Perfil de AshTHE WINDING ROADFotosBlogListasMás  |  Herramientas Ayuda |
|
|
02 enero HAPPY NEW YEARWow . . . It's been a while since I've written! I just want to leave a quick update:
Christmas was GREAT! Josh and I both got everything we wanted and a few things we didn't know we really wanted. We (again) had some of Josh's Amn and his Lt over for dinner, including two of his best friends. I made pork tenderloin and it was AWESOME! We played games and had fun and even though we were far away from our family, we really enjoyed the whole day.
New Year's Eve was pretty crazy. Once again, Josh's friends came over and we had a pretty good night playing games and celebrating (I didn't have to cook this time). I was pretty sick on New Year's Day, though, and Josh had to take me to the hospital for an IV. I was feeling better by dinnertime, though!
We've started considering getting a second dog and have visited several animal shelters in the area. Unfortunately, we had planned to do the majority of our searching today and Josh got called away to do an overnight detail in Pennsylvania. So, we have postponed our hunt for another companion and will hopefully pick it up again next week.
Josh has started taking classes again and is hoping to get his degree finished up before the end of this year. I'm looking to sign up for online classes at the moment - just one of my many New Year's Resolutions. Another resolution I've made is to lose 40 pounds - I've been checking into Weight Watchers, which may seem kind of weird, but I've heard a lot of good things about them and I'm ready for a change.
So-- there's some news! We stay pretty busy on this side ofthe country; life itself seems to move faster. I hope everyone had a safe and happy Holiday Season. We'll be talking again soon! 29 noviembre Quick Update I have some time to fill in the blanks about the past couple of days since Josh is working on a project upstairs and not down here to cuddle with me.
Josh got a parking ticket ON BASE yesterday. Can you believe it? Mr Perfect finally slipped up. He was NOT happy about it and he nearly dug himself into a deeper hole just by arguing about it with the cop who wrote it to him. We argued about it for a while, but I finally convinced him to just suck up the $30 bill and pay it instead of fighting the charge and getting himself labeled for the entire Security Forces Squadron.
Today he had a much better day and actually drew up a brilliant proposal to prevent Airmen from drinking and driving this Holiday Season. I think it is just amazing how much thought and effort he has put into it, and his superiors have already expressed their utmost interest in his ideas. I just finished going over the presentation with him to be sure everything is perfect (he's the idea man, I'm the writer). Tomorrow's meeting should go very well for him. He makes me so proud.
The past two days have been fantastic for me! I'm loving getting to know the ins and outs of the store and all of the sales people. Today, I shadowed several of the associates and worked with them as they assisted customers. So many of them were especially helpful in getting my materials and tools ready for the showroom floor. I can definitely tell who is helping me because they genuinely like to help and who is helping me because they were either told to or feel that they might be able to get something out of it in the future.
I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed wearing suits to work. At moments, I feel a little overdressed, but I may only be comparing myself to the other women, and I don't think they are nearly presentable for such a nice store, especially considering what they are trying to sell. I've noticed the men all wear suits and ties, and I think that is most appropriate.
I'm really excited to get started selling, but have been a little discouraged by the fact that the manager has no associate numbers available. Unfortunately, without a number of my own, I can't sell anything because I wouldn't be able to make any commission. Apparently, the corporate office has to begin clearing out the numbers of previous employees . . . who knows how long this will take. I'm going to be sure to mention my concerns tomorrow.
After all, I am on 100% commission. I do get weekly checks that pay me by the hour every week, but these totals are subtracted from my bigger commission check at the end of the month. If I am working 24 hours this week and about 30 hours next week, those hours will be subtracted from my commission check. If I have no commissions because I was never allowed to actually sell until my third week, how will I be compensated for these hours? I'm very concerned. Hopefully someone will be able to give me some answers tomorrow.
OH! I just remembered I need to get my locker combination lock out of Josh's car so I can start locking my purse up. Better go do that while I'm thinking about it. I'll talk to you again tomorrow folks!
(Questions for today:)
DARE: Pronounce the word F-R-A-G-I-L-E.
DOUBLE DARE: What actor played the Old Man?
DOUBLE DOG DARE: What actress played Ralphie's Mom?
(Answers from previous:)
DARE: Ovaltine
DOUBLE DARE: Name the Great Characters in American Literature
DOUBLE DOG DARE: The White Sox 13 noviembre Waiting for the WeekendI'm counting down the hours to Friday . . . Josh is graduating from tech school and I've been given the whole weekend off. Apparently, the store manager tries to do this for all the managers at least once a month. I am SO looking forward to it. Mostly because I'm hoping it will give Josh and I the chance to do some car shopping.
And I'm just really ready for a long break.
Work is getting pretty hectic. We are very short staffed and my manager doesn't seem to understand how desperate the situation is. One of our Asst Managers is leaving this week, so the rest of us will have to pull extra hours. And to top it off, the store hours will be changing during the holiday season to 8 a - 10 p. We'll be open three hours longer than we currently are.
I have the day before Thanksgiving off, but I will have to work on Black Friday. It should be quite an experience.
Fortunately, Josh and I are planning a vacation in early December for our birthdays. I'll be turning 21, so we decided to make a trip to Atlantic City and really celebrate. The hotels are very expensive, but I am saving every penny until the trip comes, so we should be able to enjoy without worrying about cash flow.
As an early gift, but also to say thanks for supporting him through the past 8 weeks of school, Josh bought me a very nice gift this past weekend.
 Isn't it beautiful?! He spent WAY too much money on it, but he did a wonderful job picking out just the perfect one. I can't wait to start using it, but I am thinking I will wait until our trip . . . it IS a little early for getting birthday presents, after all . . . plus I am nervous about taking it to the busstop with me. In the meantime, it is sitting on my dresser, where I admire it every morning and every night.
I'd better start getting ready for work . . . ta ta! 28 octubre And so he speaks...Hello to all,
I know you are all use to my wife, Ashley, doing all the writing but I wanted to say a few things. I know it's litterally been months from the last comment I made but I can assure you all that I read almost everything that's posted to our page. I wanted to thank you all for your constant support, kind words, thoughts, prayers whatever it may be. Its a great feeling to know that people care about what's happening to you and your family. It may have been a few months but I thank all of you. I'm not as vocal with my emotions and feelings and I can not convay them in such a fluid manner like Ashley does, but for some reason I needed to write again.
