So, I submitted my resignation today. I told my boss what was going on and told her I didn't know specifically when I was leaving but it would likely be in the next one to three months. She was upset that I was leaving but she understood my reasoning and my need to take care of a family member.("Family comes first," she said, "It's the same as if you'd had a baby and decided that you needed to stay home so I'm not really upset.") I think she'll go ahead and post my position and give time to find someone and have me train them. I told her I'd always be available through phone or e-mail if they needed my help with something. I want to leave on good terms and not be remembered as the person that screwed everything up and then walked out.
Right now, I'm just sending my resume in to places that have jobs that I can do. Administrative Assistant, Office Manager, Records clerk. I applied for a position as a Records clerk in New Bern. The Director of HR for the company e-mailed me back and said she would be looking for an HR assistant soon. She asked for my salary requirement (and didn't respond "Lawlz" when I told her what it was) and when I'd be able to start working. So, I'm starting to get hopeful now that I'll find something.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Quick Update
I talked to Grandmama Morton yesterday about Matthew and I moving down there. She was very surprised but she was really really excited about it. I've applied for about seven jobs down there, so far. And, I think I have one or two more to apply to today.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Picture Post 2-23-08
Click on thumbnails to view larger photos.
Four generations of Mortons. Clockwise from top: Percy Morton, "Daddy Steve" Morton, Steve Morton, Krystal Morton
Me wearing my daddy's shoes.
My dad, his brother, Vince, and their dog.
Granddaddy Morton in High School
Grandmama Morton at her wedding with her mother, Hazel Thompson Britt. My grandmother told me that the dress was a light aqua and not white.
Andy and Hazel Thompson Britt
Grandmama and Granddaddy Morton when they were younger
Stephen Bryant and Gladys (Delane) Morris Morton. My parents got my middle name from Mama Gladys'.
Mick Morris and Alice Holton Morris. Granddaddy Morton's maternal grandparents.
Mama Gladys circa 1910
Me and Granddaddy Morton
Mick, Alice and Gladys Morris circa 1910
Left to Right: Granddaddy Morton's Brother, Daddy Steve, Granddaddy Morton
Me helping Grandmama Morton do payroll
The Thompson family circa 1920. Grandmama Morton's mother's family. Grandmama Britt is directly to her father's left.
Four generations of Mortons. Clockwise from top: Percy Morton, "Daddy Steve" Morton, Steve Morton, Krystal Morton
Me wearing my daddy's shoes.
My dad, his brother, Vince, and their dog.
Granddaddy Morton in High School
Grandmama Morton at her wedding with her mother, Hazel Thompson Britt. My grandmother told me that the dress was a light aqua and not white.
Andy and Hazel Thompson Britt
Grandmama and Granddaddy Morton when they were younger
Stephen Bryant and Gladys (Delane) Morris Morton. My parents got my middle name from Mama Gladys'.
Mick Morris and Alice Holton Morris. Granddaddy Morton's maternal grandparents.
Mama Gladys circa 1910
Me and Granddaddy Morton
Mick, Alice and Gladys Morris circa 1910
Left to Right: Granddaddy Morton's Brother, Daddy Steve, Granddaddy Morton
Me helping Grandmama Morton do payroll
The Thompson family circa 1920. Grandmama Morton's mother's family. Grandmama Britt is directly to her father's left.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Cats
Sometimes, when we let the dogs out to do their business, we forget to close the door right away. Sometimes, the cat sneaks out just to say he could see the big wide world outside and then sneaks right back in (we've caught him sneaking back in).
Tonight, we heard a cat crying outside the window to our computer room. I look around and don't see Mischief anywhere and he's usually sleeping right under or near my chair. So, Matthew and I get up and look around the house for the cat who we swear we have just seen but, he's solid black and sometimes I'm seeing shadows when I think I'm seeing him. We searched everywhere and didn't see him. We looked out the front door and the back and still didn't see him. Matthew did see the neighbor's cats but Mischief was no where to be found.
I decide that I'm not going to panic. We've played this game before.
I walked into the laundry room where we keep his food and other paraphernalia and grab his food bag and start shaking it. The dogs come running immediately but he's still no where to be found. At this point, I'm a little concerned.
I walk into the living room to start looking under tables and there he is, standing beside the love seat, looking up at me like, "Hey, mom! What are you looking for?" This is the most infuriating expression you can see on a cat's face. I promise you.
When I was younger, we had a lynx-point Siamese named Tygra. Right before my 13th birthday, we moved into the house that my parents are living in now. We let the cat into the house while we were moving furniture in and out of it and he disappears. My mom and I search the house from top to bottom and can't find him anywhere. My dad and his brother search the neighborhood and can't find him anywhere. At this point, we are supposed to be leaving for my birthday party and my mom and I are both sobbing. I decided to search the house again and go into the rec room where there are boxes stacked everywhere in front of my mom's recliner. And, there's the cat, coming out from under the chair. "Hey, mom! What are you looking for?" I never realized until that moment that someone could laugh and cry at the same time.
