Soo, it's been a long minute since my last post but don't worry, nothing too exciting has happened since then. Actually, I take that back; last week I had a few firsts: I visited The Melting Pot restaurant for the first time and had the most amazingly yummy dessert EVER. When the (very cute) waiter brought out the pot of chocolate Heaven, it was in the design of a Yin and Yang. It was freakin awesome! I also attended a Braves game with a couple of my favorite guy friends for the first time in almost two years, and afterwards we went to a strip club (my first time!). I was very impressed by some of those girls' moves.. it was a bit insane! Anyway, I also participated in my very first corn hole tournament this weekend, and had a great time! If y'all don't know what the h-e-double hockey sticks corn hole is, don't worry, because I had no idea what it was until I witnessed it yesterday. Basically, it is like a bean-bag toss only you are aiming for one hole in a slanted board and you play with a partner against another team. Your points depend on where on the board your bag lands; 3 points foor getting in in the hole and one point for landing on the board. These people were legit; they had 3 sets of boards, team brackets, and everything. We had a corn hole tournament. Just saying it makes me feel super country. And man, it was pretty fun! My partner and I were both newbies, but we actually did pretty decent.
This blog initially started out as a place for me to track my weight loss journey, but since there has been none of that taking place, it has become more of a place for me to work on The List. So, since I can't report any weight loss happenings, I am going to continue with The List. This time I am going to number 9: List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
As soon as I saw this prompt, a few people popped into my head. Now, I am not sure if I can come up with 10, but I will try. Also, I could go on and on about these special people in my life, but I am going to keep it short and sweet. Here goes..
1. My sister, Becci has taught me to never let anyone hold me back and to always shoot for the stars.
2. My mom is the greatest. She is currently fighting a rare autoimmune disease, but she refuses to give up on anything in her life, including her children (no matter how much we drive her crazy) and herself. She may not have too much physical strength these days, but she is one seriously strong lady.
3. My Gma is my guardian angel and guides me everyday. Even though I can't see her anymore, I know that she is always with me and believes in me. She always valued education and encouraged me to do my best.
4. Gpa is my other guardian angel and worked his @$$ off everyday of his life to provide for his family. He never received a degree, but was one of the smartest men that I knew. He could find the area of any object and was my go-to for geometry. He was a real man.
5. My siblings (all 4 of them) have really taught me a lot. I have learned lessons from them on what to do as well as what not to do.
6. Watching my niece and nephews grow up has taught me to savor every minute that I have with them, and with my children in the future because one day I will blink and they will be as tall as me, with "boyfriends" and "girlfriends." And there is nothing that I can do to stop it.
7. All of the students and teachers that I have encountered over the past few years in my field experiences have helped me to realize how much I love teaching and I look forward to having my own classroom. I feel at home when I am teaching, no matter how much those little darlings may drive me nuts some days.
8. My ex taught me that no one is worth losing myself. I tried my damnedest to "save" him and lost so much of myself over the years. He taught me that I can't save everyone, and that a person has to want to better himself in order for anyone to be able to help him. Some people are just happy being miserable. Well, not me.
9. I have taught myself that I am stronger than I give myself credit for.
10. My best friends have taught me the true meaning of friendship and that true friends are there for you when you need them, even if they live a few states away. <3
There you have it; the people that have influenced my life. Is there someone special that has influenced your life? Or perhaps someone not-so-special that had a negative influence in your life? Just some food for thought..
Monday, April 23, 2012
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Lazy Bones
Man, oh man, I love lazy Sundays! Slept in until about 11:00 and haven't done anything productive yet, except eat a yummy strawberry, banana, mango smoothie; yummy! BUT, I am about to get off my butt and get my work-out on! I was going to continue The List, but I was looking through my remaining questions and didn't really find anything that I am in the mood for writing about, so I am just going to skip it for now. Well, I suppose it is time to get going! I hope everyone enjoys their Sunday. <3
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Strenghts and Weaknesses
Monday was my first day "back" at Publix and after two late shifts in a row, I have decided that I am so very ready for this summer and Texas. I had the intention of getting my fingerprints done today but got to the city police station only to discover that I have to go to the county to get them done and just spent almost 45 minutes trying to print some tickets for my sister but the darn printer won't work and I am hella frustrated and don't feel like going down town, so I guess I will just get up early Friday and do it before my sub job. Ugh!!
