An e-mail to my co-workers...

Dear Friends-
I wanted to give everyone a special gift for Christmas. So, if you have hung your coat, used your locker, if you read the posted items on the bulletin board, if your name is Ally, if you take the cart anywhere, if you use your mailbox or any item in the break room in OP you may notice a new fragrance surrounding the area. This is my gift to you. Please enjoy!
This all came about unexpectedly. I was graciously trying to get one of my diet Dr Peppers off of the top of the lockers. The problem was (and I saw it coming), the one that remained in the box decided it wanted to be free and went flying down two stories of lockers and bounced across the floor. It was a Christmas miracle. So please, appreciate the 23 flavors of goodness that now surround the entire OP pharmacy and maybe the Twin Cities area for that matter. It is my gift to you!



My day started off by using an industrial sized broom to sweep about a foot of snow off my car. I then drove an obstacle course to work. Once I got there I was so tired that I knew I needed a soda...stat. The rest, is history! Merry Merry Christmas!

Merry Memories!!

As promised, the walk down a lane filled with candy coated memories will continue. For those that have asked:

A.) I am not trying to get a book published. My grammar is poor and my life is not THAT interesting.

B.) No, I did not eat paint chips as a kid

c.)Yes, I do find humor in the simple things...and the immature things, and the boring things, and the non-humorous things. Again, refer to point B!

Now, here we go:

14.) Going to my very first Hollidazzle at the young age of 26. It was here that my sister and I realized that we do indeed have the cheesiest parents ever. I will challenge ANYONE on this! Examples include but are not limited to: When the Joe Mauer float drove by carrying a bat in it's right hand and my dad yelled "Hey Joe! You're a lefty!" Also, when the Excel energy people were walking around passing out what normal people call "light bulbs", my dad, the electrician, is sure to yell out, "Sure, I'll take a LAMP!" My dad is always sure to remind the lowly novice light fixture owner that it is a lamp and not a bulb. My mom had some cheesy lines as well, I just can't remember them.

15.) The years we spent at The Marie Sandvick Center on Thanksgiving. I will never forget the joy on people's faces when they received a real turkey dinner to enjoy in a warm room and a bag of groceries to take home. Those years reminded me of what I had to be thankful for and how to enjoy the simple things in life.

16.) The year my sister and I received matching Mickey Mouse flannel pj's. I was thrilled to say the least. My sister, not so much. I can't think of what 16 year old wants to be just like her 11 year old sister!

17.) Watching my two nieces walk around the Macy's display this year, holding hands and sharing their excitement with one another. They grow up SO fast and it is so fun to watch them mature and enjoy each other's company.(see photo)

18.) Watching my nephew devour his gingerbread cookie the last two years!(see photo)

19.) The year I asked for a particular Leann Rimes CD for my birthday. My mom didn't know which one I wanted so she bought a few and asked me which one it was. It was of course "You light up my life" which I loved SO much. That year at Christmas, I had asked for the Anastasia CD. Yes, I have THE BEST taste in music. On Christmas morning, when I was handed a package that I loudly proclaimed to be my Anastasia CD, I was thoroughly disappointed to find it was actually the Leann Rimes Cd I had rejected. Once I discovered this, I of course started to bawl. Mostly out of embarrassment. There were a few Christmas' with tears on my part. I am ashamed to say that but again, I do believe I have come a LONG way.

20.) The year my brother bought me a Hansen t-shirt. I told him I wouldn't wear it and so he kept it. I believe he still has it to this day and may have even added another one to the collection.

21.) Eating Prime Rib every year for dinner. My mom buys real horseradish to put on the meat and it never fails that you can tell who may have eaten too big of a bite of the spicy stuff. Who needs Sudafed on Christmas? Not the Allens!

22.) My dad is the original Creator of the ugly Christmas sweater party. He wears the same reddish but mostly orange turtleneck sweater every year. My Grammy made it, but I believe the year was 1971. My dad doesn't understand that sweaters are not at all like a fine wine.

23.) My dad would always tell me, throughout the year, that if I did something nice...there would be "something a little extra in my stocking". One year, I called him on it. I said, "You always tell me that there will be something extra and...there never is!" That year, when I opened my stocking, there was a cute teddy bear notepad with a piece of paper taped on it that said, "Here's your something extra!"

24.)All the Christmas movies! Some of my favorites include: Rudolph, Love Actually, White Christmas, Little Women, Miracle on 34th Street, A Christmas Story, The Holiday and Prancer. I love sitting and watching any of these while knitting and drinking hot chocolate!

25.)Sharing the time with my family. Sitting around the tree or table and talking about all the memories and laughing until our sides split.

26.) Remembering the true reason for the season. As cliche as it sounds...it is SO true. As much fun as this time of year is, I like to sit and think about why I really celebrate. I like to celebrate all He has given me and all there is to be thankful for. I like to remember the fact that without the birth of that little baby, all those years ago...I would be hopeless.

You may not share all of my thoughts on this time of year but I would love to get some of yours. If you have a favorite memory, a laugh, a thought...a whatever to share about this time of year. Throw it in. For those of you reading this on my facebook page, all future wordy posts will only be posted on my blog. Feel free to read, comment and follow me at: absofsteel26.blogspot.com. Also, if you have a blog, please let me know what it is so I can follow you. I LOVE blogging!

A Christmas to remember!

Well, Happy Holidays to you and yours! I've been pondering this post for quite some time. You see, Christmas is my favorite time of year. Now, I know what you're thinking....get in line. I understand that a lot of people like this time of year and I am ok with sharing. There is so much to love about this time and I am glad others see that! Now...back to the pondering. I thought I would give you a glimpse of all the reasons why this time is my favorite. I am going to tell you about my favorite parts and my favorite memories. Feel free to read along as I am sure it will put you more in the spirit! I will try to narrow it down to 26 as that is my favorite number as we have previously established and I find that to fit somewhere between a blurb and too wordy. Here goes:

1.) This first one I experienced firsthand but do not remember it. The stories that have been told to me though make me glad I do not remember. The way it went was that I was about 2 and my mom left me in the living room with the freshly decorated tree. She and my brother were in the kitchen doing something, when next thing they hear was a loud crunching coming from the living room. My mom walked in to see what the commotion was all about and found that I had grabbed a red glass ornament off of the tree, and bit into it. She of course screamed and ran to get it away from me. She believes it was a miracle that I didn't have any cuts in my mouth. Apparently I thought it was an apple!

2.) All the years where I begged to "sleep" in my sister's room, only to wait until mom and dad had gone to bed, at which time we got up and went to look at all the presents. One time my mom must have heard us and got up to see what the commotion was. We ran to my brother's room and hid under the bed. My mom never guessed we were in there.

3.) The year my brother asked for a tee, meaning a football tee. He spelled it tea on his list and so, on Christmas morning....my parents gave him a box of tea. He used a spell checker every year after that.

4.) The year my brother taught me how to carefully unwrap and re wrap my presents to figure out what they were before the big day. I made the mistake of trying it on my own when he wasn't around to help. I did the best job I could and pushed the present to the back of the tree to try and cover it up. The minute my mom walked through the door I burst into tears and told her everything. The worst part was, on Christmas morning, she made me unwrap that present in front of everyone and relive the pain!

5.) Going to the 8th floor Dayton's/Marshall Field's/Macy's display almost every year for the last 20 or so. I love going back now and seeing the joy on my nieces' and nephew's faces!

