Make My Day!

No, seriously...make my day! It's really easy!
Maybe I'm just one of those people who's so easily pleased, that any little thing with make me smile. Nah, that's not it. Maybe I'm so desperate for something to smile about, that I'll smile about anything. Nope, that's not it, either.
The fact of the matter is that I was raised to appreciate the little things in life (no self-pun intended...). I was brought up in a household where rainbows, moonlight, snowflakes, butterflies...even Christmas lights were magical things. They were each something tiny, yet beautiful, and my mother wanted me to see the simple beauty in everyday things. It's what gave me my photographic perspective, and for that reason, my motto is "For every beauty, there is an eye somewhere to see it." On the other hand, it also gave me Magpie Syndrome - I'll stop dead in my tracks on a busy sidewalk to investigate something sparkly. And as much as it always irritated my mother, it fostered my love for little bits of treasure (or, as Mom calls them, my "inkity trinketies") LOL
To that end, when something simple happens, I revel in it to the fullest possible extent. Everything is a celebration, at least in my heart, and I really wish more people saw it that way. Here's an example:
The other night, my knee was aching BADLY while I was at work, so I spent my entire shift gimping around the store and trying to stay off of ladders. While on my break, I went downstairs to the outdoor smoking area (we smokers are banished to a particularly windy outer corner of the mall building), and as I was wading through the mass of people, I realized that the man (I can hardly call him a gentleman...) in front of me had noticed me and my distinct hobble, but was still so dead-set on leaving the store in a flash that he was going to let the door shut before I could come through.
So, I huffed a little inwardly and kept on toward the door, ready to shove it open, when lo and behold...the door opened in front of me! A hat-clad head peeked around the door at me and I heard someone say "Are you alright, miss? You look like you could use a hand!" It was the Salvation Army greeter. He'd actually set down his bell and stopped what he was doing to help me out! He is the first of many SA greeters I've seen in my lifetime to actually put aside his work to lend a hand, and I couldn't help but let my huff float away and smile as bright as I could for him. I thanked him, of course, and he just smiled and said "No need to thank me...everyone needs a little help now and then!"
For the rest of my smoke break, I smiled. Before that, my knee had been killing me and customers had been generally wretched, with a few pleasant exceptions, and that simple gesture turned my mood right around! As I passed his collection kettle on my way back in, I dropped my spare change like I usually do, and wouldn't you know...before I could thank him, he leapt to and opened the door for me! I thanked him again, and this time he just winked. His help and his smile did wonders for me, and mean-spirited customers suddenly didn't matter for the rest of my shift, because I had that special little thing to hang onto.
So, in the spirit of making my day, here's a few things that will always and forever do just that!
1. Share something with me - Whether it's a picture of someone you care about, a story you heard, or even just a laugh over something silly...the fact that you cared enough to share it means the world to me!
2. Be nice to me - Too many people hang onto the negative things that happen to them, so I try my best to remember the people who go that little extra mile to show me a little courtesy!
3. Don't be afraid to say "Hi!" - In my line of work, I see so many people in a day that I can't keep count of them all. But, sadly, most of those people never say hello to me, even though I make it a point to greet every person I see. Outside of that, I do my best to be friendly to anyone who comes along, no matter if I'll ever see them again. Taking a second to say "Hi, there!" leaves a lasting impression, believe me!
I don't expect the world to be my best friend, and I certainly don't expect perfection. I don't expect to change the world, but maybe my philosophy could change some attitudes. And, really, wouldn't it be a little nicer for everyone if more people found a some amount of joy in something as simple as a smile?

"The world is a fine place, and worth fighting for."
~ Ernest Hemmingway

I Promise Not to Sing...

Today, December 16th, is a special day, and this blog is for someone special!

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Happy Birthday, Aunt Cawnin!
♥♥♥♥♥♥
I've known you all my life, and I'm glad I have someone
as unique and wonderful as you to call an aunt!
You are beautiful, inside and out, and I love you!
So, for your birthday, I cooked up
something special in my head,
and managed to make it come to life in Photoshop!
I know you'll appreciate it, and I hope you like it!
♥♥♥♥♥♥
♥♥♥♥♥♥
With Love,
Your Littlest Hobbit

