Movies & Blog/Comment Hop?!

i miss the movies. i do not go as often as i like :(  i like them and the movies now are getting more and more interesting. so curious to know, are you an opening night movie go-er? do you wait a bit after the opening night? or do you wait for it to show up on redbox or Netflix? me...i am a redbox or discount theater type gal.
however you watch your movies...ENJOY and keep the snacks near by!

  or      

ALSO: do you have a blog post that you wish had more comments/feedback/advice? well, just your luck, say hello to the "Thirsty for Comments" blog hop on Acting Balanced blog. add you link to the post lacking comments and watch them come in!! just be sure to offer your thoughts on 3 or more blogs too :) i have got one posted on there (under my blog name "Eloquent Rambles" that i would LOVE some feedback/advice on. click on the link to be directed (i hope i linked it right??)  blog hop over here:  http://www.actingbalanced.com/

~eloquently rambling....

How much is too Much?

i had another post in mind, but due to happenings, i need some advice on this: how much help (be it financial or materials or kindness of heart etc.) is too much? does it matter if it is family or non-family but close to you/your love? how much is too much. i ask b/c at times I feel used; it is becoming a habit I feel. you and the person asking for help both work, yet somehow you are able to take care of your needs and then even help them with theirs and you both probably make the same amount or that other person who needs your helps makes more than you!!! how do you do it? do you do it? what is the cut off number of asking times? if you do not help, do you feel bad, guilty, come off as you do not love/care for that person? this is hard, i go back and forth with it at times. i help because i can and i have a big heart, and i do love and care about the person. i believe that if the tables were turned, the person would help me, but i do get that little voice of doubt in my head of would they really help you as much as you have helped them if at all?  what is your take on this all?

no, this is not me :) (random thinking person off google.com)

~thinking, but still eloquently rambling....

Sugar & Spice-Taste Nice!

mmm, i love to cook! spices are generally the key to making food taste its best. so i ask, other than salt and pepper, what are your must have spices when cooking? mine is garlic...love the smell and taste of it. i add it to just about everything...but desserts...although i am sure there is a garlic inspired dessert out there; pinterest probably has it ready to pin.

    

~eloquently rambling...

Finding a Doctor...

finding a doctor is hard. i wish i did not have to move, then i could have just stayed with my original one. i am reading reviews and looking up info and i do not like what i see or the comments. and it is either a really good comment or it is an awful comment that makes you wonder why that doctor is still in practice. ugh. i will find one soon or i may just have to make the 3 hour drive to see my original one..may not be  a bad idea...road trip, back in my alma mater, seeing old faces and favorite stores...hmmm?? ok, back to the search! what do you look for in a doctor?

~eloquently rambling...

Worst Chore Ever!

i just put up this beauty in the bathroom :) behold the lovely new shower curtain! tada!

it is pretty and fits the bathroom so well and a change was needed and is nice. i did not like the blah solid white. i like a splash of color here or there. this could be why us women have SO many products in our bathroom/shower because of all the different colors they come in...right...? (Ha!). So this brings me to the WORST chore ever and that is...CHANGING THE SHOWER CURTAIN!! my arms get SO tired trying to put it up through the shower curtain rings and snapping them together so it does not fall down. no fun :( and also either i am on my tip toes or trying to balance or on the edge of the bathtub as i stand on it in an effort to reach better and/or possibly not tire my arms out. i cannot win either way. ok, now you know my worst chore ever, time to tell me yours :)

~eloquently rambling...

I do and I don't

I DO:
-i do like it when i get some quiet time in the office.
-i do like it when i hit my goals.
-i do like it when someone makes me laugh...bloggers you included. some of the things you write crack me up!
-i do like it when my love reads my post and notices the (ehem..BIG) ring picture on my post and comments about it me...he is working on it. i am confident he can do it! i told him the picture made it look bigger, you know like your side mirror on your car says "objects may appear closer/bigger than they actually are". i am sticking with this :)*oops.... looks like i now need to be mindful of what i write, now that i got my love to read some of my post...tehehe :)*

I DON'T...
-i don't like it when i see a huge bug of any kind!
-i don't like it when people are rude when you are providing them a FREE service.
-i don't like it when i am out of something cold to drink. warm drinks...ewww :(
-i don't like it when i have to throw food out :( i figure if it looks questionable, or has been in the office fridge (which has a lock b/c people steal) for 5 days or up to a week, i toss it. i would rather throw it away then get sick and have to spend hundreds or possibly thousands of dollars to get better. to me...NOT WORTH IT!!!

happy weekend :)

~eloquently rambling...

