So many changes...

So, since my last post I have been sick, the hole in my apartment has finally been fixed, I have gotten into an accident, and picked up another job. Little more explanation...

So, the Saturday after my birthday my throat started to hurt. I assumed the trouble was just too much birthday partying so I didn't think too much of it.

Saturday was my friend Britt's 21st birthday party! Kendol and I went out to his parents house for a cook-out before going to Fever to do some dancing. I wasn't drinking since I had drank quite a bit at my own party, I had to work the next day, and Britt's parents house was quite a ways outside the city. So, I make it back into town, get to the street that the club is on (which is about 2 mile from my apartment) and get into an accident! I side swiped a mini-van trying to turn lanes. My car wasn't too damaged, I broke the passenger side mirror and I put a good dent in the back panel of the mini-van. The guy I hit was pretty cool about the whole thing but we had to wait for about an hour before the police showed up and about an hour and a half total. I now have to go to court on Friday, August 31 to get my sentencing, but she gave me a ticket for an improper lane change. Unfortunately I never made it into the club and never got to do any dancing!! But, at least the accident wasn't too bad! And, I found out that Progressive is a pretty good car insurance company... I called them while we were waiting for the police to arrive, the had given me a claim number and set up a time for my car to be fixed. I got a free rental while they were fixing it and they did all the work. The car has been fixed and I am pretty satisfied with the service they provided.

Kendol's friend Carrie, who is currently living in Wisconsin but grew up down here, was in town for a friend's wedding and Kendol wanted to see her before she had to head back home so on Sunday we hung out with her and a few other guys at one of the guy's apartment pool. It was a lot of fun and his friend Carrie is really sweet.

The only trouble... I woke up the next morning and couldn't talk! My throat felt huge and I could barely get two words out before it hurt. So, I called in sick and planned to lay around all day and maybe watch some television. However, I slept until 11am, got up for about an hour before realizing that I wouldn't be able to stay up. Went back to sleep, did the same thing between 5pm and 6pm. Got up again at 9pm stayed up until about 10:30pm before going back to sleep. I slept the entire day!! And the sad part is, when I woke up on Tuesday I didn't feel any better! I called in sick again! However, by about noon on Tuesday I was at least able to stay awake!

I felt good enough to get some work done on Wednesday so I went to work and took a training class (they are giving us training Tuesday-Thursday for the next month so I have been having to go in on some of my off days) and then went to Buckhead Church to do some volunteering. The lady I volunteer for suggested that I give her my resume, they are looking for some people in their Information Technology department. So, once I got home I sent her my resume. The next day I had an email from Human Resources wanting to set up an interview. I went online and found that the job they were hiring for was part time, something I can do in my off days from Cbeyond. So, I had my interview and I now have a job! I am working for the church on Wednesdays and Thursdays starting next week.

On Thursday I had to stop down to the DMV to get my tags on my car renewed. I never remember but I need to bring them cash so it always takes me twice as long as it should since I have to stand in line twice but the building is right on the marta line and its much easier to take marta than it is to drive and find free parking so I took that. After getting my tags I went to work again for another training class and I started feeling really groggy again! This time it was more in my nose and chest... By Saturday night I was coughing enough to keep me awake and by Sunday night I was not able to sleep. Monday morning I finally broke down and called the doctor but they were not able to get me in until Tuesday so Monday night I slept sitting up and that worked pretty well. Tuesday I stopped in and the doctor prescribed me a cough medicine and an antibiotic. I went to the doctor on my lunch break and went back to work after I got the medicine. I took the medicine at work and it made me really dizzy!!! I got soooo sick at work the guys here though I should go home... but I was afraid to drive! So, I took a nap in the break room and stayed here until I thought I was well enough to drive home without getting sick on the way... which was an hour after my shift ended! I made it home safely, slept all night, and woke up feeling much better. I called my doctor and got a new antibiotic. I did much better after that!

And finally, I have been dealing with the ceiling hole and mold for the the last month since there was a leak in my bathroom ceiling about a month ago. Kendol cleaned up the mold and I have been contacting the office and writing them letters (as stated in my contract) for the past month with no real service on getting the ceiling patched up. So finally last week I wrote them a letter stating I would have to contact a lawyer and find out my legal rights if the hole was not patched up within the next week. On Thursday I got a call from the office manager stating it would be fixed that day... and it was! I was shocked but very happy. I spent Thursday night cleaning out that bathroom (it was fixed but they made a mess doing so) and then Friday night cleaning out the rest of the apartment. The worst part was the closet so I re-arranged it and got rid of about 3 bags of cloths. I am getting my closet down to only what I am really wearing, which is all I really have room for anyway.

After cleaning, Kendol and I went to our friend Whitney and Carol's apartment for a small party. It was nice to be out and feel well! I had a lot of fun too!!

Happy Birthday!!

I had a wonderful birthday! I spent the first half of it at the gym then relaxing. I took a really, really long nap! Loved every minute of it... hehe!