6.) Driving around every Christmas Eve growing up, and looking at the lights on the houses together as a family.

7.) Going to the midnight service on Christmas Eve. This is still one of my faves. Especially if it is a candlelight service.

8.) The year my Great Grandma lived with us- I will never forget the joy on her face when she found her stocking full of pickles!

9.)Christmas morning quiche!!! My mom makes this every year for breakfast!

10.) My parents tended to hide the presents in 2 places. The trunk of mom's car or under their bed. One year when they were gone we scoped out hiding spot number two and found a hockey stick for my brother. On Christmas morning, after all the presents had been opened, the hockey stick was nowhere to be seen. I of course was the one to remind my parents by saying, "um, I think you forgot one." To which my dad said, " How do you know?" My brother tried to jab me but was not quick enough and I said, "There is a hockey stick under your bed!!"

11.) One year, as we were leaving Daytons, I saw the most beautiful little business suit my 9 year old eyes had ever seen. It was Burgundy with sheer sleeves. Yes, I know I am a dork but this was during my "I want to be a news anchor" phase. I showed it to my mom as a hint for Christmas. My brother (we were quite the team) in turn told me when mom had gone back to purchase it. I was so excited for it that Christmas morning I could barely contain myself. When I opened the box, inside was not the suit I was dreaming of, but instead a floral dress that had been hanging next to my suit at the store. I am ashamed to say this, but I cried. On Christmas morning, I cried because it was not the dress I wanted. I sometimes hate having the youngest child syndrome. I like to think I have come a long way from those days when I cried because things didn't go my way. My co-workers my disagree.

12.) Making Christmas candy with the fam. We Allen's...we go ALL out in that department. Fudge, Peanut Butter Cups, Toffee, Peanut Brittle, Puppy Chow, Nut Goodies...it is a dentist's and a dietitian's worst nightmare!

13.) Doing The Angel Tree ministry. Finding families with a parent that is in prison and getting gifts for them as a reminder of the parent who will be missing that year. It is such a joy to see their faces and to know that in some way there Christmas will be brighter that year.

I will leave it at that with the promise to give you the other half sometime in the next few days. Here's hoping that your days are merry and bright...and for sure that all your Christmases will be white!

A glimpse of my thoughts...

Happy Thanksgiving first of all! I need to make sure to say that one to you. Wherever you are, whatever your circumstances...I am sure there is something to be thankful for. For me there are more things then I can get down here. God has been SO good to me. There are the simple everyday joys he throws at me when I am observant enough to pay attention and there are the deep, meaningful, life changing things that I will only recognize when I take the time to look and realize. He has been good.
That being said, He hit me today with a realization. I think a little bit lately I have been being thankful "despite the circumstances" as opposed to "because of them". Now, don't get me wrong, I have a lot to be thankful for and to be honest...there are no really big trials that I personally, am facing right now. The problem is that things aren't exactly where I might have hoped they would be and even though I feel as if we are working towards a few goals...I am not at the finishing line right now. I have chosen to keep pushing and working towards them and have not allowed any obstacles to slow me down for too long. I have not, however, been thankful for where I am at. So today, I will make an effort. I will try to look at the circumstances... as they are...and be thankful. This time, this place, these feelings and experiences...they are ALL part of it. I pray for you today...my friends, family and maybe people I don't know...I pray that He will show you how to be truly thankful. Thankful not despite the hardships, but somehow thankful because of them. He is working. This is not something I say to make you or myself feel better....He is working. This I KNOW! May you feel his joy today!

I apologize!

Ok, so that last post was disorganized and completely lame. I don't promise this one will be better. Things are going pretty well. I am enjoying life right now and trying to adjust to the change in daylight. Jada has decided that to ensure she gets a walk she is going to wake me up at 5 AM EVERYDAY. I take her in the morning before work, drive in to work, leave work and get home when it is pitch black outside. This causes quite a problem. At this point I immediately feel as if I haven't slept in a week and must in turn go to bed at 8:30 p.m. I try to tell myself that this is due to the weather and has nothing to do with the fact that I am now an old lady.
Last week was a rough one at work. By Thursday, I HAD HAD IT!!! My pharmacist Brian was aware of the way I felt and I am sure I was a little bit more quarrelsome as the week had gone on. I got to work on Thursday to find a box of what appeared to be vials sitting at my station with my name (spelled wrong) written on it. Instantly I WAS LIVID. I said something like "Um...is this from you (to Brian)?" To which he replied, "YES!!!". I then said, "Well, you spelled my name wrong (in a tone I hadn't used since I was 13 and angry at my mom for some lame reason)! " Brian kept smiling and said "Look inside!!!" To which I responded, " I GET IT BRIAN, my vials need to be filled....as you may have noticed it has been a rather stressful week for me." As I was responding to this I opened the box. Sitting inside were not the 500- 16 dram vials I expected to see...no, sitting inside was a 11 pack of my favorite soda (Diet Dr. Pepper for those taking notes!) with a note telling me one was chilling in the freezer for me. Needless to say, my face which normally has no pigment, turned BRIGHT red. I felt horrible. Now Brian knew that he was a large portion of my stress, but still, I felt bad for reacting so rashly. Everyone who knows me though, knows I am not a fan of being micromanaged.
Thursday night I did something stupid. I went to the midnight showing of New Moon. It was not planned...it was spontaneous. I did this, knowing that the next morning I would have to get up and bake some of my famous cookies, as I had promised them to a co-worker for his b-day. So, I went to the movie with my best friend, her husband (the loudest cheerer in the theater), her brother and....HER PARENTS! It was stinking hilarious. We went to the block E theater and so by the time I got home is was 3:30 AM. I woke up at 6:30AM and made cookies while drinking a red bull! Jada made sure to get her walk and I was off to work on 3 hours of sleep. Needless to say, I really hope I didn't kill anyone that day. Good thing I am not the final check. My coworkers are considering a caffeine intervention for me. Whatever, I know I don't have a problem!
Final note, I went to see The Blind Side on Friday with my family. It was great. I totally recommend it, just not after you have had 3 hours of sleep the night before. Also, my Steelers will pull through in the end. I just know it! Finally, it really does taste more like regular Dr. Pepper!

A long time coming...

Hey, SO sorry about how long it has been since I updated. My computer has been broken since I got back from Boston. I must say, I don't know how I survived pre-1990(ish). The Internet is definitely something I can live without...but life isn't as fun. So now to update you on some of the things that happened since my last post.

1.) I went to Boston, had an AMAZING time, turned 26 and was reminded of how blessed I am. Highlights included: -Waking up from a nap, to find myself standing over Carrie's bed with my fist in the air in a stabbing motion. I have never woken up in the midst of sleep walking before. This was weird and hilarious(I think Carrie would agree).

- Being offered pot for the first time in my life. It only took 26 years! Don't worry mom....I said no.

- Walking down a street in the North End to find it lined with the trucks for the team filming Ben Affleck's new movie. After realizing this we found a coffee shop on the corner and sat in the window overlooking the street while watching them film a scene.

- Seeing Ben Affleck dressed as a nun as he drove a minivan down the street less than 10 feet away from me.

- Hanging out with AMAZING friends in Boston

- Climbing all 294 stairs to the top of the Bunker Hill monument.

- Being told by our concierge that I didn't have a MN accent only to have that corrected when I said the word "one".

