But I'm still here-pinky promise =]
So much has been going on-work, play, health, family, friends, school. Let me recap with a bit of all of it-it will be a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong blog so either: 1) get on your reading glasses and stay a while or 2) skim the good parts and move to the next, lol.
*Work: Work has been a bit dead lately but it has been good because we're catching up on some things that get us in tip-top shape as an office. In 2 1/2 weeks I will be celebrating my 1 year at my work place! YAY! It seems like I haven't even been there that long because I still learn new things every day and still enjoy the people I work with and the things I do, lol! I am proud to call myself a member of the team, that's for sure. We are off for Labor Day (Monday 9/6) so that will be AWESOME! I'll get some sleeping in a relaxation coming my way that weekend =]
*Play: I am almost done reading Paulo Coelho's book The Alchemist. I'm liking it the more and more I read it, but what I had to explain to both Derrick and my mom is that since it was originally written in Spanish the translation is a bit off-and you can tell in the writing...BUT still a good book and I think I'll be glad I read it once it's over. I think the next book I plan on reading is The Lovely Bones. I want to see what the hype is about and since I borrowed it from my mom, I need to read it to give it back, haha!
Does anyone remember the book The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster?
Oh my god I fell in LOVE with that book as a kid! For anyone who even remotely adores school and the things we learn(ed) within it, please please please read it-if you haven't! It's pretty amazing. I just read that:
"Critics have acknowledged that the book is advanced for most children, who would not understand all the wordplay or the framing metaphor of how to achieve wisdom.[3][4] Writers like the reviewer in The New York Times have focused on the children and adults able to appreciate it; for them, it has "something wonderful for anybody old enough to relish the allegorical wisdom of Alice in Wonderland and the pointed whimsy of The Wizard of Oz".[5] It is now often acknowledged as a classic of children’s literature."
I took that off of mom's book shelves and I doubt I'll be giving that one back, hahaha!
I finally got my new Bose Headphones! THEY ARE INCREDIBLE!! You seriously have no idea how amazing they are unless you have your own pair. I sat back, listening to the Doors, with the biggest smile on my face since our wedding! A bit of a splurge and a little materialistic, but since I try not to do either, I made my guilt go away (after having a mild anxiety attack, lol) and enjoyed-and continue to enjoy-my music. Derrick also got a new XBox 360 Slim-another large purchase but well worth the spend and anxiety attack. He is ubber happy and it is also much more energy efficient and can hold like 10x's more on it than the old one-it also came with a new wireless controller and headset! he sold his old console, headset, and controller and was able to get some games that he used to have (he ended up having to sell them when we were tight on finances) and can add them back into his collection. As much as his gaming drives me insane, seeing him giddy makes it all worth it.
Also in regards to playing, Der and I went to Chattanooga this past weekend to hang out and do some playing of our own. See that info. in the FAMILY section next.
*Family: Last weekend was my sisters Graduation party-she has completed her Masters in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix! SO proud of her!
She went to Oklahoma to actually walk across the stage and she brought back my grandmother and aunt! Her party this past weekend was awesome! Lots of friends and family showed up, brought some YUMMY food and she opened a few meaningful and fun gifts that we adorned her cake table with. It sounds silly, but I feel like I'm the big sister-who's so proud of what she's done. I think Dad and Dot Dot are glad they were able to watch her walk in OK and to come back to celebrate with her. My Dot Dot (that's my grandmother's name) and Aunt Phyllis are staying in Chattanooga for about 2 months because my "Uncle" Clyde (not really my uncle but he's like my grandmothers brother so we call him that) is in very poor health and they're afraid he may not last too much longer...it really makes me sad.
I've only had 3 people I know die and I was around 12 when my Great Grandmother Ruby died, about 15 or 16 when my Great Uncle David died and 21 when my mentor Dale McGillard died. I wasn't really close to my Memaw because she was in a nursing home for all of what I can remember. We've got a few pictures of all of us with her though, so that's good, but I still remember being very said when my mom left to go to the funeral. I was very close to my Uncle David (he used to call me Jordan Gordon) as a child so his death (from Cancer) really tore me up, but I did not go to his funeral. Dale died while Derrick and I were in New Mexico-he passed a few days after the new year actually. I was very close to him-as close as a Professor and Student are professionally. He was my mentor and helped me get through college with great grades, more knowledge on acting and its process, and in 4 years-even after transferring to and from UTC. I cried all day on Derrick's lap when we found out he passed. Actually, I've never been to a funeral-and I don't really want to, as horrible as that sounds. But I think when my Uncle Clyde passes I will. I think it's time.
We have always had Christmas (and sometimes Thanksgiving) every year on my dad's side at Uncle Clyde's house. He used to chain smoke in his kitchen and watch birds in his backyard. He made the BEST food from scratch and could never tell you the recipes because they varied a little bit each time he made them! He always had at minimum 10 stray cats he would feed on his back porch. He's got every Disney movie (either on DVD, VHS, or both) EVER MADE on his shelves. he used to play the organ and do the score board for the local church down the hill. He collects a bunch of knick knacks and has the most comfortable guest bed on the planet. His sense of humor has and always will stay intact. When we would visit my dad on his weekends we would always go visit Uncle Clyde and swing on his rickety porch swing and climb his knobby tree in the front yard. I learned to throw a Frisbee in his back yard and have some fond memories that my dad and I shared at that house-like our early morning Dunkin' Donuts and t.v. time when I was a child...Now he is 5' 10" and weighs barely 100 lbs. He is on oxygen 24/7 and can no longer smoke. He doesn't have much energy to cook or do much now. He still watches his birds though. And now he's getting in to RetroTV, lol. I think he's starting to look back on his life. He's told Dot Dot that he's ready whenever. I think that's very admirable seeing that he's got prostate cancer, CHF, I think COPD, along with a few other ailments. He just turned 76 about 2 weeks ago.
