I was sitting here trying to figure out where to start, which tale to tell, and was surprised by which surfaced first. So I’ll begin there.

In January, I started a new job. I’m doing the same work I have been for the last six plus years but on a much larger scale. I enjoy the work I do and I like to be busy, so so far that part has all been good. When I made my decision to accept the job offer, I had no reservations. I was not at all concerned that this was not the right fit for me or anything like that. I had been unhappy in my previous job for way too long and it was time to move on to something else. Don’t get me wrong here, either, I am not one of those “the grass is always greener” people either. I know that there are challenges anywhere you go, no job is perfect.

Despite my troubles at my old job, I had a lot of good friends that I had made over the years. They knew the ups and downs of my life both in work and out. They were the only thing I knew I would miss when I made this change. But I didn’t realize how much. Although everyone I’ve met so far has been very nice (and I do mean that!), I haven’t really connected with anyone there. I can go a whole day without talking to anyone. For some people, that probably seems like an ideal day but for me it is very difficult. I’m used to stopping by to visit a friend for a couple minutes during the work day to catch up on the goings on of work and life. Having someone (or several someones) to each lunch with most days. Having someone who knows and cares what’s going on with me.

My birthday came and went on a work day. Those of you who know me know that I make a big deal out of my birthday. It’s weird to say but I feel like it’s the only day that’s truly mine. I spend a lot of time celebrating things that are important in other’s lives and I just feel like my birthday is my day to celebrate. My friends joke that it has become a birthday month, really, because we always end up celebrating throughout for various reasons (snow, difficulty scheduling time, whatever). My mom always calls me at the time I was born and this year was no exception. She asked me if anyone had wished me a happy birthday…and I said that no one knew and I didn’t think they would’ve cared anyway. It makes me feel stupid to write that because I know most people would rather their birthday slip by unnoticed. I guess that’s just the problem right now…I don’t want keep being unnoticed.

I keep thinking back to my friend Jess’ little brother. We’d ask him where he was going and he’d say he was going out to look for friends. I feel like that little kid now. Every day, I am looking for a friend.

Why does it matter? Why does it bother me that other people who have been there for years have friends and I can’t even seem to get in on a conversation? Aren’t I at an age where that shouldn’t matter anymore? But it does. People keep trying to reassure me and tell me that I’ve only been there a short time and it takes a while and so on. But I honestly don’t even see any opportunities. And that makes me sad. And makes me miss my old pals even more.

Ok, first of all, it is very sad that I keep posting about the weather. I have other things I would like to post about but can’t at the moment…so the weather it shall be.

Last Saturday night/Sunday, we got 17 inches of snow. The temperatures went up to the upper 50s on Wednesday & Thursday and then dropped down to the 20s last night. The snow all melted like it had never been there but now it is bitter out. Global warming? La Nina? I haven’t a clue but I wish it would stay on the warmer side. Maybe I need to move out to San Francisco. The highest they get is about 80 and the low is around 40/50. THAT I could live with. This, not so much. : (

…but the way things are going lately, I kind of wish I hadn’t. I can’t post on much right now – I will – but not now. Probably sometime next week.

Maybe I should work on my 100 things in the meantime. I always like to read them on other peoples blogs…

On a more entertaining note, this is my home group.

We were asked to take a picture for the home group board at church (where people can take a look and see if they want to visit any of the weekly groups where we do bible study, pray for each other, etc.) We looked at some of them and just thought they were very run of the mill. So here’s us, on my couch, in our pjs. : )

Church is cancelled. Birthday lunch with the girls is cancelled. Going back to bed!

It’s SuperGrrl.

Tonight I took on my arch nemesis, the undrying dryer…and won.

It took the purchase of a shop vac, a lot of coaching and encouragement from my dad, a drill with a screwdriver bit and a whole lot of frustrating moments! But I fixed my dryer myself.

