Happy Monday morning! On Monday's I drive for the Auto Auction. Mondays at the Auction consists of parking the cars to be auctioned off as they are brought in by the sellers/dealers and then, after they are all parked, driving them into the bays for the actual sale. The Auctioneers are really neat to listen too and boy can they ramble.... and you really have to listen closely for your que to "drive it out" or "roll it out" (or whatever they feel like saying at the moment) as your signal to bring the car out of the bay and go get the next one.  It's kind of fun and cash money at the end of the day, which is always needed. It's not alot of money by any stretch of the imagination... only about 25 to 30 dollars for an afternoon, but "Anything is better than nothing"! It helps with my gas for the week (and in the case of this week, whatever groceries I can scrounge up too). 

It's been a rough three weeks because I've had to wait that long for my first paycheck, which will finally arrive on Friday (and is already spent, no less). I worked yesterday, and because it's the end of the VA Tech "move-in" week, it was completely dead and boring is an understatement. I'm a very independent, "do what I want as long as the work it done", employee and I've mostly been in job roles where this is the norm. It's real hard for me to conform to anything. I have to stand at a front desk and have to "pretend" that I'm busy, even though there isn't a stitch of work to do, not even busy work. My feet hurt so bad. Even though there is a stool there, you can't sit in it during "day shift", it's only for nights - does that make sense?  Make a person suffer....  It truly sucks. I love the work, when there are cusotmers, but I HATE the down time, which essentially was ALL DAY yesterday. Boy, did the day drag! In addition, I'm still not "on my own"; had I been, it would have been a little better....  but no.... so I have to make what I consider "pretend" small talk with the woman training me and for every customer that comes to the desk, she manages to snag, because she too is as bored as I am! I'm still sending resumes for another office position, my norm., but there isn't much out there right now and unless it's for the "big bucks" or something I would absolutely love, I'm not really into driving the 45 miles (each way) into the so called "city" in our area. Of course, this is where all the jobs are, so it's hard to win, either way. I am holding on, at the hotel, until something else materializes! Anything is better than nothing!

We didn't have much luck selling the cookie dough the other day. It's kind of expensive, 15.00 a box, and my neighborhood is not exactally an affluent area. It's also close to the beginning of the month and most people are ready to pay those monthly bills again, with nothing left to spare. The plan for this evening is when I pick Sami up from cheerleading, we are going to try some of the neighborhoods between the school and where we live. Hopefully we will have better luck. So far, our only orders are from my family members, 6 boxes, 34 more to sell. The only downfall with the family orders.... I will have to ship them to Massachusetts. That's ok though because when the cookie dough finally comes in, I won't be as financially hurting as I am now. Thank you to all who bought so far, At least we sold some...

"Anything is better than nothing", is truly my motto this month!

I have the day off and I'm thrilled! I've got housecleaning to catch up on and my truck is being worked on, so I have no intention of going anywhere today! Which, is actually a very nice feeling.... Samantha is taking a nap. She spent the night at a friends and I'm sure they stayed up very late, only to have to wake up early for competition cheerleading practice this morning. She is slightly worn out, I would imagine. The coaches work them to the bone.... 

Samantha has been waiting forever to get the 4th book in Stephanie Meyers Vampire series, Breaking Dawn. It came out a few weeks ago, but I didn't have the money to buy it for her, especially because it's new it's only out in hard-cover. She brought it home from school yesterday, a borrowed copy from her friend! So this afternoon, she came home from cheerleading, with the intention of reading, and is out like a light! I don't think she made much of a dent in the first chapter.

We are planning to sell cookie dough later today, once she finally awakens. We'll go house-to-house, and it'll be a nice walk, if nothing else. We still owe about 200.00 on her cheerleading uniform & supplies and if we sell 40 boxes, she will have a 0 balance - a very good thing indeed!  40 boxes is a high goal, at 15.00 a box, but I guess we can give it a shot!

As for me, until we leave, I plan to putt around the house.  I've got dishes to do, laundry, and of course there's always a little blogging. I love having no obligations, a very rare happening!

