The need is great

This past Wednesday I did something I've never done before, and that is volunteer for the salvation army.

When I was younger, my mother and I would get an Angel off of the Angel Tree and pick out some gifts give them to these angels.  I've known about the program for a few years, but didn't realize exactly how big it was until recently or that it was headed by the salvation army.  Last year, a co-worker and I were chatting and thought it would be a good idea to have a Christmas "giving back" drive that the office took part in.  We discussed toys-for-tots, and angel tree.  I personally like angel tree better because you are actually buying gifts for one person.  Well it was actually Christmas time last year when we thought about this, and it was to late.  So the plan had been in place to act this holiday season. 

  We collected donations from the office and went out on a great hunting mission for toys for our two angels.  It was quite the experience navigating through the toy aisles, when you haven't looked through them in years and all of these toys are foreign.  We ended up finding a bunch of toys and hope that the two angels we chose have a wonderful Christmas. 

A higher power:

While getting ready for work last Sunday I was listening to the radio, I heard the salvation army talking about the angel tree program and the volunteers that they needed.  Now this was interesting, because 1. I don't usually even like the news radio shows on Sunday morning's, so usually don't listen to the radio. and 2. I'm only up and listening to the radio between 7 and 8 AM when I'm on a short term forecast shift.  While listening, I learned a little more about the program and what was needed.  With me going into evenings, I decided I could and wanted to help volunteer.  I did just that.

The never ending rows:

  I didn't have any idea what I was getting myself into, and that usually brings about a certain amount of fear/uncertainty/uncomfortableness.  I knew that if I just did it I would enjoy it, so I pushed through.  I arrived and had no idea which door to go in, let alone what I would find inside.  I found this HUGE warehouse filled with rows and rows of trash bags, numbered and filled with toys for families.  There were over 4000 families.  The need was great! I couldn't even see the end, because it went into another room.  I was paired up with another gentleman that arrived when I did.  Our job was to make sure everyone 14 and under had gifts in the family.  So we got numbers and started walking around to those families number and checking.  If a child had not been fulfilled, we would go "shopping" in the donated toy area for a few toys to give to them.  Then we would mark them as complete and move on to the next. 

  4000 families...wow.  I am glad that I was able to help out for the little bit of time I did.  I enjoyed fulfilling the gift of Christmas for these families.  I can only hope that it brings a smile to these kid's faces. 

  I cannot wait to take part again next year, except this time I'll know exactly what I'm getting myself into, and be ready and maybe able to volunteer more. 

If you have the opportunity to take an Angel off of an Angel Tree, please consider it.  It is a wonderful way to give back to those in the community. 

Love

Giving Thanks

This post is a little bit overdue, as I really hoped/meant to post it back a week and a half ago.  Alas, I was a little busy and did not get to blogging.  This does tie into my last post though.  An old high school friend is deployed with the Navy, and this deployment lasts through the holiday season.  I cannot even imagine what it is like to be away from a loved one in this manner, especially during the holiday's, but I can say I understand it would be difficult.  Last year I had another friend deployed over the holiday's, and I sent him a goodie box for Christmas.  This year, I decided it was a nice tradition to start, so after consulting with my friends wife, I baked my little heart out and baked about 10 dozen cookies to send to him. 

  I've never in my life sent food via mail, so this was a new experience.  I found some helpful tips online and in my cookbook.  I packaged them two by two...and then again in Ziploc bags.  I can only hope this keeps them fresh enough to enjoy when they do, in fact, reach their destination.  (See cookies a few posts below).

  I just wanted to bring a smile to someones face, and hope that I have been able to do this for my friend.  I want to say Thank you to all of those serving our wonderful country.  Your sacrifices are great, and are appreciated. 

Love

All in a day's work...or two

Well yesterday I spent the day working 9-5, then headed off to bells.  That lasted 5:30-7:30. I then headed to Walmart and to grab some din din...that took me to 8:30.  Get home, eat said din din.  Bake 10 dozen cookies between 9:30 and midnight-thirty.  A busy day. 

Today I spent the day workin 9-5, then got to come home for an hour.  Cooked some din din, ate and headed off to my band concert while stopping at the bowling alley to pay for this week's bowling on the way to said concert. Fun.  Played and socialized after concert 6:45-10pm.  Stop by post office 10-10:15pm.  Start packing package 10:30-midnight.  Do some research online midnight to present.  Write some blabbering blog post...now.

These are the last two of my days, I miss being at home, and I have plenty to do, but I also enjoy the activities I'm in.  I often wonder what it would be like to have another person's activities to deal with as well...I can barely see my cats some days.  Oh well.  Life really is grand.  It is after all, the holiday season.

