Parenthetically

I was just getting ready to pack up the computer for the big move and thought I'd take a minute to post a little something before I hit the road.  The last two days have been an awesome time of hanging out with friends!  Yesterday afternoon Andrea organized a little get together at Fair Trade Cafe downtown (I heart that place!).  Some Poiema peeps and "old" friends came and brought me mixed cds for my road trip.  I am so stoked to pop those puppies in and listen to great tunes while barreling down the freeway!  I also got some really sweet letters, cards, pictures and an amazing Poverty and Justice Bible!  The most creative goes to Cash, since he broke the rules and created a Facebook profile for me.  I've resisted for months, but like it or not, I guess I'm a Facebooker now.  It was so wonderful to get to talk about Africa and Portland and just hang out together.  Afterwards we hit up LGO for gelato (first!) and my last avocado pizza for a long time.  It was just so nice to be surrounded by good friends and it didn't feel like a "goodbye" at all.  I'm still in denial that I won't be seeing everyone next week.

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Uh.  Wow.  I'm moving to another state tomorrow.  When did this happen?

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So this morning I went downtown to see my brother and say goodbye.  It wasn't so bad, thanks to my friend, Katie (who needs a blog I can link to).  Then I went to my last service and said like the one millionth goodbye (Ohio, Africa, Portland... I'm sure they are thinking when is she just going to leave already?).  Katie and I went to a little local Mexican restaurant for our last supper together and much to our surprise in came the Poiema herd!  So we had a nice long lunch chatting some more... and then another goodbye!  It still doesn't feel real.  But lucky for me there are plenty of trips already planned for Oregon, so I'll have lots of visitors!

I can't believe I'm doing this.  I must be crazy, but I'm pretty excited.  Ready to hit the road.  Ready to start the next phase.  Ready to see what God is going to teach me in Portland.  Bring it on!

Crunchland

The fortune cookie said, "You are heading for a land of sunshine and relaxation".  Maybe the cookie thinks I'm moving to Mexico?  I love Oregon, but it's no land of sunshine - that's for sure!

3:00am

That's the time I officially gave up trying to sleep and got out of bed this morning.  Go ahead and just stop reading now.  I have nothing to say, just rambling.  I have had a productive pre-dawn, though.  I loaded all the software onto the laptop and sorted through some more stuff and got a little packing done.  And all of it seems so worthless.  Do I like my computer? Sure. Can I live without it? In a heartbeat.  Same with the cell phone, same with my bed, my clothes, my car, everything.  And you know what?  I think I'd be much happier.  But how do you do that in this society? My adjustment from Africa was oddly way too easy, and I think it's catching up to me now.  First there was the days of traveling to get back, the bizarreness of airports and shopping, then the catching up with friends and family, loading pictures, packing for Portland.  And I haven't really spent any time thinking about where I am, what I am doing and what I just came from.  It's like the busyness of my life all the time and how I jump from one all consuming thing to the next with no time to process any of it.  Of course I can appreciate being back in the familiar of home and able to see my friends and family who I love, but I'm not going to lie: I would have stayed in Malawi if I could, and I'm craving to go back already.  I've been so over America for so long and traveling internationally can definitely accentuate just exactly how we are viewed by others.  And this just in: it ain't pretty.  I'm tired of being so self-absorbed.  I'm tired of American Christianity.  I'm damn tired of American politics.  I'm also just plain tired.  Moving to Portland has been something exciting for me to look forward to for the last few months, but suddenly I'm kinda over that, too.  I'm still going, of course, heck I already quit my job here weeks ago.  But I just feel like even that is nothing but all about me and although I can live a greener lifestyle it's still not enough.  I want to quit thinking about the unimportant things altogether and focus on justice.  Real justice, not just making some changes in America, but actually using my hands and my feet to make a direct impact on someone's life.  The true work, action, love of Jesus. There is so much to be done if we are willing.  I am willing.  Lord, please send me!

Waiting

I'll be here for the next 10 days!

To Pro or not to Pro

For now I'm just excited.  The guilt hasn't set in yet.  I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

This post was brought to you today by:

Third nipple

It's been asked before about the nubbin label. (I guess it rubs people funny! Har har!) I think you could say it's a third nipplish post of sorts. Like not really a proper post, but just an extra lil somethin' somethin'. The internet offers this definition:

nub·bin n.
1. A small stunted ear of corn.
2. A small stunted or projecting part.

Being a long time Dooce reader, I actually stole this label from her. So there you have it!

Little One

Your laugh is the sweetest,
and your toddle the cutest!

On my mind

To the man on the corner: I'm so sorry for being on the phone. I can imagine how that came across and I am sorry. I would have put the phone down ordinarily, but it truly was an important call I couldn't inturrupt. I wish I had the opportunity to ask your name, see how you are doing and tell you to hang in there, but I was a jerk. Thank you for taking the change, I hope it at least got you something to eat or cool to drink.

To God: Thank you for filling my cup with change that jingles and reminds me to give it to others.