Interview

So I had my interview today.
I think it went really well, but you can never tell. I know I looked pretty snazzy because about ten people told me so, but hopefully my interviewers thought so. One good thing is if I get it I won't start until 2008, but I may not find anything out until 2008. I am glad though because I want to be able to celebrate Christmas with my team AND I have the week after Christmas off, so I definitely want to keep that. I am still planning on working on my book during Christmas and the cool thing is I will be off from Christmas Day until the day after New Years. That will be fun.

Check out my new kicks!!

Yippee for Christmas

I just found out today that everyone in my family is coming to Louisville for Christmas. I knew my parents were coming, but I didn't know that my brother, Matt and his wife, Melisa are coming in with their two little girls. I haven't spent Christmas with my family in three years-so I am psyched. Well I won't be spending Christmas Day with them, but we are actually having "Christmas" on Sunday night, but I'll take it any way that I can get it!!

On another note I have an interview tomorrow. Wahoo!! It is a follow up to a previous interview I had a month ago. Cross your fingers.

Meaningless, Meaningless, Everything Is Meaningless

It's amazing how your life can change at the blink of an eye. I can remember the past couple of years dreading to get that phone call, "Your grandma has died." or "Your grandpa has died." It got to the point that every time the phone rang I thought it was bad news, because let's face it in my house that's usually what it ended up being.

Tonight I got a similar phone call. My dad left me a message asking me to call him when I got a chance. My dad's tone is sometimes hard to read over the phone, but I could tell that it was not good news. When I called him he told me that my uncle-his brother, Todd had been found dead in the basement of the people's house he was living in on Friday morning-the irony of all ironies, Black Friday. While people were rushing out to get their hands on stuff they could give their loved ones for Christmas my uncle lie dead in the basement.

The funeral is probably going to be later this week. It is going to be about two hours southwest of St. Louis, so due to my I.C. I will not be able to attend (among other things). My grandma is planning the funeral, which in and of itself means the day will be interesting to say the least.

My dad mentioned that he felt like the writer of Ecclesiastes. I don't remember which verse he quoted, but when all that has happened to him and my mom-he wouldn't have needed to mention a particular verse to know it was true. What is most admirable about my father is that he has experienced all of the things of this world has to offer and has come to the conclusion that everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. He has been estranged from his mother, experienced the death of his father, my mother's father and mother (who were like parents to him), been a partner to his wife while she battled breast cancer and still says with Job, "Though he slay me, yet I will hope in him." In his youth (in this day and age mid fifties is still considered young) he has remembered his creator and in the days of trouble God has found that his faith-of greater worth than gold-proved genuine and one day will result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. He is receiving the goal of his faith, the salvation of his soul.

So as my father buries his younger brother I know my dad will look up to the sky, with tears glistening in his eyes and say, "May God be glorified." And I know He will.

Your Mother Has Cancer

So I have typed 30 pages of my book, which may be titled, "Your Mother Has Cancer". Let's call it a working title. Frankly I'm not sure if it is any good-it's not like I have publishers on my doorstep waiting to print my latest writings, but everyone has to start somewhere. The only thing about it-which I knew would happen, but was hoping wouldn't-I have to go back into who I was a year ago to get the proper emotion on paper. So it tends to put me in a pensive and somewhat sad mood. It's not an autobiography-no where near close, but it is based loosely on my life. The funny thing is that I am concerned about putting too much of my personal life in it-like if I say something and my parents think I am talking about them for real how will they take that? The pretty cool thing is they are open to talk about most things, so I would probably have an in depth discussion with then before it gets anywhere near the press.

If you would like to read a portion of it and give me your thoughts you can leave me your e-mail and I trust you not to steal my ideas (ha!) then I will e-mail you a couple of pages. I am not sure I will have any takers since I am not sure I will have anyone read this post, but if you read it and want me to send you a few pages I will be more than happy to do so.

The really funny thing is I have a book I started in college that is already 80 pages long. So maybe that will be my second book if I can get the first one published. I probably have more since I wrote in these notebooks all through high school. I have also toyed with the idea of a commentary or a theological book, but I'm not sure at this point in my life I have the patience for that. People who read theology books are much more critical than those who read fiction books. Trust me I know this because I have been a reader of theology books and have been around people who read theology books...I'm just not sure I am willing to put myself out there yet.

So I'll close this post so I can get back to writing my book.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

The day started with me getting up at 12:00. It was a pretty good feeling to go to bed at 1:00 the night before and wake up at 12:00. So that is the first thing of the day that I was thankful for. The second thing was that my husband actually agreed to go see the new Disney movie, "Enchanted" this afternoon. It is only because it got a 92% on So we are going to see the 4:15 showing of that movie. I am also thankful that the Chinese buffet we normally go to was closed, so we ended up going to a really good sit down Chinese Resturaunt. I thought we might be the only one there, but we did not eat Thanksgiving alone. There was probably about 50 people and most of them were Chinese or Japaneze. We got fortune cookies there. I wasn't sure what to make out of mine, but I was thankful for John Mark's fortune, "Your spouses bills are yours and yours are yours." I thought that was pretty funny. I am hoping to work on my book later today, but I am thankful that it is not my real job so I don't have to if I don't want to.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

And if you haven't had a laugh today check out my nostrils. We were laughing so hard I was crying because the cat didn't like the Thanksgiving family picture too much.

Turkey Day

Well, Turkey day is almost here. I have enjoyed my week off so far. I bought a Pilates DVD at Half Price Books and have been doing that every morning. Monday I spent most of the day working on my book. I believe I have 20 pages, which doesn't seem very impressive, but it's hard work! Tuesday I went to get my hair cut, to Target, grocery shopping, to the library, back to the grocery store and had a candle lit dinner on the table by 8:00. How do I do it (I was actually so exhausted I wanted to cry). Today I set up a play date with my nephew, Jonathan and a little girl, Abigail from church. My sister and Abby's mom exchanged stories. I made chicken quesadillas which were pretty much the bomb. We just got back from the mall and I am pretty tired. The exciting thing is John Mark was supposed to get off at 8:00 again, but they are letting them leave after they do their 5:00 report. That was pretty exciting for me. We don't have any plans for tomorrow. We are actually having Thanksgiving dinner at a Chinese Buffet. I know it sounds pathetic, but don't knock it until you try it. I did make a pumpkin pie last night, which I have to say it is pretty good. So, Turkey Day is going to be more like Sweet and Sour Chicken day for me and that makes me perfectly content...you just don't know how much I love Chinese food.

Tis the Season

Yes this is my Christmas tree from this year. Yes it is already up. We put it up today. That is one thing I love about fake Christmas trees. I figure if you go to all of that hard work putting it up, you may as well keep it up for awhile. Plus growing up it was the Friday after Thanksgiving that we would all get together at my grandma and grandpa Allen's house and decorate their trees. We would play cards and the guys would watch football. Those were such good memories.

I am hoping this year I will have good memories about the holidays. Last year about this time I would have been to two of my mom's chemotherapy sessions. I would have also been to my grandma Thomson's funeral. I would also be developing what I thought was a bladder infection, but it turned out to be something much worse. But this year I have much to be thankful for. My mom is in perfect health. I am dealing with a chronic illness and learning to cope with it and my husband will not have to work crazy overtime this holiday season!

So I have many reason to say "Tis the season to be jolly" and many reason to want to put my tree up early so I can enjoy it until New Years!! God has truly blessed me this holiday season.