As of last week I am officially enrolled in a Pilates class with a friend. It's on site at the Welness Center for work so we just hop over there. Today was week 2. My core feels like someone punched me in the gut a few times. Ugh. I am so out of shape!
I am also in a bible study on Thursday nights from 7-9 pm. We are studying the book of Daniel - Living a Life of Integrity. So far it's amazing. It's going to change my life. It's a Beth Moore study, which I have never done before but I love her style of preaching/teaching.
Courtesy of my bestest friend, Krissi, I am going to LAS VEGAS in March. I CAN NOT wait. I get to have 2.5 solid days with her to just hang out, talk, be silly, cry, and most importantly - take advantage of all the sin city happenings.
I am dog sitting this weekend for 3 of my favorite pups. I can't wait to be with them all weekend. Long walks... furry cuddles... kisses.
Sad news -Aaron's best bud, Todd, had his dad pass away last week. We are attending the services this Saturday down in the Springs. But it's just really sad. I love Todd dearly and to know he's hurting makes my heart ache. Losing family sucks.
Eh. I can't think any more for tonight.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Giving Blood saves lives!
And in my particular situation, it also makes me a wuss. I gave blood yesterday for like... the 5th time or something since early last year. Aaron and I have O+ and so the bank calls like clock work every 10 weeks. Well yesterday it just didn't start out all that well. I slept on a couch, got horrible sleep, ate a quick breakfast and then didn't eat again until AFTER my blood appt. So everything is going as normal. I'm feeling fine and then the gal goes to pull the needle out. All of sudden I feel really sick and within a minute start to get super light headed and dizzy. So I turn to her and say, "Um.. I don't feel right." She takes one look at me, raises my feet, grabs a couple cold compresses and then I puked. Yep. At the freakin blood bank. How pathetic does that get?? Anyways, there were a ton of contributing factors to my situation, but overall I just felt incredibly embarrassed. Got home, at a sandwich, took a shower and napped for a bit. Woke up a couple hours later feeling much better but not 100% yet. Then I made Aaron and I a very fancy, gourmet meal. DELICIOUS!
So... after thinking about it some I believe what happened is that my mind got the better of me. I was nervous about going in because the last time we were there the gal that pricked me HURT!!!!!!! LIKE.... REALLY BAD.... SO Bad in fact that my scar took like 11 weeks to heal. Nuts. SO there was a little anxiety going into it. Ugh. Whatever it's done. Tomorrow morning I go to my general physician to have some blood work done to check all my levels of stuff. I guess my cholesterol was up a little last year so they are concerned about that. Anyways, I'll let you know what happens there. For now I feel ok. Just tired. And my bladder feels like the size of a walnut because I have to pee so freakin much. The ladies at the blood center told me to double/triple my water intake. Well - I already drink a lot so now its a LOT LOT.
Anyhoo... the meds have kicked in and I'm sleepy. YAY! Will write more tomorrow. I still have stories.
<3 m
So... after thinking about it some I believe what happened is that my mind got the better of me. I was nervous about going in because the last time we were there the gal that pricked me HURT!!!!!!! LIKE.... REALLY BAD.... SO Bad in fact that my scar took like 11 weeks to heal. Nuts. SO there was a little anxiety going into it. Ugh. Whatever it's done. Tomorrow morning I go to my general physician to have some blood work done to check all my levels of stuff. I guess my cholesterol was up a little last year so they are concerned about that. Anyways, I'll let you know what happens there. For now I feel ok. Just tired. And my bladder feels like the size of a walnut because I have to pee so freakin much. The ladies at the blood center told me to double/triple my water intake. Well - I already drink a lot so now its a LOT LOT.
Anyhoo... the meds have kicked in and I'm sleepy. YAY! Will write more tomorrow. I still have stories.
<3 m
Sunday, January 31, 2010
How long can the body hurt?
Ok, so my weekend in North Carolina went ok. I didn't accomplish any of my initial goals, but we got my Grandma in a better bed, so that is good. However- I will be flying back another 2 times in the next 8 months to help get them moved into an apartment.
So day 1 was Friday the 22nd. My uncle and I arrived with the idea that we were "surprising" my mom. Ha. My Gma had a fit. She thought we were there to take her away to a home. But then she quickly calmed down, changed her tune and allowed us to come in and purge her space. That day not a whole lot got done. My mom and I loaded up around 18 loads of laundry in bags, uncle put them in the van and we headed to a laundry mat. Not a bad place... they actually let you use the dryers for free if you wash your clothes there. Nice deal I think. I dropped mom off there and headed to Wal-Mart for some necessities. Came back, loaded up all the clothes and took mom home. Day 2 my uncle I met at WM and then headed to the house for the official purge. Our plan - get all the crap out and clear out the space around my Gma's bed so we could dis-assemble her current bed and put a new one in. It took about 6.5 hours to get the clutter out. Then we made another trip to WM and went by the storage unit to grab the spare mattress/box spring. That was fun. We managed to get the mattress inside the van and then tied the boxspring down to the roof. HA HA. It was a sight. Then we got the bed set up and for the first time watched as Gma was able to go from her wheel chair to a bed with no issues. YAY!!! Mission accomplished. Day 3 wasn't as productive, but I was a little bitter, so it was ok. I had intended to go to church with my friends but was literally too exhausted to move so I slept in. Then I got ready, picked my mom up and headed to Sephora - her dream store. We had lunch at Red Robin and then I dropped her off to shop for a little bit. While she was looking through all sorts of skin care and make up I was washing the van. It was a little grody, so I felt good when it was all shiny. Swung back and picked up mom. I even took a picture of her outside the store. Then I dropped her off to play with her new stuff.
