Turning 40 Can be Harsh!

Okay, so I went to a friend's birthday party over the weekend--and all I can say is--wow! Steve turned 40--and so we had some fun with that. The sign as you walked in the room said "happy retirement--that word was crossed out and said oops--birthday.
All of his gifts were gag gifts--for example, I got him a walking cane. He also got Rogaine, Just for men hair color, and those were just the nice gifts. He also got serenity pads, and preparation H--among other things! The good news is about 65 people showed up at the party--it was held at Olive Garden, so needless to say it was a bit hectic--but I think it turned out well.
Steve told me the next morning that he was so happy to see all his friends gathered. He said usually you find out how many friends you have at your funeral--but he got find out at his birthday. He was very happy.

Mustang Sally

So, I just have the overwhelming desire to just get in my new car and head to the country so I can drive! I absolutely love my car--I still can't believe I own a Mustang! One of the guys at work walked in yesterday. I was at work a bit later than usualy, which is why, until now, he hadn't seen the new ride. He said who's Mustang is that out there? And everyone said "nicole's"--and I just smiled--he said some things about it being a really nice car, then sat down to start his job. It still made me feel so great! I love that I have a car that everyone loves! Maybe I'll go for a ride later today--after my nap.

I think I've about gotten rid of the fleas. Casey and I aren't itching as much as we have been--and I haven't noticed any new bites on me in a couple of days. So, I'm pretty happy about that!

So, it's beginning to look like November is going to be a pretty busy month for me--but I am so excited about it. My mom, step-dad, and grandmother may come for a visit before thanksgiving...then after thanksgiving, my sister and brother-in-law may come. I am so happy. I miss all of them so much. That's the only drawback about living in South Carolina. I hardly ever get to see my family.

On my sister, Lisa's blog, she wrote about a song--and it made me think about being back home. I do miss the quiet surroundings of a small town. Gordo's not much, but it was my home for my school years. I don't think of it as home anymore, but I do enjoy a good visit from time to time. Looking forward to the holidays when I am hoping to be able to go home and spend a few days in the "boondocks." that's another song I just love.

Well, gotta go start my weekend--Have a good one!

Excuse me, I've got an Itch!

Okay, so I love my dad, but I am not happy with what I brought home from his house. He lives out in the country and everything has been so dry that they have a flea problem. Well, guess what! I now have a flea problem! I am trying to get rid of them, I really am. But myself, and my poor dog, Casey, both have bites all over. I have bought carpet powder, stuff to spray on the furniture, and even stuff to bathe him in, but we are both still getting bit! And I've washed everything--all the towels, sheets, and clothes in my house. I feel like I have coodies or something. Anyway, if I can't get rid of them--I guess I'm going to have to get a flea bomb and bomb the apartment.

This weekend I am going to be quite busy. I have two birthday parties to go to. One is for my friend's little boy--who is turning 4. the other is for a friend of mine. I'll have post pics of that one. it's going to be great!

Well, got to head out. It's time to go to Flea War!

Sweet Home Alabama

I spent the weekend in Alabama at my dad's. He lives in a town called Cedar Bluff, which is near Gadsden. I got there on Friday, and just kind of hung out. I was sad to learn that my dad had closed his restaurant. They just weren't getting the business they needed to stay open, since there are no vacationers in town this year. The lake is about dried up because of the drought, so boats can't even get into the water on Weiss Lake. It's really sad!

My sister, Lisa, and her husband came up for a visit while I was there. We spent the day in the pool, which was nice and relaxing, and daddy grilled out for lunch. It was just a really relaxing weekend. Daddy doesn't really care for my new car. Of course, he's a Chevy man, and can't understand why anyone would by a Ford.

I won't be back in bama again until the holidays--but I am really looking forward to it. And my mom and step-dad may come up for a visit in November--really looking forward to that.

An Opera Great Dies

"I think a life in music is a life beautifully spent, and this is what i have devoted my life to." -Luciano Pavarotti (1935-2007)

Early this morning, world-reknowned tenor Luciano Pavarotti died from a battle with Pancreatic cancer. He was 71. He was known for hitting notes that many only think about hitting. If you watched the 2006 Torino Olympics, you saw Pavarotti sing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaufjDVYivc

He was amazing, and his voice will be missed.

Buttprints in the Sand

One night I had a wondrous dream,One set of footprints there was seen,The footprints of my precious Lord,But mine were not along the shore.










But then some stranger prints appeared,And I asked the Lord," What have we here?"Those prints are large and round and neat."But Lord, they are too big for feet.""My child," He said in somber tones,"For miles I carried you alone.I challenged you to walk in faith,But you refused and made me wait."

