Lost and Found

over the last year i haven't had a whole lot of time to watch television. i had seen previews for the new series "Lost" right before i left for the UK and then heard about it during the course of the year because Sarah Toth grew up with Maggie Grace, "Shannon," from the show. it's a show about a plane that crashes on a flight from australia. half of the plane doesn't make it, the other half is stranded on an island, hoping to be found, trying to find water and the things that they need to survive.

so last wednesday was my first encounter with the show and can i say OBSESSED. Already. they're showing repeats over the summer, so i get to catch up almost from the beginning. it's so good...it's so intense...i'm going to be really sad when i go back to the UK Lost-less. i need some american volunteers to keep me up-to-date on the goings on with Jack and the crew once i return to Anglo-land. maybe i'll even request season one from Lost for christmas or something.

i'm sorry that this post is so neglectful my friends in other areas of the world, but i just think it's worth mentioning so that if it does ever make it to your side of the world you've got your eyes peeled for a ridiculously good show.

Back to Reality...

i took a nap today and i've been having this recurring dream that i'm back in college (uni). THE CATCH is that unbeknownst to me, i've forgotten that i've enrolled in a class that i need to graduate, so i go for about a day and then forget about it. i'm going to all of my other classes, but not that one that i'll NEED, and so although i'm oblivious to it in my dream, i know in my head that once i realize this, it'll be too late and i won't graduate. i've had this dream A LOT. no idea what it means, but i'm open to suggestions.

i'm just confused by it because i've been graduated for a year. i guess my subconscious isn't yet clued into that fact.

i also had a dream last night about a ringmaster and a chimp. i woke up laughing.

Highway To the Danger Zone

okay, i've decided that i need to write this post very carefully for fear of being misunderstood. i don't know if ya'll are familiar with the media uproar that has recently surrounded Tom Cruise and his stance on Scientology, his professed religion. he's said some things about Brooke Shields and her treatment for post-partum depression after she had her baby. he's also had a tent erected on the set of War of the Worlds as a means of informing his cast and crew about his beliefs, what some view as proselytizing. :: YAWN :: I KNOW...it's not the most interesting post, BUT STICK WITH ME. i have a point, i just wanted to make sure you had a little bit of the background.

the first thing you should know is that while i can see some of Tom's points about certain issues that circle around his belief system (i.e. we sometimes rush to prescribe drugs too quickly when treating psychological issues....ADHD, depression), that doesn't mean that i think drugs shouldn't be used at all AND it should really be emphasized that i do not, whatsoever, associate myself with the beliefs of Scientology.

there is one thing i admire about Mr. Tommy though. too many times in the past year, have i met someone who when asked what they believe says, "Dunno," with a shrug, "never really think about it." And it's not just that mindset, but the whole approach that i have so often let be a part of my life, where I'm a christian who doesn't really say much about what i believe if it's not comfortable for me. i guess the thing that i respect about the whole circus, is that he actually has conviction about something. conviction that's strong enough where he doesn't really care about how the media portrays him, but he'll take steps to make his beliefs known.

i don't do that as a christian like i should. i usually REALLY care about what people will think, or say, or how they'll react to me. i usually freak and then back out, kind of like i did yesterday when at lunch with an old friend. i guess my point is....a lot of people DO care about what others will think about them, so i almost feel like i don't have much of a right to say anything about The Old Topgunner--

i found myself changing the channel to a Nighttime Talk Show yesterday evening so i could ridicule how "off his rocker" he seemed, and shake my head, and tut at how he had finally dropped off of the deep end. "first his crazy antics about scientology, now his engagement to someone 17 years his junior who talks out of the side of her mouth."

but halfway into the interview, my mind was challenged and changed. i think ol' Maverick has something right. if you believe something deeply and passionately, you need to speak it, and i can't really fault him for that--as annoying as it is because scientology is more about opinions than truth. i just wish more of us christians had the same mindset.

Correction

okay...a couple of clarifications from my previous post (i seem to be off my game this week).

#1--my apologies go out to Maurice McCracken for not mentioning that he was the one that informed me of the evilness of the mosquito compared to the midge. I feel as though mentioning this would have given my argument much more weight, as he is someone who can probably more rightly attest to the fact that mosquitoes DESERVE TO BE WIPED OFF OF THE FACE OF THE PLANET...::gains composure again::.....onto point two.

#2--CK is probably right. It's not so much culture shock as my absent-mindedness about the realities of Ohio summers, which includes humidity, INSECTS OF DOOM, and a general feeling of restlessness.

