This Old House: Project New Floor

I've been systematically cleaning and organizing my house tackling little projects here and there. My next project was to clean out the extra room in my house and turn it into an official library - My books are just about taking over the house. I wanted to clean the living room before I started "project library."

I went to move my couch in order to sweep underneath it. The floor around the vent next to the couch looked a bit...odd. I stepped toward it to have a closer look and

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...OK so my foot didn't actually go through the floor, but it came remarkably close. As it turns out there is a ventilation problem under the house in the living room and dining room which has caused parts of the floor to rot and well, it's bad.

"Project Library" has now turned into "Project Save-the-floor-so-I-don't-fall-all-the-way-through"

Step One: Last night I moved everything that was in the living room or the dining room into other rooms of the house. This proved to be more difficult than I thought. The following was moved:
Bedroom - 12 boxes (11 of which were books), All the artwork, picture frames, a chair and a half with ottoman, tv stand and tv
Kitchen - Couch, loveseat, table that seats ten, and the piano
Guestroom - 10 chairs, 4 bookcases, 3 DVD shelves (including a standing clock), Lamps, picture frames and whatnots.
Plus the furniture these rooms already had. Its quite ridiculous.

A few current pictures of the insanity:

Kitchen

Bedroom

Guestroom

Empty Living and Dining Room

More to come as progress is made...

Endometriosis: An Awareness

Endometriosis. I remember the first time I heard that word. I remember nodding along as the doctor explained its meaning and I tried to grasp what was being told to me. As I have learned more about my diagnosis I began to become frustrated; not that I have endometriosis (although that is no picnic) but frustration at the lack of awareness. It is impossible to tell all that there is to know about any disease in one blog post, but I thought I would do my best to hit a few questions that I am frequently asked and share a bit of my personal experience.

1. What is Endometriosis?                                                   Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus is also found elsewhere in the body, mainly in the abdominal cavity. These cells, also called lesions, grow and thicken just as the tissue inside the uterus does. The difference is there is no where for the lesions to exit the body and so they continue to grow; forming adhesions, cysts, and causing chronic pain. The pain differs from woman to woman depending on where lesions have formed and how much damage has been caused.  (The picture to the right was taken during my surgery. The red patches circled were on the sections of lesion that were removed)

2. Is there a cure?    No, however there are treatments that can help. I, personally, tried pain killers and hormones before trying surgery. Every woman is different therefore no one thing will help everyone. I will not know how much surgery has helped me for at least a month or two. This being said, having a doctor actually look and see the lesions gave me peace of mind. I felt as though I could ignore all the dismissing comments such as "You just need to toughen up," "Yeah, I have cramps too," or my least favorite "Its all in your head." Most of these things I've heard from kind people who, I'm sure, mean well. However, chronic illness, including endometriosis can affect a person not just physically; but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as well. Waking up every morning knowing that you are sick, knowing there is no cure, and knowing that there are people out there who will judge you for your illness as though you chose to have it is, well, exhausting.  I know now that a) it was NOT in my head and b) I will likely have some relief from the pain. Even surgery is not a cure and the lesions can and most likely will grown back, however if the pain has caused a major disturbance in your day to day life, it might be an option. 

3.Is endometriosis an STD or is it contagious?

No. While the cause of endometriosis is still not known; what is known is that it is not transferable from one person to the next. Endometriosis is estimated to affect one in ten women worldwide, however because the symptoms can vary greatly from woman to woman the average time it takes to get a proper diagnosis is roughly 8 years. 

A couple of videos that briefly explain endometriosis

Video #1                            Video #2

Please feel free to post any questions you may have. I am no doctor, but I will be glad to tell about my personal experience. I believe that in increasing awareness about endometriosis we can help those who have the disease with many of its emotional and mental challenges. 

Counters and Coziness

I've been doing a lot of cleaning and organizing lately. I finally got things clean... and when I say clean I mean cleaner than when I moved in clean. Then it was time to start on the projects I've been wanting to do. I mounted the TV, ran the wires behind the wall and stored the electronics in the closet. It made things look so much better. Then Friday night I was sitting in my nice clean house and at about 8:00 pm I decided that "Hey, I should do something about that old outdated counter in my bathroom." So I did.

