The excitement is Intense....

Not really. Scored a spot on channel 12 news. You could totally see the zit reflecting off the shiny black BILLY bookcase I was working on. Not to mention this day I had on my dingy blue zip up hoody that many of my friends hate cause it's just dingy. My former co-worker Angie used to ask me "why are you still wearing that thing it's gross....?" She's mean...cause that's my favorite sweatshirt. It's got this black spiral paint spot on it where I had worn it while doing some sort of stamping art thing with black paint, and theres a black swirly on the boob area....but it's a super comfy sweatshirt so whatever.

Layni was kind enough to post the enquirer picture of me sitting my fat arse on the floor in my orange sweatshirt....(that one is even older than the blue one and it's fairly crusty too. They just don't make them like they used to.) I look like a giant orange pumpkin.

This picture I am posting from the the Enquirer article is of my cool new friends. That's April putting a cool bed together, (this was the second try as she messed it up the first time....shhhhh....) This bed is cool because it can be lifted up with a clicky bar thing and it holds up the mattress to make it easier to change the sheets....BRILLIANT! In the background is Tarji (pronounced Ta-gee, her mom was effected by the drugs....she even says so, but it's a cool name from an old 1950's movie.) She and Julie (pictured next to her) are not big fans of furniture building, and like to take their time because they are not looking forward to the next piece waiting for them and their allen wrenches. I'll try and remember to sneak in my camera tomorrow to get my own sneak peaks....

So much for my big Break!

So the press was at work today. Yes people because I have that kind of job. I thought, doesn't matter I can avoid them because I am working back in a far corner of the store no one will see me, and my GINORMOUS ZIT ON THE BRIDGE OF MY NOSE. Seriously people I don't get zits. I really don't. I definately ain't had one on my freakin nose since 1988. So the day I could be photographed for the Newspaper or end up on the news, I have a freakin headlight on my nose. So I am sitting my fat arse on the floor, actually on a piece of cardboard, and I'm building some sort of rolling clothes hanging rack thing....and theres this huge canon, digital SLR, with a telephoto lens zooming in on my ZIT. It was the enquirer......at least it was an award winning photographer, whom I've seen speak before. Oh and I had on my favorite orange sweatshirt. I hope it's a color photo, and dude has the decency to airbrush out my ZIT!!

Forgot to mention. I went to the movies by myself on Saturday night.....shut up I'm not wierd. You should try it. It's liberating. Didn't feel like fighting with friends who often won't spend full price to go to the movies, or are sick or are busy or just don't wanna see it. All of that includes the husband. You ever just see a preview or hear about a movie and you just wanna see it....like now....and who cares if no one does. Just go it alone. So I did....and oh so glad, cause it was a great flick. JUNO. Waiting for the man to release some Itunes funds so I can get the sweet soundtrack! Hang out at the website and you'll hear quite a bit of it, it was a great movie with great music.

Why I don't watch the news.....

I rarely watch the news. I rarely read the newspaper. I've not been watching much TV at all lately. Stacie sent me searching for this article. Which is a great piece done by the folks at the Cincinnati Enquirer. I could easily become consumed by the problems of this world. This is why I don't watch the news! It's frustrating that nothing more can be done. Not to mention it reminds me how amazingly blessed I am. I can't even begin to understand Immigration laws, and I'm not even willing to debate them because I know too little. I just know that folks feel safe to come here and make money to provide for their families back home. Because they know they can't make that kind of money where they are from.

Ok two posts in one night. God is clearly in control of this blog tonight. I've now given you a lot to think about as well as a lot to pray about. My work here is done.

Why I Pray?

Because it changes lives.

One drop of water at a time.

*swiped this super cool picture off the VCC Missions blog, hope they don't mind.

Oh my aching back....

So we came up with a new and different way to study spelling words. It's called "sit on mommy's back and bounce after each letter." Or you could call it massage spelling. Thankfully the kids under 60 lbs, so he won't injure anyone. It did start hurting while bouncing after each letter, so we went with at the end of the word and if spelled correctly he could then bounce.

End of my third week of manual labor and I'm getting used to it. The transformation of the store is nothing short of miraculous. That steel tank gun I built was actually a TV table....yes with glass (extremely thick glass) shelves. It's a very nice table actually. I moved from end tables and coffee tables to beds and dressers. Which also involves wardrobes......rooms and rooms of wardrobes. I tend to head towards smallish, can fit in one box sort of things to build, just because why get in over you head if you don't have to. I'm sure there will be large items waiting for me on monday since I've now depleted the supply of small things. Since we'll have lockers with actual locks on Monday I'll take in my camera and see if I can't score a few photos for a sneek peek. Rumors are starting to stir up about friends and family day, which is before the actual opening on March 12. The friends and family day is March 8th. So you might want to show me how much you love me before then. Not sure how many folks I can invite. I've heard anywhere from like 10 to carloads? So who knows what's true. We practiced the chicken dance today at our all staff meeting.....something to do with preparing for grand opening....yikes....

Pinewood Derby

Just one more year. We have this year, which is Saturday, we race at 12:20 for any Perry fans out there. Ron created a family truckster (station wagon woodie) for the family race. The family race happens after the kids are done with the double elimination official race. The the dad's can race their cars, just so they can get their manly glory. There is a love hate relationship with Pinewood derby at this point. This is year 4, and each year there is a few dads that are just OVER THE FREAKIN TOP, and forget that it's for the boys to have fun, not necessarily for competition. There are rules to follow and there are winners, but COME ON. The love part is it's ran the same way every year and there isn't as much "fly by the seat of your pants" planning. It's mostly already done. We just pull it off.

