I had a hallelujah moment this morning! Chris washed one of the only pairs of jeans that kind of still fit me...and my heart sank because they ONLY fit if I spritz them with water and do a lot of clenching and jumping and pulling and then wait an hour before wearing them in public.... I was not looking forward to wearing them! But they were the only clean ones. (and the only ones that fit) So, I pulled them on and....
they buttoned!!! Easily! No jumping, clenching or pulling required! WOO! I'm trying on all the jeans I thought didn't fit at all when I get home to see if I can jump clench and pull my way into one of them now! hehehe
Also, in other news, I now own an iphone 4! I'd like to encourage any one of my friends and fam back in the states to invest in one of these because, if you have one, I can video call you from anywhere, any time. This means I can do a quick chat from my lunch break at work at a time that's actually convenient for everyone! If you have an iPhone 4, let me know so I can call you up. :):) I know Amelia does and I think Kaitlyn might....anyone else?
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Holy 7 day work week Batman!
I'm exhausted. I've been getting headaches every evening. :( I think I'm overwhelmed.
I realized today that, because our roster runs from Thursday thru Wednesday, I'll be spending 2 weeks of every month working 60-70 hours in a row before getting a day off. So even though my schedule says I have two days off each week:
I've already worked so much o/t this week trying to wrap my head around things that I'm already up to 70 hrs for the week and I still have another 8 hr shift tomorrow before I'm off on Monday. Pray for my strength.
I realized today that, because our roster runs from Thursday thru Wednesday, I'll be spending 2 weeks of every month working 60-70 hours in a row before getting a day off. So even though my schedule says I have two days off each week:
- Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
- Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday,
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
I've already worked so much o/t this week trying to wrap my head around things that I'm already up to 70 hrs for the week and I still have another 8 hr shift tomorrow before I'm off on Monday. Pray for my strength.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
She works hard for the money!
I have a job!
I'm the new manager at a local discount/clearance/warehouse type shop. I don't want to say the name because then anyone who googles the store will be re-directed to my blog and I'd really rather not have that happen. We'll call the store PP. ;) (If you know the name, don't type it in a comment either or else it will still direct to my blog!)
Anyways!
Work. I work 43 hours a week--on the schedule. Which means that I'm really working 45+ hrs every single week because you know as mgr you never leave on time, you're always getting called in on the day off, etc. etc. I get every other weekend off and *should* be off by 6pm most days, but have been closer to 7pm most of the time. I'll get better. :)
Something scary happened today. I hope it was just a calculation or computer mistake on my part or else this could be the shortest lived job ever (i.e. I could be fired!) because, when I was balancing the registers at the end of the night (first time closing on my own and it's only my FOURTH DAY. A bit too soon? I think so too.) my calculations said there was $60 too much in the drawer and more than $1400 in debit and credit over-charges. WHAT?!?!?! That's a $1500 discrepancy. What was I doing wrong?? Surely that can't be right. I called the asst. mgr. after counting and counting and counting and re-counting. I'm a really slow counter, really bad with numbers, really thought it HAD to be a mistake on my part, but I know after re-counting that many times my numbers are spot on. Now, as far as the non-cash discrepancy goes I could have just been entering the wrong # into the wrong box in the computer system so it'd calculated things wrong. I just don't know. The asst. mgr (2IC) told me to just go home (it was 1.5 hrs after the store closed) and she'd figure it all out in the morning. I love my 2Ic. She's really laid back, not in a people-pleasing kind of way but in a truly Aussie "meh! She'll be right!" kind of way. I love that. It's the perfect compliment to my impulse which is to hyperventilate. I need to hear "she'll be right!" Hopefully it will be "right." Hopefully there's not really $1500 in overcharges and hopefully I still have a job in the morning.
