So you wonder why I'm grumpy?

It's simple really. Well, at least to me it is. See - you give me a list of things to do each day. Changing the price of every listing by $100 on all 10 sites it's advertised on, reposting ads, etc. Closings coming up, new listings going in, mailers to send out, taxes to file. You call me last night on my cell phone when I'm in class to leave me a 4 minutes message asking if something got done. You phrase it 10 different ways. It still sounds the same, regardless. BTW - No, it did not get done. You said you had to review it first. Do you remember reviewing it? Wait...you stated that in the message, then changed your mind 2 more times....hmm.

I get to work to start on this neverending list, and before I even have my lunch in the fridge, I'm told to clean your house, help make your bed, help prepare lunch for your grown children. This is not what I was hired to do. I used to consider myself a real estate professional. Now I'm just an underpaid servant who happens to know about houses and computers. And you wonder why I'm grumpy?

Now toss into the mix that I'm got PMS, do not feel well, and have low blood sugar as a result. Well, shouldn't I just be one happy cheery ball of wonder!

Now don't get me wrong. I'm forever grateful to even have a job in these tough economic times....I just get frustrated with being treated so poorly. Especially this time of the month. But it's nothing a glass of wine can't fix within just 8 short hours, right? I'll need it after I get done babysitting her grandkids this afternoon.

Now on to tryouts - some of you might still be wondering (the 3 of you that read this anyway) if I made the team....well, as predicted, I did not. I'm not the least bit upset about this though. That's the joy of being a realist. You never get your hopes up, and let the good things that come, surprise you. I'm just glad I got to tryout - that I got to prove to myself, that I can do this. That neither anxiety nor low blood sugar will get in my way.

And finally. I'm getting a Cadillac. :)



I'll be driving my Corvette down to GA in just a couple weeks, and leaving it with my dad. He finally gets his C5. :)

Tryouts!

Well, I did it. I proved to myself that I could compete with the best of them.

I figured I'd show up and feel that I'd gotten in way over my head, but I didn't. I didn't feel out of place at all. I was just as thin as they were, I could skate just as well as they could. I went into the tryouts knowing I wouldn't get picked, but did it just for fun and to prove to myself that I could do this. Mentally and physically.

These weren't just ordinary girls - they were my age - they were mothers. One was there on a bet from her husband that she wouldn't have the guts, one was there because her 3 kids told her to tryout. Some were there just for the hell of it. It was great getting to meet so many new people, and knowing that I was good enough to even get to this point. I topped off my day with a very well deserved pizza. :D

Callbacks are today. I think I at least have a 50/50 chance of getting called. If I don't, I won't be too upset, and if I do - then I just proved alot more to myself then I figured I ever would. :)

Now it's back to the real world.....and the fact it's a Monday and I've got PMS. This is a lethal combination. After a weekend of feeling great about myself, I'm back to being yelled at, and being treated like I'm nothing more than a pebble in her shoe. No hello, no nothing. Just 'Call Nick, see what he wants, Get that email for me, call so and so and tell her I'm going to be late! Well, maybe not that late. Maybe just 10 minutes late. Call her. It's not as late as I thought! Nick, call so and so! Did Jodi Call? ooh, I'm going to be late' For crying out loud. I'm honestly amazed people live like that. Then she raised her voice at me for not replying to her question while she was still asking it. 'well, I didn't know you were still here'. REALLY? Yell at me one more time....I dare you.

To top it off, she was apparently 'ill' this morning. The woman never shuts the bathroom door - I'm just so thankful for the assistant before me, that she learned the hard way and at least had the decency to warn me of this, so I know never to walk that direction in the house without asking first.

...and to finish of this blog - my postsecret card of the week.



Happy Monday my friends!

TGIF

Now if only I can make it through the day! My boss told me yesterday that she'll be giving me a raise due to all the hard work I've been doing for her. Still not close to where I want to be, but it's a start.

Car situation is improving. I was able to get financing the other day, and I found one I like that is in great shape, is only 3 years old, 55k miles, and has a warranty for another year and a half. I got them down to a reasonable price, but am still about $1,300 short of what I need to get it. Hopefully small miracles still happen. I could use one right about now.

This week hasn't been too shabby though. I've gotten a lot of the house clean and caught up on laundry - been making sure that the vegetable gardens get watered twice a day as well - since we've had no rain for nearly 7 straight days now, and temps have been in the upper 90's. It's been brutal. I'm just thankful that Rob has been letting me drive his car (with AC) to get to work and back as he drives mine to the train station each day. We did finally get the wipers fixed though! (hooray for small victories!) But the wiper fluid pump has quit working now. :)

I went skating the day before again, and I got up the courage to not only work on the jumps and spins my coach was having me work on, but I attempted two other small jumps that I had to really stop and think on how to even do anymore. I did center all my spins for the day, which in my books is a huge accomplishment! However, my sit spin is so bad that I was even embarrassing myself.

