My Brother the Hero

Cheapskate, Frugal, Tightwad; these are just some of the words my friends can use to describe me. Funny how I have no problem spending $1,200 on a plane ticket if I want to go somewhere, but will throw a temper tantrum in the middle of an aisle at the cost of laundry detergent. Well...looks like you can also throw "$100-to-cut-and-haul-your-limbs-away" into the category without coupons.

A letter from the city came in the mail ON MY BIRTHDAY telling me I had one week to get the limbs in the street to a "14ft. clearance". I don't have the tools for that business, nor do I have any idea how tall something higher than six feet is, NOR do I have time during the holidays and my work week to have several estimators come out and take a look. So I hired a man who charged an outrageous price to come and cut down four, discussed, limbs; two in the street, one over the house, and one over the driveway. When he tells me that it will be an extra ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS to cut up four limbs and throw them in a truck...well,  you know I put on my girl scout boots and told him to just pile the branches in the backyard and i would use them for firewood.

You can imagine my surprise when I got home after work and THIS was the pile of "four branches" previously discussed...

Good grief Charlie Brown! What the heck am I supposed to do with that? And snakes? or Rats? Ew its only a matter of time!!! So I sent this picture to my wonderful brother Wes with the caption, "Feel like cutting some firewood?"...to which he replied, "...all my cutting stuff is at dad's. Who cut that down?"
So I tell him my sob story and his next reply is, "I'll be there in 2 hours."

Big brothers are the best. I was certainly thankful for mine yesterday. He brought my favorite nephew with him, and me and my roomie got out there...after three hours later we had managed six, 4ft. bundles of limbs and a bunch of firewood. I was thinking I needed a chainsaw or something like that, I even considered going to Lowes to buy one. But, I totally forgot that I had TWO branch cutters (clippers? I dunno) in the shed, and also learned how to make a noose and bullwhip something or other to tie up the bundles. Ginny and I are quite the pioneers now. I can only imagine how horrific the day would have gone, had it just been me and Ginny out there, trying to tackle landscape clean up.

Here are some of the finished bundles, and my bundle of energy nephew...

And here is the rescue team...

Who wants to come over for a fire? I bought one of those outdoor fire pits for my birthday party so I'm excited to use that as well!

Les Miserables

http://youtu.be/t-KRbQFtQ0w

I love this movie so much. Its so good. Apparently they are coming out with an onscreen musical version, with a big cast. EXCITED. ABOUT. THAT.

Revelation as of late. The last two guys I've dated, I've gone into the relationship knowing they were not perfect princes, and then after a time, I start resenting them for not being perfect princes. But who am I to judge? I am not perfect myself so how can I expect someone else to be. One of my favorite pieces of advice I just received from my mom in an email.

"I guess my 'wise' advice would be to have an open mind and heart next time. Spend a LOT of time with the guy and make HIM feel special too. Don't take it lightly if someone loves you; that too is a rare gift. ASK God for answers, don't try to read His mind."

I'm realizing that marriage is nothing more than a picture of my relationship with God. Marriage is not my god itself, but I've tried to make it one. My whole purpose for being has to do with God, including any and every relationship in my path. I used to believe that if I ever had a husband who cheated on me, that would be the ultimate worst thing that could ever happen. That would be the end of my world. But now, as horrific and evil as something like that is...it is God who is more mighty and great than anything in this world. I MUST put my hope and trust in Him, for HE is my God....not some guy. Guys make terrible idols. Guys WILL fail me. And probably several more times in my lifetime. But, if my hope is in the One who made me...then nothing can crush me. So then, enough crying about a boy who was "seeing other people" in the first place. Enough.

Moving on. I am a little overwhelmed with the amount of stuff I have to study. I have a HUGE test (and I am the world's worst test taker) coming up at the end of the month. My two weeks off work did NOT allot me the time to study ahead that I originally thought, so now I am desperately behind. Also, I bought a chronological-one-year-Bible which I'm really excited about...but that's one more thing that needs time. I also bought a workbook that walks through the book of Matthew, super excited about that too, yet it also needs time. You might disagree with me, but I think veg time is important too. Yes I could have studied last night after a long week of work...but I chose to watch a movie, because I needed to rest.

