things that go bump in the night...

October is always a really hard month for me. Things seem to lurk around each corner to throw me off kilter, and I can't seem to find a safe place to hide from them. Things start out harmless, but then turn into frightening episodes, filled with panic and fear.

I'm talking, of course, about the horror movies that the networks show so nonchalantly on every channel. There's no place safe to hide! Even flipping channels reveals monsters, blood, zombies, dark rooms with people standing in corners, eerie woods, and shows that count down the best horror movies of all time.

I've never been able to tolerate horror movies. I spend most of the movie peeking between my fingers, when I can stand to look at the screen at all. Music building to a crescendo is a good time for me to visit the bathroom, because something is going to happen and I don't want to be there. I've perfected the "appear to be watching the screen but actually focus on the exit sign so you don't see what happens" look.

Thank goodness its only one more day.

fly on, freebird.

My mom has a friend (Mary) who's mother died a few years ago. This Mary's mom had stated before her death that she wished to be cremated, and Mary complied with that wish. Mary picked up her mom's ashes from the funeral home, and then proceeded to ride around with them in her back seat for several weeks. At first, it was because she didn't know what to do with them yet, but then she got to kind of liking having her mom so close.

I saw Elizabethtown this week, actually for the second time, because I liked it so much. I laughed, I cried, laughed again, cried again, cry, cry, laugh. It wasn't a perfect movie, a little slow in places, and Kristen Dunst's Southern accent was a little...well, lets call it "vague." (SUB-stitute people)

But other than that, it was a movie that really stuck with me, and the music made up for the uneven spots. The music...can we pause and talk about the music? Cameron Crowe is a genius. On top of "Almost Famous" and "Say Anything", he has created another soundtrack that defines the movie as much as the characters do.

When Drew puts his father's urn into the trunk after he picks them up from the funeral home, but then-- can't leave his dad! in the trunk!, he needs to be safely buckled into the passenger seat!-- I understand where my mom's friend Mary was coming from. Even though it was only his body, and his soul was in another place, we still have attachment to the physical. Incidentally, my mom, dad, and I all favor cremation for ourselves...my mom as a good Episcopalian, my dad as a sailor who wants to be scattered in the ocean and the lake, and me, as someone tring to save space. (no, I'm just kidding...I have deeper thoughts on the issue). I joke with both of them that I'm going to keep them on my mantle.

Beautiful movie, beautiful sentiment. Go see it, and see the place I lived for 3 years. And also see Memphis, the place I grew up.

I have moved to the Arctic

It was 34 degrees in Hattiesburg last night. No, the city has not been transported 1000 miles north and we are not geographically challenged. We are, however, cilmatically challenged, because this is a state that has been known to close schools at the threat of cold. People here are having trouble with the concept of just curling up in bed and waiting for it to pass, especially the three drunk college girls (on a Thursday night !?) screaming at each other outside my window at 3:30 am and the guy living below me who started throwing his boots around at 4 am. (He's a soldier who has to be at the base at 5 am every morning, so I forgive him. I usually never hear him.)

Christy needs a new pair of shoes.

I need a new pair of running shoes, because the ones I have now are too big for me. You would think that I could figure this out before I spent money on them, but its not that they're too long, its that they're too wide. They fit ok when I first got them, but I've worn them in enough that my foot is just not having it anymore. I have a very narrow foot, and I have to lace them up so tightly that the sides of the top opening meet.

So, I'm thinking about spending a large-ish amount of money on a new pair of North Face train running shoes. I bought a pair for the great trek through Great Britain, and they held up great. So great, that I wore them for the next three years. It's the only shoe manufacturer that makes a regular shoe that fits my narrow foot. I only recently gave them up, because I WORE THE TREAD OFF THE BOTTOM. Yes. I've put them in the back of my closet, hoping that I'll need them for a muddy hike one day.

