Hot Dog Pizza, Anyone?

When I was home last weekend, we were eating dinner with my grandparents and my mom brought up the fact that when she and my dad were first married, they were really poor. They never got to eat meat because it was too expensive. 

She said that they would buy those really cheap frozen pizzas (I think the ones like Totino's, $.99, but they were probably cheaper 25 years ago). Anyways, they would cut up a hot dog and put it on top of the pizza, but that was only when they could afford hot dogs. They said they didn't think it was bad and they were happy to have meat (if you can call hot dogs meat).

We laughed about it for a really long time. We were eating some yummy chicken and broccoli casserole, so that's the only reason it was funny. I don't have anything against hot dogs, but I wouldn't be too excited about eating hot dog pizza. I was thinking I'd rather just have the pizza without hot dogs on it or a hot dog without a pizza. Or maybe I'd just stick with the basic rice and beans. I guess that's what they ate the rest of the time so they were tired of it. 

Anyways, I just want to take today to be thankful for the variety of food and meat that I get to eat. I take it for granted and get stressed when I don't know what I'm going to eat for the next meal. I'm not sure what my reasoning for being stressed about that really is.

Some day in the near future (as in, when I graduate without a job), hot dog pizza might sound pretty good. I really hope not. 

I hate Rubik's cubes

I'm just sayin'

I still haven't finished that cube and it's gotten to the point that looking at it makes me tense up. 

I got my hair cut today.

It doesn't look any different, just trimmed and even.

I know I just posted about growing my hair out, but I can't handle too long.

I've pretty much never in my life had long hair.

I also got salt and pepper shakers today.

We haven't had any this year and it drives me crazy. 

I had a gift card to Pier One.

And I got these...

We really need measuring spoons.

We have a 1/2 tablespoon and that's it.

I have attempted to count out 8 1/2 tablespoons.

It never fails--I always lose count.

It would be so much easier to have the right measurements. 

So, I found some at Pier One but I talked myself out of buying them.

I'm one of those shoppers.

I pick up about 5 things while I'm in the store.

Then I put all of it back except one thing.

I buy it and leave.

If I stay around too long, I'll leave with nothing.

I always buy more if I'm in a rush.

 Lastly, 

I would like 

to tell you how excited 

I am            

about Thanksgiving. It's my 

favorite holiday. My family is going to

the Florida houses. 

That's my whole family. 

Except for a couple of sweet family members 

who can't come. I'm sad about that.

But I'm really excited about the warm weather with 

the whole family. 

I think we're squeezing into 2 houses and 

a hotel room, so that should be 

interesting.

Our house is only 2 and a half bedrooms,

but it sleeps 8.

We know how to cram them in.

The half bedroom is a closet that has a bunk bed in it.

I don't remember celebrating

Thanksgiving

anywhere besides on the mountain.

It will definitely be different, 

but hopefully different for the better. 

(I think it will!)

Shopping in Orlando on Black Friday... 

I'm not sure if that will be scary or awesome. 

Hopefully we'll get our traditional cousin picture with Santa

on Black Friday. 

This year we won't have pictures like this...

But that's okay!

We can take some on the lake instead of the brow.

One of My Favorite Things

Just real quick, I thought I'd tell you about one of my favorite things in the world.

It's really not anything that special for most people.

But it makes me really excited.

Some people wouldn't even think about this being a good thing.

They would consider it just another part of life.

But it makes me feel free...

And relieved...

And accomplished...

And like I can do anything I want to.

I did this tonight on my way home.

I usually do it about every other week, sometimes less.

It costs a pretty good amount of money.

But it's totally worth it.

And it's a necessity.

What would you guess that it is?

Getting a full tank of gas.

It's simple and just another part of life.

Nothing really that special.

But, when I look on my dashboard and it tells me that I have 425 miles until empty, 

I feel like I could go anywhere I want to.

425 miles is a long way.

I feel like I have accomplished something.

I can check something off of my list of things to do.

I feel like a burden is lifted off of my shoulders.

I always dread getting gas.

I usually drive a few days with the fuel light on.

Every time I pass a gas station, I think, 

well it's rush hour...

or,  I am in a rush right now...

or, that gas station is dark and sketchy...

or, maybe I'll get bored and come back later...

or, maybe it will warm up and I'll want to get out...

or, I can't ever figure out how to turn that place's gas pump on...

or, that place has diesel so I better not go there to chance getting it mixed up...

I allow my dashboard to tell me that there are only 3 miles until empty.

And then, I finally go get gas.

This process makes the feeling of a full tank of gas even better.

After driving on empty for 3 days, the worry of running out of gas is lifted from my burdens...

And I am free of one of my worries.

I got gas tonight.

My worries are gone!

Next time you get gas, hope you appreciate the full tank too!

God Knew What He Was Doing

(That's me with my small group leader, Paulette.)

Seeing this picture tonight made me really happy. 

Not because my hair looks all that good, but because my hair doesn't look like this:

It's been 22 months since this haircut.

Praise the Lord!

I am truly thankful that hair grows.

God knew what he was doing when he did that.

