Angela Nicole

Vacation Day 7 & 8: Shopping and Rangers Opening Day

2011-04-04T20:39:00.011-05:00

Justin and I decided to go in to the Metroplex a day earlier than the Rangers game in order to shop. And shop we did! We dropped Mandi off at Doggy Day Camp and went straight to The Parks Mall in Arlington. There I bought our Rangers shirts, new shoes, and some much needed capris. (for some reason all of my capris from last summer had holes in them!) From The Parks Mall we drove to IKEA in Frisco. As usual, this was a long and painful excursion. I love IKEA, but that place just wears you down! (in retrospect, this shopping trip was way more horrible now that I've realized I bought the wrong sized kitchen shelves!)

(My first pair of Toms!)

Justin surprised me to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory after a long day of driving/shopping. I had never eaten their before and loved every bit of it! I ordered the seared salmon. Delicious! We topped dinner off with a slice of Godiva cheesecake. It was a nice end to a tiresome day.

Friday was Texas Rangers' Opening Day 2011!! We got up early and drove back to Arlington for the tailgate. There we were able to see our family and some friends from last year's Opening Day. The sun was beating down on us and made for an unseasonably hot Spring day. Justin and I ate hot dogs, chips, fruit salad, potato salad, chocolate, nachos, and popcorn! The Rangers won and all was well!

(Katie, Justin, and me at the tailgate.)

(Justin eating his hot dog!)

(Opening ceremonies at the game.)

(Larry's seat, the only one with shade!)

I enjoy spending time with Justin's family and taking part of their Opening Day traditions. We are always sad when we have to go back home.

Vacation Day 6: Blue Bell Creamery and Bluebonnets

2011-03-30T23:26:00.017-05:00

Today Justin and I visited the Blue Bell Creamery in Brenham, TX. This is something that I have wanted to do for a long time! We took a tour inside the creamery to discover exactly how Blue Bell ice cream is made. Unfortunately, no cameras were allowed on the tour so our pictures are all outside the creamery. :(

(The two of us in the garden area outside the creamery.)

(A statue outside the creamery.)

The tour was about forty-five minutes long and included a short film, walk through the creamery, and a scoop of ice cream from the parlor. On the walk within the creamery, you get to see Blue Bell ice cream being made, packaged, and frozen. It was neat to see what flavors they were making today! (Dutch Chocolate, Banana Split, Moolinium Crunch, and Homemade Vanilla--yum!) I was a little disappointed to see that they had stopped making ice cream sandwiches for the day.

Employees at Blue Bell have the saying, "Eat what we can and sell the rest." They do just that! The break room is filled with all sorts of Blue Bell goodness that the employees can have while at work. There was a commercial being filmed today and they had all sorts of ice cream snacks for the film crew. At the end of the tour, we got to partake in some ice cream ourselves. You can choose whatever flavor you want of the ten or so they have available! Justin and I both chose Caramel Kettle Crunch which is vanilla ice cream with caramel and chunks of caramel covered kettle popcorn. Delicious! This ice cream was once sold in stores, but is no longer being made. So sad.

(Caramel Kettle Crunch)

Everywhere we go, people love Larry. Naturally, the tour guide gave Larry some Homemade Vanilla ice cream so as not to be left out! He love it!

(Larry eating Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.)

After the tour, we sought out a field of bluebonnets to take pictures in. Luckily, we found this one that was on our way back home!

(The two of us in the bluebonnets.)

Next door to the field, was Trapper's Cabin Gallery which had a really eat looking tree. We took some pictures there too!

(The two of us in the tree.)

(The two of us making silly faces in the tree.)

(Justin Romack or Edward Cullen--you decide.)

Today was fun! I love making memories.

Vacation Day 4: A Visit to East Texas

2011-03-29T10:50:00.006-05:00

Yesterday we went to East Texas to visit with our family and friends. At first, the drive was dark and dreary, but as soon as we got into Lufkin the clouds cleared and the sun came out! The azaleas and pine trees were beautiful.

We went to Cafe Del Rio with my parents for lunch. It was nice seeing them and catching up. I will have to say, Cafe Del Rio is no longer the best in my eyes. The atmosphere is different now to me. Is it just me or is it darker in there? I could barely see my food! The waitress was excellent and the food was good. Nothing compared to Chuy's though. So that's it. I no longer miss Cafe Del Rio.

Since we bought a new dining room table, we had to return the other table to Justin's parents. Justin worked on their computer which is kind of a tradition of us visiting them. :)

In the evening, we drove to Nacogdoches to visit Justin Pohlmann, Shay Pohlmann, and Jeremy Petticrew. I love those guys and it was a blast hanging out with them. I miss spending more time with them. We all ate at Jimmy Johns which is a nice addition to Nacogdoches. That is the first sandwich restaurant for Justin to enjoy! We probably stayed too late visiting, doing a crossword puzzle, watching the dogs play, and looking at pictures, but we had an awesome time.

The drive back wasn't bad. We got in late, but were able to sleep in this morning. Now it's time for a super lazy day...

Vacation Day 2 & 3: Dog Park, Grilled Fish, and Sunday

2011-03-27T09:18:00.017-05:00

We spent most of Saturday morning sleeping in and relaxing. Our main goal of the day was to take the dogs to the Dog Park. I ate my Chuy's leftover shrimp taco and we were eventually out the door to the park.

It was a beautiful warm, sunny day for the Dog Park! Of course, because of that, everyone else was at the park as well. Larry trailed the fence most of the time and attempted occasionally to be a "real dog" and run with the pack. Mandi was by our side the entire time. She was obsessed with the tennis ball and only wandered away when she wanted to intercept another owner's game of fetch with their dog. (This forced me to "fetch" the ball myself and apologize to the owner when returning it.)

After forty-five minutes of fun out in the heat, we were ready to go back home and get some water. Before this though, Mandi took it upon herself to go swimming for the first time! So, home we went with two stinky dogs. They were tired though!

(Mandi's horribly wet paw.)

(Larry in sleep mode.)

For dinner we had grilled tilapia, mashed potatoes, and broccoli! I really enjoy having a gate on our patio because the dogs can join Justin when he's grilling. I also like how the sun is out longer now, so it is easier for us to do things like grill. It was delicious and fun!

Today, we got up early and made a trip to Temple for Justin to play with Adam Fischer at Vista Community Church. I always enjoy last part of the trip when the sun is rising over the farms. The church services went well and it wasn't long before we were on our way back home.

(Justin tuning his snare.)

As soon as we got home, we ate lunch and then took a looooong nap! Not as long as we've logged in the past, but definitely longer than we have a in a while. No worries though, it's not like I have to go to bed early to go to work tomorrow! Next up, was a quick workout at the gym. NOT fun since we have been out of practice. (We hope to fix that this week.)

And now I am sitting and listening to a baby monitor for our friends Ross and Cheyanne. What a relaxing weekend! A little bad news from the weekend though: we noticed Mandi was limping and saw that she ripped her pad. We think it was from the Dog Park. So now she is wearing a makeshift bandage so she doesn't lick it.

(Justin's handiwork--and a poor pitiful dog.)

~~~~

Here's to a great week ahead!

Vacation Day 1: A Walk, Dinner, and a Movie

2011-03-26T10:39:00.009-05:00

I could have ran to my car when I got off of work yesterday! This past week was so stressful and made me realize how much I need to develop a plan to deal with stress so it doesn't bother me for long periods of time. Plus, it's just not healthy to be stressed so many days out of the week. And over things I cannot control! So, to say the least, I was very happy for Friday.

I plan to post what we do each day of our "Spring Break". I might miss a couple days, but don't worry, chances are all we did was sit around in our underwear anyway. Can I count the weekends as part of our vacation when I normally get that off? I will. It makes me feel better.

(Mandi, our dog, in the front yard and ready for a w-a-l-k!)

After I got home and voiced my anguish from the horrible week, Justin and I decided to take the dogs on a walk. Mandi was very excited because we haven't been on regular walks since Larry's knee surgery. I brought my new camera to practice taking pictures.

(Justin's shoe and Larry's paw--they are a team.)

Although short, the walk was nice. The fresh air was what I needed after I got over the initial frustrations of figuring my camera out. (It has been so long since I took the photography class that I've forgotten everything.)

After the walk, Justin and I went to dinner at Chuy's. We were going to go to Texas Roadhouse, but that place is crazy every.single.night. Chuy's is awesome though! It is our replacement for Cafe Del Rio, a mexican food restaurant in Lufkin that we will forever miss. The employees at Chuy's always greet us when we walk in, knows Larry by name, gives us seats to wait in, offers a braille menu to Justin, and makes awesome food. You should definitely go the the College Station Chuy's when you get a chance!

We ate on the patio which is the perfect place for conversation, and we can sit closer together. Plus, the weather was great for outside eating!

Whitney and Josh Taylor, our neighbors, invited us to see Limitless with them at, get this, the 11:30 showing! I am an early to bed, early to rise kind of girl. We had a great time and I didn't fall asleep during the movie not once!

Limitless was kind of a "trippy" movie that included romance, action, disgusting bodily fluids, and suspense. Overall, it was a good movie. I recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind weirdness.

First day of vacation down...nine more to go!

Vacation Time...almost

2011-03-24T21:00:00.002-05:00

As soon as I walk out the doors of the Physician's Centre tomorrow, I will be embracing something that is very foreign to me--a week of vacation! I haven't had a full week of vacation since our honeymoon and I am excited to be able to sleep in and watch daytime television.

The past several weeks have been stressful for the both of us. Now that we both have jobs, we tend to get a little carried away with the going-ons of our work life. Plus, I work at an allergy clinic and allergy season is in full swing. The weeks ahead will be busy, long, and stressful. It will be refreshing to enjoy non-stop togetherness next week in preparation for the chaos.

We aren't completely sure what every day will hold, but I plan to take pictures and update you on any fun things we do.

Before vacation, I must get through one more day at work. One.more.day.

Life in Bryan: Entertainment

2011-03-22T20:09:00.008-05:00

The BCS area has a small town feel, but is packed with so many fun things to do! Justin and I have tried our best to experience a little bit of everything this past year. I can't wait to see what else we discover this upcoming year.

Movies

Since living here, Justin and I have watched so many more movies than we every have! Yes, Nacogdoches/Lufkin had a movie theater, but the tickets weren't $4.50 for a nighttime movie. (HELLO! What a good deal, right?) No longer will we wait for a movie we absolutely want to see to hit DVD. This, my friends, is a perk. Should I mention that we are still using our SFA student id's? Is that bad?

Broadway

That's right, BROADWAY! One day I heard an advertisement on the radio for the Beauty and the Beast broadway show in OUR town. Oh my, when I heard this I was dropping major hints for Justin to take me. He did, of course, and it was amazing! I have always been very partial to anything Disney and have loved theater most of my life. I got teary eyed just hearing the opening song which sounded IDENTICAL to what I've heard on the movie since I was little. It was beautiful. It was perfect. And it was all just three minutes from my house.

Recently, a co-worker had a spare ticket to Mama Mia, which she offered to me. I had never seen the movie and I'm very happy the live performance was my first time to see the story. I loved every bit of it even though I sat by myself. The best part is the end where the entire theater is turned into a huge disco party! I suggest that you see this show if you can.

Aggie Sports

We definitely jumped on this bandwagon too late, in my opinion. You have not experienced a sporting event until you've gone to an Aggie game. The yells, signs, and straight up Aggie spirit makes for a fun time no matter what the outcome is. (Of course, we'd ALL prefer when the Aggies win.)

I recently went to an Aggie basketball game. Justin and I took his brother, John, and sister, Katie. We bought our white Aggie shirts and enjoyed the game! I can't wait to go to a football game this fall! Justin is at the SFA vs ATM baseball game as I type. I'm most definitely jealous!

~~~

I can't wait to see how many more new experiences I have this upcoming year!

Life In Bryan: Our Living Quarters

2011-03-19T17:27:00.003-05:00

When we were looking to move to Bryan, we had a difficult time finding a place to live. We couldn't decide if a house would be the best thing for us, but we would have loved to move in one! Unfortunately, most of the houses in Bryan that were in our price range, were not in a decent location. Justin and I had fallen in love with the neighborhood another band member was in, so we rented the two bedroom/one bath town home next door to him.

The two of us are notorious for living in a place and not making it "our own". In Nacogdoches, it was a year before we hung up any pictures! I'm just always so scared I'll mess something up, that I don't do anything at all. Now that we have been here for almost a year, we have decided to make this place feel like home. In the past two weeks we have managed to:

1) Fix the front door from leaking air (by hanging our renewal notice over their heads)

2) Attach a gate to our back patio (again with the renewal notice...)

3) Replace broken blinds (yes, the leasing agency did this too)

4) Hang vertical blinds on the sliding door (that's all us...no more hot/cold living room!)

5) Buy a new dining room table (the other was a hand-me-down that was on it's last leg)

6) Tear down the TACKY wallpaper in the bathroom and paint it to match everything else in the house (special thanks to my brother-in-law, Nick)

I see picture hanging, curtains, and plants in our future! All this to say, I really like where we are right now. Although I never imagined us to be in a place without a backyard so long, I really like our home. I like to continue to make this place our home too.

We've decided to stay here for at least one more year (most likely more) to take advantage of the cheap rent and to save as much as we can. And I'm okay with that.

Bridging the Gap

2011-03-13T09:09:00.012-05:00

Over the last two weeks I've been thinking that I would really like to dust off this blog of mine. So many changes have happened over the last year. It would have been nice to journal each and every direction our lives have turned.

Here's the overview:

The Move

In April of 2010, we moved to Bryan, TX. We live in a town home that is tucked away in a quiet neighborhood that is, at the same time, surrounded by all sorts of fun things to do. I love it here. A park is just a walk away and our gym is just a walk away in the other direction. There is also a dog park right down the road where Mandi and Larry can run free!

Do you remember this post where I said there were some major changes coming up? Probably not. Well, go read it if you can't remember. The big change was moving here. Since Justin was so involved in Clairmont, we decided moving to Clairmont's home was the best decision. Plus, driving back and forth from East Texas was killer!

Since we've moved here, Justin has left Clairmont. You'll have to read all about that on his blog though. No matter why we originally moved here, I love that we are here now!

Work

Obviously, along with the location change came a new job for me. I got a job at a local allergy and asthma clinic as a front-end receptionist. It was tough at first because my trainer didn't really want to train me, there was a lot of employee drama, and I was just the new girl. Luckily, the office made several changes. The drama-ridden employees left, and we hired several positive people!

The most recent change was my promotion to Assistant Manager! I'm excited about this opportunity because I think I have mastered the receptionist role by now (5 years in the making) and look forward to learning something different.

Teaching

When we moved to Bryan I applied for the teaching program at Blinn College. (it is an awesome program!) I filled out the application, sent my records, collected references, and went through the interview process. I was excited about the opportunity to reach my goal of becoming a teacher despite the move away from SFA.

