my dad had what?!?!?

apparently this is the week of randomnes...

i call my parents yesterday to say hi, happy early thanksgiving, yadda, yadda, yadda... my mom proceeds to inform me that my dad just had surgery... ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?? obviously i proceed to get pissed off at them for not letting me know ahead of time... they do have a tendency to let me know of serious circumstances AFTER the fact... my mom starts laughing - which makes me angrier - and tells me the whole story.

it was a normal wednesday. my dad went to work - by the way, he's a surgeon: the irony is precious! my mom goes on wednesday to the hospital to practice anesthesia. she does this once a week for the pure sheer joy of it. they usually do cases together. so they go throug all their patients as normal.

my dad has known for a while that his gallbladder is not in top notch shape. apparently he's been feeling really sick about it recently, throwing up and all... but you know what they say, en casa de herrero... (shoemaker's daughter...) so after going through all his surgeries of the day he goes to his office partner and tells him to remove his gallbladder.

so, on the spot, my mom sedated him as his friend removed his gallbladder.

after the surgery, my mom calls family and let them know what's going on, they come to visit, etc. It is then that my cousin takes my mom to her place to grab the normal stuff you would take with you when you go to the hospital - toothbrush, pj's, all of that...

i called this morning to see how he's doing, and we've come to many conclusions:
-my dad can survive without his gallbladder, but take away cable tv and he dies
-my mom and i are forming "vesiculas unidas" (united gallbladders) as my dad and my sister have had their's removed... NO ONE WILL TAKE MY GALLBLADDER FROM ME!!!!! :-)
-finally, my mom tells me that my dad made his rounds this morning in the hospital to his patients that he did surgery on yesterday... WITH HIS I.V. STILL ATTACHED!!! could you imagine having your surgeon come to check on you with his white robe and an i.v. on a little rolling tower...

all this to say... the randomness runs in the family...

and happy thanksgiving everyone... in the greater scheme of life, these hard times are but a spec of the greatness of life - it is this bigger picture that i don't want to take for granted...

here's how random my life is...

monday night i went with maria to see dave's band, raleigh, play at larimer lounge. they were the third band, so before they went up we were at the bar having a drink. the second band sounded prettty good, and maria and i kept looking at each other whenever we liked something that they did. every now and then a lyric would pop up and we would look at each other wondering, "are they a christian band?" dave's band played, we had a good time, and then my inner granma, who was alive and kickin', reminded me that it was a monday night so we went home.

*warning*there is some myspace-stalking ahead*you've been warned*

the next morning maria emails me the link to that band that we liked. i linked, and find out that they are a christian band, named vona. i start reading their page and they mention their lead guitarist, josé ibañez. i look through the pictures on the website and this josé person looks extremely familiar...

here is where it gets weird...

back when i was a freshman in high school, circa 1991-92, one of the guys in the sophomore class was named, you guessed it, josé ibañez... let's not forget to mention that i went to wesleyan academy in guaynabo, puerto rico, a pre-k through 12th grade school that totaled about 900 students back then. in the middle of all the, "what the hell?!?!", i send a message to their myspace page, something along the lines of catched your show last night, my friend found your website, the guy looks familiar, it's a longshot because we're talking puerto rico 14-15 years ago and we're in denver, etc. etc. etc.

about an hour later one of the guys from the band sends me a message saying that josé is from puerto rico AND he recalls him mentioning w.a. he gives me his email and i proceed to write one of the most random emails i've ever written... "if it's you, how in the world did you end up in denver?!?!? if you're not who i think you are, thousand apologies and please disregard this email."

about another hour went by (did i mention that i was at work and i truly did not want to do anything that day?!?!) and i get an email back...

IT'S HIM!!!!! WHAT THE HELL??!??!?!

it turns out that we live about 30 blocks away from each other on the same street, and we both moved to denver from chicago about a year and a half ago...

