Ranting

I am in the Real Estate business. There are a lot of things about being a Real Estate Agent and working with people that can really get on your nerves. Perfect example, people just not showing up for their appointments and not calling to cancel. So annoying considering that I usually set aside a lot of time to help customers find exactly what they are looking for. Most of my customers are out of towners to my area (I tend to sell a lot of second homes) and are also using this time to vacation, BUT if you lose track of time or change you mind then just pick up the damn phone and call. OR, when I try and call you, don't send me to voice mail  Have some balls and just tell me that you changed your mind. At least this way I can move on with my day and help some of my other customers without the worry that you are just running late and will show up at some point. It's amazing how most people have little to no regard for other people's time.

Really, this isn't just a career issue but an all around people issue. There is nothing more annoying to me then having to wait on someone who is running late. It's not so much the running late part, but the not informing someone that you are running late that bothers me. People, don't just think about yourself if what you are doing is going to affect someone else. Especially, when there is a potential for money to be involved.

Day 21, Tuesday: A list of links to your favorite posts in your archives

My Favorite Posts

Brandon the Bunny Wrangler

First Christmas

Arggg Matey

Pumpkin Patch

How Hard Can It Be

A Working Mommy

Childhood Stories

I was a cheerleader for almost all of my childhood. I started at age 5 and continued until my Sophomore year in High School. I had to quit due to so many injuries that piled up one after another. You see, I didn't really care about the normal cheerleading at football games or basketball games, it was the competition cheer that I really loved. 

At age 11, I got my first taste of All-Star cheer when living in Dallas (well, almost). You see, I was so excited to start doing competitive cheer as opposed to just school cheerleading because well, I'm competitive and competition tends to bring the best out of me.  It also, however, brings out the injuries in me. 

It was actually my first day of practice with my new All-Star team (I can't believe it but I can't for the life of me remember the name). I was one of the youngest on the team so right away felt I had something to prove. To make everyone else see that yes, I belonged. We went through stretching and started working on different techniques and learning a new routine. All was going well. I new I belonged. 

We then started warming up for tumbling. The way it works is you always start with the easiest tumbling first and then move on to the more difficult stuff. I had no problem with tumbling. I loved it. We went through just cartwheels to warm up and then round off's. Easy peasy. Next was round off toe touch. Piece of cake, right. Well, normally I would say yes. This is such a simple thing, BUT I am trying to prove my worth. SO, I am trying to be better, no perfect in everything I do. I do my round off and end up with too much rebound for my toe touch (I blame adrenaline). But I can't not do the toe touch so I just go for it, except I am all off balance now and I am leaning too far back in the air so when I come down, instead of landing on my feet I land directly on my left arm. I try to get up quickly because I am soooo embarrassed. Except my arm won't move. From the time I hit the mat to the time I tried to stand up and then look at my arm, it has turned a really ugly purplish color and has swelled up so much it doesn't look like an arm anymore. Of course, I scream.

My mom comes running back to the practice area and I am screaming in pain. I have broken my arm. Not just a little bit either. I ended up having to have surgery because I shattered my elbow and pins had to be put in place to hold it all together. Not only did I shatter it, I ended up with nerve damage in my arm to where I couldn't use portions of my hand for about 6 months. And I am left handed so this was a problem. 

I ended up starting my first day of middle school with a large cast on my left arm and having to try to do everything right handed. Not cool. 

Eventually, I gained full motion back into my arm and hand and other than a scar and the fact that my left arm isn't double jointed anymore, all turned out well. I never lost my competitiveness though. Before I regained full motion in my arm I leaned how to do one armed back handsprings so I could still tumble. It eventually led me to learn how to do my back tuck. Not even a shattered elbow was going to slow me down.

Foto Friday

It was very difficult to pick just one photo but when I came across this one I knew I had to use it. Not sure the exact year this was taken but it was either my Freshman or Sophomore year in college with my BFF, Jenny aka JRAP. Our fall semesters were full of football, fun, friends, and every night felt like a Friday night in Tallahassee. We had some great times cheering on our Alma Mater and this picture just reminds me of that. We were carefree. Living the life of college kids without a care in the world and loving every minute of it.

