My Rainbow after the Flood

If you read my post yesterday I was a little more than disappointed. Although, by the end of the night Cory & I had our spirits up. This morning was rather difficult getting to school. Cory & I stayed really warm during the night. I actually perspired during the night because our room was so toasty. But the humidity in our apartment was awful. My clothes that were upstairs were damp this morning from all the moisture in the air. Our bread downstairs was rather soggified and I couldn't open the applejuice. I was running late and just kind of grumpy. Well, during first period I got my cell phone out to text Cory to see the progress of getting our heater replaced when I realized I had answered a call. I had no clue who was calling but said hello anyway. It was my angel for the day offering me a job for next semester! It's a semi-weird situation to describe but I'll be teaching an elective class for the Spring semester and I couldn't be happier. I really needed this great news today. After receiving the call I was so upbeat and excited. God is SO good! Last year I was disappointed in not getting some other positions but I never felt as good about the schools as I did with this one. I'm really excited to see what God has in store for me starting January 3rd. Thanks so much for all the prayers. I have totally been feeling them.

Flood with emotion...and water

Moving has been more difficult than I had imagined. Besides the fact of the sentimental things, like this being our first home together, leaving great friends, and a wonderful job, we have had some big difficulties. To avoid the expense of renting a moving van and to make things easier for our family around Christmas, Cory & I have been taking loads of items home each weekend to a storage unit and my parents’ house. The past few weekends we have started moving furniture home. The first shipment of furniture made it home fairly well. We had a glass knob break off of a cabinet, but it can easily be replaced. Moving out of the apartment we also managed to damage a sleeper sofa, but it’s really old and we aren’t planning on it staying around forever. Last weekend when we moved things back it was VERY windy. We had a chair fall off on the highway and it ate the pavement pretty well. We also had some paint scratched off of the china cabinet that I painted last year. I was upset at first, but it made me realize not to put too much emphasis on worldly items…even if it was our nicer pieces of furniture. Well, this morning our complications with moving did not take a week off. I woke up to find our entire downstairs flooded with ankle deep water. Now keep in mind that since the majority of our furniture is gone, tons of our belongings are on the floor. (ie: laptop, cameras, Tivo, Christmas cards, packed boxes, etc.) I couldn’t believe it.

This is how it went down: Cory & I went to bed at about midnight and we left the living room nice and dry. At about 1:00 I thought I smelled something burning or at least abnormal. I then thought that the smell I smelled was chlorine and since it had been raining all evening I figured it was just water from outside. I tend to have a very sensitive sense of smell and Cory thought I was crazy because he didn’t smell anything. I should have gone downstairs to check on things but I just went to sleep. Well, this morning when I opened the bedroom door to start getting ready for church, I heard some water running. It sounded like the toilet running and I told Cory, who was still sleeping, that the toilet had been running all night. As I walked closer to the bathroom I noticed that the sound was coming from downstairs. It sounded like the washing machine was on. As I went to the staircase I saw the carpet at the bottom of the stairs soaked and had some water standing on it. I screamed that we were flooded and Cory jumped out of bed. We ran to the laundry room where water was spraying EVERYWHERE including the ceiling. Apparently the pipe that connects the washing machine to the water source burst. I can’t believe so much water accumulated. We immediately started picking up boxes and electronics and carried them upstairs. Boxes that were packed and ready to go were drenched, damaging books, cards, and memories. I started dumping things out and carried the boxes to the dumpster. Of course it starts snowing. Cory and I are in our pajamas soaked in water to our shins and it’s freezing. I’m so glad we were planning on going to the early church service so we stopped the water when we did. I called the maintenance people and they sent a man with a wet vac over. He clean up most of the water but things will be damp and hair will be frizzy here for a while. Just when I think that things couldn’t get worse, the heater doesn’t want to work. The heater is in the room where the water was spraying and a man has just informed us that the whole unit will need to be replaced. This will have to take place tomorrow. Yikes! Cory is such a sweetheart and is going to stay with me tonight to keep me warm and sane.

I’m sorry this is nothing but whining. The reason I’m writing this is to warn you that if you’re getting a Christmas present from us the package may be warped and non-returnable, that if we borrowed a book from you it’s probably going to be a little wrinkly, and that if you normally get a Christmas card from us, this year you won’t. That last statement is the hardest for me. We didn’t take a picture for this year’s card but I did buy some pretty (non-cheap) cards this year and wrote personal messages in each one. They were stamped and ready to go but not so much now. I used a felt tip pin so the cards are all smudged. There were also raised up parts to the cards that are messed up. I don’t think I can purchase and write on 35+ cards and stamp them again considering we’re probably going to have to pay for damages and the clean-up crew, the heater, a high water bill, and possibly damages to our neighbor’s apartment. Bah-humbug.

Here’s a picture of our cards. The camera was in my purse, which was on the floor, and got wet. It works but is very foggy right now. That’s why it looks the way it does.

I’m trying to look at the bright side though. Here are some positive thoughts:

• We weren't hurt (not that we really could’ve been from water, but it wasn't a fire)
• Cory is staying an extra night with me.
• My laptop wasn't damaged. I have lots of important files on here.
• A lot of our furniture and things have been moved so it made it easier to clean up the water.
• I wanted to shampoo the carpet and mop really good before we left. Check!
• Since the heat has temporarily gone out maybe the floors will freeze over and we can ice skate? ..yeah, I’m becoming a little sarcastic. I will end this post.

