Fred: "Come on, Ron, you were always saying how boring Scabbers was. And he's been off-colour for ages, he was wasting away. It was probably better for him to snuff it quickly. One swallow – he probably didn't feel a thing." Ron: "He bit Goyle for us once! Remember, Harry?" Fred: "His finest hour. Let the scar on Goyle's finger stand as a lasting tribute to his memory ..."
You know how I did a blog post where the Parakeets were escalating their mini war with me?
Well...the next day, my hand received another injury.
I was in the middle of work, still had hours left in my shift.
So I was meandering about looking for something to do without looking like I was looking for something to do.
As part of my habit I go to all the habitats and check to make sure they're all locked.
-As whenever I forget to lock it up that's when Cinres comes around and tells me I left one unlocked. Why is that? He tells me that I left one unlocked like it's the worst sin in the world and I'm like "Why don't you tell me I do a good job of keeping them locked. 19 out of 20 times I don't forget to lock the cage, why do you come at me like it's a bad thing the one time I'm super distracted by a customer and don't lock it right away?" yah yah...customers could steal the animals if the cages are unlocked yadda yadda...it's not like I don't go through and check them ten times a shift anyways out of boredom...
Back on topic.
I went through the locks making sure they all were locked.
When I reached the small pets.
And I noticed one of the Dumbo Rats was up next to the glass, lying on his side.
Crouching down, I saw his breathing was quick and shallow.
Never a good sign though I'd noticed that the mice and rats seem to breathe a bit quicker then the hamsters. So I opened up the cage, which woke him up. He got to his feet.
And I saw that he was too skinny. Where his stomach was supposed to be was indented, like he hadn't been eating recently and had lost wait. And then he moved...walking a bit hunched over.
Also not a good sign. If a rodent has a hunched walk...it usually means that they have wet tail -diarrhea, not a good thing for a rodent to have, it can kill them.
But, to make sure -as I'm no expert with rats- though I still planned to isolate him anyway.
I got Reth to get her opinion on him, as she's owned rats and has had waaaaay more experience then I have.
Yah. Not good. she agreed with what I saw. "He's definitely not doing good, we need to isolate him, give him a specific number of pellets and see if he eats any of them. We'll watch him for today just to make sure it's not that he's starving"
He was with three other rats, so it was entirely possible that he just hadn't been able to eat being smaller then the others, and rats being continuous eaters, they would continuously hog the food.
Okay. No problem I could set up a cage for him in our sick room.
So I reached into the cage to pick him up.
"Ah! Let GO PARAKEET!"
Seriously...first thought. The parakeet was biting me and I had to convince it to let go.
Then I was like "Wait...it's a rat cage. O.o THE RAT BIT ME!!"
Even Reth was shocked.
Rats don't bite.
Seriously, you would think they do, but they don't. They're not biters.
You know...unless they're seriously ill.
Apparently he was seriously ill.
And trying to pick him up probably hurt him or made him feel uncomfortable in some way because he wasn't feeling well.
So. He bit me.
YEOW!
Like I said. It was just like a parakeet pinch in feel. The one where it draws blood.
Yep. This one drew blood.
Lots of it.
Felt like I was going to soak through a couple of band aids as the blood went through the paper towel I put over it to cover the wound. You know...after I doused it in hand sanitizer -which I think caused it to bleed more- and proceeded to scrub the wound with soap and water, and finally wipe it thoroughly with an antiseptic towelette thingymababer before putting antibiotic cream and a bandaid on it. -Later Neosporin when I got home from work.
Yah. If he was sick, I didn't want to get infected lol.
Yep, I was very cautious getting him out to Iso after that. Using containers and such to scoop him out instead of picking him up.
-Though how was I suppose to know he'd bite. Rats Never bite.
-ah the one day I relax my guard and assume...is the day my assumptions go wrong. lol.
In any case I got him back into the sick room.
and here's the wound:
You see those two red lines?
Yep, that's the rat bite.
I don't get how it's a vertical wound like that.
I would think it wouldn't be as narrow. I mean obviously those are top and bottom teeth wounds, yet they look more like paper cuts.
Since I couldn't see my hand when I got bit I don't know how he actually latched onto me.
What I do know...is that it went pretty deep.
As it hurt like crazy for three days afterwards. Especially if I brushed it against something...
and being left handed, and that being my pointer finger...yah...I brushed stuff against the wound a lot -Don't worry I wore protection, band aids, a finger glove -it's like the finger of a regular glove was cut off and you can just put it over the injured finger and not have to wear an entire glove all day. -I mean I work with animals. There are lots of things that could get into a wound. So to be safe I keep it covered at work as best as I can.
If you can't see that too well.
Here's it in...'rolling view'
Yep painful.
It doesn't end there though.
No, I didn't get bit again lol.
You must wonder how the quote at the beginning of this post connects to all this.
Well.
:( The next day after the attack, I came into the sick room and found that...
He'd died during the night.
Poor thing hadn't eaten at all.
So he was sicker then just not being able to get at the food. :(
So, like Goyle,
I too will probably have a scar on my finger as a memorial to a rat.
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Corrie and her sister, Betsy, lived Christian lives in prewar Holland.
They responded to the brutality against Jewish people by hiding them in the family home.
When the hiding place was discovered, the sisters were shipped to a death camp where they suffered all the deprivation heaped upon the Jewish prisoners.
In an unusual way Corrie was able to keep a Bible.
She led scripture readings with the other prisoners.
Their outer world of suffering grew "harder and harder."
