not for the queasy...part duex

fail

i saw the sign

i believe in signs, but not necessarily the way most people do

this is what i don't believe:
you ask for a sign, then you see something and it triggers a reaction in your brain, this reaction tells you that this is your sign!

basically, you ask for a sign and God sends one

this is what i believe:
you ask for a sign, then you see something and it triggers a reaction in your brain, this reaction tells you what you want deep down inside

basically, you ask for a sign and you realizes something you already knew

not for the queasy...

ok so this post is gross, you've been warned

now we all know the dangers and temptations associated with squeezing/picking a pimple, i am never able to ignore the temptation...but this time, i'm going to ignore it and see what happens

odd habit #5

Well, this isn't exactly a habit, or maybe it is, anyway:

I started buying organic milk, not because I want to consume organic milk, but because I like milk that comes in glass jug

I also switched from wheat bread to pumpernickel, this is because I like the way the dark bread looks. I have no idea if this type of bread is beneficial health wise or anything like that, I'm just happy with its color

Cake Pankcakes

I'm very curious to know what pancakes would taste like if they were made with real cake batter

getting the ball rolling

2 job interviews tomorrow

Hot Cross Buns

So now that spring break is over I can go back to my short blog posts...

It grosses me out when I get to class and sit in a chair that is still warm from the last person who sat in it

NYC #10 - Updated lists

Times Square

Central Park

John Lennon’s Memorial

Get a hot dog from a street vendor

Ellis Island

Try a new food (Indian)

Ride the subway

Photo of Statue of Liberty

World Trade Center Memorial

Drink green beer on St. Patrick’s Day

Souvenir  NY map

Photograph EVERYTHING

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

NYC #9

Overall this service trip was a successful one; we stayed safe, we did God’s work and although we didn’t solve the problem of homelessness in New York City, we did help those in need.

We traveled to NYC as a group of 12, we were split up in 2 teams, and my team was appropriately named Team Diva, 5 girls and 1 guy. We made the best of every situation despite the working conditions or lack of direction. There was never a time I didn’t have fun with my group, even when we were showing up to work sites late because we kept getting ourselves lost, we always laughed and figured it out (just fyi, it is very rare that a situation like this wouldn’t drive me within an inch of my sanity and end with me getting crabby at everybody).

If I had any regrets about this service trip it would have been that I didn’t really evaluate my goals and expectations of the trip. I knew there were a number of things I wanted to do in New York City, but not one thing on my list of things that I wanted to do dealt with the reason that brought me to New York in the first place; the chance to serve. It makes me think (maybe even realize) that my motive for going on this service trip isn’t exactly admirable. I think that I was so excited to go to such a famous city in another part of the country that forgot to put my heart into the service aspect of it.

I’ve been involved with Newman for 5 years now, I wish it would have occurred to me to set a good example and encourage the other people on the trip to go to church, or pray, or just to take a minute to apprehend that we were attempting to do God’s work.  I’m just hoping the other group members are not feeling this way too…

NYC #8

For our last day of service we worked in another soup kitchen, this one was at Trinity Lutheran Church. This soup kitchen was very different from the one we worked in the day before, not just  how the show was run but also the mind-set of those who ran it, their attitudes towards the guests and their overall approach to feeding the hungry. Guests were shuffled in, yelled at, fed and shoved out as quickly as possible.

Now, I don’t know if this approach of in and out as fast as possible is wrong, I guess it was just hard to see it after experiencing such a nurturing environment the day before. One of the things I loved about HASK was that they weren’t just serving a meal; they were giving the guests the opportunity to feel “normal”.  HASK gave the guests the opportunity to choose where and who they wanted to sit with, the opportunity to have a conversation and develop relationships. They are just like us; they are people with social and emotional needs that need to be satisfied. They are people that don’t deserve to be treated like second class citizens just because they are homeless. Being rude or speaking to them like they are less intelligent is not the way to go about meeting those needs.

 Like I said, I don’t know if TLC’s approach is wrong, I just know it’s one that I don’t agree with.

I think a soup kitchen like HASK can do so much more for the homeless population than a soup kitchen like TLC.

NYC #7

After getting lost several times this morning, we made it to the Holy Apostle's Soup Kitchen very behind schedule. Since we were so late we had to throw on our hats, aprons and gloves and dive into our tasks. I was assigned to the "extra bread" station where I buttered hot dog and hamburger buns, crescent rolls and Italian bread like nobody's business. 2 1/2 hours and 900 meals later we cleaned up and ate as well and learned a little bit about HASK.

HASK serves lunch every day of the week from 10:30-12:30, I can't remember exactly how many meals they serve on average, but we served 900 today, and that was considered normal. The coolest thing about HASK is all the partners they work with, once a week they have a medical bus, a chiropractor, a message therapist and a substance abuse counselor come in to work with the guests.

The only disappointing part of the day was not being able to interact with any of the guests that came in to eat since I was facing a wall the entire time I was working. Tomorrow we're working in another soup kitchen so hopefully I can get in some conversations with the guests tomorrow.

NYC #6

Times Square

Central Park

John Lennon’s Memorial

Get a hot dog from a street vendor

Ellis Island

Try a new food (Indian)

Ride the subway

Photo of Statue of Liberty

World Trade Center Memorial

Drink green beer on St. Patrick’s Day

Souvenir  NY map

Photograph EVERYTHING

It was my birthday at the Indian Restaurant

NYC #5

Today was a better pace than yesterday, we helped out at More Grace Redemption Center in the food pantry section. When we arrived we were put right to work with no introduction, so it was kind of difficult to know what we were supposed to do. It was kind of akward with the people who were in charge because whenever we asked them questions they ignored us, hopefully this was because they were busy, in the last 30 minutes we were there they finally opened up to us.

