Colossians 3:17: July 2005

Random

So, I was at work yesterday. Nothing to exciting about that. It was surprisingly slow, so I was able to have a few short conversations with some customers. As I was preparing a tray of samples of our new Green Tea Frappuccino Blended Creme; a customer (whom I've never seen in my life!) came up to me, this is how that conversation went:

Customer: Are you from a family of like 9 kids?

Me: Yes.....(in a sort of wondering voice)

Customer: I think I know your brother.

Me: Really? Who?

Customer: Seth, he's one of my most favorite people in the whole world!

Me: Isn't that interesting.

Customer: You look a lot like him, sound like him, and even talk the same way...so I just had to ask.

Me: You know this isn't the first time a complete stranger figured out one of us was related to someone else in the family. We all look a lot alike.

Customer: I even have his picture on my phone! Or look, even one on my digital camera! I even have a picture of his shoes!!

Me: Yep, that's my brother.

The End.

I guess there's no denying where I come from. How people can pick us out in this world is beyond me! I'm never sure whether to take it as a compliment when they say I look exactly like my brother. I mean, what girl wants to look like a boy?!

****************

I am off to visit my home away from home tomorrow. I'll get some quality bonding time with my Michael Buble' and Mr. Coldplay. Then, even more quality time with some of the greatest, most amazing people God ever created. YIPPEEE!!!! No work for almost a whole week...and tons of fun in Canada!!

The forgotten day.

This blog goes out to those of you who remembered to wish me a Happy Birthday the other day. For everyone else who forgot...I have full license to unashamedly forget yours.

Those who remembered on their own:

*Molly Palmer
*Jodie Fluit
*Bettina Schmidt
*Hanna Binder
*Grandma DiGeronimo
*My Family members living state-side.

Those who should have remembered:

*My family members living overseas
*Certain people living in Canada
*My friends from home, especially those I saw on my Birthday.

I think my 24th can go down in history as the most dull, and unexciting birthday ever. I did, however, enjoy spending half the day with my 10-year-old brother at his big soccer tournament.

A painting for me.

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

- Matthew 7:11

I couldn't help but think of that verse tonight as I was driving home from work, exhausted from a long shift at Starbucks. Mentally tired from the inner battle I've been fighting...the battle between the need for money, and the desire to travel and visit friends.

As I was driving home I got to witness and soak in the most amazing sunset I have ever seen. No joking! The colors were AMAZING! I wanted to drive faster just to keep up with it! And thats when I was reminded of God's love for me, and his desire to give gifts to his children - ME!
That sunset tonight, tho witnessed by many milions of people was for me, and me alone. It was a sunset specially painted for me. It was something I needed, and God knew that.

I love God!

just my luck

I was fortunate enough to travel business/first class for the first time in my life. Let me just say...I could get used to that kind of living. I had to pay a little extra for those seats because there was no room in economy. So, from Pakistan to Sri Lanka I got to ride in style. They were smaller planes, so it wasn't what First Class would be on a larger airline, but still it was nice.

As I sat down in my seat from Sri Lanka to Dubai I thought "it sure would be nice to be bumped to First Class for this flight, or my next flight on to London" and it was on this flight that I really discovered how much of a sense of humor God has!

We were flying along just fine, the flight was smooth, there was no turbulence. The lady in the seat next to me was dozing peacefully while I tried to get comfortable in my limited space without spilling out into the isle. Suddenly the lady next to me wakes up and motions to me (after some thinking and trying to figure out what she is trying to tell me) that she is airsick. I think, no problem, the lavatories (which is such a funny name for a bathroom) are just two rows up. So, I start to get up, but she nods her head 'no.' Ok...now what do I do? I rummage around in my seat pocket in front of me....no vomit bag. Hmm, what about this bag my earphones came in....?

TOO LATE!!!

This lady (probably never had to care for herself in her life!) just vomitted all over the place!! AND ON ME!!

SICK!!

I was so disgusted. Thank goodness I could look forward to my nice hotel room in London where I could get a nice hot shower!

I make my way to the lavatories where I do my best to clean of the foul smelling substance. When I return the flight attendants are doing their best to clean the area. They offer me a wet rag to clean myself some more, then....finally. I am asked to follow one of them.

FIRST CLASS BABY!!! wooo hooo!!

I couldn't even touch the seat in front of me with my feet....trust me, I tried! I had to get up out of my seat to adjust my TV screen on the back of the seat in front of me! It was great....I could almost lay fully reclined!

I enjoyed a full hour and 20 minutes of luxury, before I had to deplane and got demoted back to economy class on my next flight....a full 7 hours of torture!

Starbucks.....AGAIN?!

So, with my arrival back home came the need to earn money. I'm broke. As in, I have about $11 dollars to my name...which would go far in Pakistan or Sri Lanka but not in America! This is the poorest I've ever been in my whole life!

I thought the whole process was going to be this horribly painful process of filling out application after application and never hearing back. Well, I dropped off two applications. One at a gas station, and the other at a Starbucks. The manager at the Starbucks was too busy to interview me then so he said he would have to give me a call later. When I got home I got a call from him and he said my referrences were so good he would have the assistant manager call tomorrow with my schedule. She called about two hours later. So....I guess I'm employed. This will be my third Starbucks I've worked in. The partners seemed really nice and the store is new so everything will be nice and new!

We'll see about the gas station too. I would like to work 4 - 10 hour shifts at Starbucks and hopefully two days at the gas station as well.

**Special thanks to Doug my manager from Michigan for the good recommendation!