Goodbye, McDowell

I promised some people i love a blog - so here it is...

Very rarely in life have I sensed that I was about to turn a corner. A change coming. A new chapter about to be written. But tomorrow is one of those days. I rented a Budget rental truck today; all of my earthly belongings are in boxes on my bedroom floor; and I have said a lot of goodbyes this week. Tomorrow I move to Flint, Michigan and am moving in with my sister's family. And for the first time in my life, I'm leaving behind a community, a ministry, and friends with a very strong sense that I'll never be back. I mean, I'll visit, sure. I'll come back for hiking or for catching up with friends here in West Virginia. But I'm definitely leaving. And that is weird. I thought I'd be ready. Instead, I'm just emotional. And numb, all at the same time.

Goodbye, beautiful mountains, whose golden leaves take my breath away every October...

Goodbye, winding mountain trails, your paths have given me incredible time alone and with God

Goodbye, train tracks 35 feet from my house whose brakes squeal so loudly in the middle of important conversations that I can't hear my own thoughts, let alone others...I won't really miss you much...

Goodbye, Blankenships and Wallaces, Wilsons and Heeres, Hammonds, Kristen, and Candi...your homes are warm and comforting and good, much like yourselves.

Goodbye, McDowell County...I love how much you value the relationship more than the task...you have changed me.

Hello, Flint.

ode to Oregon

after a week of backpacking in Oregon, i feel thankful. thankful enough to write a poem in OR's behalf...

swaying pine trees circle 'round the lake

hiking up and down your mounts is no piece of cake

i will miss your snow-capped peaks and raging rivers

remembered time in your forest still make me shiver(s)

with love to Oregon,

from Merilee. :)

Summer fun-tivities

My friend Calli called me up the other day to invite me to a fiddler's convention. A fiddler's convention! Count me in!

The music was sweet, the festivities fun, and the pork sandwiches greasy. Here's to bluegrass fiddlin' and good times with friends!

"Get the *** out of the way!"

It's a rare thing indeed to be sworn at. I have to admit it takes me by surprise every time. So today, when I was dropping a book off at a teen's house (which he accidently left in my vehicle) and his grandpa yelled those words at me, I didn't know what to do. Well, actually, I did know to do something. I moved my vehicle (I was unknowingly blocking a bus from turning around in the street and that's why grandpa got angry).

And then I let grandpa go by too (without looking him in the eye because i was a little unnerved).

And then I told the teen that it was okay. And he said, "He gets angry real easy. He always says stuff like that."

I can't imagine growing up in a house where you get verbally abused for accidently doing something that was not ideal. It was a window into this young kid's life.

And now I'm left feeling really bad for this kid. And grateful for my parents' kindness. And with hope for how God might show his kindness to a 14 year-old boy through me.

update on hp scam

For all 6 of you faithful blog readers, here's an update on my ink cartridge situation. i had a nice little chat with 'Bailey' - an HP online technical support person. I think they give all the tech people that name (i've had multiple conversations with 'Bailey'). And there's no way around this dilema - I had to buy new ink cartridges. $122. ouch.

And then, the quality of my printing was poor, so after much problem-solving and cleaning of my own, Bailey told me that my printerheads were expired too. Nice. I could still print, but the quality would remain low until i purchased new printerheads. $100. double ouch.

It had been 4 years since I had received the printer, so I can understand how things like printer heads just get worn out. It's just bad timing. And next time, I'll make sure to use up the ink before it expires. Buyer beware, huh?

ink cartrige scam

So, I'm just wondering if this has happened to anyone else: your printer stops working suddenly because the ink cartridges have expired. Wait, though...they still have plenty of ink in them! But because there's an expired date on the cartridge that the computer found out about (proof that Dwight Schrute was right and computers are smarter than people), it can no longer print. Ridiculous. I think that HP is running an subtle scam to force scrupulous people who don't use a lot of ink to spend more money on ink supplies.

Seasonal Confusion Disorder

The grass is green, the trees are blooming yellow and white and red...but I can't see them because everything is covered in snow. And I'm concerned that the earth might be suffering from a serious disease: Seasonal Confusional Disorder (SCD for abbrev. lovers out there). How can Spring do this to me, to us? Does it know that it probably killed the cherries that I absolutely look forward to every June? Oh, Spring...you'll have to work hard to redeem yourself from this one...