HALLOWEEN FESTIVITIES

Today is costume day at Graystone. I, as you know, dressed up as Hermione from Harry Potter. I dressed up JUST like their Hogwarts uniform (black pants, white button up shirt, tie, black witch/warlock robe). It was so FUN! I used an old graduation gown as my robe! I printed a Hogwarts badge off the internet, and stuck that on my robe. We had candy guessing games, candy, and scary stories!!! I got pictures of alot of the kids in their costumes, and the teachers TOO!
Yesterday I got to talk to Dave. It was SO nice just to hear his voice. I could picture him sitting there, on the other side of the phone, lounging on his bed(because it was about 9:45 pm over there when he called), and smiling. I miss him so much. I think I've been doing pretty well with it though, at least my friends say so. They always ask me if I'm ok, and I say "i'm fine," even though I still have sappy bouts from time to time, and cry at sad movies more often than I use to. I let out my emotion of missing Dave in other ways (like crying when I see a sad commercial, or hearing a sad story, even if i don't even KNOW the person, it's quite annoying actually). I miss him terribly, but I'm getting through by hanging out w/ my friends more often (like Blaire, she always shows she cares about me).
Well, gotta go for today, another class is coming in, and I'm going out to do secretary work. Tonight is all the good Friday night shows, and tomorrow is the Fall Festival at Piedmont (tell ya how that goes later). Love you all and HAPPY HALLOWEEN to you if I'm not on here before then!

Blairsey and Landon (her 7 month old) came over to stay w/ me on Monday night. It was so great. She and i watched "Raising Helen" (great movie) and then we stayed up and talked till 2 am. I haven't done that in AGES! I had Tuesday off, so that was good. It felt great just to connect w/ her again. I made breakfast for her on Tuesday (although I burnt the bacon...lol) and then she left. I had a lot of errands to run. I FINALLY got the wording for the invitations down pat, and sent off the downpayment for the reception place. Then I cleaned....my clothes were all over the house (as usual when my parents are away) and washed clothes. I went to eat w/ them last night too, and Robert and his fiance' Jessi were there. I'm going again tonight too (HEY, IT'S FREE FOOD....tonight's pizza!). It's nice just to camp again (well sorta, I'm not staying there overnight). I love the smell of woodsmoke, campfires are great.
Nathan (the pastor who's going to do my wedding, and an old friend) called yesterday. He runs a christian tripping company, and wants Dave and I to work for him NEXT SPRING! I was SO excited! I e-mailed Dave ASAP and told him about it! It's SUCH a blessing from God, there's no other way to describe it. It's not for sure yet, but he wants to know soon if we're interested. He wants us to run a group by ourselves because there's so much demand for it, they can't handle all the people! It's an AWESOME BLESSING! Ok...so i'm gonna stop now :).
Well, I'm off, I'm still at work and have a class to sub now...fun stuff! OH! I almost forgot! I get to dress up to come to school on Friday for halloween...guess what i'm dressing as???? NO, not that...what kinda person do you think I AM anyways...JEEZ! I'm gonna dress as Hermione from Harry Potter!!!!!!! WUHOOO!!!!!!! Gotta love 'em. TUDALOOO!

Weekend

Well I did take Bethany to the movie on Thursday night ("Raise Your Voice"), it was really good. I thought it was just gonna be some cute-sey teen chick-flick, but it was actually sorta SAD in the begining (but it gets better near the end, so if you like Hillary Duff, go see it). It was really good to spend time w/ my lil sis, I don't do that enough.
I also had a nice time just hanging out with Rachael for awhile, I NEVER get to do that. I was good just to hang out at her house and talk. Although I did find out that her and Blaire cancelled our Sunday excursion to the wedding convention thing, and forgot to tell ME.
Friday started out super well, as I got a letter from Dave, and it was SOOO sweet. I put it in my car so I could read it anytime I wanted. I was just suppose to substitute all day, and then go home as usual. But, halfway through the day I decided that since I wasn't going to the wedding thing w/ the girls, I would go to Sheena's brothers BMX races w/ them in Georgia. SO, as soon as I got off work I left for South Carolina (where they live, 3 hr. drive) and went to the race w/ them. It was cool to watch Josh race. There wasn't that much to do there, but we had fun. I was really exhausting when we drove back yesterday because it took 4 hrs to Sheena's house, and then 3 hrs back to mine. I got home around 9:30, I went RIGHT to bed.
So, that was my weekend. Now I'm back at school, subing all day. Tonight I'm going to eat w/ my parents at Morrow Mtn (it's only 15 mins away, they're camping there all week).
Well, till later!

