It's Summer!

Well hello there! How was everyone's holiday? Good? I hope so! I ate mass quantities of cheeseburgers, grilled chicken, grilled pork chops, and rice and beans. I also got to go swimming which was really awesome because I LOVE to swim.

Tony's sister had the cookout at her house and she has a big in-ground pool. There was one guy...you probably know the one...who felt the need to throw people into the pool. It was funny the first few times, but got old pretty quick. I was already in the pool so, I was in the clear.

I did manage to get a little bit of color so instead of being casper white, I have moved into "slightly pasty" territory. Slowly but surely people. I am not one to bake myself in the sun (anymore) due to the fact that I am pretty fair complected and have a higher risk for skin cancer. My dad has skin cancer (he's a redhead) so I am careful about checking myself. But, I do like to be out in the sun and once I get a bit of color I tan pretty well for as pale as I am.

Anyway, I hope everyone had a great weekend. I must get back to work now ;0( Have a happy Wednesday!

Finally Friday

I am so glad that this weekend is a long weekend because after this week, I need a break! My boss was in the hospital from Monday thru Thursday, so today is his first day back. That means that I was running the show (I do anyway, so that doesn't really mean anything). But, it has been more hectic than usual so I am going to go home tonight and relax.

Actually, I will be going to watch a softball game, then I will go home and drink a beer. Yes, that sounds good. Saturday we will be going to a cookout and watching the UFC fight between Chuck Liddell and "Rampage" Jackson. I can't wait to see that fight! I totally hope Chuck wins.

Anyone have any big plans for the Memorial Day holiday? I don't think we do, but I never know what's going on ;0p. I will be sure though to think about our troops (past and present).

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday weekend. I hope to be tanner and more relaxed come Tuesday!

Love is in the air

With all the lovey dovey-ness that comes with a wedding, I thought it would be a great time to post about how I met my other half. In August we will have been together for five years. Holy shit...that's kinda weird saying that ;0). Anyway...where was I? Oh, right...well our "story" is actually kind of corny, but it turned out well.

I had just started working for my current boss when I first met Tony. He had come into the store to talk to my boss about some flooring (Tony owns rental properties) . I immediately thought that he was pretty darn cute, but I was not single at the time. There were a few more times when he would come in looking for Ed, and if he wasn't here Tony would stop and chat for a few minutes. Nothing major, just friendly conversation. We were both with other people at the time so it didn't matter anyway.

Jump ahead two years....I had been laid off for a year and had just come back to work. I was sitting at my desk when the bell for the front door rang as someone came into the showroom. I got up and (this next part is 100% the truth) I thought to myself "maybe it's that cute contractor Tony"...I opened the door to go out into the showroom......and you guessed it, it was Tony. He smiled at me and asked where I had been. He extended his hand to shake my hand but for some crazy reason I hugged him (not that he minded).

At this time we were both single and he would come by fairly often "to talk to Ed" but everyone kind of saw right through that ;0). I kept waiting for him to ask me out but he never did. I thought maybe I was reading him wrong but it seemed like he liked me.

On one of his trips he had ridden his motorcycle (he had his helmet in his hand) so I asked him about it. I ride trail bikes and quads so I was interested. I told him he would have to take me for a ride on the bike sometime, figuring that I would know weather he was really interested or not. He immediately asked me "...how about tonight?". So, he gave me directions to his house and we went for a ride on the bike and he surprised me by taking me for dinner.

He let it slip at dinner that he probably would've never asked me out had I not initiated it because he felt shy...I really think that is sweet and funny now. But, the rest is history and we've been together ever since.

I also found out later that he had kept an envelope that I had written his name on (a bill for some carpet I think) just because I wrote it. Hey, I told you it was kind of corny.

Softball, twister, marriage, drinking, dancing...

Well, this weekend was quite an adventure. So much was happening that I couldn't possibly fit it into one post without boring everyone half to death. So, I am simply going to focus on the wedding and reception since that was the most interesting part of the weekend.

