Simplicity...and other stuff...

So, yeah...it's been a while since I blogged...even when I started out the year determined to be a bit more consistent with it. Ahh, well..."the best laid plans of mice and men", right?

So my temp job came to an end almost three weeks ago...so I decided that I really don't like sitting at a desk all day...duh!! So I tried going for the nanny thing again...and had a couple interviews so far...but the jobs went to others...though I do have an opportunity to work for the one mom part-time running errands and babysitting some evenings...so I may go ahead and take her up on that. I should just do that...then get a 20 hr/week job at Starbucks for the benefits and free coffee...and then see if I can get my own little business started. I realized that I really can be brutal in sorting, weeding out, and organizing other people's junk...so if I could turn that into a business...that would be awesome. I actually like doing that sort of thing...weird, I know...but that's me!!

I've really decided to simplify and streamline my life as well...starting with deleting a lot of my online accounts. I actually completely closed out my accounts on Myspace, Yahoo 360, Tickle, and Friendster...will soon be closing out my accounts on Flixster and Hi5...and have been ruthlessly pruning out old email on my Hotmail and Yahoo accounts in anticipation of moving all email just to my Gmail accounts (which then funnel into my Outlook)...

I moved my old Yahoo 360 blog posts over to my Blogger account and have started copying my Xanga posts over to there as well. I won't be leaving Xanga for a good bit yet, but am going to be posting simultaneously for a while. With Blogger I can have one dashboard for my regular blog, the blog I've started to rally people to help my folks get into a decent house, and a future blog I want to start about living simply...so eventually I will be completely moved over there...but not for a while yet!!

I will not be completely swearing off the internet...no worries!! But I figure if I can get it down to just Gmail, Facebook, a few blog feeds, a few message boards, and my own blog....then I will be doing pretty good. It is just too easy to get sucked into wasting too much time on social networks and slogging thru junk email!!

There's a lot more I could blog about tonight...but if I blog about everything tonight, then I'll not have much (if anything) to blog about tomorrow!!

Here's hoping you all are doing great and staying warm!!

Currently Listening To: Mr. Zoot Suit by The Flying Neutrinos

A New Year...

So...it's been over four months since I last posted. It's not that nothing has happened for me to post about, but rather that I've been so busy that the last thing I wanted to do upon getting home was to sit and post!! But I suppose that it is now time to update everyone on what has been going on...

September-- I started a new job in September...what was supposed to be a temp job for 6-8 weeks...however, I am still working there!! I am a dispatcher for a copy machine company...taking orders and service requests and sending out techs to make repairs. I like this job (good pay, nice co-workers, and not stressful)...so it'd be nice if they took me on full-time, but I'm not holding my breath!! We shall see what's what in that department sometime in the next couple weeks, I imagine...

October-- Finally got to go to the Texas Renaissance Festival with Brack, David, and Danielle. We camped out..which was an experience!! Already our first night there we were making lists of things to bring "next year" to make our campsite a bit more comfortable!! Danielle and I actually got the guys to go in garb with us for the first day...surprisingly, they got more into garbing than we did, I think!! It looks like we might be checking out a few different ren faires this year and then narrowing it down to going once a year to a family-friendly faire and once a year to a grownups-only faire!!


November-- We were going to make up for our sad shortening of our honeymoon last year (due to migraines and asthma attacks) this year by doing something nice. However, since our anniversary was a race weekend and Brack got free tickets to go...we ended up going to a Nascar race on our anniversary!! Then our plans to spend the next weekend at a froofy hotel fell through...so we ended up just spending a night out on the town!! Ahh, well...maybe a spring trip to Mexico, who knows?!! We ended the month with Thanksgiving in Lubbock with all of Brack's family...such a bunch of cute little nieces and nephews!!



December-- We promoted from the newlywed class to the young marrieds class in Sunday School. We also had a nice dinner and game night with Todd, Leah, David, Jess, and Nate (and baby Maggie, too) about the middle of the month. Christmas weekend itself saw us at the farm with my parents, two youngest siblings, and my sister Melody's little family. Brack got to play uncle to Melody's two rowdy kiddoes--which I'm sure he'll never forget!! We got to see John, Dayana, and little Luke a few days after Christmas at an extended family gathering...which was fun! We were going to go to Austin for New Years with the Faulks, the Pravels, and the Drewas--and I even got New Year's Eve off from work---but then I came down with a nasty bug that kept us home. I ended up falling asleep in the living room, only waking up about 30 seconds before midnight, getting a hug from Brack, then crawling into bed to go back to sleep!! Ahh, well...it's a new year!!




