pixie0707, posts by tag: work - LiveJournal

I officially have my first clients!

I will be meeting with them Friday morning and will service their house for the first time that same day.

Needless to say, I am VERY excited  =)

The way this business fell into my lap, I have no doubts that I can see it through and make it successful.

I am driven, enthusiastic, positive, and focused.

That's the way it's going to stay. 

Well, this past week has been interesting to say the least.  Nick arrived in Jacksonville on Friday evening and left again for Texas early Sunday morning. It was nice to have him home, even if it was only for a little while. While he was here, we cleaned out the guest bedroom, threw a lot of junk away and stored the things we need in our shed out back. Then, Saturday night, Nick and Chano moved the furniture from the company office over to our house and we turned the guest bedroom into a proper office. It looks really nice now, even though the walls need to be painted. That's where I'll be working from when I begin my position as Office Manager for the company.

Speaking of the company, we are still not totally in the clear yet. We're still struggling with getting a few small debts paid off and with getting the contractors we work with to pay us on time.  This is a tough time for everyone, so I'm trying to be more patient with new problems that crop up. All of our guys are finally in Texas with Nick and he's already had a lot of phone calls from residents there, wanting him to give them estimates on repair work. I pray the work starts rolling in soon, and that this will help us build the company back up. This has been a stressful two months for me, but I remind myself every day that God is in control and that this is a growing and learning period for me, if anything.

I was feeling pretty sorry for myself last night until I read my friend, Scarlett's, blog. Johnny, her father, was dianosed with Level Five Terminal Cancer a few months and while she and her parents have been staying positive and praying for the miracle of healing, his last doctor visit revelaed that his tumor has grown by 30%. Rene, Scarlett's mom, has done a ton of research on Eastern medicine, specifically Chinese herbal medicine, so Johnny recently started treatment via that gateway. Through all of the up's and downs, they have all remained faithful to God, and even though they sometimes get frustrated and angry, ultimately, they give their fears up to God and say, "Your will be done." They are a true inspiration, and every time I read their blogs, I don't feel so sorry for myself anymore.

And what is there to be sorry for, anyway? Our mortgage is paid, our electricity is paid, the rest of our bills are generally up-to-date, and I still have food and clothes and all of the material comforts. I still have my health, my family and my friends. I am blessed!  =)

Oh, and speaking of health, I have a doctor's appointment this Friday. I noticed a small lump above my left breast about two or three weeks ago, and while I think it's just a cyst, my mom has been bugging me to get it looked at, so I finally set the appointment. I am also going to talk with the doctor about my very irregular periods. I am over a month late now, and the last time I had it before this, I was over two months late. I know it's probably a combination of things - my diet, irregular sleeping patterns, stress, etc. - but I want to talk with him about doing something about it, as opposed to just accepting it. I really want to have children, so I need to take better care of myself...

I can't believe tomorrow is the beginning of October already (and my birthday, too.) I am supposed to have dinner over at Gina's house with her, the girls and Aunt Elaine. That will be really nice  =)  I only wish Nick could be here, but I know he that needs to be in Texas right now.  This Friday, my dad asked us to come over for his special pizza dinner to celebrate my birthday, so I am really looking forward to that.  I'll be having dinner with my mom tonight and then next weekend we're driving down to Orlando for the weekend to shop at the Florida Mall and spend some time with Mark and his family. So, all-in-all, it sounds like it will be a nice birthday celebration, even though I wasn't expecting anything.

It all goes to show me, again, that I am blessed beyond measure and that I have a lot to be thankful for.

Thank you, Jesus.

This past week has been stressful for both Nick and myself. 

He did the right thing and paid off the sub-crews that the company owed money to, even though paying them meant the company didn't have enough money to pay the in-house crews. That may seem backwards, but the two men Nick paid off could have caused a lot of trouble if they hadn't been paid. Plus, those men were promised payment and Nick is always a man of his word. 

