Random Bits of Recentness

I have been told that I need to post more on here. I must admit, this is coming from my father-in-law who I see on a regular basis, so I feel flattered that someone enjoys reading my blog!

Not much has been going on lately. Just working a whole heap. I guess I could give a public service announcement though. This stems from a 911 call that we were sent to last night. It is important as a parent to make sure you feed your kids a balance diet. It is also important to keep an eye on your kids so they don't do anything stupid or dangerous. And if you choose to not watch your child to protect them from stupid or dangerous things, especially things that have to do with their diet, please do not announce it to the whole world by calling 911. Somebody did this last night because their child decided to pick up a cupcake from the street and eat it. I don't know the age of the child, but if that is what your child is resorting to do, perhaps a little intervention is needed. Perhaps a parental license should be issued when one seeks to have kids. I mean, come on! We all knew of the urban myths of razor blades in our Halloween candy growing up. Not a problem, let Mom double-check the loot and then you're good to go. That was good parenting. But letting your kid eat a CUPCAKE from the street? If you're dumb enough to let this happen, please, please, PLEASE don't announce it to your neighbors by having a fire engine come screaming down your street only to have 4 grown men laugh at your silliness. You'll feel better about yourself in the morning, I promise!

So as I sit here, eating my pudding cup, I am slowly waking from my graveyard shift last night. Not a spectacular night, just another one done. No, you don't need to reread that. I am eating an Oreo flavored pudding cup for breakfast. My second one in fact. Don't judge me! And don't look in my grocery bag at the 2 Hershey's Cookies n Cream bars that I have as well! Hey, they were 2/$1 at Stater Bros! That's a steal! I suppose that since it is now 1215, I need to get in the shower and get going with my day.

So the moral of the story is don't let your kids eat random food from the ground, and always think twice before calling 911. Ask yourself if it's really and emergency: Is there significant blood loss? Are they having chest pain? Are they breathing? If you're calling because you're 95 and haven't pooped in a week, try a laxative, much cheaper than an $800 ambulance ride to the ER.

Thanks kids and let's all enjoy another trip around the sun!

My New 'Do

Well, I did it.

After having long hair for about 95% of my life, I got it cut last night. It's way cute and I will have a picture on here as soon as I can take a good one! The webcam on my laptop isn't the best, so I'll have Earl take one with his phone soon.

Love to all!!

Rain, Tornadoes, and Coughs, Oh My!

So here we are in the middle of storm #3. It's raining. There's supposed to be thunderstorms later with the possibility of hail and tornadoes also.

It's 1045 and I'm awake. I say this only because I'm supposed to be asleep right now. You see, I worked the graveyard shift last night and got home at around 0745. So I'm supposed to be asleep. I normally will sleep til noon and then get up and shower and go about my day.

But not today. No, today HAD to be special.

You see, for the past few days I've been fighting a losing battle with my voice. I officially lost that battle on Tuesday, and let's just say that trying to talk on the radio was not fun. I had to repeat myself many times because the crew couldn't hear what I said.

Now my voice is a little stronger, but I have developed a wonderful cough. It's not productive. I get a stupid little tickle in my throat that forces me to either clear my throat or go about hacking for the next few seconds. And if I cough too long or hard then I run the risk of triggering that oh-so-strong gag reflex I have and that just wouldn't be pretty.

So yes, I'm awake, it's raining, I'm cold, I'm coughing, and I'm eating leftover red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting for breakfast.

Did I mention that we were under a tornado warning on Tuesday afternoon? I'd expect that from the midwest, not Orange county...Guess I should be ready for anything with 2012 right around the corner-not that the world is going to end in 2012 (I think that's just a big 'ol load of bull-honkey).

Have a fantastic day to those who took the time to read my not-so-interesting blog today!

Today's Dream

As I sit here pondering life's greatest mysteries, i.e. what should I make for lunch, I decided my blog needed a little sprucing. So I spent the last twenty minutes or so browsing the free layouts available and finally picked one. I may still change it, who knows!

But this layout reminds me of denim and the country. Of a place I want to go back to. I would love to live out in the country in a nice country farmhouse with a yard for kids to play in. A swingset and a sandbox. Trees galore for the kids to climb. Space to run around, have a picnic on Saturday afternoons.

So that's what I'm thinking today. Nothing major. Just dreaming...

The Holidays

I'm going to preface this by warning that this post is a little long. Might make you cry too. So pull out the Kleenex and settle in!

The holidays are over. The food has been eaten. The wrapping paper has been thrown away. Resolutions have been made (and some already broken).

So now what?

I don't have the answer to that question. Sorry! But I do have the memories of one of the best Christmases I've ever had.

You see, this was the first Christmas I shared with my husband, Earl. I wanted it to be as memorable and fun as possible. So we got our little 3ft pre-lit tree from Target, decorated it with cute little ornaments, and started shopping for family members. Most of the presents were purchased and wrapped and laying under respective trees across Orange County.

