A Very Lucky Girl

It's 2:08 pm on a Monday afternoon. I would usually be in appointments with potential students or calling new leads, but instead I'm sitting in bed with Netflix and a frozen pizza. How did I get here? It's a snow day. But it didn't begin that way. My alarm went off at 7:58 as usual and I began my morning. I saw a dusting of snow outside, but I hadn't heard from my boss about whether was campus was open or closed so I showered, ate breakfast, and left for my commute with plenty of time for cautious driving.  On my way to work I fought the internal battle of wanting to go. It's a daily struggle to get up and go to a place where there is a high probability of facing rejection. Don't get me wrong, I love my job. I love that I have the opportunity to change lives everyday. But it does get hard. It can be hard to pick up the phone and call a potential student who has hung up on me 5 times that week already. But the job requires that kind of persistence and tena...

I have completed an entire week of full-time work at Heritage College and I can honestly say that I love it. The week was not without a few bumps and bruises, but ultimately I am excited about the career I am beginning!  The things I have learned in the past 7 days include: I was incredibly excited to wake up on Monday morning and get ready for work! Tuesday was a far less perky story. Which leads me to... Coffee. Coffee is cool. Commuting is not cool in the least. Although said coffee makes the commute slightly cooler. I am still learning at what time I need to leave the house in order to get to work on time. I either cut it really close or got there 30 minutes early, there was no in-between.  I need to keep plastic forks in my desk because there is no guarantee that there will be any in the break room. I ate my lunch with an ice cream scoop twice.  I have SO much support! Thankful for sweet friends and encouraging calls and texts as I transition to this new time...

I'm a big believer that it does not have to be a new year for me to start something new. But coincidentally, 2014 and 2015 have both begun with changes on the horizon. Last year, 2014, I began an international journey. On January 3rd I left my comfortable American zone and traveled to Dundee, Scotland. Over the course of the six months I was there, Dundee became my new comfort zone and I was terrified to return to America after all of the changes that had taken place in me overseas. But I did it. I settled back into a routine in America and received my Bachelor's degree in December.  I thought I had a job, a clear direction for life post-graduation, but I was mistaken. The DHS position that had been offered to me in November, pending my completed transcript in December, was yanked away in an email that I received a few minutes before one of my finals. It informed me that they had found another candidate for the job. Needless to say, I was furious and frustrated...

My time at Sandy Beaches is almost up and it has certainly been an adventure!  Take yesterday for instance.  A customer, I'll call her K, came into the store in tears. I had met her only once before, but I immediately leapt up from my seat, and came around the counter to hug her.  I'm no stranger to tears. And hugs usually don't hurt.  She confided in me that she had found out sad news about many of her friends recently. Her husband is also seriously ill and she feels like everyone around her is dying. She is also seriously worried about her son.  I listened as best I could as other customers came in and out of the store to tan. I had nothing profound to say. I cannot understand her struggle, but I can imagine.  I finally set her up in her tanning bed and on her way out she stopped again to talk to me.  She told me I was a blessing to her. She told me she sees caring and love in my eyes, to the point where my eyelids are white (what?). She told ...

God, I'm so bilingual. Nahhhht. Another week, another check. And I haven't had to work past 4 PM yet this summer. So far, so good. This week I: corrected grammar: "She jamped!" No, she JUMPED.  made breakfast: chocolate pancakes. They asked for extra chocolate chips AND syrup. AM I mean for refusing? sat stonily when they tried to tickle me overused the word/sound "shmeh" to the point where they have begun to mimic me avoided Sister's cuddles at all costs. She is always wanting to hang on me in the heat of the day. CHILD, IT'S FAR TOO HOT FOR THAT. Learned that Pluto is officially no longer a planet Learned a continent named Oceania exists was stumped when asked, "how many movies have you seen in your life?" Overall, a pretty uneventful week in the life of A Very Lucky Nanny. Except for when I impaled my shin on rocks by the creek after our picnic lunch on Wednesday.

It's official, I am a trained employee of Fuzzy's Taco Shop. Working brings a new, not entirely unwelcome, dynamic to my free time. That was the main purpose for my midsemester venture into the working world. I'm too good at prioritizing my school assignments...and was left with miles and miles of unscheduled hours. So why not get paid to smell tacos for a few shifts? Exactly. Fuzzy's serves alcoholic beverages so I am in the process of obtaining my liquor license and compiling all of the stories of schwastyfaced individuals into a heartwarming blog post. Stay tuned! I work in constant fear of having to clean up puke. #fingerscrossed I've had two drunk strangers profess their love for me, one tell me "forreal doe, if you ain't married I'm comin' back to talk to ya. I'm serious", and another ask me what special skill I would bring to the table in a zombie apocalypse.  Despite the constantly sticky hands from cleaning up queso (seri...

Tyler took me to The Warren in Moore the other night to see a movie I've been dying to see ever since I viewed the trailer. "The Words" intrigued me for two reasons: as one who dabbles in writing, I couldn't shun a story of the trade, and Bradley Cooper fills the screen for an agreeable amount of time.  I was not disappointed. The basic premise is of a stereotypical starving writer trying to make something of his words while supporting himself and his newlywed wife. They go on a jaunt to Paris for their honeymoon (a bit pricey I'd think, but who am I to judge holes in the plot?), where Dora, the wife, buys him an antique briefcase. Happy wedding, honey! Here's a manky old murse for you to tote around town! However, the purchase inspires him (Rory Jansen, played by Bradley Cooper) in ways she couldn't imagine, for he discovers an ancient manuscript tucked inside. As his own stories continue to be rejected, he retypes the typewritten, yellowed pages th...

August 1st signaled the start of school for my young charges so Tuesday was my last day of work for the summer. Monday and Tuesday were as action packed as possible, sprinkled with neighborhood mama drama. Brother and Sister are participating in a miniature triathlon on Saturday morning so their mom encouraged me to include some training in our outdoor activities. I invited the three right-side neighbors to train and their mom and I held a trial triathlon on Tuesday morning, complete with a stopwatch. It was a nice way to blow off steam, especially considering that Monday was overwrought with emotion.  The right-side neighbors invited me and my kids to go bowling with them on Monday afternoon (since when did bowling become so expensive?! For two kids to bowl two games I spent 24 bucks!). Alas, the left-side neighbor girl was over at my house on Monday when we received the invitation, and I, being completely oblivious to any neighborhood tiffs, mistakenly told her she could tag al...

I felt like a mom on my first full day of summer a few weeks ago. It further urged my obstinacy against ever having kids. I was drop dead exhausted by the end of the day. 6:15 -Wake up. Scream obscenities at my alarm in my head. Go to the gym and work off the anger at the alarm. 7:15 -Take the fastest shower known to man. Skip shaving, what's one more day with fuzzy legs? 7:35 -Drop Shari off at work. 7:35-8:15 -Drive to Chick Fil A. Pick up a chicken biscuit for Megan to surprise her at work. Get lost. Depend on Google Maps. Get lost again. 8:20 -Drop off said chicken biscuit. 8:40 -Scour all of Walmart for everything on the list. Exchange Pringles for carrots (so devastating). Self-checkout (avoid human contact at all costs). 9:15 -Unload groceries. Talk to the dog because no one else is home. She wanders out of the room when I'm mid-sentence. I don't notice. 9:20 -Desperately try to remember how to make an omelet. Crack an egg. Shiver at the slimyness (so...