Then at night my friends and I went out to Eclipse di Luna, a tapas restaurant in Buckhead, for dinner and drinks. There was a live Latin band and the atmosphere was excellent! We got their 'all-you-can-drink-and-eat' special and we were able to drink sangria's, beer, and wine as well as an assortment of tapas for 2 1/2 hours. You better believe my friends know how to take advantage of that!! We had a blast drinking, eating, talking, and being goofy.

One of my friends got me a birthday cake and part way thru the evening they brought out the cake... the entire restaurant helped sing happy birthday. If I remember correctly the band even played along with them (however, it may have just been music in my head... I had quite a bit to drink)!!

I got a few other really fun presents. Grandma & Grandpa E. sent me a very pretty cross (which is about to be hung in the bedroom). My parents sent me a music-playing birthday card which was reminiscent of our Nashville trip (i.e. it plays country music) and when we were in Nashville they bought me a purse and bathing suit as well as helped finish my apartment up when they were here! Kendol took me out for the dinner and bought me a very nice outfit... dress, shoes, purse, and lotion. However, the dress didn't fit so it will have to be returned. Kendrick bought me a very cute D&B pink purse. Marcus and Ashley got me a pink rolling pin and mat from William Sonoma. Whitney and Carol bought me an assortment of goodies including a thong, candle and holder, and shot glasses. Victor stated my gift is 'in the mail' and I will get it next week with dinner at his apartment. And last but not least Cleveland gave me a gift certificate from Bed, Bath and Beyond. I have such thoughtful friends and family and I love all the gifts I received!!

After dinner we went to my friend Los' apartment for the after party. However most of us were wiped out by the actual party so the after party was quite short. I have no clue what time I got home but woke up around 10am... with only a slight headache. It wasn't anything that an Advil, some coffee, and a good breakfast couldn't take care of!

I am working on getting all of the pictures uploaded. It should be completed soon and once they are they will be added with the rest of the pics on the left hand side. I still am loving the camera my parents bought me for Christmas. And, you can thank my friend Kendrick for all the wonderful pictures... he is always my camera man! I can remember to bring the camera but can never remember to take pictures!

Other birthday news... on Monday the guys at work got me cake and ice cream as well (since I am generally only at work with everyone on Mondays). And, the cake was made from scratch by one of the techs! It was very good!


In other news, cause I know not everything this week revolved around my birthday... even though I think it should have! Hehe.

The air conditioning in the building stopped working on Sunday... and we just got it back today! Gotta love it. This week we had record breaking temperatures in Atlanta and of course, no air! The temps have been over 100 degrees... with the heat index putting the air temperatures over 108. And, they stated that the pavement temperatures (can you believe they can now tell you how hot the pavement is??) are in the 140's! So, you can imagine how hot my apartment could get! Luckily at night we were able to turn the air fan on high, open the one window that my apartment has, and let the 70 degree temperatures circulate. Then in the morning we would shut everything up and leave all of the lights off. Also, we elected to have dinner out of the apartment instead of cooking. All in all it really did stay quite cool in here!

After a lot of thought I have decided not to continue with the same volunteering group thru Hands on Atlanta so I will have to find another group to volunteer with. There was a gap between my believes and theirs. Even though they were really nice people I don't think I can volunteer with them and have a clean Christian conscious.

But, I am now volunteering on Wednesdays and Fridays at my church. The lady that I am helping works Sunday thru Wednesday so I come in on Wednesday and help her with random office work and then on Fridays I get all of the bulletins ready for Sunday.

Well, back to uploading pictures and this apartment needs a good cleaning!

Volunteering

So, I have had another busy week!!

The chruch has updated the name for the 'small group'... they now call them 'community groups' which is probably good because everyone at work makes fun of the name 'small group' they say it sounds like an AA meeting or something. So, now I am trying to use the term community group when referring to the group of women I meet with on Monday evenings.

Either way, we have been reading a book called Peeking into a Box of Chocolates and we read a chapter basically on greed. They recommended volunteering as a way to help with greed, which is something that I had been wanting to do both in and out of church. The trouble for me was I work on Sundays and there was no real way for me to help out (I run straight from work to Church). So, I said a little prayer and then went onto their website. I didn't find anything about signing up as a weekday volunteer however I did find a link to become a member of the church. I decided to give it a try. So, I am now in the application stage of becomming a member of a church!

So, I went to church last Sunday and was thumbing thru the bulletin and found that they are now looking for weekday volunteers! God said 'ask and you shall receive' right! He wasn't kidding! So, on Monday I emailed the appropriate parties and started volunteering on Wednesday. It's mostly just light office work but its a start for volunteering inside the church.

But, that didn't take care of my want to volunteer outside the church. I did some more research online and found a group thru Hands on Atlanta that delivers food to the homeless. So, Wednesday morning I joined them and had my first experience inside a shelter. It was a mens shelter and it was an overflow shelter... so basically they take everyone that the other shelters didn't take. There were a few things that I am not sure about with the group but I need to keep volunteering... whether or not I stay with this same grouop.