- Mike's pastries! I have never had a cannoli nor did I ever think I would want one. I was SO wrong.

- Sitting in the middle of one of the prettiest parks I have ever seen. I would highly recommend the Boston Commons area.

- Fenway

- Dunkin Donuts coffee

-The Sam Adams Brewery where I discovered "Cherry Wheat".

-My Steelers beat the Vikings...on my b-day!

There were a lot of other experiences but these were some of the top. Now I have been home for a few weeks and things are going pretty well. I will update more later though as this post has gotten rather long (as they usually do). Hope all is well in your world and if you are looking for a great city to visit, Boston would definately fit into that catagory for me. It is extremely walkable and SO much fun. There was SO much history and character to it.

Here it comes...

It has been almost a year since this blog began. CRAZY! I am going to be 26...CRAZIER!!! For as long as I can remember, 26 has been my favorite number. I don't know why...it just has. Maybe this year will show me why that is the case. I know that I will need to make it what I want it to be. Can't wait to see what is in store.
I leave for Boston tomorrow AM. In 10 hours to be exact. I've traveled a lot in my 26 years but never have I been "out east". I am SUPER excited. I think my co-workers were going to kill me if I didn't stop talking about it. Oh well. The timing of this trip couldn't be better as the H1N1 has hit the hospital like a ton of bricks. I have 4 co-workers out sick this week alone with suspected cases. Needless to say, I am not sad to leave that place for a few days.
I would love to stay here and make this a really wordy post (you know how I love that), but I need to get packing and doing laundry. I feel like I am cramming for finals tonight although the object I am working towards is much more fun than some dumb test that equals half my grade. I'll be back Tuesday and I am sure I will have some stories to tell!

Thought you might laugh...

So, the other day I was bored and thought it might be fun to read through some of my old diaries. The following excerpts come from the very first diary I ever had. It is a hard bound book with a lock that was given to me by my first grade best friend. Here goes:

Friday 11/1/91: Today I went to my nabrs house. We had Rost beef, Putatose, rolls and carets. It was good. then we had Apply pie. it was good too. I like my nabrs house. Sined, Abigail Allen


Sunday 5/31/92: Today I went to the park to play ball (softball).

Saturday 10/31/92: Dear Diriy there is a cute boy in my class named _____. Pleas don't tell. by,Abigail


4/31/94: Dear Becky (I started writing to my best friend), I had a good easter but I got spanked because my room was messy. Abbie


There were quite a few other excerpts. All as life altering as the ones above. Man, to be a kid again! I especially remember the last one as getting in trouble on Easter seems as unfair to me as taking away a summer vacation.
Also a side note, I cried for the first time at my "new job" today! Guess it is not a "new job" anymore!

Abbie asks: Have you seen me?

So there I was....minding my own business, as I usually do, when out of nowhere this face became the one that I know will haunt my dreams. I was walking to my car, which was parked on level two of the parking ramp at work. As I approach the vehicle I notice a very large form sitting on top of my car right above where the driver's door meets the rest of the car. As I get closer I realize that perched on top of my car is what one who is uneducated in the animal life on the U campus would assume to be a cross between a very large kangaroo and a somewhat smallish Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. I am not one of those people and so I knew exactly what I was dealing with. It was a Tamiasciurus UOFMUS, commonly known as a Squirrel from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus region. This is no ordinary squirrel.
I walked closer to the car making as much noise as possible to try and scare it away. This did nothing. I then proceeded to lock and unlock my car repeatedly hoping this would do the trick. This in turn only alerted the monster to the fact that he was not sitting on a park bench.
Now, part of the problem involves the fact that I park directly underneath an oak tree at home. It is Autumn as you probably know and the acorns are falling off the tree about as rapidly as NFL players are having season ending injuries. There are acorns EVERYWHERE. I have been using my windshield wipers in the morning just so I can see out my window and I try to go from 0 to 60 mph as fast as possible just to lose a few. There are even 10 or so embedded into my paint job.
This being said, the scary monster was eating away at some of these acorns, not fazed in the least by my attempts to rid him from my car. All at once, he spotted me. He looked right at me and.....STAYED PUT. He was not moving. He was however, ever so slightly preparing for the attack if I should try to get any closer to the car (aka his personal vending machine). Now, if you know me at all, you know that I am afraid of pretty much everything. Once I screamed at the sight of a pillow because I though it was smiling at me. This being said I did what any sane person would do in this situation. I walked slowly over to the passenger side of my car as I was calling my co-worker on my cell for reinforcements. I slowly climbed into the car as I hyperventilated into the phone while explaining the situation to my on call sidekick. I shut the door and started to climb over the center console to make for a quick getaway. Just then....my panic button went off on the remote that I had in my hand the WHOLE time. Mr. Scary Monster scurried away faster than Michael Johnson ever ran with his gold shoes. Needless to say, if I ever see that squirrel again....the panic button will be in hand!

I'll penalize you!

Hey there, long time. Sorry about that. I am sure all of you readers (Hi mom!) have been on the edges of your seats just waiting for the next installment of this VERY exciting blog. So here we go.

Things have been going pretty well. The new church is great. Love the sermons, adjusting to the music (and not being a part of it), trying to figure out how to get involved. The move has been pushed back to November. I will SO enjoy being closer to work and Church but I am also trying to make sure I find a place that I can stay for awhile. I am not a fan of moving.

Isabelle turned 7 this year and I am feeling older by the minute. I can't believe I am an aunt of three and 2 of them speak more Spanish from their Dora movies then I learned in three years of high school. I am still waking up to find new, strange bruises on my arms and have deducted that I am indeed.....a ninja by night. It is the only explanation.

Work is going well. I still have yet to cry at my "new" job. Side note: When does a job stop being new? My co-workers try to find new ways to make it happen. There have been many attempts to yell at me, steal my lunch, pretend my dog died and my new favorite....poke me in one of my already multi-colored bruises. The last option didn't evoke tears...it only made soda come out my nose.

A little over a month ago I had to report a customer that was calling in pretending to be a nurse and prescribing for herself. I found out this week that she was fired. I also found out I may be getting subpoenaed. I am not too scared as this will be the third time that has happened and nothing has ever come of it (except that I had to change my name and promise to never speak to my family again). We'll keep you posted on that one.

This week I had a patient who's co-pay through their insurance was over $800 for a month supply. I called the insurance to find out why and they said that they were penalizing the patient for needing to get the brand name. Now understand that I don't typically root for patients who request brand name and tell me they "don't like those damn genetic (no this is not a typo) drugs!". In this instance though I am inclined to be a little more understanding. It was for a transplant patient and it was their anti-rejection med. The doctor said that we must dispense brand name because they don't think the generic works as well in this situation. Not something I would want to compromise. Even though it was per the doctors request and they filled out all the required paperwork to get the brand name approved the insurance company still wanted to "penalize (their words)" the patient for this request. If the patient received the generic version...their co-pay went from $800 to....$0. I was outraged. I have had it up to here (visualize me drawing a line over my head) with insurance companies. That is all I have to say about that one. Except that I would like to penalize them. Alright....I am out of here. Hope all is well with all of you (again...hi mom!). Peace out!!!

Fecal excitement.

