Back to Work...What Happened to My Time Off?!?

Happy Monday! Today is my first day back to work in nine days...that is one of the nice benefits of working for a school district. We have the option of working some of the days during breaks, but it's become my plan to take off Thanksgiving and Winter breaks and work the others. It was definitely a nice break and needed. We were so busy...

• The first weekend of break was kind of a lazy time for me...a little grocery shopping and a haircut....other than this, it was a lot of bonding time with the couch!
• Monday: Slept in a little before heading north to Mom's. We had promised we would help get some shopping done and pre-TG prep done. After a nice lunch, we hit some grocery stores and headed back to Mom's. I helped Mom get some of her dishes done and ready for Thursday.
• Tuesday...our 2nd Anniversary: We had breakfast at Richard Walker's Pancake House, spent some time at the Glider Port, and ended with dinner (and karaoke watching) at Cafe LaMaze.
• Wednesday: D had an appointment with a recruiter, so I headed to Mom's to help a little more. It was all finished and ready to go by late afternoon. D and I then went to pick up a baby shower gift and had an early dinner (at happy hour prices) at BJ's Pizzeria. This is quickly becoming one of my new favorite places to eat...so good!
• Thanksgiving Day: Started out lazy before heading to Mom's. I was helping her finish prep and set the table while D helped with turkey prep. We all sat down and had a nice family dinner with a few additions. D and I hung out and didn't make it back home until after midnight!
• Friday: I'm not sure if it was the turkey or what, but I was feeling really lazy! D went off to do some photography and I stayed home reading. That night, Mom and her friend from Tucson (Uncle Festus) came down and the 4 of us went to dinner. We also did some driving around town...Uncle Festus and Mom have been friends since they were 14 years old. It was a fun night!
• Saturday: Originally, Uncle Festus and D were going to check out the Navy Exchange, but we got an invite to dinner at Ruth's by Uncle Banking Mogul. Dinner was in honor of Cousin Cleveland's official move back home. We all had fun as only this crazy family unit can! We even started talking about December plans...my birthday, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
• Sunday: We had an open house/baby shower to attend. Hippie Girl and I have known each other for 20 years...we met in the cafeteria at Palomar College and bonded over breakfast. She is due with a baby girl on December 16 (day after my birthday) if she makes it that far!

So, now, it's almost December. I'm hoping for a good end of the year...D did not get the job in Carlsbad. However, he has one confirmed and one pending interview scheduled this week. I am holding out hope that it will all come together! In the meantime, the spirit is in the air! Have a great day!

With This Ring, I Thee Wed

Happy anniversary to D and I! Two years ago, we stood up in front of 135 of our closest friends and family and made a lifetime of vows. We have experienced all the things we vowed to stand by each other...sickness and health, richer or poorer, good times and bad...and have weathered each storm that we have encountered. We have experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows, but at the end of it all, we still stand next to each other as a united couple. So, today, I'd like to wish my husband a very happy 2nd anniversary...I love you D!

Wednesday Whines!

WARNING: This entry probably has a lot of "whine" in it, so you might want to settle in with some cheese and crackers! I am this close to admitting defeat and heading into a big open field for one long scream. I feel like all the cliches and more...swimming up stream against the current...with all the stuff happening in my life right now. In contrast to what others experience in life, I am fully aware that this bump in the road is nothing, but I'm having a hard time feeling like I'm going to come out in one piece when all this dust settles! So, my whines today include:

• EDD...because D was honest and listed that he was taking a class (CPA Prep Class in the evenings plus a one afternoon photo class) on his claim form, they have delayed his unemployment until they can conduct a phone interview (scheduled for Saturday).
• D's lack of employment is REALLY starting to get to me on so many levels. I know that he's looking and there are not a lot of positions out there, but I am ready for this to end. (The Friday interview went went - 3 hours long - and he heard that they liked him. We are just in the waiting game now.)
• Nasty's pregnancy...she is milking this for all the attention it's worth and the boss is buying into it. She acts like she is the first women ever to be pregnant and that being pregnant is such a burden. It got to me today...the boss commented that she was getting bigger (her bump) and Nasty made the ugliest face. I am not the knee-jerk kind of responder, but I said "You don't look too happy about this". To which she responded, "I'm not feeling well,". It just hit a nerve for me...I think it's the lack of sensitivity that gets to me.

And, now some positive notes...

