I think I've figured out a way. . .

to blog more often.

I downloaded an app on my phone! (I'm trying to remember how I lived without a smart phone. So ironic considering I was adamantly against getting one. . . ) Now I just click the icon and I am writing a post. Much more convenient. . . :)

Work
I am working at the Clarion this summer and it's nothing like last summer was. I am only working around 40 to 50 hours and told Dave (the manager) that I *won't* work more than 60.

I have too many other, more important, things to be doing with my time.

It's also different from the aspect of the stress level. I'm doing the same job, but Dave runs the hotel is much different than anywhere else I have worked. It's much calmer and low stress.

Class
That's right. I'm taking a class again. In the summer. I need my head examined.

I'm taking a class for my EMT Basic certification. I've talked about and thought about doing it since I got into the fire service, and I finally decided it was what I wanted to do.

So now I spend at least 8 hours a week in class, plus study time and soon I'll be doing clinicals too. *sigh*

But, it will all be over in August.

Then I'll be on call with the ambulance.

And shortly after that we'll have the

Wedding
Wedding planning is going well. I'm freaking out about it but I think I'm actually pretty on top of things.

I have my dress. The girl's dresses are ordered. The cake is paid for. The flowers are set up. We have an officiant, reception hall, ceremony site and photographer. The flower girl and ringbearer items are at the house. The DJ and caterer are set. I have the invitations being made. And my super awesome cake topper is here.

I am most worried about the decorations and favors because I am doing them (with the assistance of my awesome nieces). Other than that, I need to figure out who is doing our hair, get the bar set, order the tuxes, buy gifts, get the dress altered and write vows. Just a few things. ;-)

Spare Time
I have none!!

Other exciting news: John and I are planning on building an addition to our tiny house. VERY exciting!!

Well, that's all for now. I'll be writing soon!
♥ Sara

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Pre-Christmas Blog.

There's just something about writing at work that is so much more. . . convenient. . . than writing at home. In my defense it has been a busy week!!

Work, of course, took up it's normal forty or so hours. Nothing worth writing about there, as usual.

Home life has been pretty busy as well. . .

I got my Christmas cards out finally!! I was going to write a "Christmas letter" of sorts on here, but have decided to wait until January 1st and look back at the year, like I usually do. :)

my finished cards, waiting to be mailed. :)

I also have all but two gifts that are at the house wrapped. Neither of which are from me. I beg my parents to let me wrap their gifts because I love wrapping so much. And I have most of my shopping done. I just need to pick up a couple more things. . .but that involves finding time to run to town without John. Maybe this week one of the days that he's at work and I'm off. Oh wait, better be this week!!! Christmas is one week away! I have no idea where this year went. Wait, yes, yes I do. Work. >_<

This week I also got everything of mine put away and the house is all cleaned. There's just something about having a clean house that puts me in a very good mood. John is learning to deal with my organizational issues (I think). He was (playfully) upset when he came home and realized his clothes were almost as organized as mine. But hey, I do the laundry and put the clothes away, so I get to keep them organized, right?

Ooh! I never talked about the crazy snow we got here did I?! Last week I came into work and it took me 10 minutes to get from our house to work (usually takes 2) and fifteen to rock my baby back and forth to get her though the snow in the driveway. She's not made for snow that is deeper than her bumper is tall. Haha!

This is right after I pulled in the driveway. The windows were already not seeable.

Covering my lens so it didn't get covered in snow.

You can see where I plowed the snow with the bottom of my car. Bah!

Let's see, what else is going on. I guess just prepping for Christmas.

I offered to work Christmas Day back before John and I were together. I knew there was no way I would be lucky enough to get the entire day off. And the likelihood that I would be able to go to my parents' for any length of time would be slim. So I figured I might as well work and let everyone else have the day off. Well, I got my schedule for next week. And I work from 7 til 2 on Christmas. I know, you're thinking "that's not bad." Now let me put the actual times in there 7:00 AM until 2:00 AM. Yes, NINETEEN hours. *shakes head* I asked for it.

But on the bright side. . . We're having a family get together with my Dad's family on the 26th and I will be spending the 24th with John and his family (or at least Rickers). AND I get three days off to spend baking! :D Well, I'll be updating on Christmas if not before!

♥ Sara

"Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves."
-Eric Sevareid

Done Moving.

Oh, life, how I love you.