On Thursday I went to a lecture at the High Art Museum. Kendol got me a Marta pass so I can now get around Atlanta without having to drive (its pretty nice) so I took that to the museum. I am a member of the Museum so I try to go at least once a month to check it out! On Thursday they had a lecture on a painting called 'Mrs. Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes (Edith Minturn)' by Cecilia Beaux. It was really interesting to learn about the lady who painted and the lady who was painted!

That night Victor and I had a 'Going Out' night. We went to Geisha House, a new sushi bar/lounge in Atlantic Station. We had a ton of fun people watching!!

Friday I did a ton of walking. I walked all around Piedmont Park, ran some errands, and walked to Trader Joes to get some groceries and then walked about a mile or so home. I think I over did it though because I woke up yesterday morning with a pretty sore back... which hasn't gotten better yet! Hopefully it won't take too long to get over this! Hehe!

Once again... pictures!

Oh so much fun (and work) seeing my parents!! Hehe!! I met up with my parents not last Sunday, but the Sunday before last in Nashville. They had gotten in Friday with my Uncle Mike & Aunt Linda and the 4 of them had rode around their Harleys and saw downtown Nashville, so they knew exactly where they wanted to go for dinner on Sunday night... Wild Horse Saloon. The Wild Horse was a ton of fun and we got free dance lessons. That's right, I, my parents and my Aunt Linda can now do a two step.

The next day, after my Aunt and Uncle left my parents took their vehicle in to get the air fixed and we drove my car out to The Hermitage - Home of Andrew Jackson. We spent most of the afternoon touring the house and grounds in 100 degree weather (my mom was a little warm) before heading back to Nashville for dinner at Hard Rock Cafe. Luckily before we got back to Nashville the vehicle was fixed so we picked that back up and drove it around... the air worked wonderfully. We toured the main streets, hopped in and out of a few bars, was asked for money by the largest bunch of beggars that I have ever seen... no lie, they were obese. Before heading back to our hotel room.

The next day was spent out at the Grand Ole Opry. Which, is HUGE. First we toured the Opry. Next we walked thru the Museum. We also toured the Opryland convention center/hotel/coolest place in Nashville! It was absolutely beautiful. Hard to describe so I would say just check out the pictures (as always... to the left, to the left). That night we watched a concert put on by a large list of people (Porter wagoner, Bellamy Brothers, Bill Anderson, Jimmy Dickens ~ very funny!, Trace Adkins ~ super tall!, Kellie Pickler ~ looooved her!, Pat Greene, and Jo Dee Messina). All in all, was my favorite day in Nashville. Unfortunately on the way back home the air died in my parents car... again!

So, our next day... the day to drive back to Atlanta started out a little later than planned. But, they thought they had the air working again so off we went. We took a quick detour thru the Jack Daniels distillery... and a bit of trivia for y'all... Jack is distilled in a dry county! Gotta love it. We did get our picture taken too while we were there. Check it out... can you find us in the line up?

We got back to the ATL around 8pm. We headed right back out to get some fabulous ribs at Fat Matt's Rib Shack. I think my Dad really, really liked it! Afterwards we headed down to Flicks on Fifth and watched Dream Girls for free! I love summer in Atlanta!

The next couple of days my parents helped me put the finishing touches on the apartment! It was wonderful, we got curtains hung, lights in (I now have a dining room light), I have a 'European' ice maker (aka ice cube trays), my closet door works, I have a dish towel holder, the balcony has a cover so I can sit outside and not get soaked and lights underneath of it, a step ladder so I can reach everything in the kitchen, and the bedroom is properly arranged. Also, they got me a tool box with some nice new power tools. Kendol, I have to say, is quite happy about the power tools. He didn't like it when I was trying to install everything after the move without the proper tools.

We also spent one day at my friend Victor's condo. He made us a fabulous dinner of boneless ribs, his home style mashed potatoes, and some veggies. It was wonderful. And I think everyone enjoyed the conversation, time with friends, and wonderful food. We stayed until after 11pm, but by that time we were all tired.

The next day, after a bunch of trips to home depot, ikea, the library and the mall we came home and finished all the projects that were listed above. While everyone was doing that I made us a steak dinner. It was wonderful and a dish that my friend Tahir, who has his food block on the left hand side of this blog, has made several times. There are a lot of versions of this dish, depending on what he or I have in the house, but they are all based on one thing, butter and high heat. Generally there is some kinda steak rub with whatever I have on hand which is put on room temperature steaks. Let that sit for about 15-20 minutes. Then I add some butter and honey. Pan seer it on high. Then the pan goes into the oven at anywhere between 350 to 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Let it sit 10 minutes (very important step... never leave this step out). Then a homemade sauce. Everyone seemed to love it! In my humble opinion no steakhouse can compare to my dish ;)~

Then, back to reality. Saturday morning when I got up for work my parents headed back home. They took a detour thru South Carolina so they could ride their motorcycles around the mountains. But they are back, safe and sound, in their own home. It was nice to have them here while it lasted.

However, that wasn't the end of the busy week for me. Saturday night was Ashley's birthday party. There were quite a few people taking pictures so I didn't even get my camera out but we had a blast. We went to an Italian restaurant out in the Highlands. Really cute, really good food! I was impressed. And I had bought a cake from Publix... always tasty!