Love.

Sit down folks!!!!

Today I did something I don't know that I've ever done before in my life...bought Peanut Butter! I severely dislike peanut butter. Everything about it...it's smell, consistency, taste.  The worst is the smell though, it just lingers there even when the actual substance is gone.  Yucky. 

Now you might be asking me why did you buy this if you dislike it so... well I decided to make some cookies that were peanut butter-chocolate cookies.  They smell awful, but do look pretty.  And they aren't for me, so that's why.  I'm excited to have made them, and I now have a jar of peanut butter in my kitchen, that who knows when it will be eaten. 



Peanut Butter-Chocolate Cookies

You can all rest assured that I will not touch those cookies.  Now the Snickerdoodles...they were yummy...I might keep a few of those. 



Chocolate Crinkles and Snickerdoodles



I probably made 10 dozen cookies between 9:30pm and 12:30am...I'd call that a good night's work. 



I sleepy...night.

Love.

December 7th a day that changed history...

Today, when I finally got out of bed (boy do I love days off!) I turned on the tv, and that vile adult cartoon, American Dad was on TBS, my usual default tv station.  So I did something I don't normally do, I flipped through the channels and the tv guide.  I stopped upon the Military channel, this is a channel that never makes it in my viewing channels, that is unless my dad is here.  What stopped me was the tv shows about Pearl Harbor.  I love learning about all things World War II.  No I don't research it a lot or anything, but I do like hearing it.  The shows I watched were about myths of Pearl Harbor.  They discussed the surprise element, whether the US or the Japanese fired the first shot, and other very interesting topics. 

Oh this December day, a day that changed history in 1941...I again send a thank you to all of those who have and are serving our wonderful country. 

Love.

My sillyness

Today is a day I enjoy only because I'm silly.  I don't know if it's because I like my birthday so much and that it is on a super cool day with the same number for the month and day, but I've for some reason always enjoyed my "half-a-birthday" too.  That would be today!!! 

From now on, another thing this will always be...is the "half-a-versary" for my best friend and her husband.  Now this was originally the anniversary of their first date, so these dates hold a lot of important meanings for different people. 

Yay for sillyness and half-a-birthday's. 

Love ya!

Tis the Season

This morning I played bells at church, and got to take part in one of my all-time favorite things to do at Christmas time...and that is singing Christmas Carols.  This morning we got to sing Joy to the World, Oh come all ye Faithful and Away in a Manger.  Now the kicker for me is that I prefer all of these Christmas Carols at church singing to my little heart's content.  Now one of the odd things, is that you will not see me playing Christmas music on the radio in the car or in my home.  I much prefer singing it the way I'm use to with the piano or organ at church, and not the way some artist has decided to sing it.  Which is their right, and that doesn't make it a bad song, they are great singers and songs.  I just don't enjoy singing to them like I do at church.  You might say...well let them sing it, you don't need to.  But a flaw I have is that I sing with all songs I know, whether that is country, rap, pop, or church hymns.  Thus singing along is the way I listen to music.  Weirdo...yes, I accept, but I'm ok with that.  I love singing. 

This does, however, create a problem when the only places I can hear my songs are at Church and that is only once a week during  the 4-5 weeks leading up to Christmas.  Sad, so I make the best of it when I can!  Yay Christmas!

 I hope you enjoy your Christmas songs, wherever  you may listen to them. 

Much love!

To Husker or not to Husker...is it even a question?

Tonight is the Big 12 Championship, which pits my two allegiances against each other.  My home team, the Huskers vs. the team from my Undergraduate Degree, the Sooners.  People always ask me who I'll cheer for when these two teams are playing each other, and the question is not one I ever have to think about...I will always cheer for the Huskers!

I challenge someone who grows up being loyal to one team, to automatically change it up when you go to college at another school....it's not just that easy.  Being a Husker fan is ingrained in you from the get-go and is the only team in the whole of Nebraska for any college/pro team.  Thus a Husker fan I will always be.  Don't get me wrong I LOVE my Alma Mater, I am so proud to be a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, but this has nothing to do with football, absolutely nothing. 

Who will win out tonight? I don't know, they are both great teams! However, I know who I'll be cheering for!

Go Huskers!!!

Love!

Spring day in December...?

Today it got to 62 degrees in Wichita, which is only 5 degrees from the record high. Yay!  I took this opportunity to do some outside work, well after I slept.  I tried to mow up a good bit of the enormous amount of leaves covering my back yard, then I cleaned out the flower pots and moved them to below the deck for winter storage.  All in about 1 hour and 15 minutes in a race to beat the sun going down.  It was nice to get this work done before it gets cold tonight and stays cold!  Yuck! 