And tryouts.....tryouts are tomorrow. I'm so nervous. I have no idea what to expect from this - what to wear, what the other girls will be wearing - hair up or down?? What if I fall flat on my rear on the ice!? I'm a wreck just thinking about it!

Anyway...hope everyone has a good weekend!

diabetics and personal care.....

This gripe is for you - the overweight, loud, diabetic woman in my Citizen's Police Class. Yes, we've heard you announce you can't have that bite sized piece of candy the captain tossed at you for answering the question right. Since then I've observed your eating habits. Tonight I watched you drink a bottle of soda, followed by 2 cookies, followed by a plate of fruit, and topping it off with your newly acquired insulin shots. Then we watch you finish it off with a life saver. F'n seriously? You wonder why you are diabetic?? You just ingested more sugar in one hour than I consume in 3 days! You are the problem with America. The reason I couldn't get heath insurance. I fall into that 'overweight, and lazy' category of diabetics because I was blessed with the same disease you have - and so many of you treat your bodies like this!

People make me sick......put down that candy bar tubby, and you probably won't even need insulin anymore. I bet you tell your doc that you don't touch anything with sugar in it too. Meanwhile I stay in shape, avoid sugar, and load up on lean meats and vegetables only to fight insurance each time I go to my endocrinologist. I didn't ask for this...and for three years I've done everything I can to take care of myself so that I won't ever end up like you. Fat, Obnoxious, and administering insulin shots in the middle of class, and breathing like I'm in labor to get everyone's attention.

You've got our attention alright. We see what you eat. You do this to yourself. Look for pity elsewhere.

good night.

my lucky streak continues....

....or the fact that I have none.

I've been looking for a new(er) car for a couple of months now. The current money pit is too much for me to handle. I can't keep affording to replace parts on a car that I can't even drive to work. We finally got the wipers fixed last night in the scorching 95* heat only to have the wiper fluid pump stop working. This is still so minor in comparison to what else is wrong with it. Since there's no AC in it, I haven't driven it in well over a week now. Especially with highs reaching 98*.

So - I'd been shopping for a newer car - and found one that Rob and I both agree on. A beautiful Black 2007 Cadillac CTS with 55k miles on it and a warranty that will last another year and a half. It's not the CTS-V I had my heart set on, but this will be the smartest and most reliable choice. I call to get a loan on it - I figure no sweat! I know what my credit score is, that I don't really owe anything on anything right now - won't be a big deal. I call back today - DENIED. WTF. really? I ask the girl why? Turns out that the morons who run the Gwinnett County Magistrate Court Records, entered paperwork incorrectly that I turned in a couple years ago from a judgment that my old roommate owes me. They put it in showing I owe her. Perfect. I can only imagine how much fun this will be to fix from 250 miles away and paperwork from a court hearing that was in 2005.

Speaking of incompetent morons - my Grandfather went in for surgery again last week, and his doctor must have gotten his degree from the local wal-mart. The bleeding won't stop (again) Same issue as last time. Two surgeries in one month, and complications from them both. I can only hope that they choose another doctor and hospital for his final surgery - which is still yet to come. He wasn't even home for Father's Day like he was supposed to be. :(

So....those are my gripes. Here's to a better second half of the day.

Made it to Friday....Barely

This has been a trying week. I've been overly stressed at work doing my best to still get caught up from vacation 2 weeks ago. As soon as I feel like I've got it all together, I get more listings to handle, and a $100 price reduction on ALL properties. I'm also trying my best to keep on my happy, patient face as she hollers and hovers over my every move. Lord, grant me patience!!

We are still grieving the loss of Lucy as well. Big hugs for my sister as she's still not taking it well. I still can't believe she's gone either. Apparently none of the other dogs will get on the chair she passed on....it's heartbreaking.

My Grandad is doing better though. He had another surgery yesterday on his prostate. Since his initial surgery to remove the cancer a few weeks back, he hasn't quite been right. We are all praying this last surgery will help it, and he can get back to his normal life quickly! I feel terrible I haven't been down in GA for any of this.

Rob's mother is also doing better after her surgery last week. He'll be heading to Memphis this weekend to go visit her and to be with his dad on Father's Day. I'd have gone as well, but tomorrow is my ride along with Mt. Juliet Police.....that'll be interesting!

