Well, Another Year Is (almost) Over

Highlights from 2007:

-It started with a visit from Stacy
-Going to North Carolina w/ the family
-Randomly driving the 5 hours to Stacy's just to go see Pirates 3, meeting her boyfriend Travis
-Not working at the day care anymore
-Jonah & Sara's wedding/seeing people from H.S. and A.U./getting some time at the beach/road trip
-James & Krista's wedding/being a bridesmaid
-A visit from Leslie
-A visit from Puff & Deanna
-Several visits from Stacy
-Seeing Hanson in concert for the first time in three years, getting to walk a mile with them for a good cause
-Homecoming/road trip/seeing people/Jon McLaughlin concert
-Getting to walk another mile with Hanson for a good cause
-Having a white Thanksgiving
-Stacy getting ENGAGED
-Getting promoted
-Driving 5 hours one way just to see Hanson for a second time in concert this year, getting to walk a third mile with them for a good cause, asking Taylor Hanson what is favorite cuss word is, spending all day in the cold with no sleep to get a good spot at the show, meeting all the other fans, spending the day with Mel Fronck
-Ending the year with a visit from Jen and a visit from Holly P.


Things I Never Thought I'd Do, That I Did In 2007
-Get my nose pierced
-Smoke a cigar
-See Hanson twice in one year
-Driving 5 hours one way just to see Hanson, getting to walk a mile with them for a good cause (three times), asking Taylor Hanson what is favorite cuss word is, spending all day in the cold with no sleep to get a good spot at the show.
-Becoming an Accounting Clerk

2008 New Year's Resolutions
-Put at least $50 a month into my savings account
-Try a new recipe at least once a month

just another quote

"We have to be leaders, all of us. We need to require ourselves to be the greatest generation yet. It is not about guilt, it is about empowerment! We have more tools at our fingertips than any one other group of people has ever had, and we need to use them." - Hanson

christmas time

It doesn't feel like Christmas time to me yet. I think it's the lack of snow. It just feels weird to not have it.

I've figured out what I'm getting everyone on my list, with the exception of my brother - I just don't have a clue. And two of the gifts (and half of three other gifts) have been purchased. And today I wrote all of my Christmas cards out, I just need to wait until I get paid to go buy all the stamps I'll need.

We had a desk decorating contest at work. I put up a few pictures of myself with a sign that said "Holly Jolly Christmas" and then some icicle lights and a small Christmas tree. I won 6th place and got an extra vacation day! Woohoo!!!

Krista and James visited for a few days this week. I hadn't seen them since their wedding. It was really good to spend time with someone I've known for as long as I have known Krista (It's been over ten years!) and also to get to know James better.

Tomorrow will be my first day working in the nursery at church. It should be fun to be around babies again, especially now that it won't be 40 hours a week.

ohhh yeah

snow showers in the forecast for thursday at home.

i'm so excited!!!

i miss me some snow.

'Tis The Season

So it's a little early, but I'm putting up all my Christmas decorations today. I'm doing it early because when I get back from Michigan after Thanksgiving, I'm REALLY going to be in the Christmas spirit and I'll want to come home to a Chirstmasy apartment. I know I won't have time during the week to decorate, so today it is!

I started my morning with a peppermint white mocha and a cranberry orange scone. I'm going to make a pot of chili and some homemade cinnamon rolls. And decorate, decorate, decorate! And then decorate! And be merry!

I love the anticipation of Christmas

when the season changes it always makes me feel like something big is about to happen.

and then nothing big ever happens.

Random Thoughts On Homecoming Weekend

Friday night I realized that Saturday I would be hearing a tornado siren for the first time in over a year. And then came Saturday, and I was right.

Sunday morning holding a cup of coffee in a room full of unfamiliar faces (with a few familiar ones scattered about) I felt so at home.

Not to say Nashville doesn't feel like home, because it does. But so does Anderson still. And so does Michigan. And so does some unidentified place I have yet to live...

I don't think I'll ever be able to stay in one place for long.

When it's dark outside and you're on the toilet, it's no fun when the power goes out.

I discovered this at approximately 6:32 this morning.