I made muffins for my co-workers today....the ones I work with and hang with everyday. They officially love me and think I'm brilliant. Just making a name for myself that's all. Furniture builder...muffin maker....that's me. At the end of the day today I started on what appears could be a gun to a tank. I'm not quite sure. When I am finished, it's suppose to look like a corner end table with glass shelves. It's made out of steel, and requires 3 people to move it. I don't think the designer actually ever put it together. They just figured out how to "flat pack" it and saw that it was good. Hey go get a job at Ikea. They are still hiring, and if you are hired I get $50 when you tell them my name, so do that. If you are hired and I get the dough, I'll buy you a starbucks.

Honesty.....

I am amazed at the ripe old age of 38 almost 39 I still struggle with insecurity. Worried about whether people like me or not. Like I get sad to think that someone may not like me for whatever reason. Sad but true. I suppose others feel this same way from time to time, they just don't talk about it publically on their blog.....like I did just now. It's all about putting it all out there and a creating a forum for discussion. I guess if others admit to it than I'm not so bad am I. Now if no one responds then I'm just lame I guess. Whatever. Most importantly I know that God loves me, my kid, and my husband, oh and my mom, most of the time.


Happy Martin Luther King Day.....now theres a man who never questioned if God loved him. He lived out what it means to do Gods will. I want to do Gods will.....this is my soul desire. The video above was his last speech given the night before he dies. So prophetic. I love how they show he was so filled with the Holy Spirit that he had to be helped to walk away and then sit down.

Am I allowed to love my job?

I do, I really do love my job. The day will come when I am no longer building furniture, and I'll be doing actual work, which I'm not completely sure what that involves. I know it involves a phone, missing parts, returned items, and a desk with a few drawers. Other than that I'm not quite sure what I'll be doing. I can however recommmend what coffee table, or TV Stand NOT to buy because it's hard as hell to put together. Actually for the most part I've been choosing items that are square, or in one box and doesn't require assistance to move to my spot on the floor where I am working. This strategy has worked well for me and I've not run into any items that have me wanting to pull my hair out. Although my co-workers....not quite as smart as me. Or maybe they are way more ambitious than I and like a good challenge. 7 weeks away from opening day.....the momentum is building. (ha ha ha......get it....building, cause that's what I'm doing.....dang I've breathed too much sawdust)

Ouuuuuuuuch!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Stacie I totally swiped this one off her blog. But man dude is dead on. Love the part about being honest about the ugliness of life. Life ain't always pretty so lets recap the ugliness of my life for a moment shall we.

1. Does anyone realize I haven't done any sort of manual labor in oh say.......12-13 years?

2. That is a really long time ago...I was younger.

3. Walking a lot on concrete....hurts the body ALOT.

4. Ikea is 344,000 square feet. That my friends is a lot of concrete. (Imagine 3 Costcos)

5. Those racks you will see and shopping from when you shop at Ikea....I built those. (not all but a darn good many of them)

6. I have a blood blister on my finger, my feet hurt a lot, my legs are stiff, my arm muscles feel like I've been lifting weights, and theres no bath tub at my house.

Sad but all of it the ugliness of life.

Ikea is a great company to work for. The build-up process is actually very cool, and there is a good mix of all kinds of folks working. Important thing to keep in mind everyone is new, so no one is an expert. So everyone is finding there way together. Most everyone is meeting each other for the first time. The person with seniority has been there 1-2 weeks longer than me. So it's all good. Next week I'll be building furniture. I started today, and I did build 1 office chair. It took me about 30 min. which was mostly using an allen (sp) wrench. I helped another person put together this really cool looking hutch thing, once I have the catalogue memorized (Stacie the Ikea dork) I could tell you the actual swedish name. Ok my body is begging me to go pass out right about now.

If you need a part-time job Ikea is doing a Hiring Rally event at Butler Tech starting at 10am till 5pm tomorrow. Be sure to let them know I sent you. Put my name on the application and actually tell them.....theres a referral bonus.

A Glimpse at my new Job.....sort of....

This guy is off the hook. I'll definately have to check him out all week here.

Street Cred.....

I was always envious of 3-4 year olds who were allowed to pull off some Sesame Street Characters on their clothing, and it just wasn't acceptable for grown ups to be wearing Big Bird on their shirt......till now. Thank You Walmart!

New Year New Job!!

Go me! I was only unemployed almost 2 weeks. But you count all the Holidays in there it was really maybe a week. No intentions of discussing my J-O-B on the blog remember don't wanna get Dooced! Remember she got canned and made blogging her job. I'm not that talented. But trust me when I say I am way way way happier, and I start my new job on Monday. Man I've been a bad blogger. I've been enjoying kicking it with the P-man on his Christmas break and playing Zelda....I know I know....I got issues. Oh and I've been wasting a whole lot of time over there on Facebook.....thanks Stacie....good grief. I've always hated Myspace because it's always so flashy and busy...with a ton of Ads, so what do I do, I go over on Facebook and make a big ole mess. Ha! What a dork. It was fun though. I somehow tricked Ron into having a facebook account too. Now not only am I a dork, but my husband is too....woohoo....
Check me out on Facebook and then create one for yourself and then become my friend, because really it's all about having tons of friends.....yeah whatever....it is fun though, and I might smack you with a trout cause I can once your my friend.