Bad JuJu
As many of you know, I drive an ’05 Ford Mustang. My Mustang is my child. Nothing comes between me and Lola… except maybe a hail storm, a car on the highway, a lady at Target, and now a white Honda Civic. Is it true what they say about the correlation between red sports cars and propensity for accidents? Let’s examine the facts, using my 2-year old vehicle as an example.
1.) ACT OF GOD: When I bought Lola she was brand new with only 6 miles on the odometer. In her short life span she had already survived a tragic hail storm in West Texas, which worked out in my favor because I got one heck of a deal on her! I had the hail damage fixed, but the hood didn’t make it and had to be replaced. <Check: Hood #2>
2.) NOT MY FAULT: After moving to Austin, I was in rush hour traffic on I-35 and was rammed from behind by an irresponsible driver who was turned around in her seat looking at her child in the back. I think the child was better off before the accident because he bit a pretty good hole through his lip upon impact. I bet she wished she was paying attention to the road after that. <Check: Bumper #2>
3.) NOT MY FAULT: A windy afternoon in the Target parking lot, a woman parks to my right and opens her car door. The wind whips the door open so fast she can’t catch it, and lo and behold, I have a large dent and a chunk of missing paint on my back right fender. She tried to ignore the incident and go inside the store, but she didn’t know I was sitting in my car eating ice cream as it happened. I gave her a good startling when I jumped out of the car and confronted her. <Check: Dent repair and new paint job on entire fender panel on passenger side.>
4.) AGAIN, NOT MY FAULT: Driving home last Sunday from a fantastic weekend in San Antonio with Kit, we are nearing my apartment. A few minutes prior we had been discussing “those people” that get in ridiculous amounts of accidents and receive tons of traffic tickets and how their insurance rates must be through the roof. Man, it must suck to be them! 1 minute later… a white Honda Civic pulls out of the Whataburger parking lot 3 lanes over to my right, attempting to make a left hand turn across the 3 lanes of traffic. I assume he was waiting for the large truck to my right to pass and then he would complete his turn. However, he did not see me on the other side of the truck. And of course, I did not see him either. I was going 45 mph and only had a split second to slam on my brake and turn my wheel just enough to offset the impact from being head-on. The front right portion of my car slammed into his front left fender and part of his door. His airbags deployed, mine did not. Somehow with the angle and force of the collision the following occurred: Right front fender destroyed, bumper crushed, both headlights and one blinker broken, hood crushed at front and pushed up toward the windshield which incidentally shifted the driver side fender thereby jamming my driver side door. Internally, the radiator, water reservoir, and many other things in that general area were destroyed. AND my car is now in the shop for at least a month. As for the other guy, I broke his front axle in half and crushed the front end and side of his car. I’m pretty sure that was a total. Thankfully he walked away without a scratch though (and it turns out he used to work at the Opera–small world!). Kit was also fine. I bruised my foot and strained my muscle from my ankle thru my lower calf but it will heal with time–no biggie. Back and neck were a little sore but those are already clearing themselves up. In retrospect, the accident could have been much worse if a few factors were different. At least the accident was the other man’s fault for failure to yield right of way, so all my repairs are paid for, as well as a little extra for my “pain and suffering” as the insurance company calls it. <Check: Hood #3, Front left and right fenders #2, Front bumper #2, and all new everything else that got broken. I am also getting new paint jobs on my doors.>
I am traumatized at the thought of my car being that injured, and yes I realize that is extremely melodramatic, but as I said before, “Nothing comes between me and Lola.” Or do they…… ???
I don’t really know what to make of this. All I know is the body shop guy at Maxwell Ford in Austin is awesome and sadly, he knows me by name when I walk into the shop. He asked me if I was going to Colorado this weekend, and I said no and asked why. He said “Because I am, and I want to make sure you won’t be there to hit me!” Funny, Roger. Real funny. 
As for the red sports car issue, it could be that the urban legends are true. Or as my sister Brooke so nicely put it yesterday…. “Julie, your car has bad JuJu.”
I live by this new mantra: “Again, not my fault.”
Above: Just a piece of my impending doom.