It's Starting...

There was just a commercial advertising the Rockett's Christmas Show that will be at the Opryland Hotel this year.

And just in case you don't feel like it's too early, let me remind you that down here, the highs have *still* been in the 90's.

Getting Caught In The Rain

I planned on today being a day of staying home and doing nothing, mostly because the weekend thus far as been busy. Friday after work I went to Jennifer's house in Murfreesboro and went out to her friend's concert, getting back at 2am. Then we woke up at 8am and drove the 3+ hours to Pigeon Forge to go to an outlet mall, where I quickly spent far too much money. We then drove all the way back and then I came home (another 20 minutes or so from Jennifer's). And I knew I'd be gone all day tomorrow (immediately after work I'm going downtown to the Wildhorse for a Hanson concert, because I am that cool). So I wanted the day to myself and to be in my PJ's all day.

But then I realized I wouldn't have time tomorrow to go to the store and I needed to pick up my brother's birthday gift so it could get in the mail on time (He'll be 27 on Wednesday). Since I had to go out anyway I decided the perfect way to spend the rest of my afternoon would be to make a hot fudge brownie sundae, which meant I would need ice cream.

Leaving Kroger I got caught in the rain. It was the most beautiful 60-or so seconds (of me actually being outside in the rain) I have had in a long time. I know I've posted before about how we're in an extreme drought down here, and we have had some rain but it's always been while I was sleeping or at work. This was the first time I felt rain on my skin in I don't know how long.

And given the fact that it's still been in the 90's the rain wasn't a cold rain either, which made it even more beautiful.

I love it.

Journaling

I go through stages of journaling. I never journaled until my freshman year at AU, during which I journaled almost every day. Then I didn't for about two years, and picked it up again at the end of summer '05. I stopped again shortly after graudation. I did journal on my frist night living in Nashville. I haven't journaled since. It's weird, but I feel like it's almost time for me to start again. Like, now isn't the time for me to start, but it will be soon.



And by journal I of course don't mean blog.

Labor Day Weekend Festivities

So Puff, Deanna, and Stacy all came down for the long weekend. Good times. I hadn't seen Puff and Deanna since homecoming last fall, so it was really good to see them.

Stacy slept. A lot. We all went to the Wildhorse Saloon, yes, I was a tourist in my own town for a night. It was pretty lame; but then again, we did leave to go home around 9:30pm. On a Saturday. So I guess we're the lame ones.

Found out that a fellow AU-ian now lives in the area. She got us into the Wildhorse for free too, because she works at Opryland Hotel (they are both owned by Gaylord Entertainment).

We went to Puff's old church (where her dad was a pastor when she was in elementary school) and when we were there we saw three AU girls, and Kimberly Majeski's mom and cousin.

Small. World.

My One-Year "Nashiversary" (or, "A Post With Lots Of Parenthesis")

A year ago today I packed my car full - very full - of everything I figured I would need (want) until the truck could come later. Leaving room for my mom in the passanger seat and a small space for her own luggage, this did not leave me with much.

Nine hours (and 500 miles) later I was in Nashville, Tennessee. It was my first time here since I was a child (probably jr. high) on vacation with my family. Yet this was where I was determined to make my home, leaving behind everything I had known for the past 4 years (Anderson) and even farther from the only permanent home I had known (23 years in St. Joe).

One year ago I didn't know where I was going to live (aside from crashing at Stacy's until I found something). One year ago I didn't know where I would be working.
One year ago I only knew one person in the city.

One year ago. What a year it's been.

Here's to you, Nashville. You have welcomed me with open arms, molded me into a more confident woman, and have challenged me in ways I did not anticipate. And most importantly, I cannot imagine myself living in any other city at this point in my life.

Mmmmm

Sometimes all you need is a good cup of coffee to make everything seem better.

And this might sound silly, but I think coffee and the bible go perfect together. It's like soda with a pizza.

Cold Weather On The Horizon?

I'm looking forward to this weekend. It's supposed to drop all the way down to 92. And no I'm not being sarcastic when I say "drop all the way down". If it does get down to 92, it will be 12 degrees cooler than it was yesterday, and about 10 degrees cooler than it's been for about two weeks.

