Christmas Songs

Every year it seems the radio stations start playing non-stop Christmas music earlier and earlier. I love Christmas music, so it's a welcome change...until about two weeks in when I'm already sick of it. It's not so much the music itself, but rather the radio stations love to play the same songs by the same artists over and over again.

Some songs that drive me crazy are:

1) The Christmas Shoes. This is probably the most depressing Christmas song ever. If you haven't heard it yet, it's about a young child who wants to buy his terminally ill mother a pair of shoes before she dies.

2) Little Saint Nick by the Beach Boys. I like the Beach Boys, but this song is awful. All the 'ooos' and 'ahhs' get annoying.

3) Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney. I love Paul, but this song is just pointless. Most of the song is just him saying "Simply having a wonderful Christmastime..."

4) I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas. No explanation needed.

Songs I wish they would play more often:

1) Perry Como's or Whitney Houston's version of Do You Hear What I Hear?

2) Elvis Presley's If Everyday Was Like Christmas.

3) Any version of Mary Did You Know?

4) Josh Groban's O Holy Night.

5) Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Carol of the Bells.

Crockpotting

I love the crockpot. It is probably the single most handy and convenient kitchen devices ever invented. The crockpot saves me loads of time and hassle when preparing dinner after a long day at the office. Some of my favorite dishes to make in the crockpot are:

-Spaghetti Sauce with meatballs
-My Mom's chicken casserole
-Pot roast
-Soups
-Various recipes that call for chicken (the crockpot makes the meat very tender and easy to cut up)

I recently discovered the blog A Year of CrockPotting, in which Stephanie, the blog owner, made it her New Year's Resolution to use the Crockpot every day of the year. She makes a new dish everyday and posts the recipe, along with a review of how she liked it. I'm always looking for new recipes and ideas for dinner so this is the site to get really good, healthy meals that are made so convienantly in the crockpot! Today I'm trying the 3 Packet Pot Roast. I'm also looking forward to the Broccoli and Three Cheese Soup that I'll be making sometime after the Thanksgiving holiday!

I love Heath Bars

I have recently discovered my love for Heath bars. I've always liked them but lately I've become fanatical over them. I seriously crave one everyday. However, I only allow myself to indulge a couple of times a week.

I absolutely love the authentic English toffee beneath a thin layer of milk chocolate. The toffee is the best part - without it, it would just be your regular, old boring chocolate bar. I need to learn how to make my own toffee since it's only made out of sugar and butter. I don't think it would be too hard...

My mouth is watering for a Heath Bar as I write this!

Get this election over...please!!

I decided that I don't want to make my blog a political forum of my beliefs anymore, mainly because I know that some of you reading this might have differing opinions and therefore might not be interested in visiting my blog anymore. I certainly hope that is not the case, because one of the freedoms we can enjoy as American's is expressing our opinions...but I digress.

However, I do want to post a fair and balanced blurb of opinion.

Recently, I was reading a post made by an Obama supporter on an online community in which I belong. This person was saying that certain John McCain supporters were making hateful and racist comments in regards to Barack Obama at a political rally this past week. Entirely inappropriate if you ask me. These people were clearly inciting hatred towards our Democratic nominee and that was way out of line. The author was saying that these comments could be attributed to John McCain's smear tactics and the message he sends to his supporters. Should they?

Now, I don't believe John McCain should apologize for comments made by supporters, just as I don't believe Barack Obama should apologize for offensive comments made by his supporters. Take Madonna. The other night at a concert at Madison Square Garden she said that "Sarah 'f-ing' Palin" would not be allowed at her concert. A total abuse of power to use the show as a means of promoting her position and inciting hatred. I'm sure there were McCain AND Obama supporters at the show that paid good money to see Madonna sing - not talk politics. So should we blame Obama's campaign tactics? Should we expect Obama to made a Public Service Announcement apologizing for Madonna's behavior? Absolutely not. No, in America we have personal responsibility and people themselves should be held accountable for what they say - not the candidates in which we respectively support.