In addition to blogging I keep a personal journal that includes those thoughts that I am not prepared to share with the world. (I know, you're shocked there are any aren't you?) I'm going to start out by sharing a small excerpt from that. . .

"My life cracks me up.
The irony is too much to bear at times.
The timing is amazing.
The way everything falls together (or apart) causes me to believe even more
in fate."

Everything is going great with John. No, it's not all rainbows and butterflies, but then again it shouldn't be. If it was, then it's not real. Life isn't all rainbows and butterflies all the time. After much consideration and discussion between us as well as between my mom and I (you know how I feel about my parents' approval), I moved in with him.

It just made more sense than paying for an apartment that I was rarely at. I'm still not completely unpacked, but I can guarantee I won't be moving or helping anyone move for a very very long time. This makes the fourth official move since June (to Aqua, back home, to the apartment, to John's). I am so over moving!!!

So I have spent a lot of my time outside of work unpacking, cleaning and organizing. It should be all done this weekend. I have banned myself from anymore Christmas related stuff until I get everything done in order to motivate myself to do it.

My cards are mostly finished, I just need a couple more addresses and to decide whether I'm including a letter of some type or not. . . I know, I need to get that done! My shopping is almost done, I just need to pick up a couple more things in Cheboygan and (im)patiently wait for my packages to arrive.

Work is going, well, as good as work can go. I love only working forty hours, but I miss the paychecks that came with 105 hour weeks! I still have a strong desire to actually find myself a job in my field. I miss helping others. I would love to find a job working with kids, especially full families.

I don't think I mentioned this already but I'm putting grad school on hold. My heart isn't in it at all. And I can't force myself to spend that much time doing something that I'm not passionate about. (I think I was in the wrong mentality when I chose what I was going for, I wholeheartedly believe that had I chosen Marriage and Family Therapy, I would still be going to school.)

I think that catches you up on my life! :)
♥ Sara

"May the roof above us never fall in
And may we good companions beneath it
never fall out."
-Irish Blessing

Thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

As I write this, I am at work. And so full that I feel as though I might throw up. :)

This morning I got ready for work and went out to John's parents' house with him for a little while. We played with Ricky and just hung out for a bit before I had to go to work.

I volunteered to work today because at that time I didn't know I was going to end up in relationship and definitely didn't expect it to be one where I would feel comfortable going to Thanksgiving dinner with his entire family. I should learn to stop expecting stuff. And I knew my family's Thanksgiving wouldn't work for me unless I was to have the entire day off and that certainly wasn't going to happen.

So I have to work noon until midnight today. But have no fear, John brought me an amazing Thanksgiving dinner. I ate about 1/3 of it before I had to give up and put it in the fridge for later. I've been dieting for a couple months trying to (healthily) lose the weight that I gained after I started working up here so my body doesn't know what to do with this much food.

my Thanksgiving dinner. . . I was warned dessert would be coming later. Eek! :)

While I am here, and since it is Thanksgiving, I figured I would share a few things I am thankful for this year. Not something I usually do.

I am. . .

. . . thankful for my parents. They have done so much for me and I definitely wouldn't be at this place in my life without their help.

. . . thankful for my job. Even though I hate it at times, for the most part I love it. And I'm just happy to have one.

. . . thankful for volunteer opportunites. I love the fire department and am looking into working at the Crisis Pregnancy Center in Cheboygan if I ever get the right days off.

. . . thankful for my friends. I have numerous "groups" of friends and I don't know what I would do without them. I have been through so much in the last year or so and they have been there for me through it all.

. . . thankful for my health. I'm hoping this isn't me jinxing myself but I am so happy that I have went *so* long without being truly sick. A cold is nothing. I have had no relapses with my autoimmune stuff and my biopsies have been coming back the same as "normal" for me.

. . . thankful for my furbabies. They are great, I'm happy to have them living with me again.

. . . thankful to be on my own. There's something about taking care of myself and my own stuff that makes me feel amazing. (Although now I have someone helping take care of me, but that's different. *smiles*)

. . . thankful for him. SO thankful for him. He is exactly what I want, and, I think I met him at exactly the right time.

. . . thankful for my life in general. There isn't much I would change, and none of it is major. :)

♥ Sara

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
-John Fitzgerald Kennedy

The Penthouse.

