On Thursday, I left behind a week's worth of rain for a much needed beach vacation. I joined Jen, Traci, and Michelle at Grayton Beach for five days and four nights of sun and sea salt on our skin. There was laughter, shopping, good drinks, even better food and the best kind of relaxation. Nowhere to be, nothing to worry about. Five days to let go and allow the sun to melt away whatever worries I may have been carrying. I came back yesterday, leaving summer behind, coming home to Halloween decorations up on the house, a chill in the air. And a restlessness that tells me that something good is coming, if only I have the courage and determination to go for it. There are too many paths to choose, but I'm ready to pick one and run toward the future, without looking back. It's amazing how much clearer things become when you stop staring at them for a little while.
Since I'm feeling both hopeful and nostalgic, I'll leave you with a few memories made in the salty air:
-Just a short walk down a flight of stairs to sand, shoes not required, to a beach viewable from our window
-Floppy brimmed hats being swept off by waves
-Shimmering trails of greenish light left behind by twirling arms and uncovered skin
-Swimming in moonlight, waves, and so many stars you could just drown by looking at them
-Hushed laughter and futile attempts to rid ourselves of too much sand, a consequence of too much drink and just enough fun
-Conversations with strangers who act more welcoming than some friends
-Music and rain and the feeling that all is right with the world, if only we'd slow down enough to realize it
The end of summer
It smells like fear, but it's not really
As Dave and i were finishing up dinner on evening recently, I was casually flipping through a Yankee Candle catalog when I came across a candle named "Wedding Day." Not really expecting any answer from Dave, I asked out loud, "I wonder what Wedding Day smells like?" to which he replied, without missing a beat or even looking up, "Fear." God, I love that man.
Things have been going really well, lately. I have been one three interviews, none of which turned into job offers, but I have really enjoyed the time away from the stress and routine of working a full-time corporate job. No longer am I feeling embarrassed about being let go from a job that I wasn't even very happy with, but didn't realize it until I was forced to give it up. I miss a few of the people I used to work with, but that's it. Time to move on.
Things that I've been doing to occupy my time since involuntarily becoming a house-wife.
1) Remodeling. I am really good at painting! I tore all of the wallpaper off the guest bathroom one day in a very impulsive (and very Chelle-like) move. Afterwards, the dry wall was in rough shape, so Dave put a skim-coat of joint compound on it, but after applying two coats of paint, I decided it still looked rough. So I decided to add sand to the paint! For texture! To cover up all of the dings and uneven spots on the walls (there were a lot) and what do you know? Corporate America had not sucked all of the creativity out of my soul as I had feared! The sand makes a nice subtle texture and adds a little something to a bathroom that has been decorated in a mosh-posh of beach and garden themes.
2) Exercise. Forcing yourself to workout isn't nearly as difficult when you aren't exhausted from working full-time. Who knew? I've been running, walking the dogs, lifting light weights and plan to start the 30 Day Shred program soon. I decided to put it off until after my sister-in-law's visit next week. That way I do not embarrass myself by having to exercise in front of her.
3) Travel. I have been to Florida three (3!) times since May. Once to pet sit for the grandparents for about a week, and twice to help my mom set-up, then immediately dismantle a third grade classroom (long story).
4) Reading. I had forgotten how nice it was to sit and read for a spell. In the past 3 months, I have re-read the entire Harry Potter series. I got confused after seeing the latest movie, so I decided I needed a refresher. I've also been reading a bunch of romance novels that mom keeps sending/giving to me, but I doubt anybody really wants details on those.
I am currently being stared at by three very hungry cats, so I better go start feeding the menagerie. Wishing you and yours a happy Friday and a wonderful weekend!
Hello, Spring
I love this time of year. So many changes are taking place, from the first appearance of tiny buds signaling spring to possibilities for Big Things blooming in other areas of my life. So much has been happening and everything shows such promise. I think I really needed the freshness that spring brings to get me out of whatever funk I've been in for a while now.
The surgery I spoke about went well. I have recuperated better than I expected I would. After a week of rest, I had most of my energy back. A week after that and all systems were back to normal (well, at least the ones that were normal pre-surgery). Fingers crossed that this was just what was needed.
