Today has been a day of emotion. I sit here now in my home of three years. Everything echoes because the house is now empty. Tomorrow I will pack up my car and not return here. It’s funny the emotions that you go through when you leave a place you have been living at. My mind is swarming with memories, my heart is filled with love. I love this house. It’s the most beautiful place I have ever lived. I am very close to downtown St. Petersburg. I live right off of 4th St, which is filled with a million awesome little stores. A new one just opened actually. My favorite consignment shop ever, Revolve. If I remained living in this house I would spend all of my money there I think, and all the clothes I just got rid of would soon be replaced. I also have been living by the best park ever. It is called Crescent Lake Park.  Everyday people bring their families, their dogs, or just themselves and walk around the lake. There is a massive banyan tree that shadows one  corner of the lake. In every direction you look there are smiling dogs trotting around with their owners, squirrels, sea gulls, and ducks fill the park. I could see the park from the screened in porch of my house. Here is the link that advertised our house when it was for rent 3 years ago, I saw this..and I fell in love: http://www.edwinbailey.com/rentals/house2.htm. 

I am saying good-bye to this place. And I am saying hello to a new beginning. One that is going to be beautiful. I am going to live with the man of my dreams and start anew with him. I cannot wait for what lies ahead. But tonight I want to remember my time in this place. Since being here I have discovered Florida, I have pet my first manatee, I was a team leader with the Obama campaign, I worked at the worst job imaginable, I got my first kayak, I fell in love with Joel. A lot has occurred since I have been within these walls. 

Today as I was driving to run an errand I was enjoying the sun beating in the window of my car. I looked out at all the people at the lake, I smiled and thought what a beautiful day it was and how excited I am for the week to come. I was so happy I could not help but giggle. At the same moment I was giggling I got a call about my roommates grandmother. She was not doing well in the hospital. A few moments later I drove past an elderly neighbors home. An ambulance was there with a stretcher outside. I thought of the emotions going on within that home, the emotions going through my roommates head, the emotions going through my boyfriend as he is working to clean his crab boat so he can return home. It got me thinking about how on this beautiful Sunday so many different moments were occurring in so many people’s lives. Here I am bursting with joy, taking in the sunlight, as others are weeping over the loss of a loved one, or working hard so they can return home. Here we all are, underneath this same sun, each of us on their own path, taking in that sunlight in their own way. I remembered again how lucky I am, and how very very important it is to embrace each moment of each day.

Life is the most precious gift..Enjoy it…

check it…

(p.s. i will give autographs.. they are $5 each..come on..help an unemployed girl out..plus one day when i am on TV you’ll be glad you have it..)

http://www.tampabay.com/features/media/tiger-woods-apology-can-he-stay-private-in-a-gossip-fueled-world/1074461

Well.. Week 4..spent mostly packing and preparing for the big MOVE. Times when not packing I went to the gym. I exercised my heart out. I went to the gym five times. I switched up my routine. And it hurt. By Friday when I was swimming my laps in the pool I was hurting. But its a hurt that I love. I love the way your muscles ache after a good work out, how you feel like you can breathe a little better, how your body is energized. Which leads me up to my breakthrough of week 4. I have decided what my next job will be!!!!!!! I am going to become….. drumroll please……. a personal trainer!!!!!! Why not!?! I love the gym, I am there a huge chuck of the time, I want a job in which I am helping people, personal training is in the top 10 happiest jobs a person can have.. Shablam! It’s perfect for me! I am really excited to become a personal trainer. I am trying to work out really hard before this and to learn a lot. So.. one more thing to add to the list… become a trainer..

I took a break in the middle the week to go out to eat with two of my boys… Josh and Bill.. the A/V guys. Josh you can say is semi responsible for hooking my boyfriend and I  up.. which I am eternally grateful to him for. We all went out to eat at a really good Thai/Mexican restaurant.. Awesome combination aye!?!  Nitally’s. Yummy. I  ventured for the shrimp green curry. A deliciousness of basil, carrots, shrimp, coconut milk.. even a heart-shaped block o’rice to celebrate Valentines day…awww. The owners are a husband and wife duo. It was the husbands birthday. Their adorable daughter brought out her dad a birthday cake with candles blazin while he was talking to us after our meal. He offered everyone in the restaurant a piece of his birthday cake.. It was a sweet evening that reminded me of my love for family owned restaurants.

The weekend was nice, solemn, fun, humbling, a mixture of emotions. Saturday was Joel’s grandmother’s funeral. Family flew in from all around the country, people I had not met yet. On Friday night we did an ole’ family tradition!!! (I love, love, love family traditions.) We made homemade pizza! Mine was to be a heart, in tribute to Valentines Day. Some told me it looked more like Pac-Man. What do you think?

The next day was spent at the service, then I got to know Joel’s extended family…which I thought was wonderful. My boyfriend has a beautiful family which I am so happy to be a part of.

The days following…moving preperations.