After all of that I listed above, I still don't know much about him. I asked my Dot Dot some questions and this is what I got: His middle name is Marvin. He was engaged twice but never married. He used to have dark hair and eyes and has always been a bean pole. Now he's got no hair and looks like a mix of Jiminy Cricket and Ghandi-both smiley and happy-and still is a bean pole. He's always loved the heat (he never had air conditioning in his house until Dot Dot JUST put in a wall unit 2 weeks ago). His mother lived just down the street from him before she died a few years ago. He used to play the organ at the church down the hill from him. He was born in Chattanooga and lived in Harrison starting in 1949. I think when he passes he'll pass just fine. Quietly, in no pain, and probably in his sleep. I sit her crying a bit thinking about it, but I know that he's okay and ready to meet his maker so I can't be sad for him. I'll just miss him and Christmas will never be the same without him...
On Sunday Der, Mom, Me, Dot Dot, and Phyllis went to the Hunter Museum of Art in Chattanooga and looked at the beautiful exhibits the museum's got. I LOVE LOVE LOVE art-I could spend MILLIONS of dollars on it and not blink about the purchase. I could spend MILLIONS of hours in art museums and immersed in art books and never even check my watch. It was nice. I was the only one who had ever been before and even then there were some pieces I forgot they had and the new blown glass exhibit was traveling and new this time around. I think we all had a wonderful time. Everyone knows how in to art I am and my past 2 boyfriends always said they'd take me to view some art and never did. Now Der is all smug because he made good on his promise to take me, lol. It was nice and I'd love to see the art museum in Nashville sometime...maybe soon! Der and I enjoyed the time with my family and a bit of alone time we got just watching t.v. and falling asleep together on mom's extremely comfy bed.
*School: Well I have officially applied to MTSU's Graduate program for an MA in Sociology! I don't think I want to stay at MTSU to complete my MA but I don't mind starting it-at least they've got the topics of interest I'd like to study when even Cambridge in England doesn't! Hopefully I'll end up graduating from Berkeley =] I've got 3 people writing my letters of recommendation and later today I have to write my letter of interest and update my resume so I can send them both in at the beginning of next week. Later this week I'll officially be signing up to take my GRE! I've been studying my book (back on the wagon, lol) and am getting slightly more confident in my skills. I think if I can work on my math and learn the tools I need to do well on it hopefully I will. I will be filling out the FAFSA for the first time in a few weeks (if I get accepted) which is crazy because I'll be filing under my new name, as married and with paychecks now, haha! Keep those fingers and toes crossed that all goes well.
*Friends: I suck. My great friend Tonya is in The Grapes of Wrath play and is Rose of Sharon!!! And since you should now know that Steinbeck is my FAVORITE author, you see another reason why I'd like to go. Look at her in this pic-isn't she perfect for it?!
SUCH a great and fitting role for her and since my STUPID car is acting up, we can't go! We had budgeted for dinner, tickets, and flowers to go this weekend (the last) and since my car is messing up we can't =( I've also had a hard time getting in touch with Kelly (she's back to teaching so her schedule is all crazy) and I didn't get to see Destiny last time I was in the Nooga because of family/Navy conflicts. SO I am trying to remedy all of that by: taking Tonya to dinner next week (once my car gets fixed), calling and catching up with Kelly and maybe seeing her next weekend, and Destiny is coming to MBoro over Labor Day weekend (along with mom!) to see our new place and to FINALLY hang out! I may not have a ton of friends but the one's I've got I wouldn't trade for $1.1 mil. And we're still having dinner with John and Elisa. When I spoke of them in this blog, it was the first dinner we had all had. Now, ever since, we trade apartments and once a week make dinner for us 4; it's a nice way to relax and chill with some good people-over good food. We're eating at their place on Sunday =]
*Health: I've been doing relativity well with my health (as we should all along, right?) I'm still trying to watch my sugar intake (with the exception of donuts on Thursday-hey, my boss bought them as celebration for a good office and glad to be back), I've been eating more salads instead of junk, and I'm still chugging that water and coffee. I'm a bit proud, really. I always thought it was so hard but it really isn't that bad. Granted, I am in desperate need for more potassium (my calves lock up allllll of the time now-I need more supplements) but I have a general feeling of good health-with my stupid allergies being the exception. I haven't been working out like I should but now that there aren't heat waves and no pet walking/outside warnings, me and Tuck are getting back in our routine. I think with my next paycheck I may splurge and get those shoes I was talking about (see this other blog) or maybe some good new running shoes in general. Though I'd LOVE to shed some pounds, I'm not really doing all of this for that reason. I just feel like I have no reason to take care of myself. It's like I have no reason to be late to work, to take a shower, to breathe the air. Taking care of myself needs to be much more of a priority than it has been. And hell, if I shed a few pounds and get a bit of muscle, who's to complain?
Alright lovelies, I know this was probably longer than we BOTH expected...but thanks for the dedication =]
You rock and I roll.
J
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