Chocolate and E-mails

lately i have been drinking copious amounts of hot chocolate and trying to sort through thousands of e-mails. literally btwn my 2 e-mail accounts, i have easily over 7,000 messages. most of the 7,000+ e-mails are junk/spam mail and i have from joining various freebie and get paid to sites like SWAGBUCKS. it is amazing how when you sign up for one site...all the e-mails start coming in (rolls eyes & shakes head). i now understand why some folks have multiple e-mail accounts. i would say i only have about 300 e-mails that are relevant and that i should keep that are from family, friends, and past school projects etc. the copious amounts of hot chocolate is to help me get through sorting and deleting the e-mail and well, we have A LOT of hot chocolate mix packs (mostly from sales, we have gotten them for as low as $0.15 (15 cents) a box) and it is time to use them up and i am glad to help in this process :)

so, with all this... how do you all keep your e-mail(s) from filling up and is there an end in site? ahhh! well, back to it all so i raise my mug to you and say cheers to lots of hot chocolate and e-mails. :)

  

~eloquently rambling...

If I was a Boy...

if i was a boy.......here we go :) this idea/blog hop is from this blog here: http://www.livinginyellow.com/

-i would be hot!
-i would be able to use the bathroom just about anywhere and not need to pop a squat
-my closet would have more room as i would only need pants, jeans, and shirts
-i would probably have a better paying job...sad, but true.
-i would stand up for women's rights and respect women b/c women are awesome and are needed, they can and do things that a "boy" can't do.
-i would be able to understand better about ALL sports...like a "boy"
-most of all, if i was a boy, i would want to be this boy (pic below) on the left :)

me & my love at the Sundial Restaurant in Atlanta, GA.

My First Liebster Award! AHHH!!!

Wahoo! this is my FIRST blog award. how neat. thank you to Jessie at this blog: Blogging While Single and Over 30. make sure you check her out!

now for the rules of this here award; there are 4

1. Share 11 facts about myself 2. Answer 11 questions from the nominator 3. Nominate 11 bloggers (with less than 200 followers) for the award 4. Create 11 questions for the nominee's to answer...now you know the rules, not sure why everything is 11....but....here we go!

11 FACTS about me:

1. i am a girl/woman 

2. i have lived in Sicily for 3 years

3. i thought i was born in Chicago b/c at the age of 6 months we moved there and all my baby pictures were there.

4. i have allergies to ALL nuts (except almonds) and ALL seafood.

5. i went to Florida State University...GO NOLES!!

6. i am a Florida girl. even with the military, always managed to make it back to Florida

7. i studied Public Health for my Masters...if anyone knows of a job opening anywhere...PLEASE let me know!

8. i like thrift stores :)

9. i have a younger sibling..7 years younger!

10. i am reading 50 shades of Gray..slowly, but surely. watch out my love, my inner goddess is emerging :)

11. in december of 2012 it was my FIRST time opening, de-seeding, and eating a pomegranate!

Nominator Q&A: 

my biggest fear are snakes. i start my day off by waking up...then going to pee. my favorite person is the good Lord above. i prefer comedy over action...i like to laugh. the one thing i would do to change the world is to find a way that NO ONE would be or go hungry. we have SO much food in America that this should not be taking place. i started blogging b/c of others. i followed people's blog and then said, hey, i can do it. then i got some followers and it is taking off nicely. my hobby is reading, hunting for sales and freebies, and helping out my little brother (he is autistic). my favorite tv show is Law and Order: SVU, Real Housewives, and Days of Our Lives. if i could have a mentor it would be Mya Angelou. i prefer cold weather, i can bundle up to be warm. only so much you can take off when you are hot and too much sweat makes me itchy. remember the show captain planet? i would want to be mother earth...Gia so i could give instructions on how to save our planet. 

My Questions:

1.what is your middle name? 2. how did we meet? 3.what is your favorite snack food? 4. what is your job title and/or what is your dream job? 5. what is you favorite/dream vacation spot? 6. what is your favorite sports team? 7. what is your favorite song? 8. what do you cook really well? 9. what is your favorite smell? 10. if you could study/learn about anything, what would it be? 11. what is your pet peeve?

