helmetiblog

I love to travel! Seeing new places, observing and meeting new people, learning languages, taking pictures. Those who know me can even attest to my love for the journey in getting there! Sometimes I feel as though I've been able to see and do a lot, and other times I realize I've barely scratched the surface of seeing my own country, let alone the world!



Countries: 10; Continents: 4.

To hopefully visit soon:

• Argentina (again, I know)
• Spain
• Poland (again, as well)
• Australia (and Tazmania!)
• Italy

Map created at www.travelblog.org. To create your own map customized with the countries you've visited go to www.travelblog.org/VC/visited-countries.html.



States: 10.

I don't know which states I should want to visit next; haven't given it much thought beyond the baseball stadiums some contain!

Map created at www.world66.com. To create your own map with your visited states go to www.world66.com/myworld66/visitedStates.

If you feel like counting your own travelled geo-political entities, or creating maps, please share the links! Or if you know of other map services you prefer, tell me about those as well!

I've been working on a coldfeet wedding album migration to the new bigdayimages.com site ever since I got home this afternoon (from work, ironically). I'm migrating sixteen weddings this go-round, copying files and meticulously checking database records, and creating a new data feed. Those were some pretty big .tar files to push between servers across the internet -- took more than a day for this set.

So sixteen albums is one less than the number of places in the list I've made to change my address after moving. I couldn't believe all the banks, bills, employers and services that need to know where I live! Every time I look at the list another seems to spring up!

Tomorrow I'll be heading to Issaquah to deep-clean my apartment and hopefully hand over the keys. Days like this make me wonder why I haven't yet replaced my car -- the bus doesn't get me closer than 2-1/2 miles. Pray against rain for me!

I love my new music subscription. Here's what I've been listening to this afternoon (clicking link will open Rhapsody if installed on your machine).

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Facing Future (or at amazon.com):
1. Hawai'i '78 Introduction - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
2. Ka Huila Wai - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
3. 'Ama'ama - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
4. Panini Pua Kea - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
5. Take Me Home Country Road - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
6. Kuhio Bay - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
7. Ka Pua U'i - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
8. White Sandy Beach Of Hawai'i - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
9. Henehene Kou'Aka - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
10. La 'Elima - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
11. Pili Me Ka'u Manu - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
12. Maui Hawaiian Sup'pa Man - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
13. Kaulana Kawaihae - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
14. Somewhere Over The Rainbow / What A Wonderful World - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
15. Hawai'i 78 - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

I doubt that I would have ever found this album if it hadn't been featured on Rhapsody or if I had to buy it first. Unless perhaps I'd gone looking for track 14 after watching 50 First Dates...

Today finds me feeling expressive. It's a good thing I have this outlet, then, and am not tempted to inject what follows into the documentation I'm creating at work. I therefore give you a recent evening.

/***********/

in my tree
exaulted by its branches
I cut them off

/***********/

in my tree
boughs and limbs rocking
it grew dark

Most movies aren't very successful at eliciting an emotional response from me. There's Braveheart, of course, and a couple scattered here and there that might get a small reaction. That said, I recently saw Finding Neverland and was really taken aback. Well done.

I'm co-hosting a movie night next week, the anticipation and hype of which haven't been seen since my friend Brieanna and I showed The Scarlet Pimpernel and French Kiss as a double feature in the dorms. I still have one of the huge posters we made to fulfill her RA program requirements. Mmm, speaking of school, I miss the campus dining hall ...

Friday night I found myself in conversation with a friend about testimonies. Having shared personal testimonies at different times here and abroad I've had a fair amount of practice, and it's actually one of my favorite things to teach. One of the stories I shared on Friday pertained to God's attention to the details of life. He's a good father whose desire is to bless me, surprising me in some areas and content to do good and allow me to not even notice in others.

The timing here couldn't have been better, as this weekend since was full of problems and inconveniences in place of the blessings and normalcy of which I'd just spoken. My car broke down out of town irreparably, all the options that should be available to get us back to Seattle weren't available that day, and I haven't yet moved anything I need to live to my new house. The internet connection supporting my web/email server went down; I haven't been able to go figure out why. Much of my family had trouble finding my house when coming to visit on Sunday, and weren't necessarily happy about it, my new couch brought up from Yelm won't go up the stairs, my sister and her boyfriend ended up on the complete wrong side of town stuck in traffic on their way to the restaurant for dinner, we waited what seemed eternally to return a u-haul trailer and then missed the street to the restaurant twice, though I knew exactly where it was. We all finally made it to our dinner destination to celebrate my sister's birthday, only to walk around unable to find the entrance. Appropriately, it turned out, as the restaurant had closed the week prior.

That was a longer description than I intended, as the list is not the purpose of what I want to convey. My purpose here is to discuss the timing of these events, some bigger than others but everything wanting to compound together. Through these circumstances I was stretched, tested but given opportunities and able to choose my reaction to the details. My initial desire several times was to choose my right to anger, annoyance or self-pity. In quick time, though (those around me can hopefully acknowledge), I decided that the circumstances were as only circumstances, and momentary, and of less importance than my reaction to them. And much of my joy came from remembering the testimony we'd discussed a few nights previous.

I was given the opportunity due to being stranded to spend time with a couple of people that I wouldn't have otherwise, catching up and sharing stories. There was an extended chance to talk with my friend-and-new-neighbor, and I was forced to rest much of Saturday, where I had planned to be running, packing, cleaning and moving. And even bad stuff wasn't so bad -- my car died across from a parking lot, another friend was driving along behind and helped to push it through the intersection on a green light and my dad's mechanic friend set up for the recycling and disposal. The house unit downstairs has my couch for now, where there wasn't one before, and we still had dinner and a birthday celebration with my family. I don't have an immediate need for a car now that I'm living and working in Seattle, and said downstairs friend works in Issaquah and we can coordinate to bring what I need until I can arrange for my move.

Friday night's preface to the weekend's chapter was appropriate in multiple ways. Not only could I remember God's blessings and react positively while in discouraging circumstances, but the bad times brought new opportunities and were themselves even slightly cushioned. Now I'm not saying I want it frequently, but living through a little turmoil has given me fresh vigor for the next Friday night.