Ashley portrays both of our emotions concerning the events in out lives so I felt little need to post the same thing twice. Besides that she's a much better writer than I am. Maybe that's a good place to start. If there was one thing that I'm not sure about concerning the move and the new changes in our lives is Ashley's new life. She left everything she's ever known just to be with me and I admire her so much. I find myself guiltstricken due to the loss of friends, family and stability we've built in Phoenix, however I can appreciate the new challenges and opportunities D.C. has brought us. When we left Phoneix parts of both of us stayed there. The move here was suppose to make things easier, and I feel i've made them harder on Ashley. Today we had a conversation about when she would go back to school and what she would do. Since we've arrived here it feels like her focus on the career path she'd chosen for her educational goals have shifted significantly. I feel that she's questioning her goals for herself and maybe she's focusing on mine to much. The position I will hold here in a few weeks it prestegious, demanding, rewarding, but it's comming at a price to her. We hardly see each other, and now due to the move I believe she's wondering what she's suppose to do now. I want her to continue college and focus on her goals what ever she wants. She's talking about a degree in journalism and I think that's great considering how great of a writer she is. Obviously you all know or you wouldn't read her blogs. Going beyond education to friends and family is even more of a weight. I want her to make new friends, I can do little about the family situation, but I want her to enjoy herself and have friends. But it's not easy working nearly fourteen hours a day with one car for the both of us. I just want her to be happy, but I didn't want her to sacrifice her happiness for mine. I believe that this move will bring great things for our family, they might not all happen right away, but we are blessed. Weither we know where we are going or who's there with us, we are blessed.
Oddly enough when she reads this it will probably be her first hint of how I feel, but all I want is her happy. And to all of you that read what we wrtie and listen to our lives, it helps her and I feel better and I thank you. 24 octubre Late Night Post Script
Josh is in bed and I can't sleep because . . . well, because I've done nothing all day. I'm just keeping the t.v. volume very low and cruising the internet for possible new friends here on Spaces. I find that I've been desperate for friends lately.
My once-closest friend and I haven't really conversed since months before I moved away. She didn't seem to care much that I was leaving and she certainly hasn't tried to keep in touch with me. In addition to that, just two weeks before we moved, I found out that my "best friend" had neglected to inform me that a mutual friend we had in high school and long afterward had tried to kill himself for the third time, surviving again, even through the gunshot to the head. When I asked her in a text message why she hadn't spoken to me about Eric, especially since she knew that she was the only other person I knew who might be able to communicate the sad news to me (considering he might not call and explain the whole event), she said "I didn't think it was my place to tell you." (Which was really the ultimately flaky thing to say, so true to her nature.)
How did I find out? From a complete stranger who had walked into my office to do business and happened to hear me mention calling Eric (he worked for a similar company with which we had done some referral business). The fact that my information was a little out-of-context had actually made her laugh. The last thing I said to her that day was "That's what happens when information about people you know comes from people you don't. I'm glad you find it funny. I think I've got all the information I need from you." I even still have the text message in my phone. I don't use that feature very often, obviously.
She called me the day we were packing to ask if I could make it to her wedding in February (which may end up being a big joke all together). I made an indecisive comment about having to wait to see how things would work out in DC and I haven't spoken to her since. She sends me the occasional email, along with 25 or 30 other people she probably never speaks to unless she needs a favor. The truth is, she hasn't been a good friend to me for a very long time and our relationship for the past couple of years has been entirely centered around her wants and needs. Many people had been telling me to end it for a long time, but I cared about her so much (after all, we've known each other since grade school) that I couldn't imagine not having her around. Finally, she made it oh-so-simple for me to say goodbye and I have only thought about her a few times since I walked away. But still . . . I miss having a girlfriend to talk to.
I did, for a short time, have a great friend named Amanda. You may have heard me mention her before. I met her in public speaking class and we got along so well. She was fun and energetic and completely unselfish. She was as excited about a new friendship as I was, and she seemed just as determined to keep in touch when I moved. But I called her three times and left two messages in the few days after we arrived at Bolling AFB and never heard back from her. That, to me, says "I'm not interested in talking."
So now, I have Josh. Oh, and Tono. That's not his real name and I will NEVER use his real name because I know for a FACT he would flip. It's a nickname I gave him a very long time ago that I usually only used when speaking about him with other friends, so it proves to be very appropriate at the moment. I met Tono online during my freshman year in high school and over the years formed a very close relationship with him. We have only ever been friends, but Josh would beg to differ, since the brief history he has been given has led him to believe otherwise.
Tono has alway been a great friend to me, watching out for me, protecting me, and making sure that I was always taken care of. He used to live in Arizona, but now lives in New York, where he is an instructor for a university. We still talk once in a while, but our friendship has gathered some distance since my marriage to Josh (which would be a given in any male-female friendship), and things just aren't the same. However, I do know that if I ever needed anything, I'd only have to call. It's comforting to have a friend who will always be there for me, however awkward it may be for Josh.
For now, I enjoy the amazing caliber of friendship that I share with Joshua. We still always hav fun together and he will listen to me talk about anything and complain all I want. He's very patient and understanding and he accepts my quirks. Really, he's the best friend I could ask for. I feel bad that I want or expect more from the world, especially since my need for another friend leaves him wondering if what he has to offer is just not good enough. He couldn't possibly understand though. First of all, he doesn't know the emotional fulfillment a woman gets from having a "girlfriend" who understands her. Also, he has plenty of friends, both here and back in AZ, and he never runs out of people to talk to.
Although my new job has helped me meet a wide variety of new people, as a manager I can't spend time with any of them outside of the workplace. So . . . the hunt continues. Josh told me today that he may be ready to try and "set" me up. He has a few buddies from his tech school class that brought their wives along with them, just like I've come with Josh. Apparently, one of them in particular is just as lonely as I am and curious to try a "blind date" of sorts. It might work out . . . I don't know.
I am left to wonder if anyone in the world over the age of . . . say . . . 13 . . . has ever worried this much about a lack of friendship in their life.
I am definitely getting tired . . . 03 agosto One day, Six hours, Three Minutes, 22 Seconds
This will be my last entry until Josh and I get back from our trip on the 12th or 13th. We are so excited and so very ready to leave that we can hardly stand to get ready for work in the morning. This vacation has been a long time coming.
This morning was our last meet for my world religions class. Our teacher actually decided that yesterday was the last day of class but that we could work together on the take-home test. So we met together in the same class at our regular time and went over the entire test with one another. We were finished in half an hour and very confident that all of our answers were correct as spelled out in the book.