I have a feeling that 92 degrees will feel quite refreshing.

UPDATE - msn tells me it is currently 105 here, and that's before the heat index. that's the reading at the airport, which i happen to be across the street from right now (literally across the street from one of the runways).

other weather news from msn:

Today will be the 12th day with high temperatures of 99 degrees or more in Nashville. This is unprecedented in the record books.

Rainfall in Nashville so far this month has totaled 0.03 inches. The driest August ever was back in 1929 when only 0.51 inches fell.

Concerning the above, death seems to be all around me. I absolutely love fall, as I am sure you all know by now. But this is no fall. There has been no turning gorgeous reds and oranges. Just brown dead grass and brown dead leaves all over the ground. Even some of the "evergreen" trees aren't so green anymore. It's very sad.

But I have hope. Hope that God brings life to everything; that there is a cycle of seasons that is never ending. Relief is on it's way. There will be a fall and a winter and a spring and a summer and another fall for as long as this weary Earth lives.

on beauty, the german language, and heartache (sort of)

I'm sure you have all heard the word wanderlust before. When we take apart the word we have "wander" and "lust" - and the meaning then becomes quite clear. A lust for wandering. A desire to see the world. Because I've got nothing but time on my hands today, I did a little research into the root of the word. I previously knew that it was German-based, and lucky for me, I know a bit of German. What I learned today was that the German translation of 'wanderlust' sounds very old fashioned to native german speakers. This is understandable; there are a lot of words in the english language that sound old fasioned to us as well. What I then read is that the word can be retranslated into a more modern day German expression. This word is fernweh. When you pick apart this new word, it gives such a stronger representation of what is really felt when one has a sense of wanderlust. The German word fern translates to "far" and weh into ache.

Ache. So much more than just a longing. An actual physical ache to go far.

My heart at times physically aches to experience something that it never has before. To go somewhere new. To see beauty in strange places.

Upon some self-reflection I've realized two major things about myself. One is that I don't often say "no". It's not really one of those things where I feel like I need to please everyone or that I'll disappoint them by not going out to eat with them or what have you, but rather it's that I fear I'll be missing out if I don't go. I'm pretty easygoing anyway and I don't think there are many times when I say "yes" but I really don't want to do what it is. I'm usually fair game, unless whatever it is happens to be too expensive. But yeah, I don't like to miss out on things like quality time with friends and all the inside jokes or funny anecdotes that might happen when doing said activity. Deeper still, I don't want to miss out on life. I think this is a further reflection of what I said in an earlier post; I sometimes feel like I'm wasting my youth. Here I am: young and single and I could be doing so much in terms of living my life to my fullest and not being held down by anything (other than finances I suppose). But I'm not doing anyting. I go to work, and then I go home. Some days I go to a friend's house. That's about it. I think I missing out on so much more, and I hate that feeling, but I don't really know what to do with it.

The other thing I've noticed, and maybe these go hand-in-hand somehow, is that I don't voice my needs. I've discovered recently that one of my bigger love languages is touch. The reason I discovered this is because I haven't been receiving it that often, and I think that's why I haven't been as happy lately. So here I am, voicing a need: I need to be touched. Stacy herself brought up the fact that we don't hug very often. ("We" being her, myself, and her roommates). I don't think I really felt this need until recently because I was being touched all the time when I worked at the day care. Holding, hugging, and comforting the children. But now at my current job it's just me at my desk, and I talk to my co-workers but we aren't great friends or anything so we don't touch each other. I go home, where I live by myself. There's no one there to hug me, or to even tap me on the shoulder. I go days at a time without being touched at all. BTW - there have been studies on how lack of touch, especially in young children and the elderly reduces the quality of life and of their physical health.

Okay, that was a lot of insight into Holly.

Food For Thought #4

"If our hopes seem to be experiencing disappointment right now, it simply means that they are being purified. Every hope or dream of the human mind will be fulfilled if it is noble and of God. But one of the greatest stresses in life is the stress of waiting for God. He brings fulfillment, 'because you have kept My command to persevere...' (Revelation 3:10).

