10 Things... from 2009 and hopefully in 2010!

Oh, 2009... what a year...
1. I visited DC, Dallas, Charleston, and Europe.
2. I turned 25.
3. I went on a 3-week long euro-trip alllll around Italy and to Paris, France.
4. I graduated from College with a Bachelor degree.
5. I picked a city and moved to Dallas :)
6. Two friends got engaged, some close friends got married.
7. I saw Carrie twice this year!
8. I went "home for Christmas"
9. I've had the flu AND strep this year. Lovely!
10. I got to see Kaskade :)

And what to look forward to in 2010...
1. Starting a new job/career.
2. Lots of travel?
3. New Year's resolutions... money, weight, the usual!
4. Love, perhaps?
5. Carrie's visit in June-ish

I'm sure there are more things, my mind is just a little preoccupied at the moment.

Heartbreak Warfare

Dear John,

My, my, my... you have done it again. I thought I lost you for so many years while you were away on this "Trio" shit. I never liked that side of you. Alas, you have returned to me and are starting to write meaningful lyric yet again.

You brought me through many days of circumstance back in my 'early 20's'. You made boys fall in love with my skin singing Your Body Is A Wonderland. You made me cry every time I heard Split Screen Sadness, and you sure as hell wrote every word for me. This, I know.

Your name was plastered on my myspace with quotes like "I can't really wait to figure out what's wrong with me, so I can say this is the way that I used to be" and "I can tell you this much I will marry just once and if it doesn't work out, give her half of my stuff. It's fine with me... we said eternity. And I will go to my grave with the life that I gave, not just some melody line on a radio wave... It dissipates and soon evaporates... but home life doesn't change"

But, no, the VERY first time I heard that sultry voice of yours, you related me to my high school years - no doubt while I was still in them - when I found out there was No Such Thing as the real world...

You brought it home when you talked about "driving up 85", because I was always driving up 85 when I needed some time to think, time to sort things out. Four more exits to my apartment changed each time I moved apartments, but it was always 85.

I can spot your voice from a mile away, and could probably relate every relationship I've had to one of your songs. And, this new one, Heartbreak Warfare, is oh-so-touching and exactly what I needed.

I heard your voice on the radio today and I knew it was you. You're back. I always knew you'd come back.

Love,
Me

The books on my shelf all have pink covers...

I have noticed that I love to make lists. I searched high and low for some "list keepers" and haven't been able to find any cute ones with the correctly labeled fields to fit my information in.

I would love to have a book with all the books I've read - with just enough room for me to write what I want about it. Or, a book of the wines I've had and such.

I dunno, maybe I'm a dork. Heh. ;)

I have been thinking about this for the past few days as well - there's not really a "girl's guide" to this city... or any city at that. I should put together a website or book or something with places to go, things to do, where the boutiques are, what places offer good classes (step, cooking, scrapbooking, etc.) and other things like that. I think it would be kind of a more permanent daily candy. I dunno. Just an idea - but a huge feat overall.

I watched Julie and Julia tonight and it was a really cute movie! My roommate is out of town on business this week... and then he leaves for two weeks to go home for the holidays. Three whole weeks sans roommate?! What ever will I do?! Anyway - I'm going home next week. Can't wait to see everyone! Hooray! (Oh, and Happy Holidays!)

10 Things I look forward to when I'm married one day.

I've been trying to figure out what kind of Christmas cards to send out this year. I'm single. I have a lovely Saffie kitty. And that's about it. Nothing "picture postcard" worthy, in my book. Which got me to thinking. There are a LOT of things I look forward to being able to do when I get married. (well, besides the whole being married part)

1. Picture Christmas cards :)
2. Buying a house
3. Decorating a house
4. Having a "Plus 1"
5. Social Functions... happy hours, etc. with friends
6. Traveling
7. Getting a mailing address stamp (corny, I know, but I love it!)
8. Being able to buy initialed items because I'll know what my initials will be!
9. Kiddos.
10. Making desert. All the time.

I know, I'm a bit of a romantic, but I look forward to these things. Now I just need to find someone to marry... ;) haha!

10 Things going on at the moment...

A lot of eventful stuff has happened this week.

1. I quit at the restaurant yesterday. I just couldn't do it anymore. Today was my "One Year" with the company, and it made me sick to my stomach. Last year around this time, I knew it would only be to get me through school. School ended in July. I'm done with this bs. :) I don't make hardly any money there (because of the shifts I have) and I hate it. So I quit. Saturday night is my last shift. Hooray!
2. I got a cocktail job at this SUPER busy bar downtown. The guy is supposed to call me back tomorrow and let me know what day I start training. He wants to train me before I go to Atlanta for a week so I can come back and 'hit the ground running'... I'm all for that. Hooray for money!!
3. I've started to gain some weight and I am NOT happy about it. I think it's the crazy lifestyle of having to starve for 9 hours per shift and then gorge on food when I can finally eat. Thank God that's done!
4. I am going to go to a church this weekend. I think I might try this HUGE one down here that's like the one I went to in Atlanta. I have some reservations about it, but we'll see. It also depends on what time I'm done on Saturday night closing the bar, too.
5. I have another networking meeting next week. Should be interesting. This lady is a consultant and has her own consulting company. One of her clients is a place I'm looking to get in to. We'll see what happens with that.
6. I met a really good contact last week and he has a position open at his company. He says it's part time (for now) that will turn into a full time position. I'm SUPER excited about it because it's EXACTLY what I want to do and he'll pay what I'm looking for as well. He wants me to meet the rest of his department - and go from there. I'm thinking this is all going to happen very quickly once I get in the door!
7. Christmas is FAST-approaching. My trip to Atlanta is going to be here before I know it. I have some shopping done, but not everything. We have Christmas AND 3 family Birthdays. My bank account suffers every year because of it!
8. I can't wait to be in Atlanta for a week. It's somewhat stressful because I'll have to rent a car (for whatever reason my family isn't that family where you can just 'borrow the car' for an afternoon, but whatever) and that's EXPENSIVE. Plane ticket, plus play money while i'm there... oy! Stressful!
9. Hopefully all this job stuff will work out and I can have some money in the bank, pay everything off, ya know - all that GOOD stuff I've been waiting for. Speaking of banks, Michael hooked me up with a friend of a friend who has an Assistant Branch Manager position open at a bank. Not sure what I feel about that - I don't know that I want to get into the banking business...
10. I think I'm going to do a huge painting for the wall in the living room. I need to get a canvas and get some cool fabric. Then, I can paint the fabric (on a larger scale) onto the canvas. Sounds cool... not sure if it'll actually happen!

La La La

I know, I know... "where's the update?!".... Here it is :)

For the past week, I've been slaving away at the restaurant making 7.25 an hour training to be the "bartender" there. Bartender at this restaurant means that you get to wake up at the ungodly hour of 6 am and work until 4 pm.... Hunger strikes at the most inappropriate times. (You're not allowed to eat within the 9 hours you're there per shift) Unhealthy, yes. Policy, yes. Against the law, I'm pretty certain.

Anyway, that's where I've been spending my time. Working at the restaurant making absolutely no money at all :) Hooray!

I have a new roommate who is lovely. He cleans up after himself, continues to add to his arsenal of drunken stories to keep me entertained, and is fun thus far.

Thanksgiving was great... can't wait to get back to Atlanta for Christmas for a week... and can't wait to find that fabulous job!!

I've been networking like crazy and meeting with people at every opportunity. There are a few good ones out there - and I can't wait to have one of them! I have done at least one meeting per week of being here, so that's a good momentum for me I think.

Anyway - that's about it. I haven't had time for my lovelies... haven't actually been able to talk to Carrie in weeks. Blair and I haven't had our usual chat, either. Gotta love this random schedule. It will all get better very, very soon! ;)

Fabulous song to check out - Owl City: Fireflies. Very cute vid. on YouTube.

Friday night shenanigans

Some random drama happened to me this past Friday night. I thought I would share because it's been oh-so-long since I've written and thought you might enjoy a good laughable story, even at my expense! ;)

Sam apparently has some family here (a sister who just moved and another sister who - I think - has lived here for a while) that I just recently found out about. He and I broke up 2 1/2 years ago because of his immature ways even at the age he was.