The Stupid Stick

I'd like to tell everyone a little story about learning lessons and taking your punishment.
It all began with a remote control, at the station for Keyser EMS, the ambulance service I used to work for. We had satellite TV at the squad as a convenience and courtesy to our members and visitors, and (as is standard with any satellite box) we had a remote control. Since the TV was for use by any and all members and their families, several members would bring their kids to the station with them for functions or just to visit or have dinner, and the kids would want to watch TV. Seems simple enough, right? And it should have been that simple, but it wasn't. I don't know how many of you have ever put a remote in the hands of a child, but the average child can and will misplace a remote control at the speed of light. This is a natural occurrence - kids lose stuff, it's in their job description at conception. So, of course, it was nothing for our remote to come up missing and resurface hours or sometimes a day or two later, usually under a couch or in between the soda machines. Kids will be kids, after all. And honestly, there are buttons on the satellite box for a reason, and that reason is - REMOTE LOSS. It doesn't get much more simple than that. Unless you're familiar with Keyser EMS...
Where the story gets complicated is here - our administrator at the time was not a very...how shall I put it...physically inclined??...individual, and the very thought of moving to accomplish a task as simple as changing the channel on the TV irritated her to no end. So, every time the remote was misplaced, she would launch into a station-wrecking hissy-fit and tear the squad apart until she found the remote. After three fits like this, she decided she'd had it and called only one of the members whose children were often with her at the station and outright blamed the children for the lost remote. The member was so upset by the singularity of the claim against her children that she refused to come to the station while the administrator was working, and would not bring her children to the station under any circumstances, as she didn't feel like they were welcome anymore. And it didn't end there.
My shift ran immediately after hers, and my partner and I walked into the station one morning to find the remote attached to a broken yard stick with plastic zip ties. Thinking someone was just messing around with some spare equipment (as was typical in our station), we chuckled a little and cut the remote free. It remained a free remote for the remainder of our shift and the shift immediately following ours. Then the administrator came back on shift, and when my partner and I walked in for our next shift, we found the remote once more zip-tied to the yard stick fragment with a rather large note which informed us that NO ONE in the station was to remove the remote from the stick under ANY circumstances.
Seems our "fearless leader" was so tired of having to heave herself two feet from the couch to the satellite box when the remote was MIA, that she'd put it on the stick to keep it from being lost again. So, the remote remained on yardstick incarceration for the remainder of her stay as administrator. When my partner and I came in to work on the morning after her last shift as a KEMS employee, our first order of business for the day was to cut the remote off that stupid yard stick, then call the member whose children had been blamed and invite her and her children down to watch TV, anything they wanted, ALL DAY LONG.
As a reminder of general stupidity, we hung the stick on the wall from a leather cord and wrote "STUPID STICK" in big, black letters across the length of the stick. From that day forward, anyone who'd done something considered stupid by the general consensus of the company or members in attendance was threatened with a Stupid Stick Beating. Several of us met the business end of The Stupid Stick, and I'll admit...I actually got a few smacks myself (like when I backed into the pole...long story for another day!). And with the threat of MORE Stupid Stick whack-attacks, I quickly stopped doing stupid things!
My question to you, my readers, is this:
Why don't more people/places implement Stupid Sticks? Be it in the workplace, at home or amongst the general public? I can tell you from experience that a chunk of yard stick works WONDERS, and all it takes it a couple cracks with it before the punished party decides, "Hey...this SUCKS!" and ceases the stupid behavior. Now mind you - our Stupid Stick smacks were all in good fun, with no intention of doing any real harm to anyone. It's like snapping someone on the butt with a wet towel...it stings like hell, but everyone has a good laugh about it. Most importantly, people learn to cover their asses, figuratively and literally!
So, in today's society where intelligence seems to have taken a nose dive, doesn't it make sense to put an end to stupidity? Theoretically, as fewer stupid acts are carried out, more enlightened ones would arise.
Just a thought!

