13 Things About All the SNOW!

Well, Champaign got hit with 10 inches of snow on Tuesday and we're still reeling from it. So I bring you 13 Things about all this silly snow:

1. A winter storm watch was posted on Monday for Tuesday during the day. The school districts closed on Monday at 3:00 - hours before a flake had fallen. Wimps.

2. Monday was a pretty mild day; about 33 degrees. So after work (and while waiting to find out if Champs still had a job) I went out and chipped the ice from the previous snow off the end of our driveway. I figured a clean slate would be easier to work with. I expected my neighbors to do the same, but I didn't see anyone else taking advantage of the opportunity. I guess some things you just learn from living in a snowy climate.

3. Before we went to bed, we got all our vehicles off the street and onto the clean driveway. This served two purposes; to keep our cars from getting stuck in the street and to help keep the driveway cleaner. Again, none of the neighbors did this.

4. By the time we woke up on Tuesday morning, the snow was halfway up the tires and the plows were just getting out. Since the schools were closed, I didn't go to work. Mostly, I just wanted to be home with Champs to help him and me look for better jobs.

5. Mid-day Tuesday the IL-DOT closed the highways. The plows couldn't keep up. They would plow the snow and it would blow back on the road. They never saw how MN DOT does it; they use a huge snow blower plow and blow it into huge dump trucks that remove the snow and cart it away, not just pile it up at the side of the highway.

6. By noon on Tuesday the district declared the schools closed on Wednesday, fearing that the plows wouldn't get the roads cleared in time. Wimpy Wimps.

7. On Tuesday, Champs went out late afternoon and snowplowed our driveway and a neighbor's driveway. It was still snowing, but it's always easier to get out after a big snow if you move some of it part way through. Again, must be a Minnesota thing, because no one else was out trying to clear up that we could see. Champs has a bright orange snow suit that he wore to get the plowing done. He sure won't get hit by a snow plow wearing that thing. That is, if a snow plow ever comes...

8. The snow finally ended around 6:00 p.m. or so, leaving us with 10 inches. You can no longer see the grill on our back patio. Our back door drifted shut, so my mom's dog, Lucy, had to go out front to do her, um, business. Since she's only 9 inches tall and hairy, she wasn't too happy about the snow thing. Mom was concerned about putting a leash on Lucy since the front yard is not fenced like the back yard. I told her she needn't worry; the dog barely went two feet from the house and zoomed back inside the moment she was done.

9. Wednesday morning, the highways were still closed and the plows had barely gotten anything. The major grid roads were cleared, but none of the residential streets. Thankfully, my little zoom-zoom car is a great snow vehicle and got me right through. The streets were nearly deserted. Going steadily and carefully, I got to work in a surprisingly fast 10 minutes.

10. Since he was home, Champs got our driveway completely cleared and helped to get three neighbors unstuck (from our as-yet unplowed streets), as well as snowplowed two more driveways. They all said "well, you're from Minnesota, so you're used to this, right?" Pretty much, it seems.

11. A full 24 hours after the storm ended, our residential streets were not plowed. Whatever! On top of that, at 7:00 p.m. the district declared our schools closed AGAIN on Thursday. The reason? One or two of the school parking lots weren't plowed yet. They couldn't have a few schools open and a few closed, so they closed them all. Wimpiest Wimpy Wimps! I bet a few of the dads with plows on their trucks would have gladly cleared up the problem to get their kids back in class on Thursday morning.

12. By this morning, the residential streets were finally plowed - except where people left their cars stuck in the roads. City officials didn't start towing cars until Wednesday evening. In Minneapolis, they declare a snow emergency as soon as there is an inch of snow and start towing violators immediately. The plows are not as hindered by cars. Residents just know; if it's gonna snow, get your cars off the street. Another Minneapolis snow knowledge thing, I guess.

13. I went to work today; the streets finally plowed and everything open. Here's the funny part; it took me 18 minutes to get there! No joke. People here don't know how to drive in the snowy stuff. Case in point: one women went down a curvy street at 5 MPH. I am not exaggerating. There was a line of cars built up behind her at least 15 vehicles long. I'm sorry, but if you're afraid to drive when it's all been plowed, then you should probably stay home. Call the school district, they'll condone it.

The point of this blow-by-blow is that the city planners here could learn something from Minneapolis. We had a humdinger of a storm last March; 13-20 inches. More than 120 buses were stuck in the snow and 20,000 plus people lost power. By the next morning, the streets were cleared, the power was on and school - every school - was in session. No highways closed and no one missed three days of school. So this town doesn't get as much snow as Minneapolis does. It would still be nice if they would learn to be prepared when it does!


Here are some comments from this post:
Sarch said...
Blond Girl you cracked me up with this post. "Wimpiest wimpy wimps" - LOL

My gosh but you are harsh! :-)


MissMeliss said...
This may have been a rant, but having lived in SoDak where there is serious winter, it made me laugh and nod in agreement. Wimpy wimps indeed!

Stacie said...
I'm from Michigan and it used to snow like crazy there when I was a kid. I always have to laugh when here in CT, they close schools the night before because it's "supposed" to snow...
Wimps indeed! Unbelievable. Sometimes they cancel school if we get snow on a weekend, because they don't want to pay a janitor to come in on a sunday (they'd have to pay overtime) to shovel the sidewalks...so they cancel school. No kidding!


Veda said...
Hey, Blond Girl. Midwest winters are not for the faint of heart, that's for sure! I would think though that Illinois would be better at handling it all. I've been through MN in the winter - you're right, much clearer than the rest of that trip. Here via...Veda's (thanks for the really great comment, btw)!

said...
last year we had plenty ( but late) this year we can hardly scrape together enough for the skiers.
funny weather, but Calif is like that. lovely rant, did you learn that in MN also? hehe
here from miss melliss

L-Girl said...
Yay!! A snow day!! I love those. You guys were ahead of the game!

Geekwif said...
I have to agree with the wimpy wimps thing. I think I wouldn't mind if Minneapolis was just a teeny bit wimpier though. Three days off is a bit much, but one might be nice now and then. ;)

Carmi said...
I so relate to this list. Montreal's public works department approaches winter snow clearing with the discipline of a military unit. Their response protocol defines what kind of equipment is deployed at what stage of a given snow event, and the result is a city whose roads are usually quite usable during and after the largest of storms.
Here in London, our winters are far less severe. But the city seems to have no snow clearing capability whatsoever. Streets are ignored for weeks at a time, sidewalks accumulate dangerous layers of snow and ice. People have accidents - in cars and on foot - that could have been avoided.
I'm amazed the city hasn't been sued more often.

When all is said and done, it comes down to love

Well, it is Valentine's Day - the day of love, hearts, flowers and candy. I've certainly had more celebratory Valentine's Days in my past - more "romantic" or "special". If I had to label this day, I would call it the "year of superglue" Valentine's Day. Because, this year, more than any so far, Champs is glued to my heart.

You see, this has been a very hard last 5 months. If you read my blog, you know that. Well, this week seems to be the topper. On Monday, I contacted the guy who is supposed to be heading up my big new freelancing opportunity and was basically given the brush off, i.e. "you're in our network of valuable writers and we'll call you when we're ready. Until then, leave me alone" type of thing. This has caused me to re-think the freelance thing. I still want to do it, but I will have to get a good full time job and then start the freelancing slower and safer in order for it to work for our family. This was a blow to my emotions, as you can imagine.

Then. later in the day, Champs was laid off from his job. They had to let the 6 newest guys go, regardless of job performance due to business slowdown. Champs' supervisor was sad to see him go, but that didn't stop them from sending him home at 6:00. This was an even bigger blow to my emotions - and Champs', too, of course.

Oh, and then we got the biggest snow storm in recent history on Tuesday morning. 10 inches of snow by5:00 p.m. and they still haven't plowed our street and school is still closed. I got back to work today but stayed home yesterday, mostly to wait out the worst of the snow and to apply for jobs online.

Today, this man I love and who I consider more self-less than anyone I know, braved the snow to go out and apply for jobs and still found the time to snowplow three of our neighbors out of their snowbound driveways. I know it's not flowery, but it is one of the things that makes me love him so much.

So why the glue thing? Well, through all of this, I have marveled at how well Champs and I have treated one another. We aren't given to yelling, calling each other names or otherwise snapping under stress. We tend to pull together and talk things out under the covers. Even though all this stuff is going on, I know he loves me and I love him. Regardless of our employment. Regardless of rent. Regardless of our lack of money. Regardless of my wish for my old "secure" job. Even though I don't know how we're going to pay the rent and the heat and the other bills, I do know that he'll be with me, holding my hand, praying with me, treating me with love and respect and trying for all he is worth to make it work for us.

And that, my friends, is superglue.



Here are some comments from this post:
utenzi said...
That, my dear girl, is what it all comes down to. Sticking together when all that **** outside is trying to tear things apart. You both have something wonderful together, BG.
Happy Valentine's Day, Blond Girl. Even if the times are bad it's good that you can look at one another and realize that you already have all that you need.

9:51 PM
Blogger Ginger said...
What a poignant post. I will definitely be keeping you and Champs in my prayers. You are so blessed to have each other...both in the good and bad times.

10:05 PM
Blogger slf1954 said...
You are both "super". You will make it through this just fine. When one door closes another one opens.

5:11 AM
Blogger GiBee said...
I just can't get out of my mind the scripture that has been carrying me through these past few weeks ... and it really seems to apply here ...
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
But, if you have a chance, and feel so inclined ... check out Jeremiah 29:11-14 ... because it is powerful! In fact, if I have a chance, I'll be blogging about it in the next few days.
In the mean time, I'm going to be lifting "Blond Girl and family" up in my prayers!

