Pilates

I'm on the comeback trail....FINALLY! "What was the breaking point?" you may ask. Well, it was seeing the love handles (i have anything but love for them) and seeing how some of my fitted shirts weren't laying as gracefully against my body as they did just a few months ago. There was this little bulge sticking out. GROSS. I felt gross. I know physical appearance isn't everything and you may read this and think i'm vain. I admit, since high school, I've been a little bit weight/body obsessed and possibly may have some issue with self esteem. WHAT FEMALE DOESN'T? I went to a high school where only thin girls got dates. I wasn't thin. I was athletic. Anyway.....I had been doing so well almost a year ago all the way up until summer (after July 4th I think). I don't know what happened, but the gradual slide became a vertical drop. So, last week while up in Chicago I told my love handly self, "enough is enough." I went to the Y after work this past Wednesday. I was all set to do a cardio workout and then a few weights afterward when I decided to glance at the class schedule. A Pilates class was going to start in 15 minutes!!! Wooo hooo. I then made a mad dash to my car, opened the trunk and grabbed my pilates mat that had been untouched for a very long time. The class was amazing. It was challenging. Since leaving Wilmington years ago, I hadn't taken a class that really got me excited and left me feeling challenged. I'm still feeling the pain from that class in my abs and arse and it's Saturday. All it takes is one class you enjoy to get you motivated! I've been to to the gym 3 times this week -- I'm feeling good. And really, feeling good and feeling good about yourself is what it's all about!

Music

Ever need some new music? Well, this site will help you. My friend Kurt blogged about it awhile back and I just heard another plug for it on NPR last night.

Check it out. It's pretty cool.

www.pandora.com

Lit

Hi friends. I have to share this with you before I forget (though I'm not likely to forget it). On Tuesday afternoon, I was leaving Fletcher, NC (home of Rog and Jan) and I needed to stop and fill up Plum for the ride back to Charlotte. First, I am about to pull in and this jerk comes in from the other side and takes the pump I am about 6 feet away from. Of course, he makes no eye contact (they never do). Then, as I'm approaching the very last "gas island", I see this old guy messing with the pump and he's got a cigarette hanging off his lips. I think to myself, "Gosh, this guy can't wait to light his ciggie! What an addict!" Well, I pull up, turn off my car, step out and folks, his cigarette is LIT." The guy is standing there and then starts to walk behind his vehicle. I responded by saying, "Sir, if you don't mind, just please stay over there. I do ot feel comfortable pumping gas with you over here." He kind of laughed to himself, but stayed over there. The whole time I'm thinking I'm going to die. I have never wanted the gas to flow as quickly into my car as I did that day! I didn't die, of course, I lived to tell.

Ironically, at this very moment I'm watching Thank Your For Smoking

Snuggly

Originally uploaded by Schmizzly.

So, I'm missing Steve....obviously.
I look at photos and they make me feel closer to him.

eyes for you

eyes for you
Originally uploaded by Schmizzly.

and this photo shows the contrast in our coloring. i like it. we're different, but we complement.

Steve and Steph

Steve and Steph
Originally uploaded by Schmizzly.

This photo was taken 2 months into our relationship. I love this photo.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Hard week

I always have expectations that Christmas will be this grand holiday where traditions will be in place and everyone will be happy, the house will be filled with laughter and the love will abound. It's never quite like that. Truth be told, it's usually a hard week with the occasional highlights.

A few of the highlights from this Christmas are: 1)getting this beautiful diamond necklace from my parents, 2) reading a book, 3) finding perfect fitting pants at BR, 4) seeing my nieces and nephew.

I miss Steve. He's in PA visiting his sister and her family. I just miss him. He's my boyfriend and my companion. I want him here.

I'm sad because my grandma just passed away and there's some scandal over what has happened to some of her stuff. We had a beatiful memorial service for her, but now it's being overshadowed by this crap. She had beautiful things that should have been passed on to her kids and grandkids, but it's gone apparently. There are no GOOD anwers about what happened to all of it.

Oh, and my alarm didn't go off this morning -- my first day back to work. Thank GOD my friend Holly called me at 7:20. I was snoozing hard. The fact that she called is providential. Thankfully, there's hardly anyone working today.

