why i love nolan

because of these reasons:

1. he will beat anyone's ass for me

2. i can get f'd up for free.

3. he asks me if i have toiletries, and buts me stuff from walmart.

4. he trusts me completely.

5. his roomate gets me hookups on jobs.

6. he respects me and my needs

7. every hook up i get!!!

8. for the fact his roomate just gave us a $100 gift cerficate to go eat.. and i love food

9. he is 6'5'' and i am mob protected :)

10. he is my boy :) ;) ;)

why i love blogs

my sisters... i have always been close to my sisters in a different way. Because of the fairly significant age difference and the fact that most of their childhood was spent after I moved out, our relationship has not been that of a typical sister relationship. We are, however, close. It has been a recent spurt in internet activity that has allowed me to actually see what they are thinking. I remember I used to call home and check on Anne and ask her how school was to get the response, "fine." Did anything exciting happen today? "No." When they write, I can see what they are thinking. Even if we are miles apart, I can still get somewhat of a picture of what is going on in their heads since neither of them really talks on the phone. It is nice. We are cut from the same mold, and have similar personalities, but are different people. I would like to thank Al Gore for setting up the internet just so I can see a little more into the window that is mi hermanas!!!!!


SAY SOMETHING ELSE!!!!!

trouble in paradise

today, i had to open a bottle of coke with some plyers (pliers?) anyways, this is not the first time this particular style of coke has been difficult to open. What is coke doing?!!!!!!!

disappointment

the only men you can trust in this world are God and your daddy. Sometimes, you can't even trust your daddy, but i can trust mine. it is such a shame that men are put here on this world to protect and guide and be leaders, yet they are the ones f-ing up the majority of the time. why is this? probably cause I'm a woman, and i don't date women, therefore, they cannot piss me off, however, I have encountered some pretty shady women in my day as well. I guess my point is never trust anyone. they will more than likely let you down. this world is ridiculous. i wish i was not even here. i want to break something, but this time, instead of punching walls, i am writing. i hope this is a little more constructive.

love my people

I seriously think that I have the best friends in the world. Through the years, through everything I've been through (which I have to admit is a lot), the real ones have stuck by my side.... always... even when it has been inconvenient for them. This is a thank you to:

Julie - for knowing me better than I know myself and telling me what i need to hear, not what I want to hear.

Tanya - for never judging me and accepting me the way I am, appreciating sports, motivating me to be better than I am, and keeping me looking hot :)


Tamara - for talking to me on a regular basis, giving sound advice, lending an ear, actually listening, and understanding me. We are a lot alike.

Charmaine - for being a nerd with me (and being proud of it)

Jodi - keeping me laughing, and always having that one thing to say that makes the situation so simple.

Jodee - for talking to me and listening to me and actually having my best interests at heart.

Paul - for sticking by my side even though he didn't have to, giving me solid, fair advice, showing me a good example, understanding me and putting up with me unconditionally.

Keefer - for being Sarah's friend, and always being patient and helping me out when I needed it.


Nolan - for always having my back, and the protection he provides....sideshow bob!!!

As far as my 2 year rule goes, I have known all of these people longer than 2 years, and they have all proven true. I love you guys sooo much!!! It is nice to be blessed with such wonderful people in my life. I hope that my friendship means as much to you as yours does to me. Thanks for keeping me going!!!

no motivation

So right now, i have no motivtion for anything. I think it is because I don't have much of a purpose in life right now. This color is not working..... Anyways, that is better. My purpose consists of waiting for people to call back for jobs in ATL, sending emails and calling them. It also consists of entertaining friends, but that only lasts so long. I also cook dinner for my family, and am fixing my car, at least that is on the agenda for tomorrow. I am actually contemplating what the hell i really wanna do with my life. i know i would like to have a kid before i'm 30, but no one really seems good enough for me to go there with them. then, when i do find someone good, they do not interest me. i'm sorry, i can't be bored or i will do bad things. So I am contemplating moving back to Costa Rica. I have an opportunity to teach at a school... maybe... depending on how many kids show up. I can learn Spanish. Jeison will give me a free place to stay, but if I don't stay there, I have a few back ups - Rockin J's, Marlene's and Shannon's. Each place will be less than $150/ month which is much cheaper than living in ATL. The problem is that I don't completely understand the culture, and the people there I have not known for very long. It would be a great adventure, though, and I would learn a lot about languages, people, cooking, life, blah blah blah. I loved it down there!!! I would also spend less. The other possibility is moving back to ATL. I also love Atlanta... I have wonderful friends, that will let me stay with them until I find a job. The only problem with that is that I haven't found a job yet. I am looking, but it is not looking good so far. I thought I had a lead, but it didn't turn out to be as promising as I thought. In ATL, I would have to pay about $600/ month to live plus living expenses. It costs WAY more in ATL. I would have Paul, but that could be considered a good thing and a bad thing. who knows. The one pull to Atlanta I really have is my friend base. There are people that i actually trust there. I have a hard time trusting even Americans in Costa Rica, but it has shown me how to deal with that. Anyways, the point of this is that I am really confused and relatively unhappy. Either place I go, I will have to deal with bullshit, but I guess that is anywhere in the world. I just wish I knew the right thing to do, and all that f'n jazz... at least there is a good game on tonight. that is making me happy.

