December

This is a super long post

December was a very busy month full of a lot of firsts for me. At the beginning of December I had never:

1. Stayed in a hotel by myself
2. Made a trip by plane that required making a connecting flight
3. Held a full-time job
4. Had benefits that were not compliments of my parents
5. Traveled on Christmas day
6. Spent Christmas with anyone other than blood family
7. Played Santa and placed gifts under the tree while trying to be as quiet as possibly so as to not wake a sleeping child

I will probably address these out of order, but that's because they will make more sense that way. Stay with me...

1. The weekend of December 11/12 I made a trip by car to Chicago to see some friends. I left Thursday straight from work and planned to come back Sunday afternoon. I got out of work later than I hoped I would on Thursday and by the time I reached the Iowa border it was going on 10 p.m. and I was getting quite sleepy. I made the decision to stop for the night. I called Mom to have her look up some information and together we decided on the Super 8 on the Iowa side of the Mississippi. Stopping ended up being the right choice as I would have arrived in Chicago near midnight in the middle of a snow storm. Instead, I got a good night of sleep and finished the trip the next morning. That night in the hotel was the first time I had ever stayed in a hotel by myself.

I did return from Chicago on Sunday like I planned, but once again traveled in a bad snow storm. It took me a little over 6 hours to get from Chicago to the border (it should really only take about 2.5 hours). The majority of those six hours I was driving in zero visibility, white-out conditions. At one point I narrowly avoided being part of a huge pile-up. The strain of the drive really wore on me; I was thoroughly exhausted by the time I reached the border and it was getting dark. Once again I decided to stop and ended up in the exact same hotel as where I had stayed on my way to Chicago. So marked my second night alone on a hotel room.

For Christmas I made plans to travel to see a friend. I had to work Christmas Eve so getting a flight out on the 24th was not possible. Instead, I booked a 6:30 a.m. flight on Christmas morning out of Des Moines. Rather than getting up at 2 a.m. and driving to Des Moines on Christmas, I drove down after closing the store on Christmas Eve and stayed in a hotel near the airport. There you have it - from never having stayed in a hotel alone to doing it three times in the same month.

3. After 14 months with Christopher & Banks as a part-time Assistant Manager I have been promoted to full-time Assistant Manager. The hours will be roughly the same since I was already working full-time hours, and the pay won't increase right away since I'm up for a merit increase in about a month, but....

4. I now have benefits that are not due to my parents' jobs. Ok, technically I don't have the benefits yet since there is a waiting period of 30 days after the promotion takes affect (which happened on December 26) but I will soon have benefits of my very own. Holy cow! I'm grown up!

2, 5, 6, & 7 - a.k.a. My Christmas Adventure

Back in September when I traveled to Colorado for the job interview I had a seat partner on the train. I mentioned him in the post I wrote after Colorado:

"I was the only person to board the train in Ottumwa. The attendant assigned me my seat, putting me next to a firefighter from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Bryan was a good seat partner. We chatted a bit, watched a movie on my laptop, and when it came time to sleep he didn't mind that one of the more comfortable positions for me was laying my head on his shoulder. Yayy for nice people!"

Bryan and I exchanged numbers and stayed in touch in the months since and have become good friends. (Momentary tangent - you really never know how the next person you meet will affect your life. Just sayin...). Most of our getting know each other has been via the phone, but we did have the chance to get together again when I went to Chicago. We had just as much fun with each other in person while exploring all of the Chicago Christmas decorations as we had been having talking on the phone. We decided we'd like to see each other again if the opportunity came up.

At this point I should mention Bryan has sole custody of his 4-year-old son and somehow manages to work 3 jobs (fire fighter, paramedic, and medic for sporting events) while being a good dad. He's a good guy trying to do right by his family and friends and he doesn't get too many breaks, literally or figuratively.

Ok, back to the Christmas Adventure. Once I got back to work after my trip to Chicago I got my schedule for the days before and after Christmas. While I had to work the days leading up to Christmas, I had the 25-27th off. In talking with Bryan he told me he had to work all of Christmas and was trying to figure out where to leave his son for the day. It bothered both Bryan and me that his son would be with a babysitter on Christmas. Since I had no plans for the holiday I offered to travel to Indiana for Christmas and spend the day at the fire station with Bryan and his son. I figured if a call came in I could stay with the boy while Bryan and his crew responded. Bryan loved the idea so we figured out the travel logistics and made our plans. Since I couldn't get there until 11:00ish on Christmas morning it meant Bryan's son still had to spend Christmas Eve and morning with a sitter, but not the whole holiday.

I flew out of Des Moines at 6:30 on Christmas morning, made a connection in Chicago (first time I've ever done that! My connecting gate was literally 2 gates down from the gate I arrived at) and got to Fort Wayne a little after 11 a.m. Bryan was able to find someone to cover his shift for an hour so he could come get me at the airport himself. Our timing ended up being perfect. He waited outside the airport for only about a minute before I walked out. We had a little bit of time so Bryan gave me a little tour of the Fort Wayne area as we headed returned to the station. We stopped once to get some milk for the mashed potatoes then it was back to Engine Co. 6.

Bryan's son had not been dropped off yet by his babysitter so Bryan had to time to introduce me to the rest of the Christmas day crew and show me around the station. Once his son was dropped off Bryan and I spent the rest of the afternoon playing with the boy, talking, making food, and in general just hanging out. Christmas dinner was turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, salad, rolls, fruit, and a baked corn dish I meant to try but never got around to. In other words, Christmas dinner was yummy.

Bryan had to work through the night on the 25th and obviously his son and I could not stay overnight at the station, so around 8 Bryan gave me the keys to his truck and instructions to his house. I took his son home, got him into bed, and then went about being Santa and making Christmas come again. Since Bryan had missed Christmas morning with his son we just pushed back Santa's deliveries by a day. I made three trips to Santa's sleigh, got everything set up under the tree, than crashed for the night.

The morning of the 26th we had Christmas. Bryan's son totally made out in the gift department; he's got plenty of new Matchbox cars and books and movies to keep him entertained for awhile. Post Christmas and breakfast we loaded up in the car to head to Bryan's friend's house and then on to tobogganing. The tobaggan fun was had on a quarter-mile iced track. I'm not sure how quickly we were going on our first run, but I know the second run we clocked 32 MPH, and that was when we had started to slow down. So much fun!

The night of the 26th and morning of the 27th were pretty low key. We were all tired from all of the work and travel and fun so we laid low. Bryan made a good supper on the 26th (chicken piccata... yummy!), we watched some movies, then it was time for sleep.

My flight on the 27th left around 1:30 in the afternoon. I got a tour of downtown Fort Wayne that morning and then it was back to security lines and layovers, this time in Detroit, then back to Iowa and home and work.