• I was inadvertently a half hour early to the church because I obviously cannot read.
• The ceremony was beautiful...I don't think you need any more detail....most weddings are the same ;0)
• The bride's dress was HUGE...or should I say the skirt of her dress was huge...she could've easily smuggled the bridal party under that thing (but it was really pretty)
• Open bar at the reception!!
• I did not manage to find a date to go with me (Where the hell were you Adam...did you make a wrong turn at Ohio? ;0p)
• The bride's father kissed me at least four times (The bride and I have been friends since 7th grade so he has seen me grow up)
• I wore a fancy dress and HIGH heels...and forgot my camera.
• I managed not to break an ankle or make a fool of myself in said heels
• Three children took it upon themselves to look up my dress.
• I danced for four hours in heels after drinking and still did pretty good.

So, needless to say the bridal party was totally hammered and were quite amusing on the dance floor as the night progressed. I actually didn't drink that much as I was driving. I am still pissed at myself for forgetting the camera but the bride said she would make sure I got some pictures. So, how was everyone else's weekend? I hope it was nice. Anything exciting happen?

Weekend here I come!

Boy am I glad that it is Friday! The week just seemed to drag on. I am going to be busy this weekend, but in a good way. Tonight we will be babysitting our niece so that should be fun. I am sure it will be a night of cartoons, twister, and "Missy, can we bake something?". She love to help me bake ;0p.

Also, my best friend from High School is getting married on Saturday so I am really excited for her! I hope I don' t cry too much though. I do have one small problem though...I don't have a date :0( Tony backed out at the last minute (last night) so, I have to go alone. Anyone wanna go? Open bar!!!!!!!! OK, anyway I even bought a new dress and high heels, but he wasn't swayed. I am hoping that the reception will be crazy. Knowing her family as I do, I am sure it will be ;0).

I am sure that the reception shenanigans will be good blog material come Monday, so be on the lookout for tales of drunk dancing and possible falling down in new high heels while dancing/drinking.

Sunday will probably serve as recuperation day. So, I hope everyone has a great weekend. Wish me luck in the heels. Seriously, anyone not doing anything on Saturday? NO? Oh well ;0p.

THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY!!

I'm thankful

I was looking at what I have been posting lately, and it got me thinking. Quite a few of the posts are about things that are going wrong or just unpleasant things that I have been going through. There is absolutely nothing wrong with writing about those things and writing them out is cathartic and makes me feel better. That being said, it has been a while since I have written about something happy.

As is true for many, for every one bad thing in life there are so many more good things. Even just the little things. So I decided to cheer up by writing about what I am thankful for in my life. I will even spare my usual long-windedness and use bullets ;0). Your welcome!

So, I am thankful for the following things:

• For a wonderful family who would do anything for each other, no matter what.
• Good health.
• The fact that I do have a job, even if it isn't wonderful and doesn't pay me enough ;0)
• A roof over my head...even if it is a never ending construction nightmare.
• Good memories...even when the house (my parents' house) is sold, I will still have the memories to look back on.
• A loving partner (Tony) who excepts me for who I am, and what I am/am not.
• My dogs...enough said ;0)

I try my best to see the bright side to everything, but sometimes it's hard. There are many more things that I am thankful for, but I don't want anyone falling asleep on me ;0)

So, I hope everyone is easing into the week without any problem! It is supposed to be warm and sunny here today, so that is good. Hopefully Buddy and I will take a long walk when I get home from work, that will be nice. Only three days till Friday!

I must be selfish

A while back, I had written a post regarding the fact that my parents wanted to sell their house. I have also previously written about what a complete and utter sap I am. These two things in combination do not make me a happy camper right now.

My parents have found a buyer for their house. The house that I grew up in and have so many memories in (not that they don't). Even saying those things makes me feel like a whiny 12 year old. In all fairness, it is their house and they can do whatever they want with it, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it.

