Not Quite as Crazy as I thought

It's been ages, but me on a computer at home, just doesn't happen very often.  I never really understood that, when people said it, but I really don't have the want to get online each moment when I get home after being on one for 9 hours, oh and I get my e-mail on my phone, so I don't need to check that (or it might be a different story).  Anywho....my last couple months in a nutshell

1. Closed on my house at the end of October
2. Painted 6 rooms in my house the first full weekend in November
3. Moved my belongings from my apt, to my house the weekend before Thanksgiving
4. Went to NE for Thanksgiving (after working Thanksgiving day)
5. Put up Christmas Decorations, amongst other organizing of the house
6. Baking...galore! 20 loaves of bread and counting, and caramels, snack mix, taco chex, and TONS of sugar cookies


That is the big things that have lead me to today.  November was so busy! I even had a 36 hour day in there, and that kinda messes up any eating schedule, 2 days of eating into one, you just feel like a pig.  Sleeping however was easy!!!  I didn't even sit down some of the days unless I was at work, or laying in bed.  But December has been a different story.  I thought it would be just as busy, and it has been steady, but not overwhelming.  which is a nice break from the crazy that November was.  I still have a house in Disarray, but most of it is behind closed doors.  January will bring me another room to use (one that is now full of boxes, that I get things out of when I need them). I've been able to catch up on some TV, my DVR was full...now it's only 80% full, ;-).  I keep working on it though. 

This week will be interesting, a Major Winter Storm is making it's way toward the central plains and that will wreak havoc for travel, and I'm worried about my own travel home on Christmas eve. But first, I have to finish my bread baking and shopping for Christmas.  3 days of work until Christmas!!! It's quickly approaching! 

If I don't make it on here again before Christmas, I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Much love!

And it's out!

While some of you may have known, not all have....I did buy a house a month and a half ago.  I've kept it on the DL for awhile.  Last night things went public.  So here I am putting it out there on here too.  I have written things as they've happened, I just haven't published them.  Check the older posts (but just up) if you care to read about my process. 

  Things are on their way to being complete on the financing side of the house, and the closing date has been moved up one day....to 2 weeks from today.  While it's still 2 weeks away and I'm anxious for it to arrive quickly, I know it will go by much faster than I think it will at this time.  It'll be here before I know it, and there's plenty to do before I get possesion of the house.  All of the fun things like getting electric, gas, trash, water and those things in my name and started on my first date. 

  I'm planning on painting and taking down border the second weekend I have the house, and then slowly moving my stuff over.  I hope to move in completely around Thanksgiving.  My work schedule will make it hard to move my stuff in the beginning of December.  I have not started packing anything, and can't say I will pack for a while.  I don't want to live in boxes in my apartment, especially since I have 2.5 more months left to pay for my apartment.  I've got plenty of time to get everything moved.  I'm sure it will fly though, regardless of having a new home, the holiday season itself flys by all by itself.  I'll try to keep things updated on the process. 

Love!

Jesus take the wheel....he did.

A couple of good friends are getting married today in Valparaiso, IN.  I wanted to come up to Indiana for this special occasion, but flying was just not that feesible money wise as I'd have had to rent a car and what not.  Expensive.  I drove up from Wichita Thursday for the wedding on Friday.  Thursday's weather across the central plains and mississippi valley was well forecasted....RAIN! I left in the middle of some rain around 730am in Wichita, but it quickly moved out ahead of me and I was in a whole of dry and semi-sunny conditions.  It really was a good deal, and I was driving up to I-80 in Iowa, so I was going to miss the constant rainy conditions along I-70. 

  The unneeded excitement occurred around Emporia, KS...less than 100 miles from home.  It wasn't raining at this time, the ground was some wet, but very little standing water.  There were very few people on the road as well.  I was driving northbound on I-35 when all of a sudden, I saw a van that was driving southbound, enter the median....and enter my side of the interstate ahead of me.  The van swerved a little and didn't go straight across my side of the road, and i was able to swerve into the sholder, to avoid a head on collision.  Needless to say, by the time I completely realized what just could have happened and got pulled off to the side of the road...I was shaking.  I called 911 and when looking into my rearview mirror I didn't see this van anymore, so figured they must be in the ditch and I didn't know anything about the condition of the occupants.

