Peace

So I would do a stream of consciousness thing or maybe just a random bullet point post, except there is only one thing on my mind. 

WORK. 

Work, y'all. WORK! OhdearLordinheaven, HELP ME! 

Haha. Okay, i can say this with a bit of humor, because today was a much better day! But work has been really stressful. I am still happy about this job & I still believe it is the right job for me. Just some adjustments that need to be made. :) I have a meeting tomorrow & it should get things going in the right direction. 

I do love my boss, my coworkers & the students, though. It's just the actual workload itself that has me drowning. In tears. Haha. 

Oh, yeah. It's bad. Cried all the way home last night, got a Brad-hug, took a hot bath with a glass of wine, and stayed up till midnight finishing work. Something i said i'd NEVER do. But something that HAD to be done.

Today was better. And hopefully tomorrow will be even better!

On top of all that, we are having car issues. Brad had to get 2 new tires on Saturday, we had to have my car checked out & I didn't catch exactly what is wrong but i did catch that it will be about $1200 to fix it. And this is a guy who always charges us SO LITTLE that we throw in a large tip because we think he undercharges us. For real. ANYWAY... other than that, Brad has to get a tooth worked on tomorrow & we have no idea how much that will cost since he doesn't have dental insurance (had i but known, i would have put him on mine!). AND Brad is getting sick. Like, VERY sick. He sounds & looks horrible. I mean...he's handsome as ever haha, but you know what I'm saying. SICK. Dear Lord, please don't let me get it! I can't miss work! 

So yeah. When it rains, it pours, can i tell ya? You already know this, I'm sure! 

I did quit my job at the Manship Theatre, though. I've got mixed feelings about it. I'll finish out February since that schedule has already been done, but then I won't be working there anymore. A little sad, but glad overall. It's the right decision.

Still deciding about the other theater thing. Because i really want to do that one, but I'm just not sure if i can pull it off. Not with this job. Which i'm feeling more positive about today, but yesterday, MAN! I put it on facebook, because i felt SO CLOSE to a breakdown that i really needed some prayer. I just needed someone to lift me up! (More on this later.) Someone texted me this Bible verse after reading my post (thanks, Amber!). I need the reminder. Always. 

"I am leaving you with a gift. Peace of mind & heart. And the peace I give isnt like the peace the world gives. So dont be troubled or afraid." -John 14:27

How are YOU, my friends? How can i pray for you? Are you going through a rough time, too? 

Tell me. We can pray for each other. :) 

{GROUP HUG}

P.S. Is the weekend here yet?

My week in photos - # 4

Week 4 of 2012

{January 22-28}

I am really surprised I got a photo each day this week. All with my phone. Work was insane this week, as discussed in my last post! But I managed to get pictures anyway! 

Sunday, Jan 22 - This was my view from after church until bedtime. I know. Exciting life I lead. :) 

Monday, Jan 23 - FINALLY finished receiving inventory at work... had to bring some of the boxes to my office to distribute on campus the next morning. This pretty much sums up the day: Boxes, boxes, boxes! 

Tuesday, Jan 24 - House Managing at the Manship Theatre for the Jewish Film Festival, third night in a row! Great audience!

Wed, Jan 25 - Oh, the perks of working for Aveda! Great discounts on wonderful products! Finally got my Smooth Infusion & I love it! Smells so good, too!

Thurs, Jan 26 - I finished off our new student orientation at work by distributing kits to the new students (their bag with all of their school supplies = pretty much Christmas to them!). This was the mess when we were done. I have seen more boxes this week than ever in my life. If you are ever moving & need boxes, you might want to ask me!

Fri, Jan 27 - House Managed at the Manship Theatre for Loudon Wainwright & The Punch Brothers - both EXCELLENT! This is at the end when they both did a song together. LOVED these guys!

Sat, Jan 28 - Breakfast at the in-laws this morning! Saying goodbye to Fani, their Rhodesian Ridgeback before leaving. Isn't she a beauty? They were lion hunters, did you know that? (Fani is actually missing the ridge... She's still gorgeous!)

How was your week?

On traveling.

I really love to travel. A lot of people may not know that about me, because I rarely actually do it. I have dreams of seeing the whole world, and I hope I get to see at least part of it some day. It's just that traveling is expensive & right now, the priority is saving for a house & other things. 

ANYWAY. Yesterday's Fill-in-the-Blank Friday was on Travel. Is it too late to play?

1. My favorite place I've ever traveled to is Santa Monica, California. It's just beautiful there. We went on a missions trip with the Dream Center in Los Angeles, but a free day in Santa Monica was fantastic. Shopping & the beach right next to each other, along with perfect weather? LOVE. I also really enjoyed NYC & want to go back!

2. Europe is somewhere I'd love to go someday. Specifically, Italy. More specifically, Greece. But all over Europe, really. I've never been.

