No Mouse

So, while I was at work I had my Grandpa check into the mysterious rustling noise. No mouse. No evidence of a mouse. Nothing. A trap has been set just in case.

In other news, I am exhausted. The past two days at work have been very crazy with people stocking up for back to school, and I have done nothing but run non-stop all day long. Today was a lot less busy, but after 2 very busy days and a not-so-great night sleep, I am very tired. However, I got off at 4 today, and I don't go back until Wednesday, so I think I'm going to be ok.

On another note, school starts back a week from tomorrow. I think I'm ready. I've had some time off from summer, and now I'm ready to jump back in. After all, the sooner I get started, the sooner I finish, and the sooner I get to be done with school!!

Someone's FB status read....

"Prayer should be a first response, not a last resort."

How profound. Prayer is typically my last resort. Sadly. In the last couple of weeks I have finished up my first semester back at school and started my second. Things were going well until I received a letter that basically said I needed to get my grades up if I wanted to remain in school. Then, today, I learn that I am doing the exact opposite in one of my classes. So bad so that I need to drop the course. I am dropping the course first thing tomorrow morning, and will hopefully pick up the exact same class for later in the summer. I am going to use my failure this time around as my advantage for the second time around. That's really my only choice. I can't let this beat me down and I can't let this discourage me from continuing my long-time-waiting degree, which, of course, is exactly how I reacted this morning. BUT I have since wised-up and will be turning my frown upside down and making lemonade with my lemons.

You know, usually when things stop going our way, we tend to blame Satan. We say that we must be doing the right thing because Satan is attacking and trying to beat us down. I don't think that's what is going on in my case. I think I just thought I could ride God's coattail and life would be ok, but, as I have blogged about before, I have to meet God halfway. I have to put forth the effort to get my degree- As and Bs will not be handed to me on a silver platter, and I can't continue pretending that they will be. I have to rearrange my priorities and get down to business if I want to succeed in this adventure known as college. Maybe somewhere there is a test. I don't know. What I do know is that there is a lesson to be learned here, and as a wise friend once told me "lesson repeated until lesson learned."

Back to my original topic: Pray Stupid

My Own Nothingness

Summer classes have begun and things are going well. I bought one of the books I needed for my History class, and $60.40 later, I left with a book thinner than every Harry Potter book I own. So, I'm going to read for the discussion on it tomorrow, and return it to the bookstore immediately after class having found it for half the price on Amazon. So, I bought both of the books I needed, one that would have been much more expensive than the skinny one, but was unavailable at the bookstore, for less than I bought the one, lone skinny one. Quite the bargain shopper, if I do say so myself!!

Aerobics, on the other hand, is quite the butt-kicker. I can't bargain shop my way into shape. I had my first aerobics class tonight, and by aerobics I mean a little bit of everything- kickboxing, step, weightlifting, etc. We did step tonight, and oh my, I think I am going to get my student loan's worth! Very exciting. I greatly enjoy exercising, and now I'm getting college credit for it!

The purchase of my Great Dane is on hold. The dog I was expecting to have a litter in December, ended up having a litter last month, and I am far from ready for a Great Dane, both living conditions and financial reasons. In addition, I am able to find lots of apartments that allow dogs, but they all have to be under 30 lbs, so that is somewhat discouraging. However, I know when the time is right, I will find the right apartment. If my sister would move to Augusta, that might be a little easier......

This weekend I will be traveling to KY with my lovely siblings. We are going up there so that my sister can attend the HS Graduation she would have been a part of had we not moved. Both Stevie and Luke are anxious and excited to see old friends and catch up. I, on the other hand, have a hair appointment, to fix my $10 haircut, and get my way overdue oil change for my car.

I'm also looking for a new job. I would love to have an office job, or something that has more to do with my major. The problem is, I need something that pays a little more than I make now, will work around my school schedule, and give me the hours I need to live. I've got a few things in my mind that I want to look into, but for now, I'm going to keep those to myself while they mull around in my head.

So yeah, a whole lotta nothing goin' on..............

Don't you LOVE a day off?!?!

I'm off today. No class. No work. Nothing.

Not True!