I really love this job. I love the freedom. It's a really small store, only 10 employees. The challenge is in that the stock is constantly rotating and, because it's such a small company, there's no such thing as a planogram. (for those of you who've never worked retail, a planogram is diagram showing how to merchandise products) so all of the merchandising is pretty much up to me. I get a few ideas from the regional mgr in my inbox but, other than that, I have to figure things out on my own. This is a little overwhelming at the moment because it's like a contstant game of Rubix Cube. I'm constantly shifting products, entire AISLES of product, to the other side of the store, only to move the same product to a different section of the store two days later. The only way to not feel exasperated about it is to forget that I ever spent 5 hours the week before moving that same product to where it is. Because your first impulse is "UGH! What do you mean "move it?" Really?? I JUST moved that! I JUST got it the way I want it! ""
I just have to ignore that impulse and accept that constant re-merchandising is just part of the job and take each day at a time. Another big thing to overcome is that my staff on Thursday nights (we're open late) and weekends is so frickin YOUNG. 13-15 years old. Seriously. Shoot me. There's no work ethic, lots of attitude. It's like babysitting. I cannot BELIEVE kids that young are all that I have on the weekends. In Australia you have to pay people time-and-a-half on wknds so they use only kids then since their pay-rate is lower. (hourly pay-rate in oz is determined by age) ::Sigh:: I'm having a staff meeting tomorrow to basicially remind them how to to their job. I'm going to be basing their hours on their work ethic and attitude so hopefully when the ones with 'tudes see that they're not on the schedule next week they'll get a wake up call that, if they want to work there, they have to *work* there; not sit on their ass, text on their phone and give mgmt attitude there. :) I have only met 2 of the kids thus-far, but I've heard "things" about a few of the boys. Lets hope they behave for me.
______________________
So that's about my work. :) I feel really good about what I'm doing there and will hopefully remain there until we decide to start a family. It's not hairdressing and I was a bit sad to let that go but this is an opportunity I just couldn't pass up. Our financial situation is 100% relaxed now and the level of savings we'll be able to build up within the next few years is too much to ignore. I really want to stay at this store for as long as I can because, once I have management experience, it will be so much easier to get full time work again in the future when we inevitably move from M'bah. all I needed was someone to give me the chance!
As good as I feel about work, I feel REALLY stressed out about home now. I just don't have time to do anything anymore. I have to schedule dentist, doctor and optometrist appointments, pick up some packages from the post office, hire a cleaner, cook dinner, and on top of those things I'd love to have time to catch up with friends as well. I work from 8-6 5 days a week and only 4 days of the month will my days off be on week days when I can schedule appointments, actually go to those appointments, catch up with friends, do some yard work. I think my life is about to become very micro-managed. I'm at the dawn of becoming one of "those" people who has to pencil you into their schedule a month in advance if you ever want to see hide or hair of them. I hate that... I wish I didn't have to work weekends, but that's part of working retail and at least I don't have to every weekend. :)
It's going to be extremely difficult for me to Skype anyone back in Tx now as well since the only really convenient time to call everyone falls right in the middle of the work day for me. We'll have to start "penciling in" some Skype dates because I don't know how it's going to work out otherwise! I can't promise that I'll be free to chat in the mornings on my days off and that makes me nervouse because I don't want to lose touch with everyone. Unless my friends and family back home are willing to wake up at 4 am when I get off work (ha!) I don't know how it's going to work out. Hmmm.
Okay, it's almost midnight. I really need to get some sleep. Just wanted to update everyone on life!
I'm the new manager at a local discount/clearance/warehouse type shop. I don't want to say the name because then anyone who googles the store will be re-directed to my blog and I'd really rather not have that happen. We'll call the store PP. ;) (If you know the name, don't type it in a comment either or else it will still direct to my blog!)
Anyways!
Work. I work 43 hours a week--on the schedule. Which means that I'm really working 45+ hrs every single week because you know as mgr you never leave on time, you're always getting called in on the day off, etc. etc. I get every other weekend off and *should* be off by 6pm most days, but have been closer to 7pm most of the time. I'll get better. :)
Something scary happened today. I hope it was just a calculation or computer mistake on my part or else this could be the shortest lived job ever (i.e. I could be fired!) because, when I was balancing the registers at the end of the night (first time closing on my own and it's only my FOURTH DAY. A bit too soon? I think so too.) my calculations said there was $60 too much in the drawer and more than $1400 in debit and credit over-charges. WHAT?!?!?! That's a $1500 discrepancy. What was I doing wrong?? Surely that can't be right. I called the asst. mgr. after counting and counting and counting and re-counting. I'm a really slow counter, really bad with numbers, really thought it HAD to be a mistake on my part, but I know after re-counting that many times my numbers are spot on. Now, as far as the non-cash discrepancy goes I could have just been entering the wrong # into the wrong box in the computer system so it'd calculated things wrong. I just don't know. The asst. mgr (2IC) told me to just go home (it was 1.5 hrs after the store closed) and she'd figure it all out in the morning. I love my 2Ic. She's really laid back, not in a people-pleasing kind of way but in a truly Aussie "meh! She'll be right!" kind of way. I love that. It's the perfect compliment to my impulse which is to hyperventilate. I need to hear "she'll be right!" Hopefully it will be "right." Hopefully there's not really $1500 in overcharges and hopefully I still have a job in the morning.
