A Weekend Away!

Ever since I have met Chris, I have worked two jobs. Time together consisted of weeknights at my parents' house, or a maximum of 4 hours on Saturday afternoons to do something together. We've only taken one "vacation" together...and that was to his parents' house in Tennessee (AKA NOT a vacation :) ). So now that I no longer work on the weekends, we can have some fun! This past weekend, my new roommate, Shawna, had to take a class in Greensboro to renew her nails' license...so we made a weekend of it! The three of us piled in the car on Saturday, and headed to Charlotte for a full day at Carowinds Theme Park. I LOVE rollercoasters! As you can see on the right...I was pretty excited...smilin' the whole way! To the left is Chris and myself standing outside Carowinds, ready to go in!

Throughout the day, I rode everything I thought my ghetto booty could get out of! On the right, Chris and I had just ridden "White Water Falls"....fun! It was a GORGEOUS day..perfect weather...and not too busy, either! Towards the end of the day, we walked by a characature stand....which I LOVE...I just think they're great...and it seemed as though there was a guy training. The actual artists were busy with people, so Chris and I went over and started talking to Blake about his work! He told us he was in the 2nd day of training, and was a senior in high school. He then said that because he was training, he could do a complimentary drawing of me. So I said "sure"! Meanwhile, one of the other artists got done, and came over to check out his drawing. She asked if we had wanted a real one done...and after asking about the prices, I decided to have one done of me and Chris. She asked if we wanted a scenery...and after thinking about it, said "Can you draw him proposing to me? I want to know what that looks like.". Then I gave Chris a cute, innocent smile....he agreed...and here's the product! Quite good, don't you think? I even think I'll take the wedding dress she designed into consideration! :)

After Carowinds, we drove to Greensboro to stay the night. Shawna had

her class from 9-5pm on Sunday, so Chris and I found a local church and attended it. I made Chris take several pictures with me, because it's rare I get him in a dress

shirt and tie. :) After church, we picked Shawna up for lunch and ate at Fuddrucker's, dropped her back off, and headed to Lake Mackintosh to rent a canoe for a couple hours. It was a fantastic and relaxing weekend. We definitely needed the time away from Fayetteville, and I'm glad my schedule is now more open to weekends like this!

Picture Story

The latest update in my life (in picture form...)

I quit waitressing last week.....

and Eric deployed, so I moved in with Shawna...

I miss the Piazza's foster boys terribly....

But I hope to see my own booger in October!

My brother moved back to Jordan for 4-8 months...

...and I'm going on vacation in 11 days!

I've lost 20lbs...

and my boyfriend is still just my boyfriend. :)

Out of Commission

I've been really proud of myself lately. I joined Curves 3 weeks ago and have been going regularly every week with a friend from church. In fact, I've lost 10lbs since I've joined! Which is the news I got so excited about when I fell....

At Curves, there are 10 hydraulic workout machines that each works a different muscle group. But in between each machine is a "resting square", which is a 2x2 square that sits about an inch off the floor. I always start on one of these squares, running in place, to get my heart rate going. Well yesterday, I began running in place as Abby (Curves instructor) was checking my weight progress. When she told me I had lost 10lbs since I joined, I hooped and hollered, and more than likely waved my arms in the air. While doing so, I wasn't paying attention to where I was on the square, and my right foot slipped off unexpectedly. I immediately lost my balance, and fell down on my left side, hitting my right knee on the square on my way down. Once the fall was complete, I was sore, but having had this happen *multiple* times, I just rolled on my back, laughed out loud, and waited for the immediate pain to dull before getting up. Abby noticed my elbow was bleeding from carpet burn, so she left to get me a band-aid for that. Shawna (my friend from church) sat next to me, just shaking her head at my clumsiness and laughing with me as we joked about my clumsiness.

A few minutes later, Shawna attempted to pull me up into a sitting position, when I realized something was terribly wrong with my left hip. I could not sit in a 90 degree position, without being in excruciating pain. Then I realized I couldn't move my left leg at all...not to turn over, not to sit up, not to bend. I began to get scared, afraid I had popped my hip out of socket. However, I didn't want to alarm Abby. So I laid back down, and when Abby wasn't around, I whispered to Shawna that something was seriously wrong. She asked me if I wanted her to call her husband to come help, and I said yes. So she went outside to call him, while I continued to try and convince Abby I was fine. If I was laying straight, I wasn't in pain. So that's the way I stayed....trying to keep a smile/laugh going the whole time. Shawna's husband, Eric, showed up 5 minutes later and started asking me questions about my pain. He concluded that it wasn't my hip, but seemed to be my hamstring instead.

