Side Hustles

I have always thought about how to make some extra money on the side. Something easy...something I already enjoy doing. I have found though that the things I have thought up so far to do on the side haven't been very profitable!

Several years ago I had the idea of creating YouTube videos and putting them up on my channel. Friends and coworkers have always asked me about vacations, how I save money for and on them, when is the best time to go, etc. Especially when it came to Disney World. Jeff and I used to go every year, and were always researching ways to save money when it came to paying for the trip and also when actually on it. I figured it would be a great idea to make videos talking about the same thing that everyone was already asking me about, and I could make money on it at the same time. We watch YouTubers all the time anyway, and they make enough money to live off of, just making weekly or daily videos. I had a YouTube account already, so I got to work getting it monetized!

I got to doing some research and came up with topics for several 15-25 minute videos. I thought we could post the videos of us on our vacations as well, so people could see us "in action" doing the things I had talked about in my other videos. About once a month I would record videos, mainly with me sitting at a park either at a picnic table or in my car, reading through the script I had written. I then uploaded and set the videos to go public once per week. I was really good about getting enough videos to have them set to post in advance, so if I ran out of topics or we wanted to take some time off it would not interfere with the posting of pre-made videos. 

The problem with this idea though was that if something happened, like some late-breaking news, or some new feature, I was going to be well behind the other Disney YouTube creators, because I already had a month worth of videos scheduled, so any video I made of the latest greatest news breaking item would be at least a month behind everyone else.

A few years into making and posting videos - mainly about Disney World (sprinkled in with various home videos, Las Vegas trip information, and non profit volunteering opportunities), it hit me that I wasn't really getting any new subscribers, and I only made a grand total of $100 for all of my hard work. I also realized that basically what I was making was a video version of a podcast. So, I thought that maybe if I moved to an audio-only format, my content might be more profitable! People could listen to what I had to say while driving, or working, or walking around...instead of just watching me sit at a picnic table. I felt more at ease just talking into a microphone for a podcast, so I was optimistic.

I wasn't sure how the podcasting thing was going to work out, so I found a website that would push my podcast out to all the most used podcast-listening platforms (Apple, Google, SiriusXM, Pandora, Amazon Music, etc) for free, so I wouldn't be out any money while I was trying to figure out if this was going to work. I made the podcast episodes in groups at a time, and had them post once per week in a season format. 15 episodes per season, and I'd have nothing posted for about a month or so after that, just to give me time to research another 15 episodes, record and edit the audio, and finally get the episodes scheduled for posting the next season.

Once we kind of stopped going to Disney, I decided to focus on researching for Las Vegas. I actually had a lot of fun with researching this one, because I put together a series of podcasts where I talked about the history of the strip, and all of the casinos that have come and gone. I also put together a series on the current casinos on the strip, and the history for each of them.

I could see I was actually getting a few listeners per episode, and I was really feeling good about that because I felt that maybe with time, the podcasts would pick up more and more listeners. So, I went through the process of monetizing the podcast through the free hosting site I had found. I know some podcasters who pay a fee for a company to push their podcast out to many, many podcast listening services. I wasn't there yet, since I still had no income from it to offset that expense. 

I started losing steam in creating podcast episodes. I was running out of fresh ideas on my own for episodes, and had started just researching tried and true topics for an episode, because I couldn't think anything up on my own! And to top it off, even though I was getting some listeners to each episode, it wasn't enough to make any money. Just a couple cents from every episode, and the website wasn't going to cut a check until I had gotten to $100. In 2022, the website stopped hosting the podcast service. I had already stopped creating podcasts at that point, but had not disabled my account because I was still getting a few listeners on the episodes I had posted. As of the time of this posting, I found out the company is now completely shutting their website down all together.

All this (the youtube video-making and podcast-making) was mostly being done when I was taking a five year break from posting to this blog.  I've not monetized this blog - this is mostly just a forum for me to post my thoughts, for me. If I have people reading my posts, great! But I am not out to make money with the posts I make here on blogger. I enjoy writing, and enjoy putting together these posts...

I liked making the podcasts, just like I enjoy writing on my blog. I might give the podcast another go at it sometime. We'll have to see - for now, I am busy enough as it is with the things I have on "my plate," without adding a podcast to it as well. 

Working and Researching...

I actually came into the office today to work...it is Saturday, and not too many people are in the office today, since there is no official Houston billing today. I still have to route meat and produce deliveries in the Dallas-Ft Worth area, but no big deal the main thing I'm not happy about is that I'll still be here until 5:30 pm tonight, as I am still routing the Florida perishable and frozen billing in Plant City. 

But, I wanted to come to the office today so I could print out the invoices after the band's semi-annual silent auction closes this afternoon at 3 pm. I'll take them home, and attach them to the baskets, making it easier for the winners to see the baskets they won.

I also wanted to print out extra copies of our 501c3 determination letter, 2022 Donor list, and our mission statement. I'll start prepping next month for the silent auction in December, and I'd like to be able to do it from home, instead of trying to work it in without anyone seeing me at the office.

Tomorrow is our Patriotic Concert, and I am super antsy about it. I'm glad I am working on other things right now as well, because I keep checking to see where we are on ticket sales and the silent auction! It would be even worse if I wasn't focusing on other things to do right now.  LOL We have a decent showing on the silent auction (I personally would like to see more coming in), and while the ticket count is still low in my opinion, it is actually doing decent as well. 

We're finishing up our 30th season for the band, and we are wanting to go out with a bang! 

Ordering Food From Etsy is a Thing...

For Jeff's birthday this year, I was looking at finding some unique presents for him. Something that he normally would not buy on his own, but would be interested in once it showed up to the house. This was a landmark birthday - he turned 60 in May - so I got to work finding at least 7 presents so we could celebrate "Birth Week" instead of "Birth Day."

I ended up finding some meal kits on Etsy - a sort of "Ebay" for artsy craftsy people. You can find everything from handmade jewelry to furniture to journaling supplies to spices to grilling accessories to glasses/plates/silverware to meal kits, and anything in between on there...

I found and purchased a kit from one seller for loaded potato soup, and gave it to Jeff as one of his presents. All of these kits are all of the dry ingredients, so all you have to do is add the wet ingredients and meat, then cook. 

Jeff cooked the potato soup one but did not follow the directions on the package, and we ended up being less than thrilled with the results. I blame that on not following the cooking instructions. 

From a second seller, I bought a BBQ Chicken Pasta Kit, and a Beef Stroganoff Kit for a couple more presents for Jeff. This seller packages up the kits once someone buys them - they are not pre-made waiting to be shipped out. No additives or preservatives are in the kits either.

I cooked the BBQ Chicken Pasta one first. Jeff was less than enthusiastic about making it because he didn't think that the wet ingredients that were getting added would go well together. Turns out they did, but I didn't read on the website when purchasing it that the seller put Sriracha powder in the kit. It was very good, but also very spicy. 

