September Eleventh.

It's amazing how something could happen so far away, something so dramatic and life altering, that it would forever leave an impression in our lives - everywhere.  I will absolutely never forget the events on 9/11 and I will never forget the way I felt, the way I wanted to cry and had no idea why, and the way I asked my teacher at school, "There's no one in those buildings, right?"  Watching the events unfold was too much to take in, forget understanding the why of it.  But to a 13 year old high school freshman, I knew this country would never be the same.  I used to write a LOT of poetry, and was published a few times. This is one poem that I wrote after 9/11:

God Bless America

God bless America, and all that makes us whole,
There were lives that were lost, that caused the hurting of our souls.
But revenge is not the answer, although some seem to think...
So much happened on 9-11, within an eye's one blink,
People jumping out of windows, their only means of escape,
Individual, side by side, some even hand in hand,
Leaving our country - the one true free land.
Why, though, so many lives?
Innocent people, with husbands, children, and wives,
Not even knowing they were about to die.
People who know, tell us the truth!
It isn't right, it isn't fair!
What can we do?  What can we say?
Things shouldn't have happened this way.
God bless America, and all that makes us whole,
There were lives that were lost that caused the hurting of our souls.

Let us all continue to pray for everyone who was affected by the September 11 attacks on our beloved country.

Lay it out there.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/05/stall-brook-elementary-god-lee-greenwood-song_n_1406281.html

After reading this, I am glad the parents stood up to the administration's decision and had it overturned.  Since when did people become that sensitive to the point where administrators think it necessary to reword lyrics to a song?  I am led to believe that this country was founded by people who had a strong religious faith and although people do have a right to their freedom of religion, I just don't think taking a word out of a song to make it P.C is okay.  I'm not okay with that.  It's unbelievable to me the extent that people are going to now just to be politically correct.  Good grief, I have just had enough of this. 

http://nation.foxnews.com/war-religion/2012/04/05/lee-greenwood-blasts-school-removing-god-classic-song

And of course Lee Greenwood had to respond, just as I thought he would, and rightfully so.  There is a reason that song was called "God Bless the USA" and not "We Love the USA."  I am all for people having a right to their own religions, beliefs, etc but this is starting to get a little old.  Why should anyone who wanted to sing that song as it was written have to be punished just in case someone "got offended?"  Whatever the reason or excuse the administration had for their initial decision, I am glad they retracted it. 

When I was in tenth grade, we sang "God Bless the USA" in my public school chorus class - there is no song more patriotic, more powerful and full of emotion than that song.  Please don't take that away from us just because someone might be offended.  When we sang this song in chorus, there was not even a thought of questioning whether or not someone would get offended by it.  Who in their right mind would be offended by this song?!?!  I'm not being closed-minded; and if I am, then I am saying those who do get offended should be more open-minded to Christianity in that case.

While I am on a roll here, let's discuss the Trayvon Martin killing.  For awhile now, I haven’t spoken about this incident because I don’t know what I think.  I have only heard bits and pieces of the news and through others talking about it.  I will say that my first thought was, “What if the tables were turned and Zimmerman died?”  I just wonder what people would be saying, if anything, and how the media would portray the situation. 

Yes, George Zimmerman killed Martin.  Yes, George Zimmerman mumbled "f****** punks" on the recorded 911 call and (I feel that it) wasn't directed towards anyone other than "criminals" in general.  Yes, NBC (future credibility = toilet) screwed up in making it sound like George Zimmerman was profiling Martin based on his race when the actual, unedited phone call demonstrated that he was unable to identify his race until Martin turned around and started coming towards him.  Yes, we have confirmed that Trayvon was on a cell phone with his girlfriend telling her that he felt like he was being followed.  (Yes, I would've personally called 911 if I were being followed by someone rather than confronting them myself.)  Yes, this is sad, tragic, even, and I am truly sorry that he died and that his family has to relive this incident over and over again because the media has turned it into a racial nightmare.  Let’s be honest here, the media can beat a dead horse until there is nothing left.

Let me preface the next portion of this with something I found online.  Apparently Florida has a statute that is known as the "Stand your ground" law.  I have located the official statute online at http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String&URL=0700-0799/0776/Sections/0776.013.html and a more summarized version from www.about.com stating "Under Florida law, there is no "duty to retreat" if you are attacked in any place you have a lawful right to be. Instead, you may stand your ground and meet force with force, including deadly force, if you reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to yourself or others." 

