This post is mostly for me. So feel free to skim it or even skip it and have a great day!
Its been awhile since I've written anything that has any meaning. For the past couple of months I've felt really lost and uninspired. Work has been very tough and everyone is frustrated with some situations. I'm working more hours too so I'm dealing with more than I was last year. I really don't hate my job, but its hard to want to go when things don't seem to get better. The overall negative mood in my workplace rubbed off on me. I started wondering why I chose a job that was so difficult without any benefits or sign of improvement.
The mascot for the school I work at is the Owl, and every year they have the Owl Run. I assumed it was a short 10 minute event that they hyped up for the kids and their parents to make it seem important. Nope. Its an all day event with the school's run first and then a middle school track meet after. I volunteered to be there in case anything went wrong. I'm so happy I did. There were so many people who came out and cheered for our students. Which was cool because these are kids that usually don't get recognized. These kids were putting their all into something and would have even if there was no crowd to recognize them.
And I remembered why I wanted to work with people with disabilities in the first place. They have so many obstacles in their life and for the most part are happy. They do what they love and don't quit because they're not the best at it. Most of the behavior issues that happen are because they can't get what they want or have no way of communicating it. Part of my job is to give them a way to communicate so these behaviors don't have to happen. And I kind of lost sight of that in dealing with some seemingly possible clients. I wanted to help these kids be more independent and lately haven't been giving it my all to make that happen.
I'm going to a conference next week. I'm excited now because part of helping these kids as much as possible is knowing the current treatment options. My supervisor gave me an assignment to write some new programs. I don't really know how to go about this, but I'm willing to put some effort into it now and do the best I can. Its nice to be back in the game!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
More new things!
At the beginning of the summer I decided I wanted to start working out. I've done this several times before and usually either don't start or give up after a month. One of the main things I've learned in school is that people need to be reinforced for working, and that reinforcer needs to be something they want. I've wanted an Amazon Kindle for awhile and decided that was what I was working for. For the past 3 months, I've set aside a small bit of money toward buying the Kindle. The boy also set aside money if I kept on track with my exercise goals.
Ordered the Kindle 2 weeks ago and it came in the mail on Thursday! The thing really is incredible. The screen doesn't have a back light like a computer does, so there's no glare or eye strain. The pages don't like exactly like paper like Amazon claims. Getting books is really easy and most of the classics are free. The packaging is all recyclable and the users guide is right on the Kindle (I love eco friendly products). I've already downloaded 50 books and all of the articles for my classes. No more carrying around the big heavy binder of articles!
Not much wedding related activity has happened lately. My engagement ring has a matching wedding band, but it is well over what I feel is realistic to spend. My ring is has a lot of detail on the side and its hard to find something that will fit up next to it but won't hide that detail. I went to the mall on Friday but didn't find much I liked. After searching the internet, I found one that was reasonably priced and might work. The plan is to get the cheap one now and buy the one that matches when we can afford it. But maybe I'll be ok with it not being 100% fitted and we can save that money!
Pic of my ring:
Pic of wedding band I found:
Ordered the Kindle 2 weeks ago and it came in the mail on Thursday! The thing really is incredible. The screen doesn't have a back light like a computer does, so there's no glare or eye strain. The pages don't like exactly like paper like Amazon claims. Getting books is really easy and most of the classics are free. The packaging is all recyclable and the users guide is right on the Kindle (I love eco friendly products). I've already downloaded 50 books and all of the articles for my classes. No more carrying around the big heavy binder of articles!
Not much wedding related activity has happened lately. My engagement ring has a matching wedding band, but it is well over what I feel is realistic to spend. My ring is has a lot of detail on the side and its hard to find something that will fit up next to it but won't hide that detail. I went to the mall on Friday but didn't find much I liked. After searching the internet, I found one that was reasonably priced and might work. The plan is to get the cheap one now and buy the one that matches when we can afford it. But maybe I'll be ok with it not being 100% fitted and we can save that money!
Pic of my ring:
Pic of wedding band I found:
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Some changes
Not going to be a long post because other than a few things, life is business as usual.