The division between Republicans and Democrats at this time of the year can be very hostile. It's almost like we from two different countries fighting for our own deeply held beliefs. We are forgetting we are ALL Americans and we all want our country to prosper and do good in our world. There is no need for supporters of one party to hate on the other party and resort to name calling and pointing fingers. This goes for both Dems and Repubs. It's getting ugly and it's getting annoying!

This is funny!

I haven't watched SNL regularly since about 2001, but on Saturday night I was flipping the channels and came across the show and decided to watch a minute of it.

It was getting pretty bad so I was about to change the channel when a skit featuring a performance on The Lawrence Welk Show came on. Will and I used to watch the real Lawrence Welk show so I decided to watch the skit. I was literally belly laughing!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxj90S3REoI

My favorite quotes from the RNC

I've been watching coverage of the RNC this past week and I've especially enjoyed the speeches. I've complied a few quotes that especially hit home for me or that I just found amusing.

I'll start with Senator Fred Thompson:

"Some -- some Washington pundits and middy -- media big shots are at a frenzy over the selection of a woman who has governed rather than just talked a good game on the Sunday talk shows and hit the Washington cocktail circuit."

"Now, being a POW certainly doesn't qualify anyone to be president, but it does reveal character. My friends this is the kind of character that civilizations from the beginning of our history have sought in their leaders: strength, courage, humility, wisdom, duty, honor."

"America needs a president who understands the nature of the world we live in, a president who feels no need to apologize for the United States of America."

"Now, our opponents tell us not to worry about their tax increases. They tell you they're not going to tax your family. No, they're just going to tax "businesses." So, unless you buy something from a business, like groceries or clothes or gasoline - or unless you get a paycheck from a business, a big business or a small business, don't worry, it's not going to affect you!"

Mitt Romney:

“And at Saddleback, after Barack Obama dodged and ducked every direct question, John McCain hit the nail on the head: radical Islam is evil, and he will defeat it! Republicans prefer straight talk to politically correct talk!”

"And I have -- I have one more recommendation for energy conservation: Let's keep Al Gore's private jet on the ground."

Mike Huckabee:

"I'm not a Republican because I grew up rich, but because I didn't want to spend the rest of my life poor, waiting for the government to rescue me."

Rudy Giuliani:

"On the other hand, you have a resume from a gifted man with an Ivy League education. He worked as a community organizer, and immersed himself in Chicago machine politics. Then he ran for the state legislature - where nearly 130 times he was unable to make a decision yes or no. He simply voted "present." As Mayor of New York City, I never got a chance to vote "present." And you know, when you're President of the United States, you can't just vote "present." You must make decisions."

"His rise is remarkable in its own right - it's the kind of thing that could happen only in America. But he's never run a city, never run a state, never run a business. He's never had to lead people in crisis. This is not a personal attack....it's a statement of fact - Barack Obama has never led anything. Nothing. Nada."

"They would have you believe that this election is about 'change versus more of the same.' But that's really a false choice. Because "change" is not a destination ... just as "hope" is not a strategy."

Sarah Palin:

"But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion. I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country."

"And there is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform — not even in the state Senate."

"This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign."

"And though both Sen. Obama and Sen. Biden have been going on lately about how they are always, quote, "fighting for you," let us face the matter squarely. There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you ... in places where winning means survival and defeat means death ... and that man is John McCain."

Well last night we got home from our Labor Day in Wilmington and I already miss it. Sometimes I really wish I could live near the beach but then I realize that I wouldn't appreciate it as much as I do when I get to visit on occasion. In high school, I didn't realize how nice I had it living in a coastal area and having the beach in the summer. But once I moved to college, I saw how festive and FUN the coast was and longed to go back.

I tell Will that one day we'll retire at the beach but he plans on retiring in the mountains. We'll have to see about that one but we've got a long time to figure it all out.

