Guess Who Is Back

I always say I am going to post and keep posting, and let's face it, that never happens.



Lately things have been going well. I have almost finished my first year in my new job. I am loving it so far. It has brought challenges and moments of victory. There have been multiple days that I have said "I can't picture myself doing anything else!" Granted, it is a job and there have been some difficult times but, the always outshine the bad.



This year I have been blessed with so many things. And it being the Christmas season I wanted so share a few of the things that have made my year so wonderful.



1. Starting a new job on January 1, and loving it.

2. Having my grandfather turn 81 years young. He is still independant, living at home, driving himself to our usual once a week lunches.

3. Have become closer with people I have needed to, and left a few behind that I wasn't willing to sacrifice myself or my beliefs for.

4. A brother who's football team went 8-0 this season and won the Super Bowl.

5. Coaching 6 - 8 year old girls in softball. (And not losing my temper)

6. Watched my little sister score her first (and second) goals in soccer.

7. Paid payments 1 - 4 of my ever accumulating student loan. Only 87 more to go.

8. Drove with sister in the back seat, and we sang "The House that Built Me" at the top of our lungs.

9. Gotten to know some of the most amazing people through my job. A retired couple buying their first house, newly weds starting a new life together in their first home, an author, an investor, relocation, and ever expanding families.

10. Had a girls day with my sister. Just the two of us, shopping, eating, and enjoying each others company.

11. Laughed until I cried multiple times.

12. Discovered egg nog latte at PCC. You must try.

13. Saw my childhood best friend marry the love of her life.

14. Ended a relationship on my terms. ( I know this is odd, but still something I am proud of for standing up against something I did not believe in.)

15. And lastly, reading my sisters' letter to Santa. She asked for only 3 things but none of it mattered because of the last sentence. She asked Santa "for my family to have the best Christmas ever." I think her little heart is so genuine.

So maybe this was a ramble, I was bored and wasn't creative. HA!

What Yesterday Consisted Of...

I can't ever come up with clever titles for posts... usually it's a line from a song that strikes my fancy at that moment. Anyways, yesterday I went to one of our local middle schools to sign up to be a bone marrow donor. My life has been greatly affected by organ donation, a very close friend's nephew, an uncle, and someone I work with have all received the gift of life. One thing that I find so interesting about organ donation, some donations can come from live donors. (i.e. livers and kidneys) and I have always said, if it were a family member it would be no question if i would give them one of my organs. But what if it were to a complete stranger?

There is a young girl in our community that has leukemia, and is in need of a bone marrow transplant. I was hesitant to go and find out about bone marrow donation, but I have done alot of research online and decided to go after I saw a documentary on live donation just last week. And one of them happened to be a bone marrow donation. The chances of a person surviving after a bone marrow transplant is only about 30 to 50%, but that's a chance that this person didn't have if they do not receive it.

I was amazed at how many people from the community came out to support this young girl and just to sign up to be a bone marrow donor. However, when you sign up for Be The Match, you have to be willing to give to any person in need, not just a specific person. The person that was my screener just happened to be a survivor of sucha transplant. He was very informative, and said that there is an 80% chance that I may never get called to donate. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to become a part of this.

There are two ways that you can donate, one is to have a team go into your pelvic bone and extract bone marrow at multiple locations. This requries anestesia and about 3 days of recovery. However, as I was told, the most common procedureis a PBSC donation. In this case the donor wll reveive daily injections of filgrastim to boost white blood cells forming in your blood streem. Then your blood is removed from one arm and passes through a machine that seperates the blood forming cells and then the remaining blood is pumped back into your body through the other arm.

A very minimal procedure that can be done outside of a hospital. I was shocked at how easy of a procedure that this could be but have such a large impact on the person receiving this. Anyways, I was just so moved by the entire situation that I thought I would share. The only test that they run during your screening is 4 mouth swabs, not even a finger prick.

I didn't want this to be a depressing post, but an exciting one. It was so wonderful to see a communtiy be so willing to donate to strangers at the hope of just one of them might be the match for someone we do know.