A friend directed me to a link about marriage today and how we can learn to observe the behaviors of our significant others and tailor our responses to said behaviors to fit their needs instead of trying to always make it about our own self. The article, published several years ago, is titled: What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage and so much of what the author described really rings true in my own marriage. I don't consider the tips in the article to be about manipulation; I think it is about putting someone's needs before your own. After all, isn't that what love is all about? It's a struggle, learning to speak the language of those you love, but the benefit far outweighs the effort.
Happy First Day of Spring. May you enjoy the warmth of the sun on your skin and find pleasure in the colors blooming around you.
I do solemnly swear that I am up to no good
I have been drowning in work lately and it is beginning to wear on me quite a bit. L left the middle of December and I keep asking when she will be replaced, only to be put off again and again. I finally had it this week and went over my direct supervisor's head to the President of the company. I don't know why, but my supervisor is intimidated by our president. Some of his excuses for putting off requesting a new assistant for me:
1. We are going to wait until after the holidays. (10 weeks ago)
2. I'll talk to Mr. B about it after the convention. (3 weeks ago)
3. I'll talk to Mr. B about it when he is in a better mood. (Used several times)
4. I know! I'll talk to Mr. B's son about it and he can present the idea to his dad. (WTF? 1 week ago)
5. Haven't had a chance to bring it up. (Monday)
It was excuse number five that finally pushed me past my patience threshold. As soon as those words left my supervisor's mouth, I looked at him and said not to worry about it, that I'd request a meeting with Mr. B that afternoon. And I did. The meeting lasted 10 minutes and I am getting an assistant, finally! But now my supervisor is MAD at me. As in avoiding me and barely speaking to me at all. So professional, don't you think?
In other news, I am having surgery next week to correct an issue that may be preventing me from being able to get pregnant. It isn't that big of a deal, being outpatient and all, but I do not like to be cut on so I am a little bit nervous. I hope they give me some really good drugs that knock me right out. I do not want to know what is going on in that operating room.
Dave came home on Wednesday, only to turn right back around and leave again on Thursday. He has a Scottish Games in Jacksonville and rode down with someone who has family there and wanted to take a long weekend to visit with them. I hope he has fun, but I wish he'd come home to stay already (he'll be back on Sunday, so my whining is just me being whiny).
I am going to an Ellis Paul concert this weekend with L. I can't wait to see her smiling face; I've missed her.
Now, it's back to work for me. I admit I am excited to see how this political storm I've initiated plays out. It's just wait and see time - will my supervisor get over it and get me some help now that the position has been approved? All I can say is, my part here is done. Mischief Managed!
When procrastination pays off
For a long time now, I have been wanting a smart phone so I can access my email and favorite web pages no matter where I am. I kept putting it off because it just seemed like so much money to spend, not only on the fancy phone but also on the data plan so that browsing the internet would not end up costing a fortune. And also I am just that good at procrastinating. I think the planets must have been aligned just right this weekend, because I was kept very busy discovering newfangled technology, such as: Zappos.com, Netflix, and the Blackberry Curve.
Verizon was running a deal on the Curve, and though I was skeptical, we decided to check it out. We ended up with not only a Curve, but also a fancy new Motorola phone for Dave. And the price? Free! It seems we had waited so long to upgrade our old phones that Verizon had to basically throw the phones at us to get us to upgrade. I so love it when procrastination actually pays off, because you know that almost never happens.
Now I can check the tracking on my Zappos.com order to see when my new boots will arrive no matter where I am. My dvds from Netflix should be coming soon, too. What did people do before the internet? And is it sad that I am already addicted to my new crackberry?
the very first day of my favorite month
It is October 1st and I am so glad September is gone. That month was beginning to stink, if you ask me. October is so much better...the leaves start to change, Halloween is fast approaching, and the holidays are getting close, but not close enough for the panic to set in. Dave has already put up the Halloween lights on the outside of our house and we'll work on adding fake spider webs over the next few weeks. I love Halloween and can't wait to have kids that I can dress up and take trick-or-treating. I have been so tempted to dress up the dogs, but so far, have kept myself under control.
October is my favorite month and I have a feeling that this one will prove to be one of the best yet. I have a trip to Florida planned with some really great gals and I cannot wait to see them again. This weekend is going to be so much fun.
While I am gone, Dave will get to take care of all of the animals, including the new cat that has decided to adopt us (though I am considering taking Prue so that she can play with my mom's dog Brynn, who happens to be her sister. Did I just confuse you?) The new cat showed up while I was in Florida for my grandmother's stroke scare, and Dave fed him. So now he will not leave. I wonder if he was left behind by former neighbors who have been forced to move because of foreclosure? We've had a lot of those in my area lately. New Cat seems well fed and is super friendly, so I'm not she if he needs adopting. But he has stuck around for almost two weeks now. And yes, we've started feeding him. How could we not? I mean look at that face!