It's a Beautiful Life

Good news, world, and LOTS of it!
First of all, Sue had surgery today for her gall bladder. We got a call from Bill saying that everything went smoothly and she was in recovery when he called. Just a few minutes ago, BJ talked to her and she said she was doing pretty good, considering. No one ever comes out of surgery ready to run a marathon, but Sue's had enough surgeries before that this was easier for her, really. She's not quite feeling top-notch, but she'll get there quickly enough. The fact that everything went well and she's feeling alright is enough to make me happy, and we're going over for dinner tonight, so we'll get to spend time with her, Bill and Stasia.
Second, BJ got a new car yesterday. It came down to where we just couldn't afford to make the truck payment since we'd both been out of work for so long, so we took $400 cash to a man in Nashville and BJ bought a 1994 Ford Probe. It's not the prettiest car in the world, but it's a good A-to-B car for the time being, and Probes are pretty reliable little vehicles. We have a long-term plan for that car, but I'll explain that after the NEXT piece of good news...
BJ GOT THE JOB AT DISH NETWORK! He applied to them a month or so ago and they called last week to have him in for a second interview, then followed up by scheduling a physical ability test this morning. He passed with flying colors, of course, and before we even got home from his appointment, the hiring supervisor from Dish called and left a message about receiving the results of BJ's test. When BJ called him back, he made BJ a formal offer to start work with the next training class on Monday at 8 a.m.! He'll be trained as a cable installer, and after 5 weeks of paid training, they pack him up in a van and send him out on solo jobs. This will be a good job for him since he's very technically inclined. Also, there are benefits available after a certain period, so he'll have medical insurance for himself and Addison before too long, and the pay is outstanding on top of plenty of room for overtime and bonuses.
We'd started planning things in two directions before today - one plan for if he DIDN'T get the job, and one for if he DID. Since he did, we'll be going with the plan we sorted out, which is as follows:
For starters, this job alone can and will ensure that all of our major bills (rent, electric, phone and food) are taken care of. My job helps ensure the rest (fuel, savings and extra cash). BJ and I have separate accounts right now, and we're going to be opening a joint-access account for the household so that either of us can pay bills. With that in mind, we'd like to move to a better house/apartment. Not immediately, of course, but in the near future. This one is nice, but it's so small there's barely enough room for the two of us, let alone Addison when she comes to stay. Besides, part of the point in life is to work for better where it's possible, and it's definitely feasible for us to get a bigger place after a while. We also have plans for better vehicles for both of us. We hope to be able to trade in the car BJ has now with some cash on top of it to get a better car, be it another Probe or something else. With BJ having the new job, combined with my job, we'll be able to save up and set some money aside piece by piece specifically for that purpose.
Also, BJ's friend Geno is setting up to buy a new truck, and he made BJ an offer last night to hand over his current truck to BJ for about $1000 in April of next year. By then, we'll have the money for it, and we'll have traded BJ's Probe for something a little better. So, when he buys Geno's truck, I'll take over driving the other car and we'll be selling the car I have now, a little `89 Subaru GL named Lily B. (cause she's a Li'l Badass LOL). I paid $600 for it, and while I don't expect to get exactly that, we'll get what we can for her.
In the meantime, I've taken over responsibility for the household budget, and it's improved by leaps and bounds in just the week that I've been the resident bookkeeper. I might not have always listened as well as I should have, but my mommy taught me well. As long as we stick to the budget, we'll do very well for ourselves. As it stands, our budget is so tight it has no room to squeak...instead, it kinda grinds to produce that strange, ominous steel-door-creaking noise, like the door to the Bat Cave LOL
Oh, almost forgot...we'll have Addison this weekend, which is something we always look forward to! It's nice to hear her tearing around the house, and personally I just like to see her and BJ together. He loves her dearly, and she loves him just as much. You can see her little eyes light up when she sees and talks to him, and for all his tough-man cast-iron front, he melts when it comes to her. Also, she's really starting to like me. She's to the point now that she'll say my name and ask for me when I'm not visible, and she can recognize my picture. And you all know I'm a sucker for kid-hugs...nothing beats a pair of itty-bitty arms squeezing you for all they're worth! It makes me miss Matt (and, boy, do I miss him!) but I know I'll see him again soon.
I'm still working and trying to figure out whether or not I'll have the money to make it home for Christmas. I would love to be there, especially since Grandma is having pictures taken this year so she can have a new picture with her and all the grand- and great-grandbabies, and with this being the first Christmas without Nanny or Poppy. If I can't make it home, it'll break my heart a little, but just so everyone knows - even if I can't make it, I'll be safe and in good hands.
So, as you can see, things are looking up for me and BJ, separately and together. I could talk for days, and you still wouldn't understand how truly HAPPY I am with the place I've found in my life. I have a good job and good relationships to build on, a wonderful family and extended family, and someone who loves me and takes care of me as much as I do him. In short - I have a beautiful life, and it only gets better every day.
That's all for now, world...I'll keep you posted!

Oh, Christmas Tree!

Well, hello, blogland! Bet you thought you'd seen the last of me, didn't you? You couldn't be that lucky, evil never disappears, trust me...it's the reason so many ex-husbands still roam the earth LOL
It's been a busy time for me and my world lately...LOTS of work, not enough sleep and general holiday semi-sadness. Don't get too worried, the only sadness is that I missed a holiday at home. I know I was missed, it's not often that I miss a holiday with the families. Sadly, this year, I'll likely be missing both the big ones. Fear not, though, I'll be taken care of. BJ's family takes care of me, they're all amazing. Bill, Sue, Stasia and Addison are all wonderful, and rest assured - they'd never let anything happen to me that I didn't deserve LOL
On a lighter note, I'm following Aunt Cawnin's lead and I'm going to show off our beautiful decorations! We went to WalMart Thursday night and bought a Christmas tree, and BJ and I decorated it last night. In all the years I've had a Christmas tree away from Mom and Dad's house, I've never had a more beautiful tree! It was so pretty when we lit it up that I started to tear up a little bit. I'm so proud of it!
Sue contributed the vast majority of the ornaments (it's a tight Christmas for everyone, but no reason why BJ and I shouldn't have a beautiful first Christmas), but BJ and I added our own unique touch to it. For instance, BJ has two small handheld weapons - a keychain tonfa and a keychain kubaton - that we made into ornaments. If you don't know what they are, look them up, they're interesting little pieces of weaponry. For my part, I made ornaments of a few select pieces of my key collection Some of my old skeleton keys, my shackles key and a few of my scrolled keys are hanging from the branches. Also, as you can see, we added candy canes - BJ's are blueberry, mine are strawberry...YUM! And, for the pièce de résistance, there is the tree topper. You will never find another tree topper like that anywhere in the world. "Why not?" you may ask...well, because we made it ourselves, together! We couldn't find a tree topper that we liked, so tonight before we decorated the tree we sat down and straightened a wire coat hanger, bent it into the shape of a star, and wrapped it with a 50-strand of white mini lights followed by blue and silver tinsel (the same tinsel we used on the rest of the tree, to match). As a final touch, we attached a tiny angel ornament (courtesy of Momma Sue) to the center of the star. It's so beautiful, I would never trade it for any other tree topper in the world!
Our cat, Swisher, decided very early on that he likes this Christmas business. He's only 9 months old, so he's still in kitten-mode, and EVERYTHING in the house is a cat toy/snack...including the Christmas tree! No sooner did we have the tree up and appropriately fluffed, than he ran into the room like a furry little orange bat out of hell and set about chewing on the branches, the base, the LIGHTS (sound like my brother?!)...anything on the tree that he could get his fangs into! Fortunately for us, he's a good boy and a fast learner, so we shook the ibuprofen bottle at him and he promptly turned loose and went to his chair to watch and take a nap. Yeah, that's our aversion therapy for Swish...when he's doing something wrong, we shake a BIG bottle of ibuprofen at him and he stops and runs like hell LOL
Oh, also, I'm working on an afghan! Yup, I'm part of the crochet cult! I found a WONDERFUL website - www.crochetpatterncentral.com - and searched through all the patterns until I found one that was simple enough to fly through and keep my fingers busy in the evenings, and one just caught my eye. At first I didn't realize WHY it caught my eye, I just thought it was a pretty afghan, and then I happened to notice the website I was linked to in order to get the pattern, and then it occurred to me...I already HAVE this afghan!
Does this look familiar to any of my readers?!
I know at least one of you is saying "HEY, I MADE THAT!!"

