Done and Done

Today was a day of appointments. It started off with taking Jojo to the vet. She's my very first dog sitting client and I have taken care of her for the past two and half years. We were going to the vet to get her a certificate of health so that she can fly to her new home in Los Angeles. After I got that squared away I went to my dentist appointment. These wisdom teeth HAVE to come out asap and unfortunately my health insurance will not cover it. I see dental insurance in my future. After eating a quick lunch and gathering supplies I packed Jojo up and headed out to find the Delta Cargo area at the airport. After getting lost and making several u-turns I arrived at what looked like a huge warehouse. Surprise surprise...it was a huge warehouse. Forklifts and all. I had to leave Jojo there and it was horrible. I got in the car and cried. She was not a happy camper and if you have ever met her you know good and well being in a travel crate in a noisy warehouse is her worst nightmare. She had a two hour wait until her five hour flight and i can only hope she exhausted herself and will sleep on the flight. Saying goodbye to her was hard...it's just one more thing changing in my life and one more thing that's left me. By fall I'll be a pro at change!

Yes!!!

Today was amazing. I had a great meeting with a new client today and we really hit it off. I helped Lauren Fox move to her new apartment, which is awesome. I cannot wait to see it all put together. We had lunch at my favorite spot...CHIPOTLE!! I introduced her to their $4.95 killer margarita. I found out this evening that I was accepted into the design program at Georgia State. I am so excited. It was great news to get before my evening of fun. I headed out and met all the ZBB girls at Ra for sushi and then we went bowling. It was a really fun evening. I'm exhausted and I cannot wait to hit the pillow.

Working for the weekend

Yesterday was intense. I woke up with purpose and did not stop until well into the night. Getting this house back to the way I want it is going to take time. I thought I could do it in a day...HA! I freaked out a little but Heather came to my rescue and we ran all over town doing a little retail therapy. I worn myself out completely and today I am trying to recoup and collect myself. I have a busy week ahead of me and I need to bring my A game.
Today feels good. I don't feel all panicky like I did yesterday and I'm not overwhelmed...currently ;-) I feel at peace with what has happened and I'm ready to move forward on my own. I'm still waiting to hear from Georgia State. Going back to school will be nice and give my life some structure. I have a lot going on right now but I do feel a sense that I'm floating through life. School will be good!
Today has been a great lazy day so far. I was ordered by my Mom to relax today and I think I'm doing a good job. I've done some reading and baked three loaves of yummy bread. Now I am about to watch a movie and hope that turns into a nap.

48 hours

I'm toast. I'm spent. I'm out. I'm tired. I'm exhausted. The past 48 hours was very busy and intense. I've got to go to bed. I'll be back to blogging after my brain firms up.

We put in a full shift today. I was awake by 7:30 after only a few hours of sleep and Clay and I were getting down to work shorty after 9. We made our way to the old house, unloaded, and then loaded up again to return to Atlanta. We did a lot of loading and unloading today and we were like Mutt and Jeff because it got pretty comical at times. Lets see, we had to pull over on the expressway twice to catch things before they flew out the back, Clay backed into our mailbox and put a horrible scratch and dent on the bed of the truck (the mailbox did not make it out good either), and we had numerous other small mistakes and obstacles that added to our funny ballet of errors.
After we wrapped up this evening I headed out to Screen on The Green to watch Star Wars with Autumn and Travis at Piedmont Park. I needed to decompress and clear my head. Today was pretty intense and I had no idea until it was over. I fell asleep shortly after the movie started. You have not lived until you have slept in the grass in this humidity!

Rough around the edges

Last night my neighbors decided to have a party and talk outside at the top of their lungs. I laid here and thought about what I wanted to say and every time I went to get up I just could not bring myself to do it. Finally I could not take it any longer and I walked outside and just simply said "I can hear everything your saying and I'm trying to sleep". That's all it took and they went inside. The I attempted sleep. I've not been sleeping very well this past week or so.
What a day! I met a new client today and her dog Griffin. He is an awesome dog and I cannot wait to start taking care of him. The middle of the day was spent on errands and cleaning. Then this evening I went to see Sex and the City Two with Autumn. Horrible movie. Take booze when you go. I promise it makes the movie bearable. After the movie we met up with Travis and went to Chipotle. Yes I went again!!! I love that place. After dinner we headed deeper into Midtown and attended Crazy Bitch Bingo. Fun was had by all. I think it should be a weekly tradition.
I'm holding my breath that I will hear from Georgia State this week about fall semester. I'm sure I'm going to get in but I want to hear it and see it on paper. I need a plan for the fall. Some kind of routine will be welcomed.