First big change is I got a kitten! I went to the Humane Society about a month ago and fell in love with the first kitten I looked at. His name is Hercules and he is now almost 4 months old. He was sick so he stayed in the closet for awhile to recuperate. He and Sunny fought the first couple of days he was let to roam the apartment, but now they get along pretty well. Herc's very playful, which is nice during the day but he hasn't let me get much sleep. He's also very cuddly when he wants to be. I'm hoping the kitten energy wears off after I get him neutered (in a couple months).
Next big change: I got a new car! My dad called me 2 weeks ago and told me that my sister and I were getting cars for graduation. A couple car dealerships were having good lease options, so they were going to get us the cars now. My sister and I looked into it and both got new 2010 Honda Civics. My old car was a 1995 Geo Prism and on its last leg. I've been wanting a Civic for awhile, so the lease deal ended up being perfect. Here's a pic of the new car (on left) and the old car (on right). The Civic feels like an updated Prism, which is ok by me because I loved the Prism.
First big change is I got a kitten! I went to the Humane Society about a month ago and fell in love with the first kitten I looked at. His name is Hercules and he is now almost 4 months old. He was sick so he stayed in the closet for awhile to recuperate. He and Sunny fought the first couple of days he was let to roam the apartment, but now they get along pretty well. Herc's very playful, which is nice during the day but he hasn't let me get much sleep. He's also very cuddly when he wants to be. I'm hoping the kitten energy wears off after I get him neutered (in a couple months).
Next big change: I got a new car! My dad called me 2 weeks ago and told me that my sister and I were getting cars for graduation. A couple car dealerships were having good lease options, so they were going to get us the cars now. My sister and I looked into it and both got new 2010 Honda Civics. My old car was a 1995 Geo Prism and on its last leg. I've been wanting a Civic for awhile, so the lease deal ended up being perfect. Here's a pic of the new car (on left) and the old car (on right). The Civic feels like an updated Prism, which is ok by me because I loved the Prism.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Relaxation weeks!
The week finally came! My last class was Thursday night and I headed out of town early (very early) Friday morning. Almost the second I got off the plane my sister and I went and looked for bridesmaids dresses. We had a lot of fun and found a few that we liked. We're 99% sure she is going to wear this one in purple. My sister has the same problem as me, in that we both make some horrible faces for pictures just for fun.
My family and I went to the zoo on Saturday. I wanted to do something fun with them and have no responsibilities at all. I took way too many pictures to put on here. After the zoo we saw Dinner for Schmucks at this cool dinner theater. Pretty hilarious movie. It was nice to spend a whole day with them. Sunday I met up with a friend from college for lunch. I hardly ever talked to him after I moved and I have no idea why. He's one of those people that I'll always feel comfortable around. I miss having people like that in my everyday life.
My mom and I left for Minnesota on Sunday night. The boy and his little sister set up Welcome Home decorations for my mom and I, it was really sweet. My mom and I spent Monday and Tuesday looking for decorations for the wedding. Thankfully we got most of that stuff done, I was getting really burnt out. It was worth it though, I think it'll look really nice. The pails with the flowers in them will be hung on shephards hooks for the ceremony then moved to the reception site for the tables. And the best part: we saved a ton of money having it be DIY!
Wednesday the boy had a meeting in Minneapolis. His parents live a bit north of there, so we met up with his mom and sister for lunch. Then we went and looked for bridesmaids dresses for his sister. We figured the sisters would get different styles of dresses in the same color, since his sister is only 11. I'm pretty sure we found her dress, but they're not going to decide for awhile. Then we went to the MOA to look for our moms' dresses. My mom jokingly told the boy they were going to wear flapper dresses to fit in with the "vintage" theme. We had a lot of fun together and I'm super happy that our families get along.
My mom left Thursday morning, and the boy took Thursday and Friday off so we could have time together. We spent a lot of time registering for gifts. Registering was actually fun. We both have a lot of the necessary living stuff so we could register for more fun things. The boy's wedding band came in and its awesome! He bought it online for cheap and its actually quite nice for what he paid.
Friday we had our engagement pictures! Thankfully we had it scheduled for the only 2 hours it was dry that day. She moves super fast, but I think they'll turn out well. The boy and I went and picked out tuxes after that. We went to the casino that night just to get out of the house.
