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.