Let It Rain!

When I got home from Maryland last week, I immediately started mowing my lawn. I was exhausted from my trip, but that did not deter me. My lawn was already WELL past time for needing a trim. In fact, it was such a jungle, I had to split the work between two days. I vowed then and there to not let it get that bad again. But sometimes that's tough. Between my schedule and the weather, I don't always get to mow when it needs it.

At any rate, this weekend, I went out to mow my grass and I couldn't even get my lawnmower started. I'm all, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" I tried everything. Well, everything I know in my limited experience with auto-mechanics and small engines. Finally, I had to do it...I called my dad. He found the problem in no time. (Of course!) The cable between the engine and the tension bar was broken in two. Great!

***By the way... For those of you that will give me a hard time for not noticing this cable being severed in TWO, know that it IS encased in a hard plastic tubing. It never crossed my mind to pull the darn cable out of its little house. But I'm a quick study. Next time I'll know.***

So, my dad suggested that I go to Wal-Mart to get a replacement part. That's where I bought the mower; we expected they should have the parts to make it work again. Wrong. They had gas caps, spark plugs, and blades galore. That was pretty much the extent of their replacement parts for my lawnmower. They suggested that I go to a hardware store.

So, I did. No luck there either. I actually stopped by three different places. Finally, I ended up at a place that rents all kinds of equipment and is also a Murray authorized reseller. That's the brand-name of my mower. They had the part...kind of. Apparently, Murray filed bankruptcy and so their parts are more difficult to come by. The cable that I got was like 1/2 an inch shorter than the cable I had. But it was as close as we could get. And for $6.42, it was worth a shot.

Dad and I had to fiddle with it a little...it's NOT like it was off the factory floor...but it works. By 2:10, my lawnmower was running. So, I mowed for awhile before going to mass and finished it when I got home from mass.

So, let it rain! My lawn is mowed.

In fact, I LOVE to sit on my porch during a rain storm. And nothing sounds nicer right now. Too bad I can't order a rainstorm like I can order a medium pepperoni pizza. You know, and have it delivered right to my door. I'd hang with Linus on the front porch and enjoy the sounds. Linus wouldn't necessarily enjoy it. But he'd be glad that I was there protecting him from the thunder.

Unfortunately, I don't think it's supposed to rain until tomorrow night. And I don't think we're expecting storms. Just...rain. And not much of it, I think. That's too bad. I'll probably still go out on the porch and hang with L'il Man Linus. But we'll have to do it with clear skies.

I'm Baaaack! Miss me? I sure did!

I have been in a fog for days. Sometime yesterday afternoon, that fog started to lift. Today, I feel great! Thank God!

A fog, feeling blue, being down, DDays...all words for my depression. Yeah, I fight depression...BAD. Actually, that's probably not true. It seems bad to me. But I'm sure it's all relative. I'm also sure it could be much, much worse. I'm thankful that it isn't. I take medication every day to maintain some semblance of emotional "even keel". But I still have a few days every month when my depression kicks the crap out of my Zoloft.

The best way I can describe my depression is this... When I feel good, it's impossible to imagine feeling as bad as I sometimes do. I try describing it to others, but it all seems so trivial, even silly, like I'm exaggerating a bad day. On the other hand, when I feel depressed, it's impossible to imagine feeling good. I try to do things that normally make me happy, eat my favorite foods, watch my favorite movies, etc. But no, nothing...NOTHING lightens my mood.

So, I just keep reminding myself that it's only temporary, that it'll go away soon. Soon...another relative term. I avoid people because I'm just mean. I simply do not care what others think of me when I'm blue, so I'm liable to say anything just to repel them. I avoid driving because I don't want to be responsible for what I might do. A vehicle can be a 'weapon of mass destruction' in the wrong hands. And when I'm depressed, I think I qualify as the wrong hands.

But it always goes away. Thank God! It always passes. It's just a matter of time. It's impossible to know how MUCH time. That in itself can make a person crazy. But I do what I can to distract myself with busy work and remind myself that it'll be over soon.

And right now, I'm good. Good for another few weeks! Yep, I'm back. I've thanked God enough for all of us.

To be Linus for a Day

I had a fairly annoying, crazy busy day. Again, I didn't want to go to work. But avoiding a problem rarely causes it to go away. And why is that?

