At long last, a job!

After ten months of unemployment I finally have a job!!! After sending in tons of job applications to various sources I scored my first interview. I applied in November, interviewed in December, trained in January and will start Monday (aka in February)! It was a long process (including a background check that took me almost two hours to do) but it ended up being worth it. I was hired!

I am an official Library Aid for MCCS.

This week was my MCCS customer service training, three long days of powerpoints and presentations and trust games that at times were enjoyable. Our main trainer was wonderful and tried to make things as fun as possible, which was appreciated, but some presentations were just the kinds you needed to chug caffeine to get through!

Did you know the only 'I' in team is in the a-hole? ;)

 Also being on base for long periods of time was interesting. Especially those moments when helicopters fly so low you feel like you got a little trim off the top of your head!

We also had an interesting little bus tour. I now know where the post office is. Score.

Like I said, our trainer made it fun and every day pumped us up with the Chicago Bulls entrance theme. There was clapping, cheering and maybe even the wave. Well HR got jealous of our fun so one day they started playing the macarena in the hallway and dragged us out of training for a flash mob up and down the hall!

At the end of it all I met my new supervisor and I am pretty excited to start Monday. I will work some evenings but the library I am working in doesn't stay open past 7, so not too late. Also I will probably be working every other weekend, but that is doable. I hope my coworkers like me and I am excited for the opportunity. I will be surrounded by books and that is heavenly to me. We have so many resources that I am anxious to take part in.... if your base has a library check it out! There is so much more than just books.... Rosetta Stone, nooks, DVDs, Wii and XBox and Playstation games for rent, and so much more.

My supervisor took over the library late last year and is open for suggestions and program ideas and I have so many ideas that I hope I can put into fruition.

It has been a long wait but I am so thankful that I got this job. I am hoping it is really meant to be, maybe I had to wait this long because this is the place I needed to go.

Let's hope!

I will keep you posted on how it goes after my first day.

And I plan on auditioning for the show at the community college on Monday so I see a busy few months in my future if I am cast. Fingers crossed!

Ringing in the New Year

Our New Year's weekend was rather low key. After traveling for Thanksgiving and Christmas we decided to stay in town and just spend the weekend with friends. Saturday night Ben and Chelsea came over and we walked over to the bar and just had a good night letting loose. We played pool and talked and just had a good time. Sunday we recovered and Monday was New Years Eve.

Nicole invited us to her house for dinner and games and we had a blast. I tried some no heat curls to fancy myself up a little and I think they turned out pretty well! Ryan was funny since he never heard of any of the games (um, I hadn't really either!) and he kept saying he was being played. Actually by the end of the night we were three dollars up some how! Not bad considering how many games we both played and lost before we won.

We played dice games (left, right, center), golf, 99, and screw your neighbor. Nicole and Laura sang karaoke but I know better than to sing in public so I stayed at the game table!

 I was the DD for the night but I did have some champagne at midnight! Delicious!

Our New Years kiss! After watching the ball drop Ryan danced me around the living room to Frank Sinatra. Perfect.

My hand from the one game I won!

 New Years Day we went to Buffalo Wild Wings and watched the Gamecocks play in the Outback Bowl.... and they won! We sat there for about four hours watching the game and dragging out our dinner, but it was so worth it.

THE hit heard around the world! We literally jumped out of our chairs when it happened!

 Yesterday was a trip to the commissary which was absolutely heinous. I normally shop during the day and on my own and never on pay day. Between everyone checking in and then the registers all crashing the line literally went around the entire store back towards the entrance near the produce section. I took my time shopping and after Ryan checked in he came and stood in line for me while I finished up. Luckily I always do self check out so the line was a little less bad, but still pretty awful.

Now there may be a mini employment thing in the works, I will blog about it more later when I have more information.... but there is a trial run tonight! Still waiting to hear from the library.

Tomorrow I am getting my wisdom teeth out (and completely freaking out) but I assume I will be lounging in bed this weekend and not on the blog world. I hope you all had a wonderful New Years and are kicking off 2013 in the best way possible. See you all soon!

