20 Minutes

As of this morning I am hairless. At least on my legs.

When Hairy Met Rachel

In the past I have let my leg hair grow out for many different reasons. There was curiosity to see how long it would get. I used it to help keep me warm during the cold Spokane winters. I have even done it once or twice as a social statement about how women shouldn't be required to shave their legs to be thought of as feminine and attractive. I haven't shaved my legs since the beginning of March, but this time it's just because I haven't gotten the chance.

Engaged is an epidemic, but I don't have the fever

I have noticed lately a number of acquaintances and friends have gotten engaged. In light of this I decided to conduct a little experiment to see if Facebook could tell me how many of my friends were engaged. What it told me was that 160 of my friends or people from Whitworth are engaged. What?! I started looking through them and found so many that I had no idea were even close to being engaged. Well, I have been out of touch with Whitworth for some time, but still... It was shocking! I'm glad for all of you out there who have found someone who you feel comfortable and ready to decide to SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE with. I however, am not even close. All the single girls out there say "Hey!"

My Favorite Easter Memory

One Sunday morning a few years ago, I went to the sunrise service that my church, Fremont Presbyterian, always has by the river. It is a unique service and it feels extra special because we are outside in the early morning with a bunch of people who are all part of our church family(including the band with all of their equipment!). On this particular Sunday morning, Geordie, a former associate pastor, was giving the benediction. When he was just about finished, the rickety wooden cross the high schoolers had used on their latest mission trip fell over. There was a moment of surprise in which people were trying to decide how to respond. Jamie, the pastor's son decided what to do first. He shouted, "He is risen!" And we all shouted back, "He is risen indeed!" When I think of that morning I reminds me of how Christ conquered the cross and it cannot stand up next to God's power and glory.

Wide Open Spaces

It's been awhile because.... we moved! That's right, it's official, I now have my own bedroom and bathroom! Instead of sharing a 2 bed 1 bath house with 2 other people, I'm sharing a 2 bed 2 bath apartment with one person (my sister!) and a lot of boxes. I know there are lots of exclamation points, but I'm excited!

Filling Empty Spaces

I've never moved into a completely empty home of my own before. When I went away to school they provided all the furniture. When I moved into a house with my friends they provided most of the furniture. For my bedroom I used a mattress I found in the garage and some ply wood from another friend. Real high class, I know. Now, soon, my sister and I are going to be moving into an apartment together. The applications are being turned in today so as long as nothing goes wrong we should be approved by this weekend. Then we have to begin the arduous task of filling an apartment. This time I do have a bed, but we don't exactly have a dining room set or a couch. Things are coming together, though, with donations from our parents and things we've had since childhood. Mostly I'm excited, but there is that part of me that is a little overwhelmed by the changes this new situation will bring to my life. Well, you have to move out of your parents house at some point, right? Definitely! If anyone has tips on how to live cheap, send them my way.

Gum, Catch, and Trivia

1. It's felt kind of like I have a wad of gum stuck in the back of my throat for the past few days.
2. I played catch outside today and it was wonderful.
3. Tonight is trivia night at Whiskey Wild. My team won first prize for their very first trivia event!

That's the update.

Pictionary This!

+ ing

+

= what went wrong on my car today.

Lental Update

First of all, Lent ends on Palm Sunday... who knew?! So it's apparently 40 days which is what I thought, but when I counted on the calender I got 45. Oh well. Secondly, on the very first day of Lent, the teacher of the 1st grade class I work with bought me a mocha. I couldn't refuse the gift so I took it and drank it. Some of you may think me weak, but I think God understands.

The Next 45 Days

Today is the first day of Lent. The carnival is over and it is time for some somber reflection on the sacrifice God made on that first Good Friday a long time ago. The spiritual exercise that is normally practiced to help us remember God's sacrifice is to give up something in our own lives. I have forsaken many things in the past: TV, sweets, soda, etc. This year I have chosen something that I turn to when I feel like I need a little pick-me-up or some pampering. That is... COFFEE. I have some deliciously sweet and warm coffee beverage at least a couple times every week. This one is going to be hard for me, but I hope that it will cause some thoughtfulness about the comfort that God is in my life. Coffee, you are a false idol and I cast you down to the pit of unnecessary things. The next 45 days are coffee-free for me.

Happy Compostela Day!

A year ago today, Tori, Alison and I rode/pushed our bikes the last 3.5 miles to Santiago de Compostela. We found the Cathedral and stood in front of it for a few moments before doing anything else. I had an incredible feeling of accomplishment and amazement and relief. We had reached the end of the road that we had been preparing for and travelling on for the past 8 months or more. So much time and energy went into and finally we were done. It was a relief and felt like I was receiving a blessing just in being there. The pilgrim's mass was wonderful and we sang about announcing our salvation. I felt like I had only gotten there by God's grace. I was skeptical practically the whole way about being capable of riding my bike 550 miles across Spain, but every day we made it to our destination and on this day we arrived. It was and still is a little unbelievable.

Bonds (other than Barry)

This time last year I was nearing the end of my journey to Santiago de Compostella. Alison has dubbed Jan. 28th Compostella Day because that is the day we arrived in Santiago and received our Compostellas. Now we get pass on Purgatory or something like that.

