Just Making Plans

Nothing too special to write about today. I have some things that I plan to write about in a few upcoming posts, but I need to relax and plan them out so I don't have 7 posts in a day and then go 2 weeks without blogging again. ha ha...

Tonight I'm getting dinner with my good pal, Laurie. Her and her family just returned from a pretty extended vacation with family, so I can't WAIT to get caught up on all the things that I missed and everything exciting that happened. It should be a great time of catching up... there's certainly never a dull moment when we're together, that's for sure!

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Random Alert: There's a new show on USA called Covert Aff@irs. It's pretty good, but I'm not sure what I think about it, just yet. What about you guys? Have you seen it?

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Okay. Back to reality. McStudly and I are hoping to plan a cruise sometime in the coming year. Neither of us have ever been on one, but... we're stoked! We've been saving while paying off our debt and are pretty much stoked about the thought of a cruise with just the two of us.

Actually, since we've been married, we've only been on "two" vacations alone together. Our honeymoon (obviously), and the one that earned the quotes around the number above, we took an impromptu weekend (and by weekend, I mean friday night into Saturday) at the ocean.

Other than that, we're pretty "green" when it comes to travel and romantic getaways. Well... not for too much longer! Anywho - more info to come on that, but I'm stoked and I'm hoping that all y'all that may have been on a cruise before will have plenty of advice for us on who to sail with (or maybe who not to sail with), and maybe where we should or shouldn't go.

Anywho - that's it for today. Looking forward to your input, and I guess I'll catch y'all later.

Toodles!

Craziness

We're never given more than we can handle, but that doesn't mean we don't start to feel broken by the weight of it all, right?!

I had a rough weekend. Some of that was captured in yesterday's blog. But the stuff not mentioned, as well as a pretty rough day today... let's just say I'm feeling pretty weighed down today.

And tonight I have to go to the clinic and meet with my client for a re-test, since she still hasn't gotten her period (and I think she's probably pregnant, and the last test was too early).


Don't get me wrong - I still absolutely LOVE volunteering and interning at the clinic. I really really do. And I'm looking forward to working with her again and helping her. I just pray that when I'm walking in, I'll be able to leave everything at the door and be Jesus to her when she needs it.


But now that, too, has me thinking. I wonder how many people have left baggage at that door.

Interns. Counselors. Clients.

I wonder what it would look like if we could put on our special goggles and see the kind of stuff that's just been chillin there for who knows how long.


I've heard the saying, before, that if everyone threw their troubles into a pile, we would each be quick to take back our own, after seeing it amidst the weight of all the others.

That's probably true.



This week should be full of interesting things. Some really good friends of ours are already overdue to have their baby girl, and I just CAN'T wait to meet her! Come on little Abby!! She's apparently just way too comfortable hanging out in there.

Sunday, on top of answering all of the questions regarding our worship pastor leaving, I was also lucky enough to field the "baby watch" questions.

*sigh*

Now I know how google feels.


Anywho - we're on baby watch. Kind've on neighbor watch (I'll still need to fill you on in all of that mess, soon. oh it's good... you'll love hearing all that action). Still recovering from our eventful and emotional weekend. AND I have a Dr's appt on Thursday. Fuunnn stuff.

I'm beginning to feel like the only solution would be planning a good vacation for just the two of us...





Can I get a Amen?!

Just a quickie

Okay - I don't have time to update much, right now, but hopefully I can fill in some blanks on Monday, for you. Last Friday was McStudly's squadron party, and a buddy of his won a free limo ride to and from the Naitonal Christmas tree. So that's where we're going tonight, and it should be pretty cool... and by cool I mean FREEZING!!!

Last night I finished my final night of training with the Pregnancy Clinic. I move on to my internship and then go forward from there. SOOOO excited! And I've got LOADS to tell you about all of that training, etc. Can't wait to fill you in!