On Sunday I had my normal shift at work and then went to Church. Then Monday was the usual Small Group.

Tuesday was anything but usual... I woke up and though, hmmm... my lip feels funny. I looked in a mirror and saw that my upper lip was sitting funny, a little puffy, and blotchy. And tingly. You know, like after you have a cavity filled, that kinda tingly. I think, well, maybe I just slept on it funny (maybe). So I wait but within a half hour my lower lip feels the same way. And then it starts spreading into the rest of my face and down into my neck. Hmm... I had my allergy shots the day before but they make you sit in their office for 20 minutes because if you have a reaction that's when it should happen. Non the less, I give the allergist a call. They tell me to take an allergy medication and then they write me a prescription and tell me to fill it and take it immediately. And, if the problems get worse see my doctor. I gotten 2 of the allergy tablets down but it was still getting worse so I called my doctor. They advise me to get the medication and go straight to their office. If I feel any difficulty breathing they asked that I skip their office and go right to the emergency room. I was scared to do that because the doctor is literally 2 miles from my apartment... the emergency room is a good 30 minute drive away.

But, I got my prescription and went straight to the doctors office. He looked at me and said it was a mild reaction, I shouldn't have to worry about breathing problems but injected me with a medication to help stop the numbing feeling much quicker than the prescription would do. After the injection I had to wait 30 minutes before I could leave and I could see why. It was a stimulant and it was like I drank a whole pot of really, really strong coffee. I was shaking!! It didn't help that I was afraid to eat that morning in case whatever I ate would aggravate my symptoms! But, after about 30 minutes I could once again pick up my glass of water and drink it. The doctor sent me home and told me to get some food in my stomach. I ate a ton when I got home and a few hours later I was no longer shaky... but really, really sleepy. I guess after the big high is the big low!

Yesterday Kendol and I were going to watch the last movie being played at Flicks on Fifth this summer, 300, however right when we left the apartment the heavens opened up and there was a huge lightning storm! Instead we stopped a Blockbuster and rented a movie!

Tonight I am hosting my first dinner party in the new place (thanks to mom and dad for all the help to make the dinner party possible). Victor, Roy, Ashley, Marcus, Carlos, and Britt should all be coming so I will have a full house. But I am ready! I am making lasagna, salad, and a fruit dessert. I am excited. Ok, now to take 30 minutes to clean, an hour at the pool, and time to start cooking!

More Pictures

I am sitting at home enjoying a relaxing Friday afternoon (well, for me its more like a morning... I slept in way too long). But, in the mist of watching Sex & The City re-runs I decided to upload some pictures that have been taken in the last week. I added them to the list on the left hand side. There are a few from the Peachtree Road Race from July 4 and some from VJ's graduation party last night. Enjoy!

Ok, time to get back to relaxing (and maybe a little cleaning)!

I'm in a VIDEO!!

Hehehe!!! If you have been keeping up in my blog you know that Ciara & 50 Cent shot a music video in front of my apartment about a month ago. Well, the video is out... and I didn't get cut!! Hehe!! Its a VERY quick shot, but if you watch it...



you will see that Kendol and I are sitting on the front stoop of my then apartment (now last) as she walks by in a yellow short suit. I am excited to at least be in the video!! P.S. the street she is walking down is never that clean (they kept watering down the sidewalk) nor that busy. You almost never see anyone sitting outside their apartments. But, still... very cool!

Heineken Party - Glenn Hotel

Last night I rounded up a few of my friends and we went to a release party for the new Heineken Light Slim can. The party was held at the new Glenn Hotel (formerly Bed Atlanta - where Victor's birthday party was) and we had a ton of fun!! There was free Heineken (the only beer I really drink) so we all enjoyed the music (the DJ rocked!!) !!

Only 5 more days until the big move! I am really excited for the change and am looking forwarded to a smaller place. We have just about everything boxed up and hopefully just enough boxes for the rest of the stuff we still have out. Although I am looking forward to the moved I will miss being neighbors with my friends Ashley and Marcus as well as the view from the apartment.

There is always something going on around here and that saying has never been more true than last Thursday. I was getting ready for Screen on the Green (last week they played Carwash) when Kendol came home and told me I had to move my car. Apparently my car was the only one still on the street in front of my apartment and there was something going on that they had to have it moved. After moving the car we noticed more and more people gathering in the empty lot across the street but because there are a lot of creative students around here (there is tons of different student housing within one mile in every direction of my apartment) we didn't think much of it. Then we got a knock on the door, answered it, and was asked by a nice female if we would mind if they used our stoop in a video that they were shooting. I didn't mind but out of curiosity I asked who or what the video was for. Apparently it was for a Ciara and 50-Cent video for the newly-released song 'Can't Leave 'Em Alone.' How exciting!! Since we were just sitting around inside the house we decided to sit outside and watch all the people at work... I was amazed at how many people it takes to put together a video! But, even more amazing they asked if we wanted to be in the video!! We are just background and all we did was sit on my front stoop and smile and wave as she walked by but it was fun!! We'll see if they keep us in the video or edit us out (I will let you know once the video is released) but it was fun to be a part of the commotion. I tried to take some pictures outside but was told that wasn't allowed so I took some pictures from my bedroom window of Ciara. I didn't see 50-Cent until we were about to leave for Screen On The Green and he was a little ways away on another street so I didn't get any pictures of him but you can check out the pictures I did take by clicking on the link on the left hand side.