I next cooked the Beef Stroganoff kit. We had a winner here! It was really good, and tasted homemade. The kits are shelf stable for up to a year, and could actually be used when going camping, should one want to use them for that.

A few weeks later, we ended up purchasing another Beef Stroganoff Kit, along with a Cheesy Taco Skillet Kit and one for Chicken Noodle Soup. As of the time I am typing this, we have cooked everything but the Chicken Noodle Soup. The two we have cooked were really good.

One thing I noticed with this particular seller's page on Etsy, is that she also sells other things as well. I have purchased two Oatmeal Kits (Cherry and Cherry Vanilla - I have already tried the Cherry one and it was really good). Since Jeff loves meatloaf, I bought the meatloaf (and meatballs) seasoning kit. Also purchased a Mild Chili Seasoning Kit. Once Jeff makes those, we'll see how they taste. The last thing I have purchased to date is a Muffin Kit (Cherry flavor). We'll need to go get the wet ingredients from the store to see how the muffins turn out.

She also sells bread kits and actually sells loaves of bread, muffins, and biscuits. We haven't bought any of the kits or any of the actual baked goods yet, but I am excited about trying them as well. Who knew this would actually be a viable option for some good home-cooked food that is easy to make?

I wanted to link the Etsy page where I have purchased these kits - Chickens In the Road Etsy Shop.

Crazy Weeks...But I'm Not Complaining...(Sort Of)

I am sitting here at my laptop, with lots to do on my to-do list. It seems that May and June are getting just as busy each year as September - December normally is. At least that is how it feels this year. I am not complaining though, at least about May...the busy feelings kept my mind pre-occupied and off of things that would take me down dark roads for several weeks.

Back story: my dad died by suicide in November 2012. I thought that over time, the grief would be easier to manage, and day-to-day life would become more manageable overall. For the most part it has. Except for May. For some reason over the last several years, it has become harder for me to get through May than it used to. My birthday is at the end of May, and when my dad was alive he would always call me around my birthday, and we would have the most amazing, absurd, dumb conversations. Like what he had for breakfast or lunch the day I was born, how much gas or bread cost about that timeframe, etc. However for some reason, my brain still expects a phone call from him each year. When I finally realize that there is not going to ever be a call from him again, it usually causes me to spiral into a deep depression - even though I already knew he wasn't going to call, it still somehow surprises me every year.

The last few years I was down for almost a month, and considered just getting out of bed a victory for the day. Things would usually get worse as I was not mentally ready or capable of handling my regular to-do list of concert planning items, silent auction tasks, weekly emails to the band, etc. So, I'd get even more depressed because I was falling behind on regular (band) work. I was able to get my regular tasks at my job outsourced to teammates, so it wasn't that bad at work during this time.

This year, I started planning early. 

We were invited back to the City of Sugar Land's Memorial Day Celebration, so in April I started copying our Music Director on all correspondence with the contact at the City of Sugar Land. That way, if he had any planning/logistics questions he could ask the contact directly instead of waiting for me to reach out, get a response, and report back to him. It actually worked out quite well - they met, worked out musical logistics, he picked up parking passes for me, and it went fairly smoothly. I still had a lot of work to do coordinating rehearsal time information to the band, letting them know where and when to park, where and when to perform, what the dress code was going to be, publicizing the performance on social media, etc. But, the Music Director took a lot off my plate this time around. It was an unexpected surprise, and I was very thankful for the assistance!

The main area of concern has been getting the silent auction baskets prepared and ready, and also setting up the silent auction website in time before the silent auction begins. In early May, I realized I had most of what was going to come in for our silent auction in June. I decided to go ahead and start grouping everything together, adding a basket, cellophane bag, ribbon, and shredded paper to each basket (making each basket easier and simpler to assemble). I figured if any additional items came in, I'd either just add to an existing basket, or create a new basket as the items came in. After grouping everything together the first week of May, I decided to go ahead and start organizing the items in the baskets, wrapping them, and getting the ribbons tied around the tops of all the baskets. The baskets were essentially done by the end of the second week of May. I then spent a few days setting up the silent auction website, building the virtual baskets in there, so people could bid on them once the site went live. By June, the baskets were completely done, and the website completely set up. This was a first for me, and it was such a relief knowing that was not hanging over my head!

As soon as we got the music for the Memorial Day performance (which was mostly doubling at the Patriotic Concert), I went ahead and started writing program notes for all the pieces. So, in addition to working with the Music Director on Memorial Day logistics with the contact at the City of Sugar Land, and wrapping silent auction baskets, and designing the silent auction website...I was also writing program notes and working on the initial design of our concert program! Thankfully, we repeat several pieces every year, as they have become annual favorites of our patrons. This means the program notes have already mostly been written (minus any new pieces we might have in our folders) - I just have to drop them into the program notes pages that I build for each concert program.

The only real tasks I have to do for the patriotic concert program each year is update the roster for the band (which is really done for each concert, based on who can play and who cannot), update the chorus roster, update the American Legion / VFW roster, dropping in the performance order, dropping in the program notes, adding any guest conductor bios to the program, and adding any restaurant spirit fundraiser information we have for an event shortly after the concert. This only really gets busy over one weekend - the weekend two weeks before the concert - the program items are due at that time so I can send it off to print.

I set up all weekly emails to the band in the email software we use at the beginning of May, and added weekly emails for the chorus starting the end of May. With the emails already set up, all I had to do each week is just populate the emails with any information they need to know for that week. Made it so much easier with the emails already designed and ready to be populated! I also set up all concert notices to go out, along with all silent auction notice emails and the spirit fundraiser emails.

Normally I set up everything with the chorus, doing announcements for them at the beginning of their rehearsals, taking attendance, etc. This year, I passed it off to one of the other band members, who is also singing in the chorus...this has really helped as well.

Although it has been super busy these past two months, it has actually been easier this year than in past years. I felt more prepared, tackled things on my to-do list earlier so I didn't get overwhelmed when I was already struggling. I got others involved to help out so I didn't feel like I was the only one doing all the work. 

And on my actual birthday, there was a huge issue with our main customer chain not turning in their orders on time, so I was super involved in meetings starting at 4:30 am, all the way through 4:30 pm...making sure we got the orders in the system, routed, and notifications sent out to the warehouses and transportation so they would be prepared. I didn't have time to think about anything other than making it through the day at work that day, and ended up not spiraling into a deep depression after all this year. I am super grateful for that! 

Dreaming of Silent Auction Baskets

Our Patriotic concert is in a few weeks. There are a lot of moving parts to this concert by nature, and for the most part I am ok with taking care of all the moving parts. The audience typically loves this performance, and all of the added extras that come with it. 

The ball really gets rolling in May for planning and executing the concert, from securing members of the American Legion and VFW posts for Honor Guard duties, planning and notifying the public about the community chorus that will be organizing and performing, securing the chorus rehearsal director, and getting music ready for the chorus.