Technology and Me... It's a Love/Hate Relationship

It's an I love technology but it hates me relationship actually. So you've read my drama about the cell phones. Well, yesterday my laptop bit the big one. I do keep computers for quite some time, unlike other things. And there was nothing I could do do salvage it. Thank you to an ad on a major networks website (their symbol is a peacock, hint) that I accidently clicked trying to find out the newest update on Lindsay Vonn's broken finger for the olympics.

177 Trojan Horses. One hundred and seventy seven.

I was shocked. I called my computer repairman and he tried to walk me through fixing my problem. But the virus attached itself to my anti-virus so there was no saving it.

So, it only took him a day to fix, so now I have a like new computer, with nothing on it. My 1000+ iTunes collection... GONE.

Guess it's just one of those things that just happens.

My Evolution of Cell Phones

Well, yesterday my phone that I loved very much bit the dust so I had to go purchase a new one. I was not too excited about this! While waiting on my new phone to get activated I started thinking about all the phones I have had since I got a cell phone the first time at 16. So here goes:

1. Nokia Something or Another. It was free when my parents added a line to their plan haha, so that's what I took..

2. Motorola Flip Phone - because some one gave it to me.

After my little brother decided to hide that phone from me and not tell me where he hid it, I went back to the original nokia.

3. Audiovox

This was the first color - camera phone I got given to me used from someone I worked with. He liked to upgrade phones every 3 months or so, and he gave me this one after I graduated high school.

4. LG

The audiovox lasted through my freshman year of college then the screen went out and I couldn't get any numbers out of it. It was terrible! So, this phone I had to buy outright because my parents upgraded my plan to get a new phone when my dad dropped his in water.

5. Motorola OLD Flip Phone (which is so old I cannot find a picture for it)

I LOVED that lg phone, and it had a problem with the port you plugged the charger into breaking off. It happened once and it was repaired, and then a second time after a golf tournament. It was no longer in warranty so I bought this old motorola phone on Ebay. Interestingly enough, after I had received the phone I got an e-mail form Ebay making sure I was satisfied with my purchase because the seller had posted that very phone for sale multiple times online. I just happened to be the only lucky bidder that actually received the phone.

6. Katana II

My contract with Cellular One / Alltel finally expired so I switched to Sprint. The Katana I loved loved loved.

One fateful day in Dallas, I was using this phone and was particularly clumsy that day and dropped it about 5 times on concrete. It broke the ear piece and I had to speak to everyone on speaker phone.

7. LG Musiq

I was brave enough to try Ebay once more in search of a phone. I got this one brand new in the box with all the plastic still on it. Pretty lucky there.

But being the clumsy person that I am, I always carried my phone in my back pocket and one day ( I won't go into details) the phone ended up in not too sanitary water. So a friend graciously gave me her old origianl Katana.

8. Katana

This phone, much like the other Katana I had was reliable, but it was old. A friend had used it for two solid years and it still worked. I was shocked but relieved not to have to get a new phone.

9. Palm Treo

The Katana just wasn't cutting it and was cracking in some places, so I went to Ebay for the third time to purchase a phone because I still couldn't use my upgrade. Two years is hard for me to keep a phone. My record is about six months. Again, this phone came new in the box with all the plastic and this has been my FAVORITE phone!

This phone lasted me a record year and two months. I loved this phone. But the battery eventually got to where it would only stay charged about half a day and the brightness on the phone went out.

10. Blackberry Curve 8530

I have surrendered to the Blackberry. I can't believe it. I loved my palm but at my new job, I need to be able to get e-mails, texts, web alerts, and guess what, PHONE CALLS. (Crazy huh?) So, I got the new Blackberry Curvey yesterday. It is still taking some getting used to. I miss my touch screen on my palm, but the Curve is doing well as long as I do not drop it or submerge it in a liquid, it might survive!

Coupons?

Ok, so since I no longer have a steady flow of income, I have become quite frugal. Well, honestly I have never been one to over indulge, but every little bit helps right? Our local newspaper has the usual ads on Sundays but the past few weeks they have included a pretty healthy bunch of manufacturers coupons. I have searched through and picked out the few I needed and passed the rest along to my parents. I made the terrible trip to Wally World this afternoon and bought only one thing that I did not have a coupon for. I saved $3. But I was thinking, if I save those $3 every time I go to Wally World (which is about once a week) times 52 weeks a year is $156! Thats a car payment, or insurance, or SO many things that I could use that extra $156 on.

