Walking in Memphis

Madness Surounds Me

I'm in the middle of moving to my house. I still can't believe that I'm writing "my house." Closing went off without any problems, and I'm now a proud owner of a home. I am currently about 95% packed in my apartment and it is strange to see all my belongings in boxes. I feel like I took five big leaps into adulthood now that I have a mortgage.

Everything starts next weekend. I need to paint the inside of the house, start moving boxes and coordinate movers to help move the heavy stuff.

I am desperately needing some energy. So please pray for me; that I will have the energy to get everything done, that I will be able to get good rest and not get sick.

In two weeks, I will be moved in, completely.

I'm a little stressed.....

When I finish this post, I am going to sit on my porch and smoke a cigarette -

1) I'm closing on my house tomorrow
2) My debit card was stolen on Friday. In a matter of two days, $600 was spent on groceries and about $2000 on gas. The bank has been great but we are working through the details.
3) I'm tired
4) I have a meeting with my boss on Friday. I don't know what it is about and I have a feeling that not all of it is good.
5) Did I mention that I'm closing on a house tomorrow at 4pm?????

In 5 Days.....

In 5 days, I will become a home owner. I can't really believe that I am actually here but I am. The stress of buying a house is high but I will be happy once I have signed all the papers and I move in.

I will need to post pictures of it soon - it was built in 1938 and is a Carriage style home. It is filled with the original hardwood floors (this is my favorite part) and the main reason why I fell in love with it. It is 3 bedrooms / 2 bathroom with a renovated kitchen and a deck in the back yard. There is a detached two car garage in the back, which will be a great place for storage.

I am starting to go through my apartment and purge, purge, purge. For those who know me well, you know that I love this. I have always been good with throwing out things (maybe a little too much!)....and now I just need to start packing. My May/June had/have me on the road almost every day, so it is going to be a project to move into the house, paint before I move in and figure out how to everything out of my three story apartment.

One thing that I found out - my car insurance is going up $15 a month because of where my house will be. Sigh....living in Memphis is not the safest place for cars...

Bringing You Up to Speed

I have not been blogging much lately. Most of it is because I don't think that ANYONE reads this. If you do, I am surprised.

I have been non-blogging lately. Most of it has been because I have been so busy lately.

Here is a crash course of what has been going on:

1) Travel has been non-stop with work. I had one work day in Memphis in May - the rest was on the road.
2) I took vacation for the first time in two years. I went to Singer Island, FL, and had a blast. I later met up with S and spent some time with her, as we are waiting for baby to arrive.
3) I am buying a house. This has consumed any energy that I had left over from work. It has been so exhausing but it will be worth every stress.
4) EB had her baby.
5) S is pregant and due any day. (I will be the honorary aunt.)
6) EP and ES is pregnant, too.
7) SP is pregnant, too.
8) I just found out that KB is pregnant - yeah! (by the way, no one else can be pregant!)
9) C is getting married and I'm in her wedding in a few weeks. (one of 10 bridesmaids)
10) B is moving away and I spent a few days with her in Chattanooga before she leaves for DC
11) Good friend of mine, Matt Baugh, passed away a few weeks ago. My whole family came down for the funeral in MS.
12) My brother is in Afghanistan
13) My other brother is turning 18 and graduation high school next weekend. I feel old.

That is it. I really can't take anything else going on or I feel like my brain will stop thinking........

I'm Tagged

Pablo tagged me.....

List 7 songs that I'm really into right now:

1) Tonight I Want to Cry - Keith Urban
2) Who Says You Can't Go Home - Bon Jovi (I saw him in Las Vegas at the mall)
3) You're Beautiful - James Blunt
4) Photograph - Nickelback
5) Always on your side - Sheryl Crow & Sting
6) Because of You - Kelly Clarkson
7) Like We Never Loved at All - Faith Hill

Quote of the Day

From a client meeting yesterday.....

"It is like putting poop in a lollipop."

Current Sightings.....

I'm in Chattanooga this weekend and am soaking up the sunshine as I look at the Walking Bridge and the beautiful view of the river. It is a short visit with B and I'm leaving tonight to go back to Memphis.

This week - I'm preparing to leave for Las Vegas (YEAH!!) and hope to get some time to practice my golf swing.

Million Little Pieces

Okay, so I lied. I have already started reading Million Little Pieces instead of waiting to read it on my vacation in Las Vegas. I flew home today from Florida and the only reading material that I had with me was business/management related. The last thing I want to read on a vacation day is something that makes me think of my failures as a manager.

So, I picked up MLP and am already half way through it.

A few random thoughts about it already -

I love the way the author tells the story. You actually feel like you are there and going through all of it. I wish that I was that strong of a writer. If I was, I would not be doing today what I am doing.

There are interesting themes of taking responsibility for one's own actions and I rather like how he does not blame his additiction, so far in the book, to anyone else or because he has a "disease" of addiction.

So far, I am not bothered that he lied. Okay, so he should have not lied and said that all of this was true. I am still impacted by what he went through and the motivation that it provides the reader to reach for better goals and to really get through lifes hard times.

Overall, I just like the theme of redemption, which is why I was first drawn to this book.

Stay tuned. I will write more thoughts as I am reading through it.

Resting

I'm in FL this weekend with S and have taken her home as a hiding place from everything. This is now my third trip here this year, I think.