The class was actually a philosophy course, so it has been really interesting to delve deeper into the foundations of other cultures and come to an understanding of the minute workings of each. In the five weeks that the class ran, we have covered Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All of which were thrilling.
I wish I could really tell everyone just why each distinct religion is so fascinating and how I think each applies in our pluralistic world today, but that would take so long. I'd basically have to post my papers for you to read and you'd be so bored going through it you wouldn't get anything out of it. The things I have learned HAVE provided some very excellent material to spark conversation with Josh. And we do love the intellectual discussions.
During the span of the class, I have also made what I like to call a "temporary friend." I've had lots of these over the past three semesters: Spring 2005 I had met Melissa in math; Fall 2005 there were Sandy in English and Casey in math; Spring 2006 Casey had kinda stuck around, but moreso there were Vanessa and Amanda from public speaking. I call them temporary friends because while the semester is going, we exchange emails or we meet before/after class to chat. Sometimes we'd have personal conversations and laugh about life experiences. But when the semester ends, it's as if the friendship never existed. This is no fault of anyone's, hers or mine, we're just busy college students with new people to meet. It's an interesting phenomenon, really. The only temporary friend I've ever really kept has been Amanda, and I truly hope to hang on to that friendship for a long time.
This occurence of temporary friends is not completely lost to short summer sessions. For example, while meeting for my world religions class every day, I got to know Marzia. Marzia moved to the US with her family 7 years ago from her home country Italy, after graduating high school. She's funny and frank, without any remorse for saying precisely what she thinks. Sometimes trying to have a conversation with her is like dancing with a bull, because she is strongly opinionated and somewhat stubborn. But she's so interesting and she loves to hear about my life, so we got along pretty well (with not a few dirty looks from the instructor for disturbing the class with our laughter).
When Marzia and I had parted ways outside the classroom today, something surprised me. Marzia didn't stop to pretend that we might see each other again. Our last exchange of words involved how best to sell a book that one may never use again. Then, it was just "nice to meet you," a quick wave, turn and goodbye. We didn't say we'd keep in touch; we didn't suggest that any way of communication would be best. We both just understood. This is what it is. Which is nice, because now I'll never feel guilty for telling her I'd call but not having time to.
Tonight I will finish up my biology class with a final test on evolution. Martha, my temporary friend for this particular class, has already offered to keep in touch, so I feel a slight pang of guilt for admitting that we probably won't ever speak again after tonight. The truth is, no one ever tries to make friends, we just sit next to each other and let things go from there.
Today and tomorrow will be hard days at work. I've got to get everything cleaned up so that whoever will be working at my desk won't be entirely frustrated by my lack of organization. I hope I'll be able to get everything done. Tomorrow will be the hardest because I will be counting down the minutes until we leave. It's gonna be so much FUN!
We ended up buying the Hyundai here in Phoenix. It's a 5-door Elantra GT, with leather seats and Kenmore stereo, among other very nice upgrades. We'll probably be taking it to Sturgis, because it's pretty comfortable and driving Josh's mom's car would be unnecessary.
So now I'm off to work. I'll be back soon after the vacation is over to tell you all about it. Perhaps I'll keep notes so I don't forget the good stuff! 21 julio Looking AheadThere's not much going on lately. We really haven't had time to do much, so not much has happened that is worth talking about. There are just a few things I want to say, I guess. Just to talk.
Last weekend, Josh and I had wanted to go see the Diamondbacks play. If we watch any sport at all, it's baseball, and the Diamondbacks are not only a natural favorite for us, they give me a hometown feeling that I have grown up with. My heart will always belong to Joshua, but watching these guys strut around in their tight uniforms for three hours is definitely a good time for me.
So, Friday night we didn't go because we were both exhausted. They won.
Saturday night we didn't go because my family was in town and wanted to go with us on Sunday. Diamondbacks won again.
Sunday we finally made it out in the heat of the day (they always play at about 1 o'clock on Sundays). The team LOST.
Consequentially, we will never be going to a D-Backs game AGAIN. We're BAD LUCK!
So, this week has been completely uneventful save for the concert on Tuesday night. Josh took me to see one of my favorite bands, Taking Back Sunday, and we really enjoyed it. It was hot and the concert was outside, which was a MAJOR downside, but once I got into it, I didn't notice the heat or the humidity. Needless to say, the dancing and jumping had me covered in sweat by the time we left, and I was ready to strip down in the car!
Angels & Airwaves was there, too, as well as the Subways and some band that I've never heard of. It was a great evening of people watching and voice loss.
Tonight, Josh and I will end a long week at Jilian's, the big-kid arcade and sports bar down in Scottsdale. His honor guard flight has decided to do their award party there, and since we've all come to know each other so well, we really look forward to good nights like this one. Should be a great time and I'll be sure take lots of pictures of the drunken fools.
Talk to you all again soon! 20 junio Still KickingI have a long day ahead of me so I should make this quick. Work is not getting any easier, unfortunately, and it doesn't appear as though my boss is taking seriously the threats that I have made regarding my need for an assistant of some sort. *sigh*
Josh and I have both been very busy lately. We still have not heard about D.C., yet, but the commander's office is telling us that regardless of when we are told by the AFPC to be there, they will ultimately want us there in August. I'm beginning to think we won't receive our orders until August. This and several other recent events in Josh's career have begun to make me cynical about the Air Force.
This past weekend, we bought entirely new furniture for our living room, hoping to faze out the steel and glass before we get to D.C. and have no money. The old stuff just wasn't child-friendly, and we figured we should get a start on these changes. No, we're not pregnant. No, we're not going to be any time soon. I will post pictures of the new living room when I have some time.
I must apologize for neglecting to write, once again. The past few weeks have marked the busiest time we've ever had at work, the most stressful experiences I've endured in my life, the most exhausting weekends to date, and yet, the most wonderful moments spent with Joshua. As bad as it seems sometimes, I've never had it so good.
So be patient with me. I'm saving up LOTS of funny stories and odd ponderings to post sometime in the very near future. I just wanted to let you know that I am still alive. Thanks for reading. 06 junio K.I.S.S.
I don't know how I've made it to Tuesday night. I can't believe it's only Tuesday! The stress has become too much, I think. When I work, I can get to a point where I feel like I've done SO MUCH with the time I've had in the day -- and yet, I have the same amount of work I had when I began.