Two months after Matthew and I married, we moved into the house we are living in now. The day after we moved in, I drove to my parents' house to get Mischief who was living with them (we got him when I was a senior in high school). The next day, our refrigerator was delivered and the door had to be held open for a while to get it in and setup. After the deliver men left, I looked all over for the cat and can't find him anywhere. We had a recliner sitting in the kitchen until we could find a place for it and I, remembering Tygra, looked underneath it. No cat. I had some other errands to run but I drove around the neighborhood looking for Mischief while I head towards the apartment we were leaving. I couldn't find him. I called Matthew at work and told him what was going on. I was very upset at that point and he left work early to make sure I was okay. We drove back home and looked for Mischief again and neither of us could find him. Matthew noticed the recliner in the kitchen and, even though I told him I'd looked there already, he picked up the chair to look underneath it. Out comes the cat. "Hey, mom! What are you looking for?"
Infuriating animals.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
School Thoughts
Ever since I was fairly young, I'd wanted to be a teacher. Sure, I had the normal dreams of being a famous rock star but I was always far too grounded and practical to think that would ever be a reality. I always loved school and I always enjoyed pretending that I was a teacher for my younger brother or for my stuffed animals and dolls.
When I went away to college, I had decided that I was going to be a French teacher. I loved the French language and I had always had a 100 average in my French classes in High School. When I got to Appalachian, I found that I had placed out of the beginning French class I'd registered for into second semester intermediate French. Wow! I love it when I ace a test! The first day of class, I sat down at my desk and waited for the professor. She came into the class, closed the door and immediately started speaking French. I nearly cried because I couldn't understand the rapid-fire words that were coming from her mouth. My French teacher in high school had always concentrated on vocabulary and never counted off for pronunciation and rarely even made us speak French in class. I suddenly was wondering how I'd gotten so far on the placement test and if I should start at the beginning after all. I went back to my dorm after class and thought about it for a while and decided I'd stick with it. And, I started to learn out of self-defense. To this day, I still have a hard time understanding spoken French but I can read it even without practicing all these years...
Sophomore year in college was when the education part of my major started coming into play. I took an introduction to education course that was silly as most introduction courses are (I usually become more interested in things as they become more in-depth studies) and the lab for that was basically babysitting some local kids after school until their bus came to pick them up. The class was fairly easy and I had not thoughts of changing my major so I signed up to take the first part of the NC Teachers Exam. Standardized tests have always been a breeze for me and this one was no different even with the essay component. My scores came back a few weeks later and they were above average. So, I set up the hearing/speech test that was required for entry into the School of Education.
I got to the school of education and took the hearing test. It went ok. Then, they had me do the speech part. I wanted to make sure that I passed it so I tried to enunciate really well. Apparently this worked against me because, after the test, I was told that I had a lisp and would not be entered into the school of education until I went to speech therapy. I was crushed. I'd never had anyone tell me that I wasn't good enough at something before (at least not when it counted because trying out for the school play my senior year of high school really doesn't!). I was too proud to take speech therapy and, even today, I think it's ridiculous. (The State of NC is still desperately searching for teachers yet they want to deny someone based on something so stupid) No one has ever told me that they couldn't understand me when I spoke (unless I'd just woken up and was mumbling). Not in all the years of chorus in high school or during the phonetics class that I took the same year I took the hearing/speech test.
The next year, I decided to just make French my major because I was still indignant over the whole mess. However, all the luster had gone out of school for me and I just stopped going to class. I decided after going to summer school in France that year to just drop out and try working for a while.
Which is how I ended up in HR and how I ended up finishing my degree six years later but this time in Business Administration. (And, how I ended up with huge student loans *sigh*)
That's where I am right now and I still don't think I've found my niche. I keep looking at the online programs that the UNC program offers for education and I kind of keep feeling pulled in that direction (there's a business education course I've got my eye on). But, it's a lot of money to spend...again. I'm just not sure it's worth it...
When I went away to college, I had decided that I was going to be a French teacher. I loved the French language and I had always had a 100 average in my French classes in High School. When I got to Appalachian, I found that I had placed out of the beginning French class I'd registered for into second semester intermediate French. Wow! I love it when I ace a test! The first day of class, I sat down at my desk and waited for the professor. She came into the class, closed the door and immediately started speaking French. I nearly cried because I couldn't understand the rapid-fire words that were coming from her mouth. My French teacher in high school had always concentrated on vocabulary and never counted off for pronunciation and rarely even made us speak French in class. I suddenly was wondering how I'd gotten so far on the placement test and if I should start at the beginning after all. I went back to my dorm after class and thought about it for a while and decided I'd stick with it. And, I started to learn out of self-defense. To this day, I still have a hard time understanding spoken French but I can read it even without practicing all these years...
Sophomore year in college was when the education part of my major started coming into play. I took an introduction to education course that was silly as most introduction courses are (I usually become more interested in things as they become more in-depth studies) and the lab for that was basically babysitting some local kids after school until their bus came to pick them up. The class was fairly easy and I had not thoughts of changing my major so I signed up to take the first part of the NC Teachers Exam. Standardized tests have always been a breeze for me and this one was no different even with the essay component. My scores came back a few weeks later and they were above average. So, I set up the hearing/speech test that was required for entry into the School of Education.