I've had a really good day. Started it off with a lazy morning then lunch at Chipotle. I love that place. It's nothing special but I could eat there everyday. Heather and I then saw "Please Give". It had Catherine Kenner and Oliver Platt in it. I love them both. It was a pretty good movie. It was great to see a movie. It's been months since I've gone to the theater and it made me feel a little more normal. I need to get back into my swing of two movies a week. Hopefully my new budget will allow for that ;-)
I spent the evening packing more boxes. I'm out of boxes and there is still more to pack! It will get done soon. Since I could not pack any more I moved to baking a peach cobbler and making honey wheat Amish bread. The two loaves turned out so cute and they taste amazing. I can't wait to have toast in the morning! The peach cobbler is awesome too. It's a great way to eat peaches ;-)
All in all it was a good day and I'm hoping to get to sleep before 2am tonight. I need to start running again so I can wear myself out and hit the hay earlier. I've enjoyed being up late as I find I'm productive well into the night but it's killing me in the morning with the dogs.

Busy as a bee

Today started bright and early with breakfast at the Majestic with Lauren Fox. We were celebrating her birthday with a 9am waffle...not your average birthday meal. She took me over to see her new place in Virgina Highlands. It's super cool and I can't wait to see what she does with the place. We hit up Ikea next. We were both in need of a few things. I got some gaps to fill. I found two small book shelves that are going to make great bedside tables. Putting them together was just about as fun as getting a tooth pulled but it took longer. After two hours of "building" I have bruises and a busted blood vessel in my finger but I have two marvelous nightstands to show for it. Just after inserting the last screw Autumn arrive for her laundry time. She comes over every now and then to do laundry but we really just use it as an excuse to hang out and shoot the shit. The minute she pulled out of the driveway I was off to a neighbors house to say goodbye. She's moving to L.A. where I am sure all her dreams will come true. Anyway, she's a friend and a client and she needed a send off. I came home with a huge bottle of vodka and some tonic so it seems like I got the good end of that stick. After placing the vodka in the freezer with it's kind I started back packing boxes. That soon grew old so I moved on to bread. I baked two loaves that came out looking like large potatoes but they taste good. That's all I really care about. The house smells wonderful so that is a plus. Tomorrow I'll get fresh ingredients and try again. It's currently a quarter to two and I need to go to bed but I'm wired. This keeps happening. I feel like I have the hebegebees.

I got crabs

I ate crab rather...snow crab to be exact. We went to Joe's Crab Shack to celebrate Father's Day today with Kile. I must tell you, there can be nothing more American than a huge bucket of food, a paper bib, and waiters and waitresses that sing and dance every 15 minutes. All that was missing was horrible country music and Coors Light. It was an absolutely amazing feast for the eyes and the stomach.

I started the day off with my ritual of watching Sunday Morning on CBS. I have not been able to watch it in a few months due to not being able to focus but it seems my focus is coming back and with it some of my weekly habits. I enjoyed some coffee and then headed out to Snellville to my parent's house. We ran some errands, ate our crab, ran a few more errands, and then I cleaned their house. I've gotten home just in time to watch True Blood.

I got the new Black Keys record today. Seems they have gone back to their original sound on this one. If your a fan then go out and get it or download it like most people do in the 21st century.