Never Pray for Patience
My friend Catherine says she never prays for patience, because when you pray for patience, God will surely test you. It doesn’t matter what you were praying for patience for, He’ll find a way to give it to you. I’ve been praying for patience a lot lately, although that is another blog of its own. But I think she has a point, and here is why.
Sunday I was driving home fromArlington after a fabulous weekend with my family. For once, I was making a concerted effort to drive the speed limit—cruise control, and all. Driving the tiny town of Alvarado, where the speed limit changes every 2.375 blocks, I stopped for gas at a corner. Leaving the store, I made the stupid assumption that I was still in the same speed zone as when I stopped. Then came the flashing lights. 58 in a 45? I thought I was still in the 60 mph zone. And to top it all off, my dad had given me the insurance card for my sister’s Mustang instead of mine. So I left the scene with a $158 speeding ticket and a $400 ticket for no insurance. Okay God, I’m being patient.
I’ve had a lingering cough for the last few weeks, but Tuesday I woke up with my throat completely closed off and practically choking on my uvula. Bronchitis, says the doctor. I’m singing in a wedding next week. Okay God, I’m being patient.
Tuesday at work, I was making Ramen in the kitchen. I spilled broth all over the counter and floor. Laughing, I cleaned it up. Then it happened again. Frustrated, I cleaned it up again. The third time, it wasn’t so funny anymore. I was sick, all I wanted to do was eat some Ramen and crawl into bed. And now I had Ramen broth on my pants. Okay God, I’m being patient.
Today at lunch I went to the bank drive-thru and I’m pretty sure the tube fell on the ground as I was leaving and I ran over it. Then I went to get a smoothie at People’s Pharmacy and nobody would help me. Then the guy insisted he wouldn’t make my smoothie without me writing down the ingredients I wanted: Strawberry, Banana, and apple juice base. How could he not remember those 3 simple things?! Okay God, I’m being patient.
There are other things that happened, but for the sake of keeping this blog relatively brief, I will omit the more personal items. But I am now a firm believer that if you pray for patience, God will surely see to it that you get what you asked for. I’m still on the fence about whether or not this is a good thing though. Maybe God can loan me some money, heal me, buy me some stain stick, make my bank deposits for me, and bring me smoothies.
Okay God, I’m being patient. And I thank you for all you teach me, whether I realize the benefits right away or not.
Prayers Answered, and a tangent
Preface: If none of this blog makes sense, please read the previous one.
Not 3 days after my last blog was written, God totally heard my prayer. I’d been praying for some sort of peace in what I was doing with work and my life, and craving a challenge and something to focus my passion for music into. The following is my account of what happened:
It was a Thursday night, and I was talking to my mom on the phone and complaining about all my issues at work. And I told her what I’d said a hundred times before–that I missed music and felt that God was really stirring in me to return to that part of my life that had been abandoned for the last year and a half. As I am talking with her, I got online and went to my favorite website (craigslist.org–it’ll change your life!) and without even thinking, I clicked on the link for “Marketing” in the employment section. Keep in mind that marketing isn’t something I really have much experience in. But there it was, the first ad on the page: Austin Lyric Opera seeks Associate Director of Marketing–Must love the arts! I knew it was the answer to my prayers, because my dream for the last 4 years has been to work for the Austin Lyric Opera and it is a goal I had been working towards since I moved to Austin. And what perfect timing that I should find this ad posted only hours before (in the ONLY place they advertised, I know now) after 2+ years of waiting for an opening in the company. I took a leap of faith, applied for the job, and one week later it was mine! If that wasn’t God talking, I don’t know what it was. This new job has been such a blessing to me. While I had a rocky start due to some poor management, I am enjoying this new challenge and all the opportunities it brings. I get to perform! I can teach music! I get to shmooze with famous singers! And best of all, I get to share God’s amazing creation of music with the world! I feel such a huge sense of relief and peace now that is totally indescribable. I am always amazed how clearly God will speak to us (whether with a “yes” or a “no”) if we pray to Him and open ourselves up to what He has to say.
Really, what all this babbling boils down to, is that God is our provider. He loves us more than anything and wants us to be happy. That doesn’t mean that we won’t go through hard times, but everything is a stepping stone to His ultimate plan for us. It is so easy to forget or simply disregard the things that bring us to where we are. I have had my share of trials, alot of which are things that probably 3 people in the world know about. But you know, they say hindsight is 20/20. Much of what I’ve been through, I probably brought on myself. Other things, not. However, as I look back I see how each event has shaped me and cannot help but feel completely grateful.