One big thing that happens at the Patriotic concert (and also the Holiday concert in December) is a silent auction. Since COVID, we have held the silent auction online and doing so allows us to have the silent auction active for more than a few hours. We used to hold the silent auction during the concert, allowing patrons and band members the opportunity to bid on the items before the concert and during intermission. We then would announce the winners shortly after intermission, which would take up a lot of unnecessary concert time.  

With the silent auction now held online, I can more easily monitor it, adjusting the bids if needed to get people interested in the item. We can share the baskets on social media to garner more interest in them as well.  And with the auction active for an entire week, we can get people involved who are not even local...and ship the basket to them afterwards!

For the Patriotic silent auction, I start requesting donations from companies in January. This includes preparing and mailing physical requests, emailing requests, and going online to request through donation portals. Donations start trickling in in February, and we see a steady stream through the middle of June. As we are receiving items, I go ahead and group items together for baskets, and just set them in a basket, along with ribbon, cellophane wrap, a bag of crinkle paper, and a rubber band to close the wrap up at the top of the basket. This makes it easier to put the basket together and make it look nice!

I build the baskets in a spreadsheet, along with the value of each of the items, who donated the items, etc. At the end of the silent auction, I add what the auction price was for each of the baskets, so I can see what the value vs sale price was. I try to make sure we bring in at least 50% of what the value was of all of the baskets for that particular auction. So, if the baskets for an auction are worth a total of $5,000, I try to at least bring in $2,500 in the silent auction.

Usually in April or the beginning of May, I will go ahead and set up the initial silent auction website (through 32Auctions).  By this point, I have a really good idea of the baskets we will have for the silent auction, so I can start populating the website with basket information. Instead of taking a picture of the basket itself for each one, I use Canva.com to make a photo collage with the logos of the companies that donated items for that particular basket. 

May is spent stuffing and wrapping the baskets, and adding a removable sticker with the basket name on it to quickly find the basket after the auction is over. I print out the invoices from 32Auctions, and attach them to the baskets (highlighting the winner's name on each), so the winners can more easily find the ones they won.

On concert day, I take the baskets with me to the performance venue and have the baskets set up out in the foyer, so the winners can get them as they come in, or while at intermission.

The reason I have said all of this is because last night I had a very real dream that it was concert day, and I realized that I had not brought the silent auction baskets with me to the performance venue. Not only that, but I had not even been monitoring the silent auction while it was live, so I had no idea if all baskets had been sold or not. It was quite disturbing to me that in my dream I had allowed such a big opportunity to raise funds slip through my fingers! 

Missing Dreams

I've been quite frustrated lately. When it is time to go to bed, I cannot sleep. I toss and turn for hours and it doesn't feel like I get to sleep at all, but then find myself waking up to the alarm clock when it goes off. Clearing I am getting some sleep, but not getting any rest. 

I find that I am super tired during the day, especially during the busiest part of my day. But then when it is time to go to sleep...nothing!

When I am super tired during the day, I have all kinds of great day dreams. I tell myself "that would make a great dream tonight - remember that!" But when it is time to go to bed, my brain won't turn off so that I can enjoy the dreams I want to have!

Bluebonnets in the Spring

Every spring, I try to get out and drive around between our neighborhood and Brenham, to find some bluebonnets. I find that seeing bluebonnets growing on the side of the road brings me happiness each year, no matter what I find my mood to be. 

March is the month to be paying attention to the roadsides to see the Bluebonnets. There are fields and fields of them along the back country roads between Katy and Brenham.

I did make my way over to San Felipe, Texas to take some photos at the San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site this past March. No filters, just pictures taken on my phone. I think they turned out quite nicely, and it makes me smile every time I see them!

It's Been a While...

I keep thinking that I will come on and type up an entry for my blog / journal. Then things come up and I forget to come on and enter whatever was on my mind. A lot of things have happened since I was last on.

I don't even know where to start. I see my last entry on here was in October of 2020, and was a dream that I had, and wanted to record.  I've had many dreams since then, but didn't make it to this blog to get them entered.

So, where were we...

I stepped off the board of the Community Band I play in in 2018. Doesn't seem like I recorded that here. I knew that my manager would be retiring soon, and I was expected to apply for his position. And I was pretty stressed/burned out from the happenings with the Board, so it felt like a good time to step down.  I continued to do the things I enjoyed doing for the band, like designing the programs, writing program notes, setting up silent auctions, etc. 

My manager retired in the spring of 2019, and I did apply for his position at the request of his manager. I got the position, and there was a major learning curve associated with the additional responsibilities. The person retiring was supposed to be training/mentoring, but no such luck. I had to figure everything out on my own. In the summer of 2019, my department moved to a new office, from the medical center area to the north side of Houston.

Then COVID hit in March of 2020. The band had a concert the first weekend of March, and then we shut operations down until further notice. I heard that the board went to virtual meetings at that point, instead of meeting at restaurants like they had been when I was on the board. Friends and I decided that since we were not having band rehearsals for the foreseeable future, we would meet virtually during what would have been band rehearsal time. We ate dinner together in zoom meetings once a week and just kept up with each other! I continued to go into the office every day, as did the rest of my department. We were just told to wear masks to protect us all from COVID. 

In February 2021, I decided to rejoin the Board for the community band...only this time as a member at large. I did not want a leadership position. The band's first performance post-COVID was a Memorial Day gig for the City of Sugar Land. We then did an altered Patriotic Concert to ensure everyone was still safe. Concerts have since started back up full force with the band. We had been doing silent auctions online during the pandemic, and decided to keep them online afterwards! In May of 2021, the department I work in got transferred to the National Routing Team. We lost our clerical staff to Dispatch, and I was bumped back down to supervisor from the manager position I had just applied for and been promoted to in 2019. In the summer of 2021, the president of the community band board resigned, and I ended up getting voted back in as president...only this time with stipulations of not getting over committed like before.

In the fall of 2021, I got a phone call from the band director of the community band, telling me that he had been diagnosed with some pretty serious cancer. He took a leave of absence for 7 months to take on chemo and all that goes with fighting cancer. He would join rehearsals through zoom meetings, just to keep in touch with everyone, while a band member stepped up and rehearsed the band, and conducted concerts in his absence. He was able to come back to conduct one piece at the May 2022 concert. He is now in remission, and has come back to the band full force. We offered the band member who helped out a position as Associate Director, which he accepted.

At Christmas time in 2021, I finally got COVID, and ended up passing it on to my mom and step dad. Jeff was either asymptomatic or he somehow did not get it. But I worked from home for a week while I recovered.

My department was able to go fully remote in the spring of 2022. It has been so much better since we are not fighting traffic to get to the office, put miles on the car, pay for toll roads, etc. I made room in the crafting room for my office space, so it has been quite nice to see Jeff during the day when he is relaxing and resting before getting ready for work at night. 