I really love this job. I love the freedom. It's a really small store, only 10 employees. The challenge is in that the stock is constantly rotating and, because it's such a small company, there's no such thing as a planogram. (for those of you who've never worked retail, a planogram is diagram showing how to merchandise products) so all of the merchandising is pretty much up to me. I get a few ideas from the regional mgr in my inbox but, other than that, I have to figure things out on my own. This is a little overwhelming at the moment because it's like a contstant game of Rubix Cube. I'm constantly shifting products, entire AISLES of product, to the other side of the store, only to move the same product to a different section of the store two days later. The only way to not feel exasperated about it is to forget that I ever spent 5 hours the week before moving that same product to where it is. Because your first impulse is "UGH! What do you mean "move it?" Really?? I JUST moved that! I JUST got it the way I want it! ""
I just have to ignore that impulse and accept that constant re-merchandising is just part of the job and take each day at a time. Another big thing to overcome is that my staff on Thursday nights (we're open late) and weekends is so frickin YOUNG. 13-15 years old. Seriously. Shoot me. There's no work ethic, lots of attitude. It's like babysitting. I cannot BELIEVE kids that young are all that I have on the weekends. In Australia you have to pay people time-and-a-half on wknds so they use only kids then since their pay-rate is lower. (hourly pay-rate in oz is determined by age) ::Sigh:: I'm having a staff meeting tomorrow to basicially remind them how to to their job. I'm going to be basing their hours on their work ethic and attitude so hopefully when the ones with 'tudes see that they're not on the schedule next week they'll get a wake up call that, if they want to work there, they have to *work* there; not sit on their ass, text on their phone and give mgmt attitude there. :) I have only met 2 of the kids thus-far, but I've heard "things" about a few of the boys. Lets hope they behave for me.
______________________
So that's about my work. :) I feel really good about what I'm doing there and will hopefully remain there until we decide to start a family. It's not hairdressing and I was a bit sad to let that go but this is an opportunity I just couldn't pass up. Our financial situation is 100% relaxed now and the level of savings we'll be able to build up within the next few years is too much to ignore. I really want to stay at this store for as long as I can because, once I have management experience, it will be so much easier to get full time work again in the future when we inevitably move from M'bah. all I needed was someone to give me the chance!
As good as I feel about work, I feel REALLY stressed out about home now. I just don't have time to do anything anymore. I have to schedule dentist, doctor and optometrist appointments, pick up some packages from the post office, hire a cleaner, cook dinner, and on top of those things I'd love to have time to catch up with friends as well. I work from 8-6 5 days a week and only 4 days of the month will my days off be on week days when I can schedule appointments, actually go to those appointments, catch up with friends, do some yard work. I think my life is about to become very micro-managed. I'm at the dawn of becoming one of "those" people who has to pencil you into their schedule a month in advance if you ever want to see hide or hair of them. I hate that... I wish I didn't have to work weekends, but that's part of working retail and at least I don't have to every weekend. :)
It's going to be extremely difficult for me to Skype anyone back in Tx now as well since the only really convenient time to call everyone falls right in the middle of the work day for me. We'll have to start "penciling in" some Skype dates because I don't know how it's going to work out otherwise! I can't promise that I'll be free to chat in the mornings on my days off and that makes me nervouse because I don't want to lose touch with everyone. Unless my friends and family back home are willing to wake up at 4 am when I get off work (ha!) I don't know how it's going to work out. Hmmm.