just to b#$@#

things i hate:

1. being alone
2. not having my own place
3. not having a job
4. being by myself
5. waiting
6. not being able to go home
7. the fact that the tv just went out
8. other people
9. fake people
10. being hungry
11. rrrrrrrrrrrr

for my best friend

you know who you are...
and you better read this,
cause i'm sick of you complaining
about me not posting anything!!!
this is for you...
my best friend x 3452
i'll see ya soon!



p.s. and you better comment... at least a text message... it is slowly coming back to me :)

love ya!!!


emo

lolol

so, spanish is my new challenge. My sisters and my mom are helping me with it, but after leaving a spanish speaking country, it is different. My family is not fluent in spanish. Anne and I tried to go 14 miles speaking only spanish driving in the snow.... needless to say, we laughed a lot trying to talk and ended up sliding sideways down US23... it was the snow not the spanish, though :) Rosetta Stone is also helping, but I think I am going back to Costa Rica. I have a place to stay and a few job opportunities. Plus, it will be much cheaper than living in the states. I may be back for next school year, I may not. We'll see.

On another note, today was a snow day which means nothing to me, but it was nice to have my sister and my mom home.

Yet another note, my cell phone is getting on my nerves. I am starting to wonder if it was worth the money, but I think it was. I actually hate text messaging, and before, that was all I would do.

funny ways things have changed

1. nothing is in spanish.
2. i keep wanting to speak spanish at restaurants and when i meet people. Quanto es? Mucho gusto?
3. the songs stuck in my head now are ALL REGGAE!!!
4. i forgot about dishwashers. i tried to wash the dishes last night, and couldn't find the soap, so i just rinsed them out with water. then this morning, i found the dishwasher soap under the sink.
5. it only cost me $25 to fill up my car!!!
6. my friends haven't changed. everyone is the same, and even though i have no winter clothes, have been wearing the same thing for 2 days, and look like S$#%, they still love me!
7. I don't miss having a cell phone, but when I was in my car, and i heard a vibration, my hand went straight to the spot where i used to keep my cell.
8. people do not drive crazy here compared to san jose.
9. I actually do look tan!
10. everything here is so much more serious. i miss the laid back life style.

it is nice to be home.

embarassed

so why does America think that they are better than everywhere else? Are we? Why is it that a person from Costa Rica can travel anywhere in the world, but needs a visa to even leave a section of the airport in America? Who do we think we are? Why is it like that. I was actually embarrassed to be an American when I found that out. I swear, sometimes, people need to step outside their little box of a world and look at things from a different perspective. People are f'n people!

news

okay, so i haven't posted anything in awhile, but here is a new one. We were actually busy at work this morning. I had 4 pancakes, a potato pancake, some fruit juices to make and cafe and cappaccinos. anyways, the election is over, thank God. Hopefully something will change, but we will see what happens next. I have 2 weeks left in Costa Rica, and am looking forward to going home as well as not looking forward to going home. I am going to miss my jungle paradise. Who knows, I may be back. I really did meet some amazing people down here - enough to make me come back, and have a free place to stay!!! I can't say that for anywhere else in the world except maybe mom and dad's house, but I can't do that for too long. I have also been looking into jobs, mostly in the atlanta area. Sorry, michigan people, I like atl better. Anyways, that is what is in my head. See you guys soon!

tranquilo

Well, things have definitely calmed down here in Puerto Viejo. Nothing exciting has really happened except my back hurts, and I had a fever. I've been doing a lot of sleeping lately. Anyways, I think I am actually ready to come home. I'm tired of the people and their mentalities. I am excited to see my friends in 3 weeks, get a pedicure, drive a car instead of walk, and take a hot bath. I want to do something besides sit on the beach. Yes, even that gets old. I know this sounds terrible, but I want to be around people that have something so they don't keep asking to use mine. I am ready to come home.