Every time he came to Atlanta, he'd ask to see me but I was either in a relationship or he was. I don't believe in homewrecking (on either end... I don't want to be the wrecker nor to be wrecked). So I declined to see him each time, not for lingering feelings (will never step back into that bs) but for the sheer fact of our former status.

So a few weeks ago I received a random email saying he was going to be in town for the weekend in a few weeks. I asked if he had a girlfriend and when he replied no, I told him I would meet him out for a drink or something.

So the fun begins.

I met up with potential roommate (who is now tentatively scheduled to move in next weekend, I think) and then told him I'd meet him out. Left a really awesome time with potential roommate to meet up with this fucker.

I walk into the bar to be greeted by his sister and nephew (he has OLDer siblings). He went to grab a beer.... sans warm welcome and thanks for coming out... When he sets the beer on the table... it spills entirely into my lap.

Yes. Into my lap. Lovely, right?!

I was in absolute shock at this point. But are we done with the story? No. As he goes to grab a stack of napkins for the monsoon of beer in my lap... his sister tells me he's got a girlfriend.

Oy.

Needless to say, it was a splendid evening that I enjoyed very much. I was really pissed off at him and he could tell. As he motioned for me to get up and go to the door, I calmly told him that I would "finish my fucking drink" and then go. Did he seriously lie to me to get me to meet up with him!?

These types of guys are pathetic. Sam will lie about anything and everything and doesn't care who he hurts in the process. It's not my feelings he's hurting - it's this poor girl (who I HOPE does not stay naive) whom he tries to cheat on while out of town.

There are some of you who would argue that seeing an ex while you're out of town is not necessarily cheating on them, but the crazy texts he sent leading up to that was most definitely in that arena. Thank God I dodged that bullet by dumping his ass when I did!!

What's in a name?

As I have aged (Yah, I know, I'm only 25... but spare me until you read the rest!) I have found different qualities in men more attractive. For instance, I remember a time when I thought nicknames/abbreviated names were so hot. (TJ, Matt, etc.) These days I find myself thinking guys with full names are much sexier - and more sophisticated.

For instance, I would rather call a Steven by that instead of Steve. Or I'd rather call a Thomas that instead of Tom. I dunno - it's just one of those things.

I always said that I wanted to name a boy of mine Tobias and call him Toby. But then again - would girls find that attractive? or would they love to call him Tobias?

Happy Halloween!!

Ok - so I know I haven't updated in a while. A lot has been going on but I seriously have not had time to write. I turn my computer on maybe once a week. Monday - work, Tuesday - work, Wednesday - work, Thursday - work, Friday - work, Saturday - work, Sunday - work... and guess what... all over again the next week!

I've been working a lot, which is great - but I'm still trying to find a "real" job in the meantime!! I have done a lot of great networking - which is helping me, but I haven't found anything yet. Once I get to that, I'm pretty sure I'll have some 'steady' down time :)

Oy! Happy Halloween, though! I'll have to post the picture of my eiffel tower of pumpkins that won me 75 bucks for the pumpkin carving contest at the restaurant. Huzzah!

As Usual...

Busy bee, as usual... still looking for a job, still working on getting this apartment set up the way I want it. :) Working my ass off at the restaurant - every day, to be exact - and they're going to train me this week to do cocktail. It should mean more money for me, and I'm ok with that!!

I actually just hung wall stuff today (that's usually one of the last things that happens for me when I move - so I know I'm close to being done!!)

Things are amazing here and I love Dallas. It's been super overcast and cloudy and cold for the past week or so. I can't wait for the sun to shine again!

Dallas is nothing short of fabulous...

... and I mean every bit of that. I have been here about a week and a half and everything is absolutely amazing! I made the right choice in coming here - and can't wait to get started at a new job (once I find it, hehe) and love being here.

That's pretty much it. Not too much to report, just getting settled in! :)

Texas, here I come!

I just got back from my little trip to Dallas. I found a FABULOUS apartment - in a great location with TONS of amenities! I went by the restaurant and they're starting me on some lovely shifts at the end of next week. This will give me time to get settled before I start working.

I have SO much stuff to do - packing, etc. And I'm going to make some cupcakes for the peeps at my restaurant.

Funny, I used to HATE going in to the restaurant when I was with Michael. Now, I kinda like a few of the people there. I really was a mean person when I was in that relationship. :) Such a happy person now!

Monday at the ass crack of dawn the truck will start up and I will be out of Atlanta. It's been raining the past few days here and my friend says... "Atlanta is crying because you're leaving..." That may very well be the case, but I'm throwing up the deuces behind my head as I roll out. I'm so ready to be gone.

Texas, here I come!

...still....

... looking for an apartment, though the search has turned up some promising leads.
... looking for a job, though I just found out I know 3 people who can connect me with the job I absolutely would die to have.
... am trying effortlessly to pack. Heh. I have started, just haven't gotten far.
... have only a week and a few days to pack everything to move.
... need to reserve a uhaul for the trip. My gpa is freaking out that I'm not capable of hauling a truck with my car attached for the 1000+ miles to Dallas.
... will be going out there next week to get everything finalized.
... can't wait for all this to happen!
... am exhausted.

;)

Do you remember.... Dancing in September...

OMG It's September already!? Yeesh! How the heck did that happen?!

I went in to the store the other day with my mom really quick and there was Halloween and Christmas stuff EVERYWHERE. This just means my move to Dallas is so much more quickly approaching than I'd thought. I hope everything works out the way I want it to. I still need someone to take over my lease and have people coming to take a look at it tomorrow. Also, I need to find a fabulous apartment when I go out there next week :)

I'm absolutely in love with Safetysuit at the moment. They have some awesome songs on their album. This one in particular is fab!



In other news - football started this weekend... Georgia lost, Virginia Tech lost, and Georgia Tech won. Eh. Whatev.

I know this post is SUPER random, but that's the kind of mood I'm in at the moment. Just have a lot of stuff going on. :) Work, then drinks with someone I used to work with. I haven't caught up with her in forever! Hooray!

Happy Labor Day weekend to those who actually got to celebrate it! (Not I!! I worked the entire time!)

Fabulously busy

Last week was CRAZY busy. I worked almost every single day. I went to a good friend's wedding... my great grandma turned 88!! and a whole bunch of other shenanigans!!

SO... this week was supposed to be a little more tame, but it isn't shaping up to be that way! I have been invited to see Depeche Mode tomorrow night - SUPER excited about that! I have lunches planned with some people to catch up, Ferry Corsten is also coming Wednesday night and I might just have to go to that!

Overall, I'm super happy! I knew I would get to this point - and it's been months in the making! I finally booked my flight to Dallas to check out the apartments, etc. Tuesday the 15th and Wednesday the 16th. I plan on getting something lined up for the week of the 21st. Should be so much fun and I can't wait for everything to unfold.

I have been networking like crazy and have come across some really great contacts for a marketing job there - and I can't wait to start that, either!

Oh... just SO many crazy things going on right now. ;) Hooray!

Things are bigger in Texas

Last week I decided that I am going to move to Dallas, TX. There's nothing left here for me in Atlanta except for a few friends and my family... whom I will miss dearly.

I just feel like it's that time. So, I've been looking for jobs in Dallas - apartments, etc. the whole nine. And everything seems to be coming together quite nicely.

Tonight, I was roller blading (made it around 4 times again tonight, only with a bit more struggle than the last adventure!) and all these thoughts were flying through my head. The past day and a half have been extremely hard dealing with this breakup. He's called and wants me to give it another shot... but I think I've given it all I can give. Sadly, I just don't want to go down that road again. It sucks because I know it hurts him, but there's nothing I can do about it.

The middle of September (sometime around the 15th) is coming up super fast and I have so many things to settle before that gets here.

Hopefully I'll get an email back from this lady I talked to with an AWESOME connection for me and I can get the ball rolling. I'm really excited about starting a new job and moving to a new city. It's a fresh start - and exactly what I need.

10 Things I accomplished today

1. I went to lunch with some really good friends I haven't seen in a while. One of which is getting married next week - and the other has a small baby. Perhaps this makes things a bit difficult for us to get together regularly! ;) Anyway, went to lunch with them and they gave me a tiffany's butterfly pendant for my graduation! It's GORGEOUS and oh so perfect. They even wrote a little hai-ku about me spreading my wings now that I've graduated. Love them!!