But she described their inner life as just the opposite.
In her words:
"Our Bible was the center of an ever-widening circle of help and hope. Like waifs clustered around a blazing fire, we gathered about it, holding out our hearts to its warmth and light. The blacker the night around us grew, the brighter and truer and more beautiful burned the word of God. ...
"Life ... took place on two separate levels. One, the observable, external life, grew every day more horrible. The other, the life we lived with God, grew daily better, truth upon truth, glory upon glory."
Janette C. Hales -"Ye Shall Feast upon This Fruit" April 1995 General Conference
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
The Dream
....dealt with work...that's all I really remember.
There are perils to venturing out into public still wearing your work uniform.
For one. The general populace now knows where you work.
And according to coworkers, you can get asked questions about work that really...you can only answer while at work. lol. Luckily I haven't experienced that yet. Mostly I just get asked about the animals we sell. :) I can answer that easy enough. :)
No, the peril I'm thinking about, is going into a different store...and being asked if I work there.
It happens on occasion. I mean. official looking uniform, automatic response of "oh they must work here."
It's even more likely to happen where the uniforms of the work place blend into the general population type of clothes, and...if they're similar colors.
Today it happened.
A gentleman came up to me while I was shopping for food and asked if I worked there.
Uhh...purse in cart...food in cart...looking at food...and wearing a uniform that has a different store name on it....
"No, sorry."
"Oh okay."
Another woman nearby said. "He's trying to find the Microwave Popcorn."
Oh! *ding ding ding!* "I actually know where that is!"
"Really?" The guy asked.
"Yah!" I proceeded to tell him where it was....saw that it wasn't computing, and so just automatically lead him to the popcorn before returning to my cart.
Yay for actually knowing where something is in a store that I don't work at!! lol.
-Though it's not a bit deal....I buy popcorn myself so I know where I have to go to get it.
I returned to find that the woman had stayed by my cart.
Why?
To watch my purse.
As I'd left it in the cart to go show the guy where the popcorn was.
Yah, I didn't remember that until I returned and saw it sitting there.
lol the woman said "I stayed here to make sure nobody took your purse."
"Oh! Thank you so much!"
"Thanks for helping the guy, I think he would have never found it otherwise. You'd think that popcorn would be in the snack food aisle....you know with all the chips and candy?"
"Yah! It should be there!"
I mean...seriously, whose idea was it to put it by the nuts and soda?
lol
In any case. I'm glad the woman stayed, as I just went into 'work mode' where I'm used to showing people around -having just come from work it wasn't that hard to get back into it- and so I totally spaced that I had my purse in the cart as I'm used to leaving tasks and returning to them later...and not have anything of mine at that task. lol.
So note to self: Keep purse on you at all times. As I obviously can't be trusted to remember to take said purse with me if I get distracted. Who knows how long I could have been gone after all....
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
The Dream
I was on my way to work when I ran into a few of my friends from high school. They'd come down to visit and Dirk suggested we all go see a movie. So we walked towards the Desert Book / Barnes and Noble corner, and into Desert Book where Jess saw that one of her coworkers -as she worked there- needed help as she was helping a young blonde girl in line, and there was another girl on the table. When I looked behind them I saw that there was a longer line of adults. Jess asked her coworker -a black haired woman with darker skin- if she needed help. the woman gratefully replied that yes she did. So Jess hopped on in behind the counter and logged in. I was surprised at this, as I thought we were going to go see a movie and now we were delayed, but Tay, Dirk, myself and a couple of others, let her do her work and wandered around the store that was like the inside of a big Best Buy with many different departments, the others splitting off to see if they could help at all as the place was crowded and I knew that there would only be like five employees having to deal with the crowds. I ran into Jess again, sitting a table with a mirror that had magnetic earrings place on it. "So this is where you usually work" I asked her as we both stared into the mirror. She replied with yes. and I knew from previous conversations that she would rearrange the earrings on the mirror when she was bored to form patterns. A sudden distraction caused me to go outside of the store, and across the yellow plains in the distance there were dark clouds overhanging the horizon. I felt...insecure, something was going on and it wasn't safe. There were rays of sunlight shining against the black wall of clouds, but they would disappear as the clouds moved. Then I saw this giant black tornado come down and cross the plains from left to right before disappearing. Damage had been done. I heard like on the radio an announcer saying that those in the Idaho farms had been hit badly, and crops wouldn't be doing well, but the worst hit was the Nevada area...but more importantly Disneyland -which isn't in Nevada- but the Disney Park was a Toon Town focusing on Pixar themed attractions and gifts. It was located in southern Utah as the Red rock there -with a big Paul Bunion on a building with the red rock seen in the Cars movie behind him there. The tornado had done the most damage ever there, forcing Disney to close their doors, so all the towns and such suddenly looked like a ghost town. Then we got the unwelcome news. Because of this disaster, Disney had decided to close the doors on all it's parks. Permanently. This caused an uproar everywhere. What about the people who had planned vacations to go to the parks. Surely the disaster at Toon Town didn't warrant such actions. So Sherlock Holmes set out to prove this. I was watching, when a young boy -it seemed like he was my little brother- randomly said "I need a particular kind of Dog Food, can you show me where it is." I blinked and asked him why he needed it. "So I can solve the crime, I need the colors to paint the mural" or something along that lines. He headed off, and I followed after him as he went in search of the particular brand that carried all the colors he needed. A while later Sherlock was sitting on a window ledge peering into a council meeting/judge court case that seemed to have the founding fathers in it, when I looked out the window, and saw the boy. Sherlock looked over to see the boy precariously hoisting himself three or four stories into the air, working on a diagram made of string. He also was only held up by string. Sherlock asked "What if it breaks." and the boy, his feet unsteadily balancing on one of the colored strings, while he swayed in the wind with the strings around his body keeping him upright, replied "Let's hope it doesn't." The view panned out to show that he'd built a giant rocket looking machine outline with the string. While he worked, he ended up somehow getting a big bowl full of sprinkles which he lowered to the ground for the joy of all the orphan/homeless boys and girls. It was a real treat for them to get sweets and those would last a while. The boy then said to the audience on the other side of the window and to Sherlock "This is a time machine, it will fix our problems....
