Our winter is officially over, and unlike everyone else in America, this makes me sad. It means saying hello to 80 degrees pretty much everyday from now until maybe November. We had a couple cold snaps in the past couple months, but nothing unbearable. If anything, it gave me the chance to diversify what I wear to work all the time. I mostly wear skirts/dresses because the air conditioning in my office is terrible and it is always so hot! With the few colder days, I could actually wear long sleeved shirts and not sweat to death! Our summers down here are not as bad as the mid-atlantic though. It never reaches 100 and we always pretty much have a breeze.


Last week, Billy left for a camping trip with a bunch of people that have the same kind of boat he does and they spend their days comparing notes on how to fix/upgrade their vessels. So they all decided to meet up on the west coast of Florida for some jamboree-type of trip. Sounded like nothing I was interested in, so I gladly stayed home and watched the pup. Down side for me is that when Patton is home alone for extended periods of time, he picks things to chew up in the house. This week was the welcome mat. Other downside is that I barely sleep when Billy is gone. I sleep with the light on, the TV on and his gun right next to me on the bedside table. So after 4 days, I had it with the lack of sleep and **politely asked** if he would come home a day early. He didn't agree to it...but a few hours later, he walked through the door!

Patton and I were so happy!

I feel like George Costanza on Seinfield. Remember when he was eating all the shrimp and the guy at the meeting told him that the ocean called and they were running out of shrimp? He was dumbfounded and couldn't think of anything witty to day back. Days later, he finally thought of something to say! The jerk store called, and they're all out of you!!

Well that is how I felt today, and how I feel a lot. I am never as assertive as I want to be when I'm in the moment. I am caught off guard a lot and then dwell on what I should have said, or how I should have handled the situation. I had a very strange phone conversation with a student who was trying to schedule an appointment. I just didn't feel right about it, so I emailed the secretary to tell her that when she schedules him, to put him with the male advisor, because I felt uncomfortable. What does she do? Calls me to tell me that I am supposed to have an appointment with him at 2 and that I should have told her sooner. WHAT? I was just so taken aback, I didn't know what to say. I was bothered by this ALL DAY. I mean, who's in charge here? It's supposed to be me!

I just need to be more guarded and prepared for these situations. I know I look young and sweet, but I am also an educated professional. RAWR. What I should have done was told her that I simply did not feel comfortable speaking with him again and that I would like her to call him back to reschedule. It's not that hard, but I usually am just so mad when it happens, that is all I can think about. Tomorrow is FRIDAY, praise the Lord!

Kelly's Korner - Show Us Your Life

I've never done a Kelly's Korner post before, but on this Saturday morning, I'm thinking I have the time. I did the week's grocery shopping yesterday after work, including stocking up for B's silly camping trip next week. He requested 2 packages of sausage, 1 pack of bacon and 1 tube of sausage. So now south Florida is out of pork, thanks to us.

So let's begin...I actually started out at Elon University in North Carolina right out of high school. After I got there, it didn't seem to be the right fit. And frankly, I never realized how much money it cost! My parent's never mentioned it, but I started to think that it wasn't worth it early on. In early October, I hopped on a Greyhound(thats another story for another day) to Blacksburg, VA to visit my good friend. For some reason, I never considered attending a large public school, but after that weekend, a fraternity party and a Virginia Tech football game, I was sold! So the transfer applications began.

Fast forward to fall 2002 and I was moving into my dorm at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC and pledging Alpha Phi. These were 3 of the best years of my life. I met my best friends, learned a lot(outside of the classroom) and have a strong desire to go back there to work one day. Sadly, I don't have many digital pictures from 2002-2005, so the below will have to do to showcase my pirate pride!

This is me and my bff Candace dueling it out pirate style at Homecoming 2005.

This is me, Morgan and MG at the ECU vs Marshall game in 2006. It was the first time I brought my boyfriend(now husband) to Greenville and he LOVED it. And Morgan's cooking.

In 2007 I started graduate school at the University of Virginia and boyyy was that shocking after ECU. Instead of hearing undergrads talk about how tanked they got the night before, I would overhear them discussing world issues. It was certainly an experience for me, but one that I would not trade. UVa is one of the oldest colleges in America and founded by Thomas Jefferson. There is so much history and prestige associated with UVa and I am proud to tell people I earned my Master's there. And, I looooved living in Charlottesville. Below is a tailgate with my grad school cohort and Billy. I mean, would he really miss a tailgate?