Job Interview

After eight months of applying for jobs in North Carolina I finally scored my first job interview this week! It is for a library aide on base at one of the base libraries. I love books so it is actually something that appeals to me! Sadly the pay is pretty dismal and the hours are 0-40 (never zero but anywhere in between) and rotating with some nights and weekends. At this point we are willing to look past that even though Ryan and I both wanted me to get a day job with normal hours. After eight months we are realizing that it is impossible in this town (or so it seems) so I decided to go for this.

I was pretty excited to score an interview, but it ended being a lot more intimidating than I imagined! I wore a suit for the first time since April and made my way to the interview on base.

I was very surprised to learn I was being interviewed by three different people at once! That was new for me. They all had packets and asked me tons of questions which they then all wrote my answers down on. Everything from team work to high stress situations to past jobs to how I handled certain situations. My thinking cap was on for sure. I made them laugh once or twice so maybe that is a good sign (especially since it was attempted). The interview lasted over forty-five minutes and I will hear either way come mid January. Oy. Keep your fingers crossed for me! Hopefully I get it! They are hiring two aides at the research library and one at the main library (which is the one I am really hoping for). I know it is competitive as they had three days of interviews but you never know.


And Wednesday I managed to get all my baking done!

I made chocolate walnut crumb bars (my mom's recipe), peanut butter chocolate chip brownies, rolo pecan pretzels and forgotten kiss cookies (recipe is here on Mommy Musing's Blog (although I did add an egg to it)). Breanna helped me out, which I really appreciated, and she even brought her KitchenAid mixer and her dog so Rylie could play with Bo outside and be out of our hair. Well done!

And it is official: My wisdom teeth, two uppers, are coming out on January 4th. I am mildly terrified as I have an illogial fear of the dentist. So send good thoughts my way. I may not blog for a bit, depending on how drugged up I am following the whole procedure (of ripping perfectly good teeth out of my mouth), so if you want to send me some guest blogs for that weekend I'd appreciate it. Anyone ever been in my position? Feel free to share: imyewneek@yahoo.com

We are heading to my parents' house today for the holidays. Merry Christmas everyone and hope we don't get snowed in on the mountain! And I hope we all survive the Mayan end of the world... even though it means getting my wisdom teeth out when we do....

Tarnished

At the moment I feel like a reverse King Midas. Everything I touch tarnishes. Maybe I am just being over dramatic and ridiculous, but I am not having an easy time as of late. (Ok, and I am extremely PMS if you must know, it is SO not helping)

Examples?

I was supposed to be an extra in an independent film on Saturday. Well it is getting to be later in the week and I haven't heard a peep out of the company. I go on Facebook and see that they posted something along the lines of "The party scene has been rescheduled due to storm damage. If you are on the call sheet you received an email about this last week." I comment saying I never received any email, just phone confirmation after the audition. They tell me they had a major database glitch and some people were deleted and that they are working to fix it. But at this point I doubt they will even use me. I am sure my spot was filled after my "deletion" so I am not bothering to get my hopes up. I was so excited. I miss acting so much and I was really looking forward to this. Tarnished.

Again, I was supposed to have a phone interview last week for an amazing job that I was really looking forward to trying to get. The only phone interview I had before (Disney) they called me. Maybe it was stupid of me to assume that was how it works... but the time for the interview comes and no call. I call the interviewer maybe fifteen/twenty minutes later after finding her number in my email and leave a voicemail. Then I emailed her that evening. And again this morning. Maybe because I made an assumption I looked incompetent and burned a bridge before I could even start to cross it. Tarnished.

I have enough rejection letters from jobs that I can wallpaper our bathroom. If we were needing money I know I could go back to retail or anything shift work like, but after being apart for nine months Ryan and I do not want me to have a job that has me work nights and weekends when he works weekdays. We'd never see each other. So my framed college diploma is gathering dust in its frame on the wall in the office as I do laundry, vacuum, clean, cook, watch the dog and run miscellaneous errands. I miss having a job I enjoyed, where I felt a sense of purpose. At this point retail may be my only option so we will just have to suck it up and I will have to work some nights and weekends just to have something on my resume. Something to get me out of the house. Something that will not make me feel like having a fight with my husband on washing the crock pot is the end of the world. Tarnished.

