What I Am So Far

Follow that clue....

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:56:39 GMT

Okay, I'm no detective, but I'm pretty sure it was Lauren who dumped the sugar.....

Can you see the tiny footprint? ;)

Happy Birthday, Deanna!

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:18:51 GMT

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!!

Resume

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 17:00:57 GMT

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!

The Climb

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 16:57:28 GMT

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.

The Climb
Miley Cyrus

I can almost see it.
That dream I'm dreaming, but
There's a voice inside my head saying
You'll never reach it
Every step I'm taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction,
My faith is shaking,
But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down, but
No I'm not breaking
I may not know it, but
These are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most
I've just gotta keep going, and
I gotta be strong
Just keep pushing on, but

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

Keep on moving
Keep climbing
Keep faith baby
It's all about, it's all about
The climb
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa

Happy Birthday, Shelley!

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:50:50 GMT

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!!

Friends Cut

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:59:42 GMT

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. :(

Broke My Toe?

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:20:20 GMT

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! ;)

48 Months Smoke Free!

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:18:02 GMT

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

Mon, 11 May 2009 12:57:44 GMT

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

It was heavenly.....

Happy Birthday Cathy!

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:26:54 GMT

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!

Hiatus

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:04:18 GMT

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!

Avon, Anyone?

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:30:43 GMT

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. :)

Happy Birthday Jackie!

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:07:05 GMT

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!

Online Courses?

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:35:13 GMT

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. :)

Happy Birthday, Narelle!

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 15:23:56 GMT

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!

Aaaahhh.....

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 13:58:24 GMT

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!

Benefits

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:46:49 GMT

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.

Happy Birthday, Christine!

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:42:23 GMT

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

Facebook

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:36:16 GMT

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! ;)

SPIDER!!

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 02:11:57 GMT

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......

Phillies Win!

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 02:42:52 GMT

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. :)

Open Water

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:19:08 GMT

Did anyone see the movie, Open Water? It was the one about the scuba diving couple who got left in the middle of the ocean surrounded by sharks. I watched it today and missed the last fifteen minutes! What happens at the end????

Happy Birthday Audrey!!

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:30:14 GMT

Sending joyful birthday wishes to my good friend, luvforever . You are one of my first LJ friends and I'm glad we've stuck with each other through the years. I love your journal and your insights into mine. I hope this birthday is the best one yet and all those to follow are even better. You truly deserve it. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

The Wedding Project

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:49:33 GMT

Our anniversary is coming up and I wanted to do something for it, despite the fact that we are on a strict budget. So I pulled out some pictures and scraps from the wedding and a shadowbox that I had bought years ago and.....

Voila!!

Our wedding invitation surrounded by some of the leaves, flowers, and ribbon that were part of our ceremony and a couple of photos from the church. I'm actually quite proud of it!

I'm also planning on doing something with our honeymoon photos as well as our emails from when we first met. I'm a little short on creativity for that stuff at the moment. To be continued.....

The Bathroom Project

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:37:29 GMT

Since I am not working right now, I am spending a lot more time in my home. Living in these walls all day, every day tends to bring out the flaws in them. I am not normally the type that is interested in doing home improvement projects, but for the last month or so, I have been eyeing the walls and checking out paint colors.

Last week, I finally decided to tackle the bathroom. I picked out a nice yellow color and made a trip to Home Depot. It's confusing when you are first starting out because it's hard to know what products are actually necessary and which ones are just plain excessive. I tried to find a middle ground between what the store chick was saying and my tendency to be extremely ~~cheap~~ frugal. I think I did pretty well.

The biggest hurdle to my project is the fact that there is wallpaper on the walls. I underestimated what a task it would be to take it down. There are spots that come off easily and there are spots that take forever to get rid of. Plus, the toilet and sink get in the way and I have no idea how I'm going to move them. I thought I'd have the whole room done in under a week, but this is not the case at all.

I've got one and a half walls done out of four. And so far, it's been fairly rewarding. I've switched gears from racing to finish to just plodding away. It will get done. And I want to do it right and enjoy the process. This great practice for when I tackle the dining room. :)

I forgot to take a proper "before" picture, so this is just a shot of the wallpaper...

To be continued......