That brings us to 2023. I am sitting here waiting for a billing cycle to drop so I can route it. We've been learning additional billing cycles, as being a part of the national team. I'm learning stores in Florida right now...we routed stores in Maryland, Ohio, and Pennsylvania at one point before transitioning the routing back to the team in that location. Lots has happened, some good...some bad...but we are still here plugging away at life!

Dream: Lights Out

I had a dream last night where I woke up on my own, and noticed my alarm did not go off.  I was in a rush to shower and get ready for work, since I didn't get up when my alarm normally wakes me up.  I remember looking at the alarm from across the room and it was 3 something in the morning - my alarm is set for 5:30 am.  The thing was that this did not phase me...I saw it, I recognized it, but I didn't put the pieces together that I was a couple hours early.  I was too preoccupied with the fact that there was no electricity in the bathroom and that I had to take a shower in the dark.  Jeff was up by this time, and pointed out that it felt like the air conditioner hadn't run in a while either, since the air felt stale.  The air conditioner was located just outside the bathroom.  The rest of the house had electricity, but just not the bedroom, bathroom, and air conditioner unit. 

Jeff called a professional to come out to see what the issue was and to fix it.  While on the phone, the person asked if Jeff had checked the breaker box.  Turns out the breaker for that part of the house tripped, and all it took was for us to flip the switch again.

Dream: Items in my office

In my dream, I went up to my office to do some work, and when I got to the office, it was laid out completely different than how it is in real life.  In the dream, when you walked in the front door to the area, my office was way off to the right, down a dark hallway, while everyone else in my department worked in cubicles off to the left of the front door.  They were no where near each other. I walked in to my office, and there were all kinds of clothes on the chairs and floor.  Some looked familiar to me (like I had worn them at one point or they belonged to my husband, Jeff), while others did not look familiar at all.  I set all my stuff down that I brought with me, and started going through the clothes trying to figure out who they belonged to and why they were in my office. I woke up before I got everything organized.

Dream: Freezing Time

I had a dream that I was able to freeze time whenever I wanted, and for as long as I wanted.  In the dream, I used this ability to freeze time late at night, and then drove to several different Walmarts while time was frozen.  

Since time ( and everyone in it except me) was frozen, I was able to go through the store and get the items I wanted with great ease.  Also, the video surveillance system was not working since time was not moving, so I was able to just walk out with the items instead of paying for them.  

I went to several places and got everything I wanted - Walmart, Target, Hobby Lobby, Michaels...you name it, I went there and got everything I wanted from those particular stores.  

Dream: Restaurant with Family

Last night I had an interesting dream about family.

I was at a cafe with some family.  I know for sure my mom, and a few of Jeff's cousins were there, but I do not remember who else was with us.  We ate and as we were leaving, I looked over in the little niche area where the pitchers of tea and water were kept, as well as the computers for cashing out customers.  

In that niche area, I saw my dad standing there with his arms crossed, waiting for me to see him.  He was wearing the button down short sleeve type shirt that he would normally wear to work, and some slacks.  I knew instantly that what I was looking at was his spirit, since he had passed in real life 7 years prior, and I realized that I was not scared or afraid when seeing him.  

I approached him, and said "Oh wow! Can I touch you?" I was amazed that I could see his spirit, and that I was not afraid. He never said anything, just held out his hand for me to hold.  Also, I noticed that he smelled like he had been outside for a good amount of time.  We stood there for about 30 seconds hold hands, when my family approached...unaware that I was standing there with my dad...and said something to me (I don't know what it was).  I turned my head to look at them as they spoke, and then turned my head back around to my dad.  In that instant of turning to look at family and then back, my dad had disappeared.  

Recording Dreams

When our house flooded in 2016, I lost my notebook that I used to record all of the dreams I could remember.  I hate that I lost that treasure trove of memories!  I think I will continue using this blog as a way to record my dreams so that I can remember them later on.  I hope this is a opportunity for others to share their dreams with family and friends as well!

5 years...seriously?

Oh man, where has the time gone?  I can't believe it has been 5 years since I have posted here.  It's been an emotionally hard time since I posted last.  

My dad's passing has been harder on me that I expected it would be.  I think of him every day.  Every. Single. Day.  I think of all the things that should have been said, that should have been done...I feel like if I had known he was depressed, then I could have tried to get him help.  I struggle every day with the things that should have happened and did not.

Just as hard is the fact that a good friend passed about 6 months after my dad.  We didn't talk real often, but when we did, I felt like he really listened.  He was one of few that really understood me, and I felt like I could really be myself around him...I think of my friend every single day as well.

I've been in the band all these years...got voted in my 14th year of president this past January.  I'm getting tired of this as well.  I'm looking for new things to keep me busy.  I do have a travel blog that I try to post to once a week...been doing that for several years now.  I'm now talking of starting up a youtube channel of the things we find out about when planning and traveling, and also the non profit things too.  I'll have to keep up some videos stockpiled so we can post every week, if we decide to do it.

New ideas for blogging

I've been thinking about starting a scrapbook / vacation blog.  One where others can get ideas on how to get vacations paid for inexpensively and also get supplies for the vacation scrapbooks inexpensively as well.  Let's see how this will work!

Dose of Disney

Jeff and I got married in September 2012.  We honeymooned at Disney World, and had a great time while there!  While at the parks during our honeymoon, I would email pictures I took of rides I remembered from my childhood to my dad. 

After my dad's passing in November, I was looking for a way to make more happy memories at Disney World and not associate the rides with my dad.  I was so pleased to hear that Jeff wanted to go there for his 50th birthday this year!

We went in May, along with Mom and David, and Uncle Jim and Lisa.  a great time was had by all, and I only had a minor meltdown while there.  Success!

a different kind of TMEA

It is that time of year again.  A group of us leave to go to the TMEA convention this coming Friday.  This year will be a little different though...we will be staying the night!  I cannot wait for the trip this year.  It is a much needed outing.

Christmas and New Years

This was the most difficult Christmas and New Year's that I have had to endure.  We survived through it though. 

 

I find myself wanting to call or email Dad to let him know things that are going on.  I did not hardly call or email him when he was alive - now I am fighting the urge to do it. 

 

I realized not long ago that I had buried some bitterness towards Dad's side of the family.  I thought I had released it and let it go, but after the confrontation at the Arlington house after Dad's death I realized there were some things I needed to work on.

 

I am going to have to get myself through this.  Each year should be better from the last.  But I have a feeling it is going to be hard for a few more years before it gets better. 

 

I have to remind myself though that whatever feeling I am fighting to work through, I cannot allow it to interfere with my relationship with Jeff.  I have fought too hard for our relationship to be as successful as it is to just let myself destroy it.

Divorcing Family

When we met with Harold and Janet, they informed us that they had gotten rid of the cat that Dad and Sharon had.  That cat was one of the last things Dad bought for her.  We were later able to recover the cat from the kennel.

They did not want to pay anything for the funeral, even though the note blamed them for everything. Michael and I ended up getting into a screaming match with them, and it took Jeff and Renee to keep Michael off of Harold.  He pushed Leslie to the spot that Dad committed suicide, and made her stand there.

