Big News

Larry is moving out....... the van is packed....I hardly know what to say..... except..... Larry is moving out!

Cute

We're driving along.......

Jay: Look! Chuck E Cheese !!!!!!!

Sheryl: I see it.

Jay: But LOOK! Its Chuck E Cheese !!!!!

Sheryl: I know honey - I see it. But not today.

Silence...........

Jay: I bet Braylon John would like it.

My Weekend - Part 3

Sunday morning was usual for me. I was on the platform playing keyboard and the music was just wonderful. I love the music that Pastor Karen selects! We went home, ate a small lunch and then I took about an hour and a half nap. Around 3:30 our friends Ed and Dorothy from southern Virginia came to our apartment. Ed works with Jay and we've visited their lake house this past November. It is beautiful. Dorothy is from England and is just a delightful person! We got tickets to see Celtic Woman and we knew we wanted them to go with us. We all left around 5 o'clock for dinner and then we headed to Wolf Trap. That place is really nice. Its an outdoor ampitheater and holds around 7000 I believe. There is a wooden canopy over most of the seats and then people can also sit on a grassy hill behind the seats. They bring picnics etc. and just have a wonderful evening. The concert was just the best. Go to www.celticwoman.com and you can get an idea of what they are like. It was a beautiful concert on a beautiful evening.

Anyway- all that being said - I had such a nice weekend! Thank you for letting me share it with you!

My Weekend - Part 2

When I left you last, I had just returned home to a laundry-free house (apartment). Jay and I had talked about doing a lot of things on Saturday - so I hurried up and took a shower and got dressed. We headed out the door for a quick lunch at Baja Fresh. mmmmmmmmmmmm. We then took a risk and saw a movie that we hadn't heard much about but sounded good to us. Mr. Brooks ( http://www.ifilm.com/video/2824950 ) Honestly - it was such a different movie for Kevin Costner. We both rated it a B - which is not bad at all. It uses the F-word now and then and there was definitely some violence. Just was interesting - and had some twists in it.

After the movie we went to Penneys and then to the Christian Book Store. Then we went to a grocery store that we'd wanted to go to for quite some time (do we know how to live, or what) It's called Trader Joe's and was it ever fun. They had things like a guacamole making kit - it was just two avacados, two tomatoes, a small onion, two cloves of garlic and a hot pepper - but that was a good idea. We got some stuffed salmon, some wonderful blueberries and a few other just fun things. The people in the store are dressed in Jamaican shirts and are just as friendly as can be. There are lots of people around with little "stands" where you can sample things. It was just fun. I love Saturdays.

My Weekend - Part 1

It was just one of those weekends! I just had a fantastic, fun, variety-filled weekend and I want to share it. Nothing makes my weekend all that special from anybody elses - its just that a person like me who lives a pretty "normal" life without much hoop-la, enjoys a weekend like this now and then.

I'm going to start with Friday. It was a normal workday, albiet shorter than normal. I had a hair appointment at my "new place" Salon Antoine. I have a new person doing my hair and her name is Bea. I just adore her! She has longer dark hair with dark red highlights. She is very creative and dare I say, a "hair artist". It took me three tries to find somebody I trusted enough to tell them to do whatever they thought would be different. She told me that my hair color was too light for my skin tone. She said there wasn't enough contrast. So, off we went. I spent THREE hours there and she created something so fun!

Plus..... she asked me if I wanted something to drink while I was waiting for the color to finish. They had coffee, water, and wine. Wow...what a treat!

OK... so after my hair was done, I went to my friend Colleen's house. She was hosting a "girls night out" for women from our church. Her husband and sons went to stay at "nana's" house and so we had it all to ourselves. About 15 women showed up and we ate, and chatted and laughed. We ended up playing Gestures around 10 o'clock which was a hoot! Then we put on our jammas and watched the 25th anniversary special of Saturday Night Live until our eyes popped out of our heads from sleepiness. I can't do it like I used to! We all had places to sleep (not everyone spent the night) and we slept in until around 8:30 after going to bed at 2. There was coffee waiting for us along with french toast. It was just so nice to lounge around in our jammies drinking coffee and not having a care in the world. I left around 10 am. and when I got home, Jay already had the laundry done. Wow... what a wonderful start to a terrific weekend!

Waking up on a Friday morning

It was just one of those mornings when I thought seriously about calling in to say that I was sick. Seriously. I mean - you'd like to think that you'd never ever do that - but this morning, well.... I came close.

