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18 diciembre ONE WEEK!!!Christmas has arrived so quickly. It seems like I feel the same hopeless bewilderment at this time every year. It's the "Did I take care of everyone?" feeling that is getting to me right now. I know that I have a few more things to put in a box and send out to my mother-in-law, but I'm hoping against all hope that I haven't forgotten anything so terribly important.
In addition to all of the craziness, I have to figure out what I am giong to do about Christmas dinner. For Thanksgiving, Josh invited some of his troops over and I cooked a turkey dinner. It was really fun, but I was looking forward to not having to do that for another year. Now it seems as though I won't be so lucky - we will have five or six additional guests for dinner on Christmas day. Joyful joyful.
Really, though, I'm looking forward to the occasion. We did have a lot of fun when they were all here in November, plus Josh's closest friends will be here, so it won't be a group of complete strangers. I'll probably just buy a Honey Baked Ham and have everyone bring a little something to contribute. It will be fun.
Meanwhile, the occupational Christmas parties have ended. I actually had to miss mine for Josh's event last night, but I actually didn't mind so much. I could have had a roast beef special at the Holiday Inn with all the gang from the furniture store, but I much preferred the dinner boat "Spirit of Washington" out on the Potomac River.
It was SO MUCH FUN. We got very dressed up: me in my new Blondie Nites evening gown and Josh in his fantastic suit. Yummy. Oh yeah, and the food was great too. We had a few drinks, watched some jesters sing and dance, and then the DJ turned the room into one large dance floor . . . it was just a great time. I didn't take any pictures, but then I really didn't have a chance. Some occasions just make it difficult to yank out the camera and shout "SAY CHEESE!"
So anyway, Josh got to sleep in a little before work today, and that was nice for him since we were up so late. Today, I have a list of things to do around the house and errands to run but I can't get myself in gear. I've been looking forward to a day off for so long and all I want to do is lounge. It never works that way though . . . gotta use my time wisely.
Okay, I'm off to tackle my to-do list. Hooray. 30 noviembre A Hundred Fires and a Pouting Puppy My drive home tonight was made so much more pleasant by the aroma of a hundred fires. Growing up in Phoenix, I very rarely saw someone light up a fireplace in their home (even though many people had them, which I used to find very strange). It must be the wonderful smell of the trees that makes the burning of them that much better. I think the scent left hanging in the air from so many chimneys is one of my favorite parts of cold weather and especially Christmas time.
I got a chance to start making sales on the showroom floor today. It was nice to not have to follow anyone around and to be able to actually have conversations with people. After listening to everything other consultants had to say about sales, I'm so very confident that I can handle this job. Getting acquainted with the other associates and coming to know who I can and cannot rely on will come with time, as will my understanding of the furniture and the customers.
I guess I hadn't been very clear about my new job: I left my position as an assistant manager at Pier 1 to be a "Home Furnishing Consultant" at Value City Furniture. It's a great store, and I've only been working for about three days, but have learned so quickly. I expect to make my first sale tomorrow. I'm hoping it will be a big one!
Josh is at basketball practice tonight. He joined the intramural team at work and I think it really helps for him to sweat out some of his stress and tension from work. Apparently, the big guys in Honor Guard decided against his idea to help prevent drinking and driving, which kinda disappoints me. Josh says it doesn't bother him because this way he can use some of his built-up vacation time instead of having to prepare a huge project like he was planning.
I think we may be getting another dog after we get back from Atlantic City. Charlie likes having a back yard and his own door now, but we have been thinking he wouldn't be so lonely during the day if he had a brother or sister. There is a Beagle rescue center not far from our house, so we've considered that a lot. Everyone has told us that they bark a lot, though, so I'm not sure we would have the patience for a Beagle . . . that's one thing we're looking forward to.
Charlie is just as cute as ever, though. Today I gave him a HUGE dog bisquit when I came home and he paced around the house with the bone in his mouth for ten minutes, whining incessantly. I don't know if he's just trying to decide the best way to eat it or if he is trying to find a place to hide it, but he does this everytime he gets a treat. He's so funny.
Anyway, I mentioned Atlantic City, which has been at the back of my mind all day everyday for two weeks now. Josh and I are heading up there next weekend to celebrate our birthdays. I'm going to be the big fat 21, so we thought we should go all out. It's expecially important because I wasn't old enough to celebrate when Josh turned 21 last year, so this is a combined thing. I officially come OF AGE on Sunday, and I'm so excited.
Until then, I'm making my way through training at work and enjoying my evenings with Josh. My schedule be changing and my days will be longer as soon as I finished training. Plus, I will have full weekends for two more weeks. Everyone has told me "Be sure to enjoy your weekend to the fullest!" Oh . . . I will.
So, I'm gonna wind down until Josh gets home, at which time I'll cook dinner. Everyone have a great night and I'll try to post again tomorrow. 27 noviembre *Chomp Chomp*That's the sound of me biting my nails. I'm so excited and so nervous about starting this new job tomorrow, I don't know which emotion I feel more.
Last week, Josh and I had gone out shopping to buy a bunch of work suits for my new job. It was kinda like school clothes shopping, the way we used to do with our moms at the end of every summer vacation (except this time I bought only the things I wanted, and nothing that my mom was making me buy because SHE thought it was cool). I had a lot of fun, but Josh was bored out of his mind, of course.