Holidays are romanticized. I'm over it. I'm over thinking that they'll be great. Maybe someday I'll be surprised. The fact of the matter is that holidays are often the hardest part of the year and I'm starting to realize that more and more.

Grandma

I can remember her singing to me when it was time for a nap. She would sing, "I will make you fishers of men, fishers of men, fishers of men. I will make you fishers of men if you follow me." It's a song about Jesus and how by entering into a relationship with him, we'll want to tell others about Him and "catch" them for Christ, per se. It's funny. As I type out those words, I'm thinking, "that doesn't sound that great." Who want to be caught up in a net? No thanks. Ha!

Anyway, Grandma Jeanne passed away last week. We'll be flying up to Chicago on Thursday morning for her Memorial Service. I have cousins, aunts,uncles and family friends that will gather to honor my Grandma. It's really a bittersweet thing. She was old, did not have a great quality of life, but she was my last grandparent. I was thinking about this last night. It's weird to think of a family tree getting shortened. Many times, grandparents are the roots, the stability of a family. The give us wisdom and strength. They give us a heritage.

I loved my grandma. Memories are coming to mind left and right and I'll have to make time soon to write them down so I can share something at the service.

Life has only now begun for her.

New phone

So, this is my new phone. It should arrive soon.

Xmen

This is interesting. I'm mildly offended at the "slacker" part.

You Are Iceman

You tried to live a normal life, but it just wasn't possible A bit of a slacker, you rather tell jokes than cultivate your powers Powers: turning self and others into ice, making ice weapons, becoming nearly invisible

Which of the X-Men Are You?

Depressing

So, my phone broke and my hard drive crashed on my laptop yesterday. This is really bumming me out. I still have 5 months left until I can get a new phone for free with the "New Every Two" plan through Verizon. The laptop, well, I just didn't budget to buy a new one. In the past, I've been extremely fortunate to get the hand me down laptops from my last 2 jobs. My boyfriend swears by Apple products, but they start at $1,100. I wanted to get a Treo 650 as a new phone/PDA and even bid on 2 or 3 but got outbid on ebay every time. This has left me feeling very sorry for myself. I know I shouldn't be depressed over these things when there's so much more to be depressed about in this world. Yes, I've been spoiled. Now, I realize how much. Lord, make me thankful for what I have.

Christmas wish and KEXP

So, on my way to KEXP.org to stream some indie goodness, I saw something fun. When you click on the page, you see this cd you can buy. I likey. I wanty. It's something I'd love for Christmas! Click the link, yo! You might want it too!

For those of you unfamiliar, this is a great station out of Seattle and they stream! Happy listening!

The 16 days or so of Christmas...errr food

So, in the legal department where I work, the other ladies came up with the fantastic idea of bringing food to the office in celebration of the holidays. Now, with most companies, this means bringing in food on a certain day. Well, not at my work. We are bringing food in EVERY SINGLE WORK DAY until the end of the year! Can we say holiday 15? 15 being the number of pounds I am bound to gain if i indulge in it all. Thank God for Christal who, yesterday, brought in a tray of strawberries, cantaloupe and honeydew (how she got fruit not in season and that tasted so good is beyond me)! She also brought in hummus and then some muffins to satisfy those who thought they might have been jipped by the fruit tray. oh, wait, she also brought VEGGIES. Yay!

Okay, so my turn is tomorrow. I made a hash brown casserole, home made chocolate chip scones and a veggie pizza appetizer thing. I am excited to see how they go over. I feel pretty darn good about my culinary skills that were displayed tonight. It's been FOREVER since I cooked or baked anything. I've been without my own kitchen for awhile now.

Sidenote: Someone at work told me the other day that usually everyone who comes to this company puts on 10 lbs! Oh no, not me honey!!!

So Merry Christmas and Happy Eating. Remember these tips for a holiday party:

1. Drink plenty of water beforehand (so instead of going back to the table of food, you're forced to go back and forth to the bathroom).
2. Eat a little sumpin' before the party (I think people say this so that when you go to the party you don't look like the cow that is eating EVERYTHING in sight because it's Christmas and you're supposed to eat this much!)
3. Stay with veggies and fruit (Oh please. Like we're really going to do this. It's Christmas and it's all about cookies, pastries, dips and doo-dahs).

