a meaning of Christmas.....

So, I am going to admit that Cheryl was first to hit on this topic, however I feel it necessary for me to give a different viewpoint.

Christmas is obviously a special time for me, as you have seen from my blog. This year is feeling a little down, a little dreary and not-so-special. I have to work on Christmas day, for the first time in my life. Ever since I found this out, I have been down in the dumps.

Tonight, I went and finished the little bit of shopping I had to do. When I came home, I decided I would not let this work thing "get me down." So, I popped Emmitt Otter's Jugband Christmas in the dvd player, wrapped the presents and soaked in the crinkly, ribbony, awfully wrapped splendor of the moment. Right now as I write this, White Christmas is on the tv. Life is, afterall, good.

After the comedy of wrapping I performed, I decided to check Cheryl's blog. I was choked up from the moment I read about the hard candy that Maude used to have every Christmas. Thinking about Grandma sitting on the couch and handing us ornaments to put on her tree. Thank you Cheryl for reminding me what Christmas is about. The memories of Maude and Poppy, Grandma and (wish I remembered him more) Grandpa. Christmas Eves with Dads family, Christmas days with Moms. After the divorce, as wierd as it may sound, I think fondly of the trips between North Carolina and Ohio. While it wasn't conventional, it was Christmas.

Like Cheryl said, our parents always did an awesome job of making our Christmas special. While they were together, since they have been apart, and blessed us with more parents, Christmas has never had a dark cloud. This could really translate into a "Thank you for all you have done" to our parents, but that is another blog. For now I just want to thank them for making the "season bright." I love you.

My Week

So I had a rough start to my week. I was hit with the stomach virus that has been going around the North Carolina Piedmont region. Sunday night I got home and started feeling bad. "Why dont you go to the bathroom and try to throw up?" Carolina says. "Because I dont want to throw up!" I replied. Well, want in one hand and.....lets not go there. I was sick as a dog. Carolina had never heard a Schley guy throw up before, so she was in for a looooong sleepless night. When we Schley guys do our business, WE DO OUR BUSINESS. It aaaaall comes out, like it or not. i puked so hard, I burst a blood vessel in my right eye. So I was up and down, up and down, back and forth to the bathroom all night. I was so cold and shaking so badly, it was just awful. I really felt bad for Carolina because she did not get a wink of sleep all night thanks to me. Monday was better. No throwing up, however I was still making a path in the carpet to the bathroom all day. My body was achey, I slept most of the day and Carolina was awesome. Bought me Sprite, made me eat soup, made me take immodium and pretty much took care of me. Usually she treats me like Nurse Carolina, but since she and I had a discussion about this, she still took care of me, but in less of a harsh "do what i say" manner. So then Monday night came and MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL where there was a HUGE matchup between our Panthers of Carolina and the Butt Pirates (Buccaneers) of Tampa Bay. AWESOME GAME!!! Panthers won big and won 1st place in the NFC South. Now if they just win the rest of thier games they have a 1st round bye and home field through the playoffs.

On Wednesday, Carolina, Mom and I went to Biltmore House in Asheville to see it all done up for Christmas. I had never been to Biltmore, it was AMAZING. That house is freakin' HUGE! There is no reason to have a house that big. But since it's there.... It was beautiful and worth going back to see again. Mom paid for our admission, so I bought our breakfast on the way there, and Carolina paid for our lunch. Also, for only 25 dollars you could purchase a one year pass to Biltmore, so Carolina and I will be going back. It gets you a lot, free general admission to the house, the winery, and all of the grounds. It gets you two free passes for guests during a certain time period, and discounts on all other tickets. Discounts in the gift shops, discounts on pretty much everything. Ok, enough. You get the idea.

So other than that, Carolina is done with school for the semester and it is awesome to think of the time I am going to get to spend with her until January. I love spending time with her more than anything. She is going to pick up hours here and there, but nothing crazy.

Work has gotten.......less stressful, but still stressful. Layoff fear has subsided, however they are really hammering sales like never before. I am not the most stellar of salespeople, so it creates friction. I dont know why I am so opposed to selling, it just gives me an awful feeling in my soul. I LOVE people and talking to them, but when it comes time to start selling to them, I just feel slimy and "used car salesman." I feel like I am taking all of that conversation and trust building I just made with them and saying "I was just buttering you up so youd buy insurance from me." Enough of that too.

Well thats enough for now. Hope you all have a great weekend!!

Ready for Christmas.....