It is made out of that cultured marble (which is just a fancy way of saying plastic that has swirls of color in it that someone at one time looked a little like marble). I did some research and found out you can paint it. Now, since I don't have the money to replace the counter, it will still be same all one piece counter with a sea shell shaped sink. (Horrible, I know) But at least I could modernize the color.

These are a couple of before pictures. Beware: the 1980's are about to slap you in the face.

The first step was to sand... a lot. All the gloss had to be stripped off so that the paint would stick. The research I found suggested that spray products be used instead of a brush or roller. So I went and looked around Home Depot. I found this super awesome waterproof high gloss primer and paint in one... in a spray!! That is what I decided to use because being able to skip the priming step sounded like a great idea to me. 

The next step involved me taping off 12" Paper with 2" tape. I wanted to make sure the spray didn't get anywhere except where I wanted it. Then I sprayed two coats of paint and primer. This is what that looked like

The next step was the polyurethane. That took some serious waiting time. I think that was the worst part. Spray... wait 4 hours...spray again....wait 4 hours...spray again. I only did one coat at night since I started this project at 11:00 pm. It took four hours to get the faucet off, sand, clean, let dry, sand again, clean and let dry, tape off, paint, let the first coat dry, paint the second coat, let that dry, and paint the first coat of polyurethane. Not too shabby. (Even if that did end up with me not going to sleep until 3:30). I slept on the couch because of the crazy fumes that had taken over my bedroom and bathroom. This severely confused my dog. But he was extra snugly and made my night on the couch very cozy. 

Fast forward to Saturday... 

The next day I did 2 more coats, let them dry then took the paper down and installed the new faucets and voila! New counter top! 

Before and After

The grand total for this entire project was $55!!! Even the absolute cheapest counter top would have been so much more than that. It has a few imperfections, but for the price and the fact that I started it Friday night and was finished Saturday night... I can't beat it. 

There will most likely be more home projects happening soon. But this is all I have money and energy for right now. 

Cruisin'

For the 3 or 4 possible people who will read this... I am still alive. haha.
Lets see.... I don't think I can do a proper update on my life since June. Well, I could but it would be a book. I'll just give you a glimpse at a few of the things that have happened most recently.

Surgery Post Op Continued: Day seven was definitely the worst. It was at that point when I realized WHY my ENT didn't have his patients come back to see him until two weeks after.... if I had seen him on that 7th day I think I would have punched him.  But six weeks later and I was back to my old self. And 20 pounds less of me. Its amazing how fast you loose weight when you simply cannot eat. Isn't it a shame I just can't cut food all together. I'd be thinner and I'd have more money. Ha.

Not actually our ship.. it was leaving as we were. But it looks like ours. 

Cruise: I actually went on a cruise just before my surgery. In fact, I had to move the date of the surgery to wait until I got back. But it was so unbelievably worth it. I had never been out of the country before. I loved it. We did so much. It was an eight day cruise with four ports. Grand Turks - La Romana, Domincan Republic - Curacao - Aruba.
    Grand Turks: Well, to tell about this port, I have to start by telling about the night before we got there. It took 2 days of our trip to reach. The first day/night I was fine. But the second night... oh my goodness. I have never been sicker in my entire life. I'm not talking "I'm feeling a little woozy." I'm talking an hour and a half solid of projectile vomiting. And for those of you who have not experienced it... let me just tell you... throwing up like that on a moving ship is something akin to that game you play as a kid where they spin you around with your head on a bat and then expect you to do something like hit a ball or run in a straight line... only you have to clean up after each time you miss. Luckily, after that I was good the rest of the trip... But I woke up late on the morning we arrived at our first stop... and missed the bus to our excursion!!! I was so bummed because it seemed like a really fun one. So I found a taxi and they drove me to the place (The whole island is like 7 miles long. It didn't take too long). I got to mark an item off my bucket list here... and then some. I had never ridden a horse. and that is what we did... all over the island while we looked at some beautiful scenery. Then.... we got to go swimming on the horses. I had no idea that a horse could swim so fast. It was insane. I have to do that again!
     La Romana: Our excursion here wasn't as exciting. It was a boat ride through the rivers. We had very fresh fruit from the island, got to hear a lot about the culture and relax. Then we got to walk around and enjoy an artist's town with some amazing flowers and breathtaking views. I particularly enjoyed the fact that I got to randomly dance with a local to some street music. It was so lovely... we didn't even speak the same language, but we communicated through dance. It made me smile. I do really love dancing. (Another bucket list item... dance in as many countries as you can.... at least I have a start now)
     Curacao: I got the chance to cross another item off my list here. (I tried to cross as many off my list as I could.) I've always wanted to swim with the dolphins. I think they are so beautiful and graceful. We couldn't swim with them, but we did get to go in the water with them. I enjoyed it a lot. I particularly enjoyed Curacao. It was so clean and laid back. I wouldn't mind going back there for a vacation one day and really getting to know the place.
     Aruba: I know Aruba gets a bad rep, but I enjoyed it. The people were friendly, and we  had such a fun time there. We took an off road drive... and I mean OFF off ... that ended at the top of a mountain. After climbing down MANY stairs, (I am using the term quite loosely here as they were more or less rocks that had been placed in a stair like fashion) we got a natural pool. It was so nice. i was really glad I had invested in a truly waterproof camera here.