On our way back to YSOP we stopped on Wall Street, we went to the see the bull and ended up getting our photo taken that was going to be published in an annual report. We were really excited to become famous but were rushed back to YSOP because we didn't want everybody to be waiting for us, which was a total bust because one group was almost an hour late and we had to listen to a veeeeeerrrrry long winded speaker. It sucked. After leaving YSOP we stopped at a hot dog vendor because everybody was starving...and because I was dying for another hot dog, for only $1 who could say no?

Indian restaurant in the East Village tonight and maybe Central Park again, with a different group of people this time.

NYC #4

Made it to Central Park

Didn't make it to John Lennon's Memorial though, at least I can cross one more thing off my list

After Central Park we went to dinner at Start Dust, where the food is ok, the service is putzy but the entertainment is wonderful! Afterwards we went back to Times Square where a movie was being filmed, it was a New Years Eve scene and confetti was flying everywhere, a piece floated over by me, so I chased it down and then jumped and snatched it out of the air. Can't wait to see this movie now, rumor was it was Valentine's Day 2...we'll see.

To end my day I ate a tablet of air borne...my stomach is still fizzing.

NYC #3

First day of working, we met up at the YSOP center (Youth Service Opportunities Project), received our assignments and set out to our destinations. The group I was with went to the Brooklyn Army Terminal to work in the New York City Clothing Bank. When we got there we found out that the people who run the clothing bank didn't know we were coming and already had a group from Texas working.

While waiting to find out what they were going to do with us, we received a brief orientation. The clothing bank receives donations from companies like Macy's. All the clothing they receive is brand new, they aren't allowed to distribute used clothing. The clothing bank distributes donations to 179 different non-profit organizations 4 times a year, which is amazing considering there is no government funding for NPO's. Eventually they asked us to inventory some clothing and organize their supply of diapers...and then we left.

Riding the subway is rather interesting, the worst part is the smell and the best part is people watching. We have the evening to ourselves and in a few minutes some of us are heading to Central Park and to get some food.

Also, I've made some progress on my list :)

         Times Square

         Central Park

         John Lennon’s Memorial

         Get a hot dog from a street vendor

         Ellis Island

         Try a new food (Indian)

         Ride the subway

         Photo of Statue of Liberty

         World Trade Center Memorial

         Drink green beer on St. Patrick’s Day

         Souvenir  NY map

         Photograph EVERYTHING

NYC #2

I've only been in New York for a few hours and I've already failed to put my bargaining skill to work...I paid 2 dollars extra, oh well.

And you'd think that everybody in New York City would walk fast, like they have somewhere to be, not true. I've gotten stuck behind a few slow walkers today.

Tomorrow we start working at 7:45am, and it will be my first subway ride

This is our room at the Big Apple Hostel, cozy huh?

NYC #1

Just got to the hostel in Times Square, after 2 train rides totaling in 25 hours of riding...while on the train I made a list of things I want to do while here

• Times Square
• Central Park
• John Lennon’s Memorial
• Get a hot dog from a street vendor
• Ellis Island
• Try a new food (Indian)
• Ride the subway
• Photo of Statue of Liberty
• World Trade Center Memorial
• Drink green beer on St. Patrick’s Day
• Souvenir  NY map
• Photograph EVERYTHING

For now we are running out to explore!

getting excited for spring break #4

This photo is from March 2010, my senior year we were supposed to return to Aurora to work in Hesed House again, but there was a tuberculosis outbreak there a few weeks we were supposed to head down so we ended up in Milwaukee instead. This was my least favorite spring break trip. The photo below is from when we helped remodel a kitchen.

getting excited for spring break #3

My junior year I went to Aurora, Illinois to work in a homeless shelter called Hesed House. Hesed is Hebrew and roughly translates to "unconditional love", and that's exactly what I saw that week while in Aurora. Hesed opens its doors to everybody, and will not turn anybody away (unless they've demonstrated dangerous behavior). Hesed House had different sections throughtout, there was PADS, Public Action to Deliver Shelter, TLC, Transitional Living Community and a food pantry. Everybody at Hesed House works so hard to provide for their guests in PADS and to help guests in TLC get back on their feet and out on their own. Seeing the compassion on a daily basis the week we spent there was beyond inspiring. It was like "hey, good does exist in this world".
Below is a photo of our group making dinner in the TLC section of Hesed House, I really hope I make it back there some day.

getting excited for spring break #2

This photo is from October 2007, my sophomore year, this wasn't a spring break trip, spring break fell on holy week this particular year and it didn't seem appropriate to do a trip. But, at least I got to do some type of service that year. This trip was a one night event that Newman (my church group) does every once in awhile during the semester, we traveled to St. Paul to cook and serve dinner in a men's overnight emergency shelter. We made spaghetti and served cheese and bread with it. This was my first time working with/encountering the homeless.

getting excited for spring break

Since being in college I've made a point to do a spring break service trip every year, spring break starts next week and I will be going to New York City to volunteer in a homeless shelter.

I've decided to post a photo from previous trips everyday in order to get pumped for my upcoming trip.

The proceeding photo is from March 2007, my freshman year, we drove down to Lake Providence Louisiana to work on peoples' homes. The trip was so much fun and the food was amazing! The worst part of the trip was seeing how some people were living, many people we worked for didn't even have running water. The best part of the trip was knowing we were making a direct impact on not only the people whose homes we worked on, but the community as well.



odd habit #4

Sometimes I go to the water fountain and pretend to take a drink...even when people aren't around