busy and lovin it

I voted yesterday. It was really cool! It's all electronic and computerized, so it only takes a few minutes. I felt very patriotic, it felt good. I hope alot of people vote this year, i don't care who they vote for, as long as they VOTE. Voting is next TUESDAY (unless you vote early), DON'T FORGET!
Today's a busy day. I substitute from 11 - 3 (it's 2:15 right now, only 45 MINS TO GO!), then go to my house, change, and go see Rachael. THEN, I pick up Bethany @ 6 at the Summer's house (she just got done w/ ballet), and hopefully take her to see the new Hillary Duff movie "Raise Your Voice," (that is IF she's done w/ her english paper). Then we come home and watch whichever show is on at the time (we'll have to miss Surivor ~sobb~ but we MAY catch CSI or Without a Trace). Tomorrow I substitute from 9 - 3 (so it's gonna be a boring day).
I've gotten in the habit of eating Tuna sandwiches (i think it came from having only tuna in the cubbard when I was in LDP--end of the shopping weak and no more food). It's good for you, so I guess that's good. I'm actually starting to ENJOY the grain cereals I have to eat for breakfast (but don't tell Dave, cause he's always bugging me about eating them and how good they are for me, ish). I'm hoping to get a gym memebership in November (just for a month), and maybe be able to work out after work, and swim some laps and stuff. So that's good.
I've read about 6 or 7 books since I've been home (the advantages of substitute teaching--lots of silence, little to do). I've read 2 Chronicles of Narnia books (Lewis), Pride and Prejiduce(Jane Austen), a romance novel(?), the Pickwick Papers(Dickens), an old african novel(dunno, but it was in Oprah's Book club), and a wedding book called a Wedding Season (it sux, I wouldn't recommend it). I'm now working on reading "The Return of the Native"(Thomas Hardy). I've only read 2 pages of it, so I don't know about it yet. Hopefully it will be good. Before the end of the year I want to finally read "The Screw tape letters" by C.S. Lewis and re-read "The Secret Garden," (I love kids books). I'm sure I'll read a couple of books in Ireland too, although I think I'll wait till I get over there to pick them out. When I get my own house I want to have a really big library of great books. Books are awesome--I love reading. Anyways, I'm gonna go do some lame tests on the internet for fun so that I won't make this too long. Talk to ya later!

VOTE or Die! NOT...but it IS important

Ok, so I hate P. Diddy's "VOTE OR DIE" slogans, but I think it's REALLY important to VOTE! People fought and died for the right to vote, to make a difference in the government, to have a SAY! Most Americans do not vote, and to me, it's just like say to all those that died for the right, "You died for nothing." Did you know that in the last presidential election, more people than had EVER voted before, voted, and guess what percent it was, %55. So JUST over half of the US voted, how PATHETIC IS THAT??? So many people right now are saying that the Electoral vote should be done away with. For those of you who don't know what that is, I'll try to explain as best I can. The Electoral vote is not the population vote. So, like in the Bush vs. Gore election, one could win the popular vote, but still not win the election. Yes, right off it seems unfair, until you hear the reason our founding fathers put it into affect. You see, if popular vote could decide the election, then all the candidates would have to do is get the votes of the biggest cities in America! So, only the opinions of NY City, Boston, LA, and other huge cities, would REALLY have a say in the vote! Obviously just because you vote, doesn't mean you get your way, but you HAVE to be INVOLVED! Call you senators, lobby for something, boycott things, and most of all VOTE! We enjoy a great freedom that SO many countries do not, and as usual, we could care less. DON'T take our freedom for granite, VOTE, or your opinion means nothing, you've lost your voice, and you have NO right to complain about your government EVER again. Well, I have to go, I'm going to vote today, because I love my country, but it needs some changes, and I WILL have a say.

