Excited and Nervous

 So. This weekend is going to be it. It's going to be energy drinks, Advil and whatever is needed to get through it and get shit done.

The house needs to be finished - and this means cleaning everything I haven't cleaned. It means carpet cleaning upstairs. It means painting the last 2 rooms after they are patched. Oy.

It means the yard needs to be cleaned up and all the trash taken away.

That is the nervous part, being done and ready enough. 

Then, then my house, my home - will be listed for sale.

It's kinda mind boggling in one sense. I've lived here almost 8 years, a lot of memories are from here. With Raven, with my love, with my niece and others. I'm not attached, not in the sense that I am re-thinking the decision to move (because, not I am ready to move on) but so many significant things have happened here. And I am thankful for having such a warm house, one that has been filled with loud voices and loud love. Life.

And this weekend doesn't even include the work that needs to fix the porch. Or that cost. Nor does it include fixing the fence. Or that cost/hard work.

Jesus, selling a house is an expensive endeavor. 

BUT, one that I need to do. Which makes me excited. I want to sell, and change living situations. And it will be the first time that I don't have school, a kid, or a house, that needs me. I will have TIME.

Don't get me wrong, I fucking miss my son like no ones fucking business, but he's an adult and figuring his own self out. He is also amazing. I hope I get to see him at some point and hug him and enough spending TIME with him.

I am excited for a LOT of reasons :) But the overall joy is about shifting and moving forward. Forward is good. Forward is not stagnant or paused and I like forward for a lot of different reasons.

After this weekend, it's all about tackling the attic and getting that situated :) Not a horrible thing to get accomplished in the next couple weeks.

I am so lucky. And thankful. And happy. Life is good!

Edging to closer to holidays!

 Next week is Thanksgiving. It's one of the first time in the last few years that we are not going to my BF's parents house - but it's due to Covid-19 and honestly I much rather not be responsible for someone else getting sick and potentially dying. So. This means I am cooking a bit more and only for about 3 people. I am happy my niece will be there! I am actually looking forward to a quieter holiday season. I am not spending as much money on other people, just trying to calm down my poor credit card debt (I can't help but laugh, because I freaking love to shop). 

And seriously, I am missing my kid something fierce. He is still stuck at his tech school, waiting to head to his FDS. Hopefully he gets to head to that before Xmas. I miss his hugs so much. Oy.

We got the bathroom painted - I will try to get pics uploaded soon. Planning on getting the dinning room, foyer and living room done this holiday season if possible. I don't honestly want to even think about the kitchen, that one seems like a bitch and half...maybe if it's clean enough it can pass? Upstairs, the 2 bedrooms should be easy enough to paint. What it really is, is all the freaking prep work. The cleaning, taping off, cutting in, etc. 

But, as I keep reminding myself, it will be worth it. I want to downsize my house/home. I would like a rancher in the future and preferably a house not as big. It's just me and Mike in the foreseeable future. His kids are almost all grown, mine is adulting in awesome ways. And I can pay off majority of my debts with the sale of the house. All good stuff. 

The future beckons. Good, happy options are available. I am excited about moving towards that :)

But first! Thanksgiving! Then Yule and Christmas and then New Years. So much going on!! Well, ok, sorta - because, again, Covid is not a friend and it's been getting worse and what's going on is all inside my house hahahahaha.

So excited! He Passed!

 He passed his Sec+. This is freaking awesome news! He had been studying and stressing and it's a bit a big deal so that he can move on with the next phase. I'M SO DAMN EXCITED FOR HIM! I am such a proud Mama right now!

There was a huge relief when he called saying he passed. He has got to feel good about it, he obviously worked hard to accomplish this. It's stressful, because it affects your future, so it's just so good to know it's one more thing done! Even if he doesn't need it specific to whatever job is upcoming, he has that certification for the next however many years.

Knowing your kid is going to be set for their job and have support is, I can't even say how happy I am for him, relieved and proud of him. I know he's on a good path and really, that's all any parent can wish for. 

Quiet but busy - how does that happen?

It's been so busy lately, at work, in life in general. 

Work has been a serious constant in the busy section of life. But I really do like my work so the busy part is nice. I have awesome coworkers and boss, which helps. 