You can thank my parents for the expanding picture section... they got me my camera for Christmas!!

Packing

Today is day #1 for packing. We got some of the items off the walls and got a couple of boxes packed (mainly wine glasses and such from the kitchen). I figure if we get a box or 2 packed every week then the last week we should be in pretty good shape. I have already gone thru the closet and the kitchen and got rid of a lot of items that are not used. Once we get into the new place I will have to get rid of anything that just doesn't fit.

Kendol and I will be going to a apartment-warming party for a friend of his tonight. I put together, what I thought to be, really cute house warming gifts!! Tell me what you think...

Yesterday, Kendol and I went to a taping of the Tyler Perry Show. He is a comedian who has done movies and TV. Right now he has a show called Tyler Perry's House of Payne. But he is wanting to start a talk show, which is what we went to. We were part of the 'live-studio-audience' and had a lot of fun... now lets see if this show actually goes on air!

After the show we went to Piedmont Park to watch Casablanca for 'Screen on the Green.' We met up with Marcus (Ashley was still working), Tod and Marie, and a couple of Marcus's friends. The nice thing about having Thursdays off is I am able to get there early enough to get us good seats. The show starts at dusk (about 9pm) and Kendol and I had gotten there around 6pm and we brought a picnic dinner (I had made BBQ Chicken the night before so we had the leftovers in sandwich form, watermelon, and the broccoli/cauliflower salad that I make) and a bottle of wine for while we waited. We got there a little late however and next week I am planning on being there around 4:00 so we can get a really good seat! I love sitting in the at the park anyway so this just give me a good excuse!!

And, starting next Wednesday 'Flicks on Fifth' starts again!! There are free movies and it takes place, most appropriately, on Fifth Street. Its fun being in the park and there are a lot more people who show up for Screen on the Green (I would guess there were 30,000 people there that night) however Flicks plays newer movies, ones that just came out of the theater, so that is fun too!

Sick Day

I stayed home from work today... I am not feeling well (again). And, I am not the only one, Kendol isn't feeling well either. But, we don't have the same things... I have a massive headache, sore throat, and achy. He has a stuffy nose and just feels bad. It would make so much more sense if we had the same problems!! Hehe.

Strawberries!!!

Kendol and I spent today surrounded by strawberries!! We drove out to Fayetteville (about 40 minutes away) and picked about 16 pounds of them. LOL!! Ton, I know. But, we made a lot of jam and one really nice strawberry pie out of them. And, obviously we still have some left over for snacking! Love it.

A lot of the day was actually spent looking for the jars to put the jam in and the Sure Jell to make the jam with. Apparently, not many people actually can food any more. I didn't realize... hehe! But, we found (large) mason jars at Big Lots and finally found the Sure Jell at Publix. The manager at Wal-Mart said they only carry canning supplies in the canning season. Which perplexed me, I assumed we were in the canning season as I was looking for canning supplies. Anyhoo...

We did have a lot of fun and will not run out of jam this year!! I will also have some to give to friends and Kendol's mom. I am guessing they will enjoy it. For pictures check out my food blog. Enjoy! I know I will!

(another) move!

yes, its true... I am moving again. Packing up my bags and moving just down the street from where I lived last year. Ok, so its back in Buckhead (aka North Atlanta) but its got what I need... a cheaper price tag.

In my quest for culinary school I decided I needed to reduce my monthly cost of living. Once I honestly looked at my living expenses there were quite a few key items that needed to be cut back... the very top of the list was where I rest my head. My apartment has been costing about half my pay every month so it was only economical to change.

I am moving into a studio at Heights of Lenox (floor plan is A2 for those who are interested) and it will enable me to really increase my savings. Its also in a very central location ~ a block from Lenox mall - huge mall, and a Marta station - the ATL underground train, and within walking distance to Publix, Target, a movie theater, tons of restaurants, and my church. Its very wooded though and by looking out the window of my apartment you wouldn't tell that its a busy area - except you can see the sign for Bloomindale's above the tree line. And, if gas prices become too high (or my car decides to officially break down) I can walk a block to Marta and take the train 2 stops to the CCT (Cobb County Transit) which will take me right to my job. Right now its not very economical since I would have to get passes to 2 different busing systems but you never know what gas prices will do!

I am pretty happy with the decision!!

