What did I do to deserve group projects?

...just a whine about another group project...this time, an Annual Report. If I don't die of boredom first, I might explode from the sheer torturous plight of working with people who don't even check their email and don't do their work.

Whine over. I will not detail the agony on the blog. I might show you some of the design work though. :)


Next topic: Tuesday Furniture Funny

We are searching high and low for a petite accent chair for a particular place in the living room. Mostly because it's a smallish room, and all of our furniture is B-I-G. We have a few finalists, but no clear winners yet. So, just a funny moment when Jerod entered a local furniture store yesterday (without me).

"Hi, may I help you?" furniture store lady asked.
"Yes, I'm looking for a small chair." Jerod replied.
Craning her neck to see the full 6'11" frame, she replied, astonished..."YOU'RE looking for a SMALL chair????"

Good times.

Group Project, Eye Twitch, other Fun

I know I should quit writing about this group project at some point...but my eye is still twitching from the sheer agony of it all! We submitted it last night. I must say, one of the guys really pulled out some good stuff at the last minute. I was mucho impressed. I was caught in an epic struggle to lead this group. They appointed me leader; I did not volunteer. Probably because they knew I was the type of person to get an eye twitch if things weren't going well! One lady in the group just refused to be led. She did her own thing without regard to the group...which is not so good when the assignment is come up with an ad campaign. All parts need to look very similar to one another. Wild cards are not in play, kids!!

I'll share the idea with you, as I was proud of what we ended up with. The premise was a product of the entire group, with about 80% of the art direction at my discretion--fonts, colors, illustrations, etc. Our basic idea was to create an environmental awareness campaign for the fictional "National Environmental Council" with a series of ads. We based it on the "This Little Piggy" nursery rhyme and showed our pig poster boy doing all kinds of horrible environmentally-unsound things. The slogan was then, "Don't be a pig."

Here is an ad and a book cover that I created, and a billboard idea from another team member. The book would be used in public schools and/or sold at retail stores. We also created reuseable shopping bags, recycle bins, and apparel whose proceeds would help the NEC:

Whew! Glad that's over!

Otis is ALIVE!

I blogged too soon, dear friends. The fish named Otis is back! He must have gotten caught in something in the pond and wiggled free, as he showed up for breakfast on Monday morning. Jerod has been tending to him in a "hospital" tank...I know...it's a fish. But he seems happy and healthy. It's weird how one can become so attached to a little living creature like a fish.

Group project presentation is tonight. I am not hopeful. My eye is twitching, and I've been having stress dreams about having to re-design everyone's work. Control-freak? Me? My teacher called me "Type-A" on Tuesday. TYPE A? Really? I know I'm a driven, task-oriented person, but I don't think I'm particularly impatient or a stress junkie. I have really worked on being more in the moment with PEOPLE rather than focusing all of my attention on tasks to do. I am a perfectionist about stuff I produce...so...compared to people in the class who don't BEGIN working on their designs until the day they are due...I guess I would come across as Type A. However, I did just take a test online: "Are you a Type A?" and tested in the middle closer to Type B (laid back, etc.). Is there anything wrong with wanting things to be right and well-executed? As long as people aren't being well-executed, I suppose...

Randoms

1. Group project status: of course, I'm the only one who showed up with what I was supposed to on Thursday. So, we went with my idea since it was the ONLY IDEA THAT CAME TO CLASS! Still, our overall theme is good. I'm interested to see what everyone else contributes. I want to believe in group projects, I do!

2. I am convinced that Nacho Cheese Doritos have an addictive agent in the cheesy powder. Studies should be done. I will volunteer for the study.

3. We had a fish go missing from our wee pond despite the faux heron that is supposed to ward off evil fishing-birds. His name was Otis, and he was an Oranda. R.I.P. Otis. We loved you.









4. I love my small group at church. Fairly random comment, but we are learning so much from each other and I enjoy their company. Yay! Small group!

5. I have to go now and make some sandwiches for my ice cream social tonight. :) I scream, you scream, we all scream for ICE CREAM!!!

Declaration of In(ter)dependence and Group Projects

I began a blog last week with the lofty goal of re-writing the Declaration of Independence as a declaration of INTERdependence within the kingdom of God. Being the Fourth of July week, I thought it appropriate. But I didn't get very far...

When in the course of human events it becomes necessary to seek out spiritual bonds that are greater than those of any government and to assume among the powers of heaven the station which requires those of the Kingdom of God to mutually submit to one another. The Laws of God and the Laws of the Earth are distinctly separate entities, which those of the Faith should recognize, despite causes that would compel us to retreat and separate from one another; we should run toward one another with the intent to declare the sins and missteps that cause separation from God.


We hold these truths to be self-evident through careful reading of the Scriptures. That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are the right to take up a cross and deny their lives, liberty within the Law of God, and the pursuit of a Higher calling despite the unhappiness it can bring in the temporary life. To secure these rights, we might look to government, but it is a deeply flawed system that works on laws contrary to those of the Kingdom of God. We shall be both citizens of the state and of the Kingdom, working toward the greater good for both and for our fellow men.

That's all I wrote.
I revive it because this week I went to class, and my teacher said two words that make my blood run cold. "GROUP PROJECT." I'm sorry, what? Do you mean that I have to work with these people? People who don't turn things in on time and use ugly fonts? Really?
That has ALWAYS been my reaction to group projects. Prideful? Yes. Snotty? Yes. Justifiable? Maybe. Or maybe not. The Lord has been desperate to get me to understand interdependence. He keeps bringing me back around to it. There is no escaping the community aspect of a Christian walk. To summarize in short order...you can't be a Christian unless you have people around you to show you how to walk and to whom you practice extending the grace of God. It's all a group project. (excuse me as I break out into hives)

So, I'm waving the flag of interdependence. Even in my class project. I've opened myself up to the process. I will listen, extend grace, pray for inspiration and compassion, lay down my pride and selfish ambition. Lay down my right to perfection. Overlook imperfections in others. Give up my "right" to be offended. Watch out for my fellow students, both in the word and in the class. Give guidance when needed. Accept guidance when I need it. And on and on.

Surprisingly, I shut my mouth in class. Our group came up with a darn fine idea for an ad campaign. I'm going to let it play out with these ideas in mind, and see what beauty can come from allowing the Lord to be Lord in my heart and my hands and my mouth. I don't like it. But I think it works.