      Here is a link to some pictures of the trip.

I think those are my two huge events. I have been trying to hit as many dance exchanges/workshops/out of town events as possible this year. I think Lindy Focus will make it 14 or 15. My biggest year ever. Next year.... I hope to top it and include at least one place out of the southeast. Somewhere I preferably  have to fly to.

I leave for Lindy Focus tomorrow. Be expecting lots of pictures and posts to come from that. It is going to be amazing!

That is all for the time being

Later,
-E

Surgery Post Op

Good Evening to my few readers. :)

I am day 3 post op from a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.
http://instagram.com/p/MYIfWxjYmH/

Day One - Surgery
I went in on Wednesday morning - at 6a.m! I thought I would have a very long wait and wouldn't end up in surgery until noon or later. I was very pleasantly surprised from the beginning. I walked in at 6:01. (My sweet grandparents were already there waiting on me, encouraging me). By 6:30, I had already filled out all my paperwork and the nurse had already taken me back to give blood and do all the pre-op funness. By the time I was finished with all that it was approximately 7:15. and they had my surgery scheduled for 8:00. I barely had to wait at all until they rolled me to the holding room. I thought I would be so nervous that I would be quiet. But I was quite the opposite. They rolled me into the holding room, which was full of male doctors and anesthesiologists. When we walked in (Or rather, when  I was rolled in) I said "OH! so this is where I needed to come to find a man" The whole room was laughing.
For the record, I do not like the whole anesthesia thing. But once I was awake, I felt decent enough to get down some water and some jell-o. They kept me overnight to check me out, but everything was fine and they let me go whenever I wanted to the following morning.
Day Two - Leaving the Hospital.
Since I had talked to the doctor Wednesday night, he said i could leave without talking to him in the morning. That quickened the whole leaving process quite a bit. I talked to the nurse around 5:30 am and asked him how late I needed to stay. She asked me when I wanted to leave... I enthusiastically said NOW. So we decided that after my next dose of anti-biotics and pains meds (which were coming up at 6:00am) I could leave. It was quite an easy I was beginning to think that this wasn't going to be as bad as I'd been told....... Then came Day Three
Day Three - OUCH
I'm still on water and Jell-o. I did manage a popsicle today as well. But the pain is quite worse today. I rode with my mother through the drive through at the bank and went to the pharmacy to pick up some more of my medicines. Today has been then worse so far. I'm not sure if it was just because of the process of the recovery, or if it was because I pushed myself a bit too far today. Either way, tomorrow I'm going to take things slower

I'd also like to add a special thank you. I had no idea the overwhelming outpouring of support and prayer I've received. Thank you, everyone, for being there for me. It has meant a lot

So much to say...

I haven't posted here in so long!
I have been on a cruise and started a second job and had surgery.
I can't wait to tell all about it. All those things were an adventure,

I'll try to post a little today, but currently my liquid Loritab is kcking in and I'm more than a bit tired.... So its off for a nap with my puppy for now.

Fun information, stories and pictures to come.