Okay, it's almost midnight. I really need to get some sleep. Just wanted to update everyone on life!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Music, Babies and Money
I hope you like this new song I'm playing. It's Neopolitan Dreams by Lisa Mitchell and those of you who know anything about my taste in music will hopefully agree that this song fits nicely into "my" genre. :) I love Lisa Mitchell. She's an Aussie artist and former Australian Idol contestant (when she was 16! made it to the final 6!) I've always loved her song Coin Laundry, it has a fun rhythm to it and I then fell in love with Neapolitan Dreams while doing an itunes store search to see if she'd done anything new recently. I hope y'all love it as much as me. I love the bell kit in it, the bells just tug on my heart strings after spending a good 7 years of my life playing them. It's on heavy rotation on my playlist as well as "Fingertip" by Aqualung. If you want to know. ;)
p.s. "The House That Built Me" makes me cry. I know it's not the same as my story because it's just my parents living in the house that built me and I'm not broken or anything. But I cry anyways. Because out here it kind of is like I'm someone else. I hope mom and dad never sell that house. It would feel like the final nail in the coffin of the life I had and who I was... am I getting too deep for blogger now? It just came on the radio then and I got a lil emotional. lol Just sharing. :)
Baby Brainstorming
I think I've had the Baby Moment. Shock and awe! I know, me. I think because I've been spending so much time with everyone elses babies lately...whoever said they aren't contagious LIED. Because I've definitely been clucky lately (as the aussies say.) I've decided I don't want to wait as long as I did before, even if there's no pitter patter of feet in the near future. I was thinking about it and the reason I got so freaked out by the idea of having more than 1 baby was because the idea of 2 small children was overwhelming. But I really like the idea of having about a 5 year gap so the oldest is in school most days and I'll have a lot of time to spend one-on-one with the youngest. I think I could manage that. That plan would be nicer if If I'm 25/26 for #1 and 30/31 for #2. Also, if we have any trouble conceiving, it would be REALLY convenient to find that out before my biological clock starts ticking on me to boot which is another good reason to start trying in 18-24 months from now instead of 5 years.
All of that said, logically speaking, it's not the logical time to have a baby. So we'll wait. And (I think) I'm okay with that. At the end of day we'll have to look at finances at that stage and see if we can afford to have a beebs. I know they are expensive! We'd need to have at least an extra $1000/month for a baby. We have about that now, but the only way to have that much excess comfortably is to be 100% debt free which would give us an extra 250/wk wiggle room.
Okay, money-wise...how would a baby effect our ability to purchase a home? It would push that back a few years, but how many years? We could afford to do both straight away, but after all the necessities there would be little to no room for any extras. I don't want to be living paycheck to paycheck...but Chris would really like to try to move up in the company and won't be in a position to have the level of promotion he'd like for another 6-10 years anyways. If we have a baby we get to move into a bigger house too. As Chris climbs his way up the ladder, we get nicer houses as well. Houses we only have to pay $50 a week to live in... so maybe having a little beebs before we have to pay a mortgage is a good idea? I don't know. It's so much to consider.
Okay, so what about me? What about getting an apprenticeship? Getting a degree? I don't know. The apprenticeship is only for 3 years, but I don't even have one yet. If I don't have an apprenticeship by October (they usually come up in September) I'm going to take it as an official door closed. I'm not going to spend life waiting around for something to happen. I can't really afford a degree right now without any financial aid, and won't be able to for 2 more years when the aid is available to me so I definitely won't be sitting around for that either. Apprenticeships, Degrees, babies, all of it will happen on God's time and I'm having full faith that all that timing will reveal itself without me needing to micromanage it any longer. So I'm just going to continue following the path that is laid out in front of me wherever it happens to lead, even if it's nowhere close to the plan I've created for myself, and trust that path laid in front of me is God's path. :) Faith is awesome that way.
p.s. "The House That Built Me" makes me cry. I know it's not the same as my story because it's just my parents living in the house that built me and I'm not broken or anything. But I cry anyways. Because out here it kind of is like I'm someone else. I hope mom and dad never sell that house. It would feel like the final nail in the coffin of the life I had and who I was... am I getting too deep for blogger now? It just came on the radio then and I got a lil emotional. lol Just sharing. :)
Baby Brainstorming
I think I've had the Baby Moment. Shock and awe! I know, me. I think because I've been spending so much time with everyone elses babies lately...whoever said they aren't contagious LIED. Because I've definitely been clucky lately (as the aussies say.) I've decided I don't want to wait as long as I did before, even if there's no pitter patter of feet in the near future. I was thinking about it and the reason I got so freaked out by the idea of having more than 1 baby was because the idea of 2 small children was overwhelming. But I really like the idea of having about a 5 year gap so the oldest is in school most days and I'll have a lot of time to spend one-on-one with the youngest. I think I could manage that. That plan would be nicer if If I'm 25/26 for #1 and 30/31 for #2. Also, if we have any trouble conceiving, it would be REALLY convenient to find that out before my biological clock starts ticking on me to boot which is another good reason to start trying in 18-24 months from now instead of 5 years.
