work, and some other things

Something I have learned over the last couple of weeks since I started work is that while I like getting off work early, I really prefer closing shifts over morning. My boss leaves at around 5 and so does one of my managers. The less people left at work, the more fun it is. Eman, the closing manager, is my favourite and she loves me too so it's always fun with her. As long as I don't get stuck closing with the slowest cashiers, it usually ends up being a good time. I still don't want to go back next summer, but it's going better than it was for the first two and a half weeks.

The grad is on Wednesday. How weird that all my TA kids are graduating ;)

My birthday was so good. I worked for 9.5 hours but I came home to my entire family over for dinner, cake, and gifts for me and my dad. I got "birthday presents" at work (my managers gave me a couple of boiled eggs and a cucumber) and even though it was insanely busy most people were oddly lighthearted so it was not a terrible day. The evening was awesome with all my family. Sunday was like a continuation of my birthday - two friends from Abbotsford showed up out of the blue (they meant to go to Fleetwood CRC for the evening service but hit traffic, so they came over instead) and I got to hang out with them for a bit. Then Abby surprised me with a cupcake and sparkler and some other treats! Between the three of them, they made my day. And on Saturday I am going out for dinner and then drinks with a few friends so it just goes on and on.

School is up in the air. I keep forgetting to call SFU/am working whenever I think about it and they are closed when I get home.

I have a sweet new list of books to read. Even better, I have a sweet new stack in my room to read.

Listening to: For Good - Chris Colfer and Lea Michele

blah, technology

so, ignoring the fact that my background is simply my picture over and over again, I like my blog better now. yay!

my webcam turned on by itself, which makes me a little nervous because it's not a running application according to the task manager so I'm a little worried it's being controlled remotely. I don't know how the heck somebody would get access to my webcam (or why) but it freaks me out a little. I'll probably shut my computer down tonight and see what happens tomorrow, and meanwhile keep it covered with tape or something. Yikes. Technology is scary.

and, the Canucks lost again tonight. darn. it was cool to be downtown and see everybody still in pretty good spirits though. people were a little bummed but overall everybody was good about it. they cheered at the beginning of every period, for all of Schneider's saves, for the near goals, and for the fights at the end. So people aren't rioting...yet. Hopefully they will do better on Friday. Go Canucks :)

Listening to: Danza Kuduro - Don Omar ft. Lucenzo

work, and the prospective summer

I think it is time for an end to the numbered posts. I made it through 240 days of apartment 11 (with a few little breaks between) and now it's time to close that bit.

In the meantime, I finally arrived home from Honduras (as of a week ago, as most of you know). Working at Two Ee's for one final summer, since they'll hire me back even though I'm only home for a couple of months. No idea what will happen in September in terms of money - I'll be very short this summer (more than usual, that is) due to losing a month of work and I am not positive about part time jobs for the school year. So we'll see. It is certainly good to be home and to see everybody. It almost makes up for all the things I miss about Honduras, including people, the Spanish language, the landscape, and the awesome rainstorms.

Speaking of Spanish, it's a beautiful language. I love listening to it being spoken (especially cause I can pick out more words than I realized). I plan to take lessons over the next year or so.

But despite missing Honduras so incredibly much, I need to stay positive, particularly because it'll be at least a year before I'm back. So, here are the things I love about home:

Seeing my family. Sunday nights at Dave and Britt's. Cheddar cheese. Apples. Wonderful friends. Access to a vehicle. Relief from 35+ degree weather, or really the constant stickiness that comes with it. My own bed. Being able to make phone calls or send texts without freaking out over the steep charges associated with such conveniences. Church. Ellen. Water that I can drink/brush my teeth with/wash food in. Mmmm.

See? There are plenty of good things about here.

Work tomorrow. Bedtime.

Listening to: Knee Deep - Zac Brown Band

Honduras

Okay so hopefully this works. The iPhone doesn't want to work with certain websites so we'll see how this goes.

Honduras has been insane! It's Thursday and I'm coming home on Monday already, although in some ways that can't come fast enough.

Things I loved about Chapernal:

- I made friends not only with kids this time but also a lot of young men and a few young women, and many older women as well when I cooked with them. Some favourites were Donaldo, who was always around to find mangoes and teach me Spanish words, Norma, who told me she wanted me to marry her brother, Julio, our 53 year old neighbour who was just precious, and Tullio, who always beat me in straight face contests.

- it was dry hot. We had no awesome river or waterfall like the other group but we also didn't suffocate in the humidity.

- visiting the water source as they were building the dam

- visiting Chapernal on one of the last days (technically our house was in Pie de la Cuesta, one of three communities - the others being Chapernal and Boca del Monte. Collectively they are referred to as Chapernal). Chapernal was in the middle and much more central so it was so fun to visit there and see some of the houses.

- we would always hang out after church services and play games, which was always really fun an super chill. It was one of the few times we never felt awkward because of lack of verbal communication

But now that we're out of the community and travelling, I almost really wish I wasn't here. I'm anxious to get home and share about everything that's happened, and hear about everything that's been happening at home. I'm really looking forward to the next couple of years and part of me just wants to get started on them right now. I think I should try to enjoy here while I'm here though, since it's going to happen whether I enjoy myself or not.

I dislike Utila right now, because I don't like heat, humidity makes it a kajillion times worse, and I don't like being constantly drenched in sweat. I'm used to sweating because of hard work (and having a nice big shirt to soak it up and sleeves to wipe my face on) but I am not used to sitting quietly on my hostel deck doing nothing at all, and still dripping sweat onto the table or the floor. And wearing tube tops and bathing suits so there's nowhere for the sweat to go. This is unbelievable. I can't wait for nighttime - it's the only time I can do anything that involves expending energy.

We watched this last night: Christian the Lion

239

one day.

Listening to: Messages - Xavier Rudd

227

We all know the worst of ourselves. We all try to hide it. We all have faults and we all worry, at one time or another, about what people are going to think of these faults. Some of us worry that we're too silly, too eccentric, too annoying, too creepy, too clingy, too self-involved.

But we also don't seem to know where the line is between bragging and affirming ourselves. Some of us leap to one side and are completely concerned with raising ourselves up. Others of us jump to the other side and insist on thinking the worst of ourselves. Why can't we find a happy medium, where we understand our weaknesses and are pleased about our strengths?

I am eccentric. I'm off the wall crazy sometimes. I can definitely be annoying. I'm stubborn and I don't take criticism very well. I talk too much. And I try too hard sometimes. But I'm also caring. I love being silly and I laugh a lot (and I LOVE to make others laugh). I am generous. I love to make people happy. I feel incredibly deeply, so when you are sad I will mourn with you, but when you are joyful I will rejoice with you. I love to share my joy with people.

What's the best thing about being you?