Random Thoughts

Hmm... I'm not the best at updating this blog. Not that I don't have things going on with my life but I can't seem to keep up with it very well.

The reason why I'm writing today is that I got some shocking news last night and it's made me think of how short ones life can be. A couple of nights ago, a friend of mine from Jr High/High School died in a tragic hit and run accident back in Indy. She worked at a nursing home and was heading to the store to get something for a resident. She was my age (32) and was married with 2 children. It's hard to believe that Janie is gone. It seems just like yesterday when we were in the 7th grade and cracking jokes (she had a great sarcastic sense of humor) in class. She was a great girl and she'll be terribly missed. I'm sad that I won't be able to attend her memorial but I know a lot of people that are going so I'll be there in spirit. I'm praying for her family and friends.

I wonder what would happen if something like that happened to me. What what my family do? My kids are still small (10, 8, 5 and almost 2) and I don't know how much they would understand since they haven't dealt with death much. I'm not sure how my husband would handle it. He doesn't like to admit it, but I think he would be lost without me!

Well...let's see. I've switched positions at work since the last time I blogged. I'm now in our Service Center area which is basically our in-house agency dept. I've gotten my 2-20 General Lines agent license (I took a 5 week class with super long days!). I'm really proud of that because it's not the easiest test to pass the first time around. :) Eventually, I think I'll get my CIC designation (Certified Insurance Counselor) but I probably won't try to start that for another 6 months or a year. I really do like what I do and I want to learn as much as I can.

The kiddos are getting bigger. My "baby" Ethan will turn 2 on 1/25. It seems just like yesterday I was as big as a house waiting for him to make his grand debut! We are all done having babies so now I'm just watching them grow in their own unique way. I'll be 33 soon but not before my hubby turns 38!! I think that is starting to freak him out a bit. Plus, this year is his 20 year reunion. :)

I pray that things are better this year. There are lots of things that I struggle with because I tend to put the needs of others before my own. While that can be a good thing, it's not when it leaves me confused and unsettled. I'm not good at resolutions because I can never keep them so I haven't committed to any this year. I know what problems I need to work on. I just have to believe that this will be the year that I can be strong enough to resolve them once and for all.

So...I don't take time off from work all that often so I'm excited about the next month or so. I'm taking off a day this week because my girlfriend is in town (woo hoo!) but after she leaves and goes to Houston, I'm not sure when I'll see her again (boo!).

Then I'm thinking of taking a trip to Atlanta with the kiddies during Memorial Day weekend to check out the area. I'm pretty much ready to leave FL (but that's been true for about a decade!) and I have some good friends outside of the ATL who have been talking more about us moving up there lately. My hubby isn't sold on the idea but I'm game for a move. Plus, the housing up there is pretty reasonable and I've been told my friend Shannon is good at fixing up houses! :) So....I'll be checking things out and report back to James what I've found.

Then after the kids are done with school in June, I'll be driving up to Indy to visit my folks and friends. I don't get to go up there more than once a year so I plan on having a good time. I love road trips and while I would like James to share the driving with me, he isn't going this time around. :( So I guess that's like a vacation for him huh? ;)

I've also been trying to plan a trip out West to visit a friend of mine with another girlfriend. I've only been as far as TX so that should nice. We just have to figure out our schedules to see if it will work out. I'm hoping it does!

Oh...my daughters birthday is also coming up. She'll be 8 on the 18th. I can't believe it. My baby girl is growing up so fast. :'(

Lyrics | Muppets - Muppets theme lyrics

So...there are a couple of older underwriters I work with that I have nicknames for. One of them I've called Lightsaber for years. Why, honestly I don't remember other than his name begins with light. Anyhoo..the other one is kinda grouchy so at times I've called him Grouchy Old Man or something along those lines. (I have nicknames for just about everybody at work but that's not important.) :D

Recently, I've gotten into the habit of calling these fellows Statler and Waldorf from the Muppets. I can't get all the credit for that. My friend Craig is just as bad at giving people nicknames as I am so I'll blame him for this. Now every time I think of one of them or see them the Muppets theme runs through my head!

And yes....one of them does have a crazy 'stache just like Waldorf! Here is the song I can't get out of my head today....I thought I would share! :)

So I get a call tonight from my father in law to tell me that my nephew Steve has passed away apparently from an overdose. At this point he isn't really sure of too many details but that's the least of my concern. I just feel terrible for my sister in law Kim. Steve was such a bright guy and had a whole lot going for him. Yes, he had been struggling with some issues lately (relationship/job loss) but that is true for a lot of people. It makes my heart sad to think that whatever problem he had, he didn't think he could resolve it and he would have to take such drastic measures. I've lost a family member before to suicide and so many questions remain from that and now this.