Couple all that with a million mosquito bites, poison ivy and a break out rival to what I had when I was in high school and my self confidence has plummeted. I may have gained weight too.... I can't tell. We don't own a scale but I think I have. Tarnished.

My blog has suffered because I honestly just have not had anything to write about. I refuse to turn this place into a ranting release every entry. I guess I can have one now and then, but I don't want that to be all I do. So the blog may be stepping back until I have something worth writing about. Tarnished.

Thanks for sticking with me. Now, I need to go find some oil and untarnish this big ol' mess of mine.

We Are Worth More

Have you all seen this article?

Yesterday it came to my attention on Facebook and I have to say.... it made me really angry. "12 Great Jobs For Military Spouses". As someone who is currently looking for work it definitely caught my eye. Maybe I missed something, maybe there could be tips and hints and advice for lots of women out there in my exact same position.

I was wrong.

The article starts off well. It talks about how compared to the overall public military spouses are more educated. 84 percent of military spouses have some college. Further more 25 percent have a bachelor’s degree and 10 percent have an advanced degree. Those numbers don't even include other marketable skills that require special licenses. 35 percent of military spouses in the workforce are in jobs that require a professional license (which is an initiate that Michelle Obama and Jill Biden are working to allow those spouses to work in all 50 states without transferring licenses every three to five years). In fact 85 percent of spouses are in my exact situation. 85 percent. That number seems disturbingly high to me.

Seeing those numbers made me proud. We are a well educated community with a lot to offer the world. Our spouses being military does make that more difficult, but not impossible. Moving so much does stunt career progress sometimes, you may work for a company that has no representation in your new location, so you have to start over. I can relate.

But then I got pissed.

The twelve great jobs this woman writes about? Insulting. For an educated group of people it seems more like a list for a high schooler looking for their first job. Hell, if the article had a different spin, it may not have annoyed me so much. Maybe if it was "12 Money Making Endeavors for Military Spouses Between Jobs" or "Extra Income Ideas" it may not have annoyed me so much. But for saying how educated we are and what we can achieve.... it boils down to this.

Direct Selling (like Avon or Pampered Chef), Child Care and Babysitting, Selling handcrafted goods online (Etsy), Tutoring and Substitute Teaching, Errand Runner, Catering and/or Cake Making, Pet Services, Gift Basket Creator, Personal Trainer, Administrative Assistant, IT Specialist and Tax Preparer.

Those are the 12 great jobs?? Now, some are fine, even terrific careers. I know plenty of spouses who do direct selling or have amazing Etsy shops. If you love numbers a tax preparer is great. If you want to teach, it is a good choice. But gift basket preparer??? Errand runner??? For being as ambitious and educated as you make us sound that is honestly the best you can come up with? THAT is where it gets insulting. And the descriptions... oh man. I have been talking to Ryan about going back to school for culinary arts, more specifically a pastry chef. I have taken cake decorating courses and I love to bake, it is something I have been toying with, but the description from the article made my blood boil.

"Those hours spent watching the Food Network might be the genesis of a money-making plan. If you have great culinary chops, try catering parties or backyard cookouts, selling homemade baked goods or offer your services as a personal chef. A course in cake decoration, candy making, and baking from a community college or gourmet food shop can boost your presentation skills."

I spend hours spent watching the Food Network?? In between keeping the house clean, taking care of the dog, grocery shopping, maintaining the cars, the yard, laundry, cooking dinner (and baked goods for Ryan to take to work), blogging, writing articles for SpouseBUZZ and applying for jobs I spend hours watching TV???? Most days the TV isn't even turned on in our house until after dinner when we sit on the couch and watch Doctor Who on Netflix together. And just because you watch the Food Network does not make you a chef. People go to school for years to do that. Yes, home based businesses can grow from talented individuals, but the way that the article says it anyone can turn a TV show into a career.