Nothing too excited since last week; hope everyone had a good Easter and got to spend the day with family and friends!
Now, continuing with The List, I am going to combine two: 5 Strengths and 5 Weaknesses. Here goes...
5 Strengths
1. Confidence
2. Independence
3. Organization
4. Helpful
5. Sense of Humor (Smart Ass runs in my family!)
5 Weaknesses
1. I tend to try to "save" people, forgetting about myself in the mix.
2. I am stubborn
3. I have a huge sweet tooth
4. I tend to be a people please and often take on too much at one time
5. Guys with dark hair/skin and light eyes (esp. green) and abs. hehe :-P
Nothing too excited since last week; hope everyone had a good Easter and got to spend the day with family and friends!
Now, continuing with The List, I am going to combine two: 5 Strengths and 5 Weaknesses. Here goes...
5 Strengths
1. Confidence
2. Independence
3. Organization
4. Helpful
5. Sense of Humor (Smart Ass runs in my family!)
5 Weaknesses
1. I tend to try to "save" people, forgetting about myself in the mix.
2. I am stubborn
3. I have a huge sweet tooth
4. I tend to be a people please and often take on too much at one time
5. Guys with dark hair/skin and light eyes (esp. green) and abs. hehe :-P
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Shin Splints?!?
Well, hello! I feel super because the last few days I have worked out and actually have some energy. Yesterday I walked/jogged 1.5 miles and then did 30 minutes on the elliptical and today I jogged most of the 1.5 miles. I have noticed this weird pain in my shins when I jog, as if they are just going to snap, which probably isn't normal, so I usually walk more than I jog. I should probably get that looked at...
Anyway, continuing with the List, here is Number 11: 10 Pet Peeves
1. Messy people
2. Disorganization
3. People calling me "Vikki" or "Tori" that haven't earned the right to call me either of those names.
4. Bratty/ disrespectful kids.
5. Poor customer service
6. People trying to tell me how to do my job that have no idea how to do my job.
7. Parents that don't parent their children
8. Borrowing my stuff without asking and/or not putting it back where you got it
9. Kids answering "what?" "yeah" or "uh-huh" when asked a question. At least say "yes."
10. The sound of drills. It makes my teeth cringe.
I am sure that there are other things that I can't think of for now, so to quote Porky Pig, That's All Folks!
Anyway, continuing with the List, here is Number 11: 10 Pet Peeves
1. Messy people
2. Disorganization
3. People calling me "Vikki" or "Tori" that haven't earned the right to call me either of those names.
4. Bratty/ disrespectful kids.
5. Poor customer service
6. People trying to tell me how to do my job that have no idea how to do my job.
7. Parents that don't parent their children
8. Borrowing my stuff without asking and/or not putting it back where you got it
9. Kids answering "what?" "yeah" or "uh-huh" when asked a question. At least say "yes."
10. The sound of drills. It makes my teeth cringe.
I am sure that there are other things that I can't think of for now, so to quote Porky Pig, That's All Folks!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Woot Woot!
Two days in a row?!? I think that's a record for me. :-)
Since my last post made me cry (and probably you as well) I decided to choose something from The List that was a bit more on the happy side. So, I am doing number 7: What is your dream job, and why?
Keep in mind, that this is my dream job, so it is not realistic.
I think that many people would probably say that their dream job would be something that would make them oodles of money, but not for me, especially considering that the career path that I have chosen is in the education field. With that in mind, I would have to say that my dream job is teaching. Probably 4th grade. Enter the dream part: a classroom filled with every teaching tool I could possibly use (computers, manipulatives, useful textbooks, etc.) and a student body that is eager to learn and that is well-behaved. A classroom that is full of adorable brown, purple, green, pink, and blue decorations, all coordinating. Everything organized. Kick butt lesson plans. Parents that understand that I am only one person and cannot achieve one-on-one with every child in the classroom. An awesome principal.