IT'S SO FRICKIN' WEIRD!!!

i may have coffee with him and his wife sometime after thanksgiving and maybe catch one of their shows...

i cannot lie, i'm excited about having a random conection from puerto rico here - we never were that close back then, but it brings a strange sense of familiarity, if that makes any sense...

so that's how i spent my tuesday - it sure beats the crap out of working the week after the busiest week at work!

and maria's and my myspace skills... AH-MA-ZING!!!!

exhausted

it's been a crazy two weeks at work. it came to an end today and i'm exhausted. i tried to hang out with friends but exhaustion took over, as in i'm-leaning-against-the-support-beam-of-the-bar-while-sitting-down. funny when i hit this place other fears and insecurities surface. old lies show up and even though i can name them as such, they fight really hard to take over and declare themselves reality. i know that this is just exhaustion and that i just need to rest (praise the jesus for the long weekend ahead) - it's just that when you're this tired it's easier to let the lies take over...

so bring it on new layer of anger, grieving, and sadness... i've seen you before, and i'm not afraid of you... i know i'll grow through this all...

bring it on, b-atch!

ps - i <3 maria for many reasons... the one being featured right here is leading me to this fabulous video!

holding on

that's what life feels like. just being there, in the moment. not looking way too ahead and not looking back. right here right now - one breath at a time.

pleasantly surprised

tonight walking home I saw this event take place:

two policemen got out of their car and went to this one building where this woman was sitting on the front steps. with probably one of the most caring voices i've heard in a long time, one of them said, "hi, did you call us?" "yes," she replied, "he already left." the policeman asked her, "what's going on?" "he pushed me." and by that point i was already far from them. i guess i have a stereotype about policemen. their uniforms don't help a lot - they intimidate me. and i've seen people get arrested and police brutality - both in real live and on t.v. however, the genuine concern in his voice changed everything. perhaps not all is lost in the world.

who are you?!?

so at the bottom right part of this page there's a map that shows where the readers of this blog are. denver, chicago, san antonio, puerto rico, and a few others, i get... but, the u.p.?!?!? new york?!??! who are you people?!?!?

night of too many stars: an overbooked benefit.

last sunday night jon stewart hosted a benefit raising money for education for autistic children. here are some hillarious clips for everyone's enjoyment.

not a girly girl

we're moving offices today.

everyone's really impressed that i could parallel park the 26-footer.

"are you ok carrying that desk on that dolly?"

somehow "the boys" are doing all the heavy work.

i'm the only staff member at the office and now i'm in charge of the phones.

no really, i can move stuff. i can carry stuff. i'm not a girly girl.

the jesus i know...

i've been called naive. i've been called simplistic. behind my back. to my face. many times.

this week, once again, i was reminded how different i really am. how i'm not your average 28 year old. my priorities are very different from others in my generation. how my choices, many times, lead to a "lonely" life, a simplistic life, a life which, pardon the cliche, centers around god.

god keeps showing his face - through people, random conversations, split seconds with strangers, mystic encounters... this jesus that i know makes it all worth it. my life is filled with many small steps that all lead in the same direction - a life in god. that there are many detours along the way, absolutely! believe me, they're there. yet they become but a grain of sand in the midst of the trayectory i'm on, a trayectory that i wouldn't trade for the world.

the jesus that i know is nothing like the video below. that video is funny 'cause it's sad... it breaks my heart that thinking of god that way is even an option. that's not the jesus i know. the jesus i know is fully in love with me, my biggest cheerleader, stopping at nothing to get me to fall more in love with him. he usually gets his way =)

today i had an afternoon/evening with god. rediscovering myself. rediscovering who god is. rediscovering where we come together. rediscovering how when i'm abiding in him, i can be nothing but love to the world that sorrounds me. that, for now, seems to be enough.

call me naive - call me simplistic... i'll take it.

it's funny 'cause it's sad...

know-it-all

this story, as simple as it may be, reminds me that we don't, no matter how advanced, high, and mighty we might think we are.

1st day on the job

apparently there's such thing as the colorado episcopal convention - the biggest deal if you are an episcopal and live in colorado.

that's how i spent my first day on the job. i was sitting at our booth, networking, "answering" questions, and repeating to almost everyone that i met, "no really, literally, my first day on the job," to which most of them exclaimed, "wow, trial by fire!"

there were about 300 people at this convention. they were really excited about the turnout, how crowded it was, etc. they were very impressed that i was able to hold my own in such an environment. what i didn't tell them is that while i worked at willow there were about 10 conferences a year, the smallest one of them in the 2500 mark... i didn't tell them that for three years i volunteered for most of them and then there was one a year that i was more directly involved... i didn't tell them that this was actually in my experience more of a pre-conference workshop feel... i didn't say any of that :-)

being back in the denominational world will be interesting. it already is. it will kick my ass theologically and spiritually, which has me terrified and excited... those of you that know me, would i have it any other way?!?!

