Filling in the Holes

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 Unfortunately, laws change too quickly and my 4-8 English/Language Arts/Reading certification is obsolete.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

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

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

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.

What's Up

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...

And Now I'm Hungry for Cake

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!

A Long Due Update

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!!

Justin Update

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!

This Week's Highlights

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!

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!

Angela Boone Romack

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?

Just An Update

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.

I'm Alive Daniel Rowe

Finally, I can post a picture of Mandi using dial-up! Isn't she cute? I've decided to post mainly because Daniel Rowe was complaining about it. He said all I have to do is say that I'm alive, but if I'm on here to do that I might as well take the time to type a post.

I have chosen an apartment to live in for this school year AND I find out when I can move next week. I should be able to move early August I think. I will be living by myself because I couldn't find a roommate that wasn't wishy-washy. Oh well, that's what I get for procrastinating...

My new job is going well. I'm not sure if I every explained what I actually DO there. It is very simple really...I just hang films, handle the phones, and run errands for the radiologists. I think I'm catching on pretty well. The only really HARD thing is learning how to hang different types of films and knowing what different body parts look like. So far so good though. This week I get my FIRST pay check!! YAY! :)

Well, I better go walk my dog and feed my boyfriend...

Planning Ahead

HELLO WORLD! (or the extremely small group of people who actually read this and have been checking my blog for the past several weeks just to see if I've posted) Mandi, my puppy, is acting a lot better now, but is still biting like crazy! I'm happy that the training has progressed as much as it has...she can sit, come, and lay down. (when she wants to)

Here lately I've been planning ahead for my living arrangements and job when I move back to Nacogdoches in August. A short version: Paul James told me that his friend Abbey would be leaving her job at the Nacogdoches Medical Center at the end of June. Knowing that I'd need a job when I move back to Nac and after a lot of pushing from Justin, I decided to just give Abbey a call and see if I could possibly apply for the job. Abbey gave me the supervising doctor's number, I had an interview Monday, and my first day of training was today! All of this happened in less than a week. I am very excited to have a job already in Nac that pays well and one that comes with benefits. If everything works out, this job should put me through college. All of this happened so fast and I wasn't even expecting to start working the day after my interview...so of course my job at the CLC is no more. I know I should look out for myself and do what's best, but I wish that I could have given the CLC more of a notice. (afterall, they got me out of a bind when they asked me to work for them) I suppose a notice wouldn't have been so important a week ago...but this week is Vacation Bile School, UM ARMY (so Mark is gone and doesn't even know about my leave), and two of the employees can't even work. Then again, up until this week I only worked on Fridays. Oh well, it is all said and done with now...I have a job that I can keep for a looooong time and all I need is an apartment!

For some reason I am getting the WiFi Justin has been using in his room, so I can start to blog again! We will see when tomorrow is actually here though...

American Idol--What Happened?!

Yes I have not posted in a while. No I do not feel like posting right now. To be honest I haven't really had anything to post about! On my days off I lay around or run errands, and every other day I run errands, eat, sleep, go to school, and work.

I have decided to start eating healthy. Lately I haven't been drinking many cokes, and I have been buying fruits and veggies to use as my snacks. My goal is to lose the weight I've gained just b/c of the abundant cafeteria food here at SFA. To me it is hard b/c I eat big portions right now and so my stomach is big...when I eat healthier portions I feel like I am STARVING! Hopefully I will get use to it soon though...

American Idol has been very dissappointing lately. I just feel like I am watching it so I can delete it off my TiVo. The contestants are picking the WRONG songs and they are just a bore. Hopefully things will spice up a bit next week...country week isn't as fun as I though it would be.

Until my next post...

A Country Day

I have this theory that it is better to listen to country music on days like today...blue skies, breezy, sunny, and just really pretty! So, I like to call days like this "country days". In fact, the picture above I took today is of my FAVORITE flowers on campus. I like to call them "sleeping flowers" because they close up during the night and open in the day. Aren't they beautiful? I THINK they are tulips though...anyway, the colors remind me of the field in the Wizard of Oz for some reason.

Nothing too terribly extraordinary happened today. I woke up and went to class, helped Justin get ready for his gig in Tyler this weekend, sent him off, watched some TV, and went to work. I really hope tomorrow is just as pretty as today was b/c I really want to clean my car and take some pictures of the ducks and more plants. I enjoy my digital camera...this is my favorite season!!! Everybody should take the time to look around every once in a while....everything is just so gorgeous.....

