Living in the suburbs again

I am living in the suburbs again. It's different... but strangely familiar.

To me living in the suburbs means:
- people smile at you when you're walking down the street.
- you know who your neighbours are.
- street hockey!
- you can see the sky, and the sun and the stars.
- it takes 30 minutes to get to the nearest movie theatre.
- at almost every job I've applied for they ask "Do you have access to a vehicle?"
- available jobs include door-to-door sales, telemarketing sales, retail sales, and fast food sales
- to get anywhere you NEED to have a car.
- streets with no traffic actually exist.
- people walk their dogs a lot (I know because I've stepped in dog poo already).
- there's grass everywhere!
- there are too many cats.
- peace. and quiet.
- houses have front AND back yards.
- the television seems like quality entertainment again (compared to what else is out there).
- the bars are empty by 2am, but pretty full at 4pm.
- the sunset isn't blocked by 15 skyscrapers.
- my parents are closer than I want them to be.

It's all good... but I still miss the big city.

Looking for a small group

It's amazing how little contact I've had with people from Oshawa these past two years. I haven't lived here for about that long, and realize now that I'm back that being part of a community is going to take work. I really would like to be involved in a Christian community, even if it is only for three and a half months.

Last summer living in Cobourg was great. I found a community pretty quickly, because of some awesome people from Cobourg Alliance and The Dock. But this summer I think it'll be completely different. I can't be out in Cobourg all the time to hang out with the friends I have there. I really need to find some new friends here, or hook up with old ones again. It's going to take energy and commitment, but I feel lazy because this is my "first home".

If anyone knows a small group I can be involved in, or would like to start up a small group with me, let me know :).

Home again

Hey... I'm home again, and looking for a job is my biggest priority.
Blah. I hate looking for jobs. I don't wanna work in retail or fast food, but would do the waitressing thing. I was going to go hand out resumes today, but my mom discouraged it, saying that I should unpack, and tidy up around the house instead. Oh well. I'll get to it eventually. I wouldn't mind working at the styrofoam factory again if they gave me a raise.

I'm in Oshawa, and I do have time (seeing as I'm not working yet). So, I really want to hang out with people who are around. I'm also thinking of starting up an "anti-complacency club". It'll be a bible study/discussion/accountability group for people who don't want to fall into spiritual complacency during the summer. I'm thinking Mondays or Tuesdays somewhere here in Oshawa.

Check out the new apartment!

Here are some pics of my new apartment. :D

SO exciting!

Hiding in clothing racks.

Did anyone else do this as a child? I distinctly remember how appealing it was to climb inside that little fort-like place and hide until my mom was done shopping. I found shopping reaaaaally boring. Oh those were the days. I wish I could go back to being a child. So few cares... so much time!
Now I have bigger things to worry about. And increasingly more boring things to endure.

Oshawa in a week.

Oshawa. Home sweet home?
I'm not sure if I feel good about going home to Oshawa for the summer. In fact, it's a little scary. I've been away from Montreal before, but the longer I'm here, the more attached I get to the city, to the people and to the ministry. I wish it wasn't so hard for me to change places. As I've said before, I love routine. I like when things stay the same. This is gonna be tough.
Things are so uncertain. I don't yet have a job, and need one. I have so much debt already. I don't have many friends to hang out with. And I really desire to be a part of a community, even if it is only for 4 months.
I'm just really hoping God's got this summer in his hands, and that it won't be a big waste of time.

Sometimes good, sometimes gross.

Today I gagged on a piece of rice bread. Why, you ask, do I eat rice bread... with its intense dryness, sandy texture and bland taste? I eat rice bread because it's the best thing going for people people with wheat allergies and gluten intolerances (i.e. celiac disease). It's usually ok. It doesn't measure up to a real piece of bread, but it does make life a lot easier. I love sandwiches; I like toast when I make eggs in the morning, and I love peanut butter (which just isn't the same by itself).

Today was just a bad situation.

I made my lunch the way I always make it. A sandwich, an apple, a jar of baby food, raw veggies. I'm a creature of habit and I love my routine. Two pieces of rice bread: this time the one with the flax seeds, sometimes it's plain, or brown rice, occasionally the really yummy six-dollar loaf of almond or pecan rice bread sweetened with fruit juice. I put them in the toaster (which you'd think would make the bread even drier). I was in a rush, so took them out before they were done. I spooned the last of the egg salad on to one piece, threw the sandwich into my bag and was out the door. Little did I know that on the way to school my bread would decide that it hadn't been toasted long enough and would be drier than I've ever tasted. :P It was really gross.

I was just grateful that I had a lot of water left in my water bottle as I made some strange choking sounds, to the amusement of some people sitting near me in the cafeteria.