Fire

Here is what I woke up to outside my apartment at 9am this morning... thought it was interesting. I heard a noise, what I thought was someone hitting a car (other people said it sounded like a gun shot), but when I looked outside I realised it was neither... it was a vehicle on fire. It was parked, no one was in it, but it was on fire. Sounds suspect to me. As you can see, most of my neighbors were home to but luckily the police was here before the pictures were taken and the fire department were not far behind. Still, all the smoke set off the fire alarms in the complex... very noisy. So, I sat outside and watched the fire department put out the blaze.

Pictures, pictures, pictures...

So, I have added a whole bunch of new pictures to my list. I have some from a day at Piedmont Park, some from the trip that Kendol and I took to Savannah, and some from a walk around Midtown Atlanta. They are listed on the left hand side. I had fun getting them together and I hope you have fun looking at them.

A few other changes...

My job. Still at the same one but I have a new schedule. I now work Saturday thru Tuesday, which sounds horrible but I work 8 or less hours a day so I have been working between 28 and 32 hours a week. Soooo nice!! Also, I got a raise! Don't ask how I pulled off the two, I don't even know, but I am enjoying it while it lasts!

I am sleepy all the time again. So, I am back in the doctors office, however I now have a new doctor. One big problem with my previous doctor is that her office is now about 1 hour away from my apartment so driving out there was a chore, especially when I was not feeling well. I when to my friends Marcus & Ashley's doctor and I love him. Hopefully he will be able to get to the bottom of my sleeyness. All I know, is that if I sit down at home (or sometimes at a friends house) I fall asleep. Last night I slept 11 hours and then took an hour nap this afternoon. Now, this would be bragging if I was still going out every night, but with the new schedule I haven't gone out at night in a few weeks!

I have been looking into culinary school. I love to cook (and have started a cooking blog... check it out if you want... its also on the left hand side) and have not been enjoying my line of work (besides the new reduced schedule) so I thought about going back to school. However, after seeing the cost of going to school I decided I need to get some money saved up. I am back on a good budget. My biggest expense is my apartment so I am starting to look at another apartment that would be about half what I pay here. We'll see what I find.

Running. Now that its warm I am running outside again. I ran my longest run ever, about 7 or 8 miles. I ran all over Midtown and it took about 1 and 1/2 hours. I was sore this morning but still got up and went to the gym this morning.

Northside Drive

So, interesting that I was not the only one with a sore back... it must run in the family!!

And for those interested... yes, I was affected by the bus accident that happened in Atlanta. And for those who are not aware:

A bus full of college baseball players was in the HOV lane going south on I-75 and took the Northside Drive exit. The driver didn't realize that he had taken the exit and thinking he was still on the expressway; went up the bridge, went straight thru the intersection, broke thru a barrier, and toppled upside down over the bridge back onto I-75 South blocking all lanes southbound. The bus driver, his wife and 4 of the players passed away. There are still quite a few people in various hospitals around Atlanta.

The Northside drive exit is the one I generally take to go to and from work and since I don't have the TV on in the morning I didn't realize until I was at the bridge that I couldn't take my normal exit (I go North) so I had to detour to another road. It was very backed up with everyone on the expressway taking it since they couldn't go south. But, I eventually made it to work.

Yesterday, Victor drove me home. We took the same exit that the bus accident had occurred on and Atlanta DOT has added a ton of signs signifying that its an exit and that you must stop at the top of the hill.

My car is still in pieces. Marcus got to the part the mechanic said was the problem and he found it to be fine. So, he has purchased another part that could be the issue and he will be replacing both. Hopefully it will be done soon. Luckily Victor has been giving me rides to and from work and Marcus and Ashley have been letting me borrow their cars when necessary.

And, this weekend may be one of those times. They have changed our schedules so that 2 times a year we have to work 2 weekends in a row. This weekend is the first of my 2 weekends, so I will either have my vehicle back (fingers are crossed) or I will borrow Marcus and Ashley's.

Otherwise, it has been beautiful here in the ATL. In the 70's for the past week. Last weekend Kendol and I spent a lazy Sunday at Piedmont Park. He loves to paint so we brought some food and drinks, had a picnic, and he painted. Quite a few people stopped by our blanket to see what he was making. I did a lot of people watching and helped him paint a little bit.

Its supposed to 'cool off' here this weekend and get into the 60s and rain. But, they said the same thing about last weekend. Either way, I will be working 10 hour days so I hope its cold and rainy (mean and spiteful, I know)!

1921-2007

This week has been uncannily busy...

To start with my Grandpa (on my Dad's side) passed away last Friday and I was able to find a flight that I could afford on Midwest up to Michigan on Saturday. The flight I booked had a layover in Milwaukee and when I got to the terminal I found that my flight had been delayed longer than the layover time and Midwest had no other flights to Michigan that I could take so they booked me on Delta. Luckily I made it at the same time on the Delta flight as I would have on the Midwest flight however my luggage did not. We were unsure when, or if, the luggage would arrive so the first thing that we did was go to the mall and get me a 'just-in-case' outfit.

