the sun has returned

I write this as I eat my super healthy breakfast of my mom's apple cake and sprite. Good times. Yay for eating whatever I want. At least I'm not eating pizza (and I'm mostly not eating that cause I didn't think about it til just now.)

When I go back to work I'm going to have forgotten all my announcements and what I'm supposed to do on the plane. These days off have been fabulous, and the best part is, they aren't over yet.

I'm glad the beginning of my Christmas wasn't an indication of things to come. I worked Sunday night and Monday morning. I was on the ATR, but I figured it was a nap so it couldn't be too bad... On the way back from Dothan in the morning it was completely white outside from the time we got off the ground until right before we landed in Atlanta. It was really turbulent and just as we were coming into Atlanta to land they made us go back around. I wanted to cry. Because of the clouds and my nausea (I think my equilibrium is off cause I'm fighting a cold) there were times when I couldn't tell if the plane was tilted or straight. Right as we landed I threw up. Thankfully there were no passengers within 6 rows of me, though it would've been okay cause a few of them threw up as well. I finally got off the plane and was headed toward the bus. It was really rainy and windy but I was so happy cause I was going home. I was walking through one of those covered walkways they put out on the ramp without a care in the world. As I started to come out of the end of the walkway I was noticing how quiet the ramp was. How many sleeping airplanes there were. How I've never seen so many dark airplanes parked in Atlanta during the day - when I face planted. For some idiotic reason there is a bar about ankle level across the bottom of the walkway. If I wasn't so mad and hurt I would've laughed at myself (as I'm sure many of you are doing right now). I put a huge hole in my hose, scraped my knee, my hands, my phone, and have a lovely little bruise right on the bottom of my shin. Add to that the fact that I fell on my hands on the ramp in Atlanta in the rain, which is absolutely disgusting. Thankfully no one was around to witness my gracefulness. I still don't know what they were thinking putting a bar across the bottom of the walkway. It's like putting a bar across the bottom of a door. Makes no sense.

Anyway... the rest of my Christmas was much, much better. I went home, showered, put on my pjs, and went to my parent's house. We opened presents, napped (well I did anyway) and ate all day. We sat around and compared injuries. My dad has staples in his head from work, Joy had surgery on her foot, and I can't seem to walk. Evidently Peter is perfect though :-P.

The last few days have been really lovely. I need to get going to so I can go hang out with my family this afternoon.

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night

I just wrote a whole nice long blog about how happy I was this Christmas season and then when I tried to copy a link into it went away. Suck...

The moral of the story was: I've really enjoyed this holiday season. I wish I could have soaked it up a little more. It's the first Christmas in years when I've really enjoyed the festivity of it all. The music. The decorations. I haven't dreaded the presents or the buying of them because this is the first Christmas in years I haven't had to use credit cards to buy gifts. I can buy them knowing I won't be in the hole next month. It's a blessing. I'm blessed to be spending time with most of my family tomorrow and a lot of my friends. I'm blessed that my family likes each other. That we can all be together (apart from geography) and have a good time. I've been sitting here this afternoon wrapping presents, listening to Christmas music, and drinking a peppermint mocha latte that Jamie brought me (he's the best). I was supposed to work at 6:55 but for some reason they changed it to 8. I get a little less sleep but I don't really care.

I love this website postsecret.blogspot.com. I really like the ones from today. Some are sad. Some are happy. Some are hopeful. It's good to be reminded how good I have it. Some people have such a hard time around this time of the year, and all I can say is that I have absolutely no reason to complain.

I need to get ready to go to work. I hope you are all happy and able to celebrate Jesus's birth with someone you love.

Woo hoo

I'm so happy because except for a nap tomorrow night I don't have to work until next Friday!! It came at just the right time cause I worked a ridiculously crazy lot this past week.

I don't have much to say except that I'm happy to be home. I'm looking forward to seeing my family and friends that will be around in the next week. I hope everyone is having a good holiday. If you aren't call me and I'll try to make you feel better.

I'm off to enjoy the beautiful weather, run errands, hang out with Amie, go to my family's later.. All sorts of good, fun things.

I'm dreaming of... a great insanity

I had a great many weird dreams this morning. That's probably what happens when you sleep really late. I dreamed that a lot of people I knew were in sort of a rainforest type thing. Somehow we were up among the trees but on normal ground. Jennifer Anniston was there and she really liked I think it was a skirt that my sister or someone had gotten from the thriftstore. There was a little mixed boy that somehow I was going to be taking care of like he was my child (since that's what I need right now). And then there was the phone call from Michal saying that she was upset and wanted to talk cause she thought she was going to be an aunt to a mixed boy or something equally bizarre. There was so much more but I can't remember. Probably for the best.

