“How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!” (Psalm 139:17 NIV)
I came to the door expecting to politely tell the woman I was not interested in anything she was selling. I wasn’t in the mood to even listen to her pitch. I have had to deny others before, so I knew how to delicately handle the situation.
So… a couple of months ago, I bought a house, and it’s awesome. I have thoroughly enjoyed my solitude, but I’ve also been praying for the right roommate to come along. I don’t particularly need a roommate, but it’s nice to know that someone else is around, even if I don’t want to talk to her. With roommates, I enjoy lounging around, discovering bad TV shows and movies, and also going for walks. However, I’ve had enough roommates now to feel cautious about the whole thing, because I want to improve upon my solitude rather than just end it for the sake of $.
Because of my ambivalence about living with another person, I haven’t been particularly proactive about finding one; I’ve put the news out there to people in my circle that I might like to rent out a room eventually, but I haven’t done anything beyond that.
Enter Kendra.
Kendra is someone I don’t know very well. but I’ve been in a Bible Study with her for a few months and she seems pretty chill. She emailed me last week letting me know that her lease is up in June, and she’d be interested in renting one of my extra rooms. So she came over and we talked for a couple of hours.
She seems delightful – like the type of girl who doesn’t need me. I know that’s weird, but I’ve realized that the primary complaint girls will have about my personality is connected to my inattentiveness to her (often unspoken) emotional needs. And, let’s be honest, the previous roommates are not wrong about my neglect. It’s real. I do not care about the minutia of another person’s day, which sounds rude, but you have to also take into account the absence of care I show for the minutia of my own life. I often don’t notice when someone cuts me off in traffic, and, in fact, I probably won’t remember a single thing from my entire day just 24 hours after it’s over. I rarely remember offensive or rude things people do to me because I’m a teacher, which means people are rude to me all day. So… I need a roommate who doesn’t need me or want/need me to need her. Thus far, Kendra seems to fit that description, so I’m hoping it’ll all be perfect and lovely with her. 
Sidenote: I’m very excited about having some extra income, because I’ve discovered that making my house into what I want it to be is absurdly expensive. Patio furniture, bakers rack, curtains for a few rooms, dresser/bedroom skinny table, wall decor, fire pit, grill and about twenty other items are currently on my list… of course these are silly, 1st-world sort of needs, but I’m excited about them nonetheless. I haven’t yet posted any pics of the house, but I should probably get on that, eh?
Now that I’m a home-owner, I feel inclined to eat at home all the time, and I’ve rediscovered the way I would eat if no one was around to judge me or eat my foods. 
Although girl scout cookies, beer and any number of other items go untouched in my fridge, there are a few must haves, including (but not limited to):
1. Peanut Butter M & Ms
2. Popcorn (it goes well with the m&ms, also, it’s great if you dump some Parmesan on it)
3. Graham Crackers (splurge and get the real brand; it’s worth it)
4. Peanut Butter and Honey
5. Tortillas and/or bread
6. Cheese (preferably shredded sharp cheddar and/or slices of sharp cheddar to go with the apples)
7. Apples and Bananas
8. Garbanzo Beans and Tahini (For Making Humus, which is delightful and versatile)
9. Yogurt (pairs well with honey)
10. Eggs
Of course, Hot Cheetos should probably be included, but they’re a bit of a luxury, so I left them off. Other items I considered were spaghetti squash, pasta sauce and noodles, and chicken (just the normal stuff you can freeze, then fry, bake, etc…) Rice is also pretty great as well, because you can throw it into just about anything and it does alright.
So… what do you think of my list? Am I missing out on anything? What are your must-haves?
Howdy, Readers!
My friend Hank recently started up a blog, and I thought his first post might interest some of you. The post is titled “Uncomfortable Atheists”, and is a response to recent research revealing that atheists, as well as Christians, feel uncomfortable when asked to pray for unfortunate events in others’ lives.
Here’s the link to Hank’s blog, and I’ve also added it to my list of links on the sidebar in that ——> direction.
Enjoy.
1. Taxes – I just now finished up, and it’s one of the greatest feelings ever!!!! (Unless they want more $, I suppose).
2. Thursday is my only free day. I really need to do a better job with saying no. I’ve come to the conclusion that signing up for softball and then tearing my quad was detrimental to my sanity. Now, I have to go to practice tonight and try to use my leg, even though I don’t want to and don’t see it going well. Then, even if tonight reveals that my leg is too jacked to play in this week’s game, I still have to go to the game and support the team… or do I? Maybe I’m just an over-achiever and should no-show tomorrow and get some rest and writing time in.
3. Two bible studies… that are reading really difficult texts. I one of my studies, we just finished up “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, which was oddly helpful for my career, since I teach American lit. This week, I’ve got to read a chapter in KNOWING GOD. Also, my other study is reading THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP, and since both are so awesome, I refuse to miss ever.
4. Exercise – in addition to the torn quad and softball, the Ragnar Relay is coming up next month, which means that I have to get my leg working again, get back up to tip-top shape, and raise some support.
5. The Book Festival – Tucson throws a yearly book festival, and I went yesterday, so the blogging time just wasn’t there.
What have you all been up to, friends? Anything awesome?
So glad you could stop by! Would you like something to drink or snack on? I've got Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate and edamame, but not much else. We can probably scrounge up a PB and honey sandwich if you'd like.
There. Now that you're settled, let's chat. Have you read or written any good books lately? I love books. I'm currently revising my very first contemporary YA manuscript, and I'm VERY excited :) The main character is named Weston.
KatieStillGrowing@hotmail.com
