Birthday Blog

Whoa, I'm 22!! Yea, I never expected my 22^nd birthday to be very exciting. Fact: it was on a Monday this year. Fact: most of my friends are working young adults or still in college. Fact: my parents bought a box cake which I was to prepare for my own birthday celebration. Fact: I always feel awkward on my birthday…

I find it awkward and a bit narcissistic (although it really isn't) when I have to gather my friends together to do what I want to do, when I want to do it, for the celebration of me and my birth. I love celebrating others' birthdays… just not always my own. The best birthday I've had was junior year when my bestie, Nikki J, planned everything out as a surprise for me. I didn't have to think about anything; I just got in the car, applied the blindfold, and enjoyed each little planned segment of my birthday. I didn't have to make plans to have my friends focus on me HAHA. I'm pretty extroverted, but I've neverd like being the center of attention, and on one's birthday, isn't that the point?!? So yea, birthdays are weird. And besides, my other birthdays in the past were never a big deal. It's around that time of year when everything seems to happen. Usually my birthday is too close to Thanksgiving to celebrate with friends and my mother's birthday is three days before mine, dad's birthday is nine days after mine, my sister Robin's birthday is five days after that, and then it's Christmas!!! There's just too much going on, holiday celebrations, and too many cakes to worry about. I remember one birthday when the 3/4ths of leftover pound cake from Thanksgiving became my birthday cake. We stuck candles into a partially devoured cake. Even on my 21^st birthday, it was that Sunday of Thanksgiving break. My parents had to get me back to Waco pretty quickly because they had to be back in Dallas for church. They barely got the chance to say "Happy Birthday" (they may have forgotten), and before leaving me in Waco they bought me lunch from Wendy's… to go. Most of my friends weren't back yet or busy getting ready for Monday classes and couldn't celebrate with me at Crickets but I was blessed enough to a few GREAT friends join me. I really do enjoy small groups of people, and it was probably for the best that I didn't have one of those wild and crazy 21^st birthdays. So typically, birthdays = no big deal.

This year's birthday was unexpectedly fun. I hadn't even thought about my birthday until Claire asked me few days before what I was planning to do. I thought, "Oh gosh, what do I want to?" I really came up with some nerdy, ridiculous ideas like laser tag or a board game night, but I finally decided upon ice skating. I've been ice skating once when I was ten or eleven. I didn't remember it being terribly fun but actually terrifying. But then I thought… "I'm 22! Why not?! I can try to ice skate."

My birthday kicked off with the traditional call and/or visit at midnight from Richard! He did both this year… so fun!! During the day, we had sushi for lunch at Chaucer's, coffee at Starbucks, visited Justen, and saw the movie Precious. OMG, I need to write another blog devoted to Precious. I think I will. It's so freakin' good. I cried throughout and after. It's a beautiful, heart-retching and tragic story. Once we left the theater, Richard and I met up with Claire, Dana, and Julia for dinner and ice skating at the Galleria Mall. Richard, Claire, and I were the only three able to ice skate, but the three of us had such a great time. None of us ever fell, although we all had our ungraceful and spastic moments on the ice. I think we looked graceful for about 1.5 seconds at a time before one of us would stumble (usually me!). Richard and I finished off my birthday night with a drink from Idle Rich… delicious. We didn't stay too long because I knew that I needed to get back home to bake my birthday cake… but my parents graciously baked my box cake for me and we sang before going to bed. It was a marvelous birthday J !!

Dear God,

When my parents sang the Happy Birthday song, finishing it off with "and many more," it made me realize that "many more" aren't always promised. I truly hope for "many more." There is so much this life has given me, and I hope I can still give back. Happiness may be for today, but my deepest joys are steadfast in Your LOVE and abundant GRACE that is consistently and constantly reflected by the friends, family, and people I have around me. The "many more" is indeed in Your hands, but I honestly want "many more" because I LOVE waking to Your many more blessings.

Love,
Elizabeth

Thanks

I am thankful for...

-not ever getting the swine flu
-text messaging
-an actual autumn in Texas
-laughter
-the internet (well done, Al Gore)
-being on health insurance until I'm 25
-my driver's license
-coffee
-Grover Diego (my pet Beta fish)
-lamps
-the television shows Glee, HIMYM, Big Bang Theory, and House Hunters
-Netflix
-my journal
-the recession... oh wait, JUST KIDDING!
-warm socks
-chapsticks and lipgloss
-meteor showers
-an occassional margarita
-the giraffe statue in front of the Dallas Zoo with the huge... oh, you know ;-)
-paintings
-hugs
-extra rolls of toilet paper
-dental floss
-empty highways
-sparkly, shiny, and/or shimmery things

and of course...

-faith, friends, family, joy, love, consideration, and courage

Meh.

Dear Blog, 

Please excuse my brief absence.  I have been away working as a "Personal Assistant."  What is the life of a P.A. you wonder? Well, it involves running errands, random chores, and home repairs.  With all my new knowledge of power tools and continuous do-it-yourself repair work,  I think I could go into the home-building business.  My P.A. job is pretty sweet deal; my benefits include, free transportation and sometimes free lunch, flexible hours, no early mornings, and I just get to have an awesome employer ;-)

But besides being a P.A., my life hasn't been anything too exciting.  I've had a few entertaining and shocking moments sprinkled between long durations of dullness, but none of those sprinklings have moved me to write. Blog, I just haven't been inspired.  But I hope to shake things up in the near future.  I turn 22 soon, Thanksgiving is near, and Christmas(!) isn't too far behind.

I do have a bit of news that would be of interest: I'm about 90% "yes" to moving to Florida at the start of the new year.  Change is always a good thing, and let's face it, Dallas and I have been stagnant for awhile.  Maybe we just need some time apart; a few weeks or months to regroup, find our true selves again.  Dallas, it's not you... it's me.  I think I need Miami right now.

A little more news: I've been trying to read more, stimulate my dragging brain.  I think I want to start another separate blog devoted to the books I read, songs I currently obsess about, and new delicious foods I eat.

I'd like to share a little preview.  Lately, I'm obssessed with the song To Make You Feel My Love - Adele.  The song was written by Bob Dylan and I believe Garth Brooks sung it for the movie, Hope Floats, but I LOVE her version.  It's not a new song; not one of those new discoveries; nor something that's currently on the radio or will hit the radio soon.  It's just a good tune with lyrics that I've connected with and I can't stop listening to it.  There are certain songs that make me wish I could sing... and this is one of them.  I would sing this my future husband at our wedding or to my kid before bed... yes, I like it just that much.  Thank you Bob Dylan and Adele.

Waiting to be Inspired,
Elizabeth

October 30th

Exactly one year ago, I had my last conversation with my Grandmother, Camille Redden, wishing her a happy birthday and talking about our days. That phone call ended like most: "I love you. I miss you. Talk to you later." The next time I got to "talk" to her was two weeks later at the hospital. She had suffered a stroke and could no longer communicate verbally. She was able to make sounds, but that was about all.

