Oh How You'll Grow

I realized just how much our little Chloe had grown when I took a picture of her in her crate yesterday. She's just getting so big - but still a petite ball of loving cuddles.  (Can you tell that I adore this little creature and enjoy how much she makes us laugh every single day?)  And on a related note...it may be time to get her a new crate...

On the drive home from the airport the day we got little bear back in October.

Sleepy girl who had her nap interrupted on a cold February afternoon.

How time flies!  I can't believe we will only be here in Massachusetts for another 5 months!  Where has this year gone???

How a Puppy Prepares You

It is a bit cliche, but I'm thinking that the idea that a puppy prepares you for parenthood, in some small way, just might be true.  While babies don't come with the advantage of being put in a cage when you leave the house or when they go to sleep, they are generally immobile for the first 6 months and do all their "eliminating" in a diaper which definitely gives babies a leg up in my mind.

I realized recently that Chloe might just be preparing us in ways greater than just being responsible for another little life.  That moment crystallized when I was sitting with Hunt on the couch watching a football game.  I heard an ominous noise that every dog owner learns to know and dread.  I leaned down just in time to put my cupped hands under Chloe's little muzzle and catch what her upset stomach no longer wanted.  Hunt sat there a little shocked and then leapt into action with paper towels while preventing the pup from helping me with the cleanup efforts.

How could you not help out 
this little cuddle bunny?

I generally like to avoid having to clean up difficult messes, so this was definitely the motivating factor to act, rather than an overriding maternal instinct. Yet, I am hoping that this will come in handy when it comes to raising little humans...or at least keep our rugs in good condition for the long run!

Fairytale vs. History

The Christmas story is often treated like a fairytale.  As if it didn't truly happen on this earth, but, rather, as if it were made up of fictional characters telling a well-known story.  But it's not the same as Santa and Rudolph.  These characters walked this earth, experienced these events and it changed our lives eternally.

Occupy Worcester

I tweeted about this already, but I was running an errand at Target yesterday and came across several people running around the store announcing to anyone that would listen that they were with Occupy Worcester and they were picking up supplies.  It was so stereotypical it was laughable.  Long, dirty dreadlocks, rasta hats, ratty clothing artfully patched, and a general unshaven, unwashed appearance.

As I walked out of the store, there were several of the Occupy people outside pushing petitions on shoppers.  They made eye contact with me and did not move one inch towards approaching me.  All I can figure is that I give off the aura of capitalism. And while as a follower of Jesus my heart desires first and foremost to give off the fragrance of the Gospel and His love for every single person, I'm not ashamed that I may be pigeon-holed as a conservative more likely to show up at a Tea Party rally rather than squat in front of a government building for months on end.   

"[D]emocracy will soon degenerate into an anarchy, such an anarchy that every man will do what is right in his own eyes and no man's life or property or reputation or liberty will be secure, and every one of these will soon mould itself into a system of subordination of all the moral virtues and intellectual abilities, all the powers of wealth, beauty, wit and science, to the wanton pleasures, the capricious will, and the execrable cruelty of one or a very few."

–John Adams, An Essay on Man's Lust for Power, 1763

A Doctor's Labor

On this Labor Day, I'm thinking about why this holiday originally started and what it means to our lives today.  It was to celebrate the social and economic contributions of the American workforce.

It's often a day of rest, parties and end of summer beach weekends.

But, oddly enough, this weekend served to remind me of the path that American doctors are being forced to trudge down.

I may start to scream if I hear one more person claim that "health care is a right" in this country.  That it should be "free."  That doctors are greedy, money-grubbing, arrogant, rich and that it's such a shame since they used to work for the good of their patients and nothing else.  That the public has a right to physician's services, their efforts, their time, without placing any concrete value on it.

Does anyone else find it laughable when people complain more about plunking down an occasional $50 copay than they do paying their internet/cable and smart phone bill every month?

Let me introduce you to my husband.  He is in his 13th year of intense medical training.  He loves what he does.  And that's a good thing, since he's usually working a minimum of 12 hours every day, with many going to 14.  He works through the night, during weekends, and on holidays. He is on call every fourth night and weekend.  Which means he may work one full day, straight through that night and into the next day.  For the rest of his career.

When he is done we will owe in medical school debt what is comparable to a mortgage on a nice home.

