tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69436317606069365732012-01-22T20:53:11.474-06:00"It was a fine autumn day, really, and the air through the open windows smelled like life." Jesse Ballmeredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.comBlogger2911100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-13416394206215578302011-10-25T12:36:00.003-05:002011-10-25T12:37:42.385-05:00

Post college I found myself in the Sunshine State feeling less than sunshiney. Friends were hard to come by, my running was sporadic, I watched an excessive amount of films, and ate an excessive amount of ice cream. Sometimes I watched films while eating ice cream and popcorn at the same exact time. Something inside of me was aching to break free. I remember sitting outside on the hood of

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-60525953240233127362011-10-05T11:21:00.002-05:002011-10-05T11:33:00.802-05:00

A well read friend recommended "Walden" to me a few months back. She said Thoreau and I were kindred spirits. I measured the weight of that statement through the many glasses of wine we had all consumed by the time she uttered it, but also made a mental note to seek out this piece of literature. My roommate found it for me at Goodwill. I tore into it, and devoured the contents as if my

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-10234392317179839392011-08-30T14:58:00.004-05:002011-08-31T13:36:18.662-05:00

Sitting on a bench that beckoned, I heard clatter from clusters of sail boats that created the faintest hint of wind chimes, and a subtlety that can only happen accidentally, white beach birds whose scientific name I do not know sang their evening songs as the echoing train whistle teased in the space behind me. I walked down the street to the section of Lake Michigan that borders Milwaukee,

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-37501085619255382892011-08-28T15:46:00.002-05:002011-08-28T16:37:08.772-05:00

I am away from normal life right now, living and breathing Northern air. Before leaving the part of the united states that can't be effectively characterized (south? midwest? west? southwest?), I wondered how to characterize my temporary exit. Because of various life epiphanies that I will elaborate on further in the future, I am abnormally crazy about my current place on earth. I'm usually

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-27252874235669231622011-08-16T09:53:00.003-05:002011-08-16T10:34:38.445-05:00

Once I started a food blog. I thought that since I like food and I like to write, I would write about the food I ate and cooked and stuff like that. But I rarely did. I mean, I already had a blog. And when I would log in and it brought up that page, I think they call it the "dashboard", it indicated how many blogs I was managing, and the indication was two, and for a moment that made me feel a

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-72942703168050919852011-08-11T11:46:00.003-05:002011-08-11T13:34:02.926-05:00

Lately I've been thinking about all the things we need to unlearn, the falseness we build upon, and how to get to the core, the real. And It starts at Wal-Mart. This was before I was aware what that place would become. We went there to get shock for our swimming pool and rings to throw in the bottom, to search for like dolphins or mermaids or whatever identities our childhood imaginations could

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-19246675042629607642011-08-08T10:01:00.002-05:002011-08-08T10:31:58.414-05:00

An Oklahoma summer is inevitably hot. There was that one, once, that was kind of rainy and mild. But most every other summer of my life can be characterized by heat. As my roommate would say, it makes us tougher, heartier people. This summer has really outdone itself. Walking outside feels much like a slap in the face, and no one can shut up about it. I don't blame them, really, the weather

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-57739555695493788452011-06-30T09:01:00.002-05:002011-06-30T10:06:52.760-05:00

I started the season feeling a need to beat the summer, as if it had taken war with me (it had). This meant a necessary reach into my bag of weaponry.I am not a particularly violent person. I'd much rather concede knowing I am right on the inside than put up a fight with a fighter. I don't compete with others well. I usually step aside and let them pass. I fail at Monopoly. This shifts as the

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-44051214769708204032011-06-08T10:35:00.003-05:002011-06-15T09:49:51.315-05:00

The feeling of a bag packed on my way to a new kind of adventure is akin to no other. It's an anticipation of the unknown, and the excitement of exploring new terrain, but the joy is also linked to the familiar. I know that what awaits me will open my eyes a little wider, and provide an even broader perspective to view the familiar from. When I return to the life I am escaping, it will not

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-82257348834557648082011-05-04T10:08:00.003-05:002011-05-04T10:18:40.229-05:00

February 28th, 2010: move from cozy garage apartment to cozy mango basement room in big house.May 31st, 2010: move from cozy basement room into small carry-on suitcase headed from seattle>boston>DC, final destination.June 10th, 2010: move from tiny suitcase into bedroom in very large house next door to Lebanese Ambassador.November 25th, 2010: move from bedroom with tiny suitcase into tiny bedroom

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-29131174433210051682011-05-01T10:11:00.005-05:002011-05-06T10:08:25.955-05:00

The better part of my weeks in DC happened on Saturday mornings. I headed east, from the red line to the orange and blue line to the Market, where color in the district was displayed in abundance. I looked forward to it all week long; The americano I would sip with a scone alongside a slow ease through people and dogs and strollers and goods being peddled to the masses. There were laid back

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-34748760736578324222011-04-19T09:10:00.002-05:002011-04-19T11:02:48.163-05:00

At coffee on Saturday, my roommate and I spent a good portion of the conversation delving into various online horoscopes. Believe them or not, horoscopes entertain. They speak to the vanity of human nature and a constant desire to understand the un-understandable. There's a writer that puts a weekly version on his site, and it's always off the wall interesting, especially for aquarians. His

