an ode to our truck.

So last night Bryan and I found out that our truck is "totaled" according to the insurance company although we still drive it. We are both very sad because we really like this truck. Bryan's had it for almost 5 years and it's my dream truck. It's sad but they are giving us almost 11k for it. Even though, we both were pretty distraught about it.
Well I started thinking about it and this morning (even though we still want the truck) we figured it was a good thing. It's one less thing that we'll be dependent on his parents for. The truck is a company truck but it's his dad so of course he'd let us keep the truck. He's even paying it off still. But with this 11k we'll take 2k and finish off the truck payment then use the rest for a new vehicle.
And although Bryan is having to get rid of his truck he's letting me (if I want) get a new vehicle. I have a Taurus and it's a very nice car so he'll take it if I want something new. But really, what his is mine and mine is his. So it won't really matter in the end.
He's such a sweetheart.
There's also a job opportunity that I'm looking into that will pay $13 an hour. My mom-in-law found out about it and let me know on Monday... I think. But I didn't look into it until Thursday. The thing is the job isn't a known opening. I only found out because the two higher ups both go to our church. I didn't call til Thursday because I was out and about Christmas shopping Tuesday and Wednesday coming home both days completely wiped. Well my dad-in-law called me three times yesterday after telling me to call about the job on Wednesday while I was there for laundry. I had already planned on calling on Thursday anyway before the calls because I had time.
Bryan told his dad that he was frustrating the crap out of me after asking him if I had called (which I did, thank you very much). Then his mom asked if I called and I think he was fed up after that. Can't blame him, he's in the same boat I am.
I guess they were frustrated that I didn't call right away because they're becoming strapped from helping us. But we don't like being broke any more than they do. I can, though, understand but I wasn't going to NOT call... crazy. I would be anyway if I passed up a $13 an hour job. But to hound me with calls when I said I was planning on calling.. good grief.
I love my in-laws, don't get me wrong. But this certainly proves my grandpa's point in saying, "Don't live too close to either family."

crazy Christmas shoppers

So I've been doing some last minute Christmas shopping that I don't normally do. And all I have to say is ...people are crazy, greedy, pushy, self-absorbed, careless people this time of year, or at least more so. OK, not all. I did have a run in with a sweet older lady today helping her find the original Jumaji in Target.

But people are going crazy over a parking space. They'll sit there for five minutes waiting for someone to get in their car and back out while the line is becoming longer behind them. I just wanna yell, "walk a little.. it'll do you good." And what about the younger people fighting their way to the closest space with older people.

Younger people = younger muscles = get off your butt and be courteous to older folks who have done more for you to live easier in this day than you'll ever be able to understand.

I wouldn't be out shopping this time of year except for necessities but we just now have enough money to buy gifts for the family. I didn't realize $10 per person would actually work. Considering how much family we have we could only do $10-$15 each. It works.
I'm almost done, thankfully. I think like 3 more gifts to get.

My sister is coming back up with us to stay for the week. She's six years younger than me. We get along better than my sister who is only three years younger than me. I don't know if I'll be able to stand her for a whole week though ...or her me. It should be fun. I hope.

Oh, update on the citations. I had to go to court to prove it.. That was nerve racking. But all was dropped like we were told that it would be. Made me feel a little grown up...
And the mail key... I found it the same day our locks were changed for us. It was in my purse the whole time... side pocket, where I don't put anything nor did I bother to look.

so very extremely what is now over but still quite a tired

long week...
it has been such a long week with everything from the sound booth built then torn down in the church within three days to not having chairs because the semi is stuck on a median, then fourteen hundred dollars worth of work on my car to my brother in law destroying his car in the accident yesterday. If it's not one thing it's another. This is where having faith knowing He's got it all worked out comes in. When it rains it pours but at least we know He's got it. good grief.. at least someone does.
We also can't find our mail key to get our mail. Bryan thinks we lost it in the truck when I got hit but I'm not sure where it could be. And we were waiting to get our insurance cards to come in so we could prove it and the 14oo dollar citations would be dropped. We haven't checked our mail in over a week and I'm starting to freak out because of bills needing to be paid. We asked for a spare from our landlord so we could make a copy but so far no key...

today. what a day.