I finished my day sitting on the porch reading another couple of chapters from 'Writing Down the Bones' and petting Linus Felinus. He's a great snuggler. Best part of my day really. I asked him about his day, but he was pretty coy. I got a meow every once in awhile, but he was keeping the happenings of his day all to himself. Makes me think he was getting into some no good trouble. Such a boy thing to do!

Oh, to be a cat. I wonder what his day is really like. He just seems to always enjoy whatever it is he's doing. I need to take a lesson from the cat. I KNOW he sleeps a ton. So, I'm already jealous! And everything is a toy in his world. And when faced with a stressor, he's all about fight or flight. I mean, he reacts on instinct. So, if he thinks he can handle the situation, he fights. Otherwise, he takes flight. And Linus is FAST. Flight is no challenge for him. When he decides to take flight, he is outta there. I've even seen him climb a tree, which is absolutely amazing considering he doesn't have front claws. How can he do that?! But given the right motivation, I guess anything is possible.

But what really made me scratch my head tonight was the fact that he takes a bath while rolling around on the dirty, dusty sidewalk. Talk about a waste of time. Then again, I guess he has the time to waste.

Except for the way he bathes himself, I think it might be pretty cool to live the life of Linus for a day or two. I wonder if he could pull off MY day. We could call it an even swap. Yeah, I'll NEVER be able to sell that load of crap...even to a cat.

Book Review

First thing Saturday...okay, first thing after I slept in until nearly 10am...I ran a couple of errands. One included stopping by the library to see if they had the latest James Patterson book I saw at the airport. Lucky me! They had TWO. I put my name on the list for "7th Heaven"; I checked out "You've Been Warned."

I finished it in about 30 hours. And what a strange book. I still have questions about a couple of the things that occurred. For instance, more than once, the main character received collect calls from herself. I still don't know the point of that. Was she going crazy? Perhaps she wasn't REALLY getting collect calls from herself. But the text stated that she was. So, I don't know how to reconcile that one.

Also, a couple of times, other characters called her Satan or an evil spirit. But to me, an evil spirit would wreak havoc on others' lives purposely. Okay, she was having an affair with a married man. But it wasn't like she set out to do that simply to wreck that family. And the rest of her life seemed so normal. To me, an evil spirit would take advantage of every opportunity to make others do bad things and to make others unhappy. I just don't get it.

And at the end, I couldn't tell if she was going to hell or if she was already IN hell.

I love James Patterson. I've read most of his books and will continue to read them. But I was a bit disappointed in this one. I'm glad I finished it in two days; at least I won't be wasting any more time on it. I definitely wouldn't suggest it to a fellow reader.

Home Sweet Home

It's so nice to be home. So, nice. This was one crazy trip, as far as flying goes. This morning, I wasn't even sure that I'd get here.

When we got to the Baltimore Washington International Airport this morning and tried to check in, they said that my reservation had been cancelled. WHAT?! They said that because I missed my connecting flight in Philly on Sunday, they didn't think I'd need the return flight today.

I explained to him that I had a very short layover and US Air gave me a second connecting flight in the event that I missed my original connecting flight. But in fact, I made the original flight and obviously made it to Baltimore because here I was. Lucky for me, they were able to get me on the same flight back to Louisville. So, in less than a week, I had a delayed flight, a very short layover, missing luggage, and then a cancelled flight. I'm just glad I made it back to God's Country.

Speaking of God's Country...we had an earthquake this morning. I missed it but heard all about it on the news over breakfast in a hotel in Maryland. THAT was a little unsettling. But I was happy to hear that there was no major damage to person or property. Later this morning, I got the following email:

Saints of the MOST HIGH GOD, did you feel it? Did you feel the earth tremble?

I have some verses for you today.

Isaiah 2:19 Men will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from dread of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.

Isaiah 2:21 They will flee to caverns in the rocks and to the overhanging crags from dread of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.

Isaiah 5:25 Therefore the LORD's anger burns against His people; His hand is raised and He strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, His anger is not turned away, His hand is still upraised. This is the day that the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Isaiah 13:3 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the LORD Almighty, in the day of His burning anger.

Isaiah 24:18 Whoever flees at the sound of terror will fall into a pit; whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare. The floodgates of the heavens are opened, the foundations of the earth shake.

Isaiah 24:19 The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is thoroughly shaken.

Isaiah 54:10 Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor My covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

Joel 2:10 Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine.