Continue to persevere spiritually."

~Oswald Chambers, My Upmost For His Highest

A Random Collection of Thoughts

It's weird how smells bring back memories. Sometimes I feel like I'm wasting my youth. I have a small fear of rejection. Sometimes I take things too persoanlly. Sometimes I really miss having roommates. I tend to overact and become irrational about little things, such as receiving a phone call from an unknown number. I think I've been complaining a lot lately. I think it's weird how doing nothing can be so exhausting. I miss having a sense of community. I love the orange post-its on my desk.

To follow up from my last post, I know that I am a poor example of Christ.

Food For Thought #3

"I believe that the greatest trick of the devil is not to get us into some sort of evil but rather have us wasting time. This is why the devil tries so hard to get Christians to be religious. If he can sink a man's mind into habit, he will prevent his heart from engaging God." - Don Miller, Blue Like Jazz

I was recently reminded how sometimes I don't like to call myself a Christian. The word has lost all of it's meaning in our culture. There are too many people who casuaully use it without realizing what it really means to be a "little christ"

Looking at what Christ did and spoke, I realized how there were only a few select moments that even He Himself claimed to be Messiah.

Maybe we are to take that approach. Maybe we're not supposed to run around and say "I'm a Christian!"

Maybe we're just supposed to do our best to worship Him always

"For some the world's a treasure to discover/Your scenery should never stay the same"

-Jon McLaughlin, "Indiana"

Currently Listening
The Walk
By Hanson
see related

I just purchased the above CD yesterday.

Yes, it's been ten years. Yes, they are still making music. As I was listening to it on the way home from Best Buy last night, I started thinking about the past ten years. In a way, they've gone by pretty quickly, considering that ten years ago I would have probably thought that 24 would be old and long time away. Boy was I wrong.

So, in honor of the 10-year Hanson-versary:

Ten years ago:

I was 14
I couldn't drive
My favorite color was red
I wore a watch on my right arm
I had braces with a big space in the front for my non-existent tooth
I played the flute every day
I played the piano every day
I was about to be a freshman in high school
I hung out with Heather, Teri, Ryan, and Ellie every day
I lived at home with my mom, dad, brother and our dog Ashely
I participated in racing our sailboat every Wednesday night in the summer
I wanted to attend Michigan State University and become a vet
I was really shy
I was really excited that Libby was moving back to St. Joe
I designed a Hanson fan website
Cell phones? Myspace? Facebook? Xanga? No, no, no, and no.

Today:

I am 24
I drive at least 20 miles a day
My favorite color is blue
I don't wear a watch
I have a fake tooth
I haven't played my flute in 6 years
I haven't played the piano in a couple years
I've been out of school for a year
I (sadly) hardly ever talk to Heather, Teri, Ryan, or Ellie
I live alone three states away from my mom. My parents are divorced, my dad remarried, my brother is in Chicago, and Ashely drowned in our pond
I haven't sailed in years
I attended Anderson University and majored in Christian Ministries
I talk to strangers in coffee shops
I moved three states away from Libby, but still see her almost every time I'm home
I work at a company that designs websites (but not for Hanson)
Cell phones? I've had 4. Myspace? Facebook? Xanga? Yes, yes and yes

there's no specific point to this post.

i'm at work and there's 30 minutes left of the day.

i'm really enjoying all of my co-workers and the atmosphere of this company, but I don't have enough things to do. I guess that's a good problem. I mean, it gets boring, but at least I'm not in over my head and stressed out.

That's why I'm xanga-ing. It's also very nice that they don't care what I do on the internet here. I mean, they'd probably have a problem if I was looking at porn or something, but let's face it, I'm not going to.

So yeah I can xanga and facebook and all of that. At first I didn't because I didn't think it'd be a good idea during my first few days. And I wasn't exactly sure what the policy was anyway.

Now I figure it's okay for several reasons:

1) I see other co-workers looking at weird things online, like my manager watching her friend's Deal or No Deal audition tape

2) If it wasn't okay I think they would block the sites, like most companies do

3) Our GM once looked over my shoulder and asked what I was doing, and when he saw the website, said "nice!" and walked away



yeah I'm okay.