Urgent care

Today is the fifth day of being sick. This is the second cold I've had since moving to C-town, NC. I hope this isn't a sign. Anyway, I pride myself on not getting sick. I'm usually quite the picture of health. This is what I get for being prideful. It's not the flu, but it's the sick where you feel all the pressure in your head and you're constantly blowing your nose and if you're not blowing your nose, you're coughing these awful coughs. It really IS amazing how the body can produce such amounts of phlegm in such a seeminly short period of time.

So today I decided to put my new insurance to use. I left on my lunch break thinking I'd be back around 3pm. You know what I'm talking about! You go to "urgent" care knowing that there's no URGENCY in the place. i suppose if i was dying or coughing up blood and not phleghm they'd sit up and stop playing solitaire. well, that's the attitude i used to have. today, i walked in, was greeted by a friendly nurse and proceeded to fill out the appropriate paper work. after about 10 minutes, i was called to the back. and at this point i'm thinking, "oh yeah, here's where the waiting begins." not so! i was just about to get to the nitty gritty of TomKat's wedding day highights in People when the doctor knocked on the door!

For the next 10 minutes or so, we chatted, he took my vitals, he listened to me, etc. dr. withrow was professional and (let me bold this part) did not just prescribe me an antibiotic to get me out the door!
he said i have a viral infection, but that it could turn into something more. so, he gave me a decongestant (which i need) and then also gave me an antibiotic to take only if i didn't see improvement in the next couple of days! he actually said, "doctors prescribe them too much." i was impressed.

so, i am sitting here blogging, waiting for my decongestant to take effect. my head feels like it's in some sort of a vice. ugghh.

be well. take airborne or emergen-C or whatever it is that you can take to PREVENT getting this virus.

HILarious

This is one of my favorite work out tunes...
And this makes me smile!

so much to say. not much to say

there are times when i sit here wanting to blog, but find myself not being able to come up with something. it's not that there's nothing going on in my life. sometimes i can't blog about certain things-- things that are too personal that i can't put them to words here. life is hard. that sums it up pretty nicely. anyone who argues with me on that point simply cannot be living. you can't exist here in this world without some kind of suffering. there are those who definitely seem to suffer more than the rest of us. some people suffer quietly and there are those who suffer quite loud and even blog about it incessantly. i won't do that. all i wanted to write tonight is that i'm not much in the mood for a funny blog moment. i'm more pensive tonight. i pray those of you who stumble upon this entry won't feel sorry or worry too much. just say a prayer for those in your life who may be going through hard times whether it be sickness, mental illnes, family issues, financial issues, etc.. pray for their strength and that God will sustain them. i trust He will.

It's about that time

You ask, "What time?" It's time to break out the old VHS, DVD, or to go rent one of the funniest Christmas movies of all time! National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation!!! Go pop some corn and find a warm spot on the couch and get your cheeks warmed up to laugh laugh and laugh some more.

Some of my favorite moments from this movie:
1. The department store shopping scene.
2. The scene where Clark gets locked up in the attic.
3. The dog/squirrel chase, and
4. The "dry" turkey (well the whole dinner scene is quite funny).

Fair treatment?

I just read an article about Michael Richards (best known for his role as Kramer on Seinfeld) and how he let loose a string of racial insults and some African American audience members who were heckling his act in L.A. My immediate thought went to Mel Gibson's drunken incident a few months ago when he vented some racial slurs directed at Jews while being arrested for drunk driving. I am curious to see how the media portrays Richards. Will he get the same treatment as Mel? He wasn't drunk when he went off on his tirade; he was merely being heckled. Michael Richards was already invited on the Letterman show to apologize. He appears to be remorseful (but so was Mel) Would Mel have gotten the same opportunity? My initial response is no. I think that because Mel is a professing Christian, Hollywood and the media are focused in on demonizing him. He has been blacklisted by many in his field. I, in no way, want to excuse what Mel did. It was wrong. Racism of any kind is wrong. But really, I hope I am proved wrong. I don't wish mistreatment on Mr. Richards. We are human. We make mistakes. At the core, we are sinful creatures anyway - that ugliness is bound to spew out on occasion. Thank the Lord for his grace to us. I hope that the media is fair and brings just as much attention to Michael Richard's mistake as they did to Mel's. What do you think?

