Glimpses Into the Mind of Kimiree

The time is 9:30pm and the place is my parents' family room. My mom is hunched over a Charlie Brown puzzle and my 18 year-old sister is sitting near me and we're talking.

Kimiree (the 10 year old) is watching my mom work on the puzzle. Suddenly, Kimiree turns to me and announces, "I want you and me to get matching outfits and then have our picture taken together!"

How does she know what I want for Christmas?

It's dinner time at my parents' house and I'm over there for the evening. Kimiree is sitting to the left of me and she suddently turns to me and with pity in her tone asks doubtfully, "Kristi...do you really think you're ever going to get married?"

When Kimiree was younger, she nicknamed me her "Cushy Sister." Even though I sometimes was sensitive about my weight, I couldn't help but smile. She wasn't making a fat joke, she just thought I was the most comfortable sister to hug! :-) This last week she said to me, "Kristi, I am soooo sorry that I called you the "Cushy Sister."

Another evening when I was at my parent's house for dinner, my Dad's long-time friend was in town and staying with my family overnight. While we're at the table with our guest, Kimiree asks, "So...why is it that boys can't have babies? Is it because they don't have boobs?" (Yeah, it's past time for "The Talk.")

I love my baby sister--and I love the way she makes me laugh!

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These pictures aren't current, but they're from a particularly fun day we shared in 2005!

Ugly Insect Bite

I woke up on July 5th with a nickle-sized Insect bite on my knee. I don't remember ever having such a dark and large bite mark. After four days and it still not going away, I took some pictures of it last night, just to keep track of it.

This morning it looks as if it's changed abit. Now it's bullseye-collored.

I've heard the bullseye is a mark of a brown recluse spider, but I think the lesion is way too small for that, plus it should have grown and developed over the first few days--not to mention that brown recluses don't nest in my region. I read somewhere that tick bites can remain for weeks and small ones are coin-sized, and some of them form bullseye's, so maybe that's it. I don't know, I've never seen a tick. And don't people get ticks from outside? I was outside sitting on the grass on the 4th of July, but I was wearing jeans that covered my legs. And I never felt or saw anything that night--only the next morning. Do ticks craw around inside houses?

Okay, enough about my spider or tick or insect bite. If you have any ideas on what it could be, let me know!

Have I Mentioned That I Hate Sales Pitches?

I do. I hate it when people pressure me to buy something I don't want or need, or something that I just can't afford.

For several years I've been using a European-Based desktop publishing program (that I much prefer to Publisher, which came with my MS Office package). The software for this program always starts out at over $100 dollars when a current version is released, but I often end up upgrading just before the one after that is released, and get the soon-to-be second-to-latest release for $10-$20 dollars. It seems financially responsible.

The only thing that annoys me about the software is that each time it is installed on my computer I have to call for a registration code (the program is usable without it, but this annoying REGISTER NOW screen always pops up). Once, a couple of versions ago, I called the company and waited on hold for 45 minutes, at which point the service center closed and I was promptly told to call back another day and disconnected.

This morning I finally gave in and called to register the program that I installed on my new computer in January of 2007! (Thankfully, I was only on hold for a minute.) Now I purchased this version in 2006, which means it was probably released in 2005. The customer service operator told me, "Oh wow. That version. You know that's 6 or 7 years old, don't you? I could hear an upgrade sales pitch coming, so I tried to save him the effort. "It's a few years old," I agreed, "and I've thought about getting another upgrade sometime. But right now, I'm unemployed and don't really have money to spend on upgrading a software that for the most part works very well for me as-is."

Now, their whole registration process is built around getting us to buy other versions. They input my installation code and then they claim it "takes a few minutes to get the registration number" for me to input into my computer. In those "few minutes" the agent asks what I use the program for, and if I've tried any of their other software. I told him I had what I needed in the program I had.

He then began to tell me about the newest version that was released a few weeks ago and how it costs $130 dollars, but he had an upgrade offer for me of $59.95. I again reiterated that I'm unemployed, but I even told him that maybe once my job started up and I was in a better financial place I would reconsider. He told me "this offer is only good for you today!" (Total lie, anytime you call or check their "sale" website, you get that sort of deal.) When I said that a one-time-offer didn't it make me suddenly have $60 bucks I don't have, he left me on hold for a minute and when he came back told me, "I just talked with my supervisor and received permission to discount the sale price even further down to $49.95!"

At this point I was beginning to feel bad for the "suckers" who actually pay full price when the company obviously makes plenty of profit selling their product for WAY less. I was also getting frustrated with his lack of understanding though, and in a desperate attempt to see how low they would go I told him, "I appreciate the offer of that $10 discount, but I really don't have $50 dollars to spend on software right now any more than I have $60 dollars...the most I could spring right now is TEN dollars." At this point, I figured the sales guy was desperate enough for his comission that he just might be able to get it down to $10 bucks. Afterall, that's what I'll pay for it next spring! Unfortunately, he did not take the bait. In fact, after that, my registration number "arrived" VERY quickly and he ended the call very abruptly.