At this time one year ago, I was enjoying my freedom after college. I started going out more and drinking alot, and while I was having fun, I was mostly being stupid and wasting my time. Last November changed all that for me. With the death of a close friend, many things were instantly put into perspective. Life was given a whole new meaning to me. I have made many changes in my life since then, and honestly I have never in my life been a happier person than I am right now. When we take care of ourselves and learn to value each day, things tend to fall into place. I now have met the most incredible guy I’ve ever known, I got my dream job, my health and self-image have drastically improved, my debt is shrinking, my family is now a priority, and most importantly, I remember daily how much God loves me.
For those of you reading this, I just want to say that I don’t really have answers to anything, but I know the way God has worked in my life. I just pray that He works in yours, and that you let Him be your provider. He always gives us what we need, in His own perfect timing of course. We will never be without.
Work sucks, unless of course it doesn’t.
Yes, I said it. Work sucks. Seriously, for the last month or so I’ve been finished with all of my work by noon and spend the latter portion of the day aimlessly wandering the building, returning only frequently enough for my boss not to suspect anything. And let’s not forget the final hour of rearranging the icons on my desktop… and then rearranging my actual desktop. My wonderful boyfriend, in all his intelligence, says that pacing myself isn’t my strong suite. I say that A) I don’t have enough to do B) I’m too smart for the crap they do give me and C) God is telling me to leave hell while I still can. Now don’t get me wrong, my job was going great for the last year and a half. I really do like my job. But I was recently put on a new project which was supposed to occupy the majority of my time and be a huge challenge. The only problem is that my supervisor is in meetings all the time, so she isn’t available to teach me the next steps of the process. So I’m stuck spinning my wheels. I’m burned out.
I think a job that would not suck would be one that I actually had a passion for. Something that I felt was a worthy cause. Something where I knew I was spreading the beauty and art of music to the community, sharing the amazing gift that God gave us. That gift has blessed me a million times over, and I want to share that blessing. That is something that would not suck. I need to find this job. Because it wouldn’t be like a job or a chore. It would be hard work, yes, but a passionate offering to the world that I would gladly do for free if it weren’t for a large car payment every month.
I know it’s out there somewhere and it’s all in God’s timing. And God didn’t bring me to my current job for no reason. There is a bigger picture that is hard to see from up close, but I know it is vast. After all, I can choose the path I take, but God will determine my steps. And for that I am truly grateful.
Blue October, and a kick to the head
So I went to a concert on Saturday–BLUE OCTOBER to be exact. My favorite band EVER. It’s my third time to see them live, and I have to say that I was a bit disappointed. What should have been an awesome show was dulled by the fact that two parental chaperones who knew nothing of their music were standing like statues in front of Carissa and I, completely blocking our view–and needlessly so. I don’t understand why a person would stand amidst a large crowd of screaming fans and not even make an effort to look interested. Move out of my way, and let me make an ass of myself!
The second thing was that the show was for a live recording. That in itself is awesome to be a part of. So of course in the silence between songs, I had to be the jerk that yelled things like “I love you C.B. Hudson!!!!” (That’s the guitarist, FYI.) But because Blue October already put out a live album called “Argue With a Tree” back in 2004 which featured all the awesome older stuff, this concert was mostly featuring songs from their 2006 album “Foiled.” Now don’t get me wrong, I love the album, but it would have been incredible to hear the older stuff as well. I can’t blame them for the logic of it, but I was still pretty bummed out.
And finally, some drunken man decided it would be a good idea to crowdsurf. Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal, but he came from behind. And of course, anyone who knows me also knows that I am prone to being hit in the head. And the tradition continues. I got kicked in the head by the drunken crowdsurfer who then proceeded to fall on my shoulder (which still hurts, by the way). Had I not been on the verge of tears, I would have decked him. Actually probably not, but it sounds good in my head. But again, why do people have to go and ruin great things for everyone else? It just takes that one person being dumb… and then it’s over. But the headache lives on.
Rock on.
