What day of the week is it?

I have determined that my continuous feelings of grogginess are not actually due to my lack of inactivity (seeing as how the past few days I have done at least something active after work), but can indeed be contributed to the time change last weekend. Now that I have realize this, I feel it is only responsible of me to go to sleep early tonight and sleep for a ridiculously long time...but I don't have time for that.

I spent the majority of time at work today refining the gift card holders, and making adjustments to the summer learning insert I have been working on. The regional managers all came down to the store today to plan out the store managers meeting at the end of the month. I got to talk to Kenny for a bit, which was nice, allowing me to see someone from "the old crew". I bought gas on my lunch break, for $3.25 a gallon!!!!, after I ran home to fix me some soup. I finished up the day at work and then went home to relax.

After talking to mom on the phone for a bit, I decided that I needed to get out of the apartment for a bit. I got on Barrett Parkway and just drove, listening to the new Sia CD I picked up after the concert on Monday night. The songs were very soothing and traffic was extremely light so it was actually a good time to drive for the sake of driving. The weather has been so nice over the past 2 days that I was able to drive with the windows rolled down, just letting the music float through the speakers. It was a good idea as I was able to think about some things and generally clear my mind so I can try and hear when I'm being spoken to. I spent the remainder of the evening doing a load of laundry, and preparing the video equipment for use this weekend. I really missed being at orchestra tonight. I would love to just see my "family" again and laugh with them and play beautiful music and worship. Maybe sometime in the future, perhaps. Well, I'm off to not catch up on sleep, but not loose any either. You get a 2 for 1 deal with meditations for today. See you all in 2 days!

Meditation(s) for the day: John 14:27 "Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid"

"Peace comes not from the absence of trouble, but from the presence of God"
~ Alexander Maclaren

5 Guys

Today was hectic as I arrived at work. We thought that we had everything solved with the quote we were working on, but we were wrong. There some last minute changes that had to be made as well as trying to coordinate shipping cost estimates for 90 locations, 4 of which, were not in the continental US. After getting that matter resolved, I began to explore different methods of selecting/purchasing mailing lists to reach our customer base more accurately and at the right times. I worked on that until lunch time.

Today for lunch I ate with Mike, Stacy, Carmen, Blair, and Tausha at a place called 5 Guys. It looked like you average burger & fries place, but the food was outstanding! I had a cheese burger and fries that was close to the best burger I've ever had. (The best is still from the place that used to be where Gyro's is in Farragut) I didn't have any cash so Mike picked up my tab this time and next time I'll get his. It was nice to eat with people and laugh as hard as I have in a while. I was supposed to have a meeting after lunch with the lady from Sparkfly (similar to our Kid's First books, but it is all online and exclusively for teachers) but she cancelled and rescheduled for next Wednesday morning. I spent the remainder of the work day answering emails, calling people back, and preparing to begin work on the Back-To-School 16pg. sales piece after I talk with Chris tomorrow.

I had planned on eating some cereal for dinner tonight and watching a couple of episodes of Law & Order (doink-doink), but I got a text from Leslie and she wanted to know if I could join her and Stacy at T.G.I. Friday's for some dinner. Seeing as this was an opportunity to hang out with human beings and not my TV or computer, I said of course. I ordered the Sesame Jack Chicken appetizer and it was amazingly good! I also went to Target and did a minor amount of grocery shopping (ie. bread, milk, yogurt, and chips). I spent some time tonight working on editing the beginning of the music video for Roses On My Grave and then lack of sleep from last night's concert finally began to catch up to me. I only have to make it though 3 more work days until my weekend visit to K-town and my return to the film industry and wedding wonderlands (blah).
I'll report more tomorrow...

Meditation for the day: 1 Corinthians 10:13 "You can trust God. He will not let you be tested more than you can stand. But when you are tested, He will also make a way out so you can bear it."

Breathe Me....