Yesterday I also had my first skating lesson in probably 12+ years. It was strange....and I was insanely nervous. A million thoughts racing through my mind....'what if my blood sugar crashes halfway through? will I be able to tell if it's crashing, or just anxiety? what if I look like an absolute moron? what If I fall?' It went so well that I bumped my 20 minute lesson to 30 and even then it felt like it flew by too quickly. I landed a couple basic jumps, and even centered a couple spins (that I stopped after 5 or so rotations....). The whole session felt like it only lasted 5 minutes. I know what I need to work on now, and how to fix them.

And poor Rob, working on that dreaded car of mine. The windshield wipers that stopped working a few weeks back have started working again, but will not turn off. So Rob dove head first Wednesday night into pulling everything apart that could possibly be the culprit. I eventually had to go buy a new motor, but until we can figure out how to pry the old one off, it currently has no wipers attached...and no air...and he's such a saint for letting me drive the honda to work each day while he suffers driving the vette to and from the train station. The search for the new vehicle continues......

Verse of the day....

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves."
-- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Farewell Lucy

As I sat upstairs on the floor last night scrapbooking before bed, I heard my phone go off with a text. Rob was already in bed and watching TV, so I told him to check it for me. 'It's from Jeremy. You need to call your sister.' My stomach turned...I knew what was next 'Lucy just died'.

Lucy....spunky, clumsy, furry, and lovable Lucy. My sister's first dog. She was 13 when Lucy came home, so as a family, we all grew up with her. Lucy never met a stranger. Well behaved and well loved. It's hard to grasp that she's gone. We just saw her the weekend before last. I'm glad we got to see her - that Dora could see her old playmate that one last time....

She'd been having seizures for just over a week. This was new, so Lu took her to the vet last Tuesday to go on medications. Her seizures weren't minor, and they were taking their toll on Lucy. The vet told her then - it could be late onset Epilepsy, or a Brain Tumor. We all hoped it would be Epilepsy. The lesser of the two evils.

Lu wouldn't answer her phone last night. Can't say that I blame her. But this morning I got in touch with her. She passed while they were out, but her best pup pal, Maggie was there with her, and she was on Lu's recliner - her 'safe spot' where she usually slept. they buried her in the front yard last night.

The Bridge welcomes you Lucy.....Rest in Peace sweet baby. We'll miss you.

Real Estate Agents

My apologies to those of you who are. I'm not an agent, I just work for them. For an accumulated 5 years I've worked for them. The good, the bad, and the stupid.

You want everyone to take you seriously......to treat you in a manner that you are not only smarter than them, but on a higher rung of the ladder. You are not. Well....most of you. Some of the agents are good. They really are smart as a tack, and a very rare few also carry a diminishing trait of common sense. This does not usually apply to the ones who use their car as a rolling billboard. Nothing like seeing a brand new $70,000 Escalade with some old broad's face plastered down the entire side of it. This is why I could never be an agent. I actually have common sense. I can use a computer, my smart phone, and not be late to every single appointment I get.

At 29 I work for less money than I have earned in at least the last 10 years. Thank you recession for this. Not only do I not make enough to buy myself a reliable vehicle, but I get treated like an absolute moron, despite how long I've been doing this. You ask me to spell the most basic words for you, handle all your closings, listings, photos, but yet you made 30k more than I did last month. This seems fair.

And nothing like looking at other property listings. I'll pull up the photos. One photo. One blurry exterior shot of a house they are asking over $300k for and it looks like they took the pic with a 5 year old cell phone - at night. Brilliant. You must get lots of showings.

Or, take the agent who posts up the necessary 20 photos, but they are all 1" x 3" big (or should I say small). I'm all for resizing, but let's take the effort to double check that we didn't just go a little crazy and make them microscopic. It's not rocket science people.

And one of my favorites is agent voicemail messages. Anything from a fresh newly recorded message each day with the weather and their newest listing, to the hermit of an agent who doesn't even know how to setup voicemail, so when you hear, 'you've just reached 615-000-0000', in that robot voice, you wonder if you are even leaving a message for them.

I love working in Real Estate, I really do. Some days I'm just in absolute awe of how people function. How they get through life on a day to day basis if they already can't do the most simple of tasks. But I guess that's why there's people like me. Lowly, underpaid, and overwork geniuses in disguise (aka, assistants).....waiting for our moment to bloom. Happy Monday. :)

Vacation Blog - Part 3

Being a big kid....there's no better time than when on vacation. New environments, new places to explore - possibly under the influence of a tasty adult beverage at times to encourage this rowdy and goofy behavior.

We master the skill. At times, we define it.


