So this is my question for you, do you clip coupons? Do you find coupons online? If you do, which sites do you find work best?

I usually only take what I need, but I see those people with a 3' binder FULL of coupons. (Most of which I am sure are expired!) I don't think I would be one of those people but I am liking the thought of savings. I mean it may be only $3 this week but it as already mentioned that adds up over the year!

I just read through there and realized that I am a 22 year old posting about coupons. This is almost as bad as the intense conversation I had a few weeks ago about the recall on Rolaids. Guess I really am growing up!

I think I hibernated for the summer, fall, and winter

I just realized that I have not blogged since May. MAY. I saw where a friend had taken up blogging again after a similar break from it as well. I got inspired to write a few thigns down myself.

Since the last time I blogged, I have finished school and graduated, become a real adult with a "real job." I have been at my new (but not as different as I had expected) job for about three weeks now. I am loving what I am doing. Helping people find their home has been so rewarding to know that I am being a part of a huge life choice.

It felt very strange this January to not have to register for class, go buy books, and drive back and forth to school. I feel that I am getting to where I need to be in life at this point and it feels amazing.

On a lighter note, the Vikings vs. Saints game last night was a doozy. I have to say, I was cheering for New Orleans inside the entire time. I do love Drew Brees (he's a Texas boy) and plys NO has not been to a Super Bowl, ever. I always love an under-dog. :)

Well, it's back to my duties and hope everyone has a wonderful day.

I'm BACK!

So, honestly, I never really went anywhere but I have been absent from my blog for a while. I only have one more final and then I am done for the semester. But not for long because I am scheduled to take my real estate test in June, and I have two summer classes so there will not be much of a summer. Things have just been so busy here that I have just kind of forgotten to write anything!

I've been doing some coaching for my sisters softball team. Not much here lateley because the absurd amount of rain we have been getting, as well as that swine flu thing that was going around. But all in all, it has been pretty fun!

I have become Twilight obsessed. I have to admit that when I saw the movie advertise in theatres, I thought it was dumb. People were lined up for hours at our home town cinema to see this Twilight movie that I had never even heard of. Well, a friend of mine sat me down one day and said "You're going to watch it!" And I did. AND I LOVED IT. I was still somewhat niave throughout the movie, but the further it got into the movie, the more I liked it. The same friend also has all four books in the series, and of course I had to read them. I am usually the "read the book first, hate the movie second" and while, there are some obvious differences in the movie than the book, it's pretty darn close to the same. I read it in three days. And, as soon as I was done, started reading the second book in the series, New Moon. It was somewhat different, but still kept my attention. It has been a while since a book has kept my attention that heavily! But now, I'm just waiting to read the 3rd and 4th books. Some others have told me they are the best two, CAN'T WAIT!

Like pulling teeth.

So, I missed idol on Tuesday, but I was sure to watch it last night. After the recap, I still don't like Mick/Prince. I was saddened to know that he was not in the bottom three, but then when Michael was! I nearly cried. Ok, so I didn't but I was very confused. Granted, I am not a Garth Brooks fan so I agree he could have picked a better song. I see him singing some Rascal Flats or anything better than Garth. Man, I thought I was going to have to boycott Idol this year. Kinda like I said I was the year Chris Daughtry was voted out, when he was obviously the best, and what has the winner of his season done, NADA. So, HA!

Spring break is almost over, and I have not caught up with any school work. I have been swamped at work and then last night I thought I was going to rip one of my crowns off myself. I bit down on some 'pasketti' as my sister calls it, and tears came to my eyes. The pressure was terrible. And since it is spring break, my dentist decided to go on vacation this week. I have been on the phone with the whole 6 other dentists in this town. 4 are closed and the other 2 are double booked because the other 4 are closed. Nice. So it will be Monday or Tuesday before I can get this darn tooth fixed. I sure hope I make it through the weekend...

When you cross Mick Jagger with Prince..

