“There is nothing more majestic than the determined courage of individuals willing to suffer and sacrifice for their freedom and dignity.”

– Martin Luther King, Jr.

…good friends visit, bookcase perfected, a new year arrives, earthquake at Hong Kong factory, pictures hung, friends missed, miles driven, backgammon learned, camping trips planned, excuses made, web design refreshed, loud yelling incurs, GPS watch broken in, new job hoped for, weather enjoyed, potato soup burned, watches designed, texts sent, time wasted, lists made, comps revised, new people met, emails sent, wishes wished, quilt expected, realizations made, mechanicals drawn, nephew held, THR3E viewed (insert advertisement here: go see this movie! Yes, it is low budget and not as good as the book. But it’s made from a Ted Dekker book. Support.), logos sized, car packed, interview scheduled, presents opened, good food eaten, clothes sorted, authority questioned, dairy cows purchased, flight arrangements made, church attended, crazy neighbors met, files rearranged, secrets kept, laundry folded, friends invited, books devoured, disappointments caused, prayers sent up, dials measured, printers jammed, packages mailed…

(The following is a list of random musings as a result of current severe boredom at the workplace. This is not a list of complaints, as I thoroughly enjoy my current residence, but merely humorous encounters from the last few weeks. Interpret at will.)

1. Have mail forwarded when you move. The next resident has no desire to receive your bills and junk mail. It is also not a fun game for the new resident to open the mailbox, be elated that for once the box isn’t empty, then have that excitement plummet upon the realization that the entire contents, pizza coupons and all, are in fact addressed to the previous resident.

2. Every room in the apartment should come equipped with a light fixture. Light is a necessity. Period. And the random light switches that turn on outlets? Those have got to go. One should not have to flip a switch, expecting the room to be flooded with light, to instead find that the static-filled TV springs to life.

3. Noise pollution: loud, irritating or distracting sounds to which people are exposed. This one deserves some sub-points:
A. If the TV, radio and dishwasher cannot drown out the noise-making individual, that is a clear sign that he/she is too loud.
B. If the loudness cannot be avoided, then limit it to appropriate times of the day. For example, 3 AM is not the best option for a party on the balcony; normal people are trying to sleep at this hour.
C. Please refrain from repetitious random yelling. There is no apparent reason for this and neighbors will think someone is dying. Should the noise continue, the annoyance level will be heightened and in the case that one is indeed passing from life, said person may be left for dead. Not the best idea.
D. Coordinate all noise with that of your neighbors. This way those who like nice peaceful evenings can simply schedule a leave of absence at the designated time.
E. Car alarms should not be going off at all hours unless someone is actually breaking into one’s car. In this case, please limit such disturbances to hours of daylight.

4. When dialing a security number designated as one in which you will receive ‘emergency assistance,’ one should not be placed on hold. That’s self-explanatory.

That is all. For now.