The Adventure of Life

Always looking forward, yet constantly looking back. That is how I am going to sum up my life right now.

After spending a week at a place (Foursquare Convention) that is fun even when I lived here, I realized all I am missing out on and don't want to return home (home being Scotland) very much. Being able to have conversations with friends and pick up right where we left off is such a blessing. Walking around and constantly getting hugs from people, people yelling at me from across the street, seeing a restaurant full of people I know, taking pictures with people...it's kind of like being a celebrity! ha, ha

One thing I always want to do with my life is be moving forward. Yet, I can't deny my past. I know God has something great in store for my life...I am just waiting for it! I really feel it more even now, after spending time with friends and the 'rents in Houston. All in the right time. I am gaining something from my experience that I would have never had before. Also, I am certain that opportunities will and are presenting themselves that I would have never had before. Life is such an adventure...an adventure I am willing to take risks at. Sometimes just loving people who live far away is an adventure. A little bit of my heart is with so many people, in so many places. I thank God for this crazy adventure I call my life!

A Reunion with Friends

Being in Houston has been like one big party for me. I know I am here working, but it is like a mini reunion seeing so many friends and people I love all in one place. I can't walk 10 feel without bumping into someone I know. I get to hang out with my friends, laugh my head off, be crazy and really just enjoy myself. It's amazing how much does and doesn't change in 9 months. As soon as I see people, it is like I never stopped seeing them. Yet, things change...some are pregnant, some have gone grey, some have lost weight, some have gained it. Yet thru it all, we are still the same people...we are still friends. I feel like this is a blessing, getting to catch up with everyone.

Today I had the privilege of spending five hours shopping with my mom and one of her friends. I would like you to know that all five hours was spent in two stores (TJ Maxx and Marshalls)! And, it was probably the most fun I have had shopping ever. We were yelling across isles at each other, trying things on in the middle of the store and just having fun! And since I knew I wouldn't run into anyone I knew, it made it all okay! But it was definitely fun times had by all.

I hope there will be more times like this in the future. And I hope that when I finally return home, I will have just as good friends as when I left, maybe even better and that I will have added a few to the group!

10 Things

I thought I would enlighten you all with some random facts/findings/events about my day:

1. I didn't get up until 11am...and I don't feel lazy or embarrassed about this. It felt so good to sleep in!
2. The husband left for California this morning. I have to admit, I am a tad jealous!
3. I made myself a bowl of cereal (Cheerios with honey on top) this morning only to discover we were out of milk. So, I used water instead...not the best of ideas I have had!
4. I had to clean up an unfortunate mess in the ladies toilet at work today...oh the joys of being a supervisor! Unfortunately it is the supervisor's responsibility to clean up anything that could be "hazardous" to the employee's health...use your imagination as to what happened in the toilet...
5. I bought this tiny little container of milk and it is so cute. It has the exact shape of the regular milk, but only small...it's the little things that make me smile! And in case you were wondering, I bought the small milk that makes me smile after the unfortunate incident this morning.
6. I ate leftovers for dinner tonight and I am convinced they tasted better than when I made the meal fresh! Or maybe...I forgot in a day what a good cook I am! ha, ha
7. I made a list of "to do's" for myself for the evening and I haven't even done half of them! This bad thing called a computer (or maybe we can blame it on the internet) sucked me in and distracted me!

Well, I didn't quite make it to ten things...I didn't want to bore you with every detail...but you get the picture. The day was random, cloudy, yet still great...go Thursday!

Kind of Cool, Yet Random

Today I was on my break at work, flipping thru The Times, when I came across a picture that stopped me in my tracks. The guy on the left (with the glasses) comes into my store every day...I serve coffee to the man that is on the front of The Times! Ian Rankin, best known for his crime novels...or for getting a grande americano for himself and a triple venti latte for his wife...wrote an article about meeting the First Minister of Scotland after one year in office (here is the link, if you are interested). Funny thing is, even though I have served coffee to him every day for the past 8 months, it wasn't until 2 months ago that I found out who he is. And I must say, I was impressed. I like the fact that someone that is a household name, at least over here in the UK, can be so down to earth. And, I also like the fact that someone so down to earth can be on the front of The Times. So, I would like to say to Ian Rankin, Keep up the good work!

Laundry

Laundry seems to be taking over my life! With the small (and I mean small) washer dryer combo unit I have, it takes about 6 hours to wash and dry an entire load. Now, an entire load is about 1/4 the size of a load I could do in the states. Because of this, I can do about one load a day when I am working and two loads on my day off. BUT, to make it even worse, washing the sheets takes two loads and the towels take two loads as well. This has become a problem because of the back log of laundry I have...see the picture to understand what I mean by "back log". Now I wonder to myself, "will I ever get caught up on the laundry?" I am beginning to think it is a lost cause!

Spring is Here

Spring has arrived in Edinburgh and I couldn't be more excited about it! As most of you are "enjoying" your 90+ degree weather, I am basking in a beautiful 70 degree day...and it wouldn't be Edinburgh without at least a breeze in the air! To celebrate this momentous occasion, and to enjoy the weather, I met Ian on his lunch break and we had a picnic in the park. There are parks everywhere in Edinburgh and all of them are beautiful...the grass is always green (of course, they change it a couple times a year!) and the flowers always beautiful (which they are constantly planing new one's of these as well). I do constantly here people complaining about how much the government spends on the parks, but on days like today, most people are out enjoying them! Seriously, the sidewalks are full, every bench in the city is taken and people are laying on any available piece of grass. It makes me wonder, who is working today?!? It is nice to have a beautiful day off work. Of course, I am spending part of it playing on my computer! Better go back outside...

Month 8

The sun is shining so much more in Edinburgh...well, maybe not shining, but hiding in the clouds for longer periods of time! It is now light until about 8pm, which is SO nice. I love the sun. It lifts my mood and makes me feel like I can stay outside for so much longer. And, it is practically spring here. Last Sunday, it hit 65 degrees! That has to be some sort of record. I should add though that the highest it is supposed to get in the next week is 55 degrees, but the "warm" weather was nice while it lasted! Ian and I took a couple walks out in the sun this month. There are some walking paths thru the city that are so heavily covered in trees and shrubbery that you can't even tell you are in the middle of a city! It is kind of neat.

Last week an oil refinery outside of Edinburgh went on strike. This refinery supplies 30% of the oil for Scotland. Stations started running out of gas (diesel to be exact, but that is what most cars run on over here). And that got Ian and I talking. We were talking about how if something happened and the buses could no longer run, we could still live our lives. We both live close enough to work that we could ride bikes. We could really get pretty much anywhere in town, except the airport, by walking or riding a bike. This is so much different than LA! What would happen if gas stations started running out of gas there? The whole city would shut down! No one would be able to go anywhere. When I think about things like driving, it makes me realize how much more simple my life is here. And, I think that is a good thing. By no means does this mean that I don't want a car, but it is nice to not have to rely on one.

At work, my promotion officially went into affect on the 10th. I don't feel like too much has changed. There are just a few more things I have to think about, but that is really it. The only real hard part is having to deal with partners/employees that are in trouble. And even then, it isn't hard so much as it is uncomfortable. I don't like it when people cry; it makes me feel uncomfortable. So, when I see someone headed in that direction, I tend to back peddle a bit, so I don't have to deal with the tears!

I would like to say that I am bummed out that I missed out on free scoop day at Ben & Jerry's...only the best ice cream ever! I hope some of you out there took advantage of the great opportunity and got it.

I am excited that this next month will allow me to see some of you in Houston. I am definitely looking forward to it. Until next time...
good morning, good afternoon, good evening and good night!