*cough* My Precious... *cough*

Yeah, I get my creative side from Mom's side of the family...we all crochet, cross stitch, work needlepoint or plastic canvas - anything craft-related, we're totally there! Obviously, I'm no exception. By the time this afghan is done, I'll have three different colors of snowflakes placed in such a way that no two adjoining snowflakes will be the same color. I think it will turn out beautifully. So far, I've just been working in Periwinkle with a Navy border, but I also have White and a color called Sh. Dusk (it's an ombre that incorporates all three major colors I'm using) to work in. I'll keep you updated on the progress as my afghan grows!
Well, world, I believe that's all I have to say about that. I'll be back later with more goings-on in my neck of the woods!

Gobble, gobble, gobble!

Well, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, I hope yours was as wonderful as mine! We spent the day with BJ's family, and it was definitely a great day. We had Addison with us for the morning and afternoon, and her mother came to pick her up around 3 so she could get some quality time with the other side of her family, and BJ's mom had to leave at around 1 to go to work, so we had an early meal. A close family friend of theirs, Starr, also stopped in to have some lunch/dinner, but she had some things to do and left shortly after. So, BJ, Stasia, Bill and I hung around the house with Addison until it was time for her to leave. Then, it was naptime! I passed out in the recliner, BJ was in the chair, and Bill and Stasia were in their respective beds. For those of you who are not aware of my holiday habits, I spend at LEAST 3 hours of every holiday sleeping off whatever I've stuffed myself with, and let me tell you - there was quite a spread! We had two kinds of stuffing (cornbread and regular), baked corn, buttered carrots, fresh veggies and ranch dip, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce (with whole cranberries, like Grandma makes!), broccoli and cheese, noodles, rolls, turkey, and a small ham just for Starr because she's not a turkey fan. We also had punkin pie, pecan pie, coconut cake and a dessert Sue made called Pink Salad, which consisted of sugar-free raspberry jello, cool whip, cottage cheese and pineapple chunks. It ROCKED! You should see the care package that came home with us...it's monstrous! We're gonna be eating on this stuff for a WHILE!
Turkey Day aside, it's now Black Friday and sadly, I work in retail. Today is gonna suck severely, and so will tomorrow. I work 2 pm until midnight tonight (bear in mind, that just means the store CLOSES at midnight...doesn't mean I get to leave right away...) and have to be back in at 9 am Saturday morning. I understand that it's a legal shift difference, but come on now...they're kinda pushin it, don't you think?
Well, world, that's all I have to say about that! Happy Day-After-Giving-Thanks (cause my post is a day late), and take care. I'm off to brave the outside world!

What a Weekend...

*DISCLAIMER* If this blog seems a little rambling, or a little off-kilter, bear with me...I'm medicated...