"You disobeyed, you would not grow,The walk of faith, you would not know,So I got tired, I got fed up.And there I dropped you on your butt."

"Because in life, there comes a time,When one must fight, and one must climb,When one must rise and take a stand,Or leave their butt prints in the sand." -author unknown

VACATION OVER--BACK TO WORK

Well, my vacation is over and now I am back at work. But it was such a good vacation--so relaxing! So much so that I hated coming back to work. But I do feel much better since I'm back. I don't feel all burnt out anymore and I am able to do my job with some ease. I even got a compliment from one of my anchors--he told me I was missed.

Savannah and Tybee Island were awesome. We had so much fun! We spent the first night on Tybee.

It was a small, very quiet beach, which made it very relaxing. We were beach bumbs Wednesday and Thursday. We also visited the Tybee lighthouse--and climbed all 178 stairs!
Man, that was tiring! And my calves hurt for the rest of the week! But what a view from the top! You can't get this view from the ground!



After the lighthouse and the beach, Jill and I got all dressed up and went to dinner at a restaurant just across the street from our hotel. It was all you can eat seafood--and it was really tasty!

We headed to Savannah on Thursday, where we visited the River Walk,
went on a Ghost tour, and just leisurely walked around town.

We also ate at several tasty restaurants, including Lady and Sons --that's Paula Dean's restaurant. And you won't believe it! We got there at 11am and walked right in--no wait!

We went on a riverboat cruise, which was really relaxing.

We had planned to spend most of Saturday in Savannah before

coming home, but we ended up coming home early since

it was pouring rain. I'm glad we did. I found out later it flooded in parts of Savannah.
So, it was a great trip. I didn't realize how much I missed Jill. Now, after spending a week with her, I hate to let her leave. We roomed together for a year and a half.

I just wish we could convince her to move here! But I am sure it won't be another eight years before I see her again. I want to go see her in D.C.

Jill is Here!

Here's my old roomie and me! I just picked her up from the airport in Charlotte. We went downtown Greenville, and we got caught in the rain! So, the pics not the greatest, but I had to share my joy of seeing my old friend.

My trip to Asheville

A few weeks ago, my friend, Heidi, and I went to Asheville, NC, for the day. We had so much fun! Here are some pics!



This is Me and Heidi in front of the Basilica of St. Lawrence

this is me in old Asheville

I don't know the significance of this statue in downtown Asheville, but it is quite the attraction!

This week has been just horrible! So, the Headache I wrote about earlier in the week turned out to be a bit more than a headache. I was in the bed for two days--sick with not only a headache, but an upset stomach, too. I also had a low-grade fever. I did work all week, but anytime not at work was spent in the bed. Thank goodness I am feeling better now! It's hard to work when you don't feel good. But when you don't have any sick days left, you don't have much choice! That's what happened to me. I have migraines sometimes that make me miss work--they account for most of my sick days--so when I am sick, there's usually not any days left for me to take.

It's Friday again! That means, I get to sleep when it's dark outside! I am so excited. Plus, this weekend is the "Really Good, Really Big, Really Cheap" Book sale. Isn't that the greatest name? Anyway, it's this huge used book sale where you can get books for $1-2! All the money goes to charity. I absolutely love to read, so this book sale is like paradise! There's thousands of books to choose from! So, I will be heading up there bright and early tomorrow morning to get the best selection. Then I've got drama practice with two of the girls from church.

Today, I am taking my friend, Heather, to eat at P.F. Chang's. her birthday is next week, so we're going to celebrate today.

11 days and counting until my vacation--only 8 until Jill gets here. I am so excited!

Horrible Headache

Right now as I post this, I don't feel good at all. I have had a migraine all night long. I got it right before it was time for me to come into work, so I couldn't call in. So I have had to work all night with it. I wanted to go home, but another girl called in sick, so I was forced to tough it out.
I took medicine, but it doesn't seem to want to work. I really wish I could get rid of these horrible headaches! I had so much I needed to do today, but I guess I will have to go home and go to bed.

Praise the Lord, It's Friday!

