How does your garden grow?

Apparently, not very well! Our garden really sucked this year...even after we cut it down to half the normal size so it'd be easier to care for with our busy schedule! I'm not sure what it was, but absolutely nothing grew! Not even the onions! Granted, we didn't exactly go overboard with caring for it this year, but we were surprised that nothing grew since we're usually busting at the seams with okra, onions, and green beans at least!

We ended up just letting it go and then took a weed eater and a tiller to it and just tilled it all up. Chopped everything up and forgot about it.

I went out there last night just to look and see how bad the weeds were, when to my surprise, I saw this:

No, not the weeds, the big bush in the middle! It looked a lot like the bell peppers we planted in the spring(and were very disappointed when they died). Upon further inspection, I saw this!!: (excuse the little buggy!)

And this:

I pulled several off and this is what we have:



What a surprise! There are at least 5-6 others on the bush right now and a whole BUNCH of little baby ones. I'm so excited that our garden wasn't worthless this year! Even if we only get a few peppers out of it, it makes me feel better.

I think this was just a bad year for gardens. Like I said, we didn't get anything else from our vegetable garden, and we didn't get a SINGLE peach off our trees this year. Now that is surprising. Luckily, I still have bags of peaches from last year so we're good on the peaches still.

Anyway, I was totally stoked that we got peppers so I had to share! I think we might have stuffed peppers for dinner tonight or tomorrow!

Have/Haven't/Would love to/Would NEVER!

I stole this from someone...

Blue = I’ve done it

Black = I haven’t done it

Red = I won’t do it

Green= I would love to do it

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight (do street hockey fights as a kid count??)
4. Changed a baby’s diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Swam with wild dolphins
7. Smoked cigarettes
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said “I love you” and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea ( I wasn't AT sea, but I was watching it over the sea...does that count?)
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse - I am not sure on this one.... I vaguely remember something in elementary school.. not sure though so I'm leaving it black!
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors - not the birthplaces
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time (OBVIOUSLY not the one I have now...)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don’t
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph (I broke 100, then slammed on the breaks cause I'm a chicken)
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover (never in one, set out task, but I would LOVE to)
86. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name - last name!
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad - I guess, more accurately, I read Cliff's Notes...
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103 Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Prepared a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need (I'm not as naive as they want me to be! I'll NEVER fall for it!)
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz and polka
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator - I guess I wasn't technically stuck, but I was all alone and little and it scared the crap out of me!
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane (not that I had any reason to think so.. I'm just paranoid)
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel (no, but I illegally showered in one in Ireland!)
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union (HA, does Union count??)
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Fallen down stairs

What to do, what to do

I'm in a quandary.

At work yesterday, some folks offered me a project management job. It's not really a new job, it'd just be a task I'd do in my current job along with whatever else I end up doing here. That's all. They began the conversation by stating that if I don't want to to do it, they totally understand and that they wouldn't want me to do something that I would absolutely hate doing.

So here's the deal. I would absolutely HATE doing this job. It's basically an all guts and no glory job. Not that I care about the glory, I just hate the guts part. I wouldn't technically be doing anything on the task, just managing it and doing the busy work. So basically, when someone screwed up, it'd be my fault. Even though I didn't do it. The tasks are VERY mundane, tedious, and quite frankly, just plain boring. It would NOT be a challenge to me, it would just be a few hours or utter misery a week on top of the misery I already have.

The guys I talked to tried to make it sound all exciting like "this is how I started out and look where I am now!" Umm.. that's great dude, but I'd rather take a nail through my big toe than do what you do now. It's not that I am down on project management, I just don't want to do it in the technical field because, again, I AM NOT TECHNICAL. I don't like it, I don't want to learn it, and I never will. Honestly, I'm still just biding my time until I figure out what I want to do. Plus, I'm kinda hanging on for that free week off at Christmas. Yes, I have ulterior motives. Deal with it.

So, I am now in a quandary because I'm not sure what to do. Sure, they told me I could turn it down, no problem....but, I am worried about doing that since my current position is so unstable. I am fairly certain I'm "safe" (whatever that means anymore...) but I hate to jeapordize it by turning down work, even though I would absolutely HATE the work AND they gave me an out.

I am going to talk to my boss... er.. my new boss.. I think. Kind of.. Ok, I'm going to talk to the guy down the hall who I think is my boss about it and see what he thinks I should do, but he won't be in until Monday and I hate to keep the guys waiting until then to hear my decision.