Today, I had a LOT of errands to do, and I took back a couple pair of shoes that simply would NOT work for me. THEN I went on a shoe hunt, trying to find the perfect pair of shoes to wear all day. Now that I have to be more dressy than casual, I can't wear tennis shoes. I went to JCPenney, Macy's, Lord & Taylor, and finally ended up in Easy Spirit where I bought three pair.
I noticed a few things as I was shopping today: 1) It's absolutely impossible to find a comfortable pair of heels. Why do we, as women, put ourselves through the agony of trapsing around in high heels? At this point, nothing can make my legs look longer or my calves look thinner, so I give up. It's flats for this girl. 2) I think I must look suspicious everywhere I go. I realized today that I am constantly looking over my shoulder and all around a room. I admit this is probably only to be aware of my surroundings, but it could quite possibly be interpretted by store associates as an attempt to avoid getting caught as I shove merchandise into my purse.
It's been a pretty nice, easy day for me today. Josh, on the other hand, had a long ride up to Pittsburgh for the funeral of a veteran. He's still on his way home right now, and somehow he was talked into driving back. Fortunately, it's been an easy day for him, but I'm sure the long ride in a travel van will have made him a grumpy gus, so it's going to be a short night tonight.
I'm just gonna squat on the couch and fix up my nails for tomorrow. Wish me luck on my first day as a furniture saleslady!
(PS - "A Christmas Story" trivia questions for today:)
DARE: What company sponsors the Little Orphan Annie radio show?
DOUBLE DARE: What was the newspaper puzzle the Old Man entered?
DOUBLE DOG DARE: What baseball team does the Old Man root for?
(Answers for yesterday's questions:)
DARE: Oldsmobile
DOUBLE DARE: Palmolive
DOUBLE DOG DARE: Higbee's 03 noviembre To Die of Humiliation I don't imagine that it is entirely possible, although this is a conclusion I came to after much deliberation and wasn't my immediate assessment a few days ago. Here's a funny story for you:
I was in such a rush one morning to catch my bus that I remembered everything but deoderant. I have done this once or twice before, surprisingly enough, and usually it's okay because whatever I may have left from the day before might still work for me (that's right, the average person doesn't shower EVERY DAY), but it's never happened on a work day.
I've been fortunate enough to be a person who never smells really bad, even when I sweat a lot, and I can DEFINITELY tell when I am smelly. Actually, I have been shocked in the past to hear people say they don't ever wear deoderant (especially the people who smell rather good).
Unfortunately, this particular morning was a shower morning. I had lost all track of time and walked right out the door without swiping at all. I didn't even think about it until I REALLY started working. It didn't have to progress very far before I was thoroughly embarrassed, even though one of the other associates promised she hadn't noticed a thing. Would you believe it -- we were so busy that it was a good hour after I noticed my lack of antiperspirant before I had a moment to run to the ladies' room.
I've heard before that sweat doesn't actually smell, but rather it's the bacteria that builds up on the skin and mixes with sweat that smells bad. I found it odd in this case that I should smell, considering I had scrubbed only just hours before, but while in the bathroom I decided to freshen up.
First I checked to be certain that it was me I was smelling and not something I had picked up with the bottom of my shoe. It was me. Then I took a wad of paper towels and soaked then with warm water and antibacterial soap. In the stall, being sure I was the only one in the bathroom, I scrubbed both my armpits. When I stepped out to see myself in the mirror, I could hardly keep from crying. I had wet spots on my tshirt and I couldn't decide if they had occured before or after the clean-up. I aired myself out a bit and went back to work. Later on my break, I walked over to the neighboring grocery store and bought myself a locker-safe deodorant stick.
Wait . . . that's not all . . . it gets worse.
Somewhere in the midst of my dilemma, I had sat down to relieve my bladder, completely forgetting that I was wearing my company-issued apron. Much to my dismay, one of the straps that secures the apron around my waist was so long that it had fallen in the toilet and remained there until I stood up and reclothed myself. Now it was soaked with *ugh -- do I have to say it* about two inches up from the tip.
I. WAS. HORRIFIED. I vaguely remember struggling to catch my breath because I had held it for so long hoping I could just DIE. My apron strap was soaked in PEE, not to mention what other germs were lurking in a toilet that several other STRANGERS had used. I threw up a little in my mouth, I'm just sure of it.
I just looked around the empty public restroom, as if some unseen face could offer any sympathy to push me into action. What would I do now? Finally, after a short session of heavy-duty self loathing, I turned on the hot water tap and waited for scalding as I rinsed the strap. I squeezed a handful of anitbacterial soap and applied it liberally to the two inch dark spot.
OH, THE DARK SPOT. How would I explain the soaked apron strap as I stepped out of the bathroom? Who wouldn't know EXACTLY what had left the evidence? It was worse than toilet paper on your shoe or a skirt hem tucked into your pantyline. Once I was confident that it was the cleanest spot on my person, I wrung the strap with a wad of paper towels and tucked it into my back pocket.
For the rest of that very long day, all I could imagine was what my headstone would have read if I had just passed out and knocked my head on the tile floor:
HERE LIES ASH
DEAD OF ABSOLUTE
UNADULTERATED
PURE AND VILE
HUMILIATION 01 noviembre Confession(These are not my shoes.)
