The Diaries of a Shopaholic

So the title of this entry isn't really accurate. I am not a shopaholic. In fact, I don't like shopping even if it is for things like groceries which are essential to living. I think shopping is somewhat useless unless I'm in the mood for it. Unfortunately, this is not how most people my age think. They, as well as I, have been bombarded by the media's portrayal of what we should waste our limited free time doing which is shopping. I am positive that I have never in my life uttered the words to my friends, "So like, do you want to go to the mall like later? We can sit in the food court and like eat New York Fries and like look at boys and gossip and like go to the Gap and like buy clothing that is like way too overpriced and like it'll be fun! Right!?!" If I see one more girl wearing a lululemon sweater I'm going to scream! They're not even that popular anywhere else except in Alberta! This is the reason we all have a skewed vision of what "pretty" is.

Anyway, so I went to the store the other day to find a winter coat. This has been, in recent years, a difficult task. It might be because I am a somewhat picky shopper and because its hard to find clothes in general for me, a plus size, five foot ten inch young lady who takes pride in the way she looks. (This statement may not be in line with the Ingrid that you know if you've worked at camp with me in the past couple of years. I looked especially unkempt this past summer but that's what working in a hot kitchen does to you.) Contrary to popular belief, we "big girls" have never been fans of muumuus. Anyway, I have had particularly bad luck with winter coats in the past because styles have been ugly. Times have been desperate though. I actually bought an orange coat that was two sizes to big in my second year of university because it was on sale. That was a mistake. I looked like a mandarin orange the whole winter. So, if you ever learn anything from me, it should be never buy anything because it's a good price. That advice is not just for clothes either. It includes groceries, cars, computers etc.

So, back to the story. I found TWO coats that I like this year. That never happens! Now it comes down to a choice. It is always so hard for me. I hate making decisions. I'm always scared I'm going to make the wrong one because so many times before I have. (ie, orange coat!) Either way, I will have to live with the decision. For Pete's sake there are people living in Africa that don't have running water and I'm complaining about a silly winter coat! The song "You're So Vain" by Carly Simone comes to mind right now. Choices and decisions!

This is seriously getting serious

So this will be my final post on the subject of my foot. Readers (meaning all one of you) have asked for a picture. I, being the writer of the people and not a tyrant, have obliged. There she is is all her stitched glory.
I finally conceded against my own wishes and I went to the doctor a couple nights ago. Unfortunately the crazy Polish doctor who is always in a bad mood was on duty. I charmed him with my nice smile and told him my pathetic sob story and he froze my foot with two shots of freezing and dug around for awhile, stitched me up and then told me that he found absolutely nothing! I couldn't believe him then and I can't believe it now. I think he did get something though cause my foot doesn't hurt now. I guess I don't need to go see a surgeon after all. Hurray!!! We'll see though. I got kind of scared driving home that I might lose my foot to gangrene or something. But on the plus side, I think I gave crazy Polish doctor something interesting to do. He seemed to have a bit of a bounce in his step when he left the examination room even if I didn't. Oh well. My little jaunt to the Medicenter gave crazy Polish doctor a change of pace in his everyday, mundane life of sore throats and runny noses. Anything I can do for the people I say!

The seriousness factor of this saga has concluded however. I went to the Medicenter for the last and final time yesterday morning. The doctor on duty saw me for all of two minutes (even though I waited for 45 minutes for him and was late for my first class of the day) and then proceded to tell me that the stitch crazy Polish doctor put in wasn't really doing anything but making it hard for me to walk. The nurse then came in and took it out for me. I was greatly relieved because I have to work at Kuriakos this weekend (even though I'm absolutely dreading it cause this is my long weekend! I'll just keep on telling myself I doing this for Jesus and bring some movies along to watch.) We live and learn.

This is seriously getting rediculous.

No fancy stuff today kids. Inga's foot hurts to much and yes, that means the Ninja glass is officially and still in my foot. I can't believe this happened to me. In the words of my friend Beans, (FYI that is a nickname) "woof dog." This is REDONCULOUS! (Thanks KJ for that lovely addition to the English language.) Why won't it come out!!! I feel like Job. Look him up if you don't know who he is. Not in the phonebook silly, he's in the Bible. He went through some pretty rank stuff but I guess "what doesn't kill you can only make you stronger." I'm pretty sure gangrene can kill you though or at least make it so you have to have your foot amputated. I dislike (that's for you Mango) feet so much and now I have to go to the doctor and let her touch my foot! I don't even like it when people look at my feet let alone touch them. Seriously people. Stuff like this only ever happens to me.

Anger, Glass and Weight

I am angry. This may not seem like an uncommon statement if you know me personally but my anger has a reason. I am angry because I stepped on a piece of glass. Unfortunately, the laundry room in the basement of my house has been plagued with little pieces of glass. How did they get there you ask? I’ll tell you. For some reason the cement floor attracts the canning jars in the cold room. The jars and the floor act as magnets. They are just so drawn to each other that whenever one enters the cold room, a jar will break right in front of your eyes.

So, last night as I was running the upstairs to go to bed, I stepped on a piece of glass. This piece of glass is no ordinary piece of glass. It was the worst kind of glass. Ninja glass. These Ninja pieces of glass are the tiniest of pieces that you’ve ever seen that cannot be swept up in their entirety. Therefore, on occasion, tiny pieces of glass cut my feet when in the basement. I have been told to wear shoes while walking in the basement but do I listen? No! Absolutely not!

I got to thinking while I tried digging out this piece of Ninja glass last night on my bed and tonight in the place of the crime, the basement. I am desperate. I want this piece of glass out of my foot or I at least want the pain in my foot to dissipate. The thing about pain and being desperate is that we always get hit with these feelings out of nowhere. That is how life works. Yet we still wonder how God can do that to us. Why does He let us feel this pain and desperation? Where is He when He lets us feel this way? The answer is: He’s in the hurt, the pain and the desperation. It’s in these situations of falling apart, no matter what the reason, that God gets an opportunity to show us that he cares and remind us how much he really does love us.

I wasn’t expecting this to happen. I was expecting to go to bed and have a good sleep. No pain involved. Instead I felt discomfort last night. It’s okay though. God is just giving me a reminder that He is here for me when I need Him. He reminded me that I have been forgiven for my sins known and unknown. I just need to stop and take a break from my crazy life. I encourage you to do the same. God didn’t create us to carry these wounds around. God created us to be free.

*Note: This is a picture of a girl my brother worked with this summer. I like it because it reminds me of someone who thinks they have the weight of the world on their shoulders. She doesn't though. God does and He is gladly carrying it for you!