And last, but definitely not least, we get to visit with McStudly's family in the next month or so. We're REALLY looking forward to that, except for the fact that it's already been FREEZING!!! it was in the single digits here, last night, and even colder where they are. YUCK!


So... I'll try to give you more deets on all of that next week, but for now I gotta go get ready for a fun evening, followed by a jam-packed couple of weeks.




Gotta love the Holidays, eh?!

Is It Friday, Yet?!

It's been an INSANELY busy week - between returning from vacation, to trying to get our house complete, and then having to take McStudly back to the Hospital yesterday... we just can't catch a break around here. I already feel like I need another vacation when we just got BACK from one (and a good one, at that) not 5 days ago!

Ah well, what can ya do? When life hands ya lemons... you throw it in with some super sweet tea and BOTTOM'S UP! Right?! I actually don't like lemon in my super sweet southern-esque tea, but who's counting.

Anywho - I'll try to update with pictures and/or info when I get the chance. But at this rate, that won't be until like... August! Not really - but right now other things are taking up my time and blogging isn't the highest priority (as much as I'd love it to be).


Sorry guys. I'll be back soon! But please leave me some love. I'm still trying to read up and comment on your blogs when I get the chance. And for those of you who commented on the "Pay It Forward" blog, please leave me your e-mail addresses again (just to save me the time of having to look it up), please, so I can get your addresses and mail you your goodies!!

Who doesn't love free stuff, right?!



Toodles!

Lou... Lou... Skip To My Lou

No really... Skip is in the bathroom right now... as I type.


Who's Skip?


He's the head of that painting company that we had issues with. He come to the house today and saw everything. Apoligized profusely for the mary-j "cologne" and vowed he doesn't put up with that stuff. In fact, while speaking to McStudly on the phone earlier this week, his reaction was somewhere around "So I wanted to talk to you about what happened before I terminated someone." Whoooaaa there Bessie! They really DID take it seriously! And that's a good thing, too.

Anyways, he took a look around. Talked to us frankly. Said he was personally going to get the paint up and off of anything and everything he could.

THEN, in a typical Extreme-Home-Makeover-"this-is-what-we-wanted-to-do-for-you" kind of tone, he said "And" ...waitforit... "I'm gonna paint your bathroom for you."


McStudly: "That's really not necessary"

Oh, but I want to do that for you guys, because I'm so sorry for all of this."

McS: "No, we appreciate it, but we actually just painted it ourselves, so it really doesn't need to be painted."

Oh... [awkward silence] well, let's go take a look at it.


Poor guy. He was trying to be so nice. ha ha... anyways, he went up and looked around and decided that he would paint our ceiling for us, which worked out perfectly. We needed to paint it anyways, so... wah-lah!

Anywho, he said he was going to touch up other things, too, and even once the carpet and everything was installed, he wanted us to give him a call and he would come touch up anything else that they may have messed up, or whatever.


Fantastic.


He said he could get the paint off the furniture, since it was latex (good to know!), and then he'd even "run some pledge over it for ya." Uh... thanks?!

It is all VERY dusty, don't get me wrong. We have a sub-floor that's called "gyp-crete". It's a mix of this stuff called gypsum, which is similar to drywall, and concrete... and it SUCKS!! I mean - it muffles sound really well and it does it's sub-floorey job, but it kicks up this AWFUL dust!


I tried sweeping it, and the dust is SO fine that I could hardly sweep it all up and it just kicked up everywhere. When I finished sweeping, there was even MORE dust on every single flat surface... AND the sweeping itself had created more dust from the floor.


Who MAKES this stuff?!


Anywho, our allergies have been SHOT lately (like we need help with that in this area... HA!) and no matter how often I wipe down countertops and shelves and tvs and bookcases, etc., the dust returns in... waitforit... about 10 minutes.

No lie.



Have I mentioned that I'm SOOOO ready for all of this to be done? Yeah. I thought I might've.




