It's been a long time...here's an update for a BUNCH!!

Wow, a lot has happened since the last time I posted (jeez, July 2011!!)

#4- Have brunch with/for my friends

#5- Tailgating!!!!

#26- Re-read Greek mythology...this is my favorite book for mythology 

#35- Find a beer that I actually like! 

#19- Try a new kind of food...crab legs- they weren't too bad.  Not something I'll eat on a regular basis, lol. 

#13- Learn a couple signature dishes that I'd be proud to serve to anyone.  (working on another one)

This one is Korean Beef, modified to use ground beef instead of sliced beef.  My neighbor, Lynni, made it for me one night and it's already become a staple!!  Quick and easy, and so DELICIOUS!! 

A TWO-FER COMBO

#29- Go to a waterpark and not feel self-conscious and #18- Do more fun things with Zach

I got an overnight stay at the Wasserbahn for Zach's birthday. 

Jake and his mom came with us, and we had a blast!!

In addition to the above pic, we did lots more fun stuff.  

Glow in the dark Mt Dew

Hockey game- we won!

Carving pumpkins

Horizons Night at the Ballpark- Star Wars Night!

In June 2012, my cousin Nate got married.  We took a big family trip down to North Carolina.  Zach and I drove down with Mom and Dad, and we picked up Lori, Troy and Cooper in North Carolina.

Louisville Slugger Factory & Museum 

Exotic Animal Drive-Through Farm

The walking part of the exotic animal farm

My cousin, Nate, works in Nascar.  Zach and my dad are big Nascar fans, so we had to go tour a few facilities, including an in-depth, behind the scenes tour of Nate's shop at Earnhart Ganassi Racing. 

At Nate's wedding...it was held in a quarry that was absolutely GORGEOUS!!! 

 A few more that I don't have pictures for....

#17- Sing and dance in the rain.  

Jen, Tayla, Cody, Jess and I were grilling out one night and it started downpouring.  Me, Jen and Tayla started splashing around and running through the puddles and stream down the middle of the parking lot.  We had so much fun, and were DRENCHED!

#22- Buy a laptop.  

Happy Mother's Day to me, 2011

#28- Get up the nerve to ask a guy out and have him say yes.

Done and done.  Sadly, we aren't together anymore, but we are still very good friends.

#33- Submit an entry to PostSecret.

I can't tell you what it was though!

ONGOING ITEMS

#23- Make a difference in someone's life like so many have made in mine.  

Seems like someone is always turning to me for advice, or just to talk.  I do my best to give advice, or just to listen when they need to vent.  One person specifically, I've been pushing to get his PTSD treated and encouraging him to stop drinking (same guy as #28).

#8- Use the savings accounts for Zach and me

I try my best, but it seems like something always comes up to deplete it :(  Always start over though.

ITEMS THAT ARE IN THE WORKS!!

#20- Fall in love again

Maybe not in the traditional sense that most think of (with someone else), but I am falling back in love with myself and learning to love myself for who and what I am.  I have to be happy with myself first before I can be truly happy with someone else.

#7- Explore and photograph old abandoned properties/ghost towns.

Some friends and I are making a trip to this place, Edinburgh Manor, in April 2013.  It's supposedly very haunted, and we are super excited to go!!! 

Another Two-Fer Combo

#25- Go to VEGAS and #12- Photograph a new city

Mandi and I are planning a trip to Vegas in March 2013!!  So stoked!! 

#34- Buy a new bed

I finally made the jump....after losing my comfy bed to Bret when I left, I've been using the mattress that my sister and I used when we were little...so yeah, like 20-25 years old.  UGH.  I walked in to Mattress Firm the other day when they were having their Grand Opening Sale and walked out with a super comfy, ultra plush pillowtop, complete with cooling gel (oooh, lol) put on layaway.  I'll make payments on it, and hopefully have it before I turn 35 in August!  They did give me a helluva deal on it, half price!!

Well, I think that's it for updates!  

My beautiful new piece of art!

So, I signed my divorce papers this last week! Let the party planning commence!