She was so beautiful inside and out. I miss her all the time. Every time I pick up a book to read or drink a cup of coffee, it reminds me of her… in a good way. She always seemed generally content and happy, so thinking of her makes me content and happy. I'm hardly ever sad now when I think of her, and I don't have any reason to be sad because I'm certain she is not.

Happy Birthday, Grandmother.

thanks but no thanks

This past weekend was a-mazing! It was Baylor’s 100th Homecoming Celebration. It was my first Homecoming as an alum and it made me miss Baylor and my Baylor friends more than anything. Although I’ve been to Baylor recently, just being there for homecoming was perfectly nostalgic and beautiful. I. Love. Baylor.

The day before Claire and I left for Waco, Cedar Valley called asking for my references, always a good sign. Turns out they called most if not all my references listed. Not only was I just having a great weekend, but there was a chance of employment once the weekend was over.
Homecoming: Baylorbound friends, Scotland friends, hall friends, former roommates, former bosses who are friends, FCC friends, church friends, former neighbors, old friends, re-connected friends, bonfire, good music, dancing, fireworks, good food and drinks, long parade, bad football, naps, Settlers of Cataan, kolaches from West, and Café Cappuccino. SO GOOD!

After returning home, I napped, showered, and went to rearrange my room. My room now has hard-wood floor instead of dirty, stained carpet. I took a break and got online. Checked my email and there it was… an email from Cedar Valley just waiting for me. It had been sent late Friday afternoon. I then remembered that I didn’t check it before I left, and it was a good thing that hadn’t. It was yet another rejection letter… really?!? Yep.

At least I didn’t read it before leaving for Waco. It may have put a damper on my weekend. I was so confident about this one; it was such a good fit. “Another candidate is better suited for the position.” I can’t imagine how someone else is more qualified or better suited… I just can’t. But I guess it’s not what God wants me to do either.

Dear God,

Please use me. I’m ready.

Love,
Elizabeth

G.D.

Name: Grover Diego

Age: 18 months

Sex: Male

Color: Shimmery Red

Grover Diego, my beautiful Beta fish, has been sick. He was overdue for a water change, but has been living swimmingly... until last Sunday. As Sunday night's church group was leaving, one of the ladies alerted me that Gover Diego was floating on his side and appeared dead. Dad tapped and shook the bowl. He eventually started moving...but he was so weak. I rushed to change his water and fed him a small amount of food. I monitored his progress throught the night and continued into the next day. He was having trouble swimming normally. He could only sink, float, or rely on his little plastic tree for support. My poor baby. Part of his little aquatic body kept skimming the surface of the water, like he couldn't really submerge himself. His swimming was laborious; he would flap his little fins so hard and couldn't get where he wanted to go... :-(

I played him his favorite song, Private Dancer by Tina Turner, and sang him the song I wrote and sang for him everyday when I got out of class and both lived in my dorm room. He liked that. He swam at little better. I think he's ready to move out of the kitchen area. Maybe he's tired of his new location. Grover Diego and I so similar. He has simple joys, likes good music, enjoys company, and likes change. Grover Diego entered my life a month after I returned from Scotland. He's charming and adorable, the best listener ever, and so brilliant both mentally and in color. He's the perfect Beta. I was so worried about his survival.

Thankfully after a few nights of rehabiliation, close monitoring, and intensive care, I'm proud to say that he has finally fully recovered. I was worried about losing a best friend but crisis averted. Sic 'em Grover Diego.

"Meet me at the fair."

Friday: hello, Nikki!!! Baylor does this whole Fall Break thing. It’s only one day, Friday, so not to be equated with Spring break, but as I recall, it's glorious all the same. I was so elated to get a call from Nikki saying should be in town to for break, and that we would hanging out. I am truly fond of all my friends, especially Nikki. That Friday evening, the two of us rode up together to Claire and Dana’s place for a small dinner party they were throwing. It was fun with delicious foods, delicious drinks, funny stories, and Patton doing his usual “business” on the floor. Afterwards, most guests were pretty tired, but I somehow always get re-energized at the end of the night. My hypothesis is that I absorb the entire room’s leftover energy, so while everyone else is ready to call it a night, I’m up for another round… I bet I get annoying.

Well, Dana had a little life in her, too, so we managed to convince Claire to come with us to Pete’s Piano bar. When we got there, it was full of OU and UT fans in town a night early before the next day’s big Red River Shootout football game at the Cotton Bowl. The majority of people were OU fans, and they paid about $150 to get their Boomer Sooner fight song played. That sounds like a mighty large amount of money until just two seasoned OSU women paid $200 for their Cowboy fight song. What the heck were OSU fans doing there anyway?!?! Then those very same two cougars started dancing on stage. The skinny gal began shaking and rubbing her butt along the piano, a new dance move I’d like to call “buffin’ it” since it appeared like she was buffing a newly washed grand piano with her hind parts. The other cougar, being much larger and wearing a stunning shiny black and gold tiger print blouse tried to seduce the pianists and shamelessly flashed them a boob. Little did she realize in her drunken state that the wall behind the piano is, in fact, one big mirror. The entire bar got a boob (at least those not yet in a completely drunken stupor). Those two probably won’t remember their debut performances, and that’s probably for the best. The rest of night progressed just as wildly. Another pair of boobs came out, a bride-to-be carrying a giant pink inflatable penis got some on-stage recognition, and finally, we conga-lined out the door (quite literally!) and went back home. Instead of going to sleep, the three of us attempted to learn the ho-down throw-down Miley Cyrus dance and posted a video of it on dear Nikki’s facebook wall.

The next day was all about the State Fair of Texas. This was my first time to go the State Fair of Texas and not just go to the Cotton Bowl for a football game. Bryan drove up from Waco to go with us. We parked at Victory Station near the American Airlines Center to catch the new Green Line to the Fair. It took almost an hour to get the 5 miles to the Park. The new DART rail was having some serious issues. But once there, we were greeted by Big Tex, and I got my first State Fair corny dog. Best.Corny.Dog.Ever! I finally got the chance to ride the huge Texas Star Ferris wheel! We also rode another ride called the X-Treme which was fun. We explored a science exhibit, ate fried peaches and cream (life-changing-ly delicious), fried oreos and a Belgium waffle, became Deputy Texas Hill wine tasters, went to the car show, saw African Acrobats, and left the fair by hailing a Taxi. Our taxi driver was a bit reckless and we mistakeningly told him to drop us off at the wrong spot which left us walking close to mile to the car, but it was still fun. Needless to say, it was a glorious and fantastic weekend.

"That's just what Baylor girls do."

*This is my second post of the day. I was going to combine two posts, but they’re better separate, so if you’re still interested in reading… scroll down to read the other new post below.