I got a new local number: 704-930-3218. So my old one doesn't work anymore. Call me sometime!

Buffalo, etc.

I've been aware that I haven't posted on my blog in a long time. So here's a little update on life these last few weeks:

I did in fact make it home in one piece from Buffalo. It was fun seeing family although it was emotional saying "goodbye" to Mama. This was the church that held the memorial service. A lot of people turned up to honor her.

After the memorial service and graveside ceremony, we headed to the community house to have a big party. Very typical of our family. It was also nice to see my sisters. I haven't seen Melissa since Christmas since she lives in Los Angeles. Now that I live four hours from home, I don't see Hannah that often either.Hanging out with my cousins is always a blast. It's getting harder and harder to get everyone together nowadays. Here are 14 out of 16 cousins posing for a rare picture.

A lovely picture of Bananz. She's moving to college tomorrow (Appalachian State). I can't believe it. I remember her first day of kindergarten. That was the only year we were both in the same school (I was in 5th grade). She was so cute in her little jean outfit and her Pocahontas bookbag. But I digress...

I had to eventually come home, but with good reason...Will and I were celebrating a special occasion - 1 year anniversary. He brought me this when I got home from work one afternoon.
They were so pretty and lasted for about a week. Then they died and I had to throw them away. It was sad.

He took me out to a special dinner at Sullivan's. I had the best steak of my life there. Then to top it all off, we had an amazing chocolate creme brulee. I thought I was in heaven. Here's us before going out.

I hate flying

I'm flying to Buffalo on Friday for the weekend and I'm not looking forward to getting there. I hate flying for two reasons, 1) Because I'm afraid of crashing and 2) Because I get really, really airsick.

Now my dad is a career jet pilot so I have been accostomed to flying my whole life. Obviously it was a big part of my dad's life so therefore, we had countless opportunities to fly while growing up. I have even worked at an airport where private jets would fly in and we'd refuel them and provide other services. You would think that after so much exposure, I would almost be aloof to the idea of flying - but that's definitely not the case. Now I know that the chances of the plane crashing are very, very slim. I know you are more likely to get run over by a bus while walking down the street. Regardless, I am still scared of crashing because IF it does happen then you're pretty much dead.

When I do fly somewhere, I always have rituals to help me in remaining calm:

-Dramamine and anxiety medication are necessities. I must take 3-4 non-drowzy Dramamine's and a couple of anxiety pills before boarding. I keep them handy while I'm sitting in the plane and will chew on them when nervous tension arise.

-When boarding, I observe the exists and escape routes. I look for anything suspicious. I listen to the plane's engine for anything abnormal.

-I watch the flight attendants very closely. They will be the tell-tale sign if anything is wrong.

-In an attempt to distract myself, I look at Skymall magazine and try to pick out all the things I could use while sipping on my Gingerale.

Our trip to Miami

This past weekend we made the 11 hour drive to Miami for my cousin Jessica's wedding. Will and I left Thursday morning at 5:30 AM to head down there. We both aren't morning people but surprisingly we slept well that night and were rearing to go by morning. The trip down was uneventful with the exceptions of a few rain storms in FL and some bad traffic. We stopped for lunch in Flagler, FL at a Woody's BBQ. We both ordered the "Carolina BBQ" sandwich and interestingly, it wasn't bad! It tasted as authetic as you could imagine.

Here's some pictures of us driving:

I look pretty mean (I was just trying to drive carefully) and Will had to make a face right when I snapped the shot.

We got into Miami right about 5:30 PM and met up with my parents and Hannah. We were ready to eat and explore the city so we changed clothes and headed onto the Monorail to go to Bayside, a neat marketplace with outdoor restaurants and shops. We chose to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe and afterwards we sat outside and sipped on daquari's while listening to the live band. It was fun.

Friday the Fourth was the day of the wedding so we woke up and headed straight for the pool. We were there pretty much all day hanging out with some of our family members and working on our tans. Talk about vacation!