A Breath of Fresh Air

Well I suppose it is typical for those who have not blogged in a while to address the issue so: Man, I have not blogged in a long time! Things have been going crazy non-stop in my life. I've been having to get used to my new sleep schedule due to the new job, family stuff has been bringing me down, and I've been sick for the last week or half of a week. Last night I started to feel a lot better, and today I am a new person! I just love the feeling you get when you've been sick for a while and then you just aren't. :) Anyway, it is like a breath of fresh air!

School has been going pretty well. I kind of feel guilty because I haven't been giving it as much effort as some--it hasn't affected my grades at all--I just haven't been reading like I probably should be. Political Science is going to kick my bottom! I just have that feeling...everything else is good.

Okay, 2.5 more weeks until the mission trip! The support letters have been sent out, and I have already received as much as I need (and more). Everything extra I raise goes to my group and the other groups. My designated area for the trip is the encouragement team. Just what I love: behind the scenes work and serving others. I can't wait for the trip!

Today I went and picked up Francine Rivers' novel Redeeming Love. Tracy Austin, Justin's cousin, recommended it in her blog so I decided to check it out. I haven't read much yet b/c I had to work, but I will say that I am slightly skeptical about fiction Christian books. We'll see...she said that it was a great book! Until tomorrow...BUH-BYE!

School, Applications, and TiVo

CrossPoint was awesome last night! We are doing a relationship series called "Before You Say 'I Do'" and the first focus was on being a husband. Women around the room definitely appreciated what Michael had to say, and it made me think of different relationships that I know of and how they did not have Biblical love. Anyway...the boys (Tracing Mason) did a great job as well. I've always said that it is nice to have a fresh face up on stage every now and then. After CrossPoint the elders had made a fabulous pancake dinner...yum,yum...I'd rather have breakfast for dinner any day!

I think today was the first official day of classwork. Political Science is boring for me, and Math is more interesting than it has ever been! I can't get over the fact that we don't even talk about numbers. :) So far classes are great though; especially since I only have two a day.

After classes I hit the streets to look for a job. Everyday this is getting more and more depressing. There are only so many businesses in Nac. and I'm afraid that I'm about to run out of places to apply. PLEASE HIRE ME!

Justin surprised me and came over to my place to pick me up for dinner. It was weird having someone knock on the door for me. That's one thing I love about college though, I can walk across the street to eat. Maybe I should start walking across campus though...after dinner I settled in to watch a couple of my usual shows on TiVo...then I studied a little bit...and now I'm going to watch MORE TiVo before I go to bed...buh-bye!

That's A Wrap

Man, this weekend was a different one...I'm kind of glad that it is over though! Friday I dropped my ASL 2 class because my Prof. said that it would be very difficult for me to catch up with everyone else since I took ASL 1 last Spring. So I just signed up for a Math class that has absolutely NO numbers in it so far! (that's what I like) I had my interview for notetaker/reader with disability services too. Heh, I bombed the notetaking test partly b/c I was nervous, and partly b/c I couldn't understand the tape recorder. On the other hand, I aced the reader test...neither one of those jobs are enough to pay my bills with, but maybe it will help while I'm turning in applications elsewhere. Most of Friday evening Justin and I were getting ready for the Heart's retreat. Right before the group was going to leave it started raining hard, I decided to go up ahead so that I could carry in the groceries and to hopefully get settled in. Another long story story short: I hydroplaned, almost ran into a telephone pole, and the only thing damaged was my passenger mirror.

I thought retreat went really well, Todd did a wonderful job. It was mentioned many times that he was the best speaker we've ever had at a retreat. You could really tell that he had put some thought into the sessions and planned everything out. YAY TODD!

Saturday came and everyone was really tired. When I got back to my dorm I washed all of my laundry, took a shower, and hit the hay.

I went to church this morning (still raining) and the lights went out for most of the service. The sound and projection still worked though, so we just worshipped in the dark. Justin (pastor) said that we'd continue to worship if anything short of a fire happened. I kind of liked it anyway. Well, there you have it...now it is CrossPoint time!!

Whatta Day

I wasn't going to post today, but I just couldn't help myself! Phew, today was a long day for absolutely no reason. I went over to Justin's house to watch TV, play Mario Party, and to just hang out for awhile. Later on we went to see Fun with Dick and Jane ....it was pretty good, not as funny as I thought it was going to be, but it was cute. I just loved being at the movies with Justin! It isn't often that we get to do stuff like that. :) Afterwards, Justin, Larry, and I went on a 3.2 mile walk in the neighborhood. (brrr!) And here I am now! I love days like today...just relaxing is fun, and Justin is a great guy to hang out with. (I LOVE YOU!) I better hit the hay because I actually have to go to work tomorrow, and you know how it is when you have to go back to work after a holiday weekend. HORRIBLE!