  I turned around in the "police" turn arounds on the interstate to go back and try to find the van, no one else had stopped.  After a mile and turning around, I drove along the sholder for a little bit to try and find this van.  I did and went down in the ditch to see what was going on.  The van hadn't moved, no open doors or anything like that.  I was scared to find what I might for the occupants, but when I got to the drivers side door, which was blocked by a tree, a little old woman turned and waved to me.  I was happy she was alive and I again was shaking.  The sherriff's officer arrived shortly there after.  The two of us helped the woman out of her car, her ankle was hurt.  After that, the officer asked me to fill out a witness statement and after that I was able to go about my way.  I didn't see what caused the woman to loose control...but while the road was wet, I don't think she hydroplained...I think it was something medical.

  Of the many possible outcomes of this event, we had the best one possible.  I can't help but think about the outcome, where my swerving didn't make it a near miss, but a head on collision, and at the speeds we were going on the interstate...it wouldn't have been a pretty outcome.  I was nearly in tears and so thankful.  On my way driving off to continue my 700 mile treck to Indiana, when I finally remembered to turn on the radio again the first country station that I found the song that started right away was Jesus take the wheel by Carrie Underwood.  It was so true at that point!  He did take the wheel and God was carrying me in his hands on the trip.  I'm so thankful for how it turned out, but for now, as I said it is hard to not think about the other outcomes. 

 I really don't need any more excitement for the rest of my drive.  After the wedding tonight, I'm heading back into the Chicago area to pick up Sarah and we are going to drive up to Madison, WI for some wonderful wedding things.  I'm so excited to see all my friends this weekend and thankful to be alive.  Say a little prayer in thanks!

Love to all!

50% isn't bad

Well I asked the seller for 2 things after the inspection, but neither were really deal breakers to me.  I'm sure he knows that.  He got the roofer to come back out and fix the imperfections on the roof, but he refused to fix the window.  It has condensation between the panes, but he says it's just dirty.  That isn't correct, actually the thermal seal is broken.  But as I said, it's not that important.  Nothing to loose the house over.  So with that, I do believe we are under the final contract.  Now we are just working on the financing and waiting for the closing at the end of the month. 

Love

Inspection Complete

The rest of the inspection was completed this week.  The inspector was able to get into the attic and there wasn't any evidence of the leak and so things are really on their way! I've asked the seller to fix the little roof problems and the basement window.  The other things were small and I can fix them, plus the seller is quite persnicity and I don't want to get into it with him.  I'll let you know how it goes.


Love

Inspection

I had the Inspection this week. I was a little nervous not knowing what to expect, but it went well. I was a little shocked and worried when the inspector was pointing things out, but when I stepped back and looked at it, they were all pretty minor things. Just a couple bigger things, and one is already being taken care of. The seller has really taken care of the home and it shows. I just hope I can have the same thing if I continue to take care of it, so that when it's inspected when I sell it, I don't have to fix to much.

After the inspection, I stayed around and measured the rooms and did a more in depth search of the house to see things, so my little head can dream and plan for stuff. It was nice to look at things, I took more pictures. One thing that I get to keep part of the contract is the refrigerator. I'm really excited about that, it will save me lots of money and it's a nice fridge.

I have a couple months after I close before my apartment lease is up, so I'll move slowly, but I know as soon as I actually close, I'll want to move in quicker. But, this will give me time to paint, and do other things without having to move furniture or do it around the furniture. I'm looking forward to making it all mine! It will be so nice.

I'm getting more and more excited as time goes on. We are less than 6 weeks from the closing date.

love

Accepted...Big weekend!