Unfortunately, the interviewing faculty members decided that I needed more professional experience in the public school system. I didn't make it and was crushed. This was now the third time this door was shut for me. There is no way I'd be able to make a living as a substitute teacher or teacher's aid in order to gain the needed experience. So for now, that door is shut.

A week or two after I received the letter of rejection, my office manager offered me the position of Assistant Manager. Today, schools here, and in the surrounding areas, are on hiring freezes, salary freezes, and giving bonuses to teachers who resign. I firmly believe that door was shut for a reason, and am okay with that now.

Justin

Shortly after Justin left Clairmont, he got a job as a social media marketer with our friend Ross who moved in to the town home behind us. This job has been a huge blessing for us, and is something Justin enjoys doing.

Justin has also played with various people, promoted different artists, and has made many friends in our community. He's been busy! To get more details, you must go visit Justin's blog, and read it for yourself!

~~~~~

And that catches you up to where we are now. Let's see where this goes...

Snow Day 2010

2010-02-13T11:44:00.011-06:00

It actually snowed in East Texas! I'm used to it snowing, but never ever does it stick. Well, until Thursday night...

I knew there was a chance for snow. I was expecting the usual rain/snow mix that just looks pretty falling. Justin was out of town, so I was in my warm apartment watching a chick flick. After the movie I noticed there were a lot of voices coming from outside. I looked out and it was snowing! REALLY snowing!!

So naturally I get Mandi leashed up and go outside with everyone else. I learned very fast that it was dangerous to have Mandi outside with it as slippery as it was, so I put her back inside the apartment.

There were neighbors I've never met and children I never knew our complex had outside. Everyone was enjoying the snow in their own way with their own friends/family.

I admit, I was very sad Justin wasn't here to enjoy the snow with me. I know he hates to be wet and cold, but I love to experience "firsts" with him. Well, this *was* my first time to play in the snow so I wasn't going to let Justin's absence get me down! I decided to build a snowman.

Wow, it is kind of hard to build a snowman! That or I just lack the necessary skills. I tried to observe others' techniques, but they were able to gather snow 2x or 3x as fast as me. I had my mixing bowl and pink gloves on and gathered as much as I could.

Do you like him? Does he resemble a snowman in the least? He has a blank face because I couldn't stick the baby carrot in without his head falling off and the blueberries I had wouldn't stay in. I had to go back in because I was *freezing* and the snow had turned into rain. Yuck. I knew for sure the snow would be gone the next day.

Wrong again! While I was asleep it snowed more. I peeked out the window Friday morning to see this beautiful snowy day. I put my robe and my gorilla slippers on and let Mandi run around outside. My boss even called and said that I could have a Snow Day!

My Snow Day was wonderful! I played with Mandi outside for a while, opened the blinds to see the beautiful snow all day, and even made cinnamon snow cream! Now Justin can't give me a hard time for having our snowman wreath up in February--it snowed for Pete's sake!

A New Lifestyle

2010-02-08T17:42:00.002-06:00

For a while now, I've been trying to change our lifestyle a bit towards the healthier side. My family has a history of obesity, heart disease and diabetes, so I really want to stay as healthy as I possibly can. I've never fooled myself into believing I could change everything all at once, but I feel like every baby step counts towards something.

Here's what I've (we've) accomplished so far:

-We have changed our diet. If you only knew how picky my husband is, this would surprise you! We have fully switched to ground turkey in place of ground beef. I just recently worked in whole wheat flour and hope to stick with it. I've been making a fruit smoothie every morning and eating veggies for snacks. We have slowly transformed our meals to healthier options. I'm proud of what we've done so far just because Justin is so picky!

-No Caffeinated Beverages...I'm the only one really trying to do this. No, I'm not saying I won't get a sweet tea from McDonald's every now and then, but I'm definitely trying to stick with water and Sprite Zero on most days! I want my energy to be real and not fake.

-Made ourselves more active. I'm not where I want to be regarding disciplined daily exercise. We have made a point though to be more active each day.

--THE GOAL--

I guess the main reason I'm putting this all down is because I want to see my/our progress. Maybe now that it's out there I'll be more convinced to wake up each morning early enough to exercise. :) I really have a strong desire to live a healthier lifestyle. I know I'll feel and look better. Plus, it's good to change our lifestyle now rather than when we have children who are used to eating one way and having to change it all around.

Filling in the Holes

2010-02-04T23:49:00.002-06:00

I've noticed that most of my posts have been "updates". Just a list of things to document the events of my life that I've never filled you in on. I do this because I can't stand to have holes in my blog. I don't want to revisit this blog later in life only to wonder what happened in between "this" and "that".

In the last post, I filled you in on what happened during 2009. Guess what--I still have holes! This is February 2010, which means I now must update you on January. You'd be surprised at how much has changed!

Work...

I'm still the Assistant to Benefits at my company. I've learned the skills for the job and am no longer the "new person". Well, I'm still a new face, but I don't feel as though it is holding me back.

I've had many new opportunities through work. I am assisting our Corporate Trainer with leadership development which has been an amazing learning experience. I am also on a Wellness Committee which has given me a chance to get to know other leaders.

Teaching...

I still want to teach one day. Up until recently I had only one more test to take before getting into the PBIC program. Unfortunately, laws change too quickly and my 4-8 English/Language Arts/Reading certification is obsolete. *sigh* I have to be a generalist now which means I have to take a completely different test than I already took. Back to square one...

The good news is now I have no excuse, but to be certified in the level I want to be. (EC-6 Generalist) I was originally going the easier route.

Justin...

I'm not sure if you've heard, but Justin is now in a band called Clairmont. We've been traveling with them quite a bit lately and it was just announced that Justin is their drummer! You can read more about that here.

With this comes a lot of change. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait for *THAT* update. :)

2009

2010-02-03T17:38:00.003-06:00

Whoa! It's been awhile. Well, a year to be exact and we all know how
much can change in a year. So, in order to avoid making 2009 the
"forgotten year", I've decided to copy others' posts and make a list.

Ladies and gentlemen, 2009:

January:
My first month away from Anchor Radiology in two years. The job search
was on! I almost got a job as a surgery secretary, but they weren't
impressed with my longevity. Instead, I started my job as a front desk
receptionist at my in-laws' office! I started the daily commute from
Nac to Lufkin.

February:
We bought our first car in our very own name. (silver 2008 Honda Fit)
Justin was gone for gigs and I was home with Mandi watching gushy
romance movies.

March:
I graduated from Thomas Edison State College!

April:
This month was full of eye doctor visits for Justin and gigs. In
other words, we traveled a lot! Justin's family also hosted a
graduation party for me! I attempted to grow a tomato plant and
failed miserably. Justin went to a family reunion with me for the
first time.

The Blurr:
So, I'm debating whether this happened in April or May...it was all
one stressful blurr! We were in a wreck on the way home from the
Melton's house. The driver was intoxicated and our new car was
totaled! We walked away with just a few burns and bruises.

May:
We got our brand new car...again (red 2009 Honda Fit). Justin went to
see a specialist in Houston to hopefully find out why his vision is
decreasing. We learned there was very little that could be done.

June:
Justin and I went to the Texas Blueberry Festival for the first time!
There were many Justin-less days this month while he was on gigs.

July:
At the beginning of the month I was a bachelorette while Justin was on
a gig. I seriously searched for a job in Nacogdoches. I found out
that it would be easier to get in the PBIC teaching certification
program than I thought!

August:
I quit my job with the in-laws and started my new job as a Benefits
Assistant. Back in Nac! Justin and I also celebrated our 2nd Wedding
Anniversary with a weekend in Dallas. Unfortunately, it rained a lot.

September:
I fought the frustrations of being the "new girl" at work, cleaned the
house a lot, made homemade pizza and cinnamon rolls for the first
time, and accompanied Justin on a few gigs.

October:
We purchased our season passes to Six Flags, went to a U2 concert,
spent a lot of time on the road, studied for my Texes exam, and
survived massive amounts of rain.

November:
After weeks of studying I took the 4-8 English/Language Arts/Reading
Texes exam...and passed! On my way to being certified to teach!

December:
Justin graduated from SFA!!! This will be the first time in our entire
relationship that neither of us are in college. Weird.

Last Day at Anchor Radiology

2008-12-30T21:19:00.010-06:00

Another big change that has happened in my life is the closing of Anchor Radiology, my place of employment. I was told in late August that as of December 30th I would no longer have a job. This bit of news came as a big shock to me because it seemed as though the drama of hospital politics had subsided, but unfortunately it had not.

So today was my last day working for Anchor Radiology and I have to admit that it was a very sad day for me. Not because I haven't had enough of the politics--cuz I have! Not because I'll miss working on the weekends--cuz I won't! And not because I love performing those tasks dealt to me because certain people are lazy--cuz I don't!

I'll miss Anchor Radiology because I loved the crazy mix of personalities the radiologists had:

Dr. Fit-He is a brilliant radiologist. I'm calling him Dr. Fit because he is the only doctor I know who his so concerned with his own personal health and fitness. Dr. Fit exercises daily and is a strict vegetarian. He doesn't mind reminding you that red meat will give you breast cancer and chocolate will make you more prone to Alzheimer's Disease--while you are eating those things. MSG's are his worse enemy. Dr. Fit is very fun to visit with and was a very kind boss.

Dr. Teddy Bear-He is the oldest in the bunch and is a generous radiologist who truly cares for people. Dr. Teddy Bear loves to eat and bought us food on Thursday's because that is when the doctors' lounge serves plain ol' sandwiches. When he dictates reports he is the only radiologist that sounds like a news anchor. Dr. Teddy Bear is a laid back individual who rarely gets excited. When he loses his pen he always blames it on the "dope fiends". Dr. Teddy Bear was a pleasure to work for!

Dr. Giant- He is SO tall! He speaks Spanish to his wife for fun, and travels all over the world. Raman Noodles became his favorite dish for lunch. Dr. Giant was the President of Anchor Radiology and my main boss. He had a huge heart and always took the time to talk to the patients. He fought for me and the techs when he had to because he said that we were one big family. Dr. Giant has such a big heart that he worries about everything in the department...EVERYTHING. Unfortunately, this characteristic often made him a little OC. He wanted everything to work well so the patients would benefit. Although he was annoyed with me sometimes and I with him, he ended up being a great boss.

Dr. Music-Many were scared of Dr. Music because of his gruff personality. I quickly discovered that he was a very caring person who realized hard workers when he saw them. He will tell you upfront if he does or doesn't like your work, which I admire. Dr. Music loved music of all kinds. I have never met someone who enjoyed so many different genres of music. Dr. Music was a rocker in his day and has passed his musical genes on to his son who plays wordly music. He tells stories of his younger days when he was a "ladies man" and all the people he's met along the journey of life. I will never forget his stories. Dr. Music is a Tennessee man through and through who loves to be in nature. He is also the more liberal one of the bunch.He encouraged me more than any other radiologist which may seem weird to those who thought he was mean. You just have to get to know him!

Working with Anchor Radiology taught me many things. I learned that not all adults are mature, and people rarely take pride in their work. I learned the different bones in the body. I realized that it is possible for people to work hard to get their dream career, and be miserable when in it. My eyes were opened to hospital politics which has changed my view of medicine forever. I now know how to choose what doctors I want for myself and which pediatricians I DO NOT want for my children. I learned how amazing radiology is and how it has changed healthcare.

Yeah, I'll miss those radiologists even though they griped a lot. It's weird when I think of all the time I spent with Anchor Radiology. Monday thru Sunday I would be working in the Reading Room. Anchor Radiology was the topic of conversation many times between Justin and me. We saw each other's faces a lot, and I'll miss everyone.

We'll see what happens next...

Thomas Edison State College

2008-12-29T16:35:00.003-06:00

One change that has happened since my last post in August is that I transferred from Stephen F. Austin to Thomas Edison State College. I mentioned this in a previous post, but I had no idea how it was going to work then. Luckily, I only had to complete 19 hours of electives to be finished with my degree! The semester seemed like an uphill battle though because I had a lot of work to do in order to get those 19 hours.

I am proud to say now that I am FINISHED! Well, at least on my end. All the paperwork has to be approved for me to get my diploma in March, plus my "mentors" have yet to grade my work. I am praying hard that everything works itself out.

Overall I am happy with my decision to transfer to an online school. Like anything there are pros and cons.

PROS:
-I was able to finish my degree sooner which allowed me to avoid so many student loans I would have incurred.

-From my point of view the students are much more mature. I have taken online classes through SFA and the students there felt like they could speak to the instructor however they wanted because they weren't face-to-face. Thomas Edison's students were there because they wanted to learn...probably because they are older.

-Online classes force you to read the textbook, so I think I learned a lot more in these classes than I have in face-to-face ones.

CONS:
- I do not get a graduation ceremony. All of my college career I have looked forward to the day I would walk across that stage, so I am sad about that.

-I do not like to write! All of the work consisted of reading and writing. Boring.

-I missed the interaction between my classmates and professors. I felt that very little experience on the instructors part was incorporated into the class.

Now that I am basically a college graduate, I look forward to just working and coming home to my husband, not schoolwork. After I get my diploma I plan to start a program so I can earn a teaching certificate.

In summary...Thomas Edison State College is the real reason I haven't blogged and I am glad I transferred because I.am.finished...basically.

A WELCOME NOTE

2008-12-29T05:00:00.004-06:00

Hi! Thanks for stopping by my brand new blog! I thought it was due time to convert my blog into a Romack one. :) Other than the name there aren't any differences in my blog.

During my 4 month blog hiatus there have been many changes in my life. I can't wait to update on those changes and keep you updated on life within the Romack house!

Stay tuned...

~Angela

What's Up

2008-08-26T15:56:00.001-05:00

Yes I know that my blog has been lacking for a while. Now that the Fall semester has started I hope to get on top of things and post more regularly. At least school will force me not to ignore the computer once I get home. :)

For now I will give you an update with the going-ons of my life...

~As you know, Justin and I went to Austin not too long ago for our 1 Year Wedding Anniversary. We had a blast! There is so much to do there and we couldn't even do everything we wanted. Don't worry, I will do a couple posts on the trip soon. I don't care if it is "old news".

~In the last couple of months I have made some MAJOR decisions regarding my education. I am transferring from SFA to Thomas Edison State College. This seemed like the best decision in order for me to complete my degree in a timely manner. I will give you more details in the next week or so...just please pray for me as I make this big transition.

~This last week has been full of moving furniture, dusting, and other home repairs. We are trying to make the place more "home-y" since we are staying here for a while longer.

~I've been sick lately. I originally thought it was from the above dust--and dog fur! Nope. I just have a virus or something. I am feeling better now, but I think Justin might be getting it.

~This Friday Justin and I will be going to Dallas for his much delayed eye appointment. We are also going to see his PawPaw to get our teeth cleaned. (did I mention I'm scared of going to the dentist?!)

You should now be mostly updated. I'll be posting again soon...

The Dreaded Task

2008-08-13T12:48:00.001-05:00

Is it just me or does this title sound like a chapter out of an adventure novel? "The Dreaded Task." If your answer is "yes", then good! Adventure novels always have the most dramatic titles to further illustrate how important the topic is AND the topic I will be typing about is very important.

Now you smarties out there might notice that I have a picture of groceries in the upper left hand corner of this post. You might think that you have me all figured out. That my "dreaded task" is grocery shopping. Aha! You do not have me all figured out so now you are forced to read on.