All of that said, logically speaking, it's not the logical time to have a baby. So we'll wait. And (I think) I'm okay with that. At the end of day we'll have to look at finances at that stage and see if we can afford to have a beebs. I know they are expensive! We'd need to have at least an extra $1000/month for a baby. We have about that now, but the only way to have that much excess comfortably is to be 100% debt free which would give us an extra 250/wk wiggle room.
Okay, money-wise...how would a baby effect our ability to purchase a home? It would push that back a few years, but how many years? We could afford to do both straight away, but after all the necessities there would be little to no room for any extras. I don't want to be living paycheck to paycheck...but Chris would really like to try to move up in the company and won't be in a position to have the level of promotion he'd like for another 6-10 years anyways. If we have a baby we get to move into a bigger house too. As Chris climbs his way up the ladder, we get nicer houses as well. Houses we only have to pay $50 a week to live in... so maybe having a little beebs before we have to pay a mortgage is a good idea? I don't know. It's so much to consider.
Okay, so what about me? What about getting an apprenticeship? Getting a degree? I don't know. The apprenticeship is only for 3 years, but I don't even have one yet. If I don't have an apprenticeship by October (they usually come up in September) I'm going to take it as an official door closed. I'm not going to spend life waiting around for something to happen. I can't really afford a degree right now without any financial aid, and won't be able to for 2 more years when the aid is available to me so I definitely won't be sitting around for that either. Apprenticeships, Degrees, babies, all of it will happen on God's time and I'm having full faith that all that timing will reveal itself without me needing to micromanage it any longer. So I'm just going to continue following the path that is laid out in front of me wherever it happens to lead, even if it's nowhere close to the plan I've created for myself, and trust that path laid in front of me is God's path. :) Faith is awesome that way.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Don't know what to blog about really! Let's see
I had some drama-rama the likes of which I haven't seen since I was 17. That was pretty damn annoying, for lack of a better descriptor. The pettiness and short-sightedness just boggles the mind. Really, it boggles. But whatever. Since I'm not 17, I don't have the energy or patience or emotion to waste trying to grovel with someone who I'm so obviously better off without so I'm just going to brush my shoulders off and move forward. :) I think I officially have an enemy or something now and it's a small town so I'll have to see them around...that's awkward. And even more annoying. UGH. I need a better word for "annoyed." Exasperated? Beleaguered?
Anyway.
We're going to New Zealand with Ashleigh (who has been renamed "Shlee" ;) ) and Turtle next year! Dunno if I've already shared that....But it's really happening. :) Beef is definitely coming too and I think maaaybe Tippet? Maybe? Or was it Jono? I don't know. Maybe Tim and Lizzy too. Kara seriously talked about saving to come, but hasn't talked about it since so who knows. Regardless, it's going to be a blast! I've never been skiing, so I'm excited. I'd also love to do a wine tour and maybe get a proper massage. If I'm at the level of fitness I want to be then, it'd also be great to go hiking or bike-riding...then again it might be too cold. Chris wants to go sky-dyving and bungee jumping which I am NOT interested in, but Beef is going to do it with him so I don't mind. We've also never taken a week long vacation like this before either, usually just little mini-trips to Brisbane so it should be really great :) I was getting a little teary thinking that I'm going to have my first hot Christmas this year, so I'm excited that I'll at least get to have a good cold and snowy holiday 7 months later. If I've already talked about New Zealand ( I think I have) I'm SORRY. I'm just excited. :P
My french cooking is still going really well. The house is no longer spotless, but it's still at a place that I could just do a quick 1 hr tidy-up and have it spotless again so at least there's that.
