This Week in Minor Life Events…
I’m getting a new phone. Like, a smartphone. And that’s only because my not-all-that-intelligent phone is dying. It’s kind of sad; this phone has been exactly what I wanted. But it is literally falling apart, so it’s time to let it retire.
I’m so behind the times. I’m okay with that.
My phone lost another button while I was at work last night, so when I got home, my dad and I went shopping for a new one. We didn’t have much time before the store closed, but we weren’t going to have a better time to go this week. So I picked out a phone. The deciding factors were: it wasn’t as enormous as some of the others, and the power and volume buttons were on the back instead of the sides. As you can tell, I’m very picky.
Of course, the store didn’t have that one in stock, but it is now ordered and should arrive by Thursday. I’m actually kind of glad it worked out that way, because it gives me some time to mentally adjust.
Old phone, it’s been fun. We’ve had some good times. I’ll miss your friendly yellow text message alerts. You just have to make it two more days. Then you can rest in peace (or pieces, as the case may be).
Songs I’ve Had on Repeat Recently
In case you’re in need of some new music ideas yourself.
It hasn’t quite been on repeat yet actually, but this is what stuck in my head from listening to this album today, so it’s likely to come up again tonight. I love the chorus.
This song is a fairly new discovery, as is the band. I recently bought the song and discovered that there’s a bit at the end that was not in the Youtube video I’d been listening to, which was extra exciting because it connects the song to this one (bonus!), which I also like.
One of my very favorites of Kurt Schneider’s covers. (He’s the guy playing the tiny piano.) I’ve heard the original song, and I’m not a fan, but I love this version.
My mom and I saw Wicked again recently. It was very exciting. We loved it just as much the second time. This is the love song from the musical, and I appreciate it on multiple levels because it also perfectly describes a couple in some stories I write.
Some of the musical Hamilton is problematic, but this song about two fathers writing letters to their children is absolutely precious.
“You Don’t Need to Apologize”
… is something we should say less often.
We mean well. It’s supposed to be a way to assure the person apologizing that we weren’t offended or upset. Sometimes it works, especially if the event was insignificant.
But sometimes it doesn’t.
Apologizing isn’t easy. It’s awkward, uncomfortable, and stressful. Quite often, a person apologizes because they feel they need to. If you tell them they don’t, they’re just kind of stuck. They tried to do something difficult because they felt it was necessary, and you won’t accept it, so where do they go from there?
“It’s okay.” “I’m not angry.” “I forgive you.” If you are genuinely not upset, there are many possible responses to an apology that convey those feelings without devaluing the effort and feelings of the person apologizing. Be creative. Let them apologize.
Love at First Sight
Personally, I haven’t witnessed many passionate debates over the whole falling in love at first sight thing. But people do seem to have strong opinions on the matter. I’m here to tell you mine.
First of all, I have heard too many real people say this is how their romantic relationships began to discount the idea entirely. People say love at first sight only happens in books and fairy tales, but unless all those real people are lying or delusional (which seems like a stretch), that’s not true.
And here’s something I recently realized: We accept the concept in all other kinds of relationships. We look at a parent holding their newborn baby for the first time or a child who has just been handed a puppy and make comments about how they’re already in love. Friends talk about how they just clicked when they met and we think that’s cool. (I have personally experienced the latter in a friendship that’s been going on for 13 years and counting.) But romantic relationships? Here people start to question it.
The thing is, love at first sight is not enough to make a relationship last. I think this is really what trips people up. But it’s not enough in any relationship. It’s not enough for a parent and their baby, it’s not enough for a child and their dog, it’s not enough for friendship, and it’s not enough for romance.
Any healthy long-term relationship is exhausting and inconvenient and time-consuming and requires emotional investment and sacrifices. It’s also fulfilling and well worth these things, but if just one person is unwilling to put in the effort, the relationship isn’t going to last, or if it does, it will not be healthy.
But a bad end does not necessarily invalidate a good beginning. It doesn’t mean it wasn’t genuine at one point, whether the start was gradual or instantaneous. Humans make good starts that fizzle out in all sorts of situations; relationships are no exception.
Love a first sight may never be how relationships work for you. It’s not sufficient. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
Have Some Smiles
In which I looked through one of my Pinterest boards for fun things. Because I don’t feel like writing anything today.
For Your Whale-Being
I spent last week visiting three wonderful friends. GG and I took our annual road trip into warmer regions to visit D and Gaby. We had so many fantastic adventures.