Well, that's where we are now. And the best part? The tilers and carpetters are going to come while we're on vacation next week. SCORE!! So we'll get to come home to our "complete" house!! I mean, we'll need to clean up more dust, I'm sure, but that'll be the LAST TIME we have to deal with all that cruddiness! HOORAY!!!



We are SOOO excited! :-D Eeek!!!




Oh yeah... and that's when you get PICTURES!!! :-) Now I know you guys are excited! :-P

Blah

It's been one of those weeks where everything just runs together. Seriously it's all a blur, it seems! So I'm sorry being a blog slacker.

Monday: Work, Physical therapy, then Meeting with a new Youth Pastor Candidate
Tuesday: Work, then Creative Arts Team Meeting at Church
Wednesday: Work, then selling the couch, then checking on the new furniture progress, then Church
Today: Work, working out (had to cancel Physical Therapy for today), then run up to Lowes to pick out/decide on our new bathroom vanity before they come to tile any day now
Tomorrow: So far nothing after work.


Unfortunately, I had to cancel what I was MOST looking forward to all week! My BFF (ha... love saying that)'s from growing up were going to have a girls' weekend. And now I can't go. I have hardly been home at ALL this week. And this next week will be sent finalizing the house fix-up (HOPEfully) and then we leave next Sunday morning to fly to see McStudly's family.

So I couldn't go this weekend. I'm SO bummed! I have wanted to see Ash-a-Bash and hang out with her for WEEKS and Treasie and I were finally going to get to do that. But now I'm the party pooper. Boo on me.


Anywho - I don't have time to keep blogging. No really, though... I have to hurry up and lock up shop, here at work, and then race home to finish the busy day ahead of us.


Wish me luck. I am stressed, stretched for time, living in a chaotic mess of a home, moody (for some reason, lately), and just very low on energy these days. I could use any and ALL prayers and well wishes for now.



Did I mention McStudly got another contingent job offer? FABulous, but it's not set in stone, yet... story of our lives. So keep praying for us that there won't be a gap in coverage and paychecks and that God will lead us in the right direction, one we're both peaceful and happy with. (PS: And hopefully it'll be that opportunity in Naples, ITALY!!! ... I'mjustsayin'...)




Toodles!

Dog Poop and Valium

McStudly and I just moved into our new home about 3 weeks ago. Actually - I believe it was exactly 3 weeks this past Sunday.

Well, without going into too great of detail with you guys, let's just say we're not getting along well with a certain neighbor of ours.

Other than this lady, everyone in the neighborhood is fantastic - really! They are super nice. Willing to help out with anything, and easy to talk to and just hang out with through the nice weatehr we've had lately.

But this lady... oh my goodness! I am trying my hardest. I really am - but for some reason, she's got it out for us (from the mouth of another neighbor). You see, she's not too happy that Austin leaves his little "piles" in our backyard. Now, before you jump to any conclusions, please keep in mind that I clean the backyard every 2 - 3 days (and by clean I mean pick up and hose down).

Well, when I got home yesterday, she approached me for the third time (3rd in person, but 5th altogether) int eh three weeks we've lived here.

Let me pause for a minute and tell you that everytime she's approached us, we've gone out of our way to clean the yard up right away, even if we'd just done it the day before, because we're trying to avoid a neighbor war. We're also VERY nice and polite with her (I know, right? HUGE surprise!).

Back to the story-

She approached me yesterday all flustered and upset. I did my VERY best to ignore her. I saw her by her car when I got home, so I filled my hands with things (to look preoccupied), went to check the mail, and looked down at the mail the entire time I walked EVER so slowly up to the house, but she stopped me in my tracks by stepping in front of me.

For the most part, the "conversation" went something like this (I use that term loosely, because it was more like a trial):

Neighbor Lady (NL): all huffy and puffy like "I just want you to know that I called ProCom again [our HOA management] and the Health Department about that back yard of yours. I just can't stand it anymore. I had company over this weekend and it was just horrible..."

