take the cat out

my title refers to a really funny thing my 80 year old landlady did last night. we were just talking and after i was leaving her place, her cat was sleeping on the rug outside her door. so she proceeded to wrap the cat up in the rug, pick it up, and carry it to a place on the porch. thats apparently how she transports cats. shes so funny. i really like her a lot. whenever she sees me on the street, she runs over to me and is so excited to see me. the funny thing is, she alwauys forgets what we talk about becuase we talk about a lot of the same things everyday. shes so great.

i have been making friends. raquel and i went to a bible study tuesday night and met a lot of epople and plan on going every tuesday. then yesterday i went to my bosses house and she helped me with some papers and she has a 20 year old daughter who is so nice. we hung out for awhile. they are such a nice nice family. i have been so blessed to have been placed where i was. then today raquel and i alson gwith some american missionaries., the ones with the twins babies, we all went to the old sea port and looked at the boats, walked around and saw a riot with german and french soccer teams. the riot police came running.

tomorrow my roommate comes and i get to meet her. so i am really excited to meet her.

travis i am glad you read my blog and comment. i will try to keep it updated but not having internet poses as a slight problem. so if i dont get internet this year, i may be snail mailing everyone. who knows.

ok well i think thats all the excitement. i open a bank account tomorrow. whoo hoo.

peace out. i hope everyone in athens is having a nice time. and other people in other places stay cool too.

slow

yesterday i went to my school. high school teaching intimidates me a bit. all i had to do was fill out papers. then i went tothe bank. they are closed on mondays. so i did nothing yesterday. i watched a lot of french tv. i found the french lifetime channel and life is good. i went to the bank today and had to make an appointment. they are so busy that i cant go in till friday. wow. now i am babysitting for an american missionary here and then tonight we have bible study with some people who hopefully will be my new friends. hahaha. well thats all thats ahppened.


funny story. the bus just kept getting fuller and fuller. i kept thinking that noone else could possibly get on. but they did. it was entertainign and i realized this would never happen in the US.

ok thats all for now

getting good

the past few days have been good but uneventful. its so weird to actually have nothing to do. i bought the davinci code in french and i watched the weakest link tv show in french. and we explore the town. but today we went to church. it was nice. we met a lot of people and i am so thankful to speak french and not feel so left out. so it was a good morning and then there was a picnic at the church after the service. so we got to church at 10 and left at 2 15. hahaha. there were some people my age and it was so nice to talk to them and i met a chinese girl who is here studying. so im moving towards having friends. thats good. i met a boy who actually went on summer project 2 years ago with crusade. so it was neat to talk to him. and everyone knows noella.

now i am at the place where raquel qill stay this year. the people here are missionaries and they are moving to algeria and so raquel will move here. at least i can check email sometiems if madame balletty cant figure oout how to get me internet.

i hope you all are doing well. i miss everyone, but i am confident that God will provide me friends and a feeling of belonging here.

ill know my address soon. haha. tomorrow i get to go to my high school and mee tthe people there.i am a little nervous. but its good.

more to come later

getting good

the past few days have been good but uneventful. its so weird to actually have nothing to do. i bought the davinci code in french and i watched the weakest link tv show in french. and we explore the town. but today we went to church. it was nice. we met a lot of people and i am so thankful to speak french and not feel so left out. so it was a good morning and then there was a picnic at the church after the service. so we got to church at 10 and left at 2 15. hahaha. there were some people my age and it was so nice to talk to them and i met a chinese girl who is here studying. so im moving towards having friends. thats good. i met a boy who actually went on summer project 2 years ago with crusade. so it was neat to talk to him. and everyone knows noella.

now i am at the place where raquel qill stay this year. the people here are missionaries and they are moving to algeria and so raquel will move here. at least i can check email sometiems if madame balletty cant figure oout how to get me internet.

i hope you all are doing well. i miss everyone, but i am confident that God will provide me friends and a feeling of belonging here.

ill know my address soon. haha. tomorrow i get to go to my high school and mee tthe people there.i am a little nervous. but its good.

more to come later

I live in france?

