Ranting and Raving

I hate man rings. There. I've said it. I hate them. Unless you have won a Super Bowl or you are in the armed forces, don't wear them!!! In fact, I don't even like those rings, but I can get over it because most football players are huge and I'm very proud of our service men. It still isn't attractive though. I don't mind wedding bands because I feel that they should wear them, but not huge honkin' ones with big diamonds in them.

I also hate denim on denim. I don't care if the denim matches or doesn't match. It's atrocious. Don't do it. I don't care. Period. You can wear you denim jacket with anything you want, just not your blue jeans. I would rather go cold then wear denim on denim. I used to live with this girl (I will not say names to protect the awfully dressed) who used to wear her blue jean jacket with her blue jeans all the time!!! Her friends all did it too. I would literally groan underneath my breath when they left the room and several of them would have on their denim suit (because that's basically what it is). Finally I had to have a heart to heart with my roommate. I refused to let her represent our friendship that way. I stopped that habit quickly. Just because farmers do it doesn't make it okay. Farmers also do a lot of other things (inseminating calves anyone?) that I don't do.

Rant completed!

What do we do?

Husband is miserable. He really hates his job, so much so I will share with you that we are considering him seeing a psychiatrist and possibly taking anti-depressants. This decision isn't being made lightly, but he does have a history of depression and it runs in the family. I can count on one hand the amount of times I have seen my husband cry during the 7.5 years we have been together. His job makes him cry. He is the only one in the entire facility that has a college degree and he is unable to get a promotion or a raise. What do you do? Do you quit on faith that God will provide you a job? I don't like this idea, not because I don't have faith that God will provide but because I have done the math. We wouldn't make it financially if he quit. So many people don't have jobs and would gladly take my husband's job and suffer. I have faith that God will provide for us. Jon Acuff (Stuff Christian's Like) talked about being lazy Christians and assuming that God will take care of things without making an effort. I hate seeing him so upset and I feel so useless.

I love Interviews!!

I'm a firm believer that no one call sell yourself better than yourself.

What chu say?

What I mean is that my resume looks good and all

And, yeah, I made good grades in college BUT...

If you will just interview me for the position, I will WOW you!

I had to have an interview for my internship today.

Many of the other MSW students have been talking about how nervous they were about it.

Not me.

I enjoy meeting new people.

I'm very passionate about my job and also very animated.

The interview went well.

I will be working with the DCS on their program to have more teenagers adopted.

I'll get to carry a badge.

Very official.

I won't start officially until next fall, but hopefully I will be able to make a difference.

I had a major success today. I wish (but not really) that there were other people to witness this success with me. Last summer I bought a pair of dressy capris. They are fabulous for my unairconditioned office in the summer. When I got out my clothes for the summer this past month, I realized that I had a major problem. I didn't fit into any of my clothes. Okay, well that's a lie. I didn't fit into most of the clothes. These capris just layed on the floor. I didn't hang them up because what's the use of hanging up pants, then trying to put them on, and then just having to hang them back up because they don't fit yet. The confession is that I hadn't even tried them on to see if they fit. If my shirts were too tight, then most assuredly my pants would be as well.

I don't know what possessed me this morning. I guess all my coughing, sneezing, and irritability got to my head and I guess I figured that if nothing else was going right then I might as well try on my pants. I was ready to struggle and have that moment. You know the moment. The moment when you actually get them zipped, but you look at yourself and wonder if anyone else will notice that the button is stretched to its limit and your muffin top looks like it is from Perkins.
But that didn't happen to me. I put the pants on and they slid effortlessly over my hips and I didn't even have to grunt and lay down on the bed to put them on. My mouth dropped and I have to admit to you...I teared up a little. It was an emotional moment for me and my pants. These poor beautiful pants have just been kicked around on the floor when I could have been wearing them around. I could be miss negative and think that they probably fit before I started running and doing crunches, but I like to think that this not eating thing because of being sick and all exercise I've been attempting has everything to do with it.

Can I Tell You a Secret?

Can I tell you a secret?

I'm going to anyways. Here it is: Somedays I don't like my job. WHAT???!!? Today is one of those days. I got sick Saturday night. I felt awful, but it was worse on Sunday. I stayed home all day and didn't even get out of my pajamas. I don't know what I have, but I know I don't want to be spreading my cooties all over creation. Sunday night my boss starts to text me. She tells me that she is still at her grandmother's house and she wasn't going to make it to work in the morning, but the directors are supposed to go to another county and pick up some stuff. The boss lady asked me if I would go in her place and asked if I would bring the truck. Here's how the conversation went:

A: Can you do me a favor and go to _____ County to pick up some stuff? You will need a truck.
D: Sure. Where do I need to go?
A: I don't know
D: What am I picking up?
A: I'm not sure
D: What time do I need to be there?
A: Don't know that either
D: Okay

So here I am feeling like crap going to a place where I'm not sure of why,where, what, how, or when. I dressed nice today because you never know who is going to be there.
The next morning here is what I find out:
Why: The directors have been storing (Hoarding!!) some books at a warehouse, but the warehouse has been sold so we had to get our stuff out of there.
Where: A random warehouse in another county down a dirt road. Seriously, you could bury someone in that warehouse and it would be a while before they were found.
How: Bring a truck because you will be loading all this crap in the truck by yourself and be covered in dirt.
When: 9:00am

These folks are HOARDERS!!!! What do people say? If you don't wear something for at least 6 months-get rid of it? Well, apparently our motto is if someone donates crap to you 10 years ago and you haven't used it in 10 years and it needs to me moved, then carry it back to your center and store it there because God KNOWs you can't throw it away!!!! I know that I am whining and venting, but I'm sick and I have a fever. I was in a hot warehouse hauling crap back and forth from the truck. My boss owes me big time!!!