Me (M): very calm and with hands filled, so unable to portray any body language "Ok. Well, I've talked to the HOA and my lawyer, and they've both advised me that we're not in violation of any regulations, so -" cut-off... and this won't be the last time...

NL: raising her voice, now "YES you ARE in violation. I know that for a FACT! You have had a pile out there ALL day and it's just horrible!"

yes, you read that correctly - A pile...

M: "He went this morning jsut before I left for work and I didn't have time to clean it up, I'm sorr-"

NL: yelling, now, and for the rest of the conversation "That's just NOT acceptable! You have to clean it up just like EVERYBODY else in this neighborhood! We all clean up. I don't let my cat go out there and crap all over the place!"

umm... cats are usually litter-box trained, btu whatever, lady... just... whatever

M: "Well, our backyard is considered private property, and we clean it up whenever we get the chance. I'd app-"

NL: pointing around the court "ALL of this is private property and everyone else cleans up after their dogs! You need to have respect for your neighbors! That dog got you kicked out of your last place, and I'm not going to stand it here! I don't have to live like thi- I will NOT live like this!"

M: "Well, I'm sorry, but we're not violating any regu-"

NL: "YES YOU ARE! And I won't stand for it! he got you kicked out of your last house, and you won't be able to get away with it here, either!"

M: "That was an agreement between us and our Landlord, and-"

NL: "Well, I'm not your landlord!!"

M: "No ma'am you're not, and I'd appreciate it if you'd stop harassing us about this, so that I won't be forced to seek further legal action with this matt-"

NL: "THIS ISN'T HARASSMENT! I'm your NEIGHBOR and you have NO respect for your neighbors!"

M: "I'd appreciate it if you'd stop talking to me like this."

NL: "YOU ARE IN VIOLATION OF HEALTH CODES, AND I WON'T STAND FOR IT!! There are flies EVERYWHERE out there!"

M: "I'm sorry, but we're not violating any regulations according to the HOA and-"

NL: "YES YOU ARE AND I WON'T LIVE LIKE THIS" *queue slamming door

WOW! Yes - it went something like that. Holy goodness!

Well, needless to say, I went inside and BALLED my EYES out to McStudly. I can put my foot down when I have to, but I am trying SO SO hard not to give this lady any leverage against us in anything. And I held in SO much frustration that I just caved in to tears and incoherent-like talked to McStudly about what happened. He told me to go call the HOA and document everything else that had happened, so I did, but the guy was gone for the day, and so was his assistant. I left a message with the front desk, and she marked it as urgent.

So now we're here: I talked with the HOA Assistant to our comunity this morning (unfortunately for her, she's very familiar with the situation, as I've spoken with her about it before) and she advised me that apparently, the lady has called MANY times about the situation, even yelling at THEM over the phone, and they have told her that we are in compliance with all regulations, as well as all bi-laws, and that she needs to leave us alone.

And since I've now asked her twice to leave us alone, the HOA had "advised" us to call the police, should the issue happen again. I couldn't quote the lady, but she pretty much said 'there's nothing further we can do, beyond what we've already done. We've told her that you guys are in compliance, and to leave you alone, and if she doesn't, then can only suggest that you call the police. If it does come to that, please just send us a copy of the police report and we'll keep it on file here, so that we're on the same page as you through all of this. And if it shoudl come to you having to file a peace order, just, again, send us a copy, and we'll keep it on file as well. Just try to keep us informed about whatever is going on, and we're sorry you have to deal with all of this, but it is harassment, and you have every right to call the police. You should not have to put up with that.' Something along those lines.

So here we are. Not only did I clean up the back yard AGAIN last night (I cleaned it up after she approached me - with company over - on Sunday afternoon) after the incident, AND again this morning... hosing it down each time. If she approaches me regarding this today, I may not jsut call the cops, but... hey - does anyone have the number to the Crownsville Mental Insitution?

So, Yeah. I think she needs valium. All in favor - say "Ay!"