So I don't have a problem with grocery shopping. In fact, if given a list I LOVE to grocery shop! The cart traffic and screaming children really don't bother me. The free samples are a plus. And I don't mind going around in circles just to find one.stupid.tub.of.ricotta cheese!

Cooking isn't too big of a deal to me either. Although I admit that I usually avoid cooking for people other than my husband at all costs, I will cook for you if you give me constructive criticism only. Wait. Scratch that. I don't think I can handle any kind of criticism in that area yet. Let's just say that I will cook for you if you are willing to eat.

The only chore I dread more than dusting and fixing the sofa's slipcover is MEAL PLANNING. I want to be so organized and have things planned so well that I don't waste a freezer full of food. And to me, that is the hardest thing ever. I'm not creative enough to come up with fresh, new ideas for meals. I'm not disciplined enough to stick with the plans and use the ingredients. And I'm not talented enough to create my own meals off of the hodgepodge of ingredients and leftovers I have after going off the meal plan.

Today is grocery shopping day. Which means I should already have a grocery list planned out. And I don't. Because I hate it. Too bad we have to eat at some point.

Is there a specific chore that you dread the most?

Got any tips for meal planning?

Do you like to eat?

Bookworm

2008-07-30T11:50:00.001-05:00

I remember the moment everything seemed to "click" when I first started reading. I would read every single sign to my mom when we drove down Timberland Drive. I'm sure it was annoying. Especially when I exclaimed, "Mom! That food place is Whatta-Burger not Water-Burger!" I read everything aloud. Once my older cousin, Justina, said, "Would you read in your head for once!"

My parents had a lot of books for us kids to read. And I really am greatful to them for that. I've always wanted to do the same for my children. When I was in middle school I started collecting children's books so that I could one day give them to my kids. Every time there was a Book Fair I'd buy one children's book.

Here are some of my childhood books. I don't have them, but I plan to one day!

[It's Not Easy Being A Bunny-Part of the PJ Funny Bunny Series]

[Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss]

[The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room]

[There's a Wocket in my Pocket by Dr. Seuss]

And let me tell you--nothing beats a good children's book! The gorgeous pictures, funny characters, and lessons taught are priceless. I read my fair share of "adult books", but I still enjoy reading short stories.

So I love to read. That is one reason why I've chosen to teach general education. I think it would be very rewarding to witness that turning point for a child. They come into your class not knowing how to read and leave reading all the posters and things on your walls. I know it may not be just like that. One can dream though! No matter what grade I get, I do hope to show them that reading is fun.

Take a walk down memory lane with me...

What was your favorite children's book?

My Friday

2008-07-25T13:54:00.001-05:00

I have always enjoyed the "My Friday" posts over on the Todd Blog. How else can a girl find out what The Wrights are up to? Call? Email? Visit? Surely not...

Once a week you are guaranteed to find a post that's not about music, chicken sandwiches, or cool movies. And I like it! Some might find it stalker-ish, but I like to read about what people are up to. How was your day like? I don't want crazy details or anything...but there is something to say about how a person spends their free time. Anyway, that is why I like "My Friday" AND that is why I have decided to take Todd up on the My Friday Movement. That and I was put on the spot when Justin was talking to him on the phone.

Let me preface this by saying that my Fridays aren't full of free time. Friday is actually the busiest day in the radiology department. Therefore, I usually get home later than 5pm with not much time to have a whole list of cool things accomplished like sitting on my porcelain throne, a trip to the zoo, or a long drive back to Lufkin. So this shall be short and choppy...

I woke up later than I wanted to today. 8:50am to be exact. I showered, got dressed, took the dogs out, and sped off to work around 10:20am. (making sure to kiss my husband before I left...I think)

Work was slower than usual today, but still busy with PetCTs and all. I basically sat around listening to opera music, answered phone calls, listened to a lot of complaining, filled out paperwork, and surfed the internet all day. Oh, I had creamy chicken noodle soup for lunch and I have never noticed how disgusting it looks when it falls out of the can. Gross.

I got home around 5:30pm to a husband and two dogs that needed to go "busy". Wait, that sounds all wrong...Justin didn't need to go "busy", just the dogs. So we took them out, fed them, and planned our trip to Wal-Mart. At this point I was not in a good mood at all. I do.not.like. Wal-Mart after a long day of opera music. We bought big blinds to replace the ones on the patio door and a shower curtain liner. Big spendas!

After that we went to Taco Bueno. That is Justin's compromise with me. Because I love me some Taco Bell, but for some reason he disagrees with me.

We came home and ate our Bueno. We tidied the house up a bit. Then I freaked out because Mandi was playing with a baby lizard. I DO NOT LIKE LIZARDS! She killed it after ripping its' tail off. (which was still wiggling)

Drill Bit Taylor was the movie of the night! I liked it. I really wanted to see a drama tonight, but we were limited to Red Box picks only. :( The movie was slow at times...but I love watching any movie so it was fun!

And that was MY Friday!

TGIF. And now go watch some Boy Meets World for me!

The Tale of the Tail Light

2008-07-23T16:56:00.001-05:00

It all began a couple of years ago with a dumpster. I backed into it. Yes, it was a careless, turned wreckless, and finally hopeless event. Oh yeah, it was in broad daylight and I wasn't intoxicated. The driver's tail light was smashed! And so I patched it up the way my momma taught me--red tape.

Inspection time came and I went to the most reliable and yet not-so-thorough place in Lufkin to get the job done. It passed! And the next year it passed again!

This year was different though. It did not pass. And it has gone unfixed.

Until I got a ticket. Justin decided to then promptly order a brand new tail light. We waited and waited and waited. We also found out that DHL no longer delivers to this area. In fact, it was shipped from Illinois, to Waco, TX to San Antonio, TX to Ohio to Dallas, TX....and TODAY WE GOT IT!

[Justin fixed it up]

[Yes, after a hot 30 minutes, we had conquered the tail light]

It all began with and dumpster...and today it ended with one!! And now to get that side mirror fixed.....

August 8th Or Bust!

2008-07-22T14:29:00.001-05:00

Just 13 more days until our 1 Year Wedding Anniversary! I am so excited and can't even begin to explain all that I have learned this past year. Unfortunately, due to a series of unfortunate events (did anyone like that movie?) I will be working all-stinkin'-day on the 4th. My co-worker scheduled to be off that day not long after our wedding. I will now give you a moment to boo and hiss at the fact that I will be working on a very important day to be off...

But that is not why I am typing this post. Well, it kind of is, but not really. Justin recently received a phone call announcing that he needs to be in Austin for a technology evaluation the Friday after our anniversary. Therefore we are now celebrating on the weekend after our anniversary in Austin, TX!!!

I have NEVER been to Austin--never, ever. So I am very excited that we get to go on a non-doctor, non-gig related trip to the state capitol. Although technically it is still a trip we have to make because of the technology evaluation, but that will only take up a small amount of time and the rest is ours to spend however we want! NOW, I'm getting to the point of this post...

Kalena, a friend of ours, had a great blog series on Austin in which she talked about some cool spots they visited and why they liked them.

I need your help too. I have researched like crazy. Now answer me this...

Have you been to Austin?

If we had to see one thing while in Austin, what would you recommend?

Any other interesting or out of the ordinary spots we should visit?

Do you know where to get some good eats?

I Must Be...Bored-Out-Of-My-Mind

2008-07-21T21:44:00.001-05:00

6 Random Things About Me...

one. I am horrible at remembering lyrics. Instead, I make up my own.

two. Once I went to the WRONG family reunion. Yeah, a family reunion with total strangers. And while there, my "cousin" tried the following pick-up line on me: "Hey, do you wanna go walk in the graveyard?"

three. I.LOVE.TOMATOES. Spaghetti sauce. Pizza Sauce. Salsa. But I don't like tomato soup.

four. I hate wearing socks when I don't have to. I like for my feet to breathe.

five. I do not like to write, but I think I'm good at it.

six. Movies are a BIG DEAL to me. I don't like to miss previews. I hate pausing and stopping in the middle. And my favorite part of a movie is the very beginning when they show the production company in that far out, movie-like, now-is-the-beginning sort of way.

And because I care for my readers...a little bonus:

seven. Below is my favorite commercial of all time!

Welcome to Hadley

2008-05-30T16:14:00.001-05:00

Today I received everything I needed to begin my Introduction to Braille class. And I just turned in my first assignment!

I am enrolled at Hadley School for the Blind. They offer a lot of programs to the blind, visually impaired, family members, and professionals. We obviously decided against Justin teaching me Braille. SFA didn't work out either. I am very happy with Hadley though and the best part is that they offer their services for free to me because I am a spouse!

Even though it is sad, frustrating, and confusing to us that Justin's vision has changed so much that I have to learn Braille, I am very thankful that there are resources out there for me to take advantage of.

Okay, okay, some may argue that I technically don't have to learn Braille due to current technology, but check out the benefits:

1) I can share in some of the massive Braille labeling projects around the house--pantry items, cooking instructions, DVDs, CDs, appliances, medicine, etc. It isn't fair for Justin to have to do ALL of it!

2) Board games. We love to play games. If I learn Braille I can help make it to where Justin can enjoy them again.

3) I will be able to communicate with Justin using a written form. Reminders on the fridge, greeting cards, love notes...you know, all those little things.

4) Learning Braille might prepare me for our future family. It is a possibility that our children will be blind so why not prepare for it? If we have a child who is blind it would be nice to have both a father and mother who know Braille. Things like checking homework would be difficult if I didn't know Braille.

So there you have it. Those are some of the reasons I am learning Braille. And believe me, I will be learning for a long time because it looks HARD. The first lesson was the history of Braille and I peeked at the next lesson....yeesh. It is titled "Reading Braille". Wait, aren't we going a little fast here?

Friday: 5/30

2008-05-30T14:27:00.001-05:00

Thank you for your prayers! Justin's eye pressure was an 8--that is great for his eye. Dr. J said that everything looked good structurally. No detached retina...everything is holding up. :) Unfortunately because Justin's situation is so advanced the doctor doesn't know why Justin's vision is getting darker. He doesn't know what Justin is supposed to be seeing considering he thought there was a huge chance Justin wouldn't see anything once the patch was removed. All Dr. J could say was that everything looked good. That being said....Justin doesn't have to go back for 4 weeks. Four. For. Fo. And that is definitely a good thing! Again, thank you for your prayers.

Another Friday Appointment

2008-05-30T07:45:00.001-05:00

Hi! I just wanted to let everyone know that Justin has an appointment today in Dallas. After you read here about his surgery, Justin's vision started to get darker and darker each day. As you know he didn't have an appointment last week so today we get to find out how his eye is doing structurally and hopefully the reason his vision is getting worse.

I have to stay in Nacogdoches today, so I might get to update you before I get off of work. Otherwise, we have guests tonight so it may be Saturday before either one of us updates you. Please pray with me for Justin today.

And Now I'm Hungry for Cake

2008-05-27T16:27:00.002-05:00

Last week was the first week in a long time that Justin did not have an appointment in Dallas. So it was labeled as our "catch-up" week. While Justin was unable to do much I did my best to stay on top of the housework, but when his second surgery came around everything kind of went downhill. We had a lot of laundry, vacuuming, dusting, dish washing, grocery buying, and organizing to do! At the same time we wanted to relax so we kind of spread things out over the week. (yes, the dreadful mistake of spreading things out so much that when you complete your list of to-do's you see that the first things you've done need to be re-done)

This past Saturday was Philip and Maegan's wedding! It was so beautiful and perfect. And not to mention kind of deja vu-ish considering that is where Justin and I were married almost a year ago. We can't wait for the Melton's to get back to Nacogdoches.....but I know they can wait.

Memorial Day was a "knock-the-rest-of-the-cleaning-out-in-one-day" day, but we really didn't. I had no idea that Larry had this much fur on him!

On Memorial Day I was also able to find one of my favorite types of computer games. I'm not really sure what the type is called. I like to consider this "type" closely related to Sims...so I guess you would call it a simulator game?? I used to play a Sponge Bob game where you had to fulfill the crabby patty orders. I've always enjoyed Diner Dash. This game is called Carrie the Caregiver. Yeah, it sounded dumb when Justin and I saw the commercial on TV...but I had to look it up! I love it! This game definitely should be labeled as girlie. If you don't mind that then go play the free trial. After my free trial is over I will be playing Cake Mania. And then I'll play Delicious. I think these games have topped Where In the World is Carmen Sandiego....but that could be taking it too far.

Yesterday Justin and I were able to see Caris Jinkins! That was fun. She is adorable! Maybe Jinx will put pictures up on his blog as soon as he is able to.

That was my week!

Brought to You By: The Number 5

2008-05-25T18:10:00.001-05:00

I feel the love! These 3 fabulous individuals have tagged me: David Runnels , Susie Moore, and Artie Anderson. David said that I should play along so I'm not on his bad list or so that I can stay on his good list....or something to that effect. Either way I am super stoked to be tagged! Here are the rules:

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.

2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.

3. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the player’s blog.

4. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

WHAT WERE YOU DOING 5 YEARS AGO:

1. Suffering from a bad breakup with a guy. (...awkward...)

2. Looking for a summer job so that I could save some last minute money for college.

3. Gearing up for VBS at FUMC Lufkin where Justin and I would start hanging out together.

4. Squeezing in every opportunity to hang out with Diane Williams (now Sizemore) before she would leave for college.

5. Planning "Human Videos" with Amanda Cheavens (now Murley) for her church.

FIVE THINGS ON YOUR TO-DO LIST TODAY?

1. Vacuum the entire apartment. (my favorite chore...really.)

2. Laundry (yeah, like that will get done)

3. Walk the dogs.

4. Hang out with Justin and his sister.

5. Pay bills.

FIVE SNACKS YOU ENJOY?:

1. Chips and HOT Salsa

2. Popsicles (the kind you buy in a liquid pouch)

3. Sour Skittles

4. Wheat Thins and Laughing Cow Cheese (Low Fat Swiss)

5. Tomatoes

FIVE THINGS YOU WOULD DO IF YOU WERE A BILLIONAIRE:

1. Donate to various charities.

2. Tithe

3. Pay off debt!

4. Move out of this apartment!

5. Save for our future.

FIVE OF YOU BAD HABITS?:

1. I leave my shoes everywhere.

2. I don't call my friends/family enough.

3. Procrastination mega overload.

4. I don't hang up the clothes in a timely manner.(meaning they sit in the dryer or basket for a long long long time)

5. Every meal I will make a mess in some way....just watch.

FIVE PLACES WHERE YOU'VE LIVED:

1. Lufkin, TX (Central area)

2. Spring, TX (the big move for my family)

3. Lufkin, TX (more in the Lufkin area)

4. Lufkin, TX (back in the Central area)

5. Nacogdoches, TX (dorms, then aparment by myself, then apartment with my husband now)

FIVE JOBS YOU'VE HAD:

1. Cashier at Eckerd/CVS

2. Christian Life Center FUMC Lufkin

3. ETI Telemarketer (when it was called ETI)

4. IHOP Waitress

5. Radiologist's Assistant (now)

TAG YOU'RE IT!:

1. Maegan MELTON: She is such a fun person to hang out with. She is staying in Nacogdoches with her BRAND NEW husband, Philip. I hear we have more in common than we realize. AND I think she will have a lot to blog about in the near future!

2. Kalena Hanke: I secretly read her blog and I think she is a really really funny person with a beautiful heart.

3. Rhonda Romack: Duh. She's a Romack...need I say more? Oh, and I think she needs to find a little bit of time to blog something! I enjoy reading her blog.

4. Abigail: I secretly read her blog too. She is one of the two people who helped me get the wonderful job I have now. AND SHE BLOGS OFTEN!

5. Amanda Murley: She is my best friend who I miss a lot! And she needs to blog....even if it is a MySpace blog.

A Super Target Date

2008-05-16T23:07:00.001-05:00

Just in case you don't already know, Justin posted a very detailed update on his surgery....click here to see it!

Last Friday Justin and I went on a Super Target date. I love that man!

[Justin slurps down a White Cherry Icee]

We went there to shop for Mother's Day, but were too distracted by things our mothers would not want...so we went to the snack bar instead. So this is what a Super Target dates looks like:

1. POPCORN

[Justin eating the "small" bag of popcorn...I'd hate to see the large.]

2. A GOOD DRINK

[Justin drinking our refilled icee.]

3. CHEESY SMILES

[Justin's cheesy smile.]

[And of course my cheesy smile.]

Page a Prayer for Justin

2008-05-14T19:25:00.001-05:00

Justin and I ate dinner with my parents tonight in Lufkin. (Cheddars if you must know) While we were there my mom gave us a pager. Her church (FUMC Lufkin) has a Pager Prayer ministry which means when someone prays for you they dial your pager number and you will be notified (and encouraged) that someone just prayed for you.