Eric and Abby helped me to my feet, which is when I then realized it was, in fact, not my hip. But once on my feet, I was unable to put my weight on my left foot at all. So using Eric as a support, he got me to Shawna's car, and they took me to their house. I called Chris and my parents to tell them what happened. My dad told me that according to my description, my hamstring had been pulled on "level 3"...the worst that can be done without ripping it. There was concern that I had ripped it, but that idea was ruled out when we could not find a knot on the back of my leg.

Chris called a medic from church, who said I needed to ice it for 24hrs, then put heat on it for a few days afterward. Needing pain medication was an understatement, and I was worried about how I was going to make it through a night of sleep without being able to move my leg! Going to the bathroom was not possible, as the back of my thigh was so swollen, I was unable to bend it at my rear. Fun stuff, that was!

Fortunately, the pain meds did their job, and I was able to sleep pretty well throughout the night. I have kept ice on it constantly, although the swelling doesn't seem to have gone down much. Here's the comical part. Apparently, due to the large amount of pain that pulling my hamstring has caused, I failed to realize how badly I had injured my right knee. Today, I decided to get in the shower, as I HATE feeling gross and unclean when physically limited. When I was in the shower, I looked down to see that my knee was....well...HUGE....and pretty ugly. I was kinda shocked. I knew it was a little sore...but good grief!! I had Shawna take pictures of it after I got out of the shower. In the left picture, the huge lump at the top is NOT my knee....but the swollen part of my leg under and to the left of my knee. My kneecap is actually the red circle/scar from a previous fall (yeah...it happens a lot :) ). To the right, is a picture looking straight down on the bruise/swollen part of my leg. Again, the knee cap is actually the small circle on the bottom left of my leg.

So yay for time off work! Too bad I had to pull my hamstring to get time off, though! Pray that I heal quickly and that this doesn't keep me down for too long!

Lesson #1

It appears as though word is out.

I was in discussion with a professor last Wednesday, when we both admitted our attempts to find a position at different institutions. While I didn't think twice about revealing his intention to leave, he felt rather comfortable expressing mine at a departmental meeting the next day. Ummmm....I had not planned on that being public information so soon....but...oh well! Lesson learned the hard way.

So for the past few work days, I have had individuals (even some not in the department where the announcement was made) who have come to me asking "if what they heard was true". The good news is that I now have a list of individuals who have offered to be references for me in securing another job. That feels quite nice. :)

So while I have not officially resigned, and nothing has been said to me by my boss(es), it seems as though it's becoming common knowledge. Who knows? Might be better this way. At least I have 5 weeks of transitioning out with people's awareness, instead of the normal 2!

Too Many Thoughts

I couldn't sleep last night, so I decided to play with my blog template for the first time. Although I was up until 4am, I STILL can't figure how to play with the title of the blog, as Kara and Allison do so well on theirs! I must be missing something. So now you'll just have to figure out why I decided to put a picture of "Dead End" at the top.

At least until I figure out how to make the title beautiful. :)

The Last Straw

I have always struggled with the distinction between not letting others run all over you...and sticking out the hard times. How do you decide when enough is enough?

I have been employed at Fayetteville State University since last October. When I began, I was the secretary for the Department of Marketing and Business Education as a temp under the Department Chair. A temp, only because she needed me to start immediately, and it takes time to make someone a permanent employee. However, within the month, I was told that they had begun the process of making me a permanent employee (complete with a yearly salary and full benefits).

May 15 of this year, my department split, and Marketing combined with the Department of Finance, while Business Education combined with Business Administration. I assumed that was the end of my position, but was told that they wanted to keep me, so they would create a position for me. At this point....7 months later....I was still not of permanent status. I was told that beginning in May, I would continue to work with Dr. Jewell (whom I had been working for since October), as well as with the Assistant Dean in the Pre-Business Program. Alright...works for me. The Assistant Dean then began piling projects on me, informing me that she was going to teach me "all she knew", so that I may transfer to the university's research department at the end of the summer and spend the upcoming year creating summary reports for FSU. Cool...I liked that idea. At that point, the assistant dean pushed for my permanent status to go through...and more progress was made.

One random day in June, I was asked if I knew anything about Second Life. I told them that I was familiar with the program, but not sure of all the details involved. They (Dean and Assistant Dean) were excited, stating that they were hoping to launch a trial run of a virtual classroom in the '08-'09 school year, and wanted me to development a virtual campus in Second Life, and learn to imbed projects in the "walls" of the Second Life FSU campus buildings. Wow...pretty awesome! So for two weeks, I did research on 3D equipment and Second Life maintenance costs. Shortly after, the Assistant Dean asked me to edit the cost list on the grant proposal they were writing for the funding to follow through with this idea. Low and behold...on that grant...was a request for $60,000 to hire an individual to do exactly what they had asked me to do. It was at that point, I realized I apparently was no longer included in this idea. You've got to be kidding me!