Although, I'm holding fast to that toilet thing! I REALLY DID FORGET HOW MUCH WATER ARE IN THOSE SUCKERS.

Mosquitoes

culture shock moment #23:

i've just been informed that mosquitoes don't exist in the UK--there is an annoying insect called a "midge(?)" but that it's not as nearly close to the spawn of satan as mosquitoes are.

i currently have two bites on my left foot, two on my right calf, an infinite number on my back, one on my left forearm, and one on my right elbow. i itch.

mosquitoes are the bain of my existence.

i have no idea why God created them, but with their bloodsucking ways i'm convinced that they're a product of the fall.

stupid things...

all of those bites---that's what i get for wearing my new hollister perfume when i went out the other night. ugh....i just found another one on my stomach.

Disclaimer

disclaimer: i understand that my most recent post is on the heels of one about liking the fact that i can be around my friends who have known me for a while.

number one: that HAS been great, but most of them are all spread out (apparently, you cannot walk to most of your friend's houses in this country)--especially those in other cities or states.

number two: this shows how confused i actually am about life in general upon my re-entering the US and that i actually have no idea about how i feel.

thank you and goodnight.

Safe and Sound

well hello....

didn't expect to see you there. things you should know:

i drove a car today and am still alive. it was our '97 Ford Explorer. my parents just bought a new 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix about a week ago and are pretty nervous about me driving it, although they have placed me on the car insurance for the summer. i'm trying to tell them that getting behind the driver's wheel is like getting back on a bike, but it seems that they keep remembering that time when I was twenty where i lost complete control of a mountain bike while peddling down the hill on our street and slammed into and dented a mercedes.

okay...that's didn't happen, but if it HAD, i'd understand their concern a lot more. i think i probably just need to get one of them in a car with me, if they can be convinced that they won't be endangering their lives too much.

i also went to my home church for the first time in ten months this morning. it was WEEEEEEEEEEIRD. i almost cried like 3 times and i have NO idea why, but it wasn't because i was feeling overly happy. i think i'm just a little overwhelmed by this whole living out of the country for ten months thing. and i don't think people know eeexactly what to ask so they keep saying, "Did you have a good time?" and not knowing how to reply, i said, "Yeah, it was great," and that was kind of the end of it.

they're very dear, the people at my home church, but i think i even feel more known at christ church in liverpool...which is a strange feeling. brittney doesn't know where she belongs, except for in heaven.

So that's my day in a nutshell. I was going to go to church tonight, but was INCREDIBLY tired and fell asleep. Tomorrow starts the beginning of calling people and trying to get on the ball for support. SCARY. i'm really, really nervous about getting all of my support in, so if you remember, pray for ye ol' britster.

Someone Built Me a Cake

today has been a good, full day. lauren, rachel, tara, and i headed down to lockland (i think) to get fitted for our bridesmaid dresses for lauren's wedding next may. it's a pretty dress. maybe i'll try and post a picture of it on here sometime soon. we randomly saw a girl from high school while i was there and i was reminded of my quite often jerky mentality when i told rachel to pretend like she hadn't seen her. not because i don't like the girl, but just to avoid that really odd "i haven't seen you in five years" awkward conversation where you realize that the only real thing you have in common is that you went to high school together five years ago. not to justify my gut reaction of how to respond to jodi--like i said before, it just reminds me that i'm not actually as nice as i think i am. of course, rachel IS that nice (which is probably why she's my best friend--because she can overcome my really illogical suggestions on how to respond to situations such as the aforementioned), and so she grinned and gave her a big wave.

afterward rachel, tara, and i headed to the International house of pancakes (ihop) and i had a big old stack of buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup. it was SPECTACULAR.

that was full enough for me, but i still had a big night ahead and so i took a quick hour nap, woke up, cleaned myself up, and went to the Olive Garden (an amazing italian restaurant) with Lauren, Anne, Stephanie, Sarah, Alli, Jennifer, Rachel, and Tara. We went to Rachel's when we were finished and hung out and chatted for four hours.

Conclusions for the night?

I have incredibly beautiful friends. Seriously. I'm not saying that to be cheesy. My friends are really, really hot. I'll try to post a picture. They are a good looking bunch. How did I ever wriggle into their inner circle?

