Good Luck!

Oh, I forgot to mention HOW we got our new TV! We've been dying to get a big flat screen, but I keep putting it off because I don't want to put another big charge on a credit card, but I think Robert has been getting impatient about it...so, Saturday, Peter, one of my associates at work, comes running back to the training room where I am doing my paperwork to give me the department phone because Robert was calling. He says, "I'm looking at a 42" Samsung flat screen for $400. Can I get it?" I was like, "WHAT?!" He said, "It's the same one that your dad has, oh, and the surround sound is $175 do you want that too?" I couldn't exactly say no, right? That's a $1300 TV for $400 just because it was on display and had no remote! DAMN! So, we have a new TV and surround sound! It's awesome. I think I'll be able to use my treadmill and actually enjoy watching TV while doing it, now. Plus, the 5 disc DVD/CD changer makes it possible for me to listen to music throughout the whole house instead of trying to make my computer be loud enough.:)

Cheech and Chong: Light Up America

So, Robert's surprise Christmas present was tickets to go see Cheech and Chong at the Beau Rivage Casino Theatre! He had mentioned wanting to see them, but there were no shows locally, so I thought I would check the casinos because they sometimes get unscheduled stops for some of these folks...and there they were at the Beau! AWESOME! The tickets weren't bad and the theatre is small, so the seats weren't bad. Robert was SO excited for the show and I was excited to see the Beau Rivage because I've never actually been there-even though rebuilding it was one of the first jobs that Robert had when we moved back.
The Beau is HUGE-more like a resort than a casino because we only saw one partial casino floor. Everything is guilded and the Christmas decorations were AMAZING! There were shops upon shops and 5 different restaurants (we went to "Coast", which had excellent, but normal sounding food) and there is a spa, salon, and a pool on the 3rd floor...
We got there early, so we ate and played some slots with some of Robert's Christmas Bonus money...not very successful, really. I hit $130.00, but had played $45 by then, so I was feeling a bit guilty about the money I had lost, so I just decided to watch Robert play, which didn't help...anyway, right before the show started, I asked Robert for $20 to play one last machine-I like the "7"s play 3 credit machines for 25 cents-I sat down. Hit 3 credits twice and his $390!!! With the other $130 that I won I had practically paid for our TV that we hadn't expected to buy.:) It was awesome! Made my night.:)
I was ready to watch Cheech and Chong at that point and we laughed our asses off. They had some great jokes about cats, which almost made me cry. Robert said that they didn't do as much of their really old stuff as he had hoped, but we still enjoyed ourselves. Here are some photos of the good old boys:

Christmas 2008

I would say that Christmas this year was the least stressful of Christmases since we came back to the South in 2005. It was nice to be able to spend the night at Middle Earth and not have to rush off in the morning. AND I actually helped with the food-even made some really excellent baked french toast. I Wish I had remembered to take a photo because it turned out really well for a first try.
I Love watching the little girls open their presents and get so excited about giving out presents to everyone else. I wish that I could still get that feeling. I remember it when I was little and the entire Russell family would come over to the big house for Christmas...all the stockings lining the staircase and the big living room doors being closed until we all ate our breakfasts.:) I think this stopped when I was around 10 years old, but it's still my favorite kind of Christmas. That's why I love going to dad and Lisa's because we get to sit around and play cards and read books and try not to let Lisa get too stressed. And, unlike all those Christmases when I was a kid, Dad is there now.:)
Oh, and I got some great gifts-nothing too fancy, but I Like it that way. Robert got me a book and DVD on how to play the piano, which is so great-now all we have to do is get the piano tuned! Robert's mother gave me a pearl necklace-all the Harris women have one-SO touching! Dad and Lisa got me this amazing pendant of the Galactic Butterfly, which is so beautiful. And mom sent us the wreath and Nissua that are so important to the holiday season.
Overall, a perfect holiday.

By Request...

Well, by request of the few people that read my blog, and because I really love the outfit I bought for Robert's Christmas party, I am posting some photos of me in the outfit. Granted, I'm not wearing the slacks that I wore to the party, but they turned out to be a little less comfortable than I had hoped...and these pants are nice enough. So here are a few photos...and I must say I truly LOVE the shoes and, yes, I have worn them more than once!