He has been working for student's wages for all of these 13 years.  Often in towns where the cost of living is a heavy burden.

So, when I see my husband working three days in a row, 14+ hours each day, getting only three to four hours of sleep at night, then work through Labor Day weekend since that is his job, I want to laugh hysterically in the face of someone that thinks my husband's labor is their "right."

They may or may not be working the same kind of hours that he is, but probably not.  To the person that works 8-5, gets the weekends off, gets out a little early every so often on Fridays, will never be "on call" for even one night of their career, gets to be with their family for all of their holidays year in and year out, you have no "right" to claim that the sweat off of my husband's brow is for your free consumption.

Maybe, just maybe, we need to have a new establishment of the Labor Day holiday and what it truly represents.  That no one, not one single person, has the "right" to enjoy the product of another person's labor for free.

Sleep to Dream

Sleep is something that I've been focused on lately. Unfortunately not in the doing of it, more in the wishing for more of it. But compared to Hunt who is working like a mad man (7 days a week with 12-hour shifts on the weekends) I don't have a good reason other than being a night owl that wakes up the later the evening gets. Every afternoon around 2:30 I wish for a door to my office that doesn't have a window and the ability to pull a George Constanza and sleep in a little napping nook under my desk...a girl can dream...er...hope.

Hunt sent me this cartoon and for some reason I immediately identified with it...

On a more serious note (why not?) a while back a friend posted a little blurb on the fact that while she is pregnant that sleep is precious, but the need for it is debilitating at times, especially since she and her husband are new missionaries to India with their three young children. She reflected on something that she read from CJ Mahaney's book Humility:

The fact is, God could have created us without a need for sleep. But He chose to build this need within us, and there's a spiritual purpose for it. Each night, as I confront my need again for sleep, I'm reminded that I'm a dependent creature. I am not self-sufficient. I am not the Creator. There is only One who "will neither slumber nor sleep." (Psalm 121:4), and I am not that One.

I had never occurred to me that of course the Creator could have made us without a need for sleep! This was something he purposefully made our bodies to require. I can't imagine what life would be like if I didn't have to "lay me down" to rest every night. It reminds me that I am a dependent creature and that my heavenly Father is set apart and wholly different from me.

The thought of never shutting down, not having time that is not infringed upon by the world unless I let it, of my mind never having a break from the constant swirl of thoughts that comes with consciousness...makes me want to go take a nap.

Southern Suggestions: Taking it Up North

While I am technically still below the Mason-Dixon line, it certainly seems like I left it behind a couple hundred miles back down I-95.

Not quite three weeks ago I relocated to D.C. to start a new job with Trinet Internet Solutions - I'm selling our services to churches and ministries east of the Mississippi River and it has started in full swing. I'm still learning the ropes and adjusting from being in a job where I was a resource to my coworkers to now where I am asking a million questions and am the new kid on the block. My new office is full of kind, welcoming people and my morning commute consists of driving past the Lincoln memorial, going over the Memorial Bridge (it leads to the entrance of Arlington cemetery) and going past the Pentagon. If we are talking on the phone while I'm going past America's hub of of military operations, please expect our call to drop out...I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but really now, it's more than a coincidence in my mind.

I've found an awesome bakery and coffee shop right around the corner from my office, and I drive past a Target and a Harris Teeter on my way home. These things bring a certain comfort and familiarity. Not so much that I ever shopped at Harris Teeter, but that my church was housed in one for a few years.

It still hasn't hit me that I live here now. I'm ecstatic to be near Hunt, and moments like this morning, when I met him for a coffee date before heading to work, is something we haven't been able to do for two years. It is wonderful to be able to date again before we head down the aisle!

Living in D.C. is surreal, good and hard all at the same time. I know that Christ didn't call us to follow him to have an easy, stress-free or painless life - and that there is joy found in going where he calls us to go. And I have no doubt that I was called to marry Hunt, follow him wherever he is sent, and that it is an incredible blessing to be planning a marriage to a man that I adore. And a blessing to have a job in this market!

So while I'm not living in the Bible belt I'll just have to make my own sweet tea and continue to say things like "y'all." It will be the "sweet & southern" life transplanted in D.C. And that can go anywhere!

Saying Yes

I've heard about people having a hard time saying "no."

