I really like the neighborhood we live in. It's very diverse, and rather interesting at times. Everyone here is really nice and friendly, and I enjoy taking walks with Charles and Trixie.
Tonight we encountered a man who is a disabled veteran. He is an older black gentleman who rides around the neighborhood on his hoveround. Although we have seen him several times before he has never said more than a hello.
This is how the conversation went tonight.
Hoveround man: "This is the police, stick your hands up"
Me: (looking at Charles like what do I do - and subsequently placing my hands halfway up in the air) "Okay you got me"
Hoveround man: "Want to hear a joke?"
Charles: "Sure!"
Hoveround man: "An Afro-American man and a Hispanic man are in a car together, who is driving?"
Me: "I don't know, who?"
Hoveround man: "Man! Ya'll know it's the POlice." (Then he rides off on his hoveround)
Ummmm.... hahahaahahahaa. It was pretty funny.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
America's Salvation: The Duggar Family
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duggar_family
http://www.duggarfamily.com/index.html
http://perezhilton.com/2008-07-28-super-breeders-expanding-once-more..
Let me start by saying that children probably crawl out of this woman's womb by this point.
After promptly calling the SM the moment I saw this article, she came to the conclusion that this family is America's Salvation. If the Duggar family would just sell their children, and put the money into the economy our "recession" would be over.
Poor Michelle should change her name to Jichelle so that she fits in with the rest of her family.
If this makes you physically ill, you are not alone. And, Charles, don't get any ideas.
You know, I love John and Kate plus 8, but I would rather watch JimBob and Michelle plus 18.
(As a side note the wikipedia article says that the name of the unborn child is junborn.... hahahahaha)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=U0kJHQpvgB8
http://www.duggarfamily.com/index.html
http://perezhilton.com/2008-07-28-super-breeders-expanding-once-more..
Let me start by saying that children probably crawl out of this woman's womb by this point.
After promptly calling the SM the moment I saw this article, she came to the conclusion that this family is America's Salvation. If the Duggar family would just sell their children, and put the money into the economy our "recession" would be over.
Poor Michelle should change her name to Jichelle so that she fits in with the rest of her family.
If this makes you physically ill, you are not alone. And, Charles, don't get any ideas.
You know, I love John and Kate plus 8, but I would rather watch JimBob and Michelle plus 18.
(As a side note the wikipedia article says that the name of the unborn child is junborn.... hahahahaha)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=U0kJHQpvgB8
Friday, July 25, 2008
It's hotter than a June bride in a featherbed in this house.
The hubs and I had the air conditioning go out at our house on Wednesday. He called the appropriate authorities to fix the problem, but apparently this is an epidemic and they couldn't come until Friday.
Needless to say, our house is hotter than a June bride in a featherbed.
We spent Wednesday afternoon sweating.
We spent Wednesday night sweating (it was 87 degrees in our house!).
We spent Thursday morning sweating.
By yesterday afternoon, our decision to beat the heat was twofold. First, we went to Wal-Mart and purchased 2 fans. Then we went home and worked on cooling down Trixie's room. We put bowls of ice and a fan in her room.
Secondly, we took off to catch a double feature at the movie theater. We decided to see The Dark Knight and Wall-E (We did the duck and run for Wall-E).I'm not a big fan of comic book movies, but The Dark Knight was pretty good. Heath Ledger was AWESOME as the Joker.
But.... Wall-E. Where do I start? I am a HUGE Pixar fan. I did not however enjoy Wall-E. It was the most politically charged children's movie that I have ever seen. So let me summarize by saying this...
I KNOW THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF AMERICANS ARE FAT, LAZY SLOBS WHO CAN'T DO ANYTHING FOR THEMSELVES. BUT I DO NOT WANT TO BE REMINDED OF THIS WHEN I GO TO WATCH MY DISNEY MOVIE!
Anyway, I could go on... but I won't. I was just trying to survive the heat when I was plunged into a children's movie that must have been written by Al Gore.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESxvY1tQHTo (thanks to Sara and Joey for that clip)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
How to find a good book.
I was perusing the internet today looking for some new books... and decided to see if there was a website that did the "if you like this author, then you might like this author...."
So I typed into google "how to find books you like" and this is what I got....
Hahahahahaha.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Puppy love.
The hubs and I took a trip to Charlotte this weekend to see Brad Paisley in concert, and go to Carowinds.
I took the time to reserve some audio books at the library this past week, because I knew that I would be spending more time than usual in the car. My sister called me 3 times last week to tell me to read Marley and Me, so I decided to put it on reserve.