Then the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)
-S.N.D
I have the singular opinion.
That Parakeets are evil.
Don't be fooled by their pretty colors, or happy chattering.
Don't be deceived that you can pick up twelve in a row and not hurt.
It's because you picked them up right.
But when you get that next bird in your hands.
It may not be frozen in fear.
It may not be facing away from your hand.
No.
It may be.
Just maybe.
In the perfect position to latch onto a pinchful of skin somewhere on your hand.
And proceed to inflict as much pain as possible.
They won't just grab on once.
Oh no, they will dig in.
Release a tiny itsy bitsy bit.
Adjust.
And dig in again twice as hard.
Letting go of the bird
is no guarantee that they will let go of you.
No you may release them.
They won't release you.
They will cling to you.
Convinced that they are under attack,
and so must attach in return.
It's a singular thinking.
Bite them hard and eventually they will die!
Or you know...let go.
Or...>.> you know...fling them across the room as you yell "OW OW OW OW OW!!"
-Okay, that hasn't happened. Probably won't, I can tap down on that reflex pretty quickly.
But in any case.
My hands have taken a great beating from the parakeets.
One latched onto my palm and wouldn't let go.
Another dug into a finger,
the last into my thumb.
And that's when their motive became clear.
They drew blood today.
Before now, it had just been pinching.
Apparently the war has just escalated.
Beware.
Beware the parakeets.
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
The Dream
I dove to take shelter from the attack. It was pretty flimsy shelter. A bit like cardboard and a circus tent set up. There were a bunch of other kids with me too. We were hiding from the bad guys, who wanted to take us prisoner. Unfortunately...I ended up getting caught. And the man placed a bow in my hands and demanded that I shoot at a target. He didn't think I could do it as he thought I was slow of mind. The arrows were short, more like long darts then arrows, and the bow was meant more for a child. Still I pulled the string, and released. It hit to the right of the circle target, striking the tree. This surprised the guy as he didn't think I could hit anything. He had me try again, So I pulled the string, but ended up just throwing the darts by hand. I couldn't get the feel for the bow and arrow concept with these tiny arrows. It was easier to hit the target just by flinging it. Plus, when I pulled the bow back to it's full strength, I ended up cracking it in the middle pieces going in both directions. Still I fit a much longer arrow to the bow, determined to finish this out and prove that I was a better marksmen then the guy thought I was -as I knew I was great, I just refrained from telling him that. I pulled back the string, took aim and...
then the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)
-S.N.D
James E. Faust -The Keys That Never Rust
- The Lord settled this a long time ago, and the senior apostle automatically becomes the presiding officer of the Church.
- The president is not elected, but he has to be sustained both by his brethren of the Council and by the members of the Church.
Joseph B. Wirthlin -Deep Roots
- Faithful members of the Church should be like oak trees and should extend deep roots into the fertile soil of the fundamental principles of the gospel.
- our foundations should be solid and deep-rooted so we can withstand the winds of temptation, false doctrine, adversity, and the onslaught of the adversary without being swayed or uprooted.
- Our spiritual strengths are like batteries; they need to be charged and frequently charged.
- The sins of corruption, dishonesty, strife, contention, and other evils in this world are not here by chance. They are evidences of the relentless campaign of Satan and those who follow him. He uses every tool and device available to him to deceive, confuse, and mislead. He has many followers who do anything for money without regard for the effects of their misdeeds.
- Our church does not and will not in any way compromise its position, and never at any time or place does it falter, hesitate, or show any reluctance to bear unwavering testimony to the divinity of Jesus Christ.
Patricia P. Pinegar -Teach the Children
- Teach and show the children that Heavenly Father loves them and has confidence in them because they are his children.
- Teach and show them that they do need Jesus, our Savior, our guide. Help them understand and accept his love and trust him and follow him.
Rex D. Pinegar -The Simple Things
- We declare to all our testimony of the reality of Jesus Christ and of your calling as His prophet at this time.
- "If you feel that ... what you do this year or in the years to come does not make you very famous, take heart. Most of the best people who ever lived weren't very famous either."
- Life, after all, is made up of little things.
- Our first line of defense in a world of spiritual and moral decay is and will continue to be the family.
- "Children are like wet cement; whatever falls on them makes an impression."
- Brothers and sisters, we must not fail to do the simple and easy things that the gospel requires and thereby deny ourselves and our families the great blessings that the Lord has promised.
- "Frequently it is the commonplace tasks that have the greatest positive effect on the lives of others."
Lance B. Wickman -"Stand Ye in Holy Places"
- For Zion, the pure in heart, the temple holds the key that unlocks holy places--places of rejoicing --while those in Babylon's byways are condemned to mourn.
- When we visit the temple as often as distance and individual circumstance permit, the temple will be in us.
