Flashback Tuesday

First a little history.  One this day in 1971 Apollo 15 astronauts David R. Scott and James B. Irwin landed on the moon.  It was the 9th manned mission of the Apollo program and the 4th to land on the moon.  It was also the first longer stay mission (lasted three days), as well as the first to use rovers.  So I am sure once they landed, they did something like this.

Also someone in my life named Emily was born, so happy birthday Em, keep staying as classy and as awesome as your were last year and well, people are bound to get jealous. 

 And now totally unrelated to this day in history is my own personal flash back of Little Sid.  Who and what is Little Sid?  While have a lookskie below:

As you can see Little Sid is a kitten, a kitten that  my floor mates and I snuck in freshman year and then kept hidden from our RA.  Why would we do this?  Well, we were weak of heart, and Little Sid was on the kill list* at the animal shelter (and I quote myself back in the day "Save a kitten save your soul?" I really wanted an illegal cat on the floor and can also really dish out the peer pressure  yes I am the one your D.A.R.E. officer warned you about...).  My neighbor who had the nickname  "Sid" adopted him and then claimed our floor as a sanctuary until fall break came two weeks later and Sid took Little Sid home.  To avoid suspicion Sid room hopped, above was one of his nights with me.  Our RA never found out, or did find out and just did not care.  

*For all you animals lovers out there you will be pleased to know that the animal shelter was taken over and is no longer a kill shelter, they foster or relocated the cats and dogs instead. 

The Tale of the Smell Came From Nothing

Monday was suppose to be the "let's not post, so you do not seem obsessed with your upcoming  blogging schedule.   Yes, I set a schedule... (we'll see how long that one lasts.) but after todays events I felt the need to share what goes on in little old Rachel's head. 

After an eventful morning of running around like a crazy person I returned home.  About 20 minutes later I had a "what is that smell ??" thought.  I did a pit check, took out all the garbage, checked the fridge the sink and the nooks and crannies of my place for dead beings and found NOTHING.  Now by this time the smell had become a horrific rotten egg smell and after a goggle search (google and webmd are going to be listed under causes of anxiety is the new DMS-6*) I knocked on my neighbors door to ask if they smelled the rotten egg.  They could and after a small discussion we decided to chill on the porch and call the landlord.  

It is probably a good time to point out that our building is entirely electric and upon checking the basement there was no smell or sewage leakage.  So back on track.... neighbor calls the landlord, he does not answer so he calls his wife ( joint landlord) and she gets ahold of him yada yada yada, he cannot come till he gets off of work at 5, and it is 3:30.  So we chill outside a bit longer, upon that time I find out that the suspicious dudes across the street are indeed suspicious.  They are drug dealer and the police are fallowing them due to a spree of car break ins.  They all have multiple babies mamas and have had multiple drug raids. ( Stay classy Macomb).  Good old neighbor bonding right??? Too bad I do not smoke or we would have been besties.  We eventually all decided to go in and if it is sewer gas, it cant be that bad and if it is only the good die young or at least that is what I told myself.... 40 minutes later Landlord arrives to the smell being totally gone.  Vanished in thin air, and I am pretty sure he thought we were crazy, but tried to make us feel better by saying "call if it returns."  I however had only one thing on my mind the whole entire time.  Creepy Are you Afraid of the Dark pool monster.  Not only did the 90's make my childhood awesome but they forever changed how I will react to smells... like rotten eggs.  Because what else would cause a mysterious nasty egg smell besides a creepy water monster?  But be warned water monster I am onto you and will have "monster spray" and Holy Salt at the ready. 

and if you are truly bored the whole episode (click below)... 

Tale of the Dead Man's Float... aka rotten egg dude

*DMS stands for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.  They are currently on numero 5

The Resurrection* of Sunday Funnies

The Under the Sea Addition

1. These Jelly Fish who know how to trick us silly humans:

2. This Dolphin that just wants to spread the good news:  

3. Señor Shark that is always misunderstood and "just has a lot of feelings"

4. This Sexy Smolder

5. And this old man Sea Turtle who is tired of those "Dangnabbit kids messing up his turf."

*It took 2 attempts of spelling resurrection before Chrome recognized my feeble attempt at spelling, but hey at least I did not have to ask anyone how to spell orange.  

A year Ago

Almost a year ago to the day I finally thought that I had things figured out.  I had been taken "kicking and screaming" (figuratively) to visit a religious order for a long weekend that I had been dodging all summer.  To my surprise when I got there I felt something that a had not for a long time.  A sense of family and belonging.  Within the next few weeks I filled out the necessary paperwork to enter.  I was really really happy but then things got complicated.  Certain people got scared about my past and struggle with mental illness, and they kept putting my entry off.  3 months turned into 4 and then 6 and then 8.