So, with the company in debt to the payroll service they use, Nick and his boss have been looking up and down for someone to loan them a small chunk of money, to be paid back with interest within the next three to six months. His boss apparently hasn't had any luck and Nick doesn't have family members that are good enough with money to have the amount saved up that Nick needs. Sooo, it came down to asking people in my family.  I didn't want to ask my mom or my dad and I know my brothers can't help us with a loan... But then, I thought about my Grandmother. 

Nick and I discussed the possibility of obtaining a loan from her and then I called her last night to discuss it with her.  She was really surprised to hear that Nick has become President and CEO of his company. When I told her that we wanted to know if she is in a position where she could help us out with a loan to finish up, she said, "Sounds expensive."  I don't know what "expensive" is to her so I didn't tell her a number. I assured her that if she was able to help us, we would pay her back with interest. She told me that she didn't have a lot of cash on hand; rather, everything is allocated in CD's and that she'd need a number to determine whether or not she'd be able to help. I told her Nick would call her today to discuss it further with her... and that's what he's doing now.

I hate asking anyone for money, but especially my family. I especially don't like asking my Grandmother because I don't ever want her to think that we only communicate with her because of her money... residual effects from the brain-washing my mom gave me as a child, I'm sure.  I know she loves me and I believe she would help us if she is in the position to, but it still makes me kind of ill to my stomach just thinking about it.  I know Nick doesn't like being in this position either, and we wouldn't be asking if it wasn't absolutely something we could do without.

I'm also, to be honest, a little terrified that nothing will come through to help us through the next two weeks when things will be better, financially-speaking...

 UPDATE: Nick just called. My Grandmother can't help us. He said she feels really bad and he kept telling her that it was okay...

Well.

Now we have to figure out where we're going to get the money. 

It's so frustrating because we only need to get through the next two weeks and then things will be better. We'll have checks coming in from houses we're starting this weekend and we'll finally be back on track to put things back in the black.

Nick wants me to ask my mom and dad now. If we don't have the money by Tuesday, the company may very well collapse. 

I must have faith, though. I've been through worse times than this, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I must learn to praise God in this storm and have faith in His workings in my life and in Nick's.

I must have faith.

 

Wow… So yeah, I haven’t visited in a while, but please don’t be mad at me! =) Life has been absolutely insane this past month or so, not to mention busy. I have been extremely miserable the past four days, due to a nasty throat infection. I started feeling a little “niggle” in the back of my throat on Saturday, and by Sunday, I was feeling pretty crappy. I’ve been coughing so much that my voice is almost monotone, and my throat and stomach muscles are so sore. Every time I sneeze, it’s like someone is dragging a serrated knife up my vocal chords. Ouch.

Nick started feeling bad by Monday morning, so he scheduled us both doctors’ appointments, and Dr. Walters prescribed us both antibiotics and also prescribed a cough syrup for me that makes me pretty drowsy. Nick has been taking such good care of me by going out to Starbucks and getting me Hot Apple Cider to soothe my throat and just generally loving on me and giving me TLC. He’s so wonderful <3 I really shouldn’t be at work today, but I’ve already missed the past two days, so…

All of my spare time recently has been put into researching saltwater tanks. I am still obsessed, and becoming much more so by the day. My tank is doing well. We lost our female clownfish due to some unknown sickness, but our lil’ guy is still doing well. We also have a Pygmy Angelfish, a Yellow Diamond Goby, a Midas Blenny (the king of the tank!), a Coral-Banded Shrimp, and a “cleaning crew” of Emerald crabs, hermit crabs and snails. We’ll be adding one last fish- another female clown for “Norbie”- and then I think we’ll be done (for this tank!) The environment is so fascinating that I will often sit or stand in front of the tank for twenty minutes or more, just staring at it. Yeah, I’m hooked =)

Aside from that, things have been very hectic at work, but they’re finally slowing down. We lost four Team Leaders and our Work Force Analyst within one month, which meant I had to take on the duties of WFA while we waited for HQ’s to approve job listings. Needless to say, I have been very, very busy, but I haven’t complained. I don’t mind helping out when I’m needed, and hey, the job has to be done. It doesn’t matter who does it, as long as it gets done, right? Right.

