So, I hope you like the new blog!!
And Ashley....I promise I didn't forget about you and your request for a picture of my ring. So, here you go! (Also, I enjoy blog-stalking you - it's awesome!) I hope this is what you wanted :)
- Mood:
sleepy
Since I am super stressed today, I needed to do something mindless while sitting at my desk! So, thanks to my favorite E-Liz, I have questions to answer. You should do it too, so I have something to read later :)
1. What time did you get up this morning? I think 6:30…It’s all a blur really.
2. Diamonds or pearls? I think it depends on my mood
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? The Dark Knight on Imax….wow!! Talk about AWESOME!
4. What is your favorite TV show? Oh man...there are so many! These are good for the moment: The Office, Freaks and Geeks, Chuck,
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Yogurt or Cottage Cheese and some fruit
6. What is your middle name? Elaine
7. What food do you dislike? I don't know...gross food.
8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Right now it’s Before the Amplifiers, Live and Acoustic by Sister Hazel. Also, I am loving Where the Light Is by John Mayer
9. What kind of car do you drive? 1998 Accord
10. Favorite sandwich? Grilled Cheese
11. What characteristic do you despise? Lying
12. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? I have been thinking about this lately…
13. Are you an organized person? Depends on the day
14. Where do you want to live when you retire? Near my family or
15. What was your most recent memorable birthday? This last one…where my awesome fiancé and friends were throwing me a surprise party and I ruined it by ending up in the ER passing a kidney stone…worst day ever!
16. What are you going to do when you finish this? Get some chores done before the kids wake up from their naps.
17. Furthest place you are sending this? This question is now irrelevant!
18. Person you hope to answer it themselves? Loverbunny!
19. When is your birthday? May 28th
20. What is your shoe size? 7.5
21. Pets? No…but I really want a puppy!!! (Baxter, I miss you!!)
22. Any new and exciting news? Umm, just that I am getting married! That’s pretty high on my list. OH! And Rachael McAdams and Ryan Gosling are going out again!! I love them J
23. What did you want to be when you were little? A teacher
24. How are you today? So freaking sore and tired!
25. What is your favorite flower? Gerber daises and orchids!
26. What are you listening to right now? www.Slacker.com! I love it!
27. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? January 10th…when we get married!!!
28. What was the last thing you ate? A granola bar
29. Do you wish on stars? Yes. I’m hopeless like that!
30. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Magenta
31. How is the weather right now? Humid and sunny. I think the rain has passed
32. Last person you spoke to on the phone? James
33. What is your favorite soft drink? Mountain Dew or Grape Soda
34. Favorite restaurant?
35. Hair color? Strawberry blonde
36. What was your favorite toy as a child? My lite brite or my speak and spell…do they even have those anymore?!
37. Summer or Winter? Fall
38. Chocolate or Vanilla? Neapolitan
39. Coffee or tea? Yuck
40. Do you want your friends to email/comment you back? I love mail! And comments! Haha!
41. When was the last time you cried? Umm…last Monday…when I watched Titanic…it gets me every time, and it had been a rough day
42. What is under your bed? I call it treasures…others would call it junk.
43. What did you do last night? Not much…I was so sore and had a craptastic day.
44. What are you afraid of? Birds and roaches…and being alone.
45. Salty or sweet? Both!
46. How many keys on your key ring? 9
47. How many years at your current job? 1
48. Favorite day of the week? Saturdays!
49. Do you make friends easily? I can usually hold a conversation with anyone! People are fun and interesting
50. Do you like finding out all this stuff about your friends? Yes! That’s why I blog-stalk people!
- Mood:
over it - Music:Die Alone - Ingrid Michaelson
****Cheesy girls story below! It has been requested that I share this; because it makes me happy, I would have shared it without the requests****
Things have been super great with me! I would have to say that the biggest new is that Jacob proposed! I didn't know it was coming, so I was totally shocked! It wasn't that I didn't hope for it or think it would happen eventually, but I definitely did not see it happening that night. It was last Friday. I had been on vacation all week, but I didn't have any money to go anywhere. I really needed the break from work though, so I used some of m vacation time that was building up. Jacob has been saying for a while now that he wanted to go somewhere really nice for dinner, so when he said he wanted to take me somewhere nice for dinner, I didn't think it was suspicious. He told me he had made reservations at the Sun Dial, I was just really excited. It's a cool place and I knew we would have a lot of fun! So, we headed down to the Sun Dail and had a good meal with a great view! It was really cool and I had a great time. Then, he had bought tickets to the Georgia Aquarium for Jazz night. So we went over there after we ate. The jazz group was set up in the atrium of the aquarium, so you could walk around and still hear the band. Not to shabby! So we walked around for a while and then I wanted to go into the Coral Room but Jacob looked done with the walking around, so I told him he could go sit down while I went and looked in there. Apparently this was when he talked to the people about setting up for the proposal. He was sitting down when I came out so I went and sat with him and listened to the last few songs from the band. The finished, and then a minute or two later, some music started. It was Edwin McCain's "I'll Be." I didn't think anything of it, I thought it was the after the band music like they do so often. Then he pulled me up and started dancing with me. I was a little caught off guard, because he doesn't often do that, but it was sweet so of course I went with it :) Then he said he had a question for me (I still didn't get it....I'm slow!) He then pulled out a ring, got down on one knee and asked if I would marry him! I was shocked, but I said yes! Then the employees who knew it was coming started cheering and clapping and so did the people who were standing around! It was perfect and sweet. So, that's my story. The ring is perfect, and he picked it out all on his own. We hadn't talked about them or anything. I have pictures from that night....but I keep forgetting my camera cord, so I can't pull them off the camera yet. Hopefully I will get to that soon!