Russell M. Nelson -The Spirit of Elijah
- "Does it seem reasonable that persons who have lived upon the earth and died without the opportunity of baptism should be deprived throughout eternity? Is there anything unreasonable about the living performing the baptisms for the dead? Perhaps the greatest example of vicarious work for the dead is the Master himself. he gave his life as a vicarious atonement, that all who die shall live again and have life everlasting. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves.In a similar way we can perform ordinances for those who did not have the opportunity to do them in lifetime."
- This exalting service for others unseen is one of the most noble acts of human kindness.
- Here, on this side of the veil, there are limitations of available time and temples. This means that choosing to identify and perform ordinances for our own kindred should receive our highest priority. The Spirit of Elijah will inspire individual members of the Church to link their generations, rather than submit lists of people or popular personalities to whom they are unrelated.
- "Persons submitting names for other than direct ancestors [should] have obtained approval from the closest living relative of the deceased before submitting records of persons born within the last ninety-five years."
Howard W. Hunter -Follow the Son of God
- "What would Jesus do?"
- We should make every effort to become like Christ, the one perfect and sinless example this world has ever seen.
- Let us make the temple with temple worship and temple covenants and temple marriage, our ultimate earthly goal and the supreme mortal experience.
- May you let the meaning and beauty and peace of the temple come into your everyday life more directly.
- This world needs the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel provides the only way the world will ever know peace.
General Relief Society Meeting
Elaine L. Jack -"Seek, and Ye Shall Find"
- Sisters, this is a complicated era in which we live. Technology has simplified some tasks and opened up ways to learn that our grandmothers never imagined. But with a computerized society have come increased pressures, causing us to weigh carefully how we use our time, to evaluate thoughtfully what we can do that will make the greatest difference.
- Even though we are continents apart, our hearts beat as one.
- The sisters here are a mobilized unit of charity. We won't fail.
- For us to stand firm and faithful, we must be clearly focused on seeking the Lord.
- "I believe in women, especially thinking women."
- "And if a person gains more knowledge ... in this life through his diligence ... , he will have so much the advantage in the world to come."
- The Lord has given us a lifetime to learn.
- Seeking Jesus is learning to balance what we feel in our hearts with what we know to be true in our minds, and show through our actions that we understand that balance.
Chieko N. Okazaki -Rowing Your Boat
- What happens if you try to paddle a boat using only one oar? You go around and around in circles. If you paddle hard, you go fast. If you paddle slowly, you turn gently. But you still just go around in circles. It's the same with trying to make study replace faith or trying to exercise faith but without study. We can often find ourselves just going around in circles. I think that the Holy Ghost cannot give us some answers until we are actively seeking knowledge.
- Each woman needs to develop both gifts, the gift of faith and the gift of study, to the utmost of her capacity.
- Let us not exclude a sister, whatever her life choices and whatever her circumstances.
- If a sister does not marry, she has every right to engage in a profession that allows her to magnify her talents and gifts.
- They taught me to be curious, to ask questions, to observe nature closely, to watch people--especially in a new environment--to treat people respectfully and learn how to make connections with them, to work very hard, and to always do my best. They believed that no matter what I chose to do with my life, these skills would help me.
- Let us trust both study and faith to keep us going straight, instead of around in circles.
Aileen H. Clyde -Charity and Learning
- Our scriptural records suggest to us that charity, the word we use for the highest form of love, even "the pure love of Christ" is learned.
- Charity comes to us as we move from grace to grace and as we build precept on precept.
- Relief Society women do seek to learn wisdom, but we place learning charity first.
- The reality of God and Christ and our relationship to them comes to us through a chain of knowing conveyed by words, even holy words, and by the Holy Spirit.
- Our Creator meant for us to value and develop our ability to communicate with him and with each other. He expects us to use these capacities to learn righteous ways, to lift one another, and to develop our divine natures.
Howard W. Hunter -Stand Firm in the Faith
- I recognize that many of your unselfish and compassionate deeds are unknown, unheralded, and at times unthanked. However, the Lord is mindful of you.
- Thank you for making our lives so much better because of who you are. Your steady example of righteousness stands in contrast to the ways of the world.
- "Bear in mind, dear sisters, that the eternal blessings which are yours through membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are far, far greater than any other blessings you could possibly receive. No greater recognition can come to you in this world than to be known as a woman of God.
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
There I was,
searching for a gift for my brother's birthday.
It was more difficult then normal, as he didn't ask for anything specific.
Great.
In any case, I ended up in this book store.
And like most book stores, they were selling other things there as well.
I wandered up and down the rows.
And saw something that caught my eye.
A hat.
Now. This is a big deal.
As I don't wear hats.
So I usually don't pay attention to them.
That's Kikay's area. She's the hat person lol.
I don't like the feel of them on my head, so I don't wear them.
Yet, I couldn't resist. It looked like a fun comfortable good looking hat.
So I pulled it off the rack and tried it on.
Too tight.
But determine to find one that felt good I tried on hat after hat after hat.
And found one!
Only...the book store had no mirrors.
So I had no idea what I looked like.
Luckily I had my Itouch camera function....
but it didn't give an overall sense of the look.
Still the hat felt good on my head.
>.>
<.<
And it was on clearance sale. For $1.99
The price tag said that it was usually a twenty dollar hat.
So this was like a super deal!
I figured, Why not.
And bought not only one hat, but two.
lol I only kept one, but I wanted to see how both looked,
and then gave the other one to Kikay. :)
haha. It was fun to see Kikay's face when I opened the door wearing my hat.