My bid (counteroffer by that time) was accepted, or rather, I accepted the sellers counter offer. I'm super excited about it! YAY! I put in my first bid on friday before my parents and I headed up north to Kensington and Smith Center. After lunch with the Realtor we went and packed up and headed out.

I got a counter offer on the way up there, the seller didn't budge much. We thought about it overnight and countered back saturday morning. I was nervous most of the day, but had plenty to distract me...more about that after bit. My realtor finally called back late in the afternoon with yet another counter offer from the seller. I thought about it and thought, after dinner and on my way back to Wichita I offered one more counter.

Sunday afternoon the seller sent their counter back to me and I accepted it. I signed all the new papers and it is awaiting the sellers signature. Wow! What a whirlwind...it's hardly been 2 weeks. And if you'd have asked me if I knew this would happen labor day weekend, I'd have said you were crazy!  Below is a picture of the front of my new house.

The other big thing this weekend was that we were at an auction of my mom's aunt. She had a nice dining room table set with a hutch and buffet. I really want a hutch and the dining room table is very nice. We had to wait all day for it, and bidding was supposed to begin at 2pm. Since they had a scheduled time, I figured there would be lots of people bidding on it. I said I'd go up to 1000 for the table/6 chairs and the hutch, o 500 each. They started the bidding at $100, we nodded. Then NO ONE ELSE BID! I got the two pieces for 100 each, or 200 total! I couldn't believe, it and neither could anyone else. It was an absolute steal! Whoa!!!

Needless to say, this labor day weekend will go down in the history books as one of my biggest thus far in my life. Now the rest of the housing process continues.

love.

Did I find one?

Yesterday I went and saw a house, that I really like. I didn't love it right off the bat, but the more I walked through it and the more I thought about it afterward, I knew it was one I wanted to investigate further. It's a Ranch style house, with another unfinished basement, but I'm figuring that to get what I want on the top floor in the price range I want, I'm going to have to get an unfinished basement. The two that I've liked the most have had unfinished basements. That just makes me think that the others like them that have finished basements are out of my price range.

Alrighty...things I want in a house:

3 bedrooms

2 bathrooms on main floor (one is a master bath)

Walk in closet in master bedroom

Nice sized Kitchen

Nice home, not many fix-it's

Things that I'd like but aren't a must:

Carpet. I unlike everyone else in the world, do not care for hardwood floors.

No privacy fence, I just don't like the way it closes everything in.

So with that the house I found yesterday had:

3 bedrooms, and 2 bathrooms on the main floor.

Unfinished Basement

Nice sized Kitchen

Walk-in Closet in master bath

only 11 years old

Very well taken care of

Extra awesome things it has:

Very little left on the specials (stuff from when the house was constructed like paving and water lines to all the houses in the development)

Sprinkler system

2 car garage

Open floor plan

The more I thought about it, the more I felt it was perfect for me, with it's price and what it had. I asked if my parents could come down and look to see what they thought about the house. They did come down this morning and we did another look through. I worked tonight, but I did decide that I wanted to put a bid in on the house.

I'm worried that there will be others and that I won't get the house. I've already kinda discounted it in my head so that I won't be so dissappointed if it turns out that way. There were 3 other second showings the day before my second showing, so I figured by tomorrow there will already be bids on the house. We'll have to see how it goes.

Love

Wow, and we are on

Wow...After a lot more research and talking with a loan officer, I found out on Thursday night that I do in fact qualify for a loan, and my credit score was not near as bad as I thought it might be. I was only scared, because I have more debt than I'd like to have, but I don't ever pay late, so didn't expect problems there.

I filled out an application online and had a response back to me in less than 2 hours, that I was approved (pre-qualified) for a loan up to a certain amount. I wanted this before I searched for a Realtor, cause I didn't want to find something and not be able to get it, and I wanted to know my price range and how far to go, and how to not stretch myself to far.