Well, world, how was your weekend? We had a fairly exciting one here in my world. First off, we had Addison this weekend, so that was the major bonus of the past few days. I love having her here, she's so well-behaved for us and it's just wonderful to have a little person following me around the house, or sitting in my lap. Her shoulder is all healed up now, too, so she's out of her brace. She still remembers that she had a boo-boo, though, and occasionally she'll touch her shoulder and say "Boo-boo...all better!" and then give us a big goofy grin to prove that she's in top form again LOL. Unfortunately, I didn't get to spend much time with her. I was feeling kinda icky all weekend, and I had to work, but she did get some good quality time with her daddy, and that's always a good thing. I came home from work Saturday night and the door was locked (we keep it locked all the time, especially when Addison is here) and I could see her through the blinds, sitting in the kitchen while BJ cooked dinner. I pecked on the door and she ran over and yelled "KATI! HOME!" and tried her hardest to open the door. She couldn't quite get the lock, so BJ helped her, and she opened the door for me and gave me a big smile and said "HOME!" Then I got a big hug and a kiss, and all thoughts of how awful work was were totally forgotten. Today, she got to spend the day with BJ and his mom and dad (her Nana and Poppy) before she went back to her mother's house, so her life was good this weekend.
As for me, and regarding that "icky" feeling all weekend, I had such a toothache that it was making me sick to my stomach. I'm used to my teeth hurting now and then, so I'll generally just take some ibuprofen and rest for a while and I'm good as new. This weekend, however, things did not go as planned. Friday night I went to bed in pain, Saturday I felt relatively okay, and then Saturday night I started to feel a little worse. My jaw was aching, and it felt like someone was stabbing me in the jaw with something really REALLY sharp. I took my usual ibuprofen and laid down, only to wake up a couple hours later in so much pain that I was practically screaming into the pillow. Rather than wake Addison up with my misery, I went into the living room and curled up on the couch, willing the pain to subside. Instead of subsiding, it only intensified, until I literally WAS screaming into my pillow. I sobbed and squealed for at least 2 hours before I could finally come down enough to rest. By the time I woke up this morning, BJ and Addison had already left for his parents' house (he woke me briefly to see how I was feeling, and my response was "Please make it stop...", so he left me here to rest on my own, which was greatly appreciated), and I woke up to yet another screaming, crying fit of pain. After a trip to Walgreens, and $20 of tooth pain supplies that did NOTHING for my pain, I managed to talk myself into resting again, so I napped for maybe an hour, only to wake up to...you guessed it...screaming sobbing pain.
By the time BJ came home, I was feeling a bit better, and he asked to see how my tooth was looking. I showed him, and he turned white. Seems I didn't just have a toothache...I had a nice painful abscess, to the point that my gum was swollen so much that I couldn't close my mouth all the way. I had tried everything to get the pain/infection to give - salt water rinses, peroxide rinses (which made me sick from the taste in my mouth afterward), brushing my teeth gently, benzocaine gel, clove oil...nothing gave me any significant amount of relief. BJ warned me that if the abscess pocket got any bigger, or if the pain got any worse, we were going to the hospital. Abscesses, as I'm sure you all know, are not something to play around with. So, later, when I yawned and felt a hot POP in my jaw, followed by a sharp burst of wet-your-pants-worthy pain...he packed me in the truck and away we went. They discharged me about two hours ago, after giving me a pain killer, and lancing and draining the swelling on my gum. Not a fun experience, but I feel a million and one percent better, and I left with a prescription for painkillers (Hydrocodone), antibiotics (Clindmycin) and a medicated mouthwash (Chlorhexidine) to help keep the lance site clean. So, that explains my medicated state...I'm on low-dose, generic Lortab, and BOY DO THEY WORK! My jaw's still feeling a little tight, but there's no more major pain or swelling...just a bit of pressure, so at least I'll get a full night's sleep tonight.
Oh, almost forgot...I applied for a new job. My job at JCPenney isn't a bad one, don't get me wrong, but I'd definitely like to be back in my chosen career field. So on Friday, I put in an application to The Tennessean (Tennessee's major newspaper) for a position as a copy editor. It may not be a reporter's job, but it's a foot in the door, and at least I'll be back in an environment I belong in! So, wish my luck on the job application!
In the meantime, my meds are seriously kicking my butt, so I've GOT to go lay down. I'll keep everyone posted on the job, and on everything else here in my world! Night-night, blogland!

Still Alive, Promise!!

Hey, world! Yeah, I know, I kinda dropped off the face of my blog there for a while, but I'm still alive, and I'm back! Things have been a little hectic lately with the hours that both of us have been working. It seems like there's always something to do, somewhere to go, something that needs to happen. So, for most of the time that I've been home as of late, I've spent planning and managing and cleaning. It feels like all my days off are just PFFT...gone! Which is odd, because they have me working the silliest schedule I've ever seen. Out of the 20 hours a week that I was promised, I work for two days. And believe me, they aren't slighting me on hours! I work two ten-hour days, with a bunch of days off in between! And somehow, those days get past me and still leave me with leftover things to do! And those ten-hour days are KILLING ME! I'd rather work 5 hours for 4 days than work 2 ten-hour shifts...my feet can't take much more! I came home last night and took my shoes off and it felt like I had two hot irons in my hands when I touched my feet! At work, I spent my breaks (and there were only two of them) with my shoes off, so my feet didn't swell into them permanently! So, guess what I'm getting tomorrow when I get paid?? SHOES THAT WON'T KILL ME!! YAY!!!!
Among the things that I've spent my down time on, one has finally come to fruition...that's right, I finally finished the photo album I've been working so hard on! It took some serious time to get everything styled the way I wanted it, and to put my stamp on it, but I FINALLY got it done, so far! There will be more, and I'm thinking of adding more albums to the main one, splitting them up some and adding more of the pictures I already have. The ones I've posted are some of my personal favorites, the ones I'm the most proud of, I guess. Here's a copy of one of my nicer pictures, just to tide you all over...what do you think so far?
There's more where this came from, from nature and scenery to kids and random objects, so feel free to check out my album - www.tinyheart.myphotoalbum.com
Well, world, I need food, and I have some window shopping to do, so I'll head out and leave you all to go investigate my photo album as you see fit!

