Here it goes:
1. I got moved in and everything into my new place. It’s been pretty good so far: no problems really or domestic disturbances or very many huge bugs coming in from the the huge tree outside or anything. I have a real lack of furniture though, somewhat remedied this weekend when my mom gave me yet another bookcase and a “TV stand” that I think once held a computer. But I’m still couchless and deskless, but it’s not a huge deal. It’ll all come around sooner or later.
2. I did FINALLY buy a bike on Sunday! I looked and looked for months, since I had to leave my old bike in Springfield due to a severe lack of space in the car moving home. And I was pretty dead set on finding one for less than $20 and an older one, but alas, there is a severe bike drought in my area, I think, and I came up emptied handed. I even went to about a thousand yard sales even this weekend and found nothing.
So, I finally went down and bought a new bike, and it’s pretty much the coolest bike ever. It’s red and a “cruiser” bike, which just means you can’t really ride it in the woods and/or mountain. I bought a basket thing to go on the rack on the back and yesterday, I officially installed my bike bell that I bought a thousand years ago when we were in NY. And I bought a helmet, which isn’t nearly as cool, but I kind of need my brain, so I can live with it.
But, here’s the thing: I want to start riding my bike to work, because I only live -/+ a mile away, and there’s no reason not too. Well, I went out yesterday (Labor Day and one of the hottest days of the summer) to see how long it would take me to get there. Taking only 15 minutes, I got to the building where I work, but forgot a very important part of the bike: the fact I haven’t ridden a bike in 7 months and let’s just say I’m not in my fittest condition. So I took a little break, and it was getting kind of dark and I really don’t live in the best part of town, so I rode all the way back.
And after having to drag the bike up to the second floor after riding 2 miles in 90 degree weather, I may have (1) almost fallen down the stairs (2) left the bike on the porch, laying down, I don’t remember and (3) after barely making it to my room and removing my shoes, passed out face down on my bed. I woke up about 20 min later, removed the bike from the porch, and fell asleep until about 8:30. So the moral of the story is: 2 freakin’ miles is a little too much to start out with the bike riding, and I’m going to have to make small trips to places at first and then build up to the riding to work.
3. Happy Belated Labor Day! by the way. What did you do?
I had to babysit my mom’s dog while they were in MO visiting the fiancee-boyfriend’s brother in Kansas City. I got hang out with my brother and actually watch TV, which was pretty fun. I refuse to buy cable, especially since I can borrow someone’s wireless for free, so to watch CNN/Spongebob was kind of awesome.
We went to see “The Rocker,” starring Rainn Wilson, and despite the pretty sucky reviews it got, was pretty funny. I mean, it won’t go down in the history books or even make it to some of Rotten Tomatoes lists of awesome movies, but it was funny, made me laugh my rear off, and had a good mix of Rainn Wilson doing what he does best and classic rock references. And all of the reviews I read compared it to the “greatness” that was School of Rock, which granted was pretty good and a movie I own, but come on, that one isn’t freakin’ awesome either.
But it is a movie I would suggest–it’s funny and has some good one-liners, and would be great to watch on DVD for $2–totally worth it.
4. So, since I got out of school, I have (1) been sort of in a spritually reflective time (to not clearly explain it at all with that term), which really means I love God and have no wavering in my faith, but am trying to figure out where “church” and communal beliefs (ie communal worship, bible study with people, etc) are going to play into my life and (2) not really been to any kind of worship service or “church” thing at all. And I’m not at all going to be one of those people who get out of a Christian school and put blame on my time there. That’s not it at all. I’m just trying to figure it all out, I guess.
A big part in it too was I think I took leaving my church/”worship gathering” in Springfield kind of hard. The last semester or so of school, I went to this coffeehouse church called the Front Porch, which I really loved and found a place there, so leave that was really hard. I had been to several churches in Springfield over 3 years, and the last school year, or so, I really didn’t feel a place at any church that I went to. I went to the “indie” kid church, the college church, the one with the old school worship-nothing.
But the Core was something different. I really loved what they did at the Core, how things were taken care, the people, the style and attitude of service, and the integration between being a real person and having a relationship with Jesus. I wasn’t ready to leave; I wasn’t ready to stop just being a person at “church”and try to find that here. And here, I know people with a church and in a church–people with expectations of my role in the church, and so finding a new place has been kind of hard.
But this weekend, I found ( but have yet to visit), a “coffeehouse” church in Muncie called “The Living Room” (I see a theme here) that I’m definately going to check out soon. It’s downtown and is a “worship gathering” of sorts in a coffeehouse venue, a real “come as you are” type of place. So I think I’m going to check this place out very soon. I need to make some friends here in Muncie, and I’ve always found that being forced to talk to strangers (ie school, church, clubs), usually spawns my friendships with people, so this may be a duel blessing.
I need to find some boys–not to replace my Evangel boys that I love, but just some new Muncie boys. I’ve always found that I like having guy friends better than girl friends. Guys are just easier, usually-they are more up front, low maintance (at least socially), and don’t involve all of that unspoken stuff that girl friends have. I like being the Elaine, and really, really miss that and all my slammin’ guys from school.
Here are my final thoughts:
1. See the Rocker, please;
2. If you live in Springfield, go to The Front Porch;
3. Check out the National–you will not be dissappointed.