Call me loon-y**

For anyone who still wonders how someone can live in Minnesota (and like it)...well, for starters you probably have never been there! Because if you step foot there you will find it's one of the best, most friendly and wholesome places to be. No where else can you get stranded by the side of the road and have more than one person stop to call, help change a tire, or jump start you vehicle. Life is not perfect there, but things seem to be taken in stride a little more. A little more simple I guess. All of that AND it has some of the best social services and it's primarily democrat to boot! What's not to love?

At this point in my life I don't think I will ever live there again (since all my family is moving down south and my husband is, as he says, "a tropical people"), but if I could pick any place to be on a winter night, it would be there. Or fall. Or spring...just about anytime really. Do you ever just long for and miss a certain place yet, in your heart, know that there is no going back either? Life has kept marching on and your family and plans evolve around you and you find yourself far from places you love...but you also know that where you are now is exactly where you need to be. One thing I know is that, no matter how long I live out of the state of Minnesota...I will always be grateful for being a Minnesota girl.

Peace.

**PS The LOON is the state bird of Minnesota


If you're not from Minnesota the following might not make sense...but it's all SO true...

_____________________________________________________________
Jeff Foxworthy on Minnesota :

If you consider it a sport to gather your food by drilling through 18 inches of ice and sitting there all day hoping that the food will swim by,
You might live in Minnesota.

If you're proud that your state makes the national news 96 nights each year because International Falls is the coldest spot in the nation,
You might live in Minnesota.

If you have ever refused to buy something because it's "too spendy",
You might live in Minnesota.

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from November through March,
You might live in Minnesota

If someone in a store offers you assistance, and they don't work there,
You might live in Minnesota.

If your dad's suntan stops at a line curving around the middle of his forehead,
You might live in Minnesota .

If you have worn shorts and a parka at the same time,
You might live in Minnesota .

If your town has an equal number of bars and churches,
You might live in Minnesota .

If you know how to say...Wayzata...Mahtomedi....Cloquet . Edina ....and Shakopee,
You might live in Minnesota.

If you think that ketchup is a little too spicy,
You might live in Minnesota.

If vacation means going "up north" for the weekend,
You might live in Minnesota.

You measure distance in hours,
You might live in Minnesota .

You know several people, who have hit deer more than once,
You might live in Minnesota.

You often switch from "Heat" to "A/C" in the same day and back again,
You might live in Minnesota.

You can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching,
You might live in Minnesota.

You see people wearing hunting clothes at social events,
You might live in Minnesota .

You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked,
You might live in Minnesota .

You think of the major food groups as beer, fish, and Venison,
You might live in Minnesota .

You carry jumper cables in your car, and your girlfriend knows how to use them,
You might live in Minnesota .

There are 7 empty cars running in the parking lot at Mill's Fleet Farm at any given time,
You might live in Minnesota.

You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit,
You might live in Minnesota.

Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow,
You might live in Minnesota.

You know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and of course, road construction,
You might live in Minnesota.

You can identify a southern or eastern accent,
You might live in Minnesota.

Your idea of creative landscaping is a plastic deer next to your blue spruce,
You might live in Minnesota.

If "Down South" to you means Iowa,
You might live in Minnesota .

You know "a brat" is something you eat,
You might live in Minnesota .

You find -10 degrees "a little chilly",
You might live in Minnesota .

You actually understand these jokes, and you forward them to all your Minnesota friends,
You DO live in Minnesota.

Just for Rashea =)

So an old chum reminded me that I have not blogged in a while..and I thought no one was coming to this site ;)

Updates...let's see, I made it past my 5 months mark at work and am officially off probation (which essentially means I can request time off now)...review went well...I am still hanging in there and attempting to get some sort of organization and flow to my work. Organization not being my strong point (just let me be with people all day, I am good at that!), it's an uphill battle.

Looked at how much this whole advanced licensure thing is gonna cost...between boards, fees, studying, etc it will proy be around $600. Ouch. I have now added "Licensing Fees" to my birthday and xmas wishlist (in fact, it willbe the only thing on there!)