Wedding planning is already not my favorite. Once we get a location picked and all, it will be so much easier and will be a more enjoyable. I am excited to see how it all turns out, and January can't get here fast enough!
- Mood:
thirsty - Music:Ricky Nelson - That's All
Dear
You never cease to amaze me with your stupidity. I keep thinking that it has to get better, but it just doesn’t. I have a few, small pointers that will overall keep you safe and alive, as well as safer while you are out and about.
First, as a pedestrian, you do have the right away, WHEN YOU ARE CROSSING THE STREET LEGALLY. If you aren’t, then traffic isn’t supposed to stop for you. So I would recommend crossing at a crosswalk. If you choose not to, the please wait until there is no traffic coming. If you try and lane hop between cars, you can wind up getting hit. Do not jump out in front of a driver, have her slam on her brakes, almost getting rear ended in the process, and then get mad at her for almost hitting you!!! That was your fault. Luckily, the driver was skilled and avoided the trouble, but they not always happen. Think man!!
Secondly, as a driver, you need to know the rules of the road (say, a 4 lane one way street in downtown
In summary, Spring Street is the devil. I shake an angry fist at you Spring Street!! Thanks for ruining my Wednesday morning.
If you feel you need further guidance on the etiquette of the road, please go here. It's a great recap!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That is my rant for now. Silly drivers.
Is it Friday yet?!
- Mood: thirsty
- Music:Harpers Bizarre - 59th Street Bridge (Feeling Groovy)
So, it’s about that time again where I should update. I have thought about updating like a thousand times, but there were a million things to do, so my blog took the hit. Plus…I have been a suckie updater for a while now. Maybe one day I will get better. We shall see.
In keeping with the tradition, I will now give a nice little list of what all has been going on or stuff that I have been thinking about. It could be interesting to have a long, detailed update….but I just don’t have it in me. So! In no particular orders, here goes!
- Got promoted at work and was super excited. Pay raise!!
- Worked more than I could have possibly imagined. I had to do my new job and my old job, during the busiest time the Foundation has. Good timing on my part, right?! I was taking work hime and working late nights....terrible. Thank goodness Jacob was sweet enough to help me with the stuff I brought home. Miserable!
- Bridal showers, bridal showers, bridal showers. I know too many people getting married. But hey– Yay for them!
- Passed a kidney stone. Worst pain ever!!! And by passing said kidney stone – I ruined a surprise party that my AMAZING friends planned for my birthday. ER or surprise party…sadly, the choice was out of my hands.
- Had a surprise party!! They ended up rescheduling it to the next day, so even though I was all drugged up, I still had fun and felt really loved.
- Realized that the Elvis Presley hit “(Maries the name) His latest Flame” is like one of my favorite songs EVER. I had forgotten about it for so many years…I’m glad we have reconnected!
- Gotten to hang out with Cailen!! It was so fun – I love and miss that girl. I can’t wait to go see some BSB with her! Ah, flashbacks…
- Was in my best friends wedding!! I have never been a made of honor before, so I felt very privileged when
- Also, they move to ATL at the end of the month!! Thank goodness!! We have been apart for way to long.
- Made some pretty important decision for me personally, and couldn’t be happier that I did. The Lord is quite amazing!! I'm also really grateful for the people who support me in those decisions :)
- I still really miss Jiznin. I got an email from her this morning and it just made me miss her even more. But she’s glad that I do and she said she hopes I keep missing her so I will be excited when she comes back. Heck yes I will!!! I love that girl.
- I absolutely hate it when I get a call at say 6:45 from my dad (this is not his fault, it’s just that the circumstances suck) to tell me the condo it showing that day. My room has been a living sty the last little while so doing a speed cleaning before work is not the best way to get the condo sold. It’s the first showing in like 2.5 months and I didn’t have it looking good. It didn’t look bad, but it didn’t look good. Sigh. It will never sell.
- I think I am finally off prednisone. I hope I can stay off it this time. It’s been over a month since I have taken it and I feel pretty ok. I am so over that stuff though. Thank goodness I can sort of see my face thinning out and now I can actually work out and as long as I keep it up I will be able to see results. Loosing weight sucks, especially when I didn’t do anything to deserve the gain in the first place. But whatever. I hope that all of those stupid health problems are behind me and that things can finally go back to normal.
- I really appreciate Taylor Jimenez and his honesty. It’s great!
- Though I don’t know if President Bush and his stimulus package was a good idea, I’m glad I finally got my check!!! To bad it is mostly going to pay down my credit card.
- Got a new calling at church. It pretty much kicks my butt.
- I really wish I could figure out a way that Nelson could live with me or close to me…he needs to be around a lot of love these days…and he’s not getting enough if me and Gord aren’t around.
- Speaking of Gord - I have one awesome brother!
- Been cooking and baking more. It’s sort of fun once you go it more and more. I’m a work in progress though. But it’s fun to try J Anyone have any good recipies for me to try or have any good sites where they find them?? I need suggestions!
- I am really tired of learning about patience. Seriously. You would think I have it mastered by now. But I guess if you are impatient with patience…you have to start all over. Boo!
- I am in the mood to redecorate something. Maybe that's what the condo needs to make it sell. I just don't want to put time and money into it to have it sell to someone else and then I don't get to enjoy it. Hmm....but maybe I need to suck it up!