Today I got into two car accidents and found out an old friend had died. First accident I hit someone. There was ice on the road with a hidden stop sign, I couldn't stop. She was nice about it all but the cop sucked. He was a jerk and half treating me like a dumb broad who didn't know how to drive. Considering that was my first accident ever I should have gotten a little more slack. With that one my husband met me to make sure all was well and since I was in the truck most all of the damage was done to the one I hit.
After all that was said and done we were on our way back home. My mistake was jokingly saying, "I'll follow you so that way if we get into another accident at least I'll hit you and not someone else."
Yeah, I'm an idiot.
There was a train that held up the 5 o'clock traffic for about 15 minutes. At this time I was talking to my mom and sister and right I answered that I was doing all right to my sister the guy behind me slammed into me. He was so frustrated by the train he wasn't paying attention and basically I was his brakes. He hit me hard and slammed my knee into part of the truck. I also hit my husband. By this point I was yelling into the phone that I had just got hit and had to go, I hung up the phone. But after I did I just started bawling. I had had enough.
Thank God that there was no damage to the car and the truck isn't destroyed. A dented bender and bent bed with a crack in some plastic. The man's car, however, was in pretty bad shape.
After all this we got home but I had called my mom back and heard some more bad news. An old friend of mine, who was only 18, died Monday in a car accident. I cried and cried...

Just the way to end the day.

Things I thoroughly dislike with a passion about drivers

I recently read in another blog the rantings about things that are hated and I thought it was a good idea to blow off steam. So since I about got out of my truck to scream at a few I thought I'd list the top 10 things I hate that people do when they are driving. (#3 happened tonight, it occured twice as I sat at a red light then green back to red and green again...)

My top 10 list

10. limit turn off
-I don't mind driving the speed limit but don't go 10 under.. even 5 under is annoying. If something is wrong for you to go slower it's fine but that's what hazard lights are for.

9. too little too ...early
-You're driving down the road and someone pulls out in front of you making you put on the brakes. Then they drive real slow when they could have waited two more seconds for you to pass and then drive as slow as they want.

8. sitting in blind spots
-i hate when people sit in others blind spots. They go fast enough only to sit where you can't see them then when you would like to get over you can't because someone is sitting there. Especially when they do it to semi's. They can't see you so if they run into you then I say ...ha. ha. ha.

7. can't talk and drive at the same time.
-faster and slower then all over the road. Can you not breathe and blink at the same time either?

6. two lane envy
-I hate when there are two lanes and one ends for some reason or another and rather than waiting in line like every other person they zoom as far as they can and expect someone to let them in. Wait your flippin turn.

5. "what's this button for?"
-does anyone know what cruise control is? and if you don't have it learn to level your foot so your not driving like an idiot all over the road. And this way you also don't have people passing you because your slow and then you pass them because you decide to drive again, then so on and so forth...

4. driving slower in the passing lane
-there is a reason it's called the "passing lane" and not the "drive as slow as you want this way no one can go around your lazy butt" lane.

3. intersections and red lights
-whether the light is green or turning red I hate it when people continuing going through an intersection when the lane is full of stopped cars and it's starting to back up into the intersection. Then nonchalantly sit there while the light is green for the opposite direction to go.

2. four way stops.
-people have forgotten how to 1. stop at a stop sign and 2. go when it's their turn. The yeild sign is for you not to fully stop but a stop sign means put on the brakes and come to a hault to look both ways before proceeding.

And the number one thing I hate:
1. blinkerphobia
-I absolutely hate it when people don't use their blinker. Because then you're wondering, "why the heck are you slowing down for no apparent- ...oh your turning... gee, I wish there was a way I could have known that you were going to turn- oh wait!! There is! It's called your flippin BLINKER!!!"

post-thanksgiving pre-christmas

Thanksgiving day has come and gone and I am glad it's over. The food was good as was seeing all the family but the drive is always exasperating. Two hours on Thursday, three on Friday and four on Sunday. I'm sure there were others who drove more but driving more than just a couple hours for a weekend certainly takes a toll on you.