2. Took a nap. Hehe. Yep. Love me some sleep!

3. Cleaned the kitchen...

4. Then washed my car (by hand)...

5. Ran some errands...

6. Did some laundry...

7. I went roller blading tonight for the first time since the accident. It was a mix between being scared shitless from not being able to stop and the how hot it's been. Tonight was perfect weather. Working at the restaurant and running around all the time has given me incredible stamina, too. I used to only be able to go around my park 2 - MAYBE 3 - times in one session. I made at least 4 laps and then walked another lap afterward. This may become a regular thing if I can keep THAT up!!

8. I got home and made some oatmeal raisin cookies that are, in Rachel Ray's words, Yum-O!

9. I've been working on my Italy scrapbook since and have a few pages done. I heart scrapbooking!

Ok, I think that's enough for one day!!

Closing one door... trying to open another...

So it finally happened on Friday afternoon. Everything came to a head and the opportunity to end things presented itself.

Friday night, a long overdue night out with some fabulous people was awesome! Saturday night, I worked, then hung out with friends for a little while. Today, my mom and sisters and brother's girlfriend all went to lunch and to the puppet theater to see a play and make puppets. It was a great weekend overall.

Except.

I'm used to having a boyfriend and being able to talk with someone consistently. Well, haha, that's actually pretty funny, cause we didn't talk all that much these past three weeks. I'm used to having someone to cuddle with on a nightly basis - someone to share thoughts with - and all that jazz.

So whatever. It is what it is. Breakups are never easy. But I know it is for the best. I'm glad it happened so now I can start the healing process. I've been in this state of depression for way too long...

I'm looking to move to another city and start working at some fabulous job somewhere. I certainly want to brush up on my French - and hopefully use it to my advantage one of these days. I think moving in the next month or so is completely possible, I just need to up my job searching and become more proactive about it!

I would LOVE to start writing again (I know I say that ALL the time these days) but it's the truth. I also need to get into another good book. All we ever wanted was everything was a really good read. ;)

So here's to this week - hopefully it'll be a good one. I have a crazy random week next week, ending with a good friend's wedding and my great grandmother's bday party. Fab!

In the meantime... check out Shawn McDonald and his song Captivated. It's fabulous!

The whole truth. And nothing but the truth.

For the past 6 months I've been holding out. EHhh... perhaps it has been longer than that, but whatever.

I've been completely and utterly fucking miserable. I can contribute about 75% of that miserable-ness to the relationship I tried to make work... and 25% of it to the fact that I didn't get out when I knew it was time. Looking back, I don't think I would do it any other way but it doesn't mean it didn't suck in the process.

I guess I just didn't write about it because, once I write about it, it becomes real. Keeping this from becoming real exempted the emotions that come with the realness of the situation. If that makes sense?

So here's the whole truth. And nothing but the truth. Perhaps I'll have more to say - and be back to my fun-loving self - once I get out of this relationship.

His fault? not entirely. My fault? not entirely either. It's just that time.

I've vented and tried to work things out. I've explored all the possible options and tried everything imaginable. But it just isn't working.

So there you have it. :)

Crazy random update

So I had four very good topics to write about tonight, but I'm just not feelin it. In fact, I'm just not feelin much as of late. In my last post, I talked to you about a few things going on - believe me, there's much more! Hopefully, one day VERY soon, these posts can be funny little nothings that you all enjoy reading on the regular.

To update, I got a new roommate tonight. Someone super awesome responded to my craigslist ad and decided to take the place. She moves in August 17 or so.

Michael left earlier this week and I'm deeply saddened. He was the basis for most of what I did in my non-work and non-school time, so we'll see how this all goes. He had his first meeting today at his new job and that went well. Hooray for him!

I went into the restaurant today and two very fabulous people in my life came in for lunch. They were super sweet and tipped me a ridiculous amount of money which was completely uncalled for. Anyway, I didn't lose my job. The general manager was, as usual, bitchy about it. Gotta love her life, right?

My little saff-ster who likes to play with other kitties outside has brought back something little and annoying with her. Fleas. I fucking hate fleas. I suppose I need to get a new flea collar for her and get rid of these little pests before it gets out of control. They multiply like rabbits. Only quicker.

So... I graduated. Technically, but not officially. I had my last class last night with a presentation. One of our group members completely bombed her portion of the presentation because she showed up for our practice 45 minutes late. Heh. Good thing for Peer Evals. I should know by Saturday what my grade is in this class. I'm thinking it's going to be a B+. I will be completely shocked if I get an A- or something.... that would mean Dean's list two semesters in a row.

I have a list of movies to see at the theater a mile long. The Ugly Truth, The Proposal, Julie and Julia, Humpday, 500 days of summer, Funny People, The Time Traveler's Wife... etc. That's 7 movies at 10 bucks a pop... I might just be waiting until their DVD release. How can they do that to us and release SO MANY great movies all at one time?!

I've been listening to a few fabulous songs recently. Perhaps you might want to check them out too...

The Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire
James Morrison feat. Nelly Furtado - Broken Strings
JES - My love
The Pussycat Dolls - Jai Ho
Chris Lake - If you knew
The Kings of Leon - Use Somebody
Carrie Underwood - Wasted
Lady Sovereign - So Human
Safetysuit - Stay

So that's about it for me. Like I said earlier, I'll probably start to update this neglected blog more frequently as I become me again. ;)

The Flu.

Sucks. Period.

Wednesday/Thursday of last week I started feeling super sick. I stayed out of work (nannying) on Friday and had to pay $65 on Saturday to get a doctor's excuse so I didn't lose my restaurant job. Let me tell you - they weren't super excited about all of this. In fact, they told me if I didn't show up then I would be "red lined", which I assume was the interim manager's way of saying "fired". I got the doc's excuse - and hopefully, we'll find out Thursday, if that's 'good enough' for them.

Anywho - I'm feeling a bit better now. This week holds a whole bucket full of emotions for me. I 'graduate' (ie - have my very last class) on Wednesday, Michael moves to DC on Tuesday, and I'm left somewhere in between to pick up the pieces.

This is supposed to be a happy time in my life - graduation - but it's overshadowed by less-happier feelings stemming from a huge decision I've made. If I don't make this decision for myself now, I never will.

I figure if I just ignore the feelings and emotions that come with all this bullshit, it'll make it so much easier. I have a lot of money to make up for being out of work this week and having to find a roommate for August 1 - just a few days away. That should keep me occupied. Oh yah, that, and the job search. It's the real deal now.

Sick physically with the flu - emotionally tired from this relationship - and overjoyed with the end of a 7 year journey to a degree.... get me the FUCK outta here.

That's exactly how I feel right now. :)

All We Ever Wanted Was Everything

So, I'm reading the book All We Ever Wanted Was Everything and it's so intriguing. I can't seem to put it down - but that's usually me in the summer with books.

The book is quite inspiring and I can relate to a lot of what's in it. If you're a book reader... you should check it out. It's not specifically chick-lit, but I suppose it could be considered something most people would enjoy :)

10 [Random] Things...

1. I finish school in exactly 13 days. I couldn't be more excited!!
2. I LOVE the Kings of Leon and their new stuff: Sex on Fire and Use Somebody. GREAT songs.
3. I am so. sick. of. cleaning. argh.
4. I would like to stop eating so much. I think it's a stressful thing. I need to turn those stupid sweet snacks into healthy ones :)
5. I just got a new Cricut for my graduation present and I'm STOKED!!
6. Carrie came to visit last week and we had SO much fun! We didn't take as many pics as we normally do - but we had a blast!
7. We went to see Away We Go. FABULOUS movie! (you should go see it!)
8. I have been looking for Armin's ASOT 2009 for MONTHS now. Only place I can find it is online :(
9. Summertime = high electricity bills.
10. The restaurant has been SUPER slow... I mean SUPER slow... I'm making only 1/2 of what I was making. IF that.

Overall, everything is going great. Some huge changes in my life are about to take place and I feel as though I may be blogging a bit more. ;)

Perception is everything.

Recently, I've been told by two people very close to me that I am good at pretty much anything. The presentation of these words from one was most endearing, in the form of playful jealousy that turned into a compliment, "God, does she suck at anything?!" From another, it was a mockery and a most unwelcome comment, "You just know everything, don't you?"