Life otherwise, is good. I am excited for my niece. I miss my son. I love my boyfriend. I am super excited for Covid-19 to be over.  I am hoping society grows from the obvious changes we need. That's probably a 30/70 shot, if we're lucky. I don't have the biggest faith in about 1/3 of our population, and hopefully it's not in reality more than that. We need a better education, we need people who have empathy. And logic.

I miss my kid

Yes, he's in a good place and on a good path and I know he will be happy and healthy and successful and have amazing new experiences and probably some sketchy ones too...but damn, I just miss my son. I miss his hugs, so very much. I miss his doing the dishes because he knew I was stressed and that he could help. Or even his complaints about the spiders outside.

I am so thankful and lucky that I get to talk to him as much as I do and that in a couple months it may be more difficult. 

I just miss him. 

I love him so much and I am so damn proud of him.

Minor update

I really wish I could have gone to see my son's graduation from BMT. But this crazy coronavirus had other ideas. The AF shut down families coming to visit. And while a lot of parents were seriously distraught, all I could think of, is I rather not see my kid then have the possibility of spreading it around more. You just can't tell who would have it, share it, and then it escalates from there. It's going to be bad enough as it is. I would rather try to avoid it, for me and those I love, than not.I will probably still get it, but hopefully when the curve starts to flatten and medical services aren't as stranded. Not that they are right now, but this thing seems to be quite aggressive.

I have to work on-site 4 hours a day, telework the remaining time. I don't mind it, there are few people here and I am able to actually get more done. So, no arguments from me on that one! House is stocked so far, plus at some point the grocery stores will restock. People are really kinda crazy with this though. I could understand the mass rush for toilet paper if it was a hurricane or snow storm or if the virus made use the bathroom - but people are just somewhere out in left field for some reason.

I think the biggest change for me, still is not having more school to pull me into. I am still figuring out life without that complication! I have noticed having more focus on just about everything.

With my son now at tech school, it has been awesome being able to talk and face time with him. He looks very military and very grown up. And my mind is still slightly blown that my kid is actually an adult and going down a very bright path. Love it. Love him. I am so proud of him, and not just because he passed BMT, but because he is focused and figuring things out. It's honestly a huge relief to see your kid not make bad decisions. I mean, I know we all do make them at some point, but I am thankful it didn't start right out of the gate into adulthood. And it just makes me so happy to see him liking this and doing it. I knew he was capable, I've always known that - but knowing it and then seeing it, it's such a beautiful thing.

OK, time for me to get the next part of my day going :)

Hot Damn!

Class is done. Grades are in. I am done. 100%. Finally have my degree (ok, pending the actually ceremony). Graduation info had been submitted and paid for and it was only waiting on this class to be finished.

This is so very satisfying. 

As in, I think I am still processing the enormity of this. 25 years after I left my first entry into college, and after 6 years of going back to school part time, I have this bitch completed. Wow. Just, sweet cheese and crackers, wow.

And now, by tomorrow evening I will be on a plane to see my son graduate BMT and start the next phase of his life.

Doubly satisfying.

Life is good. Life is awesome. Life is blessed.

1 Week and counting

I'm in the process of writing this paper and I am distracting myself, because I am so excited for this class to be completed and to have graduated.

Edit: It's now been a week. Paper is written and graded :)

I only have 1 more report to do and turn in next Sunday. One more week of forums. And then I will be done! Graduated ! It is sooo relieving. And exciting.

Next, next I get to see my son, as he graduates from BMT. That is a whole new level of excitement. I am so damn proud of my son. He has rocked this, and pushed through and succeeded.

Life is hectic, but good. I am just - Happy :)

By this time next week, it will be a whole new happy :)

Such a light Winter

What is it about chicken noodle soup and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that just make a chilly day feel better??

And this whole week is going to be a tad bit chilly. (this past week)

Though I will say that this winter has been absolutely light, no major snows or anything like that. And the few nights/days it's been cold, it hasn't gotten so low that it was a worry.

Raven is now at BMT, I miss that kid something fierce. But I am so damn proud of him! I honestly hope he likes it, it is for 6 years. And granted his BMT will be drastically different from wherever he ends up. But I know he's got this.

I am on my last class to get my BS in Business Administration degree and  this class is over in March (literally 2 weeks from Sunday). Then, THEN, I will have time and I almost don't know what to do with myself! I can read again, I will have time to clean my house and landscape my yard, to organize and finally go through things! And I am so looking forward to clearing junk out and de-cluttering.