Nominees: 

http://mylifeaccordingtopinterest.blogspot.com/

http://mymommyandwifelife.blogspot.com/

http://joyandgladnessofheart.blogspot.com/

http://auntlala25.blogspot.com/

http://kermit-and-piggy.blogspot.com/

http://jandbmorse.blogspot.com/

http://www.todaywasafairytale.com/

http://moderncolorsblog.blogspot.com/

http://blimestimes.blogspot.com

http://whitechocolate52209.blogspot.com/

http://kimandstace.blogspot.com/

Congrats to you all above and I hope your blog continues to grow!

A to Z of Me :)

It looks like it is my turn now to attempt at the A through Z of Me :) I have seen it before on other blogs, but most recently on the blog of my new friend (who ALWAYS leaves a sweet comment): The Adventures of Our Army Life; Jen. Here we go...

{A} Age: 28
{B} Bed size: queen...even through college
{C} Chore you hate: taking the garbage out to the dumpster and/or putting out the trash bin. I will collect the trash and get it ready, but PLEASE do not make me go outside to take it to the dumpster or pull the bin out.
{D} Dogs: none
{E} Essential start to your day: waking up :) then straight to the bathroom to pee :)
{F} Favorite color: pink, blue, and purple (not in that order and i know it was more than one)
{G} Gold or Silver: white gold-best of both worlds :) but silver would win.
{H} Height: 5'5
{I} Instruments you play: does my voice count? music from the iPod
{J} Job Title: Student Services Specialist
{K} Kids: None :( i need my love to meet me half way :)
{L} Live: Pensacola, Florida
{M} Married: not yet...but i have been with my love, Joshua, for over 3 years now :) we have seriously talked about marriage, so that is a start.
{N} Nicknames:obs, obsters, obi-wan, my queen (my love calls me this), babe, miss obi, obi-galoo, lucy (dad's side of the family), oby, and the obinator.
{O} Overnight hospital stays: age 7 or 8 for an umbilical hernia repair surgery
{P} Pet peeve: people who walk really really slow in front of me like they have ALL the time in the world. i take big steps when i walk i guess.
{Q} Quote: from the show Will and Grace: "my form of birth control is prayer" 
{R} Righty or Lefty: Righty
{S} Siblings: younger brother, we are 7 years apart
{T} Time you wake up: 5:50am-6:00am...gotta be at work by 7:30am
{U} University attended: Florida State University (GO NOLES) for my bachelors and then American Military University for my Masters
{V} Vegetables you dislike: yellow squash and zucchini, they have no taste to me at all.
{W} What makes you run late: waiting on others people in my group or family to get ready so we can go and then having to take them to their destination first. 
{X} X-Rays you've had: dental and pre-surgery x-ray
{Y} Yummy food(s): lasagna, burger king whoppers, sweet tea, jellof rice (native food), chips and chocolate
{Z} Zoo animal favorite: flamingos and elephants

I hope your 3 day weekend was a great one! Have a great rest of the week...at least it is a short one :)

~eloquently rambling....

YouTube & MLK

here i go again...how do these 2 relate? they do not, but this is what is on my mind :) first off, Happy MLK Day! it is a day on, not a day off. what will you do for others? MLK, we remember you, we thank you for your teachings and for letting us know that it is okay to have a dream and work towards it. never be afraid to say..."I Have A Dream", it is the first step in accomplishing anything!

     

youtube is great! you can basically find anything on there that you want. i know i often catch up on shows i have missed or cannot seem to find on hulu from youtube. lately, i have been using youtube to find at home workout videos. there are a plethora of them! everything from chair yoga and chair workouts to zumba. who needs a gym membership anymore when there is youtube rigth? (ha!).

my love has games to call ALL day on MLK day, wishing him the best as always and i know he is living his dream and always remembers to keep moving forward. he reminds me to keep moving forward too no matter how small the step. thank you!

looks like i will spend a good bit of the morning watching the inauguration events and i wish our president well. we ALL (regardless of party affiliation) LOVE our nation and only want was is best for each of us to succeed and our great nation to continue to thrive. those of you in DC right now with fab tickets to events etc... please take some good pics to share and i will admit...i am JEALOUS!! :( aren't you?

~eloquently rambling...

