WHOA.....I am good at drama, but man, Katrina is bigger and better.

Gas is $3.10 last heard.

New Orleans, Biloxi (Speeeeling is bad) is no longer.

Northeast Georgia.....panic striken.

Well I haven't had time for myself yet. It has been two weeks since I have started working and I have made time for God, time for others, but being selfish and self centered in nature, I want some time for me. I have the "day off" but not really. I am doing a picnic for service work. While it is a grand idea when it started, now it seems to be in the way. It went from being fun and exciting at the begining of the idea to obligatory. That happens to me a lot. It happens in realtionships & jobs. It all the sudden is work and not fun. Are there ever things that are just fun?

I met a man whose job sounds like fun. Although I know the reality must be tough because I watched my father go through so much as a younger man. This man is a missionary in Brazil. He and his wife run a campus outreach program and are in process of planting a church. That sounds like fun. Go to a cool country. Talk about God. Put some elbow grease in there and build a boat, I mean a church. If I had money, I would give it to him for his church. I think it is cool that he is so willing and capable to carry the message. I have a song in me somewhere that sings, "I'll shout it from the Mountain tops, (PRAISE GOD). I want the world to know. The Lord of Life has come to me, I want to pass it on." I might be making up some of the words because it has been so long since I have heard it, but I make up words anyway.

I like being as busy as I am, but it takes a lot from me. If I have a day off tomorrow, I think I am going home. Even though I have a day off today, I still have to work tonight. There is no way to know if I will ever see a full day off again, but all things considered, it is being handled very well. I know today that it is not me handling it, it is a God moment in my life. When I try to go 90 miles an hour with my hair on fire, I end up exhasperated and drunk. Today I am a little tired, but mostly awake and able and ready and willing. Woohoo...pinic here I come.

There is something to be said for waiting tables. For some reason, whether it is simplicity or whatever, waiting on people is something I do really well. It is something that I can do without thought. It is almost peaceful and renewing it is so . . .hand and glove. Making people smile, talking to them about nothing, helping them to have one good meal, it makes a difference. It is a performance. A thirty minute to an hour performance. I love to perform. Strangly, there is lots of money to be made too. But why, oh why, is it such an unaccepted profession? Why are their no benefits or 401ks? More women who are single mothers and/or are lacking in education can make their living in waiting tables. . . is this why it is so frowned upon? Who knows. I know I like it. I know that I would probably be okay doing it for the rest of my life if it had all the perks of a "real" job, like benefits, vacation and such. Perhaps there are restarants out there that will have those things for servers. If so, I need to find them! Until then, I am going to keep desiring law school. There is something to be said for arguing too, but that is another blog.

My week has been strange to the nth degree this week. I have found two places to be employed. First, I am working at a tea room that is next door to my apartment. Second, I am waiting tables at this fabulous restaurant out in the middle of nowhere. It is structured similar to what I am used to in Atlanta and I am very comfortable there. They were so impressed with my service last night that I was tipped out! (not tipped out like, great job here's a ten spot, like TIPPED.) There are some nuances that I will have to get used to, but generally speaking, it is the same restaurant everywhere. At the tea room, I am referred to as the business manager, which means I tell people "no, you cannot have any more money." And then I spend the money just made. I also help with service, but it is not the same. I am part timing it with her so that I can be of service not to make money. I think that is true out at Glen Ella too, but it is a job, job, as opposed to a . . .God thing. I think God got me both jobs on purpose, I guess is what I am saying. The other really nice thing is that at neither job will I experience what Meg experienced this week. She had a customer stand and cuss her for the child crying at another table. There will be no cussing at these places I am working, both are too nice and too. . . just too nice.

I felt really bad for Megan. That was the second bad day in a row for her. She is really stressed right now because she has started school at the Art Institute on a scholarship so she has to really stay on top of things. It is hard being a top student, managing a restaurant, having a really nice boyfriend, socializing with me and raising a near two year old, Iris-pie. Did I ever mention that I have the most amazing best friend in the world?

God has been really busy this week: This week, in the tea room, (did I mention that the woman who owns the tea room is a pastor's wife and a mother of EIGHT?!), the tea lady (as she will be listed from here on) has an eldest child who is a missionary in Brazil. Unfortunately, they have no contacts left other than her church for fundraising abilities. The wierd part is that their baby is in the hospital. The US Dollar was cut in half not too long ago & they lost income. This man, out of nowhere, walked into the tea room and wrote a check for the amount of the hospital bills for the baby in Brazil. Who would guess? The tea lady started crying. Had I known he was going to do that, I wouldn't have charged him for his meal! Go God. They still need a car, but I am sure God is working on that too. I have a feeling I will get to see more cool God things like that if I hang around.

