Jump around, jump around, jump up, jump up to get down




No, I have nothing against short people at all. :) I just think this video is really cute.

Where was I twenty years ago?

So I started feeling old tonight while looking up old highschool friends... so I decided to reminisce a little bit. I can't believe that I can actually say - "Oh, I remember about twenty years ago when I..." TWENTY YEARS AGO?????!!!!!???? What has happened here? So you want to know where I was twenty or ten years ago? Sit back, relax, let me tell you.

In 1986
--I was in kindergarten
--My nickname was "rabbit" because I wore a white fur coat all the time.
--I wore tiered skirts and spandex bodysuits.
--I had already been reading for a year or so.
--I didn't have a little sister.
--My brother was only one.
--I loved Solid Gold Dance Party and MTV (though my mother banned them some time that year.)
--My life's ambitions that year were to be a teacher or a dancer.
--We moved into a bigger house.
--My dad brought home my cat, Angel.
--My cousin, Angie and I were inseperable.


And what about ten years ago??? Well,

In 1996
--I was in high school.
--I wore long flowery skirts and really short flowery skirts.
--I wore short sleeve turtlenecks.
--I had a crush on every boy.
--We moved again... into a better house.
--I went to scotland that summer.
--I went to Arizona that summer.
--I was immersed in the hammered dulcimer.
--I was making the transfer from small private school to large public high school.
--I was incredibly energetic.
--I was incredibly religious.
--I loved being social.
--I was learning to drive.
--my brother was only 11.
--my sister was only 6.
--I loved TGIF tv.

I think my bridesmaids will carry these:

Or at least an orchid that is very similar...

(Thanks Orchid Works!)

I'm just feeling gushy at the moment...

A year and a half ago when I was going through one of the worst times of my life... I never would have guessed that I would be where I am today.

I guess I should give some of the backstory -- About a year and a half ago, give or take a month or two, I was cheated on. It really devestated me and turned me into the type of person that I never thought I could become... I was jealous, depressed, angry and had no idea what to do or how to handle the situation. I thought of calling the other girl and telling her because I didn't know if she was aware... but I could never bring myself to actually say anything. I thought of doing the crazy things to myself that depression makes people think of doing. I was utterly destroyed because I felt like the almost 4 years that I spent with that person were all worthless. And I felt all these things for such a long time... Actually, until August of last year.

In August, 2005, I began hanging out with Nicholas a lot more. We became closer friends and I started to realize that it was possible to be happy again. Nicholas saved my life -- I truly believe that... I know, I know, it sounds cheesy and cliche - but I was alone all the time merely stewing in my depression and Nicholas brought me out of it. He made me laugh -- those BIG belly laughs that last for minutes and minutes. He made me feel like me again, and slowly taught me that I could trust him. Now, we are engaged and preparing to spend the rest of our lives together. I couldn't possibly be happier.

And my relationship with Nicholas isn't the only wonderful thing happening in my life. I now, as you know from my previous post, have a job. I will be teaching next fall ... and I was so worried that I wasn't going to find anything.

To top it all off... We are trying to buy a house! Yes... that's right. We are trying to buy a house in this beautiful, amazing, fantastic small town just south of BG. It is the cutest house ever. It has 3 bedrooms and 1 1/2 bathrooms, hardwood floors in the dining room and bedrooms, new kitchen features and a two car garage. It is two stories and simply, the most decadent little dream cottage in the world. I want so badly to set up my little office and write my butt off in that house.

I don't really know why I feel so compelled to write all of this. I mean... I no longer harbor any bad feelings toward anyone involved in the past incident. I'm friends with my ex. and I wish him and his girlfriend all the happiness that I feel with Nicholas right now, sincerely. I don't feel depressed anymore. I don't feel anxious about my future right now. I guess... I'm just plain happy... and it feels so good I want to share it with everyone, because I know what it feels like to think that nothing is going to turn out right, to feel like it is impossible to do anything that you love, to feel lost, hopeless... in all situations: love, work, play, even just plain "being." I know that the future is going to rough in spots -- hell, I'll probably be complaining and worrying about something tomorrow... but it is so important to not take for granted the times when things are going just right. When everything seems hopeless or like things are never going to get better... wait it out. It may take months, it might seem like things are bad for the longest time... But every minute that I spent in agony is worth it to feel as good as I do right now.

No pizza hut for me...

I GOT A JOB!!!! I will be teaching at Owens next year and I am quite excited about it.

WOO HOO!

If Michael Jackson were a legomaniac...

Maybe I won't have to get that certificate after all...

I got a job interview at a nearby college! Wish me luck! I go in on Thursday morning and I'm really hoping everything will go well.

Serious Question

I'm thinking about getting my teaching certificate and teaching High School for awhile... Does anyone know anything about the process for getting your certification WHILE teaching? I know some states allow this... I am not sure who to contact and what steps need to be taken, but there is a job opening that I am interested in, so I will need to act fast. If anyone can help me... please come out of the shadows and let me know what to do next.

Thanks.

What a flower!

Ghost Orchid

Notes

*Today was a nice day. Nicholas and I went "home" shopping today and toured several different houses. It's a lot of fun to look around and visualize my furniture in the different houses --

*It's been really hot here the last few days, at least in my opinion. For some reason, even in shorts, I am burning up.

*My cat is curled up on a sofa cushion and looks so cute right now... you would never guess that about five minutes ago I was chasing him around the living room shaking a can full of pennies at him to teach him that biting is bad.

*Less than 14 days until V. is a married woman.

*Less than 356 days until I am a married woman.

*We're considering not hiring a caterer for the reception and just having some family members cook their butts off... me included. I make a mean spanish rice and I wouldn't mind making 6 or 7 pans of it. I would love a nice big bowl of spanish rice right now.

*I need a job... bad. I even seriously considered applying for a job at pizza hut today... I'm getting desperate.

*I am in love with a small town nearby.

Just like chocolate chips

Today was a bittersweet day for me, I didn't get the job at BGSU. I am pretty bummed about that, but there is some good news -- Nick got an interview. So be thinking of him and wishing him luck... we are really hopeful.

It's been a really long weekend. I was in West Virginia for about 5 days, looking for a place to have the wedding and going to V.'s bridal shower.

This is where I would really like to have the wedding:














The building itself is beautiful, but the outside is even moreso --- just look at this staircase:

Imagine my bridesmaids and groomsmen walking down those stairs in their brown and baby blue. *sigh*




When I finally came home, I found this waiting for me:

I love orchids... and this one is beautiful. Not to mention the beautiful rings sitting ever so lovely underneath it.














It was an exhausting weekend, and I didn't end up accomplishing much in terms of wedding location other than making a wish list... but I did get to spend some time with V. at her bridal shower and afterward, which was really nice. It was so good to get to talk to her again for awhile.

So now, I'm off to search for more jobs --