wow i stinkin live here. its nice. my place is really nice: I live in the top of a house and the bottom part is the landlady. she is an italien lady who speaks in french/italian and really difficult to understand: i like her though: My boss is rea:lly nice. shz picked me up at the airport and had a bag of groceries for me. yesterday raquel, the girl i am traveling with, and i went to the port and we looked around then we bought bus passes and i got my cell phone to work; call me::: 06 65 08 75 14 yeah and today we are going grocery shopping: i like everything so far and i am extremly thankful to have raquel with me: i live near things but its quiet at night except for madame balletty, my landlady; haha.

ok i'll try to write more later: i'm working on getting internet at my house:

last night in athens....for a long long time

today was such a productive day. i did a lot of stuff, laundry and packed. thats good. now i am sitting with my suitcases and typing this. i think one suitcase may be like 73 lbs. ugh its so hard to pack everything like this. i may have to go through some more stuff and take it out. im done trying for tonight.

for all of my friends reading this...if you are, i will miss you a lot. this is sad but happy also. i hope that i can see you all again. keep in touch.

well i dont have much else to say. thanks for my party last night.

adios

Goodbye to you

today is aday goodbyes. i have already cried a lot today and havea night of crying ahead of me. I really am happy to go but i will really miss people here. for example, i will really miss the people at MGSS. it was really sad to leave the people that have been there and like famaily for the past 2.5 years. i know its time to move on...but i stinkin miss them already. if youre reading this and work at MGSS, I miss you.

then i went to get margaritas with dana and debbie t. thats trouble. casa one last time. now i am sitting at donkey using the internet..again waiting to go to my pparty. my bon voyage party. man its sad but good. good good good.

well i have accomplied so many things already off my list. today in the next hour i will attempt to accomplish these things:

1. figure out paypall stuff
2. fix my dvd thing on my comp. ( i know i was supposed to do that the other day)
3. figure out cheap ways to call me in france


this isnt toobad. tomorrow i will also get up bright and earlyto get stuff done. i will leave athens now sunday morning.

peace out. ive got things to do. je suis tres contente!!!

God is so good

I really never cease to be amazed at how God is awesome. He is always there. He is always near. Hes always ready to comfort us, teach us, and love us. He is there when we are lonely, when we are busy, when we are sleeping and when we are just hanging out. Its been really neat to see God work in my life-good ways and bad ways and in between ways.

I am so thankful for the people God has put in my life. And while its sad to leave them, I know that God will put more in my life (not replacing the others of course) God isnt goign to send me to france to chill by myself.

also i have a place to live, a roommate from austria, a ride from the airport and the money to go to france. i am just finalizing things and its amazing to see God provide for things and let things go smoothly.

i am nervous about moving to france. i am sad to leave people. to leave the ease of everyday life. to leave my job. to have to do everything in french. I have thoughtrs running through my head about not finding a church, or friends or hobbies, but then i have to remember... i am already so blessed to have this opportunity. I will make friends. i will find a church. God loves me and he is faithful.

so anyways i am at donkey, sweating cause its hot and my computer is hot, and i just hung out with rosemary, a girl who goes to my church. she just got married. i looked at her pics. they were good. shes happy. thats good.

i still have a bazillion things to do in the next few days, and it is somewhat overwhelming and i have a cold on top of it. but it'll get done. tonight my goals are:

1. put music on my computer
2. think of possible conversation lesson plans
3. highlight my hair
4. fix my dvd program on my computer
5. find cara diblasi to give her her suitcase and laptop bag.

well i am off to fix my dvd thing and work on lesson plans till 9pm when i have to meet kanako.
i love that girl. shes so cool. i wish we could be roommates for longer. she even giggles in her sleep.

last weekend in athens.

Et moi à mon tour, je dirai merci au Seigneur.

Le respect du Seigneur est le commencement de la sagesse

I read these in my french bible and really liked them.

this was my Last weekend in Athens. Sad sad sad. I went to the donkey Friday night and I saw some people play music. Good times. Saw my dear friend Allison and her birthday was yesterday..(Saturday) so Saturday morning kanako and I woke up, I made some happy birthday pancakes for Allison who was coming over. The pancakes actually spelled happy birthday and they were red. Then the 3 of us went to the bead store and made some necklaces. It was really fun. Then kanako and I went to see my new hairstylist for my appointment. I was a few hours late so he came and picked us up. For those of you wondering just who cut my hair, it was none other than todd blackstone. Let me tell you-he did a fantastic job. We went home and I took out my noise stud. It was a sad day but I just couldn’t deal with it anymore. Later sat night kanako and I went to see some more people play music. They were good. My favorite kanako memory goes something like this:

Jake: you added one more wrinkle to your brain

Kanako: no, its one more noodle added.

