Laundry Day!

Laundry Day!
Originally uploaded by nyjenn313.

Okay, it has been awhile. Between visitors and being sick, laundry hasn't been a priority. Luckily, the laundromat behind my house was open today, so I did it ALL. 4 loads... nice! All at once! And now, I have a mountain of laundry on my couch to fold. Luckily I have Telemundo to keep me company (the spanish channel).

New Haircut!

New Haircut!
Originally uploaded by nyjenn313.

I went to a Brazilian salon near my house. First of all, I would just like to say that it was the most oddly sensual haircut I have ever received. It was one of those times I needed a video camera. He was like throwing the hair to this side, snip snip, throw it over here.. snip snip...totally what i would imagine at a salon in NYC. Anyways, I didnt love it at first, but Im okay with it. I know, I told some people i felt like I had a mullet. I was being dramatic.

Christian Fasting... a tricky subject

Fasting is a subject that is often misunderstood by people who have never fasted, and people who have. I am not sure that I even really know what I am talking about, but today I am doing a liquids only fast, so i decided it is a good time to discuss it a bit.

First of all, I think the idea of fasting has become kind of taboo - associated with an eating disorder almost. Maybe that's just in my head, but Im still saying it, because all these thoughts are from my head. While fasting regularly used to be a much more commonplace occurence, especially among Christians, I think it is now fairly unpopular.

Second, fasting is never meant to bring harm to the individual. For example, if I were to not eat or drink anything for a whole day, I would be so wiped out, dizzy, etc. that it would take me two days to recooperate. So, for me personally, I would never do a full fast because the physical toll would be too great, and that isn't the point.

So what IS the point?

Well, the idea, as I understand it, is to give up something assuming that God will replace that something with some sort of spiritual hoo hah. Take hoo hah to mean what you want. But, maybe you have an issue you are grappling with or a decision to make... so you may fast for a day and pray, hoping that by giving up food or drink or whatever you are fasting from, God will provide you with spiritual guidance. Or, you may not have a specific issue in mind, but just want to pray and have a time of a stronger relationship with God in general.

So, today I am fasting for various reasons. First, it is memorial day - a holiday whose meaning is too often forgotten. Many thousands of people have given their lives for us in this war, the Gulf War, Vietnam, Korea, the World Wars... and while I do not necessarily agree with the motives of war, unarguably many brave men have sacrificed for my safety, and more importantly, their families today are still sacrificing every single day. Part of why I am fasting is to ask God to help me to remember that thousands of people have given up their lives for me. Second, I am going on a mission soon (july 5!) and I am praying about the best way to use my time over the next few weeks to prepare for the trip. I have been trying to do various things - read my Bible, read other Christian writings, Study spanish, panic - and with my wheels spinning, I am not effectively preparing in any way. So I am also asking for a clearer path and some guidance.

I know other people who fast regularly, but don't really talk about it and don't make a scene about it. I was going to post and say I was fasting today just so that i would have to actually do it. But then I decided with as much as I was confused about fasting a few years ago, that this is a good opportunity for a little clarification. I do not assume to know everything, and in fact, I really had to sit down, research, and think this out a lot before writing it. But, hopefully this helps some others with a little more clarity.

Don't hate me for what I am about to say...

But in the last month, I have lost 8 pounds and I am soooo mad! I haven't gone to the gym in a few weeks. The first couple of weeks were because my classes were culminating and I was swamped. The last two weeks or so, it was because I have been sick (which I still am, really, but I decided to fight it out). So, I went to the gym today, and the first thing that I always do is weigh myself. When I weigh myself, i usually do it when I go on a Saturday morning so that the weights are comparable. Well, normally I weigh 128, but today, I got on the scale, immediately moved the slider over to 128, and it didn't move down. "Curious..." I thought. Well, I HAVE been sick, so probably a couple of pounds got lost... So I slid it down to 125. Still no movement?? "What is this nonsense?" I thought. So, I AGAIN moved it, and continued until the weight was balanced, at which point the weight was at 120 pounds. "NOOOO!!!" I thought. I haven't weighed a mere 120 in like three years. Grrrr.... 120 to me is a sign that I am not in good health, which upsets me.