So my oldest friend, Bri, had a baby two weeks ago today. I called to see if it was ok to stop over. Of course she lives in the middle of NOWHERE and it was raining. That drive was fun. But well worth it. I got to meet Carter Michael and Bri's husband, Bobby. Emma and I got to chat for a bit - she is 7 and loves Black Holes right now. Carter is adorable and I didn't want to give him back after holding him for like an hour. Ahhh.. babies. Can't wait! Then I drove back to K'ville. OH! SO I don't want to forget to mention that while I was in NC I stayed with my fabulous best girlie friend Ames and her hubby who I also got to meet for the first time. It was definitely the best place for me to crash at for this trip. Very comfortable and at home feeling. YAY! That night I ended back up at WM and then made myself a yummo dinner. Day 4 was Monday. I got up and stuffed my face with more biscuits. Did I mention those before?
Ok. Biscuits in the south are truly delicious. I haven't been able to find anything that comes close to the fabulousness of their biscuits. Mmmm... the butter.. the flakiness... It's just soooo good. When Celeste and I drove out to CO from NC in July 2007 we noticed that Hardees and Bojangles stopped at Tennessee. Sad, huh? The peeps in CO deserve quality biscuits too. I just checked and they are solely in the South. As for Hardee's though, we have a couple close to us in WY. Cool. Never knew that. Ok, back to that Monday. For breakfast I had 3 biscuits. Delicious. Then for lunch I got to have my favorite BBQ in the whole world - Stamey's. OMG. I can't even describe the party that takes place on my tongue. Delicious. And for dessert - Strawberry Cobbler. GAH! Then, amazingly enough, we were able to make a quick stop by my uncle's work for a hug and mini tour of his work. It's pretty neat what they do there. And it's cool that he's been there for as long as he has. The flight home took a little longer than expected, but in the end I got home less than an hour late. Tuesday, Wed and Thurs were exhausting. Even now I still feel tired and sore in places.
Yeah, so about my body hurting. Tues and Wed my legs were driving my crazy. I stretched all day practically and still they hurt. I was up and down and doing so much over the weekend that when it came time to sit at my desk and do work - my body wasn't so happy. Now my neck and shoulders are expressing their discomfort. What is the point to all of this? I AM OUT OF SHAPE. I gotta start working out soon. Hiking, walking, going to the fitness center, etc. How long is it supposed to be this way? When does the soreness go away? Cause it seems like no matter how much water I drink, no matter how much I stretch, the muscles ache. Boo.
Anyways... very busy week at work. I am super duper busy and as a result feel like I'm not catching everything. I am a perfectionist, so that doesn't work well for me. School is kicking my butt. I started my capstone class for HR and I have 3 assignments per week. Gross, huh? Yeah... I can NOT wait to be done. I am still pet sitting. Got to watch Eliza this weekend. I sure do like her. The weather was perfect this weekend so we got to take some nice walks.
This is it for now. I have lots of other thoughts to come later. I will talk about my last class, my thoughts on life and just in general how I'm feeling. Prepare yourselves, I plan to expose the dark spots on my soul. Peace out peeps.
So day 1 was Friday the 22nd. My uncle and I arrived with the idea that we were "surprising" my mom. Ha. My Gma had a fit. She thought we were there to take her away to a home. But then she quickly calmed down, changed her tune and allowed us to come in and purge her space. That day not a whole lot got done. My mom and I loaded up around 18 loads of laundry in bags, uncle put them in the van and we headed to a laundry mat. Not a bad place... they actually let you use the dryers for free if you wash your clothes there. Nice deal I think. I dropped mom off there and headed to Wal-Mart for some necessities. Came back, loaded up all the clothes and took mom home. Day 2 my uncle I met at WM and then headed to the house for the official purge. Our plan - get all the crap out and clear out the space around my Gma's bed so we could dis-assemble her current bed and put a new one in. It took about 6.5 hours to get the clutter out. Then we made another trip to WM and went by the storage unit to grab the spare mattress/box spring. That was fun. We managed to get the mattress inside the van and then tied the boxspring down to the roof. HA HA. It was a sight. Then we got the bed set up and for the first time watched as Gma was able to go from her wheel chair to a bed with no issues. YAY!!! Mission accomplished. Day 3 wasn't as productive, but I was a little bitter, so it was ok. I had intended to go to church with my friends but was literally too exhausted to move so I slept in. Then I got ready, picked my mom up and headed to Sephora - her dream store. We had lunch at Red Robin and then I dropped her off to shop for a little bit. While she was looking through all sorts of skin care and make up I was washing the van. It was a little grody, so I felt good when it was all shiny. Swung back and picked up mom. I even took a picture of her outside the store. Then I dropped her off to play with her new stuff.