Now, I've never been one to really spend all of my money on frivolous things. Since I was 15, I've held a job and had responsibilities, so I never did go crazy with my paychecks (except for the one time I decorated my entire bedroom in the sun-moon-stars motif). The only time I go shopping is when I really NEED something, and if I ever decide to splurge, I do so with Josh in mind. In fact, he'll be the first to admit that his wardrobe is MUCH fuller than mine. Truthfully, I think I'm pretty responsible with money. That being said, I have to admit to this strange new obsession I've come into: SHOES. I don't know where it came from and I've never felt this way before. Josh has always joked a lot about my current shoe collection, but honestly I have very few shoes in comparison with most girls my age. And most of my shoes are styles that I've had since high school and haven't been able to justify tossing out. Since I moved here, though, and especially since I started my new job, I have been CONSUMED with the search for the perfect shoes. The change in the seasons has been a major factor, too. When I lived in Arizona, I could wear sandals year-round. Now I need the perfect work shoes, dressy yet supportive for all-day comfort; the perfect snow boots, warm and protective without sacrificing style; the perfect pumps (to match every mood), sexy in a variety of shapes and colors; and the perfect sneakers, of which a girl can never have enough. So, I've been on Ebay for HOURS today . . . just drooling over the shoes. I have a very strong desire to spend ridiculous amounts of money on footwear. So far I have maintained my impeccable self control and managed to spend NOTHING. We'll see how long this lasts . . . . 31 octubre Home SickSO I've been really sick these past few days. Sunday I came home early from work because I was feeling weak and nauseated. Yesterday I went to work despite a fever and worked for only a few hours before my boss was begging me to go home. I've been coughing up and blowing things out of my face that are several different shades of green. I'm pretty sure I have a sinus infection.
I made an appointment to see my doctor on Thursday, and unfortunately I have to work tonight because we are so short handed at work. I'm not sure when my boss will start hiring people for the Christmas season . . . but half of her very small team is out sick right now and she is about to be hurting BAD.
Last night, as Josh was driving me home, the "old friend" that I had previously written about sent me a text message. It's funny that she hasn't contacted me in months, and then the moment I mention her, she arises again. Her text message read "I have been dreaming about you a lot lately, is everything okay with you?" My reply, of course consisted only of my wonderful new work position and the splendid home we've become so comfortable in. I spoke nothing of my loneliness or desire for a new friendship, although I did tell her that I had missed her.
To be honest, I was very relieved to hear from her. I'm not sure why, really. I doubt our friendship will ever be as close as it once was, but at least I have someone to talk to now.
Speaking of dreams, I had some strange ones last night. I was all hopped up on NyQuil (I hate the stuff, but it helped me sleep). One included a trip to Belgium with my family and their friends, but Josh couldn't come along. The preparation was grueling and I never did figure out why Josh wouldn't join us. I woke up before we actually stepped on the plane, but dreaming about packing my vacation bags was strange enough.
I was supposed to sleep all day today in the hopes that I could be up for working a few hours tonight, but even though I took another dose when Josh left for work this morning, I found myself tossing and turning for hours until I finally got up at about 11. Couch rest seems good enough for now, especially considering I have to miss Trick-or-Treaters! 31 julio Laugh Now, Cry Later
Today is both wonderful and tragic. Imagine those moments when someone asks you "Do you want the good news or the bad news first?" You immediately start to wonder if you should be joyful for the good news, whatever it may be, or feel devastated that it will shortly be wrecked with bad news. (I usually ask for bad first, that way the good news has a slight potential to cheer me up.)
Good News: Today, Josh and I have been qualified for a home loan. We've been working with a realtor for a week or so now and have made a list of some houses she's shown us that we like. Waiting for the number has been difficult and trying, but today she finally told us what we're worth. I was surprised to discover they'll give us more money than I had hoped for, and all of the house on our list fall into the available amount, with some room to spare.
Almost Bad News: After the lending specialist calculated in the taxes, insurance, and HOA fees, the payments are so large that we wouldn't be able to afford to add our personal touch to the house or save money or even have cable t.v.! This is only almost bad because these calculations were made considering that we would apply for a VA loan. The lending specialist will have to do some more number crunching, but we could lower our payments with another loan program, such as a five-year fixed loan. Considering we'll only be in D.C. for a maximum of 4 years, this migh be feasible.
Good News: Also, Josh and I are going to be getting a new car and consolidating our transportation. When we go to D.C., we'll only need one car, at least for the first long while. We can't afford to keep the RAV that has been free to us for the past year, unfortunately, but since we are selling the Mustang, we can afford to get a completely different, brand new car.
So Josh's dad has been doing some research for us at a dealership in New Mexico, and he managed to get us a 2006 Hyundai for much lower than its sticker price. Also, the dealership has promised to give us nearly all of what we owe on the Mustang, so we don't have to worry about selling it ourselves. The car is a limited edition, too, so it has all the works! We will be in New Mexico at the beginning and end of our trip to Sturgis (more on that later), so we plan to buy the car before we come home.
Bad News: After finally coming to an agreement on the terms of the purchase, the geniuses at the dealership sold the car we had GIVEN THEM A CHECK TO RESERVE. Oh yeah, we're pissed. So the plan now is that they should either have the same car sent over from a neighboring city so we can get the one we're paying for, or they will lose the deal and we'll purchase it from a local dealership (which we have already arranged in the instance they do not comply).