I'm going to start planning our garden for the spring. Next month is when we'd start planting so we have to start preparing now. We're going to put a gazebo on that 3mX3m block of concrete in the backyard where I *think* a shed must have stood at some point. This is my inspiration:
Of course it will be a cheapo version of that and, since I don't have nice furniture like that, REALLY cheapo version.... but once I put my twinkle lights up inside it and our table and chairs underneath it and put a path of pavers leading to it it should be really nice. :) I wish we could afford a Bali hut:
But they're like, $3000. lol Not happening. It's not really my style besides...but they just look so cool! The whole Polynesian trend is HUGE in Australia so it's always neat to see someone who's built one. :)
Also, I'm reading Oprah's biography. It's unauthorized by Oprah, but most of the stuff in it is pretty believable. Apparently she's a big fat liar and manipulator. Interesting. I got it for 50% off at B&N when I was in Texas, so I'm surprised it's been as good as it is. I'm not very far into it yet though, so we'll see.
I've been spending time with Elisha, a girl I met at the AOG church a couple years back, and I really like her! It's good because she's as needy as me when it comes to friendships so I don't have to worry about annoying her by being too clingy or texting too much or paying too much attention. I love that! She's the first fashionista I've met in Moranbah as well, she loves a lot of the same styles as me. Loves Gossip Girl. lol She has two little babies, but I'm starting to figure out how to be around kids now. She's older than me, but I'm not sure how much. I think she might be 28? Dunno. I love meeting people that I can unashamedly be 100% myself around without fear of judgement or jeering. Awesome. :)
We found out Petra's been escaping by pushing open the louvres (we'd mistakenly left unlocked) so she could look out the window. Only when she walked through the louvre vent, it would close behind her and she'd get stuck. So she pushed the screen out of the window to escape, and ended up outside. So sad! She would have fallen into the bushes once she pushed through. :( Poor kitten! Though I think she spent all day trying to figure out how to get back into the house rather than exploring, so at least there's that.
Tim and Lizzy's housewarming party is on Saturday this weekend. It should be good to catch up with everyone. :) I'll let y'all know how it goes.
I had some drama-rama the likes of which I haven't seen since I was 17. That was pretty damn annoying, for lack of a better descriptor. The pettiness and short-sightedness just boggles the mind. Really, it boggles. But whatever. Since I'm not 17, I don't have the energy or patience or emotion to waste trying to grovel with someone who I'm so obviously better off without so I'm just going to brush my shoulders off and move forward. :) I think I officially have an enemy or something now and it's a small town so I'll have to see them around...that's awkward. And even more annoying. UGH. I need a better word for "annoyed." Exasperated? Beleaguered?
Anyway.
We're going to New Zealand with Ashleigh (who has been renamed "Shlee" ;) ) and Turtle next year! Dunno if I've already shared that....But it's really happening. :) Beef is definitely coming too and I think maaaybe Tippet? Maybe? Or was it Jono? I don't know. Maybe Tim and Lizzy too. Kara seriously talked about saving to come, but hasn't talked about it since so who knows. Regardless, it's going to be a blast! I've never been skiing, so I'm excited. I'd also love to do a wine tour and maybe get a proper massage. If I'm at the level of fitness I want to be then, it'd also be great to go hiking or bike-riding...then again it might be too cold. Chris wants to go sky-dyving and bungee jumping which I am NOT interested in, but Beef is going to do it with him so I don't mind. We've also never taken a week long vacation like this before either, usually just little mini-trips to Brisbane so it should be really great :) I was getting a little teary thinking that I'm going to have my first hot Christmas this year, so I'm excited that I'll at least get to have a good cold and snowy holiday 7 months later. If I've already talked about New Zealand ( I think I have) I'm SORRY. I'm just excited. :P
My french cooking is still going really well. The house is no longer spotless, but it's still at a place that I could just do a quick 1 hr tidy-up and have it spotless again so at least there's that.