I am excited about starting the next chapter in life :) Updating the house, prepping it for future sale hopefully and just having the time to re-focus on the important things in life.

So, it's a light winter, I hope it's a nice spring and beautiful summer.

All in all, life is good :) I am blessed and thankful for those blessings <3 p="">

One of the many moments...

Had a great dinner date with my love 

And I know I am seriously lucky to have such an awesome boyfriend !!!

💖

A Mini Update

I had a suspicion this month was going to be rough one. It's almost been one year since my Dad died. His birthday, father's day and death all happened this month. Adding to this, I am taking 2 classes at the same time, something I try to avoid because I like my sanity and having at least some time to spend with those I love. It's all stressful.

So. To add to the drama, my sister. Who *was* a ward of the state until this past week. She's struggling, but I do think she will be able to swim in the long term, with some help along the way. But damn, it's just one more thing.

One of my teachers is a twat. At least my other teacher is nice and easier to work with. I have literally 3 more classes before I am done with my Bachelors and I am so freaking excited about that.

My son signed up with the Air Force. I am so proud of him. He still has to go to MEPS, and he's signed up for Delayed Enlistment (so that he can take a vacation with his Dad which is awesome) this means he won't go to boot camp until sometime in or after August. I honestly think the Air Force will be good for him and that he will succeed there. He's so damn smart, so very capable.

My boyfriend, he is just still freaking amazing. So damn happy that I am with him, so damn lucky in our relationship.

So. Overall, life is good, perhaps not so easy this month, but life is still good. I am happy and content and looking forward to next month!

How to cripple today's teens and young adults?

Have an internet outage.

Seriously, I am doing my homework at the Green Turtle right now because it has a more reliable internet than my house and it's due by midnight.

Getting home today, my son and niece (17 and 23 for ages) were both complaining of how slow their cell phones are and how the main wifi was not working and they could not watch TV (I stream it, no more cable) and how they couldn't watch youtube or netflex or whatever.

It's just kinda funny.

Breathe, it will be ok.

It's really not the end of the world to not always have instant internet access.

Love them, it was a good reminder to me if anything. Live in the moment.

Excited for Spring and Summer

Can I just say that the weather changing, even if it has caused my allergies to go hay wire, has been awesome. I am loving the warmth of the sun and the blooms of the flowers.

I'm excited to do yard work, turn the earth and plant some herbs or veggies.

Also, I am back to red hair. I tried bleaching it, going blue and attempted purple, which just made it overall this cool gray/silver color with some leftover blue roots and some purple highlights. Interesting, but a bit off. Now that it's red again, I need a bit of a shorter style.

Classes are still going. Almost one with the current class, and I will have a week off before the next one starts. What is new is this summer I am taking 2 classes, with a month overlap, not my typical MO. I will be graduating in the spring of 2020 and I am definitely excited for that!

My kid is doing amazing. Mostly A's and B's, he's about to turn 18 and then graduate. I am so damn proud of him. He has a job lined up until he is processed with the Air Force (fingers crossed on that). He is just a good kid, and I am so happy he's made some good decisions and is thinking about his future, even if he is clueless on what that is as of yet. Who has a clue at 18?? Very very few and even then it can change pretty rapidly and easily. He's been lucky in some things, but I am just happy with how much he's matured in the last couple of years. It's so nice to see the person you love and have taught and guided and helped to develop into a person you are proud of and want in your life. That does not always happen.

In other news, I still have this amazing boyfriend that I absolutely am in love with and super happy to still be with. It's going on 6 years soon and that is pretty damn amazing :)

Mini Vacation Highlights

It was a great mini vacation! Even though I had this stupid ass cold during it, I much rather be in Orlando with the sniffles than stuck at home!

This was at Universal Citywalk, it was this great steam punk themed called the "Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen". Great food, drinks and service.

 

This was just one of those little bars, that had some good Margaritas :)

    

Ok, so at Disney Springs, Jock Lindsey's Hanger is probably one of our favorite places to go. 

I'm pretty sure I took this at the Irish pub called Ragland Road, love them too.

Splitsville no longer has frozen margaritas on tap, so I tried their "Swampwater". Pretty delicious!