yet another

so, last night was probably the most fun night I've had down here so far. actually, i am going to drink some water before I tell the story. So, I am at work and my house decides to go catch some lobsters again. they stopped by to say hi to me and then left. Of course, Jaison caught all the lobsters again. 20 this time. This time, also, I was smart enough to stay my ass out of the kitchen and not be allergic. Anyways, I went into town to see about my absentee ballot, then chilled at the dive shop, then had a couple drinks, then someone picked me up and took me back to my job. Everyone was there. we were drinking, chillin, taking lots of pictures, cooking, eating good, laughing, and having a blast. The food was great. the company was even better, then we went out to Johnny's and danced our asses off. I had to switch my drink to water, but it didn't matter. We had so much fun. Here are some pictures of the things that happened :) miss you guys back home!

#3

so speaking of roughing it, last night i was in the jungle watching monday night football and i actually had a hot shower for the first time in months!!!

oh yeah

this is 2 blogs in one day, but they keep cutting off the water here!! Have you guys ever had to work, live, take showers without running water... it is crazy. we never know when it is going to be turned off or turned on. it needs to rain. i had to go swimming in the ocean as opposed to taking a shower with soap today, so now there is salt water all over me. then, right before work, i bought a bottled water for 2 dollars so i could wash up in the sink, and as soon as i was done, the shower was working. how can people take a shit? there is only 1 flush!!!!! anyways, roughin it is really interesting to me. i kinda like it. when i said on joe's blog that i was gonna live in the jungle, i was almost serious. WTF!!!!!!!

wow

so we went snorkling, caught some lobsters and cooked them and ate them. this is interesting. other things... we found a backpack that got ripped off an israli tourist and took it to the cops. she got it back with passports, credit card, but no ipod or cash. oops for her. as they say down here... yeah yeah :) anyways, things are beautiful. i got to watch monday night football last night and ate really good. and mom, i quit drinking for awhile. i haven't gotten the shakes yet :) lololol enjoy the lobster pictures!!!

next adventure again

Okay, swam out to the coral island, climbed up it to see a baby bird even though everyone said the coral was too sharp, (as long as you watch where you are going, it is okay) then jumped off from like 20 ft up. I was nervous, but I did it. Wish i had a picture!!! The day before, I put on some goggles and swam around looking at all the coral, fish and people spear fishing. It was beautiful!!! I felt like I was in a movie or something.

Slow

Somehow, I am still drunk from last night. It was a good night. Nothing happened. Nothing good, nothing bad - just dancing and a good time. I still can't believe that the sun did not wake me up for work this morning. I really want to go back to sleep, but there is money to be made I guess. I am really hoping that this is one of the mornings that no one comes in and maybe I can go home early. It looks like it is going to rain, but the beach is still calling me. If not, my bed is calling as well :) I hope everyone has a good day.

open minds

So what is a reputation? I know in the bible it says that a good reputation is more valuable than gold, but I would like to add to that a little bit. Why is it so important that we care what people think? Sometimes, we should, but other times, it is imperative that we live our life according to our own rules not someone else's. When someone is displayed a certain way and you believe all the hype, it can help you to avoid certain situations and problems. Here is my thought of the day: Everyone deserves a chance. People will talk about you no matter what you do, that is inevitable, however, who are we to say that a child of God is not worth a closer look? Everyone can build up a reputation, but the truth sometimes is deeper than that. :)

money

i made $15 my first day of work. wow!!! it was cool. anyways, that's all i have to say for now. i have to go take a shower and get ready for another grueling day at work where i talk, get online, chill and sometimes cook and clean. i am ready to come home. i want a pedicure, and people i trust, but this is working out for me. i am coming to realize some things, and it is a wonderful experience. i miss my car and my friends, and clean toes. now, i feel like my sister mary and her random strings of sentences. :) oh, here's another picture of us chilin at a bonfire at the beach :)

next adventure

i got a job. i start tomorrow. i have to cook, clean, waitress, run the computers, monitor internet usage.... blah blah blah. basically, i have to do everything. i get paid 1000 colones an hour which is roughly $2.00. plus tips, but it will be good. i work 9 to 3, and the market is on the way home, so i can pick up dinner to cook all day. it should be a good time. the men down here are full of shit. just thought i'd throw that in there. hope my readers are doing well!!!!! i will leave you with the view from my cabina on the beach in the tropics.... jealous yet?