So my oldest friend, Bri, had a baby two weeks ago today. I called to see if it was ok to stop over. Of course she lives in the middle of NOWHERE and it was raining. That drive was fun. But well worth it. I got to meet Carter Michael and Bri's husband, Bobby. Emma and I got to chat for a bit - she is 7 and loves Black Holes right now. Carter is adorable and I didn't want to give him back after holding him for like an hour. Ahhh.. babies. Can't wait! Then I drove back to K'ville. OH! SO I don't want to forget to mention that while I was in NC I stayed with my fabulous best girlie friend Ames and her hubby who I also got to meet for the first time. It was definitely the best place for me to crash at for this trip. Very comfortable and at home feeling. YAY! That night I ended back up at WM and then made myself a yummo dinner. Day 4 was Monday. I got up and stuffed my face with more biscuits. Did I mention those before?
Ok. Biscuits in the south are truly delicious. I haven't been able to find anything that comes close to the fabulousness of their biscuits. Mmmm... the butter.. the flakiness... It's just soooo good. When Celeste and I drove out to CO from NC in July 2007 we noticed that Hardees and Bojangles stopped at Tennessee. Sad, huh? The peeps in CO deserve quality biscuits too. I just checked and they are solely in the South. As for Hardee's though, we have a couple close to us in WY. Cool. Never knew that. Ok, back to that Monday. For breakfast I had 3 biscuits. Delicious. Then for lunch I got to have my favorite BBQ in the whole world - Stamey's. OMG. I can't even describe the party that takes place on my tongue. Delicious. And for dessert - Strawberry Cobbler. GAH! Then, amazingly enough, we were able to make a quick stop by my uncle's work for a hug and mini tour of his work. It's pretty neat what they do there. And it's cool that he's been there for as long as he has. The flight home took a little longer than expected, but in the end I got home less than an hour late. Tuesday, Wed and Thurs were exhausting. Even now I still feel tired and sore in places.
Yeah, so about my body hurting. Tues and Wed my legs were driving my crazy. I stretched all day practically and still they hurt. I was up and down and doing so much over the weekend that when it came time to sit at my desk and do work - my body wasn't so happy. Now my neck and shoulders are expressing their discomfort. What is the point to all of this? I AM OUT OF SHAPE. I gotta start working out soon. Hiking, walking, going to the fitness center, etc. How long is it supposed to be this way? When does the soreness go away? Cause it seems like no matter how much water I drink, no matter how much I stretch, the muscles ache. Boo.
Anyways... very busy week at work. I am super duper busy and as a result feel like I'm not catching everything. I am a perfectionist, so that doesn't work well for me. School is kicking my butt. I started my capstone class for HR and I have 3 assignments per week. Gross, huh? Yeah... I can NOT wait to be done. I am still pet sitting. Got to watch Eliza this weekend. I sure do like her. The weather was perfect this weekend so we got to take some nice walks.
This is it for now. I have lots of other thoughts to come later. I will talk about my last class, my thoughts on life and just in general how I'm feeling. Prepare yourselves, I plan to expose the dark spots on my soul. Peace out peeps.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Jon Smith SUCKS
Um... yeah.... so if you are still reading my semi-private little blog here I would like all of you to know that Jonathan Smith is probably in the top worst 3 friends I have ever had. EVER.
Why?
Because this past weekend I took on the challenging endevour of flying to North Carolina to try and get some clutter out of my Gma's house. It was a very spur of the moment type of decision, but Aaron agreed that I needed to do something so I bought the ticket. Knowing that Jon lived a few hours away and we had wanted to see each other to catch up, I asked for his help and he gladly accepted. He offered his truck, a trailor, a few tarps and maybe even some boxes along with his personal muscle.
Sadly - and much to my disappointment - he didn't show up. Or call. Or anything. AT ALL. SO I was stuck at one house without transportation. And then the entire chore of clearing 5 areas of clutter rested solely on me and my uncle. For 3 days.
I am bitter. I am angry. I am disgusted. I am disappointed. I am sad. It just all around sucks. Here it is, I've had this friend in my life for the past 15 years. We've talked off and on and within the last few months its been, "I'm really glad that you're in my life again... blah blah blah." TOTAL BULL SHIT. So in the end, I feel like a fool for trusting yet another human being to follow through on what they say they will actually do. Uh huh. Whatever.
So yeah - Jon, if you're reading this. I think you are a coward and a lame example of a person. Good luck with your life.
Why?
Because this past weekend I took on the challenging endevour of flying to North Carolina to try and get some clutter out of my Gma's house. It was a very spur of the moment type of decision, but Aaron agreed that I needed to do something so I bought the ticket. Knowing that Jon lived a few hours away and we had wanted to see each other to catch up, I asked for his help and he gladly accepted. He offered his truck, a trailor, a few tarps and maybe even some boxes along with his personal muscle.
Sadly - and much to my disappointment - he didn't show up. Or call. Or anything. AT ALL. SO I was stuck at one house without transportation. And then the entire chore of clearing 5 areas of clutter rested solely on me and my uncle. For 3 days.
I am bitter. I am angry. I am disgusted. I am disappointed. I am sad. It just all around sucks. Here it is, I've had this friend in my life for the past 15 years. We've talked off and on and within the last few months its been, "I'm really glad that you're in my life again... blah blah blah." TOTAL BULL SHIT. So in the end, I feel like a fool for trusting yet another human being to follow through on what they say they will actually do. Uh huh. Whatever.
