Just an Ordinary Update

Some people we have talked that read our blog suggested that every once in a while we post about what we're doing when we're not out and about in the city. Our answer to that is this post. Today we'll share a bit about how we're doing and what we've been doing aside from the adventures on the town we share each week.

You all know that Brandon and I both work for Belmont. Brandon usually works mornings, but that sometimes changes because he doesn't necessarily have a set schedule. When he's not working for Belmont, he's usually songwriting. He has been co-writing a lot with other songwriters that he's met in Nashville. He's also attending lots of meetings about songwriting. He joined the Nashville Songwriters Association International and that's been great for him. He has his own blog about his pursuit of opportunities in the music industry - you should check it out: http://bdianc.blogspot.com/

As far as my job with Belmont, there are a few updates. I finished training at the end of July, so now I should know all the ins and outs of Belmont (although I know experience will teach me many more things). My RA staff show up on Friday and students show up the Friday after that, so August will be a busy month. I feel ready to get the year started and put all this training to good use.

In true irony, I have discovered that I'm fighting a sinus infection during the busiest work month of the year. Go figure, right? I'm taking medicine to get rid of the sinus infection and should feel better by the time students arrive. The medical advice I received was to start taking an allergy medicine each day. I didn't have allergies in Ohio, but apparently they're very common in Nashville because the air is typically stagnant. On the other hand, Brandon did have allergies in Ohio but is doing fine in Nashville. Again, ironic.

Today we're helping with a church outreach. The church purchased a mobile kitchen and takes it out to feed people for free. Typically they choose an apartment complex or something similar as the location. Brandon and I will team up with others from the church to perform a variety of tasks that include preparing the food, inviting people to eat, or socializing with people as they come out for a meal. This is the first time we're volunteering with this particular outreach and we're excited about it. We enjoy giving back and serving others and are thankful for the humbling experience of doing so.

Speaking of church, we're really enjoying the church we've been attending. The pastor is a funny person and incorporates his humor into his sermons. This style resonates well with Brandon and I because we love to laugh. It's a fairly big church, as many in Nashville are, but we haven't felt lost in the crowd. People are very outgoing and we've met many individuals through other church events or at the church services. It's a great feeling to be at a church where we feel connected.

On a random note, here's a picture of how Brandon gets rid of his hiccups:

He holds his breath, but also plugs his nose... I have never seen anyone get rid of hiccups this way, and I've seen some crazy things. My friend Jenn bends over and puts her head between her legs to get rid of hers. I simply hold my breath and swallow a few times. Knowing these three different methods made me wonder how many other methods there are to get rid of hiccups. If you would be so kind as to comment on how you get rid of your hiccups, I would be both grateful and entertained. 

Given how interesting that last part of the post was, I think I'll end here for the day. Remember to leave your comments about ridding yourself of hiccups - I'm already looking forward to those!