We are finally moved in to our new place. It is wonderful and twice the size of our last place. We are finishing unpacking the last of the boxes and getting the paintings up on the wall. We even got our Christmas tree up last night and decorated. Bryan helped which I thought was sweet because decorating the tree wasn't a family event when he lived at his parents. But for my family it is an event and for us a big deal.
I had to give my mom a hard time this last weekend about how we would always decorate the tree. Color coordination and certain ornaments for a theme each year but we had so many decorations we had to do that. Bryan laughed at me when I told him all this and said that it takes all the fun out of it. But it was fun for us girls, since that's all there was after my dad left. It was my mom, my two sisters and me. I guess it would take all the fun out for a boy since it's an orderly kind of tradition.
What will happen if we have boys...
We still have boxes all over the floor. This is probably the only real annoying part of decorating because you don't know what to do after you have emptied them. If you discard them you don't have anything to place all the stuff in after it's all said and done. But until it is you have empty boxes and storage containers that you have to figure out where to put and what to do with.

I also have the rest of unpacking and cleaning to do which I'd rather have done before Bryan gets home so he'll have a clean place to relax in. No mess to have to look at while he sits in comfort knowing there are things that could be getting done. My good man who works all day at least deserves to have a clean place of comfort. Maybe I should bake him some of my cookies too...

The Youth of America

Recently, I had the privilege of reading an arrogant comment made about Mother Teresa. To start the whole thing a comment about Mother Teresa was made by Sharon Osborne and posted to share. This started insults toward the Blogger and in turn the ignorant remark on Mother Teresa:

" Even so - with that said - you've all missed the real point, and that is kind of what was said - why put down
someone's Grandma who only helped people?"

She then continues to say:
"WHichever, or whoever you are doesn't matter either - what we do and say about other people shows our true colors. You don't have to be a grown up or even a mom to understand this. Now if only more of us did stuff like she did that helped people - what a world this would be."

This, ladies and gentlemen, is our future America.

moving on up to the (south) east side

This Tuesday my husband Bryan and I are moving. It's quite the spur of the moment and totally unexpected. We had talked about looking at a two bedroom apartment because our one bedroom has become too small with all the stuff we've accumulated. We just weren't expecting to move so soon. It's all very exciting. Now it's just a matter of getting all packed up so we can get out of here.
On a different note, watched Trading Spouses again last night. It was the second half of the nut job from last week. She was once again just as crazy as before. The PW (poor woman) was being so kind to the other family and in the end had divided up the money in such a loving way. The NJ, however, was quite unkind to the PW's daughter. She had given both boys 3 grand each for anything they wanted and then for the girl only gave her 1800.- but not even to her but for her mom to decide. And the way the NJ was screaming and over reacting about everything.. it was just crazy. Even her husband was rolling his eyes and said, "that's bullsh*t" to all she was saying. We even taped it so I may have to watch the ending of the NJ screaming a few more times just to have a good laugh.

Trading Spouses for Nut Jobs

Bryan and I just finised watching an episode of Trading Spouses. This weeks crazy was a Louisiana woman who felt everything she didn't do was of "the dark-side". After walking into her new home for the next two weeks she saw gargoyles, buddahs and stars. This she felt was all "dark-sided". Personally I don't feel there is anything wrong with gargoyles. They sit at the house for protection. I don't necessarily believe they really do protect the house but that they are cool looking. And the stars... they were only stars. They weren't witchcraft, satanic, or dark-sided, just stars. The family even claryfied that.
Meanwhile, at the crazy's house the "dark-sided" wife was beaten down and bombarded with question after question about her religious beliefs by the crazy's close friend. This poor woman said she believed in God but even still was attacked with accusations of not being a Christian. From what I saw I don't think she is a Christian but she isn't from the devil either. Poor woman.
The crazy woman went onto the the families talk radio show and was having fun until a psycic unexpectedly showed up to do the show and the crazy freaked out. Casting spirits out in God's name after throwing out a few swear words. If she would had just heard the man out she would have learned that he grew up religious and still had God in his life. But she thought this was all, yet again, "dark-sided".
Ever hear of Spiritual Gifts you "fiercely religious woman". Maybe God just forgot to get that memo to you.
Obviously these people only heard as much as they wanted to about Christianity and took it to the extreme.
Back to the crazy woman's friend attack. This nut of a lady who honestly attacked the poor woman at a luncheon was asking about her background with church. The PW said that she was Catholic until the age of 8 then the family started going to Unitarian. She said right out that they believe that everyone is equal. That's when the nut forcefully asked if that meant we were equal to terrorists and rapists.
Um yeah. We are all sinners therfore we are all equal. Someone needs to actually read the Bible.