Christmas decorations will come out soon...but I would like to have a day off to complete these tasks. 

An ode to spring....

Love!

Picture for the day





Margret and I at Amy's Wedding...she's such a pretty girl!

My rant for the day.

Today I figured I'd go on my rant. 

Yesterday Obama came out with a proposal to put a pay freeze on Federal Employees for the next 2 years.  Now before you jump to assumptions, my rant is not that Obama has done this, or proposed it.  Heck, not that I necessarily agree with it, but it is not surprising to me in the least.  Especially in the situation with the "your awful"/ "Obama" is the new 4 letter word, world we unfortunately live in with the nasty comments from the public Republicans (those on tv/radio, not the everyday person) who spew lies constantly.  Anywho, that's a rant for another time, this rant actually has only a little to do with that. 

Point....As a Federal Employee, I don't really think we (all Federal Employees) have much of a leg to stand on when complaining about a pay freeze.  My reasons:

1.  I know that we are well taken care of in our jobs.  The economy is not good, not that it isn't getting better, but it's still not good.  We are not the first to have a pay freeze.  We should Thank God and our country for our jobs, and that they are fairly secure.  We have good benefits.  We have all of this in a country where so many people are unemployed, have lost jobs, or have had pay freezes for the last 2-3 years.  State employees have had pay freezes for the last 2 years in many states.  Heck, Social Security hasn't had a cost of living increase this last year and won't for 2011 either.  Again, we should be thankful we have a job and get paid.  It is not a right to get a cost of living increase, it is a privilege.  Yes, it is a necessity ultimately, but a freeze for a couple of years, will not break us. 

2.  I haven't heard it yet, but I tell you if I do...I will not be a happy person.  I do hear grumblings about this pay increase, but if I hear them from those who have touted that the Government needs to cut spending then I will blow a gasket.  WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT, you cannot have your cake and eat it too.  If you want the government to cut spending, because of the flawed logic that that is the "only" fix (I personally believe it needs to be a mix of cutting spending and increasing income, like any other budget balancing), then you need to realize that one of the ways to cut spending is to cut personal and salaries...one of the biggest expenses of any business.  You cannot be upset....I don't want to listen to it.  Again I haven't heard this specifically, but I'm just saying, I don't want to. 

Don't get me wrong, I'd love a pay raise/cost of living increase, and if I don't get one for 4-5 years, then there will be a problem, because inflation will just surpass us, but I don't feel I can complain when there are people without homes/food etc.  I am fortunate and so thankful for my life and really want others who are not in a financial mess to stop and take a min to step back and look at things from outside their life and realize how good their life is and be Thankful. 

Do I actually think this will help the federal budget?

Maybe that will be a topic for another day.  Please be Thankful!

Love all!

Thanksgiving and the weekend

I trust everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  My Thanksgiving day started at 9pm Wednesday night, thank you midnight shifts.   It was all good, I at least I got to be home for Thanksgiving. 

Thanksgiving dinner was wonderful, and I looked forward to it for so long!!!!  I got to have homemade dinner rolls, Turkey, Pineapple casserole, fruit salad...etc. It was all so wonderful!! 

After a long day, I passed out around 10pm and slept for 12 hours. Friday my mom and I did a little black Friday shopping, but we aren't hardcore, we started at 11:30am.  We got some Christmas gifts and were on our way.  We also got the Christmas Tree up Friday night and started sewing on my new Christmas tree skirt.  Good times. 

It was a very productive weekend, but tiring.  I need some time to relax, and I won't really get that until the end of the week.  Super tired. 

Much love...December will be here soon.

Realization....

Each time I driven around the past couple of days, I notice that more and more people have their Christmas lights on.  My personal thought is that Christmas lights/music etc. can wait their turn...until after Thanksgiving.  So that was my thinking when I see all of these lights turned on...why can't these people just wait until after Thanksgiving.  ----Delving deep in my mind...."Christmas is ages away, as is Thanksgiving"---- Well obviously I'm having troubles with "feeling" the date of the season.  Cause this evening while on my way to band, I realized that ...OH... Thanksgiving is like 36 or less hours away, so it's really not that early that people are turning Christmas lights on....ok then. 

Sometimes holiday's don't feel like holiday's until your mind has the ability to rationalize and realize the fact, or get over the hump of whatever else is clouding the mind.  I'm not sure what mine is this week...likely work.