Today is just full of these.
Our weekend was fantastic. I didn't have too much homework so Josh and I got some quality time together. Also, his Honor Guard flight had an end-of-month party and decided to do it at our place, so we had a bunch of half naked drunk guys (we had been swimming at the beginning of the evening) running around our apartment until one in the morning. It was such a GREAT time, though. I was comfortable in the wives' and girlfriends' corner and the laughs never stopped. It was great.
Then Sunday night we went out on a double date with one of Josh's closer friends from the flight and his wife. Dinner was fun and the conversation was delightful. At the theater, we saw "Monster House," which proved to be far more entertaining than I could ever expect. You should definitely see it. If you haven't. You should.
We are both counting down the days until our trip to Sturgis, where thousands of bikers will be meeting for a week-long party. No, we don't ride, but Josh's parents do, and they've asked us to come along because this will be their last chance to have some quality time with us before we move. We'll leave Friday afternoon to get to his parents' house, then the next morning we leave for South Dakota. While we're there, we will stay with some other family that live right outside of Sturgis, in the Rawlins area. Then we'll come back to New Mexico in time to buy the car (if we do) and get home to Phoenix before the work day begins. I'm so excited!
There is bad news to this, too. Because I won't be able to work while I am on vacation, no one will be available to do my work except for my boss. He's anticipating that he'll be busy during the day, but will try to keep up on emails as much as possible. When I return, my inbox may look like the victim of a bombing. But I'll enjoy the vacation, so I'm trying not to think of the headache that may result from the aftermath.
That's all the new for now! More updates HOPEFULLY before vacation, but you'll just have live without me for a little longer if I don't make it back to my blog. Have a great week! 11 julio Those DaysIt's going to be one of those days.
I was a little slow getting ready this morning and was almost late to class. This, above all things school-related, is a huge no-no in my book. Especially to be late to a good class, a fun, thought-provoking, not-too-time consuming class . . . is just rude. I make a point to stay away from people who show up 30 minutes late for class, and if I happen to be unavoidably tardy, I'm almost afraid to show my face. I'm a strong believer in respecting my instructor and my fellow students. Never would I burst into a class, allowing the door to slam behind me as I "plop" into a chair beside a person who has been engaged in intense concentration for more than a few minutes.
So . . . I wasn't late, but every other person in my corner of the room was at least 10 minutes behind. Grr.
I was already somewhat grumpy because I didn't get to see Joshua this morning. My daily routine has already got me so worn out that I don't even wake up while he is getting ready in the morning. Or when he kisses me goodbye before leaving. It's really saddening. Perhaps it's better than me actually waking up. Apparently, I'm a monster upon waking when I'm my sleepiest.
And, then, my boss is in a terrible mood. He had to go down to the airport to pick up his wife this morning and he's been so busy that I'm sure he doesn't appreciate having to take time out to be a taxi service. Still . . . he had no reason to get pissy with me. Now my bad mood has become a snowball, rolling along through the day, collecting debris from everyone else's bullshit and getting slowly bigger and bigger.
I have to convince myself, though, that it doesn't have to be a bad day. After all, if I come into it with the presupposition that it's gonna suck, than how can I avoid getting pulled down by all the stressful moments? Instead, I think of the beautiful roses that Josh bought me on Sunday and I'm happy again!
Yes, I know, it's mushy. And, wow, it's lunch time. Out! 07 julio Friday Mumbo Jumbo
Rain! Rain for three days in a row now! Mind you, the rain only lasts a couple of minutes each day and it's more like a mist than a downpour, but it counts! Plus, the weather has been really nice. Well, nice considering it's still summer and it's got to be at least 100 degrees at all times. The humidity is low despite the fact that it's monsoon season, only about 60% or so. The wind is pretty gusty, blowing dust and debri all over the place, but at least it cools everything down. This is the best weather we've seen in WEEKS!
Just a few things I want to say today that I have been saving up all week for a lunch break when I would actually have time to write:
First of all, the Baseline Rapist has made news again. If you haven't heard recently, there is an attacker running loose in the city of Phoenix, and he's been linked to at least 10 sexual assaults, 7 of them ending in the murder of his victims.
He has one definite MO in most of his attacks, according to a leak from a local police department employee (friend of a friend of a friend of mine, believe it or not). He tends to attack smaller women, white or hispanic, with brown hair. He approaches a victim with a gun and from there, each case seems to be different. Some women have taken him to their cars because they believe he's robbed a business and needs to get away, some women follow him to a secluded spot, all do as he says out of fear for their lives. He proceeds to rape them, and in some cases, shoot them in the head when he's finished.
This man is dangerous and disgusting and as of yet, police don't appear to have many leads. If you live in the Phoenix area and you know anything, please contact your local police. Also, be very careful when you are out on your own. Sometimes, not even having a companion has stopped this sicko from attacking a victim; he has raped several people in groups of two or three, being sure to take advantage of each of them.
This is a sketch of the man:
The whole thing just makes me sick. SICK. I can't even think about it too long or I literally GAG.