Be Positive!

It's my blood type y'all: B+

I gave blood today. Next time you see the sign for a blood drive, sign up! It's an easy way to serve your fellow man. It's a good deed. Really, it does make a difference. We don't need ALL the blood we've got; God created us with a little more just so we could give a pint or two away! Take a little time out of your day and do something nice for your fellow man or woman. It feels good! Well, the actual giving doesn't always feel great, but you know what I mean!

A quote I need to live by

A "no" uttered from deepest conviction is better and greater than a "yes" merely uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble.
-Mahatma Gandhi

I think I'll begin a blog series entitled "Codependency sucks!" This will be blog #2 in that series. #1 would be the previous blog entitled "disappoinment". I am pretty proud of myself for identifying some of the patterns in my life that need changing and the desire to do something about it!

Do you need a little sumpin' sumpin' to make you smile?

i just saw this on a fellow blogger's site, (ttomlinson):

"The Church of Snoop Dogg

I love it when churches try to be hip. Last night I saw this sign in front of New Hope Missionary Baptist on Hawthorne Lane:

BRING YOUR SINS TO THE ALTAR AND DROP IT LIKE IT'S HOT"

DOH!!! THAT is funny stuff.

disappointment

to think i could be disappointing anyone is almost too much to bear. my "pleaser" personality always wants to make sure everyone is happy ... and happy with me. when i know people are disappointed over something i am doing or have done, it hurts. i still haven't quite learned that i need to let people feel how they're going to feel and be okay with that -- even if it means they're disappointed with me.

Fresh Air

Steve and I went to see Terry Gross of NPR's Fresh Air yesterday. She played sound bytes of different interviews she's had over the years. The sound bytes were from interviews with George Clooney, Gene Simmons, Lynn Cheney, and Peter Boyle among others. It was really interesting to hear people get upset with her, joke with her and reveal things that were quite surprising! She's very good at what she does and has a good sense of humor too. If you haven't tuned into Fresh Air, you should start today. You can stream it at NPR.org or find out what time it comes on your local NPR station (WFAE in Charlotte, y'all).

Jump Little Children

I refuse to call them JUMP. i can't. i followed them all through college and i can't accept the name change -- especially after they've stopped playing together now.

anyway, i was just listening to itunes and because i live with Emily and her husband, Randy, i can access their iTunes folder! well, what yummy goodness i have stumbled upon??? The Buzz by JLC. this lesser known album holds such awesome tuenes as I Can Feel You, Easter Parade and Innocent Kiss. Oh, how i enjoy these tunes; they take me back (did i use that semicolon correctly?).

do you ever wonder if....

you'll ever figure out who "you" really are? you spend (in my case 30) years being influenced by so many people and ideas. so many of them make us what we are. but then when you try to strip down to the nakedness that is "you", what is there? are the firmly held convictions really convictions or are they other people's convictions that you've taken on as your own?
i wonder about these things.

Dim Sum update

It was DIM YUMMMMMMMMM. i was a bit nervous when we walked in and the only people eating were a dad and his two young sons. i guess i should have been encouraged in that they were chinese and therefore eating at this establishment was a good sign!
anyway, after moving to a table at the front of the restaurant where there was some air circulation (we had been put in a back corner), we ordered a few dished. we love love loved the pork dumplings. i have no clue what the chinese name was, but they were so good. there was only one dish that i didn't like -- it was some sort of crepe with shrimp inside. to balance out the not so nutritional dim sum, we ordered some stir fry veggies with tofu and they were awesome -- very fresh and tasty. i'll definitely go back and get SUM more. :)
for you charlotteans, try Dim Sum at 2920 Central Avenue.

Dim Sum = Dim Yum?

So, this is what we're dining on tonight. I'm a dim sum virgin so I hope that it's not a let down.