I don't have that problem.

In fact, I probably say "no" too much. It's not that I'm a negative person (at least, I don't think so), but, rather that I don't have a problem with boundaries when it comes to how I spend my time. Now, I don't have other people that are dependent upon me. If I was married with children, I know, without a doubt, that my time would not be my own. (I realize that there are pluses to being single.)

It's just that I'm energized by quiet and solitude, and while I love and enjoy groups and social events (the girly-girl in me relishes an excuse to dress up!), they drain me. And my job deals with talking most of the day with people about their faith and that can get pretty personal and, as a result, intense. So, there are few things that I love better than cooking dinner at home, getting comfy and settling in for some quality time that doesn't involve a lot of highly-charged conversation.

But, I said "yes" this weekend and ended up with an odd, but fun, assortment of moments. It might have been in the middle of attempting to belly dance at a Puma birthday party (at 30 she thinks she is too old to be a Cougar...) that I realized I was glad that I dragged myself out and said yes to eating Lebanese food and celebrating a friend. This friend has also come to several of the events that I've hosted, and I'm a believer in showing up for the people that show up for you.

Friday, it was Mexican and margaritas with Mom and Dad. Saturday was Nicola's restaurant with lessons in belly dancing for Holly's birthday. Sunday was being told that yes, I was going to Treehouse to spend time with friends that wanted to catch up with me. And since I was swaddled in sweats at the time, they graciously allowed me to change into jeans before I was expected to participate. And, even though I had plenty of things waiting on me to take care of, it was great to chat on the deck under a heater on a crisp fall night. Maybe I didn't choose to say "yes" to the last one, more like I was forced to really, but I'm glad regardless.

There is a lot of value in not being a afraid to say "no." But it can be a lot of fun to say "yes" every now and then...especially when it includes belly dancing.

When I start thinking "it's all about me"

We live in a culture that encourages us to look out for our self interests above all others. And it's pretty easy to get caught up in. And, even though my job is to help people keep the spotlight on Jesus when they are telling their baptism testimony, I get caught up in the "me, me, me, me" mindset just as easily. When I was having an intense self-focused moment today (or passionate naval-gazing as my mom might say) I had a friend send over this gem of a reminder from Max Lucado. Perfect timing.

My Message is About Him

by Max Lucado
The request came when I was twenty. “Can you address our church youth group?” We aren’t talking citywide crusade here. Think more in terms of a dozen kids around a West Texas campfire. I was new to the faith, hence new to the power of the faith. I told my story, and, lo and behold, they listened! One even approached me afterward and said something like, “That moved me, Max.” My chest lifted, and my feet shifted just a step in the direction of the spotlight.

God has been nudging me back ever since.

Some of you don’t relate. The limelight never woos you. You and John the Baptist sing the same tune: “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less” (John 3:30 NLT). God bless you. You might pray for the rest of us. We applause-aholics have done it all: dropped names, sung loudly, dressed up to look classy, dressed down to look cool, quoted authors we’ve never read, spouted Greek we’ve never studied. For the life of me, I believe Satan trains battalions of demons to whisper one question in our ears: “What are people thinking of you?”

A deadly query. What they think of us matters not. What they think of God matters all. God will not share his glory with another (Isaiah 42:8). Next time you need a nudge away from the spotlight, remember: You are simply one link in a chain, an unimportant link at that.

Remember the other messengers God has used?

A donkey to speak to Balaam (Numbers 22:28).

A staff-turned-snake to stir Pharaoh (Exodus 7:10).

He used stubborn oxen to make a point about reverence and a big fish to make a point about reluctant preachers (I Samuel 6:1-12; Jonah 1:1-17)

God doesn’t need you and me to do his work. We are expedient messengers, ambassadors by his kindness, not by our cleverness.

It’s not about us, and it angers him when we think it is.

We who are entrusted with the gospel dare not seek applause but best deflect applause. For our message is about Someone else.

----------------
Listening to: Dave Matthews Band - Typical Situation
via FoxyTunes

Hungry

An old song...but what I desire to live out during my last year before the 3-0.