I got an e-mail on Friday saying that it was ready for pick-up, so we picked it up before we left.
We both absolutely loved the book, and for me it put into perspective my feelings about dogs. Growing up I had a chow chow named Sispaugh. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS DOG, and she was with my family for about 11 years. I got her as a Christmas present before I started school, and she passed away when I was in the 10th grade.
To this day, I still think about Sispaugh quite often. When Charles told me he was getting me a puppy for my birthday, I had a bit of dull anxiety about it. I wanted a puppy, but I was already thinking about the prospect of losing her. The only thing I've ever lost that was close to me was Sispaugh, and I couldn't stomach the thought of it happening again.
I think I was scared about the concept of unconditional love and loss.
This is a quote from the end of Grogan's book:
"Was it possible for a dog – any dog, but especially a nutty, wildly uncontrollable one like ours – to point humans to the things that really mattered in life? I believed it was. Loyalty. Courage. Devotion. Simplicity. Joy. And the things that did not matter, too. A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. Status symbols mean nothing to him. A dog judges others not by their color or creed or class but by who they are inside. A dog doesn’t care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his. It was really quite simple, and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not.”
I'm a bit nostalgic this morning, so you'll have to forgive me. But, if you haven't read the book, and you love your dog, think you have the world's worst dog, or have lost a dog.... read it.
I took the time to reserve some audio books at the library this past week, because I knew that I would be spending more time than usual in the car. My sister called me 3 times last week to tell me to read Marley and Me, so I decided to put it on reserve.
I got an e-mail on Friday saying that it was ready for pick-up, so we picked it up before we left.
We both absolutely loved the book, and for me it put into perspective my feelings about dogs. Growing up I had a chow chow named Sispaugh. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS DOG, and she was with my family for about 11 years. I got her as a Christmas present before I started school, and she passed away when I was in the 10th grade.
To this day, I still think about Sispaugh quite often. When Charles told me he was getting me a puppy for my birthday, I had a bit of dull anxiety about it. I wanted a puppy, but I was already thinking about the prospect of losing her. The only thing I've ever lost that was close to me was Sispaugh, and I couldn't stomach the thought of it happening again.
I think I was scared about the concept of unconditional love and loss.
This is a quote from the end of Grogan's book:
"Was it possible for a dog – any dog, but especially a nutty, wildly uncontrollable one like ours – to point humans to the things that really mattered in life? I believed it was. Loyalty. Courage. Devotion. Simplicity. Joy. And the things that did not matter, too. A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. Status symbols mean nothing to him. A dog judges others not by their color or creed or class but by who they are inside. A dog doesn’t care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his. It was really quite simple, and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not.”
I'm a bit nostalgic this morning, so you'll have to forgive me. But, if you haven't read the book, and you love your dog, think you have the world's worst dog, or have lost a dog.... read it.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Like a book.
I haven't updated in a while, because I haven't had time.... so here it is.
We're all moved into the house. We've layed hardwood floors, and repainted all but one room. We've done landscaping, bought furniture and done a little bit of decorating. We graduated. I actually finished my Master's Degree at Campbell University, and Charles has his Docotorate. We went to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Belize, and Roatan Island. We came home and Charles got me a puppy for my birthday (she's a coton and cavalier king charles spaniel mix), we named her Trixie.
Trixie is the coolest dog ever. She's SMART, and has a fantastic little personality. She can sit, stay, come, give high five, shake your hand, dance, lay and we're working on roll over and speak. We do everything we said we wouldn't. She sleeps in the bed with us, and we feed her table food - she doesn't beg though. She loves everybody, and loves to be petted by anyone that will touch her.
Charles took all his boards, and passed them with flying colors. He's a pharmacist now, and even better... he got promoted before his first day of work. He's actually the Pharmacist in Charge - a pharmacy manager.
My biggest concern for this upcoming year was a job, and I feel like things worked out well for me. I will still be working at Campbell next year, and have overcome the feeling that it somehow makes me a loser to keep doing the same job next year. I like what I do, and I like the people I work with.... why not keep doing it? My expectations of myself were too high, and I guess I thought I should be CEO of Wal-Mart of provost of a university by the time I finished my Master's degree.
However, along with keeping my job comes a daunting commute. Charles suggested that I start listening to audio books to help pass the time. I dismissed it as a "dork notion" at first, but have really come to love the quiet time that I spend in the car, and I enjoy listening to books. (Plus, I don't go over on the cell phone minutes, hahaha)
So far I've listened to At First Sight, The Choice, Tuesdays With Morrie, Three Weeks With My Brother (which is my fav.), and now I'm listening to The Rescue.