Harold told me that I was a dishonor to the family.  Leslie tried to tell me to leave the house, even though it was not her house.  I put it right back on her, and told her it was not her house and she could not kick me out of it.  I also told her if she had nothing positive to say to me, to just not say anything positive at all.

It took Mom going over to smooth things out a bit, and even at that, they said that Michael and I were not welcome at the memorial service they were holding at the house.

Michael is seeing a therapist for his anger issues.  He cannot hold these feelings in without doing damage to himself, Renee, and their marriage.  I am struggling myself, but not as bad as what Michael is going through.  I realize I am allowed to be angry while grieving, but at some point I need to let go of the anger.  I know they will have to answer for being responsible for Dad's death.  Maybe not in this lifetime, but they will have to answer.   That is the only consolation I have.  I know I will be able to let this go when I am done grieving, and know that God will take care of them when it is their turn to stand in front of Him.  I would love to be there to see that, but more than likely will not.

But, I am no longer related to any of them.  They are no more family to me.  They have killed my father, and for that they will answer.

Life and Death Part 2

Yesterday morning, while I was doing some research to help Michael and Renee get the ball rolling for Sharon, I got a phone call from Jeff's sister, Mendy.  Jeff's Dad passed away yesterday morning.  We now are dealing with two deaths in the family within a week of each other.

Life and Death

On Thursday, November 15th, 2012, I got a phone call from my brother.  He had something to tell me, but would not tell me until I was inside the house and sitting next to Jeff.

Sharon had gone out of town earlier in the week.  She had spoken to Dad on the phone Wednesday evening (November 14th), around 8 pm, but told him she would call back when she could hear better.  When she called around 10 pm, there was no answer, and no answers the few times she called the next day.  At that point, she called Michael to ask him to go by and check on Dad since he was not answering the phone.

Michael had to crawl in to the house through an open window in the back. All the lights were out, but the TV was on.  Michael knew immediately that something was wrong.  He found Dad in the front entry way (it was actually hidden from the back of the house - where Dad would know that whoever came home would come in from).  Dad had shot himself in the chest.  Michael would swear that Dad had shot himself in the head...it wasn't until he read later on that it was a chest wound.

Dad did leave a note.  At the time of this writing, Michael is the only one who has read the note.  The police kept the note for a few weeks, but has finally released it to Michael.  From what I understand, the note was pretty much blaming Harold for Dad's death.

After I got off work on Sunday, November 18th, Jeff and I headed to Austin to get Sharon's car, and drive it to Ft. Worth so she could have her car.  We stayed up there until Wednesday, November 21st, when we came back to Houston.  Jeff and I bought groceries for Michael, Renee, and Sharon (Sharon is staying with Michael and Renee until she can find her own place), and cooked meals for them while we were there.  We plan to still have Thanksgiving at Mom's house tomorrow, with Sharon there as well.

We are married!

At the Harris County Courthouse, Clay Road Annex

September 17th 2012

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At the Wedding Reception

September 22nd, 2012

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Honeymoon to Walt Disney World

September 23rd - 27th, 2012

things happen in multiples

Just a few weeks ago, one of my cousins (Bobby) passed away from cancer...just found out that my great aunt had a stroke last week, and is likely not going to come out of that itself, but to top it off she has also been diagnosed with late stage lung cancer.  They have unplugged her from the iv's.  Now we just wait.  It has been a rough few weeks.

Convention work

On February 12th, a group of friends and I went to San Antonio for the TMEA convention.  It was a much needed break and we were able to purchase several large percussion instruments for the Band.  Success!

New Start to the Same Thing

Tonight is the Band's Annual Meeting.  Tonight I will be giving my speech on how the band did this past year, and what we have to look forward to.  This is the eighth time I have given this speech, every year since January of 2005.  I feel that I have grown in my time on the podium, and although I am nervous about tonight, I don't feel that I am as nervous as I have been in the past.  This is a great thing!

I do feel excited about tonight too.  We are voting in board members who are up for re-election, which is normal.  But we are also voting in 2 new board members tonight, one of which I have wanted as a board member for a couple of years now (the piccolo player).  She agreed to do it, finally, and I suggested she take the remainder of a 2 year term, just to see if it is really something she wants to do, and can commit to.  The other position is going to the String Bass player, who has been coming to the after-band-executive-committee meeting every Sunday for several months now.  He's already seen how things kind of work, and how we each take things on, etc.  He's been already committing himself to some things that the board is doing, and offering his services where needed.

This has the potential to be one of the best boards we have had ever.  Everyone has their own opinion, and voices it during meetings.  But, on the other hand, almost everyone chips in and has taken on a project they can call their own.  There is only one member who has not really taken anything on as his own, and that is bothersome.  This one member just shows up to meetings and rehearsals.  Instead of taking tickets to sell, he just writes a check for $50 and calls it a donation.  He always says he is on the stage committee, but then shows up to rehearsals and concerts well after the stage has been set.  He has not been to a retreat yet, because he goes out of town that particular weekend every year.  He once wanted to step down from the board, when his wife passed away, but we did not let him, because at that time, he needed to remain active so he would not sink into even more of a depression than he was in.

But even still, I feel optimistic about this year.  I am not up for re-election tonight as a board member, but will be up for re-election at Wednesday's board meeting, for the President position.  Even though I have complained in the past about all the things I have had to do as President, I am glad to see so many of the board taking on responsibilities that I used to take on.  The ones I have left are the ones I really enjoy tackling.  Program design, program notes, and press releases. 

The Beginning of the End?

Here it is, the first day of 2012.  Many people say that the world is going to end this year, on 12/21/12.  Will it?  Who knows.  What I do know is that as I sit here on the dawn of a new year, I once again ponder my priorities.  Not that I am too overwhelmed with things to do this time around.  But, instead, knowing that this past year was one of ups and downs.  goods and bads.  And I am trying to decide if it was a year of mostly ups and goods or downs and bads.  If it was a year of mostly good things, than I will keep the status quo and continue on as planned.  If it was a year of mostly bads then I need to look to see what the problem areas are and change them.  Most of the question areas have to do with work.  

Things with Jeff are definitely good, and have never been better.  We are planning for a wedding and a honeymoon this year, as well as working on home improvements.  We have a plan, and hopefully we can stick to it.  I am looking forward to that this year!

Traveling Abroad

For 4 1/2 years Jeff has heard me talk about wanting to go to Europe...more specifically anywhere in Ireland, and Paris.  I'd also love to travel to Australia as well.  For the entire time that I have told him about wanting to travel to these places, he has told me that he has not had any desire whatsoever to travel outside the United States. 

The four years that he spent in the Marine Corps jaded his view of other countries.  It wasn't really the Marine Corps fault...it was more military in general.  I think that if he had spent time in any one of the four branches, he would have felt the same way.  I'm also not sure if I would call it "jaded" either.  He says that he has seen first hand how and what other countries feel and think of Americans.  I do not doubt this.