Speaking of New Years...I don't wanna say that I'm making resolutions, as those usually end up getting broken...but I do wanna put out here for all the web to see...what I am wanting to at least work on a bit this year...

1)Being more organized...not just the house, but my schedule...

2)Eating healthier food...and planning meals out ahead of time...

3)Getting more exercise...going for walks, to the exercise room, and out dancing...

4)Keeping in better touch with people...thru emails, cards, facebook, and xanga...

5)Spending more time with my husband, friends, and books...than with movies and the internet...

6)Getting more excited about God, church, and reading my Bible...

I guess that is about it!! Happy New Year to everyone...and hope this year is the best one yet!!

Currently Listening To: Home by Daughtry

It's all good...

Susanna posted on her xanga. They are fine there in Taiwan. The typhoon was I'm sure a scary thing to go through, but she and the other girls did fine. There was only one person reported dead as a result of the typhoon, but it was scary for us here stateside to hear that it was in the same town Suz was in.

We still haven't heard from Peru, but are fairly certain that all friends and family are okay...as they are situated a few hours south of the quake zone. Just pray that none of them were in the area when the quake occured, and just pray for the people of Peru in general...there were almost 600 people killed and there are thousands now without homes...so keep them in prayer.

In other news, things are going pretty well for us. I again no longer have a job...the receptionist position fell thru Friday before last...(yes, right in the middle of all the YUCK)...but the staffing place is hoping to get me placed very soon here...so it's all good. This at least is giving me a chance to get some much-needed cleaning and organizing done around the apartment.

My sis-in-law posted some CUTE pics of the babies on her ringo account...they are just SOOO cute!! I love being an aunt and can't wait till I have some of my own babies to love on too!!




Currently Listening To: Don't Stop Believin' by Journey

Please Pray!!

I don't know how many of you follow world news, but there was a major earthquake that hit Peru Wednesday and we are still waiting to hear if it affected anyone we know (it hit just south of Lima...so several hours north of where my parents planted two churches and where my BIL and SIL's relatives are)...

Now, though...please also pray for my sister Susanna and all those who are in Taiwan with the English Village...as well as for the Taiwanese people, of course....I just found out minutes ago that there is a major typhoon and the area where my sister is located is also the frontlines for this typhoon!!

Please just pray for all the people affected by both the earthquake and the typhoon...and particularly for my sister's safety...the typhoon is expected to make landfall today...if it hasn't already.

All of this, plus the news that my brother John may get stationed in Iraq later this fall kinda puts the whole drama of this last week into perspective, doesn't it?

Currently Listening To: When God's People Pray by Wayne Watson

My Thoughts—

Okay, I hate that there has been so much drama, and I hate that it has affected me so much, and yes, I even hate that I reacted so strongly to it---cause it only seems to feed the flames…

Here’s the whole deal…broken down…

When there was the whole thing between H and LJ a while back, it did distress me a bit…I hate it when things disrupt the normal order of things and it was making the PR a not-fun place….hence my blog post along the lines of “why can’t we get along?” I didn’t attack anyone personally, and in fact was able to have a nice chat with LJ…making sure that she wasn’t feeling singled out by my blog post…and it all eventually calmed down. Whew!!

Then one of the mods had to make a big deal about the new rules…not exactly the smoothest move, since people were getting worked up way to much before they ever even saw the rules. I kept fairly quiet about it though…till I saw how all the complaining was affecting Brack…who was already stressed at work. So yeah, I blogged about it…again naming no names. It IS my blog after all and I think that of all places online that I can speak my mind, I should be allowed to do so on my own blog.

THEN, just as most of the rules uproar seemed to be dying down, the same-old, same-old H and LK thing started back up…only this time, my husband was attacked….and for something he didn’t even do. He was not the mod who was deleting posts…and FWIW, a post or two of mine were deleted too…but whatever!! Then his morals were attacked for no good reason…and THAT is when I really stepped in!! I’m sorry, but accusations of that sort are just too much!! If there is ANYTHING that makes me upset, it is when my husband or my family are attacked. And I think I was perfectly within my rights to react.