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-20144737601205486172011-03-23T08:27:00.009-05:002011-03-29T08:54:07.160-05:00

Last June on its third day, my mom was driving me to the airport to fly to Seattle. I was planning to run a marathon, which would be followed up by some life lived out in the other Washington. Before the both of us was an abundance of unknown. I didn't know if I would finish twenty-six miles, or even what my cousin that was picking me up from the airport looked like. My mom wasn't sure the next

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-6603618258143154612011-03-15T11:13:00.004-05:002011-03-17T23:03:54.500-05:00

There's this character that lives in my apartment building. He's a strange combination of Martha Stewart and Mell Gibson's character in Conspiracy Theory. His tulips are treated as if each bud coming out of the ground possesses a personality and a soul, while every human personality he comes in contact with is suspect. I have been cautioned to not visit any Al Qaeda sights on the internet, and

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-26639273697485367912011-03-02T10:23:00.003-06:002011-03-02T11:00:07.598-06:00

I've referenced this go tactic I tend to live by. It involves, well, going. Places. _uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker();This activity brings me to life. And it doesn't have to be elaborate. Last year, a friend had to take a cup of coffee to his girlfriend at work. It was a few miles away. I was excited to go. Genuinely excited. I have an uncanny ability to walk away from the familiar for

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-31393926437741574912011-02-24T08:58:00.004-06:002011-03-04T22:18:34.000-06:00

I am sitting at a bar looking out the window at the rain drops screaming from the sky, splattering the ground, while others trickle down the glass slowly in front of me, as if with ease and care. Those falling from the sky seem like they can't get to the ground fast enough, while drops on the window seem to have no agenda at all. _uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker();There's been a dialogue about

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-45613680163956815302011-02-05T20:04:00.005-06:002011-03-04T22:19:29.603-06:00

Different season's of life tend toward different soundtracks. South Korea is littered with Bon Iver. Alexi Murdoch traveled with me through DC's buses, trains and streets. These albums, lyrics, and instruments take me back to places I've left. They bring up to the surface my varying states of mind.While in DC, my most recent excursion, I was most often the odd one out. I remember eating at Black

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-1507606947368509922011-02-04T22:20:00.002-06:002011-02-04T22:32:56.406-06:00

Sometimes, the whole of my day is begging for a good cry. I don't really know that's what going on for most of it. I go about my business busying myself with this and that and other things. _uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker();Conversations happen. People talk. I talk. People listen. I listen. I stir, busy myself, nap, stir some more. These kinds of days, the cry-worthy ones, it's easiest to

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-78825876309615717792011-02-03T10:00:00.006-06:002011-02-05T20:04:15.670-06:00

Last Saturday, I left the house overdressed. It wasn't the appearance of my attire. I wasn't donning a formal on my way to work. I was simply wearing too many articles of clothing. Saturday the twenty-ninth of January reached nearly seventy degrees. Almost forty-eight hours after this phenomenal heat wave, my roommate and I marveled at the sound of thunder that coincided with the sleet and wintry

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-57676552911510422962011-01-31T18:46:00.006-06:002011-01-31T19:36:03.998-06:00

Shortly before leaving Tulsa this last time, I made a kindred movie friend._uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker();We both grew up in heavy movie households, and watching them made up a good portion of our separate but similar childhoods. Mine, however, was cluttered with a sibling whose love for film far surpassed mine. He had a part time job at a movie store with a middle aged scratchy voiced

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-55368268540453396162011-01-29T10:06:00.007-06:002011-01-30T10:24:55.146-06:00

A few days a week I can be found in a strangers backyard wearing safety glasses sitting on a five gallon bucket turned upside down. There is a purpose, other than getting arrested. The house is usually vacant, and I am there to clean the cement off of the bricks that have been torn from the house and need to be re-used for whatever remodel the new homeowner has in mind. Cleaning cement off of

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-67942900312818392202011-01-23T20:53:00.004-06:002011-01-23T21:35:10.500-06:00

I have been so very absent from here. Formulating a cohesive and meaningful thought and then turning in into something more, and even further, something worth writing which is also worth reading, simply felt like an unachievable task. After arriving on familiar soil, my need for anonymity became greater. Mostly, I think, I didn't want rich and invasive eyes to have open ended exposure to my trial

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-20692426123248958182010-12-24T10:53:00.005-06:002010-12-26T18:18:54.827-06:00

When I was in college not figuring out what I wanted to do, they said I had to have an internship to graduate. I was finishing up a major in a line of study that I was pretty confident I wouldn't pursue. The idea of pretending through a summer my mock future that wasn't ever going to be my real future seemed to have something to do with the core of what's wrong with our higher education system. I

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-8583966530401963982010-12-16T09:49:00.003-06:002010-12-17T09:12:20.454-06:00

The previous mid-morning Sunday I managed to find a relaxing version of church in my car on my way to sell people Tulsa memorabilia. NPR was in the midst of a five part special exploring the tension between faith and science, which was followed by a segment on Sufiism, the 'mystical' aspect of the Islamic faith. The voice of Coleman Barks, the most prevalent translator to the Western Word of

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-36195873207518284302010-12-10T09:39:00.002-06:002010-12-10T10:20:03.196-06:00