And if that doesn't warm the cockles of your heart, how 'bout this one:
I guess once we've figured out what to name him, he's ours. I think when a strange cat adopts you, it brings good luck. I also think a fourth cat officially makes me a crazy cat lady.
A man and his dog
Dave and Prue are busy working on the floor today. The sanding is almost done and that will leave staining and sealing and then it will be finished. And none too soon, since there is a major hurricane heading toward the Gulf of Mexico and, quite possibly, the panhandle of Florida where a lot of my family lives. We may need to move out of the spare bedroom sooner than we thought. I am hoping to be able to talk my mom and grandmother into coming up here if Hurricane Ike looks like it will be targeting the panhandle and we'll need all the spare room we can get.
So far, today has been busy. We went to Lowe's to rent a sander early this morning only to get it home and have it not work. Figures. So we took it back, along with about $60 worth of sandpaper. Dave actually had to explain that the sander did not work and ask for his money back to the same clerk that had rented it to him. I guess she just assumed that he had sanded his floor really really fast and that he was turning it back in. After an hour. It made me miss those little mom and pop hardware stores where you actually got to talk to someone who knew what they were talking about and also where you could count on good customer service. At Lowe's, you pretty much have to fight for your rights as a customer and service is usually mediocre at best.
So, after returning the broken sander to Lowe's, we went to a privately owned tool rental place where we got really great customer service. And the rental was not only cheaper, but we get to keep it thru Monday even though we are technically renting it for one day because this location is closed on Sundays. We will definitely be renting from there again in the future and I will make it my mission to get Dave to shop at smaller, privately owned hardware stores and not at corporate chains. If we can find any near our house, that is. They seem to be a dying breed and that makes me really sad for the future of this country.
Fay, you are beginning to smell.
When I moved from the panhandle of Florida to Georgia, I figured I would be done with tropically classified storms. And this has been true for the last 3 and a half years I've been here. Until this week, when Fay decided to make an appearance. She is currently sitting on top of north Georgia, and though we really needed rain, it looks like we may get flooding with it. Fay, Fay, go away - you have overextended your stay.
All of this rain is doing two things for which I am not pleased.
1) Fay is making my head hurt. I have nutty sinuses and low-pressure systems make my head feel like it is going to either explode or fall off of my neck.
2) Fay is forcing me to pay more to get to work that I would like. I am driving my SUV instead of my bike, and I am going to need to fill up soon and oh my god that's painful. I am a cheap-skate at heart and do not like paying over $100 for anything, let alone a tank of gas. Man, it's not like I can wear it or show it off or anything.
In other news, Dave is installing wood flooring in our bedroom. I am excited about this because the carpet in there was nasty when we bought the house and has gotten even nastier since. Our dogs sleep in our bedroom with us at night and they are a huge source of dirt and hair and love to wrestle. Berber carpet cannot withstand two energetic labs, especially the cheap stuff the previous owners installed in the master bedroom. So now we will have oak floors and hopefully, my allergies will thank me...err, thank Dave, rather, since he is the one doing all of the work.
The downside of this project is the mess it is making of the rest of our house. We have moved into our guest room and all of the furniture and crap from our bedroom has been strategically placed around the rest of the house. It is currently looking a little cluttered around Casa de Chelle, though the cats are loving all of the new hiding spots that have been created. The other downside: going from sharing a king size bed to a full. Have you seen Dave? He fills a full sized bed by himself, so needless to say, I am awakened several times a night by elbow jabs and cover thievery, oh, and the snoring! Have I told you about the ear plugs I keep stored in my pillow case? I have had to use them only once since we moved rooms, but thank you baby jesus that we even had any, because there are times when Dave sounds like a freight train and it's either ear plugs or strangulation and I would much prefer to keep him around to continue with the home improvement projects and to do all of the heavy lifting. I cannot wait until this project is complete and we can move back into the master bedroom and back into our own sleeping zip codes.
Baby steps
Thanks for the kind comments on my last post. Gavin is back to normal, with a slightly improved disposition. I think the two days away made him realize just how good he's got it!
