Score

I always have an endless stack of mail on my dining table. The other day I finally went through it and lucky thing I did, there was a coupon for a FREE Chipotle burrito that expires on 12/31/08! Awesome, score one for me. Today I went with my friends Colleen and Will and enjoyed the deliciousness of Chipotle. Mmmm...

For the last month I feel like I've been in a fog, on November 25, 2008 my Dad had a major brain-stem stroke and has been in ICU since then. He has previously had smaller strokes but nothing of this magnitude. His eye-site and left side has been affected the most dramatically. He can't see, but may regain (at least) partial sight. My Dad is strong, always has been. I know he's still in there and he's fighting to come back.

It's not easy to see my Dad, the pillar of our family, confined to a hospital bed. I trust that God is holding him in the palm of His hand and taking care of him. No matter what we think He never leaves us alone. Since my Dad had his stroke God has been threading the remnants of our family together. Healing those old hurts to bond us together to make the strongest connection we have ever known. I have to trust with everything in my being that there is something greater happening here. There is peace to be found and sometimes that is through struggle.

The way God works isn't always the way we would choose, but after everything settles I believe we are stronger people for trusting in Him.

Surprises, Good and Bad

Okay first the good surprise, my birthday is in two weeks. My husband has a beautiful plan for me. He suggested we go to a hotel for a night just so I can go swimming! You see, we moved into this housing development in December of 2003 with high hopes of a pool that was promised to be completed by Memorial Day 2004.

Well, it is August 1st, 2008 and all we have seen is a hole being dug and I have yet to have my pool dammit! Completely infuriating.

My birthday is on a Friday which I am super excited about. My friends and I are planning to go out for drinks after work and then Saturday Kip and I will be headed out for some long overdue pool/alone time.

Now for the not so good surprise. I have been at my current company for five and a half years and I got written up for the first time yesterday. For socializing. Yep, I can't even believe that they would even bother. I was talking to someone (about a work issue) and a tattletale, ummm person saw me having that conversation and decided that they were going to tell my boss. And because this person was very demanding I got written up.
I am good at my job I get my work done in a timely manner and I get written up for chatting. To say the least I was upset, I cried in front of my boss and to tell you the truth I really didn't care at that point. Being written up for that is stupid and I told him so. I asked him what was an acceptable amount of socializing and he didn't have an answer for me. But he did tell me to keep it to a minimum. I asked him what that meant and he said "hi, hello, how are you, and move on." I was trying very hard to keep my emotions under control because my tears were out of anger at that point. I felt betrayed by him and just lost. He wasn't given me any direction and the paper with the write-up on it said I could be terminated if it happens again. Terminated for talking? I don't think so. I am furious. When my boss came in today he couldn't even look me in the eye. I don't understand why I am this person's target all of a sudden and if I'm busy "socializing" then she should be written up for being a no-good, busy body. I would like to say worse things and did yesterday.

My friend Colleen took me out for coffee after work last night and listened to me vent. I just love her, she is an excellent listener and a great comfort to me. I felt so much better after that. Then I had a crazy dream as I was drifting off to sleep last night and "that no-good, busy body" decided she was going to show up at my birthday bar extravaganza. I told her some some choice things and all my friends and I all threw our drinks at her and ran her out of the bar. That made me feel better too. Maybe not the most mature thing to do, but it was a dream and we were drunk.

I went to work today and sat in my office like a good little girl and got my work done like I always do. I didn't socialize unless my friends came to me and even then I still "kept it to a minimum." What a joke.

I prayed for peace and a better attitude over and over today, because our company picnic is tomorrow and I think I will have a better attitude once I see all the animals at the zoo.

5 Things on my Lifelong To-Do List:
1. To live on the same street as my siblings.
2. Visit Graceland.
3. Adopt a male orange tabby kitten.
4. Travel to Germany for Oktoberfest.
5. Drive cross country (Northern Route).

Sweets I Enjoy:
Cupcakes, Starburst, Sour Patch Kids, Reeses's Pieces, Cinnamon Graham Crackers, Cinnamon Pita Chips

5 Favorite Songs:
Purple Rain - Prince
Gimme Shelter - Rolling Stones
The Ghost in You - Psychedelic Furs
Homelife - John Mayer
Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers

Last 5 books I read:
1. Certain Girls - Jennifer Weiner
2. Must Love Dogs - Claire Cook
3. The Ha-Ha - Dave King
4. Fool Moon - Jim Butcher
5. Storm Front - Jim Butcher

Last 5 Movies I saw:
1. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
2. Ironman
3. The Invisible
4. Finding Nemo
5. 16 Candles

Places I have lived before:
California
Virginia
Ohio (Currently)

It's Harder Than I Thought

Meaning, getting into the swing of having and maintaining a blog again.

Life is life.

What I wish that could happen right at this moment is that I would magically appear on a creamy, silky sandy beach somewhere. Where there is nothing to do but wonder how many of those delectable pina coladas I have consumed. Warm turquoise water that makes you wonder how you've gone so long without experiencing it!

Far away from the dialysis clinic my husband needs to be at almost 15 hours a week. Even farther away from things that seem to consume my mind on a consistent basis. I was never a person that worried. Now it seems like I do nothing but. Aside from my fantasy of an island getaway my other wish would be not to have to worry ever again. I don't like being this way. It's so not me. But you know what? My future is out there and I will achieve a peaceful state. I will absolutely not be this way forever.

It's taken me a while but it's good to be back.

Email From My Brother

To: Kandy, Kip
From: Bryan
Subject: Chuck Norris

Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.
Chuck Norris' hand is the only hand that can beat a royal flush.
Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.

MORE...
Here is a link to the website:
http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/

Does Chuck Norris only have 3 fingers on the cover of his new book?

To: Bryan, Kip
From: Kandy
Subject: RE: Chuck Norris

Dude, I totally thought you were going to tell us that Chuck Norris kicked it (the bucket)! That will be a sad day my friend. So sad.

The website is awesome, by the way and I think he does have 3 fingers.

To: Bryan, Kandy
From: Kip
Subject: RE: Chuck Norris

Chuck Norris only has 3 fingers because that's all he needs to kick ass. He cut the other ones off.

To: Kip, Kandy
From: Bryan
Subject: RE: Chuck Norris

According to Einstein's theory of relativity,
Chuck Norris can actually roundhouse kick you yesterday.

Chuck Norris won super bowls VII and VIII
singlehandedly before unexpectedly retiring
to pursue a career in ass-kicking.

Chuck Norris proved that we are alone in the universe.
We weren't before his first space expedition.

Cupcakes!

My latest fascination is creating cupcakes, I would say it's been a fascination since childhood. Growing up I loathed that my birthday was in the middle of August. I would have no chance for my Mom to bake sweet little morsels of cake and frosting to me and my classmates. No chance that I would receive gifts of something besides school clothes either! Don't get me wrong, I love my birthday. Absolutely love the extra attention that is showered upon me, but I never was able to enjoy my day at school. So that's why I work on my birthday every year!

I love birthdays and I love my friends (and if I lived closer to my family they would get the same treatment). But they choose which kind of cupcakes they would like and I make them. Today I brought in a batch of mint chocolate chip for our friend Eric. Mint cake (in color and taste) with mini chocolate chips and mint frosting.

A couple of weeks ago I made a batch of Black Bottom cupcakes and that was the first time I had made them and was so surprised by the results I wanted to immediately make them again! Very rich, and no need for glaze or frosting.

I will post updates on the different kinds as I make them.

Haiku:
Cupcakes are so good,
Don't say you're on a diet,
They are good for you!