Only fingers can you count on

Just a few minutes ago, I told Tina Anne, "I love the people I love... but I don't love people." This was in regards to trying to leave the customer service industry. Tina Anne is the merchant teller at the bank.  Statistically speaking, she ranks pretty high on my all time favorite people list. She is the highest ranking African and certainly the highest Bank of America employee. Tomorrow she's going back home to Kenya for two weeks. I want to go to Kenya for two weeks. I think everyone I know personally who has travelled to Kenya (aside from those I know from Kenya) has been there on a mission trip. That's great, but I don't want to go there on a mission trip. I want to go on a mission: to explore Kenya.

I definitely have a hard time conveying to people how much I do care for them. Occasionally though, I just tear open and it pours out. I doesn't feel good afterwards. Maybe it should, but it doesn't. It's not regret or embarrassment, it's exhaustion. "Time heals all wounds," but more specifically, morning does. Morning is God's best tool for healing... probably something to do with fresh mercies. Good Christian a cappella group name: The Fresh Mercies. You can have it for free.

Sufjan talking about Urbanity... Could it get any better?

Sorry for my lack of posting and lack of commenting lately. As soon as I settle into this semester's schedule (class starts Monday) and get deeper into my work groove, I'll post more. Plus, fall is coming up and I'm always more prolific in the fall (and I'll have seen more good movies to write about).

The Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia trip was good. I'll post about it next.

Anyway... I just wanted to quickly share this video. It's an interview with Sufjan that is probably the best one I've seen yet (there aren't many video interviews out there). In it, he talks about Detroit and it's current state and basioally, it's urbanity. Being an "urban enthusiast" and a "Sufjan enthusiast," I think it's a pretty sweet combination. Check it out.

36 Hour Notice, Kentucky and Indiana

I put my notice in today. You might say it is a 'two week notice' but it's more like a '36 hour notice.' Lately, I've been working just 18 hours a week. My notice was that I would work this week's hours and next week's hours, in whatever form that may be in. He took it graciously and it was a nice moment. We were friends before I worked for him, during my time with him and we will still be friends now.

This week's work hours will be spent in a 'last hurrah' of sorts since I am taking my boss to Kentucky to speak at a Future Farmers of America camp. The first trip I took as a personal assistant was also to Kentucky for an engagement at Asbury Theological Seminary. It's interesting that both my first and last trips as an official employee are to Kentucky.

This trip, I will get to add a new state to my list. We will be staying only 10 or 15 minutes from the Indiana line. I've never been to Indiana before. I intend only to drive across the river and then turn back... but it counts.

I love this Starbucks coffee card they put in the newspaper on Sunday that gives you a free cup of brewed coffee, iced for me, every day until July 14th. It is great to get free coffee even before I start work next Tuesday.

The Courtship of a Job

Four weeks ago today, I was interviewed for a job at Starbucks. Today, I got the job. It's been a long time in the making... much longer than 4 weeks. Four years ago, I would estimate, is when I started thinking about working at Starbucks. Different location then. I picked up an application a couple of times... but never turned one in. Early this year was the first time I turned one in. Then I turned in a second application to the same store. Shortly afterwards, I got the interview.

I went to Starbucks this morning much like I went to Starbucks last Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The week before last saw me there several times as well. In addition to enjoying delicious coffee, I was there with obvious motive. And if I wasn't stopping by on my way somewhere, I brought Atlas Shrugged and would spend some time just sitting, reading. This book just gets more and more amazing.

Today, I knew I was going to hear something either way. I arrived to find that yet another friend is now working at this store. I sat and read a little and Lucia came to sit with me while she was on her break. We talked about, yes, Starbucks and then my phone rang. But my phone doesn't work as phones should and I was forced to hang up. Luckily, the guy calling me was in the same building and Lucia went to get him. The conversation was held in person rather than over a cell phone that doesn't work.

I saw two of my GIS professors there today. A friend that used to work there was a GIS major and now there will be another GIS barista. Who knew this Starbucks would become such a GIS hub?

Praise God! He answers prayers and is sovereign in His provision. He has absolutely no sense of timing, though. That is not an insult... He is just outside of time. I've stopped trying to understand that concept... but I look forward to when I can experience that for myself.

I start next Tuesday.

Discreet Anticipation

It's a strange thing, waiting for a call that I may never actually get. All signs point to me receiving this specific phone call soon. But signs can be misread and logic isn't always followed.

I keep telling myself not to get my hopes up. It's hard not to, though... even knowing that if I get my hopes up and end up getting disappointed, it's going to be an especially potent disappointment since I could have prevented it.

But I feel confident that enough prayer went into this that should I be disappointed, should I never receive this phone call... it's all God's doing.

At long last

I have a job interview at Starbucks on Monday at noon.

I'm glad I held off on putting in applications at the other locations and put in that second application at this location. I hope it's worth it!