The point that I have tried to make to him was that I was not planning on trying to blend in with the locals in these countries.  If and when I was to take these trips would be to go on an all inclusive trip where we would have an English-speaking guide, most activities and meals set up for us before hand, and be able to stay in well known hotels. 

Nope...not going to happen, according to Jeff.  If we want to see Paris, we can go to Las Vegas and go to the Paris Hotel and Casino.  If we want to go to someplace tropical, instead of going to Cancun, we can go to Puerto Rico so we won't need a passport.

This Christmas, I read to him, the Christmas letter one of my bandmates sent to us.  In the letter, she spoke of going with her daughter and high school band to Europe for a Band Trip.  They played all over Europe, sight-saw, and experienced local food.  It was all-inclusive, and they had a fantastic time. 

Now, Jeff is all for going overseas!  We've done some looking online, and Disney has a service that will set you up on these type of trips, albeit for a price.  But, you know you are getting top notch service since it is a Disney vacation!  I sure hope he continues this, and follows through with his word that we can now go to Europe or Australia.  One of his former co-workers has also invited us to come stay with them in New Zealand.  Hello!

Christmas and Richness

It is amazing how things come into perspective at certain times.  Here we are at Christmas time...the time of sharing, of giving, and of spending time with family.  It has also been one of the most difficult of years for everyone, with the economy horribly in recession, Texas dealing with a severe drought, and finances being tight.  But, we still managed to have a wonderful Christmas, full of surprises, presents, and good food.  We all sought out the best deals in the stores and online for presents, and were looking for deals in the grocery stores for food.  It feels like we have a lot more money than we do right now, and that is the way it ought to be.  We are not rich because we have a lot of money - we are rich because of the family and friends we keep around us. 

Of course, there are family members I wish were here with us, but that is a part of life.  We have done remarkedly well with what we have and how we have prepared everything.  That is the most important part.  I wish we could feel this way the entire year.  But that is what makes this time of year special. 

Christmas Concert

This past Sunday, the band had its annual Christmas Concert.  It was a bittersweet day for me.  My manager had allowed me to take the day off to attend the concert, and my supervisor actually attended the concert.  We knew we needed a very good showing because we were financially strapped for the year, and needed to get as close as possible to ending up in the black.  What actually happened was beyond belief!  We sold 710 tickets to the concert, and ended up in the black for the year because of all the tickets sold!

One of the new things we have started doing since being at the church is that we have access to use the screens behind the band to put images on.  The youth group has also set up a concessions stand to sell drinks and snacks at, with proceeds helping out the church...of course the band also gets a little part of that as well. 

Thanksgiving

I have lots to be thankful for this Thanksgiving Day.  I am living with an absolutely amazing man, who loves me very much.  I have a job, a roof over my head and food on the table.  Even though we have our struggles, we come out ahead of the game on most everything.  On the things we don't, we try to find a way to make things positive

There are a lot of people who are out of work, who are struggling to put food on the table and pay the bills, and who are giving up on being able to have the life they once had.

Celebrating Labor Day

Jeff and I are once again celebrating Labor Day by spending time with Mom and David, and Mama.  It is really good to spend some time with them, I just wish that we could spend more time with them more often.  But, our schedules conflict too much too often.

Jeff and David went out to the firing range today and shot off David's pistols.  After they got back, everyone (except David) went out to Dollar Tree and Big Lots to look for stuff to use for the reception next year when we get married.  We found some great stuff and at very in expensive prices!

Wedding Planning

Jeff and I have decided that we will go to the court house to get married, and have a large reception for family and friends.  We are going to have a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs themed reception.  After doing some research on the fairy tale, we found out that it was a Bros. Grim story, set in Germany.  We've asked my step-dad and my brother to do the grilling of German food, and my mom to make the Apple Strudel and German Chocolate Cake for the cake table.  I'd like to have my sister-in-law be my right hand help on getting the theme and setting just right!

We decided that each party favor bag will relate to mirrors, apples, and mining.  Each attendee will get a handful of gems!

This will be the centerpiece, along with each of the seven dwarfs, on the cake table.

New Beginnings

Tonight when Jeff and I get off work, we will be heading down to Texas City to help move his parents into an assisted living center. We think this is going to be a great move for everyone involved. His oldest sister has been taking care of them for a couple of years now, and has been able to completely finish up all of her schooling to become a nurse. They will now be able to get the complete care they need and couldn't get from Mendy. win-win situation!

Band Day 2011

Today was a very positive but very exhaustive work day for the band. Stephen, Ed, and I met up at 8 am at the storage unit to do some organizing and filing. After two hours there, we headed out and went by 12 different businesses to talk fund-raising, sponsorship, and advertising. All but one place either sounded interested or were ready to commit to helping us out. They all had to see what they could do to help out financially, and the interested parties had to check with higher ups as well. It was a great day!!

Happy Anniversary!

Today Jeff and I are celebrating our 4th anniversary.  It is amazing how time flies by so fast.  I am completely in love with him!

August 18th, 2007 - one of our first few dates.

February 28, 2008 - A weekend trip to San Antonio

January 26th, 2009 - Touring the Republic of Texas Museum at the Washington-On-The-Brazos State Park.

August 8th, 2010 - A Trip to Dallas to tour the Dallas World Aquarium.

January 18th, 2011 - installing our new Rose Garden at the House.

Celebrating Freedom

Today we celebrated our country's 235th year of independence!  There has been a massive drought in Texas this year, so the state has banned all fireworks.  So, instead of shooting them, we decided to go to Mom and David's house.  While there we went to the firing range and shot guns off.  One way or another we were going to have some sparks flying this 4th of July!!

The usual barbeque was in order as well this year, with ribs, sausage, corn-on-the-cob, grilled veggies, grilled lobster, grilled stuffed jalapenos, and banana pudding.  Too much food, but also very good too.  When we weren't grilling, eating, or shooting guns, we were in the pool swimming!



Favorite clips

Found some of my favorite clips on youtube...thought I would share!

Retreat!!

Tomorrow is our 4th annual Lone Star Symphonic Band Board Retreat.  Jeff will be cooking, as usual, as he has done the last three years.  We have a lot planned, and I have the feeling that I will not be sleeping much tonight because of nerves.  I'll be presenting about a third of the retreat, talking about publicity.

As I have reflected over the past retreats and looking forward to the retreat tomorrow, I have noticed that I really have grown.  I do still get nervous about getting in front of people to speak, but I think I can manage it a little better now than before.  I have forced myself to get in front of the band and board to make announcements, presentations, and speeches.  I have grown from the experience as well. 