Well, that’s about all the babbling I can muster up for the moment. Overall things are fine. I am just at a fidgety stage right now so something’s gotta give soon. I hope anyways!!
- Mood:
bored - Music:John Mayer - Free Fallin'
Dear
I am not one who gets terribly involved in shows like American Idol, but due to circumstances beyond my control, I have gotten sucked in to this season. I enjoy watching each week as people either impress or distress me with their song choices and talent levels. That being said, I can not for the life of me understand how Jason Castro is still on the stage – AND for the last two weeks hasn’t even been in the bottom two. I won’t lie, Jason is charming. I see and understand that. But he doesn’t seem to care whether he’s there or not. The judges are right on when they critique him. I feel that he should have been at least punished for his performances by being out in the bottom two. I don’t think Carly Smithson or Brooke White deserved to be sent home and I definitely don’t think poor Syeshia deserved to be in the bottom 2 both weeks while he sat pretty on that couch.
Personally, I threw my support to Brooke. I didn’t really think she would win it (because lets face it, it will be either David or David...I'm personally pulling for David) but I thought that she had the potential to make the top three – and if she did, she would have earned it. You could see her trying each week. Plus, I think she is just plain adorable and charming. I think she will do fine in the music industry without winning American Idol. I honestly don’t think that she should have won the competition but I think she wasn’t ready to go before Jason. Neither was Carly. But that’s just me.
I guess that’s the beauty of the show – being able to make horrible voting decisions. Oh well. I am only one person and I could be the only one who feels this way. And that’s fine. I can still sleep at night knowing that this is how I feel. Oh well.
American Idol is just a tie over until So You Think You Can Dance starts. That’s where my real addiction lies!!
Sincerely yours,
Ashley
Ok, now that I have gotten that off my chest…I feel...not really any better. But oh well! I always feel like I should have lots to say, but really life has just been so busy! We had an offer put on the condo, but that looks like it’s not going to work out Which is really frustrating, but there isn’t anything I can do about it. It’s definitely wedding season, so bridal showers, receptions, wedding ceremonies and such will be taking up a lot of my time in the next few months. It's ok though because I am so excited for everyone getting married. It's fun to see them so happy and excited. I think I have my dress and stuff squared away for Britt’s wedding on June 7th. That was probably my biggest worry. I still need shoes and a little jacket/sweater to wear over it though. Sigh! I love shopping...
- Mood:
working - Music:Flight of the Conchords - Mutha'uckas
Ok, so it that time where I feel like I need to update….but I don’t really have anything super thoughtful to discuss…so I will just give a recap of what has been going on and maybe a random thought or two on something that has been bugging me.
1) I’m an aunt!! Ok, not technically by blood or anything, but Heather and Ryan had their baby…the cutest little boy!! He’s so precious and beautiful (just like his mom!) and I am so excited for them. And for me, because now I get to start spoiling him!! For an abundance of cute pictures, check out their blog! Little Ben is freaking awesome. That’s really all I can say about that.
2) I really miss Jennifer. She’s doing well out in the MTC, but man alive! I know that she’s doing some amazing things and her adventure hasn’t even really begun yet because she hasn’t gotten to
3) I love
4) I got a new job. Well, not a new job, but a new position at the Foundation. I started this week. I am actually doing my new job and my old job for a bit, so it’s kind of a lot to do, but that is ok. I would rather be busy than bored. And this new position will keep me from being bored – that’s for sure. It’s another admin position, but I get to keep doing the presentations and creative design stuff from my last position along with event planning and stuff at the new position. So, overall I am pretty excited about it, even though I know it will have its ups and downs. But really, what doesn’t?!
5) I am so close to getting off that stupid prednisone. I won’t lie…I really want to just stop taking it cold turkey…but I have been patient this long that I might as well do it right to the end. I can’t wait to be off that stuff so I can start loosing all the dumb weight it made me gain. I hate that stuff with a passion. I will NEVER go on it again either – it might have helped with the vasculitis, but if I had known what all it would do to me, I would have gone for another treatment. And part of it was the doctors fault – the dude who put me on 40 mgs a day and forgot to lower the dosage. So I was on 40 mgs for 4 months and that is no good…slowly they have been dropping me, but it’s been hard on my body. I can’t wait until I start working to loose the weight though. That is going to be so rewarding and worth it. Not easy, but I don’t’ care. I am not looking like this much longer!
6) So dealing with all the health stuff has made me super grateful for all the wonderful friends and family that I have in my life who love me for me and help me get through the harder days and love to have fun with me on the good ones! This hasn’t been easy, but I know it would have been a lot worse if I didn’t have those certain people in my life who provide support whenever I need it – even if they needed it themselves! Life isn’t easy, but having awesome friends (and you know who you are….) makes it totally worth it!
7) I also have an incredibly awesome boyfriend. Jacob has been right by my side through a lot of different things, and I am grateful he’s willing to be supportive and caring. He also spoils me some too, so that’s a bonus! HA! I just know that he has made my life so much better by being a part of it, and that I am really lucky to have someone so wonderful love me. I hope he knows that. I try to tell him that every now and again…
8) I absolutely HATE the elevators at my office building. They are the slowest in
9) My back REALLY needs to pop. I think I need a massage. I’m all kinds of tense!
10) I am pretty stoked for Twilight to be coming out this year…those books were really good! You can’t go wrong with a good vampire story…and Stephanie Meyers did a great job with that one! I’m also excited for Get Smart. I know…but I love that show! I own the whole series on DVD, that’s how much I love it! Growing up, it was one of me and my brother’s favorite shows! That Don Adams…Hilarious!