Yesterday was spent doing nothing but enjoying Showtime and HBO. Comcast is running a special so I was able to get those channels back without my wallet even noticing. I watched TV until my brain turned to mush and then I got ready and went out with the girls. We had a great dinner at Agave. They did not put us at a very good table so conversation was a little challenging for some. I had my usual dish of shrimp and grits which was spot on. After dinner a few of us went to see The Wood Brothers. Oliver's voice gets right to your core and just latches on to your heart.
Today I have to confess started off with more TV watching but I did get myself in gear and left the house for a few hours and attempted to be productive. While I was unloading the groceries I noticed how empty my fridge is and how sad the pantry is becoming. Going from stocking a kitchen for two is a lot different when it becomes one. I made myself cook something tonight that required me to use the stove. I don't think I have used it in three months! I've been eating out of a box or going out. That's all got to change.

I am still patiently waiting to hear from Georgia State. I hope that I am able to start school in the fall. I really need something to put my energy into right now.

I can't sleep

From birth each of us sets out to discover who we really are. But when trauma occurs we create ways to survive. Often we split into pieces and abandon the most vulnerable parts of ourselves boxing them up in tiny packages and tossing them away. Later we spend our lives looking for these parcels hoping to meet someone who can help us find these lost splintered pieces of ourselves.
-I'm watching TV and someone just read this out of a book. It hit me like a brick.

Going through the motions

I think I slept better last night...or I'm just getting used to crappy sleep at this point. I was up and out by 10:30 and picked up my buddies Jenn and Trish for brunch at The Flying Biscuit. Yes, I ate there twice within 24 hours so shoot me! Tomorrow is T's birthday so we were celebrating a day early. That's my fault because I double booked myself for tomorrow night. I'm a hot commodity these days. Yeah right. After stuffing myself I ran some errands, washed the car (Charlie helped), and then sat down in front of the vortex known as my computer. I've been working on "details" again today and organizing budgets. I've got to step away and do something enjoyable with my evening.

Seems my family just keeps getting bad news. 2010 was suppose to be a good year. I can only hope that next year will be better. My family in Houston got hit with some really bad news today. Keep us all in your thoughts.

Tonight, Jojo, my first dog client is moving in for the next few weeks. Her owner is moving across the country and Jojo is on a waiting list for a "doggie flight" in July. I am very sad to be loosing a good neighbor, client, and friend. This is the second great client I have lost to a move this year. A lot of stuff is changing right now. I don't do "change" very well but I think that is "changing".

ADULT SWIM

I did not sleep well again last night...so again it was all I could do to get myself vertical this morning. I cleaned for another client this morning and listened to Darrell Scott's new record. If your not a fan you should be. After I got home from cleaning I headed over to meet up with Autumn. We went to the pool over at Piedmont Park. It was a lot of fun. If you go between 3 and 5 you get in for free so you can't beat that. We spent a few free hours laying by the pool and taking part in adult swims. There were 150 people at the pool and 130 of those did not qualify for "adult swim" so it was pretty amusing. After we had our fill of splashy splashy we trekked back to 13th street, met up with Travis, and then had a great dinner at The Flying Biscuit. I must eat there once a week so I was ready to order the minute I walked in. Upon return home I made my rounds to visit a few furry clients and finalized my plans for the weekend. Seems like it's going to be a good one. Now I've got the season premiers of Top Chef and Man vs. Food to watch and hope that I tired myself out enough today to sleep better tonight.

It's cheaper to keep her

Today was a long, productive, emotional, thunder stormy kind of day. Last night was not a good night for sleeping. The sugar from that ice cream kept me up like I had snorted drugs and once i did fall asleep there was a ton of commotion next door that kept me up. It did not help that I was hot so I tossed and turned until i was able to get myself vertical around 9am. So the day started off slow. I cleaned for a client and listened to a couple records while doing so and that seemed to perk me up to head into the rest of the day. Cleaning is so therapeutic...something is wrong with me ;-) After cleaning I hit up Target, Lowe's and the bank. Then came home for a nice cold shower and met up with Clay to go over details. After a killer sandwich at Jimmy John's I returned home to no power so the garage doors were not moving. Thanks thunder storm! The front door is locked up tight from the inside so luckily Clay scaled the side of the house and got me in through the deck door. I've spent the last two hours emailing, drafting, brainstorming and hoping that I am moving in the right direction with all this divorce stuff. It's very overwhelming and you have to put your emotions on the shelf or you will never get through it. It's creeping up on 10pm and I need to shut it down. Tomorrow is another day and I'm thankful that I made it through this one. (Hey thanks for the great Avett Bros T-shirt)