This summer, I have found a lot of insight into where my life is right now. This struck me as particularly profound yesterday.
It's a quote from The Rescue:
"Distance can ruin even the best of intentions. People come, people go- they'll drift in and out of your life, almost like characters in your favorite book. When you finally close the cover, the characters have told their story and you start up again with another book, complete with new characters and adventures. Then you find yourself focusing on the new ones, not the ones from the past."
This has been a real theme in our lives for the past 6 months. We live in a new city now, and the only people we really know here are Norma and Cristina. All of our friends live in other places, and I find it hard sometimes to bridge the gap between the past, the present, and the distance. There are some people who I hold very near and dear to my heart, but just can't seem to find the time to spend with them. It's a sad reality of life. I'm growing up now. Summers of carefree adventures, and random trips out of the country are becoming fewer and more distanced in time. While I know that I will always be me, I also know that life changes.
Hopefully, I can find the inner gumption to begin blogging again. I had lost it for a while, and I honestly miss writing. Katie and Charles have both been prodding me lately... so maybe the lull will recede I'll get my voice back.
We're all moved into the house. We've layed hardwood floors, and repainted all but one room. We've done landscaping, bought furniture and done a little bit of decorating. We graduated. I actually finished my Master's Degree at Campbell University, and Charles has his Docotorate. We went to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Belize, and Roatan Island. We came home and Charles got me a puppy for my birthday (she's a coton and cavalier king charles spaniel mix), we named her Trixie.
Trixie is the coolest dog ever. She's SMART, and has a fantastic little personality. She can sit, stay, come, give high five, shake your hand, dance, lay and we're working on roll over and speak. We do everything we said we wouldn't. She sleeps in the bed with us, and we feed her table food - she doesn't beg though. She loves everybody, and loves to be petted by anyone that will touch her.
Charles took all his boards, and passed them with flying colors. He's a pharmacist now, and even better... he got promoted before his first day of work. He's actually the Pharmacist in Charge - a pharmacy manager.
My biggest concern for this upcoming year was a job, and I feel like things worked out well for me. I will still be working at Campbell next year, and have overcome the feeling that it somehow makes me a loser to keep doing the same job next year. I like what I do, and I like the people I work with.... why not keep doing it? My expectations of myself were too high, and I guess I thought I should be CEO of Wal-Mart of provost of a university by the time I finished my Master's degree.
However, along with keeping my job comes a daunting commute. Charles suggested that I start listening to audio books to help pass the time. I dismissed it as a "dork notion" at first, but have really come to love the quiet time that I spend in the car, and I enjoy listening to books. (Plus, I don't go over on the cell phone minutes, hahaha)
So far I've listened to At First Sight, The Choice, Tuesdays With Morrie, Three Weeks With My Brother (which is my fav.), and now I'm listening to The Rescue.
This summer, I have found a lot of insight into where my life is right now. This struck me as particularly profound yesterday.
It's a quote from The Rescue:
"Distance can ruin even the best of intentions. People come, people go- they'll drift in and out of your life, almost like characters in your favorite book. When you finally close the cover, the characters have told their story and you start up again with another book, complete with new characters and adventures. Then you find yourself focusing on the new ones, not the ones from the past."
This has been a real theme in our lives for the past 6 months. We live in a new city now, and the only people we really know here are Norma and Cristina. All of our friends live in other places, and I find it hard sometimes to bridge the gap between the past, the present, and the distance. There are some people who I hold very near and dear to my heart, but just can't seem to find the time to spend with them. It's a sad reality of life. I'm growing up now. Summers of carefree adventures, and random trips out of the country are becoming fewer and more distanced in time. While I know that I will always be me, I also know that life changes.
Hopefully, I can find the inner gumption to begin blogging again. I had lost it for a while, and I honestly miss writing. Katie and Charles have both been prodding me lately... so maybe the lull will recede I'll get my voice back.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Yesterday I was your best friend, today I'm not your friend at all.
So the SM and I have been studying Borderline Personality Disorder.
Do you have:
Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation
Identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self
Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating)
Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior
Affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days)
Chronic feelings of emptiness
Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights)
Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms
If you have four or more of these symptoms do not be alarmed. 2% of Americans suffer from this disorder, which can also be called High School Disorder.
Do you have:
Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation
Identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self
Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating)
Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior
Affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days)
Chronic feelings of emptiness
Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights)
Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms
If you have four or more of these symptoms do not be alarmed. 2% of Americans suffer from this disorder, which can also be called High School Disorder.
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