So yeah - Jon, if you're reading this. I think you are a coward and a lame example of a person. Good luck with your life.
Friday, January 8, 2010
I am all at sea...
HA! I WISH!!
Ok, so tons has happened since my last post. Our weekend with the squirt was awesome. He loved all his new toys and we had a blast playing along with him. I bought these foam swords at Target a couple months ago and they are GREAT. He just laughs and giggles and laughs.... I could hear that laugh all day long. Know what I mean?
Back at work that Tuesday, Wed and partial Thursday. Whomever is our primary decision maker on the totem pole let us leave at 1pm on the 31st. WHOO HOO! Know what I did? I took a nap!! Yep. Went home, cuddled with the pups I was watching and took a nice nap. Then we went for a long walk and parted ways. Their parents got home that night and I headed to Eliza's. Oh yeah.... I sure do love this dog. She is just so darn cute! Once I got over to her place she and I went for a long walk too. While I don't necessarily want to go walking at first with the dogs I watch, once I'm doing it - I usually feel really good afterward. So I know it's good for both of us. Anyways... that night was uneventful. Ace was a turd that night so I celebrated the new year watching Kendra and some show on Animal Planet. That Friday Ace and I had a serious talk... for like, 5 hours. After that we ate some lunch and headed to the mall. I'm on a mission to find the perfect boot. Now - this is the perfect boot for ME, not some fashionista. We walked around this damn mall for what felt like forever. I must have tried on 10 different pair. Nothing. Nada. Ick. Then we left there and watched Watchmen. Overall it was a nice way to start the year.
Then on Sunday I got some serious alone time and kicked my organizing into overdrive. It was awesome. I got so much done and it looks amazing. YAY! I also got some reading done for class and prepped for the week. It's been nice, actually. I have been home just about every night this week. Sleeping in my own bed, etc. Over the past month or so I realized that I need to be a little more selective with my pet sitting. I love animals, but time away from home ALL the time is a little much. Especially now that Ace and I are really making an effort to keep things healthy between us. I am actually on-call for my first weekend with the new job starting tonight. So far nothing yet. If everything goes as expected, I'll not get called in but make an easy $75. Not bad, huh?
So school... or class has been really interesting. Human Sexuality is much more than I really thought about. Not a surprise there, but it's forced me to think about a lot of things I wouldn't have otherwise. I imagine one night I will go into specifics on the blog and ask all sorts of questions. For now, just know that it has been a really neat class. One of our assigned textbooks is, Real Sex-The Naked Truth about Chastity. The title is a little scary and the first two chapters were horrible, but once you get into it - its actually a really good book. The 7th chapter in particular talks about sex in the church community and how as a church whole we really should be telling each other more about ourselves than we do. And we should be talking more openly about sex being that it was created by God. Very good read for any one who has an open mind and is interested.
Home life... well Ace and I are renewing our lease this weekend for another 14 months. Yep... apartment life is ours for a little while longer. My hope is that between now and then we can dig ourselves out a tiny bit from this massive pile of heaping crap I call "debt". Ick. Yeah. And apartment living does have its advantages. One of them is not having a neighbor who lives above you that just so happens to have a nervous twitch and bangs the floor and walls at all hours of the day. It's also really annoying to have your front door move every time someone else slams theirs. BUT... the biggest advantage of all is the fact that I can vacuum the entire apartment off of one freakin outlet. YEP. Awesome. There isn't too much space to clean, in fact I actually feel really comfortable with the amount of space we have and are responsible for keeping clean and tidy. And I still manage to keep it clutter free! WHOO HOO! The cats are still furry. I think about shaving them on a daily basis. I hate the cat hair. A LOT. I know they'd be pissed off, but at least I could sleep at night knowing that I don't have to worry about possibly coughing up a fur ball in the morning. I swear - that damn fur gets everywhere! What else. My car is still awesome. It has done great in the snow so far. Of course I'm an amazing driver, so accidents aren't a possibility. But I did have a mini-heart attack yesterday when some a-hole cut me off with the roads being slick. Idiots. It's a miracle I even drive, really. I hate other drivers.
Work is really neat right now. Today I got to build a vacancy announcement all by myself and it felt really good. Of course I had to still ask questions along the way, but for the most part I feel like I have a handle on what I'm doing. It's also given me a new understanding and appreciation for the USGS. I think I have a much better idea of who we are as an organization now that I'm building jobs and advertising them. YAY for HR!
Health wise I've been ok. Not great, but ok. I had some stomach issues back in December and so I'm seeing my specialist at the end of this month. Just some abnormal pain sometimes. Nothing major. I also think I've had less migraines, even during my monthly low hormone periods. There was a kidney stone about a month ago, but that thankfully didn't last long. Whew, it was a painful one too. All I can think every time I get one now is - I hope this doesn't put me in the freakin hospital. I don't have time for this! My biggest complaint right now is muscle soreness. I can't seem to stretch enough to make my back, neck, shoulders stop hurting. Ideally - I'd have a massage a couple times a month. Realistically - I get one every 4 or 5 months. I know I tend to sit at the computer for too long and all that, but still... I'd like to think with as much stretching as I do... But, whatever.
