A Posting Peeve

I’m worried that for the next little while I’ll only have house photos to show you. I worried about that when I got Pippa too. It's not fun when people get something new and exciting, like a baby or something, and that’s all you hear about for a long time. Often times people on Instagram will obsessively post pictures of their shiny, new significant other (along with mushy, embarrassing, sweet nothings that you wouldn’t catch me even whispering to a wall) and then, when the sheen wears off, they stop posting about that special person and you’re left to wonder about that relationship status. Two people in particular come to mind when I think about this subject. One is a girl I went to school with. She was dating the cutest surfer dude and they were always at the beach, looking for shells and hanging out at the Surf bar – so naturally I fell in love with the pair. But one day I noticed I hadn’t seen any new adventure photos in a while and when I went to check on them – she had deleted all of her pictures of him! I was crushed. What happened? Can we work it out?

The other is a girl I used to work with who was always single. Fella after fella didn’t work out and we all wondered when, when will the right guy come along. And finally last year, at 29 years old, she met him. And we knew this because she posted a picture of the two of them with the caption, “So there’s this guy…” Just moments later there was a frenzy of comments and questions from all of us that had been helping drag her through her "intolerable" singledom. The lot of us fell for the fella quickly. Cute, funny, outdoorsy – every weekend a new adventure and every afternoon, a photo of the two them looking foolishly happy. In fact, they were cringe-worthy, but they also made you smile. I loved this guy and I loved this couple. 

Six months in, his job moved him to Denver and she went with him. Up and left her life here because they were impossibly happy together. So the the group of us watched them build their new life in Denver. Mountain hiking on Tuesday, skiing on Friday, Sunday’s photo was them grinning at the breakfast they cooked. We were all so happy….

She hasn’t posted a photo of him in four months. I’m not just being silly here, I’m actually concerned. I think about them every other day or so. I just want to know what happened. Are they still together and she’s just not so infatuated? Did they break up? She’s still living in Denver. Does that mean everything is fine? I need some closure.

This is why I don’t post personal things on the internet.

In case you're wondering, the first girl is now dating a pompous jerk who flies her all over to vacation with him. She’s turned into a bimbo and only posts photos of herself posing in tiny dresses she must have bought at Baby Gap. The surfer guy dodged a bullet.

Anyways, here a photo of where I’m sitting right now… because I LOVE this house.

Move-In Weekend

Oh boy has it been big times in Lululand. We used our weekend to move all of my precious crap from one home to another. It’s messy and exhausting and I’m just not convinced that most houses are as dusty as mine. At the beginning of last week, Dad finished all of his jobs at my new house and he proclaimed himself “Done!” and he didn’t even come over for two days. That’s big for him. Brett and I did the furniture triathlon all by ourselves this weekend though Mom helped with a few car loads of books and dishes and Dad popped in to hang blinds and fuss over minute details.

I don’t know about Ol' Eisenears but I am sore all over. Brett loves the house so much that we got into a premarital bicker about home décor. It was hard to be so amused and so frustrated at the same time. Brett has wanted a home of his very own for years and this place has exceeded our imaginations so he’s just itching to move in and hole up forever and ever. In the time prior, I will utilize non-practical home decor modules for the sake of it pleasing my eye. For example, this house has no storage - but I used a whole bookshelf for plants. Mwahaha!

This messy house is just the best thing ever and I feel like a sixteen year old girl who just lent a pencil to the cute, groovy quarterback. Even these piles can't get me down!

This corner is my "office". Isn't that funny? Big Lu has an office.

Love / Hate

For a delightful southern girl who really does love everyone, I have a seething rage for other people. I mostly hate them all, even though I also love them dearly. My hatred for others started at an early age when adults forced me to participate in "fun activities" with the sniffling idiots that I had to share a classroom with for nine months. I never understood why these games were met with enthusiasm and excitement and sometimes found myself wondering if perhaps I was the idiot. I must be missing something here. Should I want to tether my leg to another human and then run for no apparent reason? I don't wish to wear costumes, run relays, sack race, jump over ropes, or waddle around the playground with an egg on a spoon. Don't you kids have bigger things going on in your mind? Turns out the answer was 'no' and I was left mostly alone to be outraged by cutesy skits and adults that spoke to me like I was a puppy.
One time in kindergarten the school nurse tried to catch me in a lie. I wasn't lying and I was so offended by her condescending assumption, that I outwitted her by creating a clever (albeit fake) backstory, out smarting her trap to make me admit my lie and hopefully, making her feel like an idiot. Do you think I'm stupid lady? Is it because I'm short?

So I started hating people early on. Don't get me started on Sunday School.
But this story has a happy ending because my disgust for the human race only goes as far as shallow judgements and light name-calling, and only when I don't know them personally. Then it escalates to disparaging slurs that I know are true or will at least elicit a laugh from bystanders.