..I origninally intended for my move day to be Monday the 22nd. However a few of my friends who were going to help were unable to last-minute so I changed the day to Sunday. I reserved my the truck and it was set!! My best friend/roommate and his girlfriend graciously helped with the move. I filled a 14′ truck. I got all the boxes put in by 1:30 Sunday afternoon, when they were able to come and we got the rest of the things ready to go in a few hours. Now my stuff sits happily at my new storage unit or in my NEW amazing home. I am looking forward to the days ahead. I am cleaning my old home the rest of the week…then Monday…I am out to the woods. PLUS my boyfriend should be home next week!!! Does life get any better!!??!!?? I think not.. 

Sigh…Smile…Cheers..

So the focus of Week 2 as well as Week 3 has been to get ready for the big MOVE! I worked hard on project downsizing. It is amazing how good it feels to get rid of things that are not actually needed. I had 20 boxes of clothes.. Clothes ranging from high school to current day. For some reason it was like pulling teeth getting rid of some of the then fashionable now not so fashionable clothes.. My friend Franki had a genius idea. Have a fashion show with the clothes that are so hard to part with. She would take photos of me in my old clothes and I can make an album, remembering forever the threads I have held on to for so long.

On Monday of Week 3 I went to my future home and looked for a storage unit in the area. I found a nice family owned place on the way to my boyfriends. I decided to go with them. That evening I went for dinner with Lee and Jack (Joel’s mom and dad). They are wonderful . I love spending time with them. Lee is a fabulous cook, sweet as can be, and we both love a lot of the same things….cooking..pictures..games..fun movies.. Joel’s dad is great .. He has awesome stories.. has always been so kind to me and a great zest for adventure. So the three of us ate over a delicious meal, told stories and had a good time.

I filled the rest of the week with going through my things.. preparing for SATURDAY.. the big day.. THE GARAGE SALE!! In between the garage sale preparation I stuck with my work out regimen the best I could. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I am doing an hour of cardio, weights, then swimming a mile.. all in all I end up at the gym about 3 hours on these days. Tuesday and Thursdays I go to my favorite class Pump. I hope with sticking with this routine I can reach my goal.. probably every ladies wish.. NO giggle! I want a firm tummy, legs, arms..you know.. I am sure you have heard the same from every other female on the planet.  Well keep your fingers and toes crossed for me.. I’ll let you know how the progression goes…..

Of course I ended up watching the season première of Lost. I don’t have television at my house so I went to a girlfriends. I have heard mixed reviews on the episode. I thought it was good. This was the only television I watched all week. Normally I will watch a DVD or two a week. This week nada, last week I didn’t either. In my unemployment I am getting away from the television world ever more than ever.. and.. I don’t miss it a BIT!

Yesterday was the BIG day.. The LAUNCH of the first day of MY FIRST garage sale.. The alarm was going off at 6:20 AM. I was so excited I was out of bed singing, makin coffee by 6:25. My roommate and I decided we better first put up the cardboard signs directing people to the sale.. the signs did say it began at 8:30.. NOTE: people come to garage sales as soon as the sun starts to rise.. So as I was assembling tables and getting my first clothes out of boxes people were around me looking at each thing I placed on the table. There was pretty much a steady stream of people around me for the next 3 or 4 hours.. But hey, it was fun, I made 60 bucks. And I got to see people find something that I had loved for years, you saw them pick up for example an item of clothing, and really like it, I saw their excitement of the first time they were going to wear it, I remembered the history and the story that item had with me. It felt good. The end of my time with something I loved, its story only known by me, now leaving to be loved by someone else. This may seem like a trivial silly thing to you.. most of you have probably gotten rid of clothes a million times.. Me, I have not.. For some reason I was holding onto all these pieces of fabric, as if that was keeping their story, their memory with me. And it was not.. All those stories are within me. I, by no means am a stingy person, I guess more of a packrat, holding onto things, this weekend was my time to share so many things I love. Today we had the sale again. When the sale was over whatever I did not sell I put into plastic bags and took to the women’s shelter. I must admit letting these things go at times was difficult over the weekend. But my time with them was done.

This weekend helped remind me of the importance of sharing, the importance of holding close all your lovely memories, the beauty in seeing a smile come across a strangers face, the cleansing feeling you get when you let go of the past, empty out a closet, and with a breath of fresh air welcome with open arms the future..

Project downsizing = SUCESS.

It’s funny how many things you never get to do when you’re stuck  40 hours a week behind a desk. Well that burden was no longer upon me.. I was swinging into action.

Throughout the week I went and had lunch with a friend, we talked over tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. I picked up some oil for my boyfriend when he returns from Alaska. He drives a diesel van which he converted to run on veggie oil. So my friend saved up some oil for him.

I spent Tuesday afternoon going to a matinée with my boyfriends mother. Her mother passed away the previous week and she was in need of a good laugh. I could have used one as well. So we spent the afternoon munching on buttery popcorn and dying laughing together watching It’s Complicated, a romantic comedy. I have a secret love for romantic comedies. This one was particularly good. (The critics don’t agree but what do they know..)