This is a true situation that happened to me at work this week. Some of the names may have been altered to protect identities:
(I am standing at the front intake window of the pharmacy typing away at some scripts for an eye surgery patient. "Mr. Customer" walks up to my counter.)
Mr. Customer: (Leans close to me with a smirk on his face) "Um...could you please call your environmental services department? Someone pooped in the floor."
Me: (Not taken aback at all as my previous job was at a psych hospital) "Oh sure, did you see this in the men's bathroom?"
Mr. Customer: (said with a giggle and more smirking) "Uh no...it is in the hallway!"
Me: ( I am totally flabbergasted as to how someone could have possibly relieved themselves out in the hallway.) "Uh...ok. Thanks for telling me."

Now the story gets better. I am unaware of what the number is to Environmental services, so I do what I think is the best option...I tell Ron. Now for those of you who do not know Ron...I am sorry for you. I can't explain him in a non-wordy post such as this but I will tell you he has a story for every situation and a smart comment for every person. He also knows EVERYONE who works in the hospital. The pharmacy is in uproarious laughing fits at this point and people are saying, "How did this happen?" and " Did the person pull down their pants in the hallway or let it run down their leg?" (sorry for that one)
Ron calls up environmental services and the conversation went something like this:
Ron: "Uh yes, my co-worker just informed me that someone has pooped in the hall out here by the discharge pharmacy. Could you please come up here and clean it up?"
(Pause for time where environmental services says something into the phone)
Ron: "Um, let me check...(places hand over voice part of the phone) ABBIE, what color was the poop in the hallway?"
Me: (crying from laughter) "Ron, I have no idea. I never saw the poop, someone just told me about it."
Ron: (to ES) "Um she doesn't know the color. (Pause for ES to say something) Um...let me check. (places hand over receiver again) "Abbie, where is the poop in the hallway?"
Me: "Ron, I DON'T KNOW. I NEVER SAW IT. I think it is somewhere out by the bathroom/vending machine/elevator area."
Ron: (to ES) "Apparently it is by the bathroom/vending/elevator area. Apparently it is a long line of poop."
At this point I am dying. I have not laughed so hard at work in a LONG time. Ron proceeded to pretend he was still talking to ES and ask me the consistency and how much there was. At this point I had to walk away to compose myself. Sometimes it's the little things in life...life people pooping in the hallway...that make my day!

It's about time!

When I was a VERY little kid (well young anyways), I wanted to be an ice cream truck driver. I told all of my relatives that I was going to do this when I got older. Now my intentions behind it were good. I remember thinking about how the ice cream truck driver brought smiles to the faces of all the kids in the neighborhood just by driving through, ringing that bell, and selling us cold treats on hot summer days. I wanted to make people smile like that.
My next aspiration started in 2nd grade. I remember it very clearly as I asked for a business suit for my school clothes that year. I wanted to be a news anchor. I like to talk, as I'm sure you have guessed and I like the news. I wanted to be the one who kept people up on the happenings. This dream lasted through most of elementary school. Then came the dream to be a teacher, a missionary to Haiti, and finally in my last years of high school and early part of college the dream was to be a psychologist. Now, if I look back and remember the time in high school never in a million years would I picture myself to be where I am now. I know that by the time 25 hit I pictured my life to be much much different.
The thing is, I am happy about it now. As I sit here today I am thankful that my dad talked me out of going to school in California. I am glad that I stopped taking college classes in which I wasn't putting my best effort forward. I am even proud to be a drug dealer at this point in time. Do I want to stay here forever? NO! Do I plan on going back to school? ABSOLUTELY! Do I know that as the years go on it will only get harder to go back? ABSOLUTELY! Do I feel at peace with where God has me for this time? Yes I do. Am I getting annoyed with myself for asking and answering so many questions here? INCREDIBLY!
I say these things because I know God has been at work in my life so much lately. I feel his presence and I think back to when I started this blog, on my 25th birthday. That was 9 months ago to the day and I feel more at peace and closer to my Savior then EVER before. For this time, He has called me to be content. My friend keeps telling me that she sees it as a transition period. God is moving and working and building up to some great BIG things and I can't wait to see what they are! I really can't. He is working in SO many areas of my future and the first steps were to get me right with him. That is a lifelong process!
I believe he wants that for each of us. I know wholeheartedly that God wants to see us succeed. Sometimes as life is moving we think we know exactly what success will look like for us...but God has a completely different picture. Sometimes, for some people, God gives them a dream from a very young age and and allows it to come into reality as soon as possible. That is not my story. My story has been through A LOT of obstacles. I have gone through some pretty rough times, but on the other side...years later...I am a better person. I love watching God at work in the lives of those around me. I love to see his promises fulfilled when we earnestly seek him. Although it is hard sometimes, when people ask me why I'm not a.) Married b.) a _______ (fill in profession) or C.) married :), I know the answer. The answer is God. He is preparing me for a future that I haven't even imagined. He is preparing you too. Please don't think I am being cliche. I know it's true. The Lord will bless those who earnestly seek Him.
Tomorrow is my first Sunday at my new church. I am so excited to get involved and start seeing what is in store there. I wanted to get involved and build some relationships before I moved up to "the cities" so it wasn't all new at once. I'll keep you posted!

Part 2

Ok so here is where I left off: At this point I have walked to the police car and gotten in the front seat. The policeman gets in the driver's side door and I am sure he is about to tell me that I am under arrest and that my sister will have to fend for herself on how to get home. The conversation that followed was much, much worse!
OA: "So, you're on your way back from Idaho huh?"
Me: "Yeah."
OA: "Is this your current address?" (as he looks at my expired license)
Me: "Yeah."
OA: "So, what is it you do for a living, there in MN?"
Me: "Well sir...I'm a drug dealer." Ok, ok...so I didn't use those words exactly but to be honest...that is what I do.
OA: "REALLY??? (said with a little too much glee) So, when you mix Oxycontin with water does it turn to solution right away?"
Me: "Um....I'm not sure."
OA: " Is it illegal in MN to crush up your prescription medications and inject them?"
Me: " Um...I'm not positive but I am pretty sure that it is."
OA: (said swiftly) "Well, it's not illegal in Montana."
Me: "Oh, well I'm really not sure. I'm a Pharmacy Technician not a Pharmacist."
OA: "So, what's the deal with Oxycontin? Why does it have such an effect on people and why do they crush them up?"
Me: "Well, I don't know a lot about the chemical make-up but it is an extended release tablet. You'd have to ask a pharmacist (which I am not) about that."
OA: "So like, what percentage of the actual tablet is drug and what do they use for filler?"
Me: "Um, well.....I'M REALLY NOT SURE...SINCE I AM NOT A PHARMACIST!"