I was in a wedding last weekend. That was fun, besides the almost fainting part.

Leslie's coming next weekend. Yay! And Erin's birthday is this weekend. Yay! Unfortunately I could not give her the gift I wanted to, so now I have to come up with something else.

Okay folks, it's time (finally)



Food For Thought #2

"When we are not afraid to enter into our own center and to concentrate on the stirrings of our own soul, we come to know that being alive means being loved. This experience tells us that we can only love because we are born out of love, that we can only give because our life is a gift, and that we can only make others free because we are set free by Him whose heart is greater than ours." - Henri Nouwen, The Wounded Healer

High school was a crazy time. My friend Jaime (here in Nashville, not high school) said she used to randomly "meow" to people in high school. So did I. Crazy.



So I have the job, but now I'm apartment hunting. My lease is up in September and I just found out that my rent will increase $50 a month if I stay there. Technically I can afford it, but I think I can find something cheaper.

A New Feature

I think I'm going to add a new feature. Every (or at least most) of my posts from now on will include a "Food For Thought" which will most likely be a quote I read or heard or what not.

Today's Food For Thought is something I read in a back issue of Relevant Magazine (I believe it was the November/December 2006 issue).

BTW - I'm still unemployed, but I have prospects. I'm waiting until business hours on Monday to hear back from them o call them.


Anyway...

Food For Thought #1:

"There's a vast gulf between the message of Jesus and the political agenda of the conservative movement in America. Young evangelicals need to look at the message of Jesus and count the number of New Testament references to homosexuality and abortion and compare those passages to Jesus' teachings about caring for the poor. I believe that if we dealt with poverty in this country, we might actually dramatically reduce the abortion rate." - Congressman Jim Slatery

Despite my lack of employment, I'm very excited about the next few days. They will consist of...

Thursday: Assessment to potentially be interviewed at a bank. Then driving up to Indy and SALSA DANCING! YAY (So if you're able, go to the Jazz Kitchen! I'm very excited!) And then spending the night at Stacy H's.

Friday: Going to A-town in the AM. Visiting Jill Miller (if she's on campus) and seing her prego belly. Visiting my old babies at Park Place (they would all be two now, except for maybe one, who will be, well, one). Eating lunch at the Lemon Drop. Then going home and seeing my momma. Then going up to Grand Rapids and getting my bridesmaids dress altered.

Saturday: JONAH AND SARA'S WEDDING! Which means high school friends and college friends and SARA'S FAMILY (whom I LOVE). Then THE BEACH! Maybe Chan's Garden? Maybe not, on account of the lack of income.

Sunday: Probably church with my mom, and then MORE BEACH! And then going back to Indy.

Monday: Back to Nashville, back to job-hunting. Back to reality.


Moral of the story is this: If you are going to be in Anderson/Indy TOMORROW NIGHT, you should go to the Jazz Kitchen! If you're going to Jonah and Sara's wedding, I'll see you there!

True story of my Friday, June 1st...



1:30 pm - Was over-stressed, had a mini-break down at work (meaning I actually cried because I was so frustrated) and realized that I really, really needed to quit and find a new job.

2:30 pm - Was called into the office and was fired (I guess God agreed that I needed a new job)

4:30 pm - Had an interview lined up for today (Monday)



However I didn't go to the interview. On second thought it wasn't the company or even the line of work for me. But I've put in probably close to 40 applications/resumes online this weekend and today and on Thursday morning I'm going into a bank for an assessment and if I pass that then they'll set up an interview.

I need a job.

I've literally been at the library all day. Well, I got here at 10:00am and it's 4:00pm. I'm hungry and tired and I need to go pay rent (luckily Friday was also payday, so I'm good for a week or so).