How pretty is it outside today?!? My stars I wish I was outside instead of staring out the window at the blue sky! I hate being stuck inside when it is so pretty outside. :( I forgot my clothes or I was gonna go run at the local track/soccer field/college something or another.

I missed american idol last night, and then as I was watching the news today they said it was Country music week. Dang it! This was gonna be my favorite week. They did show somewhat of a recap and what was spikey haired boy thinking doing that to a Johnny Cash song. My goodness. That was just terrible! I think of him as a cross of Mick Jagger and Prince. I know how terrible that is. Grr. But I will watch the results tonight and I am excited to see if McPrince is going home.

Friday the 13th, For the second month in a row

Well, not that anything bad has ever happened to me on Friday the 13th. Actually, good things are happening today. My best friend that goes to school out of state is coming in, and I get to see her, and her cute new dog that I may just take home with me if she is not careful! ;) I am a sucker for puppies!

I was so hoping that the weather would be nice and spring like, but while I was in the deeper south region of Texas for a real estate convention where it was 85 degress and humid, Texas weather shocked me again by changing 40 degrees in one day. Now it is rainy and cold, and I should have worn my Olsen fur vest today. But it kinda itches, and I really didn't have the time to find it when I was unpacking and such yesterday. Wait, that's a lie. I was being lazy and watching season 2 of will and grace that I bought on ebay a few weeks ago.

RECAP!

Was anyone else dissapointed last night in Idol?

I was.

Ok, so I voted for like five people but I was honestly not that impressed. The ones I hated from auditions, I liked. And the ones I loved from auditions, were terrible.

Jasmine Murray - I really had high hopes for her, I honestly did. But that song did not work for her at all.

Matt Giraud - I love him. I really really do. But please please bring your piano next week and sing me some Michael Buble, or something along those lines. Please?

Jeanine Vailes - I LOVE maroon 5. Hated this version.

I'm skipping Nick, and I think you know why.


Allison Iraheta - FAVORITE! She was the first person to pick a song that actually fit her voice. Loved her and well I love Heart. I love me some 80s music. OK, I was born in 87 but my daddy raised me right.

Kris Allen - forgettable.

Megan Joy Corkrey - she was one of my favorites during auditions. But seriosuly, you look strange standing there stationary and then just shaking. And, down does not have an "A" anywhere in it.

Matt Breitzke - Oh how I loved this big burley man. And that is one of my all time favorite songs, but it was quite boring.

Jesse Langseth - I love love her voice with the song. I hated the original.

Kai Kalama - well, supper called and I missed him. But in the recap, I was not too impressed.

Mishavonna Henson - Ya'll I liked it! She was one of the better of the night to me! Simon kinda was not impressed but I really liked it.

And, thank you Adam Lambert for having better hair than I do. That's all I have to say about that.

I'm Just Saying...

I've been driving around with a 32 inch TV in the back of my car for about a week now. I am just waiting on someone to break into my car and steal it. I know that is random. My mother gave me her old tv because she has gotten a new one and this one is a little too big to go in my room at the moment, so it's just there.

I'm ready for spring time. It's about 80 degrees today and I wish it would stay like this. Makes me wanna stay outside and be productive. But it'll be all cold in a few days again. Blah. Thank you Texas weather!

I thought I missed American Idol last night because I was not at home, but I was suprised to find out that the president was on last night and AI doesn't come on until tonight. That's quite sad, the American public is more upset about American Idol being moved to Wednesday night than what the President had to say. Me, I was just oblivious to the fact that he was even on. My favorite already made it to the top 12 though. :) The roughnecker from Texas. LOVE HIM!

I am so excited that I don't have class tomorrow! I am going to sleep in! And also save my hour drive in gas!

I thought I had alot more to say, but I guess I thought wrong!

Here and There

Well, after the ice last week, I wore flip flops on Sunday because it was 70 degrees. IT WAS NICE! That is my favorite weather. It's not freezing and it's not 95. Seventy is good. :)

Classes are getting underway. I dropped one of my classes because I could not understand one of my teachers, so I will now be able to work on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. I am still talking the class, but now it is online with a different instructor. I am somewhat behind so tonight I am going to do all that catching up businss. Fun stuff.