I kept my mouth shut and simply continued coming into the office everyday, no longer sure of what I was expected to do, or who I was to answer to. In July, the Dean walked into my office and informed me that I was now part of the "support staff" to the Dean's office. At that point, I questioned what had happened to the other propositions that had been made to me, and he blew them off, telling me that he didn't know what I was talking about. So now...I'm the THIRD secretary on call for the Dean's Office. Not so great. And in case you are wondering...I'm still a temp.

Last week....I get an email from the Dean, informing me that I am expected to personally assist a professor for the semester in writing a journal for our building. Two days after that, I receive an email (sent only to me) asking me to enroll in a 7-week online "class" on Adobe Acrobat 9, as I should consider myself the "point of contact for Administrative Tech Support". Let me summarize everything at this point. 6 different job descriptions expected in 3 months' time....6 different bosses to answer to on a regular basis....and still a temp.

But yesterday was the last straw for me. My old (and one of my current??) bosses (who my office is connected to) was in between meetings and asked me if I wanted to go to lunch. So we grabbed our things and ran out to grab lunch real quick before her next meeting at 1. When the 1 o'clock meeting was over, she came back to the office, packed up her things....and left to go across campus to another meeting. 5 minutes out of the office, she calls me from her car to inform me that she had been escorted downstairs by the Assistant Dean and told that she is not "allowed" to take me off campus to lunch unless she has asked permission from my boss. When. Dr. J asked who that was....the Assistant Dean proceeded by giving her SIX names of people with whom she was expected to ask permission before taking me out to lunch. She was then told that they "desperately needed me" to make copies for the 1 o'clock meeting, and because I was unavailable, they, themselves, had to skip their own lunch to prepare for the meeting. Mind you....I was in my office until 11:40am with no pressing projects. No one had acknowledged me, nor asked me to make preparations for the meeting. And yet....my boss...or old boss....whatever....was reprimanded for taking me out to lunch when they "needed" me. And not a single word was said to me. Not one.

But what if that had been Chris taking me to lunch??? Or my parents??? Would they also have been escorted out the building and informed that 6 people's permission had to be granted for me to leave?? I don't think so!!! My blood is boiling as I'm writing this, knowing that there are 5 other secretaries in the building that do not require permission to eat lunch, and are just as capable of pressing the "start" button on the copy machine. I'm done. That was it for me. It was all I could do not to hand in my resignation yesterday, after such a thing was done to an innocent party. But I gotta wait it out 3 more weeks. Then I'll submit 6 copies of my resignation letter to all of my "bosses", and announce my last day at this institute will be Friday, September 19.

I mostly needed to write this blog to see it in writing and make sure I'm not making this decision erraneously. If you are still reading...props. And if you have any opinion, suggestions, or comments...feel free to help me out. Right now I'm just trying to lay low and keep my mouth shut. I'm hoping my resignation letter will say it all....

Age or OC?

This past Sunday morning, in class...we discussed Ecclesiastes 4. Within the discussion, we were asked to list the loneliest groups of people in the United States. And someone mentioned 'singles' as being one of the loneliest groups in the states. But I didn't get it. Why? I have, within the past few months, truly realized how early my friends have committed themselves to starting a family. Along with the discovery of a newly engaged friend or expecting mother, an automatic rolling of the eyes takes place. Don't get me wrong. Love boys. Love the idea of marriage. Love kids. DON'T love the fact that I, myself, almost got married at age 20. An age at which I didn't have any credit history, had never lived outside the confinements of a curfew, and was not able to imagine my life outside of the church college group. And I wanted to commit the rest of my life to someone who knew as little about reality as I did? Awesome.

What I can't decide is whether it is due to the pressures of our American society to reproduce at an early age...or if OC (and other CofC universities) really is a marriage factory. My first freshman roommate is married with 3 kids. Freshmen that lived in my dorm while I was a Resident Director are already acting as Martha Stewart to the love of their life. I...on the other hand...am 25 and still have no desire to produce mini-me's. My nephew is good enough for me!

Not to say that individuals who choose to marry young shouldn't. I just can't comprehend how I would have gotten through it. I definitely would not have been able to experience western Europe for a year by myself. And I definitely don't consider myself lonely because I'm not married. I've never felt that way. And in Europe...it's considered the peak of your life! Getting married prior to age 30 is rare. Your 20's is a time to discover yourself and what you want out of life. I sure didn't know what I wanted at age 20...and it's unbelievably difficult for me to understand how others do.