Now the next 5 or 6 or 72 questions proceeded to ask about drugs. Which ones were the most often forged? How many patients I had on certain ones? What color certain ones were (ok that is an exaggeration, but you get my point). After this the officer proceeded to ask me:
OA: "Who is in the car with you?"
Me: " My sister and her two kids."
OA: "What are the kid's names?"
Me: "Isabelle and Elise."
OA: " What are their ages?"
Me: "6 and 4." (At this point I am getting slightly irritated and concerned)
OA: "Who is ** sister's name**?" (said as he is looking at the slightly expired registration)
Me: "That is my sister."
OA: "Who is ** brother in law's name**?"
Me: "That is my brother in law."
OA: "So what, does he think your family is weird? He didn't come to the reunion?"
Me: "Well actually (not that it is any of your business), they are going through a divorce right now so I think he wouldn't want to be around my extended family."
OA: "Oh, yeah I suppose. Ok, well I am just going to issue you a warning as I clocked you going a little fast (I mean my grandma's grandma's grandma drove faster then that in her model T). When was the last time you were pulled over?"
Me: " About 4 years ago." (I didn't tell him that that incident involved a breathalyzer...I thought that would be too much info :) )
OA: "So, what was the name of the company you worked for?"
Me: (At this point I am contemplating lying but figure why start now, maybe this man is going to do a trivia contest about all of the people he pulls over) "Fairview."
He then hands me my warning which has my name as Marie Marie Allen and my address as only the numbers involved. He then tells me that we are through and asks very pointedly" if he has handed me back ALL of my documents." I start to get out of the car but not before a million things rush through my head. Like maybe I should say, "Now that we have talked all about my job....let's talk about yours. Would you say that today is a slow day for you? Would you say that you prefer to pull over the people that drive slower than a turtle going through molasses, as opposed to the people going 30MPH above the speed limit? Are you planning on using what you have learned today about drugs to do anything illegal? Do you plan on visiting MN anytime soon?"
I intended on asking all of these things but instead got out of the car and slowly walked back to my sister's car. I knew a new interrogation would follow, and that one would be the worst. There is nothing more humbling then having to admit you are wrong to the 6 year old in the back seat who hangs on your every word.

My trip to and from The Gem State (aka the potato state)!

Now I will forewarn you. This post will be wordy. I know this comes as a surprise to you that anything I would write would be that way, but it is what it is. I just arrived home last night after a trip to Idaho for my family reunion. My sister and I drove out there with her two kids. I love car trips! We went on numerous LONG car trips growing up and some of my best memories come out of those experiences. The drive to Idaho is almost as familiar to me as my drive to work (about as long too). We left at Midnight on Wed. night and drove to Missoula Montana the next evening. When we stopped in Billings for lunch, I pulled out my wallet to discover that I had indeed, left my drivers license at home. This will be important for later in the story.
The rest of the drive out was pretty uneventful. We killed approximately 42,324 insects on the way out (and almost double that on the way home), my nieces watched approximately 350 movies (why didn't they have portable DVD players when I was younger?) and I drank WAY too many bottles of water which caused WAY too many bathroom breaks. My dad would have had a fit! We arrived at my Aunt and Uncle's cabin Friday night...had a great time with family and then had to turn around and begin the trek back Sunday morning. This is where the story gets interesting.
I was driving along in Montana on Sunday afternoon. Now, those who know me know that I am not much of a speeder. I do however like to go about 5 MPH above the limit. I have never really considered this speeding as more so trying to keep myself from looking like I belong in a Buick. We were about 20 miles outside of Bozeman and I was cruising along as usual. I saw a cop as I was passing him on the shoulder and knew instantly that I was in trouble. I of course slowed down a whopping 5MPH to try and hide. This did not work. I saw flashing lights and knew I was in big trouble. I pulled to the side and the officer walked to the passenger side of the car. The conversation happened as follows. We will call him officer A as his last name started with that letter and for no other reason.
Officer A: "Can I please see your license and registration? I clocked you going a little fast back there."
Me: "Sure, my license is in the trunk in my purse though." (now know that I was not lying. I had my expired license in my purse in the trunk)
OA: "ok, go and get it out."
(during this time my sister is handing him the car registration and apologizing for the fact that it expired July 1st-points for us!!!)
Me: (officer A has walked back to the trunk where I am pulling out "my license"), " I left my real license at home and didn't realize it until we were already in Billings, there were only two of us to drive and so I had to help my sister out. This is my expired license." (all of this is said in a voice so shaky I can only imagine how it sounded)
OA: Ok, go and sit in the front seat of my car.

Now this is the point where the story gets better. It is also the point where I must stop for the day. The rest will come tomorrow....I promise!

I found the culprit!

A couple of my co-workers approached me today because after this weekend I have a few bruises up and down my arms. After one of my co-workers proceeded to poke me right on one of the bruises she declared that it looked like someone had grabbed me around the arm and pulled really hard. I informed her that I had no idea where the bruise had come from. My other co-worker then asked me if I was in an abusive relationship. I of course said no, without hesitation. I now know that is not the case.

If you look closely at the photo above, you will see "the culprit" in the process of starting an attack. Now this picture was taken over two years ago (I know, don't I look young!). As I evaluate the relationship I have with "TC" I realize that it is indeed one of abuse. There have been numerous bruises, cuts all up and down my arms, the occasional nose ring being ripped out. I remember one time when I had to tell a patient who was concerned, that it was indeed my puppy that was causing all of the scrapes on my arm.

Now I know she looks harmless and cute but do not be fooled. This relationship has been very turbulent. Once when "TC" was mad at me while driving down the road, she decided to just jump out of the car window on the highway. I am definitely reevaluating this relationship.

I leave tomorrow for a trip to Idaho for our family reunion. I will be travelling with my nieces and my sister. We're driving! Should be a blast. I am planning on using a tip that I learned a long time ago. Benedryl is a good babysitter! I'm sure there will be stories!

Did you know?

Did you know that God is faithful? I sure do. I promise you I am not throwing some cheesy cliche at you to make you feel better. I mean, I want you to feel better, if you are feeling bad that is, but I don't say this without proof.
One of the most perfect examples I have seen in my lifetime hit a highpoint yesterday. You see another one of "my girls" got married yesterday. Yes, another one bit the dust.We will call her Cristy, as that is her name. Cristy is one of the most beautiful people I have ever met. I'm not biased either. Ask anyone who has ever met her and they will agree. When she walks into a room you can't help but smile and she has such a genuine heart. There is not a mean bone in her body. Well, Cristy being as beautiful as she is...has had a lot of offers from guys that were interested in her. These were great guys who Cristy cared about as friends but none of them were ever "the one". Now I say that knowing that it sounds like some sort of movie or fairytale some guy named Walt wrote. I tended to be a little sceptical of Cristy's "high expectations" in college. Now I see what she knew all along. God brought "the one" into Cristy's life and her story has been one of faith, growth and trust. Brenton, the man she married yesterday is such a perfect fit for her...only God could have brought them together. I say that because Brenton is from Australia and he worked at a church where Cristy didn't attend when they met. They met through the family he was staying with here in the states and the story began to unfold. God was evident in their relationship from day one and yesterday,in a ceremony that celebrated marriage, family and future hopes, God was in it all.
I will try not to bore you with too many details as I usually do. Through this whole process of watching Cristy and Brenton fall in love I have been encouraged. I see God's faithfulness in abundance and I know he wants great things for me too. I am not sure how it will look for me but I have hope. God knows me...he knows what I need and he knows what I want. He desires to have me experience all of the joy he has set out for me and I am going to do my part to be ready, willing and able to go where he has me go. Did you know....he wants all of that for you too? I don't mean to sound cheesy (but I can't help it) but sometimes I think we settle too much for mediocrity in life because we think it is all we deserve. God wants more for us and he is faithful to provide it if we are willing. It will take work, but I honestly believe it will be more than worth it.