It was very nice of my mom to think about giving us one. (but moms are nice that way, right?) So I wanted to extend the offer to you. If you are praying for Justin and want to let him know that someone just prayed for him just follow these simple steps:

1) Dial this Pager Prayer number: 1-888-210-1545.

2) After you hear the beeps, press "1"

3) Then, just hang up.

4) Your Pager Prayer is on its way! We will receive a message that says "New Prayer", but we won't know who did it.

Of course, if you want to pray for us and not use the Pager Prayer then that is ok too. I'm not trying to make this a contest to see how many times the pager will go off. But either way...PLEASE PRAY! We are getting up early tomorrow morning to drive to Dallas. We have to be there at 9:30 and his surgery starts at 10:30. (and those people are the most punctual people I know!)

I'll let you guys know what is going on. Justin will probably have me twittering on his new high-tech phone. Go until then....Goodbye!

Friday: 5/9

2008-05-12T14:40:00.001-05:00

Justin was going to update everyone on last Friday's appointment over on his blog, but he now says that I "need all the posts I can get". We all know this isn't true. None-the-less I will give you guys an update...

As I said on my last "Friday Appointment" post we were going into this appointment with two possibilities in mind 1) there would be nothing else the doctors could do for Justin, or 2) they would be able to do surgery on him and fix his ciliary body. Of course, Justin was really hoping that they would be able to do another surgery.

After the doctor examined him, he told us that Justin's retina had partially detached. Think of it as an envelope. You know when the middle starts to bubble up, but the sides are still stuck down? That is how Justin's retina is right now--or at least when the doctor checked it. We don't know how long it was detached for because this past Friday was the first time the doctor has been able to see all the way to the back of his eye since the air bubble is almost gone.

As for the whole ciliary body surgery: there is NO way in heck that the doctors will touch it. Justin's doctor does want to go back in his eye, clear the scar tissue that is on top and behind the retina, re-attach the retina, inject silicone oil, and give him more steroids. Sounds like a lot doesn't it? It is. They are going to destroy the retina in order to repair it.

Justin had the choice of whether he wanted another surgery or not. He said yes. In fact, it is scheduled for this Thursday. If Justin doesn't get the surgery his retina will fully detach and without a retina you go blind.

The doctor said that because Justin is a rare case they have been very nervous every time they have gone into his eye. They described all of his surgeries as a "heroic cause" because it seems that there is a lot going against him. When the doctors look at the big picture they see that Justin wasn't suppose to have vision after the age of 10. He's 23! So I guess they kind of feel like they're skating on ice. Well, his doctor said that this upcoming surgery is very heroic because there is a large possibility that it won't work. That means that there is a large possibility that Justin will never see again.

Well we weren't sure what kind of vision the doctors were actually trying to save. Light perception only? Color and shapes? The good news is that if this surgery works they believe that Justin could go back to seeing things the way he was in December....which was GREAT! Also, the silicone oil bends light differently than the water that is normally in your eye, so if Justin does get to see again, the oil will actually magnify things so that he can see them even better.

There is a lot of uncertainty on our part as well as the medical staff's. We know that this is a huge opportunity for God to take something that so many see as impossible and turn it into something that is possible. We also know that this is an opportunity for God to use this as a tool to refine us so that we are more like His image...even though it may hurt.

Please pray for Justin, his mom, the doctors, and myself this Thursday. His surgery is at 10:30. I'll most likely let you know how everything goes via Justin's twitter.

The Nerd In Me

2008-05-07T21:05:00.001-05:00

A long long time ago when I had all the time in the world I absolutely loved watching the Weather Channel. Tonight the wind has been picking up, there's lightning, and a lot of thunder. I decided to go check out the weather on ktre.com. And to my surprise:

They are doing a LIVE feed of the weatherman sitting on his laptop checking out the weather. I love this for so many reasons!! 1) I obviously enjoy hearing the "behind the scenes" of our local news station, 2) I like to hear what's going on now just in case there is something like a tornado, 3)you never know when something cool will happen like a man emailing the weatherman telling him that his cow just flew away or something.

Unfortunately I must peel myself away from it and go back to schoolwork. But I can't promise you that I won't go back on ktre.com when I finish....if I every finish.

Be Prepared

2008-05-07T18:35:00.001-05:00

Dark all day. The wind is blowing hard.

Do you think Mandi knows something we don't?

[A view from the guest bathroom door. Mandi is in the bathtub!]

[A closeup of Mandi in the tub.]

Or maybe she is just bored because we've neglected her all week.

And yes, those are drums in our guest bathroom.

Friday: 5/2

2008-05-02T16:25:00.001-05:00

Hey, I'm actually typing a post about Friday on Friday! I was unable to go with Justin to his appointment today. This always frustrates me because I want so badly to be where he is! I want to be by his side if he receives bad news or if he has some big decisions to make right there on the spot. I would gladly pick everything up and drive him anywhere if he needed to go, so it bothers me when I can't because we need me to be here at work sometimes. That's how I feel today.

Here is how today's appointment went...

They always call Justin into the office twice--once to dilate his eyes, check his eye pressure, ask how much light he can see, or if he can see anything from a distance AND the second time to see the doctor. He went in the first time and they could get a pressure reading on him. This is bad because it means the pressure is so low the device can't detect it. Oh, and the device they use isn't that little puff of air they shoot in your eye when you go to get an eye exam...they use this thing that resembles a digital thermometer and they actually press up against his eye! Not only was his eye pressure undetectable, but he was unable to see the guy waving his hand in front of him. Last week he could see the guy waving his hand. We knew something was going on though because Justin had been experiencing some weird light flashes and the light he could see had all-of-a-sudden gotten dimmer. He seriously thought his retina had detached since the doctor was so surprised last week that it hadn't.

When he saw the doctor, he was told that his retina was still intact!! That is great news. The doctor was sure that the retina had detached before he looked in his eye. The retina not detaching is definitely God's doing! We are encouraged by this.

Now the low eye pressure was very concerning. They sent Justin to the lab for an ultrasound of his eye. The technician was able to feel how soft his eye was which is scary. You see, when your eye pressure gets lower your eye gets softer. This is how we know that Justin's eye pressure is SO much lower without actually being able to get the reading. The ultrasound just proved that the retina was not detached.

The doctor said the reason for the low eye pressure could be because there is also scar tissue on Justin's ciliary body which is the part in his eye that makes aqueous humor. The scar tissue could be causing the ciliary body to not make the aqueous humor which means the eye pressure will remain low. If the aqueous humor gets so low, and the eye pressure gets so low, Justin will go blind. The doctor said that he does not know how to do surgery on the ciliary body....afterall, retinas are his specialty. The retina doctor will talk with his colleagues and Justin's glaucoma doctor to see if they know of anything that can be done. We will find out next Friday when we go back.

I saw on the internet that there are such things as surgeries on the ciliary body so that is a little encouraging to know that surgeons can get back there. Of course we still don't know if anything can be done. This is an entirely new chapter in the problems of Justin's eye.

For now we have to wait which is hard. Harder for Justin than for me, of course. Every little change in his vision frightens us. We think: "Surely the retina is detached now!" Then we have to deal with the possibilities of that and all those questions of uncertainty that come flooding in. And then the next day his vision has changed in a way that leads us to believe that no the retina has not detached. Every week is sort of a roller coaster. We have our good days where it is easy for us to trust in God and see beyond what so many other people are seeing as hopeless. (it is hard for me to believe, but there are so many people who see blind people as worthless) Then there are bad days where we have doubts and the negativity seems to consume us. Thank goodness that there are so many more good days than bad! Justin has the best attitude ever and I have a large amount of respect for him because of that.

Oh! Another good thing the doctor told Justin was that the head positionings are not as important anymore. That means he can sleep on his right side too if he wants. :) He is still supposed to take it easy though, which isn't too hard for him considering he gets so tired so quickly now because he was in bed for so long.

Okay...I think that is it. I hope I haven't forgotten anything. Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for us.

School is Mean+Summer Dreams

2008-04-30T09:06:00.001-05:00

I'm getting so close. I have less than 30 hours of school left until I graduate! Right now though, I am stuck. (or I at least feel that way) I took all of my core classes as soon as I could (stupid idea) and now all I have left are communication courses. That's good in a way because I hate math. It is mostly bad though because due to the lack of teachers, most of the classes I need are only offered once and are all at the same time. None of the classes are 8am. I was told that I am a "untraditional" student and "traditional" students don't like 8am classes so they were trying not to offer those as much. Work is important, so this means I now have to go to school part time. Which only lengthens the time I am working on this dang degree. And therefore delays when I can go back to school to get certified in education.

All of this frustrates me so much! I know what I want to do (teach the little ones) and because I didn't come to that conclusion a couple of years ago, I am forced to go what feels like around the world just to get a certification that I could have worked for during these last four years I've been in college. Again, I feel stuck

So this semester is wrapping up. Last Thursday was Horrible Thursday (class registration), tomorrow is Tired Thursday (end-of-the-semester school work), and next Thursday is Celebration Thursday (spring semester is officially over!!).

Although I don't like looking forward to the Fall semester and all that is involved in making sense of the jumble of classes I've taken so far...I am looking forward to the summer! (who doesn't though)

Summer Goals....

Justin and I both thought that it would be best that I learn braille in the near future. Mainly so I can share the job of labeling kitchen appliances and pantry items. I will also be able to type notes to Justin if I need to. Plus I think it will be fun to learn something new, and it will give me the chance to see some of what Justin goes through on a daily basis. I'm either going to take a class at SFA during Summer I (if time and money allows) or the master himself will teach me! (uh, you know I meant Justin right?) I'm not sure how this is going to go because it seems rather confusing now. I'm really not sure if I'll ever be able to read braille by touch. Either way, I will dust off Justin's braille typewriter and start with sentences like, "The cat sat. The fat cat sat. The fat cat sat on the mat." At the end of the summer I will be the braille queen!!

Last Friday I bought a beginner Pilates DVD. Yeah, that intermediate one I started out on was tough. So hopefully I'll make a habit of doing pilates....by the end of the summer I will be ready to run marathons in my head!

I am planning on reading the rest of the Harry Potter series that I started last summer. After the wedding planning went into full gear I had little time to read Harry Potter.

I love watching movies so I to watch lots of movies this summer. Maybe Justin and I can watch a movie a week. Perhaps he would want to watch the Harry Potter movies once I finish a book...maybe??? We'll see.

Maegan and Philip are getting married this summer!! Yay! I will be in their wedding too. :)

I can't wait to have more time to hang out with friends and invite them over to our place.

So even though things might be tough now and tougher this summer....I have all those things to look forward to as well!

Friday: 4/25

2008-04-26T09:15:00.001-05:00

The three of us (Justin, his mom, and myself) left early Friday morning for another appointment in Dallas. I'm starting to enjoy this little trip because it gives a chance for the three of us to talk about things that matter to us. I also hate the trip because it is usually an emotional and stressful day for us.

It seems like every Friday we find out another piece to the puzzle that is Justin's eye condition. We don't know the whole picture. We don't know what kind of vision the doctor is actually trying to save at this point. And up until yesterday we didn't know of some more dangers the doctor has been worrying about.

After the doctor looked at Justin's eye he literally breathed a sigh of relief. That was weird for us because we didn't know that there could be anything threatening until after the gas bubble absorbs. Evidently there has been a chance that the scar tissue could grow back "aggressively" and pull his retina loose even with the air bubble there. Well, that was news for us.

The GOOD NEWS is that everything is structurally sound in Justin's eye. The retina is attached where it is supposed to be. The bubble is slowly shrinking, and the steroids are sitting properly. All of this surprised the doctor. He really thought that he would look into Justin's eye and see a retina floating around. And then we would have to schedule another surgery.

It is scary for me to think that we didn't even know that was a possibility. We knew the scar tissue would grow back, but no way did we know that it could this soon. His doctor is the best around. He has been caring for Justin's eye since Justin was a young child. I think he is trying to protect us by not telling us his thoughts all at once. His facial expressions don't line up with what he is saying a lot, so I know he is being more optimistic with us than he thinks he should be. It would be nice if he would just put everything all on the table for us, but I don't think he wants to upset the three of us. And because Justin's eye is a rarity, I don't think he actually knows what is really going to happen.

So everything in his eye is looking good. No scar tissue is growing back as far as we can tell. Justin's eye pressure was down again, but not zero so that is good. He has to wear a bracelet that warns others that he has a gas bubble and can't go sky diving or whatever. That broke and he wasn't given another one so he is happy about that.

THE BEST news for Justin was that he could go to church and school!! (as long as he is on his side every other time) This week is "Dead Week" so Justin can go just in time for the final exam reviews. He is very very happy to be allowed to do little activities. We scheduled a not-so-early appointment for next Friday. I'll keep ya posted!!

Friday: 4/18

2008-04-21T16:05:00.001-05:00

Thank you so much for all of your prayers. I wasn't able to go with Justin to his appointment this past Friday, so this post probably won't be as detailed as the last ones...

Everything seems to be holding up in his eye. There is still no infection. The gas bubble is shrinking, and the steroids are slooooowly dissolving.

Great news! Justin's eye pressure was up by 2 points which is awesome. The steroids are making it to the back of his eye and might actually be doing their job. :)

After much pleading on Justin's part (just kidding...maybe), the doctor said that it would be ok for him to go back to minimal activity soon. That means he won't be able to run around all day long, but he can get out and do things as long as he stays on his side at home. Some of you might get to see Justin!

We still won't have any idea of how Justin's vision will be any time soon. I'll let you know of any updates on Friday.

Last Friday

2008-04-16T09:17:00.001-05:00

I promise I'm not neglecting my blog!

It's just days like yesterday that leave very little room to post...go to school, go to work, stay at work until close to 6pm while the doctors are in a meeting so I could be there just in case something happens...at this point I was SO SO SO grateful for the tasty lasagna Sam and Christina McFarland (small group friends) brought over not only because I found out that Justin does eat lasagna, but also because he would have starved without it. I, afterall, had a Voodoo and Ghost lecture to attend and one should not be late to a Voodoo lecture! (more on that at a later date) So I went home, dished out the lasagna, took the dogs out, begged with my husband to lay down and not help me, and off to the Voodoo I went!

But now...now I am sitting in my dark, quiet workplace listening to the melodius Pavarotti (that's what one of the doctor's picked out). So I suppose now is a better time than ever to update those of you who have not heard from us on Justin's eye appointment last Friday.

Justin does not have an infection! Infection was one of the many risks involved with his operation that could have lead to blindness. The doctor was happy to report that he was infection free. :)

So far everything that was put in place during the surgery is holding up well. Gas bubble--check! Steroids--check, check! Due to the gas bubble, the doctor can't see to the back of Justin's eye enough to tell us if things are actually helping. We must wait until the gas bubble fully absorbs into Justin's eye before we see how much the surgery actually helped or what harm the surgery caused.

