Just Another Day At The Office

I work at a camp.

Naturally, this is a busy time of year for us, seeing as how campers show up in LESS THAN ONE WEEK.

To help us run camp during the summer, about 1,200 summer staff are hired every year. And for two days, all of them (and all of us full-time staff) are packed into a giant auditorium for worship, training, and vision-casting for the summer. It's one of my most favorite times of the year.

The atmosphere in that room is extremely difficult to describe, but it's definitely energizing to say the least. I hope you can make it to my town one of these Mays to come experience it with me. It's amazing.

Here's a little taste of the staff getting revved up between sessions:


A big part of why we are all gathered in this auditorium is to go through our in-house training manual, lovingly known as The Way. As in, our "way" of doing things. (Hip hip, THE WAY!)

To kick off this training time, and to get the new folks excited about what was to come, something truly awesome needed to happen. Watch and see:


And if you think I would pass up the chance to participate in ANYTHING "Newsies"-inspired, well, you are sorely mistaken, friend. Look again, and you might notice a certain blonde in a freakishly bright yellow t-shirt paired with her camp-regulation khaki shorts.

It's a fine life!

...So how was YOUR day at work?

Snowless Snow Day

When I left for work this morning, it was 17 degrees outside, but felt like five. FIVE. That's fine for cities like Denver or St. Louis, but I live in TEXAS, y'all.

IT IS NOT SUPPOSED TO GET THAT COLD HERE.

I passed two traffic lights with no power, but didn't really give them a second thought. Then I arrived at work and walked into our building. Our DARK building. Immediately I came face to face with our entire IT department standing outside of the server room, with ceiling tiles on the floor, a ladder in the hallway, and flashlights all around.

"This could be good for your blog," Cody suggested. No thanks, Code Man! I come up with my own ideas and- wait a minute. I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE.

My department has interior offices, aka no windows. So we sat around a campfire lantern for a few minutes before seeking out friends with a little sunlight. And after about an hour of waiting around THERE, and the building getting colder and colder, we were all sent home.

That's how I found myself sitting on my couch wearing pajama pants wrapped in my comforter and catching up on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" at 11:30 on a Wednesday morning.

Oh happy day!

Later on I met up with friends at McAllister's for some potato soup, followed by a viewing of "Groundhog Day," because like, it's totally perfect that it's actually Groundhog Day and we're like watching the MOVIE "Groundhog Day!"

GET IT???

I came back home for dinner: a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that was originally destined for today's lunch. Mmmm.... a gourmet meal hot off the... out of the... plastic bag... um... who said I'm not domestic?!

Later on it was time for Zumba class with JAVIER, and there was actually a pretty good turn out for a 26-degree evening! You heard my thoughts on Zumba already, so all I'll say is PARTY FOUL: I don't think tall, funny, tall guys who look like a cross between Jared Padalecki and Teddy Dunn should be allowed at Zumba. Especially if they're married. Especially IF THEY'RE TALL.

Up next: that new episode of Cougar Town isn't going to watch itself.

Peace out, homeskillets.

Four Years Later

About a month after graduating from college, I accepted my first GROWN-UP job out of college and got ready to move to Tyler.

Today is the four year anniversary of making that decision, and I praise the Lord that I am still here!

I’ve now lived in Tyler longer than I have lived anywhere since we moved away from my childhood home when I was 15. (BAM. Milestoned.)

My first job here was through a temp agency, but I upgraded significantly after that, though it was to a position I cared nothing for because: I worked with sports. (Yes! ME! Sports. SPORTS.)

I hung up my… sport belt after a year of the…sports, and after a short stint working at a book store, I was in the dreaded “in between” phase. Where to go? What to do? For a time it looked like I would be moving back to Houston, but it never felt right to me. I didn’t want to leave Tyler. How glad am I now that I stuck it out and stayed here?

(Answer: very.)

During my first year-ish in Tyler, I had virtually no community to speak of, a fact that is now completely and wildly reversed, amazingly enough. (Look, Mom! FRIENDS! They let me talk to them in public and everything!!!)