So the biggest news of all is that I'm going to North Carolina in a couple weeks. I'm flying in on the 21st and heading back home on the 25th. Why? Because my mom and Gma live in a clutter filled house and need help. Serious help. So much help in fact that a close friend is driving up from GA with his truck to give me a hand. Sadly, my poor uncle has taken the grunt of all their drama the last 7 years and I only now found out how bad the situation is. I'm now stepping in and taking charge. The plan is to tear down a shed, empty another shed, consolidate two storage units into the one shed, get 3 bedrooms cleared out and figure out the washing machine situation. It's a lot for a solid 3 days, but I feel like with 3-4 adults working on it, all will get done in the end. I just want to be able to live day to day knowing that my mom is sleeping in a bed, not on a couch, and that when the time comes to move them OUT of this house it will at least be semi-organized. Of course I will report on how well that goes. Right now I'm nervous, anxious and excited all at the same time. I'm happy to see a couple good friends and to visit my mom. But I am really nervous that my Gma is going to be uncooperative and not let us get this house cleaned out. I understand its her house and all that... but when it gets to a certain point I think people just get overwhelmed and need a little help. I'm that little help. Sort of. For those of you who pray - please make some serious prayers for me during that weekend. It's going to be rough all around. On a good note - I will finally get to eat some damn quality biscuits and BBQ. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.... the things Southerners take for granted. I can't wait.
I think that's about it. My mind is filled with all sorts of thoughts right now. Hopefully I can fall asleep soon. Real quick... I want to recommend a book of poetry written by W. Michael Armbruster. It's called, Hugs and other wonderful stuff. REALLY good poetry. It's real, authentic, full of love and passion. And it helps that I know him:-)
I hope all of you have a blessed weekend.
<3
m
Ok, so tons has happened since my last post. Our weekend with the squirt was awesome. He loved all his new toys and we had a blast playing along with him. I bought these foam swords at Target a couple months ago and they are GREAT. He just laughs and giggles and laughs.... I could hear that laugh all day long. Know what I mean?
Back at work that Tuesday, Wed and partial Thursday. Whomever is our primary decision maker on the totem pole let us leave at 1pm on the 31st. WHOO HOO! Know what I did? I took a nap!! Yep. Went home, cuddled with the pups I was watching and took a nice nap. Then we went for a long walk and parted ways. Their parents got home that night and I headed to Eliza's. Oh yeah.... I sure do love this dog. She is just so darn cute! Once I got over to her place she and I went for a long walk too. While I don't necessarily want to go walking at first with the dogs I watch, once I'm doing it - I usually feel really good afterward. So I know it's good for both of us. Anyways... that night was uneventful. Ace was a turd that night so I celebrated the new year watching Kendra and some show on Animal Planet. That Friday Ace and I had a serious talk... for like, 5 hours. After that we ate some lunch and headed to the mall. I'm on a mission to find the perfect boot. Now - this is the perfect boot for ME, not some fashionista. We walked around this damn mall for what felt like forever. I must have tried on 10 different pair. Nothing. Nada. Ick. Then we left there and watched Watchmen. Overall it was a nice way to start the year.
Then on Sunday I got some serious alone time and kicked my organizing into overdrive. It was awesome. I got so much done and it looks amazing. YAY! I also got some reading done for class and prepped for the week. It's been nice, actually. I have been home just about every night this week. Sleeping in my own bed, etc. Over the past month or so I realized that I need to be a little more selective with my pet sitting. I love animals, but time away from home ALL the time is a little much. Especially now that Ace and I are really making an effort to keep things healthy between us. I am actually on-call for my first weekend with the new job starting tonight. So far nothing yet. If everything goes as expected, I'll not get called in but make an easy $75. Not bad, huh?
So school... or class has been really interesting. Human Sexuality is much more than I really thought about. Not a surprise there, but it's forced me to think about a lot of things I wouldn't have otherwise. I imagine one night I will go into specifics on the blog and ask all sorts of questions. For now, just know that it has been a really neat class. One of our assigned textbooks is, Real Sex-The Naked Truth about Chastity. The title is a little scary and the first two chapters were horrible, but once you get into it - its actually a really good book. The 7th chapter in particular talks about sex in the church community and how as a church whole we really should be telling each other more about ourselves than we do. And we should be talking more openly about sex being that it was created by God. Very good read for any one who has an open mind and is interested.
Home life... well Ace and I are renewing our lease this weekend for another 14 months. Yep... apartment life is ours for a little while longer. My hope is that between now and then we can dig ourselves out a tiny bit from this massive pile of heaping crap I call "debt". Ick. Yeah. And apartment living does have its advantages. One of them is not having a neighbor who lives above you that just so happens to have a nervous twitch and bangs the floor and walls at all hours of the day. It's also really annoying to have your front door move every time someone else slams theirs. BUT... the biggest advantage of all is the fact that I can vacuum the entire apartment off of one freakin outlet. YEP. Awesome. There isn't too much space to clean, in fact I actually feel really comfortable with the amount of space we have and are responsible for keeping clean and tidy. And I still manage to keep it clutter free! WHOO HOO! The cats are still furry. I think about shaving them on a daily basis. I hate the cat hair. A LOT. I know they'd be pissed off, but at least I could sleep at night knowing that I don't have to worry about possibly coughing up a fur ball in the morning. I swear - that damn fur gets everywhere! What else. My car is still awesome. It has done great in the snow so far. Of course I'm an amazing driver, so accidents aren't a possibility. But I did have a mini-heart attack yesterday when some a-hole cut me off with the roads being slick. Idiots. It's a miracle I even drive, really. I hate other drivers.