There you have it. My Christmas Adventure, 2010 Edition. And an explanation for why I had so many new experiences in December.

Lastly, pictures!!! Sorry for the long post... I guess I had more to say and tell than I thought I did.

Love!

~g

Developments

Guess what?!

• My boss quit, effective immediately, two days ago.
• I've started attending church again.
• I'm planning a trip to Chicago in mid-December.
• I successfully fought off the stomach flu last week.
• My top and bottom sizes have dropped by a whole size each.
• I've got a crazy week of work and travel planned.

Ok, how about we take those one-by-one?

My boss quit, effective immediately, two days ago

We have had complication after issue after frustration with our manager for months (when I say we I mean the entire store staff and company in general). This past week our manager decided her time with the company was over and, after sitting down with our district manager, made the choice to vacate her position with our store and with the company. While we ultimately hope these actions will be beneficial to both our manager and the store in the long run, in the short-term things are going to be a bit chaotic. The week before Thanksgiving is not the time any retailer wants to lose staff, particularly management staff. Both the other assistant and I will be picking up a lot of extra hours and we are getting some aid from nearby stores. The "Now Hiring" sign is up but it will probably be a few weeks, if not a month or more, before we are back to a full management staff. December is going to be a real blast, let me tell you.

I've started attending church again

Around the beginning of October the nudge I have been feeling for quite some time regarding returning to church became more of a figurative and literal shove and so I once again find myself sitting, standing, singing, speaking, and listening (I couldn't think of a way to say that with an s-word) with a congregation. I have approached the pastor of the church I have been attending, resulting in he and I exchanging multiple emails and engaging in one-on-one appointments. He hooked me up with another person at the church, a woman who works primarily with young women, and she and I have also been in contact in several different ways. I was going to get involved in an all-women study group as well, but now that I no longer have specific set days off from work it is a bit hard to commit to the group.

I have been pretty quiet about this particular development as I do not want nor feel I should have to face multiple questions or even some ridicule from family and friends. Encouragement is always appreciated and accepted. So is constructive input.

The thing I am struggling with the most at this point is a desire to truly believe in God and Jesus and eternal salvation but not being able to see the Bible as anything but nice stories. It's all fiction to me, instead of truth. I can be too analytical for my own good on occasion.

I'm planning a trip to Chicago in mid-December

A long time ago (a.k.a. last week) when there was a full management staff at work I was told which weekend in December I was going to have off and I planned a trip to Chicago to see friends and have a little break. The other assistant, upon being told which weekend she would have off in December, went crazy and made travel plans as well. Despite being short-staffed we are making sure each of us gets to follow through on our plans. It will mean very long days for the person left in the store on each particular weekend, but that is alright with us. For way too long our days off from work have actually been our days on call. Life for both of us has come to center on our jobs, which is plain crazy and very not right. Neither the other assistant nor I are willing to continue in such a way. So my plans stand mostly unchanged and I will be heading to Chicago in mid-December to partake in the movie-set-esqueness that is a Chicago Christmas and to spend time with good friends I do not get to see often enough.

I successfully fought off the stomach flu last week

This one is pretty self-explanatory. I started to get sick. It was unpleasant. I said, "Oh, heck no!" (ok, maybe I wasn't that polite). I got better.

My top and bottom sizes have dropped by a whole size each

Also pretty self-explanatory. Eating healthier, walking more, and being pop/soda/cola/fizzy-drink-free for over 9 months is starting to pay off. It's slow but it's steady. I judge my success by how I look and feel in my clothing, not by how much I weigh. I would have to think long and hard to come up with the last time I was on a scale. Maybe back in February when I got sick and had to go to Urgent Care to get some antibiotics.

I've got a crazy week of work and travel planned

Off/Close/Open then drive to Minnesota/Eat food with family then drive to Iowa/Close/Open/Drive to Knoxville. That's my schedule for the next 7 days. Ridunkulous!

Love!

~g

Grace's Rules For Christmas

1. The Christmas season extends from November 1 through January 6

2. All winter-themed clothing and accessories can be worn November through February without ridicule (ok, so this less Christmas and more winter....)

3. Christmas music is acceptable year-round, with caveats:

• Christmas music can be played non-stop from the day after Thanksgiving through December 25
• Christmas music before Thanksgiving is acceptable so long as is proportioned with non-Christmas music
• Acoustic and non-lyrical Christmas music can be played any time throughout the year
• "Oh Holy Night", "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel", "Silver Bells', "Baby, It's Cold Outside", "Where Are You Christmas?", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", "Christmas Day", "Oh Come All Ye Faithful", "Carol of the Bells", and any song from "The Messiah" can and should be played year-round
• "Frosty The Snowman", "O Christmas Tree", "Santa Baby", "Santa Clause is Coming to Town", "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause", "Purple Snowflakes", and "Little Saint Nick" should be banned from the airwaves, or, you know, Earth in general

4. White Christmas lights are for inside

5. Color Christmas lights are for outside

6. One computer in the house is devoted to NORAD Tracks Santa the entire 24-hours that make up December 24

7. Christmas Eve consists of chili, driving around to look at Christmas lights, and attending midnight service

8. Presents are to be opened on Christmas Day after all showers have been taken and the Christmas story has been read from the Bible

9. Stockings are to be opened the minute you get out of bed

10. You must donate to the Salvation Army kettle whenever you pass it

11. Christmas Cookies are to be eaten in copious amounts during the months of November and December

12. The annual Christmas puzzle is dumped from its box on Thanksgiving evening and must be completed before presents can be opened on Christmas day

What are your rules for Christmas?

~g

No news

I have no news. Actually, I have no news that I think anyone would find interesting. My life is boring.

The CEO of my company was asked to resign (a.k.a. fired) this past week. That provided entertainment for a day or so. I get an extra paycheck this month, which means woohoo for an extra loan payment. I'm pretty close to paying off one of my student loans. I get to go to Minnesota for Thanksgiving with Dad, Jody, Grandma, and aunts/uncles et al. I have started decorating for Christmas. I did a lot of laundry today. My car is going to need an oil change pretty soon.

Yeah, this is my life. Now you know why I haven't posted. I do enjoy reading all the posts my family members publish, though, so even though I am a pathetic slacker the rest of you are doing great!

Love!

~g

The maiming... I mean, branding

As any of you who read this blog (or are friends with me or any of my family on Facebook) know, I was part of a cattle branding in Colorado on September 11, 2010. Among my many duties that day, amateur photographer ranked right up there. I took advantage of Chuck's incredible camera and ended up taking over 150 photos. Below are the very few that I have decided are the best.