I need to fill out my 2010-2011 FAFSA. I need to go to the bank. I need to make phone calls for places to live. I need to go see said places to live. I need to go buy an Iwanta. I need to do my Wii Fit. I have a lot of things I NEED to do.

But it's my day off........

One Down, Too Many To Go

Well, next week wraps up my first semester back at school. Aside from the fact that I think I failed the science class (hoping for a D to keep the credit!), I think I did really well for the first semester back, after a too-many-years hiatus. This summer I am taking the next Spanish course, History, Aerobics, and Camping/Hiking. Yes, I said camping/hiking. Because I'm such a camper. And a hiker. Yeah.....

In other news, I am currently looking for a place to live.....with my sister. I've looked on the internet, but the problem is that while the pictures look nice, the reality is so much different!!! So, for the next couple of weeks, I am going to be looking at places and weeding out the good, the bad, and the ugly. Wish me luck!!

On another note, work is going ok, I suppose. At first, I didn't like this Kroger, but I had to figure out if it was because I truly didn't like it, or if it was just different from the one I was used to. I think it was probably a little of both. However, I have since had a heart-to-heart with my front-end manager, and gotten to know a lot of my cashiers. I think it is going to be ok. I know I'm not very well received by some of my peers, mainly because I am this new girl, who has come in from another store, and I get to do all of these things that, to my understanding, most of them haven't been doing for very long. Regardless, I have decided that I am above all of that. I am going to just do my job and not worry about their snide looks and comments. They can bury themselves- I'm staying above ground!

Why shouldn't I have a dog???

I am getting ready to purchase a Great Dane, something I have wanted to do for a very long time, and I feel as though everyone around me thinks it's a bad idea. Why is that? I think I am plenty old enough to be responsible for a dog. I am pretty sure I am finally at a time in my life when I can support a dog. If the last semester is any indication, I think I have the time for a dog. What's the problem? Here is my point of view....

It seems to me that people probably think at least one of these things: I don't have time. I'm not ready for a dog financially. I don't really like dogs and would not want it for very long. Great Danes, being a larger breed, need a lot of space, time, and exercise.

None of those are true. I do have time. I spend a lot of my time at home, either watching tv, reading, on the internet, homework, etc. Those are all things I can do with my GD. They LOVE being lazy. Everything I have ever read about GDs is that they like to lounge, they don't need a lot of exercise, they are laid back creatures. How does that not fit into my life?!? I make fairly decent money for a poor college student, maybe not for an intelligent 25 year old, but for a college student, yes. Ok, so I may not be a small, yippy dog lover, but I am a large dog lover. I want a dog I can cuddle on the couch with, or take for a stroll in the park, or just sit and pet whilst doing absolutely nothing! Great Danes are perfect for all of that! Look it up, I did! So, before you judge me, and my decision on not only getting a dog, but on getting a Great Dane, think about what my life is, and look up what a Great Dane is like, and see if the two don't coincide. I've done my homework, thanks.

Getting Acclimated!!

It takes me a VERY long time to get acclimated whenever I move to a new place and build myself a brand new life. Meeting new people has never been something I did with great ease, and even though I have gotten A LOT better than i used to be, I'm still not great at it. Tonight was my first night at my new store. The people seem to be very nice. One girl did walk up to me and tell me what to do with a sort of arrogance about her, and that said to me that she was trying to put me in my place and make sure I knew where I was on the totem pole, but I am not that easily deterred. In observing several of the "supervisory" employees, including this girl, I determined that most of my front end manager's team is crap. They don't help customers efficiently, they don't answer phones efficiently, and they don't get work done efficiently. I am to be one of these people, and I WILL show them up.

On a better note, I went to church this morning. Well, yesterday morning. It's past midnight here. I went to a church my family and me attended many years ago when we lived in Augusta and I saw people I knew from way back when. Lots of things have changed. I only attended SS and then I left to come home because I was stressing about having to be at work this afternoon, and not sure what I was supposed to wear. So, naturally, I had to miss church. I think I might visit there one more time just to give it a fair shot. I liked the SS teachers, and their daughter (and behold! there was the entire class, including myself!!) so I may go back because according to them, they have a few others who attend the class. However, as an initial observation, this church doesn't seem to have what I'm looking for. That would have been too easy!