Today began with not much to do at work. That soon changed after I arrived. The morning started out wonderfully as it seems that the only clock I forgot to change yesterday was my alarm clock! I awoke at 7:30 and still managed to shower, get ready, and make it to work by 8:00. Today at work I sent a rough of the summer learning flyer I've been working on for the past 2 days to the powers that be so we can make corrections and then move forward to printing. I also had a chance to design the card holders for our new gift cards (that's right, cards not paper certificates with hand written totals) and Dave said he loved my design. I'll bring one into town once they are printed so you can see my masterful creativity (waiting for lightning to strike....no, nothing?....well ok then). I also helped Sue prepare a quote for an organization that needed supplies for 90 locations around Atlanta! I actually was working with her on that until I left work around 5:40pm.

After I got home I grabbed a quick bite to eat and then was on my way to pick up Stacy for our concert adventure. She wanted to take me to this concert as thanks for picking up/watching her dog Cooper. I told her she didn't have to, but I really wanted to see this artist in concert. We went to the Variety Playhouse, a venue located in the heart of Atlanta. I drove and we neither died nor got lost! (See God still works miracles!) The first act was a little disturbing to say the least. I'm not going to go into great detail, but the lead singer was about 40 pounds too heavy to be wearing what he was wearing (or by the end of the show, what he wasn't) and to be dancing like he was dancing! (insert mental picture here of Jim Belushi dancing like Michael Jackson in the music video Bad) I'm sure there will be tons of videos on You Tube tomorrow. Just look for the band Har Mar Super Star if you dare. Sia was the headliner for tis show and she was great. She is originally from Australia, but like most Aussie's she ventured to Britain to break into the music scene. She was a back-up vocalist for Jamaroquoi and eventually went out on her own. She has a very powerful, soulful and jazz filled voice. She is very short and thin, but can belt out smooth, sweet notes with an opera singer's volume and clarity. It was a phenomenal performance, and I intend to purchase her newest CD Some People Have REAL Problems. Her last song Breathe Me was particularly beautiful and moving both musically and lyrically. I highly recommend listening to this song if you get the opportunity. We arrived back in Kennesaw and I dropped Stacy off around 11:45. Now it's time to get some sleep so I can be somewhat creative tomorrow, should I be called upon to do so.

A New Day

This morning I woke up at 9:30 and was about to rush to get ready to go to a church service when I glanced at my cell phone on the coffee table and suddenly remembered that the time change was last night...or, if you're like me, it occurred precisely when you realized you needed to be somewhere else. I promptly changed all of my clocks to avoid any further delay in "getting with the times". I decided that rather than walking in late and having everyone stare at me, I would go and listen to songs of worship & praise while running on the treadmill. This experience was obviously different from attending a worship service a a church, but was at the same time relaxing and very worshipful. The only thing I was focusing on was the lyrics of the songs (and not falling off the treadmill).

When I returned to my apartment, I signed onto MySapce and saw that I had a comment from Cooper thanking me for keeping him all day yesterday. I also stumbled across a new artist that I have come to identify with her lyrics lately. Her name is Marie Digby and she is an emerging artist who plays piano and guitar. She uses her life experiences to compose the lyrics for her original songs and her song Traffic hit particularly close to home right now. You should look her up on You Tube to hear some of her work. I also fixed myself some scrambled eggs (with cheese), bacon, and toast for brunch today.

I watched the UT Men's Vols beat South Carolina soundly (89 to 56) after a close 1st half (38 to 37). I then spent the afternoon vacuuming, dusting, cleaning bathrooms and kitchen, and doing laundry. I probably should go to the store seeing as how I have no bread, milk, smoothie ingredients, or much else that is edible without the previously mentioned food substances. I watched the UT Lady Vols win their 13th SEC Championship Title by defeating the LSU Lady Tigers in a very physical and close game. Seeing as how I must prepare for the work week that will surely be filled with lots of time playing catch-up from everyone being gone last week, I will say good night and have a good start to your week.

