Get on board the "Joey train!"

Joey got a new train for his birthday last month and we are JUST NOW putting it together - and what better place than around the Christmas tree! He's entranced with his new train. He's memorized all the sounds already, and imitates them easily - and he's a master at the remote control. So funny to watch! Too cute!

Today's rant about 3 completely separate things.

Three things today:

1 - The United States Post Office needs a drive through service at every one of their locations. EVERY LAST ONE.

2 - I'm OVER - repeating.... OVER - people calling and harassing me. First of all, the national DO NOT CALL list is a bunch of bunk. Second of all, I am NOT [insert name here of man who used to live in this house who has NEVER had this phone number], and I'm sorry if you can't find him or his family, and I'm not the one responsible for cleaning up his credit, or paying his bills. STOP CALLING ME. ((Anyone know who to call to get annoying creditors from threatening ME?? I am NOT HIM, and I am NOT HIS WIFE. My hands are so tied, and I can't call police about this...who do I call??)

3 - On a lighter note, Hershey's has come out with a line of Candy Cane Kisses. Mmmmmm. Its the best I've had next to anything with peanut butter.

Happy Thursday! :)

Honesty.

My friend Doug hit me with a 10 things honest meme, and so here goes...!

1 - I hate telephones. HATE them. I don't exactly know when this phobia came to be, but I think it was when I was in Nashville. The phone would ring at work and I was deathly afraid of not knowing how to answer a question. When I went to work with my hubby, his business was such as political balance beam, and I don't know how to be political at all, and am honest to a fault (maybe that should be #2 in this meme??) - and I was afraid I would say too much. So I just wished that the stupid phone wouldn't ring. And I still have the same phobia today. I just hate the phone - period.

2 - I'm really hard on myself. I'm not as bad as I used to be. (Geesh - thank God for living and learning.) I have this thing where I try to over-reach a goal, and I get pissed at myself if I don't make it.

3 - I can be really mean when I'm tired, overwhelmed, depressed, being hard on myself. Very hurtful. The thing is - I don't intend to be, but my words get all boggled up, and before I pass my sentences and the tone I'm about to speak them in before the panel of judges in my head, they come spilling out - demanding, cold, and - frankly - bitchy. My husband has to take the brunt of this flaw - but thank God he knows when its his fault, or if its just me - tired, overwhelmed, depressed, etc.

4 - I rarely feel like I'm living up to my life purpose. I just feel antsy almost all the time. I feel like there is something bigger and more purposeful that I'm supposed to be doing right now in my life. But I'm hindered by my current life. I shouldn't say "hindered".... that's not the right word at all. I'm more "busy" with my current life - raising my son, and getting ready to have another. I have to remind myself that when its time, that big ol' purpose will show itself, and it will be something completely different than what I could ever assume.

5 - I'm often referred to by my husband as a walking rolodex. I can just remember that stuff. Usually.....

6 - I know a lot more than I let on. I really do "get" it - but I don't show it. I tend to, well, not play dumb, but I just don't always show all my cards. I'm not deceptive by ANY means. I just don't always open my mouth.

7 - I love to travel alone. There's nothing more freeing to me than being by myself traveling in a car, on a plane, walking down a street of a new city or country. I love my husband, and my son - but before I was married, this was the most liberating thing in my whole life. Given, its not that safe for women to do these days - but it is so intoxicating to me. I once walked down the streets of Lisbon Portugal for a few hours by myself in mid afternoon. I stopped by a little grocery stand and bought some fruit to snack on and brought my journal. I stopped a few times a long the way to soak up the sun, and write a few thoughts down. I even came across an old man, walking along, and he stopped me to have a conversation with me in broken English. He even sang a song to me in 1/2 French, 1/2 Portuguese, and then wrote down the lyrics on a piece of paper in broken English. I'll dig them up and put them on this blog someday soon. It was a love song to his wife. I cried. And so did he. It was one of the most memorable afternoons of my life. And I was traveling alone. I. loved. it.