I got to the school of education and took the hearing test. It went ok. Then, they had me do the speech part. I wanted to make sure that I passed it so I tried to enunciate really well. Apparently this worked against me because, after the test, I was told that I had a lisp and would not be entered into the school of education until I went to speech therapy. I was crushed. I'd never had anyone tell me that I wasn't good enough at something before (at least not when it counted because trying out for the school play my senior year of high school really doesn't!). I was too proud to take speech therapy and, even today, I think it's ridiculous. (The State of NC is still desperately searching for teachers yet they want to deny someone based on something so stupid) No one has ever told me that they couldn't understand me when I spoke (unless I'd just woken up and was mumbling). Not in all the years of chorus in high school or during the phonetics class that I took the same year I took the hearing/speech test.
The next year, I decided to just make French my major because I was still indignant over the whole mess. However, all the luster had gone out of school for me and I just stopped going to class. I decided after going to summer school in France that year to just drop out and try working for a while.
Which is how I ended up in HR and how I ended up finishing my degree six years later but this time in Business Administration. (And, how I ended up with huge student loans *sigh*)
That's where I am right now and I still don't think I've found my niche. I keep looking at the online programs that the UNC program offers for education and I kind of keep feeling pulled in that direction (there's a business education course I've got my eye on). But, it's a lot of money to spend...again. I'm just not sure it's worth it...
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Odds and Ends
First things first, please vote for my picture in a contest. I'm sure I'm not going to win but, it's always fun to see if you get votes :D
More on the online Poker Cats Contest
To vote, click on the picture and then rate the photo!
Secondly, last night, Matthew left work early and went to the grocery store on the way home and bought me surprise Valentine's candy. The silly head. But, seriously, yay for Russell Stover Chocolates that were on sale!
Real post coming later. I promise.
More on the online Poker Cats Contest
To vote, click on the picture and then rate the photo!
Secondly, last night, Matthew left work early and went to the grocery store on the way home and bought me surprise Valentine's candy. The silly head. But, seriously, yay for Russell Stover Chocolates that were on sale!
Real post coming later. I promise.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
A Sense of Pride
My husband was a sharecropper's son and his dream was to have his own farm. Well, we got the chance to buy the farm near the farm we were working. I was 20 and Percy was 23 when we signed the mortgage. It was 1953 and we still stayed on at "the old red store" until we could get a home built. We moved into our newly built home in 1956. It was so close we moved our belongings with the tractor and trailer. I have never moved again. It became the home place for our two sons. Mama and Daddy were glad we had our own place. They visited us many times at this home. They knew the value of having your own place.My grandmother wrote these words in 2004 or 2005 in a book she had professionally bound and printed and gave to all her family members and close friends. I have always been very proud to have this book because not many people have a written chronicle of their ancestry.
Excerpt from Shadow of the Sawmill by Rachel Britt Morton
As you can see, my grandparents were very proud to be able to buy their own land to farm and to raise their family. When my parents got married, they were given land to put in a trailer, and then, a few years later when my parents were getting ready to have me, my grandparents gave them another plot of land and helped them build a house. This is the house that Matthew and I hope to move into this year.
I had started feeling badly about changing our plans from moving to the mountains to moving to Jacksonville. Matthew grew up in the mountains of Virginia and he's always felt more at home there than anywhere else and, I have to say, I feel at home there, too. I could tell he was feeling badly about our plans changing last weekend when we went to Boone for the day because driving up the mountain into the town didn't have the same effect on him that it usually does.
We've talked about it a couple of times since then and I think he's starting to come to terms with it. He's started talking about the pros of moving down there (such as someone to help him learn to hunt and fish, being able to move sooner than we would have otherwise, and having family connections in case we need anything to name a few) and he has even mentioned that it's important to maintain family land. When he said this to me, it kind of struck me. He's right. It is important to maintain family land. That land that my grandparents worked so hard to save for, buy and profit from. That land that has so much of my history tied into it. That connection to my family and to the earth is very important to me right now.
Today I took a long Sunday nap and I dreamed about my grandfather. I don't do this often because losing both of my grandfathers was one of the hardest things I have ever faced and, Matthew will tell you, I can barely talk about them without tears welling up in my eyes. I can't remember much of my dream but I remember recognizing him and crying and I remember feeling that he was proud of me.
I'm starting to feel really really good about this decision. I'm not crazy about the Jacksonville area but I remain convinced that this is the right step and I think my family (my grandfather included) agrees with me.
We have one of our monthly family reunions on Saturday (for my mom's mom's family) and I think I will tell my grandmother what we are planning then. I can't wait.
Also, thank you to Homesteading Today for linking to me as an interesting blog to read during their server move!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Picture Post
I was over at my parents' house today to find pictures of the house that Matthew and I are going to be moving into. Surprisingly, we didn't have as many as we thought but we did find some winners (these were taken with a digital camera from my mom's photo albums so they may be fuzzy):
House update: my parents think the lease is actually up in May. So, if I find a job quickly, I'll probably end up moving in with one of my grandmothers until the house opens up. I'm getting really excited about it, especially looking through all the old pictures.
We have our monthly family reunion next Saturday. I may tell my grandmother about the plan then. My other grandmother, I think, already knows because my dad was trying to get her sister, my great aunt, to help me find a job down there (she worked for the county for a long time).
House update: my parents think the lease is actually up in May. So, if I find a job quickly, I'll probably end up moving in with one of my grandmothers until the house opens up. I'm getting really excited about it, especially looking through all the old pictures.