That being said, I am blogging about it this one time and then letting it drop. The one person who comes out looking the worst in the whole mess I’ve blocked, the others I am still friendly with, and I am moving on. If the mess dies out….then that would be awesome. If people insist on dragging it out and continuing on with the personal attacks, that is their business.

My guy got me thinking with his Ephesians 4 post and I really want to walk worthy as well. I’m done defending, done fighting back. I am moving on with my face forward and refusing to let anyone get to me anymore. Thanks to those who did stick up for me and Brack…we love you!! Laters!!

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.—Hebrews 12:14-15

Currently Listening To: Great And Precious Promises from Coram Deo

New job...ungrateful wretches...and family news...

Well, I only ended up being jobless for about a week and a half as it turns out. I'd let the staffing place know to be on the lookout for a new job for me before I even left the old one and as it turned out...I left the old job on a Thursday and interviewed for the new job the next Friday and started training for it the very next Monday!! I've been at my new job now for almost two weeks and really like it. I'm a receptionist, so basically just answering the phone and directing calls, with a few other things here and there to do. It also pays a little more than the nurse recruiting job, which is nice. The only downside is the commute...I really don't like driving in city traffic. At least my hours (7:30-4:30) mean that I can miss the worst of the rush-hour traffic, anyway!!

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Now, on to the ungrateful wretches part!! I am getting fed up with the attitudes of some people on Crossings toward the moderators. I admit, I think I've probably gotten annoyed at every moderator for something at one point or another (even Brack...hehe)...but I don't go badmouthing them on the forums or accusing them of power-tripping!! I don't know the other mods work schedules or how hectic their life is right now...but just want to say that yesterday was the most stressed I've seen Brack in a long time. They had some computer issues at his office that he spent ALL day (7am-7pm) working on...barely having time to get his own estimating work done...then had to bring one of the work laptops home with him to wipe the harddrive and reinstall everything (which took all evening)...and then on top of all that had to put on his mod hat and deal with 13 pages of whiny people griping about the new rules. (FYI, the mods were already moderating basically according to those rules already...they just wanted to get them out where the general Crossings population could easily find them...so that if there ever was a complaint about something being moderated, they could point to the rules and say that no one had the excuse of not knowing the rules). Today, my poor guy still needs to finish up the computer issues at his office, catch up on all the estimating work he didn't get done yesterday, and go to his second job this evening...on top of continuing to deal with all the Crossings crap!! Give the poor mods a break, you ungrateful little wretches!!

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Family stuff...
Steve...he called me from Korea the other day...he and Syrena are doing well, he's going before the sergeant board soon, and he's working on his master's.
John...haven't talked to him lately...but Dayana has posted a few pics...they look happy and healthy...and Luke is really growing!!
Melo...another sib I haven't talked to in a while, but from what I hear, Michael has been able to visit her almost every weekend...usually taking the babies with him so they can see their mama. Hopefully she'll get a permanent assignment soon so their little family can be together again!!
Suz...Suz is in Taiwan, working as an English teacher...check out her xanga blog (SusannaKT). Isn't she a sweetie?
Beka...My other little sis Beka is at HQ...and seems to be enjoying herself as well. I miss her silliness though and want her home soon so she can come visit me!!
Andrew...My "baby" brother Andrew is looking forward to the possibility of a visit to the farm by his buddy Hartmut (our former foster brother).
Mom and Dad are doing well...adjusting from having three kids at home to suddenly just having one!!
My Grandmas...Grandma Buckner and Grandma Seale got to visit about a week ago and Mom said they really enjoyed it. They are both doing okay health-wise, considering Grandma Buckner's age (97) and Grandma Seale's health.
The St. Clair side...Brack's family is all doing well...we got to see all of them about three weeks ago in Lubbock...such a big bunch of little ones running around...5 nieces and 3 nephews...all 5 years old and under!!

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That is it...I'm done blogging for today...hopefully though it'll be a bit shorter of a time between now and my next blog entry than between my last one and this one!!

Currently Listening To: Mr Zoot Suit by The Flying Neutrinos

Yeah...I quit...

So the nurse recruiter job was just not my thing. It was getting me all stressed out and I just wasn't that good at it...so I quit last Thursday. Now I'm at home...catching up on all the stuff I'd gotten behind on while working 40 hours a week!! I've got the music jamming on the compy and a chat room open...so it's all good!! I have let the staffing place I had been working with before know I'm open to interviewing whenever they can line interviews up for receptionist positions...as that is something that I can do well that also pays decently well...and I can do that all the way up till we decide to start a family...at which time I'll stay home and be a mommy!!