11) I can’t think of anything else to add to my list. I think my brain just got tired. It’s Friday and it’s been a busy week. A good week, but it’s a little tiring at times. I know there was at least one more thing I wanted to say…but alas, it will have to wait for another day.
- Mood:
nerdy - Music:Ingrid Michaelson - The Way I Am
So, I have some pet peeves. Usually I am plagued by them on daily basis, and I always feel the need to rant about them, but I don't. Then I decided that my blog is the perfect place to vocalize these nuisances.
1) Ok, I am grateful for the cleaning people at my office. They are very sweet, and make my life a little easier so I don’t have to worry about taking out the trash, cleaning up certain work areas or vacuuming (Which I have had to do at past office jobs.) That being said, I can’t stand how they move my trash can every time they empty it. It’s underneath my desk, by my chair. They have to pull out the chair to get to it. Logically, I would think they would leave the chair pulled out while they change the bag and then put it back and push the chair back. But no! They will leave the trash can out in any number of spots around my cube (or rectangle.) The chair will get pushed back in under the desk, so I don’t know why they can’t wait to do that until AFTER they change the bag and put the trash can back where it belongs. I can’t tell you how many mornings I have thrown stuff on the floor because I forget that they can’t put the trash can back where it belongs.
2) I do not understand people on MARTA who insist on having personal phone conversations on the train. I can understand making a call to someone who you are going to be meeting...or maybe even answering a quick call to tell someone you are on the train and you will call them back...I don’t know. But long personal business calls (personally, I don’t care if Bob said he was in on the deal and then tried to back out, causing you to loose out on the biggest deal of the year...) or those personal calls that really need to be made in private (look, I’m sorry your girlfriend is breaking up with you. I know that’s not fun. But seriously, all of
3) People who do not know how to merge, or how to let other people merge. I can’t tell you how many times in the last few weeks I have almost gotten run off the road while trying to merge on to the highway. People who speed up instead of letting you slide into traffic, people who come flying up and get into the right lane right as you are getting ready to get over...that’s just not nice nor is it proper driving technique. And nine times out of ten (in my personal experience) it’s an SVU or truck. BOO!
I know there are plenty of other things I could rant about, but these are the ones that seem to irk me the most, and with the most frequency. I feel a little silly now that I have written it all up...but I don’t take it back! I sometimes think I will just never understand people. And that’s ok. I don’t need to. But it would be nice if people would try on a little common sense every now and again - or at least some courtesy.
I’m getting off my soap box now.... whoops!
- Mood:
bouncy - Music:Stars - The Weepies
1. Do you like blue cheese? It’s growing on me...
2. Have you ever been to
3. Do you own a gun? Nope.
4. Your favorite songs? It changes like the weather. I love music too much. Though, like Heather, I have a blog post to check out too!
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? I used to. Not so much anymore. Now I tend to frusurated before I even go in!
6. What do you think about hot dogs? I do enjoy a good hot dog. I feel they are underrated.
7. Favorite Christmas song? Greensleves, Oh Holy Night (depending on who is singing it,) Do you hear what I hear, And the Harry Connick Jr. Christmas CD has a lot of fond memories attached for me.
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Water or OJ.
9. Can you do push ups? There was a time (thanks to Adam) that I could. But I don’t know about these days...
(Where's 10.?)
11. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My little pink studs that I got when I had my ears pierces with a second hole many moons ago. I’m back to one hole in each ear now...but those little studs are usually in!
12. Favorite hobby?
13. Secret weapon to get the opposite sex? Hmm....bend down and give them a little wiggle?! I got nothing...
14. Do you have ADD? They told me I did when I was growing up. They even gave me meds for it. But really, who doesn’t every now and then??
15. What one trait do you hate about yourself? The perception I have about myself.
16. Middle Name? Elaine
17. Name 3 thoughts you are thinking at this exact moment...
a. I wish Jiznin had some mashed potatoes.
b. I have to pee.
c. Could this morning be dragging on any longer?
18. Name 3 things you bought yesterday. No purchases for me yesterday.
19. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?
a. high quality H2O
b. Mountain Dew
c. OJ
20. Current worry right now? My health stuff.
21. Current hate right now? Doctors...
22. Favorite place to be? somewhere with Jacob
23. How did you bring in the New Year? At mi casa with some AWESOME friends J
24. Where would you like to go?
25. Name three people who will complete this? Well, Jiznin and Heather already did and they would have been on my list...
26. Do you own slippers? Nope. But I do own flip flops!!
27. What shirt are you wearing? A black and white pinstriped top with cute big buttons.
28. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Not particularly. I guess I only tried once...I prefer the soft cotton ones...
29. Can you whistle? Not so much.
30. Favorite color? At the moment, green.
31. Would you be a pirate? YES!!! How did you know?! I love pirates.
32. What songs do you sing in the shower? What dong don’t I sing to!? Actually, The Story So Far by New Found Glory is one I like to sing to...or Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing...or any other random tune that pops in my head!