here

so far so good. if you didn't get the email, i'm sorry, but we're here. hope everything is good there in the states. i am going to have to get used to not drinking water whenever I feel like it. blah blah blah. this is going to be so fun!!! We are hearing all about Gutstav and the election over here. Charmaine thinks that gas is going to be $7 when we get back. hope not. I am counting on my brother Paul to singlehandedly solve the energy crisis just for me :) I'm glad Charmaine is here. I have someone to be dorky and stupid with. Kevin is always ready to go. I feel bad cause he is waiting on 2 girls who don't get it yet, but we will. The money is a little confusing, but with my math mind, i will figure it out soon. 10,000 just seems like so much, but its only like $20. I doubt that I will send any blogs in spanish. Charmaine and I are still working with Rosetta Stone, thank God they didn't take my computer. I would have been really trippin, then!!! I haven't taken any pictures yet. Now, I feel like my sister, Mary with all the random sentences put together. This is not a typical English class paragraph. love you guys!!!!!

bye

Bye from the U.S. I am scared out of my mind right now, and about to leave everything that I love, but I will make the best out of this situation. I can either make it bad or good, but the obvious solution would be to make it good. :) Thanks to all my friends and family who love me. I love you guys too. I'm off to get drunk now, so I can stop thinking about this shit. It is tearing me up. No tanya, paul, mom and dad are just a email away, but not on the phone. I guess I'm a big girl now and I can do it, but this is scary and I am scared. Did I mention I'm scared. Please pray hard for me these next few weeks.

emo

unreliablity

I am going to use this to vent today. Yesterday, I had a wonderful time with my girls Maeghan and Tyra. We went out to eat, acted crazy and had a wonderful time. I was supposed to either fly to michigan to see my boy's show and my family or go to the Falcons game. I ended up doing neither. I spent my time with Paul, which actually was better than either except seeing my family. How is it, though that my ticket to the game got sold cause I was too late, and Carlos was too busy to finalize anything. Now, i'm locked out of the house until Tanya wakes up, though. Oh well. I spent time with the girls and Paul, and they are really important to me - more so than the falcons or shawty lo. i guess that is what really matters anyways.

hi family !

I hope that everyone is having a good day today. Today is my grandma's birthday. She would have been old. I miss her, but I'm glad that she is in a better place now. Hi Grandma!!!!!!

to my avid readers

this is jose. i promised a picture of him, and so here he is. its worth a look :)

boredom

i have come to realize, that boredom is the root of all evil. :) What is it that makes us just HAVE to do something? I am going to practice sit still and suffer I guess. Maybe I will learn something by doing nothing. Who knows. And anne, that was funny about my glasses. i don't exactly know where they are as of right now :)

series of strange coincidences II

glasses No. dos.............. I was driving down the road. This woman was standing next to her car looking like she wanted to pull her hair out. She was young. I don't usually stop cause I'm scared I'll get raped or murdered, but she looked especially forlorn. Anyways, I ended up stopping to see what was wrong. She had 2 four year old twins in the backseat that spoke perfect English. She spoke perfect French. Now, I've had a few years of French in school, but not really enough to communicate I found out. I understood very few of what she actually said. ANyways, she was out of gas. I figured this out after she called her friend on my phone - yes, her cell phone was dead too :) I finally got the car to start, and then it died again. We pushed it in 90 degree weather to the corner where the car coasted down the hill to the QT gas station. We bullied an old woman and some guy out of their gas spot while we put gas in the car. Needless to say in the process, I lost my glasses. WTF. I knew God wouldn't let me help someone and then take away my glasses. About 30 minutes later, I went back to look. Sure enough, they were on the ground underneath the trees. God is so good to me :)

crazy?

there may be a method to my madness :) I may just be crazy! We'll see, but either way, at least I will know so I can fix my f'd up emotions. If you want to know what my counselor thinks, check this out, otherwise, I am abusing the substance commonly known as booze. Love all my avid readers!!! All 2 of you :) Oh, 3 including Anne, oh, 4 including joe, anne, mary and mom. JULIE, you are my next victim :)

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/borderline-personality-disorder.shtml

I can't wait for football season!!!!!