Welp, yesterday I officially moved into my new apartment. I worked until 1, then unloaded my car. While I waited for dad to get here with his truck, I went with John to pick up a couch for the apartment. By the time I got back Nick and Dad had the truck unpacked with the exception of the big stuff. Dad and I took the mattress up then "supervised" the guys carrying up the rest. I have to say, it was some good entertainment. The door had to be taken off to get my box spring in the apartment, and the couch never did fit, no matter how they turned it or how hard they pushed. And it wasn't even *my* couch. [Those of you who helped me move before remember the disaster that my old couch was to move! In this blog post there is a pic to help you understand the mess that moving that couch was. My friends loved it. We even had to take thedoor off for that one too!]

*Thank you to Dad, John and Nick for helping!*

My new apartment is on the third floor (again) of an old house (aka, the attic) in Mackinaw City. Dad calls it the penthouse because I have the entire top floor, not hardly. I know, I'm *so* good at picking apartments to live in. (My old apartment was also on the third floor and a huge pain in the ass to move into, yet easy in comparison to this one.) But it's perfect for what I needed, I wouldn't mind a much larger kitchen, but sacrifices had to be made. And the shower is, well, an experience. (And if you ever come visit you will get to see exactly what I mean.) I'll post pictures on this blog as soon as I get them taken.

I am excited to be on my own. Excited to have the independence. Excited to not have to get up for work at five (blargh) anymore. Excited that once it starts snowing I won't have to turn a 45 minute drive into an over-two-hour drive because I won't be able to see a thing in a few spots. Excited that my parents and the rest of my family still only lives a short distance away and that I don't have to drive five hours to see them. Excited that when my family has get-togethers I can now request the afternoon off and go! Excited that my friends can come visit and have a place to stay (as long as they don't all come at once, lol).


Yes, some of these things make me nervous. But I'm definitely more excited than nervous! Be patient for the pictures, I want to get everything unpacked and my apartment cleaned before I take them. :)

one of the first pictures I took of the Bridge. . . IN NOVEMBER!

Song of the Day:
Speak Now by Taylor Swift
[I have been obsessed with this song lately. And I don't see there ever being a case where I want to use it because I relate to it (goodness, I hope not!!) so I figured I would post it here.]
♥ Sara

“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
-A. A. Milne

Oops.

Wow, I did *not* intend 'closure' to be my final blog for over 2 months. I had no idea what my life had in store for me. I've learned to not expect anything and to be willing to handle whatever lands in my lap, even if it isn't something I want to deal with.

Let's see. Last blog was written on August 28 . . . I worked my normal 9 am til midnight until Saturday the fourth of September. The morning girl called in sick and I ended up working an eighteen hour shift. Now before you think that is insane, listen to this. . . The next day I started work at noon, at noon Monday I clocked out. That is correct, I worked a 24 hour shift on Labor Day (how appropriate). After that I took a couple days off. Since then I've been working more reasonable hours, never over 80. Now I'm on a 40 hour week. So different.

I also dropped most of my classes. I just couldn't handle the classes and 105 hour weeks. And now there seems to be something going on in my life at all times so I'm only taking a couple classes.

I will be moving to Mackinaw City next week. All. By. Myself. This will be the first time ever that I moved somewhere alone. (Yes, I lived alone for awhile after Jeff and I split, but I was home every weekend and Katie stayed with me often.) I am very excited about this. I also joined Mackinaw City's fire department this week.

I don't have much time before I need to head to work, so I am going to leave it here and I will be posting again soon. Sorry for disappearing on you, but once I get moved in and settled I *should* have plenty of free time! :)
♥ Sara
"Leaving home in a sense involves a kind of second birth in which we give birth to ourselves."
-Robert Neely Bellah

Reflections.

on my way to my day off. . .

cooler with drinks, steak and salad + wood for a fire + private beach = perfection.

If I was to say my life right now was all I had imagined it would be at any point during the last ten years, I would be lying. If someone would have told me a year ago that I would be working a over 100 hours a week and living in Mackinaw, I would have looked at them like they were crazy. Hell, a year ago I was still trying to stay in Kalamazoo!

Now, I'm not saying I hate my life or anything like that. It just makes me think about what could have been and what is to come. This is where my mind tends to wander while I'm at work for at least 15 hours a day.


I'm going to divide my thoughts into separate sections partially for your benefit, but mostly for mine to keep myself from rambling too much. :)

sunset at the end of my parents' road.