Lot in Life

Something difficult about my "lot in life." Well, I didn't win the Powerball last night, which kinda stinks but let's be honest, I don't have the best track record with picking numbers. I mean, I haven't won yet! LOL

To be serious though, difficulties are all around everyone. Obviously, they are specific to each person and everyone handles them, or doesn't, in their best way. Trying to pick just one can be a difficulty in itself. 

Having a new baby, well toddler now, can really through someone's world upside down. Not necessarily in a negative way, but in just a very different, not really sure what to expect way. A new baby, and your first baby, is really all consuming. This can lead to many issues when it comes to your significant other feeling left out and this is true for me.

I spend almost all of my time thinking about Brandon and his well being that I am forgetting about the significance of the other relationships in my life, especially with Nick. I know that he has taken a bit of a backseat to Brandon when really, they should be equal and deserve equal time. But, let's be honest, most of us new mom's have a very difficult time pulling ourselves away from our babies to give that time needed to our other half's.

I have to say that I am very lucky to have someone in my life that understands that I am not purposely ignoring him or putting him behind others but I know that doesn't make it any less frustrating.  Right now, my whole day consists of either work and/or Brandon and when the day is done I am so exhausted that I either want to veg out in front of the TV or read a book or go to sleep. I just haven't had the energy to focus my attention anywhere else. It's not that I don't want to or don't realize that I should, it's just that I am so tired from everything else in the day that I just can't.

I know that I need to change this because regardless of how patient someone is, there are always limits. They say admitting the problem and recognizing it are the first steps. They may just be baby steps but I am definitely working to improve it. 

A Day in the Life

Honestly, my days can vary depending on if I am working or not so I thought I would do a couple of days instead of just one. (BTW, I forgot to do pictures, oops.)

Work Day

6-6:30 am - Brandon is awake

7:00 am - Brandon eats breakfast

7:15-8 am - Everyone gets ready to go for the day

8-8:15 am - Drop Brandon off at daycare

8:45 am - Get to work

9 am - 5 pm - At office

My work day can vary depending on if I have customer appointments or not but for the most part I am working from 9-5.

5:30 pm - Pick Brandon up from daycare

5:45 pm - Home

6:15 - 6:30 pm - Brandon eats dinner

6:45 pm - Brandon get bath

7:30 pm - Brandon goes to bed

8:00 pm - Eat dinner if I didn't eat with Brandon or ours wasn't done yet

8:30 - 11 pm - Relax; watch some shows, catch up on reading

11 pm - Bed for me

Our Usual Sunday

6-6:30 am - Brandon is awake

7:00 am - Brandon eats breakfast

10 am - everyone is usually up by now

10:30 am - Weekend outing for breakfast (Brandon usually eats again here)

11:30 - 1:00 pm - Brandon naps (I usually nap also)

1:30 pm - Lunch

2-5 pm - varies, outside play with Brandon, beach, errands, shopping, etc.

5:30 pm - dinner at Nick's parents

8:00 pm - back home with Brandon to bed

8 - 10 pm - relax; read

11 pm - Bedtime for adults

Since I forgot to do pictures  enjoy this preview for a new fall show on ABC. I personally think Rebel Wilson is hysterical and hope this is as well. 

10 Things That Make Me Happy

Brandon - I am unsure if anything can brighten my day more than seeing my son smile, play, dance, talk, all of it. He is definitely the light in my life.

Nick - After over 5 years, I only love him more. And it helps that he is the funniest person I know. Can always make me laugh.

The Beach - Nothing better than spending a sunny day on our sugar white beaches.

A  Good Book - I love to read and if I start reading a good book, watch out, because I will go into hiding until it is finished.

Florida State Seminoles - my Alma Mater. Love everything about this university. The atmosphere, sports, feel, all of it. I bleed Garnet and Gold.

Crab Island - an underwater island playground for adults. Enough said. 

Great food - I love to eat and I love great food. Good food can make even the grumpiest person happy.

Concerts in the Park - love these. Need to go more. Such a great place to hang out with friends and listen to good local music

My girlfriends - the girls I have known and grown up with. We can not see or speak to each other for months and then get together and hang out like we never left each other. Nothing can replace that.

Family - My family has definitely grown over the past few years and I couldn't be happier about that.