Things I've done

I found this on Tina's blog . If you want to play along, just copy the list and highlight all the things you've done.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Weekend Fun

My mom picked up the girls last night for their weekly sleepover, but this time, I won't see them until Sunday! Feels so strange.

Anyhow, the girls are headed to Kalahari today with my mom and Jerry's parents. They are spending the day there together, and then Maddy is spending the night there with Jerry's parents and Jenna. My mom is taking Emma back to her house to sleepover BECAUSE... tomorrow, Jer and I are headed down to Canton, Ohio with friends of ours to watch a Malone College football game (Jer played for Malone) and then we are going to dinner and spending the night out there. I'm looking forward to the night away and to some alcoholic beverages! So - crazy schedule with the girlies, but I think it's all worked out among the grandparents :)

Sunday I will going out to get a manicure. I have two interviews next week. Wish me luck! Although, I don't think either of them is going to be quite the right fit, it will be great networking and conversation - one place, I know, is not going to be able to pay me enough and the other position isn't really right, but my contact wants to meet for breakfast and discuss opportunities anyhow, so it could turn into something... we'll see. There is another job that I am hoping to at least get an interview for that seems to sound like a better fit - I'm working contacts there left and right... we'll see.

I just want to vent a little about this job stuff... I am a control freak, obsessive planner by nature, and when things are unsettled and out of my control, I am a mess. So, I am a mess. I'm freaked out and worried about not having a job - biggest nightmare is if there comes a day when I'm not getting a paycheck - things would get ugly pretty fast. So, what do you think I do all day long? Obsessively look for postings. all.day.long. I know that I have applied/responded to ANYTHING that could work, but I'm still afraid I'm missing something, so I'll check repeatedly over and over all day. I have stayed away from sending anything to agencies - that's not a path I want to take at this point in time - and, I'm aiming high and hoping my resume is strong enough to get in the door at places I would like to work. I've had a few contacts call and tell me how impressed they are with my resume, and I have people coming out of the woodwork willing to make calls for me - that is what is getting me through these days. I just want to have things settled and figured out, so I can adjust my "life plan" accordingly. I wish HR people worked on my time zone! Ha!

Enough about that... something else fun to discuss - I think I am getting a new car tonight. Jerry is wheeling and dealing as we speak. A 2008 Dodge Avenger - deep water blue. I'm expecting a call from Jer any minute now to update me on what's going down. He's incredibly smart about these things and has done his homework. We drove the cars last night, and ultimately decided to go with the 08 because we can get the V6 cheaper than if we get the 09 in a 4 cylinder... I don't know. All kinds of discounts and rebates and dealing going on. All I know is Jerry about peed his pants when he got them down to a payment that was even lower than he ever went in there expecting. Now, he's just trying to get all the financing and stuff figured out. Jerry lives for this and I HATE this stuff - wheeling and dealing. I just pick out the color :) I'm also excited about this thing it has called UConnect, which is basically bluetooth built into the car.

Motivated by Music

Today I feel a little bit out of the funk I've been feeling for the past couple of weeks. I don't know why. Nothing really "happened." I just seem to have turned a weird sort-of corner and have a much more positive and confident attitude about how things will play out. I think this is partly because I started my day today listening to the CD I burned last night with some new songs on it... songs that are upbeat and made me feel good. Here's my playlist and why I am motivated by the songs:

1. One Step at a Time by Jordin Sparks - I love the song, but it also makes me stop and realize that this whole job thing can only happen one step at a time and certain things are out of my control.
2. So What by Pink - "So what. I'm still a rock star." I think that says it all. I'm still a rock star at what I do and I will be a rock star no matter where I end up.
3. Love Story by Taylor Swift - This song just makes me realize how far Jerry and I have come together, and we do have a great love story, and no matter what happens with work, that will NEVER change. He's 100% there for me.
4. Moments by ? - I forget who sings this, it's a country song... "I've had my moments, days in the sun, moments I was second to none." Makes me reflect back on my career and where I've been and where I can go as a result of those "moments."
5. All I Want to Do by Sugarland - This song is totally how I feel every morning about coming to work these days. I just want to stay home and love my babies and my hubby, because things are so crazy here; however, today is Friday - and all weekend, that is just what I get to do!

There are more songs on the CD, but these are the few that I just want to start singing and dancing right now because they are completely in my head. I brought the CD into my office and will periodically listen to it, just to keep my head in this positive place!

Happy Friday!

Voting Chaos

I voted this morning. I have the sticker to prove that I stood in line for an hour and witnessed the most chaotic display of leadership I have ever seen. There was the usual precinct confusion; however, what made it the worst experience for everyone was the woman who was "in charge" of our voting location. She did nothing but stand there and give out stickers. Once things started to get out of hand and the volunteers realized their room set-up wasn't really working, she didn't want to hear it, and had this "too bad" attitude. They had two lines for the two precincts voting at this location, but nobody to help those who didn't know which precinct they were in (which was about 2/3 of the people in line). And so, you had people waiting in the wrong line for a long time and then being sent to the back of the other line, and were they ever PISSED off. And then, once you got inside the door, they had the tables for the two precincts in weird locations in the room - to the point where there was this big cluster of people standing in the middle of the room waiting for an open voting machine while trying to snake around and through the precinct 3E line. There were a bunch of volunteers standing around turning a blind eye too - because line control wasn't their job. It was insane and people were getting so angry.

I got there at 6:45 a.m. and I left at 7:45 a.m. Just happy I got to cast my vote, and mildly amused at how unorganized the whole thing was, given they only had like 4 years notice that a presidential election was coming! Ha! And, I felt really sorry for the lady running the Girl Scouts bake sale that everyone thought was an election worker - she heard a lot of complaints that were really harsh, and all she was trying to do was provide coffee and snacks for a donation!

NO Idea

I have no idea what to title this post or where to even start it really... There are so many things running around in my head:
1. All the Halloween happenings of the weekend
2. Job craziness
3. Stamping disappointment
4. Change in schedule tonight
5. Voting tomorrow
6. Sore throat
7. Jerry's 30th birthday party planning
8. Dentist appointment tomorrow night
9. Holiday shopping/planning & job stuff
10. Annual family shopping day coming up!

I am not going to write a book, so I am not going to address all of these things. I feel like my planner is getting slightly out of control, and I am so torn up about this job uncertainty and not being able to do any more about it at this point in time - type a personality coming through. I have sent resumes and notes and leveraged contacts for any open positions that would be of interest. There is a position at another area children's hospital that I WANT REALLY BAD. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I have a game plan on how to really go after it - I've taken the first few steps, and just have to sit back now. I'm praying with all of my heart that I can land this job. It would be a great next step and a perfect job for me... Ugh. Anyhow, I am just frustrated with all of the things on my plate right now. Stressing out. Worrying about money and what if I lose my job tomorrow? And I have a sore throat and don't feel good. I had headaches all weekend - my body does not physically respond well to stress. Thank God for hugs and kisses from my girls - they make it all go away!