The (Not-So) Ordinary Life and Times...

Time flies when you're ... stressed?

So I'm not out-of-my-mind stressed, but I've been better. I went home for a couple of days because the Texas family came up to Iowa. It was really nice to see them, even for a little while. Lots of eating, lots of card-playing, the usual Gilbert family get-togethers. Aunt Sue and I got pedicures too, that was really nice. Got to see new pictures of Blake and Brayden, they're getting so big! Hopefully we can get everybody together at Christmas, except Laurie and Jared are still in Japan.

Daniel comes tomorrow! I'm so excited. I haven't seen him for four weeks, and it's becoming so hard to be apart. I think we're going to go look at some rings, so that's exciting. Nothing terribly serious yet, but we've got the ball rolling! We also have shopping to do, at which I'm very good:)

I emailed CNN this morning. It was the third time within a week I had heard an anchor say the word "busted" in a newscast. Does this annoy anyone else? I get angry when I hear lax language used in newscasts. Of all places I hear news, I don't want to hear it from CNN, who is supposed to be "the best." I'm no language expert, but I get offended when it sounds like they dumb-down their reporting. The anchors are supposed to be the gatekeepers of information. If they see something incorrect in the writing, don't you think it would be fairly simple to say someone was arrested rather than busted!?! No reply from CNN as of yet.

Hope this post didn't seem to ranty. Maybe I'll have happier news later!

 

Vox Hunt: This Weekend

Show us what the weekend has in store for you.

Cocktail at the edge of pool

Thursday

I've been asked to stay through the fall semester at my internship. I like it here, (albeit it's been slow lately), and I would really like to not have to go through the process of interviewing and waiting and whatnot for another internship. At Drake they stress getting internships so much that part of me wants to get another one. I want to be competitive in my job market. But the other part of me thinks I have a good thing going and that "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

Rachel is coming this weekend, yay! We'll probably go out and then spend time in the pool with Natalie. Lynell left yesterday for three weeks so things are pretty quiet at my house. Dad is coming to visit next week, too. I think Dan will finally be able to visit the following weekend, too. I miss him so much! This summer has actually been really hard for us. We're used to being half an hour apart, not four hours. I don't even want to think about next May. After graduation I'll need to get a job where I can get one. Who knows where that will be.

Until then, I'm enjoying where I am. I work all the time, but I'm working hard to save some money. I don't think I'll be going to Mexico over New Year's (bummer), but I like to think of it as saving myself a $600 plane ticket:)

Vox Hunt: Tearjerker

Video:  Show us a movie clip that always brings a lump to your throat. 
Submitted by Rev Stan.

"Papa, I'll Say anything"

(in)DEPENDENCE day?

America's birthday is coming up and I'm feeling a little less enthusiastic this year. When I was little it just meant staying up late and fireworks and barbecues. Now that I'm a little older I'm feeling a little apathetic.

I'm grateful for all the opportunites that are available in America. I'm happy that my people have the right to vote and choose their leadership. I'm happy that I have easy access to higher education and better jobs. I'm happy that women and minorites are treated (almost) equally. But I'm also finding myself a little mad at America.

It's not just because I disagree with some of the current administration's policies (who doesn't?). It's not just because I'm not a big fan of the Iraq war.

It's because Americans are so arrogant. About everything.

I'm really jealous that I wasn't learning another language in grade school. My European friends know three or four. Granted, other languages are a little more useful in Europe because the countries are close together and people use them more, but still. American children grow up thinking that English is the only important language. We are fast learning that Spanish is becoming a very important asset. And it's not just language. European children score much higher on standardized tests. Why should we expect less of American children?

I've thought many times about moving to Europe and just becoming an expat. I love Europe. I don't know all they little intricacies of their government or culture, and I'm sure they have their problems too, but I have a very glorified vision of it today. I hate that when Americans go abroad they expect to be waited on in English, to be catered to simply because they are Americans.

We throw a fit when people move here from Mexico and don't speak English, yet we freely travel abroad and expect to be spoken to in our home language. Does that seem arrogant to anyone else!? And then Americans wonder why other countries hate us so much (not everyone, I know).

I guess that Independence Day is sort of cloudy for me this year. I don't want to sound ungrateful. I just wish that I felt a little bit more proud of my country than I do.