I'm going to start planning our garden for the spring. Next month is when we'd start planting so we have to start preparing now. We're going to put a gazebo on that 3mX3m block of concrete in the backyard where I *think* a shed must have stood at some point. This is my inspiration:
Of course it will be a cheapo version of that and, since I don't have nice furniture like that, REALLY cheapo version.... but once I put my twinkle lights up inside it and our table and chairs underneath it and put a path of pavers leading to it it should be really nice. :) I wish we could afford a Bali hut:
But they're like, $3000. lol Not happening. It's not really my style besides...but they just look so cool! The whole Polynesian trend is HUGE in Australia so it's always neat to see someone who's built one. :)
Also, I'm reading Oprah's biography. It's unauthorized by Oprah, but most of the stuff in it is pretty believable. Apparently she's a big fat liar and manipulator. Interesting. I got it for 50% off at B&N when I was in Texas, so I'm surprised it's been as good as it is. I'm not very far into it yet though, so we'll see.
I've been spending time with Elisha, a girl I met at the AOG church a couple years back, and I really like her! It's good because she's as needy as me when it comes to friendships so I don't have to worry about annoying her by being too clingy or texting too much or paying too much attention. I love that! She's the first fashionista I've met in Moranbah as well, she loves a lot of the same styles as me. Loves Gossip Girl. lol She has two little babies, but I'm starting to figure out how to be around kids now. She's older than me, but I'm not sure how much. I think she might be 28? Dunno. I love meeting people that I can unashamedly be 100% myself around without fear of judgement or jeering. Awesome. :)
We found out Petra's been escaping by pushing open the louvres (we'd mistakenly left unlocked) so she could look out the window. Only when she walked through the louvre vent, it would close behind her and she'd get stuck. So she pushed the screen out of the window to escape, and ended up outside. So sad! She would have fallen into the bushes once she pushed through. :( Poor kitten! Though I think she spent all day trying to figure out how to get back into the house rather than exploring, so at least there's that.
Tim and Lizzy's housewarming party is on Saturday this weekend. It should be good to catch up with everyone. :) I'll let y'all know how it goes.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Got my nails done!
I'm in love with gel nails. If you haven't tried them before, you should because I am ADDICTED. If you don't know what they are, the nail artist paints the gel on just like nail polish only it has to be cured under a UV lamp for 2 minutes between layers so it takes about 2 hrs for a manicure instead of 1. But, when you're finished, you have the most perfect manicure of your life and it lasts 3 weeks before you have to get the cuticles filled. 3 weeks after that you get them soaked off/filed down and start again!
I don't have a photo of my nails, but my inspiration was this photo:
She did a great job, mine look *exactly* like that and I love it! The best part is that once you leave the salon your nails are 100% dry so you can't dent the polish (cause it's not polish) and they also make your nails SO strong. If you have trouble growing your nails because they tend to peel or break off, try gel nails! They actually make your nail healthier and they don't have to do any of that grinding down on your nail bed like with acrylic. If you like the french-tip look they can do that for you too and it looks just as good as acrylic without all the damage.
I'm an official convert. :)
I don't have a photo of my nails, but my inspiration was this photo:
She did a great job, mine look *exactly* like that and I love it! The best part is that once you leave the salon your nails are 100% dry so you can't dent the polish (cause it's not polish) and they also make your nails SO strong. If you have trouble growing your nails because they tend to peel or break off, try gel nails! They actually make your nail healthier and they don't have to do any of that grinding down on your nail bed like with acrylic. If you like the french-tip look they can do that for you too and it looks just as good as acrylic without all the damage.
I'm an official convert. :)
I'm holding out.
This was one of the busiest weeks I've had to date since I moved here and I'm LOVING it! I'm a very social person, so I'm just thriving on all the attention I've gotten lately. :) I've been booked up every single night this week and even got to spend a whole day in Sarina with Ashleigh which was SO refreshing. It's so nice to be able to spend time with someone who you can say anything to, even if it's politically incorrect or might make you vulnerable, someone who accepts you as you are....I love that. :) Some of my newer friends in Moranbah can make me feel embarrassed about my opinions or choices sometimes and it makes me feel so free with Ashleigh. I don't have to think, we just hang out and it's easy. And I LOVE her baby Ezra. I think she's my adopted niece, officially. I freaked out the other day because I realized that she's not going to stay a baby forever. I know it should be obvious and it is....but it still is mind boggling that one day soon she'll be speaking to me. And that in 10 years time, which seems like such a short time to me, she's going to be in 5th grade....I think I realized how quickly childhood passes and that scares me. Part of me just wants to freeze her as she is now, so precious and innocent and the whole world is new and exciting to her....but I'm also really excited to see her grow up. I feel so much love for Ezra and she's not even mine, not even blood, so I can't fathom the love Ashleigh must feel for her or what it will feel like when I have my own.