So this is where we are.  According to this law and what we have been told thus far, George Zimmerman felt he was in danger.  Martin had his hand in his waistband according to what he said on the 911 call and started to come at Zimmerman.  Ultimately, Zimmerman defended himself.  Now, there is absolutely no telling what other evidence hasn't been presented for the media to butcher, but it seems to me that Zimmerman was cooperative with police, and was then released.  I am leaving my faith in the law enforcement in FL with the thought that they would've detained him further should there have been need to.  There is no telling what may/may not come out in regards to this case, but I think we have to trust the system.  Who cares if Zimmerman knew or was related to someone in the judicial system - he still shot someone.  There is no denying that; and Zimmerman hasn't denied that.  I seriously feel sorry for him because I seriously doubt he had any intentions of doing the neighborhood watch 'patrol' - why, with a weapon, I don't know, but something caused him to feel as though he may need one on his person - and then killing someone, or even using his weapon.  Has anyone stopped to think about how Zimmerman feels about what he did?  I mean, dang, he killed someone.  He took a teenaged boy’s life.  Race aside, I can imagine just knowing that alone would be a lot for one to deal with.  Following that, Martin's death absolutely was not pre-meditated, any sort of planned, thought out, or whatever you want to call it as far as I am concerned.  The evidence that the media has presented us with leads me to believe it was self defense.  I don’t know what else to say about this…I can only sit back so long and listen to what others are saying before I have to add my two cents; so this is what I am doing.  Take it or leave it. 

When you know, you just know.

Since the last time I updated my blog, I have settled into my new night shift spot, continued to work any extra hours I can snatch, and trying to get into my own groove.

Valentine’s Day was fun, kind of.  Patrick and I celebrated on Sunday by going to dinner at an Italian restaurant in uptown Charlotte.  The food was excellent! – Just as we suspected/heard it would be.  We both had to work on “Love Day” and only saw each other for a few hours total.  Patrick did send me a beautiful arrangement of flowers to work *surprise!* even though we agreed to be on a “card-only” basis for V day.  He truly is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I would be totally lost without him in my life.  I told my mama when I first started dating him that it felt like we were meant to be; as if I’ve known him forever and we had to take separate paths for awhile, but that we could finally be together now.  It may sound stupid and corny, but it’s the only way to describe how I feel about him…totally meant to be.  I definitely understand what so many people told me when I was little “when you know, you just know.”  It’s true. You do know. *Awww* 

Just to take care of a few updates, I am no longer working my part time job at the doggy day care due to my schedule change.  It’s almost impossible to leave one job at 6am after working twelve hours and be ready to roll again at 1pm.  And, yes, I do have other days off, but I would like some time to myself and to spend with my fiancé.  So that’s gone. 

For those of you who do not know, Whitney Houston passed away.  My condolences to her family.  I will refrain from any bad jokes or comments until further information is disclosed regarding the cause of deat1h – let’s not assume anything.  Regardless of how she died, the fact remains that she did pass and we should remember her as the talented person that she was.  I will say that I am having an internal debate with myself regarding how much time the media should focus on the death of a celebrity.  As a disclaimer, let me say that I do not condone the deaths of military members, but I have to mention that the media spends more time “glorifying” if you will the death of a celebrity than giving the airtime or sense of gratitude to those military members who have lost their lives fighting for our country.  I don’t necessarily consider Whitney Houston or Michael Jackson to be a hero of mine, but these military members certainly have a place in my heart because they are doing a job that I could not/would not want to do – and their serving allows me to have the option to not join the military.

Onto a happier note, my dad and stepmom came up to visit the day before Valentine’s day and we went horseback riding – fab time! – And then went out to dinner after tootling around my town for a bit.  I got to see my dad’s new truck; it is awesome!  He got a brand new Toyota Tundra and I had to make it known that I definitely would not have picked that vehicle out for him, but he loooooves it.  And since it’s white, I think car wash gift certificates are now an appropriate gift for him from now on. J

Lately I have been spending a lot of time thinking about upcoming events and trying to sort tasks out in the order they need to be completed.  I purchased an agenda to help keep myself organized and so far it has been working out really well for me.  I am on new medication and it helps me to write down when I take it, because sometimes I can’t even remember what shoes I wore, much less the events of my day.  I also have to keep track of birthdates, weddings, showers, doctor appointments, my WEDDING and HONEYMOON, as well as when I’m working. J

I have been toying with the idea of getting myself a new phone.  I have the original Droid by Motorola and it is about worthless at this point.  I’ve had it for almost two years, mind you; this is my third one – thanks to insurance!  The sensor keeps going bad and I continue to request a “new” (refurbished) one.  This is where the tough decision comes in – iPhone 4S or Droid Razr?  I have even gone as far as to make a compare/contrast chart to see which one I like better and it all comes down to this:  It doesn’t matter which phone I get, because as soon as I purchase it Apple or Motorola or whoever is going to come out with something more awesome than whichever phone I choose, thus making whichever one I purchased cheaper.  That thought alone makes me want to cling my money and never buy a new phone again because it is a TRAP.  For all I know, somewhere someone is making my life miserable by intentionally making my phone worthless to me, thus making me want a new phone.  Lest I forgot to mention all the things wrong with my current phone… 

·         It has to catch up with whatever it is that I am trying to make it do and by the time it has caught up, I am calling someone and I wasn’t even trying to make a phone call – at which point, I throw the phone across the room. 

