What a difference a YEAR makes...

To say I'm a blogging slacker is an understatement. It's not that I've had nothing to write about (believe me, I have), it's just that life has been so hectic lately that it's hard to find time to sit down and summarize it all. So here's my lowly attempt to cover the last years worth of events.

1. Savannah Birthday trip

Last September, I decided that years of not doing anything for my birthday were over and that it was finally time to do something memorable (Jeremy didn't agree, but we'll get to that in a minute). So, some friends and I planned a trip to the GORGEOUS city of Savannah, GA. My friends Bryan and Ben flew into Raleigh from Washington, DC and Colorado. The three of us made the 5 hour journey to Savannah to meet Zac and Shannon who were coming in from Alabama.

This could be a stand alone post and probably should have been. We went to a piano bar, had cigars on the river, did our best Forrest Gump impression, visited Tybee Island, fed alligators and talked to parrots. It was an absolute blast and one of the best birthday celebrations I've ever had thanks to a group of great friends.

1st night on the river

On River Street in front of the bridge.

Eating at the crab shack after visiting Tybee Island.

2. I'm dropping the "O"

That sounds kind of cold. It wasn't meant to be. After the whole birthday trip (and a long time before, really), I knew there was something wrong in my marriage. I'm not going to delve in too deeply here, but we decided right after I came back that we should probably go our separate ways. At first it was very mutual, then it wasn't, and now (9-10 months later) I think we're on good terms. Jeremy is a fantastic person. He's funny, incredibly intelligent, and a very hard worker. There are some negatives that I won't list because it's not necessary. He's perfect for someone, just not me.

3. Gaining a Zo

Moving on to more positive things, back in October I got a new puppy. I had no intention of getting a dog. While visiting my friends Ward and Lisa, I met Ward's cousins, Dennis and Nicole, who breed dogs. Now before you flip out, I DID NOT BUY a dog. Repeat: I DID NOT BUY a dog. We were simply sitting around discussing animals and I was telling them about Tobey, my maltipoo that passed away and literally broke my heart. No, really...it hasn't worked right since. That's when Dennis said that he had a little schoodle (schnauzer/poodle mix) that had lost one of her legs and he would be willing to give her away but only to a good home. Of course I had to go see her. That was it...game over.

These are old pictures, but she's my baby girl and has completely captured my <3.

4. Moving on to better things

There are lots of good things on the horizon. Without going into a lot of detail (I don't want to jinx any of it), I have an interview Friday for a job that I think I might actually be able to enjoy and there's a chance that I'll be selling my house. Well, not exactly. I'll be leasing it to someone who has the intention of buying it. That's what I'm hoping anyway.

One very positive addition to my life has been the new guy in it. His name is Clint and I'll tell you about him later. Just know that he makes me incredibly happy. So anyway, cross your fingers and say a little prayer for me that everything will work out for the best. I'm not going to necessarily pray for what I want, I'm going to pray that whatever will improve my life happens.

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Let me tell you how great my little brother is...

My little brother may be the cutest kid alive....Scratch that. My little brother IS the cutest kid alive. Don't argue, I'm right about this. Although I've probably mentioned him before, I'll pretend that you have no idea who I'm talking about and introduce him. His name is Derek and he's a handsome, blonde-haired, blue-eyed 10 year old. Seriously, I think my mom saved up all the cute genes and gave them to him. How did I end up a hazel-eyed redhead covered in freckles and he gets a tan just by thinking about going outside. It's not fair I tell you!

Enough of being jealous of a 10 year old. On to this weekend. Just like his namesakes (Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez....and yes, I did name my brother when I was 14) he loves to play baseball. In fact, he even plays shortstop...gets me all verklempt I'm so proud! And he had a game this past Thursday. He's been a little scared of the ball when he goes up to bat ever since a boy on his team got his nose broken by a pitch. Hey, it would scare me too if I were him. But he did really well and paid attention to the pitches as they came across the plate. Here's a photo that I got of him up at bat. (Note to self: I really have to get in the habit of carrying around a camera instead of using the one on my iphone.)