Justin's doctor is still trying to be optimistic, but he informed us that there is a possibility that when the gas bubble does absorb the eye won't be able to support itself. What does that mean? It is possible that Justin would need two more surgeries to fix things.

For right now though, we are just waiting to see what happens. It could be weeks before we know what his vision will be like. Justin is hoping that the doctor will let him go easier on the positioning once he sees him this coming Friday.

We'll let you know what happens on Friday. Thank you for your prayers. We really do appreciate it.

And now I must say...

THAT I AM SO EXCITED THAT TODAY IS MY EARLY DAY! I can spend more time with Justin and get rid of the big black cloud hanging over my head that is my school work.

A Long Due Update

2008-04-07T11:14:00.001-05:00

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!! I told Justin that I would post an update as to how his surgery went. His surgery was last Thursday so I'm a little late. For those of you who do not know that Justin had a surgery, read his latest post so you can see why he had a surgery. Everything kind of happened all at once so please don't be upset if this is your first time to hear about it.

I'm going to try my best to explain everything so those of you who have not spoken with us will know what is going on. And maybe this will clarify some things if some of you who have spoken with us are confused.

First of all...Justin is doing well. He was in an intense amount of pain for most of Thursday, but now he is only dealing with a small amount of discomfort. Justin is having to stay on his left side for 3-4 weeks so that the gas bubble they put in his eye presses against the part of his eye they did surgery on. We thought he would be having to lay on his stomach like the last time he had retina surgery, but this surgery was evidently different. At first he was relieved that he didn't have to stay on his stomach...now he knows that it stinks to stay in one position all the time not matter the position! The gas bubble is blocking his vision so he can't see anything. Every now and then he can see a bit of shadow or faint light, but for the most part he doesn't see at all. Of course, that is to be expected considering he just had surgery and there are steroids and a gas bubble floating in his eye.

Findings...The doctor was hoping to find a microscopic tear in Justin's retina. I know that sounds weird that they were hoping for that, but at least it is mendable. Instead, he found scar tissue growing both behind and over Justin's retina. You could tell by the look on the doctor's face that this was bad news. The problem with scar tissue is that you can remove it, but it will just keep growing back. The other problem with this particular scar tissue is that it is pulling on the retina and could one day (if it is continually pulling) lead to a retinal detachment. So, the doctor lasered off as much as he could. There were parts that just would have made things worse if he had removed it. The good news is that they found that and fixed as much as they could. If they had not opted to do surgery it could have been very bad. The doctors injected steroids and placed crystal steroids in his eye to raise the eye pressure (which should result in better vision) and to slow the growth of scar tissue.

And that is where we stand. Justin has an appointment this Friday and we are praying that his eye pressure is higher. We don't know the "big plan" the doctors have for him from this point on. Or if there is one. We are just waiting to see what his eye pressure is on Friday, what his vision will be like once the gas bubble evaporates, and how fast the scar tissue grows back.

Justin is not only the funniest person I know, but he is also the bravest person I know. Before the surgery he was calm and at peace with the unknown because he knew that whatever would happen was in God's will. I wasn't the person getting operated on and I did not have that kind of peace about me! Although I believed that God was in control, I was not calm. Justin has always been the one to have hope for the future and move on. Nothing has gotten in his way. He has complete trust in God. This is one of the many reasons I respect and admire that man. If only everyone could be like Justin. I love you Justin!!

Pictures of Me, Pictures of You

2008-03-29T23:11:00.001-05:00

Another week has come and gone. I have some updates, but for now I will post some of this past weeks pictures...

Justin and I had a big test this week. We didn't do too well. Probably because we delayed the inevitable--study time.

We were sitting around getting all of our study materials together and Justin decided to weigh himself on our horribly cheap scale. Well, we have noticed that it has not changed how much we've weighed since we bought it...not even a pounds difference! So I say, "I know, we can weigh something that we already know the weight to so that we can make sure the scale is accurate." Justin says, "Ok...You know, they say that the human head weighs 8 pounds." We weighed his head--10 pounds. Then we decided to weigh my head because "they" are wrong or Justin just has a big head. My head weighed in a woppin' 5 pounds. The 8 pound theory is wrong.

One of Mandi's favorite spots....which is why I have to often wipe nose prints off the glass.

Chili-cheese macaroni!! I love the sound that macaroni and cheese makes when you stir it.

Bicentennial Man-All three of us loved that movie.

Justin wanted to prove that our dog can be still and lovable. This is how we watched a good portion of the moviee. Why is it that the dog is on the couch and we're on the floor?

Justin captured his love for the TiVo in the picture, don't you think?

My man.

Yeah, he takes pictures of his shadow.

Beauty vs Geek

2008-03-20T16:27:00.001-05:00

Yet another season for Beauty and the Geek is here and I am excited! This is one of my favorite shows as most of you might know considering I've blogged many times about this.

I've come to one conclusion: CW can mix it up, take it to a new level, and "evolve" the experiment--and I'll still think it is a neat show.

This season it is Beauty vs Geek. At first I was worried, but after watching a couple episodes it is safe to say that not much has changed. Justin has even watched an episode with me! (he can't stand the show) Now the mystery to me is.....will the geeks still get a makeover???

Thanks to Justin...

2008-03-16T23:28:00.001-05:00

We are walking on a regular basis again!! Here are some pictures...

This is how Mandi looks when she wants to go on a walk.

Is this La Nana Creek? Not sure. Justin agreed to go on my favorite trails. He prefers to walk on what I like to call the "cement square". Bleh.

Larry doesn't like to walk on the trails either.

Takin' a looksie.

Any dog is willing to cheer up for a treat.

What is this thing? A giant blue bonnet?

Flowers are pretty. The best ones are yet to come!

It's Sunday

2008-03-16T17:45:00.001-05:00

I just finished watching Meet the Robinsons and I loved it! Seriously people, I know many others have been recommending this movie on their blogs, but if you haven't watched it yet...you need to! I don't have kids and I loved it.

Justin and I have started that movie way too late at night a couple times before. I don't feel guilty about finishing it without him though because he didn't like it. He's crazy.

Spring Break went by too fast. We decided not to go anywere (partly because I had to work), so we enjoyed a less full Nacogdoches. We started to walk again. I can't say that I have enjoyed it. I also can't say that we didn't need it. I can't wait until the azaleas bloom a little bit more!

This semester is almost over...it seems that this year is zooming by. I'm filling in for projection tonight at Crosspoint. In the words of J. Romack....

PEACE OUT (does that work for me? can I get by with saying that?)

A Gift From The Mechanic

2008-03-10T22:16:00.001-05:00

After he replaced my cabin air filter the mechanic gave me this. I'm not sure if they normally give this out to people when they replace that part or he thought I had a baby and was trying to make me feel guilty for submitting him/her to all those pollutants.

Either way it STINKS. I have it in the office to cover up the smell of dog crate.

Trial Run

2008-03-10T15:00:00.001-05:00

Inspired by David and Todd...

David had a post the other day with a link in it to another person's blog...I clicked the link and it said that I'd have to subscribe to Google Reader before I could read the blog. I was frustrated.

Todd posted about how wonderful Google Reader was.

I'm gonna give RSS feeds another chance! I used Bloglines before and it was annoying when I didn't get the updates for days and then all-of-a-sudden I'd get them at once.

This time I'll try Google Reader. I like Google so hopefully it will prove itself worthy. I like to read blogs the old fashioned way, but I feel bad that it takes so much time just to read blogs.

Now you must do your job and blog! (ya know, so I can see Google Reader at work)

I Copy Justin Sometimes...

2008-02-28T21:16:00.001-06:00

Justin and I have most of our classes together so...I need your help too! In our interpersonal communications class we are do a Perception Analysis. And that means I want to know what you think about me! People out there who read this and know me please answer the questions below. If you've already answered on Justin's blog you may not have to read the questions again because I copied them. :) Be HONEST!

1. What is your perception of me? How do you view me? What are my strengths and weaknesses?

2. What interactions and experiences with me have you had to form this idea?

3. Which of the categories would best describe me (if you feel multiple apply, then state the combination); sanguine (are enthusiastic, personable, and talkative, but they can exaggerate, restless, or be a bit egocentric), (cholerics are determined, have willpower, and are decisive, however, can be cruel, proud, and angry), (the melancholy temperament can include those who are sensitive, perfectionists, and self-sacrificing, but, they tend to be moody, critical, and seek revenge), or (phlegmatics are conservative, use dry humor, and are easy going, while they struggle with being stingy and indecisive). I understand you may not be able to answer this, and that’s ok. If you think you know enough about my temperament, than go ahead and answer the best you can.

Let me know if you have any questions about this and THANK YOU ahead of time for participating!!

****Notice: Justin has an appointment with his retina doctor tomorrow in Dallas. Please pray for our safety, and for Justin's results. His vision hasn't gotten any better. We hope to have some answers tomorrow....and we pray that they are good answers!!****

Pilate Update

2008-02-27T09:22:00.001-06:00

I stink at it.

I enjoy sleeping in.

Evidently, I have very little self discipline. I'll try tomorrow.

I Heart Animals Too.

2008-02-25T16:06:00.001-06:00

I've loved all kinds of animals for as long as I can remember. So, to continue the photo theme:

(Taken from manyfire's Flickr)

So far today...

~Justin and I took Larry and Mandi to the vet. Larry got an "A" on his report card. And our generous vet gave us some free stuff.

~A patient threatened to get a rifle and "blow our kneecaps off".

~I received a phonecall saying that the same patient as mentioned above jumped off a stretcher, ran outside to smoke, and refused to have an exam until given more pain medication. You can jump, run, and smoke, but can't handle an exam because of pain? Uh-huh.

~I wish I would have brought my Girl Scout cookies to work. (Peanut Butter Patties rule!)

I Heart Pictures

2008-02-24T17:30:00.001-06:00

I cannot describe the joy I get from looking at pictures. Family pictures, magazine pictures, children's book pictures--any type of picture. I love to look at snippets of other people's lives and mine.

It makes me want to go out and take pictures of everything. Things in my everyday life, and big events. I know a guy who went around and took headshots of everybody he came across day-to-day. He wanted to make this big book filled with pictures of the people he knew. I think that would be cool to look at if he ever made it happen.

I've been so frustrated lately though. I can't seem to figure out how to use the camera Justin gave me! I think I need to go and read over my notes from photography class because it has been a year since I've seen the terminology that might help. This is going to be a long process for me, but I really want to be able to scrapbook (Justin also gave me scrapbooking stuff several years ago). I really enjoyed taking pictures. I think it will be worth it.

All this to say....here are some more pictures brought to you by National Geographic:

The BEST Pop Tarts Ever!

2008-02-21T14:43:00.001-06:00

I love smores, and these are the only type of Pop Tarts that I can actually eat every bite of. I usually eat the center and leave the crust.

Do you have a favorite?? Do you still eat them??

So True, So Sad

2008-02-20T09:54:00.001-06:00

Justin Update

2008-02-18T16:32:00.001-06:00

Good news! Justin and his mom made it safely to Dallas. There is no scar tissue, and the doctor doesn't expect anything to be wrong with Justin's retina. There is inflammation in his eye though, which the doctor thinks is the cause of his vision loss. (when your eye is inflamed the usually clear liquid is cloudy which can give you blurred vision)

Justin is going to be on oral steroids to hopefully solve the problem, but if that doesn't work his retina doctor will have to give him an eye injection.

Now we just have to wait and see what happens and there are two checkup appointments set up for next week.

Please continue to pray for Justin and his mom to have a safe return home, and for Justin's vision. Thank you!

Justin

2008-02-18T07:57:00.001-06:00

Please keep Justin in your prayers today. He is going to the metroplex for his regular eye exam. Recently he has had a loss of field vision though. That means there is this black spot in his sight that he can't see through. Based on his experience, Justin thinks it could be one of two things: 1) scar tissue growing back (bad, because he got his lens removed to prevent this), 2) his retina detached (worse because it may not be able to be repaired again). Hopefully his doctor will be able to give him a reason for his loss of vision.

Please pray for he and his mom's safety as they travel to and from the appointment. Also please pray for Justin's vision and for the doctors' ability to discern and treat the problem.

Thanks you guys...I'll keep you updated as I hear from him. (I'm at work b/c my coworker had an emergency....pray for that too)

This Week's Highlights

2008-02-15T13:49:00.001-06:00

MONDAY: Pilates in the morning. I am so glad that I was doing this in the privacy of my own home...I'm probably the least flexible person you know. There was one technique where you are in a "scoop shape", hold your ankles, roll on your back, and then forward on your bottom. I was like a turtle that couldn't get up again.

A person I work closely with came to work with the flu! (fever and all) I wore latex gloves, bathed in hand sanitizer, and held my breath.

TUESDAY: So sore from the pilates, and off to class! I didn't know that a college class could have as much drama as our Interpersonal class did today. Half of the students have some scarily distorted views of how college should be. Harsh words were exchanged. Not much learning.

In my second class I was called "old" by a classmate. Evidently, married=old. Married w/ children=? You tell me.

I was still around the flu person at work. Latex gloves, hand sanitizer...the works.

After my night class Justin and I went on a short walk. I loved it! We went to bed EARLY.

WEDNESDAY: My early morning at work. Had the afternoon off! Justin and I cleaned the house and did some laundry. We are so happy to have a dryer now! We went on another walk. I fought all the last minute Valentine's Day shoppers at Wal-Mart. And was named "the best customer ever" by one of the cashiers.

THURSDAY: Valentines Day! We are celebrating Friday, but I had a few surprises for him to keep up the holiday spirit.

Our Interpersonal class was still filled with drama. The teacher actually brought in a counselor-type person to talk with us about The Problem that went down on Tuesday. Yelling. Excuses. Complaining. No solution. No learning. This unfortunately has a resemblance to when my class in 8th ran off the permanant substitute teacher. (does that make sense?) This class has started to be very stressful.

Tortilla soup, mexican cornbread, and cupcakes at work. :)

A long walk with Justin without our IPODs. White ground beef in the sink so we went to Taco Bell. One Law In Order episode. We organized our office for the recording with Carl. Too late to start Meet the Robinsons again. I had a full day of work the next day so I went to bed after helping Justin with music stuff.

FRIDAY: ?????????????? Our Valentine's Day and Justin has something planned!

Shopping Smopping

2008-02-09T10:33:00.001-06:00

Yesterday Justin and I went shopping in Lufkin. I hate shopping. I love the idea of shopping though. The thought of stuffing several bags into our car, hanging them up at home, and wearing fresh new clothes. So, I trick myself into thinking that I want to go shopping. Poor Justin, if only you asked him how many times I've elected to go shopping and then we get there and I change my mind. Why don' t I like shopping? I mean, aren't I supposed to? Here's why:

1. It is important to me that I pick clothes out that are modest. Does that even exist? Pants are made to be low and tight. Shirts are made to be high, low, and tight. So I usually find only one article of clothing at any given store.

2. When I find something that I feel are both cute and modest....it isn't in my size! My body must be shaped oddly if I can't find anything in my size.

3. Is it possible to buy a shirt without "100% Angel" or "Foxy" written on them? I don't want to be pessimistic, but....I doubt it.

So Justin and I left the mall with a few shirts. The both of us feeling very bummed.
~~~~~~
While I was getting Mandi settled at my in-laws yesterday I found a Pilates DVD! I've read up on what pilates is and have discovered it is a mixture of yoga and martial arts techniques. It focuses a lot on breathing techniques, spinal alignment, and elongating your muscles instead of making them short and bulky. When I think of the breathing techniques I can't help but to remember my voice class where we had to imagine the "floating orb above us come into our bodies and travel down"....and that sort of seems weird to me...nonetheless, I plan to do floor mat pilates every morning! I'm not one to pick up things that are "trendy", but stretching has always made me feel good.