We have our monthly family reunion next Saturday. I may tell my grandmother about the plan then. My other grandmother, I think, already knows because my dad was trying to get her sister, my great aunt, to help me find a job down there (she worked for the county for a long time).
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
A Dining Out Rant
We decided that we were going out for dinner as we are still being lazy and not cooking at home like we are supposed to. I had called my parents to see if they wanted to eat at a newer local place with us, not thinking that today was the night before Valentine's and my dad's last night home this week. So, they had gone out to celebrate at Outback. As I was driving to get Matthew, I kind of started getting the taste for their cheese fries...yummmmm!
We got seated at the restaurant right away and our server came promptly. The restaurant was fairly busy but not overly crowded. We ordered our appetizer, my cheese, fries and started chatting to pass the time.
As we chatted, it became harder and harder to hear each other because the group behind us kept getting louder and louder. Honestly, if you are sitting 3-5 feet from someone, do you really have to project your voice...at all? This group was apparently there on a business trip and they discussed their business, banking, the entire time. Two voices stood out in particular. A female with the shrillest voice on the planet, I kid you not. And a loud obnoxious guy with a deep western NC accent who kept telling everyone how he was from Boo-ooo-oone (three syllables in the word Boone, I didn't know that was possible!)
I don't remember the female saying anything of note but the loud obnoxious guy was talking about how his wife was screwing over the company she worked for by taking her business trip meal per diem and buying a loaf of bread and then buying $75.00 gift cards at the Melting Pot. The, he spoke about a customer, who he called by his full name, who had over $500,000 in his checking account. So, not only are you telling your coworkers confidential information about one of your customers and how your wife is basically stealing money from her employer, you're telling EVERYONE IN HALF OF A CROWDED RESTAURANT. What a group of winners.
I kept hoping that they'd leave before we did so that we could at least have some part of our meal in peace but they stayed until about 2 minutes before we did. We would have left sooner, but it took 30 minutes for our waitress to bring us our check after she brought us our food. At least the food was good...
If this isn't motivation to cook at home, I don't know what is.
We got seated at the restaurant right away and our server came promptly. The restaurant was fairly busy but not overly crowded. We ordered our appetizer, my cheese, fries and started chatting to pass the time.
As we chatted, it became harder and harder to hear each other because the group behind us kept getting louder and louder. Honestly, if you are sitting 3-5 feet from someone, do you really have to project your voice...at all? This group was apparently there on a business trip and they discussed their business, banking, the entire time. Two voices stood out in particular. A female with the shrillest voice on the planet, I kid you not. And a loud obnoxious guy with a deep western NC accent who kept telling everyone how he was from Boo-ooo-oone (three syllables in the word Boone, I didn't know that was possible!)
I don't remember the female saying anything of note but the loud obnoxious guy was talking about how his wife was screwing over the company she worked for by taking her business trip meal per diem and buying a loaf of bread and then buying $75.00 gift cards at the Melting Pot. The, he spoke about a customer, who he called by his full name, who had over $500,000 in his checking account. So, not only are you telling your coworkers confidential information about one of your customers and how your wife is basically stealing money from her employer, you're telling EVERYONE IN HALF OF A CROWDED RESTAURANT. What a group of winners.
I kept hoping that they'd leave before we did so that we could at least have some part of our meal in peace but they stayed until about 2 minutes before we did. We would have left sooner, but it took 30 minutes for our waitress to bring us our check after she brought us our food. At least the food was good...
If this isn't motivation to cook at home, I don't know what is.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Marriage Meme
From mezamashii
In honor's of Valentine's Day, I present the Marriage Meme!
Anyone who reads this & is married gets TAGGED!
1. Where / how did you meet?
We met on IRC (Undernet #North_Carolina) in the summer of 1997.
2. How long have you known each other?
Over 10 years.
3. How long after you met did you start dating?
A few months after we met online. Almost immediately after we met in person.
4. How long did you date before you were engaged?
Almost two years.
5. How long was your engagement?
A year and 3 months.
6. How long have you been married?
7 years.
7. What is your anniversary?
October 13, 2000 (It was a Friday...we planned it that way on purpose)
8. How many people came to your wedding reception?
30-40
9. What kind of cake did you serve?
Vanilla with Vanilla frosting. It had ivy decorating it and our topper was two dragons with their noses meeting to form a heart (also on our service ware)
10. Where was your wedding?
Some church in Raleigh that rented itself out as a chapel.
11. What did you serve for the meal?
Fingerfoods (meatballs, chicken wings, etc.)
12. How many people were in your bridal party?
Me and Matthew, my parents, his parents and a lady I worked with at Midway who was a magistrate.
13. Are you still friends with them all?
All but the lady I worked with.
14. Did your spouse cry during the ceremony?
There were some tears but no actual crying.
15. Most special moment of your wedding day?
My dad telling me not to cry because it was a happy day before he walked me down the aisle.
16. Any funny moments?
Me running around in Adidas sneakers and my wedding dress.
17. Any big disasters?
Just me worrying that our magistrate would get there and that Matthew could find the chapel from memory.
18. Where did you go on your honeymoon?
We went on a 7-day cruise to Cozumel, Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman. We had a small, cheap wedding and my parents gave us the cruise for our wedding gift.
19. How long were you gone?
7 days.