Manic Monday

Today was productive. I slept late then threw myself together to attend a doctor's appointment with my step dad. You know your getting old when you have to go to the doctor with a parent. Next thing I know I'll be feeding him baby food. We have entered a whole new phase of life. On the way out of the burbs I hit up the vet for some pet meds then made my way home. There was some work awaiting me at home that I really did not want to take care of but did anyway. I took care of some overdue paperwork, packed some stuff up, made some phone calls and then hit up the monthly HOA meeting. The it was off to dinner with two great friends and neighbors, Dannee and Camille. We had ice cream at Morelli's for dessert which is my favorite place to indulge. I had the peanut butter cookie dough. You can only imagine how good that was!
So Charlie turned 7 over the weekend and I totally missed it! Poor guy spent his whole bday at the groomer. Not the way a schnauzer wants to spend his birthday. I think he has some peanut butter and a new squeaky ball in his future.

Operaaaaaa

Last night was awesome. After dinner we went back to Autumn and Travis' and played a few rounds of cards. I remember Uno but cannot remember the other cool game we were playing. All I know is there was a bell, tons of yelling, and then a great deal of laughing after each round ended. What was that game called??? After cards we sat around and talked about weather or not we will be attending our high school reunion later this summer. I have always said reunions are not for me and that I would never go but I'm thinking I might out of sheer curiosity. I'm still friends with the people who really mattered so seeing all those that didn't does not really appeal to me.
After talking for a while Autumn, Travis, and I headed a few blocks up for some of the most amazing people watching I've done in a while. We sat outside of some place called Flip Flops (people actually hang out there) which gave us a great view of the clientele coming and going from Opera. It was a drunk'n flesh fest of young people looking to hook-up. Girls in tiny clothes with huge shoes wobbling all over the streets and guys doused in cologne and hair products. After this overload of eyecandy we hit up The W for some photo ops and dancing. All in all it was fun evening and I think Autumn had a great birthday celebration.
I'm off to Snellville to have a relaxing afternoon with my parent's. They are always pamper me when I'm there ;-)

A good groom is hard to find

Had to set the alarm to get up and take the boys to the groomer this morning. I spent the rest of last night packing some stuff up and purging. I also spent an hour and half on the phone which is totally not like me but I guess I had a lot to say. After talking forever I resumed purging and then finally hit the hay a little after 2am. I think I'm still on Arizona time.
So far, today has been a combo of productive and lazy. I'm running on hour cycles of each. I've packed a good number of boxes today and with each one my load has gotten lighter. I spent a few hours running errands. I was not on any time constraints and was only out for a few items so I spent some time wondering around a few stores and just soaking in Saturday. I picked the dogs up around 4pm and boy were they ready to get out of there. Every time I pick them up from the groomer I am always pleased until I get home and inspect them more. This time, poor Pete had a horrible cut on his ear and an uneven uni brow. Charlie just looks okay. I think it's time I call and complain or find a new groomer.
I'm heading out soon to celebrate Autumn's birthday. We are starting with dinner at Six Feet Under off of Northside. It has a great view of the skyline up on the patio. I'm looking forward to hanging out with some good friend tonight.

Get'n er done

We pulled in the drive about 10:30 last night and everyone was in a decent mood considering the long haul home. I spent a few hours doing my "re-entry" which included unpacking, laundry and going through a huge bag of mail and paying bills. I slept until about 9:30 this morning and then headed straight out to my Mom's to pick up the boys and clean up the mess that they made for the past two and half weeks. I cannot believe I was gone so long...the house felt really foreign when I walked in. After returning with the boys I had a great dinner with Jenn and Trish. They have become such close friends and I really love having them in my life. They are good people!

Atlanta, I love you

I seem to be the only one who wants to get up this morning and hit the road. I should not say that I wanted to get up because I surely did not! Six hours of sleep, after that drive and hotel hunt in the middle of the night, is about four hours short of what I could really use. I feel more sick this morning and even more eager to get home. I will probably not hit my bed until at least 1am at this rate.
Later...
It's midnight and I'm digging through a huge pile of mail.