Well, my job imploded and while things might work out for the women who are imploding, I am not willing to work for them. I am, as we speak, shopping for other employment. I have applied at the local restaurants and strangely enough for a company where everyone seems to be educated on the website! It is an "executive assistant" position. I am exhausted of positions with that title, but who knows. I really want to be a lawyer and live off the fat of the land! Don't worry, I know being a lawyer is work too. But it looks like the lsats just got farther away and not having a job makes me depressed a bit. I am doing the right thing and have already gotten back into the swing of finding something, but it is tiring and I kind of feel like I have been looking for a job for the past five years. I am ready to be settled. I am off as we speak to go apply for another local admin assistant position. We shall see. I know first things first, bills have to be paid. Is there anyway to have the bills paid without working? Someone said I could marry a rich abusive husband and then divorce him. I think I like John who is soft and loving with no money better. I am not really into pain just to pay the bills. Maybe I should play the lottery. It got me through school! Just kidding.

Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear CARTER!!!!
Happy birthday to YOU!!!!

(And many moREEEEEEEEEE!!!!)

While I recognize that a speeding ticket has consequences. I called, found out that I owe $145 for going 72 in a 55 in Lumpkin County. I was compliant when the officer stopped me. I have been compliant when I talk to the people on the phone about where and when and all that. God managed getting me the money so that I could pay the ticket. Then it happened, "Well," probate court lady says, "you can go online and pay it. All you need is a credit card and your citation number and your name." PERFECT! I am an online paying fool!

IT COSTS $14.60 as a CONVENIENCE CHARGE? HOW CONVENIENT IS THAT?!

While most of you are thinking I might have dropped off the face of the earth, the rest of you know that I was in West Virginia. What's in West Virginia you ask? Nothing really, other than coal, railroads, poverty and extreme wealth. . . oh, and John's Mom. John and I went to Bramwell, WVa, where his Mom lives to visit and to attend a family reunion. It was so nice. Day one: Thursday, was the drive. The millionaires from the mansion with the boxers let us drive their Infinite Fx, because it had less miles than the Lexus and they were getting ready to trade it in because they don't like the way it looks....(I WISH) So in the most comfortable vehicle ever, we toted ourselves up to Bramwell.

Bramwell is a small (small) town that is known for having more millionaires per capita than any other city in the U.S. at one point in time. Coal, steel, etc. People who had money had their mountain homes there because it was close enough to Bluefield, WVA and VA, where the crossroads for the railroad were located and Dr. John Nash was born. Anyway, the homes in Bramwell are striking in their stature and well preserved state. The last election was a close one for the Mayoral seat, 100-105, after three re-counts in favor of Molly the Mayor. She also teaches flowery at the local community college due to her extensive gardens and owns a victorian shop in town on the main drag down from the post office. There are three churches in Bramwell, the Episcopal Church, which is no longer in use and Molly is trying to save/preserve, the Presbyterian church, which just had a very successful VBS, and the colored church, which is highly preserved and no longer in use. There is a local theatre company that passes through every summer. The library brings a "bookmobile" out every week. There is the most amazing refurbished train depot I have ever seen, that is now a museum and a place of community for events like concerts, receptions and such.

We arrived in Bramwell about six o'clock, too late for dinner, too early for desserts. We stayed up until the wee hours of the morning talking and catching up. The next day there were errands to run and chores to do so that was the plan, after sleeping in until ten thirty. Mrs. K baked all day for the reunion. Apparently, the women in her family are known for their cooking (which I believed until I bit into a bacon wrapped oyster and almost threw up over the front porch, luckily, she was right about the rest of the food and the butterscotch pie took the taste away!). She and I started a game of rummie that was to be tested. I kept up with her the first night only to be crushed when we finished the second night. I mean CRUSHED, 1000-725, final score. She kept catching me with aces in my hand.

The reunion was fun. There was an Uncle Herman who is known for his practical jokes. He was about 70 and kept walking behind the old women and letting loose his fart bag. It was quite hysterical, especially when they turned around and smacked him hard in disgust. There was sweet Aunt Faye whose voice was a mouse and who was more kind than I think I have ever been in my entire life and whose temperment was just that all the time. What great fun was to be had by the elders telling stories, children having a sack race and musical chairs, and the food. There was enough food to feed a small third world country. It was amazing. There were six butterscotch pies...six. It was amazing. A storm blew in late afternoon to round up the festivities and say good-day. Perfect timing.

The ride back seemed longer than the ride there. It was as though the seats were no longer comfortable, the cool buttons to push for passenger controled air conditioning lost their cool, and the sun roof had no purpose being open because it rained all the way back. We passed a really bad wreck on 40 that backed traffic up for easily twenty miles. Aweful. Said a little gratitude prayer for going the opposite direction!

I finally came up to my lonely abandoned apartment that I hadn't been in in about a month...

Crash. The bed was still made from a month ago and it felt wonderful. I don't know that I have ever been more grateful for my own bed in my life. My apartment was a wreck and still is. I could hardly think when I got there last night about fiveish. I think I still need to call my Mom and tell her I'm home. And well here I am, back at work, getting ready to clean, unwrap and create for the store that will never open...or at least it feels that way!