And I am so glad I went to college for four years to be a babysitter. Because that is all my bachelor's degree can get me. I worked my butt off in college for four years. Yes, my concentration was theatre, but I have a BA. I took all sorts of liberal arts classes.... math, science, philosophy, religion, Spanish, psychology and anthropology to name a few. I had a full course load of classes (and homework and studying) plus I would be at the theatre five hours a night during the week and all day Saturday. And I worked in the scene shop in the theatre part time so I could make money. Full course load, rehearsals and a job.

And I can babysit.
The article is from The Jacksonville Daily News. Jacksonville, a huge military town, has the nerve to publish something so backwards from 1960? You are a major paper in a military town. You claim spouses are these educated people and we can run errands. Insulting. How do you think people would react if this was an article directed at women in general? Civilians?

Yes, my husband's job makes me move.... but I shouldn't have to be a secretary until I retire. We are worth more than entry level jobs for the rest of our spouses' military careers. We support our spouse and they support us. Our dreams, aspirations and goals may be harder to obtain, but not impossible. I will stand by my husband's side and do what I can to help him and his career... and I know he will do the same for me wherever he can. The military has given us so much, sometimes is really sucks (deployments, field ops, PCSing as soon as you feel 'settled') but that is the life we choose to live. But gosh darn it I can have a career too. I can support my husband, hep keep up a house, a dog (someday kids) and still pursue what makes me happy. We all can.

We are worth more.

Such A Slacker!

But the good news is....

I GOT THE JOB!!!!

I start September 7th. And the best thing, the commute is SHORT. I mean, maybe two miles at most. After driving forty minutes one way and an hour the other it is going to bliss. I can walk. Or take bus. No beltway!!! My amazing friend Meghan works for this company and passed on my resume and I interviewed Monday. My friend from school Jen did too and even better, they hired her at another location with the probability of her transfering to mine.

Speaking of awful commutes check out mine from this morning...


It was light and a little overcast when I left the apartment. I was on the phone with our family friend Fran when I looked up and saw that. It started to drizzle slightly and I said, "Fran, I think I gotta go." Not a moment too soon as the skies opened up. I have never driven in anything like this in my life. I couldn't see two feet in front of me. I would have pulled over but there is no shoulder on the parkway and I was NOT about to go into the grass. Every now and then lightening would blind me and it took me ages to go at barely 30 miles an hour. The roads instantly flooded and I was honestly following the brake lights of the car in front of me.



I hit the beltway and it stops. Like dead. There was even blue sky!! I was shocked. But when I hit 270 I saw that tree. I had to go around three lanes of traffic to get to my exit. Then all the traffic lights were out... AGAIN.

Surprise surprise I get to camp and there is no power. You'd think after last time they'd send us home. Oh no. The owner, who is in Phili mind you, doesn't want to close. So there is no swimming, we have to be totally outside all day for everything and it is hot as heck and a pain in the neck! Finally they get some sense and do early dismissal at 12:45. I got home by three as car line as usual took an hour but Ryan got home early too! It was great.

We just had a nice dinner and now are drinking some wine. <3

Slacking

Sorry I am slacking on updating! Work has been crazy and I had my first "grown up job interview" today. At least that is what I am calling it. I think it went really well... I almost thought I had it when he mentioned one other interview tomorrow and three others, including a distant friend of mine from college! Eek! I find out Wednesday so please keep your fingers crossed for me.

Work has been so hectic, that and Ryan having duty and oil changes and broken nails and visiting uncles and a bloat we had a lot to do. All shall be explained in detail soon, I promise. Don't lose faith on me now!

But my uncle is almost here and we're going for dessert. I promise to update more very soon!

Thank God...

It is the weekend! And I went to Happy Hour with some people from work because we got PAID! Much better.

I am at the barracks printing a resume. I found a job position as a Theatre Specialist in QUANTICO of all places! Let's just say I am qualified and it would be a great position. Sadly I saw the posting two hours after MCCS stopped accepting applications but I am sending it anyway. It can't hurt. Now I will go home and wait for my husband to come back from post-parade work just to have him go in at 8am for duty squad work. Sigh. Duty squad is a truly suck week a month.


I saw this on Katie's (@ Diary of a Disgruntled Marine Fiance's) facebook and I wanted to repost it here as it is SO true.