*****
Last night, Dave and I took the bikes to dinner. We went to our favorite sushi place that's about 5 miles away from our house. Dave let me lead, and we made it there and back with out any mishaps on my part. And I even had to ride over railroad tracks and a large puddle of water on the road. We definitely weren't traveling as fast as I'm sure Dave would have liked, but he is being patient with me as I take baby steps toward mastering this motorcycle. And I am so happy with the progress I am making! I am no longer apprehensive about the twist throttle or the shifting and can now concentrate a little more on how I should be riding. When to lean and how far when turning. How to sit more comfortably. And soon I may just be able to wave back at the other bikers we pass.
Bikers have a special "wave" that they give other bikers when they pass each other, much like boaters wave at other boaters. When passing another boat, you just give a friendly wave, but on a bike, you are supposed to take whatever hand is closest to the other rider, make the peace sign, and hold you hand down by your side, fingers pointed toward the ground. I have not been able to do this yet, because I usually have a death-grip on the handlebars. But I'll get there, fellow bikers, just give me time.
Weeeee-hooooo
I have had three days of riding Stella and so far so good. I totally missed that kamikaze mailbox that decided to jump out in front of me. And the wobbly starts? That's just how I roll.
I took the written portion of the motorcycle exam yesterday and passed with flying colors. In Georgia, you must take a two-part written exam in order to get a learner's permit to ride. Since I passed, I can now (legally) ride Stella during daylight hours, as long as I don't take her on the interstate or ride with a passenger. I guess that means no more picking up hitchhikers for me. (Kidding, Mom!)
So I gave Dave a month before he caved and bought a bike for himself, right? Well I was wrong, wrong, wrong. He bought this bike yesterday and now I will be forever saying, "WAIT FOR MEEEEEEEEE!" We brought it home last night, borrowing a trailer from my work. Dave towed it with the Yukon and I followed in his truck. About a mile from the house, one of the two straps holding the bike secure on the trailer came undone and the whole bike shifted. I was talking on the cell phone with mom and had to hang up really fast, scaring her to death by saying something like. "IT JUST BROKE I HAVE TO GO." I called Dave and told him to slowly come to a stop or else his new baby was going to fall over. We pulled into someone's driveway (Thanks, strangers, for letting us use your conveniently located circular driveway!) and Dave reconnected the strap that had slipped.
The moral of the story: Check your tie-downs after driving a few miles. Oh and watch those mailboxes. They can be a tad unpredictable.
She's Got A Ticket To Ride
So that scooter I was going to borrow from my Dad? Well, that isn't going to happen. Because I bought this instead:
Isn't she a beauty? I am going to get to know her a little better before deciding on a name for her. Preferably without killing myself.
If it makes you happy, it can't be that baaa-aaa-ad
I am excited about the next few days and I cannot wait to get out of work so that I may share my great mood with the world. Well, with my world, anyway. Which consists of Dave, three cats and two dogs. Oh, puppies, I have so much to tell you!
Here are 5 things that I am excited about:
1) February is almost over. And you know what that means...it's almost spring, baby!
2) I have two new (used) cds on order and should be holding them in my actual hands early next week. Also, they are shipping to me at work, so Dave does not even have to know! (Unless he reads this...then I'm busted. But still happy!)
3) I am cooking up a plan that is good for me and may even increase my productivity at work. Stay tuned for details.
4) I have discovered Bookmooch. And I have just requested my first two books. (Thanks, Craige, for introducing me to this!)
5) I am planning to get my permit to drive a motorcycle. And I will be negotiating the use of a scooter similar to this bad boy with my Dad, who owns two like this and has mentioned teaching me how to drive one. My commute to work is pretty easy for Atlanta, (I don't have to get on the interstate) but it is still 30 minutes one-way and if gas prices continue to increase the way they are increasing right now, then a scooter or smaller motorcycle may be just the thing.
This weekend, is going to be fun, I just know it. I have a mission from Baby Catie to do something really fun before the week is out and I get bonus points for not spending any money. Catie, mission accepted. I think it's time to go exploring around Atlanta. I may even talk Dave into giving geocaching a try.
My will to work is missing
I seem to have misplaced my will to work this week. I am not very motivated and would really like to go home, curl up on my couch with a comfy blanket over my lap, a cup of coffee on the table beside me, and a really good book and maybe a cat or two to keep me company. It is raining outside and that just makes my idea all the more perfect.