I had begun my search for Realtor's earlier this week, but since I waited till I heard back from the loan officer, I didn't start contacting people till friday. I called someone and also sent an e-mail to another person. Didn't hear back from them. So after a drive by some houses I found on my own on friday night...I drove by the realtor office and found out they were open on saturday's. Saturday afternoon I headed up there and just asked to speak to someone. They had someone working for a few hours to be available and she began to help me. Her name is Joy, and she knows her stuff. After her shift was over at 2pm, we went right on out and started looking at houses. We looked at 5 yesterday and then another 3 today (2 new and one again). I found one I really like, and it has an unfinished basement, but there is already a contract drawn up on it...I'll keep looking, I don't want to get into a bidding war. The next step is to wait until mid week when more houses come on the market. It's hard being patient, but I know if it's meant to be, it will be. More later

Love

Should I?

So I was talking the other day with my mom about my future in Wichita. I have decided that I've become quite picky with where I want to move next for my job and I also want to be apart of some neat things going on in Wichita. I get a lot of great opportunities here in Wichita, and am involved in some fun projects. After some talking, I decided that I should maybe start looking for a house.

This was a totally new revalation for me, I hadn't ever thought I'd be looking to buy a house this year. In fact I would have said, I don't have the money or ability to do such a thing. Moving with my job was going to be the perfect time, but now with my new revalation...maybe it's time to forge on ahead and look at homes. I'm very worried about my credit score and if I'll even be able to get a FHA loan, so we'll wait and see. I'll start digging into it this week. Research, Research, Research!

Love

June!

It's June, I've been waiting for this month to arrive for a while. Not only had the weather not cooperated with what month it is "supposed" to be, but it's the month in which SUMMER exists! I might have some other reasons, but that's ok.

My parents came down over memorial day weekend, I worked the actual weekend, but had mon/tues off. We planted flowers, and boy does my deck look good! My mom worked on a quilt when I was busy, she needed to get it done. I also did help, we had quite the little system working. We went to dinner at one of my favorite newer places....Genghis Grill which is a mongolian grill. I love it! So much food, I can have a meal and lunch then next day! Great! I did seem like I was gone most of the time they were here though, which made me sad, because I do have a great time with them. Maybe they'll come back in a couple weeks. Who knows.

On Tuesday after memorial day, the in home service repair guy called from Dell and came to set up my computer. I basically have a new computer inside the old shell. I have a new screen, hard drive, memory, fan, heat sink, ac adapter, ac cord, video card. Hopefully it will finally work like I want it TO! So far so good, but I've spent the majority of the time on it this last week setting it back up, reinstalling all the programs I had. Today I succeeded in redownloading LYX and the SSH and Xwindow's so that I can work on my journal, which is of utmost importance. I have a deadline and I need to alot time for problems and everything. No I don't have a timeline imposed by anyone that is part of the project...just that in order for me to access NC State computers I have to be a non-pay employee which I can only do for 2 years, I have till may 1st next year until they pull the plug on my access to the computers, so I need to have it done by then...So I need to alot time for it to be edited, reworked, edited and back and forth till it's submitted and then back again to please the reviewers and make a better paper...and submit officially by may 1st...If Adam can do it! I can too! So that's my thing right now. It's back up and working, now to edit figures. Oh there is a slight problem there too I guess...(I forgot this not so small problem) I have a student version of Adobe creative suite, and since my computer's crashed twice and I've put in new hardware...I haven't been able to deactivate the licenses of the software before the hard drive got scrubbed. Now I had 2 licenses and they are used and I now have 30 days to get it figured out or buy it again or something. NOT OK! I have a case # with Adobe, so hopefully they will get back to me soon, or else I'll be on the phone with them sometime soon! I have the receipts and serial number, but cannot activate it. Not fair. I need Illustrator! Oh well, life goes on and it will work out.

Well I'm off to do some more things around the apt, before I have to go to work early in the morning, it's no 6am...but 8 will be early too.

love

A 3 day weekend in May?