Heading out to round up the cattle

Moving the bucket calf into the small corral before bringing in the rest of the herd

The Windmill Pasture

Getting the branding irons ready

Calf curiosity

Running the herd into the corrals

Where there's smoke... there's also burnt hair and skin

Chuck chatting with Dad after a long day

Number 74, a.k.a. Jersey Boy (if Chuck accepts the name I gave this bull calf... this Longhorn looks more like a very pretty Jersey to me), a.k.a. the calf I branded

Love!

~g

No go

My trip to Colorado is already more than a week past. It's crazy how quickly time passes.

The trip itself went very well. I left straight from work on Wednesday to drive to catch the train in Ottumwa. Had the train been on time, even with leaving work early, I would have barely caught it. Luckily, Amtrak is reliably unreliable.

I was the only person to board the train in Ottumwa. The attendant assigned me my seat, putting me next to a firefighter from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Bryan was a good seat partner. We chatted a bit, watched a movie on my laptop, and when it came time to sleep he didn't mind that one of the more comfortable positions for me was laying my head on his shoulder. Yayy for nice people!

We got into Denver only 45 minutes late (I think that's a new record). Dad and Jody quickly picked me up from the station and took me out first to breakfast and then around the city for which I was interviewing. Jody had to attend some afternoon meetings so Dad and I crashed at the hotel for a bit, where I showered then crawled into bed for a nap. Mid-afternoon we went out for some lunch and met up with Jody.

This is where the trip started to get interesting. Post lunch the original plan was for Dad to head to Chuck's ranch for the night to help with branding prep while Jody and I were going to spend some time on final interview prep before heading to bed early. Only when Dad tried to start Phred he wouldn't start. As 5 pm neared we decided we had to call AAA and get Phred towed to the nearest mechanic. The towing service responded quickly considering the time of day and by quarter to six we were at the shop. Problem was that the shop closed at six, so Phred sat overnight and Dad had to stay with Jody and I.

My interview was bright and early Friday morning. Scheduled for 8:15, we arrived at the city administrative building at 8. By 8:05 I was in the conference room with my interviewers. Sixteen questions and 50 minutes later I walked out knowing I had completely nailed the interview. We went out for a celebratory breakfast before checking out of the hotel. We did a little shopping at the mall before picking up Phred and officially splitting up. Jody headed toward home and Dad and I headed toward the ranch.

Friday evening I got a call telling me that after a day of interviews the field had been narrowed to me and one other candidate. The interviewers could not decide between the two of us so they wanted to meet with each candidate again. I was able to set up a meeting with the city manager for Sunday morning.

Saturday was the longest day that I have had in a long time. We were up at 5:30 and I barely stopped moving until 10 that night. It was an incredibly fun and exhausting day. Pictures to come in another post. I shoved around calves and waived off mamas with giant horns and branded number 74 and vaccinated some of the herd and helped with the horses, among other things.

Sunday morning Dad and I headed to Denver for my meet-and-greet with the city manager. We met for about 45 minutes at a local coffee shop, during which we discussed football and the midwest and, of course, my qualifications and the city. After the meeting Dad and I spent the rest of the day kicking around the Rockies and downtown Denver. That evening I got back on the train to come home.

Once again I was assigned my seat, but unlike the trip out to Colorado, my seat partner was no good. After spending two hours gagging on the combination of stale smoke and unwashed body I asked to be moved. Then I asked again. I finally was allowed to move to another car which afforded me two seats for the rest of the night. The train lost time overnight so I didn't get into Ottumwa until right around noon on Monday morning. From there it was a three hour drive home and just like that my Colorado trip was done.

After hearing nothing from the city all week I called this past Friday to check on their process. When the HR lady called me back later that day it was to inform me that they had elected to go with the other candidate. I am understandably disappointed but not at all sad that I made the effort to travel to Colorado for the interview. The ego boost of making it to the top two (out of 170) alone was worth the trip. Now I just have to try again.

So endeth the long post about my Colorado trip!

Love!

~g

I heard it through the grapevine

Rather, you may have heard it through the grapevine.

In less than two days I will be on my way to Colorado to interview for a position with a local government near Denver. I will leave Wednesday straight from work and catch a train. After sleeping my way through Nebraska (really, is there any better way to travel across Nebraska than at night and unconscious?) I will arrive in Denver sometime Thursday morning. Jody will pick me up and spend Thursday doing interview prep with me when she's not in meetings for her own job. I will stay with her Thursday night and get up for my interview bright and early Friday morning. The interview is scheduled for 8:15 am Mountain Time and will last a little less than an hour. Friday will then be spent in a state of relief and, hopefully, euphoria. Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday will be spent with Dad at Chuck's ranch. Sunday night I will get back on the train, once again crossing Nebraska at night, and will get back to Iowa Monday morning. Tuesday I head back to work.

It is going to be a very busy week for me. But what a fun week!

I have been fighting off a cold for a few days. My combination of tea and sleep and water and drugs and chocolate seems to be doing the trick. I think the chocolate is the key.

"All my bags are packed (not really), I'm ready to go (so not ready)".....

Love!

~g

Extra hours

Work these last few weeks has been a bit crazy and has resulted in a lot of extra hours for me. Our store manager has been out on emergency medical leave for nearly two weeks and is expected to be gone for another 3 or 4 weeks. In the meantime myself, our other assistant manager, and the assistants from our sister store are covering all of the shifts and getting some extra decent paychecks.

Last week I heard back from two different jobs I had applied to, requesting first-round interviews. Since these were the first jobs I had heard from in months I was pretty excited. I did a phone interview with one of the jobs last Thursday. Unfortunately I was not selected for an on-site interview, but it was good practice. Tomorrow morning I do a first-round with a local government in Colorado. It will by far be the oddest first interview I have ever done. Myself and the rest of the candidates are going to be emailed the same two short-answer essay questions at the same time and we'll have 45 minutes to respond. I understand the concept of testing our knowledge and ability to respond quickly and professionally but it's still the weirdest first round of interviews I've ever been through. :)

In other news, my car, which I have now owned for one year and 5 days, rolled over 100,000 miles today. That was fun for me, but I am a dork.

I have now gone more than 6 months without drinking any soda. I find it is actually harder now to resist than it was when I first gave it up. I am sure I will push through this phase of abstinence but I am also sure I will be drinking a lot of iced tea and water flavored with Crystal Light packages since plain old water just doesn't seem to be cutting it right now.

Today is the first day I have really felt like fall is coming. I love the late-summer days when things cool down and the air gets a bit more crisp. The Honey Crisp apples will be coming into season soon, which are my favorite after Granny Smith. The sweet corn is done, but Grandma Mabon and I froze nearly 60 quarts again this year. Doing so much in one shot makes for a long day, but come January I am always glad we put in the time and effort.

I think this is the end of my brain dump post.

Love!