-E

2 of 25

2 of 25: Random things I love

- Post-it notes
- Catalogs
- Stinky cheeses
- Organizing
- Cooking
- Puppy breath
- office supplies
- ICEEs
- SUNKIST

1 of 25

So, its 25 days until my 25th birthday. With that said, I've decided to (attempt to) write a birthday series: 25 lists of from a (soon to be) 25 year old. I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it, but I'm going to try. [Below: Me at age 1]
1 of 25: A few resolutions; some things I'd like to do better on in my 25th year

-Birthday cards: I've been working on collecting birthday and addresses from family and friends. I'm getting close to having them all. Now, if I can just remember to send the cards :)
- Yard work: I'd like to start working on getting some color to my yard.
- Making my bed: I very rarely do this. my massive pile of pillows and blankets usually end up in a pile on the floor for weeks at a time (usually until about 5 minutes before company is set to arrive).
- Pictures: I used to take a lot more pictures. I slacked off this year. Next year I will correct this problem.
- Food: Try more new foods. I'm stuck in quite the rut.
- Travel: I'd like to take at least one semi-major trip in the next year; even if I have to go alone.

I guess that is all for today. I'll try to be back tomorrow with a new list.

I am alive.

I know it has been far too long since I have posted... and even longer since I posted anything with any real meat to it. No fear, I am still alive. (I say as though there are actually readers of this blog). It is Valentines this weekend. I like to say i'm tough and that it doesn't bother me. But I must say it does, but not in the "i'm single. boo-hoo" way. I've had some horid valentines. I've been dumped, cheated on and blown off to name a few things. So I prefer to completely ignore it, stay at home and hope the holiday doesn't somehow find me.

With that said, There are things going on right now, but I must take my leave once again. I'll update later with much less bitterness. :)

Me: in a nutshell....

Me, according to a test.

See my Personality Profile

Oxymoron.... or maybe just moron.

I'm not usually a fan of gross generalizations. And I'm sure I'll come back and amend this soon, once I've calmed down a bit. But, lets just say that right now I'm feeling as though there is no such thing as an honest man. I'm so hurt.

Lesson learned.

Channel surfing my brain.... hang ten and hang on.

-Life has been rather interesting as of late. I've had hurt come from highly unexpected places and encouragement hit me so hard it nearly knocked me off my feet. It was a case of being emotionally being hit so hard you end up lying on your back with the wind knocked out of you..... only to have an unexpected hand help you up.; a whirlwind of emotions. But I suppose that all's well that ends well.

-I'm thoroughly enjoying my first Christmas living at my new house. One of my trees is up (the other will have to wait until next year, for it goes in the unfinished library). It is lovely to walk in the door, flip the switch by front door and have the room light up with Christmas cheer :) My tree is all red and gold and I add just a few new ornaments each year. This year I added some big beautiful flower ornaments.

-I finally convinced my dad, my boss, to get a new computer for work. It is now here and set up and i'm unable to say how much easier this makes my life. No more opening up the billing software, then going to the bank while it opens. Things took forever... and when I say things, I mean EVERY thing. This one is amazing; not to mention adorable. Now if I can just save up enough to get one at my own house.. ha.

-I think that wedding come in waves, almost like the flu. Now don't get me wrong. I'm so happy for all of my married friends. And I love to celebrate in that happiness. But I'm about to hit another wave. I can feel the symptoms coming. Serious relationships, ring talk, engagements. I think somehow its related to my fridge. I'll fill it up with shower, bachelorette, lingerie and wedding invites.... Then almost immediately after I take them down I have another batch to go up. There have been 16 in 3 years. about 10-11 in 1 of those years. There are two more coming up soon... I will have a date to at least one of them. I had a date to two of the others but was blown off both times... how lovely. It isn't that I don't want them to have someone... it is just that I'd like to be with someone as well.

-I was able to do a little dancing Saturday night. It wasn't a ton of dancing, but still.... it was like coming up for a breath of fresh air. I had forgotten how much i enjoy it; how I'm unable to be anything but happy when I dance. I really need to get back into that again.... to find a place up here in Birmingham where I can dance. I'd love to find a partner and learn some Latin dances, but I'd also love to just go somewhere and dance with lots of different people. I even have a pair of truly awesome dancing shoes, some Aris Allen's I got on sale almost a year ago, that have NEVER been worn. That is almost sinful I'm pretty sure. Beautiful, unworn dancing shoes. How sad.

