Monday: I didn't get to see the girls off at the airport (they were only getting dropped off anyway) because I had to work that morning, so I gave them some love and was off. I had to initiate the Bible Study carpool that Michele spearheaded.
Aaah initiative - not often a strong suit of mine. I love sitting back and letting what will happen, happen. Which I guess is really just another way of saying I'm being lazy or not taking responsibility. It's because I hate making decisions and I love having people just tell me what to do. It's so much easier! No hassle, just follow directions. I do love planning, but I think it's the nitty gritty details that I don't want to deal with.
So I contacted the girls - ah not to be rude but really the "other girls" because Michele and Becky are The Girls...sadness! - to see who would need a ride and we met up at the church as usual and headed down for an evening at the Burkes, which is always a treat. Michele has always been very generous in offering rides to anyone under the blue moon who wants one. And I know that's because we have a large car and can fit lots of people, so why not just pack them in and save some people the trouble of driving separately? Oh, I know why - gas prices.
Seriously, I am such a miser. Not as bad as Annie, but I think perhaps I'm worse because I don't just penny pinch the ridiculous stuff (sorry Annie, but baking soda for toothpaste? I can't top that) instead I'm like some bitter old hermit who grumbles about wasting money on gas. I HATE IT. I don't like to spend money and sometimes I feel like I buy gas way too often for how much money I'm making (aka not a lot).
So I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but now that The Girls are gone (2 less people!) we won't always have to take my car, which will be a help because I also don't really like driving. It really just depends where I'm going and who I'm with. I don't think I'm going to get into my driving woes here, else this post will last forever, as if it's not long enough. :) So we're going to really start carpooling now, where everybody takes turns driving. I just have to tell them now...
Tuesday: Work, again. Still babysitting Malia Goodall (she's such a cutie though that I don't mind). Unfortunately it's raining so we can't go outside, but we make the most of it. Here's a picture of us from back in March.
That evening was Pillar Youth Group, and Todd was teaching for Bryan since he's still in the hospital. I wanted to go, but my dad was coming home that day from his "field trip" to Tokyo and Taiwan, so I stayed home so I could see him. PLUS I got to watch American Idol!!!! (please note that I didn't skip to watch AI, it was just a perk) ;) One cool thing about my dad's trip was that he was able to visit a friend of his named Kaz, who was a Japanese foreign exchange student who stayed with my dad's family when my dad was in Jr. High. Dad was able to spend a day with Kaz, his wife, and two daughters who happen to be the same age as Michele and me. Apparently they were very interested in hearing all about us, so Dad gave them our emails so they could contact us. Haven't heard from them yet, but I hope I will soon; that would be an interesting and I think very beneficial relationship to pursue...
Wednesday: Last day with Malia for that week. I called up Mr. Tim Kelly who goes to SBC about a graphic design job opportunity that Colby had mentioned me for (thanks Colby!) and we set up a time to meet so I could see what this job was all about. The one and only Bobby O called me too (poor Malia wasn't getting very good attention from me that day!) and we met up for lunch at Olive Garden once I got off work - I haven't been there in ages! And then we visited Bryan at the hospital, which I'm glad we were able to do. He's still not really doing any better physically, but it was nice seeing him act like his old self around Bobby - those two are so silly together! I love it. Reminds me of another infamous duo, Mel and "Anne with an E" but we'll have to save those stories (and videos!) for another day... ;)
Oasis that night - at music practice Brandon asks me, "So is your sister not coming?" No Brandon, she's...out of town. As in out of the state. At camp. Allllll summer. All I could think was, Seriously? Is he just having a brain fart or did he really not know?? Luckily Keilan was there to help explain because I was slightly at a loss for words...haha
I watched the American Idol finale that night with Phillip and Brittany - one last hurrah for Idol Night at the Shaws/Scotts. I've tried coming up with a combination name for them. Becky likes the Scaws but I kind of like the Shotts better, but it sounds a little funny out of context, like I'm talking about gun shots or something. Random tangent... David Cook won, if you didn't know. And now there's no more American Idol until next year...if I have time to watch it that is.
Thursday: Childcare for Women's Bible Study. Worked at Goodall and Pelt or as I like to refer to it, "The Office." So if you hear me talking about The Office, I'm not talking about the show, I'm talking about Mr. Jason Pelt and Mr. Bob Goodall, attorneys at law.
