Carmella's Hang Out

No, I have not lost my mind. Tonight, we went to Oakland University to celebrate the Chinese New Year with our good friend. {One of our students from over seas.} It was a lot of fun!!! This is the second time we have been to the school to hang out with that group for a Chinese event, and both times have been a blast with lots of laughter! Unlike the last time, tonight Dad and David were able to join us. Infact, Dad got very involved in some of the ‘programs’ and ‘activities’ going on, and playes tug’o'war with them. He and another young guy won the first and second times, but the third time the young guy went to the other side of the rope, along with three other men, while Dad stayed on his side with one other guy, women, and children! He nearly had them too! By the end of that round, Dad was almost sitting on the floor pulling the rope. He came away from it with hurting, rope burned hands, but a big smile and lots of laughing! He said he had fun!!!

The kids did some three leg races and little games like that, and won some prizes. Sam does not even mind that those buying the little gifts did not see they were buying a dog toy!! He loves the one he got anyway!! Our student got a kick out of it when we told her about it though, and went to ‘make fun’ of the girl who got them!! The girls were also awarded plastic grapes, for winning one of the races. Dad was the winner of the ticket drawing for our table, and picked out a stuffed dog for Mum.

Things that you would never expect to see at an american party, take place at one of these. And I am not saying that in a bad way. It is so much fun to watch and take part in thier parties, and is a real inforamtive and interesting experience. Tonight….they played jump rope!!! It was so funny!!! If I had not been in the outfit and boots I was, I would have loved to jump in, I think! lol. I say that now, because I did not have to this time….but it did look like alot of fun. I wanted to get our student out there to play, but she had never done it before and since I could not join her I did not want to press it.

Fun fun!!

Tuesday, I went to my cousin Rachel’s new place and hung out with her and Frank, her new husband. It was a very nice day! I dont remember if I have mentioned that already, so I am saying it now! It was great! I had alot of fun that day. Even got to stop off at an Aunt and Uncles house on the way home, and that was great. I always like getting to see them and it is ALWAYS love to surprise them like that!! lol. This was the first time I had driven that way without anyone at all. Most of the time that I am the one driving, Tiff is with me. They have a very nice apartment. Really great for a first home I think!

Dad got a new TV this afternoon! ITS HUGE! Much bigger than the one we had before. I think he said it was like 42in….but I might be wrong. Really cool! He set it up tonight after the party. Cant wait to play our new game on it!

Yes, we got ANOTHER game!! I have heard alot of good things about this one, but really fell in love with it when I was over at Rachel’s house. They had one version, and the other friend that was over had one as well that he had with him, so we played both that day! It is called, Scene It! I played the sports and movie game with them, and we picked up the TV edition yesterday. We all played it last night….or maybe I should say this morning…all though, now that it is past midnight again, it was yesterday morning.

I had alot of fun with the game. Mum and Kade did aswell…and the guys said it was ok, but…..heh. More than once I heard both of them say ‘I hate this game’ rofl, but they both said they would play it again with us the next time we want to pull it out. {the I hate it was in good fun. There are some aspects of the game that ARE frustrating! lol} Now that we have a larger TV it should be even more fun to play. Maybe we will do some more of it as a ‘Superbowl Sunday’ sort of party.

I am starting to think that I should get an artificial right foot. That is all there is to it. If I continue on the way I have been the past few years I am going to HAVE to get one! lol. No, I have not broken it agian,…..and before you start any trailer falling jokes….I have steered clear {har de har har} of falling vehicles….but I did hurt it again tonight. OY. There is a part of the baseboard in the kitchen that is not yet able to be finished off, so the corner of it is sticking out…and, as my baby toe found out, is very sharp. I was not even going all that fast, as I tried to manuvuer around the empty TV box. My right foot did not make it all the way in the clear, and I sliced my little toe open. I did not want to look at it too much, cause it was already making me sick and ready to pass out from the sound and feel of it….but Mum says she thinks I cut the toe and nail down to the quick. I use to cut the top of that toe all the time, poor thing. I kid you not when I say it is no longer rounded the same way as it was when I was younger. I cut the sides off so many times, it is more trianglular than rounded now. gross! Me and feet. See…this is why I say just chop the thing off! lol!