The wedding began at 5PM with the reception immediately following at the Marriott (where we were staying). We had a blast at the reception dancing and just being with everyone. Here's some pictures of before the ceremony and at the reception.

We left Miami the next morning to head back to NC. The way back was better than the way down, but sad because we wanted more time to vacation! Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. Here's some cool pictures of Miami from our hotel room.

So I've been housesitting/dogsitting this week for Will's parents. They needed someone to watch their dachshund, Humphrey, as well as just someone to get the mail, water the plants, take the garbage out, etc.

I have to admit that I've never gotten over my fear of being home alone all night. Especially in a big house. Now, yes, I do live alone in my apartment but that seems somewhat manageable since my apartment is small and I'm in such close proximity to others. But you put me all alone in a big house with lots of windows and weird noises, I get really freaked out. Last night I kept hearing strange sounds all over the house and then my mind races to what it could be (I always assume the worst). Needless to say, I locked my bedroom door just in case. I think I need to stop watching all those 48 Hours Mysteries about murders.

I think the scaredest I've ever been was in our old house in Wilmington when I was in high school. I used to stay up really late and watch TV in my bedroom and talk on AIM into the early hours of the morning. One particular night, when everybody else was asleep, I was up doing my usual routine when I heard a car door shut from outside. My window faced the street so I peered out my window to see who was there. All I could see was a silhouette of a man standing by his car parked right in front of our house. He just seemed to be standing there looking at our house. I just remember being real panicky that this man might try to break in and I contemplated waking my parents up, but to do so I'd have to walk across the hall in front of a big window that the man could probably see through. But just as fast as he appeared, the strange man left but I barely slept a wink that night.

I just hope that I won't hear anymore weird noises tonight :(

Losing a pet

Last week the sad reality of losing a pet hit hard as our beloved family dog, Miles, suddenly passed away. It's been tough this week to cope with his loss. Never had I imagined that losing a pet could be absolutely devastating - it's like losing a member of the family.

The circumstances of Miles' death have been a tough pill to swallow. We don't really know what happened but we speculate he either stopped breathing or had heart failure. He was still a "young" dog at 7 so we assumed we had at least a few more years to live, but I suppose his body couldn't hold on any longer. I just hope Miles didn't feel pain or struggle in his last few moments.

I've had pets (well, cats) my whole life, but none came close to the bond our family formed with Miles. I remember my mom and I really lobbying hard to convince my dad to let us have a dog. We knew we had to choose the perfect dog for our family, as well as the perfect dog for my mom's career. As a clinical social worker, my mom became aware of how animals can be used in patient rehabilitation and therapy. The positive effects of pet therapy have been studied and well documented and Mom thought it would be an excellent way to reach patients that wouldn't ordinarily be treated by standard means. After careful research, we found the perfect dog for our family and for her patients, a handsome French Bulldog puppy that we named Miles. Now, Miles had a tough beginning. He was the runt of the litter and was born with a herniated umbilicial cord that required three surgeries before we got him at three months. Although we might have been taking a risk by adopting a "sick" dog, we fell in love and even considered how patients might be able to relate to Miles' handicaps instead of a dog that was show-dog material.

I know everybody brags about how wonderful their dog is, but Miles really was wonderful. He never made a mess, he was so obidient, and he would always greet you at the door and was so excited to see us. He was most content just to sit in your lap or at your feet as if he was claiming you as his own. We nicknamed him "The Buddy" because he really was a buddy, a best friend, a pal.

Miles also made a difference in hundreds of people's lives. He was a regular at the hospital, working mostly with abused children. In fact, Miles was actually named New Hanover Regional Medical Center's "Employee of the Month." They did a news story on him about his accomplishments and how he was impacting so many people. More recently, I was able to witness Miles' positive effect when Hannah and I took him to a nursing home. One woman, who was bedridden, had just celebrated her birthday the week before and was so excited about having Miles visit her in her room. We put him on her bed and she was so content to pet him and talk about the dogs she had onced owned. When it was our time to go, the lady told me and Hannah that Miles' visit was her birthday present. That almost moved me to tears.

