Randomness in the mind of Jeff Pt. 3

Right now we are out of Iraq for a couple for a couple of week. I finally have time to sit down and write a blog post or maybe two. So here goes:

-The other day Erin and I were going to pick some packages up and she noticed a monkey on a leash tied to a light pole One doesn’t see monkeys everyday tied to a light pole especially ones eating carrots!

- I have grown accustomed to visiting the bazaar (large primarily outside market where one can go to find almost anything you need. I typically take a taxi into the less crowded part of the bazaar and then walk out of it when I am ready to leave cause there is lots of traffic in the bazaar. As I was on my usual route walking out of the bazaar I noticed an old man sitting in a chair sleeping waiting for someone to hire him. Since then I have seen him sleeping in his chair in the morning, at lunch time and in the afternoon. Personally I think it is bad business because I wouldn’t wake someone from sleeping I would simply move onto the next person. But then someone who thinks differently than myself might think I will hire the sleeping man he should be well rested. Any thoughts?

- A month or so ago every time I sat down to type something I kept hitting the comma key and it really annoyed me so I am happy to say that since I started typing this post I have not hit the comma key once on accident.

- Being here in Turkey has been great. I have had some amazing chicken (something I don’t eat much of in Iraq). And I had a McFlurry and a chocolate dipped ice cream cone. I really miss great ice cream. We are staying in a friends house that is located pretty stinking close to the water so it has been great to hear and smell the water. It reminds me of home and then I get to thinking that I’m going fishing in about a month with my dad and Allen. Having lived in Corpus most of my life I am accustomed to seeing seagulls, some that are big and other that are small but the seagulls in Turkey are extra large. I took a picture of one cause I figured people wouldn’t believe me.

- Back to Iraq. I with the help of a couple of our interns finished painting the upstairs of our house. That is a huge relief!

- We also bought new curtains that are thicker, heavier, and darker for our living room so now that room is a little cooler and much more tolerable. I am still going to get a larger split (a/c) someday, hopefully!

- Thanks to one of our interns, Josh, I have started to get into photography. Part of the benefit to living overseas is that you get the opportunity to see amazingly beautiful places. Now I am just trying to learn how to take a little bit better pictures.

- Hopefully I will take some great ones in Thailand and you will get to see them.
That’s about all I have for this post. I hope you leave comments cause that is my favorite part about blogging, getting to read comments people left.

Dream last night

So, last night I had a dream that I was Jim from the office. We had just finished 'skills testing' in the office. It was this random test that was supposed to showcase the special skills that we each had so that we could work more effectively together. (Should have been the first indicator that this was in fact a dream)
Well, I was Jim in this dream, and his highest scoring skill was 'covert hiding'. Meaning that due to his lanky stature he could hide in lots of places and not be seen. Dwights highest scoring skill was 'covert operations discovering', meaning that he could thwart the plans of any undercover operations going on.
Sidenote: in my dream Jim & Dwight are both dressed like they usually are with their normal voices and mannerisms.
So, after Michael reveals the office skills, Jim and Dwight have some friendly banter about how Jim's score was higher therefore proving that Dwight couldn't find him if he hid from him rendering Dwight's skill useless. So, Dwight starts counting to 10 and I (Jim) start running to find a place to hide. Now we aren't in the office anymore and are in my old house that I grew up in and I'm looking for a place to hide and realizing that I'm so freaking tall that it's hard to hide anywhere and I'm beginning to question whether I tested correctly. I end up locking the side door to gain some more time and hiding in the pantry. However, my shoes were so big that they stuck out from behind the shelf and Dwight found me. I don't really remember what happened after that?
I'm not sure what that dream means - I haven't even watched the office recently! It was funny though that even in my dream the charaters were the same.

200th post

Wow... I wish I had something more important to say. I just logged on to tell you about my new favorite product and realized that this is my 200th post. I momentarily considered trying to come up with something cooler to say, then I decided that would require a lot more time than I was intending to take. So on to the actual content of this post...

Downy Simple Pleasures laundry detergent!!!


I know this is going to make me sound kind of crazy, but I first smelled this on someone else's clothes like 3 months ago and was like "What IS that? I need that perfume." First, this was my sister so it wasn't like I was smelling some random person. When she told me it was her detergent I made her describe in detail the bottle but then she told me it was kind of expensive. So, I never bought any but made sure to tell Jeff that if he got some I would want to do laundry all the time! He looked at it at the store a few months ago and smelled it and told me it smelled too 'purple'. Well the other night he came home and surprised me with flowers and this laundry detergent!!! I think I was equally excited about both! I've been doing laundry today and I just have to say that this lavender and vanilla scent makes me feel REALLY happy and makes me want to do lots of laundry! I know Jeff's not thrilled about his clothes smelling 'purple' but I think this 'purple' smell is kind of magical. Well, back to the laundry...