 

Blog Language

help a newbie out here! what does all this blog language mean? "social sunday", "blog hop", grow your own blog", "blog button", "grab a button", "sponsor me/sponsors" etc. what does it all mean and how does a new blogger like myself get involved? i am sure there is more blog lingo. i want to participate more! :) i think i understand some things, but others i have no earthly blogging idea...(hahah, that was kind of cute).

how was your sunday? i spent most of the morning watching the inauguration coverage. then did some sunday errands. shopping on sunday is just easier...less people and traffic. back home now, cleaning up the room a corner at a time, made dinner, and sometime before bed, i am sure i will do a little in home walking before i sleep and talk to my love. i do not DARE call him now as all those sports games are on. if you have not checked out this FREE (you know i only tell you all about FREE apps and websites now :-p) Iphone/Android app called VIGGLE you should. FINALLY you can get rewarded for watching tv. anything your heart and eyes desire :). i am about to get 385 points (or more) just for 'checking into" the Ravens vs. Patriots football game. p/s: i am doing other things, like blogging, cleaning, eating, and watching CNN coverage in the other room, while viggle is on and running in the backgroud on my phone in the bedroom :) i and you will still have FULL access to all your phone features. hope the 3-day weekend is going well for all of you!

~eloquently rambling...

BBB...Brain Blog Block

i am suffering from a case of BBB...Brain Blog Block (hahah, clever i know...thank you! lol now try and say this 3 times fast...). how do you all come up to what to write/blog about on a daily basis? is there like a list of topics posting somewhere on the World Wide Web that say "today's topic is..."? (hahah, just kidding).

ummm, yesterday was uneventful. i did tae-bo and did not die. this is good, but i did say a prayer before i started so my sins would be forgiven just in case i did not make it. i am ok with my LITTLE bit of cellulite thanks to this... but i still want it gone! went out with my brother to run errands while Ma went in to the office to finish out some things. picked up some groceries, got my FREE item from Bath and body works, and went to Michael's to look around. i love their dollar items section. i am totally all about things $2.00 or less :) spend the rest of the day trying to get rid of leftovers, so that is what we had for dinner, and watched lots of HGTV. my favorite show on there is house hunters...all of them, local here in the USA and international. some people are SO picky and actually seem rather spoiled and stuck-up, but i guess it is b/c i am watching and not actually hunting. please do not let me become as such when i start house hunting. i think later on today, i will really start to clean up the house starting with my section and the bathroom. hopefully my BBB will be gone soon also. but really....how do you all come up to what to blog about?

~eloquently rambling...

A 4 NOT 3 day weekend for Me!

*yep a 4 day and not 3 day weekend for me :) i have put in many hours at events after work and since i do not get overtime, they "pay me back" in time off that i do not need to use my leave for. yippee! back on Wednesday!

*why is that at around midnight or midnight-thirty (12:30 am) (lol), blogger seems to go slow and keep crashing with Google Chrome?

*scored some good deals at Victoria's Secret! their panties this time, i guess left over from the semi-annual sale are $2.99 each! whoa! i got 7 (7 days in a week and your wear your panties one per day..teheheh) and some smell good body butter jasmine rose i think (75% off) all for an even $30.00. that is like the price of 2 panties on a sale day right? hurry go and see if your Victoria's Secret still has some 75% off and $2.99 deals left. Also, if you are interested in checking out a few sites that help you earn money/gift cards for FREE check out my post about my first 3 HERE. more will be added from time to time :)

*blog hops may be over for this week, (wait are they really ever over?) but i am still hoping and finding ones to follow. one good blog leads to another! for those that have followed back...THANK YOU!

*My Love...oh my dear Love. he has been extra nice to me this week and i am thankful. i wish him well this long weekend. he announces various sports games (depending on the sport in season) and he has TEN (10), yes TEN, as in TEN, DIEZ, DIX, games to call all later on today. i am sure his his voice will hold out, but i know he will be so tired. i always tell him, keep liquids and cough drops near by...and he does :) he does a FANtastic job, is the biggest sports fan i know, and knows all the plays in every sport...even Canadian Curling. i am SO proud of him and tell him each chance i get. he has my heart always!

~eloquently rambling...

