Introverts explained...

I still owe you Part 2 of my last post. Sorry about that. It's coming. In the meantime...


Oh. My. Gosh.

This article from Boundless is totally about me. No seriously. No really:

I have a confession to make: I am a Friendship Focus failure.

Friendship Focus is a time in my church's Sunday morning services when we extend the traditional "good morning" and a handshake to 15 full minutes of getting tea or
coffee, saying hello to the people around us, and, ideally, introducing ourselves to new people and getting to know them.

I am great at the getting tea or coffee part. The chatting it up with the entire congregation, not so much. Sometimes I try. Sometimes I just take a really long time at the tea table so it will all be over and I can go sit down.

The above confession might lead you to believe that I'm shy. I'm not. I enjoy people and getting to know them. I have no problem with sharing my thoughts and opinions, even controversial ones, and in Bible studies I spend a lot of time biting my tongue so other people will have a chance to answer questions. I perform poetry and narrative with Soli Deo Gloria Ballet several times a year, as well as acting as our spokesperson, and I don't even get butterflies in my stomach when it comes to standing in front of a room full of people and speaking. And ever since I was a kid, I've been the one who went to great lengths to make sure new people were greeted and made comfortable. I'm not shy. What I am is introverted. And sometimes in church, that can be a problem.

It's like the writer, Rachel, is in my head or something.... I totally relate. This exactly describes me. I'm not anti-social--I LIKE people and making new friends--I'm just a total introvert.

An "introvert," as defined by the Myers-Briggs personality system, is someone who is more thought-oriented than action-oriented and gets energy from time spent alone. Some people argue that Jesus may have been an introvert: He often withdrew to be alone with His Father; He related to crowds in the way a purpose-driven introvert would do (teach, reach out one-on-one, withdraw to be alone or with close friends).

While the defining characteristic of introversion is a need for alone time in order to charge our batteries, introverts share a lot of other characteristics. They are often low to speak. They think things through. They're artistic and sensitive. They form close, deep friendships. They're terrible at small talk. And they don't do well in crowds.

Read on.

(Almost) Best Birthday Ever! (Part 1)

So, aside from last year's birthday where I was baptized, this years birthday was the greatest! I really had such a great time!

As mentioned in a previous post, we went to San Francisco. We got to do nearly everything I wanted to do: The Golden Gate Bridge, the Walt Disney Family Museum, a sightseeing tour of the city, and the sea lions, plus more! It was great, and to top everything off the weather was nice and cool. I got to wear a sweater the entire time. I was loving it!

Golden Gate Bridge

Lombard Street

Sightseeing Tour

We stopped at this pub for Dinner after our tour. I had Corned Beef and Cabbage and an Irish Coffee. Mmm!



Wine Tasting at Boudin's Sourdough Bread Factory. =)

Sea Lions!

Maple Bacon Apple Donut from Dynamo Donuts!

Chinatown!

We stopped at Fog City Diner for breakfast before heading home. It was good!

Avoidance...

Gah! So homeboy who likes me at work is stepping it up and I'm getting increasingly annoyed. (Background here, here, and here.) We had an awkward lunch the other day--I even went back to my desk halfway through it--but he still persists. *sigh*

I finally had come to the conclusion that I just needed to be straight up with him and tell him that I don't see him as anything more than just a friend. I had numerous pretend talks with the mirror while getting ready for work, trying to figure out how to say it with tact and finesse and regard for his feelings. Yes... I do care about his feelings. I know what it feels like to have someone not feel for you as you feel for them.

Well, right when I got myself pumped up for it, the Holy Spirit told me something: Don't do it.

Huh?

Don't do it. Your instincts, as right as they might be, are not enough. He hasn't verbalized anything. His bruised ego might cause him to lash out, denying that he even liked you in the first place, which will make you look like a conceited jerk. Then there is also the chance that he will tell others you work with, thus making you look like a conceited jerk to them also. No bueno.

Ooooooo. Good point, H.S. Good point.

So, for now, I'm just going to avoid the issue until and unless he brings it up. All I can do is just turn down all of his invites until he finally gives up.

Please let him give up, Lord. *sigh*

Speaking of fun times...

This weekend Katie, Sandy, Tirsa, and I are going to San Francisco to celebrate my birthday, which is Monday by the way. I'm excited.

My main reason for choosing San Fran is because I've been waiting for the Walt Disney Family Museum to open and I've been wanting a good reason to go up and see it. I'm uber excited about that. I love love LOVE Disney and I'm a history person, so seeing personal artifacts and Disney movie artifacts is what I call fun times, man. I can't wait!!!

We also plan to do a hop-on/hop-off tour of the city. I'm looking forward to that also because it's been over 20 years since I last really saw the city or been on a famous San Fran Trolley. So that should be cool.

We also plan to try and hit up some good restaurants and maybe a bar or place we can get some good wine. You know, that adult, sophisticated stuff.

Overall, it should be a nice time. I'm just glad to get out of town for a bit too. Yay traveling!

Dun dun dun!

So next Monday is my 29th birthday. I can't believe this is my last year in my 20s. I can't believe that I'm still single and childless. I can't believe how much I've changed just in the last decade. It's all a lot to think about.

Do I laugh? Do I cry? Do I roll up in a fetal position in the corner and lose my mind because I'll be an "old spinster" soon?

Meh. I'll wait until my 30th for all that.