Despite the ranting and raving...I have reached a milestone in my life. A full year committed to one guy! :) Who would have thought? So here's to my relationship to Chris, as we celebrate our first year together this weekend. And although it's in my plan to marry before I'm 30...don't expect to see any little ones running around in the near future...I've still got to visit Italy and Australia!

A Day's Work

It's not every day you get to see your boss fall facedown on the floor.

At times, you may even dream of this happening. Let me reassure you, though....it's not all it's cracked up to be.

I was sitting in my office on Monday when my boss came back from lunch. She walked into her office, put her leftovers down, and came back into my office to talk to me. However, on her way into my office, she stumbled and had to grab a nearby cabinet to keep from falling. I asked her if she was alright, and she said she suddenly got dizzy. I asked the routine questions ("did you eat anything at lunch?", "have you taken any medication today?") that led us nowhere. She sat down, talked to me, then slowly made her way back to her office. She came back in again, still not able to keep her balance, to ask me a question. Upon answering, she returned to her office (which is connected to mine, but not visible from where I sit) to search for an email from me. I then hear her say "Amber, I normally don't complain, but I am just feeling awfully dizzy...". Then a second later...

Thud

My first thought was "Surely that wasn't her falling down. It would have made a louder noise than that. That sounded like she dropped a textbook on the ground". So I sat still for a second. When I didn't hear the typing of the keys on her keyboard, I called out her name. No response. Immediately, scenes of CSI and Grey's Anatomy shot through my head...where the camera comes around the corner, and the first thing you see is a head and arms lying lifelessly on the ground. And I contemplated how I would react should I see such a thing. I also realized that if she WAS on the ground, and I continued to sit there....that might be more of an issue. So I get up from my chair and come around the corner to see her facedown on the floor, not moving. Holy Moly. Had it been a day later, I would have thought it was an April Fool's Joke. However, it was the last day of March.

I quickly picked up the phone and called the first number in my head, so I could get someone in there with me. I dialed the Assistant Dean's number and simply said "Can you come down here fast??" and hung up the phone. I then went back into my boss's (we'll call her Joan) office and got down on the floor next to her. Her hair was everywhere (it comes down to her waist), and I couldn't tell where her head was facing. As I'm trying to move her hair out of the way, to see if she's still breathing, the assistant dean comes in. She takes one look, gasps, and I instruct her to call 911.

Then she runs out the door. Huh??? "Get back in here! Call from this phone!"

So she comes back in the room and I hear her dialing. I look down, and Joan's eyes are fluttering, so I know she's breathing. I keep calling her name, in between answering questions to campus security, who need to know where we are. She comes to, while the assistant dean is on the phone, and immediately tries to get up. I keep her on the floor and she begins insisting she is okay, and that she doesn't need anyone to come. I encourage the assistant dean to make sure someone comes to check her out.

20-25 minutes later, an ambulance has been called, and the office is filled with medics. They check several possibilities and ask 10 rounds of questions. They conclude that while the reason she fainted is not an emergency (high blood pressure and a yellowish hue to her skin), they highly advised that she immediately go see a doctor (as she refuses to go with them) to determine exactly what happened. However, she lives 30-35 minutes away from campus, and nobody was going home until they knew that she was not going to be driving for the night. So I canceled my evening plans and assured the medics that I would take care of it. She has no family here in Fayetteville, so there was no one to call to come pick her up. So I drove her home in her car, and had a friend follow me to bring me back to my car.

She called the next morning to let me know that she felt fine again. She has taken two days off of work to rest back up and should be back tomorrow.

An exciting day at work...no?

Born Special

I simply HAVE to share the following email with you.

My freshman roommate, Kara, filled out a survey a couple days ago. In the survey, she answered this question:

"37. Who is your loudest friend? Amber! You should hear her laugh... she was born with over-sized lungs... "

When I saw that, I busted out with laughter, forgetting ALL about my "over-sized lungs". So with that in mind....here are our emails following that survey...

"Haha....Kara....I loved reading this particular survey. 3 things I learned:

1) I didn't know you hated your smile! Crazy cute....you're cute through and through...no "ands" or "buts" about it!

2) I haven't sang "Can He Still Feel the Nails" since OC. I even forgot about the song! Thanks for the refresher...now I gotta see if I can find kids in OC chapel singing it on youtube or something! :)

3). Hahahah....I about died laughing when I read "she has over-sized lungs"!!!! I had TOTALLY forgotten about that. In trying to remember how that came about....all I can remember is that I was apparently trying to explain to something why I laughed so loud, and that explanation just fell out of my mouth. But do you remember who...or when??? Lol...thanks for the trip down memory lane.