Second story for today: I'm a bleeding heart. I'm pathetic. I'm just a . . . sad, sad person. Today I came to work, and hiding in a bush was a precious little doggie with her tail wagging oh-so-excitedly. I called her over and she came bouncing out to reveal that she was PREGNANT! Poor lost baby had babies of her own. She seemed like she had been out on her own for a while. She had knicks and scars and was dirty-dirty. She was ADORABLE, though. Obviously a mutt, she almost looked like a miniature rottweiler. She was seriously Charlie's size, except . . . FAT in her belly!
It looked like the people in the office next door had put some water out for her, so I went in to check if they had called anyone to come get her. They said they hadn't yet, so I went ahead and called animal control. She was so sweet and friendly, the officer had no trouble putting her in the truck. And I, of course, started crying. WHAT!? I cried. I felt so pathetic. I asked the officer if there was a number I could call to check on her and I just started bauling. He must have thought I was crazy, but he assured me that she would be taken care of, and if no one claimed her in three days, she would eventually be adopted out. Someone will be HAPPY to take care of her, I just know it.
But I cried . . . jeeze. My final word for today in 3, 2, 1 . . . We have a small office here where I work, I have obviously stated before. The major people involved would be me (customer service manager), my boss (owner & operator), and C.K. (production manager). C.K. has been with us for some time and although I have had many personal problems with him in the past, this new development really has nothing to do with me. But, everyone needs to gossip now and then.
C.K. has a family of his own, his wife of five years and two young children. He himself is probably 23 or 24 years old, so he got started quite early. He and his wife live with their two children in her mother's five bedroom house. Also in that house is C.K.'s brother-in-law and his kids (not sure if he has a wife, too). Additionally, C.K.'s wife's little sister and brother live with them. So, in one house, there is a running total of 10 people.
As far as I know, C.K. and his brother-in-law are the only two tenants that actually work. The only way they have afforded such a large home is because a few years back, C.K.'s father-in-law died of melanoma and the family sued the man's doctor for wrongful death (and rightfully so). Now, they appear to have gone on a spending spree, buying a total of two (2) houses and selling one to "move on up".
That I know of, C.K. spends no money of his own on food, bills, clothing, or entertainment needs for his family. In fact, it sounds more like C.K. blows his very small paychecks from this only job of his on music equipment, concerts, and useless crap for himself and his kids. Recently, his mother-in-law bought he and his family their very own brand-new minivan. Think he's got it easy?
Yeah, me too. Then yesterday he told me that his mother-in-law has found a new, smaller house for herself and her offspring. She is GIVING C.K. the five-bedroom house free and clear. He only has to pay the bills, I assume (although, he hasn't specified that and I wouldn't put it past his mother-in-law to continue paying them for him).
I'm interested to see how this pans out. It baffles me that someone with two children could actually still be as immature and irresponsible as him. Although, he's never had to be responsible for anything, so who knows if he could actually have these qualities?
I should stop gossiping . . . sometimes I just can't help it. HAPPY FRIDAY! 30 junio New LookYes, I probably have too much time on my hands today. But I've been getting really tired of the dark and cloudy look. I needed to lighten things up a little.
I had to go through and change the type in a lot of recent blog entries to black so that they could all still be read. If you happen to be going through the older stuff and find problems, let me know so I can change them.
The title has also been changed. I've been considering that for a while. I think that with each new chapter of our life, we should title it aptly. I hope the new look is not too shocking to anyone. YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE. Lol. Hopefully this will be a more permanent look than the gloomy clouds.
Keep reading! 12 mayo Good News, Bad News
(Ash writes:) Today is the first day of my new schedule in which I don't have to work in the mornings. So far, it's pretty good. I got out of bed at 7 am, poured myself a bowl of cereal, and sat down to watch the local morning news. There is one channel in particular that I love to watch at this time, simply because I think they've mastered the art of great morning news. I have been watching this particular morning show since before I was in high school . . . more than 7 years, at least.
The four people that really "anchor" Good Morning Arizona have worked together for so long that they just make a great team, and even on air it's obvious that they are friends. However, they also hold an air of professionalism like many other stations have not been capable of. Tara Hitchcock is the female lead anchor who kind of starts everything off and provides the "pretty face"; Scott Pasmore, the male counterpart, assists with serious news stories and runs a sports segment; Dan Davis, the entertainment guy who not only reports on the latest happenings in Hollywood, but also finds fun things around town to spark interest; and finally the weather guy, simply known as "the Brad", provides comedy relief and weather reports from a new location somewhere in the state every day.
Every intellectual, uptight, condescending fool I've ever met has clearly stated they hate the morning show on Channel 3. Perhaps that's one reason why I like it so much. Another reason is the nature of the anchors. They are local people, this is obvious, although they probably live in Scottsdale and drive $40,000 cars. They are friendly with each other and with anyone they meet, like Brad who takes a trip every day and meets someone new somewhere along the way. They do fun things and still give great news; for example, recently they all took a road trip around Arizona to great tourist towns and featured all the small business owners and interesting attractions in each town.
Since Good Morning Arizona attained such a great team of news reporters, the popularity of such a dynamic has really grown in the area. The idea of serious, stuffy morning news has been thrown out the window, and other stations are attempting to copy, I believe, the wonderful ways of 3 TV. Some have set up lounges for their news anchors to make it more like a talk show than a news report. Others encourage their employees to tell personal stories on air or talk comfortably with a coworker like the cameras aren't even there. I think they are trying way too hard to replicate an atmosphere that just came so easily to Tara, Scott, Dan, and Brad. Way to go, guys. I'm still a big fan.