I cancelled my gym membership yesterday. I majored in Exercise Science so this might sound like a strange idea, but I have my justifications. First of all, I don't have time for the gym. I like to keep a pretty busy work and social schedule. Gyms are great for stay at home moms who live nearby and need some "me" time. Gyms are not great for people with busy schedules who live 20minutes away. It feels more like an errand, an obligation, rather than enjoyment. I ENJOY running at home. I ENJOY doing physical labor, or playing volleyball with friends. I don't enjoy finding a parking spot, at night time, at the crowded gym, weave in and out of people walking slow, be late for a class, or told what equipment is "reserved" for this or that class that costs EXTRA money. It's just too much. And too expensive. I can pay for my summer vacation with what I was spending on a gym. PLUS I majored in this stuff and it was even my profession for four years. I am perfectly capable of taking myself through an entire workout only using my body weight. No more gym for me.

Okay, time to study.
I love my mom.

Words of Wisdom

So I just started this book called, "Here's to Hindsight" by Tara Leigh Cobble. My friend Emily is letting me borrow this O-So-Fantastic book. I've barely started it and already I am so in love with it. I completely identify with this author and I am such a sucker for memoirs. She's writes like a conversation and now I feel like we are best friends. (Don't worry Sanderson, I'll finish The Four Loves asap)
Here's a snippet cause I couldn't even wait...

"In my experience, the inherent problem with male-female friendships is this: girls tend to fall for familiarity and guys tend to fall for mystery. As the girl gets to know her guy friend better and learns about his character, he becomes more and more attractive to her; meanwhile, she becomes less mysterious and intriguing to him, and she slowly sinks into the quicksand of Just-Friends land. I know that isn't always the case but it seems to be fairly common." -Tara Leigh Cobble

SO TRUE. As Melanie was playing DJ on the drive home from New Year's Eve, I was reminded of the girl I wish I was. The vision of a strong, empowered, confident and beautiful woman I wish I was shows up in my mind through glimpses...just long enough to get me from one day to the next. The girl I am currently, is just an emotional roller coaster riding between the ups and downs of moving on, and holding on. I miss Jon, I really do. But he made his decision clear, so what else is there? Holding on to someone who doesn't want me would make me a fool...and I would waste a period of my life AS a fool, until another man came along who pretended to love me until he left me...to which I would then be a fool yet again. So it's cyclical you see. Here she is, poet extraordinaire, you guessed it...Shania Twain.

"Any Man Of Mine"

This is what a woman wants...

Any man of mine better be proud of me

Even when I'm ugly he still better love me

And I can be late for a date that's fine

But he better be on time

Any man of mine'll say it fits just right

When last year's dress is just a little too tight

And anything I do or say better be okay

When I have a bad hair day

And if I change my mind

A million times

I wanna hear him say

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah I like it that way

Any man of mine better walk the line

Better show me a teasin' squeezin' pleasin' kinda time

I need a man who knows, how the story goes

He's gotta be a heartbeatin' fine treatin'

Breathtakin' earthquakin' kind

Any man of mine

Well any man of mine better disagree

When I say another woman's lookin' better than me

And when I cook him dinner and I burn it black

He better say, mmmm, I like it like that yeah

And if I changed my mind

A million times

I wanna hear him say

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah I like it that way

 

January Run

1/3/12 corner and back 8:21

1/14/12 corner and back 8:25

1/16/12 corner and back no watch

1/17/12 corner and back 8:09

Well this is not good. But the point of this idea to post my runs every month is supposed to wake me up to how little I exercise so...mission accomplished. Here's to hoping February has more runs than January.

2012 Resolutions

A New Year's Resolution is supposed to be a list of accomplishments you hope to compile for the new year right? Whether internal or external, this list should reflect things you believe would consider 2012 a success in your life. Here goes mine. I'm going to start this blog today, Dec.23rd, 2011, and then I'll post this after January 1st, 2012 once I've had time to think and add to the list. I think it will be so exciting to look at this list in June, when school is out, and see how far I get. I'd love for 2012 to be my year in a cocoon if you will.

