This is a strange world.

Yeah, that Hastings thing. It didn't last too long.

I worked over the weekend, but I'm quitting tomorrow.

The reason is that I got another job at Kirkland's. This job isn't going to be a whole lot better, but it does pay more, and it will be less stressful, and they may actually train me (as I'm pretty sure Hastings wasn't going to do). So, I'm working at Kirkland's now.

I was there today, talking with one of my bosses, a female who's a couple of years younger than me.

Her: "So I'm going to Cisco [Junior College] now."

Me: "Oh really, how do you like it? I nearly had a job there."

Her: "It's fine. What job did you nearly have?"

Me: "I was offered a job teaching English classes there. I turned it down since I didn't think I was going to stay in Abilene through the fall."

Her: (Obviously shocked) "I'm taking English in the fall."

So that was the deal. Had I taken that job, I would have worked this part-time job this summer, and she would have been my boss. Then, in the fall, she could have been in my class.

This is a strange world.

My Favorite: Picture Book

The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship - Arthur Ransome

Runners Up:

Amos & Boris - William Steig

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble - William Steig

Saving Sweetness - Diane Stanley

I start work

today.

Granted, it's not much of a job. I'm going to be working at Hastings part-time on the cash register.

At the whopping pay of $5.50 per hour.

I'm not all that excited, but this will keep me from losing my savings this summer. It'll be a bit stressful, but I'll make it.

Hopefully, the HSU job I'm applying for will work out for the fall.

My Favorite: Swashbuckling Novel (No Magic)

The Prisoner of Zenda - Anthony Hope

My sister bought me this book years ago. I read about it and wasn't excited. I was nice, though, and didn't tell her that, and when we left for a family vacation that week, I took it along so that she would think I was excited about it. I didn't actually plan to read it though. As things turned out though, we had a flat tire on that vacation, which meant that I was stuck in a hotel room for a few hours while Dad tried to find a place that could fix a tire. I started The Prisoner of Zenda, was hooked, and was forced to spend the rest of the vacation in a book.

Runners Up:

The Scarlet Pimpernel - Baroness Emmuska Orczy

Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett

My Favorite: Contemporary Adult Novel (Last Five Years)

Gilead - Marilynne Robinson

This was a no-brainer really. It's likely the best Christian-themed work of literature since the 1940s. It has some of the most beautiful passages I've ever read, too.

Marilynne Robinson has a pretty interesting interview in Sojourners this month, also. I think you can read it if you sign up and log in. It's toward the bottom of the page - "Seeing the Holy."

Runners Up:

Empire Falls - Richard Russo

Life of Pi - Yann Martel

My Favorite: Comic Novel

The Princess Bride - William Goldman

I've loved this for a long, long time. I really like the movie, but the book cracks me up a lot more than the movie does. I particularly like the kissing scene.


Runners Up:

Catch-22 - Joseph Heller

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal - Christopher Moore

Well, I've not had much to say recently about myself. That's because nothing's happining.

That's my update. I'm waiting.

I've gotten applications in. Lipscomb called me even before the references were in to accept me. They're trying to get the money together to get me to go there. They're definitely offering me everything they can get me, but since they're a pretty new program (though a pretty good one it seems), they're not able to do too much. It's looking like I'm going to be staying at ACU, and I think that will be ok.

The problem. ACU isn't a sure thing yet. The problem. I applied for English grad school there several years ago. I was accepted, but I cancelled and went elsewhere. So, the graduate school has had me on file as a cancelled application. Because of that, they would get my new materials and put them under the old non-active file. So, everything's in, but they hadn't ever taken a look at my application packet. I went over and got that all fixed, but now the professors in charge of everything are out of town (or the country). So, I'm waiting. It sounded to me as though the grad school people didn't think acceptance or funding would be any sort of issue, but it'll be a while 'til I know.

I also can't seem to get a job. I have just been looking for summer work, but people don't seem to be looking to fill their part-time positions with people who have a Masters degree. And I can't make myself hide my degrees on applications. So, I'm just waiting on that, too.

I let you know when something happens. For now, I'm going to watch more 24.

rounding the bend
finally beginning to see the
curve

I've not been blogging a lot recently. There's a reason.


I finally discovered the show 24. I've, of course, known about the show for years. I've always thought it sounded like a show I could like. But I also have been busy for a few years doing school and haven't ever gotten a chance to see it. Plus, I knew that it was one of those shows where you couldn't just catch an episode every now and then. I figured that if I watched one, I'd want to watch them all in order. That was time I couldn't afford, and I had never caught the season at its beginning.

Last week, though, I accidentally saw one episode. It was a repeat from season two. And it hooked me, and I have spent this whole week renting 24 dvds and watching them. I've now watched the whole of seasons two and three. I'm going to try to get hold of the other seasons, too, and then I can catch the repeats of the current season when they start this summer.

It's sort of sad really. But this is quite an amazing show which I recommend. It's addictive, and I'm a new, and happy, addict. I'll probably start caring about blogging again once I've caught up on past seasons.

Reminder #23

Never steal anything while you are in David's Bridal. There are too many mirrors, and you have no clue who might be watching you.

Don't dance embarrassingly either.

I got tagged a little while back by KM, and I'm just now getting around to it.

I am a bit confused, but I don’t feel as though that’s a terribly bad thing.
I want a job that will pay the rent (oh, and an x-box, too).
I wish I could see the future. Alas.
I hate that feeling when you scratch your car with your fingernails.
I love cranes. I’m serious. The bird kind.
I miss old friends.
I fear not mattering.
I hear the air-conditioner rattling, the cat attacking something, & Kalyn turning book pages.
I wonder just what I’ll be doing in three months.
I regret some things. But not for long usually.
I am not hard to entertain. I grew up in Menard.
I dance while cleaning the house.
I sing while I dance. And randomly at night in my sleep (which I know since I’ve woken myself up).
I cry at odd times. I don’t cry when I should. But then I’ll hear one of those sappy stories you hear all the time on shows like Dateline or I’ll see an old lady sitting alone in a Dairy Queen, and it gets me.
I am not always quiet. Only when you first meet me.
I make with my hands music. Quite sloppy and repetitive and usually too fast. But I like it.
I write less than I should (except on the blog).
I confuse myself.
I need to buy some new deoderant. This stuff doesn’t seem to be working that well.
I should make some plans for my life. Fat chance of that though.
I start a nap after I finish this post.
I finish my sabbatical soon. I know that much.
I tag you. Anyone who reads this and has a blog and hasn't done it yet.

I hate it when washing machines only have the three load sizes—small, large, and super.

What if you need to wash a medium-sized load of clothes?

We never had a chance...

So last night, me and my sister are talking, and we decide that we're sick of not having any breakfast food in the house. Plus, we were running low on a couple of other things, so we made a late-night trip to Wal-Mart. We were there for thirty or forty minutes, picking up some milk, ham, frozen dinners and vegetables, and a good bit of other stuff. We checked out and came home.

Getting out of the car, I went to unlock the apartment door. Of course, when I opened the door, the cat ran out, and I picked him up before he got in the street. Then, me and Kalyn held him there talking about how horrible and cute the cat was, and we went inside.

Kalyn went and took a shower, and I read for a while. She went to bed. I checked my email, and started to get ready for bed.

Then it hit me.

About an hour had passed since we got back from Wal-Mart, and we had both forgotten to bring in the groceries. I just started laughing and told Kalyn, who starting laughing, since we're just about the only two people who would spend an hour shopping and immediately forget to bring any of the groceries in. Then, I went and got the groceries.

I blame the cat and genetics.