"I can't believe the news coverage being given to a spoiled 20-something yr old. Here are a few 20 year-olds worth knowing about: Justin Allen 23, Brett Linley 29, Justus Bartett 27, Dave Santos 21, Chase Stanley 21, Jesse Reed 26, Matthew Johnson 21, Zachary Fisher 24, Brandon King 23, Christopher Goeke 23, Paul Miller 22, & Sheldon Tate 27. These service men gave their lives for you this week. Lindsey who?"

Grow up American Media. Report on the important stuff. Not some spoiled drug addict brat who hasn't made a worthwhile movie in years.

Last Day Off

Well, last week day at any rate! Tomorrow is the Dry Run of camp, where we basically do a normal day of camp without the campers so we know what we're doing! Then Monday I will be on campus by 8am... so up at 6? Ish? Hour or so to drive, leeway for traffic... ugh. Note to self: Next time make sure you know where you will be living before you find a job!

Now there are TONS of confidentiality issues with camp and the kids, understandably so, but I just need to throw that out there. I will never discuss the name of the camp, any of my campers, or any personal information on them. Even if I have a demon spawn of Satan as a camper, nothing will be mentioned!! I probably will just talk a lot by how tired I am or if I like the kids as a collective whole or not. I love to blog, but I will not jeopardize my job to do so fully.

I probably didn't need to say all that but it is also for me. I may get tempted to kevetch but I know I cannot.

Still looking for a job for fall. Gosh I hope I find something good!

I have some friends from Disney who are now working at the brand new Harry Potter world and I am quite jealous. I want to go so badly! Hell I would LOVE to work there even. But that would be even worse of a commute than the one I have for the next nine weeks!

Ryan will have some comp time soon so I will head to the barracks so I can actually see my husband for a bit today. I know we both cannot wait for parade season to be over! He is miserable at work and I hate seeing him that way, and I miss him!

The downside of getting our internet so late made me not able to do a lot. I haven't had the time to upload my personal wedding/honeymoon pictures. I wanted to totally revamp my blog and get a three column layout (STILL cannot figure that out) plus a scrolling bar for buttons of blogs I follow (HOW???) and somehow get a button of my own! I wanted my blog to look redonkulously cool with graphics and pictures. Now I am copletely out of time to sit and fiddle and figure it out. Boo.

Well, wish me luck fellow bloggers. I hope to keep this blog up and moving regardless of exhaustion levels!!

Ramble

I have to stop being so cranky. I actually heard I was responding to some of the things Ryan was saying to me and it was no bueno. I know I am just restless since I don't really have an adult job yet and I am completely lacking female companionship around these parts. All my girl friends who did live in DC either moved or are away for the summer. I want to see Sex and the City 2 but even I know better than to subject my husband to that!

I am also worried about working at the summer camp. I have to be there at 8am and have basically an hour commute via the beltway. I do NOT do mornings well. So to be up that early then herding six year olds/first graders until 4pm is looking a bit intimidating. Plus the show I am stage managing for the Fringe Festival has some night rehearsals and shows that will take me from camp right to there and I will have a late night followed by a very early morning..... eek.

Ryan and I went to order his new wedding band today. It should be in by June 30th or sooner. Hoping sooner. And we went to Red Robin for the first time as we had seen the commercials for forever and never had actually eaten at one! It was pretty good! Kind of like a combination Fudrucker's/Fridays. But in the car we had a long talk. I told him as happy as I am here with him I do miss Disney. I miss the people, the friends I had that were so close by, the job, and of course the place itself. He totally got it. He knows I wouldn't trade what I have with him for anything but he also knows how much that job and place meant to me. Especially since I have friends who still work there adn friends who are going back for Professional Internships or even are still working there and I constantly see it on facebook I just really miss it. A lot.

I am very lucky. For many reasons. Also because twice in my life I have had a job I sincerely loved. I loved working in the scene shop in college. Building sets, painting, electric work... I think I learned more there in the four years I was there than I did in a classroom. Easily. And then there was Disney. Now I am scrambling to find a job for fall and worried about the summer camp and I cannot shake this feeling of dread for the career spectrum of my life. I am also even semi afraid to audition for a show again. I haven't ever really done a professional DC audition. What if I cannot act anymore? Or never could? What if I suck and never work in the industry I have pledged two decades of my life to?