I'm not sure that it is just the weather that is making me feel so under motivated. I really think it might have more to do with the fact that I am very much, without a doubt, over this job. My review a few months ago was ridiculous -- the biggest complaint per my supervisor? I go to lunch too often with one of my male coworkers and it "doesn't look right and people might talk." So now I am no longer allowed to go to trade shows with this person. We're talking once or twice a week and usually it was in an effort to conserve gas, not because we were going to rent a room for an hour at the Hampton Inn down the street. And I work in a department with all guys, so go figure (with the exception of my new assistant who was hired after my review).
I have also not been given a raise, though I was told during my review that the paperwork was on the CEO's desk for approval. I guess that's kind of like the saying "the check is in the mail." Plus, after discovering I make a lot less than my male predecessor and that the inexperienced new sales associate is making about 20k more than me, I made the mistake of confiding my feelings about all of that to someone who did not keep what I told him confident. Another reason why it is time to move on.
I love change and I have a feeling that bigger and better things are just around the corner!
A busy week at work
This has been the first full week back to work since the Christmas and New Years breaks and it has certainly been a busy one. I have caught up on most of my projects, though there are still a few here and there that I need to complete. That's what comes with being the only marketing person for three separate companies.
But not anymore.
As of today, we have made an offer to a young woman who is going to be my assistant. Yay! I plan on teaching her every aspect of my job so that she can help me with anything and everything that comes up around here. In addition to helping me, she will also provide administrative support for our sales force (something that has also fallen to me in the past). If everything goes according to plan, I will become preggers soon, so she will be here to assume my role once I give birth, or if that doesn't work out, D should be transferring to another facility in the next two years because we are DESPERATELY wanting to get out of Atlanta.
When I first got to work on Monday, I also found out that the only two people that are a nightmare to work with have both been let go...one of them happens to be the boss' son. This is such unexpected news that I actually celebrated (inside my head, of course) until the guilt set in. No one should be jobless, no matter how rotten their attitude. So I hope they both land on their feet soon. Though I am glad that they will no longer be around her to harangue me. I attribute these sudden fortunate events to Janet Power. That Janet Power is some magical stuff, let me tell you.
“Is there anything worn under the kilt? No, it's all in perfect working order.”
This past weekend we went to a Scottish Games, which is a festival celebrating the clans and culture of Scotland. Dave has decided to become an "Highland Athlete" and compete in all of the heavyweight and strength competitions in as many Scottish Games as we can possibly afford.
This was actually his first time competing and he did really well. He placed ninth overall in his division and he walked away with a first place medal for the caber toss, where you attempt to balance a tree trunk and then throw it end over end trying to get it to land as close to the 12-o'clock position as possible.
We had a great time, though it did kind of remind me of field day in elementary school. There was a great deal of waiting your turn and a lot of curiosity about your place in terms of points. Plus, it took all day and it isn't getting any cooler in Georgia, even though we are currently in the middle of October. What's up with that!?
The benefits of exercise
I'm starting a new exercise regime and I desperately want to stick to it, but as it is my own self as the lone motivator, I'm not sure how successful I will be. Nevertheless, I am planning on either running or walking for at least one hour every other night. I started on Sunday by running/walking on my clothes stand treadmill for five miles!! See, I distract myself by the television that is cleverly mounted right at eye-level above the treadmill. I watched over an hour of Along Came Polly, walking during the movie and running during commercials.
Have you ever noticed that there are A LOT of commercials on TV anymore? Like an average of TEN per commercial break? I literally thought I was going to die as I was running my ass off, waiting for the damn movie to come back on. I'm sure it made for a good workout, but I realized the reason why I do not watch much television. TOO MANY DAMN COMMERCIALS!!
Anyway, back to my exercise ambitions!
I skipped Monday and Tuesday (oops, already screwing up the program). On Wednesday, I went to hot yoga. I love me some hot yoga, but I really hate the fact that I have to drive way out of my way to the yoga studio because there is not a yoga studio near me that does the hot yoga. If you've never tried hot yoga, YOU SHOULD! It is the best workout you can have while standing / laying on a little mat. It's a major workout, not too mention that you sweat your ass off (literally) in a room that is 105° and nearing 100% humidity. It sounds like it would be Hell-on-Earth, but I assure you, it feels blissful when you are done. Like you have been cleansed of all of your stress.
Since yoga was yesterday, that means that today is a day off from exercise (yea!) and tomorrow I will have to run / walk again. Just not during the commercials this time :)