I need to get dressed for work. 3 more flights and I'm home for a whole day. I feel like I've been away for a long time and I don't like it.

Funkiness of the blog

I think I'm in a blog funk. I've also been pretty busy lately and when I'm not working or going I don't feel like writing.

I'm in the Hampton Inn in Cinci. This hotel is sooo nice. I wish all our hotels were this nice. My room has 2 beds. One has soft pillows and the other has firm. And there are little cards on each bed just to make sure you know which is which.

I got a new pair of jeans the other day. They're Sevens and I love them. They're also European sizes so I can't tell if I should feel bad or good by the number in the back so I just feel good cause I like the way they fit me. That makes me happy. I also got some yummy pj pants and lounge pants. At least Old Navy can get something right. I spent a ridiculously long day Friday looking for said items. Also got some more of my Christmas shopping done. It has been confirmed that I'm not completely a girl cause I don't really like shopping. Oh well.

I'm excited about not working much next week. I put in my bids for next month today and am once again nervous about what I'll get. Except for Sunday night and early early Monday morning I'm off from Friday afternoon to next Friday. I ended up swapping and working this weekend cause one of the two flight attendants at our company that I don't like picked up my trip last week. It would've been four days of misery. Not that these last few days have been sunshine and roses. I honestly can't complain that much though. The weather's been great. We've been on time. My crew is nice. I just don't feel like being here. I think I realized one reason I'm enjoying work so much more - I've been working on the 70 where there are 2 flight attendants. I'm working alone on this 3 day and it's killing me. Though I may be in a metal tube with 20-50 other people, sometimes I don't have a single conversation all day. It can get lonely. (I don't think the old guy today saying "Can I tell you that you are really beautiful" counts. What if I had said no? It did kind of make me laugh until he wouldnt' stop looking at me for the ENTIRE flight. Not glancing at me. Just sitting and looking at the constantly. Gentlemen, that's when you go from flattering to CREEPY.)

Today when I was feeling lousy I got my laptop out and played Regina Spektor's "Fidelity". It actually made me feel better. It's such a fabulous song. Or maybe it was the tea that is said to make you feel like you've been sitting out in the sunshine with your shoes off for 45 minutes... Who knows..

I can't wait to be home around Christmas. Joy is home now. Roya is home too. My daddy will be off work. The roommates will be off work. What more can one ask for in life?

ode to mini marshmallows in coffee

As glad as I am that I'm not addicted to coffee, sometimes I wish I could just drink coffee like normal people. That is, drinking coffee that actually tastes like coffee. Not coffee that has been so tampered with that you can barely recognize its presence.

I got in from work late last night, ate, fell asleep watching tv on the couch, finally went to bed and was all twitchy so I had a hard time sleeping. I kept waking up this morning which for some reason made me think that I was rested. Got up around 845 to go to the doctor. Drove 45 min round trip for a 2 minute visit. I guess I shouldnt' complain cause it was only 2 minutes cause I didn't have to wait like I normally do. I was still feeling awake so I went by Marshall's and got so sleepy I wanted to take a nap before I drove home. Hence the reason for the sugar-flavored creamer-mini marshmallow loaded coffee.

I have really been loving the weather these last few days. I realized the other day that I blog about the weather a lot, but I think it's because it has such a big impact on the way I feel. Lately I've been noticing the change from the bright blue skies of fall to the cloudy, whitish skies of winter. I'm okay with it too (not that me not being okay with it would change anything). Monday I left for work wearing short sleeves and carrying only my sweater. It was such a nice change from the low teens and twenties temps of last week.

My day has suddenly been given direction so I must go follow.

much ado about nothing

It doesn't really seem like blogging has been my thing lately. Don't really know why. Just hasn't happened. Once again, maybe because life is good and I'm happy. Or maybe just cause I haven't spent that much time sitting around lately.

Tanya's birthday was this weekend which was good times. We went out to dinner on Friday night and then her family had a surprise party for her at our place on Saturday. Yesterday was church and lunch with my family and last night was the Christmas program at Heritage. Amie came to lunch with us which was lovely. Peter made chicken quesadillas and we had lots of fresh veggies, guac, and hummus. I've been eating really well lately come to think of it. That's probably part of why my clothes continue to not fit. Last Wednesday J and I bought steak and brocoli and he cooked them and it was sooo yummy. I worked Thursday and Friday and it was just about the coldest I've been in a long, long time. I was in MSP again Thursday night and when I left for the airport the next morning at 445 it was 1 degree. Then we got back to Atlanta and it was only about 19 there. I had a snow storm blow in the door on me in Detroit as well. Other than the fact that it was brutally cold it was kind of fun. All the natives up there probably thought I was an idiot cause I was so excited by all the snow, but seriously, how often does it snow enough in 5 minutes to completely cover the ramp in Georgia? Pretty much never.