I would say that I am ready for Christmas, but in a sense, Christmas is already here. I mean, what do we think of when we think of Christmas? Time spent with family, decorations, specials that we grew up with on TV, all the great food and presents under the tree. Well, check check check check check! Christmas is here!!! I love this time of year and am so glad it is here. It will be a sad day on the 26th when it is all over.

Carolina needed a break from her studying the other night, so we went over to Dad and Anne's and helped decorate the tree. Cheryl insisted that I post the pictures, so here you are!

Speaking of Carolina's studies, she passed her final exam with an 87.5!!! I cannot begin to explain how proud I am of her. She sacrifices so much for studying and school. I just wish I could reward her for that. I know we say "Her degree and future are the reward," but I think we all agree a little immediate gratification is sweet. I love her, am proud of her and am so excited for her.

Breakdown

So yesterday was an interesting day. First of all I called in sick to work....but thats another story. Carolina had a long day of studying ahead of her, so I had the bright idea of going to Cracker Barrell and getting a good breakfast. You know, a little brain food. Nothing like eggs, bacon, toast and pancakes to start your day right. So we drove to Hickory, ate, started to head home and then it happened. What we had all been predicting would happen eventualy happened. Carolina's car went kaput. We were going up the ramp to get on 321 (for those of you familiar with the area) when her car just would go no more. I eased it onto the side of the road, listened to Carolina freaking out, and just sat there wondering what the problem was and what to do next. The car had a full tank of gas, so that wasn't the problem. Transmission had been acting funny when going into 2nd gear lately, like it was jumping a little or reving to high and long before shifting. Maybe that is it. So, thinking Dad was close by and not busy, I called him. He advised me to call the auto shop across the street from my house and have them dispatch a tow truck and have them take it in. Meanwhile he would head our way and pick us up. Turns out he was on 16 not to near us, and somewhat busy to boot, so THANKS DAD. He did make impressive time though!! He took us to the house, dropped us off and headed back to work. So thinking more and more about her car, we wondered, should we just buy a new one, or get this fixed? If it was to cost 1000 or more to fix, no way, not worth it, just buy a new car. When he called us to tell us it was the timing belt, and with tow cost would be around 600, we decided to get it fixed. 600 and it may last at LEAST until Carolina graduates and gets a new job. That is the point when we wanted to get her a new car anyway, so pray that this is the only problem we face with her car until after May. Thats the update!!

Let's post a little blog to satisfy the sister, shall we? You know I love you.

So I feel like crap today. Just a little cold trying to beat me into submission. While it is giving it's all and I am feeling every punch, I must maintain. I want to but DON'T want to call in sick tomorrow. If I don't call in, I will get paid for unused sick days for the year in a couple of weeks. I hear Carolina saying "They aren't going to take care of you, you need to call in." She loves me, in that "you're a stubborn dumbass" kind of way. Other than that, work is....work, for now. The attitude and energy of the situation hasn't changed. As I told some of you, one of my coworkers quit this weekend. She said she had enough and couldnt do it anymore. She said she prayed and prayed about it and felt led to just jump out on faith. I can't fault her for that.....just cant follow her lead either. Bills don't stop coming, ya know? So I am just hanging in there until I hear somthing from somwhere or until God hits me with a brick and lets me know where to go.

I have half of my Christmas shopping done so far. This is a record for me. I usually wait till about a week before to get the bulk of my shopping going. Then on Christmas Eve I usually make a dash for last minute items. Not this year my friend.....not again.

Well I am off to down a shot of theraflu and hop in bed...pray for me!!

But, everyone else is doing it....

So I know some of you will think I am crazy, and the crazy ones will think its cool. Carolina and I put up our tree last night. She has almost all of her shopping done already, and I have started mine, all the stores are decorated and Cheryl has all of her trees up. So it seemed not too insane to put mine up. Now this is Carolina and I's first full size, real deal Christmas tree. It was a really cool experience and it really had me looking at our situation. It made me realize that we are building a life together!! It is a very eye opening realization when you realize you are no longer "dating." We have moved into a more mature relationship where selfishness has no place. I dont know, it just really had me thinking last night. Funny what a little thing like a Christmas tree will do. I must say that I am very lucky to be where I am with who I am.

While we put up the tree, I made Carolina watch UNC dismantle Kentucky in basketball. Its good to see basketball season again, despite its forshadowing of the end of football. One of the things I love about it is that when it ends, it will be Spring. And that is one of my favorite times of year in North Carolina. I just got an idea about a new blog......stay tuned!!

