grab a mike and let's go!

i was totally determined to do the dishes tonight, but then i got an ouchie on my finger, so i can't possibly get it wet… guess they'll have to wait 'til tomorrow.  oh dear.  one of these days we'll actually use the dishwasher located so conveniently next to the sink that is currently about to throw the dishes back at me unless i tame the madness.

this week has been a doozy- no exaggeration there!  the weather has dropped several degrees, but i've been too busy to notice or care too much.  work was going super-duper until thursday night when *everything* happened.  all at once.  for 7 hours straight.  it was the most insane shift i've had yet, and caught me so off-guard that it was even more insane.  i have long since been over complaining about it, but rather i am proud of myself for having gotten through it without me or any of my patients dying.  i came close to having my own personal CVA in there, but with a strong dose of grace i managed.

afterwards i took a 3 hour sleep before experimenting in the kitchen with my new dangerous objects.  my grandmother gave me a bundt cake pan over thanksgiving (she had 3 or 4 anyway…) and so i found a recipie that required that i peel and shred apples.  so i have a swivel peeler, a grater, and a couple small paring knives.  final report: all my fingers are intact and the bundt cake was a smashing success.

 auto-correct is telling me that "bundt" is supposed to have a capital "b".  this makes me want to say bundt bundt bundt bundt bundt bundt bundt bundt bundt bundt with no capital letters at all.

union's graduation was yesterday, where the latecomers were shunted out to the overflow room, so we watched it dungeon-style on a green-tinted screen hanging on the concrete wall with pipes.  but it was still good.  we were all so proud of our friends who reached this point and are off to do great things.  the parting meal at Panera was a special time that made the good-byes a bit easier. 

didn't have too much time to get upset about it, because i took a nap and then dashed off to our church's 34th annual Living Christmas Tree production.

after clearly stating in no uncertain terms that i did NOT sing well and had never done alto, the music director still managed to convince me to join the LCT choir.  being around such great people every wednesday for several months made me wish harder that i had been blessed with a better voice.  but i was excited because i finally got to stand in the monstrously huge vaguely tree-shaped construction that consumed the entire choir area, completely blocked the baptistry and was infringing on the pulpit's personal bubble space.  the final show was this afternoon following church, and from the feedback, it was a hit.  i tend to agree.  it was just what i needed after a tough week.  it's amazing how much i benefitted from it, even the third time through. a simple story, told in song, that still carried such power that individuals are still affected by it centuries later. 

we disassembled the tree in record time- just short of 4 hours! i just wanna say i was right up there with the men, hauling steel beams with the best of them.  that was my workout for… the month.  so i'm good 'til New Year's, right?  i was searching for a spare set of biceps by the end, but putting 40 pounds of metal up a flight of stairs isn't any worse than some of the patients i've moved, so i think i did a good job.

i rewarded myself with ice cream and animal crackers for a midnight snack/meal, although now i'm even more cold than i was before.  brilliance is not always one of my most prominent character traits.

i came home feeling much better than i had left home.  most of my friends know that me and depression have some history together and i have been struggling for a while, trying to keep my head above the rising waters.  since we had 2 hours between church and choir call-time, i dropped my lunch on the floor, grabbed a back pew and just read straight through Hebrews.  i was able to let go of a few tears, coordinating it with when the sound guys were not on my half of the sanctuary.  so i was able to sing, feeling better already, having been incredibly encouraged.   i did not sing WELL, but i was kept far away from the microphones, so despite my presence, we sounded pretty freakin' good.  the climax was "I Have Seen the Light" done by 6 of our men who sounded absolutely phenomenal and we could see the response from the audience.  i teared up a bit there, too, but the song deserved it so i can admit this online. 

there's nothing "magical" about this time of year, but good things happen and lives are changed when we make such a concentrated effort to remember the one who really did change the world and tell everyone we see about Him.  it doesn't matter how great you think your voice it- you've got a voice, so use it to make someone else's Christmas utterly amazing!