Stunning! Halle Berry!

I'm sure Halle Berry is used to being called beautiful, but she looks just stunning in this photo. It's nice to see an actress who is paid to be beautiful (and skinny) let herself gain the normal pregnancy weight without trying to hide it or be ashamed of it. I am impressed and happy for her and her boyfriend!

What to do?

***UPDATE ON BOTTOM***

So I have a dilemma. I dislike my job. I want to move. I'm not happy where I am.

BUT....

I don't know that I can afford to quit my job in order to move and then find employment. Here is the issue: I have been getting frequent migraines, feeling ill and just all-around crabby. I have a feeling it's from the stress of my job (I won't get into the details of the reasons behind the stress).

I'm contemplating whether it's worth feeling better, not getting migraines and hopefully being happier for having to pinch pennies for a while.

What would you do?

***I should put a discloser on here to say that it is NOT, I repeat, is NOT due to the actual work that I do. I truly enjoy the actual "hands on" portion of the job. It is other things pertaining to the work environment that I do not like. I hope that makes things as clear as mud :)

You WILL miss me...

I am gone from Tuesday afternoon until Monday at a conference (and celebrating my dad's birthday on Saturday!) So until then...I leave you with memories of how tiny and cute Carmel was to now!

Dumbledore is gay...

J.K. Rowling announced this at a book signing (I believe that's what it was). People seemed shocked and also wondered why she didn't make this a part of the book (actually come out and say he was gay). What do you guys think about this?

I, myself, don't really care if he was straight, gay, purple, orange, he was a wonderful wizard who cared so deeply for Harry and the people at Hogwarts. He fought for what was good and because of those things, he is a hero. It doesn't matter what his sexual orientation was. A good man isn't based on if he likes boys or girls. But I am curious to know what you think. Feel free to leave the comment anonymous if you want.

Really? Nobody?

So I guess nobody (besides my mom) took the time to follow all of the instructions for the last post. Did anyone watch the video? My mom did and really liked it!

Today is homework day (or as it's turned out to be: day of procrastinating against homework). I have gotten my work bag cleaned out, shred lots of papers and killed a spider. I would say the day is a success.

I have lots to do before Tuesday. I leave Tuesday afternoon for a conference that runs from Wednesday morning until Friday. Then Friday I go to my parent's as my dad's birthday is Saturday. Then back here on Monday in time to get home, unpack and head to class. Whew, I'm tired just thinking about it!

Any big plans for you this week?

You Tube It

So, I've been trying (unsuccessfully) for the past two days to post a video from You Tube and it just won't let me. I don't understand the logistics, but whatever.

So.

Go to You Tube and type in "Tim McGraw If You're Reading This"

Then watch the video. (Go Ahead, I'll wait. Just come back to read the rest)

Then post a comment on what you think. I really love this video (from the CMA awards), but I also love the words and the meaning of the song. We've been in this damn war for too long (I won't even start on my opinion of even getting into this "war"), but the heros who have fought and lost their lives deserve this song (and a little recognition!)

What....you miss me?

Well, this weekend has been a fun one! It started early when I came up to my parent's to have some relaxing time. No homework, no work, no phone calls :) YAY! I ran the rummage sale for one last time today and we did fairly well. I was just glad to get some of the stuff to leave my parent's garage. Now, I have to go through the stuff tomorrow to make sure I really want to give all the rest to charity. At least it will all go to a good cause.

So tomorrow I had back home...to the homework, my office (with all my work patiently waiting for me), and my phone calls to find me. I have enjoyed this "technology free" weekend (except for TV and this blog posting!) and it's been really nice.

I graduate on December 16th (you can all send the presents early if you want!) and I really can't wait. I have started looking for jobs in the area that I'm from and so far, I haven't found anything that's really popped out at me, but I'm not going to get down (I still have a while!).

So how was your weekend? Any fun plans?

How much did you NOT want to know about me?

I saw this over at Island Life and decided I would give it a shot!

What kind of soap is in your bathtub right now? Oh man, I have lots of stuff. Regular soap-Tone, then lots of Bath and Body works stuff

Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? No.

What would you change about your living room? I would make it bigger and have it not be right next to the neighbor's bedroom...yeah not fun!

What is in your fridge? Lots of stuff...yogurt, OJ, eggs, milk, bread, lunch meat, butter...all the essentials!

White or wheat bread? White.

What is on top of your refrigerator? my cereal boxes, juice boxes, malt-o-meal

What color or design is on your shower curtain? Suns and Moons--Imagine that!!!