8 - I love to sing. LOVE it. And even thought about going towards the "big" time with it - but then was completely turned off the business (after working so intensely within it), and even decided that I couldn't do it because - well, frankly, I didn't have the self-promoting narcissistic personality it takes to go with it. I just couldn't create a world that revolved around me. But I still like to sing. And not many get to hear me these days, except Joey.

9 - I don't hold grudges. I just can't. Life is much too short. Now, don't get me wrong - I don't often forget the moments that have hurt the most because I don't want to be a fool again - but I don't hold them against people. I have this (naive) belief that most people have the intention to do good to others, and don't intend to purposefully hurt or spite. I'm not THAT naive - but I think most of the time, this is the case.

10 - And for the biggie - (and this is STUPID but I'll never forget it because i'm embarrassed about it) - in kindergarten, I brought snack-sized candy bars to school to share with my class for my birthday. And while I gave everyone one, I took two for myself and looked at everyone at my table and said with a shrug, "Hey.... its MY birthday!!" What a jerk I was!

Ok kids..... I'm going to tag Kate from All Over the Place (if you have time! I know you are all over the place ....) and Daniel, my brother.

For Christmas: Zimbabwe, Somalia.... the World.

The people of Zimbabwe are in dire need of prayer. I don't know if there is really anything that we can DO besides pray for these people. The cholera outbreak there is threatening to wipe out the people, and the bank issues are just..... unreal. These people need help. Read more here.

Rarely do I listen/watch our own country's news casts. Sometimes, but rarely. Most of the time when I'm in my car especially, I listen to the BBC. This is where real world events are reported, whereas in the US, I'm tired of hearing how damn spoiled we are. I mean, stories about how a man was trampled to death by the Christmas shopping rush when opening the doors to a Wal-Mart - THAT'S TERRIBLY EMBARRASSING, and I'm ashamed of the lack of concern of our country's people. This, among many OTHER embarrassing moments like this, should never EVER happen.

But turn around this Christmas season and donate to the cause of the almost-in-complete-famine country of Somalia.

Here's a good one: donate some money in the name of your friends and family (in lieu of a Christmas gift - like a Nintendo Wii, for instance) to the Blood:Water Mission. At least you'll be helping sustain the lives within a whole COMMUNITY. I promise - you'll feel great, and the person that was supposed to get that elaborate fruit cake will be thanking YOU!

Seeing PINK

Well, friends....... we are having a baby GIRL!!!! :) We could not be more excited!! It didn't really matter, honestly - but we did think it was going to be another boy. My first instinct was girl, but then, as usual, like a ding-a-ling, I didn't trust my instincts.

I've never been much for girlie stuff - but I do like pink - most of the time - especially on my new little girl.

Come April, pink will be EVERYWHERE. :)

Business is good - so far.

I'm getting excited..... I've just been so "blah" lately feeling a little discouraged about my new business. Sure things are progressing - slowly, but yes, they are progressing - but I've been in a rut on several aspects, and in the last few days, the clouds have been parting a little. I've gathered a new client in the last few days, and established my contracts. I'm still tweaking my contracts, but they are so close to being done, I can taste it. I think simply the fact of organizing my legals makes this whole thing a little more tangible - and that's exciting to me. Finally, something that's reachable and actually official and obtainable. Without contracts, i was feeling a bit naked, and vulnerable, not only by watching this interest of business teeter on mere existence, but also, with the fact of getting taken advantage of clientele because of my lack of an official legal protection and "lay out" of design progression. Its just as important to them as it is to me - clients need to see that an organized progression of my business and design ideas instead of string of emails that 'explain' my brain storms, terms and estimates. The world of web design is not a well known subject - and is easily misunderstood and underestimated- so it feel GREAT to be able to present something organized.

I have another client as well that I've known about - we've just been gathering content for their site, and I'm going to get started on that in the next few weeks. Its an optical shop that has a really cool vibe, and I want to reflect that vibe in the site. I can't wait to start!

In the meantime, over this holiday season, when I find my inbetween times, I will be designing my own basic business site. Its not going to be too intense right away, but hopefully in the future, as my own skills grow, I can make it great and a sample to my future clients.

Wee Hoo!