I wish this technique worked at the gas station. I pull up, the attendant comes to my window and asks, "What can I get for you today?" I eye the gas prices and say, "I was going to fill up, but you know, I don't think I can afford to spend this much money on gas right now." He replies, "Well, that's fine! Because today I'll offer you a discounted gas price of just $1.95 per gallon." (Take it, imaginary Kristi, take the deal!) "I'm really sorry," I counter, "but I just don't have $25 dollars now to fill up my tank." (Remember those days when gas cost almost $2 bucks and we thought it was outrageous? When I first started driving, I filled up the Tercel for $10 bucks or so. I actually remember filling up for 97-cents a gallon.) The gas station attendant walks inside the small building, rushes back out grinning and tells me proudly, "My supervisor said I could offer you $1.61 per gallon!" I reply, "I'm sorry, I just don't have more than 32-cents a gallon to pay!" Of course in real life, I would have taken the $1.95 and laughed at the suckers paying $4.25.

The Sweetness of Wounded Pride

Our heads were bowed over a fast food table. The 6th grader I meet with each week was sitting across from me praying in a sweet, sincere voice.

"Lord, thank you so much for today, and that we were able to get together today and talk about you. It means so much to me that whenever I need someone I can always count on--" At this point, my chest swelled with pride that she felt she could count on me. "You," she finished.

I smiled. My silly pride wants to be important; it makes me feel good when students know that I'm here for them. But since the whole goal of my interaction with them is actually to encourage them to deepen their relationship with God, it makes me even happier when they know they can turn to him. I won't deny that my pride was restored a bit when she later expressed thankfulness for me, but overall, I'd say her priorities are just right.

They Accepted!

Just wanted to let everyone know that my offer on a house was accepted!

If everything goes well, our closing date should be early July.

Someone called me "Kristi the homeowner." which may be premature, but sounded terribly exciting to me.

So, I'm not sure how early is "too early" to post pictures of a house with a sale pending, but I'm too excited not to. :-)

The front of the house (obviously).

Living Room (with gas fireplace).

Kitchen & part of Dining Area.

Waiting

That's what I'm doing.

Yesterday I was sick. Today I feel somewhat better, but I'm still weak and tired. I'm waiting to have energy again.

I made an offer on a house, but still don't know if they'll accept or reject it. I don't even know when I'll know by. I'm waiting and hoping.

I miss being a part of a church community. I've visited lots of places, but haven't yet decided where I want to settle. I'm waiting for peace regarding this decision.

It's killin' me! I just want to feel! To know! To decide! To take some action! And yet...... I'd rather be waiting in the Lord's will than acting outside of it.

*Sigh*

Okay, Lord. I'll wait for your timing.

My Life 6.0 - The Update We've All Been Waiting For

If I were to divide my life into different versions of me, the way software companies release different versions of a program, I would be on the verge of my sixth release. Each release is similar in many ways, and often retains the same structure as the previous versions, but is different in some key way.

A run down on my life's versions (or stages, if you prefer), with a few characteristics of each release:

My Life 1.0 - Childhood
playing in the yard, unaware of the scariness of life

My Life 2.0 - Bad Adolescence
6th-9th grade, selfish, angry, low self-esteem.

My Life 3.0 - Good Adolescece
Increasing love for God, others, and self. Fun.

My Life 4.0 - College
Venturing out, working, learning how to minister.

My Life 5.0 - Cascade
2005-2008, first true independence, ministry-focused.

And now, what we've all been waiting for! What will the next version of my life hold?

My Life 6.0 - Grandma
Learning to be a servant, taking big financial steps.

So, the exciting news that I am bursting to tell all of you is that I've just been pre-approved for a home loan! This is an exciting dream come true for me. I am looking to buy a ranch-style home on the east side of Portland for me and my Grandmother to live in. My gram has Parkinson's Disease, and is currently in a care home, but we will soon be transitioning her into my home so that I can become her full-time caregiver. I am very excited about this opportunity to love and serve an amazing woman who means so much to me. I think that since I love her,, and don't merely view her as a patient, I will be able to improve her quality of life and provide the companionship that her current home is lacking.

If I'm honest, I'll admit that I'm also a little bit scared. When you live alone, your selfishness isn't visible, because your concerns are all you consider. But I'm afraid that living with Gramma, my selfishness will become quite visible as I learn to consider her concerns as well. I have felt quite strongly that it has been the Lord leading me to this though, so I will be trusting him to give me humility and a loving servant's heart each day.

So, that is what my plans are for the future. If you feel so inclined, please pray for the home-buying process, that God would provide me with an affordable home that will work well for both Gramma and me, and is close to my parents. Also, please pray for my heart, that it would be soft and humble and selfless and that I would follow the beautiful example of Jesus, who willingly submitted to death in order to serve the needs of those he created and loves.