Love

I'm sure it shocks everyone (or no one) that this made my list of things to ramble about. I think the longer I am single, the more cynical I become. I don't know how to explain it. In the past, what, 5 or 6 years, this is the longest I have been without a relationship (I know, it's only been like six months. And I'm not saying it's a bad thing.). I find myself thinking critically of other people's relationships and looking back at my past relationships and wondering if love actually exists. I'm not talking about familial love, or friendship love. I know for a fact that they exist, which I will likely write about later in this post.

Maybe it's not so much love that I doubt as it is the idea of a soulmate or one person who is right for me. Maybe it's my doubt in other people that leads me to doubt love in this sense. Maybe it's my doubt in my future. Maybe it's the fact that I have been let down in the past and I'm afraid that it will happen again, or that I will make it happen to another person.

Now, I'm sure I could be in a relationship if I wanted to, but I have decided I will not do so unless I'm 100% sure of it. And I'm not. I have been through too many shitty relationships to get myself in yet another. Plus, right now, I work too many hours a week to even entertain the idea of a relationship with anyone. I get nine hours a day off work. That is barely enough time to sleep, shower and get ready for work. Certainly not enough time to share with another person.

I LOVE roasted marshmallows.

Work

Speaking of work. . . it is my life. I have no time for anything else. I have quit drinking completely (I didn't have a problem, I just don't have the time and it's easier this way.), so going out is rare. I guess that's a good thing though because I don't have time to go out. I have to say it is interesting around here. Between guests, coworkers and random things that happen it's rare that a day goes by without something exciting going on. I think at the end of the season I'll write about my work experience and share some of those things with you. Or maybe I'll video blog about it. :)

I am looking forward to the end of the season though, when work is over. But it's not like I'll be done for good, most likely I will be working for mom this year. Ya'll know I can't stand not doing anything. And now that I have been working this much I can't imagine not doing it. I hope that makes sense.

Starting after Labor Day, whenever we have less than twenty rooms rented, I will have the day off. Pretty much, I will be working only on the weekends after Labor Day. I will still be getting a minimum of 40 hours a week. I'm definitely not upset about that. I will probably be thrilled to have the break by then. :)

the sand between the lake and the stream.

School

I don't think I mentioned it before because I wanted to figure out if I am going, where I am going, when I am going and what I am going for before I brought it up. I have decided that I am fact going. I will be starting my Master's degree through Liberty University August 23. My classes are all online, so I will be able to do it from the comfort of home, er, work. For the first month or so of classes I will still be working. Yes, I am aware that I am insane.

What am I going for, you ask? Well, my heart and my head were torn. It was between a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy and a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis on Accounting.

My heart wanted to go for the MA because it would put me in a better position to help people in my job. If you know me well, you know that I have a strong desire for helping others, and like my love issue, that will be discussed later on. But this field isn't exactly a happening field to be in. Also, marriage and family therapists don't make very much money, especially not in the beginning.

My head wanted to go for the MBA because it would lead to more jobs, and most likely more money. I wanted to have an emphasis on accounting because I know that is something I (somewhat) enjoy and I can then sit for my CPA exam.

I'm sure you can figure out that my head won. I feel that it should have and that I made the right decision. (I'll let you know if I still feel that way in a couple years.) I have to take two undergraduate classes in the fall for prerequisites, then it is graduate classes from then on out. I know my grad classes will be ridiculous, so hopefully work won't be so intensive when I start them. Wish me luck! :)

my parents

Family

I felt like including family in this blog because working here makes me appreciate my family even more than I did before. Believe it or not, I think I miss them more now than I did when I was living in Kalamazoo. When I lived in Kalamazoo I was able to talk to them more often, and I was able to see friends and get out of my apartment. Here, I rarely leave my apartment/work or see people outside of my roommates and a few other employees up here. Thankfully, I have wonderful parents who come up to visit me now and then. Since I started the new schedule, they have promised to come visit once a week or so. I am so happy to hear this. :)

And I promised I would come back to the love thing. My parents are the reason I can say hands down that love does exist. They have been there for me through everything. And by everything, I mean everything. I cannot express here how much I appreciate them and all they have done for me. In fact, it's not even worth trying. I will just say I have amazing parents and even though there are times when I don't agree with them, and there are certainly times they don't agree with me, they are the best.

she hated the lake, but loved the stream. I think she was afraid of the waves.

he, on the other hand, couldn't get enough of the water. :)

Volunteering

I think volunteering is one of the things I miss most about being here. I missed the pregnancy care center even before working up here. Now I miss it even more. Something about being able to help people and knowing that I am making a difference just does something for me. I think I'm going to try to start working at a center up here when I'm done with the season, if I have the time.