Connor showed me a you tube video of a man in San Diego that balances rocks on top of each other on a spot overlooking the water. He takes small rocks and sits larger rocks on top of them, and then keeps going and before you know it you think you're either looking at an optical illusion or that some crazy man has taken the time to glue random size rocks on top of each other in a crooked sort of

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-34160850581829784722010-11-07T09:31:00.002-06:002010-11-07T10:18:31.717-06:00

Yesterday was a big day for me. Not only did I go to the BANK, one of those mundane cluttered sort of life tasks I usually find very difficult to follow through with, but I also thought of a more convenient way, post bank, to get to my beloved Eastern Market.The color coated metro map makes maneuvering through the district without a vehicle quite a breeze, except, of course, on the days when

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-62344045467254908212010-11-03T20:53:00.003-05:002010-11-06T11:17:11.469-05:00

The wine market where I work is so much more than that. Our window outside has the logo painted in rustic red letters. And it's deceiving. _uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker();There's a full kitchen in the back, and it's inhabited on most days by some of the most talented people I know. Our fried chicken was in Bon Apetit Magazine for being one of the best this side of the Mason Dixon Line. I

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-67593918956073299392010-10-26T13:57:00.003-05:002010-10-27T16:10:34.723-05:00

I spent this last weekend in between home and almost home, ultimately in comfort. The same comfort I was running from in June of this year happens to be what I was craving by October. Life plays the most interesting tunes, and to be somewhere that's familiar and foreign is like when I heard the Willie Nelson album accompanied by an orchestra. Is this what I think it is? Weird, and anchoring. So '

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-48688501543355908432010-10-18T14:38:00.002-05:002010-10-18T15:07:47.332-05:00

I am beginning to think there's no such thing as backwards in life. It's one of the things I have feared most. My view gets brighter at the thought of moving forward, moving, always headed ahead, not not not behind. The thing about change and nomadic tendencies is that you'll eventually get to a, "what's next," point in time. It's always a possibility, but a steady paying job accompanied by a

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-18465316400883401122010-10-04T12:57:00.004-05:002010-10-11T09:16:12.700-05:00

Growing up, the idea of forgiveness was instilled in my psyche. I spent most days of the week at church hearing about the forgiveness Jesus had bestowed upon us through his sacrifice. This forgiveness was a strait shot to freedom. Life was still hard, but it could only be lived fully through an acceptance of this freedom. _uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker();The gift of forgiveness came at a

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-2427640873348486802010-09-30T14:06:00.002-05:002010-09-30T14:08:15.594-05:00

Air, water, food, and shelter. That’s what they told me I needed in elementary school. This knowledge was attained in any other fourth grade lesson provided to my classmates and I by Mrs. Nold. I guess fourth grade was the time educators assumed you would begin looking outside of the realm of your parents, and that needs may someday need to be attained, and won’t always just be there for you to

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-26838194337162579562010-09-28T10:09:00.004-05:002010-09-28T10:49:20.703-05:00

This is kind of fun. _uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker();I am living in Washington DC. I am not political. Washington DC is the political center of the US. People that LOVE politics, policy, foreign relations, ISSUES of all kinds...they come here. At a party I attended Saturday evening I was literally, at one point, the only person in the room that was not a fellow. And I am not talking about

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-47770415882477473432010-09-15T15:14:00.004-05:002010-09-20T15:13:32.197-05:00

There's so much wisdom to be gained from a decision, but it filters down in in layers, and seasons, and full understanding takes time; sometimes years. _uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker();We are making our way through the year, already having passed the half-way point. The beginning for me held extremes, of which I am grateful. There was training, which included extensive runs, while preparing

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-22835617145149510142010-09-02T16:54:00.005-05:002010-09-02T17:02:28.987-05:00

: : : disclaimer : : :This is actually a post I wrote while living for a summer in South Korea! Since I know some of my readers are new and likely haven't gone back and read every post in my blog's history, I am reposting this one. I made some changes to enter it in a writing contest, so if you think you've read it, technically, you haven't. And fear not. It is being read and edited by my

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-28300489878844618842010-08-31T13:47:00.002-05:002010-08-31T14:15:38.753-05:00

As if I hadn't engaged in enough change already. That's the sentence fragment I shall begin with. _uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker();DC has been kinder to me these past few weeks, and I have been kinder to myself. In the midst of all of this kindness, my thoughts have kept their place in my head, and most recently, took their place in conversation with the best kind of friend a thinker could

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-46909221664249760992010-08-17T14:08:00.003-05:002010-08-17T14:59:07.091-05:00

It takes little to thrill me. At work, toward the end of sunny days, I get a little jazzed at around six-thirty in the evening. It's the time of night, this time of year, where the sun starts to cast the most beautiful shadows. It's also the time of night when we have to close the shades a bit, as the beautiful sun often angles itself at eye level of the guests aware enough to choose the window

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-85672789812080798202010-08-14T08:29:00.003-05:002010-08-14T09:27:43.882-05:00

It's been record hot here, and nearly everywhere else. My friends in Tulsa have been recording what feels like 120°. What? And please don't ask me to prove this or provide credible evidence, but one of my co-workers told me the other day that Russia has been swept with record high heat as well. I don't like it at all. _uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker();So I became facebook friends with a

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-42744447145802942322010-08-11T11:58:00.003-05:002010-08-11T12:54:56.405-05:00