This got me to pondering.

And thinking about this.

I learned at church a few weeks ago that we should take these comments in stride and understand that people who love discipline also love knowledge but people who hate criticism are stupid. Yep, that's what it says in the Bible. Check out Proverbs 12 :)

Anyway, so I've been evaluating these comments, both presented in very different ways, and want to explore what I do and do not know... what I am good at, and what I am not. Perhaps what I am good at is displaying confidence that I can at least try anything, and end up being good at some.

- I am good at cooking... recipes... off the top of my head... whatever the case may be.
- I am not good at singing. Whatsoever.
- I am good at scrapbooking, crafts, and taking care of kids.
- I am not so good at taking great pictures - but I do get some good ones in there.
- I am good at driving defensively. (some people may consider this bad driving... he he!)
- I am good at reading, writing, proofreading,
- I am not good at school (thank God for 24 more days!!)
- I am good at swimming, random knowledge, and knowing the difference between right and wrong.
- I am not good at sports. ANY sports.
- I am good at taking care of people, decorating, and thinking out of the box.

I'm sure I could continue this list of things I do very well and not so great... but the point is, I am bad at some things, I don't know everything, and I'm just a normal person who deserves to better herself.

So fucking what if I'm optimistic and like to try new things. And so what if I am good at some things. I'm not perfect... But, maybe I should be more inspirational... and maybe I should work on improving the way I come off so the perception is such.

Little Blessings

I've been feeling crummy these past few days. Sinuses going crazy, not really getting a lot of sleep. So, I've been doped up on nyquil and dayquil and it hasn't really helped. I realized that since there is so many other things in those meds, that I probably should get something JUST for congestion.

So, I thought of the new Vicks44 line of meds that give you ONLY what you need. (ie. one for congestion). I looked through ALL of my coupons (yes, I'm an avid coupon-clipper) and couldn't find any for it. Cold and Flu medicine isn't cheap... about $5-8 per bottle! I even tried searching on the net for something.

To no avail, I didn't find any discounts. My discomfort, unfortunately, outweighs the cost... so I decided to hop in the car and grab some at the drugstore.

I walk in to CVS and find the whole line of Vicks44 specialized care products. They're all about $7.50 each (YIKES!)... except the one I wanted for congestion. It's marked at over 75% off... only $1.89.

Crazy, right?! It was such a little blessing from God... a nice little discount on what I needed to feel better. :)

*sigh* God is great... and he shows it to me every single day!

Chasing Harry Winston

If you haven't picked it up yet, this book was absolutely amazing! I bought it while I was in Florence because I loved this international cover better than the one released in the US. I couldn't put this book down! If you're a fan of chick-lit, you most certainly need to read it! :)

The next book I'm on to is called A Year of Fog and I just got it today at the bookstore. It's a different kind of book than I normally read - one about a girl that goes missing while at the beach in San Fran. She is there with her Father's fiance and it goes through the trials and tribulations of a missing child and their relationship. So far, it's a great book as well. I'm glad I'm expanding my reading horizons!

Pics from Italy and France :)

There she is... my source of obsession for the past 10 years!


This is what I always envisioned Paris looking like.


We totally went to Lamborghini... :)


And Ducati...


Florence was ah-may-zing! This was sunset... on the river...


This was one of the wineries we visited. The guy who owned the place was actually a "count"... heh. Fabulous wine!

Starting to get into the swing of things...

The summer is flying by. This could be a good and/or bad thing for me... good, because I'll have graduated from college with a bachelor's degree, but bad, because I LOVE summer. I love summer weather... summer activities... etc. etc. you get the point.

I'll be done with school July 29th and that day could not come any sooner! This class, however, is crazy fast with a HUGE business simulated game that we do every single week. It's an online game that we play - for a grade. MMmmhmmm. I'm writing all of the reports for my team. This should be interesting.

Other than that, I've been working as a nanny still... working at the restaurant, still... and enjoying my Tuesdays and Sundays. Michael's son is in town - and he's about to go to Dallas to pick the other one up, so it's going to be a full house this summer as well.

I'll leave you with some fabulous pics from my trip :)

10 [different] Things about Europe and the US

1. There are no fat people in Europe. Everyone is skinny skinny. I felt like the fat one!! :)

2. People ride bikes and mo-peds EVERYWHERE in Europe. It's awesome!

3. The smallest car in the US is the biggest car in Europe. (take that statement with a grain of salt... I was mostly in heavily populated cities where they have mini-cars everywhere!)

4. There are SO many stairs in France. It was a great butt workout!

5. The people are so much friendlier in Europe - ie airline personnel, shop owners, etc. I literally witnessed a lady being cursed out by the airline lady behind the counter because she didn't understand what she was saying. I don't get why some people have to be so rude!

6. The olive oil in Italy is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!)

7. EVERYONE in Europe smokes EVERYWHERE. It's insane!

8. Students in the US don't learn multiple languages. I felt like everyone I encountered in Italy and France spoke English. :)

9. International book covers are much more exciting than ones in the US. I read Chasing Harry Winston and got the cover with the green stiletto on it. Fabulous!

10. There -is- something about the Tuscan Sun. It's absolutely amazing!

:)

Italy and France :)

It's way too complicated to go back and write every single detail about my trip - so here goes... the jist!

- The first day I was in Rome, Italy... we rented vespas! (well, little honda mo-ped's) It was SO much fun. Since we rented them overnight, we went to the beach the next day. There were 6 of us who got them, so it was totally fun! One of the guys wrecked his 20 seconds after he got on it... hilarious!

- While in Rome, I saw pretty much everything I wanted to see. The spanish steps, Colloseum, The Vatican, St. Peter's Basillica (Actually went to the excavations at st. peter's basillica and that was SUPER cool), etc. It was much more fun just riding around on the mo-ped's instead! We went to the Piazza Navonna, hung out by the river, ate chinese food (haha!), ate a TON of italian food, ate gelato, etc etc. We also saw the Opera, Pagliacci, and that was really cool, too!

- On the way from Rome to Florence, we stopped at a winery and had a wine tasting. This was really awesome - to actually see the wine fields and everything. This was one of our company visits for the program, so we were there for _hours_.

- When in Florence, we went to the original Buca di Beppo (or where it was originated from) to eat the first night. A boyfriend of one of the girls on our trip surprised her with a ring in her room when we got there. It was really sweet and he stayed with us for the rest of the trip.

- The BEST gelato in the entire city (or perhaps even what I had in Italy) was at La Carialla (not sure about the spelling). It was AMAZING! I had mint chocolate chip :)

- We toured Santa Maria Novella, another perfumerie, and a few other companies. On Sunday, we had a free day and I was pretty much over being around everyone for 7 days straight, so I went shopping! I got this pair of jeans that is oh-so-awesome. A shirt, some italian leather sandals (at the market), and a whole bunch of souvenirs for everyone at the street markets. It's really awesome there! They wouldn't let you rent a mo-ped without a motorcycle license... so that was out of the question! Oh, and we ate Mexican food in Florence!!

- Between Florence and Milan, we went to Pisa (to see the leaning tower!) and also to a winery or two in Montolcino (spelling?). There was a castle there... pretty cool. We also went to the oldest castle in Tuscany... over 900 years old! the Pacci family lived there waaaay back then, and they killed a very famous family - it was quite interesting.

- Before we got to Milan, we went to tour the Ducati factory. THAT was cool! We also went to Turin and toured the Fiat factory (the Chrysler/Fiat merger is going to be a fucking disaster, by the way. We had a session with their marketing manager - and I'm seriously worried about the billions of dollars we're paying in to this. Oy.)

- In Milan, we saw the sfortzesco castle (damn, I wish I had all of my papers with me, cause then I would spell this all correctly!), the Il Duomo in the center of town, and a whole bunch of other cool stuff. We went to an italian bag maker called "i santi" and that was super cool. How could I forget that we also toured Lamborghini :)

- Rome, by far, was my favorite city. My fave stores over in Italy were OVS (Oviesse), Promod, and Sisiley. Fab!

Then - I left the group a day early and met my mom in Paris. We had a TON of fun and saw a lot of incredible things.

- I went STRAIGHT to the eiffel tower after getting there. :) Oh, my love!