3. I pass the time on a plane (or bus or train or car ride) by reading novels or flipping through magazines.

4. My three must-haves when I travel are books, magazines, & my iphone.

5. My favorite travel companion is Brad, once we actually get there! He can be a bit of a pain during the preparing to go process! He worries about getting lost, he gets anxious about money & packing & directions, & he often doesn't want to go at all. Once there, though... he's the perfect travel buddy. :) 


6. The craziest thing that ever happened to me while traveling is getting stuck in the Detroit airport overnight. Ugh. What a long night! 

7. The most exotic food I've tried while traveling is alligator. I know that's sad, considering there are much more exotic foods to be had! And this is silly considering i've lived in Louisiana my entire life! But I didn't try alligator until i was on a missions trip in Panama. We were in the Darien Jungle & the natives took two of our team members & 2 of our leaders & they hunted an alligator during the night. He was for dinner the next day. And yes, he did taste like chicken. :)

8. If i could live anywhere else, I'd live in Charlotte NC, Savannah GA, or Natchitoches LA. 

Where was your most favorite roadtrip/vacation?

Where would you like to go someday?

Stress = tears.

This week = INSANITY.

I've been stressed to the max. I won't go into the details of WHY, but yeah. This girl needs a massage. A glass of wine. And LOTS of prayer. I mean it.

I'm making it, though! And after tomorrow, I should be good to go!

Part of this was poor planning on my part. I scheduled myself to work at the Manship the same week as new student orientation. Orientation won't be a big deal in the future, but this is my first time. Not to mention other first-time assignments I've also been given to accomplish this week. To be honest with you, it's not a one person job. At all. But I'm making it!

I've cried everyday at work so far this week. It's what I do when I'm under stress. In fact, I've realized that tears flow for me more because I'm under too much stress or because I'm very sick, and less because I'm sad or angry. Isn't that strange? I've had 2 girls cry in my office at work this week & apologize for it, and both times I was able to say, "It's okay... I've already cried today. It's that kind of week!" It makes them feel better, at least.

My week looks like this: 

Monday: Work 8-5. End up working on a project at work until 5:30, when I'm supposed to be at the Manship Theater at 5:45. Try to load 3 boxes on a dolly & the top one falls over & a huge glass bottle of massage oil crashes to the ground. NICE. Made it to my second job late. Work till 10, home by 10:30. Straight to bed.

Tuesday: Work 8-5. Work till 5:30 AGAIN because i can't leave until certain things are done. Late to Manship AGAIN. Work till 9:30, home by 10. Straight to bed.

Wednesday: Work 8-5. I can't tell you if today was worse or better than Monday. It's a toss-up. My presentation to the new students for their orientation went well. YAY. :) Left work at 5:15 & went HOME. Home sweet home. 

Thursday (tomorrow): Work 8-8. Tomorrow is the second day of orientation & my presentation for them is the last thing on the agenda - from 5-8. Once that's done, I can go home.

Friday: Work 8-5 (hopefully!). Manship at 6:15. Probably will get home around 11. 

SATURDAY: NOTHING! DAY OF REST/RELAXATION/BLOGGING/READING/ETC

So that's my week. Hopefully i survive tomorrow's presentation (kinda nervous about it, because I have not been able to prepare yet!). Pray for me between 5 & 8, if you think about it.

Please know i am not complaining. I still love my job. It's just a tough week & I knew it would be going into it. I will make it! And after this week, things will be better. 

Time for bed.... Night!

P.S. I have some important decisions to make regarding my second jobs & if they are a good thing for me at this point... I could use some prayers in that area as well. 

XOXO

My Week in Photos - #3

Week 3 of 2012

{January 15-21}

Sunday - Baby Shower for Mika...soon-to-be mama of twin girls!

Monday - Off of work today! Got a new book & new blender in from Amazon. YAY!

Tuesday - Hung out with my friend Aimie that evening...was really mad i didn't get a pic with us! Instead I got a pic of a smoothie. Whatever!

Wednesday - Got my Jillry order in! Love my new earrings & bangles! Pretty! (Check out Jillry on Facebook. She has amazing jewelry & great deals!)

Thursday - I cheated here, too. Had a date with two of my besties, Shana & Sarah, at Deangelo's. We spent about 20 minutes in the car trying to get a decent pic of us. Laughing until we were crying, because EVERY pic chopped off our heads or had Shana's eyes closed! My phone died. And then it was too late, I had deleted all the bad ones! This salad actually is from Friday. Bummer!

Friday - I got business cards at work! And isn't Fievel so cute?!

Saturday - Breakfast with my good friend, Lindsay at Another Broken Egg! Yay!

What were the highlights of your week? :)

My Week in Photos - #1 & #2

You know how one of my new year's resolutions was to take a pic a day everyday in 2012? Well, I've been doing that. The album itself is on facebook, but I meant to post a week's worth every weekend. 