If you know me well you know I thrive off of helping others. Hell, here I am referred to as "mom" because I cook and clean and take care of the guys as much as I can. Not because I am expected to or asked to, but because I want to. (But I do appreciate help from them now and then. *hint, hint* :)...)

I also miss firefighting, even though we hadn't had that many fires. I even miss doing maintenance stuff around the station. (Never thought I would say that one!) Last week they had a fire and I got a text message about it. I was so sad that I wasn't home for it. Oh well, soon enough I will be back to the house and able to go fire calls (if we ever get them) and will once again be able to go down to the station and work. Plus I won't have to miss meetings anymore!

I had an meeting for the party committee for the Fireman's Dinner, Dance and Auction last week on my last day off for the season. Yep, that's right, we are really planning ahead this year. I'm excited for February to get here for that. Put it on your calendars and come support us! :)

enjoying my last day off.

Last Day Off.

August 4th was my last day off for the season. I have to say it was pretty amazing. I was able to go home the evening of the 3rd. On my way home I stopped and got my ear pierced again, an industrial this time. Then I went to vote, picked Dad up from home and went to our fire meeting. I was able to get a FULL night's sleep, take care of some things that needed to be taken care of, then spend my entire afternoon/evening at the beach. I loved that my day included sun, Stephen King, steak, s'mores and a swimsuit. :) But now, I'm working every day, 15 hours a day. Oh well, in the end it will be worth it.

the dock I spent my day on.

Song of the Day:

Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield

[The lyrics are self-explanatory. The more time I spend thinking about my life, the more I feel like my planning is useless because it isn't going to turn out the way I planned anyhow, even though that might not be a bad thing. I'm just kinda along for the ride, seeing where life takes me. I don't feel like this is a negative thing, as long as I have accepted it, and I have. I'm excited to see where I end up in a year, or five, or even better yet, twenty-five. :) ]

♥ Sara

"We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us."
-Joseph Campbell

New.

So, you are just going to have to bear with me through this summer. My blogging will not be very regular and I might not have a whole lot to say. Some things have happened since the last time I blogged though. . . .

1. I switched hotels, again. I now work at the Aqua Grand. (If you are coming to Mackinaw City and need a room, I know where you can get one!! :) ) And I'm staying at this one until it closes. There was a weekend about three weeks ago when I was supposed to be going to Kalamazoo for Krissi's birthday party. I had been planning on it since I started working, everyone was aware that I wouldn't be around. . . that is until one of the managers of the hotel I am working at now disappeared and the other was on vacation. So, I ended up giving up my trip to Kalamazoo and working there for the weekend. I decided to stay there after the weekend was over (of course after ok-ing it with other people). Since that weekend, I have been working a minimum of 70 hours a week. I get two more days off this summer. One is for my family reunion, which it is essential that I am at since I'm in charge of the damn thing. When I signed up for it I had no idea I would have a job where I'm working 7 days a week, a minimum of 8 hours a day. And the other is just before the the other desk clerk leaves for the season and I start working all day every day (as opposed to all day half of the week and half days the other half).

2. I'm living in Mackinaw. With how many hours I have been working I need to stay here to remain half way sane and successfully get a good night's rest. I live in an apartment behind the lobby of the hotel I work at. When the other manager quit, he left an open room behind, so I moved into it. I live with three guys (one of them being my manager, the other two manage other businesses as well). It's interesting, that's for sure. And since I am the only one who cooks and cleans (because I make time for it) I have acquired the nickname "mom." I like it up here and I'm pretty much married to my job for now. It won't be like this forever, and maybe that's the main reason I don't mind it so much. Only a couple more months and the hotels will be closing up and my hours will be cut way back. Right now I attempt to make it home at least one night a week and my parents do come visit me once in a while.

3. I GOT A CAR!! I bought a 2009 Ford Focus. I will be adding pictures eventually, I'll be sure to take some. :) I am so excited. I was able to get it financed on my own and had plenty to use as a down payment. I don't know if you understand how much that means to me. I went from not having a job to not only have a job, but being able to finance a car on my own and owning my own car with no help from mom and dad. I love being independent and this is just one more way I could do so.