Today was my interview with Cedar Valley College. The position I interviewed for is a part-time position but with the office of student life. A friend from church, Kay, came by to drive me to the interview. I was a little nervous because I applied for this position about a month ago and on that day I applied to at least eight different jobs one right after the other. Basically I walked in not really remembering what position I was interviewing for.

I got there a little early and just sat for a few minutes, but then my curiosity got the best of me and I figured it would be beneficial to explore the student life center. I passed by a room where a few women were eating lunch, and just as I passed by, one of them popped her head out and said, “Hi. I’m guessing you’re Elizabeth. We’re in here.” It was still at least 15 minutes before noon, my scheduled interview time, and the conference table was still covered with the remains of their lunches. I apologized for being so early, but just as I said that, another woman walked in and said, “That’s just what Baylor girls do.” She had a big smile on her face when she said it, and the other women started giggling.

All the ladies introduced themselves and happily explained that I was the first interviewee there to represent Baylor University. The other lady was pretty excited that another bear was there, and believe me, so was I! I really think that the interview went well. I answered all the questions they asked me to the best of my ability. Every time I said, “while I was at Baylor…” it just sent one of my interviewers into a fit of giggles as she tried to do a sic ‘em. I joked and said that I feel like I should do a sic ‘em after I answer each question. They all laughed and smiled and continued to joke around.

I was really hoping that Travelers would call me before going to that interview with a job offer. I wasn’t looking forward to a part-time job, but after that interview, maybe that’s where I need to be. I don’t know. Only time can tell how everything will unfold. Well anyway, it was a great interview. The job would require maybe one night shift a week and possibly a few weekends. I may have to do a bit of travelling and I’d be trained to drive a 15 passenger van. Bring on the van! I would probably only work 18 hours a week, but I think it should all be really fun.

New Firsts

Monday was an exciting day for me. I acquired my driver’s license only a few months ago, so I’m a fairly new driver. My parents are tirelessly apprehensive about letting me drive, but I think I do just fine on the roads. They are especially cautious about letting me drive around Dallas. The highways are always so busy and traffic is rarely light. I once read an article listing cities in America with the worst and rudest drivers; Dallas ranked second behind New York… that sucks. Basically there is no such thing as southern hospitality on DFW highways and interstates. Monday was a big deal because both of my parents were off-work and headed to the State Fair which meant I had access to Mom’s car all day long. :-) I made plans to meet Richard at North Park Mall around lunchtime. Driving from home to North Park Mall requires taking I-20 to I-45/I-75. My parents were definitely worried, offering to just drop me off there, but I insisted that they let me do this.

Accompanied by Owl City’s (Click me! <- this'll get stuck in your head... but you'll like it) Ocean Eye's CD, I conquered the roads. I switched lanes, dodged traffic, merged, and exited here and there. It was fun. This was the first time that I was alone on the highways. Another first was parking in the parking garage… I think I’m a pro now. Heck yes.

North Park’s food court with Richard was great as always. We basically sat there trying to look like young professionals on their lunch break, but I doubt we fooled anybody. I think I reek of unemployment. Anyhow, we window shopped and I picked out the boots I’d buy if I had the money or a job. After admiring all the pretty things in the mall, we left for a small coffee shop called BuzzBrews. Their slogan: drink unto you Buzz. The coffee was delicious, strong, and only two buck for an endless supply. I would say that I’m their new biggest fan. After an entire afternoon of hanging out, it was time to part; however sadly that was rush hour. I also had to pee. My options were going southbound towards home or northbound to visit Claire. I figured that I would be able to get to Claire faster and able to use her facilities. Traffic was both ways, but at least it would promise more fun going north. So I then drove to I-75 to 635, more highway! I just love hanging out with Claire and Dana. I love those girls. The evening was going well until my mother intervened. Apparently she called my phone, but I was busy and didn’t hear it. She then proceeded to call Richard looking for me. Since I wasn’t with him, she got Claire’s number and called her. It was only about 10:30 PM and she was frantically calling all my friends about my whereabouts. I hadn’t planned on staying out late, but she was overly worried. I’m almost 22 and just had my mother call all my friends to tell me to come home because it was getting late… whelp that put a damper on my day out. Just another reason why I know I need to find a job and move out soon.

The Weekend

Nothing out of the ordinary has really happened since my last blog post. I do, however, have a renewed sense of confidence and a more fierce determination. I anxiously wait to hear back from the insurance company, but since then, I have set up an interview with Cedar Valley Community College to be a student coordinator. That sounds fun, too! It’s Wednesday at noon, and I hope it goes well.

The most interesting thing I’ve done lately was go to the Dallas Arboretum, and that was incredibly fun. Claire and I were thinking of fun weekend plans and wanted to include Julia. We pondered going to the state fair, but with Julia’s barista shift starting at 3 PM, it would be too expensive for such a short block of time. And then there was a sign… the Arboretum! Along Interstate 75, there stood a billboard for “Autumn at the Arboretum.” Weekend plans: made. The Dallas Arboretum is home to thousands of flowers, various trees, miniature houses, fountains, trails, gardens, and basically anything and everything beautiful that nature has to offer. After sleeping over at Julia’s new swanky apartment, meeting her new boyfriend (great guy), and hanging out with another Baylor alum, Rachel, the four of us swung by to get Claire and then a friend of Julia’s new boyfriend. [I hope that wasn’t confusing. Basically six awesome post grads/new friends are headed to the Arboretum.]

The pamphlets being peddled at the entrance advertised that inside were “over 40,000 pumpkins.” After walking through… I believed it. It was wonderful. So many pumpkins everywhere! I took a butt-load of pictures. Photographic evidence can be found when clicking the link. We played around the entire Arboretum as if we had all known each other since childhood, especially since we behaved like children. We jumped and skipped, rolled down the hill a few times, make a human pyramid, and made some rather small and youthful new friends. It was a fantastic Saturday afternoon or simply “botanical bliss” as Aaron called it.

Job??!!

After doing so much job hunting, Claire and I decided to go to Baylor last Tuesday for the Job Fair at the Ferrell Center. The last Baylor Job Fair that I attended was pretty lame. It was last spring semester and the Non-profit Job Fair. I had high hopes for it because Non-Profit Organizations really interest me; I would really love working for an organization or company that is geared towards making people a priority and making the world a better place besides just turning a profit. But bluntly put, that fair was crap. There were very few organizations in attendance and the few that were there didn’t actually have jobs to offer. So, naturally I was a bit skeptical, but also super nervous because so many other perspective employers had rejected or ignored me. I really did not want this job fair to be a dead end.