My parents built the house in....1989 or 1990 (I think) on property they bought from my grandmother. The 2.5 acres bordered the property that my grandmother's house was on and was part of the original property where my mom was born. I guess that is another reason why I can't see why they want to sell. They worked their tails off to clear the land to build (it was heavily wooded) the house by hand. I remember helping stack wood.

Being that mom and dad are getting older, they want to eliminate their debt and move upstate where the property is cheaper. I understand that, but I am really upset that they want to move AWAY. Why not buy something that is still close. They have a granddaughter coming at the end of summer, and they want to move.

I don't do well with change sometimes....can ya tell. It is hard for me to deal with major changes, especially anything involving anything emotional. It is a weakness of mine. For example, when my grandmother went into a nursing home and her house/property was auctioned it was sold to an amish neighbor who tore her house down and rebuilt on the site. I couldn't go up the driveway (you had to pass her house to go up our driveway) without getting upset.

So, the point of all this is that yes, I am upset about all this. But, I feel really selfish for feeling that way. I am happy for them, considering that this is what they want to do though. Any thoughts? I just needed to get that off my chest, so sorry for the long post ;0).

I don't wanna grow up....

As I have previously mentioned, I have been hunting for a new job. I am currently an office manager for a retail flooring company. I handle all of the bookkeeping, payroll, scheduling, some sales, answering the phone, and whatever else comes up.

Each time I look in the paper or search jobs online, I have no problem finding accounting jobs or customer service jobs, but nothing very interesting. Do you know what I mean? They are all pretty much the same, except for the industries, but the accounting isn't that different.

So, seeing all of these positions has me thinking about what I would REALLY like to be doing. I went to Penn State University for a year and majored in Agriculture Science..just shut up...but college just wasn't my thing at the time. I would love to take some online courses, but I don't have the slightest idea what I would like to study. My problem is that I would love to study 10 different things, but that doesn't really make much sense now does it? No, didn't think so.

I actually keep coming back to nursing, but I am just unsure. I would also like to be able to travel a bit (even if just locally) and/or work from home, but I just don't know what I want to pursue.

So, what made you guys want to do what you do? Or, did it just kind of happen (that was me)? Do you enjoy your job/career? And, did you feel this frustrated when you were deciding which path to take? Wow, that a lot of questions ;0) Happy Thursday!

Oh the pain...

This weekend brought the following things:

• sunburn
• 2 flowerbeds full of flowers and mulch
• clean laundry/house
• achy muscles where I didn't know I had muscles
• a twisted ankle
• a gash/bruise on my shin
• oyster stew
• A picnic with my family
• ice cream

Now, doesn't that sound like a busy weekend? I figured it was easier just to do bullets than to try to write all that stuff out. I am sure that you can devise that the sunburn and achy muscles are from planting the flowers. I also managed to clean the house and do some laundry that I hung out on the line so it smells wonderful. The ankle/shin injuries are courtesy of my beloved Buddy. We had gone outside for a potty break (for him, not me) and were coming up to the back porch. There is a step up, and I didn't have his leash tight and he was excited to go in, thus pulling me forward and catching me off guard. I twisted my ankle and in trying to catch myself I slammed my shin into the porch...OUCH! It is purple and bloody and swollen, but I sat there and laughed because there was nothing else I could do.

Now, the picnic. My parents, my sister, brother-in-law, and myself went over to my grandfather's "home" and took oyster stew and sandwiches and had a picnic in the pavilion by the creek. It was nice to sit in the sun, and I think he really enjoyed the company. Tony's mom brought ice cream over later and we sat on the porch and enjoyed the new flowers.

I had a pretty satisfying weekend, how about you? Did you do anything fun or interesting?

I've been tagged

Adam was playing a game of Chinese Freeze Tag and invited me to play. The rules are that I must write 10 interesting/strange things about myself or habits that I have. Once I have come up with my 10 things, it is my turn to tag 10 other people to do the same. There are no tag-backs, so if someone has already done this they are "safe" ;0). So, without further ado...