I've felt really happy and fulfilled this week. :) Maybe because my social needs as an extrovert have been met and even exceeded....I don't know. I didn't realize how much I thrive on social interaction, but I feel more alive and motivated this week than I have since I was visiting fam. in Texas so I think I need to start making more dates with people!
I have to be honest about something. I am 100% happy with my life the way it is. I like my freedom and that, you know, if I want to drive out to Sarina for 2 days in the middle of the week I can and that I can go to the gym every day and cook a new recipe for dinner every night and cuddle my kittens and read a book and watch a movie any time I want to...I like my life this way. I've felt pressured by some people to find a job, any job, straight away and I confused that pressure as something I wanted....but it's just confusion. I would LOVE a hairdressing apprenticeship, so I am holding out for that. Period. I don't want to find a random full-time job doing something I hate and adding stress to my life and filling my days with work that leads to no end goal. I wouldn't mind doing some casual work here or there...but I'm not going to hunt down a full time job just because it's what people expect of me or think is best for me or something. I've decided. So, I've given up on admin. work, officially. I'm just not cut out for it. The job description says things like "must have high numeracy skills (ha!) exceptional time management and organization. (ha and HAAA!)" and the list goes on. It describes a person opposite to myself....I get anxiety just thinking about it. *YES* the money is unbelievable...but we don't actually need all that money. We can afford for me to hold out for hairdressing. I'm also just starting to find my groove and happiness in Moranbah and I really don't want to mess that up by throwing a fast-paced desk job into the mix. Maybe this all sounds really spoiled...I don't know. It is a privilege to be able to hold out for something I love. But Chris said that there's already one person in the house doing something they hate for the money and he doesn't do that just so I can go off and do the same thing and be miserable... So I'm holding out. :)
The house is still relatively clean, after a whole WEEK of us living in it too. Surprised? So am I. ;) I even had Mel and Hayley over for dinner tonight just in case this is the only time our house is clean enough to entertain. I should take pictures. LOL
I love y'all! Sorry this isn't a more in depth update, but I'm sleepy and have to go to bed.
xoxo
I've felt really happy and fulfilled this week. :) Maybe because my social needs as an extrovert have been met and even exceeded....I don't know. I didn't realize how much I thrive on social interaction, but I feel more alive and motivated this week than I have since I was visiting fam. in Texas so I think I need to start making more dates with people!
I have to be honest about something. I am 100% happy with my life the way it is. I like my freedom and that, you know, if I want to drive out to Sarina for 2 days in the middle of the week I can and that I can go to the gym every day and cook a new recipe for dinner every night and cuddle my kittens and read a book and watch a movie any time I want to...I like my life this way. I've felt pressured by some people to find a job, any job, straight away and I confused that pressure as something I wanted....but it's just confusion. I would LOVE a hairdressing apprenticeship, so I am holding out for that. Period. I don't want to find a random full-time job doing something I hate and adding stress to my life and filling my days with work that leads to no end goal. I wouldn't mind doing some casual work here or there...but I'm not going to hunt down a full time job just because it's what people expect of me or think is best for me or something. I've decided. So, I've given up on admin. work, officially. I'm just not cut out for it. The job description says things like "must have high numeracy skills (ha!) exceptional time management and organization. (ha and HAAA!)" and the list goes on. It describes a person opposite to myself....I get anxiety just thinking about it. *YES* the money is unbelievable...but we don't actually need all that money. We can afford for me to hold out for hairdressing. I'm also just starting to find my groove and happiness in Moranbah and I really don't want to mess that up by throwing a fast-paced desk job into the mix. Maybe this all sounds really spoiled...I don't know. It is a privilege to be able to hold out for something I love. But Chris said that there's already one person in the house doing something they hate for the money and he doesn't do that just so I can go off and do the same thing and be miserable... So I'm holding out. :)
The house is still relatively clean, after a whole WEEK of us living in it too. Surprised? So am I. ;) I even had Mel and Hayley over for dinner tonight just in case this is the only time our house is clean enough to entertain. I should take pictures. LOL
I love y'all! Sorry this isn't a more in depth update, but I'm sleepy and have to go to bed.
xoxo
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