To some of you it may sound crazy, but when I am teaching, I know that is where I am supposed to be. So, there you have it; my dream job. What other job gives you 2 months off in the summer, 2 weeks at Christmas, time at Thanksgiving (at least 3 days), a week in the spring, and every weekend off?!? :-)
"Teaching is the greatest act of optimism."
Since my last post made me cry (and probably you as well) I decided to choose something from The List that was a bit more on the happy side. So, I am doing number 7: What is your dream job, and why?
Keep in mind, that this is my dream job, so it is not realistic.
I think that many people would probably say that their dream job would be something that would make them oodles of money, but not for me, especially considering that the career path that I have chosen is in the education field. With that in mind, I would have to say that my dream job is teaching. Probably 4th grade. Enter the dream part: a classroom filled with every teaching tool I could possibly use (computers, manipulatives, useful textbooks, etc.) and a student body that is eager to learn and that is well-behaved. A classroom that is full of adorable brown, purple, green, pink, and blue decorations, all coordinating. Everything organized. Kick butt lesson plans. Parents that understand that I am only one person and cannot achieve one-on-one with every child in the classroom. An awesome principal.
To some of you it may sound crazy, but when I am teaching, I know that is where I am supposed to be. So, there you have it; my dream job. What other job gives you 2 months off in the summer, 2 weeks at Christmas, time at Thanksgiving (at least 3 days), a week in the spring, and every weekend off?!? :-)
"Teaching is the greatest act of optimism."
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
An experience that forever changed my life
So, I am really bad at remembering to post (hints the week between them).. Guess I am going to have to set a reminder in my NEW phone. I did have AT&T and as a graduation gift, my brother was paying for the service for my phone until the contract is up, but it was up before he even offered and he wouldn't let me pay, so I got my own service and a brand spankin' new phone this weekend. I finally got my old number switched over and figured out how to connect to 3G so I can use the internet and all that fun stuff on it. I am super excited about it!
This week is Spring Break and I took the week off from my other job, so I am enjoying a week of no obligations except to make sure no one steals my niece. :-)
Continuing with my List that will probably take me forever and a day to finish, here is numero 6: The hardest thing you have ever experienced.
This one is both easy and difficult for me to answer because I can think of a couple of different events in my life that would constitute as pretty damn hard to deal with; for all purposes of choosing only one, I will definitely have to go with losing my Gma. I still remember the details of that terrible weekend as if it just happened...
On October 14,2009, my Gma had knee replacement surgery and when I saw her two days later, she was perfectly fine. We were planning on baking for Christmas and she asked me to look for those little treat boxes the next time I went to Michael's. My mom asked me to stay the night with Gma, but she said that she was fine and would call the boys (my brother and cousin were living with her) if she needed any help, so after hanging out for about an hour, I left to go about with my Friday night. I happened to go to Michael's that night so I called her to tell her I had found the boxes. We talked for a few minutes and then said bye. Little did I know that this would be the last phone conversation that I would ever have with my Gma. The next day while I was on my way to a friend's baby shower, my brother called to tell me that he had called 911 and they were taking Gma to the hospital, fearing that she had a stroke sometime during the night or early morning. I was assured that everything would be fine and was told to go on with my day; I would get a phone call if anything changed. So, I went to the baby shower and visited with my friend whom I hadn't seen in years. After the shower, my mom picked me up and we went to the hospital, where we had to scrub down, put on shoe covers and bio-hazard suits (long story!) in order to enter the room. Even though my Gma was out of it, she recognized me and I assured her that she was special because I wouldn't have worn that get-up for just anyone. I think she might have even laughed. Well, I had to be at work the next morning, so Mom and