9:36 AM
Blogger Carmi said...
Your strength in the face of life's challenges is inspiring to me.
Champs: he'll easily find something even better. Anyone with a work/life ethic like his (looking out for others before taking care of his own needs) will do fine.
Freelancing: I'm learning that a successful career in this space depends on connections with more than one potential source of assignments. That way, when one goes silent, you lean more on the others. That takes time to build, of course, because it's all based on networking and relationship building. But please don't give up because one source has gone temporarily silent. You can do so much more for so many others as long as you view this as a bit of a kick in the rear.
Adversity, as you so well appreciate, breeds ambition and drive. That's very very clear in your case.

Sarch said...
Blond Girl you've got Champs, you've got Sweet Thing and most of all you've got the Lord.
All three will still be there when the unemployment struggles are nothing but a memory.
Keep the faith my friend.

Heather said...
I'm sorry to hear that, Blond Girl. You'll all be in my prayers.

What you Ask For Vs. What You Get!

Or, be careful what you ask for; you may get it!

Tuesday morning I awoke with the weatherman's warnings ringing in my ears: Snow. Lots of Snow. All Day. OK, I can handle that, I figured. But as I was brushing my teeth and encouraging Sweet Girl to get her clothes on, I groaned to Champs, "Oh, I don't want to go to work today!" Roughly three minutes later the phone rang; it was my mother-in-law, who we call Grandma Dee. She explained that her tracheostomy had become clogged and she had to remove it. In order to get it reinserted, she needed to see her Otolaryngologist in Springfield - 85 miles away. Guess what? I didn't go to work, but I also didn't curl back up in bed like I really wanted to do.

Since we had to wait for Grandma Dee's doctor to get out of surgery, we didn't need to leave until 10:30. All the while, the snow was blowing and piling up. I picked up Grandma and off we went. Now, I am a Minnesota girl and snow doesn't faze me, but this was amazing! For the first hour of our trip, we were in white out conditions. As we hit the highway, I prayed that God would give me wisdom as I drove, help us to arrive safely and keep our wheels on the road.

Within a few minutes, I was smack dab behind two semi trucks which added to the whiteout problem. They had the outside lane to themselves, while the left inside lane was covered in blowing snow and ice. I had no choice; I had to pass the trucks on the left if I wanted to be able to see anything. I tried for at least 15 minutes, but I couldn't seem to get past them. Finally, I dropped back. I couldn't see the trucks ahead of me or any vehicles behind me. Another car came up and braved the left lane and I went right behind, following their ruts. It was hard work; the car was vibrating with the wind and snow. My muscles got so tight, but finally I got past them. The difference was amazing; I could see!

We continued on the trip and the snow thinned out as we neared Springfield. I passed two tankers and was in the left lane. Thankfully, there were no other cars near us. That's good, because about three miles out of town, I suddenly hit a patch of black ice. In an instant, I went from driving to ice skating. The car spun 180 degrees to the right, careening across the highway. Just as we neared the right shoulder, the car turned and spun to the left, this time going a full 360 degrees. The whole time, Grandma Dee was whispering "JESUS!" (since screaming won't work when you have a temporary treacheostomy in your throat) and I was silent, just doing my best to steer into the skid and hold it together. We flew across all the lanes, back and forth as though the car were hitting invisible bumpers and bouncing off. After about 1500 or so yards, we finally came to a stop, facing forward, on the edge of the highway at the left shoulder. The car was fine. We were fine. Amazingly, we didn't go into the ditch. After a few moments of just breathing and thanking the Lord, the two tankers went by and honked as if to say "good show!"

Grandma Dee broke the silence by reminding me, "well, you prayed that He would keep your wheels on the road. He did." Yeup. I got what I asked for - kind of. Next time I'll pray that, in addition to keeping my wheels on the road, He keeps them going forward! As I eased the car back onto the road, we marveled at how we had been protected. I drove around a bend where we could see a horrible sight; a state trooper and a tow truck were flanking a van resting on the right shoulder with the side completely crumpled in and the door ripped off. Truly, we had no words. We shook with gratitude, fear and wonder the rest of the way to the hospital, knowing that the hand of God had kept us safe.

When we got to the hospital and clinic, I had the car parked by valet parking (a very nice service for patients) and we went up to see her doctor. We got in right away, but the doctor explained that, in order to insert the proper trachea tube, she would have to put Dee under general anesthesia; surgery - and not until sometime after 4:00. Ugg! With the weather we were facing, I had wanted to be back on the road home in daylight. No way that was happening. I called Champs and we decided that, rather than heading back home in the dark and bad weather, I should stay in Springfield. I hadn't brought anything for an overnight, but oh well. I made a reservation at a local hotel and planned to stay with Grandma through the surgery.

Now, this part is a bit complicated, but basically, prior to yesterday's issue, Grandma Dee has needed to have a new special type of trachea tube inserted. The surgery was planned for some unspecified time in the future. I asked the doctor if, since Dee had to go under anyway, she could go ahead and insert the special tube - kind of a "two birds with one stone" approach. The doctor agreed that this would be a good idea and planned for it. Problem: that tube is a special order, costing over $1000.00. The surgical staff scoured the supplies for the special Montgomery tube. They thought they finally found one at a nearby hospital, but it turned out to be the wrong tube. You guessed it: No surgery today. The doctor could have put in a different tube, but then she would have had to operate again anyway to put in the special tube. By the time the decision was made, however, it was nearing 7:00. The doctor admitted Grandma to the hospital to await surgery on Thursday and to monitor the condition of the temporary tube. See, there it is again. Be careful what you ask for. Now, I know the doctor would have figured it out herself, but I am the one who asked her to use the special tube and you see - I didn't get exactly what I asked for! Thankfully, Dee understood that the wait will give a better return in the long run and was able to deal with the delay with a great attitude.

I called Champs and told him I could come home then or wait until morning. I explained that I would have to go to CVS and buy some toiletries and a tee shirt to sleep in. He said that was fine; in the end, it was better to spend some money and get home safely than it was to risk coming home in the dark - especially after my double-donuts experience earlier in the day. He told me to go to the hotel, crank up the heat, say my prayers, get some sleep, and come home to him in the morning.

And that's exactly what I did.



And here are some comments from this post:
Star said...
Thank goodness you are okay. That whole experience must have been frightening.

Geekwif said...
I didn't realize from your text messages that it was that bad! I'm so glad you made it safely!

Linda said...
God comes through when we least expect it...
and He always gives us what is BEST for us...not what we want, but what we need.
Glad you're safe...hope you and Grandma Dee don't have any more problems....

kenju said...
WHOA! You are much braver than I am. I stay home in snow and ice, so as not to stress God out with incessant praying...LOL

Pat said...
Your Grandma is blessed to have a dear grand-daughter like you. But you shouldn't have to go through an ordeal like that. I have had some experience with tracheostomies and there should be a closer emergency facility. I'm assuming you are in the States?
Anyway you are a brave girl. Well done!

Madame Courtney Whiny Complainy Pants, Esq. said...
There's a comedian, Brian Regan, who has a bit about how hospitals should have valet parking. He'd be pleased to know that one exists out there.
Glad you made it through the snow. Hope Grandma's ok. Here via Michele.

Paul said...
Holy cow!
Springfield?
Missouri?
That's the kinda weather we had here in Pancake Flats, which is only a few hours from Springfield. It's Tuesday. We got 5 - 8 inches of snow last night. No fun on the roads this morning, but there's been so much wind today that the roads are almost dry. Go figure. It's brutally cold!!! Where's my coffee???
I'm glad you're home safe with your Champs. God bless.

Nine years with Champs

Wednesday morning was a few days ago, but I still must mention it. It marked an important day for me and my family. It was the nine year anniversary of the day Champs and I met.

Nine years ago I was a thirty year-old woman who was quickly becoming frustrated with being alone and following the requirements of everyone around me, so I gave up on trying to find a husband and made some major changes. I threw out my "husband requirements list". I changed clothes, parties and attitude and decided to just have some fun for a change. It was in the midst of this revolution that I met Champs in a on-line chat room quite by accident. You never know what life has in store for you when you quit looking!

In Champs, I found someone beyond special. He didn't have most of the items on my list, but he was everything I've ever wanted or needed. We talked online for a month before we met in person. By the time I met him, I already knew I was in love - I just needed the final face-to-face to make it official. And though I quickly knew he was "the one", it has been the last nine years that have proven time and time again how right I was.

Champs spends quality time with me and Sweet Girl. Every morning for at least 5 minutes we snuggle in bed together talking, laughing and tickling. On Saturdays, this time can extend to an hour or more. Sweet Girl starts each day knowing that her father loves both her and her mother. I believe this is the best gift he can give her. Just the other day she told me that when she grows up and gets married, she is going marry a man like her daddy, who will treat her as nicely as he treats us.

Champs cooks, cleans and cares for Sweet Girl. I know many women who wish their husband would help around the house, but they don't. Or if they do, it is only to man the grill for a party or to watch the kids while Mom is away at a family emergency. Champs, on the other hand, has always believed that a marriage is a partnership in which the husband is just as responsible for the home and children as the wife. While I am responsible for the over-all running of the house, Champs willingly lends a hand whenever I ask - and often when I don't have the time to ask.

Champs is a great romantic. He tells me he loves me every day with words, notes, hugs and snuggles. He refuses to belittle, hurt or tease me in any hurtful way. He's never once called me fat, dumb, lazy or any of the other things other wives have had to endure from their husbands. He tells me I am smart, capable, "cute-n-stuff" and his dream girl. He gives me confidence when I lack it on my own.