Then I got pulled over while on my way to work the Saturday before Christmas. I had a tail light out, which I mentioned in my previous post. But the real kicker about the stop was that my registration was way past due. It was a neccessary thing that needed to be done months ago, but we just didn't have the cash for it.

So then the Monday before Christmas, Earl and I took a trip to our local DMV and stood in line for an hour and a half to get our little ticket to register the truck. When our number was called, the lady ran the numbers and came back with a staggering figure.

$955.00.

Yup, almost a thousand dollars to register the truck. We had the money, barely. I believe we had about twenty bucks left in the checking account after that transaction. But we still don't completely have the truck registered. We have a temporary piece of paper taped to the back window. I have to call the Utah DMV and get an original vehicle history report to turn in. THEN I will get my plates and that oh-so-expensive little colored sticker.

So back to the bank account part. I was not doing well emotionally, as one can imagine. Almost called off work that night because I felt I was on the verge of a complete breakdown. And then Earl called me while I was on my lunch.

A very kind person, dear to our hearts, came in to Earl's shop and gave him some money to put in our account so we would be able to buy groceries. You see, earlier in the day I had been thinking to myself, trying to determine which family member would have to do without a present so that we could eat. What a humbling experience this was. And heartbreaking. I was so excited for Christmas, and had put lots of time and thought into each person's gift. The thought of having to return them so that I could fill my stomach made me feel selfish. And then this angel bestowed a gift upon us.

We continued on our way. We spent very little, just paid the absolutely mandatory bills. We were feeling better. Christmas Eve came and we spent the evening with my family in Fountain Valley. We played our "Left-Right" game, Apples to Apples, and Phase 10. It was a wonderful night full of laughter, happiness, a few tears, some pain, and great food.

Christmas morning dawned a glorious day. We spent the first part of the morning with Earl's family in Newport Beach, opening presents and eating breakfast. I felt so blessed with the gifts I was given. Nothing big or extravagant, but thoughtful, needed items. We then continued on to my folks for round 2 of presents.

By the time we showed up, my sister, younger brother, and father were all asleep in the living room with paper and boxes strewn about. Mom came in from the garage and the three of us gathered around the dining room table to open presents again. Earl and I started with our stocking. While I opened the measuring scoops I needed for the sugar and flour canisters, Earl opened a flashlight for the truck. I then opened a card from my folks and immediately started crying and ran around the table to hug my mom. Without saying anything to my folks about the financial woes from our truck, our prayers had been answered by another set of angels very dear to our hearts.

This year has had its ups and downs. Earl and I have struggled and excelled. I can't think of a better way to end the year than knowing that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us and answers our prayers, even in the most unexpected way. I know that my parents, both by blood and by law, love me. I am so thankful for them all. I know that I am so blessed to have them in my life. I have never felt such an overwhelming feeling of love. What an amazing Christmas to experience. Had I known this was what was in store for me, I wouldn't have griped about the DMV costs.

So I know it's a little late, but Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my friends and family!

Reality is not my friend right now

So I've been really lucky over the last year. REALLY lucky. You see, the license plates on my truck expired last January. And in California, registration is VERY expensive. And Earl has been out of work for the last year, so there hasn't been any extra money laying around.

As I was driving Earl to his parents' house this morning before I had to be to work, I was pulled over. I was freaking out, my hands were shaking so bad! The cop was pretty nice, if you can consider a cop to be nice. But you know what the stop was for initially? A brake light that was out! Really? There are how many illegals here driving around, unlicensed, uninsured, and unregistered, driving like a bat out of hell and causing accidents and I get pulled over for a tail light????


I just love how our government works. Or doesn't work, for that matter. There are bigger problems going on and the locals are worried about tail lights. I have such confidence in where this country is going, let me tell you!


Earl and I have discussed moving to a small town out in the middle of nowhere. We've been thinking of moving to Montana, Utah, Wyoming, somewhere where there isn't so much concrete. I would love to live in a place where people care about one another. 


Sorry, I like to "ride the harley" as some people do. The cop wrote me a fix-it ticket for the light, and a fix-it ticket for my insurance card being expired. Even though we still pay it every month and have requested new cards but haven't gotten them yet. Just when Earl and I think that we're going to get just a little bit ahead in our bills. To be able to save some. To have a financial security blanket. Life just beat us down a little bit more. 


I'm so done with being an adult. Can I go back to kindergarten now? Those were good days...

A Time for Everything

Tis the season to be cold! Well, only sometimes. Earl and I decorated our first tree together this week. It's a little 3ft prelit guy from Target. It's absolutely perfect on a little wooden table that my mom gave me two years ago.