Randomness in the mind of Jeff

Hola Como estas me llamo Jefe! I have been encouraged to make a post on the blog. I am still not sure exactly what I will say hence the title Randomness in the mind of Jeff. I have read many blogs and enjoy reading so hopefully whoever reads this will enjoy it and possibly get a laugh or 2 out of it.

1. When I go shopping and am pushing the basket out of the store and I see there is a decline in the parking lot I usually hold myself up on the bar and let the decline take me to my truck or I end up stopping sooner than I would like cause I'm about to hit someone, something, or get hit myself. However, it is important to remember to only do this when stuff is in the basket otherwise the front 2 wheels come up and you fall over. (This happened today).

2. Erin got employee of the month this month which comes with several perks including a parking space. Way to go honey I'm so proud of you!

3. If nothing sounds good to Erin for dinner I can always make sausage and rice and the problem is solved.

4. I haven't been feeling great the last couple of days so I went to the quack shack yesterday and they gave me lots of medicine and told me not to operate heavy machinery and some other stuff that I forgot. (side note- to me heavy machinery means construction machinery or perhaps a huge farm tractor) So, since I have been at the house today I have been bored and decided to do the dishes. Well...I reached under the sink to grab the soap for the dishwasher and before I grabbed it I remembered we were out so I went to the store to buy a few things and while I was at the store I found myself talking out loud. No one else was around so I had to be talking to me but it made me wonder if it was the medicine or if this is a normal thing for me. I'm going to hope its the medicine cause I don't want to be crazy.

5. The country radio station I listen to plays much better music during the day than when I usually get to listen. This is a little disappointing to me cause I want to hear the good songs with I'm in the car stuck in traffic.

6. I've been looking around the apartment at all the decorations on wall and am really thankful for a wife who is a talented artist and has a knack for turning an apartment into a home. Thank you Erin!!

Well folks I think that about wraps things up for today. If you want me to post again leave me a comment cause if you don't I probably won't (that rhymes)

Since you are dying to know..

I was tagged by Kasey Berry, so here goes:

10 years ago:
I was in 8th grade at Kaffie Middle School. I had recently become a Christian and started going to First Baptist Church Corpus Christi. I was dating the guy of my middle school dreams – Mike Gonzalez =o) This was also the stage where I listened to Silverchair or WOW 1997 and wore metallic blue Doc Martins … and thought they were Awesome!

Things on my to do list today:
According to my Outlook Calendar…
Absolutely nothing – that’s sad, I guess that would explain why I am doing this at work instead of work.
I need to book lodging and rental cars for some Doctors, go work out, make dinner, get some canvases to finish my paintings, send Elyse some wedding pics, get in touch with the Caller Times, Call Chelsea, mail the last of the thank you notes.

What would I do if I was suddenly became a Billionaire?
Laugh… a lot. And then I would give lots of money to Organizations and people that I like such as: The Courtney’s, Bertrand’s, Buy Shoes Save Lives, Bread for The World, International Justice Mission, The Simple Way, Fair Trade Commission, Mission Waco/Arlington, Frontiers, Blood Water Mission, The One Campaign, Hillary Clinton… just kidding, Jubilee Project, Invisible Children… etc. Then I would try to find ways to fund other energy sources, like windmills, and solar energy. I would pay off my college loans, pay off my parent’s debt, buy a hybrid car, and let Jeff do his investing thing.

Three of my bad habits:
Going days without actually drinking any water
Messing with my hair
Speaking before I think… or speaking against my better judgment

Five jobs I have had:
Behavioral Health Logistics Coordinator at Staff Care, Inc.
Administrative Assistant Farmers Insurance
Gymnastics Coach at FLIPS
Receptionist Mattson Financial Services
Mentor/Tutor at Brazos Middle School with Waco READS

Five things people don't know about me:
I had to really think about this b/c I’m a pretty open book…
1. When I was really little I had to wear a special shoe on my foot because I was pigeon toed
2. I am somehow distantly related to Will Rogers
3. Sometimes I like to watch celebrity gossip shows…
4. I can’t remember world leaders… even when I try. It doesn’t matter how much I’ve heard about them or how many times I see their name, I will inevitably forget
5. I went to jump rope camp in 7th grade… and was in a group of 6-10 year olds.

I tag: Chelsea, Michelle, & Beth G.

on winking...