(Conversation turns to how kanako is special because she has noodle brain)

Kanako: I’m special

Jake: short bus special?

Kanako: short pasta ….?

Ok so I kinda forget it all now.

Guess you had to be there.

This Sunday was my last Sunday at the Athens vineyard. Its sad. I really like my church and the people there, but it was a nice one to end on. My pastor and some other people in the church prayed for me and I got to talk to some new students who came to check out the church.

I cant believe I leave so soon!

worn out

guess where i am at now. yep you got it. but this time i am stalking someone. thats right. its a boy. i moved so i am closer to him and i can see every move he makes. right now hes typing and looking at me. gasp. we met eyes. hes sending someone an email. hes staring at me. weirdo. ok moving on. today i worked all day thenwent to aqua aerobics then went and played soccer. now im waiting for kanako to get done with class and walk back with her. want to see some pics?


this picture is of a buddhist monk in japan. he was singing "oops i did it again" who else has doen kareoke with a monk. didnt think so.

im goign to go continue to stare at the boy sitting near me- actually hes probably stalking me.

productive

i would like to start out by saying i accomplished everything yesterday on my to do list and i am working on my to do list of today now. it feels good to get things done. considering i am under a time constraint, i have to get things done and cant wait till the last min. so todays goals are:

1. find out what i need for my banking reference letter
2. figure out banking situations
3. find someone to cut my hair
4. make a budget sheet on excel
5. hang out with rosemary
6. go on a run or jump rope tonight


so thats a lot of stuff to do. last night i jump roped or jumped rope for 20 min and it was stinkin hard. i am sore today. today i worked all day lonfg and now i am just at donkey like usual getting the internet.

i am pretty much sure i found housing for francewhich is good considering i have less than 2 weeks till i move there. i will have my own room and i will actually live in an appartment for like 7 months. one place for that long thats not a dorm room. wow. i am really moving up in the world.

does anyone read this? i think the only comments i get are junk mail. hmm.
well off to be productive.

not getting things done

i am in the donkey using the free internet like i do best. i have a bunch of things than NEED to get done... have i done any of it.. not really. here is what i need to do today

1.laundry
2.organize my stuff and get rid of some of it
3.jump rope or run
4. pay bills
5. visit friends

so far i have done none of them but i have been emailing a girl from germany who will most likely be my roommate this year in france. rockin. we have been searching hard core for a place to live. shes going to marseille tomorrow and will check out some places. this relieves me and makes me happy.

allison is coming to visit me here soon. i am looking forward to it.. last night we played soccer and i scored a goal! horay! i really enjoy soccer now.

i leave in 15 days. wow.

chillaxin in the front room

i am hanging out with leah o, matt l. and bryan o. in the front room. leah and bryan are siblings....not h&w. i like athens. i went to church today. theres already been 2 weeks of high school football. kanako got a loveseat and it was DIRTY! joe and i cleaned it with her. then last night cara joe kanako jon and another brian and watched garden state.

now i will make a list.
reasons why i dont want to live in the US:

1. social security
2. i like accents
3. health reasons
4. chocolate
5. public transportation
6. peeing in a hole in the ground
7. clothes
8. ice cream
9. better architechture
10. i like foreign people.


ciao

im baaack

back in athens for 18 days. irode here with good old cara diblasi and we had a great time. fond memories include attempting to lug a gigantic heavy desk up a small starcase-only to be at big lots a few hours later to buy a smaller one. its good to be working again. also now i am living with kanako. i cantget enough of living with japanese people this summer. her place is nice and so is she. thisshould make for a fun few weeks.

i think ill make a list of goals i have accomplished off my "100 things to do before i die list":

1. graduate
2. go to japan
3. get a 4.0 one quarter in college
4. get a digital camera

i know its only 4 but thats good for this year

well i am off to get more stuff done. i have to get many things accomplished before i leave the country. i donteven know where to start. maybe ill make a list

i cant wait to see my friend katie from johnson hall...when she arrives.