So... that is where I will be for the next few weeks - at the gym getting in shape for my trip to Venezuela. I absolutely cannot be some namby-pamby 120 pound weighing girl when I go there. No way, mister.





(Epilogue - for all of you thinking... what an idiot... complaining about losing weight... Remember that it is not the number that is my issue, but the indication that the health of my body has deteriorated and I have lost muscle mass...)

Good Bathroom Service

Spring05_37
Originally uploaded by nyjenn313.

Now, here is a good bathroom sign. This sign was in the bathroom at Rice to Riches, a place in lower Manhattan that sells various flavors of Rice pudding. I love this place, especially the rice pudding, but also the atmosphere. I have been there many times, but never used the bathroom until recently. I found this sign, shaped like a grain of rice, in the bathroom.

3 day weekend

Okay, so for some reason, guys love to ask "Why are you single?" or "Why dont you have a boyfriend?" Well, luckily, I have a three day weekend, and what better way to start it off than to take a quiz to find out the answer to this question?

Sidenote - katie and i arent sure that we agree with the results.

You Don't Have a Boyfriend Because You are Too Shy When a guy gets to know you, he finds a great catch Problem is... you're too shy for most guys to get to know. From meeting someone to dating, you usually have your guard up. And while you're just holding back, it makes you seem like you've got something to hide. Why Don't You Have a Boyfriend Take This Quiz :-) Find the Love of Your Life (and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.

Unleashed

I went and saw Unleashed tonight. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was a good flick. As I told my "friend" that I saw the movie with, it was the perfect movie for the two of us to watch because the male portion of the movie-going couple is satisfied with the fighting aspect, while the musical and female portion of the couple finds emotional fulfillment in the piano music and the story of a tortured soul being accepted into a loving family. There are some pretty intense fighting scenes, though not extremely bloody, so I was able to keep one eye open. The main characters, Morgan Freeman and Jet Li, are an interesting combination of actors which I think is successfully pulled off. There isn't a whole lot to the script, but I think the simplicity of it is what pulls off the whole feeling of the peacefulness of the new family that Danny (jet li) joins after being a leashed fighter all of his life previously. But yeah, good flick.

Bad Day for technology

Yesterday, I used my palm pilot, entering some upcoming events and tasks. Then I got home, got ready for bed, and went to set the alarm. The little bugger would not turn on though. Phooey! This happened once before. So, the memory was wiped. Oh well, at least I had it all backed up on my computer.

So I checked my email this morning before I went to work, then shut down my computer, put it in my bag, and headed to work. When I got to work, the computer wouldnt turn on. I tried plugging it in, even though I knew I had charged it, and it still wouldnt turn on. So, I called Dell when I got home tonight, and the prognosis is that the motherboard is fried. Well phooey again!

This just goes to show... just like how my mother's clothes washer from the early 80's was able to last twenty years, my desktop computer that I bought in 1999 has never had a single problem. They just dont make things like the used to. However, this one may be my fault, due to just overuse and overheating. Hopefully the tech guy from the Phillipines (literally - I asked. He has a brother in Jersey though that works in the city who he sees about once every 7 years) is correct and there is no issue with my hard drive.

8thgrade

8thgrade
Originally uploaded by nyjenn313.

No explanation needed.

Blogger Mom!

My Mom has got to be one of the coolest moms ever. So, she started her own blogger!!! Yay for mom!!! We all thought it was cool that she was commenting on my blog, but now she is really one of us!!! So, check her out, send her some love. http://jksMOMents.blogspot.com Hahaha... MOMents.... oh mother, how I love you.

Okay, yeah, that figures

I'm sick. It started as a little tickle in my throat. The next day, there was some discomfort in the throat, and by the end of the day my shoulders were a little achey. Today it has spread so that my arms and my head are achy and I feel warm/cold. The temperature thing is a tough gauge because the a/c and heat are so messed up in my school. But the achy sore neck and arms is a definite give away.

So, apparently my body hates the idea of having a weekend without being a student. I'm trying to adjust to the idea of not being in school for a semester or two, but so far, I am involuntarily rejecting the idea. Not a minute of freedom. oh poo.

Now that I have a master's degree

I have time for pointless online quizzes...

That's right! Today was the last day of college!!! I AM FREE AT LAST!!!!!!!