Nick has been really busy this past month, making our front and back-yard look absolutely stunning. We have two beautiful Queen Palm’s on either side of our drive-way, making quite the entrance, as well as all new tropical plants and a new pineapple-shaped fountain in front of the house. It looks so elegant and so… homey. Our house has always been a “home,” but now it really looks like one =) Our back-yard is shaping up, too, with some colorful hyacinths, tulips, and anemones popping up. Hopefully our pool-house will be finished soon, and then come summer, we’ll have tons of kick-butt pool parties and BBQ’s! Nick has been surprising me left and right with all of the things he’s done with the house, and I couldn’t be prouder of him. He’s such a good man <3

This school semester is almost over; just another month to go. Of course, I’m going to enroll for summer classes, and already have one lined up: A Guide to Getting Published. Hopefully that will point me in the right direction. I’m still revising Shadow of the Changeling, and have a new fantasy novella in mind, this time about kelpies. I’ve never read a book about kelpies, and I doubt there have been many published so why not? I’m still twisting my mind around a few ideas, but hopefully I will be starting that soon. I have been so devoid of imagination lately, and I’m tired of feeling lazy and procrastinating and making excuses!

Nick and I have been slowly but surely losing weight, although we’ve seriously been cheating on our diet these past two weeks. We have to get back in the groove of things in a serious way! Nick is looking even better than ever, especially now that he’s discovered how absolutely breath-taking he is in “dress clothes.” He had to buy a black suit for Uncle Michael’s wedding, and of course, he was the stud of the night =) He’s got a few dress shirts and ties now, and my GOD, does he look good! I feel like the luckiest woman in the world when I’m next to him <3

I went to Leah’s wedding last weekend, and I’ve gotta say, it was nice. Leah looked so gorgeous, and everything was tastefully done. All I want to say is, I think she and Leo will do well, and I hope God continues to guide them and bless their relationship.

In other news, I feel like my family is falling apart at the seams. I don’t want to pass judgment too quickly, as I haven’t had a chance to talk to Paul or Cindy yet, but apparently neither one of them is interested in saving their marriage. Paul is going out to those stupid Cyber Café’s even more now, and even had a date with a woman named “Christine” this past Friday. When he told Mom about it, he thought it was a little humorous, because our mom’s name is Christine. I’ve thought for a while now that there is something going on between Cindy and her boss. He has bought her numerous things, including an iPod and an “island” for their kitchen, not to mention he’s paid for numerous “vacations” for her on the weekend’s… It just seems a little strange that a professional man would buy things like that for one of his employees, if nothing is going on… This makes me so sad…

Mark and Dee…. Where do I start? They have never been particularly “close” to us, as far as wanting to visit whenever they get a chance, or actually wanting to spend time with us when they are in town… For example, last month, while Dee was in Chicago, visiting her mom and sisters, Mark decides he’s going to bring the kids up, stay at Mom’s house, and spend the weekend with his family. He told me that he wanted to spend some one-on-one time with Paul, to talk to him about his family issues… Yeah… right. It’s more like he just wanted a free place to stay and free baby-sitter’s for the kids while he went out and spent time with his friends here in Jacksonville.

He barely spent any time with Mom, with the exception of the first night, when she took all of us out to Clark’s. The rest of the weekend he spent golfing with old church friends and going out to dinner with old co-workers. He had Nick and I watch the kids most of the day on Saturday, and we took them to the Build-A-Bear Factory for some fun. Now, we definitely don’t mind watching the kids, but I was a little offended that he spent a weekend that was supposed to be “family time” with a bunch of old friends and co-workers.