We do know how to be serious as well - and enjoy the scenery, wildlife, flora, and fauna of the Florida Panhandle. The humidity was hell - I'll be quite frank about that, but the bugs weren't as bad as they have been in years past. We usually go to a State Garden called 'Eden' in which we become a Thanksgiving Day feast for Flo the mosquito along with her entire family. Not this year! Sandestin had a really nice little walking trail, just in front of Club Intrawest, which had some nice big trees, swingset for the kids nestled away off the main road, and it was a nice quiet walk.

We also headed down to Topsail Park which runs up into the coastline. I thought we'd get there early on Saturday morning while it's still quiet out and not so hot, and we could get some nice photos. We were wrong. They charged $6 to get in. Not a big deal as we both don't mind the 'donations' to help keep up State and National Parks. They give us a map and say "the main trail leads to the beach and it's a mile long, and there's also a nature trail that will get you there - it's a mile and a half long" Good think there was a tram! (or so we thought) Tram only ran once an hour, on the hour and it had literally just pulled back up when we arrived. So....camera gear on my back, we started the walk there. It wasn't too bad, there was a nice breeze and a little shade. But I tell you what, by the time we got to the beach we'd started to sweat. We weren't the only ones there either. A whole rack of bicycles right out front of the walkway, and a shoreline with pop up tents, beach umbrellas, and lawn chairs. What the heck?! It's a mile to get here, and that's an awful lot of crap to have to carry down! Still - it was more secluded than the beaches at the resort would have been. It took about 30 minutes for my lens to clear up. Going from a cool air conditioned car to the beaches where it was hot and the humidity was at least 99%, caused the worst fog up I've ever had. We got our pics, walked in the water a bit, but it was HOT. We were both sweating buckets and knew we had a mile long hike back on hot steamy blacktop. Good news is, we had to have sweated off at least a pound each walking back. Cold showers were up next.

Vacation - Part 2

Sandestin really is an amazing resort. Countless condos, golf courses, pools, and more shopping and restaurants than you will have time to visit while staying. We always make an effort to go to the Acme Oyster Bar for a quick bite and some Ice Cold Abita Beers. This time I finally made the brave effort to try Oysters. They offered a plate of grilled ones, and I figured I could handle them. I know most people eat them raw, but something about a gelatinous glob of sea critter sliding down my throat makes me feel the impulse to gag uncontrollably. Grilled with some parmesan cheese - they were great and the texture wasn't too much for me to handle, but I sat back and watched Rob as he slurped down a plate of raw ones....




I honestly hate to think about how many calories we consumed in just one short week. We are both foodies. I absolutely love eating and eating just about anything that sounds good to me. I'm not one to easily avoid cravings either. We met up with some friends of ours from our Corvette Forum for dinner one night at a place called Stinky's - just off 30A. I gave into my carbohydrate temptations and ordered a Crawfish Pie. Oh how I wish I took pics of this marvelous heart attack in a dish. A cheesy cream sauce with tons of little crawfish in a nice flaky crust. I'd go back again solely for this meal. For dessert we ordered the Peanut Butter Pie. Ever since falling deeply in love with the thick peanut butter pie at the Big Bad Wolf (a little local restaurant here in Mt Juliet) I've become obsessed with it, and order it whenever it's an option. So far I'm yet to find one that compares. But don't get me wrong - Stinky's Peanut Butter pie was rich and creamy, and even now I'm longing for a slice.

Another Day we went to Dewey Destins - a little shack off a dirt road (literally) situated on a pier. We got there at just the right time too. Although not able to get a table on the singlewide pier, we at least got a table! People were lined up to get their orders placed. Fresh Mahi, Grouper, Redfish, Shrimp - you name it, they had it. I actually did try to eat healthy towards the end of the trip. I could feel all those fat grams piling on, so for this particular meal, I opted for grilled Mahi with corn on the cob. Rob however gave in to the temptation and ordered shrimp, stuffed with crab, wrapped in bacon, and then deep fried. Holy mother of trout was this awesome. This will be what I order the next time around!

I think one of our favorite meals was actually one of the least expensive. We went to the Back Porch - the one in Destin that is right on the beach. I'd love to have gone here in my swimsuit. With a bar right on the beach, and plenty of chairs, you don't even need to eat to enjoy it here. We sat with an open window right next to us, with the fresh sea breeze to keep us company as we watched the surfers out on the waves. Now - I'm a sucker for Nachos. Especially when I get to a place that offers Seafood Nachos. Shrimp, and Scallops on a plate of warm tortilla chips smothered with cheese and jalapenos. Yes....this has to be healthy. To top that meal off we ordered the cake with the name 'Hello Sunshine'. Hello Heaven! Now this....I MUST learn to make this. A moist three layer orange cake with a creamy orange frosting and a layer of miniature white chocolate chips on the outermost layer of frosting. This tasted just like a creamsicle. I would like to have ordered an entire cake just for myself. As soon as I locate a similar recipe - I'll be sure to post it up. You need to try it.