Also, go read Steve's blog, because he FINALLY updated a couple of days ago. Now, if I could only get Michael to follow suit.

jobs

I'm thinking of applying for this job.
Of course, I don't think moving out west is actually a feasible option. Lets be serious, here. St. Louis or Arkansas is about as far away as I really want to be at this point. But that could change one day. I think I'd seriously consider a job in the Seattle area.

I would really like to have this job one day.

But, I never want this job. (shudder). If I NEVER live in the Delta again, it will be too soon.

at least I can watch ALIAS and drink an Abita while I'm in class.

I'm been struggling a lot with the differences between the schools I've gone to up to this point, and the large state university I'm attending now. In some ways, I don't mind it at all...the facilities available are a lot better, but there's a lot more bureaucracy to get through. I like that I almost never have to go to campus, because I'd never find a place to park. (When I am lucky enough to find a spot, I frequently lose my place in the maze of lots when I need to leave campus. I had a memorable conversation with Steve in which he laughed his butt off at me while I wandered aimlessly around, trying to find Meatball. Of course, this happens in the Target parking lot, too, so maybe its just me getting old.)

Most of my issues revolve around the professors, and I had an epiphany about the whole thing while I was talking to my mom about it last week: there's no accountability for them. At Millsaps and Asbury, professors were actually part of my life. I ate in the cafeteria with them, I went to them for advice, some of them I considered as pastors in my life, and a lot of them I considered friends. Its not like that here. It may just be that the university as a whole is having a hiring problem, and profs are overworked and underpaid, and I hope that is the case. I hope my opinions of them change, and I think that will happen as I move out of the basic classes and into classes that are geared more toward my specialization.

Help!

Personality profiles usually correctly assess that I have problems making small decisions. This time, I'm trying to choose new bedding. Should I get this one, this one, or this one?

I have an dark brown iron bed with scrollwork, and my walls are boring beige, so keep that in mind.

Oh, and I'm now prepared for the next hurricane, because I bought these, which were too cute to resist.

I wish y'all were around to read these books with me.

Super-excited about this movie...

I just hope they keep going and get to my favorite book out of this series, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

AND...Susan was always my favorite, because she was brave and noble, and had a bow-and-arrow.

random stuff

I took myself to the gym today, after a 3 day break. I've been so tired lately, its all I can do to get out of bed in the morning. But the guilt was too much today, so I did the treadmill and a little weights while I watched an old episode of Survivor on cable.

On the plus side, my neck is feeling very good, after 3 weeks of seeing the chiropractor 4 days a week. My mom isn't doing as well; she's still having pain in her back and neck, so please pray for her. Hopefully, Daddy will settle my case in a couple more months, and I'll finally have enough money to get a newish car. I'm still leaning toward a Passat, a diesel if I can find one.

Here are a few more pictures from my trip to the coast. Up until I was in college, my family would make the 7 hour drive down to Pascagoula two or three times a year to visit my dad's side of the family. I spent a lot of hours playing on the beach with my cousins, and running around in the jungle that was my grandmother's backyard. There was a tree in the corner of the front yard that was mine: I spent a lot of time up in its branches, reading and seeing exactly how high I could climb without putting my life into danger. When my grandmother died several years ago, the house was sold, and the new owners didn't cut down the tree. I managed to climb it whenever we visited Pascagoula. I would have climbed it this weekend, but they yard was filled with FEMA trailers and large portions of the roof had been blown off. The house is also only about a half-mile from the beach, so they must have gotten several feet of water, too.


The above picture is what remains of the Yacht Club.

juxtaposition

The first picture my brother took, a couple of days after the storm.
The second picture I took, a month after the storm.

flickr, flickr

I've been playing around with flickr and the pictures I took this weekend, and I finally figured out a way to post pictures and not tear my hair out at the same time. Computers are not my thing. I try not to talk bad about Cosmo (my dell) because I'm sure he hears me and then chooses times to malfunction, such as 5 minutes before I'm supposed to be in class.

