You make plans and God laughs...

So a couple weeks ago I got a bit blindsided at work.  As soon as I got in, I was called to the office of one of my managers.  She advised me that they were letting me go.  I was shocked and confused. 

Mostly, I was concerned about my little girls.  I had been trying to get my bills in order and under control before the girls came, so I could handle everything after they arrived.  Alas, this new twist messed my plans quite a bit.

So, I'm slowly getting back on my feet and getting the apartment in order.  Since I'm not bringing any money in, I am keeping up more of the chores and prepping for our move when the lease is up in May.  I wish I could afford to be a stay-at-home mommy, but that's just not in the cards right now.

I have applied for government assistance for the first time ever.  It's a crazy and overwhelming process!  Honestly, that's the major stress in my world right now.  I am looking for a new job, but I'm not expecting many companies will want to hire someone who is six months pregnant.  I'm trying to be positive, but some days it is more of a challenge.

If anyone has any brilliant ideas on how to actually earn a living while taking care of my girls, I'm all ears.  Sadly, I'm not great at sales, so all of the options of having sales parties don't seem to work for me.  But I'd love to be able to do some photography!  

So wish me luck and let me know if you have any ideas!  :)

Second Christmas a second time!

So I talked to my mommy the other day and she is going to let me set up the whole thing.  She will provide the venue and the food, and I will coordinate people!

This is perfect because I have no venue and I'm no good at food.  I am, however, decent at coordinating people.  Yay!

Like a kid a Christmas...

...But it's not Christmas yet!
For some reason, I'm all psyched up about Christmas already.  Today it is supposed to be in the 90's and I just want to bake Christmas cookies.  No, I'm not actually doing it, but that's mostly because my work schedule doesn't allow it.

Last year was the first year we tried a fun new idea and it went very well!  Due to my work schedule at the airport, I couldn't be home for Christmas.  It was the first year that I couldn't be there on Christmas Day!  So my mom came up with this nifty idea. Since my brother and I wouldn't be in town until the weekend after Christmas, she set up "Second Christmas."

Now, Second Christmas turned out to be a lot like regular Christmas, but on a different date.  We still did breakfast food around noon.  All the usual family members showed up, plus more!  

Often on actual Christmas, the family members all have very busy schedules and they can only stay for a little while.  On Second Christmas, there are fewer places to be, so we can actually socialize for a while.

I've realized that this works very well for me because now I can enjoy Christmas with Dale's family without having to rush out early in the morning to visit my family.  With Second Christmas, I can actually relax a bit and enjoy being with family.

I'm so excited for Christmas and Second Christmas!

The Color Run

I've officially run a 5K!  Okay, so I didn't run the whole thing, but I ran as much as I could.  It was so much fun!  I made sure to get as much color as I could through all of the stations.  I did end up finishing this in less than an hour.  I didn't have a solid time, but I had enough time to run / walk 5K and wander the park looking for my people all in less than an hour.

After the run, there was an after party where they threw even more color!  Even the people who came with us, but didn't run got to get some color.  I let Fifi wear my white t-shirt so she could get it properly full of color.


I will definitely do this again!  It was such a great time had by all/

Bowling with a curve

So tonight in our bowling league it was our "fun week" which means that the scores didn't count at all.  So I started trying to throw a curve ball.  I actually did much better than I had anticipated!  

I'm hoping my friend can borrow his mom's reactive bowling ball, so I can see how that helps.  My ball is made for bowling straight, so it goes straight usually.  A reactive ball should curve more with my new style.  :)

I'm excited to try something new!

I ran 3 miles today!

I'm getting ready for the Color Run in about a month and I wanted to see how long it would hake me to run 3 miles.  So today Dale and I went to the gym to check it out... I did 3 miles in 45 minutes!

This is huge for me!  I've never been one to run if I could help it.  Add in some really crappy lungs in a rather out-of-shape girl and I'm kinda impressed that I could finish at all! My legs didn't really feel the burn until after the first two miles.  My lungs, on the other hand, felt it pretty much right away. 

I have found that having my Kindle there with a good book helps pass the time and takes my mind off the pain.  If I have something to concentrate on that isn't my lungs or legs on fire I seem to go farther faster.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This year I finally got to St. Patty's Day at grandma's!  It's been years since I've been able to go home for the high holy day and I've been waiting for it to fall on a Sunday for a few years, since that's a good day for me to party.  It was a really long day for me, but it was so much fun and totally worth it!

I had to work Saturday night, as usual, so it started with a 12-hour shift then a 3-hour drive.  I then stopped at my parents' house to say hi, take a shower, then headed to my best friend's baby's baptism.  It was Cayla's big day and she was so good and quiet, even.  After mass I chased Bella (her big sister) around the church for a little while so the parents had a chance to chat with family and friends without much worry for her.  They then were planning to go to brunch, but I went home to take a quick snooze instead.