Oklahoma City or bust

We got a late start which means a late arrival. We were doing pretty good until we ran into a hotel snafu. Every place we stopped was booked. We had to drive 26 miles further to finally find a lone Hampton Inn with one room left. I get to sleep on the roll away(I've always wanted to try one). Made me think of the lumpy sofa bed I've been spooning with all week.
I'm in a bad place physically tonight. My body has plain shut down. That hike up to Cathedral Rock did a whammy on my legs and I also feel a little sick. I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed and getting a really good nights sleep.

Wear'm if you got'm

So I hiked to the top, or what I thought was the top, of Cathedral Rock this morning. Somewhere along the way Heather and Lauren turned back. It got pretty steep so it was a good thing I had on my stretchy pants ;-) A girl needs to not be restricted on such a climb. So after climbing on all fours and hoisting myself up on rocks I turned around and looked out over Sedona. There was an amazing breeze and it was so quiet and peaceful. The trek down was hard because my legs were tired and the rocks were slick and steep. I obviously made it down and I'm so glad I did it.
After a quick shower we had a nice big lunch. I think a nap might be in my future. Tomorrow we head home. I don't want to go home. I don't want to return to the reality that I left behind. I do miss the dogs and would love to give my parents a big hug but other than that I'd just like to be left here.
We have a long drive tomorrow to Oklahoma City. Should take us about 14.5 hours not including stops. With the kind of stops we made on the way out here it will probably take us about 17 hours. Then you also have to factor in the two hour time change. Should be a long day.
All in all this had been a good trip. It is great to bond with your friends and not have to worry about work or responsibilities.

The taste of nostalgia

We went to The Grand Canyon today. Amazing!!! I took tons of great pictures, sat by the rim and felt how small I was and then ate a bowl of vegetarian chili that reminded me of home. We had lunch at the fancy pants lodge that was at the south rim. The chili tasted like the chili that Clay and I always cooked during the fall. It tasted sad in my mouth but I soon got over it and moved on to a salad.
The views today were overwhelming at times and just awesome. I would go back in a heartbeat. There was this overhang that was just calling my name so I ventured out and took a seat. I'm very scared of heights so this was insane for me to do. Sitting there and looking out into that canyon was the best thing I could have done for myself today. Lauren was across the way and got a great picture. It's the one I posted with this blog and I'm in the top right corner. Click on the picture and it will make it larger so you can see me. Every time I think back about sitting there I get a rush of anxiety!!
I've got the vodka and tonic back out tonight and laughing my ass off. It's great to be with such great friends right now and really let loose. It's much need!

You better get used to it

So this morning I had the great idea of taking a run on this awesome trail here in Flagstaff. Not sure what made me think that was a good idea. Between the nice dry heat and the altitude I about busted a lung. So my jog turned into an hour power walk. Upon returning I was covered in a nice layer of dirt and coughing my internal organs up. It was great. Hey at least I got to sweat and feel for a while.
So one really shitty thing about the dryness out here is that my hair is breaking off. It dries really fast which is nice but I'm going to have a lot less of it when I get home! We went back into downtown Flagstaff for lunch and then got a relaxing pedicure. Tonight we just hung out and tried to relax.
My life is upside down right now. I'm about to go through a divorce if you did not know already. I'm just going to put it out there. It sucks, it hurts and it's sad. I'm not going to pretend any longer that I'm okay with it because I'm not. I'm hoping this trip will give me the strength that I need when I return home to get through what lies ahead. I'm so grateful for the company that I keep and being surrounded by strong people that will help me. It's very important in times like these to have people that can help you see the light at the end of the tunnel. The light is very dim right now but I know it will be brighter one day.