·         Just about every app I open just aimlessly turns its wheels for an unannounced amount of time before asking me if I want to wait or force close the app. (I am told that Android has since fixed this problem on all new Android model phones.)

·         My battery cover doesn’t quite fit all the way – and I can forget asking my service provider to send me a new one, because even with every refurbished phone I’ve received  I have to keep my battery cover and battery from the old one.

·         Oh yea, the sensor is messed up (of course).  I can’t even scroll through my picture gallery without zooming into the current picture I’m on – which is not what I intended to do.

·         Every now and then, instead of playing the designated ringtone, I will get a fizzing sound and then half a ringtone along with a message that says something along the line of “your audio isn’t working right.”

I think that pretty much sums up my cell phone rant – but I will say that I am partial to Android.  I did love my Droid from day one, but we are all aware of the fact that electronic devices are just not made the way they used to be and we shouldn’t expect a lifetime for a cell phone to last for more than one year – after all, these manufacturers have to continue to make money and produce a better, more upgraded product.  BUT – it is now technically Friday and I told the fiancé that I would have my mind made up by today.  Well, I don’t.  The only real conclusion I have come to is that I should purchase the Droid Razr – check it out, if I don’t like it, pay the restocking fee within thirty days and go ahead with an iPhone purchase.  Katie + iPhone = doesn’t seem right.  However, I will keep you all posted as to what my final decision will be and how that works out for me! I apologize for how long winded and ranty this post has become.  I’m still trying to decide how I would like to sort out my blog and organize it based on topics – because my posts are apparently all over the place...as are my thoughts.  Perhaps I’ll go with a “Bookshelf Theme” for my blog and separate my posts into different genres. Ha   ~~Goodnight y’all, tootles!

OH - and I do promise to post pictures...eventually.

It has been awhile...

Being the grammar nerd that I am, I almost typed “It’s been awhile” because that’s the way I would say it, but I quickly remembered that It’s is a conjunction for It is not It has, and then I changed it.

I apologize; I know it has been awhile.  I have had a few things going on and I am still not totally sure I want to blog about them, because they are a little too personal for a public blog, but I will say that we got good news at work – our dispatch center will be staying open.  THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS!  Woohoo!  And a special shout out to our Chief for the awesome fight he put up for us.  On a different note, my schedule has been thrown for a curve ball – I have been placed on night shift and on the opposite rotation, so I’ve been trying to get all my days figured out and this, that, and the other.  Finally getting settled in even though there will be some changes heading my way. 

I suppose February should be a pretty fun month – my fiancé’s birthday is at the end of the month, we are going out of town for that, and lest we forget, Valentine’s Day is near.  Due to the fact that P and I are planning our wedding, I am really not expecting much this year.  We have enough on our plates and planning this wedding has almost deterred me from ever wanting to plan a big event…ever again.  I don’t think anyone could ever really prepare you for what your wedding planning will entail.  I think the hardest part for P and I is making all of these decisions – and fast.  We have difficulty deciding where to eat on a date night, much less which color napkins we should use on the most important day of our lives.  I now know why everyone says “I wish we had done something smaller – or eloped.”  It is stressful, demanding, time consuming, and all the while FUN!  It is, after all, a once in a lifetime experience.  I think I am most excited to attend the cake tasting.  I guess the next thing on my list of to-dos is to order invitations.  Like I said, we are kind of at a standstill right now, just waiting on time.  I know what I want, pretty much everything has been decided, and I just need for time to pass so I can put our vision to work.  I am ALSO extremely excited for our honeymoon.  I seriously think we are going to need this vacation so badly, I just hope it doesn’t fly by.   We will be taking an 11-night cruise to the Southern Caribbean and I am ecstatic because I have never been to any of the places we are traveling to and who better to see them with than my husband!!! =)

I have also started working a part time job at a local doggy daycare.  Mind you, this was decided before the unexpected shift switch.  I am not sure how well it will work out now that I am working nights, but only time will tell.  The owners seem very nice and have been super flexible with my schedule thus far, so we’ll see how it pans out.  I’ve found myself saying the phrase “only time will tell” so much lately, because I have begun to question so much about the future and, honestly, only time will tell.  I wish I had the answers but I don’t.  I know that in life we will have struggles and fun times and misfortunes and good luck along with the bad, but life would be so much easier if we knew the answers.  Then again, would it be worth living at all if that were the case?  The element of surprise is what keeps our motors ticking and inevitably keeps us guessing as to what’s in store for us. 