~g

Creative Baking

For my birthday I received from my Colorado parents a book on how to creatively decorate cupcakes. Along with the book, I also got an entire kit of cupcake decorating paraphernalia (it is really quite impressive). Tonight I decided to make my first batch of cupcakes. They are triple chocolate fudge with cream cheese frosting and decorations made from the various items that came in my kit.

I have a lot to learn yet, but for just messing around and getting a feel for things I think they came out pretty good!

Love!

~g

Post interrupted

I started a post several weeks ago while I was on vacation and I never finished it. I am going to go ahead and finish and post it now....

I am (was) on vacation!!!! In Michigan!!! Thanks to some schedule finagling at work and Mom needing to burn some vacation time so that she can accrue more, I found myself with 5 days off and no plans. Mom looked at what would be in a 12-hour driving radius from us and then narrowed that search down to places we hadn't already been. Our choices came down to Michigan or Arkansas. We chose to go with the cooler, less buggy destination.

We left yesterday morning (Thursday, July 29) and drove to Chicago, where we stopped and had dinner with a good friend of mine. We stayed a bit longer in Chicago than we had planned, which meant getting back on the expressway right around rush hour. We decided to get on the Chicago Skywalk (a toll road) and that ended up being a fantastic decision. We were out of Chicago and into Indiana inside of half an hour. We crossed into Michigan and the Eastern Time Zone an hour and ten minutes after getting in the car in Chicago. We made amazing time!

Last night (again, Thursday, July 29) we stayed at a KOA near Covert, MI. It was a fairly new KOA with very nice amenities, but it did have some pretty glaring issues. One of the most annoying things was the lack of screen door on our kamping kabin. Our cabin was insanely warm when we got there, but with no screen door and lots of bugs we couldn't leave the door open to move out the warm air.

Our solution was to head up to the main lodge and sit out on the deck. We asked that the citronella torches be lit and we had a citronella candle on our table. Both are good preventative measures for mosquitoes but I was not thinking about my feet and the fact that I was wearing flip flops. 14 bites later..... well... that was the not fun part of the trip.

Friday, July 30th found us in the car, working our way up the West coastline of Michigan. Our first stop was in South Haven, where we found a great bakery on main street and both indulged in strawberry cream cheese things for breakfast. I'm not totally sure how to describe it, other than to say it was an almond log or roll or something, except it was filled with a cream cheese mixture. Whatever it was, it was fantastic. We sat at a two-person table in front of the bakery to eat our breakfast and watch the happenings on the street. Both Mom and I got a brownie to go as well. Mine was rocky road. I ate it for breakfast the following morning. :)

A good portion of Friday was spent exploring towns and, if I liked the feel of a place, stopping by city hall to leave a resume with the city manager. Really, I gave the resumes to the city manager's secretaries, but that was expected. While I didn't really expect anything to come of me dropping off a resume with any of the cities I did, it was a way to get my name out there. The longer I am looking for a position the more creative I am getting.

With all of the exploring and all of the stopping and leisurely driving, we did not make it up to the top of Michigan until after 9 pm. We had KOA reservations just over the Mackinac Straits, in the Upper Peninsula. Reaching our KOA meant driving over the Straits on a 4.5 mile long bridge. I love heights. I love water. I most decidedly do not love man-made heights over water. I spent the drive over the bridge breathing slowly and deeply and clenching my hands.

The morning of the 31st we got up a bit later than planned and spent a bit longer than planned getting ready for the day. Both Mom and I have wanted to visit Mackinac Island for years so we spent all day Saturday doing just that. While the island is a bit of a tourist trap it was still a fun experience.

We got back to our KOA in the late afternoon. We spent a few hours resting then Mom went and got us a pastie for dinner. By the time Saturday evening rolled around my feet were full-on itchy and uncomfortable, which made me pretty blah-feeling and not much fun to be around. Mom dealt with it nicely, though. I discovered the wonders of calamine lotion and large doses of Benadryl in relation to dealing with mosquito bites.

Sunday we rose fairly early, getting everything packed up. Starting our drive home was as easy as turning right out of the KOA drive. We following the same two-lane highway all the way across the extreme lower portion of the Upper Peninsula, stopping only once or twice for restrooms and food. We got to central Wisconsin in the middle of the afternoon and had a decision to make. We could have easily continued on and made it all the way home, but it would mean a 12-hour day in the car. Or we could find a place to stop for the day and relax. We chose to stop. We got our first and only hotel room of the trip, had pizza delivered to the room, and spent the evening reading and watching television.

Monday, August 2 was spent sleeping in late, driving the last 6 hours home, and doing laundry and unpacking birthday presents. It was a good, laid-back way to end our trip. One can never argue to coming home to boxes of presents. Heh.

So there you have it. Truly the short version of my mini vacation. And yet somehow this post is still insanely long.

Love!

~g

Pictures!

Norah is visiting again! Below are some pictures from the last few days.

My attempt at using Microsoft Paint to outline just Norah. Not too bad for being free-hand!

Norah likes our whiteboard. I think the draw is not so much the writing on the board as it is erasing things by touching them.

Time to swim! Or look disgruntled.

Love!

~g

What do you do when...

It is raining super hard but you have 10 adults and one baby to feed and your entire menu centers on grilling?

You grill! With modifications, of course.

Love!

~g

Significant Insignificance

I know few people besides me care about this, BUT this past week I swam with my face in the water with only my goggles. I left my nose-plugger-dohicky in my going-to-the-pool bag and swam like a normal person. A lot. 500 yards alone on Friday.

YAYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!

In a little less than 3 weeks I managed to overcome a life-long paranoia. Not bad.

Now that I've taken care of my swimming problem, what should I tackle next? In three weeks can I find a new job? Meet some new people? Find a church and fully accept God the way I feel I want to?

The possibilities are endless!

Love!

~g

Happenings

So, since my last post I have:

• Worked a two-day stint in another Cedar Rapids store
• Met the regional manager who oversees my district manager who oversees my boss who oversees my store and therefore me
  
• Had the belts on my car replaced
• Applied for several more jobs
• Swam with my face fully in the water thanks to goggles and a not-so-attractive-but-quite-ingenious-nose-squeezer-shutter-thingy-mabob
• Had a customer write to corporate about how awesome I am
• Begun following this man's journey (you should, too... it's fantastic)
• Caught up in my daily journal, although I went on such a break from it there are about 4 days that have nothing written because I can't remember what happened on those days
• Pulled together an event for my store that will take place next Tuesday, June 22
• Made an eHarmony profile even though I don't have a full account because a) I'm not sure if I think online dating is worth it and b) because it's freaking expensive
• Passed the 4-month mark of not drinking any pop/cola/soda/whatever

The above list isn't in the slightest comprehensive, nor is it in chronological order (bullet 2 happened just this morning) but I think those are the highlights.