Not only are they hot, but they're incredibly loyal. They came in from all over to spend some time with me tonight. They even bought me a "welcome home" cake. Can you believe that?!? I felt really loved. Sarah Logan left work came straight here--arrived around 5:30 and is leaving in the morning. I....think that is pretty great.

and finally, the friends that you've had the longest are the best. the ones you can tell stories about from 4, 8, and 10 years ago and they crack up, because they were there. i love new friendships. i love developing friendships. but it's nice to come back to people who know you THAT well. to know that people exist like that in the world (even if most of the time you happen to be about a quarter of the way across it).

The Opera Shocker

i've been planning to get together with matt reis when i got back for a few weeks now. he called the first full day i was home to say hello and we decided to grab dinner for friday and catch up on life in general. BUT i spoke with him last night and apparently he was given 2 free opera tickets last minute, so he asked if I wanted to go to dinner and then head to the opera afterward. i agreed, being a little worried about what i would wear, being that i left most my dressier clothes back in liverpool, but that was eventually sorted.

so ol' matty picked me up around 5pm, we headed to max and erma's where i had an amazing baked potato and cup of french onion soup and then we ventured down to cincinnati to see La Boheme.

I loooooved it. WHO IN THE WORLD KNEW THAT OPERA COULD BE FUNNY? I was expecting Princess Leia braids on the sides of some very large woman's head. I was anticipating men in leiderhosen. And I was expecting not to understand anything that was being sung.

NOT the case. They had a computerized screen above the stage where there were "subtitles" of sorts. And La Boheme is set in late 19th century paris, so the wardrobe was fitting for that era. No leiderhosen. And I loved the characters, they were hilarious and witty. I was chuckling softly in my seat through most of the first act.

Point is: I really enjoyed it. Death and all. So my suggestion, don't knock it til you try it. if you haven't yet, give opera a try, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Reverse Culture Shock

THERE IS SO MUCH WATER IN AMERICAN TOILETS.

i'm constantly thinking that the thing is in the process of overflowing. it's terrifying me.

Back in America Like...

i arrived at my house last night around 8pm and went to bed around 11. the feeling of jetlag started to set in around 3-4 this afternoon, when my body was under the misconception that it was evening. now that it's 8:30, i'm definitely feeling sleepy, but trying to fight it to make the transition easiest as possible.

i won't be posting pictures on my blog for a while due to the fact that i don't have access to a cam, but i'm hoping to get a digital camera soon. i'll do my best to document life in ohio so those friends who have never been here can have a better understanding of what in the world i'm talking about.

i can't access my hotmail account. it's driving me UP THE WALL. i go to sign in and it takes me to that security screen where you have to type in letters and numbers and then it kicks me right back out. i have no idea what's wrong. david springate, help! ha. i wish you could fly to ohio and fix it.

okay...the britster is getting back to the telly. lataz my friends.

"...and I feel fine"

so i thought my previous post would be the last one before i left for america, but lo and behold, i was mistaken. tonight was sooooooooo fun. i actually felt really loved even though it was nothing really special, we just told people to pop around to hang out before we left for the summer and literally, my closest friends in this city, save one person, sat around with me, toth, and treece. it's funny because they're people that i've only REALLY, REALLY gotten to know in the past few months but i love them so much and they've become dear friends in my life. it made me appreciate and love my life and liverpool outside of the team, and THAT is cool--that liverpool isn't just about a group of americans (and one british guy), but that i have real friends here. that sounds like a silly thing to say, doesn't it? but it's true--don't you ever have realizations like that? you realize that there's actually substance to relationships that you have and that someone else actually considers YOU their friend. i like it. i like being called a friend and actually feeling like someone really does mean it, like they're not just scraping to assign you a title because they're not yet quite sure of how to define you. so tonight my faithful and probably very attractive readers, i feel like a friend and i feel fiiiiine.

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

this morning was not my idea of how my first year of stint would end.

2/3 of the team left for high wycombe in the morning and we saw them off at the train station, but not before the following (in no particular order) happened in less than an hour or so:

*our washer door broke (and won't open) and ashley's laundry is stuck inside...still there.

*taxis were honking and going crazy outside of our houses as people were scrambling to get things done.

*we called about paying up-to-date on council tax THIS morning and found out that it was 308pounds.

*we had to figure out who was going to pay what.

*the english camp materials for russia were FORGOTTEN at our house and a taxi had to turn around and get it. THIS IS A HUGE DEAL.

*Brad's bag was temporarily misplaced in one of the taxis.

*Toth and I had to carry brad's snowboard (the size of me) without the strap into the city via the bus. I have scraps all over my arm now and a couple of broken blood vessels.

*the taxis that were supposed to pick up the summer projectors didn't come and so we had to call and get NEW taxis.

