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Hi =)

I cannot begin to tell you all how thrilled I am that I am typing on my bed, and not on the train. Please don't misunderstand, the train is lovely. But not 30+hours lovely. It's actually really the last few hours that do me in, I'm okay until about the 20hr mark, and then I start pacing. Around 24hrs, I check the clock again and start feeling like I won't ever escape because I have officially been in that box for a day. In the last hours, I contemplate getting off at some random stop and hitch hiking the rest of the way. And then I remember that I packed way too much and don't want to carry it all =P

Anyhow, the train ride home was much better than the one down =) I met a family visiting from the Philippines and taught the little 9yr old boy a few card games. I fell asleep before they got off, and when I woke up, he had left me a note thanking me for hanging out with him. Cutest kid =)

My time in California was awesome, ask Danna =P

This is what her neck now looks like:

And mine:

Although, mine isn't new, just fixed =P And the top line really is straight, I just couldn't sit still =P

So now I am home, and staring at the mound of laundry that needs to be done. And also the TP homework I've yet to do. And my phone. Because the person who was supposed to sell me a book for this term didn't show yesterday. Grrrrr.

BUT things should probably start with a shower, and real clothes. Because pajamas just don't cut it =P [I didn't get up until 11, so I feel that me still being in my PJ's is totally acceptable. =P]

Ok, I suppose that is all for today. I'd like to leave you with a song that is now near and dear to my heart - wanna see if you can guess why? ;)

OH! I almost forgot! If the urge should strike, watch this guy. He is super talented, you won't regret it =)

Toodles! <3

We Made it! : Experienceing Train Culture 101

Warning: Little bit O' language in this post.

After much anticipation, we were there. Baggage checked, actually just Katt's bag, because even though my trip was twice as long, I had to carry mine on. Weird. So we board, get all situated in the common car, and mostly just talk for a few hours. Then Katt started playing her guitar [scales, you should be proud Mr. Thorp =P] and a man turned around to face her and asked: do you know any songs?

Katt nods

Creeper: Would you like to learn one?”

Katt: I guess so....

so he runs and gets his guitar, comes back and starts trying to show her how to play something, I think he started with some Eagles song, and then moved on to something else...I don't remember, but he really wasn't a grand teacher. So Katt eventually goes back to the text conversation she was having and some other guy was like “Woah! What a waste of a guitar lesson!”

We ignore him.

So Creeper #1 keeps playing his songs about being an asshole and whatever other nonsense. A whole lot of poorly sung Metallica and Nirvana, and Black Sabbath. So then Creeper #2 asks Katt (I have to give him some credit, because he was very polite, but there's just that vibe some people have...) if he could use her guitar since she didn't want to take advantage of the guitar lesson.

You should have seen her face. I tried so very hard not to laugh and succeeded...mostly. There may have been some poorly hidden snickering.

So she hands it over, but with glares abounding.

So they begin playing, again mostly songs that are ok to like nostalgically, but maybe shouldn't be part of your life philosophy....

They talked about how all the smokers should riot to be able to smoke on the train. That's adding some content to their conversation actually, because in reality it consisted of strange giggles, swearing, and “Dude”, and “Right?” These are not young men. They are like 30s. [GROW UP]

Anyhow, at one point we hear

Creeper #2: You have a great energy about you

Creeper #1: Well thank you! [cue gratuitous F-Bomb about something irrelevant]

Please keep in mind that these guys are not far way from us. They're sitting behind us, close enough that if I reached out my arm, I could touch #1's sunglasses hanging from his beanie, or #2's greasy pony tail. Choices, choices....

Creeper #1: How about one for the ladies

#2: Alright! One for the ladies!

[#2 had a woman with her. She was very quiet, I would be too if I were her though...]

I tune out at this point, we were playing boggle =P

But I tune back in just in time to hear them sing

“I feel like making loooooovvvee” [insert sidelong look in our direction]

SKEEZE CITY

Oh my gosh. I laughed. It was terrible. I'm not proud.

They weren't joking. They thought that their music was impressive. They thought that THAT song was gonna do it. Gross.