Btw, Andrew graduated!!!!

Plan B

I really enjoy reading books on my Kindle iPhone app. If you know me at all, you know that I judge my purses by whether or not I can carry a book in them. You never know when you will be in a situation, like a long line at the grocery store, waiting on a bench somewhere, or you have to go to the bathroom and I mean NOW! That is why I enjoy my phone because I always have a book on me.

Right now I am reading Plan B by Pete Wilson.

Here's what Amazon.com had to say:

In Plan B pastor and author Pete Wilson uses real life stories of disappointments and hurts along with the biblical stories of men and women like David, Joseph, and Ruth to help readers come to grips with the truth that they will face situations that in themselves they are completely unable to handle but that in them God is simply trying to get them to surrender their plans so that they can receive His. He identifies our common responses to difficulties and offers hope, helping us to
Understand what God might be up to
See how surrender helps us to receive God's plan
Embrace the community of believers
Reconcile a God of love with a life of tragedy and suffering

Pete hit me right on the head for this one. How often do the plans that we have for our life go in a completely opposite direction? I can't help but think of the husband and I during this time. He had big plans. He planned on already be a college graduate and having a great job in a great city. Well, he is just now about to graduate, hates his job with a passion, and we are living in a town that really shows no promise for growth. How do you think that makes my husband feel? Like a loser? Depressed? Like he has no control for his life? I also think of a friend who desperately wants that person who she is going to spend the rest of her life with. What makes it worse for this friend is that she likes to have control. How do you think she feels? Alone? Doubtful?

Direct from book:

"Your dreams may not be happening, and things aren't turning out the way you expected, but that doesn't mean your life is spinning out of control. It just means that you're not in control. It's in those moments you can learn to trust the only one who has ever had control in the first place."

Um...yeah. He got me there. I had to reread that a few times and shake my hand up at God.

Peter Scazzero said," I like control. I like to know where God is going, exactly what He is doing, the exact route of how we are getting there, and exactly when we will arrive. I also like to remind God of His need to behave in ways that fit with my clear ideas of Him. For example, God is just merciful, good, wise, loving. The problem, then, is that God is beyond the grasp of every concept I have of Him. He is utterly incomprehensible."

I can't wait to finish this book. One of my favorite things about this book so far is that Pete (like we are good friends already) is actually using the Bible to make his points. Shocker!! I hate reading books or going to hear speakers and they don't use the Bible. I want to know where you got your information and hear proof, and Pete does that.

Oh yeah. Pete is from Nashville. He's a local and because of that, we need to support him. :)

In My Opinion...

This is just my opinion but I believe that wedding receptions are more fun when alcohol is involved. I have been to my fair share of wedding, but the best ones are where people feel more "free" or "uninhibited" to let lose. I don't know what it is, maybe its that College mentality that never leaves people and they know that once they have that champagne/wine/beer in their hands, that means the Cha Cha slide is all for the taking.

I don't need alcohol to enjoy myself on the dance floor, and I can do a mean Electric Slide or Cupid Shuffle. Have you even been to one of those weddings when they want everyone to dance, but no one wants to start it off? I have been to many MANY of those weddings and there's the awkward moments where there are only 3 or 4 girls on the floor.

But, it seems when the liquor is flowing more people are willing "shake their groove thang" on the dance floor. Unfortunately for myself, I married a man that can cut a rug, but only in the privacy of his own home. I don't think there is anything wrong for me to grab my husband and get down and funky to J Timerlake's Carry Out.

"Number one, I take two number threes That's a whole lotta you and a side of me"

So, Relax dear friends when you are at a wedding or a classy affair that asks you to "Back that thang up." Just have fun and imagine you are gettin' down in your bedroom or in your car driving to Walmart. We shouldn't need alcohol to relax, just take a chill pill!

Sidenote: I'm not in the picture above, but it looks as if they are having a good time though.

Bows

Bows Bows Everywhere and Not a Drop to Drink

Well, not really. But in Hardeman County, Blue bows covered every corner. Here are a few pictures of us "Painting the Town Blue."

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and the bows are a form of community awareness.

...to the hils of Tennessee

My heart is broken for the families in my beloved home state.

We weren't prepared for this.

Tornadoes, Bring 'em on!

Earthquakes, Well...we've been expecting it

But not Floods...

Someone told me that it has been 500 years since it has flooded this badly.

My Hubby and I drove to our hometown yesterday to see how it was looking.

Luckily I was able to bring my snazzy new camera along for the ride.

Families do not have flood insurance. Why would we have flood insurance? It doesn't flood.

This photo was taken on the corner of Airways Blvd and Hwy 45S in Jackson. New car anyone?

I was looking at photos from The Tennessean this morning.

There was a picture of a man leaving his neighbor's house. The story goes that his neighbors were out of town because they were shopping for furniture for their new home. The couple plan on getting married in June. The neighbor tried to get into the home, left, came back with a key and came out with the Bride's wedding dress.

Families are coming together.

Neighbors are trying to help.

Families that have been the donators are having to be the ones who are accepting the donations. Families who have lived in large homes are having to sleep in shelters next to the homeless and needy.

No one ever thinks that THEY will be the ones who are homeless and needy.

That's always THEM.

Inmates are coming out to help prevent even more flooding. All the help is needed, doesn't matter who you are or what your background is. Just Help.

Historic landmarks like the Grand Ole Opry are flooded.

The places where people were married, got engaged are under 20 ft of water.

The bridge that I crossed every time I went to visit my best friend is flooded.

The streets look like a scene from the movie, but instead of it being filmed in a heated Olympic sized pool, it's for real.

Please pray for these families. Many don't know if they will even be able to get home. Even if their homes weren't destroyed, their neighborhoods might be and how in the world are they going to get to their work?