1. I was born 10 weeks early and weighed 2lbs, 7oz.
2. I used to shoot professional fireworks, like you see on the 4th of July...yes, the big ones. Some of the racks that I lugged around weighed more than me.
3. I was a cheerleader in high school and although I was very small (4'10" and 90lbs) most of the time in our formations I was a base because I was one of the strongest girls.
4. I can belch louder than most people I know. My dad insisted I demonstrate my "skills" at the bar one night and everyone bought me a drink.
5. As you can see by #4, I am very much a tomboy. I have moments of sheer girlishness, and then we have belching contests...my dad says that those things make me comical ;0p
6. I have a hearty thirst for knowledge. I only went to college (Penn State) for one year, but I love to learn new things. I am always game to have someone teach me a new skill or to learn about something that I may have never heard of before.
7. I collect frogs. My collection actually started from me mentioning to someone that I thought a particular frog item was cute, and it stuck. People have been buying me froggie things ever since.
   
8. There isn't much that I don't like as far as music. I have very eclectic tastes I guess. On my ipod I have everyone from Breaking Benjamin, The Kinks, John Lee Hooker, Rascall Flats, Pink Floyd, The Ramones, Metallica, and so on. I think you get the point. (Sorry, I am too lazy to link them)
9. Considering that I like many different type of music, I go in phases as far as what I listen to primarily. When I was in high school I was on a country kick, and went line dancing three times a week. Line dancing is also really good cardio!
10. I would've never guessed that I would have a blog. I do not write well, and I have a short attention span, so I really didn't think I would like it...I was wrong ;0).

Well folks, there you have it. I seriously hope no one lapsed into a coma or anything. Also, I hope that I haven't weirded anyone out or scared anyone away. Now, I guess I need to pick some people to tag...I don't have 10 people who haven't been tagged so I will tap:

Rockdog
Blublood
Angela
Heather
Melly
Laundry Broad
Mama Jen

That is all I have, so if there is anyone who would like to do it, let us know so we can read your list.

Well Hello there ;0)

Wow, it seems like such a long time since I was inclined to write anything. Well, I have sort of been in a funk lately, so that is what I am going to blame it on. We all have those times where things just don't go as we would hope or we just feel a little off. I have been experiencing both, so bear with me.

I mentioned that I was job hunting didn't I? Yes, I did. Well, I interviewed with two companies. The one that I was hoping for...didn't get the position. The other...I was offered a position, but they want me to take a pay cut. So, no luck yet. Oh, but my boss put me back on full time, so that is pretty awesome!

On Monday, Tony and I went to Lowe's to buy some garden lights for our flowerbeds. The lights were on sale and we had a coupon, so that was a good thing ;0). We ended up out in the garden section looking at flowers. Little did we know that we were about to witness an incredible lack of cashiering skills.

We get into line to pay for our things, so far so good. We get up to the cashier, a very cheery lady who is smiling like there is no tomorrow. So, she proceeds to scan our items (only 4) and totals our bill...$101.70 was the damage, so Tony gave her $102.00 in CASH. Smiley counts the money twice before trying to enter the amount into the computer. She types in 102 and hits cash, which if anyone has worked a cash register before...it registered $1.02. Let me just cut to the chase and tell you that she typed it that way AT LEAST five times. She could not figure out what was going on. Then we tried to help her by saying that she needed to type the point, and so on. So, she finally got it and her excuse....are you ready for this? She apologized (still smiling though) and said that she wasn't used to working in the evenings, that her normal schedule was in the morning.....WHAT?

Let me just say this...I didn't know that cash registers changed depending on what shift you work. Oh, they don't. OK, good it isn't just me then. ;-) Even though she was having some trouble, I will give her credit for being bright and cheerful. Most times they look disinterested at best.

I hope everyone is having a good week so far! Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things STAT. At least it's all downhill from here...come on Friday!! ;0)