I am going to coach my 6 year old sisters softball team this summer. I refused to be the head coach but did volunteer to be the assistant. I think that is a better role for me for now. I am kina excited about this because I have loved softball since I was her age and since I am no longer playing, this will give me the change to get back involved with her. I am sure it is going to be hillarious and I will be sure to post pictures from this!

But I guess that is all for now!

Winter Fashion

Hi. I got to work about noon today. And we have been oh so busy... (Sarcasam). I got up at my usual hour and began getting ready. In the ice and sleet I decided I needed to wear my Ugg boots that I got 2 winters ago that I put in the back of my closet. I do that alot... buy things put them away and forget I own them.

So, after about ten minutes of digging, I found my brand new 2 year old Ugg boots. Began getting ready and I could not master the perfect "Ugg Boot Tuck" that Big Mama talks so much about. My left leg is perfect, right leg not so much. One of those things, kinda like fixing your hair, one side will always look better than the other, or well that is how it works for me anyways.

Also, I got an amazing faux fur vest for Christmas that I have been waiting on the frigid weather to wear. TA-DA! Perfect day for it. I looooove this vest. It is very Rachel Zoe/Olsen Twins esque.

It looks alot like this one but mine is darker, and not as long. Ok it looks nothing like this vest, but let us pretend. :) With my Rachel Zoe/Olsen Twin vest I ventured out for work. I am now sweating because the heat is kicked up to 90 and I am a very hot natured person and this vest is HOT. HAHA. So, the entire reason for this post was to say that I requested Big Mama make another "How to..." on the perfect Ugg boot tuck in like her Scarf How To that was oh so funny.

Hope everyone is Warm and safe!

highways and broken hearts

Well,, I was thinking of a title for this post and I wanted it to be something about traveling, but there are no broken hearts in this story. Well maybe mine, but not from a love. I went to see one of my best friends this weekend about 2 and a half hours away from me because I have not seen her since Christmas. I got my lovely car back on Monday and this trip was planned for Friday. I was cruising along at my 65 MPH because it was night and raining... and there are those flashing lights.. GREAT! I am only going 65 and in Arkansas it is 70 at night, but I was following Texas law. The Officer comes to my window, I hand him my drivers license and asks me to get out of the car. My mind just starting running 874384975489 different directions. "Was my car reported stolen by accident?!" "Did I miss a speed limit change?" I walk back to my car and he says "The reason I pulled you over is because you don't have any tail lights. You don't have any weapons on you do you?" WOW. I never thought I would get asked that question. So I tell the Officer my story on how I just got my car back and had to have a new headlight so it must have blown a fuse on my tail lights, he writes me a warning and sends me on my way to the local O'Rileys to ask if they can check my fuse. Oh.. FYI if the Highway Patrol directs you to the O'Rileys, go there, Do not stop at the AutoZone becuase you see it first. LAZY and will not help. The very nice night manager at O'Rileys checks my fuses and says that's what it was and I should drive the rest off the way with my flashers on since they and my blinkers work. Strange, I know. So anways, I had a nice uneventful weekend with a really great friend. Didn't get stopped on the way home. :) But now I have to go get some fuses to fix my car, once again! GEEZ. HA.

It has been a while...

Hi. I haven't been here since New Years. I have just been working, and working, and doing winter-mini stuff. School starts Tuesday, I know, we started a week later that everyone else. I am not complaining. I have been so tired recently, not 100% sure why. I usually get plenty of sleep, but anywho. It has just been busy busy around these parts. I put my car into the shop on Monday and will hopefully get it back sometime tomorrow. I have been shuffeling kids from gymnastics and tae kwon do, now I know what is like to be a mommy for a few days. HA! I am sure it is not that easy. Anywho, just checking in. See ya~

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Well, it is the 2nd day of January 2009. :) I hope your new year festivities were wonderful, and went smoother than mine. I had a little fender bender about lunch on new years eve. :( My fault, no ticket. More damage to my car than theirs actually. I was just mad at myself, but it happens. My first wreck at 21. I made it a while!! So my year can only get better. I guess I should have eaten one more spoon full of black eyed peas last new years day cause my luck ran out one day too soon. I had a large bowl of them yesterday so I hope 2009 is an amazing year!