- We went on a boat cruise down the seine, ate lots of yummy food, saw a piano being lifted through an apartment window, saw the Louvre, the Arch de Triumph (and climbed all 275 stairs), rode the metro everywhere, took a bike tour, went to a wax museum, saw the Mona Lisa, Gardens at the Tuilleries, The Notre Dame, and MUCH MUCH more. All in 4 days...

- I woke up with a small ear infection on Saturday and was MISERABLE. I'm sure I was the biggest biatch to my mom while I was there - I was irritated about everything and I feel INCREDIBLY bad about it. Going to the French pharmacy was crazy. I didn't know what anything was and they don't know what Benadryl is... so we were kinda stuck. They wanted to give me something for "circulation" hahahaha... it ended up being congestion in my ears and by the end of Sunday, I was feeling better.

- We went to the top of the Eiffel Tower on Monday after our bike ride. We took a few pictures and also saw it do its little light show the night before. We ate crepes, had croque monsieur's (I'm sure I'm totally botching the spelling, but whatever!), and all kinda of fun stuff :)

- Coming home was crazy. I was over there 2 days shy of 3 weeks and was semi-ready for it. We left at 2:30 am, Paris time and I got home 10:30 pm EST... that means I traveled for 26 hours. F'in crazy!!

- As we were eating breakfast at the airport, there were news cameras everywhere outside. We just thought that was typical. I got on my flight to Rome (had to come back through the US via Rome because that's where I originally booked my ticket) and landed there - had to RUN across the airport and barely made the flight. As I was sitting there, waiting for take-off, I decided to check cnn.com and look at the news. I hadn't in 3 weeks. The top headline... "Air France flight missing over the Atlantic". HOLY FUCKING SHIT. Ummm... it was WAY too late for me to get off the flight, the door had already been closed. I was stuck. And petrified.

- I arrived at JFK and had to wait for 5 hours for my next flight. This is where my realizations about the differences between Europe and the US set in. If I write one day that I'm moving to Europe, please don't be surprised by this!

Anyway, all in all, it was an awesome trip. Going with 14 college kids when you're post-college age and maturity level isn't something I would recommend, but it was fun nonetheless! Perhaps I'll write a post about all of the "unprofessional" things that happened... haha!

Well, there's your update! :)

Writing my paper... then updating!

Oh how I've missed writing in this blog for the past few weeks. Traveling in Europe was absolutely amazing... and it might just force me to move somewhere over there one day. The culture is fabulous - and I loved being there. I have SO so so so much to write about... and kept a written journal of bullet points.

There are many differences between Italy and France... as well as between those cities and the US. The food, by far, is better in France, but the people are better in Italy. I dunno, tons of differences!

I got to see the Eiffel Tower every single day that I was there - and got to go on it the last day. I'm so happy my mom went with me - cause we had a blast!

I did have an ear infection while I was there, and it made me a bit bitchy. I just hope I didn't ruin my mom's trip to Paris because of it. I was fine after I took some meds. Speaking of... we went to this pharmacist and asked her what I could do for my ear and her first response... it's "circulation". HAH! So, we thought about it, talked about it, and meanwhile someone else came up and asked about something else. She said it was circulation for them, too. So we nixed that idea and got a decongestant and that worked just fine. Perhaps that's their cure-all? Circulation? Hmmm.

I'm working on getting all of my pictures re-sized so I can post them somewhere for everyone to see. I've also got a 10 page (single spaced, nonetheless) paper due tomorrow sometime. I have a clear idea of what I want to write, I just need to sit down and write it.

Michael is still here for the summer - he's not moving to DC until the day I graduate (fabulous, right!?) and I'll probably go shortly thereafter depending on living arrangements, etc.

His son is in town for the summer and then some. And his other son will be here in a few weeks for the rest of the summer. It's so very exciting - cause they're both really cute kids!

After I write this paper, I'll have plenty of time to write all kinds of good stuff in here about my trip :) Huzzah!

Viva Italia!

Ahhhh... I have wanted to write in this blog SO badly... just as much as I'm sure you're curious about my travels. But, getting to a computer has been somewhat challenging. Between the endless days that allow for at most 4 hours of sleep... to the crazy adventures I've been having, it's just not been happening. I have to write a blog for my class - and I haven't even been able to keep up with that!

There are SO many things I've experienced that I want to share and I'll probably just have to sit in front of the computer when I return and write all about them. Luckily, I've been writing bits and pieces on paper to jog my memory.

At this point, I've got over 400 pictures on my camera and have a week and two days left of this trip.

*sigh* I wish I had more to leave you with right now, but I'm exhausted... and we're leaving for Milan in like 8 hours. Yikes! (PS It's after midnight here right now...)

Anyway, I look forward to sharing my trip :)

Hooray!!!

10 Things... just an update

I'm going to need to learn how to update this thing from my Blackberry... then, maybe I'd update it a whole lot more! I always think of interesting stories to tell - hilarious ones at that - and other things to share, yet never have time for it. So, in lieu of posting for the past month... I'll give you 10 things. :) Enjoy!

1. I leave for Italy on Friday... I am STOKED. Not really for the Italy part - mostly the Paris, France part at the end of the trip. Holler!
2. I made STRAIGHT A's this semester. Mmmmmhmmm. I never thought that possible... ESPECIALLY not at the school I go to - shitty University, at best. Although, Straight A's does not translate to a 4.0... because if you get a 90, you've got an A-. :) Either way, I made the dean's list and I'm incredibly excited that I made all A's. Go me!
3. Michael was supposed to move to DC while I was gone in Italy, now that may not happen. I think he's going to be here for the summer.... and leave in August. That's more along my time frame lines. Interesting ;)
4. I have so much to prepare before I leave on Friday. PLUS I have class for the trip all week. Lovely, right?
5. I think I'm getting sick. Last night I had the worst stomach ache ever... and this morning, one of my lymph nodes were swollen. I feel like sha-poopie.
6. Rae and her boyfriend are "engaged" now... so happy for them!
7. I have ONE class left and I'll be a college graduate. Hooray!!

Ok, so maybe only 7 for right now. I have a feeling there's SO much more to share but I just can't think of it all right now :) Have a good day!

Roller-disaster

Sunday, here in my city, was absolutely amazingly gorgeous. It was Easter Sunday, of course, so they forced every single person that works at the restaurant to pick up a shift. This meant I had to work at 4pm.

Michael and I got up around 11, had some breakfast, totally didn't make it to the church service because we'd both gone to bed around 4am (me because of work and him because he'd been out with friends), and then lounged around for a few. I walked outside and immediately ran back in with "oh, we have to get up and enjoy this beautiful day... we can't let it go to waste!"I grab my roller blading gear... he grabs his running shoes, and off we go to the park.

Normally, when I go rollerblading, I go to the park downtown. The lanes are wider, it's made specifically for people to ride around or run around on bikes, etc. Since I had to be showered and at work at 4, there really was no time for all that mess... we had to go to the park right around the corner.

We got there, found a sufficient trail... and were on our way. Some hills were scary but they leveled out eventually. At one point, we decided to turn back so we'd make it back in time. At the very last hill before getting to the parking lot, I'd met my doom.

I told Michael I'd just go ahead, so he could do his cool-down walk. He'd been running the entire time. So, off I went. And then I realized I was fucked. The hill was steeper and steeper. At the end, you guessed it, the road. The road with the parked cars. The sidewalk that ended with just a small metal post in the center of it wrapped in caution tape. The 90 degree turn that the sidewalk took. The curb. The parked cars. The "oh my God, I'm going way too fucking fast. What ever shall I do?!"

I decided to try to take the 90 degree turn. No telling what lurked around the corner, but I felt it was better than either A) ramming straight into the parked volvo at the end or, worse, B) getting hit by a passing car. Taking the turn ended miserably, and I ended up hopping the curb and out into the street anyway.

The transfer from sidewalk to asphalt was not a pleasant one for the good ole roller blades. They didn't like it one bit. I can't say that I wasn't screaming like a baby... because, oh, I certainly was. I ended up running into a parked car and sliding into home base.

In case you were wondering, there were a few people looking my way. Once I'd made the landing, imagine, in your best "guy" voice... "Uhh... are you alright?" shouted from about 100 feet away. My response? "Yah. That sucked!"