Hagaai 2:6-7 "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty.

Did you feel it, children of GOD? SHAKE US AGAIN! SHAKE US AGAIN! ONLY YOU CAN SHAKE US AGAIN. Father, shake our spirits as you shake the earth! We feel the rumblings of your soon coming! COME LORD JESUS! We see the signs, we hear the thunder, we long for You to appear! The labor pains grow closer and stronger! Come LORD JESUS!

Psalm 46 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

It's gonna take all the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) we can muster...

It's time to go home! I feel like I've been here for WEEKS instead of just days. So much information; my head is FULL! It's been awhile since I've felt so completely overwhelmed by a training course. And the training course only covered the Production Planning bubble of the diagram below. So many more to go.

Everyone that supports the supply and inventory system I work on KNOWS that the transition to the Navy standard system is going to be an ENORMOUS undertaking. Well, this week, I got a peek at just how HUGE that task is going to be. I've never been more motivated to finish a book (or two or ten), giving me an alternate source of income and allowing me to have the option to leave defense contracting once and for all.

But of course, that's just a dream. A BIG one! But one that seems more feasible right now than this transition.

Chapter One

When submitting my writing for critique by an instructor for a writing course, I was limited to 500 words. If you know me at all, you know THAT was a challenge. Nevertheless, this is what I wrote. Chapter one of It's a God-Thing.
..........She answered the door with a paintbrush in her hand. “Yes? Can I help you?”
..........“I‘m sorry to bother you. But my car broke down and I was wondering if I could use your phone,” he replied, with a look of desperation on his face.
..........“Wait right here please,” she said, closing the door behind her. She fetched the cordless phone and returned to him in less than a minute.
..........“Thank you so much. I promise it’s a local call and I’ll only be a moment.” He had this sheepish look on his face, like he’d just asked for the last piece of cake. It was obvious that he was uncomfortable asking for help.
..........“No offense, but it’s strange to run into someone without a cell phone these days.” She smiled as she said it, hoping to put him at ease.
..........“Actually, I do. I just left it on my desk. I’m calling my secretary to have her bring it to me. Who leaves the office and forgets their cell phone? And the first time I do, my car breaks down. What are the chances of that?” He had this way of making fun of himself without actually beating himself up. It was somewhat endearing.
..........“Must be a God thing,” she said, without a second thought.
..........“A God thing. What exactly is a God thing?” He seemed a little skeptical as he asked the question, like he was all ready to disagree with the answer.
..........“When something happens in a person’s world, something out of the norm, bringing them to a new situation where God needs them to be, that‘s a God thing. For instance, if you’ll allow me to speculate a bit, perhaps God wanted us to meet, either for your benefit or for mine. Perhaps God needed you to be late for where ever it is that you’re going, maybe to miss an accident or even to cause one. You know, like all those people who were supposed to be in the World Trade Center on 9/11, but weren‘t. Some were buying doughnuts for a meeting; some missed their regular bus. For whatever reason, God didn’t want them to die in that building that day, so He arranged for them to be someplace else. A God thing.”
..........“So, you’re saying that God wanted the rest of those people to die?”
..........“I hope that’s not the only thing you got out of that,” she said with a sigh. “The fact is, we’re all going to die. Some deaths are going to bring people together; some are going to tear people apart. But I truly believe that God has a plan for each of us and that all of our individual plans are intertwined. So, yes, I believe that God intended for those people to die that day. I don’t know why. Only God knows why.”
..........“Do you provide this service for anyone who asks to borrow your phone?”
..........“Nope, just the lucky ones.”

On the Road Again

For some reason, I REALLY didn’t want to travel this week. It might have been because I have so much to do at the office. It might have been because I’m missing so much at home. It might have been because it was supposed to be just me and my boss. But whatever the reason, I’ve not been looking forward to this trip more and more with every passing day this week. And I’ve only known about it since Tuesday.

I waited much too long to pack (and to do my taxes). So, I was really rushing there at the end. That ended up being completely unnecessary as my flight out of Louisville was delayed over an hour. In fact, when I checked my baggage, they went ahead and reserved a seat on a later flight out of Philly for me ‘just in case’ I didn’t make my original connection.