It might seem like a little thing to some out there but to me this is a major deal. I really hate asking for help (but have gotten somewhat better about it in recent years) and like to try to deal with things on my own whenever possible. I decided tonight that this was going to be one of those things. And it was! So at least tonight I am going to sleep with a great sense of accomplishing something I thought was a task that was well beyond my ability. Yahoo!

It’s really sad when the highlight of your birthday week is repairing your dryer…but more on the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad birthday later. I’m still processing and decompressing and…well, just trying to get over it all.

I will say, though, that my birthday eve was quite nice. Nancy brought a cake to home group for Doris and I and there was some REALLY horrible singing, which I always love. It just always makes me laugh! We all had a nice night together. I’m really enjoying our group. I just started leading in November and with the holidays and such, we got off to an on and off kind of start. But the last three weeks or so we’ve met regularly and I feel like our relationships are growing stronger with each week. : )

Four jobs i’ve had:
1. continuing ed
2. public relations
3. direct mail
4. making cotton candy & candy apples at Dorney Park (best job EVER!)

four of my favorite movies (or should I just say, “Anything with John Cusack in it”):
1. Say Anything
2. Grosse Pointe Blanke
3. Better Off Dead
4. High Fidelity

four of my favorite tv shows:
1. 7th Heaven
2. Grey’s Anatomy
3. Without a Trace
4. Dog the Bounty Hunter (A&E, check him out!)

four of my favorite foods:
1. bleu cheese chopped salad from outback
2. any kind of potato (except au gratin)
3. chocolate!!
4. hummus

four places i’d rather be right now:
1. sleeping
2. reading
3. someplace sunny & warm (not hot)
4. on vacation so I wouldn’t have to go to work tomorrow!

Well, I’ve been home a week but I feel like I have been running around like a maniac! What else is new, I guess! But I have been meaning to post about my trip to San Francisco.

I’ve never been to California so I was excited when an annual meeting I go to was moved there from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. I flew out Tuesday evening and had Wednesday morning off so I decided to try to squeeze in some touristy things! My first mission was to take a cable car to Fisherman’s Wharf. I’ll admit I was a little scared of all the steep hills so I chose to ride inside the closed part of the car…

Anyway, once I got down to the wharf, my first order of business was to get a cup of California clam chowder in a bread bowl. Yum! It’s not too much different than new england clam (my fav!) – more veggies and a little cheesy.

After that, I made my way down the wharf and saw the Golden Gate Bridge from afar. How cool!

And then onto the next spot on my mission…Ghiaradelli Square. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I had been advised to get the hot chocolate but I took a more decadent approach…a hot fudge sundae!!

I headed back for my afternoon sessions and didn’t see much outside the hotel except for dinner one night with friends until Friday afternoon. We had the afternoon off and some friends invited me to join them on a tour to Muir Woods and Sausalito.

Ever the tourist, I was thrilled when the bus driver stopped after crossing the Golden Gate and let us take some pictures.

I was totally shocked driving up to Muir Woods to see the giant redwoods – the roads are SO winding, it’s crazy! And there are no guardrails. I couldn’t get over it. I was thankful when we got to the woods.
Unfortunately, none of my pictures truly do it justice…it was totally amazing. I’ve never experienced anything like it. It was completely quiet in the woods. Not a bird or a bug or any animals. The tour guide had said that the tannin in the redwood trees is unattractive to bugs and birds and that most of the animals were noctural or hibernating, as it was “winter” there.

We headed to Sausalito after that. We didn’t have a lot of time there but it was just a cute town with shops and such down the main drag. Kind of like New Hope, for any southeastern Pennsylvanians out there!

I was totally exhausted after that and was glad to get back to the hotel. The next day was our last day of sessions and I dashed back to the cable car to go down to the wharf again for something I had wanted to pick up for Michelle but thought I’d see elsewhere. The cable car was MUCH more crowded since it was a Saturday and I decided to be brave this time and sit on the outside seats right in the front. You really get a feel for how very steep the hills are in San Francisco from that vantage point! Especially when you are headed down one and a car is double parked on the cable car tracks…and the driver is ringing the bell and trying to slow the car and the driver of the parked car is not coming. Luckily, the guy came out and drove off when we were probably about two yards from ramming right into him! Yikes!