And if you've been reading my blog at all, you know that I'm enrolled in more classes now...we'll see if I can eventually call FAU an alma mater as well.

HAPPY WEEKEND!

Yesterday my eyes literally stopped working. I was staring at the computer screen and noticed I couldn't read the spreadsheet anymore! I tried refocusing...then closing one eye, then another. Nothing worked! So I took an early lunch and went to sit outside. Only to realize that even though I had requested B to make me a PB&J, he only put on the PB! Gahhh.

So then went back to the office and got so freaking hot and felt a massive headache coming on. Our secretary and a professor continued to stare at me while I had my eyes closed trying to compose myself. But then I almost burst into tears, so they shut the door. Thankfully.

Next up was my meeting with the retirement rep to roll over my account. That was not as enjoyable as it could have been because of the POUNDING headache. After that, I just left work because it would have been stupid to sit there and not look at the computer screen.

I came home and found out that another candidate was selected for the job B interviewed for last week. Sad day. So we commiserated in some Starbucks ice cream, which I got for $1 each last week at Publix! Which also has 13grams of fat per serving. But we both agreed that we felt better after eating it. Yum.

So now...I'm just waiting for my mom to email me back with her diagnosis of my symptoms. Gahhh(in your best Napoleon Dynamite voice).

**update since post**Mom thinks it could have been a migraine. I don't like that news because I know so many people with chronic migraines and I do not want to be part of that club.

This is what is going on today....a while back we sold the insightly shed in the backyard to a hoarder in Boca. No lie. So then we had this big empty space...with less privacy. And this is what Billy came up with. It's a work in progress, so I'm saving my judgements. Then plan is to plant vines or plants (such as Bouganvilla pictures below) that will grow up to create a lush, attractive, privacy wall.

And yes, that is Patton supervising the project from the pool.

Since I have the night AND TV to myself, I have settled on SATC movie - one that I never get tired of watching. But the scene where Big leaves the wedding, and then comes back gets me every time. Is there anything worse to watch?

Glad to finally get Billy out of the house because I was the gopher this afternoon. I'll have to post pics of this weekend's project tomorrow after it is complete. Not only did I have to run into the garage and get him a wrench, pliers, scissors, a sandwich...but he also dropped a piece of wood on me from the ladder THREE times. I almost quit. He thinks this is family fun time. More like torture and childhood flashbacks for me. He was not made to help around the house and assist with weekend project since he was able to walk like I was. I thought when I turned 18 it would be over. Ugh.

Good news is that Billy had an interview on the other side of the state last week! A place where we could have more land...and perhaps an alpalca or mini horses. Yes, I have seen both for sale on craigslist. Mini potbelly pics, too. Patton would love to have some friends! :)

HAPPY WEEKEND!

Today is a no good, very bad day.

First, we're mourning the loss of the Steelers. And I had to take the Steelers lunchbox to work bc I left mine on Friday. We're loyal fans, but who wants to parade that around today?



Next, I was helping B's grandma get her suitcase out of the back of the car this morning and the automatic hatch came down on my head. OUCH!

And then, I got up to get my lunch from the fridge and apparently my foot was asleep/not functioning because I definitely fell to my knees as soon as I tried walking. Good thing no one saw me!

So the day is half way over now...it can only get better???

The girl scout cookies need to disappear. And not disappear because I ate them all. Not a good situation right now. I'm home alone with no one to watch me and make me feel ashamed!

Anyway, I was sharing with Billy last night what adjustments my friend Katie and I have been going through in our transition back to a state school. She was my coworker for 2 years at our old job and now we both work at the same school again. I can just dial her extension again and it is wonderful! But I was talking to her about how appalled I was last week when I was in a new advisor's office and she had a jar of candy on her desk...next to a jar of condoms!!! What? How is this ok? Or appropriate? We are in the business of academic advising, not health educating! I mentioned it to the new advisor and she just laughed...but I let her know that there was no way I would be participating in her mission! So I was telling Katie this and she said that one of her coworkers in the health center on campus offered her a free AIDS test! Thanks for the invite, I guess? Maybe we were just in the Christian school bubble for too long! At least we can laugh about it and take it in stride. :)