Pawtucket, Rhode Island

Well friends, the job search continues. Apparently, up here in New England, everyone uses a resume-writing service. Which, of course, I can't afford. But I met a gentleman at church that offered to look at mine and redo it for free! It's what he does for a living. At church one evening, he asked me who did my resume, and I told him, "I did." He just laughed at me! Anyway, tonight, he's bringing me the new and improved version and he's going to go over it with me. He'll e-mail it as well so I'll have the file too.

I've been to a temp agency. Dawn, my agent, is looking for something for me. And I, of course, am looking constantly. I guess the economy is so bad up here that there aren't many places hiring. Or, they're hiring part-timers so they don't have to pay benefits. I told Dawn I can do anything. I'll stand at a copier, pour coffee for arrogant attorneys, or answer phones all day if I have to. We just need some income.

I worked at some factory in the worst part of RI last Friday scrubbing the floor and the walls on my hands and knees getting and sexually harassed in spanish, or so my temp co-worker told me. That was an experience. But it was money! And the factory bought us lunch. I wanted to quit though. I went out to the car on my 1st 10 minute break to call my other agent, Emily, and apologize profusely for not finishing, and then immediately go to Dunkin' Donuts. I turned on the radio and that Matt Redman song, Blessed Be Your Name was on. Can't you just see God with His hands folded across His chest saying, "What now, girl?!"

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Well people, I was found in Pawtucket, RI, and just so you know, it's the desert place!! And it was the wilderness too! No young woman with virtuous income earning aspirations would go there! When Emily answered the phone, I made up some question about my timesheet, and said a quick prayer asking God to forgive my ungrateful heart. I finished the day! And I even got to leave a few minutes early to take some of my new friends to the estacion de autobus. Free lunch, free spanish lessons, and $7.50 an hour! Not too bad!

A guy up here who does metal work might have work for the entire band starting next week. That would be a blessing. The construction work is not very plentiful since no one has money to pay their bills, much less BUILD A HOUSE from the ground up. Our savings account needs repaired!! But I'm thankful we have it. And I'm so thankful that we got nazi serious a few years ago with our savings. I'm thankful every day for Dave Ramsey and his biblically-based principles and God's timing! And Angus Church for being so humble and transparent!

The clutch essentially went out on our Civic on Sunday. I missed Sunday school because of it. Thankfully, I wasn't driving it when it happened. But, Robbie researched it, and e-mailed his Uncle Gary, who works for Honda, and Robbie fixed it today. Thanks to our diligence and God's provision, we had the cash in our "CAR REPAIR" envelope. So no worries!

God has brought me some really great women. All older than me. But they are awesome and I can see one of them in particular becoming a mentor for me. I'm earnestly praying for girls my age though. I know it's probably selfish of me to pray for girls my age that don't have children, (we're a dwindling breed) but I pray that He sends a few of those my way too. One lady waited until she was 40 to have a baby. And she says she doesn't regret it for a second.

We've already run out of oil at our house once. That was a little frightening. But we found a company that will fill us up and let us pay them out. If we have it paid off in 30 days, there is no interest. But if we carry a balance longer than that, the interest is 1.5%. Not terrible.

We have church in Connecticut tonight, so I better get off here and get ready.

I love all of you and I miss your kids!!

oil

As fall approaches and the leaves begin to turn, Robbie and I are delighted that winter, our first New England snow, and Christmas, are all around the corner.

Unfortunately, fall and winter mean huge oil bills.

This morning, we discovered that we're already out of oil. It's not even October! We're out of oil! And we're unemployed. And presently, we're hot and sweaty. We had a hot day today. It actually hit 70. We had to run out of oil and not be able to take a hot shower on a day when we got hot and sweaty. It figures, doesn't it.

We'll see what this week brings...

Finally!

