We need more men in our office

I made an important decision today. It all started with a nice afternoon, a somewhat cozy computer chair at the office, a comfy wrap sweater and some hot peppermint tea. What a fabulous afternoon.

Until a HUGE FREAKY NASTY GINORMOUS spider decided to climb up beside me. RIGHT STINKIN' NEXT TO ME! Ugh!

I am quite impressed with myself though. I didn't scream! I did have a mouth full of hot peppermint tea. So it's a darn good thing that I didn't scream. But I did quickly jump up and back away.

I found out today that I'm thankful for rolling computer chairs. They move a lot faster.

This was the biggest and fastest spider I have seen in our office yet. Why it had to be in MY office, I have no idea. Why it had to "attack" when our one male co-worker wasn't in the office, I have no idea.

But it was pretty funny watching 5 girls jump around trying to figure out what we could use to kill/catch it. I wasn't about to try to step on it. It was way too fast! And, knowing me, it would have jumped and scrambled up my pant leg. YUCK. I get a shiver just thinking about it.

And I couldn't find anything flat enough and hard enough to work well to kill it.

And two of my co-workers (Nancy and Marnie) will not squish spiders...they keep them alive! Why????? All spiders must die!

But the only way I could get it out of my office was to allow Nancy to catch it and let it outside. I admit, I did go for the instant gratification in this case. So the spider was released....to come attack me again in the future.

And what I've decided from this little "adventure" is that we NEED men in our office....aka "Spider Slayers". If you want the job, let me know. I am accepting applications immediately.

When I grow up

Starting before you are born, people are questioning what you are going to do for a career. "Oh, he's a kicker. I bet he's going to be a soccer player!" "She's doing acrobatics in my stomach. I wonder if she'll be a gymnast!"

And it never gets any better. As soon as you can talk, people ask you what you want to be when you grow up. The typical answers are careers like fire-fighter, cowboy and astronaut. When I was 5, my answer was, "Either a doctor or a grocery clerk". (I liked all the buttons on the cash register)

I'm now 25...and I still don't really have an answer for the question. But, I'm starting to think that my lack of an answer really is the perfect answer for me. See, I have the hardest time picking because, in my head, that means I have to let go of so many other things I still want to do. What I really want to be is the person who has experienced/done everything. I like being a jack-of-all-trades and having my hand in a bunch of different types of projects.

Here are some options that are highest on my list, in no particular order:

• photographer
• cake decorator/baker
• medical professional
• world traveler
• singer
• wife
• mom
• forensic examiner
• anti-trafficking advocate
• linguist
• short-term missionary
  

All of these choices sound AWESOME to me. How do I pick???

But who says I can't do all of those things? Granted, I can't really have one job that encompasses everything. (although, if you find one, PLEASE let me know where I can apply) But I'm just starting to realize that picking something for a career doesn't automatically negate all the other options. I can do a lot of these as hobbies. I can change careers down the road. I'm not locked in.

There is a certain freedom with that realization. I'm still definitely struggling with the choice of what my career should be right now. But, as long as I'm striving for God's will, He will show me. And I can rest easy knowing that a) He's got my back, b) that I'm not necessarily closing all doors by picking one to walk through, and c) I can learn from and enjoy every experience for what it is (not just a stepping stone).

*sigh of relief*

Now I just have to keep remembering that freedom, and let go of the internal pressure I put on myself. Not an easy task for someone who is known for having constant and intense internal pressure. Your prayers are welcome. :)

Medicine

I got a shipment of medical supplies in the mail at work yesterday. Actually, I'm assuming that they are technically a donation for the organization I work for (Medical Teams International). BUT...they were addressed to Sarah Cutter, with no mention of MTI (except for maybe that it came to the office address). Think I can keep them???

Normally I'm not at all tempted. But these aren't the typical donations (adult diapers, walkers, gauze...). No, this was a box of blood work supplies! Needles, test tubes, heparin containers... It SO made me want to practice taking blood....on myself, if no one else would volunteer.

Too bad I'm ethical and actually put them ALL in our donation room to go off to help people who actually NEED the supplies.

Stupid ethics.

But it did make me continue on a thought process that I've been thinking a LOT about lately: Should I pursue a career in the medical field?

And if you know me at all, you know that my brain has a tendency to take off on topics. So that one little box in the mail produced the following...all in about 5 seconds:

If I do go into medicine, what route should I choose: nursing, physician's assistant, dental assisting, dentist, med school, etc? How long would I have to be in school? Could I work while I went to school, or would I have to quit my job? If I have to quit, how will I support myself? And, when I get out of school, could I support myself on the salary anyways? Would it be equivalent or more than I'm currently making? Would I even want to be doing that job every day for the rest of my life? Does it even make sense to spend several years (and the subsequent tuition money) going back to school if I end up married and being a stay-at-home mom? Would I even want to be a stay-at-home mom, or would that drive me crazy? Would medicine provide the things I feel I'm lacking in my current job?