Memorial Day Weekend

Over Memorial Day Weekend, Jeff and I headed to Texas City and Galveston to spend time with Jeff's family.  Jeff cooked his famous chicken enchiladas for the family...good, but very hot!  While we were down there, we went to Galveston and toured the Lone Star Flight Museum.  We very much enjoyed our trip "out of town" and to visit the family for awhile.  Catching up with loved ones is always important, and something that always needs to be worked on.  We'll do our part, and are glad to see the rest of the family doing their part too!

Hobbies and weekends

I am really glad that Jeff has started collecting antique firearms.  He had told me that he had collected firearms years ago, but had to pawn them when he was very short on cash.  He has been feeling comfortable enough over the last year to purchase a handgun and 3 rifles to date.  I know it is a little straining on our income, but he is finding good deals on the guns, so he is not paying full price for them.

He has stopped purchasing model kits as he says that he has enough to get him through his retirement for now.  I'm sure he will look at them again at some point if he goes through the kits fairly quickly once he does retire.

I'm just happy that he has a hobby now to do on  his days off.  I don't think it is healthy to have nothing going on in your off days!

Father Winter has come

Jeff and I went up to Ft. Worth to see Michael and Renee for Michael's birthday on Monday, January 31st.  I had checked the weather online and saw that Monday's highs were in the 60's, so I thought we would be good for a great weekend out of town. 

We went to Nicky D's for lunch Monday, drove around Benbrook Lake, and got ice cream at Braum's.  Then we met Michael, Renee, Dad, and Sharon for dinner at Babe's Chicken in Arlington.  A great time was had by all!

BUT...Monday night, a severe cold front came through with rain, sleet, and snow.  We woke up on Tuesday with an inch of ice on the roads.  Jeff and I were stuck in Ft. Worth!  We had stayed in a hotel Sunday and Monday nights, but could not stay any longer because it was expensive!

We inched our way over to Uncle Jim and Lisa's, after slipping and sliding down the highway.  Jeff was so nervous that he got sick after getting to the house.  We were stuck until Thursday before being able to go home.  It was definitely an interesting trip!!

Family Time

I am so ready for this coming time off Monday and Tuesday.  Michael's birthday is Monday, so we will be going up to Fort Worth to eat dinner with them.  We are driving up Sunday after work, and will come home on Tuesday.  It'll be a nice weekend get away!

I haven't been able to spend Michael's birthday with him in years, so this will be a nice occasion for Jeff and me.  We are also planning on going to Braum's for ice cream, and maybe going to Nicky D's for hamburgers.  That part is up in the air. 

Different Kind of Christmas

Christmas this year is a little different...David is working night shifts at his work and Michael and Renee could not stay past the weekend.  So, Mom, David, and Mama did Christmas with Michael and Renee over the weekend (David's regular day off) and they only opened their gifts to each other. 

Jeff and I came up last night and got up each this morning so we could watch David open his presents from us before he had to go to bed.  David has to go to work tonight so he cannot be with us while we open presents.  Mom, Mama, Jeff and I will be opening presents tonight, and we'll be doing Christmas dinner tomorrow.  David will be getting up a little early tomorrow to be able to eat dinner with us before he  has to go to work.

It's just a little off this year since we cannot all be together for the holidays. 

Thanksgiving in many ways

On Thanksgiving this year, I headed down to Galveston for the day.  Jeff had to work, and I was off with nothing to do.  We had celebrated Thanksgiving the night before, so Jeff could cook on his day off. 

It has been a little over 2 years since Hurricane Ike ravaged the Galveston area.  Many things have been repaired, but they have not forgotten the storm.  It really is a blessing that the town is rebuilding, even if it is a little bit slower than expected.

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This picture shows the line across the door, indicating where the water line was during the flooding of Hurricane Ike.

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Some markings were crudely drawn onto the sides of buildings.  But, the point is very clearly made!

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Just as a point of reference on how high up the water really came on the buildings.  I am standing on the sidewalk next to this building.

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Some companies/people made more of a permanent marker on the side of their buildings in the Strand District.

Bleh

What a week.  First, we were supposed to meet up with family in Fort Worth, but most of the family we were supposed to meet with did not even show up.  But, we did meet up with my uncle and cousins, and my dad.

Then, I go into work today and find out that a co worker that I sat 10 feet from every day died this morning...massive heart attack in  his sleep.  Everyone in the entire office got real quiet all day after hearing the news...those in his department cried today as well.  Definitely glad today is over with.

Scare

I had noticed recently that my headches were coming back, and very frequently at that.  I also noticed that I had nausea and dizziness, and could not see because of blurry vision...Jeff left work early last Thursday and took me to the neuro-opthamologist for some tests.  The doctor could not find anything wrong, so he is sending me to a neurologist on Tuesday for more tests...the opthamologist thinks it is stress related, but wants another specialist to see if it is something else.  We'll see if it is anything major this Tuesday.

Nasty Grams

It absolutely amazes me to know that there are completely irrational people out in the world, and that they have somehow managed to work their way into high management positions. 

I love doing work for the band.  I deal with being the person that everyone goes to, to complain about this or that.  At least they have a point person, who will direct them the right way or will handle it.  I get that, and don't mind being that person.

But, then we have instances like this past Sunday.  I had gotten an email from one of the band members earlier in the week asking for me to call him, but gave no other specifics.  I called on Friday, and he informed me that he had fired our previous music director (the band member, Carlos, hired him shortly after Carlos joined the band).  He didn't go into specifics on the phone as to why he had fired him, but told me that he would let me know the details at rehearsal.

Sunday's rehearsal came and went...I spoke to Carlos after rehearsal about the firing, and everything seemed fine.  We joked for a few minutes, and he left laughing.  I waited for the Brass Ensemble to finish their post-rehearsal run through so I could go to dinner with one of the ensemble members.  On the way out the door, the ensemble member completely dumps on me, saying that Carlos had confronted him (sometime between the end of rehearsal and when I spoke with him) and completely lashed out at him for not being asked to play in the ensemble.  So, I spent dinner trying to calm down my friend since he was quite upset from it.

Monday, I get up and check my email and lo-and-behold there is one big nasty gram in my inbox from Carlos.  He lashed out at me for my friend not asking him to play, although my friend is the founding member of the ensemble, purchases all the music, and coordinates with the Music Director on when/where/what they will be playing for concerts.  He can choose who he wants in the ensemble.  Carlos wanted me to send the email to the full board, so they can see Carlos lashing out at me and my friend...I think not.

I ended up getting 4 emails from him that day, all nasty grams.  Finally after 10:00 pm, I responded to him, telling him that his issue is not a board issue, bu rather a membership/personnel issue and that he needs to take it up with his section leader and the person who he felt did him wrong.  He wanted me to call him again to discuss, but I was having no part of it.  I told him the conversation was through, he got his response, and needed to leave it alone...if anything else, go form his own ensemble out of members in the band.  We don't care!

I hate having to deal with crap like that!