Uff-da

Dear reader-
I had the pleasure of taking the day off yesterday and since I volunteered to work today (who wouldn't? Can we say time and a half?) I had to make sure I capitalized on the full day off, I do what I want opportunity. After a busy day of shopping and lunch with my favorite chef, I headed to happy hour with some friends and then I was off to the Twins game. My friend and I had planned for a couple of weeks to go to last night's game and when I realized that my favorite pitcher would be on the mound I grew excited at being able to wear the shirt that bore his name.
Now reader, there were a few things I learned at that game last night and they are as follows. I will never, never, EVER...wear my Slowey shirt to a game again. I am not huge into superstitions but find it odd that the day I bought that shirt, last year, was the very day that the original injury occurred (or so it seems). I just can't risk it!
The next thing I learned is that people are a little weird at times. I was sitting there, enjoying my delicious twist helmet sundae, when out of nowhere I hear a mom say to her daughter behind me, " Oh Mercedes...please pass me the backpack I need some chapstick". I said to myself, "Self, why would anyone name their child Mercedes?" and almost before the full thought had crossed my mind I hear the same mom say, " Porshe! What are you doing?". I am guessing these parents are into cars...and fancy ones at that. I decided that if I follow this equation my children's names will be Evian, Pelligrino and Fiji as I am sort of a water snob. As I am processing this I feel something hit the back of my neck. I turn to see what it was and see a cute little girl who is eating peanuts. Her mom apologizes for her little imported car's ways and offers to take the peanut shells out of my hair that have accidentally nested.
Now if you watched, listened to or checked on the game you will know it was a real nail biter. You know that it was six to 1 at the end of the third and that our starter was taken out after that. You know that in the sixth inning all of that changed. After some great help from our bullpen and a few great hits we were all tied up until the 16th inning. There was a lot of clapping and cheering at the dome last night and here is where my next learning experience came in. Somewhere in the sixth inning I looked over and saw my cute little friend Phusarn cringing. I noticed that the more I clapped...the more she cringed. I gave her a look of question, like "Have you suddenly become a Tigers fan?". She looked at me and very sweetly said "GIRL, you are a REALLY loud clapper!". Now understand, this is not the first time I have been told I was a loud clapper. My Grandma once told me the same thing about 10 years ago at a softball game. I had forgotten about that though and Phusarn's announcement cause quite a stir of emotions for me. There was questioning, fear and a little bit of embarrassment on my side of things. That was until I heard a little girl in front of me (most likely named Rolex) tell her older sister that she was indeed...a loud clapper! Now my friends, I will wear the title with pride!
We ended up losing the game but not without a great fight by our boys. I cried when Lee Greenwood's God bless the USA came on and I laughed when the kiss cam zoomed in on two people who didn't know each other. Can't wait for outdoor baseball! I hope you are all enjoying your 4th of July! Babble at you later-Abbie

I can't believe I just did that!

Well for those of you that know me well, you know that I am about as passive as Paris Hilton is annoying. Last Friday night, some of my friends and I went to Brits pub for a happy hour. While we were there our waitress was rude to us the WHOLE time. We spent over $200 and when the tab came we decided to not be that annoying group that asks the server to split the tab between 15 different credit cards all of which are the same color and all of which require different charges. Our brilliant idea was to give her a large portion in cash and to ask her to split the remaining amount between 2 credit cards. I personally always carry cash for happy hours as I don't want to participate in the please put this much on this card and this much on this card debacle. Anywho....when we asked the server to do this her response was "(heavy sigh that implicates a problem)". To which I responded "Oh, is that going to be a problem (in my normal voice which as you know is more suited for a cartoon character that only talks of flowers and rainbows)?" Her response floored me. She said "well, I guess it's OK but usually when people do it that way....I don't get a tip!" To which my brain responded " you want a tip...I've got your tip right here pal" but my mouth responded "Oh...you'll get your tip!"
I have dealt with customer service for 10 years....at no point did I look at a customer and say "uh, yeah...the way your doing things is going to be a problem for me." When someone tells me that if I don't get there 30 med order typed, processed through insurance, filled and checked in 30 minutes they are going to leave without it- I don't usually look at them and say "uh yeah, about that....that would really be a problem for me." I may think it and that is my business but I do not say it.
So, now I've done it. I sent...a complaint e-mail. My friends made me. We were all so angry we did the only thing we could think of....we left her a 30% tip and walked out of there with our dignity (well most of us did anyways). Now I just have to wait 2 business days to see what happens. I am scared. What if they have the waitress call me and tell me what an inconvenience it was that I called her out? Oh no, now I won't be able to show my face there again...she might sigh heavily and roll her eyes at me? Oh well, not quite the large dilemma but I am somewhat proud of myself for following through with a complaint as usually I let people get away with treating me poorly. She picked the wrong day to mess with me. I woke up that morning and definitely put my crabby pants on!
Side note to the worlds longest most pointless blog post. Today as I was driving home I saw a semi with a bumper sticker that read "be a flirt, lift your shirt, hike your skirt" I was trying to decipher what it said when out of nowhere the semi driver honked his horn at me....what did I do? Took the next left turn off that road!

25 Things I've learned in the last 25 days...

1.) If you cut your dog's toenail too short try a corn starch water mixture first
2.) If that doesn't work try flour
3.) Next try a bar of soap
4.) Lastly try styptic powder, try to get it at the pet store as apposed to the Tractor Supply store in town. You will never use up a bottle made for cattle on your 30lb puggle
5.) ALWAYS use a lot of tape when making a temporary bootie for your dog's paw. They will not like it but too bad....you are trying to save their life!
6.) Never sit on the edge of an old wooden bench that has been sitting out in the rain all spring. They tend to collapse and chances are pretty high you could injure your tailbone or further injure your dog who is loyally sleeping under the bench at your feet.
7.) When playing a game of softball and standing on second base while your 6'4" 200lb male teammate is up to bat, DO NOT put your bare hand out to stop the line drive that is headed toward your face.
8.) When all of options 1 through 7 happen to you in one day, it is safe to say you probably should have stayed in bed that day.
9.)When doing laundry, always check underneath the pile you have just sorted for a wasp that is waiting to sting you.
10.) When mowing the lawn for your dad on father's day...if at any point you have trouble getting it to restart, don't sit and yell at it for 15 minutes. Attempting to throw it across the lawn will only hurt you, just check to see that it has gas. Then, when you discover it does not, fill er' up and move along. Don't feel foolish, who knew that a lawn mower needed gas to start?
11.) When trying to stop your nieces from fighting over if the object on the sidewalk is a wood chip or a bat wing...do not tell them that it can be whatever they want it to be unless you are prepared for them to say that they want it to be "a make-up" or "a Jonas brother".
12.) When driving home from work on a 90 degree day, if your car battery light starts flashing...it is not because you filled up with gas that morning and forgot to click the gas cap three times. It is indeed...a much bigger problem!
13.) When you get to the auto parts store and they tell you that all you need is a new battery and you will be fine....do not believe them.
14.) When, after placing in your shiny new battery, and driving for 10 minutes your battery light starts flashing...it is indeed most likely your alternator as you suggested to the kid pushing you to get a battery at the auto parts store.
15.) Alternators for Hyundai Sonatas are made in France and the company that manufacturers them will not sell them to just anyone.
16.) After calling all of the places your dad told you to call and finding out that the new alternator will cost you somewhere between $260 and $280, you will inevitably find out that your dad has been calling and somehow found one for $70
17.) While for most cars changing the alternator is "easy as pie(whatever that means)"; in a Sonata you will have to pull the whole car apart to change the alternator
18.) If all of your headlights burned out at the same time....your tail lights will most likely do the same
19.) While for most cars changing the tail lights is "easy as pie"; in a Sonata you will have to pull apart the whole trunk to change the tail lights.
20.) Apartments in St. Paul near Grand are hard to come by
21.) Life without pop is hard but after a week or two you get used to it.
22.) Sweet tea is not so good
23.) When taking your dog camping they will always bark at the park ranger's truck and no one elses
24.) Turtle Derbys are AWESOME
25.) A day without laughter is a wasted day (ok I already knew this one, but it sure helped me in a few situations this month)!!!

