Happy New Year!!! (a bit early)

Good evening everyone! I haven't disappeared.... just BUSY! Life has been interesting, happier, busier and more awe inspiring this week in particular - so just haven't had time to sit down and collect my thoughts for an ever thrilling blog post for all of you to read.

Interesting...
Apparently I do have an audience... on this blog! I love it! I'm not sure why you all stay and read a while as I take you through the tumults of my life, but it's great to have the feedback that you are catching up with me when you check in here. For those of you who pop in and out.... welcome to you as well and just know that there will be some days you need to take me with a grain of salt... that goes for all of you.

A special note to my cousin Tori.... you are an absolute sweetheart and made my day with your email message via Facebook! I will get around to writing back and yes, we will definitely get together when you get home from Spain.

Happier...
1. My Molly and Nate called me on Christmas Eve... I'm not sure who put the thought in their heads to do so, but I'm forever grateful for it as it absolutely made my day and year for that matter. I've never had a more golden 35 minutes and 27 seconds. And I'm not overexaggerating.....
2. I had a date last night - his name is Andy, he's a single father and we just hung out at his place and had pizza and chatted about all the similarities we've had in our lives in the last couple years. He was nice enough to tell me that I shouldn't worry.... I'm just in my transition phase as we discussed the end of my relationship and impending finalization of my divorce. He is a doting and loving dad - one that other men would really do themselves a favor in emulating. Has his life together, a decent job, a nice apartment, lots of great stories to tell about his playing in a REAL band as a guitar player and I hope to count him among my friends for many years to come.
3. My best present this holiday season was a quote from my best friend, Jim, as we were chatting a few nights ago online... we got to a point where we mentioned Sam and he said something to the effect that Sam was an idiot... because he had let me go. I might be taking liberty with that term "idiot" but that's basically the idea... and while many people have said similar things to me - I think this is the first time it really hit home and felt like the truth - not just something that is said to make a person feel better.

Busier...
1. The woman in charge of a knitting group I belong to has told me that they want me to come back to the group and were worried that I had moved far away.... ha, if only she knew. She said that there's nothing better than a group of women to get you through the tough times - even if I'm the only Crocheter in the group of knitters!
2. WORK - has had it's slow days, but I'm really enjoying it - even the women who are snotty about my phone calls to them to let them know what fees are due for their appointments. The really sweet patients all make up for those few that aren't so sweet. And you wouldn't believe how much the stress level has decreased in that clinic since certain staffing changes have been made.
3. Running... and researching. I've been doing a lot of reading on different training methods to get me off this plateau I'm on with my running. It's been very frustrating lately, but I'm forming realistic goals to work towards and I actually enjoy it, so I hope I can get over this lack of improvement soon by making a few tweaks to my running routine. Now, if only I could keep my running pants from falling down.... we'd be set.

Awe Inspiring...
I've probably mentioned it before in another post here, but while some people would be driven nuts by the fact that you can drive to and from work - an hour each way - in the dark for the better part of a month during the Wisconsin winters..... I'm fortunate in that i witness the most amazing Sunrises I've ever had the pleasure of seeing in my 33 years. And that's saying a lot - I've seen the sun rise and set in Hawaii (Maui and Oahu), Ireland, Paris - France, California, Florida, Washington, D.C., etc...... but these ones - that peek over the rolling moraines of southeastern Wisconsin are lovely, picturesque, breathtaking. There are those who are looking forward to the weekend we will spring ahead again in March for daylight savings time, but I'll be one of the ones sad to see my dark, slowly dawning mornings disappear from my drive if I am still living an hour from work by then. I think each one that I witness lately has been reminding me that there is a new start to a new day taking place and it's within my power to do what I can to make that day a good one.


That's all for now - need to unwind after a long day - work, run, eat, blog! Whew!

Happy New Year to all of you! Be safe! Love each other! Hugs and kisses to you all!

Erin

Experiments with the webcam...

So, I got to talk to my friend Scott who lives in South Korea for about an hour.... and we even got to see each other too! Gotta love webcams! So, I decided to experiment with this webcam a bit and see if I could get a better picture for my facebook profile and so far this is what I came up with....

I normally don't like pics of myself - but this one isn't half bad.... even if you can see the little mark above my eye where my mom's cat got me this evening when he decided to just all of a sudden swat me in the head with his claws.

Well, it's been a busy week - work, baking, shopping - and I'm still not done! Very glad that I have 1/2 day off on the 24th and the entire day off on the 25th and 26th. I could use a break from all the hormonal women.

Good night/good morning to you all (yes, it is 2:30am where I am)...

Erin

Just another Ella picture...

I am enamoured with my niece... she's just too cute! Her mom says that the caption for this picture should be "but I'm tired of decorating for Xmas!"..... but really, it was something more like.... "Mom, take me to see Aunt Da (me) - 'peas?!?!?"To those of you who know her - isn't she starting to look more and more like her mom (Leah)?? I'll have to post an old pic of Leah from when we were younger and believe me - you'll see the resemblance.

Have a good night everyone - and love each other gently, but honestly.

Erin

More pictures....

Instead of the items to be discussed from last night... I'm a bit peeved at blogspot right now due to a glitch that lost the whole long blog post I was going to put here. So instead for your idle amusement, pictures.....

First, my niece, Ella - getting her manicure by mom (Leah). For 20 months.... I think she watches and pays attention to our direction very well - she even knows to blow on her fingers before she can touch them. She's just too cute.

Me, getting into my running clothes after spending most of the day nursing a cold.... but the coach made me feel guilty that I hadn't run.... so there you are - me, under the weather, but trudging through an hour walk/run a couple weekends ago.

And my treat to myself later that same night - a chicken salad sandwich and an apple for dinner along with three of my favorite magazines to page thru as I sat back and watched t.v. Yes, I know I have eclectic tastes and very different hobbies/interests.....