Been a While

So I havent blogged in a while. Been a lot going on around here these days!! Don't really know where to begin!! So I will start with the prayers needed.

Carolina's sis-in-law has been diagnosed with Lupus. Now, in America, where health care is not a problem, Lupus would be more an aggrevation than anything. In Honduras, its a life threatening illness. Her sisinlaw is basically fighting for her life right now. She had no insurance (as Carolina's brother is self employed) until today. There is no such thing as a preexisting condition in Honduras, thank God. So they were able to bribe someone to start her insurance today as opposed to starting it next enrollment period. This is a GREAT thing, due to the medical attention she will now be able to get with this insurance. She had been going to the public physicians with no luck or help. They were incorrectly diagnosing her, giving her incorrect medications, etc.... Since she was not getting better, Carolinas brother had the sense to say "enough of this" and he took her to a private physician. This woman was a gift from God himself. She not only immediately diagnosed that she had Lupus, she also could tell that her kidneys were inflamed and that she had an infection in her throat. She agreed to treat her that day for immediate concerns, agreed to treat her further upon getting insured, and even gave them her cell phone number in case od emergency. Now the poor thing had been in awful shape. She was one step from needing dialysis, couldnt walk, couldnt talk, couldnt eat or drink, it was all she could do to take medication. Today, she walked a little bit, ate a little bit, and is feeling less discomfort. We are not quite out of the woods yet, so I ask that you pray for her and keep praying for her.

As for Carolina, she has been very emotional. She is much better now, however she is always the nurse, thinking about what could happen with this or that. Thank God she is like that, because I just sit here and think....."oh, everything will be cool." She has been a little sick, i think do to the stress. Her worry for her Ludwin aside, as for her brother, she is very worried for her niece, Sophia. Carolina, having grown up with a sick mother and eventually losing her to Cancer, does not want Sophia to go through that pain and struggle. So please also pray for Sophia to be strong for her mom and for Carolina to come to peace in this issue also. She has been studying a lot, or at least trying to, and is very emotionaly drained. She only has one clinical and two classes left before her finals!!!! Pray for that also please!!

As for me, I have had my own stress also. I have been worried about, stressed about, trying to give to God, the fact that Avis is doing opptional layoffs. They have already stated that they do not expect to achieve the numbers of cuts that they desire, so a non-opptional layoff will follow at the beginning of December. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Seeing as how I have decided to go back to school this January, I thought about taking the opptional layoff severence plan, however, I would leave too much money out on the table per say. With commission, holiday pay, sick pay, etc.....I just couldnt do it. Also, I dont want to forfeit my right to unemployment if I do get laid off. So as I search for other jobs, please pray that this situation works out for the best, and that handle it with dignity and awareness that there is a greater plan. Aside from the work issue and trying to be the Oak tree to Carolina's weeping willow, I have been somwhat busy around the house. I Did a fair share of yard work, organized the sunroom and got out a few more little Holiday decorations. The major yard work I did was remove the GIGANTIC holly TREES that were engulfing the front corners of the house. These things were 10 ft tall and 7 feet wide. It was beyond trimming, they were just too big. So I busted out the chainsaw and vroom vroom vroooooom. Down they came. Carolina loved the way they made the house look. I agree that is makes it look bigger and better. It was a ton of hard work though. Now its just a matter of getting those stumps out. No fun. As for the decorations........I WON THE TREE DEBATE!!! Ok, so I gave in a little bit. I agreed to have clear lights. But I get to have all of the random ornaments I can muster!! The tree won't be going up until closer to Christmas though. I have to admit, I have already watched Its A Wonderful Life and White Christmas is next on the shelf. Emmit Otter's Jugband Christmas is not far behind!!!

I am eagerly anticipating the next few weeks of football. We will find out how the Big Ten shakes out and where Ohio State will go bowling. We will find out if Carolina can finish out the year with some Ws and make the transformation by Butch Davis a legit thing with an ACC Championship. To close it all out we will see if the Panthers can keep rolling on through the NFC South and win that Super Bowl that was promised by the owner some 15 years ago. I DO LOVE FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!! And college basketball is just around the corner to get me through till spring traning!!! ahh.....im a junkie and sports is my drug.

Been Busy...