4. I got a new camera. My other new camera had an accident at the all night diner. (She was dropped when drunk people were looking at pictures.) Luckily, I had the amazing warranty plan and they accepted it as a return right away.

5. I had yet another biopsy done. As you may know, I have Barrett's Esophagus, which is a pre-cancer of the esophagus. I have had it for three and a half years that I know of and I have to get a biopsy done every three years. This one came back the same as always. I still have Barrett's but it hasn't progressed any further so my doctor told me to not worry about it and we will do another biopsy in three years. At least this one was "normal" for me, unlike the last two, and Istill need to get my other mole removed. *makes note to self* (Maybe in October!!!)

I think that's about it. My life right now consists mainly of work and of very little else. The rumors about me haven't stopped. I don't know that they will. And I don't really understand why there is such a draw to me. But, whatever. The people I care most about know the truth, and that's all that matters.

To my friends, I'm sorry I have fallen off the face of the earth. I will see you all in the fall! :) ♥

Song of the Day:

Sideways by Dierks Bentley

[I love this song. It's one of the ones that comes on the radio and I crank it up. Unfortunately there is no "worked all week" it's more like "worked all summer." :) ]

♥ Sara

"Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did." -Newt Gingrich

Time Off.

Don't fall off your chair! Yes, I am writing a blog! :)

I had the past four days off and had a ton of goals for myself. The most important ones got accomplished, or almost accomplished. I also wanted to write a blog while I was off, so of course I am writing it five hours before I have to be back to work! Haha. I am such a slacker sometimes.

I even took some time to smell the roses, er, lilacs. :)

Work has been great. I have been working at least 40 hours a week. I actually enjoy it. I know, right? A job NOT in my field that I enjoy? I didn't expect to find that. And honestly, when I started there I didn't expect to enjoy it. I had a day off on Wednesday, it was the first day off I had aside from my fire exam in three weeks. Craziness.

Oh! My fire exam! I passed!!!! :) I got the call three days after the test. And all of the people that were in fire 1 and 2 with me passed as well. Very exciting!

All of my college classes are over now. FINALLY! I didn't remember what it was like to not have to worry about some form of homework or classes or something. These last four days have been incredibly relaxing. I didn't have to worry about homework, or going to class, or working, or looking for a job. Even when I was searching for a job and unemployed, it wasn't relaxing. I was so stressed out about the job situation it wasn't even funny. . .

while on my mini vacation I worked on developing my love affair with my new camera.

she (the camera) needs a name. any ideas?

I had a great weekend! I had been waiting for last weekend for a while and it turned out to be awesome. That's all I need to say about that, I think. I really am trying to NOT write about the details of my life until they are something that NEEDS to be written about or until it's something that is semi-permanent in my life. I don't know if that makes sense to you or not, but it does to me.

Anyhow, that was my Saturday and early Sunday. Sunday afternoon I had a fire meeting and filled air tanks. I spent Sunday night and Monday working on my laundry and putting it all away. I had SO many clothes to put away, and a couple loads to wash. Ugh. Hopefully I keep up on it from here on out. I do have a little bit more to do today before I go to work, but not too much.

Some shots. . . the first one was taken Sunday and the second was on Monday.

i love dandelions.

Monday I also had my mole on my back removed. :( I was so sad to see it go. But I was even more sad when my local anesthesia wore off! It hurt like crazy! Then yesterday I somehow ripped out a stitch (I had two or three, I was told three but dad could only see two.) and now it's open and hurts. Ugh. If this comes back benign, my doctor will not be touching anything on me that doesn't hurt. Seriously.

before I hopped in the shower to get ready to go to the doctor. see the mole?

where my mole used to be.

After my doctor's visit dad and I went and got ice cream and were going to the park to eat it. But he took me to the ball fields instead to watch Shianne play ball. And I got to take some awesome pictures of it! I was so happy because I rarely have time off when she has games.

my nephew.

my niece sliding into home.

Then last night we had our last Firefighters' Association meeting of the year. And by of the year I mean until September. The boys don't like having meetings in the summer because they are "too busy." *rolls eyes* It's amazing we get anything done only having 9 meetings a year. Ya know? Whatever works for them.