Derek Webb is amazing

So, i have to admit, i was a bit skeptical about the Derek Webb concert tickets that Steve had bought yesterday. I did like Caedmon's call, but I only bought one of their cds ever. Also, I felt like they were the Christian Dave Matthew's Band. I'm just being honest. But Derek Webb, the former frontman for Caedmon's, has struck out on his own and, does he have a voice!!! I'm not just talking about how good he sounds either, I'm talking about his message. He is so honest about how following Christ is hard. It's not easy and he said if it's easy, you may have to doublecheck to see if you're really following Christ. Also, he has a social conscience, which is refreshing to see in a Christian. He feels the conflict of so many of we Christians in today's culture. Those of us who don't want to be stereotyped as always being right wing, hating gays, wanting to execute everyone, and just hating anyone who disagrees with Republican agenda. There are those of us who look around at what's going on in the world and then try to reconcile the message of Christ and go, "Huh?" So many Christians (and I include myself here) have been guilty of letting others deal with our social issues when so many of the issues are clearly our responsibility to take action against. The poor, for example. We're supposed to take care of them, but we can't get our hands dirty or hold back a few dollars to give to someone in need. What is our problem???? Derek has this song called Rich Young Ruler and it speaks to the very heart of this issue. It just plain speaks to my heart. Here are the lyrics. Let them speak to you:

Rich Young Ruler

(vs. 1)
poverty is so hard to see
when it’s only on your tv and twenty miles across town
where we’re all living so good
that we moved out of Jesus’ neighborhood
where he’s hungry and not feeling so good
from going through our trash
he says, more than just your cash and coin
i want your time, i want your voice
i want the things you just can’t give me

(vs. 2)
so what must we do
here in the west we want to follow you
we speak the language and we keep all the rules
even a few we made up
come on and follow me
but sell your house, sell your suv
sell your stocks, sell your security
and give it to the poor
what is this, hey what’s the deal
i don’t sleep around and i don’t steal
i want the things you just can’t give me

(bridge)
because what you do to the least of these
my brother’s, you have done it to me
because i want the things you just can’t give me

******

i'll blog about another of his songs tomorrow.

Kills me every time.....

fish climbing

 

ihear this is all the rage right now, but heed the warning people.....heed the warning! 

mmmm Dunkin'

 

i am so glad to be living in a town that has one of these! 

The dog I love

Here's 2 photos of Sandy whom I miss tremendously. After not seeing her for a month, she still remembered me last weekend when I visited! Yay for Sandy. She's a super companion and always ready to give a lick when you need it.

The Claw Photoshoot

The Big O

 

Yes, well, this was the end to a fun evening of Charlotte Bobcats basketball -- me and the Big 0. Who could resist this shot? Not I!!
Steve, me, Emily and Holly ventured to Bobcats arena for an evening of NBA basketball. Highlights were this over emotional fan who got way too excited/upset/both over things that were ridiculous to seasoned basketball fans like myself. Did I mention this was my first NBA game? HA! The lady next to me seemed to think his behavior was laughable and so I went along with it. No, really, he was really funny. The other highlight was these 2 kids behind us who chanted "Bob....cats....Bob....cats....Bob.....cats" for at least 30 minutes straight. We thought it would be cute to chant with them. It was cute for 30 seconds, but then they would not shut up. Another highlight was the photoshoot with "the claw" -- the claw belonged to a little boy that sat in front of us who had made a nacho run. i thought he may, at any time, run up the steps screaming, "that's nacho claw! NAAAAA CHO CLAWWWWWWWW!" but he didn't. phewwww. so, we managed to get a few good shots. rarrrr! okay, and yes steve, i did like your nuts. those peanuts were tasty. sorry for being such a snack snob. let's not forget Big O. i knew from the moment i laid eyes on him, i had to get my photo with him. so yeah, good times in Charlotte tonight! Unfortunately, Charlotte lost the game. Pacers Stink, Bobcats rule....errrr not tonight, i guess. 