That Tuesday morning, Claire came to my house and we merrily left for Waco. We got there in time to meet the wonderful and lovely Nikki and Kelcy for lunch at Teriyaki Park. It was fantastic! I absolutely LOVE those girls. After lunch, we left for New Student Programs to visit some Baylor family members, receive some words of encouragement, and change into professional attire for the fair. After a few practice runs with Keane working on my (“Hi, I’m Elizabeth. Please hire me,” and*smile*) introduction, we were ready and headed to the Ferrell Center.

As we walked in, we encountered an old transfer student that we knew from Welcome Weekend, Bruke. He briefly wished us luck at the fair and told us that his life at Baylor has been fantastic. He then told us that we influenced his life and helped him get involved at Baylor. That made me feel really warm and fuzzy inside. I really made a difference. It gave me the extra boost of confidence I needed to walk into that room and pimp out my rockstar resume.

I went to many different tables and handed out more resumes than I expected. The Hastings table was one of my favorites. The chick recruiting was super cool. The job is in Amarillo so I’m not really interested in it, but it did make me think of this summer and my trip to see Cole in Amarillo filled with our almost daily Hastings/Roasters visits. Anyway, one of the tables that I forked over my resume to was Travelers Insurance Company. It seemed that all the reps there were Baylor Alumni, and after a brief conversation with the Manager, Chris, I was asked to meet him after the fair for an interview at Starbucks!! AAHHH!!! What a spur of the moment interview, but I accepted. :-)

By the time Claire and I left the Ferrell Center, it was time for my interview! She dropped me off at Starbucks. My heart was pounding and blood rapidly shooting through my veins. I thought that getting a Shaken Lemonade Tea would calm my nerves. Yea… I spilt it down my blouse. In the minutes I had left to panic, I tried to clean myself up. Luckily my blouse had some ruffles down the front that I could shift around to hide the largest of the tea stains. When he arrived we sat in Chili’s Too and interviewed for a full hour… or more. During the course of the hour, I answered most of his questions extremely well, while others… let’s just say I gave him a thumbs-up during the interview. If I had read a book about interviewing, I bet there would be a chapter providing a list of things NOT to do which would probably include giving your interviewer a thumbs-up. I also walked away without giving him that final good-bye handshake. Ugh. Despite the tea-stained blouse, thumbs-up hand gesture, and lack of a parting handshake, I was asked to come by the office on Friday to take an assessment test. Phew…

After the interview, I meet back up with Claire down in Keane’s office and the three of us headed off to dinner at Food For Thought. It was delicious and so good spending time with Papa Tarbell. Then it was off to meet the glorious, John K. at Common Grounds. Before we finished the night, Claire and I decided to make a trip to Braum’s for ice cream.

Something had happened at the job fair that had left me feeling a little crummy all day. As I explained it all to Claire, I couldn’t hold it in anymore… the water works came. I didn’t talk about this earlier, but one of the tables at the fair made me feel as if I were one inch tall. I stood there trying to explain and validate my International Studies degree only to have the recruiter from an international import/export company say, “Oh, that’s interesting. I’m sure that’ll be useful somehow.” I’m sure that she had no intentions of hurting my feelings or making me feel insignificant, but that’s exactly what she did. It bothered me through the entire fair, throughout my interview, through dinner, and even into coffee. Clearly, my other posts have explained how miserable being unemployed makes me feel. For months I have thought about my degree and what it means to me. I felt and still sometimes feel as if my degree was a bit worthless, especially in this economy, but after that recruiter’s statement, it really hit me that everyone else might think the same way, too. All these months of unsuccessful job searching! About 120,000 dollars later, I have a degree that no one cares about. Also, it wasn’t just that one recruiter that made me feel like an inch of worthless post-graduate poop; other tables were recruiting for specific majors like education, business, accounting, finance, engineering, and even psychology, but NOT one table looking was in search of an international studies major… big surprise there. It was just frustrating and heart-breaking walking around, and feeling so unwanted/un-needed/ hopeless.

I was actually too upset for ice cream that night. I was happy about my interview, but really… I never thought that getting a degree in international studies could potentially land me a job at an insurance agency. My heart is devoted to helping others, and I would love to travel overseas to help others. But I feel like I have been fighting with God since the middle of senior year. The things that I want to do, I can’t do or at least not yet. It feels as if I’m this untamed puppy trying to roam, but God has put me on a short leash. Maybe if I’m good here, I’ll be granted a bit of slack to go elsewhere. But like I mentioned before, I’m really just looking for any job at this point. I just need a salary and benefits. My short leash has left me with very few options.

When I finally got home that night, I found comfort in the arms of my mother. Nothing beats crying in your mom’s arms and letting her tell you everything will be okay. She assured me that my degree is real and not worthless. She assured me that I am not worthless. Thanks, Mom.


(Days pass… insert more rejection emails, boring days, and random happenings here.)


Friday arrived. I got the email from the company telling me where to go that morning. The office is in Richardson and less than two miles from my Dad’s office, so we carpooled together, and then I took the car to Travelers alone to take the assessment test. I was nervous about it. I knew little about the content or format, just that it was timed and would take about three hours. Well, I took it, and yes, it was indeed three hours long: some multiple-choice sections and some computer sections. Most of the test just insulted my intelligence; there was some matching, picking out accurate diagrams, grammar, basic math, writing, and a bit of typing. I started the test around 8:30 AM, and finally finished around 11:45 AM. When I finished, Teresa, the tester lady, asked if I could come back at 1 after lunch for another interview. Sure! I had lunch with my Dad at his company picnic, and when I returned I met with two managers this time and had an hour and half long interview followed by a peer interview where I sat with a claims rep at his desk and watched him work. He explained the job and the computer system as we clicked our way through the claims process. He was pretty nice, too. He was probably in his early twenties, American Studies major/ psychology minor, and hoping to one day advance to auto liability stuff. Eventually I was sent home…by that time it was 3:40 PM. I had been there ALL day. Since I was already in the area, I meet up with Claire to hang out. This was super convenient since I had planned on seeing her later anyway for her brother’s concert. Garrett, Claire’s brother, is super talented, so the concert was great. Jason came, too, and all of us hanging out turned out to be pretty dang awesome. Friday turned out to be a fantastic day.

After much grief, praying, the fair, misery, interviews, tests, and fun, the week ended and now I just have to wait for a few days to finally hear back about a job offer. I hope and pray that I get it. Getting this job would be such a big blessing for me, and I would really appreciate a paycheck. It seems like a decent job, something I could definitely do for awhile, ...or at least until I get things figured out and my leash gets lengthened. So, cheers to that.

Hmmmm?