I was CRACKING up. I thought it was absolutely fucking hilarious that I'd crashed on my roller blades - the first time, ever.

Michael came walking down the hill, then slowly turning that walk into a run. Thank GOD he didn't see any of that actually happen. :)

The damage? Well, since I was wearing elbow and knee pads, very minimal. I scraped my wrist, have a HUGE bruise on my ass, and some scrapes on my leg. I'm pretty sore today (and this was two days ago) so that tells me something!

As for work, I called my manager and told her that she probably would think of this as the most bullshit excuse she'd ever heard but that it was true! She made me come in anyway and I ended up being able to go home (by some random luck).

Michael and I met up with Blaire and a guy friend of hers and we went to the 6 o'clock service and to On The Border afterward. Their margarita swirls are FAN-tabulous, by the way.

Gotta love a roller-disaster. :) Haha. It's STILL funny!

Reviews of a new city. Part 5: Washington, DC

In spite of visiting this city for various reasons in the past multiple times... It never felt more alive than when I was there with Michael just a few weeks ago. We had SO much fun and saw SO many things.

One thing, in particular, that I loved about the city was that there are so many things you can do for free. There are free museums - or some that are only about $15 to get in. In my city, museums are ridiculously expensive - upwards of 25-40 bucks a pop. I loved all of the monuments and parks and open space. It didn't feel like the city was ever closing in on you - all just open and airy and free.

The food we had was awesome - and the people were great, too. Michael took me to the top of a friend of his' building to see the night skyline. It was absolutely stunning. Everything that needed to be lit up, was... and everything that was darkened only enhanced the awesome architecture laid out before us.

I suppose it's a good thing that I loved this city - especially in this visit - because I'll potentially be calling it home in a few months. :) I still don't love the weather... in fact, I'll probably hate it. I hate the cold weather, but summer is just around the corner.

Weather: 6
Sites/Stuff to do: 10
People: 8.5
Location: 8
Food: 9
Overall: 8

Sham-bam-a-lam...

My birthday was fan-tabulous, as always. I've been secretly afraid of turning 25... but I am. It's really weird now. I don't know how the days make a difference, but they do.

School is nearing end... I've only got 2 1/2 weeks left of class, essentially. That's with the 1/2 being the two days I have to go for a presentation and an exam. This semester has flown by, and I'm excited about that.

I leave for Italy/Paris on the 15th of May (only a little over a month away!) and I'm super excited. I have a lot of things to plan (a hotel or something in Paris) Oh, before I forget - Odette, I really would LOVE some pointers from you on what to do there... so send them my way!

Michael got the job promotion and will be moving to DC at the end of May/beginning of June as well. I'm really sad about this because I have to be here for ONE stupid class this summer :( Which means I won't get to move there until the beginning of August. That's two WHOLE months without him!

Speaking of - we've had some crazy times these past few weeks - but everything is somehow working out just perfectly. I suppose that's what is supposed to happen when God's the center of your relationship. He has been the sweetest bf ever :)

Carrie is in NOLA for the weekend and as happy as a pea in a pod... Blaire arranged a little surprise thing for me on my birthday with Michael. We had SO Much fun and I love her for it!!!

I'll be so excited when all of the craziness is over and I can feel normal again. I've got the itch to buy a Wii and Wii Fit. An itch that's lasted at least a few weeks (that's how I know I REALLY want something...) It's only $350 for everything... but then again, I AM going to my favorite city in the world in just a month and am going to need all the funds I've got to make it happen. Ohhhhh how I just loooove being responsible.

Hope you guys are doing well. Hell, maybe some of you have stopped reading because I write so infrequently. Please bear with me, I PROMISE it'll get interesting again!!!

10 Things going on right now...

Ohhhh my how long its been since I've updated. And there are a ton of things to update as well.

1. School is ONE MONTH from being done for the semester. Hallelujah! (and FOUR months from being done altogether!!)
2. I leave for Italy on May 15th and am tacking on a few days in Paris until June 2nd. I cannot WAIT!
3. I am so incredibly busy right now, it's absolutely ridiculous.
4. Because I'm so busy, I've decided to quit going to my small group. I know, I was SO excited about it before, but right now I don't have the time - and I don't think that I get that much out of it.
5. Michael may or may not be moving in :)
6. Michael and I may or may not be moving to Washington, DC in August.
7. It's my birthday on Saturday. I'm old. :(
8. I filed my taxes yesterday and, surprisingly, I'm getting something back from this lovely government. Who would have thought?
9. annndd... the baby is up... back to my nannying duties!

Clever...

Tonight, walking to school, I passed a homeless guy sitting on the footsteps of a small shop.

The sign in front of him read:

"The US banks are failing. Your money is safe with me."

Hahahaha! He is so clever! If I had a dollar on me, I'd give it to him. (And I don't usually do that!)

Renaissance

Tonight, driving home from small group, I felt an incredible connection with God. I know I don't write much about my spiritual life on here - because I haven't felt all that connected recently. It's like, I want SO badly for it to be there, but it's not as strong as it once was.

I popped in a CD I haven't listened to since maybe last summer. Mat Kearney's Nothing Left to Lose. Many people don't know that he's a Christian singer, but he is. And he's fabulous at it.

As I get in the car, the song "Renaissance" starts to play. This song was instrumental in getting me through some tough times I had around May of last year. I must say, it brought back a rush of things I haven't felt in quite some time... tears in my eyes and a smile across my face. As I looked out of the sunroof, the moon was shining bright, the air comfortingly warm, and the clouds were remarkable.

Here are the lyrics. I highly recommend listening to the song at some point. His voice is amazing.

Through the chorus of this song, I am reminded that He is here for me when things are rough. He's the "wall when you fall down", "on the rocks when you break down", and you can "hear it in the song when you call out".... and that's just the reassurance I need sometimes. :)


Mat Kearney - Renaissance

This is my renaissance
This is my one response
This is the way I say I love you

This is my second chance
This is my one romance
This is the cutting line
On which I stand to show you

It happened fast in a flash, just this evening
As I hit the gas, horn blast, brakes were screaming
As the car crashed, broken glass, broke my dreaming
I hit the dash, so fast my ears are ringing
My sister's on the right side just slightly leaning
I grabbed her hand hard until she started breathing
My brother's in the back, jaw cracked from the beating
The breath in my chest has slipped and I'm sinking
Blinking through diamond spider webs of cracked glass
I'm trying to remember all the words you said in the past
Through the ash, siren screams and red beams
I hear you sing softly to me

CHORUS:
I can be the wall when you fall down
Find me on the rocks when you break down
I heard it in the song when you call out
But I got to say now it's got to change

This is my broken heart
This is my bleeding start
This is the way I've come to know you

This is my winding road
This is my way back home
This is the narrow door you know that I will walk through

I got a letter today of why she went away
She said, "It's better this way, you knew I never could stay."
Half empty closets and frames, all that's left to my name
As she left in the rain and left my heart on a chain
Three years I've built this two-face tower for hours on a lease
You gave me one yellow flower that said rest in peace
In pieces I've broken open to think too much or just enough
Alone to trust midst the rubble and the dust
Humbled, it took this much to break down and understand
Spent my life this far on castles made of sand
Tossed in the breakers in the palm of your hand
Now I can finally stand

I can be the one
I heard it in the song
And I can be the one
I heard it in the song

This is my renaissance
This is my one response
This is the way I say I love you

Reviews of a new city. Part 4: Dallas, TX

I was born in Houston, TX. I've known this all of my life, but never really had been to the place. Michael and I landed at the Houston airport for about an hour or so on our way to Hawaii back in September, but I haven't been out on my own there... well, ever.

Dallas is Michael's hometown. About an hour south, to be precise. We were there a few weekends ago, and I absolutely loved it. I don't know if it was his family that I loved, or the city, but both were absolutely amazing.

The city has a lot to offer a young college grad (like I will be in August)... There are consulting companies (fabulous!)... I've already got connections, instant family that is incredibly welcoming... the works!

It was a bit windy while we were there, but isn't every city at some point? I LOVE the warm weather, the many options that life brings, and everything BIG that Texas holds.