Better Times

Seems like baby steps are needed sometimes to get back to better times. We'll see how this goes. Jeff and I went to Dallas earlier this month to site-see and also went to dinner with Michael, Dad, and Sharon. I think it was a good first step in getting our relationship on track. One never knows what is around the corner, but we will see as we go along. Jeff was impressed with the dinner meeting, as were Michael and I.

I would really like to see our relationship get back to being right...or moreso getting right to begin with. I don't think it was ever right to begin with. Too much stuff happened growing up to rehash, but it wasn't right. I think we are both wanting it to work now, and hopefully it will.

Not so kind surprises

Last week seemed to be of the normal kind. I went to work as normal, spent the evenings with Jeff as normal, and had way too many projects started at home as normal. Saturday morning I went in to work, as normal, only to find out that the Security Manager, Daryl Hunt, at work had passed away the evening before from a massive heart attack.

I had known Daryl, and spoke to him every single day. In fact, I had joked around with him at work the day he died. He was a big guy...as in football player big, not big big. I just could not believe that he was gone, and I'm still having trouble coming to grips with it.

Daryl had been a Houston Oiler for 6 years back in the Luv Ya Blue days of the early 80's, playing under Bum Phillips. He still holds the record for most tackles in a season at the University of Oklahoma, where he studied before being drafted in the NFL. He would go play golf all the time since retiring from the NFL, and starting work at Grocers Supply, where he has been since the mid 1980's.

I'm not sure why I'm having such trouble accepting that he is gone. Maybe it was because it didn't seem like there was anything wrong with him. Maybe it was because I had spoken to him a mere 2 hours before his death. Maybe it was because he was one of those people who instantly became the center of attention the moment he walked in the room...and not intentionally. People just naturally gravitated to him. I'm sure I could have accepted it more if there had been an official memorial service or funeral here in Houston, but alas, there was not one. Everything was held in his hometown of Odessa, Texas.

I don't have the shoulda/woulda/coulda-said-something-important-to-him-before-he-died syndrome. I think it was just how he lit up the room as he walked through that I will miss the most.

Do Something

I do not know what is going on here. I have not been wanting to do much of anything lately. It seems like all I want to do is just get out of the house for the day. I keep putting off all the things I need to do around the house, hoping that they will somehow get done.

I'm supposed to go eat lunch and do some shopping with Mom tomorrow. Then tomorrow night, Jeff and I are driving down to Texas City to spend time on Tuesday with his family. I'm really looking forward to the driving being done the next two days...seriously.

What I need to do is take a trip to Galveston. I've been meaning to do that for 2 years now. I haven't been down there much, if at all, since I started dating Jeff. I need to go clear my head and get my priorities straight. Yep, that's what I need to do!

Life Changes

Some things change, and some things stay the same...I have noticed that!

Tonight I am giving my State of the Band Address to the band. It is our first rehearsal back in the new year. I'm excited, but extremely nervous too. I have not had a chance to write up anything for the speech yet, and do not know quite yet what I am going to say.

Work has gotten more chaotic lately. I am finally starting to live route, but a certain someone makes things so freaking difficult that I almost can't stand to route. The weekends are a lot better for me in live routing, because I don't feel so constricted.

At Christmas time, Jeff proposed to me! We are planning on getting married in a couple of years, so we can save up enough money for a trip to Hawaii, and everyone else can too. We are inviting all of our family and closest friends.

So, good things and not so good things happening right now. I am anxious for it to level out though. It's making me very tired!

Reflections

Sometimes it is good to just reflect on what we have, being this is Thanksgiving. I have always wanted to have a family where his side and my side got along, and there were no "idiots" around. So many relationships I had were not like this in the past, and I never thought I would have the opportunity to have it. But now, looking back, I see that I have that with Jeff, and I like it a lot. I love his family, and I get along with them well. My family loves Jeff, and have taken him in as their own. It is a wonderful feeling.

groceries

I know I am going to have a really hard time sleeping tonight. And I hate that. Jeff and I went grocery shopping tonight, and got a ton of food...as we were checking out, we heard some screaming coming from outside. Turns out a lady walking out from the grocery store was hit by a truck, and was laying on the street right in front of the exit. I feel so sorry for her!

Time flies when you are having fun

This coming Monday, Jeff and I will be celebrating our 2 year anniversary. It is truly amazing to me that we have made it 2 years and are still very much in love with each other. I am hoping for a lot longer of a relationship with him!

He is taking me to see the Phantom of the Opera this Tuesday, at the Hobby Center. We are staying the night downtown, at a Best Western. Woo hoo!

water

I cannot believe the luck I have sometimes. I was trying to sleep last night through a massive thunderstorm. The electricity went off, and once it came back on, I reset my alarm clock and tried to go back to bed. That was about 3:45 this morning. Not long afterwards, Jeff comes in and tells me that we are flooded out. There was about an inch and a half of water throughout the entire house. Jeff's truck was flooded out too. Mom and David are over helping us clean stuff out and rip the carpet out. We'll survive somehow...not sure how right now though.

Too busy for my own good

I realize that I have been way too busy, and need to take some time off. In 3 weeks, I will be able to do that. The convention that I have been working so hard for will be taking place in a couple of weeks. It's been 3 years in the making. Time sure does fly!

I think this has make me an older person. I'm not really sure it's a good thing either.

New Year...New Opportunities

It is amazing what can happen with a little faith. Our savings were getting very low, and as soon as the new year came around, I got 3 interviews within 24 hours. I accepted the position with Grocer's Supply, and will start this next week. I'm getting a payraise out of it as well. $4,000 a year to be exact.

Jeff is even benefitting from it as well. We went out and bought a Dodge Dakota today. He'd been wanting it for as long as he could remember. Nice, bright red truck. He is already talking about all the stuff he wants to add to it...rail guards, hood bras, etc. He even got online as soon as we got home and started looking up boats. I guess that will be our next big purchase together.

Black Friday

I read online this morning that someone was killed in a stampede at Walmart when it opened for the Black Friday sales. I also read about a couple of people who got into a fist fight today over an XBox 360...it was the last one in the store.

I don't understand the whole hype over the Black Friday crap. Sure, you might be able to find some outragious deals on some items, but is it really worth it? I make it a point not to shop on Black Friday...it is not worth the hassle of the traffic and long lines to save a little bit of money on stuff. Besides, Jeff and I went to Linens-n-Things to do a good portion of our shopping this year...they are going out of business, and everything was drastically marked down, and well before Thanksgiving.

The parents who fight it out at the stores over the next big toy probably are the same parents who spoil their kids the rest of the year as well...I don't think it's just at Christmas. And, is the fighting really worth it? The kids are going to be bored with the toys by New Years Day anyhow. I can remember the whole big hoopla a few years ago about the Tickle Me Elmo doll. I waited a couple of years, then bought it for my uncle's granddaughter. The price had gone down from hundreds of dollars in the black market to something like $15 at Walmart. That's how my mom always did things. We never got the "it" thing the year it came out. We lways got it a couple of years later, after the price had dropped significally. Shoot, Jeff and I still do things this way now!