Here are some pictures from the day we loaded our U-Haul truck.

making amends

On our last Sunday morning in Sand Springs, as we were leaving for church, we were greeted by a tiny dead mouse delicately laid on our welcome mat. I almost stepped on it. In flip-flops. I shudder to think what could’ve been. He was grey and his little pink fingers were drawn up. Robbie grabbed him by his stiff tail and disposed of him.

Could this be a peace offering from the neighborhood cats? Could they be trying to make amends right before we move? Ever since the end of May, when my small group surprised us with landscaping our front yard and giving us the much-coveted “curb appeal”, Robbie and I have been downright evil to any trespassing felines. As part of the landscaping project, my small group also provided us with a new hose, and to my delight, a multi-setting sprayer nozzle. The cats find the “FULL” setting very unpleasant.

Upon discovering one of our feline friends in our flowers, or on our cars, I would very slowly and quietly creep over to the hose (embarrasingly slow), click the dial until I found the desired setting, and unleash my fury.

And if I thought I saw so much as one piece of mulch out of place, I was irate, dousing the spot and surrounding areas with putrid smelling animal repellant, praying over the flowers, "Lord, just make this flowerbed repulsive to the cats. Keep them out, in Jesus' name!" Following one of these attacks, I heard the raspy laughter of my chatty neighbor Richard, whom some of you’ve met. I ignored him.

50 ODD Things about me!

1. Do you like blue cheese? I used to.
2. Have you ever smoked heroin? No way!
3. Do you own a gun? No, but Robbie stayed with a collector of guns in Montana, and seems to think he's going to collect them as well.
4. What flavor do you add to your drink at sonic? None.
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Not really, just the dentist.
6. What do you think of hot dogs? I have to be in the mood for them, but when I am, and they're almost burnt, I can put 'em away like a champ!
7. Favorite Christmas movie? Nat'l Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Rooster Booster Lite from QT. No QT in RI. boooo!
9. Can you do pushups? Please! Have you seen my arms!?
10. Age? 28.5
11. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My wedding ring.
12. Favorite hobby? Sewing.
13. Favorite Actor? Edward Norton.
14. Do you have A.D.D.? Sometimes, I exhibit the symptoms.
15. What's one trait you hate about yourself? My inability to small talk. I just smile and nod. And I've picked up Robbie's habit of ending each sentence in "so....." when I don't know what else to say.
16. Middle name? Fawn
17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment
a. Shouldn't have eaten that.
b. What could I get my bachelor's degree in?
c. What are we gonna do for our 7th anniversary
18. Name 3 things you bought yesterday/today:
a. 32 oz. fountain drink from QT
b. 12 oz. can drink from Word of Life
c. 2 $15.00 wardrobe boxes that I didn't want
19. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Diet Caffeine Free Coke, Rooster Booster Lite, and water with off-brand crystal light
20. 3 Current worries ?
a. My RI apartment that may or may not be ugly
b. My RI apartment rent
c. My RI oil bill
21. Current hate right now? That Robbie has packed up everything I suddenly need right now.
22. Favorite place to be? my little house that, box by box, is getting emptier and barer.
23. How did you bring in the New Year? Laser Tag with WOLF teenagers.
24. Where would you like to go? Rhode Island already for cryin' outloud!
25. Name three people who will complete this. I'm not sending it via e-mail.
26. Do you own slippers? yes, a few pairs. We have hardwood floors so your feet get cold.
27. What shirt are you wearing? basic brown tank that's really too short for the intertube that's growing around my waist.
28. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? That makes me shudder. All I can think of is Elton John's song that says, "laughing like children, living like lovers, rolling like thunder under the covers." He makes no mention of satin, but still it's what comes to mind.
29. Can you whistle? Yes.
30. Favorite color? White.
31. Would you be a pirate? I don't think I would look good toothless and with a peg-leg.
32. What songs do you sing in the shower? Whatever Christian song is on the radio.
33. Favorite girl's name? Aubrey.
34. Favorite boy's name? Montgomery.
35. What is in your pocket? Nada
36. Last thing that made you laugh? A dog on TV that was dreaming.
37. Best bed sheets as a child? I don't remember having any fun sheets.
38. Worst injury you've ever had? Huge laceration to my skull in sixth grade. This really big bully girl chased me into the closet at lunch time. I was a book worm, so I stayed in and read during recess instead of playing. She threw open the door, and I was pinned between the door and a coat hook. It was sick. I had to get 30 stitches.
39. Do you love where you live? Now I do. I griped about it for a long time and took it for granted. I still have the window units.
40. How many TVs do you have in your house? 2
41. Who is your loudest friend? Shauna. I love her!
42. How many dogs do you have? one
43. Does someone have a crush on you? Just Robbie
44. What is your favorite book? The first Shopaholic
45. Where were you born? Claremore Indian Hospital. They got me mixed up with some other wild-haired indian baby.
46. What is your favorite candy? depends on the season
47. Favorite Sports Team? I guess the New England Patriots
48. What songs do you want played at your funeral? They always sing Amazing Grace in Creek at funerals in my family. It's so pretty. So I guess that.
49. What were you doing at 12 A.M? Watching DeGrassi High reruns courtesy of our Tivo.
50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? My back hurts.