When I arrived back in Tulsa in the fall of two-thousand and eight, after attempting to teach english in South Korea, I was itching to escape. I felt like I was going in reverse, and conjured up numerous ways in my head to get out before it was too late. I had to move out of my lovely old house a few months after returning, and I didn't really have anywhere concrete to go. It was around the

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-5473947957500056362010-08-10T10:19:00.003-05:002010-08-10T11:55:40.230-05:00

When I was little, I would wake at seven on Saturdays, before the rest of my family, beginning my day with the company of Zach and Kelly and Screech and the rest of Saved by the Bell's cast. A few years later, once I had discovered cooking, I would start the pancakes, again, before the rest of my family rose. I am one of those morning people; I love waking with the day. There's something

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-55502559338668140082010-08-08T14:18:00.005-05:002010-08-09T14:53:54.298-05:00

I have been pretty ambitious this week, making my way into the foreign, to new museums, eateries, and sections of town. I had two days off in a row, and though I dreamed of using the time off to make a short exit, looking up plane and train tickets to various stops on the map, I decided on the practical, and to spend some hours exploring the newness of my present.On Friday I made it to the

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-62330361273480280742010-08-03T14:58:00.006-05:002010-08-04T14:05:12.940-05:00

I have been, for years, an I-Phone teaser. Not a critic. Please don't mistake. I have always thought it was a really cool piece of technology and very relevant to the lives of many. It just wasn't relevant to mine, and so I didn't have one, and therefor, wasn't caught up in the I-Phone frame of mind. This frame of mind can be seen in the eyes of someone holding their I-Phone intently, pressing

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-77992505836762787572010-08-01T07:45:00.002-05:002010-08-01T07:47:18.981-05:00

I went on an Iranian culture kick when I lived in Florida. I read a book about the hostage takeover of the American embassy in Iran, and the 444 days that followed, which piqued my curiosity, and led me to more books in that vein. One was titled "Lipstick Jihad"; Her family had left Iran and raised her in Sunny California, in the midst of a strong Iranian subculture with Iranian food and

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-31563797890953992322010-07-31T14:29:00.003-05:002010-07-31T14:47:03.067-05:00

My friend Isaiah, a music snob who has introduced me to life changing music and once in a lifetime musical experiences, said that Alexi Murdoch bores him. Or maybe it was Jose Gonzalez. I can't remember now. So don't quote him on that. Said music snob will be tearing up the drums with savage young in Tulsa Town in a few hours. Tomorrow morning he'll be tearing them up at church, like he does

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-63759065162440749302010-07-29T15:02:00.002-05:002010-07-29T15:17:17.066-05:00

So I woke up really late and then there was this big storm and I tried to get my new nike sensor to work with the old receiver and it wouldn't. It's about to rain, and though I love running in a drizzle, I don't like ruined ipods that come from running in a storm. And the technology not working is wearing down my motivation. So I want to give up. But I decide to concede instead, and go down to

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-32732354436251719232010-07-26T15:10:00.002-05:002010-07-26T15:16:09.742-05:00

This is going to be short and possibly only one long sentence but I have failed to post anything in quite a while despite the fact that I have been writing things that I haven't finished so here's something to wet the appetite of my readers to say that life has been really hot here in DC and it's affirmed to me that I am one of those people that maybe should choose to live in a more mild climate

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-77656641407973396822010-07-20T22:42:00.005-05:002010-07-20T22:46:40.910-05:00

My pizza would have an accent and be topped with a really funny man. My pizza would have laughter. and lemonade from a lemonade stand, and more days off than not, and cupcakes, with a sprinkling of good friends. There wouldn't be any mushrooms on my pizza, but there would be cheese, and cheesy jokes, and goats, so that I'd have unlimited goat cheese. And I would eat it with a bottle of wine,

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-53719718265582531132010-07-14T11:31:00.004-05:002010-07-16T13:00:18.178-05:00

The restaurant where I work isn't a bad place. Nonetheless, I just don't really want to be a server. _uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker();There are sometimes in life when you think you know what you want, and then after a while, you realize it would have been all wrong, and what you did want you now don't really want at all. And you're happy that what you thought you wanted to happen didn't

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-80764516746227239762010-07-11T22:59:00.002-05:002010-07-11T23:13:42.650-05:00

It was a blistering day. As in, you'll get blisters from the sun if you stay outside too long. She had to work, serving others. She was glad to get out of the house, but she would have rather been getting out of the house to see a movie, say, or to fetch ice cream. Lovely suggestions that weren't the case. _uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker();Tables are labeled with names and given the term '

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-60103180277992992842010-07-06T14:50:00.004-05:002010-07-10T20:07:53.450-05:00

My youth pastor would have called this a crisis of belief. It’s the unexpected fork in the road that wasn’t indicated on your map. It knocks violently upon the door of your comfortable home of thoughtful truths, truths that have been yours, unapologetically, for sometime. I have found myself in the midst of the unfamiliar. I am in the care of caring people, but the environment is foreign. And

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-20078954770797195382010-07-05T14:21:00.005-05:002010-07-05T14:44:49.403-05:00

I woke yesterday with vigor, determined and hopeful about the day's possibilities. It started with the sunrise. The window in my bedroom, that’s three times the size of my last, faces the sky where the sun marks the day’s beginning. The light woke me before six, the slightest look of ambition slid across my face, quickly disappeared, and I went back to sleep, waking four hours later. I wiped