Oh, and one day I will post some pictures on here to put some extra fizz into my blog. ;)  Tootles!

I have Time, God Willing...

If you haven't already tried them, the Hot & Spicy Cheez-its are where it's at.  ....and I do not like Cheez-its.  They are seriously the perfect snack.  Did I mention I don't like hot stuff?  Well, I don't.  But these are the bomb.  I'm not even sure if anyone even says "the bomb" anymore, but that's what they are!!

What does any smart lady do after a long day at work and a nice workout? That's right, I soaked my feet...and ate Cheez-its of course.  It felt wonderful and was very relaxing.  When I first began working as a dispatcher, I would come home from work every day and sit on the couch and absorb nothing but utter silence.  Having someone in your ear for twelve hours a day - albeit talking to them on the 'worst day of their lives' - made me realize how much I thoroughly enjoy peace and quiet.  Who knew?  I still become a nervous wreck at work sometimes.  The best advice I received was to never get comfortable in my position, and I have to a certain degree, but I'm going to quote Forrest Gump and go ahead and say that answering 911 is like a "box of chocolates - you never know what you're gonna get."  Anything from a pet snake running loose in someone's home to someone just getting "knocked up side the head with a baseball bat."  Keeping those nerves under wraps and knowing how to keep your own emotions under control is key.  Nonetheless, it keeps the job interesting and provides a challenge for me everyday, which is a quality in a career I was looking for.

I honestly have no idea what made me want to be a dispatcher.  Perhaps it was the idea that I could help someone, and anyone who knows me knows that I would help anyone I could.  This is definitely not what I pursued a Bachelor's degree for, but I am definitely thankful that I have a job - and one that I love.  Sometimes the twelve hour days are very long, but the days off more than make up for it!  Before I started dispatching, my brother (dispatcher-turned-police-officer) told me that I will LOVE to HATE this job.  It didn't make sense to me at the time when he told me that, but it definitely makes sense now.  I definitely love my job and definitely hate it at other times, but I love the fact that I can love my job and hate it at the same time.  I know that may not make a lot of sense to anyone reading this, but it makes total sense in my mind.  I'm not really sure what the future holds for me as far as a career is concerned, but I'm quite content where I'm at.  Throughout college, I never really had an idea of what I wanted to do post-graduation.  (Still don't!) I majored in Political Science because I liked the curriculum and I enjoyed the class discussions and having a job in a branch of government definitely appealed to me - and still does.  I do believe that everything happens for a reason and I believe that only time will tell which direction will be best for me.  I have time, God willing.

I guess myself and my fellow dispatchers have all been on edge lately as our career fates are in the hands of the Town Commissioners.  Until we find out what will happen to our center after one agency leaves us, I guess we will all be on edge.  Hopefully we will find out something soon so we can put some of these nerves to rest, but until then, I have a feeling it will be at the forefront of all of our minds.

I hope I can continue to keep readers interested in what I have to say and I hope I can keep up the momentum here.  Until next time, Tootles!

ARD

For those of you who do not know, I work as a police dispatcher.  Oftentimes, I find myself looking up things online to fill time when nothing is going on.  My doctor recently diagnosed me with Acid Reflux disease.  While this is very common for people to have, I found it odd because I have never even had a bout of heartburn until it started bothering me so badly to where I needed to see my doctor.  I went through a 90-day prescription of pills – which, by the way, did nothing – and then went through some tests.  I am perfectly fine.  My doctor informed me that it may not be my forever-loving pasta addiction that has brought this on.  She told me that stress can sometimes be a factor that will cause ARD.  After undergoing some blood work and an ultrasound, I think we have decided that stress is my main causing factor.

Coincidentally, CNN had multiple articles on their website today regarding ARD. They had a list of foods to eat that actually FIGHT ARD and also had some suggestions for ARD sufferers.  Some of those included losing weight, eating oatmeal, eating wheat pasta without red sauce (not gonna happen!), adding ginger to your diet, sleeping with your head up (not gonna happen, either!), and to not wear tight clothing.