Miles and miles of milestones...

Well, world, I started work today. It was only training, but so far it's going well (and I get paid for it! SCORE!). The other woman in my training class is going to the same department I'll be going to, so it's good that we'll both already have someone that we know in the department.
In other milestone news, Sue's cat, Cocoa, has finally started to accept me as family. See, Sue and Bill have two cats - Tiana and Cocoa. Tiana is a big floofy lovebug, and she accepted me the moment I petted her. When I go over to their house, Tiana waits for me to sit down, then launches herself into my lap and generally stays there til I have to get up to potty. Cocoa, on the other hand, is the typical aloof "don't touch me til I allow it" kind of cat. She picks and chooses who she likes, and I am NOT one of those people yet. She's scented me every time I've gone over, and last night she decided, "Alright, human, you may pet me...but only once!" I let her sniff my hand, she got a little pet on the head, then sniffed me again and decided she was through with my attention and went off to bathe herself in a corner. Typical Siamese.
The biggest and best milestones, I've saved for last. The Addison milestones, and there are a couple of them. First of all, she went to the potty for us! She's been good about potty training with her mother, but in a different house with different things to distract her, we weren't sure how she'd do. But the second night she was here, she told us very clearly that she had to potty, so BJ took her in and got her settled, and voila! Potty success!
Another Addison milestone is that she's completely accepted me as someone who is supposed to be in her daddy's house. She climbed up into my lap all on her own and sat with me for almost an hour, looking through pictures on the computer, and later she sat on the couch with me and BJ and watched some TV before bed. She doesn't try to push me away from BJ, and she doesn't get upset when she sees us together, or sees us hug or kiss. I guess to her, seeing that her daddy is alright with me means that she can be alright with me.
And lastly, the one that meant the most to me, she and I went out in public, just the two of us for the first time the other day. BJ had a job interview, and I was taking Addison to his mom and dad's house to wait for him. On the way, we stopped to see BJ's sister at work, and Addison listened to me considerably well. She didn't act up, she held my hand in the parking lot and she waited very patiently while I got her into her car seat. At Sue and Bill's house, she decided it was time for a rest, but she didn't curl up on the couch with Bill, or sit in the empty recliner. No, she curled up in my lap (with both of her blankies) and had nice long rest in the chair with me, very contentedly. Once her Daddy got back from his interview (he got the job, by the by), she was all about him, but for the moment it was nice to have her be that comfortable with me. When she left, she even gave me a hug AND a kiss...first time ever for that! I've been accepted by the little one, life is looking up!
As for the pictures of this past weekend (and everything else I've seen it necessary to take pictures of...) - I'm working on it! I'm putting my photo stamp on them, so I can identify them as mine, no matter where they show up. I'm ALMOST done with it, though, because I finally talked myself down and stopped convincing myself that all my photos suck, so it should only be a little while longer til the album goes up.

Trick or Treat!