Hey hey.  It's Sunday night and I'm trying to kill a little more time so I can get in my 40 hours this week.  School shopping is going to be very very tight this year and I can't have anything less than 40 hours, leaving me here at 9:22 p.m. on Sunday night!  I'm really not all that dedicated (ok, maybe I am), I just have the luxury of having a job where my hours are as flexible as I want them to be.  I HAVE to be here from 2 pm to 7 pm on Saturday and Sunday to do the obituaries and if I want full-time hours then I can choose to serve them before two or after seven - depending on the goings on of my weekend.  If I have time to make up from my weekdays (Wens - Fri) then I end up pulling a 10 or 12 hour shift on one of my weekend days.  

I really love my job, but the pay isn't terrific.  But.... I'd rather enjoy what I'm doing so I deal with it as best I can.  I work for the city newspaper, in classifieds.  I create the online website for real estate, based on the real estate newpaper print ads.  Check it out if you want.  There is alot of research involved because most of the time the "print ads" don't include all the information that our website requires and I also have to hunt for photo's of the listings. It's enjoyable work and creative, to a point.  On weekends, as mentioned above, I also do the obits.  The work kind of fluctuates, depending on the real estate market and I'm not sure exactally how, but I'm thinking my hours will probablly slow down some in the winter, as I'm sure the market does.  I can do other classified ads though, so hopefully they will put me on those to fill my time.  (hope hope)  

School's coming upon us quickly (two and a half weeks) and I'm trying to figure out my finances for our required upcoming school shopping.  I had promised Samantha I would take her to Bush Gardens too, before school starts, but I'm beginning to think that is going to have to wait (not that I've told her that yet though.... ouch).  School starts in two weeks and I'm completely at a loss as to how to get all my obligations met this month.....  Living from paycheck to paycheck is no fun!

Happy Saturday.  I am at work and killing time.  Because I'm so good at what I do I have flown through my work this week and managed to lose myself about 3 hours of pay.  I need 40 hours or I end up hurting, so I'm finding myself Killing Time....

Samantha made the trip safe and sound.  She is safely at Nana's now and lving every minute of it.  Sam got to work at the Venetian (a restaurant near my Mom's house) as a busgirl for two days.  Her first time ever working and according to Nana she is "a little worker", a very good trait indeed!  Had she taken after her Dad she wouldn't be a worker at all..... LOL!  Anyway she managed to make herself a few bucks, which will come in handy when she goes up to Maine for 10 days with her close friends family.  Now I won't have to send her as much (yeah right, think again).

My two sisters and a cousin dance and this evening was their show.  I hate to miss family events... the only part of living away from home that I truly dislike.  So this recital they are in is a really good show, not your average kiddie recital.  They are in what I would call a "dance troop" and are very very good.  So good in fact that they've danced at Celtics games during half time a few times.  Samantha got to go to that and she is a dance lover herself so she'll probablly come home wanting to take lessons again.  Sam has a knack for dancing.  She dances like she has had lessons all her life when she really only took a few years of classes.  She must get that from my sister Molly, who has been dancing since she was knee high to a grasshopper and straight through college.  I danced as a young girl too and remember many a dance recital at the big John Hancock building in Boston.  I wish I had never stopped.

I haven't been doing much with my freedom as of yet.  I have had to work and haven't done anything differently.  Kevin has gone camping so tonight I have the house to myself, which I love.  Toby, our dog, who is very lonely with Sami gone, will be able to come in tonight.  Kevin doesn't let the dog in and doesn't believe in dogs inside the house, a big issue between us, but tonight he'll be happy!  Toby is such a good dog and smart as a whip, as most Sheperds are! 

I suppose I'll hit the road and head home now.  Have some happy days, till we meet again.   