I stayed for a little bit and then she took me home. While at work the next day, I got a phone call from my mom that Gma was going to have surgery to remove a large piece of her intestines because they were severely infected. I took the call at the phone behind the customer service desk and could barely keep myself together long enough to get into the hallway where no one could see me break down. I felt helpless but was able to compose myself with the help of a friend. My manager tried to let me leave, but I decided to keep myself occupied at work and would go to the hospital after my shift. When I arrived, the room was filled with my family: Mom, my sister and brothers, aunts, cousins. Everyone was there. We were all playing the waiting game. After the surgery was over, we learned that the doctors had removed several feet of Gma's intestines; the max. amount that could be removed and they still be functional. The doctors were stabilizing Gma, so we would have to wait to see her. Eventually, it started getting late so people started leaving, until it was my Aunt Missy, my sister Becci, and my brother Brian. We made an attempt to get comfortable in the small waiting room by pulling chairs together and spreading out on the floor, but it didn't quite work out the way we wanted it to. At some point, the doctor came to talk to us and tell us what was going on; Gma had a small heart attack (seems like an oxymoron to me!) and they were trying to stabilize her. After the doctor left, we tried for a little while longer to get some sleep, but still weren't successful. I think I was the first one to leave, around 4:00 in the morning. I went home and called out for work for the next day, Monday October 19. I slept for a few hours and then I went back to the hospital to wait with my family. Eventually a doctor came out and told us that it was not looking good for Gma. We were basically told that she was not going to make it, and the family made the decision to take her off of life support. We all had time to say our good-byes and then surrounded my Gma, holding hands and singing Amazing Grace while we waited for her heart to stop. I was holding Gma's hand and couldn't let go, even after her heart stopped and my Gpa took her home with him. My niece (7 at the time) asked to see Gma, so I took her back, after explaining that Gma didn't look like herself because she had been through so much. As I held my niece in my arms, she asked me how Gma got to Heaven, since her body was still with us. I explained to here that what we see is just Gma's body, but what we love about Gma, her soul, was in Heaven with Gpa. Explaining that to her broke my heart, but she really did understand what I was saying. I remember at one point, after everyone had left Gma's room, my mom and my aunt were talking to the doctor in the hallway and I walked up to my mom, buried my face against her and lost it. I felt like a child, wanting to be held by my mommy, but I knew that she would make me feel better. And she did. She held me in her arms until I was "ok."
The next few days were spent making arrangements, creating a picture board and slideshow to celebrate the wonderful that my Gma was, and writing her a letter to be buried with her. She was buried with letters from the older grandkids as well as her daughters, and pictures from the younger ones. On her headstone is one of her favorite quotes, by Thomas Jefferson: "I cannot live without books." She was laid to rest beside my Gpa on October 23, 2009; one month before their 52 wedding anniversary. Not a day goes by that I do not think of my Gma, and some days I find it hard to remember her voice, but I know that she is always watching over me, and that brings a dose of comfort to my heart. I keep a picture of me with her and Gpa at my high school graduation party; I was the last one of the family to have both of them at my graduation.
Now that I have myself crying, I am going to say that is all for this post. Goodnight blog world! <3
This week is Spring Break and I took the week off from my other job, so I am enjoying a week of no obligations except to make sure no one steals my niece. :-)
Continuing with my List that will probably take me forever and a day to finish, here is numero 6: The hardest thing you have ever experienced.
This one is both easy and difficult for me to answer because I can think of a couple of different events in my life that would constitute as pretty damn hard to deal with; for all purposes of choosing only one, I will definitely have to go with losing my Gma. I still remember the details of that terrible weekend as if it just happened...
