"ESP?" or a "Shoutout to Schoepp's LA101 Class"

I'll try not to make this overly sappy, but I'm kind of in that mood, so, you've been forewarned.

Vicarage Placement (for pastors-to-be) was this Tuesday. It's surreal that friends of mine are now the ones getting placed. Vicars are supposed to be old. Pastors are supposed to adults, not my friends, not my age!

My very first seward friend from day 1 of freshmen year at CU, Michelle--her fiance was placed this week. He's going to Virginia. As their wedding is this summer, that means Michelle will be going with him.

I'd like to say that I was right. I was right!!! Let's travel down memory lane (cue memory lane music)

Freshmen year--6 YEARS ago, 5 of us DCE girls from Schoepp's (pronounced shep) LA101 (freshmen orientation) class, Michelle, Jamie, Jules, Robyn and myself, became instant friends. I consider Michelle and Robyn were my very first seward friends, and Jamie and Jules the best, truest friends I have. It all started with WOW Weekend (which stands forWeekend of Welcome Weekend... we're smart like that) and our theme song "love schoepp! baby love schoepp!"). We were probably pretty obnoxious. After the LA101 class was over, Jamie and I made the prediction that more than likely, Schoepp would split us up for internship in 3 years, joking that one of us would go to Alaska, one to Florida, one to the East coast, one to California or Texas/South, and one in the midwest somewhere because he couldn't handle having us any closer than that. However, we didn't really think we'd have anything to worry about since most internship placements were in the midwest in the areas of Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.

Fast Forward 3 years to our senior year. After four years of the ebb and flow of friendships, those friendships remained, despite boyfriends, and roommate changes, drama, and homework and one hellish RA experience. It was placement time. Even though the internship locations are kept secret, rumors spread quickly about spots all over the U.S. Placement night drew closer and closer. About two weeks before placement we heard that there was a site in Alaska, to which Jamie said "I can pack my bags with lots of winter clothes then!"

Saturday April 3, 3 days before Placement, Jamie and I are working at the lovely pac 'n save and she swings by the deli and says "I got a call from Tim (our placement director), I'm going to Alaska" I ask if he said that in his message and she said, "No... but I just know that's why he called. I just do. Don't ask me to explain it." So Jamie calls him back and finds out that yes, there is a site in Alaska and that Jamie would be perfect for it. Jamie says yes. That day as well, Robyn gets a call from Tim saying that they've found a good spot for her in Marquette, Michigan. Robyn says yes.

Placement Day April 6, 2004. Julianna, Michelle, and I are still awaiting placement. Finally, we get our spots. Julianna-Florida, Michelle-Nebraska, Me-Oklahoma (obviously). We joke that we were pretty close to our prophecy 3 years prior.

Internships are served. Jamie, Jules, Robyn and I all stayed at our sites. Michelle didn't take a call and moved back home so she could plan her wedding and be near her fiancé in St. Louis.

Tuesday, April 25, 2006. Jacob and Michelle are going to Virginia. East Coast.

Of us five, one's in Alaska, one's in Florida, one's on the east coast and one's in the Midwest and one's in the South.

I think I have ESP.

Oklahoma...

Where the wind comes sweepin' down the plains...

Well folks, we here in the "greater" OKC area (har har) had the first newsworthy storm of the season. I'll set the stage. My first ever Oklahoma "duck and cover" tornado event was quite the exciting one (almost as exciting as the time that I actually saw a tornado touch ground a mile north of my school in 6th grade).