How to get Free Things..Check them out

FREE! I love that word :). We all like FREE things right? I love opening my mail box and seeing that free sample I signed up for finally get to me. I also like racking up the points I need so that I can redeem them for a free gift card or prize. I want YOU to do the same too! Here a few of my favorite sites/facebook pages/apps:

Swagbucks: First, it is EASY and FREE to join, you can click here to join and get 30 Swag Bucks (SB) just for signing up. think of SB like a “frequent flyer” program for using the web. Search points are random, but you can easily get search points at least 2 times a day. search in the morning and again in the evening. Rather than using Google, I use SB to search and see how many points I can get. Other activities you can do for points on SB include, watching SwagBucks TV (SBTV), completing offers (some as easy as “liking” a page on Facebook for 2 SB, answering the daily poll question and the NOSO which are another easy 2 SB for just clicking skip until you get to the end then typing in the phase they give you like: “smile today”. That is it. And also you can get points for printing and using coupons. 10 SB for each coupon you print out from their page and ACTUALLY use. You redeem the SB for prizes in the Swagstore. My favorite is the Amazon e-gift card. $5.00 Amazon e-gift card code for 450 SB. One can easily get 450 SB in a matter of  3-5 days. You add the code to your Amazon.com account and it will NEVER expire.

Hunt4Freebies: This is one of my favorite Facebook pages that I like. It lets me know all about the Freebies and deals going on. Updated constantly so you NEVER miss a freebie or deal. I get/sign up for a lot of freebies, it is FREE so if the offer does not show up, I am not too upset. I say out of 10 that I sign up for I actually get about 6 or 7 of them. Not bad at all. Here is the Facebook page link: https://www.facebook.com/Hunt4Freebies?ref=ts&fref=ts

Viggle: If you have a smart phone (IPhone/Android) and watch TV…this FREE app is for you! FINALLY get reward for watching TV. ANY TV show…sports, soaps, reality tv, CNN, movies, cartoons with the kids…anything! If it has sound and the phone can pick it up, you will get the points. 1 point per minute of watching. So if a show is 30 min, you will get 30 points for checking into it. Once it picks up a show and you confirm it, Viggle runs in the background so you can still make calls, go to other apps etc while it is on and you will get your points for "watching" When your show is over, it will tell you how many points you have earned and you can check in to another show. I know the SuperBowl is going to be worth a lot of points so get this app ASAP! Bonus points + points per minute of the game. For the football games, I easily got over 300 points just for checking in and letting it run in the background. You redeem the points here for prizes. My favorite is the CVS $5.00 e-card for 10,000 Viggle points. I can easily get this in about 2 weeks (when i remember to check in :-0) Here is the link to sign up and learn more:http://www.viggle.com/ 
They also have an active Facebook page and you can see what is on to check into too from here:  https://www.facebook.com/viggle

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. If you know of any you would like to share, please do. There are more I have but let us start with these first :) These all have Facebook pages to "like" to learn more and to keep up to date. Let me know what you think about them. Now, go and get what is yours...for FREE!

~eloquently rambling...

Update and Oprah's Interview w/ Lance

Update: here is an update on  the issue in this blog post here: everyone is fine from the fire incident and it looks like one or two rooms can be repaired. we are all very thankful. i hope my family and i will hear from my Aunt sometime soon.

Oprah's interview with Lance: i am sitting here drinking large amounts of hot cocoa because it is cold and watching Lance on Oprah. i feel like he is still hiding something. there is a lot of "well, not really that way" and lots of "um...i do not remember that too well etc. really? how quickly we forget huh? i mean we all know you have lost ALL your titles and Olympic medal and it has been confirmed that you did blood dope. There is really no more need to lie or try to hide facts anymore. i think many of us really just want to know not really why you did it, we know why, you wanted to win, but HOW you did it and got away with it for SO long. we want the JUICY details of the plans, how things were disposed of, how it was hidden so well etc. the world may never know (*shrugs shoulders*).

~eloquently rambling...

Fire?!?!

As you may have guessed from my name...it is not a "typical American" name. It is Obi (pronouced Au-bee), the O is the O sound you would make when saying October or Octopus. My family is from an African country called Nigeria. My parents have lived in America for over 30 years for each of them. My brother and I were born and raised in America...mostly in the state of Florida, we go back to visit, but it is not often as it is not the safest country in the world and travel is expensive. Some family still live in Nigeria.

I was still up at 12:30am this morning, could not sleep, so cleaning and doing this and that. The phone rang and it was my Aunt from Nigeria. We said hello and she asked if my mother was still up and she was up too doing her own thing. My Aunt hit us with the news that...HER HOUSE CAUGHT ON FIRE!!! WHAT??? OMG. Everything was burned completely to the ground. Nothing is left at all. Not sure of all the details, as her phone minutes ran out (in a third world/developing country basic things like getting and keeping electricity,, clean water, internet and a phone line/signal are hard; even getting the police and fire department is difficult if there are even such entities). They think it was an electrical fire which are difficult to put out