GO BLUE

I JUST FOUND OUT THAT I WILL NOT MISS THE

MICHIGAN OSU GAME!!!!! MY FLIGHT GETS IN NOV. 18th,

AND THE GAME IS THE 22nd!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DID I SAY GO BLUE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

my glasses

Somehow, my glasses do not want to stay in my possession. They keep disappearing and then reappearing. Right now, they are on my face. ANyways, I got these cool glasses, then Tangie moved. I couldn't find them anywhere! I looked and looked and looked. Finally, Tamara found them where I had already looked 6 times - my glasses case. Sure enough they were there. My theory is that Tangie took them on accident then returned them. They do look like her glasses. 2nd thing, I was pushing this car down the street, and next thing you know, my glasses are gone again. I figured that they just fell out on the side of the road and got smashed by a car, but something made me go back and look. Sure enough, 30 minutes later, I found them in the grass underneath a tree. God is good, but he is strange :)

series of strange coincidences

this one sucks. the other two are better. mom, i don't feel like capitalizing any letters today. well, last week, i texted paul that bernie mac died cause someone told me. well, he was just in the hospital. today in my class, someone said he was dead and I didn't think it was true cause someone had just got me on that last week. I looked it up, and he really did die. that sucks.

just chillin

Just thought I'd write to my mom who is the only one who actually reads this shit save my sister who is unavailable for the next three or 4 weeks. Anyways, it has been a good day. I worked today watching Lexi and Ryann, and it was cool. Lexi is gonna be harder than I thought. She is extremely smart. I am going to have to pay attention to what she says and what I say. Ryann was really cool. We are going to Little Five Points tomorrow. Markus cooked. I came home and Tamara cooked too. Nolan was here. We are chillin. Life is good today. I am so excited for my parents to come. I know my mom is mad at me because I keep calling. I can't leave her alone. I can't wait until they get here. They get to stay at my house!!!!!!!!! Then, my brother emailed me today and said that he was thinking about coming to Costa Rica on his way back from Argentina. That would be so cool. Like Ice Cube said, "Today was a good day!"

espanol

So I am trying to learn Spanish. Partly inspired from my brother who is now in Argentina, partly because I am going to Costa Rica, but mostly because I want to. I also met a beautiful Mexican painter named Jose who is helping me a little bit. (I will post a picture as soon as I have access to a camera cord-thanks Paul....) I have no one to practice with. Also, it is uncomfortable for me to speak Spanish when I am not sure how much I am pronouncing things correctly or if it is even the right word. It is kinda frustrating. Rosetta Stone is helping me some. I am not getting my hour of Spanish in everyday, but hopefully being in the environment and around people that are willing to help me will work.

friends

It is amazing what you figure out the older you get. How many times your mom was actually right, why you do the quirky things that you do. This post is dedicated to Julie. She is amazing. She is my best friend x 343905702397 :) I love her so much. We have been best friends for damn near 10 years! That is the longest relationship that either of us has ever been in. We have been there through ups and downs of all kinds, real serious ones. She is just so wonderful to me. There are times when I don't like her and when she can't stand me either, but her tricks don't fool me :) She is always going to be there for me just like I will always be there for her. It is the definition of unconditional love. She is probably one of the few relationships I have that are true. She accepts me for me; I mean EXACTLY the way I am. No one else does that. I feel like i could murder someone and she would still be there for me. I love you girl, and no matter what you decide, you will still be my best friend.

fear

i have figured out what i am afraid of.......... being alone. Thanks, Keith, for being there for me. mom, I want to come home again. i love my true friends, and you you know who you are.

from flint

well, Flint has been nice. I wasn't supposed to be here, but here I am. I hope that my grandpa makes it back from his trip out west in time for me to see him. It has been nice hanging out with my sister, Anne. I just wish Mary was here to laugh with. Paul still has his head in the clouds, but he will be fine. Joe is set to find him a latina chic for the next 10 years..... til she is americanized. Basically, things are back to normal. Joe just bought a laptop for Mary. Blah Blah Blah. Joe is going to show me the rest of the stuff. less than 2 months til Costa Rica!!!!!!!

judge

how do you know how to judge people. even after you have known them for a year or two or your lifetime, they still do the unpredictable. How is it that you can figure out who is good and who is bad? Please help me with this one.

thanks

Well, I have to say that I used to blame my mom for a terrible childhood. I did not have a terrible childhood in any way shape or form. In fact, I think my parents were incredible. I surely did give them hell, didn't think they knew anything, resented the fact that they wouldn't let me watch TV like all my friends, but SO WHAT!!!! What I did not understand is that they were grounding me. They grounded me in two ways..... faith and family. Because of them (you), I now have a solid faith in God. I have grown over the years to realize that most of what my parents told me was right, even if I didn't want to believe it at the time. They were definitely not perfect, but they did their absolute best, and that must have taken sooooo much patience. Raising 5 completely children must have been extremely difficult. Making sure that we are all good people had to be even harder. The patience and effort it took is unbelieveable. They also instilled in me an important sense of family. Strict 6:00 family dinners, fights with brothers and sisters, unconditional love, the fact that I knew they would always be there. I can't even put into words the things that they have done for me and my brothers and sisters. They have put up with so much crap, and yet remain sane and standing. Mom and Dad, I am in awe of you today. I love you both so much. You really have no idea how much I really appreciate you. I'm just sorry it took me so long to figure that out. I have definitely learned from my mistakes, but I have learned so much from you as well. I have so much respect for you. I love you so much. Thank you again. I am the luckiest oldest daughter in the world from any family ever.