babies

Today is baby day. No, I don't have babies, but my older sister does. She has twin one year olds, and today I'm babysitting. Her second son, who's in kindergarden, had a field trip today, and I'm watching the twins. Ya know, they're not too bad. Yes, they screem their heads off EVERY time I change their diaper. Yes, even though i move them every time, and try to put something BIGGER in front of it, they ALWAYS climb on the bricks in front of the fire place, and behind the couch. And, no matter HOW many times you pull them out, they ALWAYS stick their leg inbetween the handle of of the recliner, and the chair, and get stuck. But, they're adorable, and I love them SO much! I just wanna hug them all day. I'm watching them right now, playing in their lil plastic play house, they climb all over that thing all day (and when they have to poo they go sit in it, and act like their not doing anything...lol). Well, that's pretty much my day today. ~smile~ I love just watching them play, it makes me want kids, but not yet, not for awhile, I just hope I'll be as good of a mother as Shannon is (my big sis). till later....I'm gonna go crawl with the babies.

i don't like beer

Yes, I try to blog a lot more than I do, but, it never seems to work. So, here's my weekly update.
Since the last time I blogged I've been working pretty full out. I didn't get my car the day I said I was, the people I was buying if from lost the title (and I found out you can get a license plate unless you have the title...so that prolonged the epic). My parents left for Washington DC on Wednesday, and I had the house to myself for 4 whole days. Wednesday I went to the store and bought a 6-pack of beer, some veggies, and a magazine. I was determined to MAKE myself like beer, and I felt like cooking. The cooking went well that night, although I put a lil too much of the peppers in there, so it was a lil spicey. I drank a beer (ish--only 5 more to go). I went to Applebees with Rachael that night and she picked up this 36 yr old guy (which she thought was around 28), I coulda told her he was that old, but she never listens to me. I left her with her old man and went home. Thursday I tried to cook again (how exactly DO you fry mushrooms?) and ended up burning mushrooms, but the squash was good (another 2 beers followed--when you drink bigger gulps it disapears faster, and teddy grams help too,mouthfull of teddy grams, gulp of beer, repeat). Friday, as soon as I got home there was a message to come get the car I was buying, they figured out the tag thing. So I got the car, then I went to Shannon's (my big sis) to eat supper. My car has a cd player, so I crisend her with Green Day (Dookie of course, the best of their cd's). I think she liked it (although i haven't named her yet). Then Sheena came over and we watched Man on Fire (good but gory movie) and Saved (horrible, shame on you Mandy Moore, your career's going down the drain). Saturday we went to the movies and saw Taxi (AWESOME, HILARIOUS...I RECOMMEND IT). I also found my brides' maid dresses, they're pink! Well, sorta a ROSE color, but pretty, yup, you would be proud of me Candice. Sunday I went shopping, and then to dinner, w/ Blaire and Rache. This is where it gets interesting. Rachael told me she would buy me a shot of Hose Quervo, not a good idea, but since i wasn't buying, i accepted. It was horrible, but with 2 Smirrnoffs already in my belt, the %85 alcohol that Hose is got me a lil over the edge. Since she had already had 7 beers, she was gone. Blaire was DD, so we went to the pool hall. It was hilarious, I've never laughed so much in my life (of course I was a lil intoxicated, but that's...ok...that's exactly the point). It was funny. And now it's Monday...and the week begins.

Retraction

I went to work on Thursday night, as you all know from my last blog. It was REALLY slow at first, but I got the hang of it, and it was, an experience. It didn't get busy till around 1 am (a long time to wait when you got there at 7). I made $9 dollars in tips--for those of you who don't wait on people for a living....that sux, since I worked from 7 pm till 3 am. Got home on Friday morning from work, HATING Chubb's. My feet ACHED, and I had nothing to show for it. Well, the saga continues. I drag myself back on Friday night, have a lil fun that night, seeing a couple of people I know, but still making only $25, and my feet aching slightly less because I wore my clogs (only 3 blisters--I vow to wear socks the next night). Saturday morning I realize that I'm exhausted, and that I'd have to make 3 times the amount I'd gotten so far, EVERY night, just to be worthwhile for me to work there. Vowing I will quit that night, I go to work at 8. The night goes pretty well, get an older man who makes me talk to him forever, he tells me he'll be my sugar daddy and support me, gives me his number (i tell him i don't give mine out, i'm engaged you know--he knows), and a $23 dollar tip, and leaves (~finally~ I sigh). Then, another old man picks me out, and asks me to be his waitress, I comply because obviously old men tip better (learning this from my previous experience w/ "Tim", the older man, aka my sugar daddy). Now get this. This man looks like a knock-off of Willy Nelson (except he didn't get famous, and he earned a gut instead). He's wearing old, holey jeans, and a wife beater, w/ his long white beard and hair. He tips well also, but I don't conversate with him (he has to be asked to leave later as he's disturbing other people dancing around like a very weird drunk person, for those of you that know our favorite Medeba camper Daniel, it looked sorta like that--that's as good as I can explain it). Then, I start to feel nausious from all the smoke in the place (as you walk in the back room where the DJ is your eyes sting because of the thinkness of the smoke). I ask the boss man if I can leave--he consents after getting a break in cooking for everyone at 3 am. I leave, not telling them I won't be back, there's no time, it's the busiest time of the night; 3 am, everybody's hungry and drunk, so they buy lots of food because the bar is closed. That my friends, was my experience at Chubb's. Hopefully you found it amusing, I did, although the blisters are still there--they will fade eventually.
In other news, I bought my wedding dress yesterday. It's beautiful, and I never thought I would get married in anything like it. Don't ask to see it though, I'm only letting my bridesmaids and Mother see the dress before I marry--so too bad---NO I SAID DON'T ASK!
I also get my car today--the one I'm buying from my father's secretary. I'm really excited! This will be my VERY OWN first car! I'll let ya know how it goes--but since this saga was rather long, I will discontinue my rambling for today. Adios!