I have to go to work this afternoon but I come home tomorrow and don't work again until Saturday. I need to get my Christmas shopping done this week. I much prefer shopping during the week when less people are out.

This is probably why I haven't blogged. I have nothing interesting to say. I'm going to go try to be productive in the 2 hours before I go to work. Hopefully OKC isn't frigid tonight.

Oh yeah, watched Scoop last night. Was pretty good. I want to watch Love Actually since it's kind of a holiday movie. Anyone have it and want to loan it to me?

Happiness is Lindt dark chocolate truffles

I like the part where I have to go to the dentist tomorrow morning and I'm eating lots of chocolate. My little brother is fabulous and bought me Lindt truffles - the 60% extra dark chocolate kind as well.I'm also watching That 70s Show and going to go to bed soon. I like not working :-D.

I forgot to tell something really great that happened to me the other day. When Adri and I went to the mall on Saturday the first thing we did was go to the food court. She wanted Chinese and I wanted a burger so we split. I got in line at Johnny Rockets and decided I was at the Mall of America so I guess I could splurge and spend $9.50 on a burger and a shake. Not even fries. Just burger and shake. I'm getting ready to pay and a realize that I left my debit card in my uniform pocket. I tell the lady I couldn't find my card and I'd come back - was going to get Adri and bum from her. The lady behind me in line asked if I had ordered. I said yes but that I had left my card in my other coat so I'd come back. She told the lady to just put it in with hers. I argued with her but she wouldn't listen. Her total was $35 and some change for me, her and her two daughters and she gave the lady $40 and said to keep the change. I felt really bad and moochy but she just told me that it had happened to her and Merry Christmas. It made me happy to realize that some people still are really nice to strangers for no reason.

Today Peter and I went to the doctor at 615 this morning. I had to get something minor done to my foot but evidently they still felt the need to put me to sleep. It was really funny when I was waking up. I vaguely remember saying random things. Asking them if the crackers they gave me afterwards were Captain's Wafers( (the kind we serve on our flights), asking the lady if she was offended that Peter referred to her as a black lady... Who knows what else I said. I felt so good though. I came home and slept until about 4:30pm, only waking up once. Since then I have moved to the couch, eaten Zaxby's and chocolate, watched lots of tv and now I'm going back to bed.

All shopped out.. :-)

What a lovely few days I've had... See, when I'm happy and busy I hardly write. When I'm grouchy and bored I write all the time. So I guess that means for the most part no news is good news.

I just saw Adri off to the airport. My flight doesn't leave for a few more hours so I've just been sitting here at the hotel, browsing open time and listening to Andy Stanley's sermons online. I heard the first sermon in a series called "Pause" last month and have been wanting to know how the rest of it went. The series is about temptation. It's really awesome and has given me a really different perspective on things. He says that temptation isn't just about your self control. It's about how much faith you have in God. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, the devil didn't tempt him to do evil things. He tempted Him to meet His legitimate needs in a way that would displease God. It wasn't about whether He could do the things the devil tempted him to do (turn stones into bread). It was about whether He trusted God to come through a provide for the natural needs God had given Him.

Anyhoo... Minneapolis is nearly the coldest place I've ever been. This morning I was outside for about 30 seconds. My hair was wet from the shower (smart move, Grace) and during that time it froze stiff. It was so weird. When we got here yesterday it was 15 degrees. There were a few snow flurries today but nothing significant. It was so much fun to have Adri come up with me. Last night while we were eating I realized I was also "working" and it didn't feel like it at all. Just felt like I was hanging out in Minn with my friend. We went to the Mall of America which is absolutely ridiculous. We would go different ways to get to stores we wanted to see and come around a corner and see a whole different part of the mall we'd never come across before. I still don't think I've seen half of it and I've been there 3 times now. We rode a roller coaster, bought fuzzy socks, ate a lot, bought Lindt chocolate, and just had a lovely time.

Friday night after I got off work J and I finally made it to see "Casino Royale". I'm glad we went. I really enjoyed it. Then we had Taco Bell and wandered around World Market afterwards. What a classy date ;-). It was a good time. You know you have a good friend when you can do silly/normal things and still have fun. Then it was back home since I had to get up at 4am on Sat. Always a great way to start the weekend.

I need to start getting my stuff together to go to the airport. I'm off for the next few days which makes me happy, except that I have to go to the doctor tomorrow and the dentist Tuesday. In between those times I'm just going to be chillin though.