The work flows in at a constant rate, at about the same speed at which I work. Once I get an email answered, a new one arrives. After I've entered and processed four orders, four new orders are made. It's exhausting.
But really, it's excellent news. Our sales are up more than 60% from where they were at the start of the new year. By the end of the summer, we expect sales to be twice what they were before our move to the new office. It's unbelievable how quickly things are moving along.
In all of this, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. I know my blog has begun to reflect it. My duties at home have CERTAINLY taken second best to my feelings of exhaustion.
To make matters somewhat more difficult, I've finally made a decision to go back to school for the second summer session. I'm afraid that if I don't go back at least part time for those five weeks that I won't be able to take classes again until next year in the Spring semester. Since we don't yet know when we'll be leaving for D.C., I can have no hint as to when I might be available to continue my education. If I go for six months without taking a class, Josh and I have to start paying on my student loans. Not that this is a huge tragedy, we can certainly cover the bill, it just complicates things. I'd rather keep it simple. Simplicity will be a far-fetched concept in about a month, though.
Classes for summer school are limited and general in nature, most times. I was afaid to take a math because I don't know which I'll need when I change my major to psychology in D.C. I should probably get a research or statistics class in, but the school doesn't offer that for the summer. And so is the case for the many scenarios.
Additionally, these classes will be longer and take place four days a week, rather than just two or three. A five week semester doesn't mean less time in class, it just means the same amount of hours in a shorter period of time. A three credit class must still meet the equivalent of three hours a week in a 17-week semester, which calculates to about eight hours a week.
Ultimately, I decided on only two classes. I have to have six credits to keep my loans from having to be paid. However, my only real options consider the difficult situation of moving in the near future, having to work, and changing my major were science and humanities -- two requirements for a general education degree. They apply to almost everything, including psych.
My world religions class meets Monday through Thursday from 7:30 am to 9:30 am. My biology class meets from 5 pm to 7 pm on these same days, but also requires a lab Mon-Wed, from 7 to 10. So, from JUne 3 to about August 4, my schedule will look something like this:
Mon-Thur: 7:30 am Class, 10 am Work, 5 pm Class 10 pm Home
Fri: 8 am Work, 5 pm home
I'm hoping a nine hour day will be enough to help me catch up on all the work I'll accumulate during the week.
Does it sound like I'm whining? Maybe because I am. You would be, too, if you were anticipating the most painful five weeks in all your years of education.
I need sleep. 11 mayo Freedom!
My mind is somewhere far away
dreaming of a later day. (Ash writes:) School is done! Hooray. We had our last class for public speaking today so a few students could finish up their speeches and we could do a course evaluation. I'm somewhat sad to leave some of my classes this semester, as I won't be back to see any of my friends again. It's been so great to actually have friends again. I struggled to find friends for the longest time when my parents moved me to Show Low, and then I did it again when I moved back down here and realized very few people remembered me. I had a great group of friends for a while long before Josh and I started dating, but one fateful night ruined that for me. I was a hermit for a long time after that experience, and Josh has finally pulled me out of my shell so I can start meeting new people.
And now we're leaving. I'm not sure if this upsets me. I feel like the past semester of meeting new people has been practice for Washington. If it's hard for me to meet new people, it's going to be even harder for me to do so in a new place. But I'm looking forward to it.
I ran into my English instructor just outside my pub.spk. class today. She seemed to be just as concerned for my well being as she had been the day of my breakdown. I've actually been shocked over how compassionate she's been about the whole thing. She even gave me the name of a counselor on campus that she really respects. Oh, of course, I'll not being going, but it was still so thoughtful.
Today a funny thing happened at work. I came in and sat down in my office, beginning my day with a deep breath and choice music from my ipod. Every day begins the same: with emails. When I come in I have, on average, 150-200 emails in my main inbox. I have several email accounts for work, but they all come to the same place, and I know that anything coming to the hotmail or yahoo account is directly from a customer. HOWEVER, in my main inbox, the vast majority (and I'm talking 80%) of my messages will be Spam. I hate spam but I can't block it because filters never work exactly the way they should and my customers' emails would be filtered away.
This is really beside the point, but I thought it was funny. Anyway, once the spam had been cleared away, I began going through critical emails (these I know from the subject line or the customer sending them). One read, and I quote "I would like my money refunded immediately via pay pal. In order to avoid a very bad feedback message on ebay I need email confirmation within 24 hrs. I'm completly unhappy in the way your business has treated me"
I was baffled! Who could be this unhappy with me?! I looked up the order to find that it was made on the 15th of February. Then I looked up the shipping info to find that it was sent on the 18th and received on the 22nd! Now I was just mad. I had already made up my mind that this person was trying to take advantage of me before I called them. I said (very nicely, my mother always told me to "Kill them with kindness") that I was slightly confused about the nature of the email, since my records all agreed that the order was carried out spectacularly.
The man said that he was told we would receive the item by April 9th (that doesn't make any sense), and that he had spoken to a man named Dave. Oh, that solves the mystery. I laughed out loud and said "Sir, I think you've emailed the wrong company. You bought a street sign from us several months ago and there is no one here named Dave."
"OH! I thought I was calling Action Auto! I ordered a seat cover last month and haven't heard from them. That's not you, no, you were great! In fact, I've got another sign I want to order . . ."
Ahh, being right has such a beautiful feeling to it.
Yesterday, my boss and I had a sit down to discuss our recent "numbers". We are both worried and a little disappointed in the way things are going. It's been difficult trying to keep up with all our expenses now that we are in a new shop, and this week we have been worried we'd have a hard time making payroll. We've decided all together that cutting hours might help us cover some other costs.
To some people, this may seem like bad news, but to me it just means more time for me! After talking with Josh, I decided I want to work later in the day, so I'll come in at about 11 am and leave at 5 pm. When Josh starts the "mid" shift next week (11 pm to 7 am), I'll be able to stay up with him until he leaves and still be at home when he gets home in the morning. Also, I'll have more time to keep the house clean, paint some more, scrapbook, and play with Charlie! It'll be awesome!
Speaking of Charlie, I had to take him to training class alone last night. We're about 5 weeks into it now, and usually Josh and I go together, but he had to study, so Charlie had only one parent. I was frustrated most of the night because he was so distracted and wouldn't pay attention to my commands. More frustrating is that, when the trainer takes him to show me the next command, the dog is a little angel. In fact, I'm pretty sure the trainer believes Charlie is the best dog in the class thus far. Well, he's a little faker. But I still have fun with him, even though I had to buy the treats the trainer likes to use so Charlie will actually WANT them.