We are starting to get into move mode now...our lease is up in December (THANK GOODNESS). We (meaning Wil, me, Nomer, Stephen) have all decided to keep the family together and find a bigger place (or should I say we all agree we would love to rent a house and it is economically feasible if we are roomies =)...it will be great to move out of the 950 sq. feet apt. Wish us luck. There are potential roadblocks in our plan, but we are hopeful.

Wil starts travelling again next week...for more than a month. Although there is no room at home to be lonely, I'll miss his silly face. So, boo!

Got a tattoo 2 weeks ago...it is now healed and, yes, I am still liking it (everyone seems to ask "will you still like it later?") With every step I am reminded to be tenacious (haha, sicne that is what the kanji actually says!).

I am about 70 days into my "healthier me" life. Not easy, but I have made some good progress! 19 pounds down, getting in some good me time, and exercise to top it off. Wil and my sister are also rocking...it's been good to have our own little team here.

My mom will be here next week. So excited. I will have to post some pics...she plans on getting in some good margarita time.

Well, it's back to work...off to an appt. I promise I will try to check back in sooner!

Peace.

A thin letter

Remember in H.S. when you did NOT want a thin letter from a college? Big was better...but not today!

I was ever so surprised and excited to get a thin letter from the state of Texas...The board approved my supervision plan!!! Yippee!!!

The only glitch was they approved it starting on 4/21/07 and my old supervision plan expired on 3/17/07. So I will have missed out on a month of work hours to count...BUT, I will give them that b/c technically I had NO supervisor during that time bc my new supervision started on 4/21/07 (and my past supervisor ended with me on, you guessed it, 3/17/07). OH WELL. I am just giddy that I will not need a road trip to Austin to fight anything (However, Heather mentioned a celebratory outing instead?? =) Might just hold ya to that one...

Good news though. The count down is back on!!!

Ahh, technology

So I tried to post an entry called "pet numerology" back on June 29th and it would NOT do it! Well, I finally figured out that it had been saved as a draft so it was never lost...so check out that blog by scrolling down a little further...it's new, just a little late =)

Sparks of Hope

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Things are going well this week. I am still waiting for the state board office to reopen, but I will continue on with my supervision until I hear I can't. My supervisor is well connected I am excited about some potential opportunities bc of it!

I've been very happy this week. I have really been doing some soul searching and a whole lot of cardio. I have never been an "exercise yea!" person, but just getting in 30 minutes a day has been a big stress reducer for me. I joined this site called sparkpeople (link above) which is a free wellness program. You can do goal setting for all areas of your life and get hooked in with other people who are also trying to be well (kinda like myspace). It has been uplifting and I have been surprised by how something so small, one decision, has been a big factor in how well my week is going. Mom always told me to surround myself with uplifting people...I guess I just enver figured it would come from an online community (I am officially a nerd!). I know I am not crazy when I say how much I like it, because everyone else I know that has joined enjoys it just as much.

Work is going OK. As I get to know people better, personalities get more intense and I am finding a need to balance how friendly I get with some personal distance so I don't get trapped up in drama or in a certain group. It's tough in small workplace though when you want to have some connections!

My mom is getting more excited about moving down. She will also be visiting this fall (Do I smell margaritas?). I am also 138 days until my 30th birthday. Start planning gifts kids. I'll have to post a wishlist later ;)

Peace.

Little annoyances

I need 5 minutes to bitch. Then I will move on from this...

Ever have one of those days where all the small things annoy you? That little feeling in the bottom of your stomach and the feeling that you have to paste on a grin? Grrr...Wil found out they are cutting back on hours again...until September!! So not only does he have to work overnights, but 32 hours will be considered full time (and he's hourly...so that is a considerable chunk--can we say 25% less money!!!)...

Then at work it feels as that as I get to know people better I notice distinct "groups" of people that hang out together. I would rather not be in any group and feel a little uncomfortable about the whole thing...I won't go into it, but I just don't like it! It's also way tougher being THE social worker (face it, we are our own group!)

Then I try to call and check on the status of my license...heather had told me that the office had been closed due to a pipe breaking...well, it still is!!! They have been closed since June 13th and there is not official open date posted. So I guess I am waiting to find out about the appeal until then!!!