However, I went to Mobile and Pascagoula, MS, this weekend with my parents, to visit family and help work on my aunt's house, and we drove down Beach Blvd. in Pascagoula, and I could not believe what I was seeing. All the pictures we see on TV, they really don't fully communicate the devastation. We tried to get to the coast road in Biloxi and Gulfport, but the police and national guard are still preventing anyone but contractors and owners from getting down there.

I'm trying to get the picture link up by tomorrow, hang with me.

give the people what they want.

I don't really have anything special happening, but my counter says that 40 people read my blog yesterday, and I live to serve, so if you're reading this blog, please suggest some topics I could write about when I'm stuck. Like now.

Ooh, here's something that happened...I had an online class tonight, and one person laid into the professor about not responding to emails and not posting new due dates after the hurricane. Prof cut the student off quickly and with scathing disdain, and the rest of us were sufficiently scared of her to not talk the rest of class, even though we (well, I) agreed with the student. We talked to each other via the Private Messenger function about the event, but we didn't dare raise our heads for fear we'd get noticed. It brought entertainment to an otherwise boring class. SOOO boring. tear - my - own-hair-out-at- the-time-wasted-that-I'll-never-get-back boring. Rivaling the wastelands of Method&Praxis and UM Polity and Dr. Wang.

meme

Someone sent me this meme. I'm not really sure what a meme is, nor how you would pronounce it, but I'm sending it on to Rhonda, Kelly (Music Savant), Michael (Cathedral Days), and Steve (Theological Shavings). I don't think Steve will do it without being prodded, so he should consider this a personal challenge. For some REALLY odd reason, I always think of the movie Grease when I read Steve's blog. I know, it's weird. I don't have an explanation.

Ten Years Ago: I was beginning my senior year of high school. I was the editor of my school newspaper, a position that really meant nothing, because I went to a private school where everything was censored out the wa-zoo. I had spent the summer as a counselor at camp, where I fell into puppy love for the first time. This was the year I finally figured out what a drain my high school was on my spirit, since I never felt anything but stifled and restrained.

Five Years Ago: I was beginning my first real job out of college, as an Assistant Director at a private girls' camp.

One Year Ago: Beginning my last year at ATS. I was also trying to get into grad school at USM (where I am today.) I started a job as an archivist at Asbury College.

Yesterday: Had a really disturbing dream, which woke me up at 3 am. Finished "Son of a Witch," the sequel to "Wicked." It was ok. Not as good as the first one. Did cardio for 90 minutes, and celebrated by having a chocolate iced donut from Krispy Kreme. Cooked brown rice, vegetables, and chicken into a make-shift stir-fry dish.

Five Songs I know all the Words To:
If I had a Million Dollars, by Barenaked Ladies
The Dance, by Garth Brooks
Saved, by Third Day (originally by Bob Dylan
Still Haven't Found what I'm looking For, by U2.
Me and My Llama, from Sesame St.

Five Things I'd do with 100 Million Dollars:
Pay off my friends' student loans
Buy an island and build a few houses on it, so my family and friends could all be there at once, yet not get in each others' way.
donate a bunch of money to cancer research and various other charities.
give my tithe to St. Patricks.
hire a personal trainer.

Five Places I'd run away to:
the cabin
New York
Victoria, BC
New Orleans (well, I used to run away there.)
Wherever friends are.

Five Things I would never wear:
a poncho
boy-short bathing suit bottoms
cut-off anything
a skirt over pants
those suggestive t-shirts that are so popular with teenagers right now.

Five Favorite TV shows:
Alias
Gilmore Girls
West Wing (one of the best-written shows out there.)
early Cosby Show
Mythbusters

Five Favorite joys:
singing really good worship music
sleep
talking to friends I miss on the phone
bookstores
realizing that someone is flirting with me. (this usually takes me a while, and is followed by a "!". I never expect it.)

with the track record the KA's are running lately, he better hope he's an SAE.