Sorry if this has put a damper (pun intended) on your day. Moral of the story: if you think you smell something strange in your home check it out.

On My Mind

Warning: This post is totally random.

Since I'm by myself during the weeknights, I have a lot of time to think. Here are some of the things that have been on my mind lately that are not too stressful or depressing....

-Why do the songs that annoy you the most seem to get stuck in your head constantly? Right now, Pink's new song, "Raise Your Glass" is repeating over and over in my head and it won't leave. In this song she sings a line, "Don't be fancy, just get dancey" (which I think is pretty ridiculous) Now, at first when I was hearing this song I just shrugged my shoulders and let it slide because it rhymed, but then she sings that line again. Oh dear... I'll admit I would probably like it better if I had used the word "dancey" before. I'm a sucker for cheesiness in jokes & sayings. I used to say "no pockets to lock-its" when I would try to put my hands in my pockets and realize I didn't have any in the pants I was wearing. Granted, I was in 5th grade but I understand the need for rhyming in phrases. I don't know why I shared that tid-bit of info, but I know my bud, Ruth Ann will get a smile out of it ;)

-I think I have the skills to be a great lip sync-er. I wish there was a show like American Idol but for people who could lip sync and look believable. You would have to sing like you mean it and extra points would be given if you "air-instrumented" along with the song. My favorite air-instrument would be a toss up between the tambourine or the triangle (or whatever bell sound that is played in songs). Of course, the drums and guitar would be awesome to play but if I wanted it to be believable I would have to settle for the simple instruments. It just makes sense. The judges for the show would have to be Fab Morvan (from Milli Vanilli), Britney Spears, and Ashlee Simpson. I've had a lot of lip syncing practice from my pretend band with my pal and trying to impress Cory. I know deep down he loves it.

-I wish I had tons of money to buy presents for people all the time. I love giving gifts, especially when you know that person would enjoy what you've gotten them. While I have been Christmas shopping I keep seeing things that I wish I could get for people.

-Speaking of gifts, here is a nice little thought. Each year my coworkers buy Christmas gifts for a student who doesn't have much. The student is told by the counselor that they have been chosen to receive gifts from a group of people because they are a good student, or something along those lines. This year the child that was chosen was given a sheet to fill out clothes sizes and a wishlist. This child filled out their sizes and wrote down 4 fun items and then scratched out 2 of them and turned it in. When the counselor noticed that the child had done this she called him(or)her back in and asked why they scratched the things out and the student said it was because they didn't want to ask for too much. Wow. The items that were written down were very inexpensive things too. Most children want the biggest and best things and this kid was so grateful to be getting something as small as a little rubber bracelet.

-Dancing is really a fun little thing. I love seeing a small child dance because you have to wonder, "where did they get those moves?" I guess a lot of people imitate what they see others doing but I think it's so fun to see child start moving along to a beat. It's hard for me to sit still when I hear music. I have embarrassed myself (and Cory) numerous times dancing down the aisles in stores or in the car. Just last Saturday night Cory & I were in Wendy's drive-through and as we pulled up to the window to pay Nelly's song, "Hot in Here" came on and I just couldn't help myself. The dude at the window was amused...or totally weirded out. It was pretty funny. I guess Gloria Estefan was right, the "Rhythm IS going to get you". As I get embarrassed at getting caught busting a move, a child doesn't, and I love that! The morning announcements at my school begin with a song that a student picks out. In my class that the announcements are read I have a girl with Autism. She is such a sweetheart and she loves to dance. She will dance along with the music until it's off. She's so carefree and doesn't get embarrassed by it. By the way, the other students have grown up with her and don't make fun which is nice. It really inspires me to enjoy the little moments and not be afraid to be silly every once in a while.

-Why do I keep losing earrings? In the past few weeks I have lost two black earrings (one from two pairs) It really frustrates me because I'm not taking them off and losing them, they are falling out of my ear at some point. It's been my left ear the last two times. I have been looking through my jewelry box and I have tons of earrings that no longer have a match. I hold on to them hoping I will find the other but I rarely do. It always happens to my favorite earrings too. I guess I can hold on to the half so I can have something to remember them by. Oh well, maybe I can think up a craft for old earrings without a mate.

-Is it really Christmas time? I've been counting down the days for Christmas break because that's when I get to move back home with Cory and it's gotten here (thankfully) faster than I had imagined but it doesn't really feel like Christmas. I guess it doesn't feel like it as much because I don't have any decorations up since I'm moving. My mom doesn't even have decorations out yet because I usually put them up for her and I've been in Tuscaloosa packing each weekend. I love Christmas and all it holds but this year I am somewhat apprehensive about it. Or maybe it's moving that makes me feel this way. Things are different this year (from quite a few aspects) and it makes my heart sad. Being in Tuscaloosa, even though I'm lonely, is somewhat of an escape from the reality sometimes and makes things seem ok. Ok, now it's getting depressing over here so I'm going to stop typing now.

I hope everyone is keeping warm. :)

I'm really in love with this dog.

I've posted a picture of this cute dog on here before and I'm doing it again. I seriously smile every time I see this little puppy's face. It's kind of embarrassing, but this picture is my computer's wallpaper. I just can't get enough!

I was uber-excited when I saw that there's a Boo calendar for 2011. If you're in love with him like I am, then I hope I just made your day. :)