The End of June

Well, it's already the end of June - what's up with that?!? It just got sunny here! I've been complaining about that of course, and I have refused to put all of the windows on my Jeep because it's JUNE!!!! But it finally feels like summer here, so I'm happy about that.

So here's something I've been dealing with for a while...
I feel like I've been in a spiritual Sahara for some time now. I feel far from God and confused about that. Does everybody go through this? And if so, why? I'm sure God isn't mad that I moved because He's everywhere, but sometimes that's what it feels like. And honestly, the church I go to seems... Dry. It seems like there are only a few really genuine people there. I feel like I'm being emptied out and nothing is going in.

So I'm sure many of you know that I'm going to move again. I have mixed feelings about that as well. I really wanted to stay somewhere for a long time, but I don't believe I can do that here. I think I went a little too small when I moved here. It looks bigger until you're here for a while. I keep running into people that I know - everywhere I go! Including the guy that gets Viagra refilled and asked me out. So I think I need to go a little bit bigger. A place with a craft store. Thanks to my sister, I've got a couple of towns in mind and I'm planning on December.

Hey, isn't this two updates in one week?!? Woo-hoo!

Where am I??? Is this MY blog???

Okay, so I went to my sister's blog and was reading and cracking up and gasping and whatnot, when I thought, "Hey... I should update mine since it's been a loooong time". Of couse, nobody reads it anymore because I never update it, but that's okay. :)
I'm going to try to put a (really bad) picture of me on this... but it's morning and I haven't done anything... but this is what my hair looks like when I straighten it:
Okay seriously, I'm not very bright. I can't make a picture on this. I keep hitting the button and nothing is happening.
AAAARRRRGGGG!!!!
Well, anyway...
I've been trying to eat healthier and get a little bit of excersize. Yeah. Um, I do okay during the day, but at night for dinner... the phrase "portion control" means nothing to me.
I bought 2 new outfits (at a great sale!) but I got them about 2 sizes too small. And I'm giving myself until October to fit in them. In October I have to go to my friend's wedding in Michigan and I want to look nice. Plus, my bosses mortgage guy lives there too, and he's agreed to be my date to the wedding. Poor guy. I'm a pity date.
Okay, I need to go figure out how to post a picture.

Cooking update

The strawberry-oatmeal-bar things were horrible. Lumpy, pasty, oatmealy things with very little flavor.
So I made rice crispy treats instead. With help from a chef friend. I started to botch it up in a serious way when it came to squishing it all into a pan... but then my friend put olive oil on my hand so it wouldn't stick to me. Whew!.. but it was fun eating the stuff stuck on my non-oiled hand. :)
I actually made them for somebody else because I don't have much of a sweet tooth... So now I just need to send them off!

I'm baaaaaack!!!

(Okay, so I'm not very good at being faithful to my blog!)

10 GOOD COOKING TIPS FOR THE CULINARILY-CHALLENGED

1. Get a big bowl to mix things in. When the recipe says to get a medium sized mixing bowl, get a BIG bowl. It's hard to run the mixer with one hand and cup your other hand over the bowl so you can catch some of the stuff flying out.

2. If you put mix brown sugar with a mixer and it's hard and clumpy, the big clumps will shoot right out of the mixer, over the bowl, past your shielding hand, and onto the floor. You might want to break down those clumps before mixing. I tried nuking them in the microwave and it helped a little... but I didn't get all the big clumps. Needless to say, they aren't in the cookie bar mix anymore.

3. When the recipe calls for strawberry pie filling, it's apparently not asking for canned strawberries in a light syrup. I'm not sure how this will affect the cookie bar things, but hopefully it will not be too runny. Hmm...

4. When you blend the canned strawberries in light syrup, don't wear something you like. And get a big bowl if you can.

5. Canned strawberries in a light syrup is easy to clean off the walls if you do it right away.

6. When the recipe calls for a 13X9 inch baking pan, I don't know if those are "real" measurements... at least it doesn't look like it to me.

7. Cats don't appear to appreciate strawberries in their food.

8. When pouring things like almond extract into the measuring spoon, sometimes it's better if you DON'T pour it over the bowl with the mixture in it. If you over-pour, you end up with a lot of extract in the mixture that you can't take out.

9. When cleaning up strawberries from your mixer, don't forget it gets all underneath... and again, it's a lot easier if you do it right away.

10. It's not really a good idea to type on your keyboard if you are cooking and you didn't get all of the strawberry stuff from your fingers.

Job and stuff...