Hallelujah, it's Friday. I am so tired and so burnt out at work. I am just counting the days until my vacation. I go on vacation on August 29-September 3. My old roommate, Jill, and I are going to Savannah, Georgia, and Tybee Island. I am so excited--not only because I will be off for esveral days, but because I get to see Jill. She and I haven't seen each other since 1999! So, this will be quite the reunion! SHe is flying down from Washington, D.C. on August 25th--and we will meet up that day with another old roommate--who just happens to live near Charlotte, where Jill is flying in! It's going to be great!
I am still loving my car. I still can't believe how blessed I am. God is so good! I haven't taken it anywhere yet--just around town, so I am looking forward to Savannah, when I can really see what it will do!
There's not a whole lot going on right now. I am happy to say I haven't heard from Brett in two weeks. I guess he finally got the hint.
My roommate, Heidi, and I went out with some friends from church last weekend. We went out to eat and then to Frankie's fun park to play! We played putt-putt, then I got in the batting cages, and they all went in the arcade. It was lots of fun.
Don't really know what I am doing this weekend. I know today I am going with some of the girls from work to get our nails "did". And then tonight, I have my ballroom dance class. I am loving it--I am learning the waltz and the rhumba. Other than that, it will probably be pretty quiet. Heidi has a friend in town, so I am sure they will be out and about all weekend.

It's a New Car!

2007 Mustang

Guess what everyone! I finally got the car of my dreams! I have wanted the new Mustang ever since the new model came out in 2005. Well, I started saving. So, with the down-payment I had saved and the good deal I got, I can't beat the payments I have now. God is so good. I just look at it and almost cry all the time. I have been driving a car without air conditioning for several years now. During that time, I lived in Alabama, Florida, and now South Carolina. So, anyone who's lived in those states in the summer knows how hot and humid it can get. Now, I am driving a car with power windows, power locks, air conditioning, and a cd player. It even has a dock for an Ipod! So, God has really blessed me with this car. And it's brand new. When I drove it off the lot, it had a whopping 29 miles on it!

This is a picture of me and my salesman as he handed me the keys. It just so happens, the guy who ended up selling me the car is the husband of one of my co-workers. So, he treated me really well.

It's so funny. Since I got this car, I have been getting a lot of attention from the opposite sex. I think guys aren't used to seeing girls with muscle cars! So, guys will stare in intersections--when they see me watching them, they just nod and smile. I even got a note on my door from a guy who lives downstairs in my building! It's so funny. But I'm not interested in a guy that only likes me for my car!

Man Hater

Okay, so for once, I have a personal life to complain about. I guess I should be thankful that I have a personal life...much less a complaint. But right now, I am so mad at men--and upset with myself for trusting them! Okay, so maybe not every man--just one right now.

Okay, so here's what happened. Brett and I decided to make up and be friends. That was a little over two weeks ago. I was very happy with that decision. But a week later, he's contacting me--wanting us to be together again. He told me that I was the best thing that ever happened to him and he thought we had a future. Now, a couple of months ago, I thought the same thing, but in the last two months, I have been able to see things in him that I really don't want in my life--and for sure not in a marriage. So, I told him that he had a lot to work on before I would get back together with him. I told him I still wanted to be friends, but I told him I wanted him to better himself for him, not for me, because I wouldn't promise him a future.

Well I was so proud of him! He started really working on a bunch of stuff. He even asked me to help him with a budget. I was really cautious about doing that, because I really didn't want to know his business. He just bought a new car--a car he really couldn't afford. So, I was not real happy with his spending habits. Well, I told him if we did a budget, then I wasn't going to waste my time. He was going to do what I asked him to. He agreed. So, we got together and worked him out a budget to stick to.

He promised he would stick to it--even went grocery shopping so he wouldn't have to eat out so much--then I find out he didn't even wait 24 hours before he got off the budget! He got so mad at me when I confronted him about it! I think he was mad because he got caught! But needless to say, we had a big fight. And I never want to talk to him again! I care to much about him, and he seems not to care, so my view is why should I have to deal with it if he doesn't care about any of it?

From this point forward, I wash my hands of Brett. I want nothing to do with him. I mean, how is it my fault that he can't get his act together? He made me so upset--so upset that I probably said things I shouldn't have.

And on top of that, he lied to some of our friends. HE told them we were dating again--something they later confronted me about , because they knew how I felt about the whole situation. I will not be with someone I can't trust.

The greatest fear I have is I will lose our mutual friends. But they all tell me that I don't have to worry about that. They've also told me that they agree Brett is not good for me right now. They see the same things that I have seen--things I was too blind to see the first time. So, for now, Steve, Joy, and Heidi are all still my friends. I just hope they will continue to hang out with me--especially since the only times Steve, Joy, and I ever hung out was when I was with Brett.
But I really don't think I have anything to worry about with Heidi. She's planning on moving in with me this weekend--if everything works out. That's right! I am getting a roommate! I am really excited about this, but at the same time, very cautious. I haven't had much luck with roommates in the past. But I haven't had a roomie in about six years, so I really hope that I am a better person now than I was then. Heidi and I have both done a lot of praying about it, and her mother, and our pastor, who just happens to be her uncle, both agree that this would be a good move for both of us. However, my family has tried to talk me out of it. My little sis even gave me a huge lecture about it the other day. I was surprised! She usually likes to stay out of everyone's business, but I am glad she decided to tell me. I value her opinion, even if I don't agree with it all the time.