*christy caught on fire (okay...that's not true...just thought i'd spice it up)

*the final taxi arrived at the train station about 5 minutes before the train was leaving and people needed to buy their tickets and withdraw money from a cashpoint.

*we had to say goodbye to our team as the final whistle was being blown to board the train.

ABSOLUTE PANDELERIUM. That's beyond pandemonium. It was NUTS.

...Go ahead...you can say it. It's almost comical, isn't it?

I am getting on a plane tomorrow, I am going home, and I'm going to sleep for about 3 days. Count 'em....THREE. The Britster is spent.

Reader Poll #2

who would win in a fight:

a monkey with a high quality swiss army knife or a one-armed bear?

the bear has no weapon.

you better defend that answer.

warning: i found this link while trying to find an appropriate picture for this question on google images, while mildly amusing the webpage does not represent the view of the blogmaestro herself and she asks that you too would separate the opinions of the onearmed bear vs. webpage from her own. thank you and goodnight.

There they are--my rockstars in the flesh--looking out into the great unknown--oooor the Mediterranean.

The Beginning of the End

As strange as it seems to say, this is the beginning of the end for my first year in Liverpool with eight people who have gradually become family. it's Saturday and on Monday morning 6 of my teammates are heading off to London for St. Petersburg Summer Project Briefing. Sarah, Sara, and I will leave the following morning to head back to the Grand Ol' U.S. of A. So tonight I think we're going to hang out as a team, have some dinner, that kind of thing and then tomorrow night I think we're going to start in on the official goodbyes.

It's just strange. I don't think I'm insensitive, but saying goodbye usually feels like a "see you later" thing to me. I guess because I don't plan on this being the last time that I ever see my team. They're more than some folks that I labored alongside for a year--they are--indefinable.

I guess the hardest part of saying goodbye is saying goodbye to a time in your life and maybe even letting yourself, for the first time, recognize the fear that comes with leaving something familiar to venture into something unknown. Whether it's an unknown team in a familiar city or a new career with faceless co-workers--you want to hold onto what you know and love for as long as you're able because you're sure that you know and love it.

I don't know how sending my team off on Monday will feel. I have no idea if there will be tears or if it'll be a long hug with visible appreciation in my eyes. I do know that I will look back at my first year of stint as an amazing time in my life--a time where I, Brittney Lenhoff, was given the absolute privilege of watching God move in and work through eight of the most incredible humans that I've ever met. Eight people who love Jesus and who, despite their shortcomings and their sin and their own hang-ups, faithfully did things that stretched and even frustrated them because they only want to make God known.

I don't know what goodbye will be like, but I do know that I will miss you, Brad, Ashley, Christy, Sara, and Aaron...terribly. Thank you for laboring with me in LP. Thank you for being my family. Thank you for following Jesus.

See Below Picture First: My nervousness overcomes me and I then decide that being an adult is overrated and go buck crazy in some cookie dough, but am caught red-handed.

Don't let this grin deceive you...you can see it in my eyes. I'm not all too sure about this whole "growing up" deal. Look nervous, don't I?

Supersize Me

i'm going to bed soon so this is going to be short and sweet.

the american summer project kids are here. i think there are about 10 of them. it's kind of fun to have them in town, but i'm pretty tired as our team is trying to get about 500 things done (which should explain the relatively early bedtime). one full day under me ol' belt though, and it was a pretty good one.

i got an e-mail from lauren today and i get to go and get fitted for a bridesmaid dress once i get back to america. that's exciting, eh? my very first real live friend type of wedding. not like those casual friends (although they are great), but the ones you've known and lived with and have basically probably wrestled a little and they've seen you when you wake up in the morning and so know most of the habits that you'd like to keep hidden from the rest of the world--things like bottom scratching and unkempt and unintentional side ponytails from a long night of tossing and turning. weddings aren't weird until those kind of people start to get married. you move into this era where you no longer speak of them as your friend, so-and-so, but they're MRS. so-and-new so and her husband, blankety blank. that seems really adult to me.

i think having the summer project students here, some of them recent university graduates, has reminded me of the realities of this new stage of life--life as an adult. even though they're 22, one year younger than me, i can see the differences that a year makes. when i first graduated, i fought it. i wanted to stay young. i wanted to stretch out my uni years as best as i could, in any way possible. it was me versus ol' Father Time. but strangely enough, i think time is gradually winning the inevitable battle of growing up, so whether it's the upcoming marriage of one of my dearest friends or finding my own medical insurance, i think that i'm finally adapting and sort of becoming okay with this whole adult thing (even if i still only consider myself about 55% of one).