• Our airfare for the June South Carolina trip for Uncle Banking Mogul's 65th birthday family vacation has been taken care of. I guess he decided he (and the Mrs.) want all of us to be there without the stress of figuring out how to pay for it. It was an undeniably generous gesture!
• I've been in quite the cooking and baking mode...it helps my stress level go down slightly. This week, I made homemade vegetable beef soup and baked (which I hardly ever do) peanut butter chocolate chip muffins and homemade beer cheese bread.
• Our 2nd anniversary is next week...I can't believe it's been 2 years!
• Thanksgiving is also next week which means family time and celebrating the return of Cousin Cleveland back to San Diego.

Thank you for reading this...it helps me get it out of my system and hopefully release it from my head! Have a good Wednesday!

Friday, Friday!

Never was there a week longer than this...ugh, for only working 2 days (including today), I am exhausted! Since, yesterday's post was kind of a recap, let's do Friday's grateful list and start this weekend off in a positive manner!

• Mom was downstairs and feeling a little better last night.
• Spent the night there and Mom seemed to sleep more fitfully.
• Helping Meema with another run to the store...since she no longer drives, she needs to rely on me and others to get things she might need for Mom.
• D having a 3 hour interview session today...I have a good feeling about this one, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much.
• Having vague plans for the weekend, but nothing too concrete.

Hope everyone has a happy Friday and great weekend!

Ugh, Is it 2010 Yet?!?

I have really had enough of the roller coaster known as 2009. This has been one heck of a year. I really now feel like I've been through the ringer in every aspect of my life. What a year...and a week! Since our last entry:

• Lots of cooking...2 trays of baked spaghetti plus one tray of veggie alfredo primavera, plus salad, 2 loaves of garlic bread, and 2 bundt cakes to feed the girls dinner in Big Bear. At one point during the cooking or some sort of prep, I kept asking myself why I had agreed to make dinner for close to 50 girls! The answer...it's been a rough semester and I wanted to do something nice for them. The reward was all the food (and I mean all of it) wiped out and many thank yous!
• Big Bear Retreat Weekend: As part of the on-campus suspension (which has since been lifted), it was required that an advisor (specifically me) attend the Chapter's semester retreat in Big Bear. So, last Friday, I packed up and drove (with a member) up for the weekend. I really had an amzing time bonding with the girls...staying up late (4:30 a.m. Friday and 2:30 a.m. Saturday), playing CatchPhrase (not Catch Charades), talking, learning more about the girls and sharing (probably more than I should) my life. There were many moments that were special to me, but the memory I will never forget is waking up from a nap on Saturday (I had a headache) hearing singing. I walked out to hear the girls practicing a song for the spring. They decided they would sing it from the beginning for me...it brought me to tears...I was so proud of my girls!
• Catching up on my rest for what I thought would be a back to work Monday.
• Getting a call at 6:00 a.m. Monday from Meema that Mom was in the ER and had been taken via ambulance. Spending a worrisome day between the hospital and Mom's house before getting the final diagnosis of gallstones. We took Mom home at 4:00 p.m. I stayed with them until Wednesday.
• Realizing for the first time in my life what it means to be an only child in dealing with a sick parent...even though D was by my side for most of the week, I really can't rely or depend on someone else to deal with Mom...it's all me!
• Being subject to frustration and irritation out of sickness (for the 2nd time this year). Apparently, the brand of crackers I bought taste differently that the normal brand. Who knew?!?
• Understanding how Mom feels in taking care of Meema. It's a lot of work...which can be frustrating!
• Feeling like I am emotionally drained, but still have to carry through whatever is happening.
• Feeling grateful that this is a health concern that is manageable and livable.

It really has been a week with the most manic range of emotions...I'm hoping that tomorrow (Friday the 13th) is a good day for us. D has an interview and it's a promising opportunity. So, if you could keep a positive thought for this, I'd really appreciate it! Hope all is well with everyone!

Monday Time!

Happy Monday! I'm still feeling a little overwhelmed with life right now, but trying to hang in and hold on. It's challenging for me to just let it all happen because I feel like it's all spun in a million different directions. So, my Monday list:

• On Campus Suspension has been lifted for the Chapter...hopefully, this means they know not to go buck wild again. I am wondering if I still need to go to Big Bear this weekend with them, but since I committed to providing dinner, I should still go. Hopefully, I will not be too ragged when I get back...and we all come back alive!
• Mom offering to help me get food for 45 hungry girls ready = less stressed me!
• Busy weeks are the norm...last week, it was friend from Hawaii and then New York Banker flew in Saturday night. Two nights of big dinners make for one sleepy me!
• Library time+new books+couch time=relaxation+happy me!
• D has a second interview on Friday the 13th. This one looks really promising...it's the one his former supervisor recommended him for. All I want for our 2nd anniversary is for him to get a jay oh bee! Not much to ask for is it?!?

This is a busy week for me, but it should go really quickly...have a great week!