Numbers

Since today marks one year and one week since I graduated college, I thought I'd mark it with some significant (and not so significant) numbers:


58 - Approximate number of freezie pops I have eaten

20 - Number of children I have cared for (all under the age of 1)

16 - Number of weeks I slept on a deflated air mattress

12 - Number of people I have lived with

7 - Number of times I moved

6 - Number of concerts I have attended

5 - Number of churches I have atteneded

4 - Number of times I've had to get my car fixed

3 - Number of states away from home I now live

3 - Number of times I have been to the Jazz Kitchen (btw that number is way too small)

3 - Number of house plants I have purchased

3 - Number of others' birthdays I have celebrated

Almost 3 - Number of seasons of Lost I have watched

2.5 - Number of Friends-a-thons I have watched (meaning all 10 seasons in a row)

2 - Number of bottles of nail polish I have purchased

2 - Number of jobs I have had

1 - Number of times I have cut my hair

1 - Number of birthdays I have had

1 - Number of times a bird has vomitted on my shirt

1 - Number of times I went out of the country (Japan)

1 - Number of times I have been back to Anderson since moving away

0 - Number of times I have regretted moving to Tennessee

My car's A/C stopped working towards the end of last summer. Now that's it's been consistently in the 80's for about a month now, I decided to get it fixed.

I took my car in and it cost about $100 just for them to go inside the dash and say they couldn't fix it because they didn't have the part in stock.



Also, if I order the part from the dealership that alone will cost over $300.

I miss having the internet.

It's a gorgeous day and all we want to do is sit in the house and watch TV movies. What's wrong with us?

Provided my car doesn't fall apart on me again, I have decided what to spend my tax return on. But it'll be awhile because I haven't gotten the return yet.

And Stacy H and my mom are the only ones who know.

Goodbye

To this computer.

Today I went swimming in an outdoor pool in 40 degree weather.

Ohhhh SNAP!

Of the cold variety. Yes, a cold snap. After over a week of 80-degree weather and air conditioning, last night a heavy storm brought through a cold snap. Now it's in the 50's with lows in the 30's.



My mom and grandma are here. Tomorrow after I get off work we're going to Knoxville for the night, and then Friday-Sunday we'll be in Ashville, N.C. Just for fun, not at all Easter related except that the fact that it's Easter weekend means I have Good Friday off of work. And my mom's off all week because she works at a school and it's her spring break.



I'm tired of changing poopy diapers.



The end.

I just probably spent about 5 minutes trying to come up with a title for this post before I realized a) I had no clue what I was going to post about anyway and 2) I didn't really need a title. And yes, I just now realized that first I said "a" and then I said "2"

April is going to be quite the busy month for me. My mom and grandma are coming tuesday and then after I get off work thursday we're going to go to Knoxville for a day and then go to Ashville, NC for the weekend.

Then later in the month the people who give us our acredidation at work are coming, so that will be a stressful day. Also later in the month Matt will be down here for GMA week and I'll want to visit with him, and Stacy is coming for a visit I believe on the same weekend.

Oh! I bought some freezie pops the other day.



I had to turn my A/C on last weekend. It's been in the 80's. I can't believe I turned the a/c on in March. Crazy.



This is a totally random post that has no point whatsoever.



I just also want to let you all know that I love the way leaves, grass and anything else green and naturey look right after it rains.

I called my mom to remind her that she turned 55 today and she responded, "I know! I'm a speed limit!"

Summertime?

Driving home with the windows down and the sunroof open. Then I went out to the balcony and sat in the 80* weather, read a bit and heard the neighbor children playing the harmonica and running around all the trees. And then I looked at the trees and realized something was missing: leaves. That's when I remembered that it was still only March.



A girl can get used to this, even one who loves her snow.





Oh, and yes, Amazing Race. The theory is, we'd win. And here's why:

First of all, the applications for the next upcoming season were due in January, we missed it. So by the time the next applications are due, and then they do auditioning, and filming and all of that, we have PLENTY of time to get in shape for the physical duration of all the running, the lack of sleep, and carrying around that big back of all of our stuff.

Second, we're both nice, so no one would ever see us coming.