I am also realizing more and more that although I am SO happy I got this new job, it came at an awkward time in my life...right after my dad died and before I had really "finished" my grieving (I know there is no finish line, but I don't think I had time to really get back to "normal" living before I started the new gig). I'm working on it, but in the meantime I managed to gain back the weight I lost before my dad died, feel more distant from those I love, spend less time with the puppies, etc. I am really trying to get it all back together again...not just in appearances (because I am so good at those and it's my biggest flaw!) but for real. I would just much rather be the social worker for the world and never take care of myself--it feels uncomfortable and foreign to me. Alot of my relationships are built on me filling that role (did I create this to keep my distance and/or are some people attracted to me be I often play the motivator/supporter role?). ANYWAY, I am back to doing some things for myself and working on those pieces of my life that seem to be holding me back or that are unfinished.

Wish me luck...enough bitching...back to the grindstone!

Pet Numerology

I don’t usually do these things, but this was too funny! Wil and I added up the pet’s numbers, based on the following grid (use the whole name, add up the numbers for each of the names, if it’s double digit add the digits to get a 1-9, 11, or 22; Lastly add your names together, add the digits again…etc until you get a final number between 1-9 or 11 or 22. Ex. TYSON CLARK =27165; 33192, which =18; 12, which is 1+8 and 1+2, which=9+3 or 12, then= 1+2= 3—get it??).

We had a laugh. Too funny! Do it for yourself! I especially liked Tyson’s! Post a comment with YOUR pet's number!

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
a b c d e f g h I
j k l m n o p q r
s t u v w x y z

Here's our favorite parts of the

Tyson: 3 (Energy and ideas in action, joy of life, may lack self-discipline)

Bella: 5 (Persuasive. Enjoys the finer things)
Lucas: 11 (too high-strung, metaphysical)


NUMBERS AND THEIR OVERALL CHARACTERISTICS
1 through 9plus 11 and 22

_____________
1
Natural leader,self-sufficient,ambitious.
Avoid extremes ofbossiness, shyness.Too impulsive.
Standing out fromthe crowd. Tryingnew ideas.
Political leadership,celebrity, or smallbusiness owner.
2
Loving, peace-maker, analytical,ideal partner.
Hanging back, notspeaking up. Stuckon details, lonely.
Finding the rightrelationship. Needsharmony, order.
Diplomatic corps,counselor, partnerin small business.
3
Outgoing, joy of life, imaginative,enthusiastic.
Fears routine. Maylack self-discipline,accomplish little.
Energy and ideasin action. Havinga good time.
Press secretary,party planner, smallbusiness promoter.
4
Works hard,practical, getsthings done.
Fears downsizing,not having familiarroutine. Rigid.
Need for security.Develops orderout of chaos.
Administrator, teamplayer, back officeof small business.
5
Bold, daring, andpersuasive. Enjoysthe finer things.
Restlessness to thepoint of boredom.Easily side-tracked.
To search for newopportunities. Takechances. Try it all.
Public figure, media,develop new ideafor small business.
6
Warm, nurturing,and happily dom-estic. Reliable.
May end up feelinglike a doormat. Canbe too opinionated.
Taking care ofloved ones. Findingsafety, comfort.
Personal assistant,educator, or catererto small business.
7
A deep thinker,spiritually inclined.Unique, eccentric.
Too aloof and fearsnot living up to highstandards. A loner.
To seek answersto life's questions.Observe. Discover.
Analytical field. Orself-employment insmall business.
8
Decisive, forceful,good with money.Accomplished.
Often lacks feelingfor those who standin the way of goals.
To strive higher,take control, seekpower, status.
Professional field,or operator of smallbusiness franchises.
9
Inspired, intuitive,creative. Seeks toimprove the world.
Needs to avoid badhabits, and attendto life's details.
To see the "bigpicture." To dreamthe dream.
Community leader,organize small bus-iness owners.
11
A visionary, anartist. Expandsconsciousness.
Avoid extremes,being too high-strung. Impractical.
To be enlightenedand to enlightenothers.
Metaphysical smallbusiness with far-reaching appeal.
22
Goal-oriented andpractical but on aglobal scale.
May feel born acentury "too early."Too overextended.
To have a missionand see it carriedout globally.
Provide web sites tosmall businesses fortotal global change.