Too soon it was time to go to grandma's. I had a few surprises to reveal when we got there.  My two little nieces had no idea I was coming in for this and I got to surprise them.  I even had birthday presents for both of them!  After being attacked at the door by Fifi, I also surprised Sam.  They loved their birthday presents!

Then it was time for chilling out and eating.  Grandma was worried that we wouldn't have enough desserts, so of course everyone brought desserts and she had too many desserts!  But the corned beef was amazing as always.  It was great to have a chance to hang out with my family for a change.  Even one of my cousins' best friend showed up and it turns out that he is a bagpiper with the Cleveland Fire Department Pipe and Drum Corps.  So we had our very own bagpipe entertainment!

Overall, it was a great time and I'm so glad I had a chance to go this year.

Poor skunks!

On the way home from work the other day I was listening to the Canadian country station. Since people can't keep from talking on the radio in the morning, I ended up listening to the news section.

There is actually a city (or maybe county, I wasn't listening too intently) that enacted a program to temporarily (so far) euthanize skunks. They are going to hire one person and contract with a local veterinarian to kill skunks.

My question is what did skunks ever do to harm people? Raccoons have a worse temper and porcupines are more dangerous when frightened. Seriously people, how bad are skunks?

They even had a sound clip of some guy who had been outside grilling when two skunks walked into his yard. He took the chance to walk into his house until they vacated his yard. By that point his steaks were burnt. Silly me, I blame the overdone steaks on the idiot who fled from skunks instead of continuing to grill in a non-threatening manner until the critters left.

Come on! What happened to live and let live? End rant... for now anyway.

Lucky Girl...

I've come to the realization that I'm one lucky girl.  So many of my friends have jobs that they simply tolerate, at best.  I have two jobs that I love!

At the airport, I get to hang with pilots and work with awesome people.  I even get some awesome photo models in the form of some gorgeous planes.  I love being in this environment and I never could have imagined having such an awesome career.

At the trucking company, I'm constantly learning so much.  I may work in dispatch, but I have responsibilities in so many places.  I am learning about a bunch of different aspects of running a company.

I'm such a lucky girl, I just don't think many people actively appreciate what they have and I just wanted to share.

Organization started!

So today I finished assembling my $40 shelving unit from Office Max.  It's a really nice shelf setup and looks amazing.  I still have to wait for the wood glue to cure, so I haven't put much on it at all yet.  I used a different glue than they had provided, hence the cure time.

I'm hoping this will clear up my desk and the area near my desk.  I'll be using recipe boxes for my postcard stuff right now, but if I find something else, I'll switch it out.

Now I just have to update my corkboards for the new year and wait for glue to cure and I'll have a bunch of stuff to do tomorrow!

Happy 2013!

Out with the old, in with the new! 

I'd like to admit that 2012 was a good year for me in the way of milestones.  Most notably, I paid off all of my credit cards!  That was my resolution at the beginning of the year, and I finally achieved it in December. 

This year will be more about getting my life and home in order.   Currently there are three people in my little apartment and it's getting crowded.  I'd love to be back to just Dale and I, but financially it makes more sense to have one more person to share the load.  Our lease is up in springtime and  we'll revisit this setup when that gets a little closer.  Until then, I have to try to take up as little space as possible.

Goals for this year include:
Clean and maintain my apartment.  (I don't ever want to be embarassed about having people over anymore)
Save up for a down payment on a house
Lose weight and live healthier (Isn't that on everyone's list in January?)

And the important part... How do I plan to go about this?
FlyLady for the apartment.  They go by "baby steps" so you're never behind.  FlyLady focuses on small goals and developing good habits.  My mom has used this and it has worked very well for her.  I just have to get better at managing my time and motivating myself.

For saving, I won't be touching my commission checks, and my paychecks from the trucking company will be going directly into an account that I don't see.  It is a credit union and earns a decent interest rate, so it'll be multiplying itself as well.

As for losing weight and living healthier, I have a FitBit pedometer and scale that automatically synch to my online account.  I can also use their app to track what I eat, and any extra activities I do outside of walking.

Thankful

Well, it's Thanksgiving and I have so much to be thankful for this year.  It's been so busy, but I'm so happy with where I am in this world.  So much has been happening and I've been constantly busy.

I'm thankful that I have even one job, and it's a bonus that I have more than one.  And my main job is even one that I love!   This year I have been able to keep a roof over my head, nearly finish off my credit card debt and even save a little up for a house!  