She was like
()_() *blink blink* You're WEARING A HAT!?!!?!?!!
Why yes yes I am. :P
Like I said I don't wear hats.
I don't like them.
Cept this one apparently.
I totally enjoy this one.
I just need to figure out outfits that go with it now. lol :)
And you know what's funny?
I actually used to wear hats when I was little.
I would take my dad's baseball caps,
stick them on my head,
and turn the brim sideways so it fell over one ear.
I did that for a while.
And then...for some reason stopped. :)
Perhaps now is a good time to start again. :)
I mean...it's fun to be random. lol :)
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
It's rather funny how things work out with friends.
As it seems like there is something about living in College town, that makes it so my plans with them don't usually work out.
I mean, they say they can come.
but then things come up which prevents them from making the get together.
Oddly enough, the most common reason is:
"My mom (and it's usually the mom) made 'such and such' plans and I totally spaced it til like right now (being a couple of hours before we're supposed to meet) so I can't make it today, hopefully next time though!"
It's so weird to me, how often this happens.
And usually it's an important family event that can't be missed. Which is totally understandable. They only happen like...once a year, or once in a lifetime, or once in a looong time.
It's also disheartening a bit. As I really like being able to see my friends, and I often go through a lot of work in preparation for that visit. And when it doesn't happen...
Well...I wish that they would remember sooner then a few hours before that they can't come. As I've built up all this anticipation, and then it's dashed.
Oh well...I've kinda gotten used to it here in College town.
To the point where it's actually a surprise when my potential visitors actually visit.
Hopefully I'll get more of them sooner rather than later. :)
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
The Dream
I rolled over to look at my clock and saw that it read 11:50. Crap! I was late to work. By a TON of time, like 6 hours. I couldn't believe that I'd overslept so much, and that nobody had called me to find out where I was. I lay there debating about whether or not I should get up and show up for the last couple of hours of my shift, or if I should just blow off the whole thing, as I was meeting up with a friend at 1:30 and I wouldn't be able to make up my shift and meet up with the friend at the same time. I was about to make a decision when...
The unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)
-S.N.D
Apparently you can tell a lot about a person from the handshake they give you.
At least, Kikay can. lol.
What happened?
Well.
Tawl and his wife wanted to meet up for dinner and they said I could bring a friend with me.
I didn't want to bring just anybody with me to the dinner. I mean. This Is Tawl, he's like a grandfather for me, and not just anyone would make the mark.
He's such a sweet soul, I wanted to bring someone with me that could see his sweetness and see how awesome he is.
So, I went to Kikay. :) I mean, who better to take with me than my sister?
Plus, since I talk about him a lot, I wanted her to get a better idea of who Tawl was and what he looked like.
lol Kikay was a bit hesitant. For she thought that 'a friend' should mean a guy.
Heh...I didn't think of that. Considered it. Discarded it.
Afterall..I don't really have any guy friends nearby to ask to come with me that I would want Tawl to meet. I mean. He's like family. I wanted him to meet more of my family.
Luckily Kim could come with me that night. ^^ Yay!! lol
I did worry that it would be awkward. Like we'd sit there silently and stare at each other.
I mean, this was my first time seeing Tawl outside of Starsmet.
Soo I wasn't quite sure that we'd be able to carry on a dinner conversation.
I needent have worried. ^^
We had a great-wonderful-awesome-any-other-positive-adjective time. Laughing, chatting, telling stories. It was great! Totally like I was with my grandparents. ^^
And Tawl was so sweet. When the check came, I offered to pay for our portion of the dinner.
But he waved it off.
It didn't really surprise me. He would do so many little kindnesses for me while at work, that while I was prepared to pay for dinner, he wouldn't let me.
After our goodbyes, Kikay and I took a moment to chat.
-I wanted to get her opinion of Tawl and his wonderful wife.
She was like "From the moment I shook his hand....I knew he would be paying for dinner. I could sense his loyalty, his kindness. I understand what you were talking about now."
I didn't know she could get all that from a handshake.
But I'm glad that she can see what I can see in him.
Ah. Such a wonderful time. ^^
I'm so glad that we were able to get together and just relax.
I can't wait to do it again. :)
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
The Dream
I ran into Cinres at work, and asked him if he'd gotten the schedules in yet. He told me no, he hadn't yet, but I snuck into the office and saw the schedule system up on the computer. I did a quick glance at the green screen and saw numbers. 4 9 ...other numbers. I saw that yah, unfortunately I had to work Monday, I grabbed a pen and paper to write it down, got distracted though, I needed to go take a shower, so I left to go to one of the bathrooms at the camp, it was a weird place where there wasn't really a separation, there was just a shower head sticking out from the wall in a bathroom stall, granted the stall was like twice the size of a handicap stall, but it was just weird. And it was hard to stay private there, as the door wouldn't lock, and all these different people kept trying to come in so I was trying to shower while not looking like I was showering, I was glad to just get out of there and end up in a different place in the camp when....
The unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)
-S.N.D
May I close my testimony with a short story.
A few months ago, Sister Bateman and I were touring the Japan Fukuoka Mission.
The missionaries in Kumamoto introduced us to a young Japanese brother who had just joined the Church and then told us of his conversion.
He was from a non-christian background.
When he met the missionaries, he was interested in the message.
He liked the young men who were teaching him, but during the course of the lessons could not understand or feel the need for a Savior.