Champs is consistent. Our move to IL has been difficult for me emotionally, professionally and financially. I struggle with it daily, wanting to cut and run back to Minneapolis. Champs reminds me of why we made this move and the benefits of being here. He doesn't try to gloss over my fears or pretend that everything is hunky-dory, but he does remind me that this is a journey of faith and trust. He prays with me and encourages me to keep going.

No, he's not perfect. There are some things that drive me crazy; just like there are things about me that drive him crazy (like always being late or constantly needing him to get things down for me that are too high). The point is that he is wonderful for me. And for Sweet Girl. And that nine years ago I met him - and on Wednesday morning, he gave me a poem that he wrote just for me to commemorate the occasion.

I love that man.



Here are some comments from this post:
Carmi said...
What a beautiful entry, BG. Happy anniversary to you both: you certainly sound as if fate has been kind to you.
It's hard to not smile and be inspired after reading this.

Ginger said...
What a sweet post! Happy anniversary of your meeting, to both of you. :)

kenju said...
Congratulations on the anniversary of your meeting Champs. He really sounds like a keeper to me.

Melli said...
Hey there Blond Girl! I just saw you over at Wendy Wings place and I just HAD to stop by to tell you how much I LOOOOOOOOVE your hat! (really... that's what brought me here!)
Happy belated anniversary! I hear more and more of these internet romances - and I gotta say that judging from the FRIENDSHIPS that I have developed on-line, I think it's a great way to meet a fella! ESPECIALLY when you're not lookin! Congrats! To you both!

carli said...
What a nice entry. It sounds like once you decided you were ready for reality over fantasy, you found what you were looking for all along. Congrats.

HolyMama! said...
he gave you a poem that he WROTE JUST FOR YOU....
there must be a husband award for him. a plaque. a medal. that is the sweetest thing next to your writing of this post.
sigh...

Thumper said...
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Here's to hoping that in 3 times the length you've been married, you'll still be gushing about him :)

kenju said...
Michele told me to come back, BG and as I reread your post I stopped at the line "Champs is consistent". How important that is in maintaining a relationship - whether just a friend or a mate!

Mr. Althouse said...
That's a nice story. Ok, I'm officially envious. I guess when the time is right, everything will come together.
Michele says, "Happy anniversary."
And so do I,
Mike

Pat said...
Sounds like you have found your true love. It took me many, many years. Dreams can come true

Paul said...
Happy anniversary. Nice post.
You left a delightful comment on my "Don't..." post recently. I consider it a compliment of the highest order. Thank you.

Gainfully Employed and Ready to Write!

As I've already reported, I've decided after much prayer to become a freelance writer. I'll be starting by working with freelance communication company which has a service writing project with my former employer. The project will go for at least 4 months and will give me a great introduction to the freelance world. I chose freelancing over a possible office manager job at a local collections agency. It was actually not an easy choice to make since, while the office job didn't offer the best pay, it offered security, challenge and the promise of greater pay as I helped the owner make her business grow. Not only that, but working at the agency would allow me to learn from a highly motivated woman entrepreneur, who I came to respect very quickly. In the end, though, I chose to go with starting a freelance business and notified my employment agency that I wouldn't be taking the office manager job.

Now, the writing project won't start until mid-February to mid-March and I won't see my first paycheck until 4-6 weeks after we start writing. Because I've been unemployed since Thanksgiving, champs and I decided that I had to find a part time job to start now and through the beginning of starting my business. Thus, I've been searching for a part-time job with some pretty strict criteria. Since I won't need any child care for Sweet Girl once I am freelancing, I didn't want to find a job that would require me to put her into daycare for 4 weeks; that would only reduce my earnings and cause a lot of headaches. Thus, I needed a job in the mornings where I would be done by 2:00 at the very latest. I also needed a job that would let me work more hours now, but reduce my hours once the project starts. Finally, I wanted a job that would pay better than minimum wage (which, unfortunately, is what most jobs that met the first two criteria would offer). Lastly, I was hoping for a job that might have a bit of a fun factor. Although I am more than willing to stand at factory line and watch bottles fill (or whatever it takes to bring a check home), I was hoping to find something with at least some brain work.

Well, I started looking at options... Walmart cashier? Housekeeping at the hospital? Breakfast crew at McDonald's? I ended up applying at Panera Bread, which is near my house and would allow me to work early hours and be in a more active working environment (not to mention a yummy discount). On a lark, I also let my employment agency know that, while I couldn't take the office manager job, I would still love to work for the collection agency as a part-timer working on special projects that the owner and I had discussed. After a week, I had no response on that offer. On Thursday, Panera called me to ask if I could come in for an interview.

To today: I had an interview at Panera this morning. The manager wasn't in, so I interviewed with the trainer. He liked me a lot and told me that I "95% had the job". He just needed to confirm with his manager and then I could attend orientation tomorrow. I was pretty pumped up and headed home with a few bagels for Champs and I to eat for lunch.

We'd no sooner sat down to our bagels when the phone rang. It was the owner of the collection agency calling. She said that the employment agency had mentioned that I "might be interested" in working part-time and wondered if I still was and when I could start. I pretty much assured her that I was more than interested and could start tomorrow. She warned me that I'll have to start with "grunt work" to begin with, since she is still working on hiring an office manager and is currently down two admin assistants. I assured her grunt work was fine and I would have the hope of learning the business and then moving into project management for her - an option she wholly endorsed.

Here's the offer she outlined: I would be able to start with more hours now and then reduce them later as needed. Also, since she already knew that I chose the freelance career partly to be home more with Sweet Girl, she said that she would arrange my schedule around Sweet Girl's school schedule - and we could deal with summer when we got there. After that, she paid me one of the greatest compliments I've ever received. She explained that, before I decided to work on freelancing, she had her heart set on me as her office manager, since she could tell I had great skills and energy. It was because of this that she wanted me part time and that she was comparing her office manager candidates to me. How nice - and humbling(!) is that?!?!

Well, of course I said "yes!" and "thank you!" I'll be starting at 8:00 tomorrow. I won't be earning as much as I would have as the Office Manager, but my boss said that after 90 days, she will give me a raise and begin moving me to a project manager. She is totally on my side in starting my freelance business, but understands that I need security to fully make the switch.

Can you even believe this? I mean, this is the "more than you can ask, think or imagine" that you hear about when the Bible talks about God's ability to answer prayer. She called me, pinpointed my exact needs, promised to let me work with my talents and offered continued security as I start my freelancing company. Not only that but if, for some reason the freelancing thing doesn't work as well as I hoped, I still have this company to move to full time - with all the things that made it an appealing option when I was trying to choose between the two. And, oh yeah, she also wants to be one of my freelance customers...

How good is that?!?!?!

Woo hoo! Come March, I'll be paying the rent, not my IRA. Thank you Lord!

Grandma Bobbi, the Bypass and the Roadtrip

Carmi just dropped by to ask how my mom is doing. I got the biggest smile to think that someone outside of the family is thinking of her. Thanks, Carmi! I am happy to answer that question and to share some encouraging and hopeful news.

My mom's surgery went well. Without going into a too medically detailed explanation, she had an artificial graft inserted into the left side of her neck to connect her carotid artery to her brachial artery, thus bypassing a large clot at the head of the brachial artery and restoring blood flow to her right arm and the back side of her brain. This has helped to stop both the pain her her arm and the dizzy spells she was enduring. She met with her surgoen last week. He is very pleased with the outcome of her operation and has given her the approval to travel. Woo HOO!

First stop on her interary? Well Blond Girl and company, of course! As of today, her plan is to leave on Thursday and stay with us for at least a month - and hopefully until after Easter. After that, she'll travel on to Texas to see friends and then to my sister's home in Phoenix to see my niece graduate from high school. Then she'll reverse her direction and head back to us. When she goes home in the spring, she'll have another bypass operation - this time in her leg. The surgoen wants to wait so that she can have the surgery when the weather is warm and she can get outside to walk slowly. When she goes home, she'll leave her small dog, Lucy, with us and then we'll take Lucy back to her when we go home to Minnesota to visit.

I expect that during the 30-45 days that she is here with us I will have my hernia repair operation. In 2003 - 2005, when I had my gastric bypass and resulting 3 surgeries to repair problems from the surgery, she lived with us and was a huge part of my recovery. I have to admit that having her here will be a great comfort to me and to Sweet Girl.

Oh, Sweet Girl! Just today we were driving around talking about something in Minnesota. I can't even remember what, but it triggered in Sweet Girl a great wave of homesickness for her Nana. I comforted her as best I could through her tears. I didn't tell her that Grandma is coming next week, because I don't want to say anything until she's on the road, but it made me so happy that she will be here. I miss her, Sweet Girl misses her and, yes, even Champs misses his mother-in-law.

So to answer your question, Carmi, she is well and heading this way! Yeeeeehaw!



Here are some comments from this post:
Sarch said...
Blond Girl I meandered in via Micheles and am glad I did.
What great news that is about your mother. You and Sweet Girl are very blessed to have her in your life. I am glad to hear you are aware of just how special she is. Being around you and the love you obviously have for her will help her in her recovery process much like she helped you in the past.
Good for her and good for you and Sweet Girl!

indigo said...
I'm glad to hear that your mom has recovered from her op, and that she's travelling to you soon.

srp said...
Here from Michele.
So glad to hear that your mom is doing well after surgery. And well enough to travel your direction. That little girl will have so much fun with her grandma.
Take care and good luck in your new venture.

