Fall Is In The Air and School Is Around The Corner

Fall has now unofficially/officially begun!  I know that technically the first day of fall is what, Saturday or something like that but for me it starts with the first Pumpkin Spice Latte!  To top it all off, it was my free drink!  Can you say "Hello Venti Pumpkin Spice Latte with an extra shot!  Do I want whip cream...why yes I do!!!"

Now every other day that I actually have to pay for my coffee I am pretty cheap and boring.  As the air gets cool and crisp, I tend to go with my staple of a Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte extra hot.  It's cheap and VERY low on calories!  If you have never tried the Pike Roast at Starbucks (hi, I'm from Seattle and Starbucks is pretty much the ONLY place I will get coffee from) then you are missing out!

Sometimes I switch it up and get the Blonde Roast.  Either way, leave a little room for "cream" but I use non-fat milk and a little bit of sugar...not nearly enough as I would normally so I could actually taste it but enough that it takes the slight bitter taste away from black coffee.

During the summer, I am all about the Trenta Black Tea Lemonade.  I am so thankful for the Trenta and can totally understand why it is only available for iced/non-coffee drinks...that would be a whole mess of caffeine that no one person should every consume in one beverage.

After every 12th drink and I see that I have that free drink, you better believe I am not caring about calories or anything and I am getting the most expensive drink that I never get otherwise and that is usually a Venti (are you seeing the "free" trend here...) White Chocolate Raspberry Mocha with an extra shot and whip cream.  Now if only they carried Cherry syrup...then it would be a Cherry Mocha...but they don't.

With the start of fall comes the start of the new school year.  My oldest nephew started kindergarten this year (lord have mercy where HAS the time gone).  My youngest sister started on her Master's program.  I have wanted to get back into taking classes but I just can't afford it and then I found Ashford University.  There are so many perks there being prior service that made it impossible to turn down.  I have been talking with a counselor who is totally awesome and yesterday he walked me through the application process and I applied.  Should have my official acceptance tomorrow and then he is going to help me fill out all of my financial paperwork and help me apply for the Pell Grant.

I start my first class on October 1st and I can't wait!  Each class is 5 weeks long and you only take one class at a time.  The best part is that no money has to come out of my pocket!  Tuition is deferred for 60 days while the VA plays catch up to get everyone their money and he is even going to help me figure out how to do all the VA stuff!  It's all so different from my previous school but I have a really good feeling about this program.  PLUS when I graduate, I will have a Bachelor's degree in the original field that I wanted anyway!  I will have a BA in Applied Behavioral Science.  I can't wait!

With all that has happened in the last few days, I have also decided to take the crazy woman who owns the dance studio that I used to teach at who owes me money to collections!  I will hopefully be able to set up a meeting either today or tomorrow with them to get this going because even with them taking their 20%, it would leave me with well over what she originally owed me and saves me from having to drive back down to the court house and turning my case into a civil suit.

Well I guess that is everything for now!  Until next time!

Working Towards Improvement

I wish I could say that I am about to grab life by the balls and run but I am a giant wuss and anyone who knows me knows that when faced with confrontation, I do one of two things:

A - I run...and I run far, far away!

B - I keep my mouth shut and say nothing.

Both of those things I truly am trying to address and work on and in some aspects of my life, I have applied myself and have not ran or have stood up for myself.  Now I am faced with an extremely difficult situation...

I love my job!  I really do!  I love the people that I work for/with.  Outside of work I consider my boss my friend and he has been there for me when I have had some rough times and I do genuinely feel like I can talk to him about anything that I need to...except this one little thing...

I have reached "manager" status yet I am not being paid as such.  I have a ton of responsibility and am relied on in so many different aspects yet I am making not much more than minimum wage.  I barely make enough to pay my bills with a little left over to make an extra (not very substantial) payment on my credit card let alone trying to save money so I can move out and live on my own/with roommate(s).  I just can't seem to muster up the nerves to sit him down and say something like

Listen, I love my job but I need to be paid more otherwise I will have to get a different job...

And ain't nobody got time for that!

So I probably won't throw in that last line but you get the idea.  I am in a tight spot here.  I live with my mom and step dad (which I know I have mentioned at least once or twice in the last couple years...insert note of sarcasm and bitterness).  My youngest sister just graduated from college and starts her Masters program here in a month or so and I have just recently been informed that I am losing my bedroom to her and will be sharing a room every other weekend with my step brother and step sister when they come to visit...heaven help me when it comes to Christmas when they are here for a week (because I know I won't be able to be out on my own by then).  I'm gonna try and talk to my boss on Saturday...I hope that I can.