So let's review.

Then: Sports (?) job, two friends if you count my grandparents.
Now: Awesome internet job with a Christian organization, more than two friends. Like, three or four even. (OKAY, more than that.)
Jesus: Always knows what He's doing.

I’m so glad I stayed.

things.

“The Bachelorette” is mostly really great this season. You know what makes it even better? Joey’s recaps. (Ahem. You want to click.)

Also: have you heard of “The Bachelor Pad?” It’s a new show that… you know what? I can’t even tell you. ABC? Take it away: YOUR FAVORITE ALL-STARS FROM THE BACHELOR AND THE BACHELORETTE BATTLE IT OUT FOR A CHANCE AT LOVE AND A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS, ON ABC'S HOT NEW SUMMER SERIES, BACHELOR PAD!

You can't see my facial expression right now, but let's just say it's one of OMG CAN'T WAIT BECAUSE THIS WILL BE AMAZINGLY AWESOME AND ALSO AWFUL. Something like that.

---

Ginger didn't like my suggestion that her bridesmaids wear hot pink jewelry at her wedding. New idea: we wear DIAMONDS instead. Bought by the bride and groom. Yesh? Nudgenudgewinkwink? Or: better yet. All groomsmen will be single, taller than me, and under the age of thirty. Good? Good. I think that would be a fair compromise.

---

I love unexpected laughs. Like when stumbling across one of my all-time favorite Annie Parsons-isms. Good Lord I love that girl.

---

Guess. What. I moved into a brand-new office yesterday! It has walls and a door and everything. However: I miss my office mates! HOWEVER: walls and a door. I may have lost a window, but I got an honest-to-goodness door. (That's like a saying, right? Something like that?)

Sky Falls Down

Today. Has been quite a day.

First of all: it's been raining for approximately forever.

Then.

A tree fell on my grandparent's house. Thankfully they were out of town so no one was hurt. But I drove over in the rain to see the damage.

The first thing I saw when I drove up was this:

Oh, hello giant tree and mud and roots! You look awesome!

All you can see from the street is this:

Now their porch looks like this.

Then.

I headed in to work. Or at least TRIED to get to work.

Here is what one road looks like now:

Fun, right?

And here is work:

Awesome.

Needless to say, things were a little crazy at work- nothing like some inclement weather (to say the least) to keep you on your toes!

Luckily the day ended with sunshine and Sporcle.

(Which really is almost as good as a rainbow.)

Marlins

I know that kids say ridiculous things all the time.

Teenagers are just plain ridiculous, but I do love them. This past weekend we began a series walking through the book of Exodus with our 6th-12th graders. I taught on the first four chapters and in order to catch up on Israelite history I asked questions and they answered... or at least tried to.

Me: Can anyone tell me the name of the FATHER of the nation of Israel?

Student 1: Moses?

Me: Nope. He is part of the nation, but not the father.

Student 2: Reuben?

Me: Good memory, but he is actually one of the 12 tribes of Israel.

Student 3: Joseph?

Me: (starts singing) Father_____ had many sons, many sons had Father...

BLANK STARES

Me: Ok. Let's start at the beginning. There once was a man named Abram...

Me: ...So, Joseph is in Egypt and his father and brothers are back home. There is a famine throughout the entire world. Because of this famine... wait. Can anyone tell me what a famine is?

Student: A fish.

Me: Nope. I believe you're thinking of a marlin.

Me: Ok, so Pharaoh commands the midwives to actually kill the baby boys of the Israelites but to let the baby girls live. The midwives honor and love God, so they don't do it. Pharaoh speaks to the midwives again... wait... does anyone know what a midwife does?

Student: She's the second wife.

Me: Uh... nope... (*sigh*) a midwife...

Happy Monday and good luck getting "Father Abraham" out of your head.

The flip side of crazy.

Hello blog world. Long time no see. Sorry for the lame last couple of posts on my part. We put on a huge kid's event at church and all of my thoughts had been directed towards Kidfest. So, the best I can do is to summarize the last two weeks. It was a fast and furious (and fabulously rewarding) time of life and I kind of feel like I'm just now waking up.