Love!

~g

Auction

I found myself at an estate auction today. A friend of mine was interested in the car that was to be auctioned off and asked if I would drive him to the auction on the off-chance he ended up buying the car. I had nothing going on so it wasn't a big deal to take him.

We arrived with plenty of time for him to check out the car and get registered as a bidder. We had about half an hour to kill before the car was auctioned, so we split up and walked around and looked at all of the other items for sale.

I found myself enamored with a box full of old postcards, many of which were sent in the early 1900s. The addresses were interesting, as most of the oldest postcards simply had a name, a city, and state. There were no house numbers or post office box numbers and no zip codes. Many had one-cent stamps. What intrigued me the most, however, were the messages. Most were simple, "How are you doing?" inquiries. Others were to let a loved one know that they had arrived safely at their destination. One was a check-in with the parents from a child traveling abroad (the writer had sauerkraut for dinner in Germany). One was clearly written by a child to another child, and it didn't take much to imagine that that postcard was probably the first mail each child sent and received in their lifetime, respectively.

Besides the history and the snippets of people's lives those postcards held, what attracted me the most was that the messages we send each other haven't changed much in the past century; only the methods of delivery have evolved. Today, rather than a postcard that takes a week or more to arrive, we send texts, we post on Facebook or Twitter, we shoot off an email, and so forth. Still, what we are letting others know is that we are alright or that we are thinking of them. It's comforting to know that at our core we have not changed much as a species.

The box also had a small, postcard size, handmade, 4-page book that tracked the attendance of the book's owner at Sunday school. The year written on the top of the first page was 1904. For the record, whomever the book belonged to had perfect Sunday attendance 3 months in a row.

When I finally tore myself away from the postcards I turned to the table behind me, only to discover a "Stephenson's Teachers Examination Question and Answer Book" from 1933. The amount of material this book held was phenomenal! I spent 18 years of my life in school and I probably don't know half of the information in that book. It covered everything from physics to penmanship.

Two pages of the book caught my eye, prompting me to take out my cell phone and get a picture of each page. Each held a poem that I wanted to remember. The first reminded me of Grandpa Kole and Aunt Renee. The second I just really liked.


MY TRUST

I am a teacher -
And trusting, childish eyes
Look unto me confidently,
Their little hands in mine,
To follow me, to anywhere.
Be my way high or low or middle ground
They follow.
Oh, let me feel
What mighty trust is mine!
I am a teacher -

And ardent, restless longing youth
Look unto me expectantly,
Fulfillment of their dreams to aid.
As I lead they follow.
Oh, let me take the upper road
Leading to the heights
And they must follow.
A mighty trust is mine!

Once there was
Known throughout the ages
And over all the world -
The Great Teacher,
Who leads forever to the Light.
His name I bear.
Oh, wondrous thought
That challenges my highest, best.
I am a teacher.

~Caroline S. Woodruff


COURAGE

If fate should steal your happiness
And take it far away,
And then return expectantly
To watch you weep and pray;
Just hold your head up well, dear
And face the threatening years;
Drink the bitter cups she gives,
And smile through all your tears.

Fate knows no law, nor justice,
Nor cares what heart she breaks;
To him who hath enough she gives,
From him who hath naught, takes.
So run your race with lifted head,
And take things like a man;
Don't grieve if Fortune fails you,
You've done the best you can.


I must admit, I am a bit angry with myself for not registering for a number and bidding on both the box of postcards and the teacher book. Live and learn, I guess. Still, it was a fun way to spend an hour and a great exercise in imagine.

Love!

~g

My cat is ridiculous

I don't like to exercise. I want to be healthy and toned without having to get all sweaty and hot and gross. If I can't look and feel the way I'd like to naturally (and lets face it, I will forever be fighting my chubby thighs) then I would at least like to get some measure of enjoyment out of whatever exercise I actually do.

Enter swimming. Swimming is an excellent form of exercise, as it combines cardio with resistance. The bonus? I don't fell all hot and gross, and if I get all sweaty I can't tell since I'm immersed in water and therefore wet everywhere. And the best aspect of all? I enjoy being in the water.

Now, admittedly, my swim style is a bit odd. Due, I believe, to a childhood incident involving a hotel pool and an accidental fall into the 5-foot end when I myself stood only about 3 feet tall, I have a paranoia of sorts of putting my face in the water without first plugging my nose. I suppose the greater fear there is drowning, but I don't fear the water itself and I am confident in my abilities to keep myself afloat. There's just something about my face in the water that sends me into a panic. So I swim with correct form - cupped hands, kicking legs, turned body, etc. - but I do it all with my face held out of the water. I'm sure I look a bit funny, but it works for me.

I have been feeling the urge to be active and to live healthier much more lately, which is why yesterday I bought a season pass to the Waverly swimming pool and why I got up today at 6 a.m. to lap swim. Waverly is about 10 miles away and has a decent pool. While Denver does have a pool, it's pretty crappy and, if the rules are the same as what they were when I was a child, you can only swim at the Denver pool 3 times a season unless you are a member of the country club. Elitism exists everywhere I guess, including a small Iowa town with only about 2000 residents.

Waverly is much more welcoming, as I didn't even have to prove residency in Waverly to qualify for a season pass. The pool is of the outdoor variety, but I'm fairly certain it's heated. They have lap swim every weekday morning from 6-7:30 a.m., at which I am planning on becoming a regular. This will allow me to stick to an exercise schedule that will never be altered, despite my work schedule. Overall, I think this will be a very good thing for me.

In other news, the job search continues and my current job remains just a job. I am actually quite good at sales and I believe my manager and district manager have been impressed with my performance. Last week was a bit fun and different for me since I worked in several stores that were not my own, including a Cedar Rapids store. Many store managers are taking a week of vacation right around now, and their own staff is not enough to cover all of the shifts, so assistant managers are shared among stores.

I worked in the Cedar Falls store on Sunday and a Cedar Rapids store on Monday. Cedar Falls was nothing new as I have guest managed there several times, but Cedar Rapids was an entirely new experience and really quite fun. I was in a CJ Banks store (the plus line) rather than a Christopher & Banks. My home store carries both lines, although the CJ portion is limited, and I have become the store expert on all things CJ. My day in Cedar Rapids was first and foremost to help out, but it was also training for me since I could finally see all of the CJ merchandise in person. I had a blast, had experiences that will allow me to talk about how versatile and adaptable I am whenever I do get a job interview, and I got paid both mileage and driving time. Overall not a bad day of work.

I am still very happy with my new laptop. I've had it about a month now, which I find hard to believe, and have yet to really personalize it and make it distinctly mine. I am sure that will come in time as I use it. There are a few things I really like and a few things I really don't like, but overall my reaction has been simply satisfaction and familiarity.