I was off work for Thursday afternoon and all day Friday last week. Spent Thursday afternoon with friends at the pool, relaxing and then had a karaoke show Thursday night here in Ely. Good time all around.

Friday morning, I was signed up to do a Meals on Wheels route. Even though I had the day off work, I chose to go in and do my route anyway, because I felt like doing something good for the community. Seeing all the old people made me smile, and know that my volunteering is worth something.

On the way home, I drove past a tattoo shop and almost literally had to wrench my car away from turning into the parking lot. It wasn't the shop I wanted to go to, but the urge hit me that hard! So I turned to head towards the other shop and ended up stopping myself at the interstate and came home. Two reasons: 1) I hadn't thought through clearly what I wanted and 2) I wanted someone to come with me. So I head home, working through my thoughts. I wanted something that symbolized my strength and courage to move on with my life, but was feminine and still meaningful.

As I was driving home, Jen texted me asking what I was up to. I had thought she was working so I called her right away and asked what she was up to. She ended up not having to work, so I told her that she was coming with me to get a tattoo! I came home and started looking at designs. I had decided I wanted a tiger lily, my favorite flower ever- ditch variety please!

So I looked up the symbolism of the tiger lily... "The symbolism of the tiger lily is like other lilies in that they symbolize the feminine principle reflecting the qualities of mercy, compassion, kindness and unconditional love. Lilies are associated with the planet Venus, the water element and the goddesses Venus, [...]. However the Tiger Lily represents the more powerful aspects of femininity.
The tiger lily symbolizes female courage. It is a good flower for a career woman to carry in her bouquet down the aisle, and it's bold orange symbolizes personal wealth and career success.
The fact that the tiger lily is bright orange also speaks of joy, productivity and pride. The brown freckles on the flower's petals allude to the concept of always being in touch with one's creativity."

OMG, how perfect!!! So off we went, and Jeremiah happened to have an opening so he got started on the design. Here's the final product!!! It's not a great picture, but you get the idea. And it's so much prettier in person!

The Drive-In Movie!

Took Zach and his best friend, Jake, to the drive-in last night. Jake's mom decided to come at the last minute, and asked if I cared if she brought her other two little ones.  So we loaded up her vehicle with blankets, chairs, extra clothes, and plenty of food and candy to have the kids on a week long sugar high :)

We had a great time and the kids loved it!

Making a Difference

The world works in mysterious ways. Everything is connected, somehow, someway. It has been proven. "A small stone may make only a ripple at first, but eventually it becomes a wave" and all that.

The vast majority of the time, I am a very positive person. It’s not that I strive to be positive. That’s just who I am. I’m a happy-go-lucky type of girl. Do I have my bad moments? Oh yeah, all the time. I have my times when I’m down in the dumps and I’m irritated and depressed and pissed off. But I am almost always looking on the bright side of things, looking for that silver lining. I can choose to be depressed and pissed off…..OR I can choose to look at the way things COULD be. If I just accept a situation that is out of my control, and accept that I can’t change it, then my mood changes. I might not be happy about it, but I’m accepting it. And that’s the first step.

My new neighbor told me something yesterday that has been floating around in my head, like a piece of dandelion fluff. She told me that prior to moving in here, she had been feeling very down, depressed, and "fatalistic". Felt like nothing was right in her life. Then they moved to Ely, next door to me.

Now, I really only see this woman when we are standing outside smoking, and even though the conversations might only be a few minutes (usually a lot longer), we have had some very interesting talks. She has lived a fascinating, but rough, life. Some of the things we have discussed have intrigued me and really set my mind to thinking about things.

She stopped me yesterday when I got home from work. She told me that she hoped she had a chance to see me because something had been on her mind. She went on to tell me that since moving in, and with talking to me, she comes away feeling better. The "fatalistic" view on life that she had is slowly going away. She has realized where her passion lies, and what she wants to do. She is going to take the leap and follow her heart and passion.

This woman doesn’t know a lot of what I’ve been going through, but knows some of it. She knows that things aren’t easy for me right now, and that I have enough stuff going on to be down about. But she looked at me and said that I’m not letting it get me down like it would other people. And it encourages her. She told me that I have that effect on people, and I probably didn’t even realize it. That the things I do, no matter how small or big, have an effect on people. A smile, a talk with someone, my singing, and so on.