1. Clean out garage. Like, can fit a car in there and have Tim the Tool Man Taylor organization skills in that thing.
2. Scrape and repaint the shed in the backyard.
3. New counter tops and mirrors for both bathrooms.
4. Take mom to Charleston, SC for the first time.
5. Pass 4-8 Generalist certification test.
6. Pass High School Science composite certification test.
7. Pass the GRE with a good looking score.
8. Update resume and make copies.
9. Add some sort of entertainment element to the backyard.
10. Add small garden to backyard.
11. Buy DSLR camera.
12. Drive down the entire East coast of the U.S.A.
13. Remove every item from house that should be at good will.
14. Wall paper back of bookshelves.
15. Keep in touch with Guatemala kids.
16. Properly dispose of all paint, lightbulbs, boxes, old carpet, and batteries laying around.
17. Update pictures in the entry way.
18. Read at least 10 books I already own and give them away.
19. See dentist AND orthodontist.
20. Try bangs.
21. Lose 10lbs.
22. Run five 5k's
23. Get out of coaching.
24. Donate hair to Locks of Love.
25. Take a risk.

Twenty-five is enough goals for now. This will be exciting to look at in June.

This is my new roomie Charlie...isn't he precious???!!!!!!!!!!!

Natchitoches

For the last four years, Alayna, Melanie and I have made some sort of trip for New Year's Eve. Three years ago we got a good deal in Chicago, met Kyle Wheeler and watched fireworks from the pier. Two years ago we stayed with a cousin in Albuquerque, skied for the first time, and played with baby Chase. Last year we opted for a short trip to Austin and had the MOST fun with friends. This year we were crunched for both time and money, weren't sure what to do, so we ended up in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Originally we had talked about going to New Orleans, however, New Orleans is 4 hours extra hours further east, AND driving those four extra hours would mean and total of EIGHT extra hours in the car. New Year's Eve was last night and I have to work tomorrow so for me, the shorter the better. I had thought about Shreveport but then researched a little further. Natchitoches, pronounced "Nak-a-dish" by locals, was only an hour south of Shreveport...AND it happens to be the filming location of the greatest movie ever, "Steel Magnolias".

My parents live in East Texas. So, Friday afternoon we drove out to their place, rode around their land on the mule and stayed the night. I am really blessed to have such sweet, hospitable parents. The next day we drove to Pittsburgh, Texas to have our picture made with a gigantic Bo Pilgrim breast. Then, on to Natchitoches just in time to get ready for New Year's Eve and meet up with Ginny. The city was beautifully strewn with Christmas lights, we had an awesome Louisiana meal of shrimp and dirty rice at The Landing, and topped the night off with fireworks over the river. It was a beautiful and calm night with some of my favorite friends.

Woke up this morning, had breakfast/lunch at some fantastic place called "Strawns" (I think?) in Shreveport and home in time to rest a little before work tomorrow. Overall another successful NYE. The funny thing is, that NYE has never been a big deal to me. I've never once had a NYE kiss, and most of those nights have ended up just hanging out at some one's house. I feel absolutely no need to take a trip every year, but I do enjoy holding a tradition with besties. That's what its all about.

30 Party

My birthday was awesome. I mean, truly, ridiculously, a great night. I really only expected about 10 people to show up but I'd say there was at least 20 or 30 people that showed up throughout the evening. I am SUCH a blessed girl. I feel so sorry for everyone in the world that doesn't have friends as wonderful as I do.
A week after a break up I was feeling pretty low, pretty worthless and unwanted. But then, I just felt so much love at my birthday. I looked around the room before I blew out my candles and thought to myself, "How blessed am I? THIS should be the standard, THIS is what it should feel like when someone loves you, they treat you the way everyone in THIS room treats me. THESE are the people that love me".

Pictures to come soon, but I was so busy talking to everyone that I didn't take any myself...which means I have to wait for facebook to produce some. Here's a list of attendants, for no other reason but simply to aid my horrible memory:

GinnyB
Alayna
Mel
Shasta
Rebekah
Micah + Justin
Cameron
JennMac
Jerry
Cody
Paco +2
Teal + Michael
Sommer + Edward
KatieS
Joy
NikiF
KarinB
Jenna
Nikole + Matt
Duncan
JohnS
Jimmy + Holly
KimS
LauraP
AdamB

...that's all I can remember right now. Hope I didn't forget anyone. 30 years old. What an awkward time.