Okay, Let's Try That Again!

I know it won't be the same. But I'll try again on the meme I lost last night. See yesterday's post if you missed it. I highlighted all of the text to make some font changes and it blipped away, never to be seen again! I'm used to Word where you can hit the reverse arrow and get it all back. I know, I know, there's probably a way, but I didn't catch it soon enough. So - here goes. You'd think you could remember what you wrote the day before, but . . .

What I was doing 10 years ago . . .

I recently found my journal from those years. One thing I was doing was not writing often enough, and knowing I would regret it, which I do. I seemed to be very tired, coming home and vegging after work. Kristen was newly working across campus from me, having had her heart broken by a really neat guy. We were in a peaceful period with Kevin and I had some good talks with him about his spiritual condition. But I said he seemed to be bitter, but searching.

In early July we suffered a catastrophic flood on campus. There was a heavy rain, but nobody thought anything of it until it hit a burm around a railroad track, stopped, backed up, and flooded a very poor trailer park behind the Dairy Queen. I drove by it every day and had never noticed it. Five lives were lost. On campus, nobody knows for sure why it happened as it did, but it covered the entire campus, flooding the basements of numerous buildings, taking out years of professors' research, books, artifacts. The library basement was destroyed, taking all of our department's books and journals among many others'. The basement of the student center was gone, floating away all of the textbooks awaiting the students' return for fall classes. It was a mess. For weeks, temp employees boxed up the library's books in cardboard boxes to be sent to Fort Worth for a dry ice process that was supposed to salvage them. It didn't really work - they still smelled like mildew.

It ended up being a $100 million project to restore everything. The unexpected benefit was that projects that were on the back burner awaiting funding for much-needed improvements were accomplished because of insurance money. A blessing in DEEP disguise.

We were not allowed back into our building for a couple of weeks, so we took turns working out of a makeshift office in a nearby building - one phone, one computer. It was a very crucial time for me, so I ended up taking calls at home. When we did return to our office, the basement was closed for a year, and the "ambiance" was anything but pleasant.

It was very hot when the students returned to classes, and the lines snaked around campus waiting for a turn to purchase books from huge truck containers parked on the patio of the student center. Reminded me of the days when I was in college - you presented your schedule to a book store clerk and they went into the storage area to bring back your books. It's not like that now - they hunt for their own books among shelves and shelves of books - very, very expensive books, I might add.

The powers that be decided it was more important to have heat back in use before snow flew, so air conditioning was non existent. It also reminded me of my days in college pre-air conditioned classrooms and dorms. Huge fans blew, making it almost impossible to hear what was being taught. Lines were everywhere. There was now only one path, instead of several choices, from this side of campus to the student center - the crowds were horrendous. Since the basement of the student center was also gone, it was not that enjoyable to go over there that year - too much close communion!

If you come to visit campus, you can see the line painted on the wall of the center as you walk down to the very-much-nicer lower level. They took all sorts of measures with landscaping and wall-building to try to avert another such so-called 500-year-flood from wreaking the same kind of havoc someday when we're all gone from this earth. I'm not sure it would work.

What I was doing 1 year ago. . .

I was sitting at this same desk, with an older computer probably. Maybe not. But I definitely was not writing a blog before I began the work day. I was working 2.5 days instead of 5 half days. I was busy working on an admission process for our Colorado Springs cohort of our program. It was very, very hot very early in the summer. I was getting less enamored of the job I have loved for years. I am getting closer and closer to retirement, at least mentally! Too many changes too often too close together.

5 snacks that I enjoy. . .

• Peanut M&Ms
• Dove dark chocolate
• Well, anything chocolate for that matter
• Cashews
• Wheat Thins and other yummy crackers

Did you notice that baby carrots did not make the list, though I'm trying to snack on them more often.

5 songs I know the lyrics to . . .

• This Little Light of Mine
• Majesty
• It Is Well With My Soul
• Na na na na na na na
• Moon River

And probably a thousand hymn, choruses (older ones), children's songs, and "elevator music". Can you tell I spend a lot of time in the car with kids' CDs playing??

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire. . .

• Tithe first, of course
• Pay off the kids' school loans
• Buy a newer version VW bug for myself
• Buy a Miata for DC
• Retire, store the cars, and be a volunteer missionary in St. Croix (no kidding!)

5 bad habits . . .

• Reading when I should be cleaning house
• Doing anything else when I should be cleaning house
• Making excuses for not going to the gym
• Talking when I should be listening
• Taking my blessings for granted

5 things I would never wear again (or at least SHOULD never wear again) . . .

• Long straight hair
• Skirts above my ugly knees
• Sleeveless anything
• Shoes over one inch high
• Pierced earrings - ear lobe infection is not fun!

5 toys I love

• My digital camera
• My printer/scanner/copier
• The cd player on my computer at work
• My library card
• My bike (riding with DC on these lovely cooled-down evenings)

I don't know who's done this, so go for it if you think it looks like a fun game!