......

So what's been captivating your thoughts lately?

Writing

I've decided that I need to learn how to write again. I always thought I could do a pretty decent job at it. But lately I've been noticing that, when I do (which is very rare, as most of my posts are picture focused) it's all a matter-of-fact, get-the-job-done kind of style. Where's the story? Where's the whimsy? Where's the humour? Oh yeah, it's sucked up into everyone else's brains. What's in mine? A desire to get it done and move on.

I blame task-driven employment. (you always need someone else to blame) My days have become to-do lists. And, while I get a pathetically high amount of satisfaction from crossing things off said list, I don't take the time to make the tasks fun. I could. At least, I could try.

I got into work yesterday morning, bright and early and before anyone else had arrived. I had plans to be productive while on my own. But I ended up spending 3 hours cleaning. You know how you see something bothersome enough times that you just finally have to take action? That was me. The kitchen was disgusting. The copy room, disorganized. The shred pile, overflowing. I couldn't take it any longer. So I went to work. But, I spent the first half of it grumbling to myself.
**disclaimer - let me just say, these thoughts were just the rantings of a grumpy person, not fully justified or truthful statements**

"Why is it that I'M the ONLY one in the office who seems to know how to clean up??" "Why am I the only one in the office right now, anyways?? Don't other people get paid to COME IN for work too?" "What if I left it just one more day? Would someone else actually get so tired of it that THEY would take on the challenge instead of me? Probably not, because that's never happened before." You know how it can be.

It was just a bad attitude morning...until I realized I could make it a little more fun and get my brain in check. So I started looking for little ways to change it up a bit. I pulled out the label maker and started making labels for sections of the copy room that could have been easily figured out sans labels...but I like label makers, so for me, it was fun. :) (Kassia, I know you can relate!) I shredded paper while challenging myself to stay in a Japanese style squat (not an easy task while in 3 inch heels). I started singing and dancing around the kitchen while scrubbing down the counters. And when it was done, it was so NICE in the office that THAT made me happy too.

So what started as an annoying task turned into a somewhat fun one. My attitude was changed and the office looked MUCH better (and, if you know me, cleanliness and order in my surroundings makes me a happy camper).

Anyways, I say all that to say, I plan to try to make my blogs better. At the very least, I will work on giving more written glimpses into my life (sometimes with pictures, sometimes without...) I can't promise I will succeed. But I can TRY! Next time...cuz this one held no humour or whimsy. Oh well.

Trip to the Coast

Labor Day weekend, Jess and I made a last minute decision to head to the WA coast. Jess had read about some fun coastal towns, and we decided it was time for us to check them out. So we made a day trip out of it.

We started out in Wesport at the Maritime Museum. Found some interesting little facts about marine life. Did you know that a blue whale can get 100 ft long? That's the length of the building in the background. Let me just say, it freaked me out for ever going scuba diving. Good luck to the next person who tries to talk me into it.

And then, because I can't seem to stay away from boats if they are near me, we headed over to the docks. Boats are beautiful things.

hehe

I had to take the previous photo because I was feeling like a.....

:) I couldn't resist! These cracked me up! The best part is, one of the guys from another boat watched me take these pics. He had a funny little smirk on his face. Oh well...

I have a secret fascination with crab pots, crab boats, the idea of crabbing...I just love it all. So these made me happy.We then got back in the car and started driving to our next fun little town: Gray's Harbor. There we found this really awesome whale wood sculpture. There are four whales in total: the big mommy whale, the little whale I'm hugging, the little whale under her tail, and the other little whale under that. Mommy and three little babies. Cute!
It seemed like there was a town theme: Pirates. Everything was pirates. And for whatever reason, they had this random UFO. Please note two things:
1) The martian inside the UFO is a pirate martian. Who knows?
2) Yes, in fact, I do have two red spoons in my hair to look like I'm a martian too. :)
And finally, the beach.We saw a bajillion seagulls on this beach. Jess pulls up and asks, "Wanna run through those? haha" And I said, "Heck yes I do!" So we did.

Jess:Me:Both of us: Let me just say, my motto for that portion of the trip was, "You better not poop on me, stupid bird. Don't you dare poop on me." It worked though...even if only by an inch.

I love this kind of beach. Lots of fun exploration, crabbing, fishing, seagulls...it's very different than a beach in Florida. And for that, I'm grateful.Thanks for a fun Saturday, Jess!