They were 14 days in which...

I cared more about having time to make coffee in the morning than doing hair or makeup.

I thought long and hard about whether or not waking up to take a shower was actually worth it.

I let most calls roll to voicemail.

I ate Honey Nut Cheerios, Lean Cuisine, or take out for every meal.

I took my fruit and vegetables in juice form. Thanks to the Siscos for keeping me healthy.

I did not go to the gym. Not even once.

Ibuprofen was the snack of choice.

I wondered how I got lucky enough to get paid to do what I do.

I was slimed. That really was almost the worst part for me. It looked like vomit, not slime.

I felt like a rock star. Hundreds of screaming kids.

I wore a pink Hannah Montana jacket from the little girls’ section of Wal-Mart.

I obtained more bruises in a day than hours of sleep at night.

I wore pink hair extensions and pink fingerless gloves.

I helped make up dance moves for a new song. They were straight from Flash Dance. Thankfully everyone else was too young to notice.

I find my reward both in the moment and the hereafter.

I learned that I am actually saying "I love you" in this photo instead of something to the effect of "let's rock." Awesome. I've been doing that wrong my whole life.

I got my priorities straight when starting my time off: hair cut, Harry Potter (FINALLY), memorizing lines for Camelot, 2 Corinthians 4, and grilled cheese.

It's good to be back.

The Weekenders*

Friday I stayed at work later than usual. Because I was working on work things. Big, important work things that required plenty of writing, editing, formatting, importing, highlighting, stapling, and sighing. Today I am realizing that I didn’t BOLD enough or make clear enough because I had forgotten that not everyone interprets information the same way (ie the right way). Today I am replying with plenty of “Actually...” emails. “Just to be clear...” emails. “You’re still not understanding me...” emails. And still I am sighing.

But on Friday I left work feeling accomplished and satisfied and ready-for-the-weekend-y! Our usual “Friday Night Fun” group met up for pizza and MarioKart and backyard adventuring. Because everything is an adventure when little ones are involved. Nearly two-year-old Jack was delighted and astounded (rightfully so) by my ability to throw a ball into the tree branches and catch it again. Truly a feat of magical genius; Harry Potter would be proud.

Friday night ended with what I thought would be a SHORT Skype conversation with G. At the point when she exclaimed “I’m going to interview you for the blog!” I knew all hope of making it to bed before 12:30 was lost. AND may I state for the record that I was playing the Annie soundtrack at the time because GINGER had been singing “Maybe!” She just likes to leave out important details sometimes....

Saturday: woke up at 9am. Thought “Forget that!” and turned Gilmore Girls on to lull me back to sleep. Woke again at 12pm. Sleep WIN! Later on I met Stacy and Tamara at the movie theater to see “Wolverine,” as I’d already seen “Star Trek.” Geek cred WIN!

After church yesterday I went shopping and ended up coming home with new tennis shoes and fun squishy comfy flip flops (thank you Buy One Get One ½ Price sale!). Are you seeing the cushioning on these things? My feet are in love with me today.

I couldn’t continue to ignore the gorgeous sunny weather we were blessed with, so I hit the pool for a while once I got back to my apartment. I love summer!

Later in the afternoon I came up to the office armed with pink balloons, a princess crown, and a High School Musical 3 birthday banner to help Tamara decorate Stacy’s office. I mean, if Troy and Gabriella’s giant faces aren’t going to make your birthday happy, I honestly don’t know what will. Tamara and I had fun with streamers and ladders and ribbon, and it all ended up looking quite festive, if I do say so myself!

I spent the evening cleaning my kitchen and creating Oreo Truffles for the birthday celebrations today, which always takes longer than I plan for it to. But it’s always very much wonderfully worth it, because that is one of my very favoritest desserts! Brainwave this time around: used my Magic Bullet to crush the Oreos! It truly was magic. Harry Potter would be proud.