I'm thankful for my family and friends, even though they often feel too far away.  That simply makes me appreciate them all that much more when I do actually get to see them.  It even looks like I'll be able to see a friend of mine who's in the Navy this year.  He's now stationed in Japan, so I wasn't sure if I'd be able to see him this year.

I'm thankful for my awesome boyfriend who does so much that makes me happy.  Often it is a bunch of little things, but it doesn't take much to make someone's day!  He even made a whole fifteen pound turkey for Thanksgiving along with stuffing and mashed potatoes!  And he just did that because he wanted to try it.  And he did almost all of this while I slept.

I hope everyone realizes what they have this year.  What are you thankful for?

The start of trouble...

I just signed up for Pinterest!

I already have a bunch of recipes to try.  I've been trying to cook more at home to save some money.  So... Wish me luck!  I'll keep you updated.

Drive home with Zen...

This morning when I left work, I took the long way to the time clock and wandered out onto the ramp.  I love seeing my planes at rest on the weekends and it was still nice out.  After stepping outside I noticed the sliver of a moon and a bright star right next to it.  That just made me smile.  Then I walked out to my car and saw a ton of stars in the sky.  I rarely get to see stars anymore, so it is a rare treat.

When I saw those gorgeous stars, and the tail of one of the planes, I just thought of how strange life can be.  If you had showed me that five years ago and told me that it was my life, I wouldn't have believed you.  At that point in my life, I was working my tail off at AutoZone after finally having made it to a management position.  I was barely scraping by, but, as usual, I had hope that I would pull out of it soon.

In the last five years, I've gone to school and graduated, gotten my FAA Dispatch License, gotten a job dispatching airplanes all over North America, found a place that feels like a decent home, and even gone on a cruise!  It's been one hell of a ride, but I wouldn't trade any of it.  I know that I've worked very hard to get to where I am and I'm still working hard to get ready for whatever is lurking around the corner.

So these are the zen thoughts that come to my mind on an early Sunday drive home while watching a beautiful sunrise and looking forward to snuggling my boyfriend.  Thanks for tuning in!

Big news!

So, as usual, I've been keeping really busy with work.  But last week, I got a very promising e-mail...

See, I'd applied for a position as a part-time trucking dispatcher at a nearby company.  It's actually closer to my house than the AutoZone at which I usually work.  Well, I applied months ago and even got an interview!  Sadly, my availability is quite restricted due to my shifts at the airport.  But the interview had even said that he was very impressed with me and would like to work something out.

Well, work something out, he did.  Tomorrow morning, I start training as an on-call dispatcher!  It's very hard for me not to say anything at either job, because I want a solid confirmation, before I tell anyone.  It would hopefully be the end of my stint at AutoZone, but I also don't want the airline to get the wrong idea, and think that I don't love them.  

With the cruise coming up, and Dale still working hard in school, this is a very exciting opportunity.  It would hopefully be a bit more money than the Zone, but I would also be learning a whole new industry.  Lately, I've been looking at taking some classes because I feel the need to always be learning something.  It looks like I don't have to look any more! 

Now, I have to find a "business casual" wardrobe.  I have a few pairs of khaki pants (thanks, Stacy!) and some nice shirts, but I can only hope that I can pass as a professional.  I can't wait to tell Dale's mom in person when she gets back into town.  I'm hoping she would be able to help me spiff up my wardrobe!  Any suggestions?

Sometimes, the logical decision stinks.

With Dale in school, finances have been tight. I expected it, but that doesn't make it much easier. We also have a friend who is struggling financially, Sean. Well, Sean's lease is expiring soon. He has been looking for a roommate to move in with him where he is for a little while, to no avail. So, all of us got together and decided that it would be best, financially, for Sean to move in with Dale and I.

I've really gotten used to being on my own (well, with Dale) and having a roommate again wasn't what I was hoping for.  I feel bad for not wanting to help a friend, but I've simply gotten used to feeling like my apartment was actually my home where I had "carte blanche" and had no real worries.

Now I'm worried about coming home to roommate-induced stress.  Yes, it would seem I'm stressing about stress.  Plus, now we have less than a month to empty the second bedroom, get the apartment all cleaned up and ready to combine two fully-furnished apartments.  Then we have to decide what to do with the rest of the leftover furniture.

Sorry, y'all.  Just needed to vent. I feel like a horrible person for avoiding this, but I feel like I'm giving up my home.

Convair flight!

I finally got to ride in a Convair!  Since I started with this company, (I've been enthralled with this aircraft.) They have so much history and still work their tails off!  They were made in 1956 if that gives you any idea :)
When I got to work last night, I found out that this plane was about to leave for Opa Locka to pick up freight and bring it back to our base.  After a bunch of phone calls and texts, I was all set and headed to the plane!  We took off at night, so I stared at lights until they went away.  Don't worry, I saw plenty of lights after we leveled off.