Did I mention that I LOVE the fact that he's a lefty?! I think he got walked here, but a walk is as good as a hit, right? After the game, I told him that since he did so well playing that I would pick him up from school the next day. No greater words could be uttered to a kid his age.

Sidebar: I love my new job (so far.) I can't complain too much about it especially since they just spent $2,200 on a new computer for me. But let's face it, there will probably be a run-in with the sales guy I work with. Mainly because I get the feeling that he's entitled and thinks he shouldn't do certain aspects of his job that he should have been doing all along. But that's another post entirely. I'm getting off track. The reason I brought up that I love my job is because I can work extra hours M-Th and get to leave early on Friday. Great, right? So I left at 12:00 on Friday and went to pick Derek up EARLY!!

The smile on his face when he walked into the office to meet me was priceless. (I also ran into my 6th grade english teacher and surprisingly she remembered my name. It's surprising because that was back in 1995—I think—and I came in during the middle of the year. Good to see her though and she really hasn't aged at all.)

Let me also say that Derek is one of the sweetest kids you'll ever meet. I told him it was his day, we could do anything he wanted (right after I had lunch of course.) So, I asked him, "what do you want to do?"......Derek: "Well, what do YOU want to do?"....Me: "No, no, no...this is your decision. We can go to a museum, go see a movie...whatever.".....Derek: "Let's go see Grandma first."

So precious, I swear. Since I was starving and he's always hungry, we went to Pizza Villa to grab a bite to eat. When I went to take a picture of him, he looked angry, so I told him to smile. This is the expression I got:

Good enough I suppose. After taking in the greatness that is pizza crackers and a pizza, we went to visit Grandma at work. That's right, my grandma is 72 and still working. Ca-razy lady.

After visiting her, Derek decided that we should go to a museum. The Museum of Natural Science in Raleigh to be precise. Ok, fine by me. He picked this particular one because he had just learned about dinosaurs and wanted to see if they had any. This was right after he told me that a T-Rex has 6 inch teeth. (Random, but cute) We set our course and were Raleigh bound. As I drove, we played bowling on my phone. I say "we" played because Derek played for both of us and would tell me what I scored. I still think that it was suspicious that he always beat me.

Not sure what hit him in Goldsboro, but he wanted to see if they had any 3-D movies at the movie theater. Ummm....ok. Shrek in 3-D just happened to have a show in 30 minutes. After careful consideration, he chose the movie instead of the museum. After all, he said, the museum is gonna be there later. The movie might be gone.

Sidebar: Holy 3-D movie prices! Ridiculous. And we got popcorn and a drink because: 1. Derek is always hungry...2. He had a bad taste in his mouth? Mmmmk...sidebar over.

The movie was really cute and the 3-d effects were very well done, actually. I could tell because during one part Derek leaned over and said, "Woah...that was cool."

Anyway, to sum this whole thing up (it really wasn't supposed to be this long), I'm thinking of making this a Friday tradition. Can't really think of a better way of spending a Friday afternoon than with the world's cutest kid. Well, I'm off to work in my garden. Hope everyone had a great weekend :)

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Hiatus...

Just wanted to give a little update to prove that I'm still here! Things have been so hectic lately with the new job and just getting some things done around the house.

Still waiting on some direction at work. Hopefully that will happen sometime tomorrow. Gotta work on a marketing plan and maybe (just maybe...fingers crossed) ordering a new computer. For the record, I hate PCs...I'm totally a Mac girl. We shall see though.

At home, just the usual. The garden is really doing well. Already harvested some squash and the tomatoes are just about ready as well. Who cares about that stuff though, right? I'm waiting on the cantelope and watermelon!

I'm kind of bummed that a bunch of my friends are heading to Vegas to visit Mike and Steph this weekend. Not so much bummed that they're going (happy for them), I'm mad that I can't go. Seriously...who plans to go across the country on a whim and expects everyone to be able to drop everything and go too?! That being said, if anyone wants to donate $900 to the "Send Jewel and Jeremy to Vegas 5 Months Earlier than Expected" fund, just let me know! No...really........

On another note, somebody needs to inspire me to crochet again. One thing that would help is to make me jealous of something that you made so I feel the need to try to make something better (and usually fail). I just have no drive to do it lately and it's irritating.

