Weblog
Saturday, 27 September 2008
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Hey everyone, I'm new here. Please feel free to stop by and say "Hi"!
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Currently Listening
B Collision
By David Crowder Band
Wholly Yours
see relatedThis has been one hell of a week.
On Wednesday night about 11 o'clock, I started to get a cramp in my abdomen on my left side. I thought it was just the way I was lying in bed. I tried to fall asleep but I couldn't because the cramp got worse and worse. I tried going to the bathroom, nothing. So about 1 o'clock in the morning I called my boyfriend Steven on his cell phone. I told him that I thought I needed to go to the hospital. I had a really bad cramp that wasn't going away. He told me he would be at my house within minutes.
Steven lives about a 15 minute walk from my house. About five minutes after I called him, he arrived at my front door, soaking wet and out of breath. He had run in the cold and pouring rain to get to me.
We called a cab to go to the Burnaby General Hospital. It was a $15 ride, $20 if you count the tip.
The doctor said I probably had a kidney stone, but there would be a bit of a wait for a CAT scan to see if that was the case. I was in excruciating pain, so much so that I had to be given morphine. The nurse came in to set up the IV. I started to panic and hyperventilate because the pain was too much. Once the morphine was injected, I started to shake uncontrollably. I'm sure this was disturbing for Steven, all he could do was hold my hand.
Through the next eight and a half hours Steven stayed with me, holding my hand, stroking my forehead, kissing my face. He massaged by back where the cramp was when it flared up, got a waste basket when I started to dry-heave because of the pain, put my socks on when I needed to walk on the floor and he helped me get in and out of bed when I needed to use the washroom. Finally he had to leave because he was so tired. He paid for my cab ride home, another $20. Steven ended up missing class Thursday night because he was too tired to get up.
I have never experienced such tenderness before in my entire life. Every time I think about his love and devotion that night, I start to cry. I am humbled that this man would do this for me.
I thanked him for that, he said to me, "What else was there to do?" He meant that there was no other option for him. I was a priority, end of story.
There are no words to express my gratitude for Steven. He is a gift from God, one I certainly do not deserve. I hope some day I can repay him for all the sacrifices he makes for me.
I love you Steven Orlowski.
Pax Christi,
OrlosGirl
Sunday, 03 August 2008
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Currently Reading
The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini
see relatedWe went to see Dark Knight last night at Silver City Cinemas at Metrotown in Burnaby. It's a pretty big theatre. We were at the cash register getting our tickets when something very touching happened. Steven said, "Two tickets, one for me and one for my girl." My heart swelled with pride. It felt so good to hear those words. We've been together for almost fourteen months and I still get butterflies over the things he says and does!
Pax Christi,
OrlosGirl
Monday, 02 June 2008
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Currently Listening
Just Come In
By Margaret Becker
Draw Me Nearer (May this Journey)
see relatedOnce in a Lifetime
Well, here I am. I'm actually living in Vancouver, British Columbia. I would have written an entry earlier but I've been looking for a job since I got here. I had an interview almost every day. Some of them have been, uh, interesting to say the least. The first one was for a coffee shop in a rough part of town. The workers were all young males. I have nothing against young males, it's just that my experience has shown me that, in general, they aren't the cleanest people on the planet; neither was the coffee shop. The floor was filthy and I was afraid to drink from the mug they offered my coffee in. My skin was crawling by the time I left.
A week or so after I arrived, I actually did get hired as a customer service agent for an online furniture store. This was very encouraging. I went to the first day of training and realized that it was not going to be a match. I could not do the "multi-tasking" they would be expecting from me. My brain just doesn't work that way. I can't talk on the phone, read the screen, listen to the customer and type all at the same time. Now don't get me wrong. I'm the queen of the multi-task when it comes to balancing physical activities like cooking, talking on the phone, cleaning and doing my hair. I just can't divide my brain four different ways and do the things the way they should be done. After three weeks of not finding a suitable job, I was hired by a third party collection agency. I start tomorrow.
I'm staying temporarily at Steven's house. He has taken over the den so that I can have my own room. I have to admit that being in the same house with his mother all the time is VERY emotionally draining. She is elderly and very much like me personality wise. We are both Golds or Cholerics. We need order, structure, schedules and everything just so. If something messes with our Chi we get a little testy. The thing about his mother is that she doesn't talk about what bothers her, she complains about things that are not related and makes outlandish comments. She also bottles things up inside until she explodes. I'm not like that. The first few days after I arrived were really rough as she tried adjusting to my being there. I think her biggest issue was that she had fears she would have to clean up after me as well as Steven. She old and tired and just can't do that. So I've been working my ass off to make sure she has to do as little work as possible while I'm there. I've been cooking, cleaning up after Steven as well as my self, I've been doing laundry, running errands and going with her for groceries. She is high maintenance.
As for living in the close quarters with Steven (this is completely chaste because we sleep in separate rooms on different floors), I love him but I need my own space. Spending too much time together is starting to work on me. Even little things are starting to annoy me about him. After we get married and share a home together, we both will need our own space to escape to. He needs his video games and I need my books. Not having a place to call my "own" at his mother's house makes me feel like I don't have any where to go. As a result, I spend a lot of time at a Starbucks, Blenz or Waves. There I have all I need: my Chai Tea Latte, my book and a quiet corner to disappear to. The library has also become a haven for me. It's HUGE. There are at least 9 floors and it's outer court is surrounded with cafe's and little restaurants. It looks like a roman coliseum.
There is just so much I love about Vancouver. I feel like I belong here. There is so much to see and do and the Pacific Ocean is just a bus ride away. God has given me this awesome opportunity to live an abundant, fulfilling life.
Yes, I miss my mom, brother, cat and friends from my parish. I miss them very, very much. Sometimes it makes me cry. But I need to be here. I need to start my life with the man who loves me more than I thought possible. Love always requires sacrifice. Leaving my family, friends and everything I know behind is the sacrifice I had to make.
I hope God looks upon that sacrifice with favour and blesses the marriage that is in my future.
Pax Christi,
OrlosGirl
Sunday, 27 April 2008
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Currently Listening
Pam Thum
By Pam Thum
Turn, Turn, Turn...
see relatedA Time to Sow
Well, I'm not quite sure how to feel today. I attended my last Mass at my beloved home parish of St. Basil's. It is the parish where I was received into the Catholic Church. It has been my spiritual home for the last seven years.
You see, I'm moving to British Columbia this coming Thursday May 1st. I got the opportunity, so I took it. I'm going to be with my Steven. He is where my heart is. I want and need to be with him.
I don't know what the future has in store for me out there. Leaving my family, my friends (and my precious cat) and the comfort of familiarity saddens me. But I know God will take care of me. I remember how at peace and full of life I was when I was there at Christmas. I want that. I want that and never want to leave it again. I don't want to be away from Steven ever again.
So I have a bittersweet feeling inside. I am going to miss all of the people who have been so good to me over the years. But I also know that my life is going to be very full out in Vancouver. I will be working, building a life and planning a wedding. A year and five days from now, God willing, I will be a married woman.
All I've ever hoped for is coming true, but it isn't coming without cost. The sacrifice is the pain of leaving those I love behind.
It's a sacrifice I am more than willing to make.
Pax Christi,
OrlosGirl