I recently got an e-mail from my friend, Markus, who I met along the road and whom Alison referenced in her blog as well. I almost cried when I read his message written in broken English. I remember the openness that the road created between us. The fact that we were all pilgrims going to the same place meant that there was a link. Despite the language barrier and the age difference, we formed bonds with Markus, a lovely Italian couple and a French/Portugese man currently living in Canada. They became my friends who are forever etched on my heart even though I may never see them or speak to some of them again.

I can't wait to visit with Tori this weekend and celebrate our trip. What an experience and what wonderful people I shared it with!

This is a picture or Tori's popped tire and Alison being so helpful. We're getting so close!

Decisions, Decisions

Well, the cord on my fantastic hand-me-down brick of a computer went kaput. That means the one computer that got decent internet at my house no longer works. I've got a choice to make: either invest around $100 to buy a new cord for my old computer, or drop a few hundred on getting a new one. Thoughts?

Pictures

I hate trying to post pictures on this thing. I know it makes it more interesting to look at, but they end up in a weird format. Just look at the previous post. Well, here's another picture from the trip in Spain. It was in an albergue in Logrono.

A year ago today...

... I was a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. This was actually the second day of the pilgrimage and one of the most tiring of the whole trip. I went with Tori and Alison, best friend and twin sister respectively, on our bikes (en bici). My bike was named Rocinantes, which is the name of Don Quixote's not-so-noble steed. It was a bike I bought on e-bay so it wasn't much to look at, but what a champion! In the picture we have (from left to right) Plata, Alison's bike named after the Lone Ranger's horse, Silver. Next is Babieca, Tori's bike, named after El Cid, a medieval Spanish hero's horse. And finally, good ole Rocinantes. They are loaded down with all of the belongings we had with us in Spain except for what we were wearing and what was in our camel backs.




That day we saw a few landmarks of the Camino. The first was a little, octagonal, Romanesque church called Aunate. It was a quiet place that had been a place for pilgrims to rest and pray for centuries. On the altar, a cloth was embroidered with the words "Venid a mi", which means "Come to me." It's like the passage that says come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest. I thought that was so appropriate for doing a pilgrimage. The next landmark was Puente la Reina or Bridge of the Queen. It was also very old like the church. And finally, at the end of the day we reached the fuente de vino. Some of you may recognize the word vino. Yes, it was a wine fountain set up for pilgrims. The story goes that if you drink from the wine fountain at Irache you will have the strength to make it all the way to Santiago de Compostela. I guess it worked because we eventually got there. More to come on that later. The fountain was basically a spigot that came out of a wall and was impossible to drink from without getting the wine all over your face.



At the end of such a long and difficult day (we traveled about 36 miles) it was a very welcome treat as you can tell by my face.

Puke and Punches

Today at work I was puked on, screamed at, and beat up. No, I don't work in a bar. I do, however, work with children who have autism. It's going to be a long week.

Partay!

For New Years this year I spent the evening with a few friends. We played a drinking game while we waited for the countdown to 2008. Those of you who know me probably know that I'm not the biggest drinker. Don't get me wrong, I love me a good alcoholic beverage or two or even three, but I haven't been drunk very often in my life. Well, the game is called King's Cup and what you do is spread out a deck of cards all upside down. You take turns picking cards and they each mean something. For example, 8- pick a mate, so you pick someone to take a drink with you. 5 is a particularly exciting one where the person who selects the card gets to make a rule. Last night one of the rules that was made up very early on in the game was that whenever anyone took a drink, I had to take a drink. Yeah, that did it for me. I do remember everything that happened last night and I had a good time, but I did not ring in the new year very articulately. Cheers.

This Morning

My fingers crossed, I pray,
Believing God does what he wants anyway,
Not seeing the two could meet today.

I want to stay home, just let me be,
My job is the only thing stopping me,
Someone else's time the fee.

I alter my prayer this time saying,
"God, you have the power to do some changing,
"So please, I know you can, give me today for resting."

I answered the phone with dread,
"Two friends will cover for you," she said.
Praise God, I'm free to stay in bed!

Addiction

Addiction runs in my family. Some lean towards alcoholism, though everyone has been able to keep their jobs, homes, etc. Some can't quit smoking. There are also those who are drawn to absurd relationships that don't last. One aunt is addicted to traveling, something that people all over the world share with her. Now you may be asking yourself, "What is Rachel's addiction?" The answer: coffee shops. I am drawn to them like a kid to the swimming pool in summertime. While driving my eyes are constantly scanning for the familiar signs of Starbucks or Pete's. I keep notes in my head about where the nearest coffee shop is located. I do not exclusively seek the chain stores either. Tupelo and the Coffee Garden are other locales around Sacramento that have the pleasing atmosphere of a home grown, completely unique coffee shop. Currently I am enjoying the free wi-fi of It's a Grind in Elk Grove. The interesting thing about my addiction is that it's not the caffeine that enslaves me like so many others. Tonight I got some hot apple cider. It's something indescribable about the atmosphere. It's a public place where I can relax, drink something tasty, and either hang out with friends, read, or catch up on things online. A coffee shop is a treat no matter how many times I go.

I've been working on the autism spectrum, all the live long day...

Yesterday I worked for about 10.5 hours and I was out of the house from 7:30am till about 8:30pm. Today I was away from home from 7:30am till about 5:15pm. Not bad. I'm glad to be keeping busy, even though I am getting a little tired. There is less time for brooding when you're busy. When you're as introspective as I am you have to be constantly on your guard against brooding. If you want to help me fill my social calender and avoid too many dark and weighty thoughts I would love to include you. I would love some good deep conversation about something other than relationship drama. Please.