Instead, maybe I'll resolve to have as much fun and crazy (but not too crazy) times as possible while I can still get away with it. Maybe I'll resolve to hunker down and really start serving the Lord with my extra time instead of being selfish with it.

One thing I'll triumphantly be able to say before I turn 30 is that I will have paid all my debt off. Yay!!!

Okay, 29, let's make this a good one!

Growing a garden...

So, out "garden" is growing. We started with some Tomato and Bell Pepper seeds. We have not added some Jalapeno plants, and we are attempting to grow an Avocado seed. For now, everything is hanging out in my bathroom, were we seem to get the most sunlight. In a couple weekends, we plan to actually plant them all in the yard.... well not the Avacado seed. Apparently it needs to sit over a cup of water, looking like it's dying, before it will actually sprout a root and then we can get ready to plant it. Even then though, it takes some years before it's a full grown tree that produces fruit.

This stuff takes a lot of work, but we are willing to do it because growing our own is going to save us some money and is obviously more healthy. I hope this works. Thank goodness for the Internets (lol) because it is where we are getting all of our advice and education on growing a garden. Can't count on my dad to help us. (I swear that man!)

I'll keep you posted on the progress with pictures and blurbs and such....

Fake Dates and Frustration - Part 2

Okay, I meant to update this more quickly, but it got away from me. It’s not really all that fresh in my mind anymore since at least one issue has been resolved. Plus, a weekend full of relaxing and tanning at the pool and the beach kind of makes little dramas seem so trivial all of a sudden. =)

Anyway, I’m just going to try keep it short and sweet… and simple. Try being the operative word...

I begrudgingly went to the game. Just as I’m parking, dude tells me that he forgot the tickets at home. I wait 40 minutes for him (missing Loney’s homerun!!! Grrr!) and then to add insult to injury discover that I’m waiting in the wrong area and have to hike all the way around the entire stadium to get to homeboy because he has my ticket. I’m not happy and I’m sweaty. I just want to get in, get some water, and watch the game. Of course, just as I suspect, it’s just him, another couple (who thankfully I know from work), their baby, and me. Yay… A double date! <-- That’s sarcasm, if you couldn’t tell.

I barely spoke to dude and was happy the baby was there because I paid all my attention to her, giving me a good reason to ignore him under the guise that I’m just mesmerized by the baby. When the game was over we parted ways and I could tell that he was a little upset that no attention was paid to him. I’m sure he thought it was because he “messed up” with the whole ticket situation. Nope.

The sad things is that it was a good game and I had good conversation with the other two and would have had a great time if it wasn’t for the fact that I felt tricked into the whole thing. My thing is, if you want to ask me on a proper date, do it the right way. Give me the chance to say yes or no. Don’t make it out to be some innocent little outing. I don’t appreciate that at all. It makes me feel like I have no control over the situation. Not cool.

With Sandy, like I said, feelings were rustled up towards all who continually flake on me. I was at the breaking point and the point of no longer just being annoyed but being disappointed and slightly angry. Sandy picked up on it and last Tuesday sent me a text message asking if I was mad at her. I told her I would email her because I didn’t want to try to have this conversation over text. I should have just called her, but what’s done is done.

I basically told her that I was tired of being flaked on (saying yes when you really mean no or are not sure, among other things), that I had never done that to her, that she was making herself look bad, that I was “over it,” and that I felt I had a right to be upset. Sandy replied thinking that I was referring to the Dodger game and swearing that she never said she was for sure going. She was defensive and clearly hurt.

The next morning I read her reply and decided that emailing and texting was a mistake and that we needed to talk. I didn’t go to work that morning because I wanted to talk, so I called her and was surprised that she ended up really hearing me out and agreeing that I was right and she needed to make a change. It ended up working out and I was glad that we were able to be honest with each other and talk it out without it escalating to some ridiculous fight. (Wow. I guess I am growing up.)

So, yeah. At least one of these issues was resolved. Now I just need to figure out how to deal with the other. Thankfully, it seems that homeboy may have gotten the hint because he has hardly spoken to me since, but I do know how men are. If you don’t tell them a solid “no, I’m not interested,” they always hang on to some kind of hope they might have a chance. I don’t want him to think that. It’s a waste of his time and that’s not fair to him. Plus, I just don’t want to be put into anymore of these situations or to start hating this guy because of all this undue pressure. I just hate letting people down. I know how it feels…

There you go. I hope it was worth waiting for. Although, I would blame you if it you didn’t even care to begin with. LOL!

This so wasn't short and sweet, was it?

Thoughts on Anne of Green Gables

As you know, I picked up Anne of Green Gables (AOGG) and have been reading it for a couple weeks now. I finished it today. LOVED IT!

Although I'm generally a crier, not too many books have made me cry. In fact the only time I can remember crying on a book is in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King when (SPOILER ALERT) I thought a certain mischevious Hobbit who's name begins with a "P" gets killed. Turns out he doesn't, but when I thought he was a goner, I cried my eyes out.

And yes, by way of the previous paragragh, I have now revealed how much of a nerd I really am. Judge me if you will....

Anyway, AOGG, made me cry right there at my desk at work. (Yeah, I know I shouldn't be reading at work, but what they don't know won't hurt them. lol)

It is now one of my all-time favorite books.

Up next: I think I'll go ahead and purchase the other books in the Anne Series. I must know what happens next!