Blogging is my Therapy

Because of my chosen line of work, I'm very well aware of the fact that everyone has to have some form of release. Some people do yoga, some people drink, some people take drives. I write. I don't just write bits and pieces here and there. I vomit words onto paper (believe me, I have notebook upon notebook from my middle school and high school years in a box in the garage to prove it).

You might even say that writing is my therapy. Blogging has actually been my first experience at putting some of these words out there for others to read, analyze, scrutinize, whatever.

The fact I've been too busy even to blog speaks volumes about the current state of my mental well-being. To say that I am all out of sorts is a gross understatement.

Lately I've been feeling as if I'm going to explode because I have so many thoughts, so many words, that need to be released. So consider this blog post as my mini crisis session, to get me through the next week until I can sit down and return to my previous state of conducting weekly (and sometimes bi-weekly) "sessions" with y'all. I promise that I will be back and better than ever, after Tuesday December 15th at approximately 5:55pm (but who's keeping track???).

::6 more days, 6 more days, 6 more days::

Hello Blog?? It's me, Randi.

Hello there, blog. It's me, Randi. You know, the one who used to write entries all the time?? I'm so sorry if you feel ignored lately. But I promise, I'm going to make it up to you starting RIGHT NOW.

I'm finally getting around to posting some pictures from our weekend in Las Vegas. What a great trip full of great food, great drinks, and great friends! I'm convinced that having a stress reliever like this midway through the semester is just what the doctor ordered!

Here's the view from our room at Planet Hollywood:

And, a beautiful sunset on the strip, a little blurry, but I'd say it's a fitting depcition how a weekend in Vegas usually plays out.

And here's us at dinner at my all-time favorite sushi place, RA. Thank you, Christie, for introducing me to this place a few years back. My life has not been the same since. :)

There were other people on this trip besides us, and I did take lots of pictures. But they were more towards the end of the night, and, well, you know how that goes when you're in Sin City...

Coming soon: pics of Lake Tahoe!!! Stay tuned.

V-E-G-A-S!!!!!

::insert "A Little Less Conversation, A Little More Action" theme song here::

So today is the big day we have been waiting for since this summer. Time to meet up with our Bozeman friends in Las Vegas! woohooo!!!!! Guess who needs a vacation??? This girl right here. If only I could figure out how to do away with this guilt that's plaguing me over taking a few days off from reading textbooks and writing papers. Pat keeps assuring me that once I we approach the runway conveniently located right behind the strip, glass of wine in hand, all my worries will disappear. I guess Vegas has a way of doing that to you.

Pictures to come...

I got nothin'

For all those who are worried (or maybe 'annoyed' would be a better word), yes I am still here. I've had a few people comment about how I haven't updated in awhile.

Let's see...
Two weekends ago, Lori came to visit. We had a blast, doing some shopping, eating a few meals out, and going to Apple Hill (a local series of small wineries, apple orchards, and pumpkin patches). Unfortunately, the whole time she was here, we did not take one picture with our camera. Big fat FAIL on our part.

We celebrated Pat's 27th birthday while Lori was here. Pat doesn't like to make a huge fuss about his birthday, so we kept it pretty low-key.

Other than that, just plugging along. We will be meeting some of our Bozeman friends in Vegas next weekend, and it's going to be a blast!!!! But weekend vacations during the schoolyear=lots of preparation work ahead of time for me, so I best get back to my schoolwork. I'll try my best to actually take some pics during this trip (Am I even related to my mother????)

Oh, and for those of you who are curious, I did NOT contract H1N1...yet. It has spread very quickly here, though, so I'm sure it's just a matter of time. Speaking of which, have you heard about this? I love NPR, by the way, it's really the only news source I read anymore.

Til next time...

Awesome.

Guess how I spent this morning? In a tiny room in close quarters with a kid who is sick with the flu. I didn't think much of it, until we got to work and I realized he was still wearing the wristband from being admitted to the hospital after testing positive for H1N1 (he was released on Sunday night).

Now I generally think that the media has instilled a lot more hysteria in this Swine Flu business because someone behind the scenes has ulterior motives (which is not to say that I wouldn't immunize our children if we had children). But I personally know about five people who have contracted H1N1, took a few days off, and bounced back within a week or so. I just really, really, REALLY cannot afford to get sick right now.

Immune system, don't fail me now!!!!!

Please send your healthy vibes my way. That is all.

::healthy thoughts, healthy thoughts, healthy thoughts::

I'm supposed to be writing a paper...

...but I need a little break.

I ran across a verse the other day that really resonates with me. In fact, I printed a copy of it that is hung at my desk at work. It's a verse from the Bible, and it represents a way of interacting with others that provides an alternative to the way our culture (and government specifically) has historically treated certain groups of people.

"If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend your lives on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday."
~Isaiah 58:9-10

This represents something really powerful to me. In fact, it almost brings me to tears to think about how things could change for the better if we all chose to live by these words.

Grad school has required me to do a lot of self-reflection, looking inward to examine myself and how my beliefs and actions could influence my professional practice. I'm not going to lie, it has been a difficult process. It is tough when you come to terms with the fact that you've acted in ways that have oppressed the very people that you could one day be serving. There's an intrinsic sense of guilt that is pushed to the forefront, and it's hard to get past thoughts and behaviors of the past to move to a place of acceptance and self-forgiveness. In fact, I don't know that I will ever reach this place.

It makes me sad to think that not everyone is forced to engage in this same level of self-examination. Being forced to challenge the beliefs you've internalized over the course of a lifetime is HARD work! But it's also empowering and motivating. Some of my opinions have changed drastically. And some have been reinforced. And many others will continue to evolve over the course of my lifetime.

My schooling has challenged me in ways I never thought possible, and it's still only the first semester! But I can't wait for what lies ahead. Life is nothing if not exciting and unpredictable.

I love this man

Right after I posted about my, ahem, flabbiness, I had Pat read what I had posted. And as I was bopping about the house, doing dishes and finishing laundry, he proceeded to tell me how crazy I am for writing what I wrote. This is why I married this man, people! I ♥ my husband. That is all.