Now, back to pretending to work until they actually give me something to really do. Here's to hoping that I don't get caught blogging at work!

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Magnificent Monday! Except for LOST ending...

Who would have thought I would be saying that?! But really, I've had a great weekend and the greatness has rolled over into Monday.

We had an absolutely fantastic time with our friends from Vegas, Mike & Steph. Got to introduce them to some of our local cuisine—El Norteno, The Flying Shamrock, and of course, MY KITCHEN! No...seriously....stop laughing.

It really was wonderful though. Entirely too short if you ask me, but we managed to have a blast...we even snuck in some bowling! If all goes as planned, we'll be visiting them in Vegas in 5 months! Fingers crossed, people. Fingers crossed!

I was kind of bummed after they left yesterday though. Mainly because it's such a downer to sit at the house on a overcast Sunday when the previous 4 days had been filled with so much to do. I did manage to get my house the cleanest it's been in months and I finished the last season of Arrested Development. Got to get ready for the movie, you know! Not all of Sunday was gloomy though. My loving hubby did make me some homemade bruschetta featuring fresh basil from my very own garden! It's the first thing we've eaten from it and it was soooooo goooood! Jeremy was amazed. Seriously...amazed. He couldn't believe how much of a difference there was between dried and fresh basil. Amaaaazzzeeddd.

AND I finally got to see the finale of Lost. Oh how I love that show. I hate that empty feeling I get whenever I get so engrossed in a story and the lives of the characters and it comes to an end. It feels like a friend died. Well...in this case they did.

I have really mixed feelings about this. On one hand, I think they did a brilliant job of tying up the end in relation to the beginning. I love the attention to detail with the opening and closing of Jack's eye to begin and end the saga. I cried throughout the finale, especially as they each remembered what had happened to them. I also cried because I won't get to see Richard, Jack, and Sawyer all in one place again (man. are. they. hot.) But there's still so many unanswered questions. I feel like we don't know what happens to a lot of the characters and how they end up there. And what about all the mysteries of the island?! Seriously...what.the.heck? Who built that flippin' statue? Where was Walt and Michael? I'm still so lost....oh....how ironic. I get it now.

Almost forgot...started my new job today. Kinda scary, not gonna lie. Really hope I can live up to their expectations, but so far I LOVE being a marketing director. We'll see what tomorrow holds.

Anyway, I'm off to find another show to become obsessed with. Don't think it will be nearly as intense as this was. Thanks, Lost.

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Cell phone providers are modern day vampires...

Seriously, why do they have to be the only carrier of the iPhone right now? I hate them. I didn't really hate them before, but I do now.

Why you ask? Well, I'll tell you. As I went to pay my bill online, a surprisingly large number popped up in the payment section. Since I pay a ridiculous amount of money to them every month anyway ($150 for 2 phones/550 min.), I was caught off guard when I saw that I owed $345...wha Wha WHAT?!

Here's my problem. Ok, we went over our minutes. I get that. But charging us 45¢/min is absolutely ludicrous, especially considering that when we switched plans (not carriers, just PLANS), we lost 9000+ rollover minutes. Yeah, that's minutes that I paid for and never used, just gone down the drain. So, that's why I'm pretty upset when they charge an insane fee for going over a small fraction of that. AT&T, I'm not amused.

There are a couple of things that have made me happy lately. First, I sold my camera: YAY! Can't wait to buy a new one, but right now I really needed a new work wardrobe. So I took some of that money and put it towards clothes. The greatest thing about this is that it was Jeremy's idea for me to go shopping for myself. How great is that? Absolutely LOVE that man. My friend, Kari, and I went out shopping on Wednesday. She was shopping for cute dress to wear to a wedding, so I tagged along. Thank goodness we didn't make it to the mall because I spent about $300 at Kohl's, Target, and the Dress Barn. Came out with some really great pieces though. Got 2 pairs of shoes, 5 pairs of pants, 8 shirts, necklace, and earrings. Not bad, I think. Simply cannot wait to do it again!

Jeremy's planning on selling some of his extra music equipment to give us some extra money to put towards some small renovations on the house and just to have a little cushion in the bank. If everything sells, it'll give us around $6,000 (part of which goes to a new camera?). So keep your fingers crossed for us!