So, for now, I am so glad I am single. I really want to get married and have a family. I mean, I am 28--i'm not getting any younger! And I pray every day that God will send the *right* man into my life. But for now, I am going to enjoy my singleness. God has already answered so many of my prayers this year--I know he hasn't forgot about this one.

Update

So, I know it's been forever since my last post. I must apologize. But I really haven't had that much to say. Things are getting better for me. I am healing from the recent losses in my life. Brett and I talked over text for the first time since we broke things off the other day. We are both still a bit gun-shy of being friends, but I think maybe we can get there eventually. Things at work are okay--we are going through some changes in management--and that's always hard. So, please pray that I will get through it without losing my sanity. Otherwise things are great!

Vacation Hot Spot?

I have some time off at the beginning of September. I want to go someone on a nice, relaxing vacation. Getting a nice suntan could be okay, too! Does anyone have any ideas? I will probably be traveling alone, so I am not willing to go outside the U.S. If you know of any really cool places, let me know!

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

So, maybe it's really not considered a break-up when you think about how long we dated, but Brett and I were together so much for five weeks--and now we are no more. With all of the emotional stress I've been under lately, I needed some time to get my emotions in check. I asked him if we could back off a while--just so I could focus on getting better--but I guess he wanted all or nothing. So, he decided to completely break things off. I didn't want that. I just needed some time. But I guess it's better that it happened now and not six months from now.

My emotions are really raw--Three people in my life have died in the last month--two from work. And it's really been hard for me to cope. I am getting better, but I'm just taking one day at a time.

I went back to the gym yesterday--they say exercise gives you endorphines that make you happy--and it really did make me feel a bit better. I had to switch gyms, so this was my first time at the new gym. I am going to continue to go.

This weekend, I plan to spend most of my time with friends--I think that will be good. Friday night, I may go out with some friends from work--and then on Saturday, myself and some friends are planning to go to Freedom Weekend Aloft--it's a big hot air balloon festival here in the upstate.

Please Pray

The last three weeks have been very hard for myself and many close to me. My heart is heavy this morning, and truthfully, I'm not quite sure if I can handle anymore. Last night, one of my co-workers was killed on the job. I've always been told how dangerous this business is--but you don't really think about it until it happens to you or someone you know. Joe Loy was covering a story when a car hit him. Please pray for all of us at Fox Carolina and for Joe's family.

This is just the latest tragedy. My best friend, Niecie's, brother died last week. He was a cancer survivor, and his death at just 14-years-old came as a shock. I spent the latter part of last week in Birmingham with Niecie and her family. They also need prayer.

And one of my co-workers died about three weeks ago after losing his battle with lung cancer. We sort of expected this, but it doesn't make it any easier.

They always say people die in threes. Just never knew there would be three people I knew all together like this.

100th Post

This is my 100th post. Hard to believe! Guess I have a lot to say! Anyway, hope all is well with everyone. Things are good here. Going to Bama for a quick trip this weekend. Really hoping to get to see my sister while I'm there.

This month is really busy for me. Next weekend, I'm going to Mobile. I'm going to be spending Mother's Day weekend with my grandmother. I really can't wait to see her.

Then the following weekend, I will be in Savannah, Georgia. I've never been--and I'm told it's wonderful!

Luckily for me--I'm not driving on any of the trips. So, thankfully, my pocketbook won't suffer this month from the gas prices too bad.

Have a great weekend!

Flowers for Me!

Okay--so I haven't updated on the guy I went out with. Well--we are still seeing each other, and if these flowers I got last night are any indication, I would say things are going pretty well! They were sitting on my desk at work when I came in last night. Aren't they beautiful? Tulips are my favorite. He found that out when we went to the Biltmore Estate on Saturday--I guess he was listening!

This weekend, I will be spending the weekend with him and some of the kids at church. We are going to Alabaster, Alabama, for the regional bible quiz tournament. I am looking forward to going 'home' for a couple of days.

Things at church are good as well. I went to the pastor's house for lunch after church Sunday. His family is so awesome! They have 4 children--all so precious! I am rooming with the pastor's wife in Alabaster. Looking forward to that!

Well, gotta go!