Well, world, we have a little Halloweenlette in our midst. BJ's little girl Addison is here for the weekend. Tonight, we took her trick or treating in the neighborhood where BJ's parents live. We weren't out for long, because it was chilly and she's only 2, but while we were out she had a BLAST! She couldn't quite get out "Trick or Treat!", but saying "Please" worked well enough for her, and for us. To each person who gave her candy, she said "Thank you," and as we were walking away, she told everyone "Bye!"...even the cars driving down the street! The only minor hitch was her shoulder. Last week, she fell and broke her collar bone, so she has to wear a little sling to keep her shoulders straight. She gets around in it well enough, and her costume hid it. It has a tendency to come loose (it's not exactly the best made medical apparatus in the world), and when it does, she'll go to someone and ask for help, and let then put it back together for her so she can get back to playing. And, play she did, tonight! As well as get good and sugared-up! But she was still very well-behaved for everyone, and by the time we got her home with us, she told us she was ready for bed, so she's sleeping soundly in the bedroom now. Tomorrow, I have plans for her...a little bit of fresh air outside with me and BJ! We have bubbles (which she is obsessed with!), and we also some work to do cleaning out the car and the truck...so while we're taking turns cleaning out the vehicles, whoever isn't cleaning can play in the yard with Addison. Of course, I'll have my camera close by (as usual), and there will be pictures!
In other news, I've undertaken a MONSTROUS task...some of you may remember hearing about a database that I kept for a while of all the music I had on the computer. Well, I've started it up again, only this time, it's much larger. Not only do I have MY music to contend with (all 900 or so songs...), but I know have BJ's collection to add to it. We have a shared external hard drive for random files that we don't need cluttering up the respective computers, so I'm in the process of renaming ALL the music files we have, organizing them into folders according to the standards I've always used, then entering that data in Microsoft Access (a wonderful program, by the way) and making it searchable so we know what we do and don't have.
See, BJ has a channel on BlogTV, and he broadcasts every so often. It's basically just a live chat, where he's on webcam and mic, and people come into the room to talk about whatever. There's also a cohost option, so the room guests can see the host and the cohost (if any) live on cam while everyone chats. Another fun thing that can be done on there is playing music. The guests/chatters can listen to the host and cohost talk, chat with the other room participants and listen to music while they do all that. We're getting it set up so that BJ can more effectively broadcast music on his channel, and I've volunteered my services as the DJ. In order to do that, I'd like to have an accurate record of what music we have or don't have, to make it easier on me to find and play the requested music. This gives me something to fill my time until I start working, and something fun to do in my down time (and yes, for those of you who are wondering - building this database is actually FUN for me...I'm a dork, sue me!).
Well, that's enough for now, I suppose. I'm still working on getting my photo album operational. I'll post a link once I get it set up the way I like it, so everyone can see what I do with my spare time and a camera. Kati + Camera = Mass Quantities of Happy! Until then, I'm off to get some sleep!
Night, everyone!

Workin' Fo Da Man...

Well, everyone...I'm employed! As of yesterday, I'm the newest employee of JCPenney! I filed an online application through a job search site on Saturday, got a phone call from the store on Sunday, and went to my interview Monday. The interview lasted all of about 20 minutes at most, and my interviewer flat-out said, "You are the first person I've interviewed today who has smiled, and I like that. You're smart, you know what you're doing, and you have experience in retail and customer service. We're skipping the second interview process, today is your hire date." How cool is that?!?!
I'll be working in the home decor and childrens' departments because they're side by side and operate on a shared cash register. Plus, I get a 20% employee discount. Cha-CHING! So far, my position is temporary seasonal help, but I asked her if it ended when the season ended, or is there was a possibility of being brought into the departments full-time. She told me that she has room for a few people who are willing to do the job, do it well, and who actually WANT the job and, in her words - "You seem to be someone I have room for in the department." AWESOME!!
As soon as my background check comes back clean (and it will, cause I'm a good girl), I'll go in for training and start working. The pay is actually decent, and that's a good thing. Once I know when they'll have me working, I'll still be looking for a second job, because they only guarantee me 20 hours a week at this point, more if there's more time available to be filled. And I'm not afraid to work overtime, nor am I afraid to have two jobs. I've done it before, I'll gladly do it again.
As it stands, I have applications in at almost any place that will take them. The only places I didn't put in applications are places that I obviously cannot work - auto mechanics, police departments, things like that...things I know absolutely NOTHING about. If I have even the slightest hint about what to do, I'll fill out an application, even just to have it on file with the store/company!
So, that's that! I'm ecstatic, and can't wait to start my new job where I can wear all my pretty clothes again!
On another note about pretty things, I cut my hair last night, all by myself (as usual). Mom doesn't understand how I can cut my own hair, but it's just simple to me. This time around, though, I had to consult the interwebz to get the answers I needed. I wanted layers, and layers I got! It was so easy to cut my hair this way, this is how I'm going to cut it from now on, or at least until I get tired of the layers! What do you think?
Well, that's all for now, I think, Today is a new day, and I'm sure there's something new for me to get into around the house...most likely picking out outfits for work. It's harder for me to pick out nice outfits now that I've lost weight (and I have...I'm a size 7, down from a size 16!), since most of my good clothes didn't fit anymore. I gave them to the GoodWill and the church down the street from where I lived in Keyser before I left. Yes, it's true...I, the Imelda Marcos of clothing, gave it away! And since I mentioned her, I gave away a lot of my shoes, too! Which rather sucks for me, since I have this job now. I gave up a lot of my dancing heels, but to my credit, the ones I kept are my better dressy ones...the more professional ones. I even bought a pair of brown ones at a yard sale before I left Keyser.
Well, off to organize my wardrobe! Stay tuned, world!

Critter Corbin rides again! Kinda...