Whatever 2

I know that no one will probably read this, but I have to say it anyways. I am trying to be the better person about my living situation, but it is really hard. Paul tells me that I need everything to be fair, so this is killing me that it is not fair, but I am going to try something new and just let it go. My mom told me when I was little that part of being a Christian is being used. Maybe this is what she was talking about. I am paying for someone else to live in my house, and I do not appreciate it, but seeing as the other side sees it not as their place of residence, I am going to just suck it up for the rest of the lease which is only a month and smile. I'm not sure how, but this is an opportunity for me to make my self better. At least I am practicing being patient. SSSSSSSSSIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH It will be alright, em. This shit really bothers me, though. What do they tell us at church? LET GO AND LET GOD!!!!! Okay, God, take over. I give up!!!!!

this is not joe

So I read this political article today. After watching the Hillary Clinton speech where she finally gave it up, there were some things about her that I admired. First of all, she endorsed Barak Obama without blinking an eye. Now she may not have been whole-heartedly happy, but she was committed to serving the American people, or so she said. She also said that she really wanted what is best for the democratic party. She kept talking about how the party was united and she would do whatever the party asked, and whatever Barak asked, seeing as he was the head of the party now. Governor Ted Strickland, of Ohio I think, also a Hillary supporter had the following comments to make about serving as vice president, "Absolutely not. If drafted I will not run, nominated I will not accept and if elected I will not serve. So, I don’t know how more crystal clear I can be."

Obviously he is not willing to do whatever it takes for the democratic party.

Here is a link to the article, but it is not that interesting. I just want to see if I can insert a hyperlink correctly.

CLICK HERE


Peace :)

i need a job

Yes, i thought it would be gravy just to sit around and chill all summer, but it is not. The pool was great the last few days, but it is time to get something productive done. I will somehow find a way to make some extra cash this summer. We will see what is up, but it will be non-traditional. I am not getting a regular job. I am trying to travel still. Costa Rica is coming!!!!!!

Yes, my summer is great!!!!

....................................still...................smilin......................since yesterday................. somethin must have happened to me this weekend ;)...................................soooooo..................this is what i did today :) :) :) :) :)..................................................................................................................................

Summer

I just wanted to tell everyone that I am enjoying my summer. Although things may not necessarily be going according to the prescribed plan, nothing ever does, and that is great. I have no job, and that feels great. Costa Rica is a few months away, I get to chill with my boy again, and my tan is starting to look good. Right now, I couldn't be happier!!!!! Thanks, baby!!!!

She's back!!!

I got my cat back!!!!!! My roomate heard her outside, and sure enough, she was back. Jodee said he saw her in the upstairs window of the apartment across the way, but who knows. I am just so glad to have my baby back!!! I don't have to sleep by myself anymore :) Maybe one of these days I'll get a man, but until then, I am very content to be the cat lady. I'm still a cute cat lady :) Costa Rica is coming up. You guys better start getting your passports so you can come see me. I don't think I'm gonna come back EVER AGAIN!!! $#^# gas prices. I'm out.

I still hate computers

I am not sure that I will ever figure them out. How hard can it actually be to save?!? We have been working on this slide show for the kids forever, but cannot seem to save it to a CD. Why? We have no idea. It has been about 7 hours now. Geez Louise. I really don't hate computers, they just frustrate me when I can't figure them out, as does anything. Overcoming challenges makes you a better person anyways. Look on the bright side, right ?!? A faith building experience - thanks again, baby :)

masters

No, not the golf tournament, but the schooling that I am taking now. I have to finally write my Capstone Project and it is not easy. The concept seems easy enough, but actually doing the work is a pain in the a$$. Right now, I am sitting up at the school waiting on all the articles to print so I can do some more research. I should be reading them while I'm waiting on this slow printer, but I'm not. It does not look like I will be getting out tonight. I am, however, going to crack the CAB when I get back to my girls. Looking like a long, but beautiful day!!! If you are actually interested by this blog, thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read this. It shows that you actually care. Now, you better leave a comment so I know who does and who does not :) he he he. I should be in Cincinatti. I'm sorry, Jodi :(

HOLLA!!

losing your identity

change is hard, but you should never lose sight of who you are. if you do decide to change, make sure that you are the reason for the change not someone else. it is the only way to be happy. those are my words of wisdom for the night. mom, it is 2:21. This time, I am up late and I have class in the morning, and I still do not know everything.