She said that she didn’t think I realized that I can affect people as much as I do. With my positive thoughts, always looking for the bright side of things in what is perceived as a bad situation, all the things that seem to come naturally to me. It’s just what I do. She told me that I should try and tap into that connection.
Basically, she told me that I’ve made a difference in her life, and she said that even though other people may not realize it, or acknowledge it, I’ve made a difference in their lives too.

Proud of myself....

I've made the decision to stop smoking! The only reason that I had started back up was because it's a stress thing for me....the day my world was turned on its side, I went and bought a pack. That was around Thanksgiving 2009. So, a year and a half later, I'm quitting. Work has a smoking cessation program, and I asked my boss if they would pay for acupuncture. I've always been an alternative medicine/therapy type of person, so thought I'd try it out. My last cigarette was on Monday, March 21st, just after lunch. Had my first acupuncture session that afternoon, and I haven't smoked since! I was doing really well the 24 hours, but around hour 30 (so 7:30 pm last night, March 22), I had a really bad craving. I almost gave in. I found some cigarettes that were in my car that I had forgotten about in my console.....oh, it was hard, but I resisted!

I've also come up with my secret postcard to send in to PostSecret....I could post it here, but what's the point? It's a secret! It involves me and my son, and my worries as a mom. That's all I'll give ya.

I was talking to Zach the other night about the constellations. The stars were out, and absolutely beautiful. I pointed out Orion to him, and showed him his "belt". He wanted to know who Orion is, so I started explaining to him that he was a Greek legend, the Great Hunter. Zach started asking questions, and I began explaining Greek mythology. Um, DUH. One of my goals is to re-read Greek mythology...perfect! So I told Zach that I would get a book that he could understand, and we could read about it together. He got pretty excited about it. He knows about Hercules because of Disney's movie, and therefore, a bit about some of the gods and goddesses. Leave it to Disney to explain!!! HAHA!

So that's my scoop for now. Karaoke is still going well :) Regular "game" night has sort of evolved into a "regular friends night"....we might hang out at someone's house watching a movie, go bowling, or head down to the local bar for dinner and enjoying everyone's company. Of course, there's always regular karaoke nights too!

Update 3/4/11

Well, things have been going pretty good. I've got the steady part time job doing karaoke every Saturday night- it doesn't pay much, especially since I share the show with one of my close friends, but hey- I'm getting paid to do something I LOVE. Can't beat that!!

Spring is right around the corner, and it's constantly on my mind. I've been thinking about trips that I'd like to do....the short little getaway by myself, especially. I'm debating on what I want to do-whether I want to go to a bed and breakfast, or if I want to go a bit more extravagent (on limited funds!!) and fly south, enjoy the beach. I don't know yet. I'll just have to keep it in the back of my head.

Another one of my things- to find a beer I actually like. Yeah, still no luck on that front! I tried Coors Light and Michelob Ultra Light....blech to both!! LOL! I've had someone tell me that I need to try a fruitier beer, maybe Leiney's Berry Weiss. So I'll have to check that out sometime.

Let's see...new tattoo. Oh boy, I'm getting an itch, that's for sure! I haven't totally decided yet on what I'm going to get, but it's going to have something to do with strength or happiness. That will happen this summer!

Learning how to take a compliment well...I think I'm doing pretty darn good with that! I've had compliments on my hair, and on the weight I've lost. But I accept them gracefully and gratefully, and move on from the subject :)

The regular "game" night hasn't happened yet, but I am having regular nights out with my friends, so I just could possibly count that. Games would be fun too, though!

As for making a difference in someone's life like many have made in mine, I'm making progress on that all the time. That is a never ending one. I've had a couple friends make comments about that one item, and tell me how much I have done for them, and what it means to them. In turn, it really means a lot to me.

Gosh, I think that's about all for my update. See you next time!

So Excited!

Got great news this morning! Found out that I'll be working my first karaoke show this weekend! YAY!!!

Cross #6 off my list...I'm on the way to a new part time career that I absolutely LOVE!!!