A couple weeks ago, we got a new pet…kinda…
We had been finishing up rearranging the living room and bedroom, so we had just gotten everything situated where we wanted it. After finishing that up, we got ready to leave to go to BJ’s mom and dad’s house, and prior to leaving, BJ was checking his pockets and whatnot to make sure he had everything he needed. The door was standing open, and I was behind him and to one side, waiting. I happened to notice something move around our feet, so I glanced down and leaned to kick what I thought was the cable wire back out the door.
I stopped mid kick and all I could get out was “Uh…uh…uh….SNAKE!”
That’s right, a little baby garter snake had squirmed his way into the house, and was rapidly disappearing under the door, heading for the corner under the TV stand (which is where we keep Addison’s toybox). BJ, who is terrified of most snakes, did a hopstep away from the door and looked down saying “What what?!” I pointed to where the tail was slithering away, and he slammed the door closed, which kicked the squirmy little guy into warp speed, which isn’t very fast to a snake his size, and he promptly slipped under a tote full of Legos.
We stood there for a second, trying to take in the fact that we had a “pet” in the house, more specifically that we had something alive in the house other than us, and that we didn't invite it in! After we got our brains around it, we went to work trying to get him back OUT of the house, where he belongs.
You all know me and snakes: I love ‘em. BJ, however, HATES them. But, since this was a micro snake with no chance of killing him, he set out to get him out from where he was. BJ opened the door, and as he was lifting the million-pound box of Legos, I reached down to shoo him back toward the door and the outside world. Well, Old Smooth had other plans.
As soon as the box cleared his back, he went for the corner where all the cables and wires are tucked from the TV and everything. While BJ and I cussed the slithery little shit, we got down on all fours and started tugging at what we hoped were cords (because garter snakes are miraculously the same color as power cords and cables, especially in a poorly lit corner of a floor…), and finally found him hiding behind the power strip. This was about the time Old Smooth became ten-foot tall and bulletproof.
Once BJ tracked him to the wall, he shot into the corner in a small pile, reared up and looked at BJ as if to say “BRING IT!” I couldn't help but laugh, and BJ just kinda stared for a second and said “Oh, you arrogant little shit!” then resumed trying to coax him out of the corner.
Meanwhile, I’m on the phone with BJ’s mom, who had called in the middle of the snake-wrangle, and she’s cracking up at my play-by-play of BJ versus Old Smooth. BJ is alternating cussing and coaxing the snake, who is staring at BJ’s hand like a brave Chihuahua looks at a Great Dane – part of him was thinking “BITCH I WILL TAKE YOU APART!” and another part of him was screaming “DON’T SQUASH ME!”
Finally, just as I get off the phone with Sue, Old Smooth decides to cooperate. He started scooting along the wall ahead of BJ’s hand, and we were both so relieved that his stay with us would be short.
So on he slinks, toward the open door, when all of a sudden, he reroutes, and where does he go? Under the footplate of the front door! Whoever built/repaired this house has an asskicking coming from me to them, because we are livin’ so ghetto-tastic, it’s pitiable, and one of those qualities is that the footplate protrudes away from the doorstep, into the house, and is completely uncapped on both sides (at least, it was…but I’ll get to that in a minute…).
So BJ and I just stop and look at each other, stunned that Old Smooth has such an attitude for a harmless baby garter snake, and BJ gets an idea. He grabs a bottle of Mean Green Glass Cleaner with vinegar, sets it to stream and aims it for the side of the hole that Old Smooth disappeared into. He’s gonna squirt the little bugger outta there! Okay, fine, as long as we can have the house back to ourselves, I’m down with that…so I station myself at the other end of the footplate and wait to grab the little brat by the head. BJ fires off at least a quarter of the bottle into the hole…and no snake comes out the other side. All the excess glass cleaner seeped out from under the poorly-placed footplate, but no snake.
So, what’s the next logical course of action? Yank the footplate up and get the little guy outta there! BJ grabs the screwgun and goes to work on the screws, while I’m watching either side of the footplate to see if Old Smooth wants to try to make a quick escape on his own. No dice, for either hope. No sign of the snake, and as it turns out, they must have jackhammered one of those screws (the last one BJ got to, I might add…) into the footplate, because the bit was starting to strip out from trying to loosen the damn thing!
By this time, we’ve had it. Apparently, Old Smooth has balls, so he gets to stay…on OUR terms.
I grabbed three beer caps and handed them to BJ, who bent them (one in half, and the other two bent around each other) and grabbed a hammer to tap them into the holes of the footplate, thereby blocking all possible escape for Old Smooth. Even with all the commotion of tapping the caps into one side, it wasn’t enough to startle him out of there.
So we have a probably-dead snake under our footplate…in all fairness, he had plenty of chances to leave. He chose to stay, and we're pretty sure it cost him his scaly little life, which I admit to feeling bad about potentially taking. But, hey - he was on OUR turf, he can play by OUR rules, and our rules state “NO OUTSIDE CRITTERS UNINVITED IN THE HOUSE”.
All jokes aside (kinda)…no more critters for this Corbin!!

Alive and kicking...and writing to prove it!

Well, hi there, world! See, told you I was alive down here! This post is just to let my family and friends know that I'm alive and well, and that I'll be writing fairly regularly on here from now on. I decided to start using this so that my aunts can keep up with what's new and exciting (or possibly new and boring...) with me. Hopefully, my mom can keep track of this one, too, since MySpace gives her fits when she tries to load mine. So, here I am, writing for the world to see and for my family to feel a bit more at ease, knowing that I'm well. Stay tuned for more written adventures to come!