Louisiana...not so lousy after all

So, I finally made my first trip over to see where Robert is living and working for now. I had to go to his business Christmas party and be the good little Southern Wifey, which I thought would be pretty hard, but I knew I had to do it. And, while I was there, I got see some interesting parts of Louisiana that I didn't really know about before. I'm not sure I can be logical in my thoughts on the last 36 hours, but I'll try. I took the more scenic route from New Orleans down to highway 90 West instead of trying to fight what I understand to be horrible traffic in Baton Rouge. I am SO glad I took this route because I got to see the agricultural side of Louisiana. It was really quite beautiful and it was really neat to see the cane fields in all different points in their growth process: from newly tilled to burning off the leftover stalks. I even got to see it being harvested and carried away in huge truckloads! It was so cool! I also had lots of fun driving over the swamps and rivers (or creeks?) along the way. It was just beautiful-even with all the moldy trailers, beat up trucks, and randomly falling down houses along the way. When I reached Abbeville I met Robert "in town" which is basically Wal Mart, Chilis, Macdonalds, and a few gas stations. It's not bad, just ugly. Robert took me to his trailer by driving through the old Down Town, which was really cool because it reminded me of home (Maine) if it weren't a tourist town trying to be too pretty. It was rundown, but it had character and a very old, classic feel to it. Then, just outside of town, on the way to Robert's trailer and the Yard, you find yourself in the middle of nowhere...nowhere being rice fields during the summer and crawfish ponds during the winter! Apparently they pump water from the bayous into the spent rice fields and then grow crawfish in them! Isn't that neat? It is really odd to just come upon miles of ponds with a house every once in a while. Neato! And whenever there was a house there were beautiful Live Oaks...GORGEOUS!

When we finally got to Robert's trailer, which is down a road, through a field and around the corner from a tiny RV park, we were about 20 minutes out into the middle of nowhere, which I Find really funny considering his Yard is 3 more miles further down the road.:) The trailer, which is, yes, covered in mold on the outside, isn't quite so bad inside. Aside from the turquoise walls in the majority of the house and the horribly ugly bathrooms and the lack of wall decorations it really isn't that bad. The trailer is very big with a great kitchen and living room (although it is very EMPTY) and an awesome TV and pretty good air conditioning system. Bud (Robert's former boss and roomate) has a bedroom and bathroom on one side of the trailer and Robert has a bedroom and bathroom on the other side of the trailer. The mattressses and furniture and towels are all new...but it's so hard for me to see Robert living in such an unhomey empty space! If Bud didn't do such a great job cooking dinners so Robert has something to eat when he comes home...I don't know what I would do. I am just going to have to get a few things to make the place a little better...even if it's just for my own sake on my few visits there.:0

The Christmas Party was so much better than I thought it would be. I was dressed in my best Pretty Southern Wife outfit with a very nice display of cleavage to live up to the image that I have apparently acquired by being Robert's 26 year old wife...yeah, apparently Robert is the Hero of the yard for having such a lovely young wife.:) I think it's hilarious! But, I figured I would play the part for the night and I was surprised at how well I did with the small talk and the circling of the room to make sure I spoke with everyone. I was a little thrown off by the first questions of "Are YOU French?" and the ridiculous showings of money by a few of the wives, but, once I was introduced to everyone and they all got to observe me for a few minutes they loosened up and I was surprised to find that, underneath the makeup, the expensive jewelery, and the "french" accents and last name pronounciations, these folks were crass and hilarious and major drinkers! Robert had been warning me all night about his boss Jason, who apparently has a bit of a dirty mouth and a love for embarrassing people. I was a little nervous because I'm not exactly good at being teased or being quick with a comeback, but I held my own and I guess he decided to behave because we just really had a lot of fun. It would have been a really awesome night if I hadn't been so tired from the 5 hour drive that I actually became physically shaky at about 10 o'clock and had to go home or who knows what would happen. BUT I made it through the whole night without spilling anything, dropping anything, tripping, or making any verbal mistakes! I really couldn't believe it! And all the people that Robert works with are really really nice, so I'm relieved to find that out. I also think they all really liked me, so that's a relief too. I felt super guilty about being the first to leave because I was trying so hard not to be my tired self, but Robert was okay with it because he had been up since 4am.:)

This morning we went to the Global Maritime Yard, which was really cool for me because I've never been in a place like that. Granted, it's not really a Shipyard, but it's still cool, small, but cool. Robert's building is the main focus of the yard, so, as soon as we walked in he had his guys pulling him aside to ask questions and give reports on progress...it was so great to see him as the Guy In Charge and to see how all the guys really respect him and everything. It was also cool to see what he does every day; they were putting some of the walls onto the building as I watched. They have to do so many different things to get these jobs done! WOW! And I got to see what Bud will be doing once Robert gets the structural stuff down: these marine living quarters are actually pretty cool-just a stripped down version of living quarters on a cruise ship. I am SO glad I got to see the yard and what Robert does every day! It makes me feel so much more a part of his life when he's gone.