Well . . . I should probably focus on other more important things now, but I have a few more things to say about my previous post. To Jenni, regarding your comment about my boss: I can really see where you are coming from. I worked for a radio station for a year before I moved down here, and even in high school, I could do everything in that office and they were taking advantage of that. By the time it came for me to leave and move away, I told them to shove their two weeks's notice becuase they had hired a replacement who was already making more money than they would ever give me, even after I had asked them many times for a minor raise in pay. THAT was a bad situation.
But this place is somewhat different and so it's hard for me to say "I'm not going to take it." My boss is paying me as much as he can, I think. He's not even taking a paycheck home for himself right now, which isn't a tragedy since his wife is a psychologist and sustains them both, but it still seems unfair. And he appreciates my work, which is different than someone who is basically just trying to rob me of my time. I do have that option to walk away, but it's hard for me to see that my boss deserves to lose me. Does that make sense?
I guess I'm just trying to find a way to make a better situation of one that may not change for a while. Perhaps the bottom line is that there is none. 05 mayo Art Detour
(Ash writes:) Today is definitely a much better day than yesterday was. Of course, after experiencing yesterday, I don't think any day could manage to NOT be better. Now I'm antsy because I've got fun plans for tonight!
The city of Phoenix has been struggling lately to create a "Culture District" of its south side, aka "downtown". Most larger cities in America have a similar district in downtown, where artists open up galleries and theater troupes can perform for small audiences. I once wanted desperately to live in a city like that. Before I met Josh, I imagined being single until the age of 30, living in a brown stone loft, and walking to an ethnic restaurant for dinner with my roommate-turned-best-friend every night. I know . . . so very cliche.
Now, I don't live in Phoenix, but if you've ever been here to visit, you know that every outlying city, town, or suburb is considered part of the Phoenix Metropolitan area. This includes, but is not limited to: Avondale, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Tolleson, Glendale, Peoria, Tempe, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills . . . etc. There are so many, I can't possibly know all that exist. Everything is interconnected and really, where one town ends, another has already begun. I don't know how other cities are because I've lived here all my life, but most people from other cities seem struck to awe by this information.
My point probably didn't require that explanation, but it's interesting enough anyway. The idea is that, I practically do live in Phoenix, and the "Culture District" is just 20 minutes away. It's like a miniature New York City, smaller in all dimensions. Much smaller.
Phoenix has begun a program called Art Detour, which works solely to get the people of the "Phx Metro" area to visit the culture district. It's good for the local economy. Every first Friday of the month, they host an event called "First Friday" (go figure), for which local businesses will invite artists in to display their art. The downtown busline has a small circuit and usually runs only on weekdays when professionals are working in the giant office buildings, so on First Friday, Phoenix runs them for the purpose of carting participants in the event from business to business.
The idea is: let's build our culture district by featuring the works of beginning artists, while also encouraging people to spend their money at local businesses. Since it began, First Friday has grown bigger and bigger in number of artists, businesses featuring these artists, and participants in the event. The best part is: the event is free (save for what you will be buying in the span of the evening).
I've done it once before, long before I started dating Josh, and I loved it. I've even been back down to that side of town since then, to visit some of the businesses I discovered in that one night. It's such a great idea. Tonight I'm giong with a girlfriend from school and a group of her friends. We're really looking forward to it, and we'll probably be up all night.
Josh is having a great time in New Mexico. He's on a shopping spree with his mother, which usually happens when he gets together with his mom. So far he's bought some parts for his car, a surround-sound system, and my anniversary gift. I'm just glad he's having fun. I'm certainly going to tonight! I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. 24 abril D.C. or Bust!(Ash writes:) It's been too long. I'm sad that I have so much to catch you up on. Firstly, I miss writing but school is coming to the end of the semester and we've just moved into a new shop for work, so I have more work in two major facets of my daily life. Additionally, I have to have 30 hours of intern time turned in for my EDU class by next week, so I have to volunteer at the Youth Center on base every night this week to make up for my losses. It could have happened at a better time considering my four-day weekend provided a lot of catch-up at work and I'm finishing final projects and studying for exams in school. *Sigh* I'm still wondering if I will be seeing my lover all week.
On that front, things are still amazing. Especially after this past weekend, which I'll tell more about later. Josh and I are happier than ever. "I don't think I'll ever come back down."
Lets see . . . I need to keep things in a chronological order here, there's SO MUCH to tell.
Josh and I brought the RAV home, which has been absolutely wonderful. It's a fun car with a lot of comfort factors and a lot of room. There are a lot of reasons it was rated the #1 small suv for its class, including the moonroof, dual temperature control, extra space, and superiour sound system. These are just my favorites, it's also got one of the highest safety ratings on the market. Plus, we have no payments on it!
(Okay, forget chronological order, I'm saving the best for last.)
As for our four day weekend, it was not nearly long enough! Josh was invited to the Air Force Sergeants Association (AFSA) Convention in Tucson, so he took me along on the two hour drive and I got to enjoy some time off. We stayed at the Viscount near the Air Force base down there, and THAT was amazing. We had a wonderful suite all to ourselves (and actually took the opportunity to sleep in separate double beds!) It was really nice. We made some new friends, had some great food and fun, and did NOT win the award for which Josh had been nominated, but were very glad for the individual who was chosen. Overall, it was a great break. BUT - we both took two days off of work and put off our homework for a few days, so last night was a stressful evening as we both sat down to assess what HAD to be turned in. I hate that teachers use the internet to make their students turn in their work.
Hmm . . . what else? Well, I can't think of much except to mention that Josh and I have almost reached ONE YEAR!!! Hooray. I can't believe it. And on to the big BIG BIG news:
Josh has applied to the Air Force Honor Guard at Bolling AFB in Washington, D.C. If everything works out like we hope it will, we'll be moving into a new home there before the year is up. (The bad news being that we'll probably have to survive the heat of a Phoenix summer for three or four months.) This is the BIGGEST news becuase Josh and I have really been wanting to go somewhere new and see another part of the world. All signs suggest that Washington may be the best place to do it. We're SO SO SO excited.