Once a Bride, never a bridesmaid, sometimes invited

Ok so don't think this is a pity party because it isn't. But I was thinking today that 4 friends (that I know of) from college have gotten married or just done so. I was driving down to Des Moines today with my husband to see my mom and sister when a friend of mine had popped into my head. As I was thinking of her I remembered that she had told me her and her now/then fiance were planning on marrying this month. But when she had first told me it was back in april and I haven't seen an invite. Before this friend another had wed back in December. This friend was my maid of honor and two weeks before her wedding I was asked if I would lite candles in hers. Could you think of a bigger insult?
I was asked back in april if I wouldn't mind being the guest book attendee at an acquaintance's wedding which I honestly didn't mind seeing as how she is a very lovely person but I didn't know her that well. But to lite candles in your former maid of honor's wedding? And at the last minute?? What else I couldn't believe, but had to figure on my own, is when asking her about her plans for her wedding she would do everything (probably even scratch her own eyes out) before she would say anything about her bridesmaids. Truth be told, if she would have just come right out and said, "Hey September, I couldn't find another dress and have already asked this many to be in the wedding," I would have understood. But no. Three weeks before the date I had to drag it out of her, basically tell her that I'm not stupid (fyi) and knowing how weddings work that I'm not in the wedding. Thank you inconsiderate MOH.
Now please understand that I would not have even agreed to be her MOH knowing that she has a dear close sister to her but at least a bridesmaid. And after her MOH she had another girl who also had my MOH in her own wedding, but that wasn't the sad part. It was that my MOH had once told me that she considered me closer to her than she did this other girl.. yet where was I. After the second girl she had this diva of a witch that she knew I couldn't stand, in college and then after, stand for her as well. This being the reason she wouldn't say anything to me about the bridesmaids. And again, where was I? Oh right, in a pew not three people from a terrible, horrific ex-boyfriend that I couldn't stand to look at nor be near. It took every ounce of my being to sit there and endure this wedding after being insulted more than one can take trying to hold in each tear that fought to escape.
I did make it through the wedding and even truthfully wished them long happiness. But after that we had left, my dear husband and I, because I couldn't bear to make it to the reception. I was in tears all the way home. And still my sorrow wasn't known until I had to make it so to my MOH a month after the happening. Even then it felt like she had received something but on her way home threw it around as if it weren't there then not even realize it was gone when she arrived.
Lesson learned dear maid of honor, you're not so dear after all.

calvin and hobbs moment

I was reading a friends blog when I came across this paragraph.
I laughed hysterically.. I'm not sure why. Maybe because it sounds like me.

"it has now officially snowed for 15 hours straight. I'm really impressed by this. Apparently the trees are not because most of them have refused to hold the snow above the ground and have started tearing off their own limbs in protest. I tried to interview trees in the parking lot to find out why they have gone on this apparent strike. I was answered by having a clump of very wet snow dropped on my shoulder, I take this to mean no comment."
-Jonathan