I am thoroughly unexciting, as I have not posted in a month and have already run out of news. Oi. I need a life.

Love!

~g

Gone and done it

Oi. I'm a bit ashamed I used Shania Twain lyrics for my post title, but it's what popped into my head as I contemplated the contents of this post.

Anyway, what did I go and do? I went and bought a new laptop! Yes, after a year of thinking about it and complaining about my old laptop and even going a few months without a computer of my own before my old laptop decided it was a zombie, I finally bit the bullet and invested in a new computer.

I did plenty of research on my own and relied heavily on the input of family members who know far more about these things than I, and in the end I decided to stick with the Toshiba brand. I basically got a much newer, much faster, much better version of the laptop I have been using for the last 5+ years. If you are curious, I bought this. Also, in case you are curious, I paid a lot less than what it says it normally costs.

The touch pad is much different than what I am used to. Similarly, so is the keyboard and general layout, but I am sure it won't take me long to get used to. With Justin's help I have already gotten it massive protected with various anti-virus/anti-spyware/anti-whatever programs. Surprisingly, the computer was not loaded down with a whole bunch of unnecessary programs, so cleaning up the system did not take that long. From this point forward it is more a matter of figuring out what I don't have versus figuring out what I don't need. I also need to get used to Windows 7 since my old system is running XP Home and I never dealt much with Vista.

So far I'm happy with the purchase. I'm glad I was able to hold out for as long as I did, but I no longer wanted to deal with a computer that would randomly shut down with no warning and that would refuse to boot Windows, if it attempted to boot at all.

Other than the computer there is not much newsworthy going on in my life. I did buy a new set of sheets last week. I was actually pretty proud of that particular transaction, since I got a set of 400 thread count "luxury" sheets for $28, marked down from $110. Talk about being in the right store at the right time looking for the right item. And to top it off they are even pretty!

Work continues to simply be work, although recently I have been given a lot more responsibility over a particular aspect of our store. Our store is only one of 30 in the entire company that carries both the missy and plus lines in the same location. I have been given responsibility of the plus line... everything from coming up with ways to market it to setting sales goals to monitoring new item arrivals online and being the most knowledgeable person in the store about the plus line. It's nice to have my own niche and truly feel like I am a productive and meaningful member of the team and not just someone who puts in the hours to get the paycheck.

It is unbelievable to me how quickly this year seems to be going. I don't update my blog very much lately and feel there are two reasons for it. First, I really don't feel like I have much, if anything, to write about. Second, time passes by so quickly I don't realize three weeks have gone by since I made a new post. I suppose it's better to be busy than not.

On that note, the rest of the week is shaping up to be pretty hectic, which means actually sticking to a somewhat reasonable sleep schedule. I need to head to bed even though it means I can't play with my new laptop any longer tonight. Sad face.

Love!

~g

Phases

I have been going through music phases recently. For awhile I was pulling up Muse on my iPod whenever I drove to and from work. Before that it was Mary Chapin Carpenter's "The Calling" album. Of late, however, my attention has been held by Flogging Molly. One song, in particular, drew me and I thought I would share.



Love!

~g

Interpretation

My only Easter tradition is watching "The Ten Commandments" on television on Easter Eve. Wait, I eat a lot of Cadbury Creme Eggs as well, so maybe I have two Easter traditions. Either way, this post is about the movie.

Due to my work schedule this Easter Eve, I missed 3/4 of the movie this year. Thanks to my father, however, I did not really miss anything since he was sending me text messages throughout my evening at work, keeping me updated on what was happening in the movie. The texts, along with being much appreciated by myself, were also hilarious and therefore I felt it appropriate to share them with the rest of you. Enjoy!

"The movie has started - update: Momma sent Mighty Mo down the river in his own little ark & Maid Miriam salvaged the cargo."

"Update: Hey Mo just brought the Ethiopians to Ramses and they all got jiggy during an Egyptian rave..."

"Latest: Mo just earned his merit badge for helping a little old lady avoid a big rock..."

"And then: Ramses the First just ordered ancient Egyptian beer for his horses he rides at dawn to check out all the shenanigans and goings on in the Land O' Goshen."

"Meanwhile, back at the palace, Mo & Nefi are competing for "Best Over-Acting Oscar"..."

"So Mo met his real Momma, embraced his Hebrewness and broke into song - "I Gotta Be Me...""

"Mo's hangin' with his peeps, stompin' out the Mud Pit Blues..."

"You missed the HWF (Hebrew Wrestling Foundation) Grudge Match - Mo vs. Malachites at Midian Square Well..."

"Maybe it's just me, but I'm pretty sure the dancing daughters of Jethro are wearing weaves..."

(I was only a few blocks from home when I received the prior text. I tuned in just in time to see Ramses free the Hebrews. I sent Dad a text that said, "Woot! Freedom!")

"Yeah, but only after he whups Ramses the Bald's butt... amazing that God spoke in King James English. And you gotta love the new do..."

The messages died off after that, since I was watching the movie finally and was very current on what was happening.

Thanks for helping me out, Dad! Definitely a fun night.

Happy Easter to all. Much love!

~g

Niece Norah

I/We had the wonderful opportunity to spend days on end with Norah this past week. While we video chat with Marshall, Sarah, and Norah often, it's hard to really get to know her and her personality and preferences over a video feed. While I would never wish the circumstances on anyone that led to Norah spending several days in our home, I was grateful for the time we had with her.

I learned the following:

• Norah is incredibly curious about her world and seeks to understand new or different things. A common word in our house for the past week was, "Point!" because that is what she would do. We would pick her up and get her settled and she would look around, then point to something. We would walk her over to whatever she was pointing at, let her examine it, and then repeat the procedure with the next point.
• Music makes Norah boogy, especially her butt. She went the most hardcore to Genesis' "Invisible Touch."
• Norah self-soothes very well. She likes to interact with those around her but she is equally comfortable sitting alone and talking to herself.
• Books are one of Norah's favorite toys. She knows the front from the back, as well right side up, and she is very precise in turning the pages. She knows where her favorite pages are in each of her books and can turn right to them.
• Norah definitely has a preference for her right side.

I discovered so many other things about my beautiful niece, but those are the highlights. Now on to what people really want... Pictures!

The camera was close enough to her that she was intrigued and pointing. I think her finger was actually on the lense when I hit the shutter release.

I teach my niece wonderful manners. Her fingers tasted like the maple cinnamon snack she had just finished.

Most of my pictures with Norah I took myself. Overall this one was the best.

The giant mirror in our front room was cause for a lot of smiles and laughs. Yes, she is laughing in this picture. And being super excited and waving to herself.

Play time with Great-Grandma Mabon!

So pretty! And such a sweet personality.