So, that’s about it, in a nutshell. I survived my first trip to the west coast and really enjoyed it. I’d love to go back there on a vacation and see Napa and maybe find my way to San Diego. LA doesn’t hold a lot of interest for me but I know there are a lot of beautiful areas in California I’d enjoy.

I just got back from a whirlwind business trip to San Francisco. It was a great trip and I have lots to blog about but little time tonight…so instead, for your reading pleasure, a meme courtesy of Cheryl (courtesy of Anisa courtesy of…you get the picture!)

1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what did you think? I need to get my hair done
2. How much cash do you have on you? $19, the only cash until payday!
3. What is a word that rhymes with “TEST”? best
4. Favorite planet? Saturn, because it’s cool looking
5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone? I just deleted my call lists while sitting in traffic today, so I don’t know
6. What is your favorite song right now? “God Will Lift Up Your Head” by Jars of Clay
7. What shirt are you wearing? Tan pj top
8. Do you “label” yourself? Sure. I’m the tall girl. The single girl. The random girl.
9. Name the brand of shoes you’re currently wearing now: None, bare feet!
10. Bright or Dark Room? More toward the dark side
11. What were you doing at midnight last night? Sleeping
12. What is a saying that you say a lot? For the love of Pete!
13. Who told you they loved you last? My mom
14. How many days of work did you miss this week? None
15. How many rolls of film do you need to get developed? I don’t do film anymore…I have 95 prints coming from Snapfish soon though
16. Favorite age you’ve been so far? I’d say 32 was a good year
17. What is your current desktop picture? At home, it’s an eMachines logo because I haven’t changed it yet and at work, it’s an island with a palm tree
18. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly, which would you choose? A million bucks
19. Carmen Electra or Pam Anderson? Neither.
20.Who would you love to reunite with? A guy I used to date named Jason. I wish we had remained friends because he was really a sweetheart
21. When was the last time you said, “I am sorry?” While waiting to pick up pizza at lunch time
22. Who has the cutest blog in your click? I love ’em all
23. What did you eat last? Chips & dip
24. What kind of car do you drive? Subaru
25. What do you plan to accomplish this year? To have more fun and do more things outside of those things I “have” to do

I’ve seen this on a lot of blogs lately and though it was neat…kind of a reflection thing, as my birthday approaches…

25 years ago: I was 9. I was in Miss Rex’s third grade class and it was the best year of elementary school. It was her first year teaching, so she was really excited. And she was exceptionally kind. That year, we learned to sing Silent Night in German & English for Christmas. She also read us a lot of different books, which I loved. And she had a panda puppet that she used to help her with the stories. At the end of the year, she gave me the puppet to keep. I cried because I wanted to have her for my teacher forever. I think that even to this day, she was the best teacher I ever had.

15 years ago: I was 19. I was in my freshman year at Temple. Besides moving away to college, there had been a lot of change and turmoil in my life my 18th year…I had been in love and out of love and back in love again. I lost a dear friend in tragic car accident. I had moved into the dorms, not knowing a soul and eventually had made some great friends. By the time I had turned 19, things were looking up and coming into a kind of naturalness, like this is where I was supposed to be.

