My Weekend

Stress: the physical pressure, pull, or other force exerted on one thing by another; strain.

Stress literally controls my life at times. I do things that I normally wouldn't if I wasn't under an amount of stress. It's not that I'm blaming my bad choices, moods, or problems on stress, but I'm certain it adds a bit of it's own tasteless opinions to my life a little to often. I find that most often school work brings on the best (or the worst) of stress. It's like you can't get your mind off it. Even the weekends don't prove to be very enjoyable, because if you're behind constantly, (like me) then you're always telling yourself to "go finish this", or "oh wait, I forgot about that". It's an ongoing struggle. Thankfully, this weekend proved that statement wrong.

Earlier in the week, Tyler had asked me to come sing at his church with him and his selected worship team on Sunday. I've never sang with so many people on stage before. There was Me, Ty, Andy, Jake and his wife Wendy, Jonathan, Jared,a mom of one of the girls who I danced with one year and a girl who played Bass, named Jamie. So overall there were 8 people up there. Wendy, Andy, Tyler and I sang, and everybody including Ty and Andy played an instrument. So anyways, we practiced on Friday, smoothed out the few glitches in the sound system and our voices, and around 8:15 PM we started packing up and heading for home. I ended up spending the night in Tyler and Kelsey's living room.

On Saturday, Ty and Kelse and I headed out for Grandma and Grandpas house (although Grandpa wasn't there, unfortunately, because he was at a show) to do yet another annual labeling. Mom, Papa, Audrey, Will, Carrie, Jeremy and Andy (Carrie, Jeremy and Andy had come from Portland the night before) all arrived a bit after us, and while Jeremy and I kept a heated "who's gone through the most brochure boxes" race, Ty and Andy dinked around on their instruments and recording equipment in the bedroom. I won by the way. Ha Jeremy, take that! :D Our evening was spent between watching the Colorado Rockie's lose a World Series game, nursing our raw label-dried fingers, and eating the fabulous snacks Grandma so generously provided. Good food always makes life easier. :)

Sunday dawned bright and early. A little to early, actually. Andy and I headed into town around 8:45 AM (or around there) from the house and reached our destination (the church) in time for another run through of the songs. The real thing went much better then our initial practices and we were pretty happy about the finishing product. After sitting down, Steve, gave a mediocre sermon while Ty and I played an exciting game of hangman which led to a man with a top-hat and the finishing word, "hello". I stumped 'em. ;) We wandered around the lobby, visiting with random people and enjoying the content buzzing of people's conversations. Soon we found our appetites were becoming overpowering and we must give into them. Unfortunately, as Ty, Andy, Kelse and I lay sprawled across their (Ty and Kelsey's) living room, we found we couldn't decide on which restaurant to go to. We ambled, actually no, Andy's driving would not be called ambling; we shuddered and jolted our way across town and ended up a the "Lucky Panda". It's a modernized version of a Chinese restaurant with an almost full-to-the-bursting-point atmosphere. Every ones, but Kelsey's, lunch was practically dripping with MSG. Full, "in a weird kind of way" Kelse and I agreed, we headed to the Brain's (my) house. Evening dawned an orange and purple sky and brought a foot ball game and a one-card away-from-winning Speed card game. Ty and Kelsey soon left for Kelsey's parents anniversary, and that left us "little" brain kids, Mom and Papa and Andy to enjoy the evening.

Sometimes you have to make yourself forget about things and make yourself have fun, but it's sure nice when you don't have to and it just comes naturally. For instance, like this weekend.

With highest regards, and frustratingly good Speed skills,
Your,
Ellie May

P.S. For any who don't know, "Speed" is a card game.