My To Do List

My To Do list for Saturday went like this:

60 load Snuggle refill

Clean out Civic

Go to Laundromat

Go see Jeffersons

I bought the Snuggle refill first thing Saturday morning. But much to the Civic's chagrin, the clean out, that it has needed since spring, never happened. It was to occur in conjunction with the laundromat visit, which didn't happen either.

However, "go see Jeffersons" did happen. Boy did it!

Robbie and I were to meet Shauna, Donnie, and Dareek at our favorite place to eat, Friday's, at 2:30 on Saturday for a farewell lunch. Thinking ahead, and trying to outsmart the tears, I used waterproof mascara.

As we approached, I was sure I saw Pam Shipley's Durango. Anytime I see a grey Durango, I look for the "every knee shall bow" sticker. Sure enough, I checked and it was there. Strange, I thought. But Pam is a mover and a shaker. She's always out doing something. She's probably here with some other cool MOP, I thought to myself.

Robbie and I rolled into the parking lot. We saw Dareek rocking some new braids out front and Donnie lounging on a metal bench with his phone in his ear. I figured Shauna was probably inside putting our name down. And because my usually multi-tasking brain hit capacity this summer, the Durango, that looked suspiciously like Pam's, was long forgotten.

We walked up and Shauna and Donnie greeted us. Shauna looked gorgeous as usual in a crisp, white, tailored short-sleeved jacket, and a kind of old hollywood glam coif. Dareek came flying out of the door exclaiming something breathlessly that I didn't really catch.

We dished about the usual while we waited. House stuff, hair stuff, etc. Then, Dareek came back out and said our table was ready. We shuffled in and rounded the corner. Knowing, this might be the last lunch with Shauna for a while, I was already giving myself a mental pep-talk, silently chanting, "don't cry, don't cry, don't cry."

I looked up . . . and there in front of us, were about 15 of some of the coolest people we know. We had been ambushed!

There was Pam & Darin Shipley, whose backyard treehouse was the location at which Robbie chose to propose, and would be the back drop for our wedding less than four months later. Down a few chairs were Ronney & Patti Surber who have been like spiritual parents to me: Ronney with his perfectly timed, carefully chosen words of advice, and Patti with her wisdom and humor. The McKnights were present too. Casey & Kayla were there. Many of the people who have encouraged us from day one. Encouraged us in our choices, our path, and our dreams. I can remember Paula telling me one time that there was something different about Robbie. Something that made him stand out. I remember being so proud to be his wife that my throat hurt.

I'm sure you can guess what happened next!

I buried my ugly crying face (that you've all seen if you've known me for any amount of time) into my hands and tried to keep my knees from locking (because as you probably also know, I'm a fainter) as I moved toward everyone. Both Brandi(y)s were there, Diahanna George, and Kerry and her adorable, doe-eyed son Aidan.

