"...a roller coaster, baby baby"

Yes, I am like a walking roller coaster. I can't seem to be able to stay at a constant. It's either up or down. Right now it's up and I'm ok with it coming down a little bit and leveling off. In fact, that would be great. I don't know what it is but I think I'm going to be able to level this out and just roll with it. I feel good today, refreshed, energized. Good.

Mr. Joe has the NASTIEST sore. Labs get these "hot spots" due to allergies and what have you. Mr. Joe's don't come up all that often, but when they do they are disgusting. It's OK though, just keeping Neosporin on it.

In other news, I am headed to Huntsville Thursday to build a fence with Dad. The one we have now is not high enough to contain our English Setter, Ben, who will pretty much jump anything he can. He's an idiot dog, but I suppose we want to keep him around.

That's all for now.

My name is Samantha Lewis and I'm leveling out.

Life Update

So, I've recently decided that I'm not nearly as intelligent as I have often wanted to give myself credit for. I cannot think on the same level as many of the people who I hang out with. I do not retain information well, I can't even talk football on their level. In fact, I can't really participate in any of their conversations. This is a major blow to my social life since I'm referring to nearly all of my Oxford friends. I like to think that once I get a masters degree I will be able to play the game but I'm still not sure. This, however, brings me to doubt whether or not I can bring people the "word" every week if I don't REALLY know how to discuss it on the next level. I know that seminary is going to help me grow exponentially but I'm just not certain that it will be enough. I'm not sure that I'm capable of that. I haven't given up hope or anything but it has certainly brought up questions. I don't want to be a sudo-intellectual. I don't want to just fake it. Perhaps I need to just stick to watching TV and reading easy, insignificant novels.

My name is Samantha Lewis and I am not very intelligent.

One more and it's a streak, but let's not get ahead of ourselves

I substitute taught yesterday! This is good considering my bank account does not yet have enough money in it to pay my minimum payment on my visa card for last month. Also, in exciting news, they called me to come in TODAY also. Folks, for someone who was ready to give it all up and be homeless the rest of her life, this is a big deal.

In other matters, I would like to add that reading the blogs of others (particularly Mr. Russler and Mr. Johnson's) improves my life greatly. A little pick me up, if you will.

My name is Samantha Lewis and I am going to work.

For every action...

... there is an equal and opposite reaction. A truth for many things in life, not only a scientific concept. Great day yesterday, less than mediocre day today. Not sure what is really my problem, just having trouble pulling out of a funk tonight after youth. I wasn't really pleased with the way that it went and I don't feel good about it. I think that having such a great time with Caroline yesterday made me long for Montgomery more than I have in a while. I have to remember that it took me a long time to get to know them too. It's not overnight that people begin to trust you and to be your friend. It's funny though, because I like to think of myself as one who easily makes friends but living alone has really made me long for a close friendship.

My name is Samantha Lewis and I am ready to bounce back up tomorrow.

Playing Catch Up

Last night I had the opportunity to have coffee with Caroline, a girl who was in the youth group at First UMC Montgomery while I was an intern there and is now a freshman at Ole' Miss. I expected that it would be nice to see her and that we would have an awkward chat about how my life, while not nearly a failure, is certainly not shaping up to be what everyone expected of me. After this, I anticipated we would overview the basics: what's your major? what classes are you taking? are you going to join a sorority?, etc. This was entirely off. Not that we didn't cover the basics and not that we didn't discuss my life, but there was a whole lot more than that. The awkwardness wasn't there and it was like getting to chat with an old friend. It's funny when people grow up and all of a sudden are young adults, rather than kids in the youth group. It was so good to talk about life and everything going on. It's not that I expected to dislike this, only that I expected it to be superficial while I pretended to be a role model whose life was going exactly as planned; not so at all. I got to have a real conversation with a friend. It was an excellent time.

ALSO, I had never realized that square books had a balcony outside. A-Maz-Ing. The weather here the last two days has been perfect. Not pretty good, not nice, PERFECT. On top of all that, I watched The Bourne Ultimatum which is possibly one of my favorite movies now.

My name is Samantha Lewis and I had an amazing day yesterday.