It is nice to esacpe to somewhere where things are a lot slower and quieter. This morning, I got up and ran around her neighboorhood. No one was yelling, screaming or just being annoying. Just a few people out on their horses and it was very tranquil to be out in the cool Florida breeze running.

I'm here until Monday and taking no phone calls / emails. I made one phone call out to someone but only because I knew that if I did not, the questions would be coming later and the feelings would be hurt.

The next few weeks are going to be a whirlwind. Traveling, projects, new clients to stay on top of; it is all good.

I am also starting to count down to my time in Las Vegas in three weeks. I'm going out for our national sales meeting for a week but am going out 4 days early by myself. I can't wait. This is the agenda -

1) Sit by the pool relaxing
2) Sit by the pool reading
3) Sit by the pool drinking margaritas
4) Turning off the cell phone/ blackberry
5) Read HP 5, Million Little Pieces and maybe 1776.
6) Spa days

Don't Ask

There is a pink bra stuck in my vacuum. I can't get it out.

Four

Four Jobs I Have Had:

Regional Account Manager
Assistant to VP of Sales
Floor Supervisor
babysitting on Lookout Mountain, GA

Four Movies I Could Watch Over & Over:
Casablanca
Lost in Translation
Tommy Boy
Sleepless in Seattle

Four Books I Could Read Over & Over:
Harry Potter Series
Pride & Prejudice
Tipping Point
The Great Gatsby

Four Places I have Lived:
Memphis, TN
San Diego, CA
Gaithersburg, MD
Corpus Christi, TX

Four Places I have been on Vacation:
Miami, FL
Key West, FL
Grand Canyon
Maine

Four Places I would like to be right now:
South Africa
On any beach
Chile
Traveling with J

Changes

Yes, for all of those who read this (which is probably one person), I am trying to get back in the land of blogging. Life has been hectic since my last post and there are changes surrounding me everywhere. Some good, some great, some uncertain and some stressful.

Change #1

I am going back to my full first name, Elizabeth. Before everyone out there tries to figure out why I am finally doing this, let me tell you the reasons why I'm not.

I'm not going back because...
I hate the name Beth
It will help me professionally in my career (please folks!)
Because I want to be seen more as a grown up
Or any other reason other then why

I am going back to my full name because...
I have always liked full names vs. shortened names (Josh vs. Joshua)
I have been wanting to change my name since college (9+ years now)
I like Elizabeth better

So.....if you call me Beth, I will still answer to it but I would prefer Elizabeth.

Change # 2

Work, it is always work. This is a portion of the stressful part; I love it, am doing well, and just thrive from the responsibilities given to me but there are changes and challenges infront of me since I became a manager. It is really stretching me, personally, professionally, spiritually, in ways that I never imagined.

Change # 3

Celebrations in friend's life changes in June....

S is pregnant with a girl and I will be the honorary aunt in June. Oh I can't wait. Little A will need to wait until after the next event listed so that I don't miss the birth.

C is engaged and I will be a bridesmaid in June at her wedding (one of ten). I can't wait to be a witness of her marriage and celebrate in a desire so longed for that is coming true.

Change # 4

I'm buying a house. This IS the stressful part. There is something very liberating in buying a home on your own with your own money but it is scarry.

I realize that I am making all these decisions with out being able to get someone's opinion, that is even scarrier. I am second guessing everything that I am doing and am wondering if I should settle for something that I like but it is not what I want OR if I should pass up a good oppurtunity in a home to see if I can get the house I want in the location of town I want. It is all about $$$ folks.

So this is my life right now.

Someone give me a gun.....

My cat is in heat.

Patience

For three years, I worked for Barnes and Noble as a floor supervisor during high school / college. The holiday season was always the craziest, as expected. The worse in people come out; they are impatient; cut infront of people in line; get mad when they can't get the discount they think is fair; talk to your manager if they think you were not nice enough because they are trying to return something that looks used / old; etc. etc.

I have pity on all retailers during the holiday season. Today, as I branched out to the mall to try to get some shopping done, I was reminded why I told myself that I would never work retail again after Barnes and Noble. Some lady cut infront of me at Pottery Barn and did not care, people were yelling at the parking lot, long lines, people moving slow, etc.

After being done, I came home happy to be finished for the day when I realized that I did not have my cell phone on me. I called it; no one picked up. Sigh.... So, I ventured out again, surisingly very patient and calm and re-traced all my steps. I finally found it in Gap, where I left it while at the counter. Thank goodness that the Gap people picked it up and no one decided to take it.

Being Thankful.....

As always, this is the time to year to ponder what has happened and how I am thankful for what God has done in my life. There are several things that I am extremely thankful for:

~ My surgery is behind me and I am healed, for the most part. This time last year, I was 4 days away from my surgery, which started 3 months of major recovery, pain and being sick. I still have some pain in the jaw but I think it will be something that I always deal with.

~ Great job with great possibilities of growth this year. I am very excited to see what will happen in the new year with my work. I love it.

~ Memphis - this is a little bit of a surprise. I did not really love being here a year ago. Something has changed and I really do love this town. I am in the process of getting ready to buy a house when this lease is up in April, which is not that far away.

~ Friends - especially S & B - our daily phone calls are usually the highlight of my day. I wish that both were here for Thanksgiving. We would have so much fun that it would be sick.

~ Family - I love my family, even though they test me and push the limits at time. They are still my family.