When I left home this morning, it was cold and rainy. After driving two hours away, the weather at the airport was much the same. But my first flight was sunny and beautiful. We were flying high above the clouds which looked like drifts of snow as far as the eye could see. And the sun was just a-shinin’. It was lovely! I’m sure it was dark and dreary beneath the cloud deck…which we actually found out as we were making our descent. But for nearly two hours, it was just beautiful up thee.

We landed at 5:55pm and my original connecting flight was to take off at 6:25pm. I had 30 minutes. Sounds like a long time, doesn’t it? Well, as we were pulling up to the gate, the flight attendant announced that for those of us that had connecting flights within the next 30 minutes, there were new boarding passes for us at the end of the jet way. Yeah, NEW boarding passes for our NEW flights. I told her my name and flight and she asked me what gate I needed to get to. Then as she was handing me my new boarding pass, she said,” you’re welcome to try to make that flight, but I don’t think you can get there in time. Good luck!” I had to run from F4 to B3, but I made it! Good thing too because the next flight wasn’t taking off for another 2 ½ hours. That would have had my boss waiting for me in Baltimore for an additional three hours.

I was relieved that I made my connecting flight. But my euphoria was short-lived. I should have realized that if I was running through the airport, the likelihood of my luggage keeping up with me was somewhere between slim and none. So, after waiting for nearly 45 minutes watching all kinds of suitcases roll by on the carousel, mine wasn’t there. So, I talked to the folks in the ‘missing luggage’ office to describe my one plain, black, rolling suitcase. They said they'd delivery it sometime during the night; I should have it by morning. Then they gave me a $25 gift certificate and a bag of toiletries. PRESENTS! After grabbing a quick bite to eat, we headed south for an hour and a half to our hotel. We finally turned in for the night around 11:30pm.

I spent 11 ½ hours getting from my house to the hotel and can’t charge even one minute of that time. I think it’s so strange that SAIC would allow the government to dictate where one of their employees is for that many hours on a Sunday and then not expect payment. But I don’t do contract negotiations. I just go where I’m told.

My alarm is going off in just over five hours. Even though my suitcase isn’t here yet, I’m going to bed.

I think they lied to me.

I spent the whole day (my Friday off, my day of rest) chasing down paperwork.

That catmobile that I'm not in love with? Well, within 21 days of purchasing that car, I should have received the paperwork that would have allowed me to register my car. Today was day 28 and I still did not have that paperwork. I called the dealer to follow up. They told me it was 'in the mail'. I asked them when it was mailed and they couldn't tell me. Strange, since it was supposedly sent certified mail.

So, I stopped by the local BMV to see if I could get an extension on the paper plate/cardboard tag on my car. They said that had I purchased it from an individual or out of state, then yes. But since I purchased it from a dealership, the dealership was responsible for that. They suggested that I go to the dealership in person. So, I did. It's like a 30 mile trip. I was annoyed that I had to make the trip, but I honestly expected them to give me another paper plate and I would have gone on with my day.

But even in person, they told me that the paperwork was in the mail and there was little more they could for me. I should mention that my paper plate was to expire on Tuesday. AND I have to leave town on Sunday. By Tuesday, my car was supposed to be sitting in an airport parking lot. TODD had no sympathy. So, I left.

I was pretty worked up all the way home...another 30 miles on the road. I should also mention that my boss needs me to travel for work next week, leaving Sunday afternoon...yet I didn't actually have a flight yet. I personally make my hotel reservations, but our corporate office makes our airline and rental car arrangements and sends us an itinerary. I had not received an itinerary yet. With all kinds of flights getting cancelled, I was a little nervous about being able to get a flight at all. But with such short notice for the trip, I wasn't sure that Corporate had enough time to even put together my itinerary. So, worst-case scenario, I'd have to drive to our destination...Maryland. I'm not completely opposed to driving 750 miles in one day. EXCEPT THAT THE PLATES ON MY CAR WERE DUE TO EXPIRE IN FIVE DAYS!!!

So, I'm driving, wondering if I'd get a flight to Maryland. And if I did, would I come home to a ticket on my windshield? Hopefully they don't impound a car for not being legally tagged. Now that would be REALLY harsh. OR would I have to drive through several states, just hoping that no one would notice that my plates had expired? I kept telling myself that it was entirely possible that I could receive the paperwork from the dealership by tomorrow, allowing me to get updated stickers for my car. But needless to say, I wasn't holding my breath. Anyway, all of this was running through my brain over and over again during my drive home, upsetting me more and more with every mile.