Today: Happy Birthday, Stacy! Our whole department (all four of us) went out to lunch at Rudy’s for some tasty Texas barbecue. And don’t try to tell me you’re not jealous, because I can hear your stomach growling from here! A little while after we got back it was time for the office to sing Happy Birthday- which undoubetly results in a roomful of people mentally thinking “Hope it’s chocolate for me” (it is, actually—chocolate AND Oreo, to be exact).

Tonight: Cleaning the apartment. Because tomorrow? Is High School Musical 3 movie night at my apartment! Oh, don’t worry, readers. I can feel your jealousy emanating through the computer screen. But you will be there in spirit. And in song. ‘Cause you are the music in me.

*Man, I love that show. So clever. So hilarious. I have been anxiously anticipating it's release on DVD for years. Any day now...right? Oh well. Later days!

Erica?

The lesson this weekend came straight out of Joshua chapter two. I was teaching through the story of Rahab hiding the spies in Jericho to my third through fifth graders. The main lesson point: Take a risk in His name. The verse: "God is no mere human. He does not tell lies or change his mind." Numbers 23:19. The kids were tracking with me during all three of the services, or at least they seemed to be. At the end of the lesson we proceeded into our weekly trivia challenge. The questions are easy enough if you've been listening to the lesson... IF being the operative word. Holy moly 11:00am service... what in the world?


Me: What was the name of the woman who hid the spies.
5th grade girl: Umm...huh....uhh...
Me: I know you know this. Is it on the tip of your tongue?
5th grade girl: Yes.
Me: What letter does her name start with?
5th grade girl: A c....
Me: Let's go over to the fourth grade.
Child who is madly waving their hand: Erica!
Me: Umm. Not really close. I'll give you a hint. It starts with an R.
4th grade boy: ...Rerica!!
Me: Oh gosh. Third grade?
3rd grade boy: Ray.
Me: Halfway there. Where were you guys this morning? I've failed you.
5th grade boy bursting at the seams: RAYA!!
Me: Nope.
4th grade girl: Rahub.
Me: Close enough. Everyone say RAHAB. Now everyone say RAHAB! One more time...


I had hoped this might have been the only problematic question of the morning, but perhaps I was aiming to high.


Me: What was the name of the city that the spies were sent to check out especially? The one that RAHAB lived in?
3rd grade girl: Jerusalem!
Me: Good guess and correct first letter!
5th grade boy: Ginger?
Me: Are you guessing the name of the city?
5th grade boy: Yes.
Me: And Ginger is the name of the city?
5th grade boy: I think so.
Me: Ginger is my name. Rahab was the woman in the story, and NOT Erica, remember everyone?!!
5th grade boy: Oh. How about Jericha?
Me: What about 4th grade?
4th grade: JERICHO!!
Me: Thank you!! Now everyone say JERICHO...and again... now say RAHAB LIVED IN JERICHO!

Incalculcable.

Sometimes at work I laugh at things that no one else finds funny and I realize everyone is just shaking their heads at the crazy girl, so I just put my head down on my desk and sigh. And laugh a little more.

My office area is typically freezing. As in “sit on your hands so you can start feeling them again” cold. I have friends in another section of the building where it is typically uncomfortably warm. As in “What is this, Arizona?” hot. There is nowhere that seems to be a happy medium. We’re expecting the three bears back any day now….

My friend Stephanie totally thinks I work for Dunder-Mifflin. Reasons: a nearly all day health insurance talk, office olympics, a mouse loose (mouse...bat... close enough!) in our hallways, Lake Day, staff Christmas party…. And probably a lot more.

I don't have an actual office with a door that closes. I'm not in a cubicle, though, I'm in the middle of our marketing department suite. So does this mean I don't have an office? Or does it mean I have the BIGGEST office.... Just something to think about.

Because of the location of my desk, a lot of people think that I am the marketing receptionist, and therefore must know where all of my co-workers are at all times. As cute as Pam Beasley is, I am not her. I am not my colleagues' keeper.