Meditation for the day: (This does not come from scripture, but I thought it was something that could be interpreted the same)

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass...its about learning to dance in the rain." ~Anonymous

Closer to being a Georgian

I began this morning waking up to a very cold day with the sky being littered with lots of flakes of snow. That meant that when I went out, there was no one on the roads. That is comforting to know that people down here at least have the sense to know that if they aren't comfortable driving in the snow, they shouldn't try. (Or maybe its because it was at 8:00am, you decide) I got my new driver's license and a one step closer to belonging in the state of Georgia. I think that my picture came off great considering the potential for a disastrous picture that seems to haunt most people on this particular form of ID.

Next on the agenda for the day was to pick up Cooper from the vet where Stacy had him boarded while she was out of town. I arrived there, without getting lost I might add, and picked Cooper up. He was terrified and constantly shaking the entire car ride to Stacy's house. When we arrived I called Stacy to let her know that her child was home and fine. It was a good thing that she didn't hang up quickly because I soon discovered that the key she gave me, wasn't working. I tried every trick I could think of, but the lock wasn't going to budge. I told Stacy not to worry, I would bring Cooper by once she got home. So for the remainder of the day I was hangin' with Mr. Cooper. (yes this is a reference to a sub-par but still funny TV sitcom that was on during the mid 90's) Cooper was a good companion for the day. He didn't make much noise (except for the occasional snoring while dreaming) and he didn't eat anything or pee on anything. He did however leave little white hairs all over everything! Oh well, that will give me something to do tomorrow...cleaning!

I also got a chance to play Command and Conquer 3 online with Jubin for a couple of hours. We hadn't played in some time and we had to get back in the groove before we were able to totally dominate our adversaries. I watched The Bourne Ultimatum tonight and I think Cooper liked it as much as I did-or perhaps he didn't really care because he was passed out asleep on my big blue blanket. I ended up dropping Cooper back off at Stacy's, after their flight was delayed due to weather, around 11:30. I probably should go to sleep now seeing as how I'm going to try and get up and go visit a church tomorrow morning.

Meditation of the day: Job 22:23-27 " If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored: If you remove wickedness far from your tent and assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines, then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you. Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your face to God. You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.

It's been a long time...

I apologize for those of you that look forward to my posts on my blog. I have become very busy as of late and have been somewhat distracted from my normal routine. I will try and give you an accurate update of the past 3 weeks and promise to make a more concerted effort to update more frequently.

I came into town for AMTT's birthday and that Friday night I went to AppleBee's for half-price appetizers and a drink with Hickey, Jared, Shannon, and Glenn. It was a fun time and it was something I really needed. I won't go into details concerning the next night as you were all there at Wasabi for the celebration. I returned to Kennesaw on Sunday night after walking 5 miles with Hickey at Lakeshore that afternoon.

I came back into town the following weekend to celebrate the occurrence of Leap Day! Not really, I came into town on Thursday evening to prepare for helping the Knoxville location with its inventory. When I arrived in K-town I went to my usual place of wasting time...Movies 4 Sale. I met Hickey, Chan, Walker, Matt, and Jared there and we watched part of Lost in Translation, one of Hickey's new favorite movies...he may be on to something, though. It is masterfully written and the cast only bolsters its potential as breaking into my all time top 25 list. After they closed the store I met Hickey, Chan, and Couple X at AppleBee's for half-price appetizers and a drink. We spent a couple of hours there, all the while distracting ourselves from the reality of our individual lives. I went for a drive with Hickey on Northshore (the best road to just put on some music and go) for a while and then returned to The Hickey Coutry Inn to retire for the evening. I awoke the following morning and went to CBCB to work out. While there I had a chance to talk with Rev. Moreland (a.k.a. "the Mark") and worked out with Charlie too. I went to The School Box around 4:00 and worked on inventory with them until it was finished around 11:45. Finding myself wired and not at all sleepy, what else was I to do? I went to AppleBee's (yes again) with Hickey, Jared, Shannon, Glenn, and Crystal for the usual. We had a blast talking to Megan, our usual waitress on Friday nights, and her boyfriend, the bartender. After I fell victim to exhaustion, I spent the night at Le Chateau de Taylor. It is a very business friendly sleeping establishment that is famous for its homemade breakfasts and improved amenities with each visit.