Norah was quite intrigued by my cat, Tucker. I must say, he was less than impressed with her, but that may have had something to do with the noises she made and the fact that my normal amount of petting and cuddling was reduced during the week. Whenever he came near Norah, though, she would get very intent on him and try to touch him. As for Tucker, he's never been around a small child so he spent most of the week alternately being curious and hiding.

Climbing up my lap our first day together.

She is impossible not to love. Saying goodbye to her was hard, but I know her parents were thrilled to have her back, and I am betting the feeling was mutual on her part. I'm looking forward to her visit in July and getting to know her all over again!

Love!

~g

Invasion

I feel pretty confident saying spring is nearly here. We've warmed up into the 50s and even some 60s, the majority of the snow has melted, and once again little streams and normally quiet creeks have turned into swollen, swift rivers. There is also a rash of new lakes where fields normally are. Basically, it is the normal spring invasion of water. I don't mind, though, because it means spring is here!

To prove the point I drove with the windows down today. And I saw (and more importantly, heard) my first Harley of the season.

I am officially a dork.

News from my life:

• Received a rejection letter from a job for which I thought I was at least guaranteed an interview.
• Had the oil in my car changed for the second time... I've driven 6,000 miles in 6 months. Is that about normal?
• Replaced the broken sway bars on the rear end of my car.
• Found out a good friend of mine is retiring.
• Fell behind in my daily journal but then caught up again.
• Got better from being sick but then got worse again. Still working on the getting better for a second time part.
• Successfully made it almost an entire month without drinking any pop. Additionally, have made it just as long not eating any fast food, unless Panera counts as fast food, in which case my second claim is false.
  
• Took my cat to the vet for his yearly check up. He's now 12 years old and weighs in a 10.6 pounds. He's becoming a really old man. (He's sitting next to me as I write this, staring at me and at my lap, which currently is holding a computer and not him. The judgment and disdain is intense.)
  
• Had some seriously awesome days at work when it came to sales. Hoping to keep it up this week as we head into our huge semi-annual sale this coming weekend.
• Planned a trip to Chicago in April to see some buddies and catch up.
• Sent my 3rd care package to the squad of Marines in Africa that I decided to adopt. Received a thank you note from the squad leader via the U.S. Postal Service.
• Made progress on several 101 goals - seeing a live art performance and writing letters to my elected representatives.
• Discovered the television show "Kitchen Nightmares" and may be developing a paranoia of any food not cooked by myself or a family member. Coincidentally, also starting craving some recipes that I haven't had in awhile. Dad, think you could cook up some chicken piccata and overnight it to me packed in dry ice?
  

I think those are the highlights. I am struggling to come up with anything else that may be even remotely interesting. It is a simple life I lead and really, not that exciting.

Was the location of the family reunion ever decided/booked?

Love!

~g

Goings-on

I am now officially into my second week of not drinking any pop. The first few days of my illness I had a throat so sore the thought of any carbonation passing over it made me cringe and preemptively gag. By the time my throat was feeling better I was well into the expected caffeine withdrawal headaches, so I decided to ride it out and use the initial aversion to my advantage.

Water, even in massive cups full of ice, is starting to get old so today while at Walmart I picked up a few flavoring options. Typically I do not really care for such packets because they are too sweet, but Crystal Light has a few flavors that aren't too bad. Today's find includes Green Tea Peach Mango and Raspberry Lemonade. I won't be able to drink water flavored with these packets all of the time (the artificial sweetener would really start to get to me) but once in awhile they will be a nice change.

I have my third care package ready to send to the troops that I decided to adopt. I have a Marine squad that is based in the Horn of Africa until September. I do not know if my first two packages have been received, but I figure I'll just keep sending the packages until I'm told not to. It's amazing how much you can fit in what are actually rather small APO/FPO boxes. This particular package, along with the snacks that I always include, also has a lawn game. Does anyone remember the Velcro-covered ball and the two mitt/paddle combo things used to "catch" said ball? That's the game I am sending, properly colored in Bronco blue and orange, of course. I look for things that can be fun and entertaining but that don't require batteries. Suggestions are always welcome!

Work has been interesting this week. Saturday is the last day of our fiscal year, so there has been a big push this whole week to end the year with a bang... a.k.a. big sales. Saturday will be the most interesting as there is a company-wide "New Year's Eve" competition, broken down by region so that there will be more winners. If you are thinking of going shopping at Christopher & Banks this weekend do it on Saturday and do it in my store. Can't come into my store? Call me at work and have me order what you want online for you. :) In case you are wondering, one of the prizes for being a top-10 store in the region is the privilege of wearing jeans to work for a week. We desperately want that prize.

I have been in one of my moods lately that any of my past roommates would recognize by the presence of multiple episodes of "The West Wing" playing on the television. I do not know how else to describe the mood other than quiet and a bit reclusive. I have just started season 4 ("20 Hours in America", especially the latter half, is, in my opinion, one of the best episodes of the entire series) and since I only own seasons 1-4 I will be coming out of my current state of mind shortly.

Cadbury Creme Eggs are back in stores in abundance, for which I am very happy. The original is the best.

Love!

~g

Mending

I have been down sick for a week now. I usually get a bad cold in the winter, but this one went way beyond bad. On day three of a sore throat so swollen I was literally choking on my food, I found myself at Urgent Care since, you know, I don't have health insurance.

Long story short, the nurse was incompetent (seriously... she had trouble using a manual blood pressure cuff) and the doctor was convinced, after hearing the time line of my symptoms and doing a cursory, 1-minute exam, that what ailed me was viral and therefore would be unresponsive to antibiotics.

I know who got me sick. I know how their illness progressed. I know antibiotics worked well for them. I went to the doctor so I could get a prescription and start to get healthy. And I met a doctor who did not want to give me prescription.

He and I eventually came to a silent agreement - I subject myself to a strep culture and in return I walk out with a script for the antibiotics I want and feel I need. The bartering system is alive and well in 21st century American health care.

I got my prescription and strong advice to wait a few days before filling. He wanted me to get sicker so I could be sure the prescription would help. I'm all for not over-medicating so as not to create medicine-resistant illnesses, but I knew antibiotics would help me. I filled the prescription and started feeling better that same day. I have five days left to go and I'm definitely on the mend.

I can hardly believe we are in the last week of February. Time certainly seems to be passing more quickly every year. I find it odd to think that, even if I live to 100, a quarter of my life has already passed. Craziness.

Work has been a bit nuts lately, what with half of our staff out ill, the spring line arriving in large quantities daily, and the build up to a large event. Still, the job remains fairly easy and I really can't find much to complain about. Our computers are horrible and cause a lot of problems, but I can't do anything about that.

