A Little Warmth in the Middle of Winter!

Okay, so I made yet another trip to the Dickinson Clinic! February 2010 will be known as the month of sickness! I have a sinus infection. Ugh! I’m done, my quoted is used for the year!

This past week has been all over the place too…I went to Miss Rodeo North Dakota’s Coronation Ball. It was nice to see Tiffany celebrate in her passion. She brought tears to my eyes as she gave her “shoot-from-the-hip” acceptance speech. I thought her event went really well. My heart is with her now though, as her grandmother passed this week. I’m glad she will be home to be with her family in the next little bit. My prayers are with the Tiffy and the Kuntz family.

It was nice to spend a little time in Bismarck. I got my appearance refreshed (thanks Candy and Electric Sun), had soup, salad, and breadsticks with Ashley at the Olive Garden, and even got some tax stuff taken care of. I also tried on Ashley’s bridesmaid dress and ordered that from David’s Bridal. She went with brown tuxes and latte dresses. It was fun to see her so excited about her wedding and big life change!

I was also able to spend a little time at home! My parents really are a joy! I believe the quote of the month may be, “Now you know what I have to deal with 365 days out of the year, kinda makes me dread Leap Year” (Perry Moser). The two of them do make me laugh! They have got baby calves on the ground, it made me smile to see them high-tail it and run around the corrals. The site of it can’t help but make you feel good.

I helped out with a massive mailing at work this week. Ugh! I feel for Sheri as the brunt of the work fell on her. Luckily she had some great reliable help; Kim spent a whole week with her collating and stuffing, and even suffered some serious war wounds (paper cuts). Thank God the whole ordeal is over.

The weather has been for a turn…kinda scares me with March coming, in like a lamb…out like lion! AHH! I’m actually starting to see my driveway again. Fingers crossed! Here Summer, summer, summer!

Playing the cards I've been given

I’m starting to get cabin fever…beyond belief! Is it summer yet? How about now? AHHH! I’m tired of mittens, scarves, coats, snow, and cold! I give up, I remember why I wanted to move from the tundra! I’m planning on golfing this summer, I had thought of this but when Aunt Wendy suggested, it made even more sense. I just need to get there!

I have been trying to organize the house more. Last weekend it was the spice cupboard. I’m actually proud of the organization that I have been trying to do for the past 6 months! It looks so nice. I did not realize all the spices that I had. I don’t know if I’ll ever have to buy seasoning salt or onion powder ever again in my life! My next goal is to conquer the office!

This past weekend I’ve had Lola for a year, I can’t imagine my house without her! She may be the naughtier one of the two, but I think it’s along the lines of “second-child syndrome”. She is shameless in her jumping but also in her loving. She couldn’t help but crawl up the back of my sweatshirt on Sunday when I was laying in the sun taking a nap. You can’t get mad at that!

I had a big week at work. My department (of two :)) signed a contract with a local radio station, http://www.urlradio.net/, to advertise our local non profits and my program. We have not done this before. I’m looking forward to how this will impact our fourth year of the grant. I also have started initial conversations with a speaker from Kentucky that I hope to bring out. She wrote a book called, Small Town Sexy: the allure of living in small town America. The idea behind the book is discovering what is “sexy” or attractive about living in a small town. I can’t help but think of two examples that ring this home. Gilmore Girls, one of the best TV shows ever, celebrates everything small town: the characters, the celebrations, the politics, all adding to the character of a small town. My mother is the second example, she can’t go anywhere without people knowing her or “sharing their stories”. It’s part of the small town feel, that a town is people not buildings or streets.

A monumental thing that happened this week was having my tarot cards read. I have never been a “full believer” thinking that everything is “in the cards” but I was amazed at what happened. URL Radio actually read them over the air, the reader has never met me or even heard my voice but his reading was so right on. I actually found myself crying as I listened and heard what was happening in my life. The past card had to deal with finances and self-worth. The present card showed that a mother figure was in my life and helping me while being balanced. The future card demonstrated that I was going to go through an emotional healing from a loss. The reader said he wasn’t sure if the reading was helping so he pulled a clarification card. He said that I’m struggling because of the uncertainties in my life and I’m not seeing reality as it is. The solution from the reading is that I need to focus on the positive and remember happy memories, doing this will result in a balance and a continuation toward a positive future. The whole experience is one that I will never forget and one that gives me hope. It was a perfect sign to show that I will keep working on me and I will be okay. The reader also said that I need to eat a salad, after all that-I listened!

Some People Just Make Me Smile!

I just got off the phone and can’t wipe the smile off my face. I talked with Aunt Janice and we shared all about what’s happening in our lives right now. She understands my trouble with men, relationships, and being alone and to help me out she’s going to take the voodoo doll that I gave her for Christmas and write “new boyfriend” on it. She’s going to stick a pin in that and point it in my direction. She never fails to make me laugh so hard! She’s the best thing I got when I moved to Dickinson, hands down!

Alexis + Sick + RLND = Zzzzzzzzzzz

This past week has been a little too much!

Alexis came out and visited me. I got to show off some of Dickinson to her including some of the cute shops that I discovered during “Ladies Night Out”. It was fun to take her flirty self out on the town, reminded me of a few trips that Tiff, her, and I went on. We even did a little furniture shopping for her brand new house,

I wish her and Brett good luck as first time home buyers.

I also got to experience the Dickinson Clinic this past week. I have bronchitis—I hope this doesn’t become a yearly fun thing. Ugh! It really knocked me on my behind. I’ve also decided that being alone and sick just makes you feel more pathetic! If I could’ve talked without coughing I think I would have called my mother and begged her to come tuck me in! So sad!

I also made a trip to Watford City, while I was sick. Julie, my assistant, and I are enrolled in a Rural Leadership North Dakota (RLND) short course. It’s a leadership program started by NDSU to inspire leaders to develop themselves, their organizations, and their communities. We have worked with this program in other aspects but it’s exciting to actually participate in the course.

The whole dating story continues on. Another toad uncovered, ugh. I forgot what a pain dating was. I am beginning to think that arranged marriages were a good idea—I guess my parents haven’t set me up with anyone ever but they couldn’t do any worse of job than myself! I guess I’m just building more material for the great American novel that I may write one day.