Love you lots!

Amber "


"Haha!! I remember you using the oversized lungs a couple different times, but I think the first time (at least that I can remember) was when we were at a movie. It was just you and me and we were sitting there before the movie started, talking, and we busted out laughing really loud. The people in front of us turned around and you go, "I was born with over-sized lungs." HA!!!!! It was sooooooooo funny. I loved it! :o)

I hope that you're doing well. I think about you a lot and all of our good times. I should call you sometime. I want to catch up.

Love ya,
Kara :o)"


I gotta keep that excuse in mind....it was great! And people actually believed it, too! Thanks Kara!

Gotta hear it!!

For those of you who might not be the biggest country music fans....put your dislike for twangy sound aside and listen to the song below. You won't regret it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh7icqR9zEY

Weighed Down!!!

For those of you who know me, know that weight management has always been a struggle for me. If I set my mind to it, I can lose weight quickly and easily....but am able to gain it back JUST as easily and quickly. I remember feeling a bit awkward, but mostly comfortable wearing a size 12 jeans in high school. Despite a bit of argument with my mother, I remember weighing around 150lbs (68 kilos). Not too terribly overweight for my height.

Then college came, and with it....an abusive relationship and an additional 55lbs (24.9 kilos). If you were to ask me when those pounds were added on....I couldn't even begin to tell you. I was oblivious. It wasn't until I was weighing over 200lbs (91 kilos), recently single, and suddenly aware of my physical limitations that I decided to do something about it. So I joined LA Weight Loss in Oklahoma City and got my weight down to 162lbs (73.5 kilos). A 40lb weight loss...not too bad! I became comfortable with that weight, despite my goal being around 140 (63.5 kilos), and quit going to the consultations.

Soon after, the first of my many trips to Eindhoven took place. Lol....seeing as how riding a bike wasn't my ultimate gift in life, and I wasn't a fan of walking very much....the love of good European cheese, bread, and potatoes settled back around my waist. Senior year of college left me at a solid 185lbs (83.9 kilos). At this point...you may be thinking how unhealthy it is to have such a yo-yo type weight lifestyle. And I agree. But it keeps going.

Living in Eindhoven for a year helped me shed 30lbs without a thought. Before I left, I realized I was down to 152lbs (68.9 kilos), without much of an attempt or even an awareness that I was losing it! I was finally LIVING a healthy lifestyle! No feeling deprived of my favorite foods, paying an organization to tell me what I already know, or feeling the need to force exercise into my daily routine. It all came naturally. I loved it!

Needless to say, I haven't had the same results living in the states. I pretty much gained those 30lbs back and am now back to where I started. So two weeks ago, another lady from church and myself joined Weight Watchers to get the weight off for good! I have a more realistic goal set for myself and hope to not only accomplish that goal...but stay at it, as well! I'm going to attempt to update on here every once in a while to keep myself accountable. We are beginning week 3 today, and I will go to a meeting after work and weigh in. I lost 6.2lbs (2.8 kilos) at my first weigh in, and hope to have lost another 5lbs (2.3 kilos) at today's meeting. I'll let you know!!

Here are some "before and after" pics of my time in Eindhoven. The left is the second week I moved to Eindhoven (June 06), and the right one is a couple weeks before I left for Eindhoven (March 07).

Let's Get it Started!!

Okay...let's get in back in the swing of blogging, shall we?

In the past 4 months....I had 2 awesome weeks with Willemijn, driving halfway across the country whiling touring a few new cities....be in my best friend's wedding....move BACK in with my parents in January....continue to work 60+ hours at both jobs....and celebrate Chris's 32nd birthday.

Currently I've been struggling with the fact that I have no girlfriends here in Fayetteville. I think I got spoiled in Eindhoven with always having Sheritha, Willemijn, or a number of others always a phone call or short walk away! And before that....well....I lived in a building with over 200 girls. No shortage there. Now Chris is my only friend. Well...in the physical sense. Phone calls, emails, and seldom packages from friends in faraway places will keep me on a friend "high" for about a day. Then it's back to work trying to find activities to do with Chris that won't leave us broke. I can't exactly make a cup of tea and sit with Chris for hours a day....talking about everything and nothing...and leave him feeling fulfilled. The idea of it makes me laugh. Yet that's how some my most precious friendships were formed.

It is just shy of 11 months since I left Eindhoven. And there are still some days I cry as I did walking in the airport on April 3, 2007. When does it stop?

Road trip!