Third, we lived together for two years, but have been friends now for four. During this time we have developed a sort of "ESP" that at first we contributed to the fact that we were roommates. This ESP liked to show itself mostly in the form of Apples to Apples, but also during other various activities. This has not gone away even though we now live 5 hours apart, and as Stacy once said, "There's a whole Kentucky between us." This ESP has also shown itself in the way of us agree-ing (agreeing? it looks weird) on a lot of decisions, especially when vacationing (we have been on two vacations together), even when out of the country (Japan). We usually make the same decisions on which way to go or what to do next, and that helps arguments from not happening.

Fourthly, Stacy is basically fluent in Spanish so that would help us communicate it a lot of the countries that don't speak English.

Fifthly, we are smart enough to learn important phrases such as "fast please!" "we're in a race" and directions in many of the world's languages.

Sixthly, I'm pretty good with directions

Seventhly, we would just kick butt because we would.

Finally, if we did not win and even if we were the first team eliminated, hey! we still got to do somethin' pretty cool!

however, the only place i can afford to go to right now is pepboys so i can get the $500 problem on my car fixed. then maybe i'll feel safe enough to go on a road trip, again, once i've saved up some money.





true confession: a good friend of mine whom a lot of you know (stacy h) and myself both seriously want to audition for a reality tv show. whoever can guess the show wins a prize. asking stacy is cheating, so don't do it!

i want to go somewhere

Well I didn't finish as soon as I thought I would but I'll continue now.

On Sat my mom and I went to the mall and then we tried to go to a concert but the restaruant/bar was overbooked (apparently you need reservations which we didn't have). Then it got icy out so we didn't do much else that night. Sunday we went out to eat at Outback and they gave me a free sundae that I shared with mi madre.

Monday's birthday celebration consisted of eating half of the piece of cheesecake that my mom bought me from Cheesecake Factory. Then Tuesday I went to Regan's concert (she did great by the way, regardless of her lost keychain - which I just now found out is no longer lost, yay!) which wasn't at all related to my birthday but I'm saying it was. I celebrated with an ameretto sour.

Then Wednesday was my actual birthday and also LOST night. So at work one of the babies shares my b-day and for 1st birthdays (Abigail turned 1) we celebrate by giving the babies cupcakes (messy, but cute) and so I had a cupcake at work. And then I went out to eat with a former co-worker and her sister, had a jack and coke (which later made me really sleepy). Then I went to Stacy's to watch LOST and she and her roomates made me a FUNFETTI cake and bought me some cool journals (one has GRAPH paper, how awesome is that?) and some fun earrings. Then of course LOST, but I have to say it was a pretty boring episode, especially for how hyped up it had been. And I started falling asleep towards the end, thanks to the jack and the boringness of the episode and the fact that I had been up since 5am.

Thursday I celebrated by having leftover funfetti cake for breakfast and another cupcake at work (Audrey turned one on Thursday). Then on Friday I ate the rest of the cheesecake.

I made up for all the bad eating by not having much of an appetite at all this past week.

Anyway, that was my birthday week. I hope you all get to have a week long birthday.

Oh! I forgot to mention that I had the WARMEST birthday ever! My birthday was 72 degrees and I enjoyed drinking a cold Starbuck's beverage on their patio whilst wearing capris and a T-shirt! AMAZING!

Today was just as nice and I went to Fido (local coffee shop) and sat outside whilst reuniting with a high school friend who was in town.

Okay I've rambled on for too long now.

OH! And Happy Late Birthday to Mel Oesch!

Week-Long Celebration

Everybody knows birthdays should have week-long celebrations. It doesn't matter if your birthday is the first day of the week, the last, or in the middle, it just needs to be a week long. My birthday falls in the middle of my week this year. The week started Saturday. My mom flew in just for the weekend. From the airport we went straight to the Pancake Pantry for some yummy brunch. I chose the Caribbean Pancakes (5 cakes topped with banana, pecans, coconut and of course maple syrup). Then we went exploring one of Nashville's malls (Green Hills).



Ooops! Gotta go for tonight's celebration so I guess I'll finish the update tomorrow night. Later!

Winter, Liscence Plates, American Idol, and Much, Much More!