Hawaii - Autumn's birthday

One of the main reasons why I went to Hawaii when I did was because Autumn was turning ONE! I've had the great joy of being with Marc-Andre and Luc for their first birthdays, so I just had to go for Autumn's first as well! It was so much fun!!

We started off the day doing a family present opening. It was so cute watching Autumn try to figure out how to unwrap the presents. She would get a little piece of paper off, and then just play with it...or try to eat it. :) She didn't quite grasp that she was supposed to take ALL the paper off because the present was underneath. And then, once she got one present opened, she was perfectly content to sit there and just play with it, even though there were many more to go. She's so cute!

Teresa and I wrapped the pool present from Great Grandma Mary. But we decided to wrap it with the white side of the paper on the outside so that we could draw all over it. We had fun getting creative while Autumn napped.

Then it was time for Autumn to open up my present. Just when she learned how to unwrap presents, I throw her a curve ball. I wrapped mine in a bag and tissue paper. I'm an Aunt that encourages continual learning. :)I bought her three cute little sundresses (one of which she can grow into) and a fun little pair of shoes. She was SO cute in them! She even wore this dress for her big birthday party. I was a very proud Aunt.
I just love, love, LOVE this little girl!!!

Then came her big party with a few families from their church. They did a great job decorating the house and cooking a fun Hawaiian luau / owl themed party.

Teresa and I researched a bunch of cake designs, and Trees tweaked a few and came up with a really awesome owl cake design. From start -

To finish -She did SUCH a good job!!!! It was definitely a hit at the party.She was a confused, and a little freaked out, by everyone staring and singing to her. :)

This photo, that I just think is adorable, was taken with my phone so I could upload it and send it to our family immediately. They had to be a part of the big day!

And I just love this one. Clayton is reading Autumn her birthday cards. He's such a good daddy.

Happy 1st Birthday, Autumn!!!

Hawaii - coconuts

Trees and Clay have coconut trees in their front yard. So, I just HAD to husk one. :) It was a bit harder than I thought. I didn't know how fibrous and thick the outside husk is. We went out back and ripped off the husks with old railroad ties.

Then we drank the coconut juice.

After that, we cut out all the meat so we could make coconut milk. We actually did one coconut each, so we had a LOT of coconut meat to get out of the shell.To make coconut milk, you take the fresh coconut meat, add water, and blend. Blend, blend, blend.

Then you separate the meat from the milk. We used one of Autumn's old onesies to squeeze it through.

Look at it all! Fresh coconut milk on the left; fresh coconut meat on the right.

After that, we used the coconut milk in our curry dinner that night. Gosh it was good.

Hawaii - random

Okay. This post is going to be a grouping of the random shots from the trip. They don't fit into any particular grouping, so I decided to group them together.

I'm making Autumn a large cross-stitched animal collage. Hopefully it will be ready by Christmas time. Here, she's getting a sneak peek. :)

One thing I love about Teresa and Clayton is that they are game people. We played a game almost every single night I was there. Ticket to Ride (pictured below), Settlers of Catan, Agricola, Puerto Rico, Lost Cities.... Clayton won all but one game: we played Agricola and Teresa won that night. But, sadly, I never won. Not once the entire time. *sigh*

Teresa and I went kayaking out by Chinaman's Hat. It was there that I flipped the kayak...twice. I definitely ended up soaked and bruised from climbing back in the stupid thing. But I had fun! We even kayaked right next to a sea turtle! I think Teresa even went right over the sucker.

One day Teresa took me to her campus. It was a lot bigger than I expected. I really enjoyed getting to see where she spends her days studying and working in the labs. We headed over to the bookstore so Trees could purchase her books and bus pass for the next semester. And we decided that Autumn needed a little U. of Hawaii spirit. :)

Clayton made a cherry pie. Not the kind with the canned pie filling. No, that's not nearly good enough for him. He spent hours cutting and pitting fresh dark cherries. And boy was it worth it. I normally don't like cherry pies. I just don't like that canned stuff. But this was darn tasty! Well done, bro!

We went to a macadamia nut farm. They had samples of a ton of different flavoured ones. My favourite was the Kona Coffee Crusted Macadamia Nuts. Yum! They also had this little section where you could try shelling the nuts the old fashioned way. It was really fun!

Hawaii - Pali

Teresa and Clayton then decided to show me the other side of the island. So we headed over to Pali. Great view. Much cooler (it probably dropped about 15 degrees on our drive up there!). And very windy.

Very very windy. My lens cap flew in front of the lens right as I took the picture. I love it!

Here's a sister shot, sans lens cap. :)

And an Ingalls family photo