I feel as though I've been bombarded by lots of winks lately and I'm not sure what to make of it. Is winking trendy now? And what exactly does it mean? In the last 24 hours I've been winked at in just about every context: at the office, at a resturant, in passing, hanging out with friends, and I'm pretty sure over the phone one time. Also, it seems that winking is more popular among the male gender, is it a type of non-verbal communication? Is male to male winking acceptable? Is there an understood meaning of the wink among guys that makes them think girls know what it means too? Just questions...
Maybe it's cause I'm jealous - we all know my own winking leaves much to be desired (and interpreted probably) but, I'm just not sure when winking became a pathway to communication. Really I usually don't know what is being communicated with the subtle wink because sometimes it seems like 'I'm funny, you should laugh now.' and other times it is 'I don't have time to listen to you, see ya' or then there was the 'I'm making a joke at your expense now'. Mostly, my problem with winking is that I can't take you seriously when you are winking at me - so if you're trying to communicate something serious, don't wink- because then it seems like a joke or maybe even a tick.
For me, winking is confusing and makes me a little bit uncomfortable ... the more you know.


Besides my personal objections to winking this is also why I don't wink at people very often

Weird Things About Me

The Rules:
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog (about their 8 things) and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Michelle tagged me, so... here goes

1.I function in a world that has what I like to call 'Erin time'. It runs a little bit slower than the rest of the world and there is not an exact translation for real time. All of my watches clocks etc. are set in Erin time and so whenever Anna Beth would ask me what time it was she knew to add about 5-8 minutes to that time.

2. I get really personal with books. I 'think aloud' in the margins, have my own notation system, and CAN'T not finish a book. It doesn't matter how bad it is, how much I am hating it, how stupid I think it is, I have to keep reading. Now - I have broken this rule about 3 times, but I'm still convinced I will go back and finish one of those books. I have been known to throw a crappy book across the room and then reread it a few years later and love it. But after I've read a book it has its own 'personality' which can make it hard to go back and reread without bias, but it is still something I have to do.

3.I love breakfast. Even when I sleep in until noon (which doesn't happen too much anymore) I will still make breakfast. There's just something a little bit magical about it for me.

4. I like to make lists - however, these lists are not so much for the purposes of accomplishing things as much as they are decorative. For example... I like to make a list before I go to the store, but I never look at it once I'm inside and I never cross anything off of it (Jeff loves this by the way). I have a 3 page list of random things that I love - just to have one. If you know me you've probably received a list of things I love about you. I also have a 2 page list of things I want in a husband - it is color coded. So... lists.

5. I like to encourage people to do stupid things. I can make anyone (just about) look ridiculous in a picture, even when they think they don't want to do that. I tend to bring out the hidden silliness within - and I love it.

6. I hate going to the grocery store. I will borderline starve myself before I go to the store. I will eat cans of beans, crackers, anything that I have before I will go to the store. The only person I can really even tolerate going to the store with is Jeff, and he is pretty wonderful and doesn't make me go with him very often. Poor home group has suffered some random Erin concoctions because I didn't have all the ingredients to make anything so I would just make something up... sorry guys.

7. There are 2 people in the world (and I've heard rumors of others) that look exactly like me. I look just like my mom and my twin sister. People are always coming up to my mom at church to ask her about how her trip was or how she's doing in Waco, even old high school friends will see her and start talking to her before they realize she's not me... it's weird. And then the whole twin thing adds a whole other dimension of confusion. People always stare at us when we are in public together, and I forget that it's because we look alike and think that I forgot to put on my pants or something. Sometimes I will see pictures of us and I can't figure out which one is me.... that is weird.

8. People tend to think my life is weird. I've been told on more than one occasion that "Your life scares me." I tend to like things that most people aren't interested in. I was trying to think of what other people say is weird about me, and this is what I get the most - people just think my passions are weird. I love being overseas, specifically in the Middle East, I loved living in the ghetto of Waco (most of the time), I'm interested in poverty, social justice, fair trade, oppression, and most of all learning to love like Jesus. This looks pretty weird in America but these are the things that I love the most... and I guess that's weird.

Now: I'm tagging Scott B. Jennifer W. Beth G. Chelsea P.

For Chelsea

SCATTERGORIES
Your Name: Erin
1. Famous Singer/Band: Elvis Presley
2. 4 letter word: Erin
4. Color: Electric Blue
3. Street: Eighth Street
5. Gifts/Presents: Ear Muffs
6. Vehicle: El Camino
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: Earrings
8. Boy Name: Evan
9. Girl Name: Elyse
10. Movie Title: Erin Brockovich
11. Drink: Efes Beer
12. Occupation: Electrical Engineer
13. Flower: El Rosa
14. Celebrity: Ed McMan (that’s his name right?)
15. Magazine: Entertainment Weekly
16. U.S. City: Erie, Pennsylvania
17. Pro Sports Teams: Eagles
18. Fruit: Easy-Peeling Orange ….errrr… no?
19. Reason for Being Late for Work: Exxon big-rig ran me off the road
20. Something You Throw Away: Egg salad
21. Things You Shout: Eeeek Eboli!
22. Cartoon Character: Elmo


Rules: Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each ...They MUST be real places, names, things...NOTHING made up! If you can't think of anything, skip it. Try to use different answers if the person before you had the same 1st initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question...

So, Chels - how many points is this? Did I win?