After picking up the outfit I was dropped off a group of cousins and cousin's friends for Jenny's co-ed bachelor(ette) party. Unfortunately I was in the same jeans & t-shirt that I wore on the plane (just a side note... I had left 70 degree weather in the ATL for the 'blizzard' conditions of MI) but I was able to get into every bar and had a blast dancing. I never realized how much easier it is to dance in flats, instead of heels! The bachelor and bachelorette didn't quite make it to midnight before having to go home and in order to keep the party going we needed a new bachelorette and I was designate... by process of elimination (by that time we were down to my cousin Marie, her friend Vicki, and myself - and everyone in the club knew the other 2). As the designated bachelorette I carried the baton (aka whip/tickler) proudly and I used it unsparingly... on the dance floor. We had more fun then 3 ladies should before my brother came back to the club to pick us up.

I was happy to see my luggage had arrived on Sunday morning but I still wore most of the 'JIC' outfit that was purchased the day before at the showing for my Grandfather. My old clothes went very well with the new ones and the funeral home did a very good job with everything.

Monday was the funeral and it was held at the VA hospital that my Grandpa had been staying at. It was a beautiful service and I, with everyone else, shed a few tears. It was sad to see him go but knowing where he has gone, I know he is happy to be there.

Afterward we all ate and then a group of us cousins went shopping (I can't seem to get enough it) at a local mall. Marie and I ended out the night with her showing me a few more Grand Rapids pubs.

Tuesday morning my parents, Marie, and I went to breakfast, stopped by my Grandma's house to say good-bye and then I was back to the airport for my flight home. I was picked up at the ATL airport by Kendol. I could tell he had missed me... he had picked me up with some very beautiful flowers in hand!

I had taken Wednesday off work to give myself time to wind down. I woke up to a very beautiful, sunny, 70 degree day so off for a run I went. But, I think the stress of the weekend had finally caught up to me... not long after getting back home my back knotted right up! After a few back rubs, some icy/hot, and a heating pad my back is finally starting to loosen up.

Still, a sore back has never stopped me so last night Marcus, Ashley, Kendol and I headed out to Wild Bills (OTP - Outside The Perimeter - the country bar I took my family when they visited during Christmas) for FIGHT NIGHT!!! I had never been to a boxing match before but my first time was a lot of fun. There were quite a few different matches including 1 with 2 females fighting each other. They were quite entertaining!!

Today Marcus picked up my car and started tearing it apart for me. I have been losing coolant and found that the problem was a part in the engine. The mechanic wanted to charge me a ton for it but Marcus told me he could do it for me. He thought he could finish the job in one day but once he got started he found that it would take longer than than. I am hoping to have my car operational by mid-week... but the time is worth it for the money being saved.

Then Victor called me with a ticket to watch the Hawks play the Knicks and Roy was kind enough to pick me up. Roy, Victor, Mike, and I walked from Roy's house (less than 1/2 mile) to the Phillips Arena to watch the game. It was fun!!

Tomorrow doesn't look like its going to be any less busy... after going to church, I will be going with Kendol to meet his Mom. After that I need to get some studying in for the CCNA exam that I still need to take. The last few weeks have not been so good for hitting the books. But, I should be getting back into it now...

Hope you are having a great week!!

Happy (Belated) V-Day

So, since the last post...

I am still studying for the CCNA... I am having a hard time staying focused but I am still working on it. I had a busy week outside of studying which means that I probably should be studying now but oh well.

I am still having car trouble. I have an appointment to take it into the shop this Wednesday. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it won't cost too much, but then I have a few different things I need them to look at so it doesn't look promising. Either way, with my current situation I need a vehicle so it will get fixed.

My small group is meeting again after a break and we met at my apartment last Monday. Not everyone was there so we mainly socialized but it was good to get together.

Kendol and I went to see 'Romeo & Juliet' at the Shakespeare Tavern on Thursday and it was a ton of fun!! The Tavern rotates different plays (obviously by the name they are all Shakespeare plays) and I am hoping to go back to see another.

Last night Kendol, Victor, Mike and I went out to Aiko for a fun night of dancing. There were people taking pictures and I found them online so I have added them to the page. About a year ago I used to go to Aiko with my friend Chris every Saturday so it was nice to go back. Kendol's friend was the DJ and did a great job!

Mike, Me, Kendol, & VJ

Me & Kendol

In other news...

So, I have gotten a lot calmer lately... I must be growing up!! LOL. My life has been consisting of a lot of studying for my CCNA (Cisco certification) which I am planning on taking in March. There are a couple of guys at work who also want to do the same so we have formed a study group. We meet two days a week after work and help each other out. Ok, so they mostly help me out, but one of the guys has been working on Cisco equipment for 15 years so he has a little bit more time invested in this than I do. :)

Other than that, I had a big car scare last weekend (it was big because I know nothing about cars). I had some errands to run last Saturday and as soon as I got back to my apartment all of the coolant drained out of my car! Pretty bad, I thought. I had people drive me to and from work all last week and my friend Marcus was able to look at the car yesterday. He put more coolant in and nothing happened. No leak. I have been driving it around yesterday and today and it has been good. Marcus thinks that maybe it over-headed and drained the coolant... I know no better so I will agree with him.

