a half of paid vacation and paid for my plane ticket to California and given me a $250 bonus! I mean that's just crazy nice.
3. I was employed as a lunch lady. That's an example of bad unexpected.

Top 3 Ways to Get Your Friends Who Never Return Your Calls/Emails to Return Your Calls/Emails
(In no particular order.)
1. Announce on facebook that you are in an "open relationship".
2. Send a text message instead of leaving a voicemail. I don't know why this works, but I have at least two friends who will almost never answer or return calls, but they always respond to texts. It's a mystery. (In defense of one of said friends, his phone sucks.) Then again, I have one friend that doesn't even respond to texts, and in that case. . .
3. Wait for them to have a birthday, wedding, or baby. They'll call you when they want presents or to be taken out for a free meal or a free drink. (This is sad, but true.)

Ok, enough tomfoolery. It's back to the grindstone for me. Have a good evening!

A Good Weekend After a Not So Good Week

I'm pretty sure that the job I thought was in the bag is a no go. I bummed pretty hard on Wednesday and Thursday. I know there are other jobs out there and better jobs and full-time jobs and something will happen sooner or later somehow. But after 70ish resumes out, this was my first call back, my first actual possibility. I got really excited. I began seriously looking at apartments online. I started planning it all out and, you know, it just became really real to me for a couple of days. And then it turns out that the lady didn't call a single one of my references and she didn't return my call on Thursday and for a moment or two I just felt like all my dreams and plans had just been taken away. It's silly, I know, but it that's just how it felt for a little while. But I'm bouncing back now.
Yesterday, I had dinner with some dear friends of mine Pete and Jen. We hadn't really connected for quite sometime and it was just so good to catch up. Then I went out with a fairly new friend of mine Jeremy. We went to the Fox's Lair to hear some music (which was so-so) and then we went to the Firehouse and just talked. One thing I just love about Jeremy is that he really enjoys talking and talking about real stuff too, not just small talk.
Today, I got a rental car and came to Atlanta to visit with my darling Sara. When I come to visit Sara, the first two hours are just spent venting frustrations, confessing sin, sharing worries and excitement, and just generally talking until we go hoarse (or at least I do). So now that we have gotten all the verbal diarrhea out of our systems, we are at a coffee shop. She is studying for her classes and I am playing on the internet. It's a good weekend and I needed that. So, yay.

A Whole New World (Don't You Dare Close Your Eyes)

I went to the eye doctor today. Best thing I did all week, at least. I haven't had my eyes checked in several years, so it was more than high time. Now the images around me literally seem to be jumping out at me. It is great and slightly scary. Truly it seems like a whole new world out there.

You know your eyes are bad when the blob who is supposedly your doctor comes in, thumbs through your chart, then exclaims, "Wow! You can't see anything!" Yes, Dr. Blob, you are correct. I cannot see a thing.
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Still no news on the job. Argh!

Another Reason I Have the Best Boss Ever

Let me preface this by saying that before I was hired at this job, I told my boss that I had plans to move to North Carolina. . . I just didn't know when it was going to happen. After I was hired, he and I discussed it a few times and he gave me some contacts for possible jobs and such, but beyond that I haven't much seen the point of bringing it up since I still had no definite departure date. So he has either (a) forgotten or (b) thinks I decided not to go. So with that said here was our conversation at work today. . .

Boss: There is this guy that I really want you to meet, but I'm not sure if he's good enough for you.

Me: Why would you say that?

Boss: Because you're Dottie and you're like part of my family.

So leaving this job is really gonna suck. Not that I'm having second thoughts or anything, but it still suck-suck-sucks!
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Somewhat related to that, still no definite word on the job in NC. I am waiting with great anticipation for the final word.
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Somewhat unrelated, my best friend Sara is now in Atlanta getting ready to begin law school at GA State University. I'm going to visit her this weekend!

Job Nearly In the Bag!

Okay, so I almost have a job in Chapel Hill. I talked over the phone some with this lady and everything was very positive, but she said she was going to call some of my references tomorrow and get back to me. !!!!!!! (This basically means it's in the bag (I think)).

This job is not the ideal set up for me, but it's a start. It is a job as a receptionist at a doctor's office. I was referred to this office by a lady whose daughter worked there over the summer. She said it was a great work environment and everyone was really nice etc. The not-so-perfect part is that it is only part-time. But I decided to go for it anyhow and just get another part-time job once I get up there. I am just ready to GO, and if I wait for all the stars to align and a red carpet to be rolled out all the way to North Carolina then it is just never gonna happen. So anyway, if all goes as it is playing out in my head, I should be moving up there somewhere between two weeks and a month from now!!!!! FINA-FREAKIN-LLY!!!!!

Limited Internet Time

I took a last-minute house sitting job for an indefinite amount of time. I'm happy to do it and the house is actually much closer to my job than my parent's house, so it really isn't inconveniencing me at all except. . . NO INTERNET!!!!!! Yikes. So I came in early to work just so I could have some time to respond to emails, check blogs, etc. I am so addicted to the internet.

Anyhow, I had a job lead this week. I'm praying this is my ticket to Chapel Hill, but I'm trying to not get too excited about it.

And I had an epiphany about my life this week. I struggle alot with my emotions. Frequently I make mention of this in my blogs, but you're not even getting the half of it. Because truth be told, I'd rather not have all of you aware of just how nutty I can be. So anyhow, the epiphany is this. . . I don't have to beat my emotions and feelings. I don't have to conquer them or make them suddenly just not exist anymore. All I have to do is just not let them beat me. It's like land war in Asia (name that movie reference). The home army doesn't have to decimate the foriegners. All they have to do is hold their ground until the climate and time do all the dirty work for them. So that's me. I just have to hold out until time and circumstances take care of my emotions for me. So there it is. Wish me well in the whole "holding out" thing.

p.s. please don't think I am too crazy. I am convinced other people are alot like me, they're just not saying it out loud.

The Worship Conference

I'm back from my wonderful two and a half days at a worhip conference in Marietta. The conference was great. There were some really great workshops, excellent music and worship times, good speakers, good people and an all around fun time. I did learn some new things, but this conference also opened my eyes to alot of aspects about being a worship leader that I haven't even thought about. Honestly, it was pretty intimidating and I'm scared that I'm not going to be a good worship leader, but here I go anyhow. I guess I'll just try to give it my best and expect, that even with my best efforts, I will fall flat on my face on more than one occasion. I will also do my best to remember that God's grace is sufficient despite all my defficiencies.

Anyhow, any time you have a group of people together all day for three days straight you are bound to come back with some good quotable lines. Here are a few. . .
"I think God smells like bacon." -Jeremy Gimble
"Led Zepplin experimented with some really wacked out time signatures. That was probably because of their direct connections with satan." -Dave Milligan
"Notify your face." -Mike O'Brian
"When you smile, your whole face smiles." -Wilfred Cuthbert to Dave Milligan
. . . and basically anything Adam Heare said or any facial expression he made was guaranteed to make me laugh. I had forgotten how funny that guy is.