Work is really neat right now. Today I got to build a vacancy announcement all by myself and it felt really good. Of course I had to still ask questions along the way, but for the most part I feel like I have a handle on what I'm doing. It's also given me a new understanding and appreciation for the USGS. I think I have a much better idea of who we are as an organization now that I'm building jobs and advertising them. YAY for HR!
Health wise I've been ok. Not great, but ok. I had some stomach issues back in December and so I'm seeing my specialist at the end of this month. Just some abnormal pain sometimes. Nothing major. I also think I've had less migraines, even during my monthly low hormone periods. There was a kidney stone about a month ago, but that thankfully didn't last long. Whew, it was a painful one too. All I can think every time I get one now is - I hope this doesn't put me in the freakin hospital. I don't have time for this! My biggest complaint right now is muscle soreness. I can't seem to stretch enough to make my back, neck, shoulders stop hurting. Ideally - I'd have a massage a couple times a month. Realistically - I get one every 4 or 5 months. I know I tend to sit at the computer for too long and all that, but still... I'd like to think with as much stretching as I do... But, whatever.
So the biggest news of all is that I'm going to North Carolina in a couple weeks. I'm flying in on the 21st and heading back home on the 25th. Why? Because my mom and Gma live in a clutter filled house and need help. Serious help. So much help in fact that a close friend is driving up from GA with his truck to give me a hand. Sadly, my poor uncle has taken the grunt of all their drama the last 7 years and I only now found out how bad the situation is. I'm now stepping in and taking charge. The plan is to tear down a shed, empty another shed, consolidate two storage units into the one shed, get 3 bedrooms cleared out and figure out the washing machine situation. It's a lot for a solid 3 days, but I feel like with 3-4 adults working on it, all will get done in the end. I just want to be able to live day to day knowing that my mom is sleeping in a bed, not on a couch, and that when the time comes to move them OUT of this house it will at least be semi-organized. Of course I will report on how well that goes. Right now I'm nervous, anxious and excited all at the same time. I'm happy to see a couple good friends and to visit my mom. But I am really nervous that my Gma is going to be uncooperative and not let us get this house cleaned out. I understand its her house and all that... but when it gets to a certain point I think people just get overwhelmed and need a little help. I'm that little help. Sort of. For those of you who pray - please make some serious prayers for me during that weekend. It's going to be rough all around. On a good note - I will finally get to eat some damn quality biscuits and BBQ. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.... the things Southerners take for granted. I can't wait.
I think that's about it. My mind is filled with all sorts of thoughts right now. Hopefully I can fall asleep soon. Real quick... I want to recommend a book of poetry written by W. Michael Armbruster. It's called, Hugs and other wonderful stuff. REALLY good poetry. It's real, authentic, full of love and passion. And it helps that I know him:-)
I hope all of you have a blessed weekend.
<3
m
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Merry Christmas!
Wow. Hard to believe it's actually Christmas. This year flew by. Not that the others haven't, but still... yeah, wow. So what's new? Work has picked up since my last post. I've been really busy which makes the days go quick. Didn't have class last week, which was nice. The last couple classes I've had have been online so sitting in a classroom after working all day reminded me of the pros with online classes. But nothing can beat those in-seat discussions.
Christmas was quiet and uneventful. I am dog sitting til Jan 2nd, so yesterday Ace and I went to dinner at a co-worker/friend's house. She invited us over and it was really nice. The food was amazing - YUM and the conversation was fun. We picked up the squirt this morning and so today feels more like Christmas than yesterday. He opened his presents from Santa and loved everything. He has all sorts of new favorites. LOL. He cracks me up. Tonight we will feast on Ace's fabulous lasagna and crash from all the carbs. I'm hoping to watch Up! So we'll see. Tomorrow a friend and her family is coming over for brunch and play time for the kids. She and I will gab, the boys will talk whatever and the kids will exhaust themselves on toys. Nice way to spend a Sunday I think:-)
Um... what else? OH! So Christmas Eve Ace and I took the light rail to downtown Denver. It was like a ghost town. We walked around in the freezing cold, found a fancy restaurant and gorged ourselves on yummy food. On the way I gave $20 to a homeless man. Normally I don't hand out anything, but being Christmas eve I felt bad that we had a warm bed and he might not. Ya never know in this state if they are really homeless or punk trust fund twerps begging for sport. Either way, he was able to get a nice meal. And my heart felt good. I haven't started my new job yet. I think come January I will have more to tell about that. Still dog sitting now and then though. As of right now I'm booked Jan 10 - 18th. The extra cash is just hard to pass up, ya know?
K. I think that's it. I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. This one definitely reminded me of all that Christ has given us.