He hardly ever gets to see us, and the one chance he does, he spends the weekend “out.” Mom practically begged him to go to church with her on Sunday morning, but he decided to go to his old church to spend even more time with his old friends. We asked him if he could come over to our house sometime during the weekend so he could see all of the changes we’ve done, and he stopped by for all of five minutes.

Give me a break!

I guess the thing that really irritates me, is that they don’t do this with DeAnna’s family. As a matter of fact, they were in town this past weekend to visit with Dustin and Ashley and guess what? They actually spent the whole weekend with them. When we asked if they could stop by and see us, their answer was, “We won’t really be on that side of town.” Right…

It hurts me because I love my family, and even though I’ve realized that we are not the “picture-perfect” family I once thought we were, it’s still hard to deal with…

If anyone reads this, please keep me and my family in your prayers. We need all the help we can get.

Okay, so I think I need to go see my Dad and check his head for a fever!

He e-mailed me this morning to say “hello” and to let me know that my car insurance was paid for (I send him my payment every month, as I get a much lower cost by being under his insurance.) and then he says,

“Keep Nick happy for me.”

And then…



“I need to discuss your wedding plans with you, sweetheart.

I would like to give you and Nick $5,000.00 for your wedding. You can use this for the wedding and/or use it as a gift. How does that sound?

Have you considered the Lightner Museum in St. Augustine? They have a lovely court yard. How about the place Paul had his wedding?

Love, Dad”



I read this and laughed out loud, literally. Nick and I aren’t even engaged yet!

My Dad must really be sure of Nick, otherwise he wouldn’t be saying things like this. He must also think I’m sure of Nick, otherwise he wouldn’t even have considered it.

And I am. I believe that Nick is the one I am meant to be with. I am a whole person with or without him, but he brings a whole other aspect to my life that I wouldn’t have if he wasn’t in it. God has really taken care of me, and when I really stop to think about it, it takes my breath away that He has put someone in my life who is the mirror image of the “man of my dreams” that I’ve thought about since my “Barbie and Ken” days. God is always faithful and He always provides.

We had Mark and Taliah over again Saturday night, and we had a nice time, talking with them about their wedding plans. After they left, Nick said that being with them makes him want to get married. I agreed, and told him that it’s hard not to get caught up in the “wedding fever” when you’re helping to plan a wedding for two wonderful people who clearly love each other dearly, and who are clearly meant for each other. One day our turn will come, but I am not worried about it. It will happen in its own time, and I will honor its coming with all of my heart.

In other wedding-related news, I still know next-to-nothing about Leah and Leo’s wedding, in which I am a bridesmaid. Out of the past six months of planning for it, the bridesmaids have gotten together only once to try on dresses. Supposedly, we all now have our dresses and our bolero jackets, but none of us know anything else about the wedding or even about a wedding shower for Leah. It’s all really odd.

When I was in Mark and Paul’s wedding, their wives made sure to keep their bridesmaids up-to-date and to keep them involved. It’s not only proper, but it’s also nice to keep your wedding party informed of what’s going on, especially when they’re life-long friends. It just seems like Leah’s mom is doing all of the planning and Leah is just sitting back and not taking the initiative to have her wedding the way she would like it.

I’m really worried about her and Leo. They’re getting married in a little over two months, and they don’t yet have a place to live, and neither one of them have their driver’s license. Sure, they have two more months to go, but that’s not really a whole lot of time, especially when planning the wedding and making sure last-minute details are ironed out.

I hope everything falls smoothly into place; otherwise I’m afraid it won’t be the “dream” that Leah has always hoped it would be. I still don’t get a good feeling about it, but maybe that’s because I don’t know enough about their relationship, like I do Mark and Taliah’s relationship.

Ah, in the end, we’ll see how it goes. I shouldn’t worry about it too much.

Let’s talk about happy things, like amazing music!

I’ve been turned onto the music of Blackmore’s Night and I love it! I went out the other day and bought their Village Lanterne CD and I like it a lot. The next CD I get of theirs will be Beyond the Sunset: The Romantic Collection. I’ve heard some samples from it and it sounds so lovely. Candice Night has a beautiful voice, and I love Ritchie’s guitar playing!