We just spent the weekend up in Lubbock with all of Brack's family. His brother Josh was down with his wife and 5 children from Colorado and his sis Jana was there as well with her three children. With the two of us, Brack's parents, grandmother, and youngest brother...it was quite the crowd!! It was nice to actually be called "Aunt Julie"...as the kiddoes on my side of the fam aren't talking much yet!! We went to a museum with the whole crowd on Saturday and had a lot of fun while in Lubbock...but it was nice to get back yesterday to our own home, sweet home!!

Anyway...the deep cleaning and organizing is calling to me...maybe I can actually get the house dusted, vacuumed, and mopped thoroughly for a change...and the bathroom awaits its sparkles too!! I WILL try to be more consistent with my blog....but patience with me is required!!

Currently Listening To: Honey Please by Sonichrome

Thank God for weekends!!

Well, I have survived the first week of work!! I filled in one last time on Monday at Brack's office, then started training on Tuesday and finished up yesterday. Today I arrived just after eight...to find that neither of my bosses had arrived yet..and they didn't show up for another 30-something minutes. Ahh, well...it gave me time to get a few things set up around my office.

After they showed up we discovered that somehow the internet and outlook weren't working on my computer. While we were waiting for the tech guy to show up, I tried to clean up the outlook box from all the junk that the previous recruiter had left behind...and I think there MAY be a virus on there that replicates emails in the deleted folder, cause the more I tried to delete, the more there was to delete!! Anyway, I finally had outlook and internet all up and running and had everything all organized just so by 2pm or so...

I actually made a couple of phone calls today...left one message and talked to one nurse who I emailed an application to after we got off the phone...fingers crossed that she will actually apply and I will have my first commission. HA!! If it actually did happen that easy, it'd be total beginners luck!!

Anyway, now I have two weeks to work on getting up to speed with selling nurses on our company before my one boss gets back from vacation (and the other boss isn't as pushy about making calls...she just expects you to do it). So...I just gotta push myself these next two weeks till the one boss gets back and by then it'll all be old hat and no big deal!!

Other than that, everything is going great...both Brack and I are tired from the long week and definately looking forward to chillaxing this weekend!! Movies, leftover mexican and leftover pizza, and just lazing around all weekend...YAY!! And with that...I'm off to relax!!

Currently Listening To: My Lovely by Eisley

I've Got A Job!!

I finally have a job that I think will work till kiddoes come along...full-time, $11/hr plus commissions, and practically around the corner from home!! It's for a company that recruits nurses to work in different hospitals. I will have to really apply myself...no goofing off during work hours...cause I've heard straight from their best rep that the first couple of months are brutal till you get into the swing of things...but then it should be great...and that much sooner till we are out of debt!! Yay!! I start training this next Tuesday...so please pray that I can learn it all ASAP and can get into the swing of things as fast as possible...and please keep on praying for me...just cause I have a job now doesn't mean I don't still need job-related prayer!!

Currently Listening To: Bring Me To Life by Evanescence

Why Can't We All Just Get Along?

Okay, so all this PR drama (which has moved from the PR to rants on blogs) is really getting old!! I mean, hello!! Shouldn't girls in their 20's and 30's be OVER the junior high catfights and namecalling? Especially if you call yourself a Christian. If you have a disagreement with someone because of a real or perceived wrong...then by all means go to that person and try to make it right in a peaceable manner. But please, PLEASE.....if the original argument had nothing to do with you...DON'T take up offense on the side of one or the other...it's too much like "Return to Junior High--The Movie"!!

"Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement." Philippians 4:2 (New Living Translation)...

Currently Listening To: Lean On Me by DC Talk

Where in the world have you been?

So I discovered a site where you can click where all you have been in the world...and what states you've been in...pretty cool!!

I've been to 29 states (56% of the states)...and actually lived in five of those (Arizona, Texas, Indiana, Ohio, and Tennessee)...

I've also been in 18 countries (8% of the world)...and actually lived in four of those (US, Mexico, Romania, and Peru)...which is pretty freakin' awesome....

Obviously, there is a HUGE part of the world where I have never been...someday I hope to visit some more countries and experience some new cultures...

Oh, yeah...and the site is here...

Currently Listening To: So Long Toots by Cherry Poppin' Daddies