Guys, here's a hint – Girls on T.V might be drawn to the womanizer, but T.V is primarily written by men.

They played for a while longer, which involved a song writing attempt about taking a train leaving that “piece of shit Oregon”

#1 got tired of playing, so they stopped at Katt asked for her guitar back. #2 was very appreciative.

They then began to discuss women and things that all women do – according to #1 and #2 anyway.

They were offensive, not terrible, if it had gotten any worse I would have said something. Especially because #2's woman was SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO HIM.

Guys, another hint – Any girl with a shred of self respect does not want to be insulted or have her womanhood attacked, ESPECIALLY when it is being done as some sort of male bonding. What kind of sick idiot does that?! I was livid, but they moved on before I could get enough anger out of my mouth to form words.

So we were sick of hearing them and sick of smelling them, so Katt and I moved our lovely selves downstairs. We ate dinner, talked some, did some cross words, eves dropped on an interesting conversation... =P

Katt got out her guitar again and we started singing – there was just one other person in there by now, the younger participant of previously said interesting conversation =P

And we were soon joined by a small audience, two guys came downstairs, one pretty much right after another, and accompanying them was a strong aroma of pot.

One went back up and we could still smell it, so we figured it was the second guy. He headed back upstairs and kept looking over his shoulder, so he got a nice look at Katt's glare. Again.=P

We continued playing and were joined by one of the train staff, plus the second guy. The smell no longer accompanied him, but we were skeptical. Katt and I were just kind of messing around and laughing, but the staff guy requested that we play something.

So we sang From This Valley by The Civil Wars...it was awkward, but actually pretty fun =)

We were thanked for our compliance and left with just the two guys, the one from the interesting conversation, and the one we believed to be stoned.

Katt goes to put her guitar away and stoner boy asks if he can play. Again, her face was priceless =P

So she hands it over again, but this guy could really play. Like not just power chords, the dude has skills. So we're listening and still doing crosswords, and stoner boy puts the guitar away after a while and the four of us start talking.

The convo boy was only 17 and from some island in Alsaka. Nuts. His name was Jess, and then the other guy was Hunter, 25, and living in Portland.

At one point Katt looked at Hunter and confessed to thinking he was the one with weed

Hunter: Huh...well, I don't have any pot...sorry to like...crush your dreams.

We all talked and had a jolly time, Katt and I were very pleased to have made train friends =) Jess was super sweet and just precious. Also super smart, the dude wants to be an aero space engineer.

And Hunter was funny, also smart, and didn't sing songs about the desire to make love. Jess went to bed eventually [it was late...Katt and I stayed up until 8am...] and us three remaining played Boggle into the wee hours of the morn.

Oh, guys one more tip – constant swearing is generaly turn off to many girls. We like intelligence, and there are just so many better ways to get your point across.

So Hunter went to bed and Katt and I stayed downstairs playing guitar and singing, [we may or may not have written a good song. It's good to us, and that's what matters, right?] Jess joined us again a while later, poor kid couldn't sleep. We said by to Jess after a bit 'cause he was staying down for breakfast.

After that we headed back up and waited for Katt's stop. We were joined by Hunter again when he woke up, but we both said bye when Katt left 'cause I went to sleep =P

This is where I don't really know what happened because I was asleep, but somehow my train got 2hrs behind schedule. So as I am typing this I really have no idea when I'll make it to Simi Valley because depending on how quickly we make it to our next stop, we might have to have a full train inspection because we have been going for more than 24hrs.

It is now 10:20am the following day. I had a blissful sleep in the lovely bed my dear friend Danna made for me =) My train got in at 1am, so that its a total running time of 31 ½ hours. It took me about the same amount of time...a little less actually, to get to New Zealand =P

BUT I did meet some interesting people, including some 53yr old traveling musician lady who let me play her Baby Taylor <3

All in all, it's been an experience, and I'm doing it again in about a week.

Thanks for your prayers! <3

Too excited to sleep - so we're talking about faithfulness instead =P

I am bursting with excitement.

I laid down to sleep an hour ago, but it is futile - futile, I say!