I’m also loving Loreena McKennit’s new CD, An Ancient Muse. I listen to it every morning when I get to work- it helps me start my day with a calm and focused mind. I typically don’t like the “Arabian Nights”-type music, but I am growing quite pleasantly accustomed to it. I guess if you listen to something long and often enough, you can grow accustomed to just about anything.

I really like Woodland’s music, too, and I hope to have their Twilight CD added to my collection shortly.

I am so sick of today’s music- it seems to be all rap and pop and it’s all so… dirty. I can’t stand “Fergie” of the Black Eyed Peas. Some of her songs are so sexual and, to be honest, down-right nasty. Have you seen her music videos? It’s practically soft-core porn! Well, maybe I’m exaggerating a little, but still! And of course, the radio stations just gobble that trash up. I never listen to the radio anymore, unless it’s the local “lite” station, or the two good country stations we have. Otherwise, I’m usually listening to my iPod or my XM Satellite Radio, where I can at least choose my own music.

Anyway…

Nick is really itching to start his own business, so we might be meeting with a business-minded and successful friend of his tomorrow night, so they can discuss how Nick can go about starting his business. I wish I knew more about business so I could help Nick in this process, but I guess I’ll be learning right along with him. I know he can do absolutely anything he puts his mind to, so I’m really proud of him for being ready to take this step.

Dick (Nick’s boss) and his wife, Heather, are out of town until tomorrow. Nick thinks they went to go see a marriage counselor, or to go to a couples conference. I really hope they get some help. Neither one of them is happy, nor is their relationship healthy at the moment. I don’t really respect them as individuals right now, but as a couple, I’m glad that they realize that they need help and that they can’t continue to ignore their issues.

Dick needs to quit being such a…well, a “dick” and Heather needs to stop being the “Stepford Wife.” They need to be real and honest with each other, and most of all, they need to learn how to be equals. I hate going to their house and seeing how drunk Heather is, trying to escape her problems, and how Dick orders her around, and how they both let their kids run the show… I really hope something good happens for them soon.

Well, I guess I’d better close here. I have about 40 minutes left of work, and I’m going to make sure every thing is done that needs to be.

Love and light! <3

Okay, so I've seriously been slacking on my journal entries. I would say I'm sorry, but at least I've kept up my writing outside of LJ.

Let's see...the last time I wrote, I was about to go on vacation to Maggie Valley, North Carolina, right? Right. Well, Maggie Valley was a wonderful, peaceful, beautiful, little town; a major tourist place. We had a nice house in the mountains, but not too high up, thank God, My poor car got pushed to its limit going up all those steep roads. Thank God it held up very well.

The weather was rainy every day for the first couple of days, but we really didn't mind too much because that's what the vacation was supposed to be about: complete and utter relaxation. We played board games and card games, mostly Aggravation, BS (card game) and Monopoly, watched TV and movies, and did a lot of reading. Nick and I went out a few times and did some exploring. We found some really neat gift shops and drove around the different mountains, gawking at the beautiful homes, and even went Go-Kart racing at this little place down the road from us.

Our house was right on this little creek that flowed down the mountain and we had an awesome view from the four decks we had on the side of the house. Nick, me, Angela, Monica, and Chano went hiking up the mountain to try and find the source of the creek. We walked for an hour and even got lost on the way back, so needless to say, I wasn't a happy camper, but I tried to just "let it go" as quickly as possible because I really didn't want to ruin it for everyone else. There was a hot tub in the back of the house that was put to good use every night by me and Nick. It really helped my sore back out and it was a nice relaxing way to end the day.