On the way down, we got stuck in traffic. We went about eight miles in two and a half hours. Because of maybe a quarter mile of construction where there was one lane. That was a bit boring. We were thankful we had filled up the gas tank not long ago. But we still managed to have lots of fun. In spite of/because of introducing each other to lots of depressing music, because that’s what we do. Also we played Crack the Case, a game that is difficult to explain that lives in my car for these situations. An angry fortune teller woman sawed through the supports of a wooden bridge so it would collapse when a certain man drove over it. I don’t even know.
We finally arrived at D’s house and had lots of hugs and moved in. As usual, D promptly began taking notes on all the funny things anyone said. She filled up an entire notebook while we were there. If you’ve never had someone giggle hysterically and dive for their pen in reaction to something you said, you’re really missing out.
Due to D being D and having an entire notebook of, well, notes, she will have a much more organized blog post about the week, I’m sure.
The next day (and most of the others), we abducted Gaby. She came quite willingly. She shared weird food with whoever wished to partake. Lychee gummies. Green tea Oreos. She had me try sushi. This was a first. It was surprisingly okay. We also went to a tea room one day. They had a whole trunk of hats you could wear. You should see me in a crown. There’s a picture of it somewhere.
We played lots of Apples to Apples. As fictional characters, of course. It’s much more fun that way. There’s one of D’s characters we especially like to torment. Poor Jason puts up with a lot.
There was also the annual taking fictional characters to therapy. We’ve reached the point where we actually manage to help characters sometimes on top of it being hilarious role play. This year, I ended up being Professor Plum, the character I always choose to play in Clue, who had been wrongfully imprisoned for the murder of Mr. Body. He was definitely framed by Mrs. Peacock. D, the therapist at the time, didn’t have much to work with, as Professor Plum did not want to be therapized, so I don’t think he’s one of the ones we helped.
One night, we went on a walk with D’s sister and the family dog (I love that dog). These walks are always so much fun. And somehow it happened on the night when the weather was actually nice instead of oppressively hot and humid, so that was refreshing.
We filmed a recreation of the best scene from Captain America: Civil War. GG and I also filmed one from the second Thor movie on our drive home. And of course we filmed the therapy sessions. AND MY LITTLE PONIES.
We use My Little Ponies as characters from our epic fictional-characters-in-Boy-and-Girl-Scouts story. This year there was a wedding. The Boy Scouts crashed the wedding, complete with a “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” flash mob. I think the most notable quote was, “The officiant matches the unity tea!” Unfortunately, it was probably much funnier in context and late at night.
I feel like I could go on forever, but I still have reading I would like to get done tonight. On Friday, we played one more game of Apples to Apples. Then we had to do funny things so D could finish the notebook. GG stole it, and she and I had a conversation by writing in it. Then we told funny stories. Then there were more hugs before GG and I drove away.
And came back two minutes later to retrieve something we’d forgotten.
We stopped at Gaby’s house briefly(ish). There we played Gloom and yet one more game of Apples to Apples. Also, more hugs.
We hit a bit of rush hour traffic, but there were no major delays on the trip back. We got very excited when the temperature dropped into the 70s AND STAYED THERE. We listened to more depressing music. For about two hours at the end, we plotted a FABULOUS story. And by FABULOUS, I mean ANGST. It was so much fun. We laughed a lot.
It was a wonderful, wonderful week. God has given me some lovely friends, and getting to be in the same room (or car, or whatever) with them is a joy.
Oh, I suppose I could explain the title. It came from a series of ocean puns. Most of them provided by Gaby. This is the one that stuck and became a recurring phrase throughout the week.
If you would like to read about previous annual visits:
2012
2013
2014
2015
Tuesday at Camp
I got my camera back! So now I can do the post I had planned for last week.
Quite a while ago, I found a list of blogging prompts that included, “Your day in photos {take a photo every hour from wake to sleep}.” I’ve wanted to do it, but for most of my days it would be rather repetitive. I decided camp might have more variety, so last Tuesday I took pictures all day. (What you cannot see is how incredibly hot and humid it was.) Some were on the hour; some were not. So have an example of a day at church camp.
Good morning, alarm clock. You’re useful, but also obnoxious.
Breakfast! Well, my tea. One of my favorite parts of being staff is that I am now allowed in the kitchen, so I can make tea in the mornings.
At 10 we were singing during chapel. We sang this song ALL. THE. TIME. It got old. (And I have it stuck in my head now, unfortunately.) But usually the song we sing ALL. THE. TIME. is Heaven’s Road, so it least it was some variety from that.
On Tuesday, they gave out shirts. I am actually okay with the almost-lime green. It is much better with the yellow they had for about three years.
Noon! Sports time! Which I have claimed as my shower-and-then-relax-a-bit time, because they usually don’t need my help. I was sprawled on the hill reading. It was a good book.