I just hate to take on work that I know I will hate, especially when it's not forced work, even though I obviously don't have much else to do. Am I wrong? Am I shooting myself in the foot? I need some unbiased opinions here!! *sigh*

Smart Bird!

Babies, babies, babies!

That water is spreading!! Our friends Tim and Casey announced their pregnancy on Sunday. We're so excited for them! There are just so many babies coming in Union! This brings the total to 6 or 7 or 8 or something. I'm losing count..


Then, tonight, two of my best friends from college, John and Mayumi, told me that they are expecting!!! John and I became fast friends while working together in the Mail Room of DBU. He's a major goofball from Taiwan and we've always had a blast. He taught me my first words in Japanese...bit horse butt.



Anyway, shortly after we started working together, I met his gorgeous girlfriend, Mayumi (from Japan). She's one the sweetest, most soft spoken girls ever! LOVE HER. Complete opposite from John. Anyway, when they graduated in 2002, they moved to Japan and got married. I haven't seen them since and I miss them! Thanks to the powers of Facebook, we've been able to keep in touch over the years. John's an old man (ok, he's only 32, but whatever) so I've been giving him crap for years about being too old to have kids and that he should skip right to the grandkids so I was so thrilled to hear that they are expecting one!! Anyway, here is a picture of John and Mayumi I stole from his FB page. All the pics I have of them are oooold.

Boring post

Since I don't have anything fun to write about (it's a working Friday, so I'm basically brain-dead) I'll write about our upcoming weekend plans!

Tonight: I desperately need to do some cleaning! I also desperately need to do some cooking. Poor Josh hasn't had too many home cooked meals this week. I'm thinking about making some spaghetti and meatballs. Or to lighten it up a bit, I think I might go buy a spaghetti squash and use that with the meat sauce. If you've never had spaghetti squash, give it a chance! It's easy and pretty much takes on whatever flavor you want it to. I almost always just use it in place of spaghetti noodles. It's different, but it's good! Hm.. yes, I think it's decided. That is what we're having for dinner.

Tomorrow: tomorrow will likely be a blur. I'm not sure what all we have going on. I have a wedding shower that I may or may not go to (I don't know the bride or anyone else who'll be there...awkward!!) and then at some point, we have to go by my folks house to pick up a tent to use for Trunk or Treat. I also need to figure out a way to hook up with my sister to give her her birthday present. Let's not mention that her birthday was in September. Whoops.

Sunday: We have church, or course, then we have our final Ireland team meeting! It'll be nice to get together with everyone now that we've all had a chance to reflect on the trip. Yay! Later that evening, we'll be heading back up to the church for Trunk or Treat! Not really Josh's cup of tea, but I signed us up, so he's going :) To appease him, we're doing a camping theme. That'll be easy, fun, and he won't really have to dress up. (Josh doesn't really get into the costume thing!)

So, that's the weekend....so far.... Something(s) always come up and plans change though, so we shall see!

PS - For once, I'm the most popular admin today. Never mind the fact that it's because I brought in donuts today, just cause I'm cool like that.

C'mon fall!!

I know, I know... the chances of seeing leaves like the ones above in Texas are slim to none... They usually go from green to brown overnight. BUT, it still FEELS like fall! We're supposed to have a cold front come through today which should push our temps into the 60's. I am SO ready for it. I love the hot weather, but it's been dragging me down this year and I'm ready for some refreshing cool air. Plus, let's be honest... cold weather clothes are SO MUCH CUTER than hot weather clothes!

I'm ready for sweaters, apple cider, fireplaces, and blustery days. Or at least days where the temp doesn't get above 70.. that counts as "blustery" right?

It's amazing how fast the year has gone by. The next holiday is THANKSGIVING!! (ok, technically the next observed day is Halloween, but I refuse to give that the honor of being a holiday.) Where did the time go?? It probably doesn't help that we've been so busy lately.

This coming weekend, we're going to be helping out with our church's Trunk or Treat and we (ok, I) am very excited!! I've always wanted to participate in one of these for some reason, but never had the chance. Josh isn't so much into it, but he loves me so he's doing it anyway. The problem is, we've got to come up with some way to decorate our trunk! I need to get the creative juices flowing and come up with something! I think I'll sit back in my uncomfortable office chair, put my feet up (or not.. can't be too obvious) and get to thinking, all while waiting for the rain and cold air to come through DFW! Yippee!!