My only concern with 3 TV is the evening entertainment reporter. Carey is her name and she looks to be hot off the "news reporter" press. She's tall and thin with blonde hair and has a dollish voice that makes me think she was probably a great cheerleader or prom queen in high school. Apparently she graduated from Arizona State University, which makes me think she must have had a contact with the network in order to be able to get a job locally without having any experience.
Her segmet is called "Trend Spotters", which means she rides around town looking for boutiques and clubs of which an average person would never be fortunate enough to join the patronage. Although, she does do some interviews for new movies and corresponds with Entertainment Tonight for other "celeb" scoops.
She's congenial enough, of course. Well groomed and gorgeous, she catches a viewer's attention. However, I've come to believe that this is Carey's only purpose: to be looked at. She's not a reporter of great talent, to say the least, and sometimes when I am watching her chance interviews with celebrities, I question her choice of wardrobe. Last night while flipping through the channels, I stopped on her entertainment interview with a fellow from the new "Poseidon" release and Josh simply said "that costume of hers is rather distasteful." Which, I'm sure, is not the reaction of most husbands who stop on her segments on any given night (I'm just uber lucky to have a gentleman).
This arrangment leads me to believe that, while 3 TV MUST have a large viewership for their morning show (because it has been running the same way for so long), perhaps their evening reports are not so successful. SO this is what the news industry has come to: when in doubt, hire a sexpot. It's sort of upsetting, but I guess we should just accept things like this in a society in which "sex sells" has become the most used verbal cliche.
Tell me of a situation you can think of in which sex has sold for the purpose of success (besides television dramas and movies). 04 mayo Clocking Out, Turning In(Ash writes:) Well, this day turned out to be far worse than I could have anticipated. I won't go into details, but in addition to my emotional fit this morning, I also nearly paid for a botched $300 order at work today - 35 full color shirts that were supposed to be printed on the back, but were printed on the front because I neglected to mention this detail. One seemingly small mistake did cost my boss the entire profit for the order, but he seemed to understand that he has put a lot of responsibility on me and that this much weight on one person's shoulders can provide for a few bad mistakes every now and then. He's just glad he didn't have to redo the order for the customer - they took them with the print on the front side and he gave them a huge discount. Like he said "You cannot 'shouldn't have done' something." (Quote from Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker)
Josh, to no surprise of my own, is having a good time. I'm so glad. His family is happy to spend some time with him, I am sure, and probably a little curious why I didn't join him. Believe me, I would have if it were possible. I'd kill to be there now. It's strange how I find that I desperately need him when he's not here. Isn't that just the case with most situations, though?
Anyway, Josh ran some errands for his mom today and took his grandma to the cemetery where his grandfather rests - a beautiful gift for his grandmother. He called me at 6:30, pretending to be sobbing over the fact that he and his mother were asked to leave Wal-Mart - which didn't ACTUALLY happen, but it HAS happened before. They went out to dinner and did some shopping - Josh bought my anniversary gift, which I already know the nature of, but I'll leave it a surprise for you. Tomorrow, his mom has the day off to spend with him and he has a date to golf with his mom's boss at dusk (which seems like a strange time to golf, but I guess it's common at this particular course). Saturday, he'll be working on his car's brakes with his dad, and Sunday he'll be returning himself safely to me.
I find that I am depressed without him here. I have studying to do, but I don't care to do it. Charlie, the poor creature, is bored to tears, but I'm ready to go to bed. At 8 o'clock. All of the lights in the house are off and I'm typing by the glow of my computer screen. I'm so glad this day has finished tearing me to pieces. I'll be glad when the weekend has done the same. So with that I'll say "Good night and good luck."
Joshua, if you're reading this, please come home soon. My side of the bed actually seems smaller without you here, if you'll believe it. 27 abril Thursday! Hooray!(Ash writes:) Not that Thursday is special for any reason other than being one day closer to the weekend. Not that I have any plans for the weekend . . .
I am giving a speech today, though, and I am thoroughly excited to do it. Most people in my public speaking class think I am crazy for liking it so much, but I do love attention! My speech is going to be on American adolescent sexual behaviors . . . most of the guys in my class just go "Sex? Yeah!" A friend that sits close to me in class says "Good for you. I was hoping someone would do a speech about sex." *Sigh*
Today is also that friend's birthday, so I went to Albertson's to buy a bouqet of BALLOONS for her (she likes attention, too). Albertson's doesn't sell balloons. Well, they do, but only the foil balloons they tie to the check out racks so that you feel like you HAVE to have one when you are standing in line to pay for your groceries. They don't make NORMAL BALLOONS.
So I went to Safeway. I spent $15 on balloons, which seems like a lot, but trust me, it didn't go far. I bought one GIANT foil one and four to compliment it. She'll love 'em.
Anyway, I'm just wasting time in the library this morning before class. I think I'll go sit outside my next class until security unlocks the door, maybe practice my speech and do a few relaxation exercises. Hooray for public speaking class!