My mom is amazing!!!

My mom is so cool. Despite having dealt with me and all of my crap for 26 long years, she is still standing strong! Good job, mom!!!!! :) Anyways, she wrote a grant. AND SHE GOT IT!!!! She used her political influences of the Mott Park Neighborhood Association and got a $500 grant to beautify Genesee County. Lord knows it needs it. She went out and bought $500 worth of flowers to plant, and even got an extra $100 free!!! I had to put this out there, cause I know my mom does not get enought credit. I think you are wonderful, mom!!!!

Faith building experiences

Why does God send nasty people in our lives? This past year, I have had my fair share of nasty people. I am convinced that there was a reason for this. I bumped heads with people quite a bit this year (and I mean school year). Although I am not an expert in any way shape of form, I am now at least better at dealing with these people. My boy always said that these types of challenges are a way to build your faith. Needless to say, I am glad I had the opportunity to learn these lessons. To all the people that have been a negative factor in my life, THANK YOU. You have made me a better person!!!!!

RESILIENCE

Look at last year's Golden State Warriors, the unlikely # 8 seed to make it through. Look at the Michigan Wolverines who rallied to win 8 in a row after losing to Applacian State and Oregon, and even defeating Florida (Tebow!) after losing 4 years in a row to Ohio State. Look at Georgia Bulldogs winning 2 games in one day after a tornado ripped through Atlanta. Look at ATLANTA, rallying from a below 500 season to force a game 6 against the Big 3 of the Boston Celtics.

IF ANYONE SAYS YOU CAN'T DO IT, WATCH SPORTS!!!!!

Resilience

whatever

that's how the $%$& I feel right now. Mom, the reason I didn't actually cus was because of you. I am so sick of being confused. GET OVER IT!!!!!!! I used to hate that saying, but now I seem to be telling myself that. I am not sure if I am staying out of trouble or not, but its a good thing that I have a secure job, cause if I didn't, I would probably be in the streets gettin into plenty of trouble. I am too good for that. WHY CAN'T I EVER BE SATISFIED?????!!!!!!!????? PEACE PLEASE!!!!!!! @#$%^%$@#$%$##$%%#@@##@@!@#$^%#@#$^%$@@

From the Polish Legion

The longer I live, the more I realize
the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me, is
more important than facts.
It is more important than the past,
than education, than money,
than circumstance,
than failure, than successes, than what
other people think or say or do.
It is more important than
appearance, giftedness, or skill.
It will make or break a company
a church, a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a
choice everyday regarding the attitude
we will embrace for that day.
We cannot change the past,
we cannot change the fact that people
will act a certain way.
We cannot change the inevitable.
The only thing we can do is play
on the one string we have,
and that is our attitude...
I am convinced that life is 10%
what happens to me and 90% how
I react to it. And so it is with you...
we are in charge of our ATTITUDES

Charles Swindoll

being a woman

Sometimes I hate being a woman. One minute I'm all happy. The next I'm crying over some shit that I should not be crying about. Well at least the Hawks won, even though the Pistons didn't. Things will be better.

EDUCATION

I hate testing in Georgia. It puts way too much pressure on these kids. On the flip side, though, it does put some sense of personal responsibility on the students. We are, however, #25 in education around the world. Finland is #1, Korea is #2, Denmark is #3 or 4. I can't remember all of them, but we are #25!!!!! What does the rest of the world say about our education system? They say that we are not as good as them. The difference is that here, public education is a right. In other places, it is a priviledge. Kids here take EVERYTHING for granted!!! (and we let them!) The other difference is that the school systems don't seem to care about the actual kids. Here, the public school system gets money based on the number of students enrolled for that year. You place your child in public school based on your zip code. In Denmark, for example, the money is attached to the child. The parent can then choose the school that child should attend. This causes the parents to become more involved in the schools off rip. It also causes the schools to compete for the money attached to the student. The schools strive to be better. It is run as a business. I thought that this was interesting. I may have to run for Senator like my grandpa told me to and change something, cause the current system is failing our kids, and they will be taking over the world when we are old. HELP!!!!!