What to do when you don't have to work for 3 days and there isn't any weather to keep any possibility of overtime an option...well you catch up on the 60+ hours of TV shows on your DVR!!! I spent the better majority in front of the TV this week...which was honestly very nice. I know many people think I'm way lazy...but I'm sorry, it's just fine for me. I did a walk...played some Wii DDR...and even did some other things around the house and some meetings, but all in all, it was a relaxing "weekend" by the tv. I got to watch the American Idol finale LIVE...or almost live as I don't like commericials and I avoid them at all costs! I got to see Kris win...not the screecher Adam. He can sing, but the screeching is just not fun to listen to. AND!!!! I didn't watch LOST the entire season...but a week past the finale and I'm just about to finish it up. That's the plan tonight, the finale. I like it better when it's not a suspense of what's going on, I just have to quickly turn it to the next episode. I've made great waves in cleaning off my DVR.

In other news...my computer is once again dead. It's very sad, but makes me very very happy I bought the extended warranty. They are sending me yet another hard drive and memory. I replaced those in Oct '07. So we'll see what happens now, but of course it's a holiday weekend...and the part is backordered, although I'm not quite sure how a hard drive is backordered. Then a technician is coming to install and reinstall my operating system, so who knows when I'll actually have my computer back up and working. It's very sad...but I do have my old laptop whose hinge is broken...and doesn't have any up-to-date antivirus on it...and is very slow. So it works...and I keep it unplugged from the internet unless i'm on it at the time, but it's not quite the same as my other computer. It's also very sad, because I had high hopes of working on my journal article this week. I had the time, and the motivation...and didn't get it going because I had no computer. I NEED to get it done, and I have one year...so I best be getting a move. Plus I want to just get it out of my hair...and have it done with.

Well it's memorial day weekend, I'm working all weekend, but have memorial day off. Last year, I had fri-sun off and worked memorial day...so this is just my turn. Good times.

Love

A couple days off

I Welcome the next couple of days...as they are days off. I have worked or traveled a lot of the past 6 weeks and I'm ready to just relax some. I have been able to relax a little bit when not working over the past week or so, but not having to go to work will be nice. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job...it's just that everyone needs their down time. Because I've allowed myself some time to relax in the last week...I'm even rejuvenated enough to think about being productive on my days off. I hope to get some stuff done around the house...work on my journal article...and maybe even work on some fun things. Oh plus, gotta keep trying to clean off that DVR...it's probably 80-90% full, but I'm having better luck keeping up with it.
I will be back on some morning shifts friday and saturday, but that's ok...I'll have some nights free. It's kinda a toss up...well kind of. I LOVE being able to sleep in when working evenings, but you do that every day and it's just hard sometimes to accept that you are never free during the evenings. So sometimes I am pulled in different directions, sleep in, or have a free evening. I guess when Stephanie gets here, I'll have a better balance between the two, but then again..that means more mornings. The 3 I had in a row this last weekend were killer. How do I survive? They really are my midnight shifts!
Love

Quick Trip to Oklahoma

I got to go to Oklahoma Saturday afternoon for a quick trip. Sarah graduated with her Master's Degree Friday night and had a celebration Saturday afternoon. On top of accomplishment of a Master's Degree she got engaged Wednesday. I'm so excited for her!

I drove down after working 4 hours of work and got to Chickasha around 2pm. I not only got to see Sarah, but I got to see Amy, Margaret, Tiffany and a lot of other old friends. I didn't get a lot of time with them, but it was nice to see them. Sarah is moving up to Wisconsin early this next week and she might stop by Wichita on her way. I will be sad to see her leave Oklahoma, but happy for her and her new life.

I was also fortunate enough to meet up with the NCSU crew down in Norman to start up Vortex 2. Adam, Casey, David and Kate, whom I just met, met me for dinner at Applebee's. It was so nice to see them and catch up. It'd been a year and a half almost since I'd seen them. It's been a long time, but not so long ago in my life. Grad school was my life for 2 years...and it doesn't seem like that long ago. I'm excited for them, for the Vortex 2 adventure! Maybe I'll get to see them again.