Since last time, I have kept applying for jobs and have been hanging out with Claire, Richard, Dana, and Julia. I feel like I can complain a whole bunch, but let me step back and really evaluate my life: I live at home with crazy yet wonderful parents who provide for me in every way possible. They allow me many freedoms at home, let me borrow the car, loan me money, don’t make me pay for hardly anything, and they go to work and church a good percentage of the time giving me plenty of alone time. Living at home could be much worse. As for having no job, well that does indeed suck. I don’t have much work experience outside of my jobs at Baylor and Kaufman ISD, but I do have a wonderful education, a variety of skills and talents, and an overload of potential. Patience has never been one of my stronger virtues, so I think this is definitely a trial of patience. I like to be busy and useful; therefore, not working and mooching/freeloading off Mom and Dad tend to slowly eat away at my soul. I really just want to be useful to someone. I need to feel like a valuable asset to somebody or something. I need to feel like I wake up with purpose and a goal to strive for. So, I find myself at a difficult crossroad: should I move to Florida? I mentioned it to Robin a few months ago and my parents understand why I’m thinking of making this move. Unemployment is a bit stressful, and no one in Dallas has really welcomed me with open arms. Maybe my prospects in Miami would be better? Perhaps I would find more opportunities there and transportation won’t be such a pain.

Miami pros: Robin lives in the nicer part of town where there is plenty of business and public transportation. I would have access to her car just about every day if I didn’t use public transportation. I could work in retail, service industry, or public relations. Robin and Doug have a lot of network connections. I would still be living rent/bill free. Robin has a pool and hot-tube in the backyard. Miami is beautiful. She has cool friends to hang out with. I have a few friends that I could get to know better.

The cons: I leave my parents and my closest/best friends. I leave Dallas, a city that I have fallen hard for. I leave Texas. I won’t be close to Baylor to just spontaneously go for a football game or homecoming or to have dinner with good friends.

I know that my pros list is longer than my cons list, but those fewer cons outweigh so many of those pros. I really love every aspect of my life here except for the jobless part, but having a job is supremely important to me. I have no money of my own and nothing important to do once I wake up in the morning. I miss responsibilities, co-worker banter, coming home tired, learning on the job, getting assigned projects, and accomplishing goals. I feel like I have no goals or direction… and that’s terrifying!

Time is ticking. What to do? Do I take a chance and move to Miami? Do I hold on a bit longer in hopes of something great happening here? But then will I be left “waiting for Godot”? Where is my future heading? I feel like it’s coming towards me but I’m not going towards it. I’m missing my future, and I desperately hope I don’t lose it all together.

Humorous

Dear God,

This is Elizabeth. I know you remember me. I tend to pester you from time to time. I know you love me… but I realize that you also love to laugh. So by putting two and two together, I’ve discovered that you love to laugh at me. Whenever you’re ready to stop laughing, let me know.

Love,
Elizabeth

Phew. So, talk about a fun day last week. Being vehicular-challenged can be quit annoying, but I tend to get by. Last Thursday I saw an ad in the paper for a job fair at Cedar Valley Community College. Not only was there a job fair, but I had also recently applied for an administrative position there. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to hand my resume out at the job fair and take another copy directly to the Human Resources department and charm them face-to-face. The job fair was to take place from 9 AM to 1 PM. For those wondering how I planned on getting there, I had the perfect solution: my bike. Now I know I pretty cool, pedaling over on my purple and silver 10speed bike to a job fair, but it had to be worth a shot. The college is maybe 4 miles away which is not bad on a bike at all. It would be good exercise and fun. I was prepared to pack a change of clothes as to not get my professional looking attire sweaty, or if it started raining I could change into a dry blouse and trousers. Well, that morning I woke up, showered, and started to get ready. My Dad called and told me about the dangers of biking there and to be careful and blah, blah, blah. Then he said, “Make sure there’s air in the tires, too.” Oh crap! I hadn’t thought of that. Needless to say, every tire on every bike was flat! LAME! I hunted around for a pump and it was nowhere to be found. So, I talked to Dad again. This time he suggested calling a cab. I’m close enough to the college where it’d be cheap. Brilliant! I won’t have to worry about changing or being smelly or possibly getting caught in the rain. But then after hanging up with him for the second time, I realized I had $2.77 in my wallet. I’m pretty sure that meant no cab either. I called the college to find out what businesses were there at the fair… no answer… ever… the entire morning. Well maybe I didn’t miss anything great. Perhaps the only businesses there were GiGi’s night club, Waffle House, and the bowling alley. Perhaps the companies there wouldn’t have been worth my time anyway, right? Ugh.

So, I went back to my usual morning routine of online searches and looking through the Dallas Morning News. Can I just say that I will never respond to any ad that starts with “AWESOME JOB” and ends with “if you’re ready for fun call Randy.” Well, I called Randy and I really wished I could have recorded that phone call. He wanted me to sell magazines, traveling with him from “coast to coast.” He never told me what magazine he sold, and when I asked if there was a website to learn more information, he said that if there were a website, “Well, it would just be pictures of us partying and shit. We just have a good time, hitting up every major city.” Then he started asking me questions, “Are you outgoing, like talking to people? This is real shit, a real good time.” My favorite part of the conversation was when he asked, “C’mon what are your responsibilities? You got kids, a boyfriend, you married?” Hmm… well I told Randy that I’d get back to him later. Wow.

Hmmph. Well, there’s a new grocery store opening up in Cedar Hill called Sprouts. It’s like a Whole Foods Market. So I have applied to be a Customer Service Manager at a Produce store. Yeah, I’m such a Bad A.

PS. God, I live at home with my parents without a car or job although I’m a really hard worker and hold a degree. This has been like a 4 month long joke. Can you really laugh that long? You probably can, but I can’t.

Freedom of Speech

God bless America. I love this country! We have so many freedoms, choices, and opportunities, but sometimes I think we take all these wonderful things for granted… but then sometimes we also abuse them… like our freedom of speech lately.

Example one: Serena Williams. Her outburst and rant at the US Open was inappropriate and seemed so out-of-character. Ok, yes, Serena… it sucks that it was down to wire and you got faulted. I’d be pretty pissed if I were about to lose the US Open, trying to turn the game around, and then got called for a foot fault but really?!? Sportsmanship 101- Respect everyone out on the court. If I were that line judge, I would be terrified of Serena after she threatened me. Have you seen her muscles?!?! If she had yelled at me that she was going to shove a ball down my throat, I’d believe it. I’m sure she could hit a ball with enough speed and force to put it into any bodily orifice she wants.

Example two: Dang, Kayne West. No shocker here that he exercised his freedom of speech… he’s got a track record of freedom of speech abuse. Now let me clarify “abuse.” I don’t think anyone should ever be told, “You can’t say that,” (that’s pretty un-American) but there’s a time, place, and way to say things.