After the yard we drove down the road that Robert lives on and found an amazingly beautiful swamp and met a few armadillos, which was cool because I've never seen one ALIVE on the side of the road before.:) I wish I could have stayed another day, but I'm sure I'll get another chance to take a trip over there.







THINGS I THOUGHT WHILE IN LOUISIANA:
1) Southern LA is Big Truck Country...you haven't seen anything until you go there!
2) There is a heliport behind the walmart in Abbeville...WEIRD! But, I guess it's because there are lots of oil rigs off the coast.
3) I just cannot get over the weird accent that Cajuns have. It's indescribeable, really. It's almost like having a lisp, but not quite, and I swear that they do it just to be different. It's weird.
4) I really LOVED the drive on hwy 90-long, but really pretty!
5) They have these crazy drawbridges that go STRAIGHT UP! The first one I came to was so big that I thought I was coming up to an army fort entrance...freaked me OUT!
6) There are some awesome fallen down buildings, which are still half standing next to brand new houses which are next to gas stations...the houses in Abbeville were so oddly set: like tornadoes keep coming through and dropping houses from all over the country into these little LA towns.
7) They're opening a new Lowe's in Abbeville!










I'm sure there more, but I can't remember. I'll add more later.

Movin' On Up!

Sorry for those of you have been waiting (im)patiently for me to give the word on whether or not I got my promotion (Janet!:). But, YES, I am now a Department Manager and I am Department Manager of Inside Lawn and Garden! Yeah! Lacey was brought back up to Department Manager also and is over Outside Garden as of Yesterday. We are very excited to be doing this together, but we've all ready been thrown under the bus: my first day as a Department Manager was my day off and I got called in to prepare the department for a visit from Trent (our DM). So, I worked and worked and it was fine until they came in the next day: THEY being Trent (DM), Debbie (REGIONAL VP), Frank (Regional Seasonal Manager), and our District Pricing Manager and HIS boss! Good LORD what a surprise. Lacey and I both walked our departments separately with Frank...which was good AND bad. He only walked Seasonal for 45 minutes and gave me a few big compliments, which was nice. He walked OSLG with Lacey for 2 HOURS and, since then, she has been completely driven to get her department going in the right direction before all the spring stuff comes in and fills her top stock. I understand this TOTALLY, but she is supposed to be coverage for me INSIDE until I can get a new Team Leader (and hopefully an extra associate since Lacey is heading Outside). Lacey's early move would have been fine if we hadn't sold out of Christmas last week and then had to start resets a month early! LORD it's been a week and I only got to see Robert for a day; PLUS I'm going through EMTP class still and that gets ME off the floor as well...so Seasonal is SO understaffed right now it's rediculous! Honestly, how is it that the department is MORE of a mess now that I'm ACTUALLY a department manager than when I wasn't?:)
Still, I'm glad to have the job and I am going to stand up for my department tomorrow when I go in to talk to Ryan. There isn't going to be any waiting for new employees. He's going to give me some people NOW. They tell us to treat our department like a store within a store, like our own store...well, I wouldn't let me own store run at this much of an understaffed level just cuz the owner didn't want to spend a little extra money for the holiday season.
Wish me luck!

Cheekbones?

Here's one of my random thoughts: WHEN did I get cheekbones? I remember, when I was younger, always being SO jealous of women (models especially) who had such beautiful cheekbones...I also laughed at the models who were obviously sucking in their cheeks to SHOW their cheekbones, but that's beside the point. SO, I have been looking at the photos I have been taking recently and wonderxing WHERE and HOW did I all of a sudden get them to start showing? Look at the last post and the photo of me...I really DO have prominent cheekbones when I smile. That's just WEIRD because I always have had such a round face and I've gained, like, 30 lbs this year, so how is it possible that my cheekbones are showing rather than hiding even more? I'm quite excited about it, actually.:) Another thing to like about my body!