News on Joshua: he got the go ahead for his security clearance for Honor Guard yesterday, which means a certain something in his history either did not come up or did not matter (I'll definitely tell later). This means that he is well on his way to being released from his occupation and receiving orders! We should have a concrete yes or no answer before the end of the day. More on that later . . .
Everyone have a great Thursday! 26 abril I Solemnly Swear . . .(Ash writes:) I'm sad. We used to have a huge readership of people just waiting to hear our story. How encouraging it was to log on every day and see that fifteen people had something to say. About the time I lost my job at the office downtown, I got depressed and started school and a NEW job and therefore got busy . . . the frequency of my blog entries diminished. Most of the people who used to visit every day or every week at least, have stopped. It makes me sad, but it's all my fault.
I've made a promise to several people to make and EFFORT to write more. Not so much for their sake (although it means a lot that they want to hear from me so badly) but more for mine. This page used to be a release for me. A healthy distraction. It's time to get back to that.
I hereby solemnly swear that no matter what is going on in my life, no matter how busy, or tired, or careless I get, that I will make the effort to write at least once a week. For me, for you, for Josh, who I KNOW loves to check the page at the end of every day.
It's fun and it's easy, there's no reason not to. AND, if you're a newcomer to my page, please read the first couple of entries we wrote almost a YEAR ago to get an idea of what Josh and I are about. And please please please leave a comment if you have the time. Thanks to all who still take the time.
Also, I've added some new RSS feeds. The first, PostSecret, is something I discovered through an unbelievably addictive book I'm not allowed (by Josh) to buy from the bookstore ("it's a waste of money") but still read every time I go in. Click one of the links to find out more. IT IS INCREDIBLE.
The second is a story I heard from someone about a guy who aims to get a house by trading objects he owns, beginning with a red paper clip. He's doing pretty well, and actually I've heard that he's gotten pretty close to his final goal. Check that out.
Let me know what you think of the new setup on our page (if you've been around long enough to know the difference). I'll talk to you all soon (I swear)! 13 enero *Yawn*(Ash writes:) It is SO past my bedtime. I just dropped in to check my messages and leave a short update. Josh and I went to see Tristan & Isolde tonight. (Yes, there was a little arm twisting involved.) I was a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, the movie is great and the war-and-peace theme is enough to keep the men awake while the women sniffle at the love story, but I find it hard to agree with a storyline in which one or any of the characters is unfaithful to their significant other.
Josh DID get Airman of the Year for the group. He goes up for the Wing award on the 11th. We are already so amazed and feel lucky to have made it this far, so it should be enough, HOWEVER: in order to move forward in the race for Outstanding Airman of the Year, Joshua has had to pull his OTS package from the running. It was a decision that we discussed and felt worked best. Joshua will definitely not have another chance to make Airman of the Quarter much less Airman of the Year, as in a few months he will no longer be an Airman. He will have many chances to apply for OTS, and there is no certainty in whether or not he will make that for the next year or so, anyhow. Please continue thinking of him and praying for us as we reach the new date for award presentation. Thank you for all of your kind thoughts until now. This award is quite important to Joshua's military profile/resume and our future.
For now, Joshua is spending his days in a classroom completing his Airman Leadership Schooling to qualify for what is considered a "management position" when he sews on for Staff Sergeant. That's really all there is to say about that.
I begin school again on Tuesday. Yippee. I know my life is not nearly as exciting as Joshua's but I live vicariously through him. He is the most wonderful part of my life.
Oh. And Charlie. Who is quite happy in this new home of his. Tonight we bought him a rawhide bone that is two times his size, just to see how he handles it. He hasn't quite decided what it is or what we expect him to do with it. Pictures soon to come . . .
I just love hearing from everyone that likes to keep in touch and visits on a whim. Thanks to everyone for your spectacular comments. Yes, Joshua and I are very much in love and continue to become moreso with every passing day. I cannot imagine being more blessed in this lifetime.
Wow, I'm getting mushy. My apologies. AND WOW, it's my bedtime. 2330 here ("aw, military time, that's so cute" Josh says), *yawn* me sleepy. G'night all. 15 noviembre Tonight . . .(Ash writes:) I have no homework, my husband is working late hours (only for tonight), and there is nothing on t.v. So what am I doing? I'm walking around in my underwear, chowing on junkfood, and staring at the computer screen for hours . . . mostly adding music to my ipod and updating the page. This space is in desperate need of some help. Over the next few weeks, I will hopefully have some time to add and remove some features in an attempt to make our page . . . not so boring.