Well, the job is going just fine. I am applying for my license soon - I just need to find a picture of myself that is recent to send with the application. Hmph. There is some drama at work between my immediate supervisor and one of the other girls. You know how catty some women can be! I feel like the buffer sometimes, but for the most part I just try to stay out of it all. I'm neutral! I just don't care about their little issues, I'm there to work.
My sis is here for the week and we haven't been able to spend a lot of time together because I have to work of course. But the time we do get to hang out is great. She is trying to teach me how to knit and I'm going straight into making an afgan. I'm actually hoping to make it for somebody, but if it comes out with a lot of mistakes I'll just keep it for myself until I get better.
Short and boring, but that's all I've got right now. I need to eat dinner! :)

January 6th

Well, the first month of the new year has been going pretty well. One of my cats were sick for a little while, but he seemed to get better in a couple of days, so that was a relief. I promptly got a cold and it's a doozy! Everybody in town seems to be sick and working in a pharmacy... well, I guess I'm just open to it. I'll have to start taking vitamins maybe.
My mom and sister should be here later today, while I'm at work. They are only coming down for the night (for now) and we are going to have Christmas together. I'm pretty excited and can't wait to see them! I haven't seen my sister since August, so it's about time! :)
I got re-aquainted with a high school chum a couple of nights ago. It was pretty cool to talk to him... he has matured a lot since way back when! He reminded me of things long forgotten... bus rides to and from games and such, people, etc. He caught me up on people that I haven't heard about in a long time. He wishes he could go back and I wouldn't go back if you paid me a million dollars.
Well, God bless you all this new year!!!!!

Apartments, Phones & Cats, Oh My!!!

Okay, so I just moved into the apartment - it was a really quick thing so if this is the first you've heard of it, you probably aren't the only one. It's actually a townhouse with two bedrooms upstairs and a full bath, and a half-bath downstairs. I love it. I've never had my own two-story place with a "guest" bedroom!!! I can't wait for my sis to come up and stay with me, and my mom too!!! Of course I need a bed first...

The cats adapted well, or at least Buddy did. Grace was really mad at first, hissing and yowling at me and Buddy, but I knew that was going to happen. She finally got over it after a couple of days and now they have lots of fun running up and down the stairs and everywhere. It must feel like the whole world to them after the fifth-wheel! Once in a while they forget about the different floors and I'll hear one meow downstairs and I'll have to say something to let them know I'm upstairs. They'll meander up and meow at me like, "Hey, there you are!".

Buddy has been keeping me up at night trying to open cupboard doors and drawers. I caught them both under the sink early one morning and scared them, hoping it would help break the bad habit, but to no avail. So I've been leaving a couple of empty ones open. This morning however, I got up to hear a strange sound in the kitchen. I had a couple of paper gift-bags on top of the refrigerator and I should have known better, knowing Buddy's insane curiosity and love for bags. When I went into the kitchen this morning (cautiously because of the strange sound), I found a bag on the floor and the freezer door WIDE OPEN! I'm sure it had been open for hours, just running and running. Sheesh!

Also, I got a phone!!!! Of course I'm not going to post it, but if you know my sister or my mom, you can get it from them most likely. :) I was so excited to have a phone again that I called it to make sure it worked. Then that night, I talked for three hours. That won't be a normal night of course, but I had a lot of pent up "calling" to do!!!

Oh, and some friends from church have been overwhelmingly generous and have given me two barstools, two dining room chairs, a dining room table, a big chair and matching ottoman (sp?) and a huge couch that has two recliner in it! Also a mattress so I don't have to sleep on the floor anymore, a dresser and an armoire! Wow. There are some really kind people here!

Okay, that's all I've got for now! God bless you! (I know He has blessed me greatly!)

Job update

Well, the job has been going very well. The main pharmacist is on vacation, so we've had some "floaters" to fill in and it has been... challenging. Very busy, but I feel good at the end of the day and nobody calls me fat, so that's nice.
(By the way, I'll try to be more faithful with updating the blog...)

It has been raining like crazy here! Yesterday I thought the wind was going to rip the top right off of my Jeep! There were a few scary moments - my doors didn't seem very stable a few times, but I got through it okay. And I hear it's supposed to get worse??? We'll see...

Speaking of rain... I went to my mom's for Thanksgiving and on the way up it was raining quite a bit. My Jeep leaks in a few places (five or seven) and it finally got to my stereo. At first I couldn't hear it, but then it made a REALLY LOUD "beep-beep" and then I could smell that oh-so-familiar burning electrical smell. I pulled over and smelled the engine to make sure it was not on fire, but it smelled okay, so I was back on the road in a matter of seconds.
I told my friend Jeff about it (who is a very smart electrician guy, and cute to boot) and he recommended that I keep a fire extinguisher handy... oh, and have it looked at. Hmm.... So now I just take a fuse out when I park because if I don't, the stereo doesn't really turn all the way off. And I have an extinguisher.
So that's it for now! :)

Conversation: Boss vs. Emp. RE: giving notice

Me: (smiling weakly) So while you were on vacation, I was offered a job and I gave my notice.

