Too Much for Words...

 ... but I'll try.


Yesterday these people put me through! Let's start with last week. It was an excellent week, camper wise.  Two trips to the ER had to be made my first damb week but it comes with the territory.  Once again, Texas is ridiculously hot. Scorching. Burning. But all in all it was a pretty good week.  Yesterday doe... [insert eye roll ---> here <---]

As you may or may not know, every morning begins around 6:30 am. Ante Meridiem. Errday.  A good chunk of my work and most of the kids' takes place outside.  Right after 'but never loving these hoes.' I should have mentioned I don't do outdoors on my application.  On Mondays the child laborers go toobing as the Texans spell it.  (SN: I thoroughly dislike 'toob'. Too much like boob. *shudder*) We drop em off at the start then wait with keys and such at the end.  Waiting at the end involves flies, ninja ants, and a guap of "locals". -___-

I was not pleased.  After about 37 minutes of waiting, one of our adult chaperons had the testiculars to induce vomiting right next to me. Once again, a gul was not pleased.  As if that wasn't enough, a blonde and two brunettes came up missing. And one of their mothers, who was with us, is an ex-cop.  As soon as she told me that I seriously contemplated leaving altogether.  I have a particular distaste for law enforcement but alas, these kiddies are still partially my responsibility and as a missionary intern it may not have entirely been a good look to appear unconcerned.  The girls were found miles away, dinner was had, followed by a nap that ended with a 6:30 am wake up call.  To do it all over again....



PS. I have learned one interesting fact since I've been here. YTs eat their chicken with a fork.

We comin' from the south (side)

I should at least mention that I may actually end up enjoying my job of which I had no details about until the day of.  It's hot as howl and the hours are long but I'm one hundred percent sure I'll be productively occupied at least 75% of the time.  For me, in a working position, that is unheard of.  It'll take a little adjusting from my usual collegiate schedule to 7 am - 7 pm duties.  Not to mention I'm literally barbecuing under the texas sun.

Southside Community Center does some EXCELLENT work in the San Marcos area.  In addition to providing emergency family housing, shelter and meals for the homeless, housing rehabilitation, a thrift store, youth services, helping folks pay rent, etc................. they have a "summer work camp" for church youth groups.  Hearing the phrase "work camp" immediately takes one back to chain gangs and other types of correctional programs but the kids here seem to really enjoy it, enough to return year after year.  They're tasked with building and rebuilding homes in the neighborhood that are less than desirable.  All homes are occupied and all homeowners meet federal poverty standards, if you can call them that . They come for a week, work from 7 am to 4 pm and attend worship services. One day out of the week they go tubing in the San Marcos river and the week ends with a trip to Schlitterbahn Waterpark.  It's amazing that these kids are so enthusiastic about the work they're doing because I remember once during my freshman year I participated in a Habitat for Humanity build and the ending opinion was "never again".

San Marcos also seems to be a quaint little town near a few major cities.  I'm sure there'll be shenanigans in the future.  Looks like a Rihanna/Cee Lo/J. Cole concert in Houston in July :)

The Lone Star State

Three things I've learned after living in Texas for 2 days:

1. How to drive manual. -____- The night before my 6:25 flight to Austin the director of the community center called me up and asked if I knew how to ride drive a stick. Um... no. Mind you I was actually supposed to leave the day before.  Luckily my steppops is cool as the shit and taught me how to drive his 3500 dualie truck at 10pm.  On Father's Day. My lil VW Bug is cute on me though.  I've already stalled no less than 4 times in the middle of traffic. *shrug*

2. Texas has quite a few basketball players who I'd give hickies to.

3.  100+ degree forecasts are real.  Arkansas gets hot, but Texas is literally on that warmer side of purgatory.  And that manual VW has NO. AC.  Marinate on that because I already have been.

30 Day Challenge: Day 2

I don't have the patience or attention span for a 30 day challenge. Sue me. -_-

However, today was day 1 of something different.  I've managed to acquire an internship through the church. Anyone who knows me knows that I may not be the most holy of individuals.  Spirituality and religion are two entirely different concepts.  One involves my personal relationship with my maker and the other is just human tradition.  3 points if you can find a bible verse that relates. Don't worry, I'll wait.

Anywho, today began day 1 of training and after spending some time with the other interns I realized two things.

1. Where did they find these people?
2. The Methodist Church is liberal beyond comprehension.  We ALWAYS go hard in the paint on our trips.

I'm using this internship and my time spent away from everything I know as a rebuilding season.  Not only am I looking to further develop my personal relationship with God, I want to get some career experience under my belt, switch up my diet (I've been working out, more muscle, less fat. Durango.), and have an all around good time.  One of the other interns is a tall glass of chocolate milk from the Congo who speaks french *swoon*.  Considering the weekend I had though, perhaps men should be the last thing I think of.  That trojan thin ain't no joke....

30 Day Challenge

To help get in the groove of this blogging thing, I'm going to try one of these "30 day challenges". We'll see how it goes.... Day 1: Top 5 Favorite Excuses


I'm a student.  A college student at that.  At this point, I'd probably be better off in majoring in Excuses, Bachelor's of Science.  I hear excuses all day, I formulate them on a regular basis so I pretty much think I'm the sh*t I know a little something about em.  These just might be my top 5.

5. "I ain't know."  Utter bullshig.  Anybody who's connected to the world, which in America is pretty much everybody, has no excuse to not know.  Unless you've been living under a rock [kinda like Patrick Star who, in my 20 years, I've just realized lives under a rock], you're probably connected to facebook or twitter at least 98.75 percent of the time.  Not knowing is not an excuse but it is, however, a go-to.

4. "I was working late." - Two Can Play That Game. Coincidentally, two CAN play that game. -_-

3. "What had happened was..." followed by obligatory frivolous statement. 'Nuff said.

2. "But it wasn't my fault!" In my life this one actually rings true more often than not.  Late to work? Incompetent drivers in my town.  Didn't get that assignment in on time? Automatically chock it up to a faulty gmail account.  The gift that keeps on giving? He was the preacher's son for goodness sake.  Somehow, you can always play an angle so that it may never be EXACTLY your faulty.

1. "You don't know my struggle." So you can't feel my hustle, you don't know what I done been through! - Torrence Hatch. (This may be influenced by those 3 semesters I spent in Jigga City.)