Towards the end of the week, Nick's mom wanted to visit the Biltmore Estate out in Asheville, North Carolina, so we got two day passes to that and had a blast looking around. The grounds are breathtaking and the house itself is like a mountain. It has over 250 rooms, along with an indoor swimming pool. Mr. Vanderbilt (the original owner, father of designer Glorida Vanderbilt) was the first person to have electricity throughout his whole house, even in the pool. Pretty neat, huh? Nick and I want to take my Mom with us to the Biltmore Estate. That is SO right up her alley.

Anyway, vacation was nice, but when we came back home, the "real world" stepped back in. I still didn't have a job, and needed to find one SOON. I applied and interviewed for a few positions as a receptionist/administrative assistant, but no luck. I finally applied at CSD, a relay center for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, and one that I've been familiar with most of my life because, of course, my two deaf parents. I am now a Communication Assistant there, and currently in my second week of training that will end this Friday.

CSD can only pay me $8.50 an hour because they're a non-profit organization, which isn't really close to what I need to be paid, and from July 31st to August 20th, I'm on the same schedule of 32 hours a week, which sucks. I couldn't even get a good schedule: I work Monday, Tuesday, off Wednesday and Thursday, work Friday, Saturday and Sunday ::grimace:: Granted Saturday and Sunday I only have to work from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm, but still- who wants to wake up that stinkin' early on the weekend?! You gotta do what you gotta do, though ::sigh::

I'm still looking for a better paying job, but this one is okay for now. At least it's something. I must admit, I'm pretty worried right now because I have at least $300 in bills coming up within this next week and I don't have any money to pay them. I don't get paid until next Tuesday, from what I hear. I know God will take care of me, but maybe one of you who reads this journal, if anyone still does, can say a little prayer or send some good wishes my way or something, I would be greatly appreciative. I really need to get rid of my debt. Once I do, I'll be able to breathe a little easier then. I've definitely learned my lesson ::rolls eyes at self::

Anywho, besides all that, things have been going pretty well. My Dad made his 5th Annual Alaska Bike Run on June 30th and arrived back in town on July 21st. (www.AlaskaBikeRun.com) I checked up on him every night to make sure he and the bikers made it to their destination safely, and was SO happy when he returned safe and sound. Nick and I met up with Paul, Cindy, and James this past Sunday at Dad's to share in his famous "Gastronomicalepecuriandelight Pizza" (yes, that's the real name). Grandmother also came up, so it was nice to be able to see her. Dad, Maureen, and Grandmother will actually be coming up this Saturday to hang out at our house for a bit (Grandmother hasn't seen it yet) and then we're going to Clark's Fish Camp for a late lunch/early dinner. We can't wait.

I've also gotten back into my Beanie Babies craze. I've always loved them, but wasn't interested in staying caught up in all the news and everything until a week or so ago. I have a little over 200 from the past several years, and now that Ty is starting to come out with some really cute ones, I am starting to want more =) Call me silly, but who can resist something as cute as this:



This is Tortuga, Beanie Baby Of the Month for July. I just got him about a week ago, and man, isn't he adorable? Rumor is Ty named him after the island of Tortuga, featured in Pirates of the Caribbean. Who knows, but it's an interesting observation.

Well, I think I've updated enough for now. I'm getting sleepy, and need to be rested for another day of training tomorrow.

It's a kind of long story, and perhaps Too Much Information, but this is my journal, so why not, 'eh?

I started my "cycle" last night. That's what the very tiny stain was that my boss "so kindly" pointed out on the back of my skirt yesterday afternoon.(Must've been staring really hard at my butt to see that one.) I was mortified, but hey, it happens. That said, this "cycle" is a really bad one. I started feeling really sick last night and felt on the verge of throwing up all night. I was still feeling sick this morning, and was almost tempted to take a sick day, but I wanted to at least try and tough it out for as long as I could. Nick encouraged me to stay home, but I told him that I knew if I called in, they would be very upset. He said, "If they fire you because you're sick, then who cares? You weren't going to be working there for much longer anyway." Still, I decided to go in and try and tough it out.