Life

BOY I'm getting bad at this. There really are SO MANY Things that I want to write down here and remember, but by the time I get home from work, take a shower, make dinner, feed the cats (well, actually, they get fed first!), and sit down to eat and watch whatever TV show I Have DVRd...I can't remember what it is I want to write about. I don't even want to pull the computer off the table and put it in my lap to write anymore. I guess we all go through phases. I am actually in a book reading phase right now, which I'm really excited about because I don't feel like I Read enough anymore. Unfortunately I have no bedside light, so I have to read with my book light which leaves me in a very dark room with almost complete silence which freaks me out a little bit. Still, I'm getting better at being alone and the neighbor's dog hasn't come over for a week now:).

I finally interviewed for the Department Manager position in my department-Seasonal. I also started EMTP on the same day. After I got through the interview (quite well, I thought, except for my Talking Hands) Ryan, my store manager, informed me that he is going to fill TWO positions from these interviews: Inside AND Outside Gardens! Which means I might not have a choice about which department I get! I kind of knew this was going to happen and it's not necessarily a bad thing because, since he has 2 positions open, he can't pull the "not done with EMTP" thing on me. I feel really confident that I will get one of the positions even though 3 of us interviewed and I feel like I really WILL get Inside Garden because no sane Store Manager would put someone as a manager in Outside Garden if they knew that person wasn't going to be there through the 100 days of hell, which I don't plan on doing-and Ryan knows that. Still, he also might feel that I should experience a new department. I see this point, but I don't really feel like that is something that needs to come into my life right now-unless he wants to give me a whole new OSLG staff and a LOT of overtime hours.:) Lacey and I both want to stay inside, but, the bright side is that whoever ends up out there will be fully supported by whoever ends up staying inside. We are going to try to run the departments as ONE department with TWO department managers. I'm not sure how this will work, but I'll let you know when I figure it out. Lacey and I have very different styles of managing, so I'm curious to see how it works. I wouldn't MIND being out there, but, damn it, I just don't want to have to lift rocks and sod and cut Christmas Trees! I'm sorry, that might sound silly, but it's just not something I enjoy...I enjoy it even less than pushing lawnmowers!:) We find out on Monday who ends up where. Wish me luck.

The cats and I are finding life without Robert pretty boring, but I find that I have some of the most awesome moments with them. I was laying on the couch with Jade on my stomach last night and she was doing that great thing where cats just stare at you from inches away from your face and she was just loving it when I rubbed her and the look of complete contentment in her eyes just made me so happy. I think I love my cats as much as a mother loves her children.:) Ah, time to take a shower! If I don't do it now it'll never happen.:)

Christmas Excitement and Christmas Presents

I have figured out that I Really Love Christmas! I remember trying not to get excited about it when I was little and thinking, at one point, that Christmas music was cheesy. BUT as I have gotten older Christmas has become more and more important to me; and now I LOVE Christmas music! I Love going into stores and hearing the music playing and have a special Christmas mix on my Ipod.:) Despite all my wonderful feelings for Christmas, I still get bogged down a little at times:
The hard part for me is getting all the presents. One, money is still an issues for us as a young couple still paying off our wedding. Two, I really WANT to get everyone awesome presents. Three, I used to have all the time in the world to MAKE awesome presents and put a lot of thought into the gifts I was going to get, but, with work and planning Robert's weekends home and taking EMTP at work and cats and LIFE it seems like it is harder and harder to get it together and be original. PLUS group gifts for parents are hard because some of us can't spend as much as others...I want everyone to know that I put thought into every gift, but sometimes I just wish I didn't have to buy all this stuff and could just MAKE great presents! I want EVERYONE to know I am thinking of them: work, family, friends, far and near!
Also, being separated from family and having to send so many gifts through the mail is another challenge within itself-no matter how much mom might say she doesn't want us to bother with sending anything. And, Oh Yeah, what about Christmas cards and stamps? I Need a whole week off just to get ready for Christmas this year! At least Robert and I have chosen easy presents for each other: NEW TATTOOS! Something to look forward to.:)
Still, I listen to the Christmas music and watch all the Christmas movies and they remind me that Christmas is about love and family and that the gifts don't really matter at all. Right?
I hope no one takes this personally.:)

Updates and things

I can't believe it's been a week since I've written anything. I guess life has just been busy with work and sleep. Our district manager came in the other day and turned my world upside-down, which made me take steps to do things I don't normally do-like take down 50 heaters out of top stock while on a picker I have only driven 4 times. I only ran over one sidestack, though, so I'm getting better.:)