-I got a new cookbook for Christmas. It has some recipes that look amazing. I can't wait to dig into that and learn some new things.

I guess that is all for now, I'm at work and would love to go home.

Lyrics to think about...

So... I don't know about you (whoever you are reading this) but I get in definite music moods. I was in a Norah Jones mood for a while, then it was Joss Stone, and for a while it was Jem; but right now it is big band, swing, jazz, vocal, etc.... That being said I pulled out some stuff I hadn't listened to in quite some time and I ran across two particular songs. Now i've danced to these songs more times than I can possibly count, but I don't suppose I've ever just sat there and contemplated the lyrics. After said contemplation I have decided that one of these songs I love and one I absolutely hate.

Get this... Actual lyrics.... "you're nobody till somebody loves you, so find yourself somebody to love." I have two major problems with this line of thinking.
a) Seriously?... no really, seriously? According to this particular thinking I mean nothing, I am nobody unless some other person decides I am. What is that all about? Unfortunately most of the people in my life think this way. 'What? You graduated valedictorian, were the first in your family to graduate college and own your own house at 23? oh.... wait.... you're single. I'm sorry but that means you are a failure. Success for a woman = marriage' I hate that.... and must admit that i seriously disagree
b) Who says that just because you love someone that they will love you back? In my personal opinion that is not how it works. Love doesn't return very easily.

Second song lyrics: From the song "My Baby Just Cares for Me"
"My baby don't care who knows, My baby just cares for me" I don't have a whole lot to say about this. I just really really liked it. I love the idea of being loved by someone who doesn't care who knows that we love each other, who doesn't care if people know he is with me..... Man, just to dream...

24 things about an average 24 year old.

Ok... so I have been doing some serious thinking lately. I am more than a little angry. Mostly at myself. I started out confident and vivacious and strong in who I was. But over the years my need to be a "people pleaser" has ruined that. I let so many people strip bits and pieces of me away so that I would fit in their tiny little box, the box they thought I should be in. I allowed it to make them happy, but more often than not those same people threw the box away (the same box they seemed to have wanted, the same box they wanted me in) when it didn't fit into their lives just the way they thought it would. So what good was it to go through all the pain of making myself what they wanted if they didn't want it after all?

After years and years of shaving of pieces (and sometimes throwing away huge hunks) in order to "fix" me I've been left with almost nothing left. I'm tired and hurt and angry and well.... fed up. I'm done. I've had enough.

God is my center and my core. That has never changed. He is the one, the only one, that I will be allowing to fix me.

From here on out I'm going to unashamedly just be me and I'm reclaiming (or admitting for the first time) some of the idiosyncrasies about myself.

Good, bad, ugly or indifferent.... I'm me. Take me or leave.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A list about me:

1. I love a good list. I make them any chance I get. And if they are somehow color coded... All the better.
2. I keep my house spotless (or at least I try) but somehow, my car is always, always, horrible. I think that everyone should have somewhere that isn't perfect... just to keep you sane. A junk drawer, a closet (reference "Friends"), or, in my case, the car.
3. I love to dance. LOVE.
4. I'm not very good at dancing.
5. I like my eyebrows. They are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. But they remind me of the women in my family. My left one has a giant gap (just like my mother's), forcing me to do a trump-like comb over. And they frame my face so that I look a lot like my grandmother
6. Sunkists are my drug of choice. Literally. They impair my judgment and make me say things i wouldn't normally say. I have to drink them sparingly.
7. I love to organize. Anything that can be organized.
8. I like to wear lots of jewelry. Big and bold, In style or not, its just me. I prefer inexpensive jewelry though. I don't trust myself with the other.
9. I'm insanely shy in groups larger that 2.
10. I think ladybugs are weird. I'm not a fan.
11. Poached eggs are my favorite type of eggs
12. I think cheese goes with almost everything.
13. People who drugs make me livid. Throwing away good health like that. I would kill to be healthy, to not have to take meds every day.
14. I don't like steamed green beans. They are squeaky when you chew them.
15. My dentist makes me use a children's toothbrush because my mouth is too small for a regular one. My current one is Hello Kitty
16. I can't stand celery. I don't think i could make myself swallow it no matter what you put on it. I'd rather eat grass.
17. I tend to find a shirt i like and then buy it in several colors (sorry, ashley).
18. When I wear yellow gold jewelry I feel more sassy.... Almost Lola-ish. I've been wearing it more often as of late. :)
19. I have a hard time remembering names, but numbers are a totally different thing. i weirdly remember long complicated ones.
20. I have an annoying laugh when i get really tickled. Its loud, cartoonish and completely uncontrollable.
21. I read slowly. I love to read and was an English major, but I read slowly. In fact, on my ACT I scored much higher in math than in English.
22. I would die without my planner... OK, not literally die, but It helps me so much. I've used one since I was 13. I get so excited about buying my new one each January. (well, to be honest I start looking for it in December)
23. My hair is naturally wavy/curly.
24. I don't like fish. It isn't that i necessarily dislike the taste. I don't think its wrong or anything, it just bothers me. Now, I'm not a vegetarian by any standard. I love me some meat and have no problems eating it. But there is just something about eating fish.

Chicken Soup, Onions and Tears

I woke up on Sunday morning late for church. :( So, I decided to make some chicken soup and take it to my sick dad. I got out my Betty Crocker cookbook (A book that has previously been used more as a decoration than as an actual cook book.) and followed the recipe (ish). It turned out pretty good. My dad loved it. While I am excited that my first foray into the wonderful world of soups was a success, that isn't really my point here.

I was cutting the onion required in the recipe. I have a love/hate relationship with cutting onions. I love that sound, that crispy crunch, and that feeling as the blade of my knife slides through the layers. It makes me feel like I have some reason for being in the kitchen, like I almost know what I'm doing. But soon thereafter, only two or three crunches into cutting my eyes begin pouring....the hate part of that relationship. And I tried to wipe the tears with my sleeve I began to think.... Who was the first person to cut open an onion, begin to cry uncontrollably, and then think "Hmmm, I bet this would taste good." I wish I could have been there to see that.

Anyway, I think that about a lot of foods I like. Am I alone in this? Does anyone else out there think that about a particular food? Let me know. I'd love to hear.

I will not be moved!

I'm not usually a big fan of posting song lyrics... but this particular one really has moved me, so I thought i'd share.

I have been the wayward child
I have acted out
I have questioned Sovereignty
And had my share of doubt
And though sometimes my prayers feel like
They're bouncing off the sky
The hand I hold won't let me go
And is the reason why...

[Chorus:]
I will stumble
I will fall down
But I will not be moved
I will make mistakes
I will face heartache
But I will not be moved
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
I will not be moved

Bitterness has plagued my heart
Many times before
My life has been like broken glass
And I have kept the score
Of all my shattered dreams and though it seemed
That I was far too gone
My brokenness helped me to see
It's grace I'm standing on


[Chorus:]

And the chaos in my life
Has been a badge I've worn
Though I have been torn
I will not be moved

I'm 24.... so what now?

So, hmm... what to update...

-birthday: Yeah I had another birthday. It was quiet and simple. Just dinner with my family. Sometimes the no fuss birthdays are best. We grilled out hamburgers. (and when I say we I mean my dad because all I did was chop the tomatoes and onions and tear the lettuce :) ) But it was super yummy. I love the taste of my dad's hamburgers and super-sweet, sweet tea on a warm summer evening. I love the way you can eat a certain thing and be magically taken on a journey down memory lane. I eat those hamburgers and I'm 6 years old when things are simple, the yard is a hunting ground and there are never enough lightening bugs to catch.

