Take The Last Train To Clarksville

Life has been interesting lately. This will be completely random...do you really expect anything less? :)

Up here, people ask me what I have a taste for. Do you know what that means? Well I'll tell you. 

Question: What do you have a taste for tonight?

Translation: What are you craving for dinner?

Why don't they just say "craving"? 

Weirdos! haha

I spent the 4th of July with a true New Yorker! My uncle has godparents. We spent the evening with their son, my uncle's best friend from childhood, and his wife. She's from New York City. She's something else! It was really fun. We went out to eat with them and then we watched the local fireworks show in their backyard. Then I met their daughter. She sleeps with her bearded dragon. He has a place right next to her...so weird. 

I haven't had a 'normal' piece of pizza since I've been here. To me, normal is Dominoes: crust, sauce, cheese and maybe some kind of meet. These people have crust, sauce, a pound of cheese, meat, more cheese, vegetables and more cheese. Don't get me wrong, it's good...but I just want something normal. The guys at the shop make fun of me for calling it normal. That's what it is...it's just plain, normal, pizza.

I had the house to myself this past weekend. It was glorious!

I learned a new slang term. It comes from the italians. Dave taught it to me. He's italian. He won't let you forget it. First I must tell you the story. So this guy came into the shop, luckily I wasn't at the counter when he entered. He talked so fast and with such a strange accent. I had to really concentrate on what he was saying. Apparently, he smokes a lot of weed. I'm not sure how Dave and Bryan know this. Sometimes I think they make that stuff up...they say that about a lot of people. Or maybe marijuana is easy to come by here. Who knows. Anyway. So they fixed his bike. He broke it. Well sort of. So he brings it back and Dave talks to him. Then Bryan talks to him. While he's talking to Bryan, Dave comes over and asks me if I can understand the guy today. I told him that I could better than the previous day but it was still hard. He said "that guy's italian. You know how I know?" and I said "bc he talks funny...?" and he said "no, well yes, sort of. he said momo" I said "momo? what on earth is that!?" and he said "you know 'i'm not a momo mamomo mamoron" I was dumbfounded. Hahaha. That's is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.  So if you think someone might be italian (should I be capitalizing that..?) just ask them if they're a Momo..then they'll think YOU'RE italian. hahahah! And they might shoot you, so only ask italians who look friendly.

The worst thing about this summer isn't that some people are incredibly rude. It's not that I have to wear closed toed shoes all day everyday. It's not that I have to live with the boss. And it's not that I'm not a mindreader. The worst part is not having friends. People I can just go hang out with and decompress. I'm not one of those people who just goes up to others and becomes friendly. I'd love more than anything to be that person. But I'm not. People think I'm stuck up because of it, I'm shy, not stuck up. There are no kids my age in the neighborhood and the church I'm attending is a bust. [I'm going to try a different one soon. Maybe this Sunday.] I just don't feel at home there. Yes, I have my friends from home and from school, but it's not the same. I can't just go sit on their couch and unload. They all have lives and stuff to do. I think I'm friends with the guys at work but I'm not going to hang out with them. And the other friends I have are either my aunt and uncle's age or under the age of 10. It's just hard. I'd like a friend. Although, maybe it's a good thing I don't have friends, I don't really have time right now to hang out with anyone. If I"m not working I'm studying or sleeping.

I'm a sucker for a good chin. Now, I'm not talking Jay Leno or anything. But I like a man with a strong jaw. And a big smile. Sigh. hahah.

Like these:

I own none of these photos

AH! Rebecca, I can't believe I forgot to tell you this, it's quite entertaining. Today I had to answer quite a few phone calls. I think someone was trying to mess with me because a few times it sounded like the same kid asking absolutely ridiculous questions. THEN this guy called asking if my uncle was looking for a talent agent. Weirdest. Thing. Ever. Untiiiiiil I answer the phone:

"Good afternoon, _____ Cycle Center"

"Hey baby girl, how you been?"

"Uh, I'm fine, how are you?"

"I'm good I'm good. So listen, I'm looking for an 18 inch boys bike. You be sellin them?"

"Uh, let me check"

I ask Bryan. Bryan says no

"Sir, I'm sorry we don't sell them here"

"Well *expletive* sweet thang, where'm I sposed be gettin one?"

"They only sell them at department stores"

"No, baby girl they ain't. I done been to all of the ones round herr"

"I'm sorry, the parts are too hard to get so we don't sell them" [Bryan is giving me all this info]

Then he said something unintelligible and [I think] he hung up. Or I hung up on him. Haha.

That was the strangest conversation I've had in a while....well except the one I'm having via facebook right now.

I swear I attract the weirdest people. This joker is about to get deleted and blocked.

Today is my birthday [by the time I post this, it should read "yesterday was my birthday"]

I babysat in the city last night for my cousin. So I had to ride the train into work this morning. I had the option of arriving 45 minutes early or an hour and fifteen minutes late. I asked my uncle what he preferred and he chose for me to be earlier. Ok, no big deal except we barely make it to work on time as it is, there's no way he'd make it to the station to pick me up. So I got to walk. Bryan offered to pick me up on his motorcycle but I didn't get a chance to respond before I was told to do something. 

So I walked to work this morning. It took about thirty minutes.

When I got there, my uncle was already there. It looked to me like he'd been there for sometime. He couldn't have possibly picked me up from the station. No way.

I'm not someone who expects to be treated differently because it's my birthday...but a simple acknowledgement of the fact would be nice. I'd say "well maybe he didn't know" OH NO he knew...his wife's birthday is the same day! She wasn't here today though, she's out of town. Nothing. Even Bryan wished me happy birthday [Dave wasn't there or I'm sure he would have too]. He was rude to me a lot of the time..not a whole lot more than usual. He got onto me about something..then when he left Bryan jokingly got onto me about it and I was like "Seriously, was I wrong?" and he said "no, I would expect you to do exactly what you did in that situation" and I said "ok, just making sure."

To top off the extra poopoo birthday, I ate dinner alone. All day long my uncle kept talking about how he's going to wash his motorcycles because he didn't get to last night. And he kept saying "When we get home, it's all about ME." He said it probably fifteen times. And I kept thinking "When is it NOT about you...?" So we got home, he said "you're on your own for dinner" and he left. I made a turkey wrap and ate it at the counter along with a couple of brownies that my cousin made me for my birthday eve.

No "Happy Birthday Miss Jenn"

No "I'll pick up something while I'm out"

No cake.

Nothing. 

Yes, I know, it could be worse. But so could a lot of things.

BUT on the way home for work, my King showed me how much He loves me. It had been ridiculously hot all day long and then when I walked out of the shop to get on the motorcycle, the weather was absolutely marvelous. The whole ride home was very pleasant.

THEN a bajillion and one of my friends called and cheered me up! Even the one who is on a missions trip to Haiti called! I love them all and I'm so thankful that I have them.

Also on the way home, within a mile, it smelled like fruit loops, fun dip and dead trees. It was so weird.

Well, I supposed I've done enough complaining for the whole country of Uganda. I need to get to sleep so I can function tomorrow.

Goodnight.