33. Favorite girl's name? Mackenzie,
34. Favorite boy's name? Aiden, Landon, Brogan. Tristan, Joshua, Maddox...
35. What's in your pocket right now? Lint
36. What made you laugh last? Jennifer. I love her!
37. Best bed sheets as a child? My Snorks ones!! Those were awesome!
38. Worst injury you've ever had? I don’t know...I have never broken or cracked anything....
39. Do you love where you live? It’s great, but it’s time to move on.
40. How many TVs do you have in your house? 3
41. Who is your loudest friend? I’m probably the loudest...
42. How many dogs do you have? Nelson! I had Baxter...but I had to sell him...
43. Does someone have a crush on you? Maybe...
44. What would you do if you hit a deer while driving? Scream and then bawl. That’s what I did when I hit a dog. It was awful. I can’t imagine a deer!
45. What is your favorite book? Again...can’t pick just one. Of all time? Maybe the Phantom Tollbooth. It’s a kids book, but it’s a classic! There is always Harry Potter...
46. What is your favorite candy? Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Eggs. Delicious!
47. Favorite Sports Team? GA Tech?!
48. What songs do you want played at your funeral? I haven’t thought about that one much...
49. What were you doing 12 AM last night? Driving home.
50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Waaaa....I hate Mondays!
- Location:Damien Rice - 9 Crimes
- Mood: tired
~The ocean is one of my favorite places in the world. It's calming, soothing, beautiful, and comforting. Especially at night, when the sky is filled with a blanket of stars.
~I have no desire to work in the legal field. It's not for me.
~Job hunting sucks.
~My little brother just graduated from Georgia State. I'm old.
~I HATE DOCTORS.
~San Fransisco is probably the coolest place I have been too (except for Ireland.) I want to go back.
~That I like it when my best friends get married - especially to each other!!!
~Sister Hazel concerts never get old for me (15 and counting!)
~Sir James Galway is my hero.
~Shaving your legs IS NOT overrated.
~Medicine is over prescribed.
~I really want a dog.
~I HATE DOCTORS.
~I'm a nerd.
~I need to trust my gut. It is always accurate, and won't lead me astray. I learned more about that this past year than I ever had before.
~Patience is a virtue that I apparently need to learn over and over and over and over again. I hate learning it, but I know that the wait is worth it. The Lord's plan is definitely greater than my own.
~Loving yourself is one of the greatest loves you can have in life. It makes all other relationships better and it gives you the confidence and ability to do things you might not have thought you could.
~Failure is inevitable. Nothing is perfect. If you don't ever fail, then maybe you aren't trying hard enough or setting your goals high enough. I'm not saying that it's good to fail, or that we should strive to fail. But we should be trying hard and expecting more out of ourselves than average.
~MARTA is both good and bad...and I can't decide which one out weighs the other. Today, the bad out weighed the good. Tomorrow it could be different.
~I have amazing friends, an incredible boyfriend and a great family. I'm really blessed.
~Jamie Lynn Spears broke my heart. Both Spears girls have at this point, but I had hope for Jamie Lynn to learn from her sister's mistakes. I feel for both of them though...and I hope that they can regroup in 2008. Now Zoey 101 is canceled. That's just insult to injury!
~I love the Wii!! Best present ever....
~I'm am so grateful for my testimony and the relationship I have with the Savior. I know it makes me a better person and gets me through the good and bad times. I honestly don't know where I would be without Him.
~Music will always be a huge influence/part of my life.
~Trust is so important. So important.
~Exercising faith will get you through anything. It might not make it easier, but it can get you through it.
~I HATE DOCTORS (though Dr. Polekoff is helping my hatred die down a little...hopefully he can keep it up!)
Ok, well, those are just a few of the things I learned/discovered this last year. I think I am excited about a new year starting. I know that there will be ups and downs, and things might not go the way I want them too, but I will take it all as it comes and do my best to keep a positive attitude. I am most looking forward to Heather and Ryan having little Benjamin! I get to be an aunt :) I know that there will be lots of adventures, along with lessons and growing to do this year. That is what life is all about! I don't relaly need a new year to tell me that. Or to set new goals. But...since it is one...I will go ahead and stop putting it off!
Happy 2008!
- Mood: sleepy
- Music:Silverchair - Straight Line
Anyway, I was reading on MSN.com today about gift cards. The article I read hailed gift cards as the worst type of gift because they are impersonal and show a lack of thought and knowledge of the person receiving the gift. I disagree. I think gift cards are fantastic gifts! I think that people can use them as a quick gift, nice and easy because they don't have the time or desire to put more effort into a gift, but I see no problems with getting gift cards. One year, for my birthday, I got a gift card to Banana Republic and it was one of my favorite presents ever! The people who went in to get it for me knew that I didn't have the money to shop there, but that I secretly really love that store. They knew me well enough to know that it was a perfect gift for me. I love getting gift cards because then I get to go to the store, browse the items for sale at my leisure and then decide what I really want, instead of someone else making that decision for me. I also love being able to give that opportunity to someone else. It's fun going and picking things out, that way you know you want what you are getting. Or you may finally buy that one thing you have been wanting but couldn't justify spending all that money on.
I know sometimes gift cards can be seen as impersonal, but on the whole, I think they are wonderful gift ideas.
Oh my gosh, my office is freaking warm!
- Mood: mmmm....water
- Music:John Mayer - Say
I am so tired! This is the busy time at work, and I love being busy, but it's wearing me out. It also means that I drive in to work a few times, instead of catching the train. I won't lie, there is something really nice and comforting about having my car down here with me. I feel less trapped and like I am stuck here. Plus, sometimes I really like driving. The morning commute isn't bad, but on the way home is usually th e kicker. But when it's board meeting time, I leave to late that I miss the traffic. So it's nice. I will say, though, that I am so tired of people with fancy schmancy cars thinking that they own the road. That all drivers should hail to them. I have gotten cut off by 1 Lexis, 2 BMW's and 1 Mercedes in the last 2 days, all on my way into work. They dart in and out of traffic like there is no tomorrow. We are all trying to get to the same place, and risking your life as well as other people's just seems foolish - in case you didn't already know that. It really gets my goat!