Anyway, this evening, I was invited to a fundraising dinner for 4HIM ministries (a mission organization that helps train and send medical and building mission trips to almost 70 countries). Grant Johnston, meteorologist from NewsChannel4 was the MC. About halfway through the evening, we're told that it's a good thing we had Grant with us this evening because a tornado had been spotted in yukon (about 10 miles west and south of us) and that this major storm was heading east. We were told that we would need to stay here unless we could make it home in under 5 minutes or lived to the north, otherwise we'd need to stay and take shelter in the hotel's storm shelter. We were also asked to stay out of the halls of the hotel because the large plate glass windows could shatter if high winds or hail became a problem. So, everyone takes a quick peek out the window and sees that the sky has indeed turned that scary shade of green that means a storm is a-brewin'. At that point, an announcement asking all hotel guests to evacuate their rooms comes on over the loudspeaker, including "THIS IS NOT A DRILL." Great. So, anyway, we go into the storm shelter and wait for about 30 minutes before the storm passes while I call Jamie and she tells me not to die. :) Luckily, no tornado touched down near the hotel and everyone was safe, but it was quite the adventure while it was going on.

Welcome to Oklahoma, Hannah

Now to the more random part...

1. As it nears summer, my schedule is picking up immensly. Spring and Summer are the busy seasons for me, so I'm in the process of gearing up and getting prepared for the various trips.

2.Other things that have been happening? Well, lots. I met the former youthworker from LifeChurch (a mega church in the area) who gave me lots of good advice and suprisingly, wasn't concerned about the numbers, more that the youth in any group felt connected to each other and to Christ. He encouraged me and told me that I was doing a good job. Yay! I left our meeting feeling full... He gave me lots to think on and pray about and do.

3. In the past couple days, I've been thinking a lot about standards and singleness. I can't decide if I'm overly picky, or just uncompromising in my standards... Is either of them a bad thing? I also wonder if I am "profoundly and irreversibly screwed up" and am doomed to be a relational fool the rest of my life. I certainly hope not :).

4. I think the lovely Spode is quite possibly the funniest person I have ever met. Thank goodness for her wisdom, and her man-thinking brain or I would be sorely lost without her.

5. In all of this, I see myself growing up, which is terrifying and exciting all at the same time, yet I wonder when everything will all just fall into place. It just seems like these early-20's (almost mid-20's for Jess) ;) are not a fun time for lots of people. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one, but it's frustrating because I worry that this "suck" as I call it doesn't have a foreseeable end. However, I do think there are lots of fun parts of the growing up and I'm not sure that I would go back to college, high school, or junior high (yick yick yick). So, it can only get better from here.

The Infinate Wisdom of Julianna

"Well that's great Hannah, but instead, you should just pretend like you're normal"

Minding my J's and T's

Warning: vague blog alert!

Spode said I needed to tone down the panic in my voice of this blog. So here's my attempt. I'm excited in this new maybe something.

Well, it looks like the drought may be over. Hannah may have a date! However, in true Hannah fashion, I've spent the last 12 hours analyzing and overanalyzing scenarios in my head that may never happen. I get so weird with boys. I can seldom enjoy the place that I'm in because in my mind, I'm already picturing what happens when this? What happens when that?

A simple chocolate shake at Braum's is all that it takes to get my mind rolling forward. I start to think about what happens now.... what happens next week...

I am a deer in the headlights when it comes to potential relationships. I'm good at being casual about friendships until it becomes real and then I realize exactly where I am and what I've been doing and then this buzzer goes off in my brain "warning! warning! warning! this has gone too far too quickly! run away! run away!"

Because of this not being able to take one step without analyzing how the next 17 will go, I've developed a deep aversion for boys with J-names, pushy boys with J-names (and said J-Names probably shudder in terror when they think back on the emotional roller coaster I strapped them into). I also know that I don't communicate well when I'm in the panic mode. I shut down and instead of saying what I really need, what I really want, I choose to walk away because it's easier and it's safer.

My future husband's got a peice of work on his hands. Remind me to ask him how he got me not to freak out and run away.

That's all for now...

Randomocity

Ever have one of those weeks where so much has happened that it all kind of blurs together like your paints in elementary school? I've had one such week. So here's what's going on or what's been going on the past couple weeks.

