ch-ch-ch-changes

Lots of changes coming up this year. Lots. This may be the changiest (just made that word up) year ever.

The first change? A new job.

Not just a new job. A new industry. After twenty years working in the hotel business, I am saying buh-buy to the 7/24/365 craziness that is hospitality. I still can’t believe that I won’t be dealing with bartenders, housekeepers, and restaurant servers anymore. No more meal tickets and nametags and safety shoes. Will I miss the drama of the diverse workforce that makes up the population of a large hotel? Probably.

Well, maybe after a little while.

Right now, I’m looking forward to a corporate office… an office that’s not located in the basement, next to a dumpster, near the loading dock, or surrounded on all sides by restrooms so that the soundtrack to each of my days is constant flushing. I’m looking forward to having an office that doesn’t smell like cigarette smoke from being so close to the smoking area or like the sewer because the grease traps are being cleaned. I’m especially looking forward to having an office with a window.

(Oh joy! Oh bliss! A window!)

I have a million insane stories that I could tell for days… everyone who works in HR in hotels always talks about writing a book. I think when you have people from all over the world who work in a building with liquor, money, and beds, you have lots of ways for them to get in trouble. I wish I could say that none of it surprises me anymore, but I’d be lying. I’m constantly surprised by the ingenuity of stupidity.

I know that the new place will have it’s own set of problems and, I’m sure, drama…however, I don’t know if any of it can compare to what I’ve witnessed and been involved with over the past twenty years. Though, if I hadn’t been through all of that, maybe I wouldn’t have been qualified for this new position. I have definitely learned a great deal through all the nonsense. For that, and for some amazing friends and loved ones, I am especially grateful.

So, that’s change number one… more to come.

Tired of being so tired.

Madeline Kahn sang a song in Blazing Saddles called “I’m tired of being so tired” and that’s exactly how I feel these days. I am tired all the time. Like, even if I get a full eight hours of sleep, I need a nap. A two-hour nap. That’s not normal, right?

The other day I felt somewhat awake. I got home from work, cooked dinner, and even took the dog for a walk. I had also consumed a big-ass cup of coffee at 4:00pm. And after the walk I totally crashed. That was it for me; I was done.

A couple of months ago I started taking vitamins & eating healthier… drinking water, eating fruit. Still tired. So I made an appointment with my endocrinologist. What, YOU don’t have an endocrinologist? I do because I have a thyroid thing and I’m wondering if that is the reason for my perpetual state of sleepiness.

So I went to see the doctor. Who, by the way, reminds me of this guy from The Carol Burnett Show:

Supposedly, my doctor is one of the best in town… however, he walks like the old man that Tim Conway portrayed & sometimes asks me the same question two or three times in a row.

I told him that I have been feeling really tired all the time no matter how much sleep I get. He asked, “Do you wake up tired?” I said yes. He asked what I had been doing all summer and I said not too much. He asked if I went on vacation and I said yes, I went to Puerto Rico. I was really too tired for even having small talk. Then he asked me if I was on any medication and I said “of course I am.” Then he asked, “So, do you wake up tired?”

He had me drink some water while he felt my throat. Then he sent me to the lady who takes blood. She told me that I also needed to pee in a cup. “Do you think you can do that now,” she said. Well, sure. Because trying to aim my pee into a dixie cup is what I’ve been waiting to do all day!

After that she took seven vials of blood. SEVEN VIALS people! I stood up and almost passed out. I asked her if seven vials of blood were really necessary and she said that the doctor wanted to do A LOT of tests.

My immediate thought was, “I wonder how many of those are not going to be covered by my insurance.” Sad, but true. I have sucky insurance, folks.

Now I wait two weeks or so for test results.

Oh – and while I was looking online for the picture of Madeline Kahn, there was a question on a medical website by someone asking why they were so tired. The person asking said that they had had their thyroid checked and it was all fine so what else could it be. The answer was that it could be depression.

Ha! As if. That’s what the medication is for. Duh.

Excessive, much?

I returned from vacation and realized that I took 1,097 photos in the seven days I was away. That was on one camera.

That doesn’t count the 30+ photos I took on my phone (the ones I chose to have developed) OR the 19 photos I took using my polaroid instax.

Plus… each kid had their own camera and was taking their own photos of the vacation. And then I just remembered the waterproof disposable camera we used for some underwater photos. I haven’t gotten those developed yet. Wait…how do I do that again? Get film developed?

So, is it more excessive that I took over 1,100 photos in seven days or that I took these photos on three different devices?

I haven’t counted how many photos the kids took, but if it’s under 1,000 I may question whether or not they are truly related to me.

The Worst Beach Ever

Carolina Beach, Puerto Rico

I do believe I have found paradise. My “tour guide” said this was the worst beach ever – too crowded, too noisy. I loved it…maybe because of that There was music playing the entire time thanks to fellow beach-goers. And the most excellent people watching.

The kids had a blast! Skylar stayed in the water the entire time & Mack played in the sand and swam in the ocean.

How can that possibly be “the worst beach ever”?

Rebels

We move to Georgia and look what happens… my children have joined fight between north and south.

So they may be about 152 years late and on the wrong side. But what’s important here is they want to be a part of something and it’s an extra-curricular activity.

Okay… so have you ever seen such HAMMY children? I didn’t even have to beg them to do this. I didn’t put the hats on them or say, “Why don’t you hold the wooden pretend weapons and look like you’re in the Civil War for Mom?”

Instead, they begged me to take their picture looking all “civil war serious.” I was even told that I needed to put the picture in black and white or sepia so it would look more “legitimate.”

I like eggs with my ham.

So, where ya been?

Me? Oh you know…not a lot:

- worked
- went through a hotel ownership change (again)
- worked a lot more
- coached cheer leading (I know, I couldn’t believe it either)
- lost weight
- gained it back
- got divorced
- worked some more
- lost a dog (I miss you, Buddy)
- co-lead girl scouts
- adopted a new dog (naughty Napo)
- visited my Dad
- scrapped a few pages
- visited with friends
- replaced a water heater
- fixed the air conditioning (twice)
- fixed the car (twice)
- dented the car (oops)
- worked some more
- met someone special

See, not much.

You?

I think they played baseball that night, too

Tuesday was an extremely stressful day. I haven’t even mentioned my (mis)adventures on getting to the actual baseball stadium (unintentionally visited some reallllly interesting areas of downtown Atlanta).

All of that disappeared when these kids took the field to sing the Canadian and USA National Anthems.

How cute are they? Mack is the one in the middle, hair in a ponytail. (loose skirt)

Here she is again, singing her little heart out. (middle left)

Close-up of the jumbo-tron image.

How cool was that? I’m sure it’s something she’s going to remember forever. I asked her what it was like to walk out on that field and sing in front of thousands of people. She said “scary.”

They sounded terrific and looked amazing! All the parents were super-proud. We gave the kids a standing ovation when we met them after the performance. They were so great! I can freely admit I got a bit teary-eyed hearing them sing. (then again, I get teary-eyed at just about every one of my kids’ performances)

After they sang, I became the crazy Mom yelling MACKENZIE! MACKENZIE! MAH-KEN-ZIEEEEE!!

I’m sure Mack was just as proud of me at that moment.