I finished up a stretch of 3 morning shifts this morning and it reminded me of how much I hate morning shifts...especially when we are opposite with evenings. When our schedule is only days, I get use to the morning time frame..but now when I can go to bed at 3-4am...getting up at 3-5am is not fun! I'll be happy for our new Intern to arrive, but sad because that will mean I'll be back to the normal schedule. Not necessarily my idea of a fun time. But with the bad comes the good. I will have a lot more evenings free, which while I like working evenings better, I miss having some free.

I have a couple more evenings before a couple days off and I look forward to what I might accomplish this week. I don't have any big plans and that in and of itself right there is a blessing. I should be able to accomplish quite a bit, even if some of it is only watching TV and cleaning off the DVR some more.

Happy Mother's Day!

Love

Warnings

So life's moved on and I've been crazy busy! In the past 4 weeks I've worked almost 25 hours of overtime, but am happy to have done it. I gotten lots of good experience with severe weather.

2 and 3 weeks ago now were my first two experiences "working the radar" as we call it. Basically it means that I was the one issuing warnings. Neither of those days were those "classic" days that you train with, but then again, the majority of days are not the classic days. However, these days didn't come without issues.

My very first Severe Thunderstorm Warning didn't even make it out to the TV or Weather Radio. It was on AWIPS and printed out, but a 1 got in the code that disseminates it to the tv stations and weather radio etc. Everyone in the office was calm about it which was nice...didn't make me feel to stupid. I'm not quite sure how it happened, but it did. Oh well...life goes on.

My very first Tornado Warning was the 25th of April...and I was called in later that evening. The tornado warning was verified with a weak tornado that was on the ground for about 5 minutes.

Each day was pretty intense and puts a day of work in a whole other column. There's a lot riding on your abilities...and that can be nerving. However, not so much that I can't handle it. Just is a different feeling. It is fun though and I'm excited to work more events as May/June move on.

Life is finally calming down a little bit right now, which is VERY nice! I hope you are all doing well!

Love

Why today sucked!

1. My brain wasn't in the forecast

2. Because my brain wasn't in the forecast, my AFD stunk!

3. People's lack of understanding me

4. Small things, blowing up to be big things

5. Having to stay at work and replay the days events to upset me even more.


But:


Something that makes it all better, A kitty that loves me and gives me hugs when I get home!

Love

Why evenings are better than mornings

1. Sleeping in is awesome!
2. My body gets to wake up on its own.
3. I don't get tired each day between 10am-1pm
4. I have no problems staying awake for a shift
5. Time flies by so much quicker!
6. Severe weather happens more often during the evenings/nights
7. I get to see Marie
8. Less people floating around the office
9. More project time, if there isn't any severe weather
10. I get to stay up way late...like 2-4am, and have no problems with it!

Thanks Shift work!

3 Random Things

Three Names I go by:

1. Jerilyn
2. Jeri
3. chnablu

Three jobs I've had in my life:

1. Meteorologist
2. Resident Advisor
3. Wendy's

Three places I have lived:

1. Wichita, KS
2. Norman, OK
3. Reading England

Three TV shows that I watch:

1. Lost
2. Brothers and Sister's
3. Grey's Anatomy

Three places that I have been:

1. St. Petersburg, Russia
2. Brazil
3. Australia

Three of my favorite foods:

1. Chicken Fried Steak
2. Cold Stone Cake Batter Ice Cream
3. Baked Spaghetti

Three things that I'd like to do:

1. Get married and have children
2. Travel to as many countries as I can
3. Stay in the Plains for my career

Three things I'm looking forward to:

1. Evening shifts
2. Summer
3. Sleeping in

Three things I hate:

1. Bugs
2. Ignorance
3. Not being able to see far and wide

Three favorite sounds:

1. Storms
2. Country music
3. Laughter

Three favorite movies:

1. The Holiday
2. Twister
3. Apollo 13

Three places I will never go again:

1. I'd like to never live in NC again, but I'll visit
2. Paris, unless someone makes me
3. parts of Italy

Three favorite animals:

1. Cats
2. Koala
3. Stuffed ones (as in toys, not hunted)

Three things I will never be:

1. Right all the time
2. Someone who doesn't travel
3. Completely dependent on someone

Three things I like to do:

1. Watch Storms
2. Sing
3. Watch TV

Love all!

