If there is one thing to dread, let it not be death.....

The week is over, as far as work is concerned... that makes me happy :) one more week until the REAL break comes.... an entire week off, plus two days! YAY! Hopefully I'll have plenty of chances to rest up, since the week after will be absolutely crazy. But for the time being... KENTUCKY HERE I COME! w00t!

I don't really have a lot to say today. I guess I'm just here to babble a little... speaking of babbling, I started a new book the other day - Gods of Aberdeen by Micah Nathan. I'm only a few chapters into it, but it could shape up to be an interesting book. It's a little obvious that this is the author's first book... a few places it's almost been like he's trying too hard. But there are some places that are just really good - almost more poetic than narrative. I'll leave you with a small section that just really struck me for whatever random reason:

I had told Nicole a little about my mother's death, one of those late-night confessionals the intimacy of dorm life seems to demand. But I didn't want her to think about me within the context of my loss; pity has a very short shelf life, especially for those on the receiving end. The irony of such tragic events is that you don't want people always taking into consideration what has happened to you, and you resent knowing they harbor the illusion of you living within the confines of bad memories, unable to escape. But you do live within those confines, shackled to them, some with longer chains than others. Every new tragedy puts another manacle around your wrist, and demands you build up the calluses to bear it.

oh cool, let's eat bambi!

i'm tired.
possibly because it's 10:21pm, and i haven't been sleeping too well the last few nights.
or maybe because work has been kicking my tail the last week and a half.
very possibly a combination of both.

i really like my job, most days.... but it can be frustrating. especially for a semi-perfectionist like me who has a problem with the job i've been doing lately. the poopy part is, unless things change soon for the better so that my time can be more focused on what it needs to be focused on, that's not going to change - in fact, it's about to get much, much worse. i just have to keep telling myself that i'm only human, and that someone else new walking in would be even further behind than i am. that's my story and i'm sticking to it.

i finally finished wicked, which seems like it took absolutely forever, so now hopefully i can get on with the books i managed to get from the library at home. i'm just kinda proud of myself that i managed to tough it out and finish it... the beginning is so slow and dry. it just seemed to take much longer than it should have. but it's done, and i have one more to put on the shelf. i have to admit it was well-written, even if it did seem to get bogged down in places. it's fascinating how he can take a place as captivating as oz and create an entire world, with the same political and social issues that it seems every civilization has dealt with at one point or another. even if it was slightly over-political.

my christmas tree is now up. i still hold to the idea that if you have enough lights, it doesn't matter how crappy your christmas tree is (in my case, a $14.88 tree from wal-mart that's screaking through its 4th christmas). although i have noticed that if you have too many on the inner parts of the branches, it illuminates the insides and shows how scriggly it is. oh well. my christmas tree has 411 lights on it, and i'm quite proud. and my peppermint candle really adds to the ambience. too bad the rest of my living room doesn't :) i guess i tend to gravitate toward the eclectic.

i'm going to leave you with one of my new favorite quotes:
"the price of healthy gums is eternal vigilance."

where no one stands alone.

Click here and pray.
Help us bring them home.

I'm up and doing circles...

...I collapse...
It's been awhile yet again... Somehow I haven't been as verbally creative lately. Perhaps my muse has been hiding? Who knows.
I'm watching a football game right now. Of my own will. And it's not Kentucky. Mostly because I would REALLY like Tennessee to lose. I still think it's a little random... and yet I can't seem to stop...
It's snowing outside. Actually, I think right now it's more like sleeting. On top of the snow. I'm just glad I got some salt and a snow shovel this week. Actually, two snow shovels - a small one to leave in my car. One of things you buy hoping you'll never actually need it, but too scared not to buy it... When the poochie went outside earlier, I felt sorry for him... he was walking on top of the ice (on top of the snow), but half the time the layer of ice would break and he would sink way down, but half the time it wouldn't, so he was walking VERY funny. He wasn't too happy by the time he got back in the house... And he had a layer of ice on his back. Poor little guy :(
They just had a commercial for chick-fil-a... I miss that place. MMM!!! Waffle fries....
Yesterday, BWI-Lexington shut down forever; the doors closed for the final time. Sadness.
On a MUCH happier note, there is news afoot! For which I covet your prayers with all my heart....
But first, I'm going to show you some pretty awesome pictures:





The first is of my niece, Rosa and my sister-in-law, Amy. The second is Rosa's little brother, Carlos and my brother, Matt.
In my heart, they are family. However, the courts may take a little more persuasion to convince. Hence why I covet your prayers - I don't understand the whole process, and there are a lot of details I don't want to go into, but there are a lot of things that have to be worked out both legally and financially. Please, please pray that everything that happens is in the best interests of these beautiful children, so that they can come home soon! If you want more info, click on the link to Matt & Amy's blog on the right.
I cannot imagine what it must be like not to have a mommy and a daddy to love you and kiss your boo-boos and hold you when you're hurt or scared and to chase away the monsters under your bed. I thank God for the wonderful family I was given, and I pray that you would help us bring the newest members of my family home.
That's all.

(**slightly edited for accuracy**)