Just jackin my jaw....

Well, the weather at the moment does not seem to make the season bright, or the wonderful drivers of my town! The only thing I do not like about Christmas are the pushy people. PLEASE! Come on! I held the door open for you while I stood in the rain and you can't even say thank you! There was one lady who let me cut in front of her in line at Bealls because I only had one thing and she had a mountain. She was very sweet. See people like that are what make me happy. Not the ones who cut you off and ram you with buggies at Wal-Mart. Howevever, it was my fault for going into Wal-Mart on Christmas Eve-Eve, but it was better than going tomorrow. I should have waited and gone at midnight tonight. Who am I kidding, it would probably be just as bad. I should be finished with my shopping, unless I need to do my step-mothers stocking, and that can be done in a 20 minute trip to Bath and Body Works.

I should take more pictures for this blog. It looks pretty boring, but it does have some snazzy new colors! ;)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

A Little Christmas Fun

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? we do a little of both. depends on how big and odd shaped the present is!

2. Real tree or Artificial? artificial. when I was growing up we always had a real tree and when my brother was about 2 we had to get a fake one because he had such bad asthma and allergies.

3. When do you put up the tree? the weekend after thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? it varies. a week after. it was up til almost feburary one year.

5. Do you like eggnog? i love it!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? the game mouse trap, a cd player, and my most recent favorite was an ipod.

8. Easiest person to buy for? my granpa.

9. Do You have a nativity scene? yes. my sister calls it the "jesus scene"

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? i don't do either. woops.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? soap. not bath and body, it was a bar of soap. ok I really can't complain it was from my 80+ year old great grandmother. and her fudge made up for it.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? national lampoons christmas vacation, the grinch (cartoon), a christmas story, and elf. i love christmas!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? i will usually find something in june and buy it and forget where i put it.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? we have a thing going at the office. i won some TERRIBLE smelling perfume at a charity bowling game, gave it to someone, she then re-gifted it to someone else at the office, i'm waiting to see who is next.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? my stepmothers breakfast! it's sausage, cream cheese, and crescent rolls. oh my gosh. it is so savory and goood!!!

16. Lights on the tree? white lights.

17. Favorite Christmas song? all i want for christmas is you- vince vance and the vallaints, and baby it's cold outside.

18. Travel for Christmas or stay home? i go to my mothers on christmas eve, and then i go back to my dads that night and spent christmas day there.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? of course!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? last year was a star, this year it is an angel. we have so many ornaments that we have to do them in cycles.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? eve at moms, day at dads.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? pushy people!! please, i don't care that you have to get the last WII game or that BRATZ doll cause they are not going to sell them any more after january! go bake cookies with your family!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? we all have our own. all of mine are baseballs. :) all different shapes and sizes. i have a mini tree that is lime green, pink, blue, and teal.

24. Favorite Christmas dinner? i love ham. and my dads dressing!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? the only thing i asked for was a cell phone. yes, it's kinda pricey but that is all i wanted!!

Men... The Good Ones

This look a little different around here, eh? I got bored at work today and decided I would give the ole blog a little make over. I kinda like it. I may make a few more tweaks here and there. But overall, I like it.

I need to get one more gift for my dad. He is not hard to buy for, I just feel the need to get him a little something extra special. He has been my rock my entire life. And with the ups and downs of the past few years with things he has always been the one that was there for me no matter what. He lets me cry when I need to, laughs at my jokes, and has guided me into a life where I can soon venture out into the world alone, and come home for his fried deer steak whenever I want. I don't know what I could do without my father. He's an amazing man.

My grandfather turns 80 in Feb. ya'll. I still can't believe it. He still lives by himself, cooks 3 meals a day, goes to volunteer at the food bank, and drives himself everywhere. This man has never had a cavity in his life. I don't know why I felt the need to mention that, but I digress. For Christmas, while my aunt was in vegas, picked him up a 50th Anniversay National Finals Rodeo Jacket, and it's awesome. We were going to get it embroidered with his name and years he judged at the NFR, but there isn't anyone in town that can do it before Christmas, so that is just going to have to wait until afterwards. So, SHHHHHHHHH! He doesn't have a clue! :) I love surprises!!