Working hard for my money

So far I really like my new job! I'm busy and the days go by fast. Of course I'm learning a ton of new things and it takes me a while to get through the work since I'm not familiar with it. The people I work with are really nice and very helpful with my millions of questions.
I think, in the past two days, I've done more work than I did in a week at my other job. Seriously. It's great!

Oh, and I hit 20lbs lost!

Mama needs a new pair of shoes

So I bought four.

I needed shoes for work.

At my last job I wore jeans and tennies most days. While I can wear jeans everyday at my new job, I feel I shouldn’t wear tennies quite yet. I got all for less than $60 - booyah!

Water park

Monday I went to a water park to visit with my good friend and her kids. It's a really neat park. Instead of a wading pool the area is full of different fountains for kids to run through.

Shoot 'em up

This past weekend I went shooting with my dad. I haven't been since I was about 10 years old. I shot a .357 revolver and a .45 Beretta.
I've had this phobia of guns for the past several years and this kinda helped me a bit. I am a horrible shot but for the most part I hit the paper... not always the target itself though.
I remember the revolver having a lot of kick and I was prepared for it but holy shiite! My hand was tired and starting to shake. My wrist was sore for two days. I was trying to hard to control the kick.
It was fun, I'd do it again. Next time I'm going to shoot a .22 and I think I'll pass on the .45.

I may have just saved my neighbors' lives.

This could be the one thing that saves my sanity... my life. I got ridiculously happy when I watched this. I saw hope. I heard birds sing. I did a happy dance. This could change my life and those of my upstairs neighbors. Ohhhh, watch the whole thing. It's so beautiful!

How to Repair Squeaky Floors Through Carpeting Video Floors This Old House

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Dad was in a sentimental mood

The other day I posted the toast my dad gave my sister at her graduation party. Later, as I was saying good-bye to him he puts his arm around me and started saying things like:

You are the best big sister. Really. Libby is really lucky.
and...
Since you were nineteen when she was born, you’ve kind of helped raise her. You did a great job.
and...
She really loves being with you. She loves you a lot. I love you very much.
and...
You truly are very special to me; you're my little girl.

There was a mild panic building in me. Oh god dad, don't cry. Don't cry.

My dad and I have grown closer over the past 10 years or so. Before that I was extremely intimidated by him. In recent years he has had these "episodes" where he tells me how much he loves me, my dad is still learning, at 64, to express his feelings to those he loves. For me, at 37, it's good to hear.

Toasting the grad

My little baby sister graduated high school on Saturday. The family sat in the balcony which were good seats but bad for picture taking. In the crowd of purple gowns and caps below us, I see my sister's face looking in the balcony for us, beaming. I waved, she waved back and her smile took over her face. I felt my throat catch at the sight of her. This is a very happy day.

This is more or less the toast my dad gave my sister this weekend at her open house.

I realized this morning that this will be the last graduation of one of my kids. (Libby interupts. Libby: What about college? Dad: Let’s hope so) I forget how important of an experience this is to a young… and naïve person. It’s exciting to think about how much life you have ahead of you to experience and how much you’ll grow and learn.
When Libby was little, about a year old, I started telling her, “don’t get fancy”. This meant don’t go running off. Stick where I can see you. When she was about 2 ½ or 3, we were at McDonald’s and she stood up and said to me, “dad, I want to get fancy”. She wanted to run out one entrance door and back in the other door. Anyway, what I'm saying is now I guess I’ll have to let her go and get fancy.

Cheers!

YAY!

I got the job! I am way too excited!
I had a hard time sleeping last night. I was up watching a movie until a little after 1 am. Not sleepy at all. I woke up sometime around 3:30 am and again around 6:30 am. I was going to just get up but I felt crappy so I dozed on and off for a couple more hours. At 9:30 my phone rings, the caller ID says it's the management company that manages my condo association. It's also the manager I work with as board president. Anyway, I didn't feel like answering. I was feeling like I didn't give a damn what the manager had to say about the piece of crap property... but I answered anyway.
To my surprise it was the woman I interviewed with. I held my breath after she identified herself. Within micro-seconds I was trying to determine her tone. She's calling me ten days too early. She's too chipper to give me bad news. Maybe she's just trying to buffer it. It's gotta be bad news. How should I react to it? Breathe....
Wait, she offered me the job? Holy. Uh, yeah, I'll take that bad boy.
Tentatively I will start the 22nd so I have two weeks to enjoy the time off without looking for a job and stressing over the whole absurdty of it all.
Another awesome thing, I can wear jeans. I was sure I was going to have to buy a whole new waredrobe. As fun as that would have been, the funds aren't there. I'll still have to buy something.
The hours are perfect, the location is super close to home. I have really good feelings about this. I'm happy!

False alarm

The other day I came home and there was a moving truck in the front of my building. The people that live upstairs from me were standing outside of it. I got a thrill, they're moving out! They are going to stop stomping on my head until 12:30 am every night.

Wait, they're taking the stuff OFF the truck? They're suppose to be putting the stuff ON the truck then driving it far, far away.

The only things I can think of is that more furniture means less open space for the little boy to run around in, more furniture means something to absorb the sound, more furniture means some weight on the creaky floor.

More furniture means they're staying for a while.

A book written for me by Anna -age 6 1/2

I feel like I've been writing about kids alot lately...

Anna wrote me a book. It's the first time I've ever had a child make something for me without me having to ask first. I was really touched.

Book cover

Story

I'm not completely sure what it says and as she read it to me she wasn't so sure herself. This is what we got out of it:

Laura I love your happy life.

You just your heart and for all of us to be ...many

To be a is a good...

The book is new

What is it, a book

It is a book, a princess book

And so it's the end of the Laura

So, whatever you get from that, that's the story that was written for me.