As soon as I hit town, I decided to stop by the church. I needed to calm down. I was so angry and frustrated. I spent probably 30 minutes there. I picked up a bible on my way in and even thumbed through it a bit. But mostly, I just sat there with my legs crossed, my hands in my lap, and my eyes closed. Breathing deeply, in through my nose and out through my mouth, asking God to give me peace. I felt better when I left, but I still had no idea what I was going to do.

So, I stopped and talked to my dad. He's a pretty good logical barometer. He suggested that I call the state DMV office. Surely this situation wasn't a first for them and surely they had a solution that would allow me to legally drive my car after Tuesday if I didn't get this paperwork from the dealership. They suggested the following:

1. First I need to type up a 10-Day Demand Letter to the dealership, demanding the paperwork, and send it certified mail. Chances are good, this would have rectified the situation.


2. Second, I needed to submit a complaint form to report a dealership to the DMV.
   
3. Lastly, they suggested that I file a complaint with the Attorney Generals office.

If the dealership didn't respond to the demand letter, the DMV would have issued a 60-day permit to allow me to drive the car...NOT by Tuesday...in fact, it would be a couple of weeks away...but hopefully it didn't come to that.

So now, I had something to do to perhaps effect change...eventually. But it still didn't solve my immediate problem. PLUS I still didn't have a flight for my trip next week. AND I got an email from my boss stating that he changed hotels and needed me to do the same. WHAT?! Like I needed one more thing to do!

I stopped by to give my dad a quick summary of what I learned from the DMV. He told me that what I really needed to do was to talk to someone at the dealership and tell them what my plan was. He was pretty sure that with this new information, they'd be more motivated to be helpful. Even though I was way past frustrated, I hated going that route. I mean, I was pretty much threatening them to jump or I would file paperwork against them. But I did it anyway. Pretty much, if my dad suggests that I do something, I do it.

And Dad was right. He often is. The dealership assured me they would get the paperwork to me as soon as possible. Twenty minutes later, the paperwork was faxed to our local BMV. But get this little twist. I was expecting title paperwork and the odometer statement, etc. Instead, they faxed a completed registration done at the BMV from the county where the dealership resides. AND it was DATED YESTERDAY. How strange is that?! If they had actually sent me the paperwork they were supposed to send me (at least a week ago) so that I could go to my local BMV to register my car, why would they have needed to register my car in their county yesterday? Hmmm.

Yeah, I think they lied to me.

But my 'In God We Trust' license plate has a 2009 expiration date!

AND I got the itinerary for my trip. AND I cancelled my first hotel reservation and made reservations at the new hotel. It took me all day, but I think I have all necessary paperwork in order. Thank God!

I Own the Catmobile

I bought a new car a few weeks ago. Okay, it's not new-new as it had just over 13,000 miles on it when I got it. But it's an '08 and it's new to me. It's a Grand Prix. And I have to admit...I'm not in love with it yet. I miss my Impala and all 148,000 miles it had on it. Don't get me wrong. It's nice not to have the bounce in the front end that I caused when I ran it off the road. And I was kind of getting tired of the Impala telling me that it was overheating or out of gas when nothing could be further from the truth. But right now, the Grand Prix is just a car. Just transportation. I don't love it yet.

Linus on the other hand LOVES the new car. I know this because he spends so much time on it. He walks all over it! Kitty cat paw prints everywhere. On the hood mostly, but also the trunk, the roof, and both bumpers. Everyone...no, I mean EVERYONE...who sees my car says, and I quote, "So, you have a cat?" I have a difficult time not responding with something like, "Duh!" I hate that answer because I have a teenager and I hear it regularly. But there is NO more appropriate reply.

Yes, I have a cat and obviously he enjoys spending time on my car. So, my mom dubbed it the Catmobile. I like it. Maybe the pet name (no pun intended) will make it more endearing to me.

The Best Laid Plans

Life is all about prioritizing.

Today, I knew I had three things I needed to accomplish before the end of the day. I worked ten hours and accomplished not even a little part of any one of them.

Why is that? Because I don't work for me. I work for someone else. And he sets my priorities. You've heard, 'we plan; God laughs.' Well at work, it's more like, 'I plan; my boss smirks, shakes his head, chuckles a bit, rolls on the floor in uncontrollable guffaws, and then composes himself long enough to yank on the puppet strings.'