cold

it all started with a couple sneezes at work yesterday and by the time i left work, i had a full blown sore throat. dang it! i haven't been sick in who knows when. the irony is that i just started taking this wellness supplement that is supposed to BOOST my immune system. i just remembered that dear old dad had a cold this past weekend. thanks dad! so this morning, my head is aching. i would love to just crawl up in my bed (really, what morning would i not like to do this?) but i only have 6 hours of PTO time left until the end of the year so i'm going to have to buck up and get over this quickly. hopefully, i can find some soup to eat for lunch today. mmmmm soup. we all know soup makes everything better. well, soup and Jesus.

returning

so, i visited my hometown this past weekend. i've been gone for over a month now and i decided to visit the ol' stompin' grounds of fletcher and a-ville. it was good to be with my family again. really, nothing has changed except that maybe i love them a little more. there's nothing like a little distance to make you love people you already love a little bit more.

driving home this evening, i was even more thankful that i had the opportunity to live in western north carolina. although the peak color for the leaves was 2 weekends ago, the color was still hanging on. the sunset cast a pinkish hue on the mountains. as i was whizzing by in my car, i caught glimpses of fiery red leaves, bursts of yellow leaves and then trees that had leaves with multi colors. the dead leaves were interspersed with the live ones and it reminds me of life. all of the leaves are going to wither and die eventually-- i realize that i need to appreciate them while they're living. the color of the leaves is a sign of their end that is to come soon, but there's hope for new life and not very long from now. winter is only a season that is to be endured. and even winter serves a purpose for these trees.

so, that's what i'll end on tonight. i'm appreciating the life/lives around me now. i'm not waiting.

oh my word

this is unreal. although i totally disagree with how this guy is running his campaign, it's a well done commercial, in the TECHNICAL sense. but he's not getting points for any kind of sensitivity or tact -- that's for darn sure

blog envy

so, yeah, i admit it. i am envious of a friend's blog. it just seems so much cooler than my own-- more funny, more photos, more humor. and it gets a heckuva lot more traffic than my very own. what does that say about me? well, it shouldn't make me feel bad about my blog. my life isn't boring. i think i'm somewhat interesting. i think i post cute photos. no, i'm not a popular blogger. i'll get no rewards for "coolest blog ever", but it's mine. their my thoughts, my photos, my dumb ramblings. that's worth SOMETHING. i needed to write this so i could see it. i'm tired of feeling that my blog is no big deal. i know people have read my blog. i don't get a lot of comments, but that shouldn't matter. i'm blogging for me, not for the readers. i hope that you, whoever you are, get something out of this. maybe you share my sentiments about something. maybe you think the photos are nice. maybe you see through a small window into my life. maybe something i say makes you smile. i can only hope.

holy cow, i can draw a spiritual parallel here, folks. hold on to your hats! in the daily christian life, it's easy to get distracted and think we have to live for others. we live for their approval of what we do, say, etc. as a Christian, the only approval i need is that of Christ. everything, everyone else is just fluff. but man, it's so hard to live like that on a daily basis.

i love the lyrics of the hymn "Come Thou Fount"

there's this line, "prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love"

that's me...most every day. and the sad thing is that i do leave Him. the good news is that He doesn't behave the same way I do.

okay, so that was a tangent. but it works. i am happy with this post tonight. and i hope you have sweet dreams wherever you are. adieu.....to you and you and you.

more vacation shots

here are some more shots from my vacation

gunshots....

rang out like a bell.

at 3:15am, i woke with a start to the sound of 5 gunshots. i'm currently living with my friends Randy and Emily in their suburban home here in Charlotte, NC. they often don't lock their doors and i have felt pretty safe until now. Randy called the police to report it. I'm pretty positive they were gunshots. i haven't personally heard gunshots before, but I have no idea what else it could have been. I'm pretty sure firecracker season is over. I hope that no one is found dead nearby -- or that the shooter is anywhere in proximity to here. Geez. I haven't felt my heart beat like that in awhile. The funny thing is that I went right back to bed because all I could think of was, "oh my gosh. it's 3:15am. i only have 3 more hours of sleep!"

anyway, good times in the city.

vacation

for real. i vacationed in the true sense of the word.

a respite or a time of respite from something : INTERMISSION2 a : a scheduled period during which activity (as of a court or school) is suspended b : a period of exemption from work granted to an employee3 : a period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation 4 : an act or an instance of vacating

so yeah, i did all of that.

here's where i did it. hee hee.

