Unplanned haitus over in 3..2..1!

Yikes. So a few days of being too tired to blog, has turned into a couple months somehow! Sorry guys! I should know by now, having had this happen before, that I need to blog SOMETHING everyday.. even if it's just my favorite Facebook status from the last 24 hours. Otherwise, I get out of the habit of writing and it's hard to get back in!

So, anyway. Yay! I FINALLY got a full night of rested sleep just now! Woohoo! It's been far too long (a month or two?) since that's happened. Surprising that it was last night though, considering someone attempted to break into my house at 2:04 the night before. I'm not for sure why my house is a continued attraction for such no-do-gooders.. I'm trying to get my finances under order, so I can move. Which, right now, is a waiting game.. when they ran my credit report at the bank, they found student loans that I was defaulted on because I had no idea they existed. (I thought they had been lumped with others that I AM paying on..) But, now I have to have 3-6 months of monthly payments before I MIGHT be able to convince the bank underwriters that I'm trustworthy and stuff. Which sucks, because I've been with that bank since I opened my first savings account, and my mom has been going to that credit union for at least 30 years and never been late on any loan payments EVER.

Anyway. I just wanted to say, I'm back fellow bloggers! I hope at least one person missed me!

Oh, here we go again :-(

After being up and keeping watch over me most of the night, the little furball has definitely found the most comfy spot in the house to rest- a foot deep cushion of blankets...

 I have chronic mouth/dental issues, due to a low immune system. Both which lend pretty easily to infections and pain.. oh, the pain. Last night was AWFUL! It was soooo bad, and I would've actually broken down and gone to the ER to get a morphine shot (which I've had to do before, always in the middle of the night- go figure!) But the blasted blizzard that was going on kept me grounded at home, curled up in a little ball on the couch :-( My momma kept me company for a good part of it, but she had to work early so I wanted her to get her needed sleep..

I've started back on another round of antibiotics, so hopefully that and constant ibuprofen will get me through! 

It must be my lucky day in the world of shiny pretties

Today must be my lucky day in the shiny pretties department! My wonderful mom surprised me this evening with a set that I've been eying since we started carrying them!

 

Feline treasures!

It's been just about a year since we rescued these two furballs, and it's almost like we have two totally different cats from then! I ♥ them!

 

 

EEkkk.... No good, no good at all! That was scary..

Oh my god. Anxiety attack in full swing. Someone just tried breaking into my house, not once, but twice in five minutes!

Thank God that we always keep boards in the tracks of our windows and doors. I heard the one for the back door rattle, and thinking it was my brother, I went to ask him where he was off to (I was hungry for chocolate!) and saw a dude on the other side take off running! I turned off the porchlight and not just a minute or two later, I heard it rattle again and it was the same dude trying again to get inside! He took off again, and I called the cops.

They couldn't find anything after sweeping the surrounding blocks twice (and with the help of a neighbor guy), and now I'm freaked. I've turned on all the porch lights, double/triple checked the locks, checked the boards and even set up my dining chairs behind the curtains of that door just so I could breathe a little. 

I'm seriously freaking out.. What if he comes back when we're at work or something, gets inside and hurts my furballs? I don't care near as much about replaceable stuff as I do my irreplaceable and defenseless furballs. :-(

Note from a little later:

I feel a little better, we pulled out the securtiy cameras that we JUST bought this evening and set them up...

Random thought

"You can't choose who you're related to, but thank goodness you can be choosy of who you consider family!"


It's a reoccurring thought I had again today, when I had to make small talk with one of my family members who came through the store. We're related, but if I had my choice, I would have nothing to do with her.

 Is that horrible to think that about any of your family members, whether it's immediate family like siblings/parents or extended like aunts/uncles/cousins/etc.? Or do more people feel like that than I think?

And the bummer is, the people in my family that I'd want to see waaaaaayyyy more often live pretty south of me, in another state. Thank goodness for texting and email!

What happens when your own self goes on strike...?

Well, it's a good thing last night was so nice, relaxing and wonderful.. because my morning was physically a rough one, indeed.

I slept wonderfully hard, and no dreams for once. Which was a good part, followed by the immediate hour that I was awake which wasn't so good.

When I woke up, I apparently did so waaaaaaayyyyyy too quickly. Usually when I do that, I'm just slightly dizzy and nauseated.. But this morning, I almost fainted from the hallway upstairs spinning. That was just the beginning.. Then my body just decided to go on an all around strike-on the verge of throwing up for over a half hour, dizzy, temperature spiking in moments, asthma freaking out.. just to give the not so disgusting highlights.

Good news (I guess) being that my mind pretty much wiped my memory clean for this morning until I was back in bed recovering. I don't know how unusual that is, or about anyone else, but when I have sudden episodes like this morning, my brain makes them going away. I don't actually have clear memories of the beginning of my day, just know that it happened and the remnants of yuckiness throughout the day. I really don't know what I'd do without my mom. I try not to think about it, because my anxiety freaks out and is paralyzing. She's wonderful, supportive and there for me no matter what. I'm very lucky.