Other than that, I can't think of anything to tell you. If I think of anything else, I'll be back. Please please PLEASE drop me a line to say you're still reading. The fact that people out there take time out of their day to see what's giong on in our lives is such a huge encouragement. God Bless! 19 diciembre All We Want for Christmas!(Ash writes:) Well, Christmas is quickly approaching. Quicker than I expected. This season means a lot of different things for a lot of people. For some, it's about tradition and history. For others, it's about family and memories. For many, it's about the gift of a Savior. All these things are important to me and Joshua this Christmas, and we are just happy to have each other.
Also . . . we have a new addition to the family. Joshua and I thought it was time to welcome another member, so this past Saturday, we adopted Charlie from the Arizona Humane Society. Charlie is a one-year-old Jack Russell Terrier whose previous owners did not have enough time to train him and give him the attention he requires. When we picked him up, he had just arrived, and his info card said his name was TUTU. Needless to say, we had to rename him. Charlie is the perfect size for the apartment, quiet, cuddly, and friendly with people and cats. Yes, dogs seem to be out of the "friendship" category for Charlie. We have not seen him associate with may dogs, though, so we are hoping it is something that goes away soon. He has made friends with one beautiful cat that roams around the new apartment complex with a collar on. She's pretty friendly and, I've heard, likes dogs more than cats. She seems to want to wrestle with Charlie everytime we go for a walk. He has many nicknames already: we call him Charlie Brown, Charlie Buckett (from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and Josh often calls him Charles when he's being very stern. We've taken several pictures of our precious Charlie, and will be posting them as soon as possible.
Also, we have some excellent news regarding Josh's job! Josh made Airman of the Year for his flight a couple of weeks ago, and just last week he was named Airman of the Year for the squadron! Please keep him in your thoughts as this Wednesday, he will be standing before a board to compete for Airman of the Year, group. If he wins again, Josh will move up to a board for the wing, and if he wins over that board, he will receive an "Outstanding Airman of the Year" ribbon. Wish us luck!
I'm finished with school for about a month, which is a relief because work has really picked up and started to make my head spin with the Holiday shopping season upon us. I acheived my goal of straight As, and although I haven't seen my official GPA yet, I'm still checking the mail every day, hoping my "report card" comes in. Next semester, I'll be taking one less credit hour than this past semester, but I think the load will be a little heavier. English, Math, Communications, Psychology . . . and one more, which I can't remember at the moment. I'll be looking forward to the new classes as soon as the Christmas rush is over at work. I haven't been handling the stress very well.
Speaking of which, it's about time for me to head off to work, so I've got to sign off here. I want to thank everyone for giving me feedback on the discussion topic I posted. It gave me a lot of "food for thought" to bring up in class the next day. I'm sorry I didn't post anything further, but I figured we had had enough of the controversial topics for a while. If anyone else has anything further to note, feel free to reply here.
So, until next time, HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! 24 agosto Good news . . . good news . . .(Ash writes:)It would seem that some times, our busy lives get the best of us, wouldn't it? But no fear, Joshua and I are here to stay, and if we have to force each other to take the time to write about this or that . . . you will hear from us.
So you've all been waiting for the news, and honestly I feel really bad for making you wait this long, but at last, I'm here to reveal our secret. For those of you who do not know, my husband Josh tested for Staff Sergeant back in May (or was it April? My days are running together very quickly now . . .) and we had (until a few weeks ago) been awaiting results. We got them on August 10th. The stripes, that is. He he. You are looking at (well, not really, but you know) the wife of Staff Sergeant Joshua Palochak. YAY! Okay so that's the good news. The bad news is that Josh was number 11,800-something on the list of 14,000 or so people who were promoted. "What does this mean?" you might ask. Well, because it would be quite impossible for the Air Force to train and find appropriate amounts of work for 14,000 newly promoted managers, they only allow so many promotees to "sew on" a month. Being number 11 thousand-whatever, Josh imagines that he won't be allowed to sew on until april or may next year. This is all okay, though, as Josh is already reaping the benefits of this recent announcement. His new job training starts immediately next month, he will be getting new, more weighted responsibilities, and his bosses and coworkers are already treating him like the trustworthy, mature young man that he is. Isn't that great?!
As I write, I am sitting in the "information commons" here at my school. My schedule is somewhat confusing as I enrolled in the earliest classes I possibly could (to make time for work), and somehow still ended up with 2 hours between meetings! It seems as though it will work out, though. It will give me ample time to do homework when the going gets tough, and today I discovered that when I don't have homework, there is always work-work! How convenient that the "office" is only a five-minute drive from the school, huh? Anyway, it'll work just fine, and my boss doesn't mind that I get to work a little later on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I make up for it by working extra hard and getting done early despite the late start.
Overall, I'm excited about my classes. I'm taking the basics: English 101, American History, Intermediate Algebra. I also have to take a first-level Computer Info class, which I find ridiculous considering how long I've been using a computer. The one I am most excited about is my Humanities Class, "Cultural Viewpoints in the Arts", a title which serves as a pretty self-explanantory tool for the class. Basically, I really get to use my imagination and intelligence. Should be fun.
Anyway, now I'm headed off to history so I'll have to end this quick. Thanks to everyone for staying updated, we really appreciate your support. Hope to talk to you all soon! 26 julio HOT HOT HOT!(Ash writes:) Hello again. Once again, it's been a while. Things have been somewhat hectic, but it seems we are getting used to the odd schedule that my later hours have caused. It's funny, though, that as soon as we start to get used to this difficult time, things get more difficult. I start school in just less than a month! I'm so excited, but also really nervous.
Good news, though: Josh has made the decision to keep taking classes instead of taking the break he was considering. He feels that if he stays in the military, a masters degree won't be much good for him until much later, and that he has plenty of time to finish up. I am of the opinion that he will regret not getting it done if he doesn't finish it while he's "on a roll". It also doesn't hurt that the dean of his university contacted him to say that she was impressed and there was simply no way she'd let him lose his momentum. That's my man. They have offered to give him the book for his class, so we'll only have to pay the tuition. I'm so glad he's going to keep going.
We're both very nervous right now as we anticipate the results of his staff sergeant test. Results come out air force-wide on 10 August and we are counting down the days. The way Josh sees it, this isn't his major plan for the rest of his life, so if he didn't make it, he won't let it get him completely down. I'm pretty confident he did well and I know he'd be a little disappointed, but I think life will go on normally either way.
The OTS board meets in September. We don't talk about that much right now. I think we're hoping we don't jinx it or something.