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-58355204330473595442010-06-27T15:22:00.002-05:002010-06-27T15:26:39.660-05:00

I arrived in this place a few days more than a week ago. I had been here but once a few years prior, on a four day weekend trip with my father to meet his cousin. They hadn’t seen each other in a few days shy of forty years, as they were both the wanderers. She had left the Northeast to reach Washington, specifically Capitol Hill, with policy on her mind. Contrastingly, my father left with no

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-40071786190498787982010-06-18T10:54:00.005-05:002010-06-18T16:33:44.554-05:00

I took a seat at the bar. _uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker();When you're "just one" they assume that's where you want to go. I maneuvered my body awkwardly into the seat, as the man to my left had his chair tilted intensely toward me. He complimented my food choice as I bumped my elbow into the chair to my right, which was also turned in the same direction as the chair to my left. I wiggled

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-33714959501191811602010-06-12T06:21:00.003-05:002010-06-13T19:55:24.416-05:00

The weight of the day didn’t really hit me when I arrived. Though I had been preparing for this morning for nearly three months, filling my days, weekends, and sometimes evening with lots and lots of running, I was more aware of my potential for failure, as I compared myself to all of the people that spoke to each other with such confidence and ease. “I wasn’t going to do this one,” a man said to

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-53020736414322748482010-05-12T09:08:00.003-05:002010-05-24T13:50:13.473-05:00

Sitting in the sunshine sipping my americano, savoring my oatmeal, and reading some David Sedaris, two gentlemen carry their coffees and an inappropriate conversation out the door and into my space. It's a conversation about death, which isn't the inappropriate part. I started to get offended when they began to gravel on about the details of how the woman was killed, sigh big heavy sighs, voice

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-26261127606628156942010-05-06T09:20:00.002-05:002010-05-06T09:57:45.241-05:00

I think one of my biggest life lessons will be learning how to let go of the need to be understood. Giving myself permission to be mis-undertsood is just so damn difficult. But misunderstanding is inevitable. _uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker();Sunday evening is a prime study night for me at a place called Vintage. Telling Mark what I would like to order is a fail nearly every time. He always

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-54072686117641858182010-05-03T10:29:00.004-05:002010-05-03T13:01:26.443-05:00

I will be running into my future, one month from tomorrow. I will leave Tulsa on June the fourth, run a marathon in San Diego, and continue on my journey to my new, potentially permanent temporary home. _uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker();I put off training last weekend for the sake of some fun, including cartwheels, which led to a strained hamstring. The strained hamstring further delayed some

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-33169324736413157592010-05-01T12:05:00.003-05:002010-05-01T13:02:40.564-05:00

I am officially entering the mode of transition, where the goodbyes of one season begin, in the midst of hellos ushering me into the next. Yesterday was one of those mornings where all of my emotions were in super power mode, as if they had been plugged into a source of electricity, amplified beyond measuring capability, and it was lovely and also eery. That theme came from a conversation I had

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-36498389154409944612010-04-14T23:03:00.004-05:002010-04-15T08:24:51.061-05:00

Today I was exhausted and just wanted to take a nap but instead needed to run and managed to stall as long as I could but ended up just lying to myself all the way out the door about how easy the run would be while it wasn't easy at all but rather, nearly every minute of all seven miles were painful and/or difficult and the only good parts were the blooming azaleas I passed, the eccentric grungy

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-13628996966697286802010-04-05T12:50:00.004-05:002010-04-07T09:19:16.627-05:00

Present in the majority of us, I think, is a natural inclination to avert foolishness. The same act can be taken two different ways, depending on the situation. It's a delicate balance. And there's that element of misunderstanding that will always weasel its way in. _uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker(); Dancing on a table at a dinner party, for example, is an act of foolishness. Everyone's

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-62669132615483804022010-03-31T09:41:00.003-05:002010-04-02T09:29:20.842-05:00

Strange would an appropriate way to describe theme and feel of my week. It's been unnerving at times. There have been multiple monumental life marker moments. It's almost been too much. I say almost, as it all fits appropriately inside the knob that I've been using to turn up the volume. But sometimes, when you turn it up louder than it's ever been, these sounds and tones and notes come out that

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-1790219600326725302010-03-29T23:09:00.004-05:002010-03-29T23:23:37.173-05:00

Privy to many amplified sounds unheard by the average ear makes up the life of a basement dweller. Some are welcome: The sounds of love in conversation and laughter from the unaware couple to the left, and the unaware couple to the right, spring rain hitting and bouncing from the window right above my head, and footsteps above me when I am feeling alone. Others are less inviting, like the

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-37012916170180333612010-03-26T08:14:00.005-05:002010-03-27T01:15:36.544-05:00

My friend Mary Beth...She is lovely and wise. She is also a light, and has taken risks with her life that have not only been beneficial for her, but also, all of the things and people involved in the full life she lives. She said this the other day: "If you don't try there is a chance it may never happen." And, of course, duh. Right? But for some reason the statement carries more weight coming

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-16990590169471240882010-03-24T09:42:00.003-05:002010-03-24T09:53:20.085-05:00