20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change?
I might invite some people that I didn't invite out of spite.
21. What side of the bed do you sleep on?
The right side.
22. What size is your bed?
Queen. We need a bigger one.
23. Greatest strength as a couple?
We talk about everything and spend a lot of time together.
24. Greatest challenge as a couple?
We are both strong-willed and opinionated.
25. Who literally pays the bills?
Matthew.
26. What is your song?
We don't really have one.
27. What did you dance your first dance to?
Neither of us dances.
28. Describe your wedding dress.
Floor length, ivory satin with tiny flowers embroidered all over it and tiny beading at the center of each flower. I got it at an outlet but I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. And, it fit perfectly with no alterations -- a good sign if you ask me.
29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding?
I carried a small colorful bouquet. The only thing I can really remember is the lavender roses in it.
30. Are your wedding bands engraved?
No, and neither of us wear ours very often.
In honor's of Valentine's Day, I present the Marriage Meme!
Anyone who reads this & is married gets TAGGED!
1. Where / how did you meet?
We met on IRC (Undernet #North_Carolina) in the summer of 1997.
2. How long have you known each other?
Over 10 years.
3. How long after you met did you start dating?
A few months after we met online. Almost immediately after we met in person.
4. How long did you date before you were engaged?
Almost two years.
5. How long was your engagement?
A year and 3 months.
6. How long have you been married?
7 years.
7. What is your anniversary?
October 13, 2000 (It was a Friday...we planned it that way on purpose)
8. How many people came to your wedding reception?
30-40
9. What kind of cake did you serve?
Vanilla with Vanilla frosting. It had ivy decorating it and our topper was two dragons with their noses meeting to form a heart (also on our service ware)
10. Where was your wedding?
Some church in Raleigh that rented itself out as a chapel.
11. What did you serve for the meal?
Fingerfoods (meatballs, chicken wings, etc.)
12. How many people were in your bridal party?
Me and Matthew, my parents, his parents and a lady I worked with at Midway who was a magistrate.
13. Are you still friends with them all?
All but the lady I worked with.
14. Did your spouse cry during the ceremony?
There were some tears but no actual crying.
15. Most special moment of your wedding day?
My dad telling me not to cry because it was a happy day before he walked me down the aisle.
16. Any funny moments?
Me running around in Adidas sneakers and my wedding dress.
17. Any big disasters?
Just me worrying that our magistrate would get there and that Matthew could find the chapel from memory.
18. Where did you go on your honeymoon?
We went on a 7-day cruise to Cozumel, Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman. We had a small, cheap wedding and my parents gave us the cruise for our wedding gift.
19. How long were you gone?
7 days.
20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change?
I might invite some people that I didn't invite out of spite.
21. What side of the bed do you sleep on?
The right side.
22. What size is your bed?
Queen. We need a bigger one.
23. Greatest strength as a couple?
We talk about everything and spend a lot of time together.
24. Greatest challenge as a couple?
We are both strong-willed and opinionated.
25. Who literally pays the bills?
Matthew.
26. What is your song?
We don't really have one.
27. What did you dance your first dance to?
Neither of us dances.
28. Describe your wedding dress.Floor length, ivory satin with tiny flowers embroidered all over it and tiny beading at the center of each flower. I got it at an outlet but I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. And, it fit perfectly with no alterations -- a good sign if you ask me.
29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding?
I carried a small colorful bouquet. The only thing I can really remember is the lavender roses in it.
30. Are your wedding bands engraved?
No, and neither of us wear ours very often.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
February 10, 2008
Today ended up being a lazy day. It started out ok when we took both dogs for a walk around the neighborhood. They both need a lot more leash training to make them easy to walk. But, that's our fault for not taking them on more walks. Normally when I walk, I go alone so that I can go fast and listen to my mp3 player. It took us an hour to walk what normally takes me 30 minutes...
Matthew and I ended up falling asleep while I was trying to play Harvest Moon on the Game Cube at about 1:30PM or so. At about 2:45, I started waking up because it was getting noisy outside. I thought there were military planes flying over so went back to sleep. At about 3:15, it sounded like whatever was making noise was on top of the house. I woke up and opened the blinds and a big yellow helicopter flew over the house carrying a big red bucket. It stopped at the sod farm that is behind us and filled the bucket with water. I woke Matthew up and we watched the helicopter for a few minutes but didn't see any smoke that would indicate a fire. Looking more closely at the farm, I saw the red lights of a firetruck. I got up and got online and found out that there was a fire right behind our neighborhood. Since it was so close, we took pictures of our house to get somewhat of an inventory just in case. (I should post them as before pictures for my decluttering project...)