I love my life

I can't help it. I really love my life!!!! I am friends with so many interesting people. In high school, it was about being cool, but things have changed. It is not about being cool anymore. It is about being yourself. I have met some of the most interesting people in the world in the past 2 years. From rappers (I love you Shawty Lo :)) to people from different countries - Marcus. I have really come to enjoy and appreciate the different cultures of people and the different ways that people live. I am always open to new experiences and new ways to enjoy myself. I have learned that I really love people, all different types of people. Marcus, I really love the way you handle your business. It is impressive. Besides these 2 people, there have been so many different and interesting people along the way. If I named everyone, it would be an extremely long list. Marcus, I am dedicating this blog to you because you just treated me and my girl like queens. You really made me feel special. Thanks a lot.

I just want people to appreciate other people for who they are. There is so much more to a person than the surface. Money doesn't mean anything. In the end, there is way more to life than cash. It just doesn't matter. People and their stories and personalities are the best part of life.

To all my friends, thank you so much for being in my life. Whether a close friend, or just an aquaintaince, I appreciate all of you. You have helped to shape my life and made it extremely interesting :)

My HERO

I just want to tell everyone how lucky I am. I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday, and she told me that she had 2 friends who knew their fathers. I am completely blessed to have a father like the one I have. He is amazing. Here are some of his HERO qualifications.

• He is the father of 5 chidren, all of which are smart, intelligent, and highly functioning.


• He has maintained a successful marriage for 20+ years.


• He takes care of my grandpa and my Uncle Chris.


• He works at a minimum paying lawyer job. (He could have made millions, but chose to serve as a government employee).


• He remains calm, cool and collected.


• He has an open mind and does not judge me when I make mistakes (and I've made plenty)


• Above all, he has a deep love and respect for God.

Yesterday, I was having a really hard time calming down. I was extremely frustrated with a situation I was dealing with at home. I did not know how to calm down. Sometimes, I will just call my dad's phone to hear his voice on the voicemail, but he answered this time. I was crying almost uncontrollably, cussing, and acting real irrational. He listened, told me that "this will pass, Emily." He prayed with me. After about 15-20 minutes, he had me calmed down. We started talking about future plans and other things just to get my mind off of the subject.

Then, he gave me the biggest compliment of my life. He said, "Emily, you are one of the best problem solvers that I know. You may cause some problems, but you always know how to solve them. That is what your name means: Industrious and Resourceful. If I was stuck in a dark alley, and there was anyone I would want to be stuck with, it would be you. I know you would know how to get out of the alley. You would be telling me what to do." After he told me this, I felt like I could handle anything. My dad, my hero, would want ME to take care of him!!!!

Dad, if you're ever having a bad day, please read this. Your daughter loves you and thinks the world of you. I am so proud to call you my father. I love you more than any man in the world, and trust you completely. I can't even express with words how much you mean to me, daddy. I love you completely, and I appreciate everything you do for me. I know I haven't been the easiest daughter, but you have been a wonderful, patient, loving, caring, absolutely perfect father.

Staying out of Trouble

I will keep this short and sweet, but I have come to the conclusion that I need to stay busy in order to stay out of trouble. I know some people will be like, "Duh," but now that I have it in my head, I am actually going to make a conscious effort to keep to myself. I guess my work is really the only thing that can keep me in check. Its a good thing that I feel a sense of responsibility for those kids. If you think about it, though, take a nagging wife. She gets on her husband's last nerve - why? Because she has nothing to do!!!!! Find a job, volunteer, something to get off his back. Let the man be!!! People just need a sense of purpose and something to do in order to leave everyone else alone. I know I do anyways. I'm sure there are those men who like their women up under them all the time, but I've never actually met one. I'm sorry to the people who had to deal with my boredom this week. It is not your fault. :)

first one

The inspiration behind this blog is my brother. He has patiently turned me on to the computer world. I don't know how many countless hours he has spent on the phone with me or worked on my computer in the basement while I was drinking beer upstairs. Well, Joe, your sister has a little bit of sense. I am not teaching other people what I know. This may be a cop out, though. As a teacher, I know that when you teach someone else something, it shows your mastery of the subject. Although I am not a computer master, I definitely know more than I did before. Thanks to everyone. It is kind of like working on a car. You may not always know how to do everything, but you know some basic stuff and can probably figure it out. Anyone want me to replace their engine now????!!!!! :)

The other inspiration is my cat. She is laying on top of me, jealous of the computer. I caught her looking at it. I think she's trying to figure out how to use it too :)
She is soooo cute!!!!!