I'm Thankful for all of my Family! I love you all!

The joys of being a weathergirl

Well today, this morning really, was a perfect example of why sometimes it is just SO difficult to be a weather forecaster.  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love it all, but the weather doesn't always play by my rules, well never plays by my rules really.  This morning we had a front going through the area, I watched the temperature increase in the middle of the night by 14 degrees in 10 minutes...that's a strong warm front.  However, this little front wasn't ever quite sure what it wanted to do and wavered across the area for the remainder of my shift.  Then just before I left it decided...heck lets get moving back south.  So...what does this mean, well with about 20 min to go on my shift, low clouds and fog moved back in and the temperature dropped mostly back to 44 degrees.  My goal with each shift is to do my best and leave a good forecast for the next forecaster, so I tried to amend and update the forecast as best I could with 20 min left to my game.  Needless to say, I felt like I'd left the day shift with a crap forecast and that never makes me feel good.  We have all dealt with this front for the past 3 days, but wanting to do the best, is just hard when the fronts of the world are out to get you.  I tried. 

On the upside, today should be an easier day. 

Love!

1 year

A year ago this weekend I moved into my home and spent the first night.  I closed a couple weeks prior, but used that time to paint and get other things moved.  That weekend and week leading up to it, was insanely busy as I tried to get everything ready for the move.  I worked a couple midnight shifts and moved and hardly slept, but that seems to be a theme in my life. 

It's hard to believe that it's been a year since I moved.  This house has been wonderful, and I love having my own home.  My mom has helped me decorate a lot of the home, with not only things on shelves etc., but curtains, bedspreads etc.  There's still plenty to be done, and now that I'm going to be here for a little while longer, I do hope to finish the basement, which will be more fun. 

Biggest moment: Probably the biggest moment was having 5-7 inch hail pound my home, which damaged the roof, gutters and my screens on the back of the house.  Dealing with the insurance was an experience.

Favorite moment: Decorating for Christmas last year...and I am so excited and looking forward to the same in the next couple of weeks.  Plus, I won't be moving at Christmas, so the house will actually be all Christmasy.  Fun. 

It's been a great year. 

Love

Skype

I've been skyped....

I've heard of this skype thing for a long time, but without the "need" I haven't ever signed up.  With someone finally requesting to chat with me, and a great way to talk to Mary-Beth who just headed way way up north, I signed up.  We've had a good time chatting via video chat.  It really is a great free technology. 

The video chat takes me about 7 years back when I first did video chat with my parents from England.  At that time, there was no Skype, and MSN video chat was the video chat method of choice.  The camera was a specially built separate entity that sat somewhere in the room where I could get enough light to make me visible.  I was connected via dial-up Internet with a VERY slow connection.  Needless to say it did the job, I got to see my parents and they got to see me, but it is nothing like is present now. 

  I can only imagine the ability to chat internationally now...heck my video chats now are coming from a camera built into the laptop and we're chatting over 6000 miles away from each other.  The speed is pretty good and other than a few "freezing" moments every now an then, it's almost like Mary-Beth is in the room.  Heck, I could even video chat on my cell phone if I really wanted to....oh the technology. 

  Skype...oh how long a way we've come....thank you for free services!

Love

Pretty Picture

Pretty flower from the Beautiful Bouquet my parents sent me to congratulate me on my new promotion at work.

Not sure where life's gone

Well It's been just about a year since my last post...I'm sure everyone...all zero of you that check this have missed me greatly.  Stories of life....hmmmm. 

This week has been insane! Between working the short term, Aviation desk and meetings, on top of all my other projects, I'm exhausted.  Thanks to the snow and rain mix yesterday for keeping me extra busy.  And a sincere thanks to the nice weather today for allowing my manic meeting day to go off without much of a hitch.  And thank you finally to the Lead on duty who was flexible to allow me to accomplish all that I needed, and trusted me to get what was needed done.  It's those people that make the job possible. 

My adventure for the week is driving my dad's full-sized super cab truck around Wichita.  I'm use to my small car, and this is by no means small.  I don't have any problems driving it, I've driven my dad's pickup's for many many years, but the size is just so much different.  I feel like I could crush anything that comes in front of me.

Question.

Why do they make garages barely big enough to fit a truck, let alone 2 cars?
I have a 2 car garage that barely allows the pickup to fit...with about 6 inches to spare split between the front bumper and the back bumper.  Talk about having two cars in there, that's not possible.  Good thing I'm not married or living with anyone, they'd have to park in the driveway.  Silly construction to maximize profit, not usability. 

Love