Christmas was quiet and uneventful. I am dog sitting til Jan 2nd, so yesterday Ace and I went to dinner at a co-worker/friend's house. She invited us over and it was really nice. The food was amazing - YUM and the conversation was fun. We picked up the squirt this morning and so today feels more like Christmas than yesterday. He opened his presents from Santa and loved everything. He has all sorts of new favorites. LOL. He cracks me up. Tonight we will feast on Ace's fabulous lasagna and crash from all the carbs. I'm hoping to watch Up! So we'll see. Tomorrow a friend and her family is coming over for brunch and play time for the kids. She and I will gab, the boys will talk whatever and the kids will exhaust themselves on toys. Nice way to spend a Sunday I think:-)
Um... what else? OH! So Christmas Eve Ace and I took the light rail to downtown Denver. It was like a ghost town. We walked around in the freezing cold, found a fancy restaurant and gorged ourselves on yummy food. On the way I gave $20 to a homeless man. Normally I don't hand out anything, but being Christmas eve I felt bad that we had a warm bed and he might not. Ya never know in this state if they are really homeless or punk trust fund twerps begging for sport. Either way, he was able to get a nice meal. And my heart felt good. I haven't started my new job yet. I think come January I will have more to tell about that. Still dog sitting now and then though. As of right now I'm booked Jan 10 - 18th. The extra cash is just hard to pass up, ya know?
K. I think that's it. I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. This one definitely reminded me of all that Christ has given us.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Long time gone
Sorry for not posting! I don't even know who else reads this thing other than Michelle in Maryland! Anyways, I know I have some catching up to do.
Thanksgiving in San Diego! Well, the 16 hour drive there seemed to go by fairly fast. Ace of course drove the entire way and I slept off and on. We got in shortly after 8am, just in time for the squirt to wake up and be ready to go! SO... Nana and I took the squirt and his cousin (miss M) to an aquarium in La Jolla. It was short and sweet but definitely a nice trip away from the house. Of course the weather was GORGEOUS and the kids liked seeing all the different fish. Plus there was a neat Seahorse exhibit. All in all, it was time well spent. Then that night we hung out at the house with the fam and ate a nice steak dinner. Mmmmmmmmmm..... steak. That Thursday while Ace helped Nana in the kitchen, I ventured out with the squirt to Coronado Beach. Now, my sis had given me directions but somehow accidentally mixed up N with S. So, the squirt and I almost ended up in Mexico. Seriously. I took the last exit before we hit the border. I laughed of course and we found our way to the beach. It was AMAZING. My new profile pic is evidence of that. We had a blast. We splashed in the water and played in the sand. It was great! Of course we were only there for an hour, but it was much needed spirit time on my end. Then that night we had a MAJOR feast. Goodness gracious I felt blessed:-) The whole family joined together and we just sat around afterward. I did some much needed knitting and actually finished TWO projects while we were gone. A pair of socks that I'll post a picture of later and a scarf for a friend on the east coast.
That Friday the boys went and played baseball and we just hung out at the house. Had dinner that nice at a fancy restaurant and got to see Nana & Grandpa's new house. Um... Then that Saturday we all made Tamales, the normal family Christmas tradition. But since we aren't going to be there for Christmas, we did it early. Pictures of that will be up soon as well! Then that night we hung out again. All in all I think Ace and the squirt had a great trip. I had a wonderful time visiting with my sister-n-law because she is just so darn wonderful. I love her dearly. And in all seriousness - I have no idea what I would do without her.
We drove out in the wee hours on Sunday morning. It was so sad but cute, the squirt says, "where are we going?" and we tell him, "We are going back home so you can see Momma." and he responds with, "But I wanted to go back to the beach." with sad puppy eyes and everything. Sigh. I know.... I wanted more of the beach too.
We made it back in like... 17 or 18 hours. Stopped in Utah for some In-N-Out. GAHHHHHH!! Hark the angels sing their voices... la la la la... Hamburger heaven for those of you who haven't experienced the glory. Mmm. It really is soo good.
What else? Well I finished my last class - Lifespan Development. That was an interesting class. Online, which I definitely do not prefer but I guess easy. Then two Mondays ago I started Human Sexuality. So far that class is really fun. And I'm looking forward to our next one on the 28th. Keep in mind people - this is all for my psych minor. WHICH!!! OH MY GAH!!!!! I received in the mail today my official certificates for Biblical Studies AND Project Management. I want to frame them they look so fancy. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! I'm so excited.
Dog sitting has still been busy. And on top of full time work, full time school, dog sitting, part time parenting I now have an official 2nd part time job as a caregiver for this company called Touching Hearts. It's a really neat business and I'm excited to be a part of it. It's basically non-medical care for seniors or really anyone with a disability. We go shopping for them, we help them bathe, we fold laundry, some light house work, we read to them, go on walks with them, etc. SO it's good for them and it feeds my soul. I contacted our church a few weeks ago trying to figure out where my skills/gifts can be best be utilized and no one has really been able to help yet, so we'll see. I think this new job is a right step toward figuring that out though.
Work has been really slow still. I love my team though. They are so amazing and I like learning something new every day. We actually adopted several families through a headstart program at a church and dropped all the kids gifts off yesterday. It was a moving experience. I just wish that we could give and give and give. ALL the time. Because there are so many kids out there who have nothing. And their wish list items are like, toilet paper; wash cloths, PJs, socks, an action figure, a barbie. So much stuff that we take for granted on a regular basis.
Other stuff... Ace and I are still doing really well. I feel like we are having more fun and communicating better. I still have my moments when I get moody and snap, but then I calm down and apologize and chill out. As a family we are doing really good. The squirt is so darn smart and quick. He wants to play with legos right now, which is fine. And he loves sports still so if thats on TV, he watches a lot of games.