SO I'm just gonna write for a little bit because it seems like the emptier my mind gets, the easier I sleep.

Oh....Side note - I'm going to California tomorrow =P It's spring break for me [well, after I finish work tomorrow =P] so I'm gonna hop a train with a friend and we're gonna hobo it up =) 
We are both beyond ecstatic =D [<----side note 2 - it took me three tries to spell 'ecstatic'. dumb english...]

Moving on, I have been pondering faithfulness lately. I have been totally blown away by how faithful God is, to me and everyone else.

I can't get over the fact that no matter what we do, no matter how much we might screw something up, God doesn't regret creating us. He doesn't consider us a waste of time, a lost cause. Mind blowing.

This in turn, made me think of faithfulness in regards to human relationships [aside from faithfulness to God]. Like I can be a faithful friend, I can not bail on people and be responsible. I can be there when they need me, I can push them out of the nest when they need a shove. I think these are all things that go into being a faithful friend, and they are some of the qualities I look for in friends. I look for honesty, because a friend that can be honest with me is a friendship worth working at.

But even aside from that, what does it mean to be faithful?
We can be faithful to our spouses/significant others [<----I hate that term. I should just make up my own...], so what does that look like?

In our actions yes, what we do with other people. [I'm one of those that defines cheating as,
the moment you are doing something that you wouldn't want your spouse/{insert newly created term here} to see/hear/know about. Just an fyi]

SO we want to honor our spouse by being faithful to them when it comes to other people. What about with how much work we invest in a relationship? [I think this will probably count for friendships too]

If we are not putting in as much as we promised, or insinuated, or otherwise implied, does that make me unfaithful?

Does that mean I'm cheating on the relationship in a sense?

And since cheating tends to be a purely selfish act, does that then define me and my actions as selfish?

Webster defines faithful as, "Firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty"

FIRM, steadfast, ever-lovin', unwavering, impenetrable. Firm, faithful.

I don't know where to go with this....just that if that is how we define 'Faithful' then by definition to be human is to be the opposite of faithful.

So what's say we all try being inhuman [ <---not to be confused with inhumane] for a while, we might just have a shot at making the world a better place.

<3

Portfolio Posibilites

If anyone is interested, I'm working on a portfolio project for my poetry class. So if you might be a fan of some pretty mediocre poetry, have at it =)

[p.s. feel free to pretend that this isn't a link to my school submission =P]

<3


Okay- it is now the beginning of a new term, and that means that the previous link has closed. SO, here is a new one =P The formatting is a bit off, but I think you'll get the gist.So, without further ado, my Poerty Portfolio =P

Warning: typing under the influence of sleep deprevation

Hello Cyber World =)

This is Netti, it's been a while so I don't know if you'll remember me...

ok. I am a little out of it today[night]. I blame my sister and my dear friend - they bring it out in me.

 Today was pay day, tomorrow is friday, and yesterday marked the twoweeksuntilcalifornia spot on the calendar. So, despite being horribly late to work monday morning, this has been a pretty grand week =)

I am starting guitar lessons on monday. Taking, not teaching - just to clarify. That'd be a pretty train wreck if I taught =P

I am also about to look up archery classes - because I want to learn to hit what I'm aiming at.
I thought I might want to try my hand at hunting [not necessarily specific to bow hunting - just hunting in general]...but I really ought to improve my aim before I give that a go...=P

Anyhow, this is really just a nonsense blog - I am sleepy.

But what I would really like to mention is that I am extraordinarily blessed by my friends. I have beautiful, Godly girlfriends that warm my heart and light up my life. And I have strong, warrior guy friends that always make me smile and bless my life with their brotherly affections [which often induce sudden urges to strangle them...=P] In all seriousness, my friends are undercurrents in my life, always pushing me forward. <3

If you are in need of some lovely people in your life, I can recommend a few ;)

Ok, bed. tomorrow = work, homework, and The Call [if you are in the Salem area, COME! ask me for details =)] Saturday = class, homework, and a shopping excursion. and Sunday = church, chillage, and Timothy Project [thats a rough day to be sure ;P]

Sleep well <3