I had a scary night the other night. I woke up to dogs barking. I convinced myself it was a dream and almost fell back asleep, but became awake enough to realize that the dogs really WERE barking and they were in my backyard. Still slightly sleepy, I got up and peeked out the window in the kitchen door. My mind was playing tricks on me, I think, because I saw the one little dog that was barking and then I swear I saw a very big dog tail escape around the corner and almost knock our grill over. I tried to see it through all the other windows (looking out dark windows is one of my biggest fears), but couldn't find it, so my mind started thinking that it might have been a person and that the little dog was barking at a PERSON walking around my house at midnight. I Mean, none of the cats were around, so what else was there for the dog to bark at? And I know that the neighbors in the back have a little dog, but I'm not sure they have a big dog and there really aren't any other dogs around as far as I know. Needless to say, I didn't get very much sleep that night. I am really trying hard not to get worked up about stuff like this, but I AM being cautious, but if I get too cautious I get scared and that's just not good. I'm sure my mind was playing tricks on me and the dog was just being a dog and barking at nothing. I sent him home and I hope he won't come back again in the middle of the night!

The kittens have been coming to the house in singles or pairs, so I've been worried about them in this super cold weather, but they all showed up with Momma this morning and they seem to be fine. Goopy Eyes (Yes, he really needs a better name) seems to be doing better and the others are strong and healthy! I love my cats.

Robert comes home the day before Thanksgiving. I have to work late that night because we must prepare for Super Friday, but he will be home for 5 days and his best friend Monica is coming to visit for the weekend, so I'm totally psyched! 3 more days!

The Corporate Ladder

I don't know how much I really talk about working at Lowes with people I don't speak to every day, but I know I've been talking about it a lot lately. See, for the past 8 months I have been running the department of Seasonal (which includes Inside Garden, Outdoor Power Equipment and Shelving in my store). The problem with this is that I am a Team Leader, not a Department Manager. I have been fine with this because, ultimately, the Department Manager catches the flack if something goes wrong and all I have to do is go fix it for him without any trouble because everyone is really just glad I'm there, mostly. Recently I have come to realize that my department is running so well that I'm not worried about the little bit of something that I might get in trouble for. Now I am realizing that I damn well deserve the monthly bonus checks and the raise-whatever that might be! SO when my boss (whom I love dearly) was decidedly transfered to the Recieveing Manager position and the Seasonal Department Manager position came open I decided to apply for it because I do it anyway. The problem is that I never finished the Entry Management Training Program when I took it last year (and, technically, it probably would have expired by now anyway) because the store wasn't at a point where it could afford me the extra day off to do my work and I wasn't motivated enough to take the time to go in to work on my off hours. EMTP is required to move up to Department Manager (unless you were Grandfathered over before this policy went forward-like my former Department Manager Lacey who stepped down when she came back from having her baby); and you have to have taken the class within the last year or it will expire. The only way I could get the job is if I was the only applicant for it...and someone else had all ready applied! Obviously I am the most qualified, but because of the damn class and the other applicant I, technically, can't get the job-even though I am starting the new EMTP in December! Sucks, man! So Lacey applied for the job because we don't want this other person to get it and I'm still going to be interviewed just because, but I'm very frustrated that it is happening this way.
The point is, I didn't realize how much I wanted this job until I couldn't (technically) have it and now I am kicking myself for not being more motivated before. I can't believe I even want to move up because I applied to Lowes for a part-time position as a JOKE when we first moved back here...and look where I am now!:)
I really think that our Store Manager has a greater plan for the whole thing, though. See, our Outside Garden Manager is stepping down in December and, therefore, I will be getting out of EMTP just in time to take over out there...and BOY do they need someone like me to organize and get that place running because, although I love David dearly, he sucked at being a People Manager and Organizer. It's a scary task, but I'm willing to take it, I think, because I don't trust anyone else to do it.:) (Both my moms are nodding their heads and laughing right now) The Bright Side is that, if Lacey gets the ISLG/Seasonal Dept. Manager job and I get OSLG Dept. Manager, we can finally start running the departments as SISTER departments instead of warring enemy departments and that will makes things run SO much easier. So, I guess either way will be worth it-I'll just have to wait longer if the Seasonal Dept. Manager position passes me up.
WHEW!

HOME AGAIN!