Miles' passing brings about a great void in our family. I went home this past weekend and it was so hard to walk in the door and Miles not be there to greet me. It was hard not seeing him in his room on his pillow like he always was. But life must go on and as the days pass on, the pain won't pierce any longer. I won't ever forget Miles. He was the best dog ever.

Anybody but Obama

I don't see the appeal of Barack Obama. It seems like so many of my fellow young people are huge supporters and this concerns me. Sure, he sounds convincing and articulates himself well, but strip away the veneer and what's left?

First off, what makes him the best candidate without using the words "hope," "change," or "inspiration"? I find none. Any candidate that goes out there and boasts about how he's going to change the US for the better and make it a happy place once again raises red flags in my eyes. Isn't that what John Kerry unsuccessfully tried to do four years ago? He talked about change and how he's got a plan but never laid the foundation for how he would enact change. How exactly will Obama change us? Well, let's look at reality. Obama has three years in the Senate -before that he was a lawyer. Compared to other ex-Presidents, Obama's experience (or lack thereof) is laughable. What has he done in 3 years? Not much. What makes him think he has what it takes to be Head of State, Head of Government, Commander in Chief? What makes him think he has the background to solve our most crucial problems - a bad economy, a failing social security system, homeland security? I know how he'll "change" America. Higher taxes! And he's got the answers to the Iraq War? He hasn't ever even served in the United States Military for goodness sake!

We cannot trust Barack Hussien Obama. Our prime example is his allegiance to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright for twenty years. I'm appaled that people are accepting his "apology" for Rev. Wright's comments by saying that he's like a "crazy uncle" that says things you don't necessarily always agree with and instead shifting the focus to his "racist" grandmother. I can't believe that somebody would sit in a church for two decades and listen to a bigotted pastor if they did not agree. As a Christian, I feel that that my church is a crucial part of my life and its teachings and beliefs reflect the person that I am. Can the same be true for Obama? I think so. He's not trustworthy, plain and simple.

Scary Maintenance Man

The apartment complex in which I live is a very nice community with very nice tenants. In the short while that I have lived there, I have never once felt unsafe. However, I've been on edge for the last few nights all because of a late night encounter with the maintenance man.

The other night I was unusually tired and went to bed fairly early. I must have been sound asleep when all of a sudden I heard Chico suddenly wake up and start barking. I roused from my deep sleep as I heard a loud banging on my door and a man's voice saying "Hello? Hello?" At first, I wasn't sure what to do. I certainly wasn't going to go answer the door in the odd hours of the morning to see what on earth this stranger wanted from me. I even contemplated calling the police to remove this person from my front door. Thoughts were racing through my head as I'm wondering if it's a drunk guy, a neighbor with an emergency, or somebody looking for a party at the wrong unit. Before I could take action, the banging stopped but I could still hear the voice seemingly coming closer and closer to my bedroom door. Then just like out of a scene of a horror movie, my living room lights cut on and I knew at once that this mysterious person was inside my apartment. In almost a panic, I dashed out of my bed and opened by bedroom door. There standing in front of my door is the maintenance man that is employed by my complex. I didn't really know what to say in that instant, but before anything could come out of my mouth, the man tells me he's here to fix my AC unit because it was leaking water into the unit downstairs. He let himself in because he didn't think anybody was home. I groggily watched as this would-be intruder promptly fixed the unit and left.

I was shaken by the entire incident and a little paranoid that this man has access to my apartment anytime. What an unsettling thought. So, I've been locking my bedroom door at night but so far there have been no further intrusions to report.