-cleaning: I've been cleaning like a wild woman lately. I tend to clean when I am frustrated or stressed. It gives me time to think and I end up physically cleaning my house at the same time that I emotionally clean up. Well, I woke up Saturday morning (EARLY morning - like 1:00am early.) so incredibly frustrated that I started to clean.... I cleaned anything in my house that would sit still long enough to be cleaned and then ran out of things to clean. I then went over to my parent's house and cleaned / organized their junk room and made it a multi-purpose storage/reading/dressing room. I know that sounds like an odd combination. But it seems to work. It is what my mother wanted it to be. Anyway, Even with all that cleaning I'm still frustrated and all I seem to have gotten out of it is a pulled muscle in my back and my laundry finished. I think I need to have a talk with a few people. There are some things I think cleaning may not be big enough for.

music: Everynow and again I find some old music I haven't listened to in a while and remember just how much I loved it. Right now that is happening with all my Melody Gardot and Norah Jones stuff. I forget where I first heard Melody Gardot, she isn't extremely mainstream, but her story is just as amazing as her music. She was hit by a car and actually first started song writing as a therapy. Check out some of her stuff if you can.

Well, I suppose that is all for now. I need to head to the bank, then the store on my way home. (My fan broke and MUST be replaced.)

Oh, pray for a friend of mine if you will. Thanks.

Two weeks till.

Not much to post today.

Went back to the doctor yesterday. Still have an ear infection. I'm tired of feeling dizzy. I wish it would just go away. I also have an eye doctor appointment and a dentist appointment this month... Lots of co-pays :(

I think I need to go away somewhere... Just read, write, sleep, whatever... just so long as I get some true rest. Its been far too long since I've had any. That probably has something to with why I can't shake being sick lately. Oh well, I highly doubt any trip is in my future, but it is nice to dream. :)

I guess that is all for now. Later. :)

Rest...Blue...Bows

I decided to rest this weekend. Partially because I really needed the rest and partially because I have an ear infection and had a stomach bug all day Sunday. (oh the fun). Anyway, while I was resting I decided to watch a movie. I've had it for a while but was trying to save it for a date night. But, lets face reality.. that isn't happening for quite a while so I just decided to go ahead and watch it :) I'm really glad I did; for two reasons. One: It was a really good movie. Two: I sobbed all throughout it. Not exactly great for a date :) Oh, The movie was P.S. I Love You. You should totally watch it if you haven't already. Warning, watch it with tissues.

I picked up a pen this morning, wrote with it for a few minutes then noticed it was broken and leaking all over my hands. They are very blue at the moment :) Very smerf-like. Just thought I'd mention a bit of randomness.

I found this picture the other day. It made me smile. I don't really remember this particular picture being taken. In fact I don't even know where I was. East Lake Park maybe? Anyway, the happy memory is of the shirt I'm wearing in the picture. It was the shirt I learned to tie a bow on. I was sitting in Mrs. McCombs K-5 class in reading circle. I was listening to a particularly boring story and i realized that the drawstring around the waist of the shirt was untied. It bugged me SO badly. I had been trying for a long time but hadn't been successful. But it was at this particular time that I was overcome with a bout of stubborn-ness and determination. Well, it worked and I tied my first bow :) I was so excited. However, my excitement almost immediately turned to disappointment when I realized that since we were in reading circle and I was suppose to be paying attention, I couldn't tell anyone of my triumph. It was a very bittersweet moment ;)

Well I guess that is all for now.

Oh. 19 days.

25 till 24

My birthday is coming up soon so I decided to share some things about myself... weird facts, memories, pictures, etc...

I will be turning 24 on August 15. - Scary. I have several things on my ''to do'' list that I am suppose to have completed by the time I'm 25; things I'm not even close to completing. I guess I really need to get a jump on things.

Anyway... let's see... what to share today. Oh, here are a couple of pictures of my family. The most recent ones we have. They were some of the ones we had taken as a Christmas gift for my grandfather.
The picture to the left is of my parents, my aunt, uncle and cousin. For those who don't know about my fairly odd family... My dad and uncle are brothers while my mom and aunt are sisters. brothers married sisters. This makes my cousin my double-first cousin. Literally, the closest thing to a sister that I have.
The picture to the right is another picture of my cousin and I taken on the same day. Isn't she beautiful?

I have a weird thing about alphabetizing. Even my movies and my spices are set up in alphabetical order. It isn't a weird thing, It is just fun to me. I'm such a dork. But someone has to be a dork, or else how would "normal" people know that they are normal?

I guess that is all for now... not much meat to this post. More later...