UGH.

Sorry for the ranty/rambly post. I don't mean to be such a Debbie Downer, but if I can't do it here... then what is the point? Thanks for reading faithful followers. Just some awesome alliteration to alleviate Allie's angst.

So Much is Getting Done!

So this weekend was extremely productive. Ryan and I got a lot done which provided a nice couple of checks on the master list. We stuffed and labeled and stamped all the invites, nearly 100 of them! It took me, Mom, Ryan, and Stefan to get everything in and done, but it was done! I mailed them all off today. Ryan and I also went to the Grand Colonial, our reception venue, and solidified our menu and everything. We picked out all the appetizers, dinner, the wine, and the cake (!!) which sounds so delicious I cannot wait. We also went to another bakery and got Ryan a groomscake for the rehearsal dinner. Hint, if you have ever seen Steel Magnolias you will LOVE his cake! Jill came over Saturday night and spent the night, and until I had a stomach attack we had an awesome time. Stupid stomach. And Sunday was great. I can't go into details, but let's just say we are now one step closer to May 1st.... (:

I still need to call the florist and get transportation and a make up artist, then it is basically all done. PreCana is on Saturday which should be interesting.

Doctors... had an appointment Friday. Starting to get weened off the scary medicine as it wasn't doing what he thought it would, only maybe half. I am now going for a CT scan with IV contrast of my BRAIN because maybe the problem is neurological since my digestive tests are coming back normal. Ugh. I am so sick of being sick. I tried to call the radiology place I went to last time and since the test has an IV and I am allergic to penicillin I can't go there because on the offchance I have a reaction they don't have the equipment for it. So I called the hospital to schedule and waited ten minutes and got disconnected, called again and waited twenty minutes and at 4:59 on the dot they sent me to voicemail as the place closed! UGH.

I ran lots of errands today besides being on the phone for forever. The vet, Dunkin Donuts and the pharmacy for mom, resealing the invites, making dinner... only to be called in to work to work closing shift and getting to eat McDonalds on my way and not my chicken :( Oh well.

Ok, sticking to it. It will all get done. Work tomorrow, job interview with a summer camp in DC on Wednesday... wish me luck!

Save the date!

I ordered these magnets today.... kind of excited (:




I have an interview tomorrow at RV Pharmacy (for front of store stuff) and possible TRAINING after! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Oh, and I got an email saying my wedding gown was in (like 3 months early!) so once I have a works schedule my butt will be in alterations. Shame, no dieting or working out has occurred yet. *sigh*

Oh Geeze....

I really really need a job.

I sent about ten resumes in to jobs off Craig's List today.

Went back and reapplied at Kohls.

Tried AAA, Liberty Travel, Protege, Macy*s, Baker & Taylor, and others.

Still nothing.

God this is awful.


Ryan cannot come up until next weekend and most of my friends aren't in NJ anymore... so living at home is sort of feeling a little suffocating at the moment. Yes I am planning a wedding, but I am still so damn lonely it sucks.

Home

So I have been home for about a week now. It is so weird being back again. I am desperately trying to find a job. I have put a lot of applications in everywhere and so far no one has gotten back to me. It is extremely frustrating. Tomorrow I am biting the bullet and going back to Kohls (ugh) to see if they are hiring. I worked there throughout high school and part of college and I really hated it, but I need money so back I go. I have applied at three travel agencies, an HR position at Protege, Borders, and I tried Macy*s and they aren't even hiring again until mid-March! I also tried through a friend to get a job at a publishing/distributing company she works for Baker & Taylor and I haven't heard back from them either. So like I said, back to Kohl's I go.

Ryan was here all weekend, the definite perk to living back at home. He can drive up and see me most weekends which I love! We solidified our reception venue (http://www.grandcolonialnj.com) and the church since we met with Father Tom officially on Sunday. He even blessed our engagement and my ring. He also encouraged us to get civially married SOON so I can get enrolled in DEERS and TriCare and in the system...plus an extra month or two of BAH will only help us find a place come May! We also went to Macy*s and worked some more on our registry. I love our china we picked out, let's hope someone nice gets it for us!

