Little Birdie

Ch-ch-ch-Change

birdsong — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:32:18 +0000

If you’re wondering where I’ve been the last month or so, I started a new job on June 2nd. Check it out–I have a title and everything.

It’s been a big change, and change is hard. I am the type to give myself to whatever I’m involved in (after I accept the change, anyway). Seven years at my first job out of college is a sizable emotional investment.
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My first 5K.

birdsong — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 01:39:26 +0000

Training. Healthy eating. A good night’s sleep. Focus. Excitement.

All of these things would have been really good to have for my very first 5K. But I didn’t have a single one of them. Quite the opposite: I probably got out to train twice the entire month before the run. I did manage to eat healthy the day before and day of the run, but the entire month before I think I spent twice my normal allowance on fast food. The night before, I surely meant to get to bed by 9, but I didn’t manage to slide under the covers until after midnight. Focus? HA! Excitement? Bah HUMBUG!
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Rental Rule #32.

birdsong — Mon, 19 May 2008 14:00:57 +0000

My husband and I own rental properties. It’s been quite an adventure–fun at times; other times…not so much.

Take yesterday for example. I get a frantic call from a tenant: “Hey Miss Kathy, is there something wrong with our well pump or something?”

Oh. Man. Take it from me; as a landlord, you NEVER want to get that call. In the words of Short Round, “hang on lady, we going for a ride.”

The result? 245 feet of pipe, $300 worth of well pump, 10 hours, and 5 very, very wet people.

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Christian-ese: Can we help it?

birdsong — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:23:07 +0000

Reading Ben’s very thought-provoking post on Christianese has turned my brain on. I love the tongue-in-cheek writing style, and I LOL’d (is that really pronounced lawled?) because I tend to easily fall into those exact traditions of “holiness” (are you really saved if you don’t use “pour out Your Spirit from the heavenlies” at least once per prayer?).
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I is for Insanity.

birdsong — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:07:58 +0000

Yes, the secret is out. I am insane. By definition, insanity is repeating the same behavior and expecting a different result.

The last few nights I’ve been having nightmares. I often have vivid dreams, and when I’m stressed the dreams respond in kind. Last night I dreamt there was a huge crawly thing skittering across my wall over my head. I woke up on the other side of the room staring wildly up at an empty wall with my hand gripping the doorknob.
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Jogblog Revisited

birdsong — Wed, 14 May 2008 12:29:58 +0000

When we last left our hero on February 12th, I had announced to hyperblagspaceworld that I had started running again, and it was going less than stellar. Well, after I recovered from my shin splints, I started up again, only to fall flat on my ass (actually it was more like my knee) and twist my ankle less than a week later. Good thing nobody was watching, but I assume it was pretty funny. I mean, I even laughed at myself. Through the tears, of course. I was so frustrated! I limped back home, iced it down, and hoped for the best.
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Writer’s Block.

birdsong — Thu, 08 May 2008 00:59:54 +0000

I have writer’s block. I have no less than 8 working drafts sitting in my queue, ready to be edited and published, all on very valid topics from the federal government to stewardship, and here I sit, not a coherent thought in my mind.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been going through life at an unusually fast pace over the last few weeks (months?!?), even for me. We have new side projects going on at home, I’ve been swamped at work and church…the excuses are endless.

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It’s a bad day.

birdsong — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:23:10 +0000

Ever just wake up one morning in a bad mood? No apparent reason, just…grouchy. My husband would call it pissing in your own cornflakes. How poetic.

Well, it’s one of those days. With my personality though, it’s dangerous because I start to analyze why I feel the way I do, and I either blame myself or someone else, and get more depressed. It becomes a vicious cycle. Soon I’ll start feeling like I deserve to have the problems I have, that it’s my fault my life isn’t perfect, and I can’t do anything about it.

Isn’t it nice how I know in my mind how I will react to things, yet I seem helpless under my own willpower to jerk myself out of it?

The only thing that can interrupt the cycle is the Word. Did you know that there are 102 verses in the Bible dealing with deliverance? Psalm 18:2 says “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” The Lord himself brings deliverance to those who take refuge in him.

Now I just have to remember to do that.

Inkblots

birdsong — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:57:44 +0000

I’m a big fan of discovering more about myself and my loved ones (or even barely-known acquaintances, for that matter). I take personality tests all the time and highly encourage everyone I know to do the same.

The most recent test I took can be found here: it’s an inkblot test. I’ve never taken one before, but it’s pretty interesting.
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Our nest egg is a little stinky.

birdsong — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:00:51 +0000

Good thing we’re in this for the long haul….right?