Have been feeling a bit apprehensive about the impact I will have on the lives of the family I will be staying with in DC. I have also began to mentally rush myself out of the city before I even arrive. I may fall in love with the place, and stay indefinitely. Why would I plan my exit before I even enter? _uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker(); Emailed my concerns to my cousin...The incredible

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-73732155306208325272010-03-23T23:55:00.004-05:002010-03-24T01:09:29.567-05:00

I remember the day I had my solo revelation, and the truth that there are things in life I will miss out on if I am not willing to do them alone. I was living in Florida at the time, and after getting off of work in the evenings, I had gotten in the habit of making for myself dairy free pancakes with fat free butter and sugar free syrup. Ugh. What an abundant life. Not. When I didn't have this

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-84196741940425514192010-03-18T16:00:00.004-05:002010-03-20T14:59:47.810-05:00

Looking back on my previous years gives me so much to be thankful for in the present. There were so many off seasons, like when it's supposed to be spring but winter refuses to leave, and snow continues to fall with fervor in March. I was riding my bicycle to my new home in the midst of a truly springlike season a few days ago and thankfulness struck me; I was reminded, with a chill, of the many

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-9245523437060143572010-03-15T18:02:00.003-05:002010-03-15T18:12:16.084-05:00

I ran out of gas for the second time this week on Saturday evening. _uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker(); I ran out right in front of my house. I forgot the following morning, as I was leaving for work. When I tried to start the Stratus, she just rumbled and rejected. So I rode my bicycle instead. On the way home, I clutched my little purse in one hand, letting my cash tips make the ride in my

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-40488457068958299982010-03-10T09:27:00.009-06:002010-03-15T23:14:32.074-05:00

Regardless of where I go or how I grow, small town America will always be the place I am from, and what I say when someone I meet along the way asks, "where is home?" I grew up across the street from an old dairy farm that had real cattle guard at the driveway's beginning, and my bedroom sloped downward from the rest of the house for the majority of my childhood, as it was a poorly planned add on

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-35968229481087345752010-03-08T09:15:00.003-06:002010-03-08T09:49:01.082-06:00

I was talking to a friend yesterday about creative types. I would venture to put myself in this category. I do because of the reactions I often get from other people at my ways. I remember having an email conversation with my mother not too long ago. We were talking about my wayward nature, and the things in life I am drawn to. With the exception of my outgoing...um...ness, which I get from my

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-41488994420592007962010-03-04T07:53:00.004-06:002010-03-04T09:08:48.614-06:00

I wrote a post on here around the turn of the year about life getting better as the years go by, as opposed to worse. It's not just a hope of mine, but something I consciously try to work toward. And I do think it's work. I think it's easy to let go. I think a lot of people live the day to day until it's been worn into the ground and eventually look up at a bleak reality to ask themselves,

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-51198938364915488162010-03-03T09:24:00.003-06:002010-03-05T08:27:41.625-06:00

I am writing this while listening to the blues. I don't think I have ever blogged to the blues before. It's in honor of my epic evening last night. I have, for many years, dreamt of seeing Eric Clapton play live. A good portion of the reasoning behind my desire was so that I could see the look on my father's face while watching a musician he has idolized since the musician's beginning. He said

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-64370924741600769122010-03-02T09:52:00.001-06:002010-03-02T09:52:48.419-06:00

Yesterday I toasted my bagel too long. I usually use the right side of the dually-toastable toaster, which, I feel, matches my bagel toasty desires quite well. For whatever unknowable reason, on Monday the first of March, I put my wheat bagel into the left side, with the same amount of concern and trust I usually give to the previously mentioned right side. This means I don't check it often, and

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-2904578173957728372010-02-22T15:29:00.011-06:002010-02-27T08:41:31.155-06:00

I am finding myself at a familiar place, full of hope and idealism, preparing to journey out of one place and into another. In the summer of two-thousand and five, I hugged my parents goodbye, hopped into my red Stratus with my cousin Sarah, and embraced my idealism and wandering spirit to live somewhere else, while Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway" played through my life's speakers.I had finished

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-31998751220544452072010-02-20T11:26:00.004-06:002010-02-20T13:59:16.742-06:00

I made this new friend by the name of Megan. She's pretty great, though I barely know her. I know that much. Yesterday was a day of planning. Lindsay called it when she said she felt a blog coming on. This one is going to be all over the place. It's going to be like me. I woke yesterday morning to an apartment in chaos; boxes, glasses, get rid of piles, and things to trip on. It was all a part of

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-28923151544935895882010-02-15T14:23:00.004-06:002010-02-15T16:49:54.498-06:00

There isn't much I expect anymore from the day of love. This is not a cynicism, really, though I am quite capable of that. It's more of a comfortability with reality. There is a cycle one gets used to after all these years, and it's not something to lament, but rather, celebrate. And that's what I do. I celebrate the love I am surrounded by. I am not the biggest fan of weddings...The stress,

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-60362232186959138372010-02-05T15:40:00.001-06:002010-02-05T15:42:24.640-06:00

I came into the world during the month that proclaims itself to be the most unique. It possesses less days than any other, even on the years when it holds an extra day. I have always been happy about this fact, as if it's uniqueness has something to do with me, or the other way around. Though this is factually untrue, it somehow brings me a renewed sense of individuality when I am having an

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-69432324903845670852010-01-27T08:40:00.004-06:002010-01-29T10:01:14.880-06:00