Goodbye, Mama

Last night my grandmother passed away. Upon hearing the news, I've gone through a plethora of emotions from sadness and solemness to peacefulness and happiness. Today has been a bizarre day as I struggle to hold back tears and yet come to grips that I'll never see her again.


We all called her Mama (pronounced Muh-Muh), which was what she called her mother. Mama was a unique lady. She was tough on the outside but underneath the veneer she was a thoughtful, warm, youthful woman who had a wonderful sense of humor. Her chuckle was infectious - anytime you heard her laugh it would inexplicably create laughter for all!


Some of my earliest memories of Mama was when I was about four or five years old. Those were my "rough" years, as I was adjusting to gaining a baby sister and not being the center of attention anymore. At the time, I had somewhat of a displaced sense of humor that oftentimes was mistaken for being bratty and rude. Admittedly, I did offend some - such as the time that I told my aunt that she was an "ugly lady" (although she's far from it). While I stepped on the toes of many, Mama always seemed to understand my sense of humor and take it in stride. She used to come up behind me and "squeeze my peaches" (butt cheeks) and it would instantly cause me to erupt in laughter. I was so amused by her squeezing my peaches, that I would ask her to do it and say it over and over again. It must have driven her nuts, but she never let me know it.

Since my family is from the Buffalo, NY area, we have always been dedicated Bills fans. Mama was no exception. During the Bills' glory days, she would sit on the couch on Sunday afternoons and cheer for them. I got to experience one such occasion that has left a lasting impression on me several years later. We were at my Uncle Matt's house and Mama, with beer in hand, sat down and started to watch the game. After only a couple of minutes of watching the game, Mama's blood starting to boil after the Bills, in typical fashion, started to let the game slip away. It was hilarious to witness my grandmother on the couch going nuts and yelling at the players to shape up and start playing football like real men!


Mama was also incredibly thoughtful and humble. She came to Wilmington in the summer of 2000 after my mom had major surgery. Mama was there to not only take care of mom in recovery, but also to take care of the household in lieu of mom's absence. I remember coming home one day from the beach, and Mama had already cooked dinner, cleaned the house, made sure mom was comfortable, and was scrubbing under the stovetop burners with a toothbrush! If you were fortunate enough to have Mama cook for you, you wouldn't go hungry because she would make a pot of spaghetti or soup enough for an entire Army Battalion. I suppose that is the way to do it when you have seven children and sixteen grandchildren. Anytime you ate at her house, Mama would make sure you had plenty to eat, plenty to drink, and everything tasted and looked alright. We would sometimes kid her because she'd be too busy asking if your oatmeal was warm enough or your coffee had enough cream in it to even eat herself. And while she didn't have much money of her own, she'd always make sure that all sixteen of her grandchildren would get a birthday and a Christmas gift from her every year.


There's so many anecdotes and amusing stories I could tell of Mama. I could talk about how she knew what everything cost in Super WalMart, I could talk about how she'd watch Family Feud on full blast while doing word search puzzles, or of her preference for shiny, metallic, open-toed sandles. I could go on and on and tell about what a wonderful presence she has been in my 22 years. I do know that we will miss her badly and she'll always be remembered in our hearts and minds as the matriarch of the family, the one that persevered through so much and did so with grace and dignity. Goodbye Mama, we'll miss you.

Welcome to my blog! A Year in Review:

Well, I have finally caved in to this blog thing and created my own. For one, I really like reading other people's blogs and kept thinking to myself that this would be a great way to keep in touch friends and family that I'm not able to see often and keep them in the loop.

This past year has been a whirlwind for me. This time last year I was preparing to graduate from NC State University. Final exams, projects, papers, and plans were still in the works as I was trying to figure out what the heck I wanted to do after May 12th. I didn't have any job offers yet, but I did know I was ready to leave the Raleigh area. It was just time to move on. Graduation came and went, and I came back to Wilmington to figure out what's next.