Empty Hizouse

::scratch scratch----yaaaaaawn----plod plod plod----aaaaaaah::

what's that sound?

that's the sound of Brittney in a house all to herself!

when i was younger i used to think that if i came home to an empty house that Jesus had come back and i'd been left behind. "was i a christian?...surely," i'd answer. "WELL WHAT THE HECK WENT WRONG? HE'S FORGOTTEN ME." then the phone would ring and it would be someone who was VERY solid in their faith and i'd feel okay about an empty house again.

i think at this point in my life i really enjoy an empty house when i can get it. it's a novelty.

today sarah toth, ashley, and christy have gone paintballing and sara treece left for london, so here am i, listening to my laundry flip and turn in the washing machine, wearing a tank and some mesh shorts, and sporting some pretty messy hair at half 12 because IIIIIIII CAN.

sidenote: i've just heard the mail slot open 3 times. seems we either have a lot of mail OR the mailman is a little bit off of his game today.

i plan on enjoying this day by trying to get as much laundry done as possible in an open washing machine. i've even made piles out of all of my dirty clothes and when i have a load in the wash, i always have a pile "on deck" in the kitchen, waiting and longing to be thrown in. strategic, eh? i thought so. it needs to be done, as i haven't slept in my own bed for about three nights because there's so much stuff on top of it that needs to be packed. i hear eyebrows raising...where have i been sleeping you ask?

with sara treece of course. she's got a double bed. there's plenty of room for both of us, although i have discovered that i'm a duvet-stealer and that i was talking in my sleep the other night to someone who was considering getting baptized. i have no idea who. but i was pretty excited about the idea from what i recall of the dream.

now that i've revealed a lot about my sleeping habits, i should probably go. i think the laundry cycle is going to be done soon and my "whites" are waiting eagerly on deck.

Summa-Summa-Summatime (Summertime)...

for the record, it is 87 degrees farenheit in Hamilton, Ohio right now--that's where I'm from. that's 31 degrees celcius. i am very, very bitter about this.

i want a real summer...nooooow.

I'm Cleaning Out My Closet

note: readers are required to hum the Eminem song "Cleaning out my closet" while reading this post.

mom, no offense, but let's be honest, cleaning in the Lenhoff household has never been something that we've regarded as a priority. sure we had chores, but we're a "clutter" kind of family, wouldn't you say?

too much clutter can drive me up the wall eventually, but generally speaking i have this philosophy that as long as you don't have stuff lying on your floor in piles, garbage isn't spilling over the sides of the can/bin, and there are no visible dead animals--your house is as clean as it needs to be. i found out during uni that others have different philosophies.

so today has been designated as spring cleaning day at Harry (16 Hereford Rd). AND SERIOUSLY...i felt a little like i was in the cleaning olympics. we met at 10am, made an EXHAUSTIVE list of what had to be done in each room (that in and of itself took an hour), were assigned to a room, and then we set off to our designated rooms and the cleaning commenced.

i must say that i woke up less than thrilled to partake in the cleaning marathon, but actually, don't tell anyone, but after five hours of cleaning our family room top to bottom, i'm really, really pleased with it. i dusted EVERYTHING, including the crown molding. i vaccumed and mopped. i cleaned out drawers. i even washed the windows both INSIDE and OUTSIDE.

after completion i found myself coming into the front room over and over again to look at the windows, to feel the dirt-free hardwood floor under my barefeet, to look at the symmetry of our shelves and furniture. it was euphoric.

i felt ashamed of the newly discovered joy in intensive cleaning that was revealed by the cleaning olympics, and i suppose i felt a little surprised as well. but it makes sense if you think about it. whether it's a shower after we've gotten grimy due to a hot day, or whether it's brushing our teeth after waking up with that "morning" kind of taste in our mouths...we like to be clean. i don't know why it would shock me that this concept can be applied so universally.

it's funny how being clean makes you feel, isn't it? like everything is just as it should be. i like it. i think i'm going to go and sit on my vaccumed couch, to look out of my freshly windex-ed bay windows...again.

After using cleaning agents like this, my hands are d-r-y.