PI said...
My goodness what a lot you and your Mum have been going through. All my best wishes and prayers for you both to make full recoveries and that the rest of the year will be a happy one.
I got entwined with you and Dave on Michelle's site:)

kenju said...
Not only will Sweet Girl enjoy your mom - I think it will help your overall state of mind to have her there too! Such good news, BG, and I happy for you!
I hope the snow doesn't impede your mom's progress!

margalit said...
What good news and such a fast recovery. Heart surgery has changed so much that it's just not the huge deal it once was. And that's from someone with in ICD implanted in their heart!

utenzi said...
I work in a cardiology department so I hear about operations like that frequently since they do other types of vascular surgery as well. Even when the surgeon considers it a routine surgery it's anything but routine to the patient and their family. I'm glad your mom pulled through her surgery with flying colors, BG, and I hope that she does just as well when she has her leg surgery too. Good luck with your hernia repair operation too, BG.

Carmi said...
Thanks for sharing the good news, BG. I'm so glad she's come through with flying colors. Kudos to her for heading out on the road and living life as it's meant to be lived. Sounds like you inherited her spunk.
Dave put it best, and he echoed my thoughts when our daughter had surgery at the age of 2: to the surgeons, it's routine. But when it's your [child, mother, close relation...] it's anything but routine.
I'm so glad your daughter will be able to spend so much time with her Nana. I'm so glad she'll be there for you, too. That's why we cherish family so much.

Toni said...
Hi Blond Girl! Hello from Michele, and she sent me!
This is great news that your mom is doing well. I may not know you, nor your mother, but I have a mom whom I love deeply. I hope her good health carries on!

Shannin said...
Glad your mom is recovering nicely and that she will be with you for the next several weeks...

Thirteen Shows Blond Girl loves and hates on cable TV!

I can't remember the last time I really watched network TV... seems I'm always on the cable channels. So here's some thumbs up and thumbs down in no particular order...

1. LOVE: My absolute favorite: Good Eats!!!! (Food Network) Alton Brown is my crack, as Champs likes to say. Even if it's a food I don't like, I still enjoy the show. Alton put the "kitsch" into kitchen.

2. HATE: Football. (ESPN) But I put up with it because I love my man.

3. LOVE: Designed to Sell (HGTV) I get such a kick out of seeing how much the houses improve and how quickly they get offers after the work is done. Besides, Lisa LaPorta is so stinking short!

4. HATE: Buy Me (HGTV) Way too much drama for me. Just take the offer and sell the house already, you moronic complainers!

5. LOVE: 30 Minute Meals with Rachel Ray (Food Network) She's perky, she's smart and she welds a mean santuko!

6. HATE: Sponge Bob Squarepants (Nick) I don't know if it's his voice or his attitude, but every time I see that show I just want to run screaming.

7. LOVE: American Chopper (TLC) Yeah, I know it's a surprise that I enjoy a motercycle show, but I really like to see Paul Sr. and Paul Jr. doing their give and take over the latest design.

8. HATE: COPS (Spike TV) My husband loves this show and I just think it is the biggest waste of camera time out there. The idiots they feature on the show actually sign a waiver. That means they know they're idiots and they're willing to show the world. sheesh.

9. LOVE: What Not to Wear (TLC) If my friends ever put me on that show, I would SO lose all my pink tee-shirts. But hey, $5000.00 and the chance to hear Stacy say "shut up!" when she sees me... priceless.

10. HATE: The Barefoot Contessa (Food Network) I suppose I shouldn't dislike this show, but she just bugs the everliving daylights out of me!

11. LOVE: Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe (Discovery Channel) Gotta love a guy who is willing to sing opera while slicing a dead fish in half with a machete. Bring it on!

12. HATE: Man Vs. Wild (Discovery Channel) Put him in a mall on the day after Thanksgiving. If he can survive that, maybe then I'll watch.

13. LOVE: Iron Chef America (Food Network) Champs and I watch this every Sunday night. I dunno if it's Alton as the commentator, or the iron chefs or the secret ingredient, but we just love watching it and trying to guess who will win.



Here are some comments from this post:
Sabi said...
Our Mommakitty (who is blond) LOVES the "Good Eats" show! Do you think Alton Brown has any good cat food recipes?

amy said...
Love this list..I was addicted to Rachel and Paula deen forever but now I just watch it when there are recipes I can actually make

Caylynn said...
Cool list! I watch a lot of shows on Discovery, but none of the ones you mention. My favourite on Discovery is "Mythbusters."
Thanks for stopping by and have a good day!

Chickadee said...
I LOVE Dirty Jobs! Mike is so funny, sometimes obnoxious and it's just as much fun to watch the reactions of the people he is working with.
Thanks for stopping by my 13!

Susan Helene Gottfried said...
Alton Brown ROCKS.
The best was the day after we'd seen the Good Eats about soy sauce and were standing in the grocery, reading the labels on soy sauce, looking for the kind with only soy sauce (as opposed to other additives). Another man who was shopping overheard us and switched brands to the one we picked!

Christine said...
I'm not familiar with some of these shows. I do love What Not To Wear, and live in deathly fear they will show up on my doorstep some day.

Thumper said...
I've never figured out the appeal of "Buy Me." You don't take anything away from it other that the people either sold their house or don't.
But I do love "Designed to Sell." You can actually learn stuff watching that. Plus, I like Clive ;)

Jeannine said...
I don't even have a TV!!
Happy late TT!
Jeannine

princssis said...
Great idea for a TT! I'm glad you're writing about something fun again!
I have to admit, we are similar in yet, another, area!
CJ absolutely loves Mythbusters!

Geekwif said...
I've never seen most of these shows since I don't have cable. I saw one episode of what not to wear at your place a long time ago. I love before and after stuff, so I'm sure if we had cable it would be a favorite.

Thumper said...
OK, I watched another episode of "Buy Me" at 2 a.m. (couldn't sleep, figured that might do me...) All I wanted to do was reach through the TV and slap the boogers out of the lady trying to sell the house.
Maybe that's the appeal. Feeling superior. I watched and was pretty sure a 10 year old would come across better than the whiner showcased on that episode.

utenzi said...
There's a few shows there that I've never watched but I agree with you almost 100% on those that I've seen. The motorcycle show is an exception. Bores me to tears. And while I adore Rachel Ray's cute little face she's getting a mite overexposed. She's almost to the point where I run away whenever I see her on the tube.
I used to like Barefoot Contessa but that was years ago. Now she just strikes me as kinda creepy in a weird way.

Carmi said...
Cool how your list would almost match mine. I don't watch a lot of television - no time these days - but I still like to keep up on what I like and dislike. There's a lot of garbage out there today, but a wise viewer can find the few gems that, in my view, are better than anything broadcast in recent years.

Mr. Althouse said...
I'm with you on American Chopper and Cops. But I don't watch too much TV generally.

Blond Girl, Know Thyself

I was talking to my neighbor, Star, the other day when I realized that she knows me in a way that no one ever has before - including myself.

Since I graduated from high school eons ago (ok, 23 years ago - OH Lord!) I have worked as someone's employee. The only breaks I've taken were three dismal months of unemployment when I was 21, three blissful months of unemployment when I got married and chose to spend time getting to know my husband and three enchanted months of maternity leave when we welcomed Sweet Girl to the world. The rest of the time (various medical leaves aside), I have gotten up in the morning, dressed, dropped off my child and gone to do the bidding of "The Man". In fact, I worked right up until two days before we moved to Illinois.

For two months after we moved here, I worked part-time. I dropped my child off at school and then came home in time to pick her up or meet her on our street as she walked home. It was an unusual benefit to not worry about finding a daycare that would offer an after school program. While I worked part-time, my transition to "dis-corporated" began.

Almost two months ago now, I stopped working part time and started looking for full time work. Normally, I wouldn't leave a job without another one to replace it, but I did it to accommodate my employer. I expected to work temporary while I found a new job. Turns out that there is nearly NO temporary work in this town. I've worked once since Thanksgiving. Each week has been a deepening of my faith and belief that God has a plan for our family... And my search to find it!

During these two months of continued "dis-corporation", I've been a mom. I've been a neighbor. I've been a homemaker. For the first time, I understand what it means to do laundry during the day while I clean the kitchen and wait for my child to come home from school. I've experienced going out for a cup of tea with a friend for the fun of it. I've been able to get up and go shopping with Princsiss at the drop of a hat. I've been able to take the time needed to get our finances in better order than they've ever been before. Most of all, I've been home for Sweet Girl every day. I help her with her homework and read stories. We play games and talk about what to have for dinner. If it weren't for the constant money worries, I would totally love this lifestyle.

Who is this woman?!?!!

In the midst of this identity/financial crises, the answer to LOTS of prayer came: I started the year with four job possibilities, then three and quickly narrowed them down to two, as I wrote about in my last entry. Champs and I have discussed the options 9 ways from Sunday (that, my friends, is a "Midwestern colloquialism") and together we determined a plan of action. The decision is final now. I am a freelance writer. Who knows? I may fail spectacularly and in five months find myself right back where I am now, looking for a job. I don't think I will, though. I have the organizational and strategic skills to run a business and the passion and talent to write. As the stereotype goes, now I'll be able to work in my pajamas. Well, kinda. It will be awhile before the project I'll be on will start and I even longer before I start getting paid. Therefore, I must find a part time job to work now and as I start my business. I'll drop it when the time is appropriate.

As I make this transition from someone else's employee to my own boss, I am becoming acquainted with a woman I've never known before. I will be able to be relaxed where before I was stressed. At the same time, I will have to exert a control on myself that before was structured by my employer. I won't be able to drop everything and go shopping at the drop of a hat, but I won't need to get anyone's permission when I need a day off. I won't get paid sick pay, but I will also probably work many times from my bed when I'd rather be sleeping. I'll be the marketer, accountant, manager and writer all in one. It's mind-boggling, actually.