The missionaries took him through the lessons and taught him about our Heavenly Father, Christ, and the plan of salvation, but he didn't have a witness.
The missionaries wondered what they should do and decided one day to show him a film, a Church film that deals with the Atonement.
It is called The Bridge.
The young man saw the film and was disturbed by it, went home, and couldn't sleep all that night, but still he didn't have a witness.
The next morning he went to work.
He worked in an optician's shop making eyeglasses.
During the course of the day, and elderly woman came in.
He remembered her coming in a few weeks before.
She had broken her glasses.
She needed a new pair.
When she had come in earlier, she didn't have enough money and had gone away to save more in order to purchase the new glasses.
As she came in that day, she again showed him her spectacles and showed him the money that she now had.
He realized that she didn't have enough yet.
Then a thought came to him: I have some money.
I don't need to tell her.
I can make up the difference.
So he told her the money she had was adequate, took her glasses, made an appointment for her to return when he had finished making the spectacles, and sent her on her way.
She returned later.
He had the glasses ready for her.
He handed them to her, and she put them on.
"Miemasu! Miemasu! I see. I see."
Then she began to cry.
At that point, a burning sensation began to grow within his bosom and swelled with him.
He said, "Wakari masu! Wakari masu! I understand. I understand."
He began to cry.
Out the door he ran, looking for the missionaries.
When he found them, he said, "I see! My eyes have been opened! I know that Jesus is the Son of God. I know the stone was rolled away from the tomb and on that glorious Easter morning He arose from the dead. He can make up the difference in my life when I fall short."
Merrill J. Bateman -Stretching the Cords of the Tent -April 1994 General Conference
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
I saw a little kindness this morning at work.
A guy came in to buy some dog food.
But after counting out all his dollars and coins...
He was still twenty cents short.
Unable to complete the transaction, I asked him if he had any spare coins in his car.
He didn't think he did, but he went out to his car to search anyway.
Desperately I tried to think if I had any coins in my car that I could let him use.
But stuck at the register I couldn't go to my own car to check. :(
And unfortunately the guy didn't find any coins either.
So with reluctance he took the bag of dog food and went to put it back and search for another option.
At that moment I was helping another customer.
And she mentioned that she hadn't even noticed the bag of dog food waiting there on the counter.
I nodded and said "Yah...unfortunately he's twenty cents short."
And she said. "Oh...I have that. I can let him have twenty cents."
"Really?!"
She nodded.
And so I dashed to the back of the store.
"Sir!"
He looked up from his despondent searching of the shelves.
"There's a woman up front who's willing to give you twenty cents."
His face lit up. "Really? Oh Thank you!"
So he grabbed his bag of dog food and followed me back up to the register, where the woman had left a quarter on the counter for him to use. -She'd already left.
Happily, we counted out the coins again, using the quarter.
He had more then enough now.
And he was extremely grateful.
And held his head up high as he left the store with his dog food.
Yay for compassionate people in the world. ^^
I'm so glad that the woman was willing to help out the guy.
As it really seemed like he wasn't having the best of days.
Hopefully that bright moment of human kindness helped the rest of the day to be brighter.
It definitely was a bright spot in mine. :)
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
The Dream
I had an odd spiny growth below my belly button...it wasn't supposed to be there, so I removed it and left it on a shelf. And forgot about it, until I was with some others in a competition of sorts. Like a beauty pageant. My best friend was competing, and she was doing very well. Only I noticed little cacti like spiny growths on her shoulders...and turns out many other places, as when her cover up got torn away accidentally, it showed growths, like the one I had had. all over the place. It looked like little tree stumps with cactus spines...disturbing and fascinating at the same time. But. This...disease caused a bit of mayhem, and we had to run for it, taking shelter in a tent like place that seemed like my neighbor's kitchen as we debated about whether or not we could cut off the odd growths without it causing harm....
Then the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)
-S.N.D
You may or may not know that I moved a bit ago.
To an apartment that already had the TV included.
Flat screen, HD TV. (it makes everything look like a soap opera and/or a video game)
Unfortunately this TV doesn't come with a DVD/VHS player.
Not that this was a bad thing.
As I had one of those. Or two...
In the midst of moving, I decided to keep less stress on myself, and not pack my VCR that plays VHS and DVDs
Instead opting to let Kikay keep it at her place while I took my portable DVD player with me.
I mean it's portable...and I can hook it up to the TV. Walla!
The only down side was that I wouldn't be able to watch any VHS movies.
Or so I thought.
Upon getting everything unpacked and the player plugged in....
I discovered that the DVD player didn't work.
Well...it did.
But it didn't connect up right.
You see I could get sound, and picture...but the picture was in black and white.
No matter what we did unplugging and plugging in different cords...
it remained the same. Black and white.
It was then that it was discovered...that the TV only accepted the Blue, Green, Red cord.
I didn't have that.
I had a Red, Yellow, White cord.
Ere go...black and white >.<
Boo.
And while movies are okay to watch in Black and White...I really miss the color.
So I set out for a red blue green cord.
Only to find that it cost more then I really wanted to spend.
Especially when I wasn't sure the cord was the problem.
Time passed.
And a cousin suggested I go to the DI and find the cord.
O.o
What? The DI?!
Who in their right mind would buy used electronical stuff there?
I mean...isn't it iffy if the stuff works or not?
But then Kikay mentioned that the workers there probably tested all the electronics to make sure they worked before selling them to the public.
-I wasn't quite believing. I mean...I've seen a bunch of old TVs and have doubted that those worked...