Then, when I got to work, I had to use the restroom twice within twenty minutes. I knew then that I would be in and out of the bathroom for the rest of the day. Around 9:00, I had to use the restroom again. That's when the toilet overflowed. I was VERY embarassed. Not only would the plunger not work, but it was starting to stink, and in turn, making my stomach feel even worse.

Zach and Shane (my boss' sons) brought in a new plunger and I tried that. It still wouldn't work. So, Zach recommended that I plunge while flushing. I flushed and plunged, but it only made it worse. While plunging, even as carefully as I could, the dirty water and remnants of my bowel movements got all over my feet, shoes, lower legs, hands, arms, and my shirt, and even the floor. Now I smelled and felt like literal shit. (Excuse my French!)

Karen, Tina, Shane, and Zach (my co-workers) didn't seem too concerned, but when I told them that I had gotten it all over me, and on top of that, was sick, Karen (the office manager) told me to go home and change.

I called Karen when I got home to tell her that I just couldn't come back in.

"I am on a very heavy period, I need to take a bath, and I am still feeling very sick. I will not be able to do my job well, especially sitting on a toilet for most of the day. I know I will have been miserable all day."

I told Karen that I love everyone at the office and I love my job, and I know that I am counted on, but that I didn't particularly care (not meaning any disrespect). I just couldn't tough this one out at work, like I had done on other days. I needed to be at home, especially if I was going to be in and out of the bathroom.

Karen put me on hold and when she came back, she told me that everyone said they really needed me today, and that I just needed to suck it up and come back in. Again, I told Karen that I just couldn't; that I wasn't even going to come in this mornring, and did anyway, and that I thought that said a lot.

Karen proceeded to get really nasty with me, yelling and generally making a fool of herself. (It is my belief that when someone loses their temper, they make a fool of themselves.) She accused me of "being nineteen and wanting to do my own thing," and that if I "couldn't put my job in front of my health, it would be the beginning of the end." She told me that if I didn't come in, I would have to make a choice: I would either "come in today or not come in tomorrow." I told Karen that I would be in tomorrow to collect my personal things, and she hung up on me.

Now, I may "only" be nineteen and young, but I DO have bills that need to be paid, and I DO know what responsibility and accountability is. When I stayed home one day when Nick was so ill he couldn't even get out of bed, Karen called me into her office, accusing me of "wanting to stay home to be with my boyfriend." This greatly offended me because she made it sound like Nick only had a "widdle tummy ache," and that I used that as an excuse to stay home. I don't think anyone bothered to ask why I stayed home, and if they had, they would have known that Nick was at a 103 temperature, he could barely eat or drink, and could barely move. He was like that for a week. I stayed home one day, when he was at his worst.

Not one person in that office could honestly tell me that if that had been their spouse or their kid at home, deathly ill, they wouldn' t have stayed home. Just because I am young, does not mean that I don't have "real life issues."

Today, for example, was a real life issue. I was miserable. I could hardly leave the toilet because if I wasn't using it, I was worried that I might throw up in it. Would any of them have really wanted that at work? I doubt it.

I did love my job. It was busy enough so that I was never bored, but easy enough that I could still stay caught up with my college work, the main reason why I took the job when Shane offered it. I liked everyone in the office, and respected (almost) everyone. I never expected to be treated like some lazy teenage twit who will use any excuse to stay home or to leave. In the nine months that I worked there, I only took three days off. Two when I was sick and one when Nick was sick. Then I took off the rest of the day Wednesday after the "toilet incident."

Eh. In the end, everything works out though, because there were things I observed in the office that weren't "kosher." Let's just say "the acronyms" of our government were starting to poke around the business and other businesses we were dealing with because of some shady dealings with people and finances. I also discovered a few affairs that my boss has been having, but that's all been discussed in previous posts.

So, yeah, I wasn't going to be staying there too much longer anyway. I was just waiting for a good opportunity to put in my two weeks notice, but I guess this "toilet incident" was a blessing in disguise.