Life passes by quickly

I'm not quite sure how it's mid March already...but alas it is. I'm catching up, but I'm behind on a lot of TV...just proves I'm not home to terribly much. February was a whirlwind. My parents came down for a weekend, I went home for a week and I worked a whole lot of different shifts at work. Here it is almost the 3rd sunday of March, and I can see the end coming very quickly.

A couple weeks ago at work the scheduled switched to the non-peak convective season. For those of you who aren't meteorological in nature...that's storm season. With the schedule change, we now have morning and evening shifts. The first pay period of the season, I spent on mornings...but that will not happen again for a while. Right now we are down to one Intern (me) in the office and with that, the majority of my shifts will be the evening variety! Which if you know me, you know I prefer those. However, with that I will be busy most nights. I don't really have much of a life for that to be a bother, but there will be times, when I just want to be free in the evenings. BUT that is much preferred at this point in my life than any stretch of 6am shifts!!! I'm just not a morning person. This will only last a few months though, until the new Intern joins the group. Then it will be back to the normal rotation.

Today is my actual weekend off...which I don't really even care if my weekend's are sat/sun. I just don't get the need to have sat and sun off each week. I don't do anything different than if it was a mon/tue...in fact I may even do more when I'm off during the week..because businesses are open. Regardless today I finally got to sleep in and I really enjoyed that!! I also put up the Easter decorations and cleaned up some of the apt, which makes the apt fun!

Spring is finally arriving...window's open and no coat outside! Wonderful!

Love all!

The New Year

Happy New Year everyone!

YES, I know the month is half over, but life has been somewhat hectic. I don't know where my boring life got hectic...but it did. I'm hardly home (and my DVR can prove it), and when I'm home I'm not so excited to be on the internet. Sorry...


Some things going on...

1. I'm heading to Norman in a week, for a little over a week and I'm so very excited about it! This is part of my DLOC (or radar training to non-NWSers) course, and there will be about 21 other Interns from around the country also coming into Norman for the trip. So it's like an all expense paid trip to one of my favorite places for a week! I don't know how many people I'll be able to see, but I'm sure hoping a bunch! The class is just M-F, and I'm heading down the friday before and not leaving till sunday night or so. Life's pretty good! I can't wait to see some friends that I haven't seen in over 6 months and I live 2 hours away! Crazy!

2. I will be the "Senior" Intern come March or so. The Intern here at ICT was hired on as a General elsewhere, so I will be moving up the chain, and will no longer be the newbie! Good thing I'm in the first residence course for Radar training. I'll need to step up my game when I'm the one who's supposed to know what I'm doing. It's going to be a hectic storm season with loosing a valuable asset to the team. As I said, luckily I'll be able to fill in some.

3. I found my W-2 online and have semi-figured out what I'll get back in taxes and I'm WAY! excited!


4. Tory is finally able to be out 24/7 and he's much calmer when he is out. The christmas decorations are down and while he just about became homeless last week...he's behaving this week.

5. It's freezing and I'm not enjoying an ounce of it! I am, however, thankful that I don't live any further north than Wichita! Anchorage, AK had a 80 some degree temperature swing in the last 5 days...can you believe it. That's high temps people! -40 some to 44 today! Insane!


6. American Idol is back (while I yet to watch this week, it's back) and LOST starts back up this Wednesday!

7. I'm trying to be healthier...and halfway succeeding....working on the second half. We'll see how that goes!

8. Thankful for those that I got to see over the Christmas break. Even if only for a few hours!

As a general forecaster at work always says.... "These are all I can think of at this juncture"

Wishing you a fantastic second half of January!

My Christmas Artwork...I love me some decorated Sugar Cookies!



Much love!