Dear Mr. West,
Jumping on stage like you run the place, taking the microphone from Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech for her FIRST moon-man award, and then announcing your oh-so-(not)important opinion on how Beyonce should have won was a pretty lousy thing to do. You don’t pick the recipients of moon-mans, so save your opinions for Twitter. She didn’t deserve that, but thanks for apologizing. Too bad she can never get that moment back.
Elizabeth

Last but not least: Joe Wilson. Wow. Political leaders get a lot of opinions thrown in their faces all day long. Can you imagine dealing with hate and praise 24/7 from people all over the world? But during a Presidential address, it’s totally uncouth to yell at the President, “You lie!” Seriously?!?! It’s a formal setting of government leaders, not some sleazy reality TV show. It’s a good thing that Wilson apologized, but now some Democrats want to drag it out and make him keep apologizing… that’s a bit ridiculous. Does “I’m sorry” mean more when repeated? What’s more ridiculous is that some people think Wilson’s outburst was appropriate. I bet the same people that condone/cheer for Wilson’s behavior would (excuse me language) flip a shit at someone burning the American flag, but yelling at our Head of State during a public address… well, that’s okay because he was just using his freedom of speech. Puh-leeeeze! It’s all wrong. Wilson can disagree with Obama, but as a political leader, one would expect him find a better, more respectful way to voice his dissent.

Look America – I think we owe it to each other to just be decent human beings. Let’s all respect one another. Remember the ethic of reciprocity a.k.a. the Golden Rule. It’s that one that goes, “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” Using your freedom of speech should not mean abusing others.

Thoughts of Desperation

May 16th, 2009, 9:30 AM: I graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelors of Arts degree in International Studies and a minor in Philosophy. I managed to have a wonderful college experience, including lots of play time along with study time. I had the opportunity to study abroad one semester at the prestigious University of St. Andrews in Scotland. I spent my summers working for Baylor and was basically paid to have fun and make friends (best job ever!). I worked on-campus jobs for extra cash to take care of random expenses and adventures. I made the best friends of my life, learned some of the most important life lessons, and was able to graduate without many regrets. I even managed to maintain a decently high GPA.

After 4 years of learning from a prestigious university, a degree under my belt, leadership experiences, work experiences, proficiency of a second language, and exceptional people skills, how on earth am I not employed?!?!

Well, many of the places that I’ve applied for have currently hiring freezes… thank you recession. Other places rejected me for being over-qualified or penalized me for not having the years of experience in the field. But I ask, how can I get such experience, if you don’t hire me?

I’ve lowered my standards for jobs I’m willing to take. I just want something that offers employee benefits and a salary. If I must take a job that pays by the hour, ok, but I think with a college degree, my hourly wage should AT LEAST be $14. I think I’d even settle for $12 if it really came down to it.

So, I think that next time I apply for something, I’ll just attach a link to the song “Take A Chance On Me” by ABBA along with my resume to my next job application or send in a video resume of me recounting my qualifications with that song playing the background. That’s all they really have to do… take a chance on me. If I don’t perform to meet their needs, terminate me, but I’m pretty confident I’m capable of just about anything.

In the mean time, I’ve just been merrily unemployed (for the most part). I had a fun summer with my friends and family, and for the first time in years, summer was an actual vacation. Now that summer is over, I feel the weight of unemployment more. Don’t get me wrong, I’m super grateful for this time off, but I’d really like to be working. I like being busy, having something to occupy my time, and making money. So come on, HR departments of DFW businesses!... Take A Chance On Me!

Twilight Meadows

* This is a post that I wrote over Labor Day Weekend. I'm posting it now because... just because today feels like a good day to post it. *


I haven’t been to my Grandmother’s house in a long time. I may or may not have been subconsciously avoiding this place. In the neighborhood of Twilight Meadows, the big ranch house on top of the hill on Galaxy Lane holds so many dear memories. I believe that the last time I went that house, Grandmother’s house (well I should probably start calling it Papa’s house now), without it being a major holiday like Christmas or something was last summer for her funeral. Camille Delilah Johnson Redden was a remarkable woman and truly my hero.

So, this Labor Day weekend, I came with my parents to Shreveport to visit some relatives. I did such an amazing job of not coming to Louisiana all summer, but I had to make it here sometime. It sounds like I hate coming to Shreveport, Louisiana, but I don’t. I mean, “hate” is a strong word. I just have no friends here, transportation, entertainment, and unless the house is full of family, it’s often ridiculously boring. Other than that, I … well, I don’t hate it. We arrived Friday night to Grandmother’s… I mean, Papa’s house. He warmly greeted us in, we settled into our bedrooms, chatted, helped Papa with his computer that he has no patience for, and then eventually slept. Before turning in for the night, I popped a couple Benadryl to help me sleep. Not only was I sharing a room with two parents who both snore, but I also just felt a bit restless.

I awoke the next morning to my wonderfully hilarious Aunt Jane yanking back the covers, grabbing my ankles, and dragging me out of bed to the kitchen for breakfast. It was noon, maybe after, but that never stops my Papa from making breakfast. He’s quite a character and quite the impulsive buyer. I noticed that my breakfast was this odd-shaped pastry biscuit-type thing with eggs and ham cooked inside. It was delicious and apparently a creation prepared from his new Redi, Set, Go ™ 7 minute cooker he purchased from the television late one night.

After eating, my parents and I left for my Aunt Elise’s house to see my other Grandmother, Betty Jean. She was there recovering from her finger surgery. I think her diabetes is really taking its toll on her frail and old body, but at least her finger surgery wasn’t terrible or super-dramatic. She is only missing the tip of middle finger on her right hand. Thankfully, the doctors didn’t find it necessary to take off much; they didn’t even go down to that first top joint. She was very alert and conversational when we showed up, so I was very happy for that. My other Aunt Bel had arrived at Elise’s also from Atlanta, Georgia with her darling daughter/my cousin Etyana. Elise and Bel are so great; they’re the youngest of my Dad’s sisters and just so fun and warm. While we were there in the kitchen talking, the doorbell rang and my younger cousin Amber walked in alone. She’s 11 (maybe, I think… I don’t know) so, we’re all thinking how in the world did she get there? She said our Aunt Susan just dropped her off. Bel wasn’t surprised that it was Susan because she said that when she answered the door, all she saw was the tail of a car and some smoke as she sped off.

Hmmm… well, Susan is, for lack of better term, different. She wears dirty blond wigs and changes her eye color to match her different outfits of the day. A few years back, her and my parents had a falling out, so things have been weird ever since. For about 8 or 9 years, I never saw her. She stopped coming to Christmas gatherings if our family was there already, and until about two Christmas’s ago, had avoided us like the plague. I guess I’ll only ever see her on Christmas, which is sad because, as strange as she is, I still love her and would like to see her, but there’s only so much you can do when it comes to crazy relatives. Ha-ha-ha-ha, crazy relatives: something my family is not short of supply. I think we’ve topped the crazy quota, but that’ll be another blog.