When I told my brothers what happened, they were very supportive. Mark was upset about it, and said that he was glad I didn't work there anymore, especially if that's the way they were going to treat me. He even went to far as to call Karen a "bitch." I thought that said a lot, because Mark never, ever, ever cusses.

I'm going to be e-mailing Karen in a minute here, and then I'll post everything that is said in the e-mails between me and her.

I found out over the weekend that the last song Tim and Faith sang that closed the concert was "I Need You," which is due out this Novemeber on Tim's new CD! It is SO cool that we heard a song that hasn't been aired yet, although they did sing it on Oprah a few weeks ago. It was a beautiful song, so I am excited to see what the new CD brings.

Nick and I uploaded all of the pictures and have been touching them up, making the blurry ones sharper, adjusting the color when necessary, removing things that took away from the picture, etc. We took them to Wal-Greens and got them yesterday. They turned out GREAT! There's one close-up of Tim where he's practically making eye comtact with Nick, and we added some of the lyrics from "It's Your Love," and blew it up to an 8x10. It's gorgeous and will be hung in a place of honor, along with the shadow box that I need to get cracking on.

This past Saturday was James' graduation from pre-school. Paul, Cindy, Mom, Mama, Julian, Nick and I were there, and had a great time. James was sooo cute and did a great job on his "Months of the Year" song. In the middle of the program, they started to play Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me" and had each of the kids take a single red rose to their mom's, and I swear, I cried more than any mother in there! I couldn't stop crying throughout the whole darn thing. Nick just kept hugging me and told me that I was going to be a good mom one day =) It was an awesome little ceremony, and I was so proud of my "hunky chunky monkey." I can't believe he'll be starting Kindergarten in the Fall. How time does fly!

Yesterday, Nick and I slept in for a while and just lazed around the house for the first part of the day. We watched Insomnia with Al Pacino and Robin Williams, which was a pretty good suspense movie. We love Al Pacino and Robin Williams, so we didn't really expect anything less. Afterwards, Nick went out back to unhook the pool pumps so we could take them for repair, and as he was working, he got 120 volts of electricity pumped into him. I had just walked inside to see what time it was, and heard him shriek. At first I actually thought he was joking, because he always likes to pick on my scream when I see a bug or something, but I ran outside anyway and saw him doubled over in pain. My heart must have jumped into my throat; I was so worried and scared.

Thankfully he was okay and just feeling kind of fuzzy, but if even the tip of his finger had been on the metal and not on the handle, he would have been dead. We called Uncle Mario who is a professional and licensed electrician, and he said Nick was okay and didn't have to go to the doctor or hospital or anything. It was a scary situation and I couldn't be more thankful that God spared Nick's life. So, lesson learned, Nick is going to let the pool people re-install the pool pumps when they're fixed. (Thank you, Jesus.)

This week should be interesting. Karen and Dr. Wright are back from Vegas and the office will finally be busy after the boring lag last week. I sent Karen an e-mail on Friday, asking for the last week of June off as Nick's family wants me to go with them on their vacation. I am kind of skeptical as to whether or not Dr. Wright will let me go, as I am the only one designated to answer the phones around here, and that would mean that everyone else would have to. Nick said as the time gets closer, if they really say that I can't go, or that if I do I'll be fired, then he wants me to quit.

Nick's side business with John is finally looking like it might be taking off. John has been sending a bunch of purses the past couple of weeks, and Nick said he could really use some help getting them on eBay and getting them shipped out when they're bought. With his job taking up so much of his time already, he doesn't have a whole lot of extra time to devote to the purse business. So he said if they (my business) gives me a hard time about the vacation, I might be able to quit and do the purses while I'm looking for a new job. I don't know if that will really pan out, as far as me quitting my current job, but we'll see. I know God will continue to take care of us, so I have no worries.

My first Major Exercise is due this weekend for my Creative Writing class, so I'm excited to see what my grade will be. I'm still playing with some ideas as what I'll do, so I guess I'd better get to it.

This week is going to be a good week =)