Well....  this week has been a nightmare....  I live in the same county as the now infamous VA Tech.... Blacksburg.... Montgomery County....  my daughters middle school went into lockdown on Monday.... after the mass shootings.... today Christiansburg got bomb threats.... the towns offices are under lockdown.... people taking advantage of the chaos....  24 hour coverage of the events...  horrific to watch this all unfold.... it's happening here.... shocking.... in these peaceful mountains.... peaceful people.... the atmosphere feels alot like it did right after 911... this time the catch phrase is.... We all are Hokies today.... we all sit by radio's at work.... listening to the press conferences & talk radio shows.... discussing the worst mass murder in U.S. history.... bits of information create a picture.... insanity.... rant against rich kids and religion.... Friday we will  wear Hokie colors.... in tribute.... orange and maroon.... RIP.... 

You probablly noticed, right away, that I again changed the photo on my side panels.  I like to change these every so often, for some variety and I hope you enjoy seeing the different views.  Feel free to comment on which you like best, worst, why etc...

CHANGE IS GOOD

Just wanted you to know all to know that my car is fine and I have arrived and come back and forth again safe n sound.

I want to wish those I truly love - and you other stragglers too - lol - a very happy Thanksgiving! 

THANKSGIVING 

I think we all need to look at the words within this holiday.  Remember the true meaning of the holiday and why we celebrate it.  Not because you Took too much or Gave too much but because we give and take of eachother - with acceptance - always have and always will! 

The moon was a small sliver last night
and we move our clocks back this weekend.
It is getting darker and darker by the minute.
By next week it will be dark when I leave work 
and dark when I come home.  Some people get 
depressed due to lack of sunlight – but for me, 
I tend to thrive in the Fall.  I am a night owl
and don’t know if that has anything to do with it. 
 
Time moves so quickly.  I find it hard to believe 
how fast time really goes – they say in a blink 
of an eye – and this is so true!  
 
Where do we end up after 70, 80 or 90 years pass?  
 
Life is such a mystery.  
 
My daughter will be 13 next month.  I feel like 
I was 13 just yesterday!  I remember looking up 
to adults wondering what my life would be like 
when I was an adult.  It seemed so far away and 
I felt like I would be so different…….  Honestly,
I don’t feel any different.  As the time flies
I still am the same person – my thinking may have 
matured, but I don’t feel like I thought I would 
as an adult.  I don’t feel much different at all,
no different from when I would look ahead to my 
“adult years”.  
 
Time, in and of itself, is just a matter of perspective.  
 
I wonder if time really exists.  
 
If time flies when your having fun, what is it 
that happens when your not having fun?  
 
What makes the time fly anyway?  Why can’t people fly?  
 
I wish I could fly!
 

All my free time recently has been spent searching classified ads on the internet, with the exception of this past weekend, which I spent in the bed, sick. 

I have been searching for two major life changing situations, again!  I need a rental house & a new job.  I've been searching steady for about 2 wks now.  This week things feel a little slow going.  There doesn't seem to be as much available in either catergory as there was last week.  

Last week I went to two interviews and signed up with one temp company.  Interviewing in this area is more time consuming that it was up in Boston.  People are slower to respond and take their time on all fronts.  I'm going back into the office world - I normally do Administrative work.  My recent job score, in a call-center environment, as a technical service rep, was against my better judgement from the beginning....  I should have known.... Way too much structure....  I'm a "do your own thing" type of worker.... Very independent.... I'm good at what I do and I don't like to be micro-managed!  

As far as the house hunt goes.....  We are still living with Becky- and it's been great in some ways and not in others.  Sam and I are ready to venture out on our own again - we do better that way and we definately have our own ways of living, as does Becky's family.  Merging family's can be very hard.  It's been fun, but will be better overall - we will all have our separate spaces and still be able to hang out, go fun places and visit often.  Four children, 6, 10, 12 & 16, plus to single mother's - can be a bit much - ya think?  

I live on the premise that everything does happen for a reason and this is yet another stage in our lives.  I'm grateful that I am able to be a little patient on the house hunt because I really don't want to jump into something that I am going to want to move from again in six months - I've done that way too many times.  I want the "perfect" house and the "perfect" job and I am very hopeful that both that will come my way when they are supposed to!  

Hopefully sooner than later.....