What was my reason, you might ask. The reason was that it was Friday and I just wanted to stay home. Now, in my defense, I didn't feel on top of the world. I had to be in the office yesterday morning by 6:45 for a conference call and then the day just sort of went on and on. Have you ever been on one of those roller coasters where you're sitting there waiting for the ride to start and you look over at the guy with the controls.... and he pulls back that big stick... and BAM you're off. You can feel the G-force and your hair is blowing out of the roots... and well.... that's how yesterday felt. Finally at the end of the day, the little man let off on the stick and I came coasting into home. But I was done for the day.

So now this morning - I'm not all that willing to get back on the ride. Fortunately, my better sense kicked in and I got into the shower and eventually got dressed. After my quiet time with God, I felt good again and now after I finish this blog..... I'm going to go to work. I am. Seriously.

Rescheduled Again.....

OK - so this morning at our staff meeting, my boss prayed for patience for me. Thanks a lot. You know what happens what you pray for patience.

Well, it seems like I haven't gotten through all of the hoops for the insurance company concerning my upcoming gastric bypass surgery. I'm in agreement that they all need to be jumped through and I'm quite willing to do it. I just want them all jumped through NOW. :) Now, please.

I have put God in control of absolutely everything concerning this, so I know that all of these details are being taken care of by Him. I haven't taken it back from him. I haven't tried to handle things on my own. But man, these highs and lows of anticipation are nearly making me dizzy! This is hardly a life and death matter - not even close - except I know I will have so much more life after this surgery is over and as my recovery time proceeds along. I'm just so excited for it to happen and its hard to wait.

Now its scheduled for Julyl 17th. I've written in down on my calendar in pencil. Not ink. Not yet. We'll just see what God has planned for me. I hope that on the 16th of July I can use ink to write on the 17th.

I'm just guessing

I could be wrong............

...... but I think a squirrell might have found our sack of birdseed out

on the deck. I'm just guessing...............

Barnes and Noble

Today, as I was browsing at a book table at Barnes and Noble, a daddy walked past carrying his little girl. She said, "Daddy? Are you having a good time? I'm having a good time." He replied, "Yes honey, I'm having a good time."
She looked up at him and said, "Daddy?"
"Yes honey?"
"But I don't have a book."

She already knew the value of walking out of Barnes and Noble with a book in your sack. I'm guessing she got a book before she left.

What season is it?

Its the time of year where there's really nothing to watch on tv. I know, it wouldn't kill me NOT to watch tv - but frankly, there isn't much else to do sometimes. We lead a pretty quiet life and my apartment is small so there's not a lot of cleaning to do. There is no yard to take care of. I read - but the TV is right there in front of me!

Football season is over. There is arena football but I've never really liked that. It just seems wrong.
College basketball is over and I hate that it goes by so quickly.
Jay loves hockey - and now the Stanley Cup Playoffs are over.
We enjoy baseball and watch the Washington Nationals. But that game is so slow.
So what season is it? Lets decide.
Curling? Probably still going on in Canada somewhere.
Horseshoes? Probably in parks all around the area.
Tennis and golf - yes - they are there and we'll watch golf once in awhile but again..........painfully slow to watch on tv.
Soccer - I just never watch it.

So what does this boil down to. I can watch something on tv that I'm not really interested in or I could read.... or clean out a closet.....or exercise.
HURRY UP FOOTBALL SEASON !!!!

What else is there to say......

The Hubble has given us an upclose view of Saturn's rings. God is so good. He has created such beauty for us to enjoy - and He didn't have to. Saturn's rings could have been brown. But they aren't. Grass and leaves and flowers could all have been brown - but they aren't. I have nothing against brown..... well, sorta I do. I mean... enough of brown already. But aren't you glad that God was so creative?

The surgery

Well, its coming up upon two weeks until my surgery. I've been thinking about it lots. Having it delayed because of the insurance company has given me more time to think about it. It originally would have been this Friday - now its the 29th. Part of me keeps thinking and worrying what others will say about me having it. I guess it reflects upon how I used to think about it. I used to think that gastric bypass surgery was for people who were weak and couldn't do the weight loss on their own. I know that my surgery is mainly for my acid reflux but lets face the facts. I haven't been able to do the weight loss on my own either. This is something that is going to be so beneficial for my overall health. Ultimately, it doesn't matter what "others" think. I tend to worry about that too often - it sometimes is a focus that just doesn't need to be there. This is about my health.
OK - so Friday I see a psychiatrist for an evaluation that my insurance company has requested. Last weekend we had dinner with some new friends. Sher and I really hit it off and we laugh hard together. If I had milk in my mouth, I just might have the opportunity for it to come out my nose ( one of my wishes). Anyway......when I told her that I was going to a psychiatrist she just burst out laughing! She said "Hows that gonna go for ya?" Now that's a friend! She made light of it and we just laughed.