10 years ago: I was 24. I had survived my first “real” job out of college and moved on to another in a crazy office. The work was fine but there were some real loons at this one…including my supervisor, who had a koala bear puppet named Mrs. Wiggly. If you were having a disagreement or confrontation, Mrs. Wiggly would come out and attempt to resolve it. I should have quit then. He eventually got let go and I got his job…. On another note, friends started to get engaged and married. People were starting to settle down. I was in an on again, off again relationship that I had been for a really long time but I knew that the two of us would never be ones settling down together. I was in first apartment on my own and Ramona, a beautiful black and white kitten had come to live with me. I always thought I was a dog person until then…

5 years ago: I was 29, on the cusp of turning the big 3-O. I had achieved my dream of doing PR for a non-profit and found that, in the end, I really didn’t enjoy it as I thought I would. Luckily, there was another part of my job that I enjoyed a great deal more and I was able to expand that and someone else was hired for PR. More friends had married, several had kids, even some now a few years old. I had started attending church with Mike & Lisa and found something that I had been missing all along. I accepted Christ into my life and started serving in various ministries in the church, trying to find where I fit best. I made a lot of new friends there as well as at my job. The thought of turning 30 soon didn’t really upset me – it just made me feel like it was time to reexamine things and set some new goals for my life.

3 years ago: I was 31, about to turn 32. I had added Nellie & Norm to my furry family and was looking for a place to move, closer to church, closer to friends and family. I was still at the nonprofit but itching to move on. There were really good days and really bad days. My grandmother passed away this year. Although she had been failing for a while and had been in a nursing home, it still came as quite a shock. I mustered up my courage and spoke at her memorial service and will never regret doing that. It was just important to me and I’m thankful I was able to do it. Shortly thereafter, I moved into the place I live now which I absolutely love. It was worth all the time and effort searching for just the right location and place.

1 year ago: I was 33, about to turn 34. I was preparing for a major survey at work in February that could mean my job if we didn’t pass and had been for several months. There wasn’t a lot of support for my role, so I was pretty much on my own with it all. I had decided that I would definitely be leaving within the next year, no matter what it took. In other aspects of life, I had taken on leadership of our children’s ministry when the Associate Pastor left and was actively involved with the youth. I feel like this is where I am supposed to be and how I am supposed to use my energy and gifts.

This year: It was a good year overall but began on a sad note. My uncle was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer early in the year and there were many struggles associated with that. He passed away very quickly and for his sake, I am grateful he didn’t suffer. We took the teens on our first workcamp to Ithaca, New York and it changed me…for the better. I interviewed for many jobs and finally received an offer for a great one in November.

Yesterday: I’ve been crazy busy at the new job but I’m thankful for that. Last night, Kym & I went out to Outback and had a great time. I’ve resolved this year to be more present – and to make time to have fun and not spend so much time in the “have to’s” of life.

Today: I have a ton to get done around the house. I’m meeting my college roommate and her little girl for lunch and tonight Michelle is coming over for our monthly scrapbooking extravaganza. : )

Tomorrow: Another busy day. I have to teach Sunday school and take a meal up to a family that just had a baby. More stuff to do around the house…and preparing for the week ahead.

I’ve been tagged for the first time ever by Ex-Playgroup Mommy! Whoo hoo! But this is hard one (though some of you might be able to think of some right off the bat!)

The first player of this game starts with the topic “five weird habits I have” and people who get tagged then write an entry about their five weird habits as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose the next five people to be tagged and link to their web journals. Don’t forget to leave a comment in their blog or journal that says you have been tagged (assuming they take comments) and tell them to read yours.

1. I like to eat french fries with mayo. I don’t remember where I picked this up but I think this is a British thing.
2. Sometimes, when I really don’t feel like thoroughly cleaning the litter box, I just throw the whole thing out and get a new one (did that today, in fact).
3. If I am going on a long road trip by myself, I always have to take a can of pringles and a ginger ale.
4. When I buy new things at the grocery store (like something I haven’t ever had or something I haven’t had in a long time) I always try a little bit right away, as soon as I get home.
5. I have to make my bed in the morning. If I am really too late to do that, I make it when I get home. I can’t live with an unmade bed (thanks, Mom!)

Ok, this took me since Saturday to complete! Yikes.

I’m tagging Cheryl and Michelle : ) Good luck, ladies!