***PERSONAL GOAL ALERT***
I will wake up each morning starting tomorrow, do pilates, quiet time, brisk walk (maybe even nudge Justin out of bed for that), and start my day! Even as I type this I remember how fun it was to sleep in this morning...

Mirror, Mirror On the Wall

2008-02-06T10:37:00.001-06:00

It has been a Chicken Little day so far. Today is my early day which gives me an afternoon off to have fun, potentially get something productive done, and actually see daylight (yay!). Unfortunately, my co-worker called mid-morning to say that she had been throwing up all night and she wouldn't be coming in to work today (boo). In my head I was saying, "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!"

I had plans! We had plans! I didn't come prepared to spend an entire day here. I have a tiny lunch, no textbook to finish a big assignment, and now Justin can't start the process of getting his glasses until Friday.

Justin and I have been married for 6 months (yay!). And over the last six months I have realized what a selfish person I am! Yes, I would have admitted before that I have a tendancy to be selfish sometimes, but no way would I have ever thought that I am a selfish person...daily. I've always enjoyed serving others and putting people first. Now I am more aware of my selfishness thanks to my mirror--Justin.

The book our small group has been reading , Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas, touches on this subject a lot. Marriage has a purpose. That purpose being to make you more like God. One way marriage achieves that goal is by having someone there by your side 24/7 , you can't hide your "bad stuff", so it all comes to the surface, and you can't help but to notice it.

So I definitely noticed my selfishness today when my co-worker called for the first time just to let me know she'd be late because she was sick and I didn't even want to mention that she probably shouldn't come to work at all. I didn't say, "Oh don't worry about it. You are sick! You don't need to come in today." And thus the Chicken Little morning.

The sky is not falling. I'll be ok. Yeah I am bummed. But shouldn't I be a little concerned for my co-worker too considering she just had surgery and now she is sick?

My Favorite Romance Movies

2008-02-06T09:39:00.001-06:00

In no particular order...

GHOST: I've always liked this movie. And I consider myself a Patrick Swayze fan. By "fan" I mean I use to watch this movie all the time at my grandparent's house and once a year I would watch "North and South". Oh, and my dad lived down the street from him growing up. And my aunt took ballet lessons from his mom. So there.

SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE: I can't help but to go "awwwww" when I think of this movie. (that was an affectionate "awwww" not a disappointed one)

MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING: I've said for a long time that this is my favorite movie. I remember the first time I watched this movie my cousin ruined the ending for me....I was so mad. I've always wanted the soundtrack because there is nothing like "I Say A Little Prayer" to get you up in the morning!

YOU'VE GOT MAIL: I guess I like the Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan combo. This is an obvious remake of "The Shop Around the Corner"--another movie I like. (I enjoy James Stewart)

Do you have any favorite romantic comedy movies?

Bloggin' It Up!

2008-02-05T22:24:00.001-06:00

Todd said that I would like this blog and I do! Danielle, a medical student, shares funny and inspirational stories about life in medical school. I hear a lot of crazy things at work in the radiology department, but she actually deals with the patients so it is so much funnier. I encourage everyone to add 6YearMed to their daily blog reading.

BLOGS I'VE RECENTLY LINKED:

~GirlTalk: A blog by a group of Christian women going through different stages of life. It is so much fun to read about all the different experiences these women have, but is also nice to be able to identify with one of them. They share Godly advice for women and I find their blog very encouraging.

~Reluctant Entertainer: This blog is about hospitality. I am a "reluctant entertainer" myself and this blog helps to identify the common myths regarding hospitality. They show the difference between being an entertainer and inviting people over to serve them.

Slooooooow Friday

2008-02-01T13:54:00.001-06:00

Close To Home is my favorite comic strip! (Is it a strip?? Or just a comic?)

2008-01-31T16:01:00.001-06:00

The work music for today selected by one of our doctors is Blues. Which, in my opinion, is much better than yesterday's 1935 Prison Music On the Brazos. Sometimes it is hard for me to have the right attitude at work and prison music just doesn't help....blues....prison music....does anyone see the theme?

But work is NOT bad!! My co-worker came back from her surgery this week! And I am so happy that I am not working all the time now. It is nice to wake up at the same time as Justin and eat breakfast with him. This week and next week the plan is for me to just enjoy sleeping in on days I don't have class. After that, I think we might go to the gym on campus at least one morning a week. I'm excited to see all the cool new stuff SFA has in the Health Center!

This weekend will be my first weekend off in a long long time! We don't know what we are going to do yet, but it will be something fun I'm sure to celebrate my off-ness. Justin has thrown out several ideas, but it is up to me and I can't make up my mind. Shopping? Stay home? Visit family? We'll see.

For those of you that only read this to get school updates (I know who you are...you've already admitted it): Classes are going well. Things are picking up and I had my first test today. We studied. I didn't do well, but from the looks of it no one did because tons of people were cheating. I don't understand that. I'm enjoying my classes and I think my favorite so far is Interpersonal Communications...the professor is so nice.

Less work. More time with Justin. More opportunity for quiet times. Loving classes. So many things to be thankful for!

Chinese New Year

2008-01-31T14:58:00.001-06:00

Celebrants clad mostly in red, the color of luck and longevity, await transport to a Chinese New Year festival in a Chinese town. The color red is believed to ward off evil spirits, and its use is prevalent throughout Chinese culture.

Now, I can't ignore the requests of my dedicated readers can I? :) This is another picture I really like from the National Geographic Picture of the Day. The colors in this picture are beautiful! It is amazing how one picture can capture so many emotions.

One of Those Days...

2008-01-21T13:16:00.001-06:00

2008-01-19T22:27:00.001-06:00

I started this movie last night with Justin and finished today....I really liked it! It even made me a little teary eyed. This past year I've watched a few Steve Martin movies, and so far I've liked them all. When I was getting the above picture, I realized that there is a Cheaper By the Dozen 2. I think that's going on my "To Rent" list.

Life And Such

2008-01-17T15:22:00.001-06:00

This morning Justin and I were going to be ahead of the game. We knew we would be doomed if we were late to our first class. So, I woke up and went to work to get things organized while Justin got ready for school. Our plan was to be able to relaxe before going to school, eat some waffles, and just talk a little. Ya know, instead of running around the house grabbing all of our stuff last minute like we normally do. It is amazing how one little thing will mess up your plans. Instead of eating breakfast and just sitting around before class we went outside and ran...

After Mandi. I accidentally let her out. Loose. Running crazily around the apartment complex. Eating dirt. Sniffing dogs.

Now at this point usually, (this has happened before, but doesn't happen often) obedience is out the window. There is no way we could possibly ever get her to obey our commands when she knows she is free. So we just try to trick her. First, we leave our front door open. Then, Justin and I run around the complex until she chases after us and into the house we run! This time Larry thought it would fun to run around with Mandi. (what? we have another dog? you mean we can't leave the door open?) We had to yell at Larry to go to his bed. And after so so many frustrating moments I finally got Mandi in the house and in her stinkin' crate. I would have normally let this ruin my morning, but Justin was so patient and caring that I couldn't let it.

When it comes to school I am very encouraged! I am taking more communication classes, but a different kind: Interpersonal Communications and Human Communication. Up until now I've been taking mainly broadcasting communication classes and well, the classes I'm taking this semester seem to be a bit deeper. It is refreshing to have classes that aren't just about the business of programming to attract audiences just to make more money. PLUS, my teachers for those classes are awesome....1) they are Believers, 2) they are actually invested in the students. Dr. Towns quote: "That is some neat bling you have on there, sir."

I'm so proud of Justin!! He is taking 18 hours and dang, that's a lot of schoolin'. I know its been only one week, but he is seriously handling all those classes in one day like a champ. I couldn't do it.

That's that. Life is good. I'm sore from the running around. I have lots of reading to do.

Awoooooo!!

2008-01-15T14:50:00.001-06:00

That was a sound of a wolf, by the way, because I am convinced there is a full moon out today. Although it started off wonderfully (and I'll update on my life later tonight...I'm not in the right mindset for that now), it has turned into a crazy day. People are just being....weird. I thought maybe it was just me, but when random people start griping at me for no reason I know it is not me. Which stinks because the hospital isn't that busy today at all and it could be an enjoyable day at work!

Maybe my title should have been "Baaaa".....

Anyway, I have lots to update on....first day of school...cool professors....maybe just college stuff....okay not as much to update on as I thought....I'll work on it and get back to ya later!

2008-01-13T11:07:00.001-06:00

I may be late, but I get to go to Worship today! I could not be any happier!

Tonight's Agenda

2008-01-11T16:41:00.001-06:00

Go home to change, take Mandi out, feed Mandi, pack up both of our dog's traveling gear, make sure Justin doesn't need me to bring anything else, and hit the road to Lufkin! Justin and I both agree that everytime we go to Lufkin for an evening it feels like we are going on a long road trip because of all the things we have to pack for the dogs. Trips with them always seem to begin with us running around the house grabbing odds and ends so we can rush out the door....and we are still late.

Meet Justin at his parents house?? Or at the basketball game?? Maybe a restaurant? I guess it depends how late I am.

Visit with his family while we work on their computer. Justin has been working on it today and I'm supposed to help him install something. I keep forgetting what. Hopefully it won't be one huge frustrating mess because I'm reading the instructions and Justin is the one actually following them....this sometimes is similar to that telephone game where one person starts with a phrase, and everyone tries to whisper that same phrase, but it always gets jumbled up!

Go to Petsmart and buy loads of rawhides and toys for Mandi and Larry. They have gone through most of their toys and are growing bored with the few they have...Mandi has been doing very very bad things out of sheer boredom. We haven't had the chance to go on a lot of walks this week because I have been getting off late and we have been very social. And for the nights neither one of those were true: we were just plain lazy. Sooo....I'll be happy to start walking again because it is something fun to do together, and I won't feel guilty at night when I tell Mandi we are not going outside.

Shopping other places is something we may do. Not sure. We may go visit my Mom at CVS. Justin said we could do whatever, but there really isn't anything I want to do.

Go home!

All of this is really only speculation. It could totally change up. Either way I'm looking forward to a FRIDAY NIGHT!!!!

Movie "To See" List..

2008-01-11T11:56:00.001-06:00

1) Penelope: Oh I REALLY want to see this! I don't know why...probably not a movie Justin would want to see. And I'm really not sure if anyone else my age would want to either.

2) The Eye: I'm a sucker for creepy movies!

3) The Killing of John Lennon: I think this should be interesting. They filmed at the actual locations everything took place.

2008-01-08T16:38:00.001-06:00

Ever since I've started working more I have spent many hours doing the most mundane tasks around the office, but I have also spent countless hours reading things on the internet. (i.e. National Geographic's Picture of the Day, Close to Home and various Crosswalk articles)

One thing that can eat a lot of my time is reading articles on MSN. I am aware that a lot of that stuff is junk, but those articles are so short I can be interrupted several times and not even lose my train of thought. (unlike Harry Potter, the Bible, or any text book) So, it is with great pleasure I give to you....

Dave Grohl's Principles of a Happy, Successful Life

1. Dress for the life you want.

2. Love your family like you love your guitar

3. Moderation in all things

4. An audience is an audience

5. Try to be in two incredibly successful bands. If not that's okay.

6. Man up

This may or may not be applicable to some of you out there. (I don't really think I can identify with it) If you want to see the entire article go here.

2008-01-06T10:23:00.001-06:00

I've been getting National Geographic's Picture of the Day sent to me and I think this is the sweetest picture yet!