I'm afraid this post has been a bit of a rambling stream of thought. I can't help it. Each new thing I learn about this journey I've embarked upon is like holding up another mirror to see if I have that quality in me. Check back with me in a year. I think by then I will have become a totally different woman. I wonder if my friends in Minnesota would recognize me?

Probably. No matter what I do, I'll always be Champ's wife, Sweet Girl's mom, a devoted Christian and, oh yeah, let's not forget: The Blond Girl.


Here's a few comments from this post:
princssis said...
Glad you found yourself. God knows what He's doing. If you had this opportunity when you first came here, do you think you would've been as open to the idea? Maybe you needed time to transition into it. The lifestyle, I mean. Realizing what it is like to be home for your child and relaxed! As I've told you privately, even if this isn't as lucrative as you hope, the fringe benefits are worth trying! God Bless!

kenju said...
I think you have made a great decision. You can write very well and it may take a while to land a free-lance job that can show off your talents, but I think you have what it takes to do it! Good luck!

Anonymous said...
Woo hoo! I'm so glad you're taking the leap, and I'm looking forward with great anticipation to getting to know the new you! I know all the most important parts of the old you will always be there.
(...9 ways from Sunday? I'm about as midwestern as they get, but I don't know that one.)

Star said...
Good for you.When one door loses, another one opens, but you still have to walk through. My mom used to say "six ways from Sunday"

Carmi said...
I'm proud and impressed to see you evolve in this way. It's a place and a transition that is all too familiar to me. So if there's any advice I can offer to help you in the days or months to come, please feel free to drop me a line.

Help me swim, please!

When I was a young girl, I lived about three miles from a local outdoor pool. Jennie and I would bike to the pool and play nearly everyday. We would swim, buy treats, play and eventually bike home at the end of the day. I explored every inch of that pool - up to three feet, that is. You see, I couldn't swim. Swimming wasn't high on my list of priorities, since I had nearly drowned twice when I tried things like the high dive and racer-diving.

Fast forward to seventh grade swimming. Each day, I paddled clumsily back and forth across the shallow end, while my class mates swam with confidence through the entire pool. It didn't take long for me to get pretty fed up with my cowardice and I made a choice. I figured that with 2 teachers and 30 other students present, the worst that could happen to me was a bad case of embarrassment. So resolved, I walked to the deep end and threw myself in.

I came up swimming.

After that, I was a swimming fool and went on to three years on the synchronized swimming team. Well, I'm standing at the deep end again, contemplating throwing myself in. Will I come up swimming? Here's the deal:

Back in Minnesota, I was Communications Specialist for a large financial services corporation. I wrote pretty much everything for my department. Service letters, web page material, phone scripts and special project letters. I really loved what I did and it was a boost to learn that my writing could be profitable, not just a hobby or a talent.

When we moved here to Illinois, I found that there are almost NO options for corporate writing, especially in the financial services arena. I've been unemployed since November and it's really been stressing me out (sidebar: I don't recommend doing Christmas unemployed). I have two very strong options for employment now and I have a choice to make.

My first option is a job as an Office Manager for a collection agency. The job will not pay much at first (less than $25,000 per annum), but the owner has some very high, yet attainable, goals. If I can help her achieve those goals, I know the money will come. It's a new industry and a new experience. However, I know I would do a great job at it. Consider it the shallow end of the pool; the safe zone.

Option number two is my junior high swimming class all over again - at the deep end of the pool. I have been approached by a freelance communications company who is working on a job with my old employer. Basically, they have successfully bid on a project to rewrite approximately 2000 service letters for the advisor side of the business. This is exactly what I used to do, only for a different, smaller department than the one I would be writing for now; in fact, I would be using the same correspondence and legal tools that I did as a Communication Specialist. Essentially, the communications freelance company is doing what I used to do - and I have all the inside info on style, brand, requirements and legal process. Taking on the freelance writing project seems like a no-brainer, right?

Wrong. It's like standing at the deep end of the pool and considering jumping in, regardless of my ability to swim.

See, I think I want to do this for my career. They say everyone has three or four careers in their lifetimes, so I am due for a change. At first I considered taking the $12.00 per hour office manager job and also working the freelance thing for 10-15 hours a week, but the Project Manager tells me the writing project is slated to go at least four months. Now I find that I am considering not taking the manager job and focusing only on the freelance opportunity. If I bid for 30 hours a week of billable time, I can earn anywhere from $50-75 per hour and spend the rest of the time learning the freelance business so that by the time the project ends, I have marketed myself and have a viable business. I must be realistic, though. The job won't start for nearly a month and I need money now. Not only that, but within 5 months, I could find myself right back where I am now - needing a job. I could throw myself into the deep end and come up swimming or I could come up coughing, needing to be rescued and suffering from a bad case of embarrassment.

Here's where you come in: I know there are a lot of writers and entrepreneurs among the bloggers out there. Are you willing to share your wisdom, experience, best advise, etc? Have you been reading my blog for awhile and have a comment regarding my writing? Have you ever started a business of your own? What was your deep end and how did you come up swimming? I truly want to know what you think. If you have a friend who you know would have an opinion, I want to know what they think. Feel free to give them the link to this blog and send them over. Oh, and if you have a longer opinion or thoughts that you don't want to leave in comments, just hit the "contact me" link on my profile to send me an email. Yes, I want your opinions that much!

I am excited. I am scared. I must be crazy, but I am standing at the edge of the pool with my toes curled over the edge and my heart beating in anticipation...


Here are some very encouraging comments I received on this post:
Lisa said...
I say go for the deep end! Ok so you might come up coughing and embarrassed... but then again, maybe you won't! And you won't know unless you jump.
Michele sent me today!

David said...
dive - swim - experience the whole of life ( collection agencies are scum!)
Pray hard and get thru this month with Temp work if you need it. make a move that thrills you, and utilizes your writing skills. I hope it all works out for you. Here from michele ( a wannabe writer)

Ruby said...
Thanks for your comment Blondgirl. I've been slowly coming out of the muck that I was in ( as you can probably well understand). As for your post, I can say that taking that leap of faith is probably going to be the most rewarding but the most terrifying thing you might ever do. It seems from the tone of your post though that you really want to do that though. So I think that you should. Good luck in whatever you decide and I will definitely be back to see how things turn out.

Anonymous said...
Jump. Just do it - if you don't, you'll always wonder, "What if..."
This is my first visit here (which makes it an ideal place to say Michele sent me!) and I have only read this one post. I'll say this about your writing - I'll be back to read more. That should say it all, but I'll spell it out anyway.
It doesn't take a huge writing sample to determine if one can write. Furthermore, that same small piece is usually enough to tell if said writer can keep my attention... keep me entertained. You have that.
I have written a little for a couple of newspapers, a magazine and some freelance. Although I am technically a "professional" writer (I've been paid to write), I don't yet have a great deal of experience. What I have is a lot of passion. If you have that, you can't lose.
Mike

Dak-Ind said...
jump.
honestly.
michele sent me

Star said...
Sorry . I have no expertise here. But I wish youluck making your decision. And I usually jump in the deep end. It keeps life exiting.

kenju said...
BG, you know I like your writing, otherwise I wouldn't be coming back here. I think you should take the deep-end-of-the-pool job. You already know you can do it, it will give you a great boost in the resume, it may lead to new and better things at the end of that run. You are young enough to dive in - not sit on the edge of the shallow end - where you would always wonder what if....?
Discover what you can do to make some quick money, and then don't look back.Good luck!

Anonymous said...
Jump in, girl! I know it's scary, but I also know you are incredibly talented and very able to do the job well.
My only concern for you would be that you are able to find other freelance jobs after this one is over. Can you continue working for the same freelance company after this project is complete? As we discussed before, there are other places you can go to get work too. You just have to do the research to find them.
As long as you are willing & able to do that, I say jump!

Anonymous said...
I say Jump. Not because I know that much about what's best, but because I hear in your post that your passion is in that direction. I believe one should take risks for one's passion.

Anonymous said...
Hi Catherine...Snow's Mom here.
I loved the post! This is a huge decision...lean hard on those who know and love you and really pray it through. I'd love to see the dream fly and I'd love to see some security for you. We're on your side!

Mitey Mite said...
One of the greatest gifts is doing work you love. When you have a job that makes you think, if I could afford it, I'd do this for free, your whole life is better. And you know what? Money and success follow that kind of passion.
Michele sent me, and I'm very glad she did. Good luck.

princssis said...
It looks like it's unanimous! JUMP! Looking at just the title of this post, I'd say you know what you want and just want others to agree and give support. I'm afraid trying to do both the office manager's job and freelancing will be too much and you won't be able to do both well. At least, without too much stress. It's a no-brainer for me. You have the skill and knowledge for the freelancing position and it will boost your resume. It's a great opportunity for a first assignment to work on a project with which you are so familiar.

Anonymous said...
Hey Here via Michele ;)
I started up a new business with a friend who I had been doing bits an bobs of work with for 7 Years an we jumped and it has been complicated and hard work and stressful but I would never ever go back.... ;)
Build yourself a strong corporate image and sell yourself heavily, believe in yourself beyond all reason and everyone will believe in you as well never let doubt creep in and you will go far ;)
Good Luck in all

Azgreeneyes said...
Jump in! At the very least, you'll get your feet wet (no pun intended!) and get your name out there more. Plus, who's to say that the company won't open up a spot for you? They will definitely at least have your number for future projects!