Disney's version of steam punk theme, The Edison. You know, it' wasn't my fave. I liked the one at Universal better

Best way to end our trip <3 p="">

Upcoming Mini Vacation

As we inch closer and closer to our mini vacation, I am definitely getting excited.

We will be Orlando, first at Cabana Bay for a night (near Universal) and then 3 nights by Disney Springs.

Spending 1 day at Epcot for the International Flower & Garden Festival



Last year we did the Mickey's Magical Christmas so I love the fact we get to do a different season.

A break from work, life and school will be seriously enjoyed and appreciated.

Nothing better than a little bit of Disney love!

March can't come soon enough!!!

Xmas Present

So, my absolutely amazing boyfriend gave me an adventure for my Xmas present.

I had no idea what or where, everything was a total surprise! We stayed at the Stonewall Jackson hotel, which was perfect. He took me to see the Christmas Carol at the American Shakespeare Center, Blackfriars Playhouse. The play, above and beyond amazing. The actors were amazing. The whole night, seriously, just amazing.

We had lunch at Edelweiss, a German restaurant, that had some of the best food and beer I've had. If you ever get a chance to go to Stauton, VA, the hotel, playhouse and Edelweiss are all highly recommended.

  

Then, as we headed home, we stopped at the Luray Caverns, which was different from anything I have ever done, mainly because you end up 164 ft below the earth and you see things that look like they are movie affects. Loved it.

   

We stopped in at this place called Nana's Irish Pub, had an awesome chicken pot pie and of course, an even more amazing beer

I love this man, I am so lucky and I can not wait for the next adventure!

Just...Happy

When I was driving into work today, sipping on my coffee, I just felt so...happy. Like, genuinely care free happy.

We have a trip coming up in 10 days, to Utah and Colorado. We have a vacation to Williamsburg, VA in August. My boyfriend is freaking amazing. My kid is freaking awesome. My cats are totally adorable (even if Diego is cranky most of the time). And life in general is pretty damn good.

Life is good, Love is awesome, and I am very blessed in both

New Work Area, Better View

It's nice having a window. And a door I can shut. Love my new office space !

Awesome Weekend

So this past weekend, my love and I went to the Rhode Island Comic Con, and it was freaking amazing. We got to meet so many people, Elijah Wood (his eyes are soooo blue!), Dave Bautista, Justin Roiland (he was freaking hilarious in his panel), Mike Colton (Luke Cage, his brother is a drummer, which is cool), Simone (Luke Cage, I got to speak with her for like 20 minutes, it was so beyond cool), and so many more! I can't even remember all of them right now! I just know it was this 3 day weekend of bliss and fun.

Here is a pic of my heart, sound asleep as I work on my paper for my class (I got an A, so that was a feat and a half!) We stayed at the Biltmore, it was so old and artistic and the bed was beyond comfortable. If I could have bought those pillows to bring home, I would have in a heartbeat!

I had to write a 6 page paper, it was due on Sunday. So I worked on it Friday night, got up at 7 am Saturday, 7 am Sunday and even finished it on the drive back. I barely made it, turned it just before midnight on Sunday.

We had dinner Friday night at this great little Irish pub right (Murphy's) across the street from the convention center. Saturday night, it was a different pub, Trinity (which we had gone to last year) down the street. Both were so good! Different in ways, but still perfect each time.

So, back to my homework once again :) Thankfully this class is over next week and I have a month break before classes start again in January.

Thanksgiving is coming up, then we are off again on a 3 day weekend to Orlando (Mickey's Magical Christmas), hanging out in Disney Springs. I am looking forward to a warm respite from the cold weather that is coming on. I love the seasons, all of them, it;s just sometimes nice to get a mini break during them :)

Another post, another random thought

It's been a good day so far. Of course, I still have 3 forum posts to write (for my classes) and a lot of work to get done, but honestly, it's just been a good day.

Progress is important. I've gotten a lot accomplished this morning, and by adding coffee into the mix now I feel like things are still progressing :)

Work has been - BUSY as fuck. Seriously, like it's been this nonstop train ride without an exit in sight. Which is a good thing, I much rather be busy than bored.

School is also busy. I am wrapping up a class on HRM this week and started one on business ethics last week. It's a balancing act, between school, kids, and work, but I love it. I do miss reading though. I think out of everything with school, I miss reading for pleasure the most. I am pretty excited for an upcoming trip with my love, where there will be time for that, drinking, eating and lots of fun :)