Finally, I'm getting my room adjusted to how I like it. My closet is in order, my drawers are, for the most part, organized, and my furniture is arranged nicely. I just need to get the rest of my junk where it belongs, you know, after I figure out where it belongs. That's my project for tomorrow. I don't have to work, and I don't have that blasted science class until 5:30, so organizing and cleaning my room is a good project for a nice, potentially rainy day. Good times!!!!

Where am I? Where am I going?

Have you ever known God had big things in store for you, but you didn't know what they were or how you were going to get there? I know that God has "great" things in store for my life, but I just don't see how my life now is going to turn into the life I imagine God has for me. Of course, the "great" in my mind could be a completely different "great" than the one God has in mind, but something tells me that the two fall pretty closely together. It's frustrating. I don't know what it is God wants me to do. I don't know how I am supposed to get there. I see the path I'm on and I see the one I imagine gets me to where I think I'm going, but I just don't see how the two coincide. I do know that this is the part where I learn patience. This is the part where I continue on the path I'm on, working towards doing God's will, and wait and see the incredible journey God has for me.

Right now I am on the path to finish my degree in Public Relations with a minor in Spanish. I have thought briefly about a double major, the second one being English. Of course, that would mean it would take a little longer to finish altogether, but would it be worth it in the end? I don't know. In addition, I am researching the Disney College Internship Program. Hopefully, I can get applied and will be accepted in order to do it next spring. Then again, that may be a little too soon since I just got back into school, so we will just have to see what happens. I have a little while to decide.

On another note, I don't think I want a boyfriend right now. I'm not ready to get married; there are just too many things I need to grow and work on before I can even think about being attached to someone else. I just want to live my life. Focus on me and where my life is going. I don't want to have to think about whether or not my life fits in with someone else's. Casual, fun is ok, but a serious relationship is just not what I need or want right now. And that's ok.

Getting Started

Now that I am officially in Augusta, I am in search of a new church home. This is hard for me because I have always hated shopping for a new church. When I was little, and my parents were shopping for a new church, I hated the visiting because it meant I was going to have to be around people I didn't know and that has always caused HUGE anxiety for me. When my dad became a pastor, it became a lot easier because we didn't have to shop for a church- we had one already! That also meant most everyone already knew who I was and they were ready to embrace me; all I had to do was learn who they were. Now it's different. I don't know anybody, they don't know me, and that makes for a rather scary experience for me. But that has to be ok, because otherwise, I'll never meet anyone and make friends.

This upcoming Sunday, I'm going to visit a church we went to when I was younger. I'm pretty sure most of my old friends still go there, but they have all changed so much. They're married, have careers, kids, etc. I have none of that. I'm a 25 year old college student with no prospects for marriage. It should be interesting to see how I fit in, if I fit in at all. If this is where God wants me to be, everything will be ok. If not, time to start researching somewhere else, and the hunt continues!

Please pray that God would lead me where He wants me to be, and that I would find friends who would embrace me and encourage me in my walk with Christ.

WHEW!!!!

Wow! It has been such a long time since I last blogged and so much has changed! For starters, I am no longer driving back and forth between ATL and Augusta. This past weekend was my last, this upcoming weekend I am going to Acquire the Fire with my Dads' church's youth group, and the following Tuesday, hopefully, I will be on the schedule at my new Kroger!!! Classes are going well; I have had several Spanish quizzes that I have done really well on, my Communications class is going well, and my Science class sucks. All in all, life is good! It's nice to be here in Augusta, where I am closer to my parents, but I also have a HUGE support system here in Augusta and that makes my life so much better.

The other day, I was in ATL at an outlet mall with a friend of mine, when we went to get into my car and the remote would not work. We opened the car old school (with a key!!) only to discover that the automatic door locks would not work, nor would the automatic trunk release. The car itself would not turn on. Nothing worked. Naturally, I was a little panicked! A woman next to us was kind enough to let us jump off my car with her's, and then things started working properly. Turns out, my battery is showing signs off needing replacing, Goody!!!! The good thing is, now I have people I can call next time who can come to my rescue. Once again, life is good!