Then there is the toll. I don't mind paying the 50 cents every now and again (but I sure did when I had to pay it twice a day, every day!) but this morning I got a wonderful surprise. The toll was free!!! Who knew they did that?! I sure as heck didn't. It was an appreciation for some fundraiser they did I guess...but I totally got free toll - AND a coupon for a free Holiday drink at Starbucks!! Peppermint Hot Chocolate, here I come!!
I wish I felt like I had something important to say...but I don't.
Heather, are you proud of me?! I posted!
- Mood: worn out
- Music:Better On My Own - Carly Krantz
1) When I ride the train into work every morning, and I am sitting on the left side, looking out the window...I like to pretend that the tunnel that goes underneath the city is really a tunnel that will take me somewhere mystical and magical, like Hogwarts. It is fun to think about all the places I could end up...and then I get off at North Avenue and reality sets back in. It's always a fun ten minutes though.
2) I keep a small bottle of Calvin Klein's Eternity in my night stand. This bottle is actually pretty old at this point, but the smell hasn't changed much over the years... Anyways, when I was growing up, my favorite place in the whole house to be in was my dad's office, for many reasons. One, I love offices. I always have, and I always will. And my dad had this great one in the basement (or extra room, depending on where we lived.) We moved around a lot, so things were always changing, but his office always looked the same and was familiar no matter where we were. So it made me feel safe. I loved reading at his desk...and using the phone, or pretending to be a CEO of some company. Anyways, my dad used to wear Eternity. All of my life, I remember smelling it on him, on his clothes, on the phones in our house, and in his office. Once he started traveling all the time, I used to go in his office and just hang out in there because it smelled like him and it made me feel safe. So, whenever I need to feel safe or not lonely or something, I pull out that bottle of Eternity and smell it, and I feel that same safe feeling I used to feel when I was a kid. To be honest, I didn't think I still had it, but I found it the other day when I was poking through my drawer. I stole it from his shaving kit when I was about 13 or 14...
3) I have horrible posture when I sit at the computer. I really need to fix that.
4) I never get excited for Halloween. I didn't really a whole lot when I was a kid, but now that I am older I get less excited about it. I have fun seeing everyone else get dressed up, and when I do go to parties and stuff I enjoy myself, I just don't get into like everyone else. I do love seeing the kids trick or treating...they are so cute and hilarious!
- Mood:
mellow - Music:It'll all work out - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
"He’s not perfect. You aren’t either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold on to him and give him the most you can. He isn’t going to quote poetry, he’s not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break. Don’t hurt him, don’t change him, and don’t expect more than he can give. Don’t analyze. Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he’s not there. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don't exist, but there's always one guy that is perfect for you." Bob Marley
- Mood: dorky
- Music:Jordin Sparks - Tattoo
Life has been very lifey for me these last few weeks/month and when I get busy with life, my blog tends to suffer. How do I remedy this problem? By doing a fun recap of what I have been up to. Well, it's fun for me anyways.
In no particular order:
~Started reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. It's been on my list for a while and I finally got around to it! Now I just have to get around to finishing it.
~Went to
~Went to a punkin patch on the way back from the waterfalls and bought some yummy apple bread and a pumpkin muffin. Mmmm....
~Started running again, even if the doctors told me not to.
~Decided that I still hate vasculitis. And doctors. And hate is probably an understatement.
~Saw a giant gorilla pose for a picture and then at the last second he toppled over and started scratching his bum. It was the picture of the day! I laughed REALLY hard...
~Am fully aware that I am immature like that. But it’s who I am!
~Went to the zoo in
~Still hate birds though. Shudder.
~Went to visit
~Am really excited for Taylor and Karla getting married in less than 2 weeks!!
~Had the best drive ever on the way home from SC. It was a great way to start my Sunday - the weather was perfect, the ipod shuffled just right, and I felt happier than I had in a long time.
~Had my first acorn of fall plop on my head while running. Soon after, someone chucked a cigarette out their car window and that hit my arm, but luckily not with the end that was lit up. So then I had to deal with the fact I had someone’s gross mouth germs on me. I ran a little faster after that.
~Realized how much I love rain. It's wonderful.
~Got to go to the symphony. I love the symphony and this one was no exception. The music was great and so was the company. I think I should get involved in playing again...
~Realized I always say I should start playing again, and never do anything about it. I need to work on that.
~Have taken a lot of time to think about life: what I want, who I want to be, where I want to go, etc.
~Realized that to become that person and to do those things, I must move forward with faith and not with fear.
~Spent last weekend attending General Conference. That was exactly what I needed. So much to know and learn - per usual.
~Have realized that I have a huge desire to go exploring lately. I think I want to discover something or see something that absolutely blows me away.
~Have become a true believer in music therapy. Music is amazing.
~Decided that I am too old to go to concerts of about half of the bands I like. Boys Like Girls is playing in ATL in the next week or so...but the last time I went to a concert like that, I was totally one of the oldest ones there. I can’t do that to myself again. It’s a depressing realization though.
~Dwelt on the fact I was old for about a whole day. Then I got over it. Mostly.
~Really want to go on a picnic at the river. Doesn’t that sound like a perfect activity for fall!?