But for fun before going to an Institute class, I dropped by to see if there was a Red Blue Green cord system to buy.
I saw lots of Red Yellow Whites...
A lot of them.
But then.
Hope.
A single set of Red. Blue. And Green.
Just one cord of that color sequence in my hurried scanning.
There in plain sight!
I took it, scanned it quickly. There was no obvious faults with it. The wires were whole, the plugs looked fine.
So I took it.
The guy at the register looked at it and stated calmly. "One Dollar"
()_() SCORE!! A buck :D lol
But...would my dollar be worth it? Would it work?
I took the cord home to try it out.
Only to fail. :(
Not with the cords though.
With my DVD player. :(
The blue,red,green cord has those colors on both ends. While my DVD player's original red white yellow cord is only one side, with little plugs on the other side to plug into it.
Which meant....it didn't work. :( My portable DVD player didn't mesh.
The first thought that came to mind was that I would have to buy an adapter where I could put the new plugs in an adapter that would then let me put the old plugs in the other side...and walla! all the cords would work together.
Meh...that sounded expensive.
Instead, I texted Kikay to ask her if my VHS/DVD player I'd left with her had the blue green red circles in the back that would allow me to plug in.
Survey said...
YES!
Yay!
But would it work?
I went to her apartment and switched out my two players -so she would be able to still watch movies on her TV.
and came back to my apartment to hook everything up.
:( No Dice.
I didn't have sound!
Even though I had all the cords...I only go the now colorful picture. No sound.
But then, I had the brilliant thought.
I know that red and white cord gave me sound.
And conveniently enough...the back of my VHS/DVD player has lots of colored circles.
So I plugged in the red and white on the player to the red and white on the TV and walla! I had sound!
So Red Blue Green gave me picture. and Red White gave me sound.
QUEST SUCCESSFUL! HA!
I can now watch movies anytime I want. ^^ Yay. :)
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Gordon B. Hinckley -Save the Children
- "Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man."
- Violent fathers produce violent sons.
- Such punishment in most instances does more damage than good. Children don't need beating. They need love an encouragement. They need fathers to whom they can look with respect rather than fear.
- They need example.
- God will not be mocked concerning the abuse of his little ones.
- To be successful father or a successful mother is greater than to be a successful general or a successful statesman.
- I am satisfied that no other experiences of life draw us nearer to heaven than those that exist between happy parents and happy children.
- Save the children. Too many suffer and weep. God bless us to be mindful of them, to lift them and guide them as they walk in dangerous paths, to pray for them, to bless them, to love them, to keep them secured until they can run with strength of their own.
Boyd K. Packer -Personal Revelation: The Gift, the Test, and the Promise
- "Great men are not always wise."
- You have your agency, and inspiration does not--perhaps cannot--flow unless you ask for it, or someone asks for you.
- Pray often. Pray in your mind, in your heart. Pray on your knees.
- You must begin where you are.
- Prayer is your personal key to heaven. The lock is on your side of the veil.
- Revelation comes as words we feel more than hear.
- This voice of the Spirit speaks gently, prompting you what to do or what to say, or it may caution or warn you.
- The flow of revelation depends on your faith. You exercise faith by causing, or by making, your mind accept or believe as truth that which you cannot, by reason alone, prove for certainty.
- Be believing and your faith will be constantly replenished, your knowledge of the truth increased, and your testimony of the Redeemer, of the Resurrection, of the Restoration will be as "a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life." You may then receive guidance on practical decisions in everyday life.
- Your body is the instrument of your mind. In your emotions, the spirit and the body come closest to being one. What you learn spiritually depends, to a degree, on how you treat your body.
- "Be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord."
- Do not ever disturb prelude music for others, for reverence is essential to revelation.
- If ever you receive a prompting to do something that makes you feel uneasy, something you know your mind to be wrong and contrary to the principles of righteousness, do not respond to it!
L. Aldin Porter -The Revelations of Heaven
- "There is one thing which we should have exceedingly clear in our minds. Neither the President of the Church, nor the First Presidency, nor the united voice of the First Presidency and the Twelve will ever lead the Saints astray or send forth counsel to the world that is contrary to the mind and will of the Lord.
- Lord loved us and would not leave us without direction.
- Counseling comes not just for our own benefit but for the blessing of those who might be misled by something we might say or do.
- We do not need greater prophets. We need listening ears.
M. Russell Ballard -Restored Truth
- The heavens are not sealed. God does communicate with mortals. He loves us today just as much as He loved those who lived anciently.
Thomas S. Monson -The Fatherless and the Widows--Beloved of God
- We, too, can bless if we will but follow his noble example.
- Those who grieve frequently find themselves alone.
- "We who are young should never become so blindly absorbed in our own pursuits as to forget that there are still with us those who will live in loneliness unless we let them share our lives as once they let us share theirs."
- God grant that those who belong to us may never be left in loneliness.
- Frequently the need of the widow is not one of food or shelter but of feeling a part of ongoing events.
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
The Dream
Involved Captain Hook from Once Upon a Time...he was on a quest to rescue all the children from Neverland and convince them that they needed to grow up.
-S.N.D
The other day I had one of those urges.
To read a book.
I picked one up...
One I'd read before, couldn't get into it.
Picked up a different one....couldn't get into it.
Why?
Because I would read a page and then realize...
I wasn't actually reading the page.
I was thinking about different plots of my own stories.
So I would put the book down,
and go work on that scene I'd been thinking about instead.
lol.
But that urge stayed with me.