Of course, this also means it's time to crack down on the weightloss. I have plumped back up in the last 2 months since I have been eating mostly fast food during the weekends. So, no more fast food, I have to start exercising regularly, and I have to start demonstrating self-control when it comes to my Grandma's cooking!! Wish me luck!

So far, So Good

So far, my classes are going really well. I am getting mostly A's in my Spanish class and I am re-learning a lot. I have a test coming up next week in communications that I have yet to study for, but I am confident that I will do well. My time in Atlanta is almost up, which is both sad and exciting all at the same time, but I know this move is for the best. I have had a slight misstep with my W2, but hopefully that will all work itself out, and I can still get my Great Dane I so desperately want. I will be keeping you updated on the progress of my puppy. (Mom, I know you will be checking back frequently for that!!) Once again, pray that God would show me which store I am supposed to transfer to, that I would find a place that would allow me to have my beloved Great Dane, and that I would make lots of lasting friendships here in Augusta. Oh, and that I would find a good church family!

Scooby Dooby DoooOOOOOOO

Did you ever wonder what kind of dog Scooby Doo is? Well, Scooby is a Great Dane. That's why he was so big. Well, I have always loved Great Danes- not because of Scooby, but because I love big dogs. They are just HUGE!!!!! I have a friend who has 4 of them. She said that any time they take them to the park, it looks like 4 horses running around. Maybe the fact that they look like horses has something to do with my love of Great Danes, because I always wanted one of those too, but never got one. Hmmmm. Anyways, now that I am about to officially be living on my own, I have been thinking about getting a dog. Of course, I wanted a Great Dane, but most places, if they allow pets, have a weight or size limit to the pets you can have, so I had pretty much ruled out having a Great Dane. However, my friend Brooke, the one with 4 of them, told me the other day that one of her dogs is having puppies and I should get one. Naturally, I was ecstatic! BUT I can't get one right now because I am not officially on my own just yet. I am still driving back and forth between Atlanta and Augusta for school and work, not to mention I am living with my Grandmother. It would not be very fair to the dog for me to travel so much, and certainly not fair to my Grandma for me to bring in this massive dog. SO I have to wait. That's ok though! Brooke and her husband are planning another litter for the fall that will be ready for Christmas. Soooooooooooo Merry Christmas to ME from ME!!!!! In the meantime, I have to put away the money for not only the dog, but also the initial vet costs, standard pet medications, food, supplies, etc. That's ok though. I'm very excited about getting this enormous edition to my family of ME, and I know I can make this work. Please pray that I find a place that allows me to have pets AND that I won't have to worry about my pet being stolen!

Who's Idea Was This?

Oh wait!! It was MINE!!!

So far back at school, I have had one test, a quiz, and another quiz tomorrow. I have another test next week, and another one coming up towards the end of the month. Welcome back to college!!

Other than that, all is good. I don't have too much longer to be driving back and forth between Augusta and Atlanta for work. While I am very sad to leave my friends in Atlanta, I am more than ready to be here in Augusta full-time. This is a new beginning for me. A fresh start. I'm anxious to meet new people, make new friends, have a normal routine, etc. Change normally scares me, and this one kind of does too, but, as I have blogged before, change is necessary for growth.

Sometimes I Think.....

If I could just get people to see things my way, and do things the way I think they should be done, the world would be a much better place.

If I said to that one person of the day who really gets under your skin, what is going through my head, I would find myself unemployed.

If God would synchronize His watch with mine, since His timing is perfect, I would have been married a long time ago.

If I could just fast-forward 5 years to when I have my big-girl job and husband, hopefully, I would be so much happier.

If only I had been born an only child, or to a wealthy family, my life would have turned out so differently.


But Then I Think........

Difference: that's what makes the world go round.

I would like to keep my car, so I should probably smile, nod, and apologize even when it's not my fault, just so I can keep my job.

There are so many things I have learned and still have to learn, that if I were married right now, I would surely screw it up!

That if I could fast-forward 5 years, I would miss out on all that God has to teach me.

That I wouldn't be the person I am, have the people in my life that I do, and I might not have the peace that passes all understanding.

Thank You, God, for who I am, who you have given me, and what you have taught me.