Yet another thing that made me happy is a call I got from my new employer. They wanted to know what day I wanted to start. Turns out they want me to start on a Monday instead of the previous Thursday. This will give me a 5 day weekend in between switching jobs. LOVE IT!

We've also got some friends who might be coming into town. They're in Virginia right now and we're trying to make plans to meet up somewhere. More than likely they'll just spend the weekend with us. It'll be great because they're so flippin' funny! Our plans were foiled by the snow last time they were around, so hopefully everything will go smoothly this time. So excited!

Ugh...it has happened again. I get on here to write about one thing and I just start rambling on and on about an entirely different subject. Oh well. Maybe next time I can stay on topic ;)

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Love it when a plan comes together...

YAY! I'll scream it again...YAY! My interview yesterday was fantastic! Just have to go in on Monday and discuss benefits, salary, etc. with the accountant. Not sure if you can tell, but I'm absolutely stoked about this job and everything it brings.

I'll be working in Kinston again, which I love. Never in a million years would I want to live there, but working there is fantastic thanks to the ease of getting around town and the great selection of local eateries to have lunch. I also will get to travel to Myrtle Beach twice a year for regional conventions (will never complain about that). One of the other wonderful aspects is the amount of creative freedom that comes with it. The owner basically said that she wants a marketing department that can run on its own <----No micro-managing?! Sign me up!

But by far my favorite part of this new venture is...moving back to Goldsboro! We've already picked out the place we would like to relocate, and let me just tell you, it's incredible! I'm including some photos just so you can get an idea of how incredible it is. (To make things perfectly clear, I'm NOT buying another house anytime soon. Not when I can live in a place like this and not have the headache of lawn care, maintenance, etc.)

Just in case you were wondering, I AM in love! These are the newest apartment complexes in Goldsboro and they're gorgeous! It's just an added bonus that they are in a great location that is minutes away from everything, but aren't in the middle of town. I'm so ready to sell my house and start packing. Unfortunately, this is going to be a while down the road. There's a lot to be done to get the house ready for sale, so guess what I'll be doing in my free time for the next several weeks? Oh, and of course my apartment will look EXACTLY like the photos above...lol. That is, obviously, after I sell/throw out every item that we own and buy all new furniture. While that most likely won't happen, there will be a budget set up specifically for home improvements. When Jeremy said that, I fell in love with him all over again :)

Well, enough rambling for now. I'm not even sure if I made a concise thought in any of that up above. Either way, have a fabulous Friday, everyone and enjoy your weekend!

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Lots of new things happening...

Along with the new season has come the birth of productivity. So many things are getting accomplished thanks simply to the power of a list! There's something so gratifying about crossing each item off as it's finished. So far, the garden has been planted, the bathroom painted, and the business of crocheting is underway. Which reminds me, here's the most recent addition to my little crocheted bed buddies family:

Not as cute as the bunnies that I previously made, but the little kitty will do :) Next up on the agenda: Elephant. It's probably going to be a little more difficult that the others, so wish me luck. I simply cannot wait to have enough made to start an Etsy store. My MIL is coming up with some great matching pieces and ideas as well. Going to be cute!

Speaking of cute, check out this photo of the world's smallest horse that was just born. 6 lbs., people! How flippin' adorable is this little guy?! Everyone take a look at "Einstein" and on the count of three.....1....2....3...Awwwwwww!

By the way, I've got a second interview for the marketing director position on Thursday, so keep your fingers crossed and have a happy Tuesday!

P.S. New header...woohoo!

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Thursday is just a Friday wannabe...

So, I spoiled myself and took yesterday off. Well, not completely off. I did have a job interview yesterday afternoon. I think it went well, but you can never really tell with these things. I do know that it's a lot easier to be relaxed when you already have a job. But other than the hour that I was there, I spent the rest of the day slacking off and crocheting. While it's certainly not as difficult as it used to be, there is still a lot to learn. Slowly but surely, however, I'm starting to get the hang of it. Here's my latest creations:

The little bunny even sold yesterday! Ok, well, I sold it to my MIL, but it still counts! When I get several of them made, an Etsy store might need to be in order. Not a huge money making scheme by any means, but it'll help pay for more yarn!