Saturday we did practically nothing. Sunday was his cousin's son's birthday. We went to his grandparents house for lunch then I headed out of town.
I found out this morning I'm not working with one of my clients anymore, so I have the whole week off. I have a list of things to do, but it won't take very long. So I plan on spending this week watching movies and reading books. Then going to Panama City on Saturday to do a tour of the area with another one of the girls and our professor. Should be a good week!
My family and I went to the zoo on Saturday. I wanted to do something fun with them and have no responsibilities at all. I took way too many pictures to put on here. After the zoo we saw Dinner for Schmucks at this cool dinner theater. Pretty hilarious movie. It was nice to spend a whole day with them. Sunday I met up with a friend from college for lunch. I hardly ever talked to him after I moved and I have no idea why. He's one of those people that I'll always feel comfortable around. I miss having people like that in my everyday life.
My mom and I left for Minnesota on Sunday night. The boy and his little sister set up Welcome Home decorations for my mom and I, it was really sweet. My mom and I spent Monday and Tuesday looking for decorations for the wedding. Thankfully we got most of that stuff done, I was getting really burnt out. It was worth it though, I think it'll look really nice. The pails with the flowers in them will be hung on shephards hooks for the ceremony then moved to the reception site for the tables. And the best part: we saved a ton of money having it be DIY!
Wednesday the boy had a meeting in Minneapolis. His parents live a bit north of there, so we met up with his mom and sister for lunch. Then we went and looked for bridesmaids dresses for his sister. We figured the sisters would get different styles of dresses in the same color, since his sister is only 11. I'm pretty sure we found her dress, but they're not going to decide for awhile. Then we went to the MOA to look for our moms' dresses. My mom jokingly told the boy they were going to wear flapper dresses to fit in with the "vintage" theme. We had a lot of fun together and I'm super happy that our families get along.
My mom left Thursday morning, and the boy took Thursday and Friday off so we could have time together. We spent a lot of time registering for gifts. Registering was actually fun. We both have a lot of the necessary living stuff so we could register for more fun things. The boy's wedding band came in and its awesome! He bought it online for cheap and its actually quite nice for what he paid.
Friday we had our engagement pictures! Thankfully we had it scheduled for the only 2 hours it was dry that day. She moves super fast, but I think they'll turn out well. The boy and I went and picked out tuxes after that. We went to the casino that night just to get out of the house.
Saturday we did practically nothing. Sunday was his cousin's son's birthday. We went to his grandparents house for lunch then I headed out of town.
I found out this morning I'm not working with one of my clients anymore, so I have the whole week off. I have a list of things to do, but it won't take very long. So I plan on spending this week watching movies and reading books. Then going to Panama City on Saturday to do a tour of the area with another one of the girls and our professor. Should be a good week!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
1 year
The original reason for starting this blog was to be a self record of adapting to living on my own in a new place. August 6th will be my 1 year anniversary of moving to Florida. So I think its appropriate to recap some things I've learned:
#1: I can cook. And not just mac n' cheese from a box cook but really cook. And its not as hard as it seems. Its one area of my life that I can't multitask though, so it takes me longer to make something than other people. But trying new recipes with new ingredients isn't as scary as it was before.
#2: Along with that, I can clean, and pay bills, and work out, and schedule appointments and be fully responsible for myself. If I don't know how to do something, I'll find someone who can help me. The things that need to get done will get done, even if I'm uncomfortable doing them (like calling people).
#3: I do not need other people to make me happy. I came down here thinking I would make a ton of friends and have this amazing social life. Nope. My coworkers and I get along really well, but I don't spend much time with them outside of class. I don't get along with 3 out of the 4 other girls in my program. It used to bother me a lot, but I've summed it up to not having much in common with them. Which helped me learn another thing: some people just won't like me, and its not because of anything I did. There's nothing wrong with me that makes them not like me. Unfortunately some people have a pre-formed opinion of "people like you" and you can't change that. Other peoples' opinions of me still matters, but I'm not going to let it get me down.
#4: No more drama. Gossiping gets you nowhere. I still think its ok to talk to other people about whats going on in my friends' lives. But being judgmental about other people's decisions is not allowed. Its hard to not say negative things about other people, especially when you don't like them. Life is so much easier though when you don't have to worry about who hears what and how it'll effect them.