After leaving Elise’s, the ‘rents and I went to Sam’s Club to shop for food. Papa doesn’t keep a lot of food in the house since it’s just him these days. He’ll sit in that house and eat buttered toast topped with chunky apple sauce and will be just as content as ever. So, we bought a bucket (no lie… an actual plastic bucket) of frozen brisket, hotdogs, bread, chips, dips, wine, and brownies. The brisket was actually good and big hit; otherwise, we would have starved the entire weekend. I tagged along with Jane and Mom after eating my fill of brisket á la bucket and brownies for a trip to Dillard’s to do some shoe shopping. Jane just cracks me up. She cusses like a sailor, says whatever is on her mind, and tells it like it is. We really had a good time shopping; although, Jane was the only one to find shoes, and I had developed this awful acetaminophen-resistant headache. Turns out I just need some caffeine because after leaving the mall, we stopped for Diet Dr. Pepper and candy… headache gone. So, I have a caffeine addiction… meh, could be worse, right?

Saturday night: another restless night complete with more snoring parents and a loud fan. But I need to get real with myself. Honestly, I just wanted Grandmother to walk in and tell me good night or know that she was working on some craft project in her sewing room on the other side of the wall. Thinking or dreaming of her just doesn’t compare to the comfort her actual presence. That house in Twilight Meadows will never be the same without her.

Despite not really sleeping Saturday night, I found myself waking up relatively early Sunday morning, but in hope of not going to church (the church I had gone to with her many times, the church we did Vacation Bible School growing up, the church where her funeral service was held, that very same church where I last peered into her coffin and saw her face), I pretended to still be asleep and stayed in bed. When I figured the coast was clear, I found Papa and Dad gone and Mom left behind. She said she was feeling lazy and just didn’t want to go, but I bet she felt the same way as I did. We then dressed and went back out with Jane where we proceeded to shop until the stores closed at 6. That car ride was so funny; I had to write down a few Jane quotes. My mom had her foot propped up on the dashboard from the passenger seat while Jane drove. When Jane glanced over and saw my Mom rubbing underneath her nose, Jane said, “You putting boogers in my car?! I was going to forget about your feet in my dashboard, but damn! I’m gonna freak the f**k out when I find your boogers on my seats.” HA-HA . Oh, man, I love those women.

Later that night Mom was looking through all the various closets for Robin’s old cabbage patch dolls. I have noticed over the years, that my grandparent’s house has become storage for all the Redden women and their families. Books, clothes, wedding dresses/debutante dresses, toys, games, and other miscellaneous items belong to everyone in the family. Things just got left behind in that house, and my grandmother was good at making a place for them. Papa has a hard time knowing where things go or where they once went. Grandmother was the grand organized of the house… and the whole family actually. He wants to start getting rid of everything and cleaning out her closets, drawers, and rooms. Well, I selected the books I wanted from the small hallway shelf (I tried to not be too stingy and take them all… but I still might go back for the rest), a purse that my mother carried in college, some wooden shoes Grandmother would let me play in, my mother’s wedding dress, and a few of Grandmother’s fine dresses from the 50s. It’s all so lovely, but of course, I’d rather see her more than anything and her old possessions.

Like the previous nights, another restless night followed. I really hoped that I could have a nice dream about her… nothing. But morning brought a new day that included my Aunt Rosland, her son/my cousin Steven, and his four kids. They’re nice children, well-behaved, and only really interested in playing ball outdoors, which left the house fairly quiet for thinking. I am a believing young woman and try hard to be faithful, but I can’t lie and deny that I haven’t or don’t still have my doubts, struggles, and skepticisms. On some days God is clear while other days I can’t find Him. At times I feel like Heaven and Hell are odd concepts, and the idea of an afterlife is ridiculous and foolish. But because the soul of my Grandmother, Camille Delilah Johnson Redden, was so beautiful, I just know it can’t be buried in a wooden box six feet below some Louisiana dirt. She deserves a Heaven and because of her, I know there has to be one. The Lord would not allow for a soul that good to be wasted. I hope she took a break from her heavenly tasks to look down at me during graduation. She used to talk of coming to all four college graduations, marked dates, and planned how to get to four different states. I was so proud and thankful that Papa could come, but I that just didn’t stop me from missing her May 16th. I hope I never forget the sound of her laugh, the sweetness of her voice, or her perfect hugs. I hope I always remember the important things she taught me, the common phrases she would say, and the love she gave.

Dear Grandmother, I will cherish you always. You are my hero. My memories are flooded with your warm spirit. We all love you and miss you. – Elizabeth Camille

I Hope Lizards Can Swim...

My parents are pretty involved with our church and have been since I left for college. They’re both in the choir and play the chimes. They host the Discipleship class at our house every Sunday, Dad’s on the finance committee, and now Mom has decided to pioneer the new Missions board. Hmm… what do with the church since moving back home? Ahhh, well, I sleep in on Sunday mornings forcing my mother to leave her car so I can drive myself to church… and I then arrive to sit alone at my own pew, watching my parents sing at the front. I like it. Why am I not more involved? Answer: I’m THE youth… my parents are the runners-up. Yep. Our congregation is pretty old. I love those old people, but it’s sad to think about what might happen to our church in the next 20 years. Everyone may have passed away. So, maybe I should just get used to sitting alone in my pew. I find it hard to relate to my fellow congregates because of the large age gap, and sometimes it’s awkward trying to build friendships. I just enjoy talking to them before and after church, and I’m content with that.

So, Wednesday night was choir rehearsal and chimes practice. Bye, Mom and Dad. More time to myself at home… happiness. Until I walked into my room and found an intruder! I approached my bed to grab my laptop and there it was: a brown baby lizard shimmying up my wall! EEEEKKKK. I grabbed the laptop and ran away.

These were my thoughts (don’t judge me): How long has it been in room? How will I find it again later? What if he was in my room last night? What if he was in my bed? I’ll have to sleep with a mask over my face because he could craw in my mouth! I need a face mask. There are other bedrooms to sleep in. What is the most humane way to kill a lizard? Will bug spray paralyze it? Do lizards bleed? I don’t want to smash it, but….

So, I texted my Mom and waited, but no reply. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t even use my bathroom on that side of the house. I’m usually not afraid of lizards, but I think I was just freaked because it was in my room, creeping up my wall, and in jumping (can lizards jump?) range of my bed! For the next two hours I staying in the main part of the house and used the hall bathroom. I checked the time, and I think choir practice was being held long on purpose.

Finally, they came home and I said, “Mom, did you get my text?! There’s a lizard in my room!” Ha-ha. She freaks out and then Dad said, “What? Am I supposed to get it?” Well, duh!!! It’s like being-a-dad 101: take care of pests! … boys included.

Hooray Dad! He walked into my room and found the lizard immediately. He hadn’t gone far in the past 2 hours. He moved from the wall to the window, maybe trying to get out. He shouldn’t have been in my room in the first place. Next thing I know, my Dad grabbed the lizard with a paper towel, took him to the bathroom and flushed him. It all happened so fast. I was expecting him to release it back into the wild… guess not. So much for being humane. Oh well, it’s in a better place… which is anywhere but my bedroom. Maybe if lizards can swim, it’ll survive. Perhaps it could end up in Brazos River one day!!!