So last, but not less important - I finally touched base with my uncle for the first time in .... YEARS. As well as his daughter and son - MY COUSINS!! It's so sad to think that we lived in NC for as long as we did yet we never got to see them and hang out. So I didn't get to grow up with family. Lame, huh? But now they are all grown and independent and expressive and smart and motivated and soooo much more. And it just felt really great to hear my uncles voice on the phone. Now I feel a little more in the loop in regards to my mom, which is good. So hopefully the lines of communication will remain open. One can hope!!
Thanksgiving in San Diego! Well, the 16 hour drive there seemed to go by fairly fast. Ace of course drove the entire way and I slept off and on. We got in shortly after 8am, just in time for the squirt to wake up and be ready to go! SO... Nana and I took the squirt and his cousin (miss M) to an aquarium in La Jolla. It was short and sweet but definitely a nice trip away from the house. Of course the weather was GORGEOUS and the kids liked seeing all the different fish. Plus there was a neat Seahorse exhibit. All in all, it was time well spent. Then that night we hung out at the house with the fam and ate a nice steak dinner. Mmmmmmmmmm..... steak. That Thursday while Ace helped Nana in the kitchen, I ventured out with the squirt to Coronado Beach. Now, my sis had given me directions but somehow accidentally mixed up N with S. So, the squirt and I almost ended up in Mexico. Seriously. I took the last exit before we hit the border. I laughed of course and we found our way to the beach. It was AMAZING. My new profile pic is evidence of that. We had a blast. We splashed in the water and played in the sand. It was great! Of course we were only there for an hour, but it was much needed spirit time on my end. Then that night we had a MAJOR feast. Goodness gracious I felt blessed:-) The whole family joined together and we just sat around afterward. I did some much needed knitting and actually finished TWO projects while we were gone. A pair of socks that I'll post a picture of later and a scarf for a friend on the east coast.
That Friday the boys went and played baseball and we just hung out at the house. Had dinner that nice at a fancy restaurant and got to see Nana & Grandpa's new house. Um... Then that Saturday we all made Tamales, the normal family Christmas tradition. But since we aren't going to be there for Christmas, we did it early. Pictures of that will be up soon as well! Then that night we hung out again. All in all I think Ace and the squirt had a great trip. I had a wonderful time visiting with my sister-n-law because she is just so darn wonderful. I love her dearly. And in all seriousness - I have no idea what I would do without her.
We drove out in the wee hours on Sunday morning. It was so sad but cute, the squirt says, "where are we going?" and we tell him, "We are going back home so you can see Momma." and he responds with, "But I wanted to go back to the beach." with sad puppy eyes and everything. Sigh. I know.... I wanted more of the beach too.
We made it back in like... 17 or 18 hours. Stopped in Utah for some In-N-Out. GAHHHHHH!! Hark the angels sing their voices... la la la la... Hamburger heaven for those of you who haven't experienced the glory. Mmm. It really is soo good.
What else? Well I finished my last class - Lifespan Development. That was an interesting class. Online, which I definitely do not prefer but I guess easy. Then two Mondays ago I started Human Sexuality. So far that class is really fun. And I'm looking forward to our next one on the 28th. Keep in mind people - this is all for my psych minor. WHICH!!! OH MY GAH!!!!! I received in the mail today my official certificates for Biblical Studies AND Project Management. I want to frame them they look so fancy. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! I'm so excited.
Dog sitting has still been busy. And on top of full time work, full time school, dog sitting, part time parenting I now have an official 2nd part time job as a caregiver for this company called Touching Hearts. It's a really neat business and I'm excited to be a part of it. It's basically non-medical care for seniors or really anyone with a disability. We go shopping for them, we help them bathe, we fold laundry, some light house work, we read to them, go on walks with them, etc. SO it's good for them and it feeds my soul. I contacted our church a few weeks ago trying to figure out where my skills/gifts can be best be utilized and no one has really been able to help yet, so we'll see. I think this new job is a right step toward figuring that out though.
Work has been really slow still. I love my team though. They are so amazing and I like learning something new every day. We actually adopted several families through a headstart program at a church and dropped all the kids gifts off yesterday. It was a moving experience. I just wish that we could give and give and give. ALL the time. Because there are so many kids out there who have nothing. And their wish list items are like, toilet paper; wash cloths, PJs, socks, an action figure, a barbie. So much stuff that we take for granted on a regular basis.
Other stuff... Ace and I are still doing really well. I feel like we are having more fun and communicating better. I still have my moments when I get moody and snap, but then I calm down and apologize and chill out. As a family we are doing really good. The squirt is so darn smart and quick. He wants to play with legos right now, which is fine. And he loves sports still so if thats on TV, he watches a lot of games.
So last, but not less important - I finally touched base with my uncle for the first time in .... YEARS. As well as his daughter and son - MY COUSINS!! It's so sad to think that we lived in NC for as long as we did yet we never got to see them and hang out. So I didn't get to grow up with family. Lame, huh? But now they are all grown and independent and expressive and smart and motivated and soooo much more. And it just felt really great to hear my uncles voice on the phone. Now I feel a little more in the loop in regards to my mom, which is good. So hopefully the lines of communication will remain open. One can hope!!
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