Act one last night was dinner with a new friend. I have known her for a bit, but our interactions have been relegated to my place of business or hers, conversation and laughter interrupted by customers needing to purchase something..."hold on a sec, I will be right back"..."hold that thought...I want to hear it...I just have to help this person"...These sentences have been spoken between the two

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-18367268398741163292010-01-23T11:03:00.003-06:002010-01-23T12:22:06.306-06:00

I am just sitting here, sipping my americano and my overly buttered bagel, and a man walks by. He is old enough to be my dad, his face is marked with a beard, and he is balancing his bulky gray laptop in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other. In any other moment on any other day, he would just be a man, walking by. But I am almost sure I saw a look in his eye of loneliness. I wanted to get up,

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-80792748539047143792010-01-21T15:38:00.003-06:002010-01-21T16:16:52.580-06:00

Last night our server recommended the sea bass. We wanted to split the salmon, Melinda and I, but they were out. We were sad, for a moment. The both of us. But then we read that the Sea Bass was crispy, which seemed much more exciting than just plain old grilled salmon, and all of a sudden, we were happy again! Then he brought my wine, and whatdya know? I was thrilled. He agreed to put the

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-85556424632961385472010-01-20T23:16:00.003-06:002010-01-21T00:00:47.215-06:00

The making of a decision is a wonderful thing, especially if it propels much needed change. I decided to move out of my parents house, with the worried voice of my mother still echoing after my exit. My next move was to South Korea, for the summer. My mother's worried voice was still there, her tight hug and tears ushering me onto the plane.And though navigating through her worry was, well,

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-60234727628186830272010-01-20T09:29:00.007-06:002010-01-22T14:51:11.934-06:00

I finally found the courage to leave Florida. The only place I knew to go was home, literally. I drove back across the country and moved in with my parents. It was winter, I was sad, and I wasn't running.I was in a friend's wedding during this time, and I remember the anguish, once again - six years later - of having to fit into a dress. It was a really wonderful dress; Something that would be

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-20779575805001534172010-01-19T11:28:00.006-06:002010-01-20T09:48:10.257-06:00

I made it to prom; I was able to fasten the pink dress. But somewhere between my house and the road, a part of me fell in love with the action of running. Eventually I ventured off of my driveway and onto the undivided blacktop road that still finds it's way in front of my house; my mom worried some more. I remember the first time I ran three miles. The summer before college, I would run a mile

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-81296315312148847522010-01-18T12:21:00.005-06:002010-01-20T09:47:27.622-06:00

I had played basketball that year, solely because of my friends. I didn't want to be left out of their fun (I say their fun, as it was in no way fun for me). It was also my first year of high school - the awkward year - and I didn't want to be stuck in seventh period with the un-basketballed rejects, and the sophomores that were re-taking physical science because they failed it the year before.

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-30820586441355601342010-01-16T10:34:00.004-06:002010-01-18T12:30:57.285-06:00

This post seeks to explain why I may, in the future, punch a hole in the usually closed up tin can of vulnerability._uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker();Vulnerability?! On the INTERNET? Where EVERYONE and ANYONE can read it? This used to make me nervous. Channeling the anxiety of a teenage girl getting ready in the morning, I created blogs and deleted them the way above girl would try on outfits

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-45560294705869902142010-01-13T08:57:00.002-06:002010-01-13T09:00:52.745-06:00

This post is weightless, full of no substance at all. I enjoy writing on this silly little blog more than many things in my life. And I would write even if people didn't read. But sometimes, some people leave comments, which affirms that sometimes people do. So this silly little post is a thank you to readers. Comments are not necessary. I am just glad you read, and if you're reading this, it

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-1479593290219340202010-01-13T08:13:00.003-06:002010-01-13T08:57:09.075-06:00

Some nights are chalked full of fun. Tonight, for example, I am eating dinner with my dearest cousin, making coffee for a few hours at brown shades, and then coercing my janky ankle into dancing the night away. There will be ample endeavors to occupy my time. _uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker();Time occupation. Though time often turns out to be so much more, on some evenings the first two

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-14123112579773466382010-01-11T10:46:00.003-06:002010-01-12T04:43:44.601-06:00

I strained to reach the top shelf of my closet this morning, which is the most disorganized and frustrating area of my 600 sq. ft. apartment. I wince each time I slide open the door. There is one narrow shelf, that's, well, really narrow. So the excess of my life - the things I don't use every day - are forced, crammed, shoved in this inaccessible and poorly designed space. I QUICKLY rummaged to

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-15572733392428871022010-01-07T09:41:00.003-06:002010-01-07T20:31:38.608-06:00

So this whole serving gig is new to me. I am used to dropping stuff off at tables, grilling sandwiches and heating up cold cinnamon rolls in the microwave. But fine dining? _uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker();My first moment of realization came during a lunch shift while training. Sonya was explaining to me how we remove first course before bringing second, and how we drop a knife or a soup

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-86167690760387182272010-01-05T09:39:00.004-06:002010-01-05T14:33:30.854-06:00

I remember sitting in my friend Brandi's kitchen in high school, munching on pizza. It was a fun place to be at the moment, but my overall feeling of high school was in such contrast. I was the thirty-two year old sixteen year old. I hung out with adults, and was in the kitchen with the parents at most parties, talking about peer pressure, mistakes and bad choices being made by others. I was