If any one has any suggestions or wants to see (or hear something) that is not here (or may possibly be removed in the near future), just let me know. I would really appreciate the help! I know we get a lot of family and friends visiting the page, even a few strangers, and I want to keep things interesting. Talk to you all soon! 02 junio Umm . . . wasting time . . .(Ash writes:) “You know they call them Montuesdays, now, right? And for good reason: as if coming back from a great weekend to a Monday wasn’t bad enough, come back to a Tuesday with twice the work and twice the hangover after a holiday weekend.” This came from the old lady who runs the gift shop on the third floor where I buy all my snacks and soda. We were talking about how this supposed short week has turned into a monster of extra work and less energy. I’m pretty sure she’s LDS, so I have no idea what she knows about hangovers and Memorial Day celebrations. I hate the name Montuesday, so I officially declare the workday following a holiday weekend “Moesday.” It has been a terribly long week, though. I suppose that may be a good thing considering I had so many things to get done when I started it. However, I also must consider that I have not done a whole lot of anything and therefore this long week has completely gone to waste. Josh and I did go to the base “blockhouse” today and took care of processing all the required financial paperwork and getting my identification card made. Now I have access to the base exchange, commissary, gas station, college classes . . . EVERYTHING. Kinda makes me feel special. Plus, the blockhouse was a lot of fun to visit. I got to see some of Josh’s counselors from Wayland University, who remembered me from his graduation. I met the big-momma counselor, too, the boss hoss of counselors, Josh’s mentor. She was really nice. Also, I registered for a class with Rio Salado College (to be sure I don’t forget again) which starts August 8. I’m actually going to get back to English studies, yay! This may be particularly good news because . . . I haven’t written in a long time. I think perhaps I should get back to that. Although, at the moment I have no idea about what I should write and even though that should never be an excuse for a writer/poet, I find that everything I write about nothing turns out to be crap. Because I’ve discovered something incredible in my relationship with Josh, I could do what nearly every lover-poet does and write love poetry. However, when I first got interested in writing and studying famous poets throughout history, I swore to myself I’d never write love poetry – that was a particularly depressing time in my life and I didn't really know what "love" meant, anyway. Needless to say, that plan was abandoned when I met Joshua. I think I will post his favorite love poem if I can find it on the site. Actually, I’m not sure that I ever posted that on my poetry site . . . hmm . . . Alright, well, I’ll look for that in a bit and see if I can get it posted. Until then, duty calls. They pay me to do something in this tiny little office, so maybe I should figure out just what that is. Have a great Thursday! 01 junio So . . . yeah . . .(Ash writes:) I know you wouldn't ever suspect it by the way I behave on this site, but I SWEAR I have a life and a job. *shrug* I dunno . . . I'm bored today. Jeeze, my desk is an absolute disaster and I have a list of work related things to do that runs the length of my arm, but I dun wanna do it . . . I was reading Barb's page . . . ya'll should check it out (http://spaces.msn.com/members/pinklovemonkey) . . . she had some nice things to say about me and I really can't express to her how much I appreciate her sweet disposition (even after the heartache she's going through). And, Barb, you know you have to love "Two Sparrows"; it totally fits Josh and I. I feel silly with all the country music, but the country station is the only one that comes in on this radio in my office, so I'm kinda stuck listening to it and liking it (and relating it to my daily situation). Oh, and the roses on the bed are from a stunt Josh pulled when we started getting serious. He covered my entire bedroom with two dozen long stems and waited in the rocking chair for me to come home (in his blues, hehe). Yeah . . . it's mushy. I dried and saved three of them because I haven't received any flowers from him since then (hint hint [jes' kidden!]), but I had to toss them when I moved because they fell apart. I have had one too many M&Ms today (they are an office favorite, so the boss keeps bags handy), and if I was having a hard time sitting still before all that, now I am truly restless. Still have a few bug bites . . . perhaps less itchy than yesterday . . . Josh has class tonight . . . so I won't really see him until he comes home and falls into bed. I think it's a beautiful situation, actually. Having someone to consistently support his educational goals is going to be good for him (and when the next semester comes around, I'll get back to my own and he'll be there to support me, too). My best friend is gonna come hang out and help me go through some boxes, though, and I haven't spent quality time with her in ages. Should be nice. Josh's mom sent us some pictures via email and I still have not found the cable for my camera in any boxes. SO! The five or so pictures I'll be posting are just a few (we had something like six cameras around) and there will be MANY more to follow. And . . . I look like an absolute DORK in all of these, so I'm hoping the others will look better in full view. Joshua, of course, looks amazing in every picture and his eyes are so full of love for me . . . god that's a good feeling. Okay, so there you go. I promise promise promise I'll get more up soon. I can't wait to share them. *Note: The group pictured is me with my parents and family. In this small group of photos, there are none of Josh's mother and father because they were behind this particular group of cameras. The absence of their happy, glowing faces does not mean we love them any less or that they were not in any pictures. THANKS, MOM, FOR THE PICS! WE LOVE YOU! 31 mayo This is My Life . . .(Ash writes:) And I can't WAIT to live it . . . sitting here at my desk is almost unbearable. Yes, I have work to do. Yes, I know that apartment isn't going anywhere. And as much time as I know I'll be spending with Josh and as many times as everyone warns us we'll get sick of each other, I can't wait to be home with him again. Keith Urban is singing to me from my desktop radio "Days go by! I can feel 'em flying like a hand out the window in the wind. Days go by! It's all we've been given, so you better start living right now, 'cause days go by." Makes me want to jump up and down. Makes me want to run out and hurry home to my husband. This is such an incredible feeling . . . feels like . . . happiness. Could it be this easy? No no of course not. We both know this is gonna be work . . . but the honeymoon's not over yet, and the fact that we are SO in love will make all of this totally worth all the work we put into it. People: Days go by. Life is but a vapor. Remember when you're SO worried about what everyone else thinks . . . you only get once chance to live this life. You know you want to be able to say you did it right and have no regrets. I can't sit still. I have a bug bite on my arm, probably from digging through old boxes and moving stuff around, that hasn't bothered me at ALL until just now. And now I can't stop scratching it. I’m in love and I don’t care who knows it. |
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