Back update

I went to the doctor yesterday and she made me move around a bunch, lifted my legs, check reflexes. It was nothing special. She still seems to think it's either sciatica and/or another nerve or muscular. She didn't do any tests or anything though so apparently she's not too concerned. She thinks a month of physical therapy will work wonders for me, so hopefully that'll do the trick! I'll go back and see her in a month, after I'm done with the therapy. Until then, I still have muscle relaxers and pain medicine to use if it gets too bad.

I've never been a fan of taking medicines though, so I'll likely only use them if it gets really bad. Anyway, that's what's up! I stayed home from work today because my back was still hurting pretty good this morning and I didn't think I'd be able to sit behind my desk all day. I'll be back at work tomorrow though so cross your fingers I don't hurt too bad!!

Backs, birthdays and job!

So I've done something to my back. Not sure what. I went to the after-hours clinic on Tuesday of last week and the doc there said I have sciatica. I was getting shooting pains/numbness down my right leg/butt. Very painful. Now it's progressed to my entire low, low back. Today, I was putting a toilet seat cover on the seat, didn't even really bend over, just squatted to put it on and I got a searing pain. I swear, I thought something exploded in my back. I immediately felt nauseated and thought I was going to pass out it hurt so bad!

10 minutes later, after laying on the bathroom couch, I finally made it back to my desk (yes, we have a couch in our bathroom.. it's greatness) I decided I couldn't deal with this anymore since the meds the doc gave me last week aren't really accomplishing anything. SO, I have an appointment today at 1:50 to see if there is anything else I can do to keep from hurting so bad. I'll probably just get another diagnosis of "just don't lift/bend" (duh) but oh well. Those of you who know me well, know that I do NOT do well with just sitting around so it's tough. I HAVE to be doing something!! It was killing me last night because Josh was cleaning and I couldn't do a thing. I feel so useless!

Anyway, yes, I am a Debbie Downer lately, but I'm working on it.

On a good note, I don't think I'm going to be out of a job. At least just yet. I'm kinda still in limbo, but the guy I report to now said he's going to fight for me to stay. That's good and bad. While I don't like it there, I'm thinking it might be wise to just stick it out for awhile (unless something comes up, of course) because it could be difficult to find a decent job right now. Plus, I have great benefits and lots of flexibility (which is good with all the anxiety/back stuff lately) so it'd be tough to lose that right now. I'm still looking, but I think I'm glad I'm not getting laid off right now.

On Saturday, we went to the 1st birthday party for Benjamin, the son of my dear friend, Brenda.. Such a sweet, cute little boy!! I have been so blessed by Brenda's friendship!. Here's a few pics from the shindig!!

Amber and Daegan

Brenda the fairy, Dixie the Red Raiderette, and me the Identity Crisis

Brenda and her birthday boy, Benjamin! Love that toothy smile!

All the adorable kids. Trey the Giraffe, Benjamin the Frankenstein, Daegan the Cowboy, JT as Dennis the Menace, and Callie who is just darn cute!

It was a great party and Brenda make some delicious cupcakes! Happy birthday, little Benjamin!!

My Friday

Today was vet day for shots! I had a knock-down-drag-out fight with Byron to get him into the carrier. This is what I heard the entire time he was in there. So annoying. What a big baby!

Oliver was much more well behaved, though he was still not happy about going. Now we're set until next year! Poor kitties...they're going to have sore butts today.

Title-less Post

I don't have anything funny, interesting, exciting, or even noteworthy to write about today. It's my "Friday" and things are super slow around here so I thought I'd just write to ask for some prayers. I thought I had this anxiety thing somewhat figured out, but it looks like I was wrong. It just won't stop! The fact that I'm a hypochondriac certainly doesn't help either.

I looked at my insurance health history today and I've been to my primary care physician 12 times since January.. TWELVE times!! Had my blood drawn 2x for tests and an ultrasound once. You'd think after all that, I'd just get it through my thick skull that nothing is really wrong with me. Ok, that is up for debate, but I mean physically, there is nothing really wrong with me ;) I just keep having all these weird "symptoms" and off I go down the rabbit trail looking for some undiagnosed disease which always culminates in another doctor visit and another prescription for something. Lately, I've been feeling like a walking pharmacy.

The anxiety doesn't help because it often causes (or so I think) some of the symptoms I feel ( dizziness, lightheadedness, high blood pressure, rapid heart rate, chest pains etc etc etc) which throws me into a panic about what is wrong with me. I'm at my wits end. For real. I'm tempted to go into my doctor and just get an EKG and/or stress test to check out my heart, but that would put me at 13 times since January. I think they're tired of seeing me there. And there is probably nothing wrong with me so I'd just be wasting the money. Again. Plus, I just went to the doctor on Tuesday so I at least have to wait a couple weeks!