Carmi said...
I know I'm late to the party, but I hope I'll be able to share some insight here as well.
I speak from experience, as a writer who's made the jump from comfy corporate life to scary freelancing one. I'd never go back. The time you spend trying to get others to recognize your gifts can otherwise be spent focusing on building business relationships and delivering value. I know it sounds trite, but the first time you meet with a client and kick butt, you know it's all been worth it.
If you're afraid of taking too much of a chance, you could always do part-time office manager work, and then leave yourself enough time to get the freelance work off the ground. It's a difficult transition to manage: you balance the fear of being left with nothing with the fear of not grabbing the big opportunity at the moment that it presents itself.
I speak from the heart when I say that a writer's ultimate destiny is to write. And despite the security of a full-time job, the only real security seems to come from the nib of your pen.
I hope this has helped. Please let me know if you'd like to chat further about this. My ears and my perspectives are all yours.


MissMeliss said...
Here from Michele's this time.
JUMP IN.
I made the leap from a big financial company to freelancing, and while most of what I'm writing is web content, and kind of tedious, it feels good to be paid for writing, and not be tied to a phone.
Plus, I can work in my pajamas.
And this year, I'm going to get brave enough to write queries about my fiction as well.
Again, I say, JUMP IN.

11:37 PM
Blogger utenzi said...
Your writing is fine, BG. No worries there. However I don't know if your deep versus shallow analysis is on the mark. The free lance job sounds to me like it's not so likely to bring in the bucks you say it should. Given that, I'd say reject that possibility and go with the collection agency. However if you're totally convinced the $50 per hour aspect is true for the freelance, I'd say that's the one for you to pursue. My experience is that freelance might seem on the outside to pay very well, but when the money actually is counted at the end of the month it's just not there. I'd be very suspicious of that $50-75 estimate you have there, BG. Good luck to you either way!
Michele sent me over to watch you dive, BG.

wah, wah, whine, whine!

If you're wondering where I've been, you can blame it on my mother.

Just Kidding.

See, when I was a kid, I was taught very consistently, "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all". The lesson stuck - and seeing as I talk quite a bit, I obviously found a lot of nice things to say (and safe places to say the not-so-nice things).

Lately, life has been hard - very hard - so I haven't been writing much. Like I said, if you don't have anything nice to say.... But so many of you have stopped by to hope that I am well and say Hi that I figured it might be time to be a bit transparent and see if unloading will help at all. So, if you don't want to hear me vent, then stop reading now.

Before we moved to Illinois, we tried to find good jobs, but were unsuccessful. So, we started looking when we moved here. Champs has been working in a warehouse for about three and a half months now. He is doing well; in fact, he was promoted to auditor within 3 weeks. There are only three problems with this:
1. He never got any compensation for the promotion. He earns about $8.00 less per hour than he did in Minneapolis.
2. He isn't exactly fond of the work, but will continue to do it for as long as needed.
3. The worst is that he works second shift (3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.) everyday. This means that we never get to see him. Especially Sweet Girl, who gets home from school 20 minutes before he leaves for work. Monday through Friday, all she gets is 30 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes after school. Last week I held her for half an hour while she cried over missing her Daddy. I would like to explore some options for starting a beading business, or maybe sell Longaberger or just be able to go out at night, but since he's working evenings, I can't go anywhere very often.

As for my employment, I have a different problem. I am a Communication Specialist by trade. I write for corporate service issues and I am darned good at it. Before we moved here, I worked for a major financial services corporation. When I am working, I partner with Marketing departments by making sure they offer realistic promises in the sales materials. They make the client purchase the product or service. Then I take over and, with my service writing, make the client glad they purchased the product or service. In short, Marketing gets the client; I keep the client. I love what I do. The problem is, I haven't been able to find work in my field here in Champaign. There aren't enough corporate departments and I haven't found the magic key to unlock the few doors that do exist - though I am looking.

For two months after we moved here, I worked for a financial advisor as a Planning Assistant. My boss loved the 7 years experience I had with the home office and my two NASD registrations, so he offered me a part-time job. I took the job and with it a 60% cut in pay and no benefits. But, I was home with Sweet Girl every day after school and it was nice to be an "almost-at-home" mom for the first time since she was born.

A month after we moved here, I developed another incisional hernia from my gastric bypass three years ago. I need an operation to repair the hole in my abdomin. Problem: No medical insurance or benefits. I approached my employer to let him know that I would need an operation. Eventually, Champs and I decided that I need to work full time with benefits to allow him to find another job and so that I could have my surgery. I explained this to my boss, who understood completely. His problem: one of his Paraplanners is going on maternity leave in January. I was brought on to be there while she was out of the office. I couldn't see making him pay for my short-sightedness and I understood that he needed a trained Planning Assistant before January, so I told him to find a replacement. I decided that, when he found a new employee, if I didn't have a job yet then I would leave and work temp. He did find a replacement rather quickly and as of November 23, I was out of a job. This is the first time IN MY LIFE that I have left a job without having another one ready to go. Well, OK, the second - but the first time I left my job to get married. That's another story all together.

I registered with two temp agencies right after Thanksgiving. As of today, I have worked exactly once for $8.50 an hour - in spite of calling in every day asking for an assignment. I have been on one job interview as a Planning Assistant and submitted countless applications. So far, no one else has called (though Monster.com has generated a number of offers from companies who want me to pay for the honor of selling their merchandise. Whatever). I had to take money from my IRA just to make expenses for our family this month. By comparison, my best friend in Minneapolis is also working temp. She's earning over $14.00 an hour and doesn't have the same professional skill set that I do.

In Minneapolis, I was worth $43,500K a year (before benefits); $23.50 or so an hour. Here I am worth $8.50, if I am lucky. Champs and I talked about me getting a retail job over the holidays but decided against it since I would have to work weekends (which is the only time we are together anymore) and evening hours. This would mean paying for childcare, which would eat up whatever I was able to earn anyway.

Add to that the fact that I still don't have insurance, I still have a hernia and I still need an operation. When I left my last job, I left my FMLA protection. You have to be in a job for a year before you have that, so my operation schedule will be at the mercy of my new employer unless I somehow figure out how to get good medical insurance prior to starting a new job, in which case the FMLA issue won't apply.

Now add this: I am diabetic. I need pump supplies and insulin. I bought as much as I could under my previous insurance, hoping they would last until my new insurance was in place. They are running out now and extremely expensive. Also add that Champs should have had a blood test and a an eye checkup two months ago and you can understand my frustration.

I know what you're thinking: "well, aren't there low-income insurance options available to you?" Yes, there are. However, there are a few problems:
1. The plans available either cover hospitalization only or offer a medical card. The doctors in town won't accept the medical card offered, so it is basically good only for pharmacy and hospitalzation. No doctor's appointments or surgeon payments.
2. The price will be considered not on your current income but on your last tax statement. Remember, I took a 60% pay cut. Champs took around a 10-15% pay cut. Won't matter; they look at what we used to earn. Therefore, it will hardly qualify as a low-income option.

That leaves private insurance, which I have considered. However, any private insurance I've considered is highly expensive and has pre-existing condition blockouts. The very things we need covered are ALL pre-existing.

So, to recap: We are living on a current income of $20,800 and don't have insurance. I am home. Not working. Worthless. And we have hardly any money. Not enough to cover everything, that's for sure.

Oh yeah, there's more: My mom went in for angioplasty of a blocked carotid artery at the end of November. When the surgeon got in there, he found that the blockage is nearly complete and cannot be cleared by angioplasty or a stint. He is performing a brachial arterial bypass on her on December 21. Mom, who I haven't seen since I moved in August and whom I miss horribly, was supposed to have come to visit for Christmas. Now she can't. But, since I'm not working anyway, Champs said that Sweet Girl and I should head home for her surgery. Weather permitting, we will leave on Wed the 20th, be home for her surgery on the 21st and head home on Saturday the 23rd so that we will be back here for the family Christmas.

It all boils down to this: I feel worthless and I miss my husband. He is trying hard to find a full time first shift job that is worthy of his talents and skill set (he is horribly over-qualified for his warehouse auditor job) and I am trying to find work as a Communication Specialist, Project Manager, Compliance Officer or something else that makes the most of my skill set. I don't know when things will change.

I've avoided saying much of anything. I've hardly talked to my friends in Minnesota because every time they hear what I am going through, they say the same thing: "move home!" Well, I can't. We made the decision to move for reasons other than money, and those reasons have not changed. Sweet Girl is thriving here and Champs is happy to finally be with his family. Princsiss and I are forming a great friendship. Not to mention, we used all - every.single.cent - of our extra money to move here. We don't have enough money to move back, even if we wanted to. Champs and I have talked it over almost countless times now. I ask him the question, "Did we make the right choice?" The answer, everytime, is yes. We made the right choice. Champs and I have faced some really hard times in our marriage and we will face this. Head on.

I can't tell you how much I miss my mom and my job. I miss my security, I guess. I mean, isn't that what your mom is? Security? And your job? Yeup, security. I've been like an ostrich with my head in the sand. This has been so hard on me that I've drawn away from everyone and everything. I've allowed myself to become emotionally paralyzed by this. When I really think about it, I can't breathe. It actually physically aches. The only way I know to combat this is to pull my head out and face it... No matter how hard it hurts. I don't know the answers here. I'm not really looking for answers. I am looking for endurance, patience, faith and trust.

In the end, this is a season. Somehow, it needs to improve. It must improve. I am used to jobs freezing in my profession every year-end when budgets are over-stretched. The job market should open up early next year and I will find more creative ways to let the business world know that I am here and I am a great employee. I'll find more doors and hopefully the keys to open them. Champs will find a first-shift job that he enjoys. Somehow this season has to end.

But until it does, here's what I have to say: wah, wah, whine, whine!