I began, what  is going to be  a massive project. PROJECT DOWNSIZING.. Basically I have years and years worth of crap. I am trying to get rid of what I do not need, minimize my possessions. I sometimes feel like I am on the verge of becoming a pack rat (some may argue that I am already there).  Plus as I grow older I realize that the value lies more within the quality of our days, the people we surround ourselves with, not the items that we feel we feel we must have. I must say I am quite proud of myself. To date… I have gotten rid of about 10 boxes of junk.. I have set aside another 5 boxes to go in a garage sale I am hosting in a few weeks….For more information on this massive de-junking project I am head deep in..Check out the category dedicated to the whirlwind of boxes being sorted through, the memories surfacing.. and my growing and learning to let go of things unnecessary…

I worked out five times last week. I love the gym. I love that I am getting more time to go there. I swam a mile, went to my favorite classes. This week I am shooting for six days at the gym. I figured I have to work up to only having one day off.

I went to the Vinoy for the first time since my arrival to Florida. Of course I have ridden my bike, walked my dog, and driven past the place a million times. But I have always felt a little out-of-place going there. It is where the élite of St Petersburg hang out. I met an old friend from the PREVIOUS work there. We had drinks. I got the tour. I saw the governor while I was there. Their drinks were good (I had two Cosmopolitians..I figured they were appropriate) as well as the complimentary nut mix.

Saturday was sweet. I went with a couple of friends to Ft. Desoto. One of my friends has two daughters, they went as well. It was fun hanging out with them. They insisted I sit in the backseat by them to and from the fort. They are really awesome girls.

All in all last week was very productive. It’s amazing. Whenever I am off of work, I quickly am reminded… I don’t know how I ever had time to get things done when I had a job!

Let’s see how week 2 goes..

I worked at a nutraceutical company. We made sex, beauty, and diet products. I had been there three years. There was an interesting melting pot of people there. The owners were Indian, there was a large Boznian population, and a lot of Spanish people. I liked it.. Good diversity at my work amongst everyone. There was one man who could have been Rush Limbaugh himself, another the professor in Back to the Future. I met the first people I have ever known that have really had Botox before.  My job was interesting…for a long time..

Then the dark side began to show itself.. I learned things I would have rather not known.  I learned how the Rolls Royce parked out front and driven by the owner was leased.. and the company was paying for it.. how the company had a condo that “important guests” stayed at.. that the company paid the mortgage on.. I learned the secrets about the products that we make that the public is not to know.. I watched as the FDA came in and raided my work and how shortly after they left the fines came in.. I saw how people in production were yelled at mercilessly and treated in a manner no one should be.. Then I saw that we weren’t buying raw materials as often nor were we paying the vendors for materials we had received. The gloom was setting in all around me…

Slowly for the past six months our paychecks began getting progressivly more and more delayed. At first we would no longer have the checks handed out in the morning and we would have to ask for them in the late afternoon… at the end…I had not been paid for a month.

Not being paid for a month is not an easy thing. It is not easy to see the husband and wife duo’s that work with me that have not had a paycheck for four weeks, they have children, and Christmas is right around the corner. I watched as their expressions turned more and more grim. I could see the pain in their eyes. It is not easy when management never tells anyone what is going on, such as Christmas eve was a payday, instead of letting us know in advance we would not be receiving checks that day.. or even sending a memo letting people know, so they could plan, when people went for their paychecks on what is supposed to be a joyous holiday, the offices were dark, the people who were supposed to give out the checks said not a word and simply left.

My work closes for a week around Christmas. I was excited for the break. Time to de-stress. To think about what to do. I de-stressed. And I came up with a plan. I returned to work that Monday. The look on people’s faces were especially pained. I found out our health insurance had been canceled due to non-payment. Funny when the  money had been deducted out of my paycheck. I wondered where the money had went.

Then I learned the last straw. The owner of the company yelled at our controller because she had given out paychecks a few weeks back ( mind you I was still going on a month with NO check)  and he wanted her to buy raw materials with the money NOT pay us.. SO.. the summary.. the employees are at the bottom of the totem poll..the people who run his company.. allow him to have the shiny Rolls Royce that was still parked out front. Let us go with nothing.

Plan in action time. I went straight to my boss and requested to be laid off… Of course, as nothing is easy at my work, getting laid off was not easy. I was too “valuable.” Not valuable enough to be paid.. but valuable enough they didn’t want to let me go. My anger raged. I tried to start mutinies. I did not work. I rallied people up.. The stress was piling up within me.. I could not sleep at night.. I felt miserable..and I was surrounded by misery..

Then…. last Thursday I got my wish.. I was LAID off.. It was the biggest feeling of relief I have felt in a LONG LONG time.. As I walked out of those doors peace instantly came over me. I felt a huge burden being lifted from me..I felt a new beginning was starting…….oh and how right I was…….

(Here is the article from the St Pete Times about about my work-be sure to read the comments at the end: http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/geopharma-lays-off-more-workers-as-cash-crunch-intensifies/1064660)