Anyway, this is a plea for prayers because it's becoming overwhelming and I'm just not quite sure what to do about it now. I've prayed, I've pleaded, I've tried medicines, I've tried ignoring it. Nothing works. Do you ever feel like you're praying to a glass ceiling? That's how I've felt lately. I don't doubt that the Lord cares for me and what I'm going through, but my mind is so clouded by fear and worry that I feel as though I can't hear Him right now, or vice versa. Would y'all please pray for clarity of mind for me? I am getting lost in all the rabbit trails and losing my focus.

I still believe that I will get through this, stronger than ever, but it's getting harder to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I know this is the devil's tactic. He finally found a big button and he's pushing the heck out of it. Soooo not cool.

Anyway, there's another long, boring post from me. I'll try to come up with something witty next time :) In the meantime, thank you for the thoughts and prayers. I couldn't make it through this without my brothers and sisters in Christ!

Home again, home again, jiggity jig

We're back!

Ireland was awesome. I'll probably keep most of my posts about the trip on our Ireland blog, but it's safe to say we had an awesome time. We're glad to be back home though. It was a LOT of hard work, but so worth it. They've got an amazing thing going on there!

Josh and I are good. We are still suffering a little from jet lag. We got back on Sunday evening and even though we were exhausted, we didn't really sleep well. Kept waking up all night. I gave up and got up at 6 on Monday morning and Josh got up around 7-7:30. We went to the State Fair for a bit because we thought it'd be less crowded to go on a Monday than next weekend which is the last weekend of the fair... Too bad we forgot it was Columbus Day!!! DOH. It was so incredibly crowded. Lots of people were off work and apparently a lot of schools used Monday as their State Fair day so we only stayed for a couple hours. We're strange in that we only go for the car show and the corn dogs. We couldn't care less about the rides and all the fried foods just sound gross to me.

We came home and finished up our mounds and mounds of laundry and then just sat around. We were in bed at 8:00 because we were so tired only to spend the entire night tossing and turning again. I reckon I've only slept about 6 hours the entire time we've been home. Oh well. Back at work today. It's 10:00 and I'm starting to think 5:00 will never get here.

Other than all this, everything is alright. I don't know anything more about my job, so we'll see. I'm going to start looking though and see what I can find out there. Gotta get outta here!

That's about it! I'm slightly delirious today so I hope this is coherent. I think I'm going to go play solitaire for a few hours now ;)

Hiatus

I'll be taking a short hiatus from updating this blog because I will be updating the Ireland blog instead! Feel free to check them out!

Just Josh and I: http://www.robinandjoshinireland.blogspot.com

Our team's blog: http://www.mckinneyirelandteam.blogspot.com

Please be in prayer for our team, our safety and health, and the people we will be meeting over there. Pray that the Lord does a mighty work over in Ireland!

A Tour

Today is my last day here!!!! HOORAY!!! Don't get too excited, it's just my last day for a little while. Unfortunately, I have to come back after my vacation. Since I'm just sitting here anxiously awaiting noon, I decided to give you a tour of my office to keep you all entertained while I am away. That way you can feel like you are there for me.


View from my desk. That is the office right across from me where people, who shall remain nameless, are VERY loud on occasion..


The empty candy jars that shall remain empty at least until I get back.


How I spent my Monday. Cleaning my entire work area. I even cleaned the keyboard because it was disgusting. It was the keyboard that the person before me had used, so it was especially dirty. Yes, I got made fun of for popping my keys out to clean everything. Hey, at least MY keyboard is now spotless! By the way, if you ever want to have some fun with someone, pop their keys off and put them back in random spots. It's really fun.


My ever-so-lovely desk.


This is what people see when they come down the hallway towards me. See how I can't avoid them?!?


View of the stupid hallway from my desk


My clean desk! And the security monitor I get to watch. It's kind of fun. People do silly things when they think no one is looking.


The view. You can see the HUGE house in the background. I've been watching them build it for 2 years. It's ridiculously huge.


My hated printer. I have to load this thing one sheet at a time because otherwise it will jam. I totally want to go all Office Space on this thing someday..


At least I have Dwight to keep me company!


Now you've all see where the I work. I hope no one from work finds this! ;)