After I rested for a bit, my day got a little better. I just took it very easy while we ran the most necessary errands and then curled up on the sofa alternating between watching TV and doing a few of the things that absolutely had to be done today. Resting was top priority, considering I have to start my work week in the morning. Thank goodness my vacation starts next week, I'm definitely looking forward to it!

Halloween Awesomeness Has Commenced..!

I must take a break from my sleeping/napping/resting and share the pictures that my sister-in-law sent me of my niece and nephew modeling their Halloween costumes.. how freakin' cute are they??

Awesome. Aren't they just the cutest kids ever? I'm in no way biased, by the way. I swear.

Party on, Wayne. Party on, Garth!

Happy Monday, my lovely readers!

Auuuuuuggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! I mean, good morning (or afternoon.. or evening--whenever you may be reading this)! I must get the mini-rant out of the way, so if you want to skip to fun, happy part of the entry, feel free :P I swear, living with family or even just other people can be trying. See, yesterday we had another (apparently unproductive) open house to try to find a buyer. So, the house was spic and span and sparkly...at least it was when I left. I came home this morning, (what? a girl like to spend time with her guy sometimes and get away!) to: ALL empty pet dishes messes on the floor my living room in slight disarray my bathroom still torn up from a repair job yesterday afternoon (although, I was kind of expecting this) dirty towels/rags on top of the dryer from aforementioned repair job (instead of in the washer where the others were ...and the carriers/totes they were sitting on still strewn across my parking stall in the garage from use yesterday. For a neat freak with OCD and just for someone that cleaned most of the house herself yesterday, it's slightly upsetting and VERY annoying. I haven't even looked at the kitchen or upstairs at all yet. I'm kind of afraid to! **end mini-rant** And onto happy stuff... Have any of you tried the 'Draw Something' app? Being an artist as a hobby, I was actually trying to avoid it and resist attempts to lure me in by friends. But, alas I gave in when Nick sent me a invite last week....and now I'm addicted. Iphone screens are sooooo tiny for it! I was using my Kindle, but the latest app update made it buggy enough to have an error message every time I open it :-( So, I'm back to the tiny screen and the batter that sucks dry so quickly! I'm starting to greatly look forward to Sundays. Nick and I have settled back into our routine of that's the main day we unofficially made ours to hang out. Typically spent window shopping, getting food and curling up in front of the TV. Either I'm getting old, or going out is just getting boring, because that's a perfectly fine way to relax in my opinion. BIG change from just a year or two ago when I was hitting two, three, sometimes four karaokes a week. Now, I can't even get motivated to go to the one regular one I've gone to for two years- my bed and books, and furballs entice me to stay home. Maybe I'll become a crazy cat lady, or I'm already on the way. But, I have a pup, so I'm safe from that.. right?

Happy New Year and good night..

I think I'm turning in for the night.. my phone's already blowing up with Happy New Year's texts, and that's all that's on my Facebook feed... My phone's off for now, so I can actually get to sleep without the screen lighting up periodically.

I wish my friends, family and readers all a Happy New Year.. and I hope you all make it home safe and sound tonight and no arrests! (lol)*knock on wood*

Inspiration for the New Year

My Facebook status from earlier: "is about to throw out what is wasteful and abandon unsuccessful situations, replacing them with something more solid and useful... Including both material and immaterial things. (Perfect time to be inspired for such a movement, with the new year tomorrow!)"

This year was something else, especially relationship-wise. Certain people that I was sure would move on, (and I was told by others that it was inevitable,) haven't. At the same time, people I thought I was close to and didn't foresee an ending or fading from have gone down other paths in life-ranging from moving cross country to having new babies to new relationships. Not really any one's fault, per se', but these changes tend to affect people and the way they can spend their time and attention. Which is totally understandable and I'm happy for my friends and the new opportunities coming their way, but also saddened by the fact of the distance and lacking closeness.

This year did bring about a few surprising developments in friendships, from closeness with people I've known for years casually to awesome friends that I've made just in the last year.

I think one of my New Year's resolutions is to let go of my hopes for remaining as close to some people as I've been in the past when my efforts aren't returned and instead, spend my energy building my friendships of those in my life's present day. Not to say that I'll cut them out of my life entirely-but that I should stop living in the past and look ahead to the future and where things are now.

Really, I guess it just comes down to that I'm done bending over backwards to keep certain people in my life. It comes down to one simple truth...either I matter to them or I don't. And the last six months have really helped to show me which category most of my friend's and acquaintances fall into.

I wish all of my friends, family, acquaintances and blog readers a Happy New Year, and that you can accomplish everything you want and have the best time of your life!

Photo Challenge: Day Sixteen

A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel

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My mom lived there for a few years in the early-mid seventies. Over thirty years later, and she still has a large streak of Southern embedded in her. I'd love to go visit where there's loads of history and culture, and see what it is all about as a place in our nation's history.

Photo Challenge: Day Seven

A picture of your most treasured item

I have a few, but this ranks high on the list. It's the only actual heirloom I have from my grandmother who passed away when I was ten.