I needed to read!
not just Internet stuff,
an actual paper bound book.
So one day, I just went to my shelf and grabbed a book.
It's one that my Mom got me for Christmas.
And the first of that Christmas set that I have picked up to read.
^^;; Heh...I used to devour my Christmas books in like...two days.
And now...I had like five...and it's May...and I'm finally picking up one.
lol.
And loved it!
Which is super awesome,
because I read the inside flap...and I was rather unsure about it.
I mean...I love the dragons and such.
And this book took place in the future.
I tend to avoid those.
I mean I read them on occasion...They're just not my favorite.
I end up hating the ending in most cases.
However, not really the case for this book.
I say not really, as there is an obvious "Hey I can do a sequel here and probably will" ending.
But overall I liked this futuristic book.
It was fun, and the future gadgets were cool. :)
Even if everyone was obsessed with Rank.
But I know it's a good book,
because after reading it...I'm still kinda thinking about it.
What if's.
What if the future turned out to be like that?
Yep. Definitely a good book when it makes you stop and not want to pick up another book yet.
Those types of books are hard to find.
What book is it?
It's called Erasing Time by C.J. Hill
And liked I said. :) I really liked it. ^^
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
I never thought it was fair that my pets should only be fed once a day.
I mean, we eat three meals a day
-Well not me, I just snack throughout the day ;)
But, if we get a breakfast time, lunch time, dinner time....
shouldn't our animals get the same?
I don't see how only eating once a day would be filling.
Healthier maybe.
But does it make sense that your pets always appear to be starving...because they are?
lol. I know that means we use food quicker.
But I can't resist.
If my pets look hungry,
I want to feed them.
And then they get fat.
Or they get their winter coats ;) It's an easier excuse when it's cold outside. lol.
Though, I do wonder.
Do fish get fat?
They seem to be constantly hungry too?
You see, living in my apartment...that doesn't allow mammals.
I only have a Beta fish. Named Phantasmic.
You may remember him as a picky eater.
Well he's not anymore!
I don't have to feed him blood worms.
lol. I bought the brand of pellet food that we feed the Betas at Starsmet,
And gave him some.
After a long long wait.
He Ate Them!
Woot!
So Phantasmic isn't difficult anymore.
Which is great, as I was only remembering to feed him like every other day with the blood worms -they take forever to thaw, and I'm not keen on things that take too long.
And I was feeling bad that I was being such a neglectful owner.
So I'm glad he eats the pellets.
As I can now be a great owner!
Who feeds their Beta basically every time I enter the room.
(only a slight exaggeration)
And don't worry I'm not over feeding him. I make sure he eats all his pellets first before I give him more.
I mean...the longer I can get away without cleaning the tank, the better right? ;)
-I'm not a perfect owner.
But hey...I feed my pets multiple times a day. So that counts for something right? :) lol
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Dear Laibai;
I'm sorry.
I thought it was really weird for you to call into work and say that you weren't coming in because you had a migraine.
I mean...I get migraines/headaches all the time.
But I don't let them get in the way of work.
Well...I apologize.
I'd forgotten, how bad a migraine could actually be.
And that going to work would be unimaginable torture.
I mean...ouch. Just ouch everywhere.
Again, I'm sorry.
For I totally understand now.
Though in a different light.
I had to leave work today.
Because I wasn't feeling well.
It happens once in a blue moon.
Where Advil...just doesn't help pain go away.
And in fact.
Makes it worse.
My work shift started out fine.
I was happy, feeling great.
And then Wham.
About two hours in...the pain came.
Not a headache pain, just different pain.
But...it hurt alot.
I would disappear into the back looking for tasks to do that allow me to sit down, as sitting helps the pain better then standing.
but then I would need to go reappear to show people I wasn't slacking off.
Finally, it caved in and went to take a 15 minute break.
Half an hour later.
I knew I wasn't going to make it.
I couldn't stand up without feeling like all the blood rushed from my head to my feet.
I was shaky.
Dizzy.
And my stomach wasn't helping matters at all.
So huddled in the back room,
I used my cell phone to call work, to reach a manager, to ask them to come to the break room so I could ask them if I would be able to leave early. -Two hours early.
They were super awesome and told me yes. I could.
Great!
Because I wasn't going to be much help the rest of the shift anyway if I couldn't stand up. -It's a standing, walking, being vertical job after all.
I didn't even think I would make it home.
I mean walking to my car required that I lay in the back of it for like 5 minutes for rest.
It wouldn't have been much of a problem.
Like 3 weeks ago when I lived like a minute and a half away.
But now...it's like a 10-15 minute drive to my home.
Could I actually make it home now that I was out of work?
Seriously, I considered just going back into the break room and hanging out there for the night.
But through some serious will power,
and street lights that were mostly helpful
I managed to make it to my street.
Where there was a nice spot in front of my apartment big enough that I could parallel park into it in one pain hazed try.
Though pain was quickly changing into the need to empty my stomach.
I was delayed in that I misplaced my cell phone once I got out of the car,
after some intense shaky searching and a serious debate about just spending the night in the back seat of my car.
I found the phone.
But being vertical again...wasn't making my stomach happy.
Blessings be thanked. I made it to my bathroom without making a mess anywhere else on the journey from my car. It was close a couple of times.
Yay will power and blessings! lol
So. for the first time. I left work early. Because I physically couldn't work. Due to me seriously not feeling well.
Ugh...I hope this doesn't happen again anytime soon.
I hate giving into pain. >.<
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