So I went to Wilmington and started my job search but eventually the days turned into weeks and soon it was the middle of July and I still hadn't had a job offer. I was a little discouraged, but I kept my chin up and tried to remain positive. I was able to take a trip to Los Angeles to see my sister Melissa and brother-in-law Brent, as well as my birthplace Riverside, CA. Here's a picture of me in front of our old house.

In the meantime, I met my wonderful boyfriend Will in Wilmington. He was completing his degree from UNC-Wilmington and was working at the Ft. Fisher Air Force Recreation Area as the summer intern. My younger sister, Hannah, was a recreation aid at the base and had called me one afternoon to come visit her at work and bring her a Subway sandwich. So being a thoughtful sister, I came to eat lunch with her. We were sitting behind the employee partition when I noticed a cute blonde guy walking in on his phone. I knew he was an employee since he had the Ft. Fisher shirt on, so I asked Hannah all the basics: name, age, availability, etc. Finally the cute blonde boy got off his cell phone, and came over to where we were eating and introduced himself to me. He sat down and we started to chat over the next hour or so, and he finally got my number. He called later and we've been together ever since. That was almost a year ago.

The summer turned into fall. I was working part-time while job searching full-time. Will's internship ended in September, and he left to go back to his hometown of Gastonia, NC to work with his family's business. Obviously a long distance relationship isn't ideal, especially in the beginning stages of a relationship, but we made due. I'd come to Gastonia to see Will every couple of weekends. The job front had intermittent periods of nothing to something, but eventually nothing panned out. Finally, I had a ray of hope that a job opportunity with corporate Bank of America would work out in Charlotte. It would be a tremendous opportunity with lots of room to climb the latter and make it in the banking business. However, the job was VERY competitive with hundreds of applicants and several selected candidates. I was fortunate to be a selected candidate and went through several interviews, but in the end they decided to hire internally. Another disappointment.

Before I knew it, Christmas was fast approaching. Melissa and Brent came home for the holidays and we had a normal family Christmas. However, in the back of my mind I was becoming increasingly unhappy with my unemployment. It was frustrating to be trying so hard to reach a goal, but nothing moved. I started to question what was wrong with me that I wasn't getting hired. I would get very depressed at times. Also, how ironic was that half my life was really good with my friends, family, and boyfriend but the other half (work, financial) was lacking? I knew I had to do something so I put my trust in the Lord and made a move. I came to Charlotte to get a job.

I felt led to come here. Work was more readily available there and I felt that I needed to physically be here to be available for interviews or work as soon as possible. Also, I'd be closer to Will. I won't lie, that was a factor. I knew that this relationship was lasting. Nonetheless, the best route to go to find work was through an employment agency. It was the fastest way and plus it was only temporary jobs so if I hated it, I wasn't bound to be there forever. I was ready to jump into the working world!

However, the first assignment they gave me in January was TERRIBLE. It was a 6-8 week commitment at a company that sold candles that eliminate pet odor. The job you may ask? Cold calling vet clinics and pet stores and asking them to sample the candle. Now if you know me, you probably know that I hate talking on the phone. So to be soliciting these poor people on the phone was excruciating for me. I mean, we all hate those pesky salespeople that always call during the most inopportune time. Now I was one of them! Thankfully, the company only used me for 4 weeks, and while I was glad to be getting full time work and a paycheck, I knew I wouldn't miss that job at all.

After that job ended, I was back to square one: job-searching again. But God is always faithful and somehow provided me another opportunity - a better, permanent job. Which leads me to where I am today. I have been working for an engineering firm for almost two months now and I love it. I serve as the manager of the office as well as the project assistant for two electrical engineers. I love the challenges of learning the engineering lingo as well as the technology and I am eternally grateful that these people gave me the chance. But more so than that, I see the trail that God has paved for me over the last year. It was a year of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, but He pulled me through. I am now financially independent. I own a car, I pay rent for a 1 bedroom apartment, and I pay my own MasterCard bill every month. Yes, I've come a long way in the last year.