The other thing they suggested to ARD sufferers is to cut certain foods out of their diets.  The list includes spicy foods, fatty red meat, French fries (and other fried foods), citrus fruit, raw onion, tomatoes, chocolate, caffeine, butter, oil, and peppermint.  Whoa, talk about killing the fun out of food.  I always thought that peppermint was good for an upset stomach.  I guess if your stomach is hurting bad enough, you’ll withstand the heartburn if you think a peppermint is your only option.

Enough about ARD.  I am excited for my oldest younger sister, as she is turning 17 this Friday.  Gosh I feel old.  I remember the day she was born and the horrendous pink sweatshirt and sweatpants I was wearing when I went to meet her in the hospital for the first time.  Her turning 17 reminds me of when I was 17 and how different of a place I was in back then – for the better, that is.  I wish her a lot of luck and success in her upcoming years and I wish she lived a lot closer so that I could help her make a lot of those important decisions she will have to make in the near future.

I suppose I have rambled enough for this entry, until next time, Tootles!

Inside My Mind...

I find myself with so many things running through my mind and I can't make them stop.  My mind is going in circles thinking about the Costa Concordia cruise ship, the South Carolina primary tomorrow, thinking about the Presidential candidate nominees, upcoming wedding things, etc, etc.  This is nothing new, as my mind is always going around in circles and spiraling out of control.

My BFF and I were just having a conversation via text about who would be a good President if we had to choose between the current potential candidates.  Boy oh boy, I'm just not sure which way I would turn at this point.  None of these guys meet the criteria I want in a candidate.  I've been reading through their platforms and I'm getting more and more confused on what I actually want in a candidate.  It doesn't really matter what they say anyhow, they know most of their ideas are just political rhetoric that Congress will never pass.  I'm looking for a genuine candidate.  Someone give me something to believe in!  I know that people tend to think of the general public when they cast their vote for President, but I think we should just vote based on our own needs.  Afterall, our vote is our voice, so we have to make it count where we can.  It is important to think of our country as a whole, but at the same time, what may not work for some people may work for others.  As the saying goes, you can't please everyone, so you might as well try and please yourself.  For the most part, we pretty much have the same needs anyway.

I am also thinking about the article that CNN published online about my hometown - Lancaster, SC <http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/19/politics/south-carolina-lancaster/index.html?iref=obnetwork>.  When I read it, I got a depressing feeling.  The same depressing feeling I get every time I pass through my little "podunk" hometown.  And it isn't just me!  A lot of people I know get that same feeling.  Moving away from Lancaster was probably the best thing that could have ever happened to me, even though I was a reluctant 15 year old at the time.  I was telling my BFF earlier not to be mad about the way CNN depicts our town because people who read that article and believe that every resident of Lancaster is a 'hillbilly redneck looking for a handout' are the ones who are narrow-minded.  It really does feel like Lancaster is a dying town, because once people get an opportunity to leave that town, they take it and hardly ever look back.  Otherwise they get sucked in and stay there forever.  I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but it makes it that much harder for us to be proud of our hometown when we know deep down inside that Lancaster did nothing for us.

I have been obsessed with the partial sinking of the Costa Concordia - I can't tell you why I am but I am.  I am always checking for updates and I just don't know what to think about this.  I can't believe that people are saying such bad things about the crew and I can't believe the Captain is such a jerk - if the media is correct on how he is being portrayed.  I still believe that cruising is one of the BEST most FUN ways to take a vacation and I also believe this was a RARE, HUMAN error.  I also believe the Concordia had a bad omen since the champagne didn't break on the launch date, then it struck the port in Italy in 2008.  However, I still feel that cruising is a very SAFE way to take a vacation and I know that this incident will be a lesson learned and will result in an even better and much safer cruise experience for those considering a cruise in the future (such as myself for my honeymoon in November...).  And who is this chick the Captain was having dinner with as the ship was sinking??  She is out doing positive publicity for the Captain about how many extra lives he saved, etc, etc - how much extra is she getting paid for that? LOL!  Time will only tell what is going to happen to this Captain and the changes that will be made (for the better!) for the cruising industry.

Next topic: our dog.  We sent off a DNA swab of his a few weeks ago and I am happy to report that we officially know the breed of our precious baby.  He is half italian greyhound, part doberman, part german short haired pointer.  I cannot tell you how excited I am to find out this information!!!  We thought for sure he was going to have pit bull in him and there is none.  This just shows how much of a nerd I am - I get excited over finding out the breeds of our mutt.

The wedding.  Wedding planning is coming along just fine.  We are mostly at a standstill at this point because there isn't anything more we can do until we get the invitations!

I s'pose I've said enough for today - more later!  Tootles!