"We are chinese is you please...we are chinese if you DON'T please.."

Today's work had been pretty good so far. I sorted some stuff (i love alphebetical order, it's so neat and organized), and stamped, and sealed, and mailed stuff. Then I went to lunch w/ Jonathan (one of my long time friends from highschool and beyond). We had a great conversation about God and what we both believe and the church and things. It was good, we ate chinese (I stole his fortuen cookie, sssshhhh, he doesn't know it yet). It's been an easy day, no headacke yet, and I'm getting this message/phone thing/running around to all the buildings thing down pat!
Tonight is the big night. It is the night that I start working at Chubb's. I'm gonna be waitressing, and I probably won't get home until 5 am or so. Chubb's is a bar/club, and my parents, to say the leaste, aren't too happy about it. BUT, they're letting me make my own decision (which is good since I'm getting ready to get married and SHOULD be able to make my own decisions--and Dave trusts me, so they should too). Eventually it'll branch out into a full fledge resturant (the whole name is Chubb's bar & breakfast), but right now it's just a 21 and over club (except on Thursday's when it's 18 and up for college night). So yeah, they're not thrilled. But, I think it'l l be ok. My cousin is there working with me, she's never waitressed before either, and she says it's not too bad (other than the long hours). So, wish me luck, hopefully I won't need it, but ya never know.
Well, i'm off to answer phones now, I don't want this to get too long. Toodalooo!!!

I'M A BIG GIRL

Dave left on Monday. I did fine till we got IN the airport, right before he had to go, then I lost it. I know it's only 2 months that we'll be apart, but, it feels like forever. We've never been apart for that long. I'm telling myself it's not that long, only 8 weeks (it sounds shorter that way). He called me yesterday (tues) to tell me he had gotten in ok. I cried again, I hate crying, especially over the phone to him, I know it makes him feel helpless. I wrote me notes before he left, and hid them in alot of my stuff. I found one in my make-up bag (guess what, I cried, at least it was BEFORE I put on make-up). He wrote me a song and recorded on a lil recorder and left it for me, cried then too. I friggin cry too much. But I'm ok now. I'm at work, just doing my thing, whatever I have to to stay busy: filing, calling lots of people, filing, and filing some more. So that is my life for now. FOCUS, on work, on my friends, on anything but how long I have till I see Dave. I'm ok. I can do this. I'm a big girl.
I talked to his cousin Adam on IM today. He's excited about the wedding, he's already asking time off from school for next April. Ok, I gotta get back to work. Not that I actually have anything to do but wait for the phone to ring at the moment, but hey, somebody's got to do it. Love you ALL...and Candice girl...E-MAIL ME...AND YOU TOO CHRISTOPHER !!!

just a note

I've been watching my lil brother's soccer games this last month, and it makes me miss the sport SO much! I don't miss playing as much as I miss coaching though. I love working with those kids, they're awesome. I mean, I love playing, but I'm not really good enough to play on a team; I love playing just recreationally though. He's a really good player though, really aggressive, and he always plays clean too (I'm proud of him if ya can't tell). Well, just wanted to pop a note on here, I never blog anymore, but just wanted to update you I guess. Dave and I are getting ready to head out to a photographers and see if they can do our pictures for the wedding! Dave's heading back to Ireland on Monday, (~sob~) and I'll head out there in December.
Well, don't give up on me, I'm still blogging, occasionally, lol.