I decided to go to my Mom's and ask her some questions about when we can move to Jacksonville. Apparently, they are willing to tell the person renting the house to leave whenever we decide we're ready to move since he's been trying to get out of the lease. This is fairly good news and I went ahead and applied for three HR jobs in Jacksonville today. Looking for a new job is probably the worst part of this whole moving business. I hate the thought that I will have to tell my boss of nearly 10 years that I'll be moving away and not working for her anymore. I also hate the thought of interviewing. *twitch*
Matthew called while I was at my Mom's and told me to come home because something was blowing off the house due to the high winds we've been having and he needed me there so he could climb up on the roof to fix it (so I could call someone if he fell, I suppose) I got home before it fell off but he couldn't fix it because our roof is so steep so, it fell off anyway. :(
Matthew and I ended up falling asleep while I was trying to play Harvest Moon on the Game Cube at about 1:30PM or so. At about 2:45, I started waking up because it was getting noisy outside. I thought there were military planes flying over so went back to sleep. At about 3:15, it sounded like whatever was making noise was on top of the house. I woke up and opened the blinds and a big yellow helicopter flew over the house carrying a big red bucket. It stopped at the sod farm that is behind us and filled the bucket with water. I woke Matthew up and we watched the helicopter for a few minutes but didn't see any smoke that would indicate a fire. Looking more closely at the farm, I saw the red lights of a firetruck. I got up and got online and found out that there was a fire right behind our neighborhood. Since it was so close, we took pictures of our house to get somewhat of an inventory just in case. (I should post them as before pictures for my decluttering project...)
I decided to go to my Mom's and ask her some questions about when we can move to Jacksonville. Apparently, they are willing to tell the person renting the house to leave whenever we decide we're ready to move since he's been trying to get out of the lease. This is fairly good news and I went ahead and applied for three HR jobs in Jacksonville today. Looking for a new job is probably the worst part of this whole moving business. I hate the thought that I will have to tell my boss of nearly 10 years that I'll be moving away and not working for her anymore. I also hate the thought of interviewing. *twitch*
Matthew called while I was at my Mom's and told me to come home because something was blowing off the house due to the high winds we've been having and he needed me there so he could climb up on the roof to fix it (so I could call someone if he fell, I suppose) I got home before it fell off but he couldn't fix it because our roof is so steep so, it fell off anyway. :(
Boone
We went to Boone yesterday. There wasn't any snow and it was fairly warm (I feel bad for the ski resorts, two warm winters in a year...). Didn't do much other than shop so I didn't take any pictures to share.
When we got to Boone, we immediately parked and walked down King St. We went in a few shops just because we'd never been in them before and we were also looking for a fitted hat for Matthew's big noggin. I was also looking for a book,Whispers From The Woods: The Lore & Magic of Trees
, but my favorite store ever didn't have it. Normally, we eat at Macado's but neither of us were hungry so we drove down through Blowing Rock and puttered around until about 4:00PM.
As we walked down the street, I noticed a guy sitting on a bench with his dog at his feet. The dog was ignoring everyone that walked by until I got close to him and he focused on me. As I got right in front of him, he got up and walked towards me so that I could pet him. I thought that was so weird. Matthew said that I had probably committed to rubbing him in my head and he saw that from my body language. I hadn't really planned to pet him because people can be funny about you petting their dogs but I had planned to talk to him. So, maybe Matthew was somewhat right.
We finally decided we were hungry and didn't think we had a chance to find a parking spot on King St. again, so we drove around looking for a place to eat. We drove by Bandana's and we'd not tried them before, so we decided on that. The atmosphere inside was nice. It was clean and had a lot of waitstaff. The food came quickly and was very good. Matthew ordered a barbecue sandwich platter ($5.99 for a pork and chicken sandwich with fries and slaw) and I ordered their barbecue sampler. The sampler was $15.99 and came with five different types of barbecue (smoked turkey, smoked chicken, baby back ribs, st. louis ribs and pulled pork), two sides (I got fries and cole slaw) and texas toast. I was surprised at how huge the sampler plater was for that price. Matthew helped me eat it and we still brought half home with us! They also offered three different types of barbecue sauce on the table, traditional, spicy and tangy mustard. They were all excellent. I'd highly recommend this restaurant to anyone going to Boone and definitely want to go back.
After we got out of Bandana's, it was about 5:00PM and nearly time for us to go. I wanted to go into the store Ancient Wisdom to see if they had my book. I realize that most things in Boone start closing down at 5, so I was expecting them to be closed. But, as we got to it, we saw the open signs were all lit. So, we parked, went in (nodded at the lady that worked there who was behind the coffee counter as we walked in) and went straight to their books. There were two other customers in this part of the shop, one lady was really concentrating on whatever she was looking at and another (posh-looking) lady was just standing around waiting). I was about 3/4 way through the books when the lady that worked there came and told Matthew and I and the lady who'd been concentrating to leave because she was closing. She turned to the posh-looking lady and told her to stay. Something about that irritated me and Matthew, as well. The other lady that was asked to leave looked like she'd been slapped. I've shopped at this store before and spent quite a lot of money on jewelry. I daresay I won't be going back.
After that, we were both annoyed, so we just went home.
When we got to Boone, we immediately parked and walked down King St. We went in a few shops just because we'd never been in them before and we were also looking for a fitted hat for Matthew's big noggin. I was also looking for a book,Whispers From The Woods: The Lore & Magic of Trees
, but my favorite store ever didn't have it. Normally, we eat at Macado's but neither of us were hungry so we drove down through Blowing Rock and puttered around until about 4:00PM.As we walked down the street, I noticed a guy sitting on a bench with his dog at his feet. The dog was ignoring everyone that walked by until I got close to him and he focused on me. As I got right in front of him, he got up and walked towards me so that I could pet him. I thought that was so weird. Matthew said that I had probably committed to rubbing him in my head and he saw that from my body language. I hadn't really planned to pet him because people can be funny about you petting their dogs but I had planned to talk to him. So, maybe Matthew was somewhat right.