Well, Robert came home early-Thursday night about 9:30pm. It was so exciting to have him home for an extra night-even if all we did was go straight to bed after he said hi to all the girls.:) And we don't have anything really big planned while he's home...all I want is to keep him with me at all times. I even cooked 3 different meals earlier this week so I wouldn't have to stress about cooking while he is here. The funny thing is that I actually enjoyed cooking the meals in anticipation of his home coming! And they came out GREAT! What's that all about? Of course, now that he's home I feel like there isn't enough time in 3 days, but I'm trying to take a breath and just take moments as they come. I actually found time to workout today while he went to the Pascagoula yard for a little bit to fix something for them...I was afraid I wouldn't do anything good for me because all I wanted to do was be with him.
We have spent most of our time catching up on the TV shows I have recorded on the DVR, watching the new baby kitties play outside, and, well, doing other things. And, of course, he had to come in to Lowes and see everyone because I think they all miss him almost as much as I do. See, he used to come in almost every day to get things for his job or just to visit...so he's definitely a part of my Lowes family. Funny, isn't it?
So here's to hoping Sunday night doesn't come too soon.;)

Georgia Rule

Funny story...how could I love this movie and still hate Lindsay Lohan? I'm not sure. If she could just do movies like this and prove that she is that good person that she looks like on screen (and in the gag reels) then I might actually like her-never forgive her for having that perfect body, but that's beside the point.
GEORGIA RULE is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. I wasn't sure I would like this after watching Jane Fonda's recent work in MONSTER IN LAW, but I think she fit into this role much better. Also, Felicity Huffman was extremely convincing as the confused mother and Cary Elwes was too frightening as the wily, tricky step-father. Lindsay kept me guessing the whole time-lying or not? Dermot Mulroney was adorable as always and so was new-comer Garrett Hedlund.
Garrett seems to have played roles in some well known movies, but I never would have realized it was him in this movie because his other roles were all so different. He was in FOUR BROTHERS with Mark Whalberg, he was in TROY with Brad Pitt, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS with Billy Bob, and ERAGON with Jeremy Irons. Quite the variety.

Anyway, I really just enjoyed this movie. It was quite realistic, city and country at the same time, made me laugh and cry and hate each of the characters in turn...and, most of all, it made me want to call my mom and tell her I love her-for everything she did to try to make me grow up right-for all the ways I DID grow up right and for all the ways that things could have gone better, but didn't, even. It's hard to explain, but this movie brought a lot out in me that I had forgotten was there-things I dealt with when I was younger, things I helped friends deal with, things that were so very important to me back then. I am waiting for the day when the opportunity presents itself for me to become involved in the prevention and help for these things again.

GEORGIA RULE is the story of 3 messed up, sad women who don't know how to fix their own lives or the lives of others, but realize that they really DO want to try despite every bit of resistance that they put out there, despite the lies they want to believe because they don't know if they have the strength to get through the truth, and because of the love that they really do have for each other. The men are just the background, but a great supporting cast, none-the-less.

I was a bit sad to see Cary Elwes in another asshole role, but he IS good at playing that character and that seems to be what he is playing in his later life: no more Wesley from THE PRINCESS BRIDE. I guess it's hard to find another great role like that after finding that one so early in life.

Things I have learned about ME

No, mom, I'm not writing this so you can call me and give me advice. I was just thinking today-about the things that I thought bugged me. I got up and realized that I had left my dinner pan on the stove last night (covered, of course), but not put away, not washed, and with other dishes in the sink (just a few). I realized that this doesn't bother me so much as I thought. It also doesn't bother me when the house gets a little dusty; and the cat hair isn't nearly as noticeable when Robert's not around to sneeze at it. I'm realizing that, while I am nowhere near a slob, the little things that I was always worried about around the house were not because I was worried about them, but because I knew Robert was bothered by them...and I'm afraid I'm getting too relaxed for my own good.:) I mean, I dusted today for the first time since Robert left! Crazy, I know. BUT the funny thing is that the dust wasn't nearly as bad as when Robert is here. I really think that 80% of the dirt and dust must come from him. I know I don't need to vaccum or sweep NEARLY as much and the sheets don't smell funny so quickly because it's just my smell (which I suppose I really can't smell) that is on them. Even the cats seem to make less of a mess (although I swear they act crazier). Is it because I just don't care as much as Robert does about those little things? Or does he really make more of a mess? Do the cats really feel like they can run around and have more fun when he's not home? Huh.
Of course, I miss him terribly and wish he was here every moment, but I wonder if I will want to go back to watching every little detail when he comes back home for good. I guess I should just enjoy making my own schedule for now, huh?