So things have been a little busy lately in life. I have been looking for a new job, for starters. As you may know I have not been happy with my job for quite some time. Recently they have transitioned my position from mostly Customer Service to mostly Sales oriented. While this may not sound like too bad of a thing, the techniques in which they want us to sell are a bad thing. Things such as not telling a customer how much somthing costs, unless they ask. This just does not set well with me and my morals. So I have sent out my resume and applied to about 10 different jobs, wish me luck!!!

I had NO football to watch this weekend, which sucked royaly. No Ohio State, no UNC, no Panthers. What are the odds all 3 of my teams would have bye weeks??

Today Carolina and I went and exercised our civic duty and voted!! We probably blanked each other out though, her being Democrat and me being Republican. Tis the way of democracy.....
After that we went to WalMart and bought a new curtain rod for the curtains we put in the living room...look pretty good!! I cleaned the livingroom and got out a few Christmas decorations. Nothing major, just a couple little things. We decided to get a big tree this year, but we cannot agree on the decoration of it. I am a traditional eclectic Christmas kind of guy, and she is the snobby THEME tree kind of person. Maybe we will just have to have two!! I am more and more ready for Christmas!!

Thats all for now!!

We carve Pumpkins too!!!!

So I may be a little late, but we carved Pumpkins at Dad's tonight!! Carolina took a test today, passed, and to celebrate we went to Dad and Anne's and had a great dinner. Boiled shrimp, cheese soufle, aspearegus and rolls. It was deliscious!! After that it was Pumpking carving time!!!!

Carolina had never carved a pumpkin before,

so we broke her in properly. I somehow managed to pick the hardest pumpkin known to man. This thing was like cutting into a frozen brick.

Anne had the largest pumpkin and as usual she made it look easy.

We really enjoyed the event, as Halloween is

Friday and the temperature outside reminded us that it is indeed Fall. Once it was over it was picture time. We lined them up, lit them accordingly, and Dad snapped the pics.

It was a good time had by all.

Okay.......

So being a Buckeye sometimes means feeling the sting of defeat too.......I still love 'em. But that too is being a Buckeye. A loss means a lot more to us than most schools. We will still play a New Years bowl, we will still be in a bowl period. We will still act like the Michigan game is the ONLY game that matters. We will still throw a party, even if its the Alamo Bowl.

Anticipation.......

Scarlet and Grey are my primary colors. The knot in my stomach chokes any appetite I had leading up to the game. I pace and swing my foot with nervous energy. A necklace of worthless nuts hangs from my neck. Kickoff approaches, and so does my worry. I worry because every game they play has national ranking and national title implications. This is being a Buckeye. This IS Ohio State Football.

We are the most intense, supportive, biased and hungry fans in the nation. We are loyal, we are under rated and under appreciated. We speak out own language (OH-......) We fly flags in our yard, we put stickers on our car, we dress our 3 month old children in buckeye gear, we know legend as one name.....Woody. We don't give a damn for an entire state. We think, no, we KNOW we have T.B.D.B.I.T.L. We eat at restaurants just to see a Heisman Trophy and to support the Buckeyes who own it or have thier name on it. We are hated by the entire country and LOVE it. We can go anywhere in the world and see a red hat and a grey O and strike up a conversation. We remember our grandparents cheering them on. We have been or want to be one of 105,000+ WE ARE OHIO STATE FOOTBALL!!!!

Not much....

This is somewhat of a rambling Bog. I have no global issue like hunger or economics on my mind. Nothing is troubling me, which I view as a good thing. It's heavy carrying a worldly concern!! Today is just a day to reflect on the beauty that surrounds us. I went out into the yard today and just played around with the camera, snapping pictures of the everyday beauty around me. Things you never look at on your way to your car, when you take out the trash, or yell to the kids to come inside for dinner. I started thinking, sometimes beauty resides in the thing we're scared of most......

That one was for you Cheryl. I also started thinking about how much I really do like Fall. It is the Winter that follows that I am not so fond of. Who wouldnt like all the colors, the crispness of the morning air, the long shadows strewn across the landscape in late afternoon.....

Sometimes it is just nice to go outside, without purpose or direction, look around at what God has made and look at beauty in a place youve not looked in a while, or maybe never looked.

Decision '08

So after much study, thought and prayer, I have decided who I am going to vote for. I have to follow my heart on this and go with the candidate who most resembles my values and beliefs. McCain - Palin will get my vote on Nov. 4th. It will be countered with a vote of Obama - Biden by my lovely fiance, Carolina.......