I guess they are trying to make sure I"m not eating to cover something up - like an abusive home life or something like that. Anyway - no worries. I eat 'cause I love food. End of story. :)

So - Friday starts the liquid/soup/bar diet again from Optifast. It wasn't so bad the last time and truly I almost welcome it. I've been eating like there's no tomorrow ( so to speak) and we're going out to PF Chang's on Thursday evening for Chinese for my last meal before the diet starts. Its going to be quite awhile after the surgery before I can enjoy going out to eat somewhere, even for a few bites. I've had pizza... and some ice creme... and cookies.... well, you get the picture. That will all come to a screeching halt in a few days and I'll start some serious preparation. I'm really excited about this!

Music in the background

I don't know what the "experts" say about having music on in the background at a workplace, but I know that everywhere I've worked up until now, I have had something to listen to. When I worked for Larry and Randy, we had a huge collection of CD's to choose from. When I came to work in the mornings, I chose 6-8 CD's and put them on rotation. Sometimes we would also listen to KCLY.

When I worked for Leiszler Oil, we all had small radios at our desk and we had KCLY on all the time.

When I worked for Tami, KCLY was on in the background all day long.

When I worked at the hospital lab - same thing. KCLY. Now granted - there, I might not be able to hear it as well, but it was on none the less.

Now - here I am at my present job. My office is pretty much set apart from everyone else, so my music wouldn't bother anybody. The other two people don't listen to music during the day. There is not a radio or a CD player in sight. Its not office policy or anything, but I did read somewhere that "the office setting is not the place for music to be playing."

For me, it's hard not having music. I don't know if its the lack of distraction in the background or the fear of silence. Either way, I miss it. The thing is, now I don't mind so much. I'm usually busy enough that I don't notice. Its not that the phone rings so much or that I'm in constant communication with the others. But when I'm the only one in my office for the afternoon, I'd really like to turn on KCLY. I'd love to hear listener's classified. I'd love to hear those weather beeps. I'd love to hear my daughter's voice doing a commercial. I'd love to hear the great mix of music that they offer.

I have to admit - if I could possibly get KCLY.... I'd be pleading my case to the boss!

It happened again!

Well, my faith in the city has been renewed. Today on my way home from church, traffic going my direction had come to a halt. There were four lanes going my way and nobody was moving. There were several cars in front of me, so I couldn't tell what the problem was. It was pouring rain, so it could have easily been an accident. Our light turned green, but still nobody moved. After another light change, our lane slowly inched forward. When it came to a standstill again, I was able to see what was going on. There in the middle island were lots of geese. I mean probably 6 adults and lots of little ones. They were stranded in the middle in the pouring rain. The mothers were trying desperately to get their little ones to the side of the road. As I sat there with the other motorists, one of the mamas took her little ones across. They were kind of slipping around because of the wet pavement so the going was slow. Absolutely nobody honked (excuse the pun). They just waited. After she and her babies were across, they kind of waited a bit more to see if others were going to cross and when it became evident that the others were going to wait, they edged forward, not wanting to scare the remainder and not wanting to accidently hit one of them.
I have to tell you - I was really amazed. I loved the reaction of the motorists. I mean true - nobody wants a goose plastered on the grill of their car. But I think it was more than that. I think these motorists were given an opportunity to do something out of the kindness of their hearts and they chose to do it. It put a smile in my heart.

I did it!

Last night was my airport trip - through the Pentagon Mixing Bowl! It turned out that Jay's plane was about a half hour late. I had fortunately checked online before I left so I knew that ahead of time.

There is a "cell phone parking lot" for people who are waiting. The thing is, there are about 12 parking stalls. Yeah... like that is going to be enough. I would have ended up driving around and around and around - waiting for the flight to land. As it turned out, the timing was perfect. I found a spot in the lot to wait for about 10 min.

Everything went smoothly - I did not get lost and I made it there on time. Now - lets be clear about one thing. When I said that "I" made it... I mean that I got there with God being in control. I prayed before I left. I gave it to God 'cause I knew that honestly, I was not totally prepared to drive there at night. I hate driving at night. I do. God graciously got me there safely and without getting lost.

Another city adventure - completed!