#5: I am capable. I can get things done. I can do new things. The only person who can tell me no is me. So I can do new craft projects and go to new places by myself and make my own decisions. Its awkward to do it alone but the more I do the more indepent and confident I feel.
#6: Max out your time with loved ones. Being 1000 miles away from my family and fiance has been tough. Being happy with being independent doesn't mean I don't miss having someone there to enjoy life with. When I see them though I only get that little bit of time to make it matter.
#7: Things will work out if you let them. Even when its someone you've known forever, dating is rough after getting a divorce. I doubted everything, your faith in people completely disappears for awhile. If it was any other man I don't think it would have worked out. He worked so hard on proving I could trust him and he would be there when I needed him most. And its genuine. I hate that its long distance but I think it was the best way to start. Thanks to technology we can still talk but I get my space when I need it. He's the right man for me and I'm so blessed to have him back in my life.
I'm sure I could keep going but I think those are the highlights. I can't say I'm a completely different person and where I want to be in life. I'm getting there though.
#1: I can cook. And not just mac n' cheese from a box cook but really cook. And its not as hard as it seems. Its one area of my life that I can't multitask though, so it takes me longer to make something than other people. But trying new recipes with new ingredients isn't as scary as it was before.
#2: Along with that, I can clean, and pay bills, and work out, and schedule appointments and be fully responsible for myself. If I don't know how to do something, I'll find someone who can help me. The things that need to get done will get done, even if I'm uncomfortable doing them (like calling people).
#3: I do not need other people to make me happy. I came down here thinking I would make a ton of friends and have this amazing social life. Nope. My coworkers and I get along really well, but I don't spend much time with them outside of class. I don't get along with 3 out of the 4 other girls in my program. It used to bother me a lot, but I've summed it up to not having much in common with them. Which helped me learn another thing: some people just won't like me, and its not because of anything I did. There's nothing wrong with me that makes them not like me. Unfortunately some people have a pre-formed opinion of "people like you" and you can't change that. Other peoples' opinions of me still matters, but I'm not going to let it get me down.
#4: No more drama. Gossiping gets you nowhere. I still think its ok to talk to other people about whats going on in my friends' lives. But being judgmental about other people's decisions is not allowed. Its hard to not say negative things about other people, especially when you don't like them. Life is so much easier though when you don't have to worry about who hears what and how it'll effect them.
#5: I am capable. I can get things done. I can do new things. The only person who can tell me no is me. So I can do new craft projects and go to new places by myself and make my own decisions. Its awkward to do it alone but the more I do the more indepent and confident I feel.
#6: Max out your time with loved ones. Being 1000 miles away from my family and fiance has been tough. Being happy with being independent doesn't mean I don't miss having someone there to enjoy life with. When I see them though I only get that little bit of time to make it matter.
#7: Things will work out if you let them. Even when its someone you've known forever, dating is rough after getting a divorce. I doubted everything, your faith in people completely disappears for awhile. If it was any other man I don't think it would have worked out. He worked so hard on proving I could trust him and he would be there when I needed him most. And its genuine. I hate that its long distance but I think it was the best way to start. Thanks to technology we can still talk but I get my space when I need it. He's the right man for me and I'm so blessed to have him back in my life.
I'm sure I could keep going but I think those are the highlights. I can't say I'm a completely different person and where I want to be in life. I'm getting there though.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Dresses!
This last month has been crazy with school so I've been bad about updating this. Usually the end of the semester is a really stressful time for me, but this semester its moving pretty slow.
Wedding plans are moving along quickly.
I went up to Minnesota over the fourth of July weekend and had a lot of fun. The boy found a nice bakery that specializes in wedding cheesecakes. We're not sure if we're going to use them, but the cakes were pretty tasty! We also met with a photographer and got her booked. So now its only flowers, transportation, and a hotel block for our guests and we have about everything!
Now onto the main event: WEDDING DRESSES! I've been trying since May. I bought a dress at the beginning of June, only to find out the company was going out of business and weren't going to send a new dress. The store was offering to sell me the sample at a discount, which is a size too big. While I was in Minn. over the 4th weekend, the boy and I looked at dresses. Turns out we have different taste in dresses, with him liking more dramatic dresses and me liking something more simple. After looking with him I went into panic mode because I was convinced he wouldn't like what I bought. After a couple more rounds of dresses I got it down to these 3.