The Vision ReFUELED

So, I earlier reported that I would no longer be attempting my "don't drive" adventure. My cause was refueled without gasoline, however, when I was speaking with someone this afternoon. They commented that "driving is a necessity." I disagree. Driving is only a necessity because, in America, we have allowed it to become a necessity. We don't have to drive, we don't have to use our own cars for everything. Let's carpool, let's implement more public transportation programs, let's walk or ride our bikes. There are families in Europe with only one car for the ENTIRE family. There are families in Europe WITHOUT a car. It's not completely ridiculous, it's a lifestyle change. Let's change our lifestyle!

My name is Samantha Lewis and I am ready for CHANGE.

3 Stages of Phlegm

I had a high school teacher who once explained the stages of phlegm to us in class. They are as follows:

-Foamy
-Slimy
-Crunchy

Foamy is the one where there's not really a lot of substance to it, it's almost spit, but with some mucus mixed in. Slimy is all mucus but it's... well, slimy and stringy. Now crunchy, that's the stuff that comes up solid. If you want to swallow it back for lack of a chance to spit it out, you've got to chew it up a little bit before it goes back down.

My name is Samantha Lewis and I am currently experiencing both slimy and crunchy phlegm.

Just like that

It's funny how things can be one way and then, "just like that", they're completely different. I was living comfortably in Montgomery, good money, great job, great friends. Then, just like that, here I am in Oxford. Still fantastic friends, but I'm far away from the Montgomery friends, money is non-existant, and job... yeah, that'd be really great. But, I'm looking for a turn around soon.

My name is Samantha Lewis and I am hoping for a turn around that happens "just like that".

Walk the line

So, in an effort to save money and the world, I have been avoiding my vehicle this month. It's easier than one might imagine but I have found myself in several situation that I wish had not happened. The first of these was Wednesday morning when I decided to borrow Darrell's bike and ride to youth prayer breakfast. This was not a bad idea, except that it's an hour ride into town. Therefore, in order to be at prayer breakfast by 7:00 a.m., I left at 5:35 a.m. Again, no big deal, except that at 5:35 it's pretty good and dark outside still. Also, Hwy 334 does not really offer a lot in the way of road lighting. For this reason my ride down 334 was scary, to say the least. Due to the darkness, I very literally nearly hit a deer. Also, cars do not slow down for you if they can't see you. In any event, I made it safely to Phillip's Grocery for breakfast and then bummed a ride back to camp with Kelli, our office manager (this is not the only time she has stepped up to be a hero in my life).

Later that day, I returned to town via Kelli and went to youth group. All was good until I stubbornly passed up my ride home. This meant that I had three choices: walk back to camp, sleep on the street, or walk to J and Tyler's. (Option #4: call someone for a ride, never occurred to me). I felt as if J and Tyler's was the closest option, other than sleeping on the street which is pretty much a no go. So walk I did. From the square to that side of Ole Miss' campus was a piece of cake. But then I kept walking, and walking, and walking and... you get the point. Finally, after walking for about an hour I came upon a parking lot. I just knew I had to be close. As I continued to walk I found myself still far away from my intended destination. So, finally getting to Jackson Ave, I walked and walked and walked some more. One hour and forty-five minutes after I began my quest for the air mattress, I arrived. It was glorious.

I think that, perhaps, I slept more peacefully knowing that I had accomplished this great feat on my feet. (pun intended)

The no car thing is good. It's working. My knee, however, is not. I may have to break down and start burning fossil fuels again. It's sad. In the near as possible future, I will be investing in transportation that is not so harmful to God's world.

My name is Samantha Lewis and I may have to burn more fossil fuel.

A blog for a change?

So, it's time to start blogging again. I worked at camp this summer and there was very little time for it, but now seems like as good a time as any to start back at it.
Things at camp are going well. I had a pretty bad spell of cabin fever a couple of weeks ago. This is the first time I've ever lived by myself and it''s been a little lonely for me. I am used to being around people and not having a roommate or someone there all the time has been quite a change.
I am working with the youth at OU-UMC in Oxford. They are very similar to the youth at First UMC Montgomery. It's interesting to see the differences though. I have officially obtained a substitute teaching position and will be going in for certain on September 14th. This is a huge relief.
Anyway, just a little update on my life. It's good. I plan to be blogging more often.

My name is Samantha Lewis and I have a job... kind of.