How many plants are in your home? None. I killed them all--I do have a cactus outside on my balcony (I've decided that I can't kill it! I leave it outside all winter and it actually grew back this year!)

Is your bed made right now? Uh no. I just climb in it again at night.

Comet or Soft Scrub? Soft Scrub.

Is your closet organized? Um no. Well, kinda.

Can you describe your flashlight? Seriously? This is a question? Wow.

Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home? Glass.

Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now? No--not a fan of iced tea

If you have a garage, is it cluttered? Don't have a garage

Curtains or blinds? Blinds.

How many pillows do you sleep with? I have 4 on my bed.

Do you sleep with any lights on at night? Yep, a night light.

How often do you vacuum? I hate to vacuum so usually whenever I have to

Standard toothbrush or electric? Both.

What color is your toothbrush? Pink

Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch? Well, it doesn't say "Welcome" and I don't have a front porch, but I do have a mat outside my door.

What is in your oven right now? Just the oven racks.

Is there anything under your bed? Uhhh...I had to actually look. Just some duffle bags.

Chore you hate doing the most? Cleaning the bathroom/toilet

What retro items are in your home? I can’t think of any.

Do you have a separate room that you use as an office? Yep

How many mirrors are in your home? 13 (but you must know that my closet doors are mirrors not doors.

Do you have any hidden emergency money around your home? No.

Do you keep any kind of protection weapons in your home? No...maybe my flashlight!

What does your home smell like right now? Ummm an appleish candle that I have burning

Favorite candle scent? Vanilla Carmel from Yankee Candle....yummmm

What kind of pickles (if any) are in your refrigerator right now? The little midget ones

What color is your favorite Bible? i don't have one

Ever been on your roof? No.

Do you own a stereo? Yes

How many TVs do you have? 1

How many house phones? 1

Do you have a housekeeper? Yes, me.

What style do you decorate in? whatever matches and i like :)

Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints? I have mostly solids in my apartment

Is there a smoke detector in your home? yes

In case of fire, what are the items in your house which you’d grab if you only could make one quick trip? Um, my laptop, popples, purse, and whatever pictures i could find!

I’m not going to tag anyone but if you decide to do this, let me know so I can come and visit!

Life Happens

Well, as you can tell, I haven't been the best at posting lately. I hope you all will still stick with me. It's been hectic. I am almost within two months of graduating and I'm hopeful to make some pretty big life changes soon after that.

Life has been going by fast lately. Lots of homework, work is crazy, and plenty of traveling. I have been really tired lately. I think it's just been a lot of stress lately and then not sleeping the greatest = a lazy Amy. So that has been part of the reason I have been writing. I also have taken more time to look inside myself and see where I am in the healing process. I'm feeling pretty darn good about all of this and definitely have a more positive outlook. Which helps in just my every day life.

Well, I am going to continue watching the Packer game and then head to bed. Happy Sunday night or Monday (depending on when you read this!)

Seems to be a theme....

I seem to be posting a lot of pictures lately. I think Carmel was jealous that I posted a picture of peanut a couple days ago so here is Carmel's chance to shine. She says HI to everyone!!!!!

On the road again....

So on one of my many times driving, this is what I saw on the way home :) I thought it was beautiful so yes, I did take it while driving, but I wasn't really watching the camera so this was the 3rd try :) I thought you might all enjoy some sunshine!

If only life could always be like this.....

Peanut was oh so excited about her new hair cut that she tried to show it off to everyone passing by!

And now....9 months of healing: The Aftermath

It's been a little over 9 months since the break-up. Some people have had babies during this time, some have started businesses, some have started new relationship.....I have learned to be myself again. It's a great feeling to wake up in the morning and to know who you are. It has taken me plenty of time to figure this out (and I'm sure I still have a lot to learn), but at this point in my life, I feel content. That's not to say that I'm not stressed out or I don't get crabby or irritated with things, but overall, when I lay down at night, I can fall asleep knowing that tomorrow is another day.

This is definitely a change from previous posts. I will tell you that I'm not fully healed and that I still hurt some days, but those days are fewer and farther between. I continue to have the wonderful support of my parents and even you guys who read my rants and raves (and even keep checking on a blog that isn't updated!!!) so I appreciate it. I have found out that I have wonderful friends who care very much about me.

So I have picked up most of the pieces and have tried to put them back together, but in the process have realized that maybe those pieces feel for a reason. Maybe there are new pieces that will form in order to make the new me. I can't be the same person I was the day of the break-up and therefore, those new pieces will form and I'll always hang on to the fallen pieces to remember where I came from and how I have reached this new point.