It would really be nice if everyone willing could just say a prayer for us right now. We certainly do every time we think about it. We're so NERVOUS!
(A bug just flew up my nose. Can you believe that? Stupid suicide bugs. Seriously, it's not the first.)
Josh and I are starting to become accustomed to this new life. The past week has been kinda strange, and we cant figure out why. I came home from work last night and I swear it was like eating dinner with a stranger. Josh felt the same way. He says someone warned him that would happen every now and then. We're not discouraged, we're still very much in love and we won't ever let anything get us down. We just hope this confusing feeling will go away before we see each other again tonight.
Meanwhile, Josh is at work, doing a funeral for a retiree, I believe. In the heat. There's a major heat wave, as if you didn't know by now. And he works in long sleeved, heavy uniform. He makes me so proud. I'm off to my own job in a few minutes. This is a busy busy week but I love it. Hope you all have a terrific week! Talk to you soon. 08 julio It Lingers . . .(Ash writes:) It’s so hard to write anything lately. I swear I’ve started a new post here fifteen different times, but somehow I always decide it’s crap and totally not worth putting up. I miss talking to you guys, though. I’ve really kept up on the blogs of people I consider my “new friends”, and I did get all your messages . . . I don’t know why I didn’t take the time to write back. Sometimes I just get like that.
With all my talk about happy, wonderfully exciting events in our life, I never said much about my life before Josh, and I think there is something to be understood about depression that I haven’t demonstrated until now.
When Joshua came back into my life, I was going through a very difficult time. I had been hurt and mistreated by an “ex” in the recent past, I was suffering with depression in dealing with the results of the “attack”, and I was clinging to a fraudulent relationship to help me forget what I was feeling. It wasn’t really working, and when Josh started spending more time with me, I realized it was possible to be happy again if I went about seeking happiness in the correct way. I was tired of pretending to be normal, and Josh was the only person who ever heard me come out and say “I’m faking. I’m not really happy and I hate that I have to fake.”
Josh and I struggled during the first few weeks of our relationship. I had to learn not to depend on him for my happiness, and later discovered that, in a way, he was no longer my absolute happiness, but he certainly helped me find it.
I haven’t felt sadness again like I did during that time of my life. However, when tragic or unfortunate things find their way into my daily existence, I feel traces of depression: the lack of desire to do much of anything but sleep, the inability to sleep, the constant forgetfulness or carelessness and the failure to see my own self-worth. I haven’t been depressed recently, but I’ve been really sad, and all these things had been true for a while, there.
The good news is that things are starting to “look up”. I’ve got a new job that I just LOVE, with new, more interesting responsibilities and so many things to learn. I’m thoroughly excited to start school FULL TIME in the fall, so the time couldn’t pass quickly enough. BACK TO SCHOOL!
Josh and I are still trying to get used to being married. I told him the other night that it still feels like we are playing house and that sooner or later, we’ll have to go back to the way things were before. It’s still way too much fun. Is it supposed to be fun like this? Well . . . maybe not, but we try hard to make it this way. Even when bad moments come along and we show our darker sides, we manage to shrug it off and laugh later. Like the hole in the wall. Or the short walks to the volleyball court.
So anyway . . . this week has been interesting: the fireworks show on-base was the most magnificent I have ever seen; I got to meet the Brigadier General (Select), the Command Chief, and both their wives at a program designed to welcome wives to the air force base. The Chief’s wife has asked me to participate in a spouse outreach program, and I can’t tell you how great it will be to get involved. Luke Air Force base is really starting to feel like home, and these people are truly becoming my incredibly huge family. More news on the program when I hear more about it, but now I must get ready to run some errands and go to work! Josh and I are leaving for my hometown, Show Low, either tonight or tomorrow morning, so I’m anxious to see what he’ll have to say about the little one horse town. Should be fun.
Anyway . . . it was so nice of every one to keep tabs on us and watch out for me, I’m truly touched. Hopefully, you’ll be hearing more from me now that I have good news to share. I hope everybody’s had a great week and that your weekends will be even better. Happy Friday! 01 junio Wednesday Already?(Ash writes:) This is supposed to be a short week, but I didn't think time would move THIS quickly. I made the mistake of assuming things would get easier after the wedding was done and boy, was I wrong. Ash's To-Do List:
Lord . . . am I forgetting anything? *sigh* . . . my head is spinning. Other than all that, everything is great! I need a support group or something. Someone to whom I can delegate these tasks so that I can put my feet up and enjoy a cup of hot green tea . . . no more relaxing for me until I get this stuff DONE. So much to do, so little time. Does this have to be done by any specific deadline? I have a business trip in a week! I can hardly find time to take away from work . . . this is just crazy . . . HOWEVER! Through all this, Josh and I are so great. We're so happy and getting very comfortable in the new apartment. It's been hard to sleep, I think just because there are so many things on my mind, but I still get up with Josh at 6 a.m. so I can have breakfast with him before he leaves for work and we cuddle every second we get. Coming home to him is the BEST feeling in the world . . . life doesn't get better than this. Like two sparrows in a hurricane 26 mayo OMG I'm Getting Married...(Joshua Writes:) Okay it's hit me... I'm getting married. I always knew I was getting married but then... the phone calls. You know those phone calls from friends and family that start off well intentioned but by the end they make you more nervous than you were before they called. My boss called me today and offered me a TDY to Antartica to play basketball for the base or something to that nature; I considered for a minute... *kidding.* Alright so tonight I just wanted some alone time to go be by myself and enjoy a few more hours of single life... So I figured a few hours at the gym wouldn't do me any harm. The one place where no phones could stop me and no one would bother me. Yeah didn't go that way. It's hard going anywhere when you're a "High Profile" Airman. Not because of anything bad, but just because you're the "go-to guy." My nick name is high-speed cause i've done more by the time I was 20 than most people do by the time their 30. I did my B.S.O.E. degree in 19 months. I'm everything every military leader has wanted. So over the last two years at Luke, people have heard the name, it's not the easy to forget, and i've developed a reputation as the golden boy. Talk about pressure. But I love it and to the best of my knowledge I handle it well. So i'm at the gym trying to do my thing and once your this high profile everyone knows everything about you. So I get the typical "So your getting married?" This happens over and over again. So the one thing that I wanted to get away from for a few minutes has followed me like the plague. I do my best thinking when I run... and I'll for 20 some odd miles when i've got enough on my mind. I wish I would have run further to sort it all out, but before I even got into a rhythm I realized that I'm ready for this