Okay. I love sitting here in Stacy's living room (which is FREEZING by the way, because they don't have heat, just space heaters) reading everyone's xanga entry's about blizzards and snowdays, meanwhile yesterday was 60 and raining and today when it flurried people here freaked out, probably more so than people up there are freaking out about being snowed in for real.

It's official. I did not get my driver's liscence yet. I tried yesterday but their computers were down, so I will try again tomorrow. As of today, however, my car is no longer a Michigander. It's a Tennessean. The Michigan plate is lying on the backseat until I think of a good place (and a good way) to somehow display it in my apartment. Hmm... here's an idea: maybe I can make some sort of "found objects" art piece. I don't know what I'd use besides the plate or where I would display it.

We're watching American Idol. Next is Lost and I'm super excited. For all of you Lost watchers out there, you know how I'm feeling. For those not in the know - basically I'm in agony and I love it.

Today is just one of those days where I feel like typing and typing and telling you more and more things, even though I don't really have anything specific to say. But that's okay. Sometimes we can have no words and other times we can just go on and on about the little details of life. Today is one of those days.

Work is getting better. I still don't really want to be there, but it's a little better. One of the girls from the office that I had a problem with is quitting. Some of the kids who rattled my nerves (by shreiking all day long just for attention) aren't in my classroom anymore. And most importantly, we trained the babies we do have to take their naps at the same time, so there's a good two hours when everyone is sleeping and that down time is very nice on my stress level. A moment to breath.

Bound4Freedom - they have a new site up (bound4freedom.org I believe) and I love it. I wish there were a way I could be involved with that still. Maybe someday after they get themselves more grounded I could help expand it or something. Of course it still wouldn't be the same without those girls. Those girls with their hearts of gold. I think it's all that coffee and tea that makes them so warm inside

Okay. That's all for now I suppose.

A New Day, A New Post

It will soon be official. It's February, which means my liscence plate needs to be renewed. And that means I'll be getting a Tennessee liscence plate, and along with that a Tennessee driver's liscence. It's officially time for me to give up my Michigan residency (even though I really haven't lived there in about two and a half years).

Hmm.

It also means I'll be one year closer to 25. That's right friends, with my 24th birthday around the corner all I can think about is how the next one will be 25. Crazy.

If you haven't heard me say it yet, we got a whole inch of snow here on Friday and all the public schools shut down. I had a two hour delay at work. I find it humorous.

I'm a woman of few words recently.

I decided today that I need to start volunteering somewhere and that I need to start recycling. So I'm going to look into both of those.



Oh and since my brother lives in chicago and I grew up only 1.5 hours away - Go Bears.

Since most of my good friends live in indianapolis and I went to school only 1/2 an hour away - Go Colts.

I'm torn, but I'm leaning a bit towards the Colts.

Two Posts For The Price Of One!

Post #1 -

Watching "American Idol" I have come to realize something. There's a lot of people out there who can't sing and they show up on this show to audition. Now let's face it: I'm sure some of those poor souls actually think they can hold a tune. But most of them know they are terrible and are on the show anyway to try and get their 15 minutes of fame. Why do we crave this 15 minutes of fame? Why do we all, in our own way, climb to the top of whatever and shout out "HEY EVERYONE! LOOK AT ME!"

Meanwhile God climbs to the top of whatever and in His own way he shouts out "HEY EVERYONE! LOOK AT ME!" But you don't see God on American Idol. His shouting out is in a much sublter, more beautiful fashion. He shouts out for our attention in the rivers and the oceans, the sunsets and the full moon, the glittering snow and the vast deserts.

Who is getting out attention?



Post #2 -

I had a dream that I was in the movie "Speed" and one of the babies from my work was the one driving the bus.

A Few Firsts

Today was my first time to...

1) Be jealous of the co-worker who walked out on the job (I really need a new job)
2) Be "employee of the month" (regardless of my desire to walk out on the job)
3) Take a shot (peppermint schnapps)
4) Drink alcohol that was given as a gift by an employer (the peppermint schnapps)
5) Get carded in Tennessee (two amaretto sours)
6) Play Powerball (did not win. 6 co-workers plus myself all chipped in)
7) Be on the internet in 2007 (therefore happy new year everyone)