I got a new power cord so my computer is now back up and running. A lot has happened over the course of the past few weeks while my computer was out of commission...the most important thing is that Portia has finally arrived here in Williamsburg!! It is really nice to have her around and she is doing great here...I have missed her and am really glad to have her around.
My mom and one of my sisters came in to town for a couple days and they were able to attend a day visiting me at work, unfortunately, they did not get to see the entire Day One program as we were rained out about 3/4 of the way through the program. But they assured me that they had a great time all the same and are looking forward to returning in the future to see more of what we do here. They fortunately had cameras with them and were able to shoot a few photographs while they were here, some of
which I included in an earlier post. It was nice to have family members around for a few days and it was so nice to finally be reunited with Portia.Work is going well...I love my job...it does have its challenges and it does take a lot of energy to do it day in and day out, but for the most part I am enjoying my job.
There have been many challenges adjusting to life and work here in Virginia. One unfortunate and sad event this week was the exchanging of my beloved Oregon Driver's License for a Virginia Driver's License, and let me just say not only was I a little sad to trade in my Oregon License but I was completely disappointed with the Virginia version...it is very flimsy and I am not kidding when I say it looks like a high school kid made it in his parent's basement somewhere!
I am also struggling to find a life outside of my job, that adjustment has been the toughest for me so far. It is very hard to "just be yourself" and relax when your only friends are also your co-workers and there really doesn't seem to be a line when you are at work and away from work...I have had some very hard talks with a few of them this week and have come to realize that while I care very much for these people I do not feel completely comfortable being myself around them. Nor do I have the feeling that they feel comfortable around me...this is something that is very foreign to me, I am used to being the guy everyone wants to have as their close friend...maybe it will come in time and maybe it won't I am not going to stress over it...but it is a challenge for me. Someone once told me that in order to be the leader and to move forward in life that you will face resistance of some kind and it is that resistance that lets you know you are headed in the right direction.
This week I have also been exposed to an entirely new phenomenon: Pollen Showers...now I know that pollen flies around and whatnot, however, before this week I don't think I have ever seen actual moving clouds of pollen...literally green mist filled the air on more than one occasion this week, the pollen is so thick it seems to create its very own weather patterns leaving cars, streets, and people covered in an alien like green dirt...it is ridiculous how much pollen has been in the air this week.
HOWEVER, in only a week I will be returning to Oregon for a week long visit...and let me just say this is an occasion that I am so looking forward too. It will be so nice to see mountains again...my mountains...have dry, humidity-less air to breathe, and to see the people who are most dear to me...and most of all to stand as witness at the wedding of my best friend in the whole world to an amazing man that is very deserving of her. And let me tell you about this friend:
16 years ago I moved on from elementary school and into Junior High...well let's just say I moved onto the 7th grade (this was back when elementary school went K-6 and Junior High was 7-9) anyway, it may be hard for some of you to believe, but I was not always one of the bigger kids and in elementary school I got picked on a lot and I was basically a wienie...so my parents and I felt it best that I be home schooled in 7th and 8th grade, however, I would still attend Junior High for elective classes: orchestra, band, choir, shop, and home economics. At the same time a new Christian organization was taking form at both the High and Junior High Schools in my hometown that I also took part in...Campus Life, a student organization run by the Youth For Christ. Well, anyway, through Campus Life and choir I met a girl...Jessica. And let me tell you I really liked Jessica, but being the young and scared kid I was I couldn't bring myself to deal directly with her, so I developed a master plan to get in good with Jessica's best friend in hopes of getting to know her better...let's just save a few steps and say my plan failed miserably!
But not all was a total loss, Jessica's best friend was a girl named Sarah...Sarah D I like to call her...I have known a lot of Sarah's in my life...and interestingly enough they all spell it with an "h" ("as it should be" I can hear her saying right now.) And as it stands today I only have 2 more weeks were I can actually get away with calling her Sarah D, cause on the 26th of this month I will be standing witness as she gets married.
Sarah is an amazing person...in every aspect, I mean it. In the 16 years we have been friends we have been through a whole lot together...many ups and downs...good times...sad times...but through it all we have remained the best of friends. If there is one person in the world that I know has my back at any given moment it would be Sarah, and I like to think she thinks the same of me. We haven't always seen eye to eye, but that is what makes our friendship so great, in spite of our differences we still care for and look out for one another. She is the one person who whenever something goes right or wrong in my life I want her to know about it and to really tell me what she thinks. She is always willing to pray, laugh, cry, or just listen with me no matter what.
These past 16 years have been filled with amazing memories of crazy road trips all over the West Coast...crashing on the giant sofa that her family's old Lab, Chopper, and I used to share with Sarah's dog, Napoleon, on the nights I would house-sit back in High School...and of course, theatre, theatre, theatre, be it on-stage together in school, in a nursing home, or Campus Life function, or just going together to a professional show as old friends...but most importantly my head is filled with memories of laughter, sheer joy, and love we have for life together as friends; even though she still can't figure out how we are still friends when I don't even drink coffee!
While I am so glad to be attending this wedding my only regret is when it's over I will fly 3000 miles to the opposite side of the country making it a little more difficult to just drive up for a weekend visit to go to the theatre or spend the night laughing away at some wonderful restaurant in the City of Roses with the amazing Dr. D and his new bride, my best, most loyal, compassionate, amazing, beautiful, and wonderful friend Sarah D! I know he knows it better than any man on the planet...but Dr. D you are marrying one of the best there is and I for one am glad she has found you and you sir have been nothing short of an amazing increase to my life as well...here's to a wonderful wedding and many more memories of laughter and love for life that we all can share together!!