We interrupt our previously scheduled topic....

To Remember. Please take a minute today to remember the victims and survivors of 9/11. I know most people will post about this today and I don't want to make it flashy or over the top, but if you take a minute to read this, please take another minute to remember. Six years.

I remember that I was sleeping when the first plane hit. My dad came in to wake me up and said "a plane just hit the world trade center." I thought he may have been delusional. But I got up and went by the TV. Sure enough, the tower had been hit. That poor pilot, I thought. He must have lost control and had engine problems or had a heart attack.

Then the next plane hit. WHAT IS GOING ON? I yelled. My dad was in awe. We couldn't believe this was happening. We had family living near the world trade center. He watched most of it from his apartment window. Saw people jumping out of the WTC.

I had to drive to class that day. Forty minutes to get to campus. What a long forty minutes. The TVs all over campus had the news coverage on to keep students up to date on what was happening. The pentagon was hit. The plane in the field (what had gone wrong there?) It was all too much to be a coincidence.

So take a minute today to just remember....

Harry Potter

Well, I finished Harry Potter (actually I finished a while ago but haven't been in the mood to post lately). I have lots of things I am ready to say and post on here, but wanted to start with the most important:

Peanut helped me finish it up. It was a great book and I know others have posted what they think, so I won't use a lot of space for it. I really enjoyed the book and felt that JK did a good job of doing what she could to tie everything up. There are still questions I have, but also know that the movie will be interesting to see.

Up next for posting: 9 months of healing: The Aftermath

Too cute!

This little girl is just too cute. Seriously, those lips, those eyes...she is just too much!

I'm Alive!

Yes, I am still alive. After my last mini-vacation of the summer, I am back and ready to get back into the swing of things. I have finally made it through the final Harry Potter book (which I LOVED!) and am getting ready to start school again on Tuesday.

I had a wonderful time up north and will post pictures soon! It was a beautiful cabin right on the lake and we had really nice weather until the morning I left (I was okay with that...it made leaving a little easier since it was pouring!)

Tonight I went out to dinner with a friend and we ended up spending 2 1/2 hours at the table just talking and catching up. It was so nice to just relax and talk about anything (even if it was stupid!) Then we both ended up having to go to the grocery store so we did that too! After over 3+ hours, we both parted ways to come home. I have 3 classes this fall and she is in all 3 which will make it bearable!!!

So...what did I miss while I was gone from the blogging world?

Family time

Well, I got to spend some quality time with my parents this weekend. The picnic on Friday was a big success. Although some people didn't show up that had said they would, it was a beautiful day and fun was had by all! We definitely had plenty of food!!!! Then it was off to my parent's house for what I hoped was going to be a weekend of laying around in the pool. Well...mother nature had other plans. It was pretty chilly and rainy the whole time. Oh well. Instead we sat around inside the house. Went to lunch. Had a nice dinner. Watched a movie. It was nice to not do much.

This week starts another shortened week. This Thursday I am having a Tastefully Simple party with my mom at her house. Then Friday we are going to see the new Matt Damon movie and then Saturday I am heading up to see my friend and her family at a cabin. I took Monday off too so that I can get home on Monday some time and have another mini vacation :) I am beginning to enjoy those. And since September 4th starts my final semester of grad school, I am going to relax as much as possible before the final semester begins!

Oh and speaking of family....aren't these two cute?

Back.

This is what I felt like on vacation (ahhh I'm FREE!)

So I am back from vacation. I got back on Monday but life has since been hectic again and I am just now getting a chance to get back to writing and saying HI to everyone! It was a very hot and humid vacation, but that meant time by the pool and lots of AC. I had a wonderful time and felt completely rested when I returned on Monday.

Then....I went back to work. I hate going back to work after vacation because there is just way too much to attempt to catch up on. Needless to says I've been putting in long days. Tomorrow is our staff picnic. I was somehow put in charge of planning it and everything to go along with it. I'm crossing my fingers that it will all go smoothly! Then I am spending the weekend with my parents and hoping it's warm enough to use the pool.

How is everyone else doing?

My life...as a social worker

There are days that my profession is very difficult. As I look at going on vacation on Wednesday, there is a lot of work that needs to be done. I need to get my apartment looking decent so that I don't come home to a mess!!! I also need to pack and I need to be all caught up on work before Tuesday night. So it's going to be a busy couple days before leaving bright and early Wednesday morning. I won't have access to the internet but I will try to post a TT before I leave for your enjoyment :) There should be LOTS of pictures when I get back. My TT will have clues of where I am going and we'll see if you can figure it out.

Happy Monday!