Homage to Waco

Last time I posted a blog, I was still in Scotland... phew, that was a long time ago. I have things written that never got posted and other ideas that I have been meaning to share. All will come in due time. Some day I may have an explosion of posts, but for today I wanted to finally post an entry about Waco!

Waco will always have a place in my heart. Of course, it is the city of Baylor University, my beloved alma mater, but also because of its unique characteristics and people. Waco, Texas is ranked as being one of the most poverty-stricken cities in America. It’s pretty dirty in most areas, dangerous after sunset (hell, even in broad daylight depending on where you go), and not really thriving economically. It’s a great mission field for brave folks who feel called to the streets of Waco to shelter the homeless, feed the poor, and donate to the needy. However, Waco was not always so tragic. There once was a time when Waco was a bustling metropolis destined to thrive and even compete with major cities like Dallas and Austin as a mecca of commerce, culture, and entertainment. Much of Waco’s initial success was due to the railroads running through the city back in the 1940s and 50s, but eventually the railroads stopped running which killed a large percentage of Waco’s business. Shortly after the railroad reached its caboose, poor Waco was almost entirely wiped out by a tornado that decimated its downtown, leaving the city with one lonely skyscraper (the Alico building), ruined businesses, and devastated residents of the city. Business has never been the same since.

Then some years later, some lunatic of a man, David Koresh, came along and began a cult on the outskirts of the city. He began a movement called the Branch Davidian, gathered followers, had them worship him, slept with all the women, and all ended with a blazing fire to the compound caused by the FBI. It was an awful massacre, an unforgetable crazy cult, and yet again another massive blemish on poor Waco. When I went overseas to study abroad in Scotland, I would tell people that I went to Baylor University in Texas, and when I mentioned that it was in Waco, 90 percent of time they replied, “Oh, Waco… like where the Branch Davidian stuff was? That crazy David Koresh cult?” Yep. The whole world will remember Waco, Texas for that.

Despite all of Waco’s tainted history, Baylor University, the greatest place of higher learning ever (I’m allowed to be bias) is there. Perhaps it’s a good thing that Waco isn’t some thriving metropolis like Dallas or Austin. The university could have been choked by such a large city; the campus dissolved into urban surroundings. For example, SMU in downtown Dallas is a beautiful campus. It’s located nicely off of I-75, near North Dallas, surrounded by all of the finer parts of Dallas. The campus is indeed lovely, but it has no room to grow or expand, and with all of the attractions of Dallas, it loses its appeal. On the other hand, Baylor almost begs you to stay on campus. The campus is gorgeous and lush, fun to explore, and has room to grow, which it has and continues to do so. And, it is certainly safer to stay on campus than venture into Waco. Secondly, UT is completely lost within Austin. The campus is fully integrated with downtown. The times that I have visited UT, there lacks the community feel. I would hate to walk to class and have it feel the same as walking to Starbucks. There is something special about crossing the quad, 5th street, Fountain Mall, and “Emo Park.” Walking down the street and passing the local laundry mat, Starbucks, skyscraper containing multiple business offices, and furniture store while going from class to class seems less appealing. College life should feel exclusive from the real world. UT’s campus being dissolved and integrated into the heart of downtown Austin, in my opinion, is downright lame.

So I think Baylor needed Waco, and Waco definitely needs Baylor. Lately, there have been larger efforts made to bring the university and the city closed together… efforts to break the Baylor Bubble. I mean, I do think that it’s terribly unfair that Baylor is this wealthy, private university surrounded by and yet secluded from poverty-stricken Waco, but there are new programs and organizations that link the university and the city. There is vision of Waco once prospering again and Baylor helping the city along in the process. I’m an optimist, yes, but there is only so much than can be done. It’ll be a slow turn around for Waco, but there are some great people at Baylor that break the Baylor Bubble everyday and get others to join them. Maybe Waco can be thought of as a vintage wine: it’ll only get better with time… older, but still better.

As homage to Waco, I’d like to say a few words about my favorite parts of Waco. I have fond memories of camping at Lake Waco and Lake Whitney. Also, I'm glad that no one went missing or died during the Global Night Commute where many of us students camped in downtown Waco on probably the only freezing cold night in Central Texas. The old abandoned high school downtown that some friends and I once explored will forever be on my favorite freshman memories. I hope that school always stays creepy, abandoned, and awesome. Waco cemeteries at night really got my heart racing, so thank you for being terrifying. I can't forget Bellmead Wal-Mart and making those late night runs to get beef jerky, gummi bears, chocolate milk, and deordorant (in that order). Also, I'd like to think I went to every HEB Waco had to offer, from the multiple ghetto HEBs to the Tahj-ma-HEB.

I cannot forget some of my favorite local restaurants: The Clay Pot, Quitoks, Bangkok Royale, Health Camp, The Slippery Minnow, Buzzard Billy’s, and Teriyaki Park. Of course there are other restaurants in Waco that I loved and frequented, but they’re franchised and not exclusively Waco. I also cannot forget my favorite bars: Crickets (for the atmosphere and because it’s the place “where everybody knows your name”… like Cheers, the TV show about that bar), Treff’s (for piano man and 75 cent wells), and George’s (for the big O drink specials). I should go ahead and include Scruffs (Scruffy Murphy’s). It’s the seediest dive bar in all of America; I stuck the floor when I first went there from all the unknown drying liquids on the floor. The door leading outside says “Have Sex of the Patio,” there’s crazy karaoke every Wednesday, cheaper booze, and no one ever goes sober… or leaves sober neither. The owner and a few patrons have been stabbed there, and an ex-Baylor football coach urinated on the bar. It’s a dangerous place, which was often quite fun. I’ve got good memories, bad memories, and regrettable memories… so here’s to you Scruff’s… I hate you and love at the same time.

I definitely cannot honor Waco without even mentioning the mighty Brazos River. I think the river water is rather foul, plagued with bacteria, probably holds the cure for cancer, and liable to generate mutant species of all kinds. However, I love canoeing down the Brazos, watching my friends attempt to swim across it, cleaning up around it for service projects, taking pictures near it, and tossing tortillas into from the Suspension Bridge. Tortilla tossing from the Suspension bridge is a classic tradition that must be done. Without a doubt, tortilla tossing nights and climbing statues were absolute favorites.

And finally, I want to give a last homage to the Alico building. We tried to climb you once but couldn’t find a way up. One day we will return and you will get climbed, Alico. Be ready for us. Driving down I-35 to Waco from Dallas, I can see you and the towers of Baylor taunting me, calling me to reach the top. As the only skyscraper in Waco, the lone survivor of downtown, the skyline of Waco rests in your stories. Stand tall, Alico… do it for Waco. I salute you.