Maybe I'm just biased... ;)

Weather: 10
Sites/Stuff to do: 8
People: 8
Location: 8
Food: 9
Overall: 9

Visitors and Anonymity

Carrie is definitely here :) We're having SUCH a girl-time. We went to see Confessions of a Shopaholic today (which, I did not like her outfits, but thought the movie was great!). We went to get mani/pedi's (I have not done this in at least a year). We got Panera (Yumm!!), shopped a bit, and came home for dinner and delicious bottle(s) of wine. We each got one... and I'm about 3 glasses deep in mine at the moment.

We're about to head to a favorite bar of ours that we haven't been to in FOREVER, it feels like. Blaire is coming to pick us up and be the DD tonight. We're going to have a BLAST!

I dropped Michael off yesterday morning... he's headed to a month-long business trip far, far away from here :( but I'm going to visit him the weekend of the 20th. That's only 2 weeks away, and we get to tour the city together.

I have been contemplating, with all the cities I've been traveling to, revealing to you where I live. I know, I know, this has been my greatest fear - someone I work with, in my oh-so-professional life, will find this blog and read all about my personal life. This is something I hold sacred in the professional world. I don't think co-workers should be allowed into your personal life, unless you let them.

SO - I'm THINKING about writing about it... but for now, you'll just have to read about my newest "Review of a new city" :)

Oh how I love cheap wine.

Busy Bee...

Yes, I admit, I've neglected the blog once again... but it's all because I haven't really had the time to update. Here's the list of things I've been keeping up with:

- Michael and I went to his city this weekend. We had SO much fun but it was exhausting meeting all of those people and talking the whole time. :)
- Carrie is coming next Wednesday and I cannot WAIT to spend a weekend with her! It's been since we went to Hawaii in September to visit her. That's WAY too long!
- School is kicking my ass. I have projects in each one of my classes that I'm practically the leader of - and stuff due all the time.
- I've had to get stuff taken care of to Study Abroad. I still have a million to-do things like getting a physical, applying my financial aid, etc. Thankfully, I've already taken care of the Passport. That's one less thing to worry about!
- I'm in the process of finding a new roommate. Now THAT is tedious.
- I work 3 days as a nanny and 2 days as a waitress. I have Sundays off from Work and School but it really doesn't feel like it with the amount of homework I have!
- My little sister's bday is next week.
- Spending time with my family is crazy short because of everything going on.
- I have my small group Tuesday nights.
- errands like grocery shopping, oil changes, etc.... and cleaning and laundry...

and this list rolls on and on. I never get a break! :)

So... I'll have to catch up on your blogs and tell you all some funny stories from this weekend.

Happy Tuesday!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day weekend! Michael and I went to dinner on Friday night (because I had to work Saturday night) at a Japanese place. It was FABULOUS. :)

He got me a gift certificate to a local spa and I cannot WAIT to use it! Things have turned around completely for us from just a few months ago and I couldn't be happier :)

Anyway - we had a fabulous weekend and I hope you all did, too. There's a bunch of random stuff I could talk about, but I don't really feel like it today :)

Small rant

10 [exciting] Things about this week...

1. You know that study abroad program I've been talking about for, like, ever now??!? WELLLllllll... I had an interview (impromptu, might I add) with the sponsor of the trip and he wants me to go!!! So that means I'm accepted into the program and I get to go to Italy for Maymester!!! This also means other great things for my school stuff. I only have to take ONE class this summer and I'll be done! Which means I'll technically be able to start working as much as I'd like and that'll be fabulous! I'm going to need it to pay off the cost of this trip, but it's so worth it! I got the good news yesterday and I couldn't be more excited.

2. Carrie comes to see me in exactly 27 days. OMG, it's finally here!! I cannot WAIT!! We're going to go see Confessions of a Shopaholic (I'm so glad she's waiting to see it with me - you have NO idea how big of a deal it is for her to actually wait to see a movie!)

3. Michael invited me to go HOME with him to meet his parents, etc. (yes, HOME is a different city and state and timezone...) This just happened today. Ummmm I kinda freaked out for a second but I'm really excited! We had actually planned this for the Christmas holidays but it didn't end up working out like that. So, he wanted to go for a short weekend in two weeks for his son's birthday and wants me to come. That's $180 round trip for a plane ticket. I feel like it's worth it, though. :) This is a huge step in our relationship, by the way...

4. I called my credit card company (the one I have with the whopping almost 6 grand in fun money on it) and had my interest rate lowered from 18.9 (who the fuck has an 18.9% interest rate with my credit score?!) to 3.99.... fabulous!! I don't know why I never thought to ask for a lower interest rate before. I just thought that's what you had to pay. I've been hearing from other people that they've called and now have been able to pay off their card - instead, I feel like I've been paying them a shit ton of interest these past few years. :)

5. Blaire is moving back to the city THIS WEEKEND!! I'm SO excited for her! She'll be closer and I'll be able to see her more often :)

6. Rae moved out a week ago and I'm still looking for a roommate. I've posted an ad on craigslist but haven't found anything just yet... gotta keep looking!

7. My Nutrition class was supposed to have a test on Tuesday. My teacher sent an email (that I didn't get) and said we were going to have it next week instead... this means I get more time to prepare for it. MUCH needed, thank you! I absolutely LOVE this class. I give Carrie the good scoop every Tuesday once I get out.

8. I start my nanny job on Monday. I'll be making about 300 bucks a week for about 20 hours (FABULOUS!!) and then I have Thursday mornings and Saturday nights at the restaurant. That should make up the difference for all of my bills. :) I can't wait to start this nanny job - I'm going to have so much homework time - I'll actually be caught up with all of my classes.

9. I finally have all of my W2's and can go get my taxes done. I'm a bit timid about it because of the work I did for one of my marketing projects over the summer. I made about 3,000 with them and didn't pay taxes on it at the time - I hope it's not a huge whammy this time!

10. I went to my small group thing (DEFINITELY going to love it... not what I thought initially) on Tuesday night. The girls are really nice and I think I'm going to connect with at least some of them. I volunteered to host the next one on Tuesday at my house, so hopefully that will go well! :)

Wow. It's been such a great week... I love it! I can't wait for all of this fun stuff to happen! I've got to go ahead and get my passport (yep, almost 25 and don't have a passport yet...) so I'll have it for my trip. That's another hundred bucks right there!!

I hope you all have had a lovely week and have a fabulous weekend! :)

Rice Krispies and a treat!

Last night, I carved some time out (finally) to do some much needed grocery shopping. Now that Rae isn't here (I'm not sure if I told you already but my roommate moved out... and in to a house with her boyfriend) I can throw away all the unused old stuff and start a-new.

I've been a coupon clipper for the past few months now and last night I saved the most money I've saved thus far... $30 on $100. (my previous record was like $23 on $95 or something) I'm really quite shocked about the amount of money I've been saving just by getting the newspaper every Sunday - but it's been fabulous!

Anyway, so I'm not normally a cereal buyer. I usually try to eat really healthy and most cereals have a TON of sugar in them (and the ones that ARE healthy for you are like five bucks a box... SO not worth it). I had a coupon that included Rice Krispies and Raisin Bran. Sounded good to me! So I went for it. I even picked up some marshmallows so I could make some rice krispy treats for Michael soon. :)

This morning, it was breakfast-time... so I decided to have some. On the back of the box, there were all these characters like Nemo and Dori from Finding Nemo, Goofy and Mickey, etc. I thought to myself... "Whatever happened to the toys in the cereal boxes? Everything now-a-days is buy 4 boxes and then send this thing in with a few dollars and we'll send you some colored plastic."

The thought passed and I opened the box.

And there it was.

My VERY OWN Goofy two inch stuffed head. I was SO excited! When's the last time you've gotten ANYTHING from a cereal box but a sugar high??

Italy is close to France, right?

Today I met with the International Business department to talk to them about studying abroad. Turns out the only program they offer in France is heavily a financial one... and the one I should go to is in Italy. It's 6 credit hours of a Strategic Management course... AND, all that's required is an open book essay test here... and a project while i'm there... and blog writing while I'm there. Well, damn. That's easy enough.

The price tag? Glad you asked... a whopping $4500 bucks on top of school tuition (which I can't seem to find anyone who knows what tuition is for maymester yet). I'm assuming it's around a grand, which is easily affordable.

Am I going to do it? Perhaps. I've got a lot to think about...