Things I learned on my way to The Show Me state...

1.) Deer make funny faces right before they die
2.) Sometimes semi drivers get distracted while talking on their cell phones and try to run you off the road
3.) The Dixie Chicks,Norah Jones, Shania Twain and Michael Buble` make great traveling music
4.) Raccoons make funny faces right before they die
5.) Dollar General is quite a nifty store
6.) A car parked in a ditch is not for sale
7.) My sister and I have a lot of fun together
8.) $2 CD's from dollar general get old pretty fast
9.) Fried Gizzards are a delicacy
10.) Red Bull gives you wings
11.) The term "Welcome Center with restroom" means an abandoned building with an outhouse
12.) Outside Unionville Missouri, you need to share the road with travelling buggies
13.) Orange Slushies at QT taste like Tang on steroids
14.) A 6 hour drive down with just my sister and I = a 7 and 1/2 hour drive home with a 10 week old puppy added into the mix
15.) Puppies never go potty when you want them to
16.) All of my fear of public restrooms goes out the window when I've had a Venti iced coffee, 1 Dr. Pepper, 1 liter of water, 1 red bull and part of a slushie
17.) THE Walmart is a good place to kill time
18.) disposable cameras are equivalent to dial up Internet...a complete waste of money
19.) driving for 14 hours is like taking a large sleeping pill
20.) Seeing the look on my nieces faces as they see their new puppy makes every last minute worth it!

Just wanted to tell you...

Well, this weekend another one bit the dust. You see, growing up or at least for a large very important part....there were 6 of us. Some of us came in later and some were there from the very beginning, but there were 6. Six very different, equally amazing girls. Six girls who came from different homes, had different struggles but through it all we had each other. Now pardon me if this gets cheesy, I'm really good at that! I also want you to know that I fully intend on bawling by the end of this post.

Now you might ask why if there are 6 of us, would I put up a picture of 4? The answer is, this movie was our favorite one to watch. We would go over to one person's house on a Friday after school, eat as much junk (Doritos, starbursts,skittles, mtn. dew, pizza and of course cookies freshly baked by Em's dad) as possible and watch this movie over and over. We would switch it up sometimes. There was always Casper with the incredibly dreamy Devon Sawa or as we got older...my personal favorite, Tommy Boy. Through it all, we grew up together. We had the bond of our faith and I know the missions trips, softball teams, dances, classes and times shared crying over lame stuff like boys helped us to grow together and create something truly special.

I saw you all this weekend and the joy my heart felt is unexplainable. Life has thrown each of us a few trials. We have all changed SO much and gone in a lot of different directions. But through all of that...we are still " The 6 Of Us". I love each of you girls SO much and know all of you feel the same. I love when we do get to see each other but it is not often enough. I know that the bond that was created all those years ago is not gone.

I need you to know, I am here for you. I know each of us has A LOT on our plates right now. I want to share in your joys, pains, laughter and anxiousness. I am so thrilled to watch you grow and become. I love being a part of that. I want to make the commitment to each of you...to be there for you, to love you and to pray for you. I mean that. I do not say it without knowing the true commitment it brings. I AM HERE FOR YOU NO MATTER WHAT! Oh yeah, and I love you!

One more thing, and this is VERY important....PLEASE PLEASE don't let me turn out like Chrissy!

My thoughts put into words...

If everything comes down to love
Then just what am I afraid of
When I call out Your name
Something inside awakes in my soul
How quickly I forget I'm Yours


I'm not my own
I've been carried by YouAll my life

Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
Your love sets me free

When my life is like a storm
Rising waters all I want is the shore
You say I'll be ok andMake it through the rain
You are my shelter from the storm


Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
Your love sets me free

3 days, 21 hours and 4 minutes!!!!

See you in November!!!!!!!!!!! Except you Jen, I will see you at your wedding, but I can't promise that I won't be wondering what the score is while you are walking down the aisle!

Bubbers turns ONE!!!!

Well, this may not exactly be our best picture ever but it was the only one that I got with the birthday boy. As you can see, he wasn't exactly thrilled about the hat. I can't believe that he is already a year old. Man, how time flies!
As some of you may have heard me state on numerous occasions as it is also one of my favorite quotes listed on facebook, I truly believe that live is too short to not live it with intention. I have uttered those words to myself SO many times over the years that it is unbelievable to me how often I in fact, do quite the opposite. There have been quite a few situations lately in which I have realized how true those words are. Time does fly by and before you know it relationships, goals, hopes, promises....they all fly right on by with it. When we live life just to get by or just to "go through the motions "(thank you Dad for that quote!), we miss out on all that life really is supposed to be.

I just have really been hit hard with how important it is to be genuine and intentional lately. My relationships with my family, friends and God are so much more rewarding when this is the case and I find that life is so much more fulfilling and fun and it sets the groundwork for days and months to come. Just something I have been pondering.

Funny story for you. Well, at least I think it's pretty funny. The other morning one of my co-workers who is in charge of inventory alerted me to the fact that we were missing two full bottles of Xanax XR. Now for those of you who don't know what this drug is I am guessing one of these options might be true about you 1.) You've never seen an episode of ER, Grey's anatomy or House MD 2.) You don't watch a lot of movies 3.) You've never struggled with anxiety or being antsy (highly medical term). Anyways, my coworker was just curious about a couple of things and was not indeed asking me if I had stolen said medications. Later in the day I was walking around the pharmacy like a chicken with my head cut off (as always), laughing and being very sarcastic with my co-workers (as always)...when the pharmacy manager stopped me and asked "Hey Abbie, I was just wondering...what gives you all of your energy and joy? You are just always so happy and energetic and I was wondering what you did to stay that way ALL the time?" I have to tell you guys, the first thing that popped into my head was "Is this a test? Is he quizzing me to see if I admit to taking the Xanax??" I looked at him and in a very thought-out response said "Uh, I don't know. It's just the way I am." I'm pretty sure I am no longer a suspect!

Also, just to let you know. Bubbers is Elijah's nickname given by my mom. I really feel sorry for the poor kid, and am praying that another cooler nickname comes soon as I don't want to be responsible for him having to take Xanax some day.

A funny thing happened...

