What I Am So Far

Just a quick post to wish my dear friend annaed770 a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!   I know we don't celebrate so much when we reach a *certain age*, but I still want to take a moment to recognize the day you were born.  You are such a great person, wonderful writer and friend, and a great mother and wife.  You deserve so much and I hope you get some of it today!!

I am supposed to be making my resume at the moment, but I seem to be avoiding it.  I just don't wanna!  I am no good at selling myself!  I'm trying to pretend that I'm writing it for a friend, because it's so much easier to sell someone else.  I'm still procrastinating, though. Anyone good at resumes that cares to proofread whatever I come up with? I'd love to send it to you!

I used to get so interested in songs when I was in my teens and early twenties.  I would memorize the words, relate to them, and sing along with them so soulfully.  But for the past decade or so, the music that is being made doesn't really affect me so much.  I still sing along with the radio if the song is hooky enough, but I don't really care about the words or the artist.  I don't know if it's that I've matured or that I just don't have the time or the concern for music that I once did.  I'm sure it's pretty common for someone my age.  ;)

But our neighbor gave The Hannah Montana Movie soundtrack to Melanie a few months ago and I am hooked on this song, The Climb. I love the sound of it and I love the lyrics.  I belt it out when it comes on and sometimes even put the CD in when there's no kids in the car!   I am really digging Miley Cyrus.  I think she makes good music, has a great voice, and seems pretty well grounded, considering her current fame. 

( My current favorite song.... )

Sending out birthday wishes to my beloved sister, kemidra .  My baby sister is THIRTY today!  She's the reason I started this LiveJournal, so it seemed fitting to make a post here.

It's a blessing to have someone by your side from as far back as you can remember.  Someone who was there in those memories of so many different stages of life.  Someone who always roots for you to succeed and helps you when you don't want to ask.  Who laughs with you when life is good, shares your rants when you're angry, and cries with you when it hurts.  Who forgives and moves on when you fight and who knows who you are and doesn't mind so much. 

Thanks for sharing my life with me, Michelle.  And happy 30th birthday!  You have officially gotten old like me!!

I just made a friends cut and I apologize if I hurt anyone's feelings. I've been cut before and I know how it feels.  But I suspect that most of you will be relieved and will move on happily because you don't really have the time or interest to read my journal and rarely get comments from me on your own.  I can't keep up with everyone and you're truly better off without me! Thanks so much for understanding.  :(

( Pinkie Toe! )

So I think I broke my pinkie toe.  I stubbed it really badly on Sunday and it hasn't stopped hurting since.  It's black and blue and very sore.  It's really annoying and I'm very protective of it.  It's hard to walk around in my nornal bare feet or flip flops because it seems like the universe is conspiring to hurt it again!  Anyway, I'm sure it will get better soon enough.  In the meantime, I felt the need to whine about it a little.  Thanks to all my FB friends!  ;)

Just got this email from QuitNet:

Your Quit Date is: Friday, June 03, 2005 at 9:00:00 AM
Test Time Smoke-Free: 1460 days, 20 hours, 50 minutes and 12 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 11687
Lifetime Saved: 2 months, 29 days, 6 hours
Money Saved: $3,506.40

Yesterday, I woke up at 8 AM.  That's right.....8 AM. 

It was heavenly.....

Just wanted to post to wish my wonderful Canadian friend tutor51  a very Happy Birthday!  You are one of my oldest and most trusted LJ friends and it's great to celebrate another year with you.   I hope you enjoy your day with Rob and Elisa and you get to do whatever you wish! 

I think I am better off avoiding LiveJournal altogether, for a while.  I'm thinking a month or so.  I'm not sure.

I find myself feeling guilty for not keeping up with my friend's journals. Or reading through them quickly, but not fully digesting them or commenting on them.  Or getting so far behind that I get overwhelmed at the prospect of catching up. 

And I find myself not wanting to post if I haven't read my friends list.  Because I'm afraid it would be selfish to put my thoughts out there without first reading what my friends have to say.  And the same goes for responding to comments on my own journal.  Do I respond to comments first, post first, or read the FL first? 

I honestly don't know what the protocol is on LJ.   The rules are sort of fuzzy here in computer land, just as they are in real life.  And I just end up feeling guilty and overwhelmed.  I have so little time on the computer now and what time I do spend here should be on my Career Step studies.  I want to graduate and make money, not be popular on a social site, right?  But what I really want to do and what I should be doing are two different things.

And honestly, what's the point of turning my beloved LJ into a task?  Another thing on my to-do list that I have to check off?  Another source of stress and guilt?  It's supposed to be an outlet, not a burden.  And I'm supposed to relish my friendships, both online and offline, not resent the time they consume.