Here are some comments from this post:
Anonymous said...
Wow, it sounds really, really tough. I completely understand about the security issue.
I will be praying for you.

Star said...
Hang in there Blond Girl

kenju said...
BG, you are definitely entitled to whine. I hope that all of your troubles will be settled soon, and that your surgery will be possible and successful, and that your mom does well with her surgery too. Keep your eyes on the end result of all this and don't let credit cards get the best of you.
Check with some of the service agencies in your area for the diabetic supplies; you may be able to get help with that.
I wish you luck and don't lose hope!!

heather said...
Some of the drug companies have programs to supply drugs at a very low cost. Check with some of the pharmacists in your area to see if they know of a company that offers assistance.
Hang in there, Blond Girl.

Paul said...
Sign up with every headhunter and temp agency in your area. You have to sign up with several because only one out of 20 will tell you the truth. SIGN UP!! I was/am registered with about 20 here in The Big City. I kept copious notes for every phone call, note, e-mail, interview and so forth. Consider adding other job capabilities to your resume and applications: Tech Writer, Copy writer, graphics, "Documentation Specialist." That sort of stuff.
I hope you and your family have a happy Christmas. Blessings.

gift4gab said...
Hang in there - ultimately, this too shall pass and you will only be stronger for it. Chin up!

Corina Bowen said...
Hello! Also check with local ministries. I know that our ministry has resources in our city for medical, food, rent, bills, etc.. We have a "master list" with contacts on just about every need. If you want to email me I can do some digging on my end to see what we can come up with!
God Bless!
& Merry Christmas!!
~In Christ
Corina

kenju said...
Merry Christmas BG. We are holding you in our thoughts and prayers.

Linda said...
I have a friend in Champaign...I am going to email her your bloglink - maybe you and she can get together and you can brainstorm for jobs...she's been in that area for a long time.
She's on vacation right now, tho, but she should be back after the 1st.
I pray that everything works out for you and your mom and your family.

Paul said...
And now I stopped by to wish you and yours a very Happy New Year.

MissMeliss said...
You said the words yourself, it's a season, and it will pass, and things will improve.
Much respect,
Melissa

Carmi said...
You have an immense amount of strength from simply sharing your life as you have here.
You have opportunities because of your skills. Corporate freelance work will ultimately give you the flexibility you need to move forward. You have to believe in yourself now, as this will help you get through the turbulence until you can regain traction on the work front.
We'll talk...

What a wonderful weekend!

Well, if you've been checking in to see when I would post, your wait is over. If you read my blog last week then you know that my best friend, Geekwif, my good friend, Snow's Mom and my daughter's best friend, Snow White, were planning to arrive on Friday for a reunion weekend.

I wish I could express how wonderful this last weekend was... I could easily write thirty paragraphs and bore you to tears and still not convey how great it was to have the three of them here. My faithful readers will remember that we moved to Champaign from Minnesota three months ago now and Sweet Girl (SG) is thriving in all things, except missing her grandma, her godmother (Geekwif, you know) and her best friend. It turns out the feeling was mutual. Snow White (SW - I call her that because of her beautiful porcelain skin, glossy brown hair and doe eyes) was struggling mightily with missing her Sweet Girl (who, in this particular company, becomes Cinderella due to her flaxen hair and deep blue eyes). Snow's Mom, being a wise woman, decided the best course of action was to come for a visit and bring along Geekwif. Give that woman a medal! We decided not to tell either 6 year-old SG or 4 year-old SW about the weekend. We are smart women who knew that we would not be able to live with our children's excitement levels if we did, so neither of them really knew what was happening until they met at the front door. Amazing that Geekwif and Snow's Mom managed to keep her in the dark for the 10 hour drive!

So, day by day:


Friday: Do you have any idea how hard it was to contain my own excitement and not spill the secret to my daughter?!?! Auugh! Add to it that Friday was a no-school day and you get the idea... Long day of anticipation. When they got here, I had SG answer the door. I think she was in shock! I expected jumping and screaming. Instead, she grabbed SW's hand and took her on a tour of our house, starting with her room! After that, we all went to Za's, an amazing semi-fast food Italian restaurant here in town. I think they were converted at first bite. I know by the end of the visit they were trying to figure out how to get one of them in Minneapolis. Well, fresh garlic, Italian sausage, white wine sauce, grated parm... All for a great price. What's not to love?





Saturday: When we planned the trip, I had the great idea to get the girls Disney princess costumes, which I picked up at Wal-smart. Sweet Girl as Cinderella and Snow White as, well, Snow White, of course! We took the girls to Sears (there is only one in this town and it has the best decent-priced portrait studio around) for a photo shoot. The girls loved every minute of it. We did a set in street clothes and then pulled out the costumes. Ah, our little princesses! What fun.

After the photo shoot and the agony of choosing what we needed without buying every. single. pose. they. shot, we took the girls to lunch and then to the carousel for a ride and the wishing well to toss a few coins.



Later, Champs and I brought home LaBamba - the best Mexican food in Illinois. We got the girls to bed and then sat back with some wine for a serious time of girl talk. Yeah, I needed it. Geekwif got a kick out of how quickly my white reisling wine hit me. What can I say? Since I had the gastric bypass and my gall bladder out, I am the Ultimate Lightweight!

Sunday: Champs and I took the ladies to our new church. They enjoyed themselves and gave our new spiritual home two thumbs up, which was a real booster for us. A highlight of our church time was when we picked up the girls from kid's church. While the children's pastor was reading the closing bible verse, SG suddenly cried out and jumped up. She had finally got her loose front tooth out - by pulling it out herself! She was smiling from ear to ear while bleeding down her chin. I think it freaked out Pastor Amy a bit!

After church, we had to go back to Za's for lunch. As I said earlier, Geekwif and Snow's Mom loved Za's! When we got home, we compelled the girls - and the grown up girls, to take a nap. After our much needed rest, Geekwif and I snuck out to go shopping at our local nursery/craft/home decor center while Snow's Mom was still sleeping. I can't begin to say how nice it was to be out practicing the rights of commerce with my best shopping buddy! It wasn't about buying, it was about looking at everything together and just.... being. We loved it. We loved it so much that we went back to pick up SW's Mom and go to Joanne's for, yes, more rights of commerce.



When we got home, we were just in time to start dinner while the girls played. Champs planned to grill a garlic-stuffed pork loin. I am here to tell you that my husband is an artist when it comes to the grill! That man is amazing! Add to that some lightly sauteed broccoli and smashed potatoes and you have a feast! The ladies loved it and Champs continued to secure his title as Grill Master.

Finally, we just sat around talking and drinking a bit more wine. We had to turn in pretty early since the gals got back on the road at 4:30 Monday morning. I hated for the weekend to end, but having them here refreshed me in a way that I can't explain. Perhaps it was having them here and getting a "stamp of approval" on our home, our city and our church. Maybe it was just getting a few hugs and maybe it was just the ability to be with my friends and not have to speak - just be. In any case, I needed the weekend more than I realized and it was wonderful.

And before I wrap this up, I have to give a TON of kudos to my wonderful hubby. The estrogen to testosterone level was 5 to 1 for about 72 hours. Most husbands would have escaped and left us to fend for ourselves. My hubby was the epitome of helpful; playing with the girls to let us have some lady time, cooking for us, listening in when it was time and giving us space when we needed it - as well as essentially giving up his weekend time with Sweet Girl and me. He is wonderful and I just wanted to recognize it publicly! Oh, and also a shout out to The Geek and Snow's Dad, who were both willing to give up their girls for the weekend. Thanks, Guys!

Here are Snow's Mom, me and Geekwif, enjoying ourselves on our last night of girl time:


Now I'm just counting the moments until this summer when we turn around go visit them!


Here's some comments from this post:
Geekwif said...
Very nice. Very nice indeed. I could not have summarized it better myself.
I was going to do my Thursday 13 on this subject, but I don't know if I'll get one up today. After a wonderful weekend of relaxation at Chez Blonde, the rat race has taken off in full force again.

Suzy said...
I am so excited for you that your bestest friend got to come visit! How fun and blessed is that? I'm so thankful my best friend lives only minutes from me. =)
Oh forgot to tell you....what a sweet picture!!

Carmi said...
What a heartwarming entry. It brought to mind what we went through when we moved away from our hometown of Montreal. Our son was two, and we knew no one here. My wife cried for months, and the loneliness was crippling.
Eventually, we found our footing in our adopted home. But it took visits like the one you describe here to convince us that we still had a network of support - it was just a little more stretched than usual.
Popped by from Michele. Good to e-see you again!

I want to want to

I want to want to blog. Do you know what I mean?

I've been unduly stressed lately; another hernia, an unsolved insurance issue, a run to the emergency room with my husband, the "uninsured brush-off", the pressing need to find a new job and I could go on and on.

I want to blog, but right now I can't see the forest for the trees. I try to keep an upbeat, energized blog and if I were to be writing now, I would just be spewing much un-needed stress onto y'all (I've moved far enough south to loosely use that term now)and not helping myself at all.

I will try to come back soon. I will try to visit soon. I know that taking off like this is costing me my readership, which pains me greatly - you'll never know how much - well, Geekwif will - but I digress. I want to keep my readership - in fact, soon I'll be posting some stuff you'll want to read as it is a lot of helpful home-running info. But for now, I just don't have the energy. I want to want to blog and I want to keep you all entertained, but it may be a couple more days before I'm ready. Enough to say that if you're one of my readers, please say hi and let me know you're still out there.

I promise to bounce back.

I always do.

God helping me, that is.

Maybe I just need to get my hair dyed again.