So, the other day I was sitting at my desk at work....now I know most of you know I do not have a desk job...but last week I did. I must say I do not know how people can sit all day, kudos to you if you can and not want to rip your back apart at the end of the week. Anywho, I was sitting at my desk in our outpatient pharmacy. My job was to intake prescriptions and let patients know how long their wait would be. Now, this is the perfect time to clear something up for those of you who are wondering why it takes so long when you go into the pharmacy. We do not as you may think, take your prescription grab a bottle off of the shelf and "slap a label on it". I can't tell you how many times I have heard this. It does take time to input the prescription, decipher the doctor's writing, bill the insurance, fill the order and have a pharmacist verify that you are indeed getting the antibiotic prescribed and not some sort of hormone pills. Anyways, that is a long story for another day.
I was sitting at my desk typing away when I looked out into the lobby. Our lobby is shared with the transplant clinic which is across the hall. This last week the lobby was full to quite full ALL week. As I looked out at the chairs about 15 feet away from me I saw a man who didn't look too good. His wife was sitting with him and a couple of nurses were asking him questions like "do you know your name?", "what street do you live on?" and "do you find it annoying that I am asking you these questions?"...anyways he was responding and they were giving him some V8 and crackers to try and get some food in his system. Next thing I know, he is completely passed out in his chair, and falling to the floor. There is all of a sudden a plethora of nurses around him with the crash cart and they are all working together to bring him back. I see all of these machines, they are talking to him and one nurse is taking his pulse. They are for the most part calm as I am sure this is a daily occurrence. One nurse starts to poke him in the arm for some reason as if she was going to take blood. A few minutes later the man opens his eyes, looks over at that very nurse and says "what your doing, hurts like hell!". She is turn says "you really scared us there, we're just trying to help you." He says, "I understand that, I just want you to know, what you're doing hurts like hell."
Now, please understand that I do not find it funny that this man has passed out. I feel so much sympathy for what I can't even imagine he has been through or will go through as a result of his transplant. I just love his reaction upon coming to. The nurses I am sure have dealt with some pretty scary situations but I know if I were the one he would have said that to...I would have burst into tears. Sometimes being a nurse can be a thankless job and I just want to say to all of the nurses out there....thank you for what you do, even if it hurts like hell!

That's right!!!

Life's about choices.

Life is about choices. The day in which this picture was taken, I made the wrong choice. You see, after 25 years of being pasty white I know that I have the tendency to burn. Not only the tendency...but the possibility of me burning when the sun is out, is about as likely as the possibility of tomorrow being February 15th. It will happen.

That being said, this was day one on our cruise and I wore a lot of sunscreen from there on out. I had a great time and think cruises are in fact wonderful. I have been home for a week now and Jada is just starting to forgive me for leaving her.

I won't make this post a novel as I usually do. Tomorrow pitchers and catchers report to spring training...and I can't wait to hear about baseball all day...every day!!! Happy Valentine's day to you too. For those of you booing because it is a "Hallmark holiday"...I say boo to you. You can choose not to spend a lot and you can choose to celebrate your love everyday if you want, but I see nothing wrong with a little reminder once yearly to love one another. That is all.

One of those days!

Two Saturdays ago I had one of those days. My plans consisted of hanging out all morning, going to get my oil changed, meeting Em to go get our hair did, and then I was supposed to go to 2 parties that night. I know, I know...I am such a party animal right?

Well as my Saturday progressed, I was running late and decided to nix the idea of getting the oil changed. The problem with that thought process was that I had not changed the oil in my car since I bought it last April. Now in the past that decision would have been bad but not as bad as now when I have a car worth more than $500. I had put 10,000 miles on my car without an oil change and with the -60 degree weather and the fact that I was now 7,000 miles overdue for a change, the oil change should have been top priority.

My dad had been on my case for months to go get it done. I decided to do other things. Now, on that Saturday as I flew out of the house to go get my hair did, I went to start my car and there were some strange noises coming out of it. Then the check engine light came on and it died. I knew at that moment that I had waited too long. Too be honest I knew WAY before that moment, but it took the realization that I had blown my engine up and was going to have to get a new one (I think that's what happens when you don't get the oil changed), to realize that I had pushed the limits and there would be consequences. I prayed the whole way to getting my oil changed that God would grant me the grace with my car that I was completely undeserving of. I vowed (which I don't do lightly as I know a broken one is not a good idea) to get my oil changed regularly from now on. Well, so far so good. The oil has been changed and at the rate with which I drive it will be 3 weeks before I have to get it changed again:)

In comes the picture of the frying pans. I don't know if you are like me, but why is it that we sometimes have to get hit over the head with something to get it. I've always thought I was pretty good at learning from others examples and listening to what God is telling me....obviously not. I had warning signs with my car and I have warning signs in life. Usually it isn't until some consequence happens that causes me to come to a screeching halt that I finally realize "Oh, so that's what God has been trying to say." That week was a good one for God and I. There were a lot of tears (I'm no longer talking just about the car) and there was a definite reconnection that I haven't felt in some time. I feel God's hands guiding my life so strongly these days and I couldn't be more thankful.

There have been some pretty hard moments. Moments where I question the promises he has given me. Moments where I have thought going on my own would be easier than the feelings I was experiencing. Moments where I lost hope. I know, deep down and now on the surface....he is working in my life. Waiting is hard, but knowing and truly believing that it will be worth it is amazing. Feeling his love for me, his joy over my growth and his hope for my future will sustain me. I am thankful for the people he has placed in my life that help me through and most definitely for the ones that pray for me so diligently. I am thankful for the examples of grace, perseverance and love he has given to me.

Sorry to babble but when my Savior is at work in my life and in the lives of those around me, I just want to talk about it. May you feel His presence this week. May you know the plans He has for you are great and may you acknowledge that you need to relinquish the power to him. May you feel hope, trust and joy for what is to come.

A new day.

Last Saturday I was able to go to my parent's church and volunteer for Feed My Starving Children. It is a local charity that has a worldwide impact. I wasn't feeling the greatest as I hurt my neck really bad last week on the way into work (long story). I had been excited to go volunteer but the morning of, I was having second thoughts because of my neck. When I got there, I saw a video of some of the lives that were impacted by FMSC and what exactly their mission was. Now I have been to Haiti...twice. I have seen true poverty and it has changed my life. Maybe I should say it altered my life...for a time. I remember having little children stare at us as we "missionaries" ate our meals. We packed our own food from home and as we grumbled about having to eat these Dinty Moore's or Instant oatmeal or beef jerky make-shift meals, I saw little children who probably hadn't eaten a real meal in weeks, months or even years. We were told not to share with the children because they didn't want to encourage begging.

One story I will never forget is when one of the guys that was with our team decided to give a little boy his leftovers. Later that week when we went out to evangelize we saw that little boy, inside his house heating up those leftovers in a little can..to feed to his family. That was probably the only food they would have that day and it was less than a couple of bites of what we normally consume in glutinous amounts daily.

So anyways, back on track. At the church there were stations set up. The workers from FMSC explained the different parts that made up the meals and how to do each job. For the next 2 hours I watched (and helped..a little) as these volunteers...most of whom were children, enjoyed packing these meals. It was so much fun and so valuable. In the end we made over 13,000 meals and got to pray over them before they were loaded on a truck. Each meal costs $1 and contains Rice, Soy, Meat and Veggies....all of which are valuable to the malnourished children's growth. Each package provides 6 meals. Six meals for $1....THAT IS AMAZING!! If you want to learn more about Feed My Starving Children go to http://www.fmsc.org/ . I know I will be doing more with this organization as hunger is such a prevalent issue all over the world. I also know that once again I was reminded of all that I waste,take for granted and need to be thankful for. Again, I believe my life was altered and now I must fight to make sure I don't forget.

26 days!!!!

Only 26 more days until I am cruising the beautiful Caribbean! I can't wait. I am a little sad though as I leave Super Bowl Sunday and am not too sure I am going to be able to watch for the first time in who knows how long...OH WELL!!