I also cannot forget about our 'in' dinner. We planned to not eat out near as often as we did, but we did manage to stay in and cook dinner one night. Good to know we got some use out of the kitchen in our condo (more than just using the oven to reheat the fried pies from Peach Park for a late night snack). Our first vacation down to Sandestin together, we had only been going out for a few months. Rob made his infamous shrimp dish, and I made a tomato pie. We hadn't made either since then, so we went all out for it this time around. I don't know what all Rob puts in his shrimp dish, but it's a semi hot and spicy cajun taste. With a little french bread to soak up the juice, you'll be in good shape. Me, I'm a tomato pie junky. So easy to make (and for the recipe, just google 'Paula Deen Tomato Pie' and don't skimp and use fat free cheeses or mayo - trust me on this one).







Maybe on Part 3 I can get away from the food...... :D

Turned the big 2-9

Okay - so it was over a week ago, but I felt it worthy to post about. You only turn 29 once. (or....in my mother's case 20+ times)

One thing about growing older - you actually want to spend your birthday with your parents. When I was a teen I'd give anything I could to escape them any chance I got - now I take the chances I get and I drive 4 hours just to see them for 2 days - and even that isn't enough time to get in all the visiting I'd like to. I feel like I miss out on so much....

But on my birthday I went out with my dad to attempt some car shopping. I had called the Chevrolet Dealership the day before and scheduled a test drive with a 2004 Cadillac CTS-V. So we went there just to be told it was at a 'sister dealership'. Okay - no biggie - we'll drive 20 minutes to Buford. 'No, it's in North Carolina'. Gee - thanks. I just told you less than 24 hours ago I'd be here to look at it, and you've sent it away. I appreciate your lousy effort to try to make a sale.

Later that afternoon I went out shopping with my mom with the gift cards I'd gotten from Rob's side of the family and was able to get a few more items for our trip to Florida the following week. I had almost forgotten what a trip it can be when going to Gwinnett Place Mall. Those of you who live in Gwinnett, you know what I mean. This is why I carry an iPod in my purse. I'm all for equality and all that - but when I go shopping, I don't want to hear the store announcements in Spanish. This isn't Mexico. This is America. Go ahead and speak your language amongst yourselves, but keep it off the loudspeakers when I'm shopping.

That evening I went out to Buford to meet up with my friends. I rarely get to see them anymore, especially all in one place at the same time. I was so excited to get everyone in the same place for drinks. Some of you I hadn't seen in probably 5 years. Crazy how quickly time goes by....

All in all I had a great trip down - I just wish it lasted more than a day and a half!

So now a week into being 29....I feel the same. Guess I always will. :)

back on the map.....

oh how I hated coming home. Well - it wasn't so much that coming home part.....I actually missed my house. My own bed, my own shower, and my garden of veggies that we recently planted (which surprisingly, were not shriveled and dead after being gone a week). I didn't want to come back because that lead up to the going back to work part. So today I sit here at my desk trying to sort to the bottom of paperwork that resembles Mt. Everest - white cap and toppling over.

We had a great time in Florida. This was our third year going there together, so we tried to mix it up a bit and try some new activities. Well....we still ended up in Pier Park in Panama City Beach for the giant beer and German pretzel - you can't deny it's doughy goodness.



We also tried a new activity called 'YOLO boarding'. This might be our new favorite Florida activity. To those heading down to the Destin area, I highly recommend trying this out. It was easier to balance than I thought and our 1 hour flew by, making me wish we'd packed a lunch and sprung for 3 hour rentals so we could hang out on the island we paddled out to. Great way to get around the shallow waterways as well as see the wildlife up close.








I look terrible in a bikini, so I'll spare you by not posting more pics of myself. :D

We spent Wednesday at the Big Kahuna Waterpark - because deep down, even you know you want to go flying down a waterslide. No one wants to grow up - and why should you, when places like this encourage you hanging on to your swimsuit for dear life as you torpedo down a 100' slide, giggling like a 5 year old the whole way down.

Lucky for you, we borrowed my sister's digital camera and underwater case to take pics.





and this is probably my favorite pic of the day. Yes, I scream on waterslides - at the very least I can amuse others.





more pics and vacation blogging to follow. :D