Hungry - Kathryn Scott

Hungry, I come to you
For I know You satisfy
I am empty, but I know
Your love does not run dry

So I wait for you
So I wait for You
I’m falling on my knees
Offering all of me
Jesus, You’re all this heart is living for

Broken, I run to You
For Your arms are open wide
I am weary, but I know
Your touch restores my life

So I wait for you
So I wait for You
I’m falling on my knees
Offering all of me
Jesus, You’re all this heart is living for

Do You Wear Angora?

The other day I was wearing an angora sweater and informed my companion that I was wearing a rabbit-hair sweater. It was called into question whether angora was indeed from rabbits, or possibly goats.

This led to a googling of angora - and it is indeed made from a very specific type of rabbit hair and produces some of the softest wool around. Though cashmere and the goats have them beat in a contest on softness.

The best part of this google search was finally, FINALLY, having a visual of what an angora rabbit looks like. I don't know how I went 28 years of life on this earth without knowing how to spot an angora rabbit in the wild.

So, here it how to spot one of these creatures - look for the roving dust mop that resembles some kind of vicious ankle-chewing miniature Ewok.

I can't imagine that they can move all that quickly, but I'm thinking that I would hate to be surprised by a gazelle-like speed in this creature.

For some reason, it kind of freaks me out.

----------------
Listening to: Panic! At the Disco - Mad As Rabbits
via FoxyTunes

Heavenly Host

One of the most powerful things I have experienced as a staff member of Buckhead Church is group prayer. We regularly break up into groups and pray at our staff meetings over issues and events that have come up, specific requests for friends and family and for the attenders of our church. Since I’ve been on staff we have had a couple times that we gathered in one big corporate group and prayed over several staff as they are leaving for another job or ministry and over our elders as they start their service.

This week we got an email from our campus pastor, Jeff Henderson, that our staff meeting was going to be a time of worship and prayer since we as a staff have suffered several significant losses lately and know that many of attenders have as well. I never want to take for granted that my boss finds this important and wants to nourish us in this way, nor that I get to take an hour out of my busy work week, sing to the Lord of my life, praise Him for His faithfulness and pray for the concerns of our hearts.

When we have sessions of prayer, and mornings like this, my mind wanders and I can't help but wonder about the unseen in the room. We are promised that when 2 or more gather in His name we know that the Lord is with us (Matthew 18:20). I believe that the spirit world of angels and evil is very much alive and well and swirling around us constantly. I’m sure I would be scared to death if I could see it, but my mind imagines fantastical things of what had to be surrounding us while we have our heads bowed in prayer and am thankful for that promise.

This has been a tough year for many. The sermons I keep hearing, the verses that keep popping up, the random Charles Stanley podcast that took over my car speakers this evening (eerie!) keep instructing me to listen to God, and to remember, above all else, His past faithfulness. And that by those past instances of faithfulness I can trust Him to carry me through, heal and restore, lead in His way, and know that He is there and in control.

One of my favorite artists is Nichole Nordeman. No secret there. I was listening to one of her older songs today. It's simply called Gratitude. And what a lesson: gratitude in times of blessing and gratitude in times of want. Now that's an exercise in faith.

Gratitude
Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid
But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain

Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time
Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starry sky offers a better view if no roof is overhead And if we never taste that bread

Oh, the differences that often are between
What we want and what we really need

So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
And if that's the case . . .

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need
And if You never grant us peace

But Jesus, would You please . . .


----------------
Listening to: Hillsong - You'll Come (Live)
via FoxyTunes

Whatever the Result

Obviously, I want a miracle to happen and wake up tomorrow with John McCain being President-elect of this great country. But, since that is a long shot at this point, looking forward, it's good to remember that God is in control. No matter who is President, He is the one that has the plan, has the promise of salvation and provides all that we truly need.

I read this verse this morning as I sat in line at my polling precinct:

Therefore, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth
Serve the LORD with fear
and rejoice with trembling.
- Psalm 2:10-11

And we know from Romans 13:1-7 that there is no authority that God hasn't allowed to come into power. So, with the gift of free will we are able to elect our authorities, and then live under the consequences rule. I personally want to live under the rule of a conservative with values similar to mine, but that is unlikely at this point.

So, I will sit back and watch Obama try to fulfill all the promises he's made. He'll have 4 years to make good, then the American people can tell him what they think about his version of "change."

And unless the comeback kid can pull it off tonight...we are in for one heck of a dose of radical change.

