Life As an Afterschool Special

Tonight we are passing out candy for “beggars night” in the bottoms. I cant wait!

Our house is right on the corner so we should see lots of activity. I am so excited to see all the kids in costume!

Plus I am excited to pass out candy because it gives us lots of amazing chances to witness not even with our words, but just by loving the people.

We have been in the bottoms one month and have seen and heard some crazy stuff.

In fact, my roommates and I are making a book to remember our time down here were we put quotes from people in the bottoms. We are calling it…

how you know you do ministry in the bottoms

you hear…..

“when you break into a car you open the fuel tank. Cause that’s where the crack heads keep their rocks”

“I don’t care I will hit them in the head with a Mother F-n toaster I will put my fingers in one slot and my thumb in the other slot and I will beat in their face then I will step on their heads. I know how to use a toaster”

“I went to this one school and they bought us clothes. I went to this other school and they bought us Christmas stuff. This other school had this girl who was my best friend. She asked me to do something I didn’t want to so I stabbed her with scissors”

“And I know what the police are trying to do I watch mother f-n law and order.”

(while coming over during dinner and staring at us eat) “I like your house how much you pay? You like that food? You eat it a lot? It taste good? How much is your house? You cuss?”

“A bond will insure you no matter what you drive. Unless its a Lexus”

Just some things that make me laugh over the past month.

Happy beggars Night!

This weekend I got to sit down with ten very different people and play Cranium.

It is the best game EVER.

If you have never played, it is a mix of all games into one.

Its like playing Trivia pursuit, Charades, Pictionary, Win lose or Draw, Song Burst, and Gestures all at once.

There is also a category where you use playdough to sculpt and another category where you have to spell and fill in the missing words.

What I like most about Cranium is that there is always someone who is good at something but no one has to be good at everything.

I like to act, my sister liked to draw, my other roommate Christina can hum almost any song, our friend Luke is a potter so he can sculpt, my friend Tim can spell almost anything, and my friend Jeff liked it all.

We also had friends from different churches who didn’t even really know eah other on teams, and it brought a sense of unity.

we all could take turns doing what we like to do and work towards a common goal

Sadly even with our vast array of talent, and even though it WAS my birthday, my team did not win

but good times were had by all.

if you like to play board games I HIGHLY suggest you give Cranium a try.

On The Rumor Forum today I read about how Bill O’Reilly is being sued for sexual harassment

you can read her complaint here

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/1013043mackris1.html

Ok so I am taking a big leap here, and at the chance of offending….

I read the whole thing and while I totally agree that bill is a male chauvenist pig i also think….

this woman is an idiot.

seriously.

she just is.

I hate that about some woman. and maybe I just dont “get it” but this woman repeatedly went to dinner with Bill… repetedly talked to him on the phone, when asked about phone sex her FIRST response was “I have never had phone sex and it doesnt really intrest me” which is diffrent from “this is not appropaite conversation”

she did not hang up when he talked dirty, (in fact waited until he climaxed on MORE then one occasion ), and if you read the part where it gets all descriptive, she waited and listened to ALL of it. I mean she didnt hang up or get off the phone as soon as he started talking about her in a shower, she let him talk to her explicitly,she LISTENED to details.

she most likely laughed at his jokes, left the company AND came back for even after a supposed year of sexual harassment, and still had a “personal” relationship with Bill.

it just FRUSTRATES me.

maybe I am alone

Should men talk to woman that way.

No not really, but as women, dont we draw the line on what is appropiate or not?

I mean, if a woman giggles and listens to you talk about sex until you climax repeatedly, if she contines to have dinner alone with you, contnues to accept your calls what are you to think except that its ok to talk to her like that?

It is frustating to me because it dismisses times when a woman truly has said no, drawn firm lines, and is still harassed.

thats my friends is my rant for today

I admit it.

I haven’t blogged in a while.

I cant think about what to write.

I am distracted beyond reason.

I am preoccupied and over-whelmed.

I am bordering on obsessive.

I wish I had a good reason for this but I don’t.

I wish I could say I was in love, or in deep thought, or pondering the mysteries of the universe, but no, it is so much more….. Shallow…. Then that.

Oh its true.

I have moved.