When work becomes Fun: Seasonal Living

I was inspired by the fact that my Department Manager was leaving our department and the fact that I had nothing else to do...so I suggested a gathering at my house as a sort of "Goodbye" for Kim and I "Thank You" for everyone else in the department. Everyone was able to come except for Peter, our part-time team member. I was amazed at how much fun we had! I made some AWESOME strawberry daiquiris from scratch and had all kinds of munchy foods and a James and Kim both brought their wives (which made me miss Robert just a little bit). The greatest thing about the night was that I seem to have proven something to Keisha, one of the CSAs in my department. Keisha and I had a really hard time when she first started in my department and we both considered transferring out just to get away from each other, but we have learned to get along as time has passed, still with a little bit of stiffness between us. A lot of this is because we don't understand each others' lives and backgrounds, but Friday night seems to have changed all that because she comes into work with a big smile on her face and a grand hello for ME! I don't know if she just needed to see that I was human or she needed to hear me say that work wasn't everything or she need to see my comfy little house...I'm not sure what it was, but it made me really happy to finally make that connection that needed to be made. She even stopped by my house real quick after she got out of work tonight so that she could see the photos from the party. I'm really lucky to have such a great department of people to work with. We are all so very different, but we all get along so well and I really feel like I have made some great friendships, which, I hope will continue whenever I leave the Pascagoula Lowes. Life is good when you realize that people like you for you, that they aren't just tolerating you because you work together.:)

A little fun with photography

Everyone knows I went to school for photography, but it's just not what I wanted to do with my life. I'm glad I only got an Associates degree instead of a Bachelors.:) BUT I still ENJOY photography and I LOVE doing portraits, so I wanted to share some of the photos I did with my sister-in-law, Laura. She has just gotten into Facebook and re-connected with a lot of friends from home and she wanted some "cool" shots to use for her page...Laura was a great subject and we had fun fooling around in Photoshop to make the photos even more interesting. We shot a LOT of photos, but I'll try to just share my favorites...Yeah, right!

KITTENS!

I've been looking back at my blog and I realized that I have been writing about politics for 4 or 5 entries straight! SO unlike me. I need to remember to write about happenings in my life, too. SO, while still struggling with Robert's absence I have had one good thing happen: Big Momma brought her new babies over! They are SO adorable and happy and full of energy. I went out to feed them this morning and they were all jumping up one of the big trees in the yard! CUTE! Sadly, one of the kitties has Sticky Eye Syndrome like PJ did, but, hopefully, he will be able to get over it and grow up nice and healthy like PJ. Here are some photos of my new babies....name suggestions are welcome:

This last photo is of Orange Kitty #2. He wouldn't stand still for me.:)

President Elect...and unnecessary responses

I'm not nearly as excited as all those stanch Obama supporters out there-when I talked to my stepmother yesterday she said, "Were you feeling good on Tuesday night?" I had no idea what she was talking about until she asked me if I had heard any of Obama's speech that night.:) My mind is not geared toward the politics.:) BUT I really AM excited to see what happens as each day goes by. I'm excited because the Democrats are in the majority for the first time in a long time. I'm excited because his speech really WAS good and inspiring and pretty honest, in my opinion.

If you missed the speech I found it on You Tube:
Obama's Speech

The only thing that makes me sad about Obama being elected is that Robert and I don't agree on it. I am so very thankful that Robert isn't like the rest of his family and completely stubborn and unwilling to be wrong. But, in the case of politics, he is just like his family: It's white Republicans or nothing. I hate it. His response when I told him that Obama was elected was, "Well, at least that N***** won't last longer than a few weeks. And the Tree Huggers deserve him anyway." Now, this really makes no sense because Robert has friends who are black and they aren't the N word when he talks about them. And I pointed out to him that I, myself, and my father and stepmother and the true definition of Tree Huggers, but he said, "Well, that's different." All I can think is that his family has ingrained this hatred in him so much that he just can't let it go and it has created this conflict of thoughts. I don't know. BUT, when he said these things I was able to step back from it and realize that this is not a battle I need to fight-I believe in my own Truth and he will believe his and creating an unhealthy home environment because of it is not the way to go-POLITICS are not life. I wonder if, because Robert was able to grow up concerning his anger issues because of me, he will ever be able to grow out of his race issues? But that's a whole other conversation, which I intend to write about sometime because I have been having very interesting conversations with my sister in law about the Harris Family Men.