While we were talking to Atlanta Center, I pointed out a big cluster of lights on the ground and asked if it was Atlanta.  Turns out it was Greenville, SC!  Oops.  I'd never seen a major city from the air at night, so I had no real idea.  When we got close to Opa Locka, one of the pilots pointed it out.  It was a halo of light because of the humidity hanging over it.  When we got closer I saw what a major metropolitan area looks like from the air.  Then I realized how wrong I really was earlier!

When we got there, our freight was already there.  We had to rebuild the skids so they would fit on the plane, but we had already planned for this, so in all reality this went as close to perfect as possible in our world!  The FBO where we did our paperwork was very posh.  Leather chairs and couches, duty-free alcohol and even caviar!  I felt a bit under-dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, but everyone was very friendly and helpful.

We finally left (and on the runway we wanted, even) and headed back home.  Because we were climbing it was hard to look at the city lights, but there was a storm a few miles away, so I watched a lightning storm.  I'd never seen lightning from above before, so it was really neat!  At one point I got to sit in the captain's seat because he had to change out the charts since they were expiring.  Of course, I had orders to not touch anything, but I still loved it!  I asked the First Officer a bunch of stuff about the gauges. and took some time to enjoy the even better view.

Most of the cruise home was uneventful.  I got to see the sunrise from 23,000 feet in the air.  I kinda felt like it was just for me since I was one of the first people to see the sun come up that day.  We actually had pretty clear skies until we were almost home.

We had a line of big clouds with some rain that we would have cruised right over if we could still cruise.  Instead, we had to descend right through it all to get to where we were going.  It got pretty bumpy through all of that, but the cargo didn't complain.  It was probably the roughest turbulence I've been through yet, which isn't really saying much.  It hit pretty hard right when we got into the first cloud!  But it's all part of the learning experience, so I was cool with it.

We landed quite well considering the weather we had just come out of and I was very proud of these pilots.  It was raining quite a bit when we landed, but it hasn't rained in a while, so it was all good.  There ended up being a problem with the truck, but it got ironed out and all was well with the world.

In summation:  Can I go again?!  Please?

(I'll try to add pics when I have a few more minutes, sorry.)

Purpose.. or lack thereof

Sometimes I think I need to concentrate on a certain area for this blog, but there are so many options!  I could go on and on about the little bike rides Dale and I take (and the lack of sidewalks) or I could wax poetic about car stuff but that gets old pretty quick and nobody cares.  I could even post all of my amazing attempts at getting organized and still not accomplishing any organization.

Being random just suits me so much better!  I keep seeing all of these blogs with an actual purpose, but then I get to thinking that I've gotten this far by just doing what I do in the world and not caring about how everyone is doing the same project. 

But to overview my life lately... Work, bike rides, work, dishes, work, cleaning, work and a DVD or two.  And I'm still broke!  Oh well, such is life.  You can't take it with you, so what's the major concern, right?

Today turned out to be a pretty great day!

Dale had to go to the junk yard to "shop" for parts for the new car.  He pretty much found what he was looking for and brought it home.  He got home just as I was waking up and we spent the rest of the afternoon together.

He needed new pedals for his bike since his broke, so we went to the bike store then went to the park to test out the new pedals.  We ended up biking TEN miles!  We rode from the park by our house to a nature center in an adjacent park.  It turned out that we got there about five minutes before they closed, so we decided to go check it out really quick.  

It was a cool little place and had the absolute best entry area ever!  You had to stay on the concrete path because otherwise you might step on one of the birds or turtles that hang out in there.  Yes!  We counted five turtles and two flightless birds in that foyer area.  Seriously the best entryway area ever!

We kept wandering until Dale realized that one of his tires was losing air.  At that point we headed back to the truck and almost made it halfway back before the tire went flat.  Walking bikes for almost a mile is no fun...  We ended up finding some sort of sharp little object in there and replaced the tube.

I guess it turned out to be a bunch of little ups and downs, but I really enjoyed today.  Sometimes I just get to the point that I miss hanging out with Dale and simply being able to spend the afternoon together just makes my day.  Tomorrow he is off again, so maybe we can continue this little trend.

 

New addition to the fleet!

So in the quest for a fuel-sipper, Dale found a Daytona that needs some love.  It needs a bunch of smaller things, but it's a turbo 4 cylinder.  It's fun to drive (or so I hear) and should get really great mileage!  I'm really hopeful about this project.  It may actually stick around!