A guy just walked into the coffee shop, and I cannot, for the life of me, remember his name. I THINK I went to Millsaps with him, and maybe he was an SAE? But its frustrating as all get out. If only I had Adele with me! She's very useful in situations like this. The queen of the network...

oh, my...and I bet an epidural isn't part of the plan, either. Just "vitamins."

I got this from another site...

This week's reason to shake your head in disbelief at the weirdness of Scientology...

…Maintain silence in the presence of birth to save the sanity of the mother and the child and safeguard the home to which they will go,” church founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote in his best-selling “Dianetics”…. Scientologists also favor seven days of silence for newborns so their first week on Earth is trauma-free.

silence? I haven't had children, but I've been around a lot of them. Silence is not something that occours naturally in children. good luck, katie.

Missed my window

It's way past midnight, and I'm having another sleepless night. Now, I'm no good at math, but I think that 6 hours last night, plus an hour on the treadmill this morning, would equal me being sacked out at about 11pm. I headed towards bed about that time, but I was still lying there, awake, at 1am. I can only do that for so long, so now I'm up, watching Nick at Nite and waiting for the ibuprofen to kick in so my knee will stop hurting.

I'm tired, and I'm thinking a lot about a very dear friend and her husband who are going through hell in virginia. Please say a prayer for Rhonda and Brent.

weiss, where are you?

My mom called last night to tell me she was going to go look at a Passat she found, and she hung up just as I remembered I needed to tell her something. So I did the call-back, and something weird happened. I was walking down my hallway to the bedroom as I did this, and when the call connected, I got a shriek of feedback instead of a voice on the other end.

When this happened in Alias, it meant Sydney had a bug in her house. Perhaps Weiss will come clean my house for me.

no, I'm really NOT going to tell you who I'm named after.

1. First name? Christy
2. Were you named after anyone? Yes, but it's a really embarassing story and I won't share it.
3. Do you wish on stars? Nope
4. The last place on earth you'd want to live? Atlanta, I get lost everytime I go there.
5. What is your birth date? Dec. 19
6. What is your most embarrassing moment? in HS, I fell down the stage steps in chapel in front of about 500 people.
7. Any special talents? great intuition
8. Do you have a journal? yes
9. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Not enough
10. What are your nicknames?Christylove, CJ, Jonesie,
11. Would you bungee jump? no way
12. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? No
13. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Blue Bunny brand Chocolate Chip
14. Shoe Size? 7.5
15. Red or pink? red
16. Who do you miss most? friends from seminary who I'm not likely to see for some time, and my Deltadog.
17. What color pants and shoes are you wearing? jeans and black flipflops
18. What are you listening to right now? David Grey concert on NPR
19. Last thing you ate? Don't remember, but I'm having Thai food for dinner!
20. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? green
21. What is the weather like right now? blue skies, white puffy clouds, hot and humid.
22. Last person you talked to on the phone? Kelly, about the watching of the Alias.
23. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? smile and eyes
24. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, and money were no object, where would it be? London or NYC
25. Favorite Drink? alcohol = Abita Amber, other = sugarfree strawberry lemonade
26. Favorite Sport? swimming
27. Hair Color? brown
28. Eye Color? blue
29. Do you wear contacts or glasses? no. I have glasses, but I hardly wear them.
30. Summer or winter? Winter
31. Hugs OR Kisses? both
32. What Is Your Favorite Dessert? cheesecake
33. What Books Are You Reading? A Breath of Snow and Ashes, Blue Like Jazz, Fresh Air Fiend, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.
34. What Did You Watch Last night on TV? Nothing, I was typing a paper until 11pm, then I went home and read.
35. Favorite Smells?the ocean and vanilla
36. Favorite Sounds? water sounds (ocean, rain), hearing Erin talk about her babies, because she's so happy, live music
37. Rolling Stones or Beatles? Beatles
38. What's the farthest you've been from home? Prague