Boss: I thought you have a job.

Me: Um, yeah, but this one has-

Boss: (interupts) Is easier?

Me: Uh, I don't know... maybe?

Boss: So I wasted all that time and money on you.

Me: Well, no... I don't think-

Boss: (interupts) Yes, I wasted all that time and money on you.

Me: Uh, okay...

Boss: Yeah, I could tell by the way you handled things that this was going to happen.

And then we scheduled my last day to be the day before Thanksgiving so I could go to my mom's for the holiday.
Sheesh! Oh, and the rest of the day was a hoot.

Diet

I started "the diet" with help from Rayleen... I actually started yesterday. I don't think I drank enough water and I didn't eat everything that I was supposed to, so I'm getting a rough start, but at least it's a start I guess. I did some strength training at home since it was too dark to go out and ride my bike. I did crunches, mule kicks, leg lifts and bicep curls. Ouch. Hopefully tonight I'll be able to ride my bike before dark, although I'm not sure because it gets dark so quickly and I don't get off until sunset - 5pm. I'll try though.
I took the back seat out of my Jeep to make it easier to transport my bike. I need to get a bike rack, but that will have to wait for now. I just hope (and pray) that I'll stick to the bike riding and get some good exercise and stress relief from it. I tend to get bored with stuff after a little while and I don't want to do that with this.
We shall see...

I got it!

Well, I got the job! So I gave my supervisor (the boss is gone for a few more days) my two weeks notice. I was really super nervous because I don't like doing that, but it had to be done! I went into the pharmacy and talked to my soon-to-be supervisor and told her when I would be coming in to work. I'm excited but really scared too. I want to like this new job! I want to have fun! I want to love what I do! I'll just keep praying about it. :)

Anyway, my current supervisor is the one I've been having problems with and he was JUST talking to the other guys in the back and one of them asked him what he would do if I quit. (Apparently that just happened to come up in conversation from the one person I told. Sheesh!) He said that he didn't believe I would quit - there was no way. HA! He also said he wouldn't "go through that again", meaning working by himself without any help. Hm....

When I gave notice he was really calm about it all - even congratulated me. But he also was trying to impress upon me that most people don't give notice and he doesn't think people should have to - after all, when you get fired they don't give you notice. I don't really trust him, I think he was just trying to make me look bad, but maybe I'm just paranoid. And before I left today he told me I was very good with the public. That was nice of him.

A new job?!?

So as you all know, I've been in the market for a new job. The one I have is barely tolerable and I can't wait to leave. It's hard though, because I've had some exciting jobs in the past and it's difficult for me to accept "normal" jobs I suppose. But I believe God has been working on my pride issue about this and on Sunday I read Romans 12:16 (if I remember correctly) which basically says not to shy away from humble duties.
Well.
Okay God.
So I went ahead and applied for a pharmacy cashier job at a popular drug store chain. I immediately got an interview and am going in for a "mini" interview with the pharmacy manager and I'm also being scheduled for the drug screen test. It's really looking like I'm going to get this job!
The strange part is that I'm actually very excited about it! There is room for growth and promotions, I can transfer if I move, I can look into pharmacy tech. if I am interested and I'll have benefits! Great!
I'll talk to the pharmacy manager tonight and take the drug test tomorrow most likely, so I'll try to keep everybody up to date on it.
Woo-hoo!!!

Got a perm

Well, I got tired of trying to make my hair look nice and neat, so I went out and got a perm with a layered cut (so it wouldn't look like a curly triangle on my head). I think it looks okay, although it will take some getting used to. And of course it will relax a little in a couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to that. It's crazy at first because it's so darn curly! The guys at work will have a field day making fun of me... I can hear it now:

"What'd you do, stick your finger in a socket?... Bzzzt, bzzzzzt!!!"

"Hey there poodle-head! We'll just call you Poodle from now on!"

"What's wrong with your head?"

Oh yes, the intelligence that I work with so gleefully. Gee, can't I work here forever? Hmmm... maybe it will keep them from making comments about the size of my butt! Not likely.

What is THAT supposed to mean?!?!?

Today at work (a mechanic shop/car rental), a co-worker told me this:

"...I told the guys, 'I don't know why you guys parked the cars so close, now she won't be able to get in them!'... hahahaha!!!!!!!..."

WHAT?!?!?

What is he saying?!? That my butt is bigger than ANYBODY ELSE at work???? What kind of comment is that?!? Who freakin' SAYS that to a GIRL??? (Or a guy, whatever.) What crap! I told him he just opened a "big 'ol can", but I get the impression he thinks the other guys are the ones who insulted me, not him. And I say again, WHAT CRAP!!!!!