My Babci and Poppy also gave us their hope chest... it is 63 years old, as old as their marriage, and they are passing it down to me. With a knife set. I was so touched! It is cedar with green velvet lining the little shelf on top, it is so wonderful.

My parents went to North Carolina yesterday to close the sale on the new house (which is where Ryan and I more than likely will spend our honeymoon!). They don't plan on moving until Stefan fiishes 8th grade, so next year, but they are basically ready and starting to move stuff down. Which means Stefan, the dog, and I are alone until Thursday. I am in charge. Dear Lord help me!!! I have to get an adolescent up for school at 7am!

And find a job.

Oh! Ryan and I went to the doctor up here for me today. MUCH better guy. He named three posibilities that could be what is wrong that the other doctor never even mentioned. He also told me to stop taking that damn horse pill four times a day because "It is crap and doesn't work anyway." I like this guy. I am going to get another test done this week maybe and we will go from there.

Wish me luck!!!

COLD!

Who decided my last week in Florida would be absolutely freezing? Can I write a formal complaint to Mother Nature??? I mean, I think it is different being cold here. When it is cold in January in New Jersey or DC you expect it. That's how it should be. But in Central Florida? No way. It is a damp, terrible cold. We've been in the upper 30s in the day and upper 20s at night. It is crazy. Little girls are wearing jeans under their princess dresses with huge winter coats and hats over them! People are wearing the layers they wore to the airport in the parks because it is so damn cold.

It won't warm up again until next week. When I am gone. Fail.

The warmest day this week will be my last day in Florida. And it is supposed to rain. Joy.

The parking lot in Chatham, my apartment complex, is empty. Most people moved out and the new people aren't moved in yet. Chloe is gone, Amanda is almost gone, Kayla and I are all that are left in good ol' 29302.

Tomorrow is my last day of work. I cannot believe how quickly this has come. It seems like I just got here and I am getting ready to leave. Of course I haven't started packing yet!

Went back to the doctor this morning, last time here. I got my file to take with me as they haven't helped me much. I take six pills a day and I am still sick! I know now also that it is not celiac's disease, an ulcer, hernia, cancer, and my gallbladder appears to be functioning. Ugh. This is so frustrating.

I cannot wait to see Ryan this Saturday. Then I have to find a job in NJ as no one has gotten back to me. Eek!

Maybe May?

So things have been super busy, my writing here has been pretty slim! Since the engagement things have been happy mostly! There is that whole issue with my car needing a whole new braking system but that is a story for another paragraph. Am I insane for maybe planning a wedding for as soon as May? A Catholic Church Wedding nonetheless? I think I am.

With Ryan receiving orders soon and the possibility of an Afghanistan deployment in our future this is the best chance we have. I have to talk to my dad tomorrow but so far everyone seems on board with it!

Ryan has talked to the chaplain and everyone he needs to. We're going to meet with my priest Father Tom when I move back to NJ in two weeks... and if everything can get approved we're going forward. Usually in the church you need at least a year to plan a wedding, but they make exceptions for military, pregnancy, and illnesses. So hopefully our military situation will work well enough to let us fast forward a bit.

If the church is situated I am still lost! I mean, I can't even think of a color scheme let alone plan a wedding! I just wanted it in my church with everyone there and a fun gathering after. Ryan wants an arch of swords. Would I like to go crazy and have a huge lavish affair with a dress from Kleinfelds and a band and ritzy decorations? What girl doesn't? But I won't. It will hopefully be modest and nice and the best day of our lives regardless.

Everything is so expensive though, I am pretty worried. I am still having zero luck finding a job in NJ while here in Disney.

And my brakes died on my car. Ryan mentioned when he was here that my brakes sounded like they needed new pads. Well I go in today, on my first day off and not only do I need new pads, to flush the fluid, new brake lines, new cylinders.... $1275.00. Ugh. So not happy about that.

So... a wedding. In May. Maybe if I just had a color scheme I'd feel better. Or any general idea at all! Ack!