I found out first thing this morning that I'll be traveling to Maryland next week with my boss. He sent me his itinerary and asked me to do what I could to match it. Accomplishing the paperwork to make all that happen took a couple/few hours.

I'll be flying out of Louisville instead of Indianapolis. Unfortunately, the flight that he's taking is completely booked. Lucky for me, I was able to find one that takes off 25 minutes earlier and lands 15 minutes later than his. So, he won't have to wait too long in baggage claim for me to catch up with him.

Unfortunately, the hotel that he's staying in will not allow me to stay there for per diem because I'm just a contractor. Lucky for me, the company I work for is going to 'make it work', since the boss will have the rental car and they don't want me to be a burden on him by making him drive around to pick me up and drop me off.

Unfortunately, being on travel and spending all day every day in training classes, I won't be able to accomplish my 'real' job. Lucky for me, I'll be with the boss!

Man, I hope my airline doesn't file bankruptcy between now and then.

Walk This Way

We had another absolutely gorgeous day in God's Country. I spent the afternoon sitting on my porch reading more of 'Writing Down the Bones'. I love to hang out on my porch when the weather is nice. Sometimes it's me and a book. Sometimes me and my laptop. Sometimes me and the cat.

But today, it wasn't as peaceful as I'd hoped. Of course, I expected the birds to be talking about all kinds of things in all kinds of languages. But for me, birds are like wind chimes. They make a lot of noise, but I think of it as pleasant background noise. I like the birds AND the wind chimes. But the DOGS! So much to say today! Barking is such a disruptive sound. And they only speak in one volume. And once one starts 'speaking', they ALL have to respond. More than once, I found myself wanting to yell, "SHUT UP ALREADY!"

And the teenagers were all riding around in their cars with the windows down listening to whatever they listen to...with LOTS of speakers. Every minute or so, another really loud song that I didn't recognize would be wafting into my ambiance. Oh, another warm weather activity? Motorcycles. Also loud. Sometimes painfully so.

But the nice weather mostly meant that so many people were out walking today. Young people, older people. Some for exercise, some for enjoyment. Some pushing strollers, some walking alongside their kids on bicycles. And some of them walking their dogs...right past the neighborhood dogs...making them bark even more. (sorry, I covered that already)

Anyway, it all inspired me to walk. I didn't walk for an hour for exercise, which I really could have used. But I had a couple of places I needed to be this afternoon and chose to walk to both of them. So, I got to enjoy the weather, get a bit of exercise, and save gas. A win-win-win solution.

The Body of Christ

I LOVE Saturday night of an Emmaus weekend! If you've ever been to one, you know exactly what I'm talking about. And if you haven't, then you should SERIOUSLY consider it. Hugs and smiles everywhere. Some of the most beautiful prayers I've ever heard. Wonderfully uplifting music. And the opportunity to serve others. What's not to love?!

This whole day has been glorious. I slept really well last night. I even slept IN. It was lovely. (I remember dreaming about my cousin Tony and hanging out with my mom and one of my sisters.) I spent time today making greeting cards...one of my favorite things. It was just beautiful today...sun shining, birds chirping, blue skies. I curled my hair and polished my nails, so I look like a girly-girl. I enjoyed an Emmaus evening. Then Kansas beat North Carolina, making me the winner of the office pool before the last game is even played. And now I'm watching 'Must Love Dogs.' I really like John Cusack and chick flicks. Any time the leading man in a movie says, "There's just something special about this girl", I love it!

I have a sister-in-law who hates chick flicks. I know it doesn't take a lot of brain power to enjoy one. But I love mushy sometimes. And it reminds me that there's still part of me that ultimately wants to be in love. And that's kind of cool too. Makes me smile.

36 down, probably 18 more to go

I got home from work tonight at 10pm. I got home from work last night at 10pm. My goal tomorrow is to get home before dark. It's not like I have big plans or anything... except to feed the cat. But I think I'd like to give myself enough time to get in eight hours of sleep before having to go back to work again.

On the bright side, I had two extremely productive days. So instead of being totally grueling, they were mostly pretty pleasant.

I don't know what made Monday so much worse than Tuesday or Wednesday. I guess everything is relative...and somewhat dependent on circumstances and the people around us. All I know is that I'm thankful that although I was at least as busy today as I was on Monday, I wasn't nearly as frustrated. And that's a very good thing.