So rather than continuing to go about everything half-assed, I think I am better off just taking a break from LJ.  I'll still pop on Facebook from time to time, just because it's so convenient and quick.  I love knowing all of you and keeping up with your lives and I just feel like I'm not doing a very good job of it right now.  I need to concentrate on my own life right now and come back when I've got it all together again.  I  I may do comment-disabled posts from time to time, just so people don't feel obligated to read.  

Thanks and I hope to see you all again soon!

Just wanted to put this out there, for anyone interested.  I'm closing my Avon website in about a week (2/24) because the cost of maintaining it outweighs the small profit I make from it.  If anyone is interested in any Avon products, feel free to shop my store before I shut it down.  Thanks for all your past support!

www.youravon.com/mstraiton

You can use coupon code "FSANY" for free shipping on any size order. :)

Just wanted to send out some birthday wishes to my friend jax617 !  You are one my newest LJ friends and I am enjoying getting to know you through our journals.  I hope this is your best year ever!

In case any of you are interested in taking an online career course and working from home, I thought I'd share some info. 

CareerStep is offering a referral bonus for students who enroll by January 31,2009.  You will get a $250 discount and I will get $100 for referring you.  You just have to enter my name (Melissa Straiton) at the time of enrollment.

There are courses in Medical Transcription (this is what I am taking) and Medical Billing.  

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or email enrollments@careerstep.com or call them at 1-888-657-5752 option 9.

That is all.  :)

Just wanted to take a moment to wish my very good friend Rell a belated happy birthday!  captivatedheart  is one of my oldest and dearest LJ friends.  We have been sharing stories for quite some time, haven't we?  You are someone that I trust and think of often and I truly treasure our friendship.  I hope this year is your best one yet!  

The kids are at school, Mike is at work, and Lauren is taking a nap. 

My first moment of true peace in almost two weeks.

Aaaahhh......life is good.  :)

Okay!  Back to my list of eight hundred things to do! 

Any ideas for a part time job where I can get medical benefits for myself and my husband?  Even if I don't clear any money at the end of the week after paying daycare for Lauren, I just need something that will cover our health insurance.  I don't want to work my kids' lives away where they spend more time in childcare than they do at their own home.  So full time is out.  I'm looking more for 8am-3pm.  But so far, I am hitting a wall.  Is it really that impossible?  I'm willing to train for a specialty job.  I'll go back to college or take some online courses towards a certificate or license of some kind.  I just want to be able to get my kids off the bus in the afternoon and still get health insurance for the adults in the house.   I am fresh out of ideas.  

Just wanted to post a quick "Happy Birthday" to my good friend, stellardreams81 .  I hope your 27th year is your best one yet!  

In other news, I just started a Facebook profile.  If any of you are on there, feel free to add me as a friend.  I'm still figuring the whole thing out and haven't done much with it yet!

Post edit: I should also add that my name is Melissa Straiton.  That might be helpful in your search! ;)

So I get out the Boppy to nurse Lauren last night.  We have a little spot for it where it is sort of tucked between a chair and the pack-n-play.  I sit down and get ready to feed her and notice that the kitchen light is on and the dining room light is on.  Empty lighted rooms are a pet peeve of mine, but generally if I am getting ready to feed the baby, I just let it go.  But something told me to just get up and turn them off. 

So I got up.  I turned them off.  I came back in the room and went to grab that Boppy and....there was a HUGE SPIDER SITTING ON THE BACK OF IT!!!  I'm talking, like, 3-4 inches big and black and SCARY!!!  I freak and Mike gets the Boppy and takes the spider outside. 

Thank GOD some voice told me to turn those lights off.  I could have left them on.  I could have asked Mike to turn them off.  I could have ignored them.  But any of those actions would have had me placing that Boppy on my lap with a HUGE FREAKING SPIDER ON IT and that HFS would have gone directly ON MY LEG and OMG I would have likely thrown the baby on the floor if I had seen it or felt it.

God, I'm such a girl.  But this wasn't just an ordinary spider, I swear to you.  I wish I had gotten a picture.  But I honestly think that God looks out for me in little moments like this.  Thank you thank you thank you......

I'm not that into baseball, but it's hard not to get caught up in Philly Fever when you live five miles outside of the city. Our neighborhood erupted again tonight when they won the World Series. I was just happy to see the looks on the faces of the players and hear my neighbors cheering and screaming and fireworks shooting off everywhere. The city needed a championship and they got it! And the kids get to wear red to school (rather than their uniform) whenever the Phillies win, so they'll be happy in the morning too!

Congratulations, Phillies! You guys really deserved it. :)