So now, I spend my time thinking about what would look better on my coffee table, and what could go above my desk in the livingroom, and where I can get a cool chair for my room that doesn’t cost a lot.

We are having a house warming/my birthday party on Saturday so I have become downright obsessive trying to get the house perfect.

I am ridiculous. I may need a twelve step for this. I am not kidding.

Last night my grandmother brought my sister Erica a beautiful quilt she had made for her room. So of course that meant we had to go shopping to redo her room.

We had a great time, and found some really really cool stuff. ( I love spending other peoples money!) Which, of course, meant that we had to rearrange her room to even better showcase the new items. Our friend Jeff was over and we made him insane by moving things half an inch and then asking “does this look better here or here over” and over.

He left with a headache.

We didn’t get done in Erica’s room until midnight.

but did we stop there?

you bet your bottom we didn’t!

Because my other roommate, Christina’s, mom gave us the really cool old phone. I mean its really cool. But it lost its “umph” when just placed on the desk with other items. Of course then Christina and I had to stay up another hour moving this phone to ever possible surface in every room until we found someplace we liked it.

Side note: I am so glad she has become just as neurotic about our house as I have become. Insanity is so much better when it is shared with a friend.

So after we found a place for the phone then we had to sit up another half an hour and talk about how much we liked where the phone ended up, and how we need a book case, and how much we like how its all coming together.

We finally went upstairs at 1:30am. But did we go to bed…..

Sleep. We don’t need no stinking sleep.

No. Because Erica’s room is now so cool that it inspired Christina to go to her room and find a really neat place to hand some old pictures. Not to be outdone, I went to my room and tried to rearrange my pictures and find a place for the lamp I snagged out of my sisters room.

Then this morning, we talked in the bathroom about decorating and before I left Christina brought me to her room to show me her new idea.

This is clearly my cry for help.

Someone stop me please.

I cant think. I cant eat. I most certainly cant blog. I came into work and looked up Pier Ones website. During my lunch break I am going to the thrift store. The sad thing is I dont even have any money to buy things. I just like to walk around and look longingly at inanimate objects. I need to man. I need to.

Someone tell me to put down the decorative pillow and just walk away. Turn around and just walk away.

twelve steps.

“Hi. My name is Jamie. And I am a decorating addict”

Today I have been thinking a lot about my “brothers”. Not my real brothers, although I love them just oodles, but the male friends I have in my life right now.

I guess I have been thinking about them because they all showed up and helped me move on Friday, but it really goes deeper then that.

To be honest, I have a hard time accepting male friendships.

I dont trust men. And it isnt shocking once you know my background, but I think they want something more from me then I am willing to give… I think they will hurt me or use me or want me to be something I am not.

I know I have baggage (but at least it is pretty and matching baggage).

When I was in highschool I had three male friends I adored and trusted. Three. When I went away to college part of that trust was shattered at a party one night, and I didnt think I could get it back. I didnt think I would ever trust another man ever.

Then I moved to Minneapolis and I met Tim and Brian, two men I trust with my life. They helped me begin to heal old wounds and show me that I could be loved for just me. They honor me, they respect me, and they make me feel loved.

and then I moved again to Columbus, and I didnt think I would ever have that kind of trust with a man again.

But I do.

I have the most amazing male friends. They have made a commitment to me and stand by me when I cant make that same commitment back.

They are my brothers, my confidants, my protectors, and my supporters all rolled into one.

They have also been my movers, my carpenters, my painters, my mechanics, my electricians, my shopping buddies and my sounding boards.

They make me feel safe, and loved, and very very cared for.

They let me be silly and goofy and girlie, and they also let me cry and hold me close and tell me that its ok.

They help me know that there is hope, and they show me a part of themselves and a part of God I never really understood before.

So heres to you guys, I just wanted you to know how much I adore you, and how much your friendships mean to me.

Always,

Jamie lee

I am moving today.

I have not written all week because I am not feeling nice.

In fact I am feeling rather sassy.

And I had to come to a half day at work today. And I usually love my job.

But not today.

I am here, but I am not here. I am split between decorating my new very very cute house in mind and making a to do/to move list in my mind.

Work may have my body, but I wont take my mind or my soul!

So for the good of everyone who knows me I will write on monday when all my sentences wont begin with four letter words.

have a good weekend.