So I was driving through the movie gallery parking lot this weekend and I try to cut through the lines because it was late and there were limited cars. WHABAM! Jody, my passenger, slams his head into the ceiling and starts looking up at it as though it attacked him. I say "WHAT was that?!!" He returns, "Well normally those circular curbs have trees in them so you don't run over them, but obviously someone beat you to the tree."

Tuesday I drove around all day thinking that I left my wallet out at the mansion. I picked up Grace and Cooper as they swooped in from the beach to go swimming. When we were finished and started the car I thought, "Oh, my wallet." I run inside to where it is supposed to be and it's not there and I think, "well maybe it is in the truck." So off I go to find John and ask for the truck keys and he says it is not in the truck and try by the refridgerator and I say not there. He said, "well it will show up when it is supposed to, go ahead and take the kids home and I will keep an eye out for it." I get in the car and there it is. I had it the whole day.

I got to the mansion later than I thought I would last night and John was waiting on me because we had to lock up something on one of the properties he manages once I got there. I am calling, "JOHNNNNNNN" all over the house. The three dogs are up and down and owowwlelelwolsowl and up and down. We go to the bedroom, the kitchen, the den. We go downstairs to another living area and the "game room" (not game like fun, rather game like mounted on the wall antelope and deer and gun racks everywhere). I knock on the door and say "JOHNNNNN" knocck, knoccck, knoccck (I am knocking because the door is locked). I shake the door handle and I feel that the lock is on the outside of the door......and John is still not in the room. But the dogs thought it was great fun.

This weekend was one of the best weekends of my life. There were friends and family and gifts and special moments. It started with Friday night and Megan feeling glum because she had her teeth pulled earlier that day. She finally got to a point where she was up for moving around and I carted her off to the mansion with the boxers (John and I were dog sitting. . .yes that make three sets of dogs in less than a month!). Her boyfriend had given me $20 to stop and get dessert so she and I went and had the pick of the litter at Baron York Cafe in Clarkesville, which is a tea room next door to my apartment that stays open late Friday and Saturday nights. We bought chocolate and pie and cake and hugs and kisses--we bought it all. Then out to the mansion we went for midnight swimming, or so we thought. The dessert was a big hit with the men who were talking about who knows when we got there, they were just laughing up a storm. We didn't end up swimming rather just watching a movie: Changing Lanes. It was okay, pretty predictable.

Saturday morning was an early to rise and Rachel was off to work. There was a wedding to attend to and flowers to be made! The other three went to Athens to visit family and friends. (work or Athens, hmmm.....guess who had more fun? honestly, I think I did.) The wedding was one of the more beautiful I have worked on with Gertie Mae's and Manna. It was at Glenn Ella Springs. Strangly enough it was for one of Dad's friend's daughters. She was beautiful, the bride. She was so amazing. Anyway, it went well and with not a lot of time to spare. From there it was hurry up and wait. I thought the folks would be in Helen at the same time I was leaving the wedding. Thanks to Atlanta, I was able to be about on the same time cycle as they were. They met me about six for hellos and glad your heres. Then there was dinner with I kid you not, forty or fifty people. The food wasn't as good as it normally is over at the mexican place, but it was quite an event. The waiters were sweating by the time we left.

After being at the church Mom, Dad and Carter went on to Atlanta and Rachel, Megan and Sebass (Meg's beau) and Jody (friend) all headed to the mansion for midnight swimming. This time it was for real. It was initially lightening when we got out there, but shortly thereafter we were in the pool. There were flips, swan dives, wrestlings, smiles, laughter, applause. There was food and fun and friendship. I had bought a blueberry cobbler that was the best thing ever, from Market earlier that morning. Nothing like cobbler and vanilla icecream to top off such an evening! The dogs thought we were nuts, but I think they may have been right. We didn't stop until crashing time at about two in the morning, which made Sunday rough. I don't think a creature stirred until about ten o'clock. Then it was as though someone relit the happiness torch.

Sunday was breakfast with John's youngest son who drove himself to breakfast (WOW! First time!). We had a great brunch. I had lunch, they had two plates each of breakfast. Big boys.

Then it was back to the mansion for carwashing and more friends and swimming. I washed all the cat prints away from my car and started in on the insides only to realize we had company. A friend who had been in Florida (because he has two homes) was up and so we all went swimming. Then there was the wise crack about not being able to cook, which sent Rachel to the grocery store with an I'll show you attitude. I came back with steaks and pasta and bread and salad and all kinds of things. I made an attempt at Mom's famous onion pie, and her pasta salad with a baby romaine salad with oil and vinegar dressing. There was garlic bread and STEAK....yeah, I didn't cook the steaks, but I did everything else. So it was a great dinner. There was a trip to the church and then back to the mansion for cobbler and icecream. OOOoohh weeee. Man it was a great weekend.