Second part of this improvement process is getting back in shape.  I am almost ready to start working out again.  I have my core strengthening exercises and have had my last physical therapy appointment and hopefully in the next month or so I can get back in the gym since I have been paying monthly and not going.  I want to get back into running (slowly of course) and also get back to teaching Zumba at some point.  So my mom has finally broken down and decided that she wants to do AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge and I am doing it with her.  I am going to try and track my progress through my blog and see if I can somehow figure out how to add my Lose It! profile on here!

Wish us luck!  Order has been placed and it should be here by the 22nd and Momma and I will be on our way to better versions of us!  Stay tuned!

Until next time!

UBC Day 17 - Close Your Eyes and Open Your Mind

Even on my days off, I never feel like I get to really relax and do nothing.  It always seems like I have something to do.  Some errand I have to run...some place I have to go...end up getting called in to work an extra shift.

When I get a day to really just relax and do nothing...I turn my alarm off...I shut my phone off...I wake up naturally.  I eventually make my way out to the living room where I curl up in my blanket and watch a few of my shows on the DVR...but honestly I feel most relaxed when I am dancing.  When I am practicing my Zumba moves on my own.  Creating my own choreography or working on getting a few new dances down.  The music just seriously makes everything else irrelevant.

Any worries or stress just melts away as soon as I start the music and start to move.  Dance has always been that way for me.  I was just in love with New Orleans partially because I could go out any night of the week and the clubs would be packed and playing great music and I would dance and not think about anything else.  Sure...being 19 years old and getting into clubs and not being carded buying drinks and shots was fun but dancing is really why I went out.  Not to get drunk because I could.

Now that I know that my knee is okay, I have stopped babying it and plan to build that muscle back up and get back into teaching Zumba.  I need to dance.  I have so much pain and stress that I need a release.  If I could not dance, I would run but right now I cannot really do either.  However I am totally ready to fully try my choreography that I created in my head and have yet been able to try out!

On the flip side, I also love to curl up next to a window with great light and a good book...a cup of hot coffee and a beautiful view...that is perfection as well!  The only thing that could ever make it better is having someone special there with me.  To peek up over the top of my book and see someone special sitting close to me doing something similar.  Eventually when I get my set schedule of Wednesday through Sunday work week back, I plan to find someplace beautiful and peaceful to go to and read on Mondays or Tuesdays.  Who knows...maybe I will walk onto a ferry and go somewhere and use the time and surrounding beauty to refresh my poetry!

How do you unwind?  Is there a special place that you go to and relax?  Is there a certain activity that just puts your mind at ease?  Share your secret you place!

Until next time!

UBC Day 13 - Where Do You Spend Your Days?

100,000

That would be a very vague approximation of how many hours an average person might work in their lifetime.  We spend most of our lives working...more than we spend with our families.  It is kind of sad to me to be honest.  That brings me to the question in my title...

Where do YOU spend your days?

I have the privilege of working for the greatest family ever!  I know that I have written about it before but I really have the coolest job ever!  I get to fuel airplanes and helicopters of ALL kinds!  What I have not done, is share pictures...I do not have many but I work on the line on Wednesday and Thursday so I can take some pics and add them later!

 

This was taken right before our major snow storm last year...and when the airport closes down and I loose a week of work then I call it a storm.  That is one of our helicopters!

A frosty, foggy, and chilly morning at work...but you cannot tell me that is not just amazing to look at!

 When the President came into town, a flight restriction was in place ALL DAY LONG...and this big guy showed up and landed just in time!

This is part of our taxiway heading to the end of the runway for aircraft to take off on runway 33 to the North...my preferred runway...especially during the summer when I have to hot fuel the caravan!

Here is a tandem skydive instructor with a student...I will do this one day this summer...when it is hot outside on the surface!

Have you ever seen anything that cool after a long, hard, hot day at work?  It makes all the sweat and horrible tan lines totally worth it!

Now that there are some awesome outside pictures...I will work on some actual pictures of the facilities...because the pictures on the website do not do it justice!  Check it out!

Until next time!