New Favorite Book

so i got these book vouchers from the christian union as a "thank you" for being a guest during their mission week. 30pounds worth, which is awesome. i mean, do that right and you COULD get 6 books. warning: i'm feeling introspective which means that this won't be your standard blog.

ed and i went to Wesley Owen yesterday with our vouchers to peruse and do some shopping for a mutual friend's baptism. my friend doesn't really like books, but it's all i can use the vouchers on and it might sound lame, but i'm really low on moolah, so i knew i had to dig deep into the personality of my friend and really figure out a book that would suit him. i ended up buying The Raggamuffin Gospel, Blue Like Jazz, and a commentary on Daniel (that was for me). I hadn't read either of the first two books and so i was running a risk with purchasing them for si, but based on what i'd heard i thought they'd be okay and i figured i'd skim through both of them and chose the best one.

so after reading through a couple of pages of Ragga, i picked up Blue Like Jazz and didn't put it down for hours. I finished the book in probably 6-8 hours total. the entire time i read it, i was on the verge of tears. FINALLY, someone who was willing to be honest about everything you could possibly be honest about. someone who wasn't trying to tell you who to become, but who was just presenting himself as an authentic sinner who often finds choosing Jesus over the world really, really hard. someone who was so real in his writing that you honestly felt like you might be able to recognize him on the street if he ever passed you. someone who has been really upfront about wrestling with truth day in and day out, and whose end is always a deeper commitment to this God who loves him without reservation.

it was honestly like this amazing breath of fresh air after months of feeling like a failure--like someone who doesn't believe as much and with as much conviction as she should--like someone who loves the world and can't quite figure out how not to most days. as someone who was trying to force herself to believe things, so that when she met with christian or non-christian people they would believe them just as deeply.

i was afraid of what admitting all of these soul stirring realities would bring about amongst my peers and what verbalizing it would simply mean about myself. I'm a full-time overseas Christian worker. I constantly hear, "You're amazing," "You inspire me," "You've given up so much" was i a fraud? a failure? weak? ignorant?

i couldn't keep up with what everyone else was telling me that i was.

after reading through this book, i found myself wanting to pass it on to everyone i know. the girls i disciple, my team, new christians. friends back home---i wanted to say, "This is the reality of what goes on in every person's heart...in my heart. I am no different than you. Don't be fooled by the front that I or anyone else puts on that leads you to placing them on some pedestal of super-spiritual prowess. I'm a fake, a phony, a weak, weak person who is vain, and stubborn, and lacking in just about every area that you could give a category."

for months, maybe even years i've been numbering my "victories" and the fact that my limitations existed haunted me. i couldn't do or be enough. i can't.

today i think that i finally realized my humanity and how that is reflected so genuinely in the fact that i am limited in millions of ways. ironically, my limitations have now allowed me to love God more because he loves me in spite of them.

i feel like i can breathe again.

Culture Shock

i was shocked to see 6 posts on my last entry when i checked my blog today. to be honest, i've hit a blogger's block and feel as though i'm quickly running out of material and creativity, as my mind has been on other things (mainly, the ENORMITY of planning for summer project whilst trying to find time to take required time off so that i can pack and be rested for when the americans get here NEXT FRIDAY)...that's not working out so well ::deep breaths::

now, i should probably prepare you because i'm about to rant a little bit about one of my pet peeves. it might not be a justifiable ranting, but it really does annoy me and so just suck it up and bear with me:

I GO CRAZY when people GET SNOTTY with you for putting even a small part of your foot on a seat when you're riding PUBLIC TRANSPORT. It seriously makes me wanna poke someone in the eye...really, really hard.

My brain screams: TAKE A LOOK AROUND ANAL PERSON, as dried up chewing gum, stains from heaven's knows what, and the fragrant remnants of cigarette and marijuana smoke surround you...consider that for just a moment....and now consider the fact that YOU are getting onto ME for putting my soft-soled FLIP FLOP up on this tattered fabric. While it doesn't bother me to take my flip flop off of the chair, the bigger issue for me is WHY IT BOTHERS THEM SO MUCH THAT MY FLIP FLOP IS ON THE CHAIR??

All this to say, I am 23 and maybe I should grow up and starting standing firmly, with two feet on the ground at all times, even while utilizing the great city of Liverpool's public transportation system. But I also realize that I am a girl of comfort, who is constantly sitting in the Lotus position (which is ironically comfy for me), contorting my feet, legs, and the like to whichever position suits me best on that particular seat and since I can remember it hasn't been normal for me to sit with my knees at a 90 angle, with my feet on the ground. And old habits, as they say, die hard.

I guess at this point, I only have two options--Kill the habit OR continue to be scolded, at the age of 23, by old gran's whose pet peeve is when people, who should know better, put their feet on the seat.