While others moved on with their process I was still "stuck".  If I was going to enter it was silly to find a full time job, so I stayed working 2 part time but as time went on I was becoming miserable.  I was sick of waiting, sick of being judge for a past I had no control over any of it.  Finally I made a decision not to join the sisters.  It came down to them wanting me to wait even longer to enter under conditions that no one should be put through.  While I was happy and at ease with my decision I was still hurt and let down.  I had finally left I had found my "calling" and then it was ripped away from me.  To make matters worse I suddenly was facing having to leave my main job due to an injury ( one on which I will be having surgery on soon)  I was suddenly back where I was three summers ago, depressed, no job and under a lot of stress.  I grew angry at God and being to close myself off.

Then slowly through time and prayer I began to realize that none of this was or is God's fault.  It was life and how others reacted and treated me.  However, it did not change the way God felt about me.  I was still his favorite and there was nothing I could do that would take that our His love away from me.  I  yet again learned who my real friends were and grew closes to some very special people in my life and learned how much they care about me.  It is not to say that the fight is not over.  I am still facing an upcoming surgery and up to a 6 month recovery.  I still need to find a "big girl" job, still struggling with some mental health issues, and eventually want to leave Macomb and move on.  Yet, through it all I have come to realize that I have never been without what I needed.  If I were to look ahead to this point a year ago, it is defiantly not where I wanted to be but I do know that even though its not all good it will be ok, because in the end it always has.

When life gives you Lemons squeeze them in your eyes

A good friend of mine says that when people complain and he is tired of hearing it.  ( Not to their face of couse) It makes me laugh every time, and when I wanted to start complaining today because I am on day 5ish of staying in bed from what I have called the plague, no meds are bring near enough relief,  I have to be moved out on Saturday and still have not started to pack, and my shoulder is still a punk making me unable to lift  at all I thought of this and laughed.  And then I realized I am exceedingly blessing.  Blessed because I have some really amazing friends.  Those who drove me to the quick care (again) and waited with me while I got stronger meds.  Those who have offered and have brought me meals. (including homemade pizza and chocolate chip cookies).  Those who have offered everyday to help me pack once I am out of bed. Those who check in on me everyday to see if I need anything, and those amazing people who are helping me move and then move again two weeks later when my new apartment is done being cleaned and remolded.     So to all you really amazing friends out there thank you.  You have no idea how much you small gestures have moved me and above all shown me the Fathers heart once again.  

He tells the truth, even if I have no idea who he is....

Sunday Funnies!

Back by popular demand!!! 


The irony I experienced through netflixs:

This woman who described how I felt driving in the hail/rain storm last week: 

                             

This horrible picture flash back, where I thought overalls and little old me were the coolest thing ever, (one of those is still true) 

And this:

Because we all know whales have a "killer" sense of humor

and finally the truth behind the evil characters in Disney movies...

Tragedy vs. Beauty

I was going to have my Sunday funnies a day late because several people have requested it, but when I heard about the bombing today in Boston it got me thinking.  

We live in a world that is not perfect, that is full of hurt and bad things.  We also live in a world of extreme beauty.  Where a traveler gives a young girl his shoes, a man gives an American Solider some tea on a hot day, a dry cleaner who offers free cleaning for the homeless, and a Subway who offers free meals for the homeless.  Hope and beauty are everywhere, we only need to open our eyes a little to see it.

I remember when 9/11 happened and for months the images that were played.  The same happened for Sandy Hook.  I remember yelling  "STOP!' at my TV a few weeks after Sandy Hooked happened and they were showing videos of scared child again.  We have become a society that concentrates on the bad, that replays it over and over again.  That makes us hate those who did it.  Hatred breads nothing, but harm.  Ultimately in time, we need to come to forgive as we are forgiven but if that is too hard remember the beauty instead.  Remember the life that people had.  Remember someone who was lost name instead of breading hate for those who did the act and above all pray.  Pray for the healing of those effected but also pray for those who did it.  It is crazy to think of and sometimes even saying that makes people mad, but take a moment and imagine a word where we prayed for those who did bad.  It is not saying that they do not belong in jail, or that the law should not be served, it is simply saying that I know God created you for a better purpose and I am going to pray for you to see that, that you seek forgiveness and His love.

This is Noah and he is one of the Children who died in Sandy Hook.
I choose to remember his face and name and the beauty he
gave to this earth even for a short time.