Thanksgiving

There are so many things I am THANKFUL for this year. So so many. I will forget to mention some things but I am going to do my best.

I am thankful for....
My Mom. She takes such awesome care of me and everyone else around her. I miss her like crazy and really hope she comes to visit on Saturday.
My Dad. Why he isn't exactly a warm loving father, he makes sure we all know how much he cares, by buying things for us and fixing things, and just generally being there any time any place.
My Brother. John is the most kick ass bro I could ask for. The older he gets the more he fakes disdain, but he loves me and he especially loves wrestling on the floor with me. And he knows that he secretly loves it when I kiss him all over his face and cling to him, in the tightest of bear hugs.
My Grandma Grider. Today while I was cooking my Thanksgiving feast, I realized just how much she taught me, and how much I miss her. And sadly how much more I should have learned before she died.
My Darwin. My sweet puppy is the love of my life these last few months. He keeps my bed warm, and offers me unconditional love and I wouldn't change a thing about him.
My Brian. Duh. He is my bestie. I love our random discussion and our million inside jokes and I can't wait until I see him this December so I can hug him so tight I break some ribs. Love you. Not a day goes by that thoughts of you don't make me laugh out loud.
My LoLo aka Number 2 aka Beast aka Lauren. You're old and you know it. Your smarter than you are old, and you know it. But you treat me as a peer, even though I am years behind. I can't wait for you to come see my house. Love you too.
Courty. (smells) Ha Ha my first bestie in Fresno. I appreciate Taco Bell and bonding over "UNA MJURKA" (That was yelled as a curse). I appreciate when you stay at my house and keep me company. I appreciate your silent humor and the way even if what I say isn't funny you laugh like I just said the funniest shit in the world.
Damion. I can always count on you. You are always there for me and I appreciate that.

I am appreciative of many more people but if I named them all we would be here for years.

I am thankful for...
My education and the opportunities I have to become educated. So many people take it for granted, including me but I really am grateful that I can choose to become educated and eventually use my acquired skills to help change the world.
My house. I love my house. I love the idea of having a house. Its spectacular.
My Job. My TV. My bed. The rain. Heavenly Father.

So I'm tired now, but still very happily thankful. Happy (Not Turkey) Day. I had ham.

Job

So I have a job finally. Yay me. I work at Target, and if you know me you know how dangerous that could be. I figure as much time as I spend there they should be paying me already, so I put in an application for the holiday season. Apparently they thought the same since I am now in my second week working there. The particular store I work at is apparently nicknamed Targhetto by some but I really like it. The clientele is not exactly high class, in fact many of them use change and dollar bills to pay for diapers and baby formula. And since we are a "high-risk" store we have about a billion video cameras and all kinds of almost scary rules about safety.

Anyways I love my job 95% of the time, well maybe only 85% but thats pretty good I figure. My one major rant is about folding tables and folding tables and folding tables. Seriously if you want a L shirt and their are a bajillion smalls and mediums on top don't just knock the others out of the way. And please don't pick up every piece of clothing, unfold it and then lay it back on the table. Especially if I'm standing there folding shit. And if you decide you don't actually want something you have in your basket or are carrying around with you, just give it to the cashier when you check out, then I don't have to collect it from the hidden spots you've shoved it or from the random places you've laid it.

That's my rant for the day. Yay me.

Hope and Love in Unusual Places

As a college student there are many times where friends drunk and sober begin silly conversations only to transition into serious life chats and philosophical musings. Recently one of these discussions centered around the way the advances in technology is making us as a society lose our abilities to love and care about people as people. Basically too many important conversations are delegated to IM and text messaging. Too many of our friends are people we have never met but instead people who write blogs or randomly added us on Myspace. Are we missing something? Are we losing something important to our humanity? I tend to take the side against technology. Not to say I am against it. I love my computer, I love the Internet, I love everything that makes my life easier and streamlines my tasks, not to mention helps me stay in touch with loved ones while I am away at school. But I also miss having face to face convos, or at least hearing the other persons voice via telephone. Anyways the point of this blog is that I found an exception to this.

Basically I get bored and I blog stalk. Not just people I know, everyone. I'm not a creepy person, I am just a bored person. While stalking one day I came across a blog written by the sister of a woman who was horribly injured in a plane crash in August along with her husband, and through C Jane's blog I linked to Nie Nie's (the one injured) blog. I read and read and read everything Nie Nie had written. I spent days digging as far back into the past blogs as I could. The honesty of these women, the truth and beauthy of their families, their candidness. It was astounding. Do people like these really exist? Can they?

It's been a few months now, a few obsessive months. I check the blogs regularly waiting for updates on the condition of the young couple, of their four children, and of the people who love them and support them and what they are doing. I read about typical household chores, and about sweet children who are far from home, but loved more than words can express. I get to see pictures of the family and what life was like before the crash, and what I pray life can return to afterwards. I can truly say that I love this family of strangers, from the youngest little chief to the sister who stepped up and opened her home to four children under 7, and especially the creative, amazing, beautiful young mother who slumbers still waiting for her body to heal. I can see the way God has blessed all of them despite the tragedy. I pray that when the time comes for me to have a family, mine will be just as blessed.

I am so excited for the day Nie Nie is able to continue to tell her story. I am excited to hear the positive spin she finds on this horrible event. I am excited to see pictures of the family once they are reunited, soon I hope. I am even excited for the time when they move past this and I get to read about their new adventures.

So is technology causing us to lose our humanity. I'm not sure. But I do know that without blog stalking I would not have found this family that has impacted me so strongly, I would not have been blessed by the words on the pages. I would not have been inspired and excited about having a family. Can you love someone you've never met? Someone who doesn't even know you exist? I say yes. I say I do and I'm proud to admit. If I can be half the woman Nie Nie or her sister C Jane is then I will be happy.

Thanks for reading my random ramblings.