~Decided that Marc Antony is just really ugly.
~Am learning how to budget, and I am doing kind of ok! I still have a ways to go, but I think I will get there sooner than later. YES!
~Had it reaffirmed that my Grandma is the most amazing woman in the world.
~Saw Hairspray. Wow. It was good and funny...but boy, I had no Idea what I was in for when I went into that theater.
~Decided that the lady that drives the 7:35 MARTA train has the best voice ever. It sounds like she’s singing when she says “airport.”
~Love the mornings when I get to ride the train with Jey. It makes my day start off on a happy note!
~Matt Nathanson is the best. He’s one awesome musician. Good stuff.
~Decided that it’s time to plan a trip. I need one really bad. This most likely goes back to my need to explore phase. Any suggestions on where I should go??
~Am really excited for my brother because he graduates in December. He’s such a rock star! He's another one of my heros...
~Just got REALLY tired. I wish I could have a nap time right about now.
~Learned a lot about myself and what I can get through on my own and with the love and support of amazing friends.
~Am just really grateful for my life and all the wonderful people and things in it. I’m not really sure how I got so blessed, but I am really grateful I did!
Ok, that’s all folks. I am sure I will have more to say soon....
- Mood:
devious - Music:Bold as Love - John Mayer
~Grey's Anatomy
"At some point, you have to make a decision. Boundaries don't keep other people out. They fence you in. Life is messy. That's how we're made. So, you can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them. But there are some lines... that are way too dangerous to cross."
~Grey's Anatomy
"Love is more than just a feeling: it's a process requiring continual attention. Loving well takes laughter, loyalty, and wanting more to be able to say, "I understand" than to hear, "You're right."
~Molleen Matsumura
"You can't make a real commitment without realizing that it's a choice made over and over again."
~Keeping the Faith
"Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway."
~Mary Kay Ash
“Genius is only the power of making continuous efforts. The line between failure and success is so fine that we scarcely know when we pass it; so fine that we are often on the line and do not know it. How many a man has thrown up his hands at a time when a little more effort, a little more patience would have achieved success? A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed a hopeless failure may turn into a glorious success. … There is no defeat except within, no really insurmountable barrier save one’s own inherent weakness of purpose”
~author unknown
I just really liked these quote and didn't want to foget them....
I have to say that as I have grown up, I have looked up to many different people for different character traits that they portray or for their passion....for many different reasons. I can't lie though, if I had to pick one person who encompasses everything that I want to be and represent, it's my Grandma. I love her faith. It's such an example to me. She has always had it and always exercised it, even when life got really hard. My aunt talked about that today. My Grandpa died before I was born, and he was quite young when he got sick. My Grandma stood by his side the whole time, taking care of him and letting him be able to live as normal as he could...down to the last minute. Mind you, not only was she there for him in any way he needed, she also had 12 kids to raise...because the majority of them were living at home, and the youngest one was still fairly young. But she didn't miss a beat. She was there for her husband, her children, and her faith kept her strong for all of them. It brought them closer together. It was nice to hear each of her kids tell us what she meant to them, what they learned from her and how much of an impact she made on an individual basis with each of them. If I could be half that kind of mother and wife one day, I know that I would have succeeded. I hope I can be!! I also love her humility. She does not think of herself as anyone all that important. She does the things she does because she wants to. She wants to see others happy and to try to make their world a better place. She's just so selfless.
I have a lot of memories of her through out my life, but one of the most touching moments that I have had with her happened about 6 years ago. I had become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in June of 2001, and it had caused a bit of contention with my family. It's something that we can talk more openly about now, at least with my parents and brother, but to the rest of the family it's still kind of a taboo issue. In fact, whenever we get together for family stuff and the priests are there, they still come up to me and make comments about it! It's actually at a point where I can just laugh and roll with the punches. You know, it's always nice to know I am being thought of! I digress. My Grandma and I were sitting in her living room, and I just knew the conversation about me being not Catholic was coming, and I was scared. I didn't want to disappoint anyone, especially not her. We started talking, and finally she brought it up. She asked me a few questions about the Church itself and what I believed, and why I wanted to be a part of it. I was honest with her and told her and she got kind of quiet. Then she looked at me with some tears in her eyes and told me that I was a good person, and if I was in a place where I could do good things and love the Lord, then I was just fine. She then started telling me about her experiences with members of the Church, and it turns out she had some great stories to share about her thoughts on the Church and the people she had met, as well as being able to talk to me about things we believed or practiced. She did not judge me at all for my decision, she told me she supported me in it, as long as I was happy. At that time in my life, that meant more to me than anything else could possibly have. I needed to know I had some support out there, and she didn't miss a beat. It might seem like a bit of a silly memory to be my favorite, but it exemplifies all of the traits about her I love the most.
I know I am going off on a tangent here....and really it's so just so I can tell the world how great she is. This picture is one of my favorites of me, Grandma and my brother - two of my favorite people!! It was taken like four to six years ago, so it's old. But here is a very small part of my awesome family!! Isn't she just so cute?!