Somehow I also deeply care about everyone, even the horrible ones like Hitler because I pity the way he must have felt all the time. What did Hitler need that could have made him love? Comfort food and bedtime story? How could you hate so much? I'm getting off topic.

I spend most of my time thinking about other people. I like to watch them do routine things, specifically things that take no thought - checking the mail, feeding the dogs - what are they thinking about while their body does these easy tasks? Mostly I look at people and wonder what they know. I wonder about the childhood of the construction worker buying a Gatorade at a gas station. What did he see as a kid? What hurts him? What's his happiest memory? Where has he been?
It's so easy to write off strangers as inconsequential blobs that are just in your way. Everyone in the grocery store is just making it harder for me to get my things. I'm always thinking about the people in the other cars in the traffic jam and how to them, I'm just a frustrating car that won't go. I'm just some young bimbo in line at Chic-fil-a. I'm consumed by the idea of my own anonymity in the world. I'm terribly amused by it. It delights me to be the stranger that pipes up with a witty comment, like an extra in a movie with one line that moves the scene along. You don't get to know that extra and they don't really matter to you at all but for a moment, they were there. You ever exchange an amused smirk with a stranger when something awkward happens nearby? I love that! I love these little connections because everyone is so self-focused and frustrated by other people all the time but we're all so similar and when something busts us out of our bubble, we spread joy.

I don't know where these thoughts came from. I've told you what happens when I don't plan out my blog posts.

I'll leave you with a photo. On this night, Brett was talking at length about politics....

Texts From Burma

-Thursday, February 22nd
"Flight one of four."- Ellen

-Saturday, February 24th
"Flight four." -Ellen



-Sunday, February 25th
"We are in town getting items and exchanging money. We are alive and well and the kids are adorable. Dad's bunk mate's mattress deployed in the middle the night and Dad thought he had let one rip. He told me he almost "Laura cackled" but held it together until breakfast and told me the whole story this morning in tears. The guy wrestled it outside to reinflate it and then couldn't fit it back through the door frame. Yesterday our car got pulled over because I'm a 'suspicious character'. I'm the only white person around. I am stared at constantly." - Ellen

-Monday, February 26th
"Hey guys, I'm in town and have connection and wanted to say hello. We're having quite an adventure." - Dad

"We were in town for 9 hours today, running errands. I had to use a public potty and it was awful... We ate lunch at a Thai place and we were scared to eat anything." - Ellen

-Tuesday, February 27th
"Hello losers! As far as our diet is concerned, so many carbs. Minimal protein and lots of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I have a food baby from all of the processed foods.
Yesterday I spent the morning making bracelets with the kids. I have 2 little girls that have taken an attachment to me and as much as I love giving them attention, they drive me up the wall. Laura, you would hate it. They are constantly sticky and sniffling and scratching their heads. The hot water doesn't work so I've only been splashing water on myself to get clean.

Some of the men on our team resort to singing Christian songs constantly and last night, one of them found a harmonica. Need I say more.  
Dad has been nominated CFO and has had to deal with all purchases and money. At one point he had 1 million khat in his backpack as we walked through town. All the men were on high alert in case someone tried something. It was like a James Bond movie. Dad worked on some electrical wiring yesterday and almost shocked himself- much to the delight of all the other men.

This is a humbling experience and makes me miss regular food! Dad wants chicken wings real bad. We've got two more nights here so the team is hustling to get things done. The boys here will help the men with the work if you bribe them with candy." -Ellen

"All is well here. Miss you." -Dad

-Wednesday, February 28th
"Today is our final day at the orphanage. We are eating dinner with the kids tonight and finishing up work on campus. We gave the kids their presents last night. They were all so grateful. Some of them couldn't even sit in their seats long enough to get their presents.  Also, someone stole my towel and flip-flops. My feet are stained black." - Ellen



- Thursday, March 1st
"We are headed back to Yangon for our flight to Hong Kong soon. Glad to be leaving the orphanage but kinda just ready to come home. Haven't gotten to spend much time with Dad. Hong Kong will be nice but I am just exhausted. At the hotel, Dad called the 'khats' (Burmese currency) 'kayaks'." - Ellen.

-Friday,  March 2nd
"Hey guys, we finished up and are leaving tomorrow for Hong Kong. Everything went well. Ellen's been good, no meltdowns. Sad to leave the kids. She got attached to one in particular. Will try to call tomorrow."- Dad

-Sunday, March 4th
"Tea at the Ritz." - Dad



-Monday, March 5th
"Dad just attempted to toss a chip in his mouth and missed it entirely and it ricocheted to the ground. He's still laughing at himself. Dad has been making himself belly laugh constantly." - Ellen

-Tuesday, March 6th
"Last one. Coming home."- Dad