Also, I have started dating a guy named Kendol. So, when I am not studying or working I am generally hanging around him. We met at the coffee shop right by my house a couple of weeks ago. He works there and is studying at the Art Institute of Atlanta for his degree in graphic design. This weekend he and I went with the girls from my small group to a bar called Johnny's Hideaway. Its a dance club for the 50+ crowd. Don't know why but a few girls from the group love to go there. It was a little awkward at first but once we made our way to the dance floor we had a blast!

Finally, we went to church this morning and the sermon was all about the mission trips that are going to take place this year thru the church, which got me thinking about going on one. I looked up the trips and I am praying this week about whether I should go or not. Please pray for me as well!

Now back to studying...

Holy Forever Batman...

So, it took me way too long to post again. But, I did want to let you know that things have been going really well for me. For Christmas my parents bought me a digital camera so I (finally) took some pictures of my apartment. I have linked them on the left hand side under the picture section.

It was great having the family down for the holiday. I decorated my apartment and we spent the week all around the ATL. I was happy to have them down here!

Also, I just got back home today from a trip to NYC!!! I loved it!! Ready to move. Hehe. Ok, that may take a minute to get together but in the mean time I have good memories and good pictures. They will also be along the left hand side as soon as I have them added.

Other than that life for me has been the basic grind, which would be a lot more interesting if I actually posted when things happened!!

Hola

Always something going on! I have been keeping myself quite busy. Work has been crazy as always. It has been so crazy that I have actually looked into getting a new job. I interviewed with a few places but after interviewing I realize that I need more experience. So, I am back into getting certified. Wish me luck and I pray that I can stick to it this time! I have a friend at work who is helping me out a ton!

Outside of work, I have been working out a lot. It helps a lot to reduce work stress and I feel so much better when I am done! There is a park close to my house so when I don't feel like going to the gym I run to the park and back (somewhere between 3 and 4 miles). My goal is to get to 6 miles before the Peachtree Road Race next year.

I still have my small group that meets on Monday nights. We had some problems getting everyone together for much of the summer (everyone is busy!) but we are getting better now!

Still going out dancing here and there. Not as much as I would like... but as much as my body can handle! I generally go to a club with a friend of mine on Thursday nights and we dance the night away. I always walk out of there as one big ball of sweat! Love it!

I have some friends who live in the same apartment complex that I do and we have been into watching Nip/Tuck and Project Runway on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. We generally do dinner and then watch the show. Its a lot of fun!

On the weekend I am trying to study and have fun. This Friday I went out with a friend to a club called Verve. We had a blast. It is 3 stories tall and has a bar on the roof. It has a pretty nice view of the city and we sat up there and chatted for a while. After that we went to the second floor, where there was excellent music playing, and danced! It was a great night.

Saturday I hung out with Victor during the day. We went shopping at Sam's Club and then hit the gym. He was driving me home afterwards and we decided to check out a burger place right by my apartment. The food was fabulous!

I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning, doing laundry (with my very own washer and dryer!) and studying.

Around 7pm I decided I couldn't study any longer and called up Marcus and Ashley. They came over, we made dinner and watched a movie.

In other news, I am still waiting on the whole liver thing. I did the ultrasound and it came back clean and healthy. So, now I wait until November to get more blood work done.

I have also taken up a new hobby... painting! Last weekend I got some brushes and some paper and had a ton of fun. I am now looking into some art classes.

Well, that is it for now!

Happy Birthday

So, I had a great birthday week!! I started out the week celebrating my friend, Todd, birthday at a local bar.

Then on Tuesday he called me and informed me that he wanted to share one of his birthday presents with me... he was given tickets to the Mariah Carey concert on, none other than, my BIRTHDAY!! So he, his girlfriend Marie, and I went to the concert!! I was so excited because I have been a huge fan of Mariah since I was in middle school. So, we went to the concert and our seat were the furthest back you could get. Sean Paul opened for her so we sat up there for his performance. Then we found out a friend of Todd could get us into the VIP section. So, at intermission we moved!! We were so close to the stage by the time Mariah came out!! She sang beautifully, she looked fabulous and we had a blast!!

Then on Thursday I went out with my friend Mario to a dance bar called the Masquerade and we danced the night away. They have two dj's going... one playing hip hop and the other playing 80's. It was a ton of fun!!

Then on Friday a few of the guys took me to the Falcon's home opening pre-season football game. Our seats were about 10 rows back from the field and the Falcon's won by a field goal kicked in the last second of the game. We had a blast cheering for the team!! As we were sitting there one of the guys pointed out we were sitting by Ray Buchanan who used to be a player for the Falcons!

On Saturday I helped my friend Amy celebrate her birthday with a dinner at Nancy G's in Buckhead. It was a lot of fun and I was able to meet quite a few new people. After dinner I headed out with Carlos and his friend Angel to Compound, a dance club by my house. The other big club in Atlanta had closed down the weekend before so this club was packed! I happened to bump into quite a few people that I knew so it was fun to see everyone and dance!!

I had to work on Sunday but after work my friend Lawrence took me out for a birthday dinner. It was a fabulous birthday week!