After lunch. Heading to the village for Rest in Cabins. Which is not long enough to be restful by the time you walk down the mountain, gather up what you need, and then walk back up the mountain.
Pool time! I didn’t swim that day, but I did stick my feet in the water.
Eating a Reese’s Cup, as you can see. Probably a frozen one. If you’ve never tried them that way, you should.
At 4, we were in the middle of memory work. The theme this year was Philippians, so the kids were memorizing verses from that book.
This is a Bible I got from camp. They give them out every year to new campers, and I got one the first year they did it. When showed it to some of the middle schoolers, they were duly impressed.
5 was singing on the hill, so I took a picture of the classic view from the hill.
I completely missed 6 o’clock. That was Bible Bowl time, so I was pacing around the dining hall watching the campers answer questions and answering them (correctly!) in my head.
At 7, we were playing Capture the Flag. (Somewhere on the ground in this picture is a flag.) I actually played most of the time. And by played, I mean that once in a while I attempted to get someone out of jail or chased someone who was invading my side. Most of that was not successful. I am not fast.
Canteen. I don’t remember what I ate, but this was the menu. They had Cream Soda this year, which made me happy, as that is about the only pop I like.
Campfire devo. We had some nice fires; this was an especially good one.
My favorite camp game: Right Town, Left Town. Each team straddles a bench. Everyone is given a profession. If you are a firefighter and the announcer says, “Right Town needs a firefighter,” you get off the bench to the right, run around the bench, and sit back down. The team whose firefighter sat down first gets a point. For Middle Town, you can choose which side to get off. For a catastrophe, everyone runs. Once in a while there’s a catastrophe in Middle Town, and then it’s pure chaos.
I am in the minority for loving this game, but I think it’s tons of fun. This year I got to play because they needed extra people. I got some impressive bruises, and it was completely worth it.
By 11, the girls were in their cabins and (hopefully) settling down. I was finishing up my reading for the day. And then going to sleep, though not as quickly as I would have liked.
Apparently It’s Time For My Annual Music Shuffle Game Post
Last week I was at church camp. No internet, so no blog post. But last Tuesday I took a bunch of pictures to prepare for this week’s post.
Then I left my camera at camp.
A friend found it and is going to mail it to me, but I don’t have it back yet, so that post will have to wait. I have no other ideas ready to be written. I’m tired. This is easy and fun and requires little effort and I’ve done it twice already (here and here), so why not make it a tradition?
To quote myself: “If you’re not familiar with this game, it consists of these (or similar) questions, and you put your MP3 player/iPod/computer/music playing device on shuffle to get the answers.”
1. If someone says, “is this okay?” you say:
Vale Decem – Murray Gold
2. What would describe your personality?
The Cat and the Moon – The Lord of the Rings Musical soundtrack (Ha! This amuses me.)
3. What do you look for in a guy/girl?
Five Becomes Four – Yellowcard
4. How do you feel today?
Fix You – Yellowcard
5. What is your life’s purpose?
Quiet – Lights
6. What is your motto?
Shadows Dancing – Celtic Thunder (But… why?)
7. What do your friends think of you?
Friends in Low Places – Celtic Thunder (Thanks, guys…)
8. What do you think about very often?
Night Changes – One Direction
9. What is 2+2?
Buachaill ón Eirne – Celtic Thunder
10. What do you think of your friends?
Rough Draft – Yellowcard
11. What do you think about the person you like?
Huron Carol – Heather Dale (I’m not sure what that means.)
12. What is your life story?
Overjoyed – Bastille
13. What do you want to become when you grow up?
Tears of Hercules – Celtic Thunder (O.o)
14. What do you think of when you see the person you like?
New Day Dawning – Celtic Thunder
15. What do your parents think of you?
Hello Again – Celtic Thunder (So much Celtic Thunder. I also have other things, honest.)
16. What will you dance to at your wedding?
Beauty and the Beast – Diamond Rio (Could be worse.)
17. What will they play at your funeral?
Tuning Out – Bastille (Again, but why?)
18. What is your hobby/interest?
It’s Time – Imagine Dragons
20. What is the worst thing that could happen?
One Bedroom – Yellowcard
21. How will you die?
History – One Direction
22. What is the one thing you regret?
Green Eyes – The Hunts
23. What makes you laugh?
Bleeding Out – Imagine Dragons (Um… XD)
24. What makes you cry?
You Raise Me Up – Celtic Thunder
25. Will you ever get married?
Grey – Yellowcard (That’s a very vague answer.)
26. What scares you the most?
Weight of Living, Pt. 1 – Bastille