Curacao: www.sunsetwaters.com

it was 5 days of reading, swimming, snorkeling, sea kayaking, eating, resting, and more resting. it was the type of vacation where you actually feel rested and ready to return to your real life afterward.

i loved it.

Coffee

I REALLY miss this place. There's NO place like it...not even close to being like it here in Charlotte. I am lost without my Soy Lattes from Izzy's.

vacation

i'm heading to Curacao this Wednesday morning! I can't wait. Holly and I are going on this trip because we felt that turning 30 was worth celebrating in a big way! I hate packing (and unpacking for that matter), but at least it makes it all the more real. I'm flying to the Dutch Antilles! WOooooo hooo.

grrrrrrrrrr

i really hate traffic here in charlotte. it's reminiscent of traffic i experienced in L.A. in august, but not to that degree. it's maddening that it takes me 30 minutes to go 10 miles to work. today, it took me 45 minutes. if you make one impulsive decision to go one way (thinking you've found a shortcut), you're WRONG. there is no shortcut. sorry.

so, i'm on my way to steve's tonight at 6:45pm. i still get held up in some congestion. geez! i sat there at one of many stoplights wishing that i was in asheville driving to fletcher. at least you can actually DRIVE and not sit. i hate sitting in the car at stoplight after stoplight.

wow, today i'm so irritable. i'll stop my ranting now.

Sandy

So, this week and part of next, my housemates are out of town. I am dog sitting Millie. She is making me really miss this favorite pooch of mine back in Asheville. Sandy the Wonderdog. I heart her.

sad

what made me a little teary this morning is that i won't be subject to ian, my nephew just coming up and throwing his arms around me. this kid makes me soar. he loves me. he really truly loves me just because. or maybe it's because i'm so over the moon for him and he senses that. my 8 yr old nephew is smart and funny and loving. he's still sweet and he's 8. anyway....it got me on the line of thinking of how i'm actually living in a different city than all these wonderful people that i've grown to care about so much over the past few years. this morning was the first moment where i had to stop and think and mourn a little bit. yeah, that's right. i'm mourning a bit. now, for those of you in charlotte, don't think i'm regretting moving here. i don't. i think at this time in my life, it's really best and it's a good opportunity to stretch my legs as an individual (and maybe lose some of my codependent habits). BUT i am sad about leaving behind a cool town and some wonderful people. it's distance that makes you appreciate what you usually take for granted. it's takes being away to realize how much you had previously. my life is a great deal fuller and rich because of my friendships with folks in asheville.

so, to quote celine: my heart will go on.

FYI

I can have a discreet nose piercing in my new job.

Office Space

I've survived the 2nd day of a new job. I'm a paralegal in the legal department of a sub prime lender headquartered in Charlotte, NC.

Some differences from my old job to my new job.

Before: Office with two armchairs a door and a window.
Now: Cubicle with Locker for personals, gray cubicle walls on two sides and a view to a window.

Before: No security
Now: lock computer upon walking away from it and several passwords to log onto various things.

Before: Benefits = an individual Blue Cross Blue Shield plan.
Now: Too many to go into!

Before: Itunes
Now: White Noise pumped through speakers

Before: Eat at my desk or eat out
Now: Eat in the posh posh break room (with a big tv that plays CNN), access to 2 refrigerators, ice machine, vending machines, 2 microwaves, utensils, and one of several tables (and an outdoor patio when weather is nice)

Before: Personal interaction with clients
Now: Personal interaction with the Legal Department

Before: No voice mail
Now: Direct line and frackin' voice mail with external AND internal greetings

Before: Staff meetings once in a blue moon
Now: Company pep rallys

So, you get the picture.