Just in case curiosity was getting the best of you...I thought I would post a picture or two of Chris and me. He will be leaving on Wednesday to go home to Tennessee for a month until he starts his new job here in Fayetteville. And actually...I probably won't see him for about two months, because I'll be gone when he gets back. Which....is what the rest of my blog will be about!


I don't think I've stopped thinking about the upcoming time with Willemijn/road trip/Kristina's wedding/potentially seeing EVERYONE I love and miss back in Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri! I'm down to 5 weeks before Willemijn gets here. And I just found out that my freshman roommate, Kara, will be at the wedding! I'm so excited! So...with my excitement out in the open....here's my plan thus far...

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&ie=UTF8&ll=34.813803,-90.263672&spn=15.952883,29.619141&z=5&om=1&msid=111610438810755447929.00043f4b3a5e80f6bfc20

Willemijn and I will leave from Fayetteville and drive to Atlanta, GA on our first day. Our short-term goal is to spend New Year's Eve in New Orleans, and Atlanta seemed to be the "coolest" mid-way point to stop at on the way. From Atlanta, we'll drive to New Orleans and spend two nights there, ringing in the new year! After leaving New Orleans, we'll head to Dallas, and will spend 2 nights there (hopefully with some friends!). Willemijn will fly out of Dallas on January 4, and then I will head to Wichita Falls for Kristina's wedding! After the wedding, I'll drive to OKC to pick up all the belongings I left behind when I moved to Eindhoven, and spend a few days catching up with friends there. When I leave OKC, I'll more than likely head to Missouri to visit my long-lost friend, Teresa, for a night. The rest of the trip home is a bit shady, possibly including a visit to my brother and/or grandparents before getting back to Fayetteville. I'm extremely excited...and it'll be a LOT of driving...but I'm trying to chop it up a bit so it's not so bad! Am I crazy or what?

Chugging along

It didn't hit me until last night that there are only 2 weeks until Thanksgiving. And after that...Christmas is right around the corner! And then Willemijn comes! Hallelujah!

Well...both jobs are treating me fairly well. I can't say I'm getting used to the alarm going off at 6:30 every morning...but I CAN say that I haven't been late yet. And that's an achievement even I didn't think I could master! My boss and I get along great, and the other professors in the department seem to like having me around. Just an hour ago, Dr. Walker (who couldn't stand the secretary before me) brought me some homemade cookies, making sure I understand that "no cookies have ever been brought to this office before!". So things are going well! I like the job a lot! And Red Robin continues to keep me busy at night. I just look forward to the day when I don't have to rely on tips to get me through the month!

Chris is doing great, as well. He gets out of the army tomorrow and couldn't be more excited. He was planning on going to school in Tennessee to work on his master's degree in January, but the doctor told him he probably shouldn't consider going back to school until next fall. So Chris has accepted a job here in Fayetteville, until he can go back to school. He'll be leaving in two weeks to go stay with his parents for a month in Tennessee, then will be back to start work at the beginning of January. It sure will be weird not having him around for a month! But I'm sure *hope* I'll stay busy enough not to think about it too much!

Willemijn is coming!

In the midst of my crazy working schedule...I have a single/solitary thought that keeps me going. Willemijn bought a plane ticket to come see me!!! Yippee!!!! We've been talking about it for months, and now it's finally going to happen! She'll be flying in December 23, and will fly back on January 4. I am planning the most fun-filled 2 weeks she's ever had! We'll be taking a 4 day road trip from North Carolina to Texas, stopping in New Orleans for New Year's Eve. I'm so excited!! It will be so great to have a road trip better and even better to show her what my life is like in the states.

And by that point, I KNOW I'll be more than ready for some time off work!

Can't wait to see you, Willemijn!

Working Girl

Since I sit at a computer all day long now....I see no reason not to make more frequent updates!

The past 3 days of my new job have been...well...quite fun! I get to the office at 8am...which is approximately 1-2 hours before my boss gets in...and a good 15-30 minutes before the other secretaries arrive (from what I have observed). I usually take an hour lunch break...but on days that I have to work at Red Robin, I work through lunch, so I can get off in enough time to change clothes and head to my second job! I'm actually really happy to have my body on a regular sleeping/eating schedule again. Before...I just kind of slept and ate around my crazy waitressing shifts. But now I have more of a routine...it's nice!