exhausting exhilaration

These last two weeks have been exhilarating, and yes I know that it is now the end of it all but I've just now recovered from such turning events. It was beyond exhausting but well worth what all happened. The weekend before last, both Saturday and Sunday, was the first weekend that art was introduced to my church. Not that it wasn't invited but more unwanted to have control over. "Just another thing to have to take time and plan," I'm sure some were thinking to themselves. I myself am an artist and am a passionate one at that. This, for certain, is one thing that I could be paid to do and be happy for the rest of my life. So at a Creative meeting, that both Bryan and I attend, we were planning for the upcoming weekends and when it came to the weekend where our Pastor would be talking about creativity Bryan happily jumped in with some good ideas. One was that I would be on stage drawing while the Pastor spoke. I couldn't be more excited for this opportunity. So as the weekend came others in the congregation had submitted their artwork to be displayed for the CW and they were amazing. I could not have asked for a better turn-out. I did five drawings and each one was accepted warmly, although some didn't see the whole picture those who did loved it and helped those who didn't eventually come to see it as well.
As for this last weekend it was merely an overnight Christ In Youth for our Junior High. But after it all I couldn't have been more exhausted from their enthusiasm but in the same more touched by them. I really wouldn't even know where to start but I can say this: although the adults complained that there wasn't any drama and they thought things were better last year the kids took so much more from CIY this year than the year before. Yes, there wasn't any drama but at the same time there was. The CIY crew opened up to the kids by showing them through a backstage camera the real drama in their own lives. I think that touched the kids more than the adults had realized. And then when we went to our own group time the kids opened up to us expressing what was happening in their own lives. There were things from how their parents divorce was killing them inside because they feel alone to their friends and parent(s) telling them that it was pointless to believe what they believe. I am amazed at how strong these kids are because it's been a long time since I was in Jr. High and I know that they have real problems it's just a matter of getting them to open up so that we can do what we can to let them know we have their backs. But not only did the kids take something from this event I believe that the adults did as well. As a matter of fact I know they did. And I think that our own expressions of how CIY had touched us let the kids know that adults have issues as well.. we aren't perfect nor are our lives and that they aren't alone in what they are going through.

when it rains it... must be out of boredom.

So I've been gone from the college I attended for about two years now. I really don't communicate with anyone there.. maybe two, three people tops and yet there are people still making things up about me. My husband and I have been married for a year this last August and are living our lives just the two of us and enjoying it entirely. But for some reason the people from college insist that we are having a baby soon. They have been saying this stuff for more than a year. But do they know something I don't?? Because, honestly, I think I'd be the first to know. Hm... maybe something to ponder there. Ok I'm done. Yeah I'm sure I'd be the first to know if I was pregnant. Just shows how dumb people are.
So on a much funnier note have you ever noticed how the preview channel will show you the weather for the day and next couple of days? Well if you look you'll see that they will say the weather will be any where between 50 and 80 degrees. "Thank you weather person. I could have predicted that myself. And why are we paying you?" And then they will say that there is a 60% chance of rain every day and then we don't see a drop of rain for a month and a half. They'll just say, "well we said there was a chance..." Bologna. I wanna get paid for that. I'll just go around saying, "By the way, there is a slight chance that you will think about something today. Great, now you owe me 10 bucks. Have a nice day."

Self Entitlement

I must say how exciting this is for me. I realize that I am quite late on creating a blog for myself seeing as how almost everyone has at least one including sweet old ladies knitting away on their noisy rockers listening to heavy rock music. It's amazing how much they have to write.
I recently just had my birthday, a whole eight days ago, and am now 21, yes thank you. I'm now officially old enough to have a drink with the rest of my friends. So not only am I now caught up in the times of technological blogging I am now legal to drink. However, I must admit, although I am legal I didn't have a desire to go out and "party" as the kids would say. It probably didn't help that my husbands family went out to dinner with us. Even though they are wonderful people they have been compared to the amish after having spent time with my family. And that, my dear friends, is entirely correct.
And following my birthday I waited to see if my dad would send me a card. If you know me then you know that my parents aren't together and my dad is very narcissistic. So after an assumed fight that my dad thinks we had his one, yes one, attempt to reconnect with me was sending my husband and I an anniversary card. I think I should be the one to be sending one attempt cards but you know it's quite hard to fight with a narcissist. But I'm sure his fourth wife will comfort him and tend to his ego.
On a much happier note I did have a wonderful birthday and received beautiful gifts from grand people. Thanks to all who made my birthday a happy one.