Last day

it's only 9:40am and i've already cried twice today. at 5pm, i'll walk through the door and no longer be employed by David R. Payne, P.A. this is so weird. i've been with this firm for 4 years. that's the longest i've been employed with someone since college. david has been the kind of boss that i could laugh with and i've cried in front of him a few times too. he's got a GREAT sense of humor and we can pick on each other too. he always gives me a hard time saying that i'm weird for my taste in food, for my hair colors, style, etc. it's all in good fun. i know he really has cared about me. in fact, when my transmission went out a couple of years ago, he handed over the keys to his 4runner without hesistation! not a lot of bosses would do that for an employee!

but anyway, i'm leaving this job feeling very cared for and knowing that i've meant something to these people. i'm grateful.

here are some photos of my office friends!

Peter, Adaire, Carey and David (you'd think they had posed)

30 cont'd

So, the other night I got together with Lainey Pants, Murphacious, Jeneenee and Robaroo for another birthday celebration at Zambra's. I met Rob and Jenee a couple years ago. Holly, a friend from Charlotte, was in town and she Murph and I were walking around downtown. She had to use the facilities and we walked past Izzy's. Of course they had a bathroom, but we were kindly, but firmly informed that in order to use it, we'd have to purchase. And that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

I love Rob and Jenee. On top of having the coolest coffee den, they're good people. Honest, real and fun. They are my friends and I'm proud of that. There have been many mornings that I've started out at Izzy's and ended up being late, but haven't cared. I'd rather start my morning out there! I'm a regular and they know my drink. I think this is the first time I've been considered a regular in that they honestly can 99.9% of the time bank on me ordering a Soy Latte. It's great to be known.

Anyway, back to Zambra's. We had a waiter named John, whom we dubbed Jean for the evening. We ate lots of tasty tapas and had lovely wine and even dessert. We scribbled on the tablepaper and laughed a ton. We wore crazy things in our hair. We took lots of photos. We laughed some more.

I'll miss these friends particularly. They've really added to my life in a short period of time.

I'm blessed.

The end.

birfday

attached are two ways i've celebrated my birthday so far! both with great friends who love me and wanted to help me ring in birthday #3-0. wooo hoooo!

Drug tests

I hate to admit this, but I was a bit nervous about getting my drug test at Lab Corp today. It's not that I mind peeing in a cup or anything (guys you have it much easier for this type of specimen taking), but this is why i was a it nervous.

I got this great job last week. To comply with conditions of said job, I was to get a drug test within 48 hours of acceptance. So, I scheduled the drug test for Monday morning of this week, but I failed to remember. So, yesterday morning, as I was biting into my 'Everything' bagel that was topped with lots o' poppy seeds, the thought crossed my mind "i wonder if i'd pass....aww CRAP, i forgot the stinkin' drug test!!!" The whole rest of the morning I felt like I'd just declared how incompetent of an employee I would be for my new job. Way to start off, Steph!!! Maybe they'd think I was trying to get the Meth out of my system after a crazy weekend. Whatever. I got an extension, thank the Lord.

So, this morning, I pulled up to Lab Corp, signed in and proceeded to wait 30 minutes. By the way, they really shouldn't make you wait that long if you're going to pee in a cup. I mean, come on people! You tell us to drink A LOT of water before we go only to make us sit there with legs crossed? It's cruel. I amused myself by watching the Zefrank podcast and the ModTV podcast. By the way, I do not like the fall line that Calvin Klein has put out. One word: herringbone.

Finally, the big nurse in white calls my name. She leads me to this room and says that I cannot take a lighter nor a cell phone into the bathroom. Do people light there pee on fire or have people done other strange things with ligther in the bathroom while giving a sample? OR maybe they just want to have a smoke while waiting for the bladder to kick in? Now, the cell phone, what's up with that? "Dude, I need to talk to you. Can you talk me through this?"

I had a lot of water this morning. So, i could have filled many a specimen bottle. I think the nurse thought i couldn't go because i hear her come back into the room and she turns on the faucet thinking that would help me? the truth be told: i was taking so long because i had too much water. TMI? Sorry!

After you've done this deed, they let you wash your hands and then sign off to say that you've actually peed your own pee into this cup.

Anyway, I'm still a bit paranoid that I'll test positive for opiates. Alaina reassured me that I'd have to ingest a heckuvalot of poppy seeds to test positive. We shall see, people, we shall see!