He knew that people like me would

be really bad at telling the hair dresser what they wanted.

I know I probably need a trim now, but I'm just so excited about long hair.

And I'm also too afraid of getting my hair cut now.

Violated.

I had a crazy thing happen today. 

I drove home this morning to come see Diddie and Andy.

I was really excited to come home! 

About halfway home, I stopped to get some gas on an exit. An older, white-haired lady came up to me while I was pumping the gas and asked if I could help her out with some money in order to make it home to Chattanooga. She had been up at a doctor's appointment in Knoxville and she stopped to get gas but left her purse in the bathroom and someone stole it. She didn't have her cell and didn't know anyone's number. She didn't smell very clean, but I figured that it came with staying out of town for a while and being sick, or whatever was wrong.

Sooo... out of the kindness of my heart (and because of her absolute helplessness/my naiveness), I offered to just give her a ride home and she could get her car later. I was headed to Chattanooga anyways, and it wasn't a big problem for me. She quickly agreed to this, saying that she just wanted to be home where she knew where she was. 

She got in my car, and off we went! I put my new Christian CD on, thinking it might spark a conversation, plus it's my favorite one. Oh, the ridiculous things I do sometimes!

We started chatting and she told me where she was from, and she was my grandmother's age. Then she told me she was from Sweetwater, and we realized that she is actually my Grandfather's mother's brother's daughter (so, Granddaddy's cousin).  That was interesting, and I was glad that I picked her up, being family and all!

We were right outside of Chattanooga, and my car started smelling a little funny. I kind of wanted to gag, but I couldn't put my finger on what the smell was. I hid my feelings about it until I couldn't take it any longer and I told this unnamed woman that I had to go to the bathroom and we pulled off. We both went in, and when I came back to the car, her seat, in my car, was soaking wet. 

Immediately, I knew what that smell was. Urine. 

Yes, oh yes, I said urine.

I didn't know what to do. It would embarrass her to go and like clean it up, and the smell probably wouldn't get out that fast. But knowing what it was, I really couldn't bear the thought of getting back in the closed car. 

She walked out of the gas station (visibly wet), and having nothing else to do, I got in the driver's seat and she got back in. And, off we went! 

I told myself, only 20-30 more minutes... I can do it. No big deal.

I gagged a few times but made myself mentally stop gagging and didn't think about it. I concentrated on talking to my new friend. After 45 minutes and slight confusion as to where we were going, we arrived at her apartment in a part of town that I didn't even know was there. 

Anyways, I got her out and got her bags out of the car. When I got back in my car, I realized that my car phone charger wasn't there anymore and that my favorite (Christian!) CD was no longer in the CD player. When I got home, I realized that I couldn't find the brownies that were in my back seat.

Interesting.

But hey, all I could think about was getting out of my car. And how in the world would I ever get the smell out? 

I mean, I felt sorry for my 4th cousin once removed, but she also stole my stuff. 

That was slightly annoying.

I got home and asked my granddad about her.

She's not actually related to him.

He's never heard of her.

Don't know how she lied to me about that... 

So strange. 

I feel violated.

Ok, I'm just kidding about this whole thing. 

Didn't have anything interesting to blog about.

Hurricane Tomas

I've been thinking about these kids...

And this hurricane...

Port-au-Prince is in that inland/bay looking thing. 

Maybe they won't get hit directly by Tomas. 

That's what I've been praying for for the past night. 

But the problem is: Haiti has no trees.

Therefore, there is a lot of mud when it rains.

In the past, thousands have died from mudslides.

It just makes me worried for these kids, these moms, and these dads.

I've been lifting my worries up to the

 only One who is powerful enough to help the Haitians right now. 

Would you lift them up too?

Where Do Dreams Come From...?

.... I'm just wondering about that this morning as I prepare to study. 

I'm distracted every time the cut on my finger catches my eye.

The cut is from the back of a knife. (I only thought that was impossible.)

It doesn't hurt that bad and it's fine, but I had a dream about it last night... 

A rather disturbing dream.

It was one of those that I'll think about all day.

I'll tell you about it...

I was looking at the cut on my finger and I suddenly realized that something was in my finger like a splinter or a small piece of glass. So, I started fidgeting with it. All of the sudden, the cut popped open because there was something bigger in it than just a splinter. I freaked out, but I wanted this huge green thing out of my hand, so I squeezed around and maneuvered it out. It didn't hurt one bit. When I pulled it out, it kept coming and kept coming.

It was disgusting. I'm grossed out to think about it. 

It was about as thick as asparagus, but it was hard like a bone, and it was as long as my finger.

I thought that I had accidently pulled my bone out of my pointer finger.

The people around me were repulsed.

And I didn't know what to do except not move my finger and hold this bone-like thing, in case the doctors needed it to put back in my hand later.
I stood there, confused and scared, unable to do anything.

Then I woke up, and I was so happy that I was not holding a bone in my hand.

So the thing that is disturbing:

How in the world do these thoughts enter my mind?

Do I think them up myself?

If so, there might be something wrong with me.

I hope these thoughts go away.

I really need to study.