----------------
Listening to: Wilco - Pick Up The Change
via FoxyTunes

Past and Present

"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have."
-Thomas Jefferson

"The art of government is to make two-thirds of a nation pay all it possibly can pay for the benefit of the other third."
- Voltaire
(French Philosopher and Writer, 1694-1778)

"The government is best which governs least."
-Thomas Paine
(English born American writer and political pamphleteer, whose 'Common Sense' and 'Crisis' papers were important influences on the American Revolution.)

"Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them."
-Ronald Reagan

----------------
Listening to: The Rolling Stones - It Won't Take Long
via FoxyTunes

Unchanging

There are some days (as in this whole week) that I am so glad that I am loved by an unchanging God.

That no matter my mood, my failings, my brokenness and short-sightedness, that He loves me the same. That He loves me when I'm happy and when I'm sad. That there is no amount of trying and striving that will make Him love me more. Despite how much I change, and the world transforms around me, He, and His love, stay the same.

How good to know that "I the Lord do not change." ~ Malachi 3:6a

That is comforting when I feel the burdens of our flagging economy, worry over the future, hear Barak Obama speak, succumb to feeling crummy and take it out on those around me, say something that I instantly wish I could take back or just act in general like the sinner in need of a Savior that I am. One of the things I most desire to be is consistent. Consistent in my reactions, my decisions, my attitude, my love. I'm thankful that it's not up to me to create that consistency in me. I'm not able to do that on my own.

I am so glad that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." ~ Hebrew 13:8

It changes my reality to know that:
My Savior is always there, He's not going anywhere
His character is steadfast and consistent
His love for me will not decrease no matter what I do. Incredible.
I can depend on His commitment to me in all things, at all times, in all ways.
Lives change, jobs change, people change, my mood changes, but He never does.

Hallelujah.

----------------
Listening to: Snow Patrol - Hands Open
via FoxyTunes

We must never forget...

----------------
Listening to: David Crowder Band - Never Let Go
via FoxyTunes

That sounds familiar...

When I think back to different memories, it's usually accompanied by a certain song(s) as the soundtrack.

I just happen to know every single word to Carly Simon's Coming Around Again album. This did not win me any points for coolness in middle school in case you were wondering. That was the album of choice that my mother would play on Saturday mornings while we did chores as a family. My brother and I were expected to work as long as the music played. You would think that I would hate that album as a result...but I've found that when "All I Want Is You" comes on, it generates an unusual amount of productivity.

I vividly remember Dad playing Marty Robbins' "El Paso" in our living room when I was 6 or 7 years old - telling us the story of a lonesome cowboy that fell in love with a Mexican girl. The resulting tears from a tender-hearted little girl probably caught my Dad off guard...poor guy.

Every time I hear Third Day's "I've Always Loved You," I'm taken back to my Junior year at Clemson, riding in a car full of girls in the far northwest corner of South Carolina on our way to Campus Crusade's fall retreat up at Table Rock.

Without fail, hearing the strands of Handel's "Messiah" immediately takes me back to Thanksgiving weekend of '00, singing on stage at Carnegie Hall under the direction of John Rutter.

When it comes to music, it connects memories and moments for me; I love it constantly being on in the background whether I'm cooking, reading, working or entertaining; and I enjoy discovering new artists.

After I've discovered a new artist, I tend to want to hear their stuff all the time. Nathan Angelo was my favorite this spring...and the song "Through Playing Me" might have gotten a lot of play on my iPod. Hearing that song makes me remember waking up on chilly mornings and being energized to get going.

This summer/fall it is Matt Nathanson. I had heard a song on the radio that had me singing along by the second chorus, but I had no idea who the artist was. I kept catching it half-way through every so many days, and trying to remember to go look it up on iTunes.

Until I was driving around one afternoon with the s.o. and he started playing my latest, greatest favorite on his iPod. I'm still unsure how the resulting squeals of excitement didn't cause him to drive off of the bridge we were crossing. Turns out that I already had that artist's entire collection of album on my own iPod since I happen to be dating someone that loves to share his 100 GB library of music with anyone that wants it. All this time, and I had no idea.

So, now, the song "Come On Get Higher" makes me think of driving around town with the sun roof open, the wind from the open windows whipping my hair around, and beautiful, warm days. I highly recommend checking the entire album Some Mad Hope, and use it as the soundtrack for a beautiful day.