Wow....my brain is still trying to wrap my head around it. My husband is really upset. They were only about 10 years apart in age so he didn't think of him as just a nephew. They were closer than that. All I can do at this point is pray for Kim and that she can be strong in the next couple of days. Her other two boys are going to need her to be there for them because this will be tough on them too.

I think I'll go to bed now....It has been a long day.

There have been a lot of layoffs at Disney (where I worked so long ago) this past month but they really stepped it up this week. It's such a shame to see good people be let go of a place they have worked for years, decades, basically their entire career! I've been praying a lot lately about it because I know how rough the job market is, especially here in Orlando. They aren't done yet (I heard that the culling should end next week) but I hope it's not as many as this week.

On top of that my father-in-law was admitted to the hospital with a blood infection and pneumonia last night. That's bad enough but he also has diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease that he deals with. Hopefully he will be released by the weekend so he can rest up at home. It's my mother-in-law's birthday today but she had to spend the day at the hospital. That's not my idea of birthday fun. :(

Next week can only be better, right? Crossing my fingers on that one!

Holy smokes! It's been a hot minute since I've written in this thing. Nothing too interesting has gone on though so one one has missed much! :D

Let see....Ethan turned a year old on Jan 25. I can't believe a year went by so fast! He's babbling a lot more and finally has the walking thing down. He's so darn cute! He still needs hair though. My friend Dale calls him the Golden Child. Such a dork! Anyhoo...My hubby James had his birthday last week (a very young looking 37) and my birthday is coming up next week. I can't believe I'm gonna be 32 but after 4 kids and nearly 9 years of marriage....I guess I'll have to!

I've been super busy with work. I tell you that stuff never seems to end. I like what I do but the idea of me moving on to a new job is always in the back of my mind. With the economy the way that it is though...I'm not going to look too seriously yet. If I were single, I probably would be more willing to take a risk and start something new but when you have a family, you can't just think about yourself.

I will say this. There is a older man I work with, we shall call him Wilbur, that drive me INSANE! He apparently has the worst allergies in the world and can't stop snorting and swallowing all day instead of using tissues. Eww!! Not only is it gross to listen to but it just gets really annoying after awhile. Kinda like nails on chalkboard for me. I have to pray for patience on a daily basis but it always feels like I'm short supply of it. It doesn't help that I am always answering this mans questions so the nastiness is always right there.

Hmm...not too much going on I think. I'm sad my friend Haley will be moving out of FL in May to move to TX. I could always go out there to see her but it won't be the same like having her be just a couple of hours away. :( I'm going to try to visit her a couple of times before she goes though so that should be fun.

Okie dokie...I'm going to try to go to bed early tonight since the whole "spring forward" nonsense has screwed up my time clock again. Hopefully it won't be a couple more months before I write again! :)

If you know my husband James, you know how much of a pack rat he can be.  I have tried to convince him over the years to de-clutter his closet or his car (some call that his walk-in closet he has so much stuff in it!) to no avail.  Well, I think I've had all that I can take.  Our poor apt is full of stuff that we don't use and is just taking up space.  One reason it's been getting on my nerves is that my kids are starting to act the same way!  I try to go through my closet once a year and donate what I can and throw out what can't be given.  If I try to do that with the kids stuff they tend to freak out because they don't want to see their stuff go.  I've been threatening to do something drastic and I'm finally going to see that promise through.  It will probably take me all month since there is a lot of things to sort through but hopefully a nice organized space will be the ultimate result.

It sounds kinda weird but the idea of that makes me so happy!  I'm sure I'm not the only one that has this problem.  People tend to collect items and then forget about them.  James has a closet full of rock t-shirts that he hasn't worn in years.  Really...is there a need to keep them?  I can understand if there is a autograph on some of them but they are just regular old t-shirts.  Plus, many of them are too small for him to wear.  Oh...he has like over 600 cd's too that I would love to see go.  He has imported most of the ones he wants to iTunes anyway so why does he need to keep the cd's?  I could go on and on about all the "stuff" he has but that would be a really long post.  :)

I've never been the one to keep things for a long amount of time and after 10 years, I think James needs to follow that example too.  This will be a excellent chance to teach the kids about what is really needed so they don't become pack rats too! 

I guess the same thing could be said about other unnecessary things in our life.  I tend to hold on to friendships even though they aren't good for me or that I have grown out of.  That is harder for me to let go of but sometimes it has to be done.  Just like a shirt that doesn't fit or a cd that I don't listen to anymore, there is no point in holding on to something that I don't need right?  I'll answer that and say yes!  A new year, a cleaner house and letting go of stress that I shouldn't have anyway?  Sounds awesome to me!