So, here I sit. Drinking my coffee. Listening to Drew Carey's annoying voice on the tv. (Mom watches Price is Right and I'm upstairs.) Thinking about how I should be putting away clothes. Dreading getting dressed and going to work. I know this week is going to be murder. I work 4 pm-midnight tonight, 8am - 4pm tomorrow, 4pm - midnight Friday and . . . . brace yourself. . . 7am - midnight Saturday. *sigh* Hopefully I won't work 8am - 4pm Sunday!

Well, I guess I'm off to put away my clothes. Thanks for reading!

Song of the Day:

Animal Crackers in my Soup by Shirley Temple

[Nick is going to hell because this song is stuck in my head. Sunday he was over and I said something about grilled cheese and tomato soup and he asked me if I was going to put animal crackers in it. I didn't get it. So we listened to the song. Yep. And it's stuck. So between that and the hippo song that I made him listen to I have a silly song in my head at all times. :) ]

♥ Sara

"I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich." -Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford, "Identity Crisis," M*A*S*H

Delayed Posting. Sorry!!

I came to check on my blog today, and realized that I never posted this video. Wow, I really do suck!! Here's a bit of an explanation as to why! :)

Recorded May 5th.

♥ Sara

"You do not need to be loved, not at the cost of yourself. The single relationship that is truly central and crucial in a life is the relationship to the self. Of all the people you will know in a lifetime, you are the only one you will never lose." - Jo Courdert

Catching Up.

This was actually recorded April 22. Why it wasn't posted until now. . . I have no clue! I uploaded it to my blog then! Anyhow. . .enjoy.

♥ Sara

"You've got a lot of choices. If getting out of bed in the morning is a chore and you're not smiling on a regular basis, try another choice."

-Steven D. Woodhull

New Shoes.

Day 28 - [04.19.10]

These are my new work shoes!!! While I was in Kalamazoo I went shopping like I said I would and got new shoes for work. They are so comfortable. Thus far I don't think I have had more comfortable shoes. This is by far a good thing. I will have to stand for a minimum of 8 hours a day when I start at the Dockside, so I will need incredibly comfortable shoes. I honesty love these ones.

Song of the Day:

Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band

[This song was playing when I got out of work. It puts me in a good mood and so I cranked it up and rolled the windows down. It's a good song, with a good beat and it's just one of those songs that instantly makes me happy when I hear it.]

♥ Sara

"Funny that a pair of really nice shoes make us feel good in our heads - at the extreme opposite end of our bodies." -Levende Waters

Comfort Suites.

Day 23 - [04.14.10]

Significance? Well, this is where I am currently working. I won't be there forever, in fact I probably won't even be there for two more weeks. But I really do like it there. . . I like it there a lot. I wasn't hired for the Comfort Suites' front desk though, I was hired for Best Western Dockside front desk, so once the Dockside is open and up and running I will be transferring over to there. Anna, my boss who hired me, wanted me to train at the Comfort Suites with Benny, the guy who I refer to as my boss in all of the rest of my postings. So that's why I have been there for the past three weeks or so. Anyhow, work was a little slow, so I was messing around with my camera and took this picture. :)

Song of the Day:

Alright by Darius Rucker

[This was one of those days where everything just felt right in my life. Dan ended up not making it up because my aunt and his fiancée both got sick on the way up. I was disappointed that I didn't get to see him, but I understood. So I found other things to do with my day after I was done working. And I am just content with where I am in life right now. The only thing that could make it any better would be once I am done with my fire and college classes. :) ]

♥ Sara

"The number one sign you have nothing to do at work: The 4th Division of Paperclips has overrun the Pushpin Infantry and General White-Out has called for a new skirmish." -Fred Barling, "Humorscope"

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Day 21 - [04.12.10]

These are my work shoes. I had awesome work shoes that Eliza (one of the four cats) decided to chew up. So, I only had one other pair of good shoes that were not heels, and these are it. They are NOT comfortable and I would not recommend them to anyone to wear for an eight hour day of standing (even though I end up sitting for part of the day, they are still not comfortable). Luckily, I will be getting new shoes when I go to Kalamazoo this weekend, so it will hopefully no longer be an issue of awfully sore feet when I get home from work. :)

Song of the Day:

How Am I Doin' by Dierks Bentley

[This song isn't actually for me. It's more for someone who is really close to me and recently got screwed over. I heard it on the radio today and I instantly thought of him. :) If you are reading this, you know who you are. . . enjoy the song! And know in the long run you are better off! This song got me through a couple break ups. I don't know, I love relating music to my every day life. Period. End of story.]