On October 14,2009, my Gma had knee replacement surgery and when I saw her two days later, she was perfectly fine. We were planning on baking for Christmas and she asked me to look for those little treat boxes the next time I went to Michael's. My mom asked me to stay the night with Gma, but she said that she was fine and would call the boys (my brother and cousin were living with her) if she needed any help, so after hanging out for about an hour, I left to go about with my Friday night. I happened to go to Michael's that night so I called her to tell her I had found the boxes. We talked for a few minutes and then said bye. Little did I know that this would be the last phone conversation that I would ever have with my Gma. The next day while I was on my way to a friend's baby shower, my brother called to tell me that he had called 911 and they were taking Gma to the hospital, fearing that she had a stroke sometime during the night or early morning. I was assured that everything would be fine and was told to go on with my day; I would get a phone call if anything changed. So, I went to the baby shower and visited with my friend whom I hadn't seen in years. After the shower, my mom picked me up and we went to the hospital, where we had to scrub down, put on shoe covers and bio-hazard suits (long story!) in order to enter the room. Even though my Gma was out of it, she recognized me and I assured her that she was special because I wouldn't have worn that get-up for just anyone. I think she might have even laughed. Well, I had to be at work the next morning, so Mom and I stayed for a little bit and then she took me home. While at work the next day, I got a phone call from my mom that Gma was going to have surgery to remove a large piece of her intestines because they were severely infected. I took the call at the phone behind the customer service desk and could barely keep myself together long enough to get into the hallway where no one could see me break down. I felt helpless but was able to compose myself with the help of a friend. My manager tried to let me leave, but I decided to keep myself occupied at work and would go to the hospital after my shift. When I arrived, the room was filled with my family: Mom, my sister and brothers, aunts, cousins. Everyone was there. We were all playing the waiting game. After the surgery was over, we learned that the doctors had removed several feet of Gma's intestines; the max. amount that could be removed and they still be functional. The doctors were stabilizing Gma, so we would have to wait to see her. Eventually, it started getting late so people started leaving, until it was my Aunt Missy, my sister Becci, and my brother Brian. We made an attempt to get comfortable in the small waiting room by pulling chairs together and spreading out on the floor, but it didn't quite work out the way we wanted it to. At some point, the doctor came to talk to us and tell us what was going on; Gma had a small heart attack (seems like an oxymoron to me!) and they were trying to stabilize her. After the doctor left, we tried for a little while longer to get some sleep, but still weren't successful. I think I was the first one to leave, around 4:00 in the morning. I went home and called out for work for the next day, Monday October 19. I slept for a few hours and then I went back to the hospital to wait with my family. Eventually a doctor came out and told us that it was not looking good for Gma. We were basically told that she was not going to make it, and the family made the decision to take her off of life support. We all had time to say our good-byes and then surrounded my Gma, holding hands and singing Amazing Grace while we waited for her heart to stop. I was holding Gma's hand and couldn't let go, even after her heart stopped and my Gpa took her home with him. My niece (7 at the time) asked to see Gma, so I took her back, after explaining that Gma didn't look like herself because she had been through so much. As I held my niece in my arms, she asked me how Gma got to Heaven, since her body was still with us. I explained to here that what we see is just Gma's body, but what we love about Gma, her soul, was in Heaven with Gpa. Explaining that to her broke my heart, but she really did understand what I was saying. I remember at one point, after everyone had left Gma's room, my mom and my aunt were talking to the doctor in the hallway and I walked up to my mom, buried my face against her and lost it. I felt like a child, wanting to be held by my mommy, but I knew that she would make me feel better. And she did. She held me in her arms until I was "ok."
The next few days were spent making arrangements, creating a picture board and slideshow to celebrate the wonderful that my Gma was, and writing her a letter to be buried with her. She was buried with letters from the older grandkids as well as her daughters, and pictures from the younger ones. On her headstone is one of her favorite quotes, by Thomas Jefferson: "I cannot live without books." She was laid to rest beside my Gpa on October 23, 2009; one month before their 52 wedding anniversary. Not a day goes by that I do not think of my Gma, and some days I find it hard to remember her voice, but I know that she is always watching over me, and that brings a dose of comfort to my heart. I keep a picture of me with her and Gpa at my high school graduation party; I was the last one of the family to have both of them at my graduation.
Now that I have myself crying, I am going to say that is all for this post. Goodnight blog world! <3
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