1. Going home was so much fun.... I got to see lots of people that I love and care about. Friday I got to hang out with Brit and Haarman, his cousin Lynn (who is also my cousin... that's the strange small world of Illinois) and Bethany. Spent a lot of time at the Seminary Library. Apparently, in the past two years that it's almost been since I've been out doing "real work", I've become something of a novelty... i have experience and wisdom and people are asking for my advice! It was kind of cool actually. And I got to spend time with my lovely Linz and Bethany in good ole So. Il. and we caught up on all the gossip, drank wine, and ate some really good chocolate... And Lindsey got to spend some quality time with some John Deere tractors (apparently, living in Seymour, Indiana has unearthed the farm girl in her) :). B and I were able to go to the Homewood Grill--now open for the summer season and spend some QT on the drive from STL. I also got DAIRY QUEEN! and Pizza Man extra thin crust pizza.. mmmm....

2. I love my family. I love my Dad (who made this cobra thingy for the musical he was just SOOO proud of... he wanted all sorts of pictures with it). I also got to spend lots of quality time with my mom too... who is becoming more of a friend than a parent and that' s nice. My sister, is still my angst-ridden teenager that I love. I've also realized that my brother is pretty amazing himself. Moving out of the house (even just for 6 months that he did) was probably the best thing for him. He's nicer and calmer and pretty darn awesome. I also got to see my Grampy and my cool Uncle Dale which made my trip. :)

3. The musical... amazing. People from OKC are tired of me singing "it was red and orange and yellow and green and purple and blue!" over and over, but what can I say.... I think in showtunes. :) It was a total blast from the past. I saw all sorts of people that were and are near and dear to me, Kaylie, Mrs. Conour, the Sainers, the Wagys, Wenthes and Blievernichts. I also have say that it was very very strange to see kids that I babysat in high school now in high school. Very very strange. I never felt older. Also, for your viewing pleasure, I brought back my state fair tape from senior year where I fell and broke my nose in front of 1000 people. Showings upon request.

4. These past few weeks have gone from drama to no drama to drama to no dram to drama... it's a bit like a roller coaster, but I think, for the most part, the drama's over. I think we're all learning lessons in adult-hood, how to talk and how to deal with people who hanle things differently than us. Sometimes it's good, other times it's not... but it's better.

5. I got some answers and some closure finally to a long, dramatic, friendship that has been a big part of my life for the past 3 years. Now I know what it really was and I'm ok with that.

6. Work's definately been crazy busy and I'm thankful for the support, kindness and love I have here at Messiah. I love the parents, my youth, my co-workers, and those people that have become like family to me.

7. I got to go to my very first Hornets game this weekend and they won! I was pumped. Linz, Bekah, Jess and I had a great time. Quote of the night "I just want to take a bite out of his shoulders!" (apparently, everyone was at the hornets game. I waved to the lovely Jessie Lippert from across the Ford Center.)

8. Another intern placement happened this week that made me nostalgic. It's been TWO years since I left school and it seems alternately a long time ago and not so long ago. Apparently, I'm also a legend. Whenever someone is sad about where they got placed they say "remember how Hannah cried about Oklahoma and ended up really liking it and staying?" (that is a great story)

9. There are lots of recent engagements and upcoming marriages and new relational developments that have kind of left me reeling. Even the lovely spode is giving online "dating" a try! Does this constitute a change in the terror alert system?

10. My shopaholism (is that a real word?) has gone into overdrive. I. Must. Stop. Shopping. Repeat. Don't let me buy another anything after Easter. Maybe I'll give up shopping for Pentacost (which is half a year).

11. I've lost the skill of word association. Tonight I said I was batting my eyebrows. Maybe it stems from my lack of journaling and writing.

12. Confirmation was today and made me emotional and proud. I'm so excited to have all the new 8th graders in high school.

13. Good reads: Wicked, and Vanishing Acts.

Well, that's all for this post. More later!

Hannah