We finally decided we were hungry and didn't think we had a chance to find a parking spot on King St. again, so we drove around looking for a place to eat. We drove by Bandana's and we'd not tried them before, so we decided on that. The atmosphere inside was nice. It was clean and had a lot of waitstaff. The food came quickly and was very good. Matthew ordered a barbecue sandwich platter ($5.99 for a pork and chicken sandwich with fries and slaw) and I ordered their barbecue sampler. The sampler was $15.99 and came with five different types of barbecue (smoked turkey, smoked chicken, baby back ribs, st. louis ribs and pulled pork), two sides (I got fries and cole slaw) and texas toast. I was surprised at how huge the sampler plater was for that price. Matthew helped me eat it and we still brought half home with us! They also offered three different types of barbecue sauce on the table, traditional, spicy and tangy mustard. They were all excellent. I'd highly recommend this restaurant to anyone going to Boone and definitely want to go back.
After we got out of Bandana's, it was about 5:00PM and nearly time for us to go. I wanted to go into the store Ancient Wisdom to see if they had my book. I realize that most things in Boone start closing down at 5, so I was expecting them to be closed. But, as we got to it, we saw the open signs were all lit. So, we parked, went in (nodded at the lady that worked there who was behind the coffee counter as we walked in) and went straight to their books. There were two other customers in this part of the shop, one lady was really concentrating on whatever she was looking at and another (posh-looking) lady was just standing around waiting). I was about 3/4 way through the books when the lady that worked there came and told Matthew and I and the lady who'd been concentrating to leave because she was closing. She turned to the posh-looking lady and told her to stay. Something about that irritated me and Matthew, as well. The other lady that was asked to leave looked like she'd been slapped. I've shopped at this store before and spent quite a lot of money on jewelry. I daresay I won't be going back.
After that, we were both annoyed, so we just went home.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Updates
We'll start with the most recent and work our way backwards :P
- I've signed this blog up with blogsvertise.com as an experience to see what you can actually get blogging for money. They, according to the Blogsvertise website. will send you assignments, upon registration approval and you have to mention whatever product in your blog but you don't have to endorse it. Apparently, you can even complain about it, hehe. But, you do have to mention the site Blogsvertise assigns you three times (see? weeee!) I hate to be labeled a sell-out or anything but I'm looking for creative ways to make some money so that we can progress forward with some of our bigger goals like moving.
- Speaking of moving, we talked to my parents about the whole "moving to Jacksonville"
idea on Wednesday evening when we all went out to dinner. I had mentioned it to my mom before but I'm not sure if she thought I was actually serious about it. I didn't think my dad would really go for it since there aren't a lot of job opportunities in Jacksonville like there are here but he really flipped out. He was ready for us to move into the house right away and we didn't even get to mention that we'd 
be happy to purchase it. (Even though not having a house payment would be awesome for getting debt paid off!) When we got back to their house, he even started searching for jobs for us...silly man! Though, I may start looking and go ahead and move down there so someone will be with my grandmother as soon as possible. I did a search on Witchvox for groups in the Jacksonville area and found at least three that I'm interested in so, that's good...now to find a way to pay for it all... - As far as the "passing the school bus" incident, Matthew spoke with the lawyer on Monday or Tuesday night when we got home and the lawyer told him that all of these charges in NC were from bus drivers filling out reports and turning people in...not from law enforcement officers catching people doing it. And, the judges usually side with the bus drivers (which, unfortunately, is what we figured). So, Matthew is going to defensive driving school to try to get the charge reduced if not dismissed. Luckily, we both have pretty clean driving records. So, please continue to send positive thoughts our way. We need em.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Looking Back: A Spiritual Journey
I was looking through some old e-mails and things today and started thinking to myself about this "epiphany" that I had a while back. I had thought that it had only been a year since this started...but it's been two.
I don't feel like I've come very far. I've read several books, joined and lurked in a few internet groups and have learned a bit and still feel attuned to this path. But, I still wish I could find a group of like-minded people that were close by that I could talk to and learn from. I've searched Witchvox and Craigslist and a few other local classified/message boards and haven't really found any group that was close by or that was even open to new members.
I think, in some ways, my natural shyness and self-consciousness hurts me from finding real-life people to talk to. I have a hard time making small talk and getting to know someone in real-life but have few problems online. I'm not sure what the difference is but I hope to overcome this little hurdle and move forward on this goal.
I don't feel like I've come very far. I've read several books, joined and lurked in a few internet groups and have learned a bit and still feel attuned to this path. But, I still wish I could find a group of like-minded people that were close by that I could talk to and learn from. I've searched Witchvox and Craigslist and a few other local classified/message boards and haven't really found any group that was close by or that was even open to new members.
I think, in some ways, my natural shyness and self-consciousness hurts me from finding real-life people to talk to. I have a hard time making small talk and getting to know someone in real-life but have few problems online. I'm not sure what the difference is but I hope to overcome this little hurdle and move forward on this goal.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Passing the Bus Update
Matthew had a message from the lawyer when he got home yesterday. The arrest warrant was recalled and removed from his record, thankfully. The lawyer also mentioned that he could get it reduced to a moving violation if Matthew went to driving school...