Close-mindedness is great material for laughing fits!

*laughing to myself*

I find it a riot the people's reactions when they hear about my dating arrangement. I'm talking about the reactions they have, that they don't even realize~before they become aware and mask them.

Another example was just today. *laughing again as I remember it*. I was at work, when my Aunt and her 'lovely' friend came up behind me. This is the same friend of hers that I cannot stand, she's very loud, opinionated (which would be fine if she had any sort of facts or anything to back them up), and just tries to bowl over you in conversation whenever you try to offer up your own ideas. This is also the same lady that has on a few occasions tried to get my mother fired by pretending she was stiffed in some way or wasn't helped fast enough. She's done the same thing to me once or twice as well..Not even cool, especially when we've known this lady forever.

Anyway. They came up behind me as I was working on resetting the costume jewelry. They were both in the motorized carts, (that I truly believe neither one needs.. they just like the special 'aide'.) We start chit-chatting how they don't like the new store arrangement, how my department has shrunk, yadayada.

Then the funny part. My aunt goes, "I really like your necklace!" To which, I went, "Oh yeah. you don't know about my dating thing yet, huh?'"

'No.... I haven't heard.' She replied.

"My boyfriend's wife gave me this. She actually gave me quite a few pieces of jewelry a couple days ago of stuff that she didn't want anymore."

*commence the few seconds of jaw dropping.*

(Internally I am just cracking up at this point. It's freakin' hilarious to me, that in this century people are still so set on the one on one 'traditional' man-woman one on one relationship/marriage.)

Then my Aunt's friend started to say all sorts of off the wall things, and assumptions to which I was going to start defending, but realized it would just be pointless, so I acted like I REALLY needed to get back to work right then.

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And, for the record, I just want to say.. it's just like any other dating relationship. He just has a wife is all. He's awesome to me, gives me all the attention I need, there's usually constant texting, hanging out, takes me out occasionally.. and if you look at the guys I've dated in the past, (one psychotic stalker ex-fiance', one drunkard with sticky fingers and other DEEP issues, and two boyfriends that went to other chicks and got them pregnant while we were supposedly dating 'exclusively', just to name a few;) then he's a real good catch. And it's been about nine months now.. so SOMETHING'S being done right!

(and yes, she knows he has girlfriends.. If I understand correctly, she's the one that gave him permission in the first place to date!)

In loving memory.. Jeff Schipper-1960-2010

I'm having a hard time grasping it. I found out earlier today that the man that I considered my dad for over half of my childhood passed away about a week ago. The news is hitting me harder than I ever thought it could.. and I know it's just a small part of what his real kids and family are going through.


I hadn't talked to him in years, ever since him and my mother split, but I still consider him the man that was there in my life who shared parenting with my mom from the time I was 6 to when I was 17. When he was home from the road, he picked up the slack that my own father had left. He was vital in helping shape who I have turned into today. He helped teach me how to ride a bike. How to clean house. He demanded respect, and taught me how to respect others. He stood his ground when a few of my high school boyfriend's crossed the line in relating to me.


He was a grand man. Might not have been by blood, but he was strong, independent, and awesome. And, for the most part, he treated me just like his own kids. We might not have been a typical family, but some of my favorite childhood memories involve some summers of us five kids and mom and Jeff all in one house, with Friday/Saturday night pizza nights when he got home from working, and watching him work in the shed, to getting rides in the semi. My first memories that involve him was when it was nighttime and he needed to get to work. I'd wake up, slung over his shoulder bouncing along as he carried me to the car. (Being that I couldn't be left home alone while mom took him to work (we had one car at the time).


My regret? Being a pain in the ass teenager, not trying to show him what I felt and how thankful I was that he was there. I know he was nowhere near perfect, and we had nowhere near the perfect 'family' life.. but we made it work.


For some reason, this is the song that's been stuck in my head all day in reference to writing something in memorial of him.




(And, whenever I hear a semi or smell diesel.. it actually brings back my memories from being a kid, in a fond way.)

And to my 'unofficial' step-sibilngs, thanks for treating me like the pain in the butt little sister I was. If you ever need anything, I'm here, just ask.

Does He Love You by Reba Feat. Linda Davis

Music is my life.. I talk about it constantly, probably too much if you ask my friends!

This song would be one of the reasons why... or really, one piece of proof that music has always been a part of me, and has been a passion of mine since I learned how to talk. Even though I no idea what the song meant when I was six, I belted it out word for word-and my second mom always thought I was good..at least she told me I was. Now that I am almost 26, the picture is becoming clearer and clearer. Anymore though, I don't sing aloud around anyone. I know I suck, and don't want to subject anyone noise like that!

Does He Love You-Reba


I have known the lyrics by heart to this song for as long as I can remember.. and have had the tape (yes, cassette) since the album was released in 1993. Granted, the quality of the recording isn't the best anymore. The last time I played it, the first 30 seconds, Reba sounded as though she was singing under water. But, until tonight, I never thought to listen to the song on any other form of media than that well-worn, cracked cased, loved tape.