Sedona-rita

This morning we got up and headed out for a nice scenic drive through the mountains into Sedona. The four of us did about five hours of shopping. We were total tourist today in our search for amazing turquoise jewelry and thoroughly exhausted once we were done. The red rocks in Sedona are amazing and we have planned to return there for our last day and hike to Cathedral Rock. I've been told it's a steep but amazing hike and well worth it once to make it to the top. People claim that the vibe on top of the rock is like no other and that I should benefit from those good vibes it gives out. I'll take anything I can get right now. I must recommend the Oaxaca Mexican Restaurant in Sedona and their house margarita. It was the best thing I could have done for myself yesterday. Two of those bad boys and I was good to go.
Summer headed back home today after spending two days with us. It was really great to see her and reconnect. We only see each other every few years. We bonded several years back during an amazing summer time filled with all sorts of stuff young girls do that their parent's would be ashamed off ;-) We reminisced about riding on the back of motorcycles, hanging out at The Waffle House all night, shooting guns, chasing boys and spending our paychecks as soon as we got them. Sounds real classy.
Tomorrow is our "day off" which means we don't have to drive anywhere and we have no set plans. It will be nice to relax and not get behind the wheel.

Petrified

Today started off good until we took a wrong turn. 40 miles later we were back where we started. Once we made it to the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert things started looking up. We got some great pictures and saw some amazing landscape. We spent several hours winding around the state park and taking in the sights...then hunger struck. We hit up historic Flagstaff for dinner and then came home and crashed. Flagstaff is a college town and these kids make for great people watching while eating. The downtown area was having an "art walk" and each store had cookies and wine, for free. So dessert was awesome.
I was really smart and forgot to wear sunscreen today so now I'm a very attractive shade of red in some really great areas. I'm really smart these days.

Vaca...ting

I think it may have started today...vacation. I have finally relaxed a little and am feeling the good vibes of my friends. My old friend Summer came up from Phoenix today. She's joining us for a few days of tourist fun. We spent the afternoon exploring historic Flagstaff and doing the shopping thing. We cooked an awesome dinner on the grill and enjoyed eating around the table like a family. After dinner spirits were a must...well before dinner spirits were a must too ;-) I'm feeling good and that lumpy sofa bed is calling my name...

Driving and crying

15 hours of driving will make anyone want to cry. My whole body aches unlike any ache I've ever felt. We hit a pretty cool trading post that almost made that drive worth it.
In my attempt to avoid Cracker Barrel I landed at a Golden Corral. We all know how that is going to end up...or come out ;-)
Upon arrival in Flagstaff we had trouble finding the apartment we rented and then we could not find the lock box where the key was suppose to be. It was a very intense half an hour that I am glad is over.
I've never been so happy to be on a lumpy hard sofa bed in my whole life. Reminds me of making my grandmother sleep on her sofa bed with me when I was a kid. I always wanted to sleep in the TV room and wanted her in there with me. Tonight I will go this sofa bed alone. The gals may find me folded up in it come morning.

Driving and crying

15 hours of driving from Oklahoma City to Flagstaff would make anyone want to cry. We hit an awesome trading post on the way that almost made the drive totally worth it. I've never been so happy to be on a lumpy sofa bed in all my life. It reminds me of being a child and making my grandmother sleep in the TV room with me on her sofa bed. Except I have to sleep in this one alone. I would always ask her to hold my hand while I fell asleep...that way she could not escape to the comforts of her own bed. Never ask a grandparent to sleep on a sofa bed...it's just cruel.
My goal of avoiding Cracker Barrels on this trip landed me at a Golden Corral for dinner. You can only imagine how this story will end ;-) I think tomorrow calls for a detox of a sorts. Eating on the road is not for the faint of stomach.
I can no longer hold my bloodshot eyes open...

Picking up speed...

And picking up the pieces. Today was an intense drive from Atlanta to Oklahoma City where I have landed in a very scary Comfort Inn. I'm sad to say my head is no clearer than it was yesterday. Remind me not to eat at a Cracker Barrel for the next hundred years unless I was to cry into my salad.
On a happier note our drive was pretty decent, no rain, no wrecks and no "oh shit" moments. We passed through Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and then Oklahoma. I was lucky enough to have a run-in with the Alabama State Patrol. One ticket in 850 miles is not too bad. Tomorrow will take us another 850 miles on to Flagstaff and we make take a detour into Santa Fe.
Well off to bed and perhaps to buy a special friend a birthday gift online before my head hits the pillow!