last night i had a few people over for dinner to celebrate my new job. i loved having them all over and just sitting and being with each other.

to having my world rocked all over from another point of view... to experiencing god in it all...

ps - they have jobs too!

that chicago weekend

i went to my friend troy's wedding to cheryl... i cried like a baby when i saw him



and i hung out with beth and kochie!!



i love them!! and miss them like crazy!!!

i also hung out in michigan with my puertorican friends... because nothing says "grand rapids" more than six puertoricans eating at the spanish place... this is us hanging out at lenski and tanya's place.

i walked out.

i walked out of the random temping job today.

long story short, i was given an "ultimatum" by the temp agency - "you have to finish this assignment".

yeah - not many people have the right in my life to tell me i have to do something...

and those that do, they know me well enough to know power upping with me doesn't work.

i know this wasn't the most mature way of dealing with the situation. when in a situation someone gives me that much of stupid crap, i take the adolescent route out and give the same crap back.

not my finest moment, i know. and please don't give me shit. i don't put up with it.

most roller-coaster-like week ever!

i'm at a random temp assingment at an architecture firm putting together some brochures. it pays crap but it's something to do.

on thursday i went by bus to lakewood (not fun!) to interview with another staffing agency that seemed a little more promising.

friday during my lunch break from putting spiral binders together i checked my voicemail. it's the colorado episcopal foundation. they offered me the job!!!!

today i got a letter in the mail making the offer official. it is pretty safe to say know I HAVE A JOB!!!!

starting this friday, oct. 6th, i will be the program administrator for the COEF. in a bizarre turn of events, my master's degree is actually coming in handy... who knew!

thank you all for your support during this past 8 months - definetely some of the craziest months of my life.

now - to learn the new job and see some dust settle-hopefully. maybe i'll have energy now for other stuff that i love.

woohoo!!!!

ps - that letter is on my fridge like a good grade when your little or that drawing you made your mom! :-)

officially jobless - again.

it's official. no more protiviti. i'm off to an interview with the colorado episcopal foundation. we'll see how that turns out.

sick and twisted joke!

what the crap?!?!

so i don't have a job yet... apparently the HR person is not in town and they've put the whole thing on hold... i don't know what it all means, i just got a voice mail from the temp agency late today...

it all feels like a sad and twisted joke.

hopefully it'll turn out ok...

i have a what?!?!

a real job!

starting tomorrow, i'll be working as a receptionsit/administrative assistant at the denver offices of protiviti. after a month and a half of frantic job search (averaging 25 sent resumes per week!) i finally found a position through one of my temp agencies... so hopefully this means some sort of stability in my life... a much wanted stability since many other pieces seem to be in chaos. this job will probably get old soon, but the prospect of doing something simple with a decent steady income, that feels big! and i get my own laptop from work, which is, in my opinion a sweet deal...

two dear friends are also waiting to hear from jobs... if they too get it (which sounds like they will)we might have to have a huge celebration this friday!

so this sort of marks the end of an era... the end of temporary life to some extent (starbucks, temp jobs everywhere). this also sort of marks the end of another era - for the first time my "real" job doesn't involve ministry. to some extent it feels like i'm no longer a pastor/minister in whatever shape it comes... now, hold back your, "you're-a-minister-no-matter-where-you-are-at" schpeel... i know that. and this feels huge. i'm officially no longer on "full-time ministry" - whatever that means - this is sure going to hit me really soon...

but for now, i have a job!!! woohoo!!!

ps - happy b-day to maria and michelle!!!! love you both!!!!

removing yourself.

i had an amazing a fast-paced weekend! i slept a total of 12 hrs in 4 days...

and by removing myself from my life and sharing with people that i love, i realized (and pointed out to me) that the past 10 months of my life have been extremely hard...

i was able to see how much has happened and how i have every right to be tired which i am. somehow i've remained hopeful in the midst of it all - and i've been able to be ok realizing that i'm one hurting little kid taking life one step at a time...

i've returned emotionally and physically drained and at the same time emotionally, and physically renewed... here we go life, bring it on!

on my way to chi-town and bland rapids!

it's one of the craziest busy weekends ever, but i get to see friends, go to a wedding, drive to see more friends... i'm excited. hopefully it'll give me a break from all the job shit...

here i come friends!

ps - i'm sad i'm missing maria's and sheralee's 1st year anniversay in denver... celebrations are in order when i get back!