- Mood: dorky
- Music:To Be Alone With You - Sufjan Stevens
:)
Today was my first board meeting at work. I learned a lot about how to present a motion in a proper manner. I hope I get to hear someone oppose one on day...just to see if that causes contention or something. I think it would be interesting. But the busy week is over. I won't lie, I am kind of sad about that. I loved being busy, feeling like I had a purpose and whatnot. Good times. BUT, I do not want those long hours so much. The good news is I learned I have comp time...so I get like a day off sometime this month to make up the extra time I worked. So, today, after my 10 hour day, the weather took a turn for the worse. I won't lie, it was beautiful stormy weather - the kind where I want to be curled up on a porch swing or in a rocking chair out side just watching and enjoying the gloominess, in a weird way. It is, definitely not good weather to have to drive home in though. Especially when home is out in Marietta!! I left the office at 4:30 and I didn't get here until 6:10. OH MY GOODNESS!!!! Why in the world would people choose to live so far away from where they work. I am now more grateful for MARTA than I have ever been before!! My commute is great and traffic free! I mean, I would rather wait 15 minutes on a train than sit there and crawl up 75N for hours. Though, it was kind of fun today because I was racing the storm. I would get a ahead of it and then we would hit a standstill or a freakishly slow crawl and it would catch back up. In the end, we tied. See, traffic is a no win situation, no wonder what the circumstances may be!! Ugh. It was horrible.
Ok, now to my next point of order! Today is my 4 year anniversary of having my LiveJournal! 4 years!! My first post, as a poor student trying to make to to the end of a long semester, was not anything to write home about, and to be honest, I don't know that I have felt like any of my entries have been that great. At first I rambled and complained a lot about life, work, boys, and such. It was just a venting outlet. But as time has passed, I think I have tried to make it more of my own...and I am ok with how it's turned out. I love my lists of things I have done, my thoughts on random subjects, random rants about nothing or just having a place to share fun things I have done or want to do! My lovely Jiznin introduced me to this so long ago, and I am glad she did!! It's one of the many reasons why I love her! As I have gone back and read over my old entries, it was fun to remember things I had thought or felt. I had some entries that were marked a private, that only I could read and some of them were short stories, poems or something, and I have to say...I am glad I had them. Every now and again, I surprise myself with my thoughts or my line of thinking...and even how I express myself. So it's fun to have a place to go to see how I have changed and grown over the years. So, thanks LiveJournal, for being that place for me! It's been real, it's been been fun, and it will be real fun to see what I am doing this time next year! Maybe by then I will have had a grand adventure or two...that wouldn't suck. I am due for one sooner than later. And for those of you who actually read my ramblings, rants and word vomit....thanks!!
- Mood: sleepy
- Music:Passenger Seat - Death Cab for Cutie
- Mood: worn out
- Music:Ingram Hill - What You Want
I love long walks. I love the feeling the warmth of the sun beating down on me, helping me remember what it is like to feel safe. I don’t know why, but warm sunlight is one of the safest feelings in the world. I love the feel of the breeze blowing my hair around, hitting my face at just the right angle to keep my hair out of my eyes, but not letting it get all poofy and out of control. I love watching the people you pass by. The ones who avoid eye contact complete, whether it is because they are lost in thought or just not friendly, you can never really tell. But then you pass the ones who smile at you and tell you hello or good afternoon. That always makes me feel a little better and want to spread that feeling to others. I love wandering aimlessly down streets I haven’t been down before; discovering new little shops or hideaways. I love that when you are walking...your mind can wander. You can let it just go and roam free, without having to worry about running off the road or sideswiping another vehicle. There is just something freeing about going and going and not needing to be anywhere, but yet you are kind of everywhere. It might not make sense, but I love it anyway.
And right now, I need all the long walks I can get. I feel like life is so messy and confusing and out of my control, but when I go on those walks, I realize things that won’t hit me any other time. It’s so nice to have those moments to let your mind go and you get to follow it. I need those moments to help me through the tough spots. Right now, I feel like everything has shifted all at once. I have lost a grip on everything, and I realize I am not in control anymore. I don’t mean that in a bad way, because things are shifting around in good ways too. Though, it’s harder for me to see those good shifts as strongly, I do know and recognize they are still there. And I need to see them to help me when the bad stuff becomes overwhelming. There will always be those things that happen to us that make us realize we have to stand on our own two feet, and keep taking those steps forward. And I think that is why I like those long walks so much - because I am moving forward, and I am doing it by myself. That doesn’t mean I don’t get upset or angry or sad sometimes, but I also am able to feel happy, feel loved and realize that my life is full of hidden blessings too. Learning lessons is tough. It’s supposed to be I guess. The harder they are, the more we can learn from them. And maybe it makes the next round a little easier. I don’t know. I have absolutely no idea what the future has in store for me, but I hope that all theses things that I go through are making me stronger for what lies ahead. I guess it all goes back to faith and patience...trusting in the Lord, because he knows what’s best for us. He knows what we need and he knows what we can and can’t handle. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy, but when you get so overwhelmed and down on yourself and life in general, sometimes it’s good to remember that not only do we have to trust Him, but that He also trusts us to do our part. I tend to forget that, and that makes it so much more difficult to work through the hard times.
I don’t know what inspired this rambling, but what the heck, I will go with it for now. I got this quote in my email the other day, and it was exactly what I needed to hear. So I thought I would go ahead and share it:
"Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays. But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come. No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come." ~Joseph Wirthlin, from the talk “Our Sunday Will Come”
I know that it's kind of an intense quote, but it's so true! So, yeah. Life, though hard, is good. And things will be ok. And it's ok if I have to remind myself of that over and over again. It's part of the learning and growing process. So, here's to more learning and growing! And here's to awesome friends and a brother who know a bit ( alot a really) about unconditional love...and are an awesome support, no matter what!! I really am so blessed to know some of the best people in the world.
- Mood:
blah - Music:Your Winter - Sister Hazel
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squashley10- I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly...
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