marriage and that I have nothing to worry about. Ashley loves me so much, I have no idea what I did for God to bless me with such an amazing woman, but ohh how glad I am that I did. I was always told that you can't find love because love finds you. Well if that isn't more true with Ashley and I then I don't know what is. Neither of us were looking for us, but it happened, and she is... the most amazing thing that has ever happend to me. So what sort of epiphany can I decipher at 2130? Well for one thing I'm still nervous, but now I realize i'm not nervous about spending the rest of my life with someone, it's being good at spending the rest of my life with someone. And if I had to get it right with ONE person... it's going to be Ashley. Secondly, I can take the advice that all of you have given me and apply it. Open that Bible up and KEEP applying it to my life. Finally, God has blessed me with the most amazing woman he has ever made... and when I think about that... that God made this woman... this magnificent woman for me to love for the rest of my life... how afraid could I be? I'm ready. Ashley... i'm going to marry you tomorrow... I love you with all my heart. And to all of you that have taken the time to read a little about who we are and the love that we share, I thank you. Fight or Flight(Ash writes:) THE . . . . sun will come out! Tomorrow! Bet ya' bottom dolla' that tomorrow -- there'll be SUN. Just thinkin' about tomorrow clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow till there's NONE! (Sing it with me, people:) TOMORROW! TOMORROW! I LOVE YA! TOMORROW! You're only a day away . . . Anyway, we're getting down that "Fight or Flight" instance, now. I've got a fair share of butterflies fluttering around in my stomach, but I think that Josh has outdone me on the anxiety meter. I call this moment fight or flight because one can either choose to fight against the uneasy sensation and voices echoing in their head (they make things like "eternity" and "commitment" sound entirely negative), or run as fast as their legs will carry them in the opposite direction. The voices have finally surrendered to my powerful opposition, and the butterflies -- well, they're normal. I don't know what to say about Joshua . . . he's REALLY nervous: stuttering, heavy breathing, and strange mood changes like I've never seen. I'm sure he'll be okay when it's all said and done, but I worry that he's going to make himself sick with all of this worry. He surprised me by coming out to have lunch with me at the office today, but he's gone back to relax for a little bit and hopefully take a nap because he hasn't been sleeping very well. He worries me . . . On a lighter note: my cousin called me last night to ask if I had received an email back about the position I've applied for, saying the guy tried to respond to my follow-up letter. I hadn't received anything, though (which is partly why I've been so down-hearted), so I tried reaching him from a different email, and BOOM! He replied in twenty minutes! He said his boss is out of town but that when he returns, they will be conducting interviews, so they will call me and schedule a time that is convenient for everyone! Yay, huh? So things should be fine. I may or may not see Josh tonight. I have a lot of packing and preparing to do, so we'll see. I really hope he'll be able to stop by. We may even just take the furniture my parents are bringing straight over to the apartment, and I can say goodnight to him then (we rarely go a day without seeing each other). My parents and sister come in tonight, Josh's get in tomorrow about noon, and we have to be down at the JP at about 4:15 or 4:30. *rubs hands together* Should be interesting! Thanks to everyone for the comments on my poetry. I can't tell you all how much I appreciate your positive encouragement. 24 mayo Anxious(Ash writes:) I am slowly finding that this space on MSN has been one of my best ideas yet. I can’t take complete credit for it, however, because Joshua has taken so much upon himself to share our life together just the same that I have. I thought I understood so much about him, but I keep discovering these small things (in large numbers) that never cease to surprise me. All very good things, I must add. I know this is really corny, since I have an understanding that he’ll be reading it, but it has to be said. Joshua has such an amazing heart. With his history, I can’t imagine how his heart got so big, but he somehow manages to fit respect for every person, an immense love for me, and a desire to protect complete strangers from harm all into the same invisible space. He is an incredible person: intelligent, driven, focused, faithful, and yet still fun and light-hearted. Some things have yet to be understood in this relationship (which I don’t see as a bad thing): I don’t understand how Josh could want to be in Iraq so badly. When I met him the first time, Josh was just one young man trying to “go it” alone in a giant world. The second time I was fortunate enough to come across him, he was a man with unbelievable accomplishments and even more unfathomable goals for life. Still, though, I saw his desire for war as a need to get away from his life. I always assumed he THOUGHT he was happy, but somewhere deep down he was always missing something and never understood what it was. I thought I had filled that spot. Selfishly, I think I assumed that I was the thing he was missing and that I would completely fill the hole we was sensing. Don’t get me wrong, I know Joshua loves me with everything in him and I know I make him very happy, but he still seems to feel like he’s missing something, and I’ve come very close, recently, to understanding it. Just read what few things Josh says about HIMSELF (‘cuz he’s always talking about me) and it’s obvious that he’s worked hard. But there comes a point in that succession where an individual must stop and ask “what for?” Josh has come to the crossroads in his life where he has to decide what he wants for his future: military life or civilian life seem to be the choices, but it goes so much deeper than that. Below that proverbial tip-of-the-iceberg that is “military life” floats comfort and security, a chance to see parts of the world that wouldn’t otherwise be accessible, and, unfortunately, the necessity for battle. After so many years of hard work, Josh longs for the opportunity to put his skills and knowledge to good use; he wants the chance to serve his country. I find that honorable, though it’s extremely difficult to imagine living without him for six months to a year. I know I’d write him every day, I know he would miss me just as much as I’d miss him, and I know life would go on until he got back, but I can’t see how, right now. I support his dreams to serve overseas, and I want him to reach every goal and dream bigger yet, but it will take me some time to get over my selfish need to keep him home. I want Josh to come to the position where he understands that he has nothing to prove to anyone, but that if he requires the chance to fight for his country, I will proudly stand beside that decision and continuously serve him faithfully from a distance. We have three years before Josh must decide what to do as far as staying in or getting out of the military. At the moment, his participation in Honor Guard keeps him from being deployed, and his job as an AGE (aerospace ground equipment) technician makes him the least likely to be sent overseas. I pray every day that God’s will be done in our life, what ever that may mean. Just a few more things I want to add, but not too heavy because I don't want to bog this entry down any more than I have:
Thanks so much to everyone for the great comments. It's nice to have a few positive voices in this hectic hour of our life. I'm also extremely flattered that you all like my poetry, I'll continue to post my favorites for more comments (I welcome positive AND negative critique). Happy Tuesday. |
|
|