Both my state and federal tax returns have come through. The state paid for the next six months of insurance on my car, a very small portion of the federal return went towards paying the doctor at urgent care, and the last 90%ish of my federal return went straight into my savings account. Go me with being responsible!

I'm looking forward to spring.

Love!

~g

I suppose it is about time

Time for a new post to show up in everyone's blog reels. I haven't had much to report or say lately so my blog has been very quiet. Life has just been trudging along.

Today I completed another goal on my 101 list. I sent 2 care packages to a Marine squad based in Djibouti, which is located in the Horn of Africa. The goal is complete since it was simply to send a (as in one) care package, but I will be sending a lot more to the squad I decided to adopt. I had enough items to completely fill two boxes so both went off today. I have decided I want to send at least 2 boxes a month from now on.

We hired another assistant manager at the store so I have lost about 5 hours a week but the store is now staffed like it is supposed to be. I am contemplating attending a higher education job placement exchange in Chicago in just a few weeks. I need to decide soon if I'm going so I can get places lined up to stay and pay the registration fee for the exchange. My decision would be much easier if my federal tax refund would come through.

Google Buzz is stupid. Facebook changed it's homepage AGAIN. I am kind of sad I have to work during the opening ceremonies for the Olympics. Tucker is getting strange in his old age. NCIS is a fantastic show and I have finally seen every season if it. Stopping the consumption of pop (a.k.a. soda for all you strange people out there) is difficult.

These are the little things that make up my rather unexciting life. :)

That's really about it. It's cold and snowy and just your basic beginning-of-the-year drudgery.

Love!

~g Djibouti

Possibilities

The question that has been beating on the inside of my head lately is quite simple in its phrasing and yet any potential answer is so complex I cannot even begin to fathom what it may be.

What could I do if I really tried?

Contrary to the popular, "What would you do if you won the lottery/had no limitations/had any one super power/etc." variations, the question that has been plaguing me has two distinct differences. "Could" and "tried".

What could I do if I really tried?

Like the rest of my family, I have been blessed with an average-to-above-average intelligence, decently varied and well-honed sets of skills and talents, and the ability to reasonably, if not always most efficiently, handle whatever comes my way. While all of these characteristics are truly blessings, they are also curses in that I have never really had to try.

Yes, I have had my struggles and yes, I have had some falls and failures, but for the most part my life thus far has been fairly easy and obstacle-free. I have been able to navigate much of the course with only one hand on the wheel. Not exactly something to complain about, I know, but detrimental none the less as I find myself in my mid-twenties with little understanding of who I am and what I am truly capable of, given a little passion and effort.

Take writing for example. When I was in grade school I felt I was destined to be a writer when I grew up and joined the mysteriously appealing order of adulthood. I was in writing clubs, some of which I co-founded. I read books well above my age level. In high school one side of my class ring showed our school mascot. The other showed a quill and parchment. I was born to be a writer.

Somewhere along the line, however, I either forgot I was born to be a writer, or I stopped caring. Writing became something I did only for tests and term papers. While it still came easily, passable work required very little time and effort, and thus very little time and effort was exuded.

Occasionally I have had flashes of my old passion and brilliance. I am truly proud of the work that has resulted from these moments. While most of my "work" is trash (when I choose to write at all), some is truly good and leads me to wonder, "What could I do if I really tried?" In the past year I have been compelled to really try with my writing twice. Both times resulted in something extraordinary. I have shared one of these results with the world. The other I keep for myself, at least for now.

Such success, limited as it may be, leads me to wonder about the rest of my life. What about a career and a mate and a family and a relationship with God? What about self-discovery, selfless living, and social awareness? What about emotionally, socially, and personally healthy choices? What about being the heroine of my story, rather than the longing observer?

What could I do if I really tried?

~g

Observations

We have the worst interactions with customers on Sundays. There could be many reasons for this, but I have narrowed it down to the two that I think are the most plausible. First, we are only open for 6 hours on Sunday, versus the 11 hours we are open every other day of the week. The customer craziness and difficulty levels are concentrated on Sundays.

My other theory revolves around church. It seems almost as if our customers, after going to the morning service and taking in a late brunch at IHOP, feel like their sin for the week is absolved and therefore they can begin filling their slates again.

Ok, so that second one may be a bit of a stretch, but some Sundays I really do wonder.

My other observation of the day revolves around animals. I have always known that I find it hard to see an animal contained, but I was realizing today just how much I hate it when it was and continues to be my pet that is contained.

Tucker seemed to have a bit of upset stomach this morning. By that I mean several vomiting sprees all over the house. Everything he was attempting to eat or drink was coming right back up. Knowing I had to work all day and that Mom was going to be gone as well, Tucker ended up shut in the bathroom on the main floor. That bathroom is approximately 8' x 4', which includes the tub.

I moved in his litter box, his throne of pillows and blankets, and his water. For about 8 hours today I seriously restricted his activity and his ingestion. It seems to have done the trick, but since he was without food all day and is therefore attacking the little portions I have been giving him since getting home from work, he's remaining in the bathroom overnight. And I hate it. I feel terrible he's in such a tiny place and is completely alone. I really cannot stand to see animals confined.

Tomorrow is blessedly a day off! I get to sleep in... a project I'll start working on now!

Love!

~g

Redesign 2.05320185

Those of you who are observant may have noticed my blog has changed its looks once again. While I really liked the prior template, it did not always load correctly. The best Justin could determine was that the server/site/etc that hosts the images for that particular template occasionally would be shut down and, as a result, cause things to not load correctly on my blog. It was a small issue, but one that rather annoyed me. We'll see how this new template works.

One benefit of having multiple blogs and multiple templates over the lifetime of those blogs is that I've learned to read and alter HTML coding, in a rudimentary way, of course. I may ask Justin for some help with the coding for this blog but I've already altered it somewhat by myself. I love practicing new skills!

It's been a good couple of lazy days off. Starting tomorrow I work several closes in a row. Not the most fun, but manageable. I'm just glad I have Monday nights off. Mondays, silly and unimportant as it is, is the night that my favorite TV shows are on. If you don't know them already, make sure you check out "Chuck" and "Castle" at some point.

It seems the bitterly cold snap may be easing. We are getting into double-digit ambient air temperatures during the day. The feels-like temps are still in the single digits, but that's better than what it has been. In all honesty, the cold temperatures have not really bothered me. I am always well dressed for the weather when I leave the house, so the only time I really get cold is when I get off at 9 pm and the wind is whipping pretty good from the north and I have to sit in my car as it warms up a bit before I can drive home.

Speaking of which, how long do you need to let the car warm up so it's safe to drive without overly stressing the engine?

There's not much else to report. It's pretty quiet around here lately.

Laundry to do and chicken pot pie to make! I love homemade comfort food!

Love!

~g