Anyway, I am so excited about what is going to happen next with this new President and I'm looking forward to the changes that will be made with the first Democratic majority in both the Senate and the House and the presidency!

Finally it's over...

Here I am with my "I Voted" sticker! Yes, it's over for me, anyway. I voted first thing this morning-at a church, which I find strange. I only had to wait in line for 10 minutes! I almost thought I wouldn't be able to vote because I totally forgot to re-register or whatever when I got married, but I just voted by aphidavit (sp?) ballot and everything was fine. I feel good about my choice, despite the fact that every other white person coming out of the church kept saying to each other, "I know ya'll will vote RIGHT now..." meaning McCain, I'm pretty sure. The Black people and Hispanic people didn't really have any verbal opinions happening, which I found very interesting. Anyway, I'm glad I made my choice and put it in writing. I'm glad that the commercials will be over, and I'm glad that I won't have to listen to any more hooha. I will be okay with whoever becomes president and just hope that they will better our country. I AM very curious to see how close the race is, though!:)

Ownership, Censorship, and WHAT?!

THIS is what I found on my front lawn this morning. THAT is my Sunday paper, wrapped in a wrapper that is telling us exactly what to do in this election. I almost choked when I saw this. Does it shock anyone else? I mean, I never thought about it before, but I guess newspapers can be owned privately, so the owners can sell whatever they want...but MY GOD isn't this taking it a little too far? There is nothing subtle here! I just really couldn't believe it. "Vote Freedom First"? There is nothing FREE about being given something like this by an institution you expect to write the TRUTH with an unbiased opinion! LORD! Honestly, I have not seen any Obama signs around, but I didn't realize how truly Republican the South can be! It makes me wonder-is ANYONE down here going to vote for Obama or is it just me and my dad and stepmother? WOW. That's really all I can say is WOW.

Halloween

So, I'm not a big fan of Halloween-never have been. I always hated the scary music and the idea that people were going to jump out at year. One year one of my uncle's best friends played a dead body in a coffin on a neighbor's front porch and scared the crap out of me when I walked up to get my candy. I think I was 10. Then another year one of my mom's boyfriends had a haunted house across the street in our studio/barn and I remember doing homework in the house with all the windows shut trying not to hear the scary music...I think I was 13...oooh it was aweful!
BUT I'm starting to enjoy Halloween a little bit more now that I have adorable nieces and nephews to see dressed up and all excited in their costumes.:) Just wanted to share the youngest ones: Lily June and Eli-having fun with their costumes.:)

Politics and Opinions

Here is something that I want to say and say loudly. I am actually a little angry at the situation. Yesterday I sent out an e-mail telling people about the glassbooth website that I found, purely because I found it full of information, NOT because I was trying to tell people who to vote for-it could not have been construed as that in any way.
This morning I received an e-mail response from a family member telling me that she FELT that there was only one way to vote to help change our country. I was relatively okay with this, even though there was no elaboration as to what supported her thoughts. Then, this evening, I received an e-mail from another family member who informed me that:

"there is nothing hard about the choice we face.
Working people, this great country,
and the world have the future of all to consider.
Only Obama can give us a chance for a new future".

For some reason this 2nd e-mail just really ticked me off. It was like I was being told that there was no other way to vote. PERIOD. THAT'S IT. I felt like I was being told I was stupd for considering both candidates!
Living in the South, I have been surrounded by people forcing their Republican opinions down my throat day in and day out (except for my dad and step-mother). I have only found one other person who is willing to discuss the election instead of espousing Republican ideals and what's wrong with Obama. Now I'm getting the same thing from the North?! That is not okay. I have never tried to push my opinions about something like this on other people, so why do they feel the need to do this to me? I did not ask anyone's advice in my e-mail and I surely didn't ask to be told how to vote! The fact that I feel that I will be voting for Obama is beside the point! Every candidate has their strong points and their drawbacks and I am honestly trying to weigh both out to see which is more logical. That is all. Give me your opinion, yes, but don't force your ideas on me!

Luke Kalloch is FAMOUS

Yes, that's right, my brother has made another step in his walk of fame...his CD, "Carolane Acres" is now available on ITUNES for $9.99! How cool is that?! I just felt this moment needed documentation!