♥ Sara

"A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year." -Paul Sweeney

Yum.

Day 12 - [04.03.10]

This batch of yumminess is my granola trail mix stuff I make. I worked a full day yesterday and was smart enough to pack a lunch (go me!) but I realized that it a) wasn't the healthiest lunch possible and b) I didn't give myself anything to snack on.

So, on my way home I had to stop at Walmart anyways and while I was there I picked up the stuff to make this trail mix stuff that I made all the time when I lived in Kalamazoo to eat during class and when I worked at the gym. It has granola, almonds, pistachios, dried cherries and usually dried cranberries in it, but this time I couldn't find dried cranberries and I was getting irritated looking for them (I know, you're shocked. *wink, wink*) so I went with dried pineapple instead.

I haven't actually tried any yet, but I know that I loved it before, so hopefully the pineapple doesn't make it too weird. If it does, I'll just have to pick it all out.

Song of the Day:

Fallin For You by Colbie Caillat

[This song was on when I was in the shower, and then I heard it again later in the day. I know I said I wasn't going to say it anymore but I LOVE this song. And I LOVE the video even more. If you haven't seen it, watch it! It's rather unexpected. :) Hmm. . . what else to say about it? I really like Colbie Caillat. In case you haven't already realized, I listen to an odd variety of music, so this song of the day thing should be interesting and *should* have something for everyone, minus rap, I don't do rap.]

♥ Sara

"Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity." -Voltaire

Caffeine.

Day 10 - [04.01.10]

So if you know me, you know that I drink a lot of caffeinated beverages. I didn't realize how much until yesterday when I got out of work and had the WORST headache in the world. Ok, maybe not worst in the world, but worst that I have had, and I have had said headache more than once. It had been a while though and I was trying to figure out what the heck it was from. Well I called mom to tell her how my first day went and told her about my headache and she told me to go get some food and a pop. And that's when I remembered. . . . I have a severe dependence on caffeine, and I didn't have any coffee or pop that day. Aw, hell. It was BAD.

I got some dinner and drank my pop and was all better. But this led me to make the resolution that I will NOT go to work without a minimum cup of coffee in me and a caffeinated drink with me. There's no way I could deal with front desk work with the headache I had last night.

This leads me to the picture. . . Sugar Free Red Bull is becoming one of my drinks of choice. Ok, it has been one of my drinks of choice for a while now. And I have a mini-stock going on of them. So, this is my way to keep from getting my headache and to remain happy at work, or school, or wherever I may be. I'm definitely a fan.

Song of the Day:

Dirty Little Secret by All American Rejects

[This song was the theme song of the Bold and the Bitchy, aka the Soap Opera name I came up with for the 409 this summer, back when they had drama. It is now the song that I associate with my best friends, and is the ring tone on my phone for anyone from the 409. I'll admit, I get rather excited when I hear my phone playing that song!]

♥ Sara

"I don't have a problem with caffeine. I have a problem without caffeine!" -Author Unknown

First Day.

[Day 9 - 03.31.10]

Well, this is my punch card for work. Significance? Um, I HAVE A JOB! I had to take a picture that was job related so I could talk about it! Today was my first day of work, and I actually really liked it. It'll take me a day or two to get everything down and to remember everything and to feel comfortable. And my boss guy is great. . .he won't be my boss for the long term, the lady who hired me will, but her hotel isn't open for the season yet, so he's training me.

It makes me laugh because he was worried about me trying to learn too much in one day. But I found the computer program and checking people in and out to be fairly easy. The only part that is going to really take any time for me is the whole answering the phones and selling the room thing. I need to get my spiel down and once I do that I'll be set. :) Plus, he seems to be really laid back and we actually find non-work-related stuff to talk about in the little bit of down time we do have, so that makes it nice as well.

Overall, first day of work. . . .success.

Song of the Day:

Haven't Met You Yet by Michael Bublé

[This song has been stuck in my head all day! I heard it in the shower while getting ready for work, then I heard it on my way to work. I think it's rather catchy, and while I'm not sure that I feel the lyrics for myself at this time, I definitely have before. Oh and if you watch the video, I totally thought it was cheesy the first time I watched it. But. . . I do love his shoes! :) ]

♥ Sara

"Find a job you like and you add five days to every week." -H. Jackson Browne

It FINALLY Happened!!

Thanks for watching! :)

♥ Sara

"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish." -John Quincy Adams