The next day (Saturday March 1st) Hickey and I drove down to Kennesaw to drop off my newly repaired coffee table and while there at lunch with Stacy (from The School Box) at Taco Mac. It was delicious. I had a Havana Cuban sandwich that was the best I've ever had, and I will definitely go back to try some of their wings. After lunch we parted ways and Hickey and I drove back to K-town to commence filming shots for a music video of "Roses On My Grave" by Papa Roach. If you have an opportunity to listen to this masterpiece I highly recommend it. We filmed until it got dark, then filmed some more. We drove around for a while and then ended up back at Hickey's where we ordered some PJ's Pizza and watch the final 3 episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark?. It took us both back to a simpler time in our lives where the only thing we worried about was if the new episodes on Snick or Saturday morning cartoons were going to be as good as the previous week's. I spent a second night at Le Chateau de Taylor and went to CBCB the next morning for worship. I ate lunch at Red Lobster with mom, dad, and Amy. I ended up running 4 miles with Hickey just before I left town and then hit the road to go back home to GA.

This week at work has been quiet as the purchasing department, Dave, Chris, Mike, and Vickie are all gone to Orlando for the NSSEA conference. I created the Summer Learning insert in 2 days and am just waiting on approval upon everyone's return on Monday before we proceed to printing. I went to dinner Thursday night with Leslie, the manager of the Howell Mill store. She offered lots of good insight and I really think God spoke to me through her. She also offered for me to accompany her and her boyfriend Brian to church one weekend when he is in town. He live in Birmingham for his job right now. I also think we will go to a contemporary service called 7/22 that meets at Buckhead Church on Tuesday nights. I have been wanting to go to a contemporary service for a while now so I think this is an awesome opportunity to seize. That's about all I have for now. I am picking up Stacy's dog, Cooper, from the vet tomorrow where she had him boarded for her trip to NSSEA. I hope he remembers me and doesn't run in terror (he is extremely skittish due to abuse from his first owner). I also hope to get my GA driver's license at some point tomorrow. (but I still bleed orange!) I'll write more after this weekend. Hope all is well in Knoxville.

Meditation for the week: Psalm 84:11 "For the LORD God is our sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; He will withhold no good thing from those who do right."

Sushi = yummy!

On Monday I ate lunch with Mike, Stacy, Tausha, Blair, and Carmen from work. We wnt to a new sushi restaurant in the shopping center near the store. I had a volcano roll (which has crab meat, salmon, avocado, and some spicy stuff) and it was delicious. I hope to eat there again and try some more varieties. I know some of you are surprised that I would even consider consuming a meal such as this, but you must remember that I have come a long way from only eating peanut butter and chicken. At work the past two days I have been chipping away at the early childhood flyer and by the end of work today I have completed the production/layout of 2 1/2 pages! I know it doesn't seem like much, but when you consider prepping the graphics for the flyer, writing/editing the copy for the items, and designing the product layout 2 pages in 2 days isn't bad. I need you all to pray for no rain this Saturday for 2 reasons: first frisbee golf in the rain is no fun and I'm hoping it will hold off so I get to hang out with Jubin. Second, I think that a Valentine's Day dinner (although a little late) would be much more enjoyable with pleasant weather.
I made another trip to Walmart tonight and now have everything I need to establish a very healthy eating plan for myself centered around 2 smoothies a day that combined contain all the servings of fruit, calcium, and vitamin C that I need in one day. It also fills me up without loading up on the calories or fat so I can still enjoy a hearty (hopefully healthy) dinner. I have also found as close as I think I will a picture of the DVD/Bookcase I'm looking for my living room area. Keep your eyes peeled (but not too hard) for something like this. I have yet to see one anywhere that is in stock! Oh well, I'm off to fold some laundry and then off to bed to dream of finger paints, art easels, and glues for teachers.