I actually made a decision out of these three but don't want the boy to know exactly which one it is. So everyone will have to guess until the big day!
Original dress I bought. My sister and I are holding hands because we're silly.
The boy's favorite dress. Ignore the face though, I had no warning of when the picture was being taken.
I love the shape of this one. Its really simple (which the boy doesn't like) but I feel like a lot could be done with it.
Wedding plans are moving along quickly.
I went up to Minnesota over the fourth of July weekend and had a lot of fun. The boy found a nice bakery that specializes in wedding cheesecakes. We're not sure if we're going to use them, but the cakes were pretty tasty! We also met with a photographer and got her booked. So now its only flowers, transportation, and a hotel block for our guests and we have about everything!
Now onto the main event: WEDDING DRESSES! I've been trying since May. I bought a dress at the beginning of June, only to find out the company was going out of business and weren't going to send a new dress. The store was offering to sell me the sample at a discount, which is a size too big. While I was in Minn. over the 4th weekend, the boy and I looked at dresses. Turns out we have different taste in dresses, with him liking more dramatic dresses and me liking something more simple. After looking with him I went into panic mode because I was convinced he wouldn't like what I bought. After a couple more rounds of dresses I got it down to these 3.
I actually made a decision out of these three but don't want the boy to know exactly which one it is. So everyone will have to guess until the big day!
Original dress I bought. My sister and I are holding hands because we're silly.
The boy's favorite dress. Ignore the face though, I had no warning of when the picture was being taken.
I love the shape of this one. Its really simple (which the boy doesn't like) but I feel like a lot could be done with it.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Bad Blogger 2
I'm so bad about updating this! I started my new client last week. About half the time he's really fun and half the time he's not interested in doing anything. My supervisor has been really helpful in helping me figure out the best way to work with him though. I'm so lucky to have gotten the work assignments I got. School is going ok. Its definitely a busier semester but so far so good.
About 3 weeks ago my allergies flared up. It was so bad that I got an ear infection. Of course this happened right when my family was down. We went to Sea World, Universal Studios, and Busch Gardens. Because of my ear infection I couldn't really go on any rides. My mom and I had a good time walking around the parks though.
While they were here we also went and looked at wedding dresses. The dresses at the first store didn't get too much of a reaction. I tried on my favorite at the second store and everyone loved it! The dress is everything I was looking for in a wedding dress. We also might have found the bridesmaids dresses as well.
A few other wedding related decisions have been decided as well. A friend from the Nest is a graphic designer and makes invitations. We both just happened to love an invitation in her Etsy store. We both received our sample invitations in the mail today and they're perfect! Here is a sample picture from her Etsy page (EdenCreativeStudio):
We're in the process of choosing a photographer as well. Right now we're down to 2 photographers and trying to talk to them about details. Its a bit hard since I'm unable to just pop into their studio, but I'm sure we can make a decision without me meeting with them in person.
I say this every post but I will try to be better about posting in the future!
About 3 weeks ago my allergies flared up. It was so bad that I got an ear infection. Of course this happened right when my family was down. We went to Sea World, Universal Studios, and Busch Gardens. Because of my ear infection I couldn't really go on any rides. My mom and I had a good time walking around the parks though.
While they were here we also went and looked at wedding dresses. The dresses at the first store didn't get too much of a reaction. I tried on my favorite at the second store and everyone loved it! The dress is everything I was looking for in a wedding dress. We also might have found the bridesmaids dresses as well.
A few other wedding related decisions have been decided as well. A friend from the Nest is a graphic designer and makes invitations. We both just happened to love an invitation in her Etsy store. We both received our sample invitations in the mail today and they're perfect! Here is a sample picture from her Etsy page (EdenCreativeStudio):
We're in the process of choosing a photographer as well. Right now we're down to 2 photographers and trying to talk to them about details. Its a bit hard since I'm unable to just pop into their studio, but I'm sure we can make a decision without me meeting with them in person.
I say this every post but I will try to be better about posting in the future!
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