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-50832042010840287462009-12-28T23:00:00.003-06:002009-12-28T23:41:48.811-06:00

There were these two people that I happened to come upon. One was drinking coffee, and the other was making it. Funny thing about life; we just never know. We can pray, fervently. We can hope, or expect the worst, but we just never know. I had been gone for a short season and had returned to the same place a different person, sort of. Not different, as in not the same, but maybe just more.So

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-85806632669766050932009-12-27T17:00:00.002-06:002009-12-27T17:26:27.070-06:00

It has recently been brought to my attention that I might possibly, on some days in some temperatures, suffer from low self-esteem. If you fell out of your chair just then, dust yourself off, and sit right back down so you can finish reading this blog. I also - this is going to blow your socks off too - think incessantly about things, until they have been thunk to their death, and driven deep

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-26730697842807728402009-12-26T18:18:00.003-06:002009-12-26T18:35:12.747-06:00

I truly feel like I am growing out of this season of life. Literally, even physically. I feel like a child, whose toes have begun to just touch the tips of her shoes.... Inching toward thirty, it's like the reality that we grow older, and live with our choices, weighs much more heavily on me now than it did back when...when I wasn't inching toward thirty. It was okay to piddle through things

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-8780581833537684052009-12-24T06:42:00.004-06:002009-12-24T06:51:36.396-06:00

The following is what I do in my spare time, when it's the holiday's, and many of my friends have left town.I highly recommend creating a fictitious resume. In those moments of boredom, make one of these, instead of privately stalking a practical stranger via facebook. The resume will have a more positive effect on your morale, and your inner creative spirit.And though I sat down to do this as a

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-44666790279166862572009-12-22T09:14:00.002-06:002009-12-22T09:46:46.845-06:00

Hustle and bustle, Holiday rush, traffic and sales, red tag, hurry! Last minute gift ideas, we've sold out but we will have more in...check the back room, I thought it was on sale, I am sorry - it's the sweaters to the left that are on sale...sneaky sale price marking, clearly trying to fool your customers...red in the bank account...but enough gifts beneath the tree, no time left to rest...must

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-31033325549151616062009-12-17T09:21:00.002-06:002009-12-17T10:01:53.777-06:00

Sunday mornings are usually spent with my family, at the breakfast table eating pancakes and straining to listen to one of the stories that I have already heard my grandpa tell a dozen times. Though I have likely already heard it, I strain to listen because of the look on his face when he is recounting how funny it is. It's that genuine smile, or laugh, that I don't see as often, now that his

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-56679995326053457412009-12-04T09:47:00.005-06:002009-12-04T10:43:05.244-06:00

It a merry time of year. My neighbors have their trees and homes lit up. As of yesterday, it's officially cold, wintry weather. I actually drove over a patch of ice on my way to get coffee this morning. AND, the scent of ginger has begun to fill the air, as people scramble over one another on the candy isle in search of the perfect decorations for their made-from-scratch gingerbread houses!Not.I

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-31373946225836184372009-11-29T21:27:00.005-06:002009-11-29T22:13:20.760-06:00

Walking down the sidewalk on a cement colored day, butterflies began to cluster in my stomach. I hadn't felt their flutter in quite some time, so their arrival caught me off guard. And then I welcomed them, and told the beautiful creatures to make themselves at home, because of what they were ushering in. A change. I grabbed handle of the door I was about to open with a smile on my face, a twinge

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-91162083185265636842009-11-25T08:57:00.002-06:002009-11-25T09:33:01.202-06:00

I was thinking this morning about how easy it is to resent a season of life when I've tired of it, ignoring the fact that it's likely the specifics of my season that have helped shape me into the version of me that's so quick to be resentful. I began to reminisce, thinking back to the days of playing with dolls, and the day in particular when I decided I was probably too old to play with dolls

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-52199196734270170752009-11-24T22:51:00.003-06:002009-11-24T23:27:25.422-06:00

It should come as no surprise to you, dear readers, that I have been somewhat disillusioned lately in my line of work. I've been making coffee for nearly three years. Though my practice has increased in integrity since the days of automation and the three minute wait, the integrity amongst those filing in to partake remains sparse. There is an excessive amount of care that goes into each bag of

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-74065902359507523812009-11-23T09:27:00.004-06:002009-11-23T09:43:24.492-06:00

I have quoted a line of wisdom quite a few times this week. It came from someone that said it to someone else, that then said it to me. It relates to what I have been musing lately on here about dissatisfaction and confusion, etc bla bla bla. These thoughts make for a foggy, cloudy, rainy greeting to any new day, as there's nothing, really, that can remedy the situation immediately. So I wake,

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943631760606936573.post-5562278974715212582009-11-20T21:06:00.002-06:002009-11-20T21:29:07.103-06:00

I wish I was a bath person. Right now, when I have had a bizarrely painful day, and I am sitting on my couch all alone, a bath is seemingly just what I need. But I am more of a shower person. _uacct = "UA-xxxxxx-x"urchinTracker();I woke this morning, in the eeeeeeaaaaaarly hours, with a foreign feeling in my body: back pain. Ew. I went back to sleep, thinking I could sleep it off. I woke again,

meredith.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08610715195557633441noreply@blogger.com0