Chris (the guy I'm dating) is doing surprisingly well. I picked him up from the hospital on Sunday night...went grocery shopping for him...and pretty much "made" him stay with a friend from church for a few nights. No way I was going to let him stay at his house alone!! Haha...I know I'm driving him crazy. If I see the slightest bit of pain in his expression, I quickly ask him what's wrong and what I need to do to make things more comfortable for him. He was given strict instructions from the doctor not to be around loud noises, stressful situations...needs to take his meds EXACTLY on time, and can't eat or drink anything cold. So despite his ability to get around quite well...I refuse to let him drive (I kind of took possession of his truck!)...won't let him stay by himself...and monitor the temperature of every drink he drinks! He even heated up orange juice in the microwave last night. Ewwwwwwwww!

I'm not a quitter!

A bit behind? I think so!!

Allow me to give the quick and most recent update of my life....as I'm sure the storybook length of the time passed since my last post is of little interest!

I was offered a "recruiting clerk" position at the US Census Bureau about a month ago...which I eagerly took, since I had not heard anything back about the position at Fayetteville State University I had applied for over 3 weeks earlier. I assumed they had found someone else to fulfill the position. I went in for training on a Friday...spent the morning meeting my new co-workers, getting the royal tour, and devouring tons of information. Our boss sent us to lunch at 12:30...and just as I was walking out the door...my phone rang. I didn't recognize the number, but answered it anyway. Low and behold...FSU was on the other end, officially offering me the position of Administrative Assistant in the Business and Economics Department. The coversation (on my end) went something like this:

"You've got to be kidding me! I just started a new job this morning! I can't believe this. I can't go back and quit after I've just begun! That's not the type of person I am! Wait...how much are you offering again? And that includes benefits? When can I start????"

Sooooo....that was funny....and awkward! I spent my lunch break running over to FSU to sign my contract, and then got back to the US Census Bureau to quit. How embarassed I was doing that! They were really sweet about it...but I know they had to have put my name on a "DO NOT CALL" list. Haha...oh well.

The downside is that there were complications with figuring out which budget my position would come out of...and it took them about a month to get it worked out! So I just began working there this past Friday. The other downside is that I missed the last pay period by one day....and won't recieve my first check until December 15th. Ugh! So in order to maintain my bills....I'm staying on 5 nights a week at Red Robin....at least for the next 8 weeks. So now I have a "professional, career-oriented" job 8-5, Monday-Friday, and a job that requires you to only be 17 years of ago every night (except Wed. and Sundays!) from 5-11:30pm. And a life? Oh...you noticed I don't have time for that, too, right??!!

In other news...I have been dating a guy from church for the past 3 months. I have chosen not to mention him in my former posts...just in case you were wondering if you missed something! However...2 days ago he found out that he had to have emergency brain surgery today at Walter Reed hospital from an injury he sustained after jumping out of a plane (while in the army) a year a half ago. Given my new job and financial status, I was unable to travel there to be with him, and was a total wreck all day yesterday! He was flown by helicopter to the hospital this morning, where a doctor he had never met was going to perform a relatively new surgery over a nerve-wracking 5 hour time period. Allow me to reiterate how impatient I can be at times! And today was one of those days! I spent the entire time trying to keep myself busy (which wasn't too hard when I was scheduled at work)...but continuously checked my phone every 15 minutes. The doctor was given my phone number (along with his parents) to call if anything went wrong. So no news was good news! Around 8:40pm, I saw I had a voicemail and sprinted to the back of the restaurant to see who it was from. How could I have missed it?? I was shocked to see the call had come from his cell phone, and he left a message saying that he was doing fine and the doctor had said the surgery went well. Whew. I think I relaxed for the first time in 3 days when I heard that. I talked to his mother a few minutes later, and called to give my own parents the update. I was able to talk to him later in the night and find out a few more details of how things had gone. He sounds great, and I'm so relieved that everything went well. The doctor is actually releasing him sooner than we thought...and I'll have the pleasure of taking care of him in his home. So when I'm not at either job...I'm pretty sure I'll be playing doctor for the next couple weeks! Who needs sleep????

Okay...that's all for now, folks! Other than the fact that I've gone to the gym and worked out 5 times this week....yay me!

Vacation Time!

I am leaving to drive to Florida for a week-long vacation in about an hour...so I thought I would pass the remaining time by writing a quick update on my life!

Tonight at work, I had a table with 2 girls from the UK. Immediately, their accents took me back to Europe. I forgot everything else I was doing, and spent a good 10-15 minutes talking to them about what they were doing here, and where they were from. They are here with a group of 15 or so other students to teach. We found it funny that I had traveled over there to teach, and they had traveled over here to do the same! I can't tell you how exciting it was to hear those strong British accents again, and listen to them talk about the different cultural things of America that I once found so strange myself while living in the Netherlands. I didn't expect them to tip, though...as that's one of those "things" you aren't required to do in Europe (and they've been here less than a month). But they did...and I had a great time talking to them. Ultimately...I truly desire to go back. Not necessary to the Netherlands...but back overseas. I crave the adventure, the daily challenge of learning the culture and demands of picking up on the language. So if you hear of an opportunity...doing anything...let me know! I'm on the lookout!