About ten minutes of my commute to work involves driving down a little tiny two-lane country road. There are lots of trees, lakes, and trailers that line this lovely little lane (alliteration...WIN!). I have also seen plenty of deer crossing the road in the morning (crazy cool), as well as animals who didn't quite make it all the way across (plenty of possums, raccoons, and unidentified furry objects). In addition, I see PLENTY of freakishly slow drivers, but that's another entry for another day....

I had a terrifically awful headache today. And it’s been coming back in waves tonight. I think the seven dwarves must be up there mining for diamonds in my brain.

One of these days I will send a copy of one of these emails about cleaning out the breakroom fridge (or a picture of the PICTURE on the fridge of some of the gross food) to Passive-Aggressive Notes. Keep an eye out.

I roll my eyes a lot, and unfortunately this includes while at work. With my eyes closed, while walking down the hall, even while remembering something that happened earlier in the day-- though hopefully not where anyone can see me.

Say What?

I have the joy of spending my weekends with hundreds of kids between the first and fifth grades. Over the course of working in Children’s Ministry these past few years I’ve had the opportunity to amass quite the array of amazing quotations. Today I present to you… conversations in the key of E.

Me: Who can tell me the signs that God gave Moses to use when he spoke to Pharaoh
3rd grade girl: Moses threw his staff on the ground and it turned into a snake. And then Moses took his hand and put it under his cloak and when he pulled it out it became leopard skin.
Me: Or leprosy. Either one.

Me: Who can tell me the job that Zipporah had? Remember, she was Moses’ wife.
5th grade boy: She was a Shebrew.
Me: Close. A shepherdess. Moses was a Hebrew. But very close.

Me: Can anyone tell me what it means to sacrifice?
Girl: To sacrifice.
Me: Okay…anyone else?
Boy: To sacrifice something.
Me: Let’s try to use another word other than sacrifice!
Boy: It’s like if there was a chicken and a farmer. And the farmer was hungry. And the chicken was like, ok, you can eat me. So they kill the chicken and cook it. And it’s on a stake, and it’s cooking, and getting brown, and golden, and crispy, and it smells amazing. And then the farmer eats it.
Me: Exactly.

1st grade boy: Miss Ginger I pooped my pants…when I was a baby…in my sleep.
Me: Cool.

While stretching before a Christmas Musical Rehearsal-
Me: Reach over to your left shoe. Remember, we want to be all ready to go at 10:30am!
Girl: This is stretching my tibia.
Boy: This is stretching my rectum.
Girl: That’s not a bone. That’s a muscle.
Boy: Oh.
Me: Umm... go ahead and reach over to your other foot.

Me: If you could invite any person to your house for Christmas this year, anyone in the whole world, who would it be?
Girl: Joe Jonas!
Boy: Shaq
Another Boy: Pierce Brosnan
Me: Really? Um, ok.

Fill her up.

I started off Thursday with good intentions. I was going to eat my fruits and vegetables, walk during my lunch break, and ward off temptation. I’m not sure if your office is similar to mine, but it seems we are constantly getting e-mails informing us of “goodies” in the conference room or birthday cake in the work room. I try to be strong. I stay away from store bought cake. I take my own healthy snack into staff meetings. But this week I was blind-sided. Not only did someone make an amazing homemade caramel cheesecake, but our local Rubio’s called and delivered chips and salsa to every department. By noon I had already had my fill of chips and salsa and cheesecake. The truth is, I never ate lunch on Thursday. I filled up on carbs and didn’t have room for any of the things my body actually needs.

Jeremiah 2:13 says “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

Jeremiah laments with the Lord that the Israelites have made faulty cisterns. They have spun their wheels and worked to an end that simply will not satisfy. How often do I fill up on the chips and salsa, forgetting what will actually satisfy my every need?

Isaiah 55:2 reads, “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fair.”

This world is full of some amazing diversions, but we know in our hearts that there must be more than simply drinking coffee and following celebrity gossip. Jesus said in John 10:10 that he has come to bring the abundant life. Without him there is no life. I choose everyday whether to exist or to really live. May we learn to eat what is good and satisfying and not simply filling.