This post will catch you up. :)

{2012, so far}

Week One

January 1-7

Sunday, Jan 1: New journal I found at Barnes & Noble. A question a day for 5 years.

Monday, Jan 2: Showing off one of my new scarves! Meant for the pic to be more scarf, less face.

Tuesday, Jan 3: Back to guzzling the water. Yay! My body thanks me.

Wednesday, Jan 4: An "unwhich" from Jimmy John's! So good!

Thursday, Jan 5: Cupcakes at work that i did NOT eat. (Proud!)

Friday, Jan 6: Got to have lunch with my good friend, Danielle!

Saturday, Jan 7: Hit the lakes for a little photography lesson!

Week Two

January 8-14

Sunday, Jan 8: The classic underbite. 

Monday, Jan 9: The day of the LSU/Bama game was crazy. I didn't see a single person that day not in LSU attire. And this big flag was flying high on the boulevard where I work. We lost, though. Lots of sad people in Louisiana that evening (for the record, I don't watch football. But even i got a little infected that day.). 

Tuesday, Jan 10: I made SkinnyTaste's stuffed peppers for dinner. They're so good, y'all. And healthy.

Wednesday, Jan 11: Met my old coworkers, Tonya, Wendy & Monique, for dinner!

Thursday, Jan 12: No sleeping with us, but Fievel does get the bench at the end of the bed. He loves it!

Friday, Jan 13: I got a wii! So much fun! Just Dance 3 is awesome!

Saturday, Jan 14: Date night with Brad! 

So there you go, you're all caught up. I'll give you one of these each week!

(Try not to get too excited, now!)

Links & some answers!

I have not blogged all week. It's just been so insane at work, and other than Wednesday, I've had somewhere to go after work. I'd just come home & go straight to bed! All i wanted to do today was come home & BLOG! So, here I am. :) 

* * *

 FIVE QUESTION FRIDAY

from My Little Life

1. Where do you hide the really good snacks?!

Um... there are no snacks here. Except fruit & there's no need to hide that! The only temptation left for me in this house is Brad's cereal, but guess what?! He loves my smoothies so much, he said he'll stop buying the cereal! This is really good because if it's a really weak moment, I really want that cereal!

2. Do you keep your vehicle clean?

My car is so gross, y'all. I'm not even kidding. I need a professional wash, stat! Honestly, i don't have a lot of STUFF in there... I can be good about bringing that stuff in the house (although right now i can't say that). But little bits of trash, grass, etc? It's gross.

3. Have you ever been to Vegas?

No

4. Warm room, light blankets or Cold room, warm blankets?

I like option B.

5. What is the worst flying/airplane experience you have ever had?

When i was 21, I flew to Canada to be in my friend's wedding. It was my first time flying, my first time in Canada (or up North, PERIOD), my first time being a bridesmaid, my first time singing in a wedding. All at once! I had a layover in Detroit. Keep in mind, I'm BY MYSELF! There was a layover or something on my first flight which made me miss my next flight and so I HAD TO SLEEP AT THE AIRPORT. Overnight. ALONE! They would not put us up in a hotel. And for some INSANE reason, I didn't call my dad to rescue me?! To this day i have no idea how that happened? I mean... I would have called my parents. And SURELY they would have gotten me set up in a hotel? That's what they would have done. And yet... i stayed overnight at a hotel. In detroit. Alone. The details are foggy, but that i do remember! When I arrived in Buffalo, NY, the next day where my Canadian friend was waiting for me, I was DEAD tired. It was bad. 

---Links For You---

Wanted to share some interesting reads for you! You should check these out. 

My friend Mackenzie just moved to Belgium. Yes, BELGIUM! Her hubby got transferred there for the next few years & the whole family is tagging along. She wrote this post today on how grocery shopping is so different there, and i thought it was pretty interesting! P.S. Mackenzie was my role model when i was a little teeny bopper. Also, she has the CUTEST family you've ever seen. 

I've been working on cutting sugar from my diet. I did very, very well this week. I have to learn to eat low carb/very low sugar because I want to reverse my insulin resistance. It is possible & I am learning. Anyway, I got the book Sugar Nation & it is really good so far. I also saw this article on my twitter & thought it was an interesting read. READ IT. Sugar is bad for you. I know that is not fun to hear, but honestly. Check it out.

Speaking of twitter. I'm on it. I like it. I am surprised,  because i joined in March 2009 (according to them... I don't remember) & I hated it. It was stupid. Well, I like it this time around. So if you are there, you can follow me if you like. My name there is lilmrsmarried.

This is my new favorite blog. For serious. She writes so well & she's funny & honest & everything you love in a writer. You have probably already read it by now, because i had a couple of friends post it on facebook & one friend blogged about it. But if you are a mom, read this one. I'm not a mom, but i loved it.

Ever want to be a little more blog savvy & create one of those photo collages? Smitten just did this great tutorial & I thought i would share. :)

I guess that's enough links for one day. 

Happy Friday!