Did You Know:

Gorillas purr
Gorillas are shy and quiet
Gorilla means "hairy person"
They can't swim
Gorillas sleep in nests they build

Toilet Talk

2008-01-02T11:28:00.001-06:00

A couple months ago Justin was playing with the bluetooth on my phone so he could surprise me with the two ring tones I was wanting: 1) the Jetson's doorbell and 2) the Monster Mash.

I forgot to silence my phone yesterday at work and sure enough it started blaring the Monster Mash. (which is sort of embarassing because it is a little out of season) Well, my boss heard it and wanted me to send it to him. So I did, and this is what his phone said, "Connecting to...

"The Pooper"

What?! I didn't name my phone that! And then I remembered...Justin. To make matters worse my boss didn't laugh or anything. He just looked at me and said very embarassed-like, "That's all right. I'm sure I've called my wife that before. What ever nickname suits you guys best." He thought it was a pet name?! Never would I want to be called The Pooper.

New Years Eve!

2007-12-31T15:08:00.001-06:00

It seems like every day just goes by faster and faster! Today wasn't intended to go by so fast though because I had BIG plans...I planned to go to work half a day and then go home and do nothing. Or maybe take a nap and then watch a movie. I was forced to be productive when I got to work and realized that doctor's offices were in fact open. I thought eve's were supposed to be like holidays. In order to distract myself from being completely bitter that I am here instead of there, I accomplished a few tasks on top of my normal duties. (by the way, I'm by no means complaining that I have to work.... I thank God every day that I actually have a job) Now that I look at the things I did, they seem so trivial:

1.) Updated telephone numbers in our handbook

2.) Began the process of upgrading our office from using floppy disks

3.) Set-up one touch fax numbers

4.) Sent off payroll (okay, NOT so trivial)

5.) Prepared paperwork for tomorrow

Dang, maybe I wasn't as productive as I thought. I'm certainly not right now.

I finished reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and I'm going to start The Prisoner of Azkaban!

If I had a Twitter I would say...

2007-12-21T14:34:00.001-06:00

Enough with the "when I was a child I had to actually play outside" statements! I get it. MY generation is doomed

We Made Cookies

2007-11-25T00:14:00.001-06:00

2007-11-21T16:15:00.001-06:00

Wow. It's that time of the year again! (or this time of the year?) Work is busy because the doctors are trying to get as many patients home as possible before the holiday (so they can go home), random old ladies calling to ask if we have any cranberry sauce because our number is listed as the Dollar Tree's, AND 4 days of vacation!!

Tomorrow Justin and I are spending lunch with my family, and then dinner with his. So we'll be eating all day of course. I'm looking forward to visiting with everyone, playing board games, and watching movies. I plan to take pictures of all the festivities, but I've only had time to practice at night (I stink at night time photography) so I am excited to be able to practice using my camera during the day.

Oh, speaking of movies....

I absolutely loved Fred Claus! Justin, Katie, and I went to see it in Lufkin last week and we all enjoyed it. I like Christmas movies, music, and decorations anyway....but even Justin is still saying that he wants to see it again. So I definitely recommend it for everyone.

Tonight Justin and I are hanging out with Katie (Justin's sister), and I will attempt to make a dessert I've never made before AND a potato dish that I have never made before.

Have a safe Thanksgiving!!!!!

~~
P.S. Thank you for your prayers, and beautiful cards last Monday. I really appreciate it. I am doing very well.

2007-11-01T14:13:00.001-05:00

JUST like biting into a styrofoam ball.

Pumpkin Jerks

2007-10-31T22:41:00.001-05:00

Halloween! I've always enjoyed the holiday...and today was no exception. Two things about working in our radiology department: 1. Halloween is extra fun because everyone is decked out in their skeleton shirts, and 2. EVERY holiday is fun because of free food/candy.

When I got home, Justin and I discovered that some mean people soaked our welcome mat in rubbing alcohol. Some of it was leaking into our house, AND it splooshes out when you step on it. It smells horrible. We may have to throw it away. That mat was there when we came back from our honeymoon, and I liked it. What a fun Halloween prank.

We went to our church's Harvest Fest tonight. It was fun seeing everyone dressed up. It was even more fun to see 5 year olds win multiple cakes at the cake walk...I think this one kid played all afternoon and walked away with FIVE cakes!

I was a little bummed that we didn't go on the hay ride. Man, but the cotton candy was good!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

National Candy Corn Day

2007-10-30T21:20:00.001-05:00

Today was National Candy Corn Day! I love candy corn. My favorite kind are the little pumpkins. Those count as candy corn right?

Although I like the candy, it was never what I wanted when I went trick-or-treating....I thought it was like the balogne of the sandwich world. I wanted Nerds. I could pop a whole box of those in my mouth at once.

I'd dig through my candy and decide what I'd eat that week, and what I'd let stay until...next Halloween.

What candy made you say, "Jackpot!" on Halloween?

Bullets

2007-10-29T22:15:00.001-05:00

Not much has been happening lately...

-Justin and I went to FUMC Lufkin's Pumpkin Patch the other day to pick out the "perfect" pumpkins. After much debate we picked out a nice medium one, a couple baby pumpkins, and a gourd. It was neat that Justin could see the colors and was able to help pick some out. Mandi ate the gourd on the way home though. Instead of using the pumpkins for Halloween decorations I used them for fall decorations....I love the fall!

-My birthday was this past week. Justin gave me a cool camera! So expect more pictures on my blog when I figure out how to work it....I missed having a camera. He also bought a couples' Bible that has a devotional every day for a year for newly weds. I love it! We went out to eat, and it was a fun day.

-This past weekend we watched Saw 4. (I know, I know..."What were you thinking?!"..."How could you subject yourselves to that?") It wasn't scary, and the ending was very abrupt. I really don't see how they could come out with more, but they are. I didn't feel as bad about watching this as I did about Halloween. And Luke from Gilmore Girls was on it.

-We've been better about going on walks here lately. It feels good to get back in the swing of things. I found a glow stick on our walk tonight and brought it home. Justin and I went to get something to drink and when we came back there was blue glowness all over the floor and on Mandi's paws. Good thing you can only see it in the dark. We checked her mouth and it wasn't glowing...so that is good.

This week is going to be busy. I have a couple tests and a paper due. Justin starts practices again. Our church's Fall Festival is Wednesday night and our small group is helping with the cake walk. That will be fun!

And now I have a Journey devotional to write because it is way past the deadline.

Tales from The Road

2007-10-18T00:29:00.001-05:00

Okay, so my co-worker is back at work and feeling better. She doesn't have to have her surgery earlier than planned, so hopefully complications will be less likely. I'm glad she is back.

Evidentally I didn't spend enough time in my astronomy books this week because I didn't do too well on the test. I think stars are pretty, but that doesn't count. I am bad at science. I am bad at science. How many times have I posted that?

Justin and I were driving to our small group tonight when we came to a stoplight. Before I go on let me tell you that when it comes to driving I am....cautious. Or maybe I just second guess myself too much. Sometimes people (mostly young ones) think I am too cautious so they give me a "polite" honk (note sarcasm).

So yeah, we came to a green light, but I had to turn left. There was no arrow, and there was an oncoming car. After the car passed, I probably had enough time to go, but I didn't because it was turning yellow. The guy behind me honked. I automatically got upset. Not road rage do a little sign language mad....just annoyed. I looked back and he made some sort of gesture. I of course was sure that it was a, "Give me a break old lady!" gesture.

When it was my turn to go I went. He followed up behind me. But then pulled to the lane beside me speeding up. At this point I was saying things like, "Oh my goodness, could you BE any ruder?" or "I can't believe these people!" How much of a hurry can someone be in? I've had guys pull up beside me in anger giving me mean looks before because of my cautiousness.

Well, I was quick to judge. When I looked at the truck beside me it was my pastor, Justin Beadles, trying to wave at me. Open mouth insert foot.

THE END.

Complete Waste

2007-09-30T11:40:00.001-05:00

So far this weekend has been a complete waste. When I went home yesterday I wasn't feeling well anymore. I kind of bummed around the house the entire day.....first I'd be in bed, then I'd go to the couch, then I would go into the office where Justin was. I didn't get anything accomplished. The only reason we really got one load of the laundry done was because Justin was determined to do so. I did get to watch Beauty and the Geek though. I think that was one goal I had for yesterday. And I think I might have made Justin semi-interested in the show too.

Today I'm back at work. I feel a little bit better. I wish I were at church. I can't wait to get back home. Hopefully, I will get a little bit more done today. My co-worker is still in the hospital, and I'm not really sure when she'll be out. She didn't look too good yesterday. I feel bad for her. I'm probably going to have to miss school tomorrow and work all day.

Friday + Weekend Forecast

2007-09-29T09:54:00.001-05:00

I got off of work early yesterday! It surprised Justin, and I was so happy to finally say hello to my weekend off!....that is until I found out that my co-worker was admitted into the hospital, and I'd be working the weekend. I was so disappointed. I'm not sure how long she'll be in the hospital at this point, but please pray that she is taken care of and gets better. It would be best if she didn't have to have her surgery earlier than planned. So I'm working this weekend....luckily, the weekend shift doesn't take too much time out of your entire day....it is just for the morning. (unless I'm called back to the hospital, which never happens)

Justin and I went to Lufkin to eat double decker tacos with his family. First, we went by the Wright's house and visited for a while. Their children are so adorable! We hurried to Pet Smart and bought some dog food. I wanted to buy some halloween treats for Mandi, but we were in too much of a hurry....that'll have to wait until next time. (like she needs more treats anyway) We then went to his parents' house, and enjoyed visiting/eating with them. He tried to fix their internet again, but it is hopeless.

We headed back to Nacogdoches around 10 or so. I was starting to feel really bad. Justin was sick most of the week, and now I have the congested-sore throat-headache-coughing junk which is apparently going around the school. When we got home, we discovered that our neighbor--nicknamed Bass-ey, Mc Bass-ington for playing her music too loud--was throwing a party. I took some medicine and started to watch a little Gilmore Girls. I fell alseep early on in the episode....and all I remember after that is hearing Justin mess with his drums in the living room, and then taking some NyQuil because I felt worse.

I feel much better this morning! Hopefully I can do some laundry today, relax with Justin, and catch up on some of my missed TV shows from this last week. (yay for Beauty and the Geek!) Other than that we don't have much planned.....sometimes an unplanned weekend is best!

2007-09-26T16:23:00.001-05:00

Have you ever been in need of a haircut so bad that you feel it growing by the minute? I haven't had a haircut since before the wedding, and I have had that icky feeling for a while now. Unfortunately, my hairdresser is way too cool and popular to get in without a weeks notice. I had an appointment a few weeks ago, but I was a little late and turned down at the door.

Ever since then I have been calling in an attempt to make another appointment. Either they don't answer the phone because they are so busy, or she is booked. I just left another message and I'm sure they are tired of hearing from me. Do you think they hate me? Have I lost all of my credibility because of my tardiness and I now have to "know someone" to get back in? This reminds me of a King of Queens episode where Carrie isn't welcomed at a nail salon because she yelled at one of the workers....and then all of the nail salons in the city were all-of-a-sudden "booked".

I need a haircut bad....and I'm one step from joining Justin at Milford's this Saturday. (not really)

Straight From Kidd Kraddick....

2007-09-25T12:38:00.001-05:00

What's wrong with this picture?

***An actual post soon to come!!***

Angela Boone Romack

2007-09-16T21:16:00.001-05:00

I stink at Astronomy and online classes. Not a good combo when you are taking an online astronomy class. I missed another assignment and just realized I have a lab due tomorrw. School is no good this semester and I am tired of it. Enough with the woes of studenthood....on to my weekend off!

FRIDAY: Nothing but late night hamburgers, Law and Order SVU, and my husband.

SATURDAY: Justin and I slept in really late....almost too late. And cleaned the entire apartment all day. I love having a newly cleaned home! Brad came over to spend the night later that evening. We all went out to eat at Fuddruckers. It was ok. A hamburger is a hamburger. But the brownie was AWESOME! Yummmm.

After the dinner we went back to the apartment to watch a movie.

Man of the Year was a pretty good movie. It wasn't the kind of funny we were expecting. Justin thought the first half was boring. I think the movie ended abruptly...but I might have fallen asleep for a few minutes. There were a lot of funny spots. It was more suspenseful than I thought it would be. Not really a movie that will "stick" with me. I'm glad we rented it.

SUNDAY: I went to church. Then Justin and I went to Cotton Patch with Brad. I'm not really happy with my food selection...I kind of wish I would have gotten a salad. I love tomatoes! I came home, took a nap, watched Gilmore Girls, and met my astronomy class online.

My loving husband brought me Chicken Express, and then told me that I look like Daniel Boone. His exact words were, "...your hair looks like a coon hat."

What do YOU think?

What To Watch?

2007-09-06T09:54:00.001-05:00

I have to follow a brand new television show this fall for my radio/tv programming course. As I said before, I am usually the one to watch a bunch of reruns. I've been watching Gilmore Girls, King of Queens, Family Guy, and Hannah Montana. Yeah, that's right...as much as I hate to admit it, I have been sucked into the "hey, I'm on the Disney Channel so I have to be a pop star" plot. So maybe this assignment will help spice up of life in front of the tube.

I'm now trying to decide between two shows that air at the same time:

"Back to You": Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton have great chemistry as news anchors on- air, but that's not the case off-air. I think it has the potential to be a funny show.

"Pushing Daisies": A baker puts to use his special powers to awaken the dead by helping his detective friend solve murder mysteries. Both his dog and girlfriend are a part of the living dead. With one touch he can bring them to life, but if he touches them again they will be dead forever.

I'm leaning toward "Pushing Daises", but I'm not sure. What do you think? Any shows that you could suggest?

Cha Cha Cha Cha Change

2007-09-04T14:40:00.001-05:00

Congo is creepy. I really didn't get that far into it. I ended up leaving town a lot later than I expected, so it was very very dark while I was driving in the boonies.

Gorillas chewing people's faces off+Dark woods+Weird looking moon=Paranoia.

This weekend I was able to meet the people Justin has been talking about since this time last year. They were so nice! I was even able to meet Justin's man crush: Matt, the bassist. I was very dissappointed with the amount of time Justin spent with Matt...after all he spoke so highly of him. It just didn't seem very "crush-like" to me. I guess that's what happens when you invite your wife. Overall, I had a good time.

I am supposed to be home with Justin right now, but I received a call today that informed me I'd be working all day. I'm finding out more and more how much I don't like change! I find my little cozy spot and want to stay in it. Today I had planned to get home, relax with Justin, and have enough time to make a big meal before he goes to practice. Now I'll just feel rushed.

I found out today that just because I have a student holiday, it doesn't mean my online course does. Not only did I miss a chat meeting on Sunday (which was okayed by the prof), but I missed a billion other things! Evidentally these people live on the computer because there were a lot of topics on the discussion board that I had no idea about. There was this survey I was supposed to fill out on Saturday, and an assignment due today. When did he announce this? It wasn't in the syllabus...I'm both confused and discouraged.