1. I'll be leaving Michael for two weeks to explore a new country. Exciting and scary all at the same time. (Had a VERY interesting conversation about this with him this afternoon... I'll have to share that in another post, though.)

2. This could be the ONE positive thing I get out of this school. All the other bullshit might actually be worth it in the end.

3. Even though I won't get to go to Paris for the study abroad, there's a full week between the time classes start and the time I get done with the program there. I could go there on my own or have Michael meet me there for a week or weekend.

4. Doing a project for two weeks in another country sounds a hell of a lot better than taking two full classes on top of the other marketing class I already have to take for this summer. The grade is mostly participation, professionalism, and this group project. Piece of cake (hopefully)!

5. It'll cost me a pretty penny, but fuck it. I've already given this school a ton of money, what's a few grand more to actually have a good time?

I think I'm gonna go ahead and apply for it. There are a few scholarships that apparently every enrolled student already pays for in fees. I could get up to a whopping $700 bucks off the cost depending on how long i've been here. For me, I've been enrolled in a gazillion semesters that add up to about 5 years, I believe.

Cross your fingers for me - cause this could be really exciting. Seriously, if this happens... I'll be in Italy in 15 weeks. That's not so far away...

Bizarre train ride...

In my city, we have a form of public transit that moves homeless people rapidly through the city. Working people use it if it's convenient... I use it to get back and forth to school. Usually, when I ride the train, I just keep to myself - don't talk to anyone - just sit there and listen to my ipod or check up on things on my blackberry. It's a short, 20 minute (max) ride.

This evening, while riding the train home from school, staring off in to space, I start to hear something like a pouring sound coming from behind me. I glance over my shoulder and there's a homeless man sitting there. Penis out. Pissing all over the seat and wall.

Seriously?

I jumped up and ran toward the front of the train car and at the next stop got on the car ahead of the one I was on. I seriously could not believe he whipped it out in front of everyone and just started pissing all over himself like it was a good idea.

Yeesh. I wonder what happened in his brain to make him think that it was alright to do that. Was it like Britney and her head-shaving incident. One day, she went into the hair dresser thinking she's just going to do a few highlights here and there. She sits down and starts telling the lady what she wants and something just snaps... "you know what, just shave it all off."

Could he have been thinking that he needed to go to the bathroom or go get something to eat - then he just snaps and says "What the hell, I'll just whip it out right here and take care of it. Who gives a fuck if it's all over me, too"

Bizarre, bizarre world we live in.

10 Things about this wonderful day...

The sun's not really shinin', but today's a fabulous day.




1. I got plenty of sleep last night. I even stayed up a little later, but slept in until about 1030. Hooray!
2. Rae and I received a check in the mail from our bitch-ass ex landlord. It was for our full deposit, refunded. I was absolutely shocked! I'm so glad we don't have to take her to court now!
3. I met with the family that I start nannying for as soon as I can get my schedule down to friday nights at the restaurant. They're going to pay me $15 an hour for 20 or so hours a week and it's a super easy job. Their 7 month old sleeps every other hour. :)
4. I talked to Michael and we're going to dinner tonight after I get out of class. I'm really excited to get to spend some time with him. This weekend was incredibly rough for us. He's doing better now.
5. Rae is moving out at the end of this week, so I've got to find a roommate asap. She's still going to pay for her share until I do, but I definitely don't want her to have to pay more than she should.
6. My church's group thing is this Saturday night and I'm STOKED. This couldn't come at a better time for me.


Ok, so 6 things about today should be enough. I have class in a few, so just wanted to write a little. :) Oh, happy day!

mumbo jumbo

It's *ahem* 3am and I'm just now able to write and catch you all up. I feel like life is flying by a mile a minute. So... short, choppy bullet points will have to do :) I feel like that's the best way to organize all this random information anyway!

- First of all, things with Michael are still quite crazy at the moment. I broke things off with him because he wasn't treating me the way I wanted to be treated (he wasn't treating me badly, just not the way I wanted). That only lasted a few weeks before we started talking again and he told me he didn't want me out of his life. Since then, it's been kinda blah. It's not been the way it was before, nor the way I think it should be - but we're both going through a TON of shit in our lives, so I guess it's to be expected. At least we still talk daily and spend a lot of time together - I think that's all that matters. Well, that, and we love each other. I guess that's the glue sometimes...

- This new year's whizzed by me so quickly. I didn't really make any resolutions other than to start being on time. I hate being late to places, but I can't ever seem to be on time. So far, I've pulled it off quite nicely - I've definitely cut it close a few times though!!

- Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Waiting tables is the worst fun you could ever possibly imagine. I don't wish this nightmare upon my worst enemy (ok, well, maybe). But I work at a very upscale mexican restaurant... where the food is quite expensive, which means you make a lot in tips at the end of the night. It's extremely hard work. The people are exhausting. My coworkers are absolutely insane and I despise one of my managers. I'm glad the only thing she could find to do with her life is to be a manager at a restaurant such as this. She'll amount to great things with the attitude she's got. Sense the sarcasm. Please. Anyway, so this job is sucking the life outta me... which brings me to....

- I'm looking for a new job. I interview on Tuesday for a nanny position for a 7 month old who apparently sleeps all day. My brother's girlfriend has been her nanny for a little while now and tells me this. Only, she's found the day job she wants and can no longer do it. The hours are nice, the pay is even nicer... and it'll get me out of the waiting tables business. Lord, I never thought i'd have to stoop so low...

- 140 lb. update. Well. I made it. Not on my own terms, but I made it nonetheless. Working at the restaurant - running around all the time - has made me reach my goal weight - but if I quit and go nanny, I'm afraid, I'll put those 5 lbs right back on. There's no way I can keep up with the 5 - 9 hours of running around to keep it off. Absolutely no way :) Oh well, At least I hit it!

- The school I go to has about driven me insane. This semester has been worse than previous semesters (I don't even feel like looking up all the crap I've blogged about to reference it. Just know that it's been a bunch of bullshit!). So, they wouldn't let me in certain classes - but I need them to graduate. Finally, once they let me in, I was registering during late registration. THEN, two days after my schedule was finally in, they dropped all the classes because my loan (all billion dollars I had just sitting there waiting to be used) didn't get credited to the account yet (literally, TWO flippin days later!). SO, I had to go up there and wait for 3 hours while they figured it all out........ and pay all kinds of fees and fines just to be in school this semester. If I weren't so close to graduating, I'd have given up and gone to another school! Fuckers!

- All the while this is going on, I moved from the house I lived in (biatch of a landlord - THAT is a whole 'nother story in itself) into an apartment that is the bomb-diggity. My roommate and I moved here together, though just a week or so ago, her bf and her decided to buy a house. So they did. And she's moving out in a few weeks. So sad to see her go.... and that means I've gotta find another roommate. This sucks because my luck with good roommates is ridiculously nonexistent! I did stumble on a gold mine, though. This guy was moving out of an apartment across the way and asked if we wanted some of his furniture. Two black leather sofas, a dining room table and four chairs, and two bar stools later.... I had some new furniture. Funny how he was getting rid of the things I could use! I paid him 150 bucks and considered myself extremely lucky! (that shizzle is in damn good condition, too!) God was definitely looking out for me!

- Speaking of the lovely, himself. I plan on going next weekend to start a group with my church. We have this thing four times a year where everyone (a few thousand people) gets together to join groups for a period of weeks. You go to bible studies, etc. with people your age and in your area. I think it's going to be AWESOME!

- I've seriously missed this freakin thing. I miss writing down my thoughts and misadventures. I dunno if you all still read at all - cause I get the page hits but not any comments - so I hope you're still reading and you haven't forgotten about me! All these bullets would normally be individual posts as they happen... so thanks for sticking in there for the long haul! I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and New Years and I can't wait to catch up on your blogs!

Ok - so there you have it. A much needed update from moi! (PS - deadline to submit everything for the study abroad in France program is Feb 16... cross your fingers for me!!)

So... It's been a while...

Yikes! December 8th, really? It's been FOREVER since I've been able to keep up with the blogger world.

I have moved.
I have started a new job.
I have finished a semester at school and started a new one.
I haven't had the internet in ages because the lovely AT&T has been so fabulous to me!

So... I'll be back to write some REAL posts and catch you up on the things that have been going on :)

I hope you've all been doing well! I've missed you!