So as far as the job situation here goes...a man from church called me one morning last week and said that a friend of his had a job position open up for Administrative Secretary in the Business and Economics department at Fayetteville State University, and he thought I would be perfect for the job. So an hour later, I found myself in his friend's office, applying for the job! Our personalities seemed to click right away, and she was anxious to get the paperwork done, so that I could start. The university told her, however, that she would have to officially announce that the position was available before she could hire me. So having turned in all the necessary paperwork....they told me it would take a few days to process everything, after the position had been declared "available". I'm going to wait until I get back from Florida, though...until I check on the status. But if that worked out...it would be fantastic! It kind of just seemed to fall in my lap!

Well...Charity and Eric finally got back to Germany. Her husband was awful glad to see them...but it's kind of quiet and lonely again here. No more babies to play with during the day. Kinda sad. However...we got his 7 month pictures taken....he's the most handsome baby I know!! I love these pictures!! I miss him terribly. I can't imagine how big he will be the next time I get to see him! :(

Welp....I better make sure I have all my things packed. I'll be gone for a week, and will be sure to post all about it when I get pack...pictures included! Love you guys!

God's Plan vs. Mine

My mother mentioned to me a week or so ago....that I tend to plan out my life to a fault. Where I expect certain things to happen in a certain way, without leaving too much room for God's plan for my life. And she's right. Time and time again...I have automatically assumed that certain things would go a certain way...and then been highly discouraged when they don't work out! You'd think I would learn!!

All this to say...I missed passing my teacher certification test by 3 points. While I had been planning on beginning my first year of teaching next month...I was suddenly faced with the reality that that wouldn't be happening. And I hadn't even considered making a "Plan B". I was so embarassed and discouraged by the results...I avoided making this post till now! :) However...I might FINALLY be learning! :) God has a way of making things work out for the best...even when I don't see it! In the past week alone...3 events/opportunities have come up that I would not have been able to participate in if I had signed a teaching contract! I feel so blessed by that! I have decided to substitute teach...and continue waitressing this next year...while seeing what else God has in store for me. I am totally open to any new adventure he throws my way. If teaching wasn't in the plan for me this year (and yes...I will retake the test again in January, so I still have the option of teaching in the future)...then there must be something better!

Anyway...aside from that...life has been pretty uneventful and work-related! I DID get a new haircut today. This Fayetteville summer heat is just killing me! So I decided to go a bit shorter...but I kind of like it! It's new...and fun. And I'm all about change. So here's a photo for your viewing pleasure. :)

That's it for now. Oh yeah...except I wanted to tell all of my Oklahoma/Texas friends that I'll be making a visit in January. So make sure you're in town!

Ouch!

Yesterday morning I had prepared myself breakfast, and was taking it into the living room to join my mom and sister. However, I stopped mid-way, at the stair, to make faces across the room to my nephew, who was sitting on the floor and playing. Focusing more on making Eric laugh, than what I was doing myself....I completely missed the step and fell down. Hard. Thankfully, I saved my breakfast from falling on the floor. Haha! However, my body didn't appreciate me much for that. I was in a tremendous amount of pain. It felt as though I had twisted my left ankle, right knee, and bent all the toes on my right foot back!

A couple of hours and 2 Tylenol later, I realized that I had done more damage to my toes than anything else. Walking was not going so well. My sister looked at them, and concluded that I had broken at least one...if not two...of my toes. I wasn't really worried about the broken toes....as much as I was about the "oh no...I have to work tonight!". I've never called out of work before...I wasn't going to do it now! So Charity taped my toes together (saying she had done this many times before for her husband) and I kept my leg up. I put on my work shoes 3 hours before I was supposed to go into work, just to make sure I could wear them. It hurt. But I was sitll planning on going into work anyway. I could do it!

Haha...yeah right. God had other plans for me. 2 hours before I was supposed to go into work, I got a call from a co-worker needing hours, and wondering if he could take my shift for the night. How crazy is that?? I gladly gave him my shift...knowing I would never make it through the night if I went in....but happy I didn't have to call out! So I spent the rest of the night, with my foot propped up, watching movies. Rather boring...but probably necessary. Today they feel a bit better...I'm getting around okay, anyway!

And while I thought I would get my test results today....it seems the mailman forgot to put them in the mailbox. So hopefully they'll come tomorrow. I'll let you know as soon as I do!