The hospital I work at has been advancing in technology. I used to say that part of my job was hanging films, but we are all digital now. Now my job is to answer the phone and handle paperwork. We started the process of going paperless this week. Am I getting weeded out? Although it will take a little bit of time to be fully paperless, it still worries me. I've started to grow frustrated with my job. I feel like I'm not accomplishing anything. People get x-rays 24/7. There is never an end. I never go home feeling like I've completed something because I know tomorrow morning we'll just be playing catch-up with all the x-rays taken that night. I'm not sure if I do any good for people. Every other job I've had just felt different. I know I don't want to do this for the rest of my life. I miss people. I miss serving people and knowing that there was a need met.

So I freak out about change. I let it ruin my day. I need to get over it.

I'VE BEEN MARRIED TO JUSTIN FOR ONE MONTH TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Little Behind

2007-08-31T15:26:00.001-05:00

My friend Amanda would be very proud to hear that I watched the Pirates of the Caribbean for the first time.....and loved it! It took me a couple of days to watch because I haven't had much time to watch movies, but I was still able to enjoy it. I'm not really sure why I haven't seen this movie yet...I seem to always be the one that starts to enjoy something as it is nearing its' end--not to say that Pirates is ending soon, but there are three movies now!

For the last several months I've been getting into and actually following Gilmore Girls. That ended. I am starting the second book in the Harry Potter series, because I just read the first one last fall and loved it!

Am I cheating myself? Am I missing out on the feeling of excitement and anticipation towards the next release of whatever? Or is it an advantage to just watch/read things straight through once it ends?

Tonight I am driving to Livingston to spend time with Justin while he is on his gig this weekend. It should be fun! I hardly ever get to see Justin play his drums outside of worship on Sundays. I remember when I was able to basically sit through every practice Justin had. He is so talented! I love to be able to sit back and watch him serve the Lord by doing something he is so passionate about.

One of the doctors gave me a book on tape to listen to. So I guess I will be listening to Congo on the way up there. I never saw the movie (although I do remember Pepsi sponsored it) , so whatever happens will be a total surprise. I just hope the monkey doesn't die. Might Joe Young made me cry, and it is always awkward to show up somewhere looking like you've cried. It is about a monkey/ape/gorilla or something right?

Goodbye for now!

Just An Update

2007-08-26T11:15:00.001-05:00

For your convenience I've split this post up into topics--which I'm sure that is how paragraphs are written anyway--so feel free to skip anything you already know. (afterall, I've neglected this blog for how long?) And I guess you can skip anything you don't care to know about too.

Married Life- I'm Angela Nicole Romack now! I love being able to say that Justin Romack is my husband, and I'm excited to experience life by his side. The wedding went by fast. THANK YOU to everyone that helped out and attended. The cruise was lots of fun! I think the ocean in Mexico looks like blue jello--so beautiful! It was my first cruise and first time to be outside of the US. I was a bit displeased with the only part I saw of Cozumel, because it was just one big tourist trap that had very little to do with the Mexican culture. We were both ready to get home, but there are days now that I just think, "Man I wish we were on that boat." Lots of pictures to come as soon as I get the film developed. Someone lost my digital camera during the hustle and bustle of the wedding planning so I had to resort to disposable cameras.

Justin's Surgery- The Wednesday after our cruise Justin had a cornea transplant and lens removal. The surgery was successful in the sense that there were no complications during the procedure. His vision is worse than it was before because there is so much blood in his eye, and it hasn't changed at all in the last couple of weeks. Justin had an appointment today and everything checked out ok. They did a lot of tests with flashy lights to make sure there is nothing wrong with his retina. The doctor said that some of his blood is absorbing!! They think as soon as the blood goes away his vision will be much better. Thank you for all of your prayers. Please continue to pray for Justin's recovery, and for patience for both of us while we wait to see what happens.

School- For the past few weeks the both of us have been preparing for school. I've been filling out paperwork for the big name change, and financial aid stuff. School started today for me. Just seems to be a bunch of busy work this semester. I'm very nervous about my webcourse just because I've never taken one before. I do like the idea of getting lectures in advance so I can stay ahead of everything. I thought the professor forgot me on his role when he didn't mention me in the J's.

Last year was full of a lot of first's. It was my first time living off campus, and the first time for me to live by myself. The first time to have a dog. (because I was living by myself) I worked full time while going to school full time--I had never ever thought I'd be able to that before. I took a night class for the first time. I'm sure this year will hold a lot more first's for me. I'm looking forward to it! Maybe this year will be the first for me to maintain a blog.....but we shouldn't get our hopes up just yet.

23 Days, 557 Hours, 33461 Minutes, 2007662 Seconds

2007-07-11T20:16:00.001-05:00

This last week has been really filled! Yesterday Justin and I had our engagement pictures taken....Here are a couple (non-edited) ones:

If you wanna see more just go to Stephanie's website. I can't wait to see the others! Justin and I had so much fun playing in the water and running around downtown Lufkin! I've always loved Stephanie's work, and I'm glad that I'm using her for my bridals on Tuesday.

I've been doing a lot of little things here lately....too many to recap. I will be moving across the parking lot on Tuesday to what will be our home. I have so much packing to do--I'm supposed to be doing right now. This Saturday Justin and I will be going to Arlington to have a shower with his family. I just realized how awkard that last sentence is...they have one of those family-sized bathrooms. I'm looking forward to spending time with them.

This morning I almost put my deodorant on my toothbrush.

Problem Solved

2007-06-27T23:10:00.001-05:00

YAY! Just in time!

2007-06-27T22:40:00.001-05:00

My porch light went out a long time ago, and I still can't figure out how to pull apart the thing to get the light bulb out. Then my pantry light went out. And then my bedside lamp went out. And then my reading lamp went out. I haven't replaced any of my bulbs. So when I come home I have to get the door key ready in the car so I can see which one is which. I have to turn the kitchen light on to see what is in my pantry. I turn the hall light on to see in my room at night, because I don't like to use the overhead light for some reason. I only have one lamp to light my living room.

How many light bulbs have to burn out before I am considered lazy?

Good So Far

2007-06-27T09:19:00.001-05:00

Yesterday marked my 1 year anniversary at Anchor Radiology! I really enjoy working for the doctors, and I hope to be there longer. I get to see a lot of cool things, and learn facts that I will probably never use in my lifetime. Thank you Paul for letting me know about the job opening!

Despite my sadness surrounding the cancellation of my bridal portraits, I was still able to have a nice Tuesday. I called the cake lady, but she wasn't able to see me. I dropped by to talk to the picture people, but the head picture lady wasn't there. I went to CVS and picked up some gifts. Finally, I went to the ring guy to get my wedding band resized and to buy Justin's wedding band. I can't wait to see our rings!!

I also locked my keys in the car along with my dog. Justin has my only spare key. I had to call a locksmith and pay up 30 buck for 30 seconds of work. I had a scare though when they wouldn't take my check because it was from Nacogdoches. They decided to call back to the store or whatever and ask if it would be okay to make an exception for me. And evidentally the deciding questions were:

1. What color is she?

2. What is she wearing?

What?! I was offended for everyone. So after looking like a dog abuser for leaving Mandi in the car, and being looked up and down by a couple of teenage locksmiths, I drove to Justin's house.

I had so much fun hanging out with Justin's sister for the rest of the night! We looked for her bridesmaid shoes, and ate at Logans. (really busy on Monday's and Tuesdays, but a great deal) I can't wait for her to be my sister-in-law!

Justin is still far far away in Arkansas.

My Busy Weekend

2007-06-25T19:59:00.001-05:00

Friday- After work, I packed up, headed to Lufkin, met up with a group of people, and rode to Tyler to pick up my NEWLY ALTERED/IRONED/CLEANED wedding gown!!!! It is more beautiful than what I remembered to be plus it fits now. I was happy. I also purchased a very pretty dress from the clearance rack that is the exact same dress I am using for my bridesmaids, but a different color--I'm going to wear it for the formal night on our cruise. I ended the late night in Tyler with a delicious mint chocolate-chip shake from Brahms.

Saturday- Wow. Saturday was a really long day for me. I woke up early to get gussied up and make my hair appointment. I loved the new place I went to! This was my first time to try out Paradise Salon, and Kelli did a fabulous job! She was trained and worked as a manager at Toni and Guy. (I love that place!) I even made an appointment with them for my bridal portraits. After my haircut I went to get a manicure and pedicure. This was the only time I would be able to do this before my bridal appointment on Tuesday. Then I went to see Justin, eat some lunch, freak out, and go to my shower. First of all, I will say that it was GREAT! The decorations were beautiful, and the people were very loving. The shower was overwhelming though! Everyone wanted to talk to me, and watch me....."sit here", "go there", "look at this!" I enjoyed it, but I'm not one to want loads of attention. And I feel weird about having a party where people show up and give me gifts. It was fun though!

I took the gifts to my parents house and then picked up Justin for his gig. I stayed with him for as long as he needed my help. Then I went to my parents' house to address invitations. My handwriting is still horrible (THANK YOU JUSTINA FOR YOUR BEAUTIFUL HANDWRITING!) and we didn't finish. I picked Justin up around 1ish, we left at 2ish, and arrived in Nacogdoches 3:30ish. I went to sleep at 4ish.

Sunday- I went to church, and then to Lufkin. Justin and I relaxed at his parent's house for a while, and planned a few details for the rehearsal dinner with his mom. We went to the mall to look at tuxes and buy his wedding band. The tux place was closed, and we had to wait for some more information before we could buy his wedding band. Justin and I went back to his house so he could get ready for his gig in Arkansas.

I worked all day today so that I could be off all day tomorrow for my bridal portraits. The studio called and cancelled because of the weather though. Now I am going to work tomorrow morning, and will still go to Lufkin to take care of some cake business, and reception stuff. Oh, and to finish those stinkin' invitations!

Everybody Say "Awww"

2007-06-21T21:17:00.001-05:00

These are the pictures that made me fall in love with Mandi. At the time she was far away and named Savannah. Although I couldn't stand that cute little trouble maker for a long time (and almost gave her away), I am very happy that she is still with me. Plus, her and Larry get along well!

A TiVo Suggestion

2007-06-20T21:45:00.001-05:00

I have never really had an interest in watching "So You Think You Can Dance", but my TiVo obviously thought differently. I guess it got those ideas from the "American Idol" kick I went on last year. (loved it!) After watching, I still don't like the show. The way the contestants make goofy faces while holding up their voting # annoys me.

BUT, BUT, BUT I loved the passion these people displayed about dancing! It made me wish that I had something that I felt just as passionate about....something tangible, that I can work toward...a dream or something. They almost had me convinced that I wanted to be a dancer! Then again, the fireman, army, and comedian that came and spoke to my senior class almost had me convinced to join them. Maybe I get too swept up in these shows...So I'm not saying I have no dreams or lack passion. I would just like to have something that I feel talented at and enjoy doing. Anybody ever feel this way??

My television screen is dusty.

Yes, Please.

2007-06-19T09:10:00.001-05:00

Must...have...something...spicy!

2007-06-18T09:22:00.001-05:00

I've been going through my closets and packing what I can ahead of time. I've set aside the clothes I no longer want so I won't go through the trouble of packing them, and I've thrown away a lot of junk. The questions I've been asking myself are: Will I need this as Mrs. Romack? Do I even want to pack this?

But what about my stuffed animals???? It's not like I'm going to be able to line them up on my bed. And I'm really not sure if I want them to take up valuable closet space. I personally think that their is a rule that you are allowed to keep stray boxes of things at your parents house for at least 10 years after your original move date. My 10 years aren't out!! Unfortunately, my parents didn't get the memo.

So I could just get rid of them, but some of them are special to me. And some people say that I will regret throwing out my childhood toys. Is that true? What did/would you do with your stuffed animals?

2007-06-16T11:36:00.001-05:00

I just sent out my first batch of 'Thank You' cards today, and I am greatly disappointed in the selection of stamps since the price change. I know that people don't look at what kind of stamp you use on their letters, but handwritten letters sent via the United States Postal Service is a rarity (for me) and I would like to make it special by having a stamp that is wedding themed. It could be two birds kissing, a Hershey's Kiss, a heart, the word love, wedding bells...I don't care! I have nothing against the Liberty Bell itself, but the stamp is ugly.

I guess I wouldn't be too disappointed if my handwriting wasn't so bad! I really do enjoy thanking people, sending letters, and just expressing how much I care for them. Unfortunately no matter how heartfelt it is, anything from me looks like I carelessly put it together. I even write really really slow, but it still looks like a little kid's handwriting...

And that is why email is better.

My signature is worse. It has gotten progessively worse over the last 2 years. I think it is because Justin lets me sign receipts and checks for him and for some reason I feel as though I have to recreate his signature or else a S.W.A.T. team will come after me. Or do I have to sign like him? Well, the dilemma is that now I'm signing my name with his handwriting! I don't know how to sign any other way. What happens when my last name is Romack? Will I just put an 'R' followed by a bunch of scribbles? I need to reverse this now or I will forever hate my handwriting. Any rock stars out there wanna teach me how to get a new signature?

Whirlwind

2007-04-10T23:20:00.001-05:00

It's official! (it has been for several weeks, but I am blogging TODAY). The wedding date is AUGUST 4, 2007! Mark those calendars now people!

Wedding planning has been at a hault for the past week due to insane schoolwork. I couldn't imagine being engaged for a year and having to split my attention up between school, work, and wedding planning for two semesters! It is hard enough convincing myself that even though I want to devote every waking moment to my future, I DO need to at least think about starting to write the English paper that is due tomorrow. Well, that's how last week was for me anyway. I am frustrated with myself because I am a total perfectionist when it comes to my "work" and cramming photography, english papers, and production assignments into a few days did not display my best of effort. Now I'm just "if only" thinking...if only I had a little more time! Or if only I had started early like EVERY SINGLE teacher advised.

I got my dress! (again, several weeks ago) That was an interesting event in itself. As soon as I got in the car my mom's friend (yes she brought a friend...who by the way turned out to be a lifesaver) plunked several large catologs on my lap and seriously would not stop talking about what all had to be done for the wedding, the things I probably haven't thought of, and the items on the list that I have accomplished. I appreciated the help, but I really felt like a secret agent being briefed for my next assignment. A little overwhelming. The whole thing was overwhelming...but....it is over, and I am extremely happy with the dress I chose! I never would have picked it out if I just saw it hanging on the rack or being worn by a model, but I knew it was the one when I tried it on. I'm sorry, I don't have a cool story about how the moment I saw myself in the mirror with the dress on "our song" came on or that I saw a glimpse of the Virgin Mary knodding her head...I just think it is pretty. And now it is hanging in my closet...crazy.

So now that I have my dress, I need to find dresses for my bridesmaids! This is a hard task. Reallyhard. I'm not stressing over it though....yet.