----------------
Listening to: Matt Nathanson - Come On Get Higher
via FoxyTunes

The Medical Blogger

A blog that I was referred to, and that I have come to enjoy reading very much, is 6 Year Med.

Danielle is in her first year of residency as an intern and has been blogging since med school. She has a knack for telling stories, and pairing that with a rich environment for interesting stories makes her blog one that I return to over and over. I've put a link to the right more for my own laziness, but I would highly recommend reading for a dose (pun definitely intended) of funny, touching and amazing stories told from the perspective of a Christian physician pursuing becoming a pediatrician.

I'm learning how fascinating the world of medicine is, and I'm not talking about the study of it. The systems, the personalities and the fact that the Match is like sorority Rush on steroids supplies great material.

----------------
Listening to: The Rolling Stones - Dear Doctor
via FoxyTunes

Where does it all go??

Having moved every so many years since I was 8, I've gotten used to packing up my stuff and hauling it around. By the way, my parents are pros at this and far outstrip me in their moving expertise. And that is why when it comes to helping an s.o. (that's significant other) move, they are ready with boxes of every shape and size (including tall wardrobe boxes which are a life saver), industrial strength saran wrap, and packing paper.

I've come to realize that there are many stages to moving. Here they are in somewhat chronological order. (BEWARE: If mixed up, it may lead to the creation of a black hole in your residence, which can really hamper the efficiency rating of your move)

1. Generalized organizing and clearing out of unused items
This does not happen as early as it needs to because of the time-space conundrum; the move always seems further away than it really is. This is the beauty of this particular life-hazard, it has the innate ability to sneak up on you.

2. Beginning stages of packing of residence
This is typically slow going and can leave you stuck in the cycle of thought that starts with "well I'll still need to use that this week" and end with "since I can't pack that just yet, I'll come back to it later." This usually occurs in the bathroom, kitchen and bedroom/closet areas, ones that, as we all know, are, of course, the easiest and fastest places to pack up, right?

3. Panicked realization that the moving truck will be arriving in two days
Your apartment looks the same as it did a week ago, except you now have stacks of boxes, tape and packing paper crowding up the place. This causes you to go into,"alright, down to business, start packing like a madwoman, forget creature comforts, I will eat on plastic plates and sleep on an air mattress if I have to" mode.

4. You hit the closet and realize that you need to get rid of a fair amount of clothing that you haven't worn in three years.
An inevitable trap that causes packing/moving to grind to a halt. You are faced with the decision of trying on your outdated clothing to see if it is worth sitting in your closet unworn for another 2 years, OR, keep your rhythm going, packing it all and suffering the consequences of heavier/more boxes and having to deal with them on the other end. Time usually wins out, that's why I have clothes in my closet that date back to high school.

5. You pack up the majority of your belongings and your residence starts feeling eerily empty while still being full and definitely needing a good cleaning.
Funny how I never noticed how dirty the baseboards were until I would no longer have to live among them.

6. You start noticing little items that need to be dealt with and didn't make it into a box.
This is where the fun truly begins and you start loading your orphaned things into any receptacle that will hold them. The truck of your car is where most of this lands, and, if you are a girl, your purse is also prime real estate.

7. Finally, M day is here, and it all gets crammed into a moving truck and sent off to your new home.
This arrives at the end of 48 hours where you've stayed up to 3am the past couple nights, have started packing your dry pantry goods with your electronics just to get them in your last remaining empty box, and are likely to have developed something close to situation-induced paranoid schizophrenia that makes your friends/family oh-so-happy that they are helping you.

8. Stage 6 can be, and often is, repeated at this point.
This is why I've learned to keep a couple empty trash bags around just in case. And "case" usually happens.

Though I am not moving, I am helping an s.o. move, so I experience some, but definitely not all, of these stages. That is what lead me to realize that we are currently at stage 6. Why? Because ladies and gentlemen, this is what my purse looks like this morning. It has two new occupants. One pair of excellent brand-spanking new noise canceling headphones and a nifty model of what advancing plaque buildup looks like in your arteries. Though it is not me that is moving, my purse has officially been put into service.


----------------
Listening to: Five Times August - Save It For Later
via FoxyTunes