I can't believe it really. Anyways, the results of this quiz are fairly accurate so it must have a strong scientific backing to it. Ahhhh free time...

You Are a Romantic Kiss!

You are an idealist, and unsurprisingly, you give the ideal kiss

Your kiss causes almost anyone to fall in love with you

And to be honest, you need to be falling a little to let your lips loose

No biggie… your kiss is worth the wait :-)



What Type of Kiss Are You?

More Great Quizzes from Quiz Diva

Taking a Big Step

This weekend I completed my classes about the Presbyterian church and about 5th Avenue Presbyterian in Manhattan. I have decided that I am going to become a member of the church. This is a really big step for me, as I haven't ever been a member of a church before. I was baptized as a child, and I have attended various churces, but I haven't ever actually been a member. I agree with a lot of the doctrine of the presbyterian church and the reform tradition though, so I think this is a good decision.

I will be officially made a member of the church on Sunday, June 5th. More details as it gets closer. For those who pray or think deeply, please keep this on your mind.

"Can you tell me your name so that I can pray for you?"

I was leaving my house at about 8:30 Sunday morning. I had in my hand a piece of toast that I had buttered with love and an egg on it, cooked to the perfect point. The yolk was not completely hard, but not so runny that it would get on my clothes. A homeless woman walked up to me and asked me for a dollar. I said to her "Are you hungry?" And she said that she was. So, I said, "here, take this then" and handed her the food in my hand. She insisted that she couldn't take the food, so I said I would still give her money also. I handed her the money. She was holding the food while i had been searching in my purse though. She tried to give it back to me, but I said, "No, i already ate something else, please just keep it."

I started to walk away and the woman yelled back at me, "Miss, wait a second!" I turned around and she said to me, "Can you tell me your name so that I can pray for you?"

I told her my name as my eyes began to tear up a bit. I couldn't believe that this woman with nothing, compared to me, with virtually everything that I need, would pray for me. Moments like that make me really appreciate being in New York City. Not because I love talking to homeless people, but because that woman knows to appreciate every little thing, and reminds me to do the same. It is moments like that where I really feel and remember God's love. Life may be harder here, but I would rather live here and work harder, but appreciate what I have than to live somewhere easier and forget how lucky I am.

Slow down, you move too fast

Do I? How fast is "too fast" really? Does that mean that if you are not taking the time to enjoy things, you are moving too fast? I think maybe it does. Everyday on the way home, I pause in front of a lilac tree to make sure that I enjoy the smell.

A school in Brooklyn has offered me a position as a math coach. For those people from outside of NY Education, which is pretty much everyone who reads this, this is a position in between a teacher and an administrator. A math coach does not teach, or maybe only one period a day, and sort of coordinates and develops math instruction. During this year, this is what I have done to be qualified for this position:
1. I have my master's degree in mathematics education (in two weeks).
2. I have been attending leadership training at Bank Street College.
3. I attended a three day seminar at the request of the regional instructional superintendent on Geometer's Sketchpad.
4. I have been regularly meeting with the Assistant Principal of instruction about math related issues and developments.

I really like the school that I am at, but we don't have a math coach or a department leader, so math intstruction is chaotic at best. I have some students enrolled in three classes at the same time. This should never be allowed. If a student cant pass one math class at a time, why would they be able to pass when they are taking three? They can't. But, we dont have anyone leading the mathematics department, so guidance does whatever they want when they pick the students classes. It is a total mess. I would like to be the math coach here, but they are shuffling their feet about getting it shoved through.

But, i dont want to work in Brooklyn. I like living in Astoria and working at a performing arts high school. So, do I try to convince this school to get on the ball? Do I think in a more career minded way and just try to get a coach position somewhere, figuring the quicker I can move up in the board of ed, the better? Or do I try to go back to just doing basic teaching duties and enjoy being a teacher for a bit? How fast do I really want to move? I sit in these leadership meetings and i am easily 15-20 years younger than everyone else in the room.

These are the other options:
1. Move back in with mom in idaho falls and mooch off of her and do nothing.
2. Move in with Laurel, get a domestic partnership so that I can be on her health insurance and let her support me (still dating guys, of course - it's just business folks).
3. Stay in the situation I am in and just pray that I dont get so completely taken advantage of that I have a mental breakdown next year.


Ugh.... being an adult is rough work!