I really like working at the office. I must admit though, and Jason you're not allowed to repeat this at work! that sometimes I feel like I'm "playing work" like when Haley hops on the rocking cow at church with her little bag and says "Goodbye, I'm going to work!" Like, here comes Kristen in her "office" clothes and her little bagged lunch, come to play pretend office! It's kind of funny actually. Sometimes I'm waiting for someone to say, "wait, what are you doing here? Can I please see the real office workers, because I know you can't be it, you're what, 12?" but everyone so far seems to take me seriously...so far so good! I even got to go to the courthouse one day to pick up some mail - oooh! I walked over pretending like I was on a very important work mission past the security officers and the metal detectors (I'm fine, Bob, how are you?) and picked up the mail and then walked back out. I am so ridiculous. The only hard part is deciphering the legal jargon, and as long as Amanda is around I'll be alright. The work itself is very technical office stuff that I like to do, just listening to tapes and transcribing documents, printing, copying, mailing - stuff like that. One day I helped answer the phones, which adds to the play fun: Goodall and Pelt, this is Kristen. How may I help you? in my best office voice. Of course then I have to try to sound knowledgeable about whatever they're asking... Hmm, let me check...psst! Amanda! What do I do? So I normally let Amanda handle that stuff. I had a really funny call one day, but I probably shouldn't blog about it since it might be of a "sensitive" nature...you can ask me though, and I can tell you the jist of it. ;)
Friday: Worked at the office all day. I need to remember that Friday is usually a casual day - I got so caught up in my "dress up" that I forgot. But it helps me feel professional, so... :) That afternoon I visited Tim Kelly's work, Woodwright Co to see about this graphic deal. He has a very diverse work, doing a lot of printing type things but also making displays and stuff for radio companies, boat and fishing companies...stuff like that (which of course I know sooo much about, haha. I've driven a boat and gone fishing plenty of times with my grandpa, does that count?). But he's developing the graphic side of his business, and he wanted some people that he could export the graphics to, so basically he'll tell me what he wants, I'll do it, and then he'll work it out with the customer. I'd be an independent contractor. We'll see how it goes, it sounds like fun. I'll be getting paid, so watch out Colby or I might start charging you for all my graphics! Just kidding. :) The only thing I'm worried about is I use Photoshop and I'm not entirely sure if that will be adequate for the large-scale projects he has in mind. But we'll give it a try and if I have to buy new software, then I will. PLUS he said I could buy a Mac and write it off as a work expense, because goodness knows I would be using it all day long for his projects, so that definitely had me intrigued...
Then that evening my family headed down to the Starbucks in the Stafford Marketplace to see the wonderful musical talents of Bobby O, Ben, Keilan, Johnathon, and Todd (I unfortunately missed big brother Josh and my soul mate Jadey). I had a really great time, so I hope they will do that again sometime - and soon!
So I am now very very busy workwise! God is so good! It wasn't that long ago that I barely had anything to do, just a couple odds and ends jobs here and there (i.e. babysitting) and now I have too many things to know what to do with!!! Oh I forgot, I got the GPS job. I'll be working over the summer at Grace Prep (where Michele and Becky worked) Tuesdays and Wednesdays watching children from 8:30-3:30, but now I'm also needed a lot at The Office too so we're going to have to see how this all works out. I've been kept so busy trying to figure out how I'm going to juggle all this (and believe me, I'm more than happy to have to juggle too many jobs than not enough) that I've barely had time to notice that Michele is gone. And that's not to say I don't miss her, because I do!!
I miss you girls!! But I know you're off having so much fun, that I can't miss you too much - how could I wish you here with me when you're off with Global all summer??? I'm as excited for you going as you were leaving.
And to be honest, I'm kind of enjoying the opportunity to "be my own person" as Phillip so eloquently put it. Clint told me today at the Aletheia Norfolk luncheon that now I'm "half the woman I used to be" - thanks Clint. Well, even if I am half the woman I used to be, I'm enjoying adventuring out and being my own person, getting to make my own decisions and exploring out there on my own. A little separation is good. Plus, it's only been the first week, so I kind of feel like they'll be back any day now. Check on me in a couple weeks when it's sunk in that they're not coming back in a day or two... :)
1 comment:
too funny...I like the week in review
Post a Comment