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WAAAaayyyy behind

Ok, lots going on lately. I've kind of fallen behind in my blogging (like someone else I know). So look for the upcoming blogs about: Family game night, Topher at the festival, the new job, henna party, and anything else I can think of. Unfortunately, can't write about any of those in detail right now because I have to finish cleaning my house and preparing for the first of those things in the list. Now I just need Jeremy to get home from the grocery store so I can start cooking. Later All! Happy Mother's Day :)

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Falling Behind

Ok, I'm really tired of working double shifts at work. It's for a good cause, however. The girl I work with is dealing with her husband being deployed, so I understand. BUT, I'm still getting tired of it. One of the main reasons is that I don't have enough time to do everything I want to do at home. The main thing being CLEAN! I'm having to prioritize things. For instance, my kitchen is clean, but there's a pile of clothes that have been washed and I still haven't hung them up. I'm sure there are people who disagree with me, but I feel like it is much more important to go outside to exercise and socialize with Topher rather than hang up a pair of jeans. I'll be so glad when it's over in a couple of weeks. 

There's also something I kind of want to vent about. I'm so angry with my husband's employer. Jeremy is an extremely dedicated worker and I think that he gets taken advantage of sometimes because of this. He had an opportunity recently to take a different position in the company that would include a higher salary and switching to a daytime work shift. His supervisor wanted to keep him on nights though, so he told him that if he stayed where he is, he would get a raise and they would create a "leadership" position for him. In order for any of this to take place, they needed to find someone to take over his current job first. The BIGGEST problem with this is that they're not advertising for his spot. Not only that, but after being told that he would definitely get a pay raise, they told him that probably wasn't going to happen. So, basically what is left when you combine all these elements is one irritable Jeremy. One thing that really bothers him is that his supervisor is a friend and now Jeremy feels like he's been lied to. Now, my husband is extremely non-confrontational. However, I'm not. I have a feeling that my red-headed temper might flare up should I come in contact with this particular person in the near future. I still like this guy on a personal level, but I get so frustrated seeing Jeremy work so hard and still get the shaft. Hopefully, he will find something that suits him and makes him content soon so he doesn't come home at 11:00 each night having had a terrible day. Keeping our fingers crossed.

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Feelin' Good

Not only is that a great song by Michael Bublé,  but it aptly describes my mood today. As stated earlier, I had a job interview this morning and things went pretty well. I think so, anyway. I don't want to jinx it, but hopefully things will work out with this position. If all of the stars aline, Jeremy and I might be moving to Greenville in the future. Woohoo! We've been discussing moving out of La Grange for a while and I think we would love living in Greenville (can you say "shopping!").  But I'm getting ahead of myself. All I can do now is pray and hope for the best :) 

On a completely different and random note, thought I would share two of my new loves: Flight of the Conchords and podcasts. That's right, world! I'm finally catching up. Now, bear in mind that I've had access to both of these for quite some time now. The credit for both of these should really go to my iPhone (oh, how I love thee). So, I just have some recommendations for some great entertainment and learning possibilities. Just go to YouTube and type in Flight of the Conchords. Any of the videos are hilarious. As for podcasts, my favs have to be "Stuff You Didn't Know" and "Stuff You Missed in History Class." The second one is a little hard to get used to for me because I hate their voices, but the information is fantastic. So, do yourself a favor and look these up. You can thank me later ;)

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My new addiction

No, it's not drugs, gambling, or alcohol...it's crocheting. That's right, I said crocheting. I have to admit I love it. I wouldn't go as far as to say that it's a new talent, but I have fun doing it and it's interesting trying to actually create something. On that note, I'd thought I would share my first "real" creation. I've been slowly working on this for a couple months. It was originally supposed to be completed by April 4th in time for my niece's christening, but I'm a little slow. Anyway, it's finished and I'm surprisingly proud of it. Here's the finished product: 

Not too shabby for a first attempt, in my opinion. On another note, I'm in a great mood today. Today, I booked another wedding (which is awesome!) and I have a job interview scheduled for tomorrow. Hopefully things will work out! I'll give ya an update later :)

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