Could we not have gotten that done ourselves on the initial court date without the lawyer? I think so.
This whole situation is so asinine. There is no proof that we passed the bus and no proof that we didn't. It's our word against hers.
The only tangible proof that we have is that I clocked in at 7:56AM that day and she said we passed her at 6:50AM. From our house to the spot where she claims we passed her, it takes 6 minutes. From our house to where I work, it takes 1 hour and 30 minutes in rush hour traffic (which this would have been). If we passed her at 6:50AM, we would have left home at 6:44AM and I would not have been to work until 8:15AM. Hopefully, we can get the lawyer to take that information into consideration and he can get the whole charge stricken.
Though, since we missed that first court date due to all the miscommunication, that probably won't happen.
/sigh
Could we not have gotten that done ourselves on the initial court date without the lawyer? I think so.
This whole situation is so asinine. There is no proof that we passed the bus and no proof that we didn't. It's our word against hers.
The only tangible proof that we have is that I clocked in at 7:56AM that day and she said we passed her at 6:50AM. From our house to the spot where she claims we passed her, it takes 6 minutes. From our house to where I work, it takes 1 hour and 30 minutes in rush hour traffic (which this would have been). If we passed her at 6:50AM, we would have left home at 6:44AM and I would not have been to work until 8:15AM. Hopefully, we can get the lawyer to take that information into consideration and he can get the whole charge stricken.
Though, since we missed that first court date due to all the miscommunication, that probably won't happen.
/sigh
Sunday, February 3, 2008
*Sigh*
A couple of months ago, a bus driver filed a report against us saying that we had passed her stopped schoolbus. We were supposed to go to court about this on January 15 but Matthew contacted a lawyer and sent in a statement about what happened. There was very little communication with the lawyer, Matthew told me he kept trying to rush him off the phone but he did say that he had received the statement and that was all we needed. I believe Matthew called him again to see if we needed to go to court, and the lawyer said no and that he would send a letter.
The letter never came.
Yesterday, at about 9:00AM the Sheriff Department called and told Matthew that there was a warrant out for his arrest and that he needed to come in and pay a $5000 bond. Matthew shakily hung up the phone after finishing his conversation and told me what had happened. Getting our hands on $5000 on a Saturday seemed improbable.
Something told me we should have gone to court that day regardless...but I ignored it.
Luckily, the lawyer's office was open on Saturday. Matthew called the office number and got a machine. So, he called another number and got in contact with the lawyer. Apparently, there had been a huge miscommunication and the lawyer didn't even remember Matthew and then told him it was because we hadn't paid to retain him. Matthew informed him very quickly that he'd never been told how to pay...just what it would cost. After a few minutes of arguing, the lawyer finally said that he'd help work it out and that we should call his assistant who should be at the office to arrange payment and then call the Sheriff Department to tell them that the lawyer would be working to recall the warrant on Monday.
Matthew called the lawyer's office and no one was there. Apparently, his assistant had forgotten her office keys and had to go home to get them. He then called the Sheriff Department and couldn't remember the name of the Deputy who'd called us. The receptionist there told him that she couldn't look up his case number. We got back in touch with the lawyer who explained about his assistant and told us who to contact in the Sheriff Department.
Finally, we got payment made to the lawyer (we are still waiting for them to send the form we were supposed to fill out saying they could represent us -- the lawyer's assistant told Matthew they were having computer problems) and told the Sheriff Department that the attorney would be working on recalling the warrant on Monday which they said was fine.
I'm still pretty worried about this. We'll see what tomorrow brings. Please send positive thoughts that it turns out okay.
The letter never came.
Yesterday, at about 9:00AM the Sheriff Department called and told Matthew that there was a warrant out for his arrest and that he needed to come in and pay a $5000 bond. Matthew shakily hung up the phone after finishing his conversation and told me what had happened. Getting our hands on $5000 on a Saturday seemed improbable.
Something told me we should have gone to court that day regardless...but I ignored it.
Luckily, the lawyer's office was open on Saturday. Matthew called the office number and got a machine. So, he called another number and got in contact with the lawyer. Apparently, there had been a huge miscommunication and the lawyer didn't even remember Matthew and then told him it was because we hadn't paid to retain him. Matthew informed him very quickly that he'd never been told how to pay...just what it would cost. After a few minutes of arguing, the lawyer finally said that he'd help work it out and that we should call his assistant who should be at the office to arrange payment and then call the Sheriff Department to tell them that the lawyer would be working to recall the warrant on Monday.
Matthew called the lawyer's office and no one was there. Apparently, his assistant had forgotten her office keys and had to go home to get them. He then called the Sheriff Department and couldn't remember the name of the Deputy who'd called us. The receptionist there told him that she couldn't look up his case number. We got back in touch with the lawyer who explained about his assistant and told us who to contact in the Sheriff Department.
Finally, we got payment made to the lawyer (we are still waiting for them to send the form we were supposed to fill out saying they could represent us -- the lawyer's assistant told Matthew they were having computer problems) and told the Sheriff Department that the attorney would be working on recalling the warrant on Monday which they said was fine.
I'm still pretty worried about this. We'll see what tomorrow brings. Please send positive thoughts that it turns out okay.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)