I went job hunting the other day. Was going to go into more detail about how I came to the conclusion that I HAD to get a new job….but I am too lazy at the moment to go get the paper I wrote the post on…so I will just do a summary of it. In order to go on a vacation this year and do all the Ren stuff I want, I need to have a nice savings account by August. This way, I can work one or two days a week, or none at all, during the Fest and after vacation, and not worry about money. Then, I will either go back to Meijer as a desk worker, or find that ‘job of my dreams’ that I have been putting off for other plans. I had before thought, due to LOTS of list making and such, that I would be able to make my goal just by staying at the carousel. So I could not understand why saving was turning out to be harder than I thought it was going to be…even though I seemed to be sticking to much of the same budget I had set. Long story short….there were lots of expenses I had not factored in. There is no way I can make the needed amount by August staying there only. As odd as it might sound, that made things so much less stressful on me. I have this need to explain myself for nearly everything I do, and I was feeling like I could not find a good enough excuse for my boss, to leave the carousel. Even though I knew I did not NEED one, since i have always told her I would not be staying there long {but have been there now 11 months} I still could not take having her question me as if it was wrong for me to need more money, and a better work place. {things are not good there, as you may have heard me say.} So, I went and applied at a few places in the same mall at which my brother works. Not the same store, but the same mall. Two of the places really seemed to want workers, and one place even gave me a first interview of sorts! As I said after the Y denial, I am trying not to think myself a shoe in for a job, but I do think things went well there that day. That is not to say that I will get the job there, but I am glad that I do not have the feeling they went badly. The one I would really like to get is only looking for 12-16 hours a week, so that would leave me free to still work at the carousel once a week, volunteer at the home, and pick up some cleaning work with Kade. Please pray that things go well. I know I will get the job that the Lord wants….I am just hoping that my heart is in the place He is wanting it to be. {In other words….that He wants me to have the same job I want me to have!}  Now all I have to do is let my boss know I have actually put in the aplications at places, and that I WILL be leaving for most of the week. EEKKK. Although I have already told her weeks ago, I dont think she believed me and has not made any effort it seems, in finding more help. Regardless of the fact that we need another worker even if I were to stay there the same way I am now.

This brings me to my biggest news!! I was ABLE to apply at SummerSet mall because…….I AM GOING TO GET MY CAR BACK!!!! PRAISE THE LORD and THANK YOU DAD!!!! I am SOOOO  very excited about this, if you could not tell. Friday morning, Dad called to tell Mum she could let me in on the secret they had been keeping. Mum handed the phone to me, though, cause she said it was Dads surprise to tell.

They have been planning, since Christmas, to help me fix my car with tax money!!! I have been saving {slowly it seems.} to pay for the motor mounts, the wheel baring, and the alignment that are needed before I can drive my car again. I thought I was there, only to find that I was at least 75 if not 100 dollars away from the needed amount. So I kept saving.

Then…Dad calls on Friday and tells me to take my car in. I am to pay what I have saved and then he and Mum will cover the rest with some of the money they got back! I HAVE THE BEST PARENTS IN THE WORLD!!! Mum said she has been bursting to tell me, just so excited that she gets to help in giving me my car back, but she did not let on a THING! Nor did Dad, or even Tiff….who Mum told a few weeks ago since she could not tell me! lol.

I took her in Friday morning, but they did not get all the work done, due to another job that took too long before her. However, they said they will finish the work on Monday…and I am thinking I will be able to dive my Mandie to work later that afternoon!! I can not wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SO SO SO SO SO excited!!

After dropping the keys off, and leaving my car in the lot, I told my sis “I am 21 years old, I am out in public….I will NOT do a happy dance……but when they hand me my keys back and tell me I can take her home…I AM dancing for joy!”

Although I drove the car to the Festival a few times, it has been since June of last year that I was able to drive my own car on a regular basis! After that, Dad had me drop down to only using it every now and then for the weekend trips to the fest…and then nothing at all. It was really tearing the car apart to drive it and was not safe, or afordable, to drive. It feels like forever since I was able to say that I had a car I could drive…and since I got into the drivers seat and took off in my ‘baby’ for a trip farther than the next parking space…..or the occasional trip to the bank to keep it from seezing up.

On Monday, I have the feeling it is going to be like getting my first car, all over again. I will probably take pictures and all!! lol. Now, if only I could afford the gas to drive it! All in the Lords time! I am so happy to be getting it back, that I am not even worried about how I am paying for gas, at this moment! That worry can hit me harder when I see the gas light again! lol.

I think that was pretty much all the news I had for now. And I think that is more than enough!! PHEW.

Have a good Sunday everyone, and a great start out to your week. Talk to you all soon!