The Funny Thing About Satan Is......

he only reminds you that you are doing the right thing! Right now, I'm having a hard time. My schedule was dropped from school, I'm having money problems because I'm driving 2 1/2 hours to go to work for a lousy 25-29 hours, and I can't buy the books I need for school so I am probably going to fall behind and have to race to catch up. After I left the bank today, I thought about the CRAP going on right now that I am handling as it is thrown at me, and it occurred to me that this is nothing more than Satan trying to bring me down. This is what I have to say about that:

Congratulations Satan! You have done nothing more than make yourself known and given me confirmation that I am doing what God wants me to do. You have no more leverage. Your sneak attacks are no longer in disguise. I know what you are trying to do. You might have discouraged me for a minute, but I won't let you bring me down. I will take it as it comes to me and I will release it to the Lord. You and I are finished.

I can be so DUMB sometimes......

When I logged onto my campus website to look at my class schedule so I would know where to go, I was indeed looking at the summer schedule, for which I am not enrolled. So, as I prepare to go to the registrar's office and think about what my next steps will be if I cannot get re-enrolled for school, it occurs to me that they didn't send me an email about dropping my schedule, like they did last time. So, I log back onto the campus website, click on spring 2010 and VOILA!! my spring 2010 schedule. In conclusion, I am actually enrolled at ASU for the spring term, and I missed my morning Spanish class for NOTHING! I can be so DUMB sometimes.....

What?

How did this go from being a God thing, to being a "am I really supposed to attend this school?" thing???? This morning I logged onto my campus website to look at my schedule, I needed to know where my class was, only to discover that I am "not enrolled for this term." Goody. So, now I get to go down to the Registrar's Office and open up a giant can of whoop-a$$ so that I can HOPEFULLY get my schedule back in tact. For the second time. Wish me luck!

God Thing

Today was my first real day of classes. I had a class last night, but today I had 3 others. So far, I think I am really going to like ASU. The professors are nice, the students are friendly, and the staff is really helpful. My being here is a serious God-thing. Everything literally fell into place. I was accepted right away, all of my credits transferred and can benefit me in some way, and I got all of the financial aid that I needed for rent and tuition. This can be explained as nothing less than a God-thing. I did have some minor trouble today when I learned that my entire schedule was dropped yesterday due to a remaining balance of $395, but at the end of the day that was nothing more than an inconvenience. I talked to all of the right people, got all of the right forms filled out, and my schedule is back in tact. The next thing on the list is getting an apartment and some furniture, but I know that when the time is right the right apartment will materialize, and as of two days ago, I now have a lot of the big and important things I needed that I didn't have. Needless to say, there is no doubt in my mind that God will provide!

It's Been Sooooooo Long!!

Have you missed me? I have been kind of busy lately, and I have not been on the internet lately. So much has happened! In early December, I had orientation/registration for school where I registered for my classes, took the picture for my jag card, and got things in line for my financial aid. I also told my boss that I was leaving the Atlanta area to go to school two hours away, but that I had made my schedule so that I could still cover for our back-up front end mgr 4 days a week until she comes back from maternity leave. I also got new brakes on my car, and started apartment hunting.

Im here in Augusta, at my Grandmother's house, for my first day back at college. Good day. I was kind of nervous, and had a few thoughts of "who's idea was this??" but I knew that once I got to the school and in the classroom, I would be fine. And so it was. I was nervous because I felt unprepared. I didn't know where I was going, where to park, where my classes were, how to get around Augusta without my GPS, etc. However, all of that was easily taken care of. I had my schedule to tell me exactly where my classes were, a campus map online to show me where the buildings and best places to park were, and my mommy to tell me how to get there. Once I got to the school and in the classroom, I was good to go. Tonight I only had one class; tomorrow I have two morning classes and one afternoon class.

In addition, for the last two days, I have been riding around looking for apartments. I'm not looking to live in an apartment complex, but rather a small house or over-the-garage apartment. Basically, something small, girly, and college-like. I don't think I will have any problems finding what I am looking for. I don't have to settle for something I don't like, and I don't intend to. In the meantime, I am staying with my Grandmother 3 days while I am at school, and the weekends will be spent staying with my friend in Roswell while I am at work. It's going to be a rough couple of weeks/months going back and forth between Atlanta and Augusta, but it's not forever.