It was very thoughtful for everyone to come out on a Saturday in the middle of the day to show their support for us. And I can't believe Shauna, who is busier than a one-armed man in a paper-hanging business, put all of this together. But if anyone can pull it off, it's her!

You will all be missed and thought of often! We felt very blessed and loved!

taking care of bidness

Yay! Thank you for your prayers! Our home appraised for $75,000. Now, we just need the termite inspection and the enormous amount of paperwork to get done, and we'll be rolling outta here.

I went and got my hair did one more time by Jaycee. I'll probably have to find someone decent in RI to do it in between now and November when I come back to Oklahoma. It looks great. She spruced it up and made it lighter.

space heater & sweater

Today was my last day working for Malcolm McCollam. I'm going to miss him. We were just getting to the place where we were laughing together and having fun. He says I'm like his daughter Katie. I hope he finds someone to replace me that thinks he's as great as I do. I will definitely keep in touch with him.

I had lunch with Dan Beirute, Diahanna George, Patti Surber, and Paula McKnight today. We ate at Billys on the Square. We took some pictures and laughed and talked. It was nice to see all of them together.

On August 2nd, Kayla's (my sis-in-law) birthday, Robbie and I kept our nephew, Tanner (Carlton Francis Selph V). He is so sweet and cute and intriguing. And he lived!! We were successful. He seemed to enjoy his bath even though Robbie and I disagreed about the temperature of the bath water. I got him to sleep by 8:40, which is probably late according to his mother's standards, but I still counted it a success. I'm going to miss him so much. I always want to hold him, but I'm really all thumbs with babies. Especially when people are watching.

Last night, our small groups met and we had a game fellowship. It was also a surprise good bye get-together. They took up a collection of money for us. I was shocked and very moved! According to Robbie's calculations, it should be enough for gasoline for our U-Haul truck. Gina & Roger Lloyd gave us a cross for our new home and a lovely plate to hang also. And then our groups gathered around us to pray. My head was bowed and my eyes closed while they were praying. I was, of course, bawling my head off and snot was pouring from my nose. Literally! My brother-in-law Casey saved me and handed me a wad of tissue. But I was still a snotty, mascara'd mess. We are so attached to our church now. The people at Angus are so genuine and transparent and humble.

As I've gone from job to job these last six months (totally unlike me), I pack my belongings up and gather all the junk I've deposited into my lap drawer: emery boards, lipgloss, gum, etc. And the two constant things that give me comfort wherever I end up: my grey sweater and the space heater Shauna gave me. So today, it was with sadness, excitement, and a sense of completion, that I collected my things, swung my purse onto my shoulder, put on a brave face, fought back the tears and went out Malcolm's front door clutching my heater and sweater. He was interviewing my replacement at that moment, which was a good thing since all my energy was going toward not crying. My heater and sweater will be put in a box somewhere by Robbie for now. And then they will take the cross-country ride in our U-Haul truck (I can picture them bouncing along the highway.) to be used at my new place of employment where no doubt the thermostat will be governed by attorneys in suits. My memories and long distance friendships will keep me warm. But when that's not enough, my trusty space heater and sweater are always there.

human nature

My text is the color of nail polish I just bought. Sorry if it's hard to read. I'm always in search of the perfect muted feminine pink color. Does anyone share my pursuit?

I won't pretend that everyone in my e-mail contacts wants to hear about every detail of our upcoming New England adventure and send them what would surely be a deluge of unsolicited e-mails.

Instead, my awesome friend Shauna gave me this idea. Surely the events that will take place in the next months of our lives are blogworthy and of some interest to those who say they will miss us.

And I agree with Shauna. I'm over myspace. I actually don't think either one of us was ever under its passive/aggressive snooping spell to begin with. So many people seem to be, on their myspace, some exaggerated or even false version of what they really are. Or maybe myspace, for them, is a place where they can project what they'd rather be. Who knows. Probably human nature. Whatevah.

I'm going to try to keep up with this and let people know what's going on.

dfs