<SIGH>

it's over.  i feel so exhausted.  and just when i think i got a break, i'm already busy.

we still need: a cheap photographer, a cake, music, all the utensils, the rest of the decorations and maybe a couple more volunteers to help set up and stuff. 

25 days and counting.....

i have 2 more days to prepare for finals.  i need to finish up all my on-line homework first.  ugh.  at least i'm off from work tomorrow.  that will really help. 

i have some really cool cousins coming in town tomorrow.  lindy, silas, and grant.  i haven't seen them since 1993.  they are from michigan and are on a road trip.  pretty cool.  i'm more excited to see lindy.  we used to be buddies at the family reunions.  the boys were just little boys and weren't that fun to hang out with at the time.  but i'm sure they are more interesting now.  their mom and my mom used to be buddies too.  they are first cousins.  what do you call my mom's cousin's daughter?  is it like my first cousin, second removed or what?  my family has had this discussion so many times and we never agree on who is called what.  what does the removed mean?  can someone help me out here?

May 1st March

so, there will be another march done by those in pursuit of legal status for illegal immigrants.

i thought i had chosen a side on this issue but after speaking with a fellow co-worker, i began to straddle the fence and lean to the other side.  then, after doing some research for an undisclosed event, i may have begun to lean back to my first side.

i am purposefully being vague. 

i want to see what everyone else has to say about this issue.

this post got me thinking.

"how are you doing?"

this question used to get on my nerves.

i worked with the public.  friendly people would come in.  "hi. how are you?"  i would put on the fake smile and say, "i'm fine. thanks. and how are you?"  but i would think, "you don't know me. don't pretend that you really care how i am.  i'm at work.  how do you think i'm doing?  i want to go home.  what if i really told you all that was going on with me to explain why i feel like crap today?  you would be bored to death and think i was crazy for actually answering you truthfully. and i don't really care how you are doing.  i'm only asking because my boss told me to.  please don't REALLY tell me how you are doing.  just take your pies and leave so i can get back to my other duties."  i didn't really like working with the public.  my thoughts were, if i don't know you and you don't know me, what possible interest could you have in how i am doing?  none.  even if they REALLY did want to know how i was doing, what made them think that i really want to tell a stranger how i am doing?  i suppose it has become a habit for most people to ask that question, even to complete strangers.  it's a friendly gesture, right?  well, i never really liked it.

on the other hand, when someone genuinely asks how i am doing, it's kind of nice.  when they know me and actually have an interest in how i am doing, i do not mind sincerely telling them how i am at the moment.  i usually try to make it short but i will tell the truth instead of the typical, "i'm fine." that i give to people that i don't think really care about how i am really doing.  and i try to make it habit to only ask, "how are you doing?' to people that i really care to hear the answer from.  so, if i ask you how you are doing, it's because i actually have an interest.  i want to know if you are doing great and why you are doing great and if you are struggling with something, then i really want to know how i can pray for you, etc.

so, there are 2 ways that i view this, "how are you dong?" question and it depends mainly on if you really care about how i'm doing and if you even know my name.