We picked out the ornaments. Earl picked out the garland. I'm not usually into garland-not that I'm against it, it's just that my family never used it. But he picked the sparkly red kind. I was skeptical. I wasn't sure if it would look okay or not. But once the garland and all the ornaments were on the tree and we plugged it in, it looked very nice.

Of course I had Earl take pictures. But of course I had him take the pictures before I pulled out the box of holiday decorations that had a little angel tree-topper in it. I unfortunately don't have time to post up the pictures right now-it takes for-ever for them to load. So those will be posted later.

Just had to share the joy of our first Christmas together as a married couple with the world! 

You want to Super-Size that?

I'm sorry, I just need to gripe and vent a little bit. 

I was just looking online at some clothes, "window shopping" I guess, and I started to feel bad about myself and angry at the clothing manufacturers. Not that I'm upset at looking at these rail-thin models who don't know what it's like to eat a cheeseburger, let alone animal style french fries from In-N-Out. No, I was becoming upset at myself because I was looking at skirts and dresses (holy cow I'm shopping for skirts? I hate skirts!) because every skirt/dress that I own is at least 3 years old.

Now this isn't to say that I'm in desperate need of skirts/dresses-I'm not. I guess I'm just bored with what I have. But what was irritating me so badly was the fact that all I could find were skirts that hit above the knee (on an average person) and so would be mid-thigh or higher on me. 

I know that being tall is a blessing, and I should be grateful for it, but when it comes to clothes, I become so discouraged and angry that I give up. I keep wishing that I was shorter. That my legs weren't so long. That my torso wasn't so long. My arms as well. I guess the only solace I have is that I wear men's clothing to work and that's the only reason why it "fits". 

I was even looking at Gap, because I know that they make pants and jeans in "tall" lengths. I was so excited (I've bought them before), but then  I noticed that the models were all wearing high heels with these jeans, because that's the style that they wanted. I just wanted jeans that didn't look like high waters! 

I suppose the only way I'm going to find pants that are long enough is to make them myself. And we all know THAT will never happen. So until the day that pigs fly, I'll just have to settle for pants that are just a little bit too short. 

And I've given up on skirts. I'd wear pj's to church if I could.

Work, work, work...

While I'm sure everyone has thoughts of gratitude and thanksgiving on their minds, I had to take a moment to express my feelings. 

To start, Earl has been out of work for the past year. He was able to get some construction work for a few days during the late spring/early summer time. This past week, he interviewed at a business called Garys. They are at Fashion Island, the mall in Newport Beach. Well, the lady called him back and said that they wanted to make an offer to him. It's a part time cashier position, and I believe it is only seasonal. But they offered $10/hr and he is at his first shift right now!!!

When Earl texted me at work yesterday and told me the wonderful news, I was so thrilled that I actually teared up! This is a huge blessing in our lives, one that we've been praying for for a long time. 

So while I am sad that I am home alone (I already worked my shift at Sport Chalet today) I am excited that Earl is at work!

Now there are three sources of income in our little family. Hopefully we will be able to keep it all in savings, preparing for a rainy day!

Dreams

It's interesting to pay attention to your personal patterns. When I was young, I had nightmares frequently, which my mom can testify of. I used to walk from my room upstairs, all the way down the hall, down the stairs, through the dining room, kitchen, into my parents bedroom, and all the way to the far side of the bed to where my mom slept.

"Mom." Pause. "Mom." A little louder this time. 
"What?" 
"I had a bad dream."
"Do you want to tell me about it? 
"No."

"Okay, good night Mom."

And so I would reverse my path and head back to my room. Never did tell Mom anything about my dreams. Just that I had one. 

Well now that I'm older, I've notice that I don't dream very often. And if I do dream, by the time I wake up, I've forgotten what I dreamed. I don't wake up Earl to tell him if I had a dream. It's funny though. He dreams almost every night. 

However, the last couple of nights I have had dreams. Usually right before I wake up and the dream is still vivid in my mind. My most recent dream that I had involved myself, my parents, Earl, and my two kids. 2! Ahhh! I've got kids! 

Okay, shock aside, I had just moved back to Texas with my parents. Don't know where in Texas, but it was very flat and you could see for miles and miles. I was living with my parents and some storms were rolling in and before I knew it, a tornado warning had been issued for our area. I remember that I had started grabbing pillows and blankets and all sorts of stuff and started running to the basement, where I was staying with the kids. Earl was there and before we knew it, we could see the twister and it was the first time he'd ever been in a tornado. 

It was weird. Not the fact that I was living with my parents. But the fact that I had two kids! A girl and a boy. Two little cottontop kids. The girl was the oldest. I don't remember much, but I know they were cute. 

Dreams are an interesting phenomenom that I don't feel that we will ever understand. I'm okay with it too. Sometimes the dreams are fun to recall and really make you think. Sometimes when they have strong meaning, and sometimes they have warnings. Whatever the case may be, they are still fun!