Swine Flu or a Simple Cold?

It seems like I get sick more often than the average bear. I started volunteering in the church nursery 3 or 4 years ago -that first winter I was sick all the time. Last year I had the flu and it was horrible. Today I woke up and my mild cough & sore throat has morphed into me being miserable. Normally I would just think "oh I have a cold and need to take it easy for a few days". However, with all the swine flu hype - I'm nervous. I just read a story earlier today about a 14 year old that died from the swine flu. Which got me to thinking. If I died today - what would I regret? What would I want to say to my family before I died? On the one hand - there is no huge regret in life that I have at this point in time. There are things that I wish I could be more of - more forgiving, more empathetic, more caring, more daring, bolder. But when I look at my life - where I'm at - it may not be what I would have thought of as "ideal" but its a good life. At this point in time - I just have to keep on keeping on and pray that I figure out what God wants for my life - and that I am strong enough to embrace that will.

New Policy

My first job was at a Pizza Hut in my tiny town. It was rumored that a certain cook kept a full flask in his back pack to help him get thru the day. That cook and I became friends – we could have been more if I hadn’t listened to my parents to stay away from multi-pierced, long haired boys that drove vans and drew comics in their spare time. However, he did begin my fasicination with piercings. Nearly 8 years after knowing him, I went out for lunch one hot summer day with my co workers and returned with a belly button piercing. I had really wanted a nose piercing but was too chicken. Years later, I impulsively pierced my nose to check off an item on my 30 by 30 list. I checked with my HR department and was told that our company didn’t have a policy against facial piercings but the final dress code decision was up to my supervisor. I felt like luck was on my side – I could come to work half naked and hungover and my boss wouldn’t come out of his office long enough to notice or comment. A couple of weeks go by. My HR friend calls me one day out of the blue and lets me know that our work place is instituting a company wide policy regard facial piercings. FML.

Addiction

I attend an amazing church. We are "one church in multiple locations". Today's message was about addiction. As we settled in to listen to our pastor speak - I thought "oh great, another message about addiction - something that in no way applies to me". However - there were several key points that made me go "oh crap - he's talking about me".

• An addiction is an "outward symptom of inward idolatry"
• "God wants you to find value in him alone"
• "God's power can destroy the lies that have a stronghold over us"
• If we are a s"lave to something other than Christ, it is sin"

I tried to name my 'addiction' - tried to determine what had a stronghold over me. I realized that I seek hope and assurances of a happy ending from every source but God. I look to romance novels to convince me that there is that 'one' guy out there for me - my soul mate.

I try to find value in other people's opinions of me rather than in the fac tthat Christ loves me.

I've been thinking lately that the only way for me to find someone is if I give up the fantasy that is romance novels and start trusting God to bring someone into my life when the time is right.

Coworker Nicknames

This is what happens when I am trying to avoid working…I name my co-workers.

Office Mates:

Nipples: Obese man who views himself as having some sort of power since he is further up the ‘ladder’ than the rest of us. Doesn’t realize that as he gains weight he should buy larger shirts because as his belly exapnds, his shirts get tighter and shorter. Has a laugh that would make Fran Drescher cringe.

Throat Clearer: Sits in the office next to me...clears her throat over 200xs a day - I know...I counted.

Mouth: Older woman who rarely works and makes no secret of it. Louder than all of the rest of us combined. Boss is afraid of her. She just walks around talking about how she reads her bible in her office, goes on walks, participates in the Black Heritage committee, works her phone tree/prayer chain a couple of times a week, etc etc – she also will just bust out with random things about how she hasn’t done anything that day. She doesn’t get in trouble b/c our boss just tries to pretend she isn’t there I think.

The Boss: Resembles a ostrich in that he wants to bury his head and avoid confrontation. Refuses to actually manage anyone. Thinks awkward humor is the solution to any problem.

The Boss Part Deux: The Boss’ boss. Pretty much his mirror image. Trained him to wave to me rather than speak to me in the hallway. I told him that I don’t like to talk a lot and that’s why I like IM and email so now he either just nods and waves or he will pretend to type and nod his head – completely hilarious!

Giggles: Technically Nipples’ equivalent, giggles – a lot. Expecting her 3rd child soon and is slowly slipping under Killer’s crazy pregnancy regime. Killer is a FANATIC about pregnancy. No pop. No caffeine. No lunch meat. No strenuous activity. No losing weight. No….etc etc etc it goes on and on and on and on….plus everything in life revolves around kids and marriage.

Killer: Thus named by departing cast members because she refused to steal a truck in a hypothetic situation to save her children from a flood. Thinks people who haven’t had babies couldn’t possibly understand anything about pregnancy.

Mid-Life Crisis (MLC for short): In her 30s and wears skirts so short most people would bar their tweens from trying them on. Woah.

The Lucky Ones: departed cast members hahahahaha

?????: Me (I need a nickname for myself)