Here's some comments from this post:
Tracie said...
Don't worry about your readers! We will keep coming back!
No one expects you to be perky and upbeat everyday of your life--your blog is about you, and you are a real person with good times and bad times and hurts and struggles and we all understand that!
Give yourself some needed pampering and we will see you when you are in a "bloging space"....
Hi! I'm still out here! :)

JaneB (a silent reader...) said...
Hi! We all have these grey patches - don't worry, I'll keep checking back to see if you're blogging again yet, and will remember you in my prayers

Geekwif said...
No matter the color of your hair, you will always be The Blond Girl. Hey, maybe we could have a hair dying party at your place in a couple weeks! Now that would be fun!

kenju said...
I'm here, BG. By the way, your blog function is not to entertain us. If you don't feel like blogging, or if you do it it isn't upbeat, so what?! We will be here when you come back, no matter what. I hope you are feeling better soon.

princssis said...
Keep your chin up! Like you said, God is helping you through all this, even if it seems he's not. Remember "Footprints"? God is carrying you now. Keep trusting in Him and you'll see how.
Getting a refreshed hairdo always helps lift the spirits.
I'm here! I'm here!

lilone7 said...
Hang in there all will work out. And you know sometimes it is alright to write about stuff that is not upbeat. I know about the time constraints for blogging all to well. Hope things settle for you.

Susan said...
Hey....I'm here if you need me! :)

Suzy said...
Nah....skip the hair dye and take a few days off girl! It's what you need to do, and those of us loyal ones will still be here. Loyal and true....yup we will! =)

7:25 PM
Cori said...
Hang in there! I really miss having you right downstairs where we could go talk and walk. Hugs!!

Not 41!

As you know, it was my birthday a week or so ago and I said "this is where you all to tell me that I don't look 41". Paul challenged me to post of a picture of myself not looking 41. Well, I'm not sure how well I did, but here's the best I could get without a full-blown photoshoot or something:



So, if you think I look 41 (or, horrors, older!), then I guess I don't want to hear it. But if I look like a happy mom and at least still somewhere in my 30's, then you can feel free to boost my self-esteem. I guess this shouldn't matter so much to me - but that's what I get for marrying a man 7 years younger than me!

Speaking of marrying a man 7 years younger than me, yesterday was Champs and my eighth wedding anniversary. Looking back over 8 years, I can't get over how much the two of us have been through. We've suffered numerous family deaths, the loss of a baby, six moves (one out of state), too many job changes to count, 3 cornea transplants for John and something like 6 surgeries for me. Yeah, we've been through a lot, but we've also been through as much joy. Our little Sweet Girl and having each other have made all the mountains into small bumps in the path. I can't imagine going through this life with anyone other than my Champs! (yeah, this isn't a great picture of us, but it was our anniversary and it's all I have to offer right now.)



Finally, I got this one from Brony. The mission is to describe 5 weird things about myself. If you want to play along, consider yourself tagged! Here's my list:

1. I have double-jointed elbows. They pretty much freak people out when I demonstrate it.

2. I always count the clothes going into the washer. I never count them going into the dryer, only the washer. I don't know why.

3. I can't wink. My whole face scrunches up and Champs laughs his head off at me. It must be genetic; Sweet Girl has the same "scwink" (a scrunch and a wink) as I do.

4. I almost never cry for real life - I have to be extremely angry to cry. I mean, extremely unbelievably angry (for normal angry, I just get quiet). It's like a wall of safety for me. Instead, I totally cry for sappy movies. I think that's how I release all my pent up emotions.

5. I so NOT photogenic. Just look above - what you see are the best I could choose out of something like 15 tries. I look better in real life; photos usually aren't good at all. Thankfully, Sweet Girl doesn't take after me on that account; she takes great photos (I just don't post them 'cuz I think it's safest not to).

And here are some comments from this post:
utenzi said...
No way you're 41, BG. What kind of trick are you trying to pull here? Maybe 35...maybe.
It sure sounds like you and your family have been through a lot. I don't know why some of us have to go trough harder trials than others, but I guess you have the strength to prevail. I don't know if I could. I hope you have clear sailing from here on out, Blond Girl. Happy belated anniversary to you both!

Geekwif said...
a) SO not 41!
b) CUTE!! That is an adorable picture of the two of you! Happy anniversary!!
c) I've been meaning to do this meme for a while now, only the one I saw was 6 weird things. It's still sitting in my drafts, waiting to be completed and posted.

Paul said...
I know 29 when I see it!!!
Happy Anniversary.
Two good pics!!

HolyMama! said...
hi blond girl! and yeah, i mean GIRL! no where near 41 looking.
i've been afraid to come look for my literary meme tag.... but i'm going to scope it out now....
but BG! I'm not that SMART! Who said i was...?!

Suzy said...
Happy Anniversary and Birthday too! My birthday was a couple weeks ago, and...gasp....I turned 44! Ack!
I think you look awesome and your hubby and you look great together, too! =o)

Brony said...
Thanks so much. Sorry it took me so long to get here. I am working on yours now.
I have double-jointed thumbs, elbows and hips.
I can't whistle.
I think you're photogenic.

Susan said...
You are beautiful! :)

Heather said...
You look great. Happy Birthday. :-)

Thirteen Things about Geekwif

Yes, I know I owe a real post and I will get there. I have been running all week. However, since I had to post my T13 and since she is so important to me, I thought I would tell everyone just a few things about why I am so glad that Geekwif is my best friend.

1. The way she makes me laugh - at myself, at life, at the good stuff and the hard stuff - Geekwif has a way of seeing the lighter side of anything.

2. She lets me get her hooked into my escapades. Take beading, scrapbooking, stamping... I got her hooked on those. In many cases, she has eclipsed me, but I still got her going.

3. She gets me hooked into her latest escapades - normally computer based. Geekwif discovered making tiles on the internet, and so she showed me. We both went nuts for a while. Just check out Tile Machine and do a search by artist. My stuff is all by Cathreeno and her's is all by Eight. It can be pretty addicting. Oh yeah, then there was the blog thing... yeup, she got me started on this... and on the T13...

4. Her loyalty. I have lost other friends when I ceased to be the "flavor of the day" or through petty arguments. Not Geekwif. We have weathered a couple of disagreements that might have made others walk away. However, she understands the value of a friend and has stood by. You could ask our friend, Little B - she and Geekwif have been close friends for something like 15 years now.

5. Her tenacity. Geekwif will not let the separation of a few miles change our friendship. Yes, it does mean we cannot go shopping together as often, but it does not change what her friends mean to her. See, Little B, who I just mentioned? Well, she moved to Tennessee 8 or 10 years ago. She and Geekwif are still very close, talking and e-mailing often and seeing each other anytime they are in the same town. I was extremely comforted by this when we were planning to move from MN to IL.

6. Her truthfulness. Geekwif is not an outspoken person and doesn't like to go to great lengths to make sure everyone knows her opinion. That said, she will speak the truth in love when it is needed. Case in point: The first couple of years of Sweet Girl's life, I was always morbidly afraid that she or Champs would die on me suddenly. It was on my mind constantly. Finally, Geekwif wrote me a note telling me that she hated to see me feeling the way that I did and observing that I watched E.R. consistently. She presented the possibility that watching families constantly dealing with the unexpected emergencies might be contributing to my anxiety. Then she left the ball in my court. I did decide to stop watching E.R. I still worry about my family, but the near constant barrage of worry has been greatly reduced, thanks to the wisdom of my friend.

7. We enjoy some of the same things - such as reading, shopping, beading...

8. We enjoy different things, but can share that joy. I am not much of a gardener; I seem to kill every plant I try to help. Geekwif, on the other hand, is a gardening fiend and loves to share her successes and ideas with me. She knows that I'll enjoy it for her sake, if not for my own.

9. Her view of God. When I need to talk about a particular issue, be it theological or spiritual and personal, she will hash it out with me. With Bible verses. And a love of the truth. We usually reach the same conclusion, but it is fun getting there. Also, no one I know has as much fun as we do planning our futures in Heaven... (tee hee)

10. She loves personality quizzes as much as I do! When we were younger, before the proliferation of on-line quizzes, we used to meet at my house of a Saturday morning and, over a brunch of eggs, cheese and avocado (yum!) do the latest quiz in "Glamour Magazine". We still remember the difference between a husband-husband and a boyfriend-husband.

11. Then there is the shared Longaberger obsession... we've been known to share bundled basket orders to save money. She used to be a consultant and I think I may have been her most consistent customer. I must have been; at last count, I've got something like 44 baskets around here... and don't even get me started on the pottery!

12. Geekwif is someone with whom I can share my fondest dreams and biggest hopes... and know they will be nurtured and held safe from the unwelcome scrutiny of gossip and jealousy.

13. We just click - it's our personalities, I think. Everyone has a certain personality type that works for them and our friendship bears this out. Geekwif has a personality that is actually a lot like my husband, Champs. And my personality is a lot like The Geek's (her husband). Sometimes we laugh about how much alike our marriages are, only flipped.

So there it is... 13 reasons why Geekwif is my friend (trust me, I could come up with more!) I pray she always will be my friend.


Here are some comments from this post:
Cheryl said...
You have an awesome friend! I hope I can find a friend like that :)

Geekwif said...
Okay, seriously, NOT worthy! But thanks so much for your sweet list nonetheless. It is true that we do share a love of many of the same things and the sharing is sometimes the best part. I mean, bead shopping – or any kind of shopping for that matter – is just not the same without you there!
(sniff sniff) I miss my friend! :(

Trish said...
Aww.. sweet. :)
And belated happy Birthday!

Faith said...
How awesome to have such a wonderful friend!!! You are both very blessed!!

Carmi said...
I feel inspired after reading this. You've written so poignantly about the power of friendship.