A Love Blog for someone special

I just want to take a moment to write a little something special for a deserving loved one. Now, this loved one has been there for me in good times, and in bad. This loved one has given me support when Ive needed it, provided comfort and joy. We hang together and watch football, we cuddle with a blanket and watch movies, we sleep together oh so soundly like a little baby. This loved one is.......my chair.

She is beautiful with the most wonderful, tan, soft skin. Her arms wrap around me and warm me on the coldest nights. I LOVE MY CHAIRY.

Septic Tank Fiasco

So, as I mentioned in my previous blog, we have been having problems with the septic tank. Well, Carolina had finally had enough of walking into the back yard after taking a shower and smelling poo. Yesterday I called around and got a price estimate for a pumping service. Everyone seemed to be in the ballpark of 200 (given 1,000 gallon tank and how far you have dig down.) So Stanley Septic and Environmental came out today to pump 'er out and fix our stink. As they uncovered the first lid, we (I hung out with them and watched the whole process, it was like watching a live episode of Dirty Jobs in your own backyard!) discovered a broken lid on the tank. This broken lid wasn't the problem though, as Jeremy the Septic guy said, "this is one of the fullest tanks I've seen." So he slowly pumped it out as I watched him and Filberto, his co-worker, push and suck and stir at least 15 years of waste. Disgusting!!!! But fascinating!!! So as we began discussing the broken lid situation, he asked if I would be willing to pick it up and put it on myself, because doing so would save about 100 dollars. The pumping cost 195, the new lid cost 125 and to deliver and put it on would have cost 100 extra. Naaaah, I can do that. So this afternoon I called Dad, who was more than happy to help since it got him out of working the rest of the afternoon, and he came over in his Tundra. We went, picked it up, and came back to the house and dug enough around the whole so it would fit, put it down in and covered it back up. THANKS FOR THE HELP DAD!!!! So no we can take a shower and wash the clothes without worry of creating a stinky situation in the back yard.

Elephonkey

Let me just say, for the record, that even after sitting through a 2 hour debate tonight, the Vice Presidential and Presidential debates previously, reading and watching more coverage than I care to remember, and much independent thought, I AM STILL UNDECIDED.

Initially I thought that maybe it was the usual strategic positioning of the middle by each candidate, however tonight's debate put that to rest. They agreed on miniscule points of greater issues, issues that they couldn't be farther apart on. So, now I am left to wonder, is it me? Am I a fence rider? I never thought I was before. I am a registered Republican and have usually voted a 75% or so Republican ticket. But as I am getting older, and I hope more wise, I find myself leaning closer the the middle.

Im an Elephonkey.

So......

So lets give this a try. I find myself always checking to see if Cheryl has updated her Blog. This got me thinking to myself , "Self.....maybe you should blog." Cheryl told me she really enjoyed the couple of venting sessions I put in written form on my Myspace page, so I might just be readable. I don't know that I will always be deep, meaningful, or coherent but I will give you words to read!

I guess I will follow the template given by my sister, and just speak about life these days. Lets begin with the big one story that everyone wants to talk about. I got engaged two weeks ago today. While she tried her hardest to make it difficult to ask, I managed to find a way, and she said yes!! We have not set a date yet, but we will do that once she is done with R.N. school. I consider myself highly favored in this blessing of a woman to share my life with. She is everything I could ask for and everything I didn't know to ask for. She is my bestfriend, my confidant, my accountability partner, and my lover. She has taught me so much about who I am, what I want, and what I need. She has opened my eyes to what the world has to offer and even what it doesnt. She has made me realize what is possible and what is already achieved. I love her more today than yesterday, and will love her more tomorrow.

Other than that little piece, work has sucked. This economic crisis is hitting us pretty hard. Every rental car company is laying people off, and Avis has decided that, to avoid paying unemployment, they will put the heat on in various ways and fire people after multiple write-ups to establish just cause. I recieved a write-up (the first I have had in ANY job) for "not over coming the objection" when a customer said he didn't want any insurance for the car. I was supposed to counter-offer, but I took a no as a no and that is a no no. So I have decided to be the marionette and do the dance. I am not going to give them any reason to let me go. Especially when the heat is on others worse than myself.

The septic tank has been backing up and this is creating a stinky problem in the yard. I thought initially that stopping use of anti-bacterial soap may thwart the issue, but no. Now I must call someone and get them to come out and fix this nasty nuisance.

Carolina is still studying hard and having issues in school, but nothing we dont feel she cant overcome. I will keep you posted!!