The World According to Tiff Sniff

I've had it pointed out to me, one or twenty times, that it's been quite a while since I updated this blog.

So here's a quick update on everything going on in the last few months:

1. My laptop died at the end of summer. Hence the slowdown in posts at that time. I have not yet replaced it, but when I do, hope to be able to write more regularly.

2. I went to England, again. Pictures at my Flickr page. It was a great week, except that I was very, very ill. I got sick the Wednesday before we left (we left that Friday). Thursday, the day before we left, I went to see the doctor, who told me I probably had mono. The in-office test came back negative, but he didn't believe it, so he did bloodwork that came back (negative) a week later. While I was in England. I'll save you all the gory details, just believe me when I say I've had more enjoyable trips.

3. While coming back from England (as in, literally on the plane over the Atlantic), I did a little praying about my job. I had realized that I was getting restless at work, that I was frustrated that I wasn't moving forward at all, and that I really, really didn't want to be an accountant. So I asked God to help me figure it out. That if I was meant to stay where I was, would He help me to focus and dig in. But if it was, in fact, time for me to move on, that He would make that clear. Two days after I got home, my boss called me in my office and told me that she thought I was getting restless and that she thought it was time for me to move on. I've been a little bit afraid to pray ever since.

4. After a few weeks of getting "Call me back after the holidays" from people, I went over to the mall and applied for, and received, a seasonal position at Williams-Sonoma. I'm still there, and actually really love it.

5. I qualified for unemployment compensation, so with that supplementing my WS paycheck (and some significant lifestyle changes), I'm in a position to be a little choosy with my next job. I won't have to take the absolute first thing that comes along, if it's not a good fit. Although, with the way things have fallen out, I kind of think that the first thing that comes along will probably be the right thing.

6. My roommate has decided to get her own place (not at all a surprise) when our lease is up in a few weeks. I haven't done a lot to really look for anything yet, not knowing what my work situation will be. But I think I've found a place, anyway. A friend who lives in a house also has a roommate moving out. Rent will be less than what I'm paying, which is key at this point. So it's good.

7. My best friend in Cali, Tami, had a baby boy. He's beautiful, and I'm saving my pennies to pay for a plane ticket to go see them.

8. I went to Searcy, AR, this weekend to see my dear friend Erin. I hadn't seen her in a year, and hadn't really spent time with her in several. I also hadn't been back to Harding in 5 years, so it was time. I had a great time with Erin and her family, and also got to drop in on my favorite professor/mentor, Lori Klein, and catch up for an hour. Plus, I'd been itching to get out of my routine a bit, so it was a much-appreciated weekend.

9. This year, I gave up drinking everything except water for Lent. This has been hard.

Along the way, I also:
Settled an old, unsettled, painful relationship situation.
Switched up my birth control (my body is still going crazy).
Hiked at Radnor Lake at least once a week, even in the nasty weather.
Have been cooking like a fiend, urged on equally by being able to watch Martha everyday and my wicked discount at WS.
Got hooked on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" by my friend Lara.
Went on a fun day trip w/ said friend Lara and Michael to Mammoth Cave, including a short stop at Dinosaur World. Highlight of the day was seeing the salt truck that had crashed on the icy roads.
Cleaned out my CD, DVD, and book collections and made a little moolah at McKay's.
Cleaned out my closet and donated a bunch of clothes that don't fit anymore.
Got my little sister hooked on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".
Went to a bunch of concerts and movies.
Read like a fiend.
Wrote a little bit. (Not here, obv.)
Had a hankering to see an art show. Went to Hatch Show Prints instead.
Had a hankering for a spiritual retreat/pilgrimage. Went to my alma mater instead.


Alright. That's all for now. More soon, hopefully, including posts on the nature of pilgrimages and the lessons I've been learning about water and its prevalence in theological and literary sources.


PS - I now find my last post, below, a little eerie and unnerving.