Silence is golden ... but duct tape is silver. Unknown

This is what I did today

A dirty bird can't fly with a broken wing! Who dat!

So what I do is I make sure that everything is all in order with work.  Then I furiously research my little endeavor.  I am pretty excited about this new business.  I am ready to get the legal paperwork done so that I can get this business off the ground.   I love when I get excited about an idea.  I try to draw everyone in and get them to feed on my excitement.  

I was running around the house like a Heisman Trophy today.  I had so much on my plate, and I had so much to do.  This is not the first stressful day now that the fall semester is in the full swing of things, and I am sure it will not be the last.  

I am off in a puff of smoke to Hawaii on Saturday.  Family time!  I get to spend some time with the ‘rents.   

I need to take a second to Kvetch a teeny bit about my brother in law.  My brother in law was laid off in September, 2009.  And by February he had not been able to find a job in Texas.  My husband and I believe in doing the right thing.  We do the right thing even when we don’t want to do the right thing sometimes.  We both operate under the belief that for those God has given much he expects much.  And my husband and I are blessed.  We have a beautiful marriage, a wonderful life, a healthy (step) daughter, financial stability, fulfilling careers, our own health, a fabulous family, and an amazing home…just to name a few things.  Anyway, we asked my brother in law to come live with us until February, 2011 to help him get on his feet.

Now mind you he pays no rent, no bills, and does not buy food.  We provide all of that.  Generally speaking he helps out around here when we need some help, but not always.   NOW comes the whining part my brother in law cannot handle his business.  He can’t prioritize.  He is unable to accomplish what needs to be done to get ahead.    And while this should be none of my business this drives me INSANE!  I am not sure where my brother in law will be moving when February 12, 2011 rolls around.  But when he does I will be happy to stop worrying about folks that do not take care of business.

Because I missed him this weekend

The best day wasn't
that Thursday when you met me
That was just a start

Day of wedding bells
when you promised to love me
That was the best day

Your dreams my hopes- ours
pursuing goals chasing dreams
We did it together

Five years of marriage
Thousands of I love yous now
And we still love each other

Beautiful world, ours
Loving everyday together
In our own bubble

Then you say to me
I could never be happier
We are so lucky

It was your idea
The wonderful life together
I am glad you asked

I see a pattern
You love me, I love you
Doesn't matter which

Trying to explain
to everyone else around us
They can’t understand us

It will always be
Just you and me together
Loving each other

Mixing the personal with the professional a bit

I am starting a new business.  I am wrapping up all the legal legwork that I need to incorporate.  Once all the lawyers say I am good I need to hire an artist.  If you or someone you know would be interested in being the artist for my project then I have an ongoing contract for you.

I am looking to build a business relationship for an ongoing project that has major potential to expand nationally.  If you are interested please send me your portfolio in addition to your resume for review.  If you do not have a portfolio I am going to need to at least see samples of your work.  This is a telecommute position.  This position will start in early October.  

Here is what happens…your body gets older. But your mind stays the same. Maybe.

I was out tonight.  Bey is out of town.  And I am busy running around going out like I am in college.  (not really)  Example 1.) I left the house at 8 o’clock (at Auburn I never went out before 10:30) .  Example 2.)  I went to dinner first (at Auburn I could not afford to go out and go to dinner).  Example 3.) I am already home (at Auburn it was a bad night if I was home at 12:45 AM.  Nevertheless let me live my dream.  I decided while I was out it is a strange strange strange world we are living in. 

Call me naïve but I have never seen one of those crazy vapor cigarettes before.  I was mesmerized and asked a million questions about them.*  Additionally I met the band that was playing live out tonight.  They played some classic rock that I did.  After their set I talked to them.  In the past I would have been too busy running my mouth to talk to the band.  BUT tonight was surreal.  I couldn’t help feeling like it was last summer and Bey was going to be stuck in Mississippi.  That is how it felt all last summer.  Surreal and frustrating.  It shouldn’t feel like that now since my life is perfect.  Bey is here, we have a wonderful home, and we are never going to be separated for a long time ever again.  So it was crazy I felt like that.  Overall the evening was a success.  Perfect time for getting together with all of my friends.

*Ridiculous since I don’t even smoke, but I was fascinated by the blue light!

Always kiss like it is the first time and the last time ♥

I miss my darling boy.  He ran off to the Auburn game without me.  In all fairness he asked me to go.  I have been too exhausted and have piles of work to do.  I am developing some classes which means I have extra piles that I do not generally have.  No big deal, but it makes it difficult to travel. 

One of my BFF’s called off her wedding last week.  She and I have not had the opportunity to really dig in to what is going on with that although to be fair I should have seen it coming.  My other BFF is getting married October 16.  I just got her invitation my dress should be done being altered on Monday. 

I hate Bey being gone.  I miss him and it feels like last year when he was stuck in Mississippi and I was stuck here.  He will be here on Sunday, and it can not come soon enough. 

There Are No Good Girls Gone Wrong - Just Bad Girls Found Out ~ Mae West ♥

The refi is almost done.  I got our appraisal back, and who hoo!  I believe we will close at the end of the month.   Here is the deal.  Last year we got a 30 year mortgage with a 5 percent interest rate.  It was a great rate at the time, and I was pretty happy.  However I stay on rate alert, and last week 15 year mortgages came at 3.65 percent.  So I said to Bey…let’s refinance.  A 15 year mortgage at 3.65 percent is way better than a 30 year at 5 percent.  We decided to go ahead and put another chunk of money down on the house and ta da the payment is almost the same!  

I did the math ( right now Bey and I are on target to pay off our home September 2013).  Based on that target we will save 16,000 dollars by doing this refinance.  If we were to wait and pay the house off in 15 years we would save over 169,000 dollars in interest over the 30 year loan. 

Other than boring finances Bey leaves tomorrow to go to Mississippi.  I am buried and leaving for Hawaii soon so no Auburn football for me. 

Wordless Wednesday

I fought the law and I won! :)

Two exciting pieces of information one I believe I mentioned that we fought Maricopa County in court and won on our Tax valuation.  It helps to have a lawyer for a daddy.  The second important piece of information is that the news is going to come out and interview me at my lovely home because of my accomplishment.  It was very easy.  Fighting and winning against the big bad county, but several people have tried and not everyone wins.  I will be on the Thursday night news being interviewed and asked to explain my process.  I am pretty excited.  This is the second time I have been on the news since being in Phoenix.  The first time I was on Fox news at 4, 5,6 by myself and 9 and 10 with the lovely Bey.  We were on the news because we are Saints fans living in Cardinal country. 

Of course as soon as I found out that I was going to be interviewed I called my daddy and thanked him again for his help in all things legal in my life.  : )

Things have been ok for me except that I'm a zombie now. - Jonathan Coulton

This week has been an improvement to last week.  I have spent the entire week kicking it via the phone to my BFF.  I wish we lived closer.  However it is great to catch up.  Our roommate from college had a baby this week.  Of course we talked about all those "glory days" when we were at Auburn.  While I have to say that I am pretty high up on the happiness Richter scale these days nothing compares to those carefree days at Auburn.  Best times of my life. 

Speaking of good times at some point is all of our adult lives we have to start growing up.  Unfortunately that time is getting close for me awfully soon.  I have enjoyed all this Peter Pan time....now it is time to grow. 

My interest in life comes from setting myself huge, apparently unachievable challenges and trying to rise above them. Richard Branson

This is why it is fantastic to be a stepmom.  You listen to teenage girl angst.  You pay very close attention.  You nod your head solemnly and you smile like an ancient wise soul.  You place your hand under your chin as you ponder strife you could not imagine could occur to an upper middle class teenage girl.  Then you sigh and say with authority.  Go Ask Your Father. It is a fabulous power really.  I wish I could exercise it in all aspects of my life. 

SD had her first boyfriend last year.  Or perhaps crush is the better word.  It was obvious to me.  Here this little girl who I could barely get to take a bath with tears, threats, gnashing of teeth suddenly became exceedingly interested in her appearance.  It was a crush!  Of course the only thing that could change behavior like that would be a BOY.  Unfortunately this boy is unfantastic.  And I am so glad her interest in him has disseminated. 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…no not Christmas.  The time when the munchkin goes back to school.  I love having her here, but I have to transition to my fall busy schedule.  No more of my summer lazy schedule. 

My bridesmaid dress came this weekend for my BFF Sally’s wedding.  Sally and I have been BFFs since 1995.  Fifteen years.  Oh my.  We met at Auburn when we were just munchkins ourselves.  After complaining to her that I am not feeling great lately, that I am struggling with some of my own personal demons.  She suggested that I go back to Auburn.  Pretend I am 18, rush my sorority again, and get our buddy Matt to make me a fake idea.  See this is why she is my BFF she always has the best ideas.  Unfortunately because of some of the events going on I may not be at the wedding.   We talked about it this weekend and she was so supportive of where my journey is.

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain."

Today I want to talk about Bey.  When I met Bey in October 2002 he was dating someone very seriously.  I was engaged.  We did not see one another again until February 2003.  By February 2003 I had called off my engagement and Bey had put his ex on the road.  Yet we still did not start dating.  In February, I met a fabulous man that was all wrong for me!  I had to spend some time pursuing that insanity.  Then came the inevitable break up.  Finally late May 2003 we went on our first date.  We have been together ever since. 

But that is not what I wanted you to know about Bey.  When I met Bey he was a lot of fun.  I was not ready to get married.  But he will tell you.  He knew I was it for him.  He pursued me with a dogged determination.  He came by my house and spoke of how he saw his future.  He urged me to talk about my future.  Eventually we started talking about our future.

Then we got married.  Marriage is a funny thing sometimes.  It takes two people that know each other pretty well (we had been dating a year and a half after all), and turns them into two strangers that now live in the same house.  I started my doctorate 10 short days after our wedding.  I like stress.  Kidding.  Although you would believe that is true if you watched a movie of my life Drew Barrymore should play me I think.  We had a miscarriage early in our marriage.  We had regular stress of bills, and adjusting to life in Mississippi.  Then I got sick.  We had to face down chemo and radiation. 

We moved to Arizona and we were separated for 5 months.  During all of this time, I may have been the rock in our relationship, but Bey has always been the foundation.  He loves me.  He loves me so much I can relax.  I can take deep healing breaths around him.

Lately with some of the things that have gone on not only have I needed my foundation I have needed a rock.  He has been all that and more.  I have to say that I appreciate him.  This blogs for you darling. 

Lord Chesterfield -, “Persist and persevere, and you will find most things that are attainable, possible."

Is this always the best path? Is this always the way to go. I have never not once in my entire life ever given up on anything that I wanted. Once I decide I want something it is as good as mine. I stalked the neighborhood I wanted to live in ran spreadsheets and data until I found the perfect house that we could afford. Then at the perfect time I pounced like a cat on my goal and I had the house.

Point 2 I fought Maricopa County. I sued them and won. I had the guy by the tail. Hours of phone calls and faxing, and I won. We settled out of court and they had to cover my fees.

Point 3 when I was coming home daily crying about my Ph. D. crying because my professor or even some of the other students were horrible male chauvinist pigs; I did not once falter. I did not once stammer. I kept going.
I fight till the death to get my way. But today I am faced with a crossroads. Actually I won’t be faced with this crossroad until Wednesday so I am sort of borrowing a bit from Wednesday’s crossroads, but I digress. Do I need to keep persisting and persevering? Or is it time to lay this burden down? When is enough… enough? And why oh why do I have to put my Faith on the line about something I have no control over.
Persistence Perseverance my two best friends are you the ones I should be listening to? Bey and I have been married over 5 years. On our fifth wedding anniversary I asked him to tell me five things about me that he cannot live without. The second thing he listed was my dogmatic pursuit of my goal.
So as I sit, looking around my beautiful home filled with beautiful things, and as I wonder and cry. Do I fight or sit this one out?

When the world says "Give Up," Hope whispers "Try it one more time."

I miss my ‘rents.  I live too far away from them.  It is hard sometimes not to resent Bey for moving me all the way over here to this city so far away from people that love me.  Of course Bey loves me, but I still miss the ‘rents.  Daddy just bought a new boat, and we had a fun taking the boat out on Lake Lanier.  My entire family likes to be connected to the water. 

Since my parents have retired I have gotten to spend lots of quality time with them.  It is so great to see them so relaxed.  I am so grateful that my parents were young enough to retire at 57.  It has allowed them to enjoy their retirement.  My mom and dad both are in good health and just are really enjoying their lifestyle. 

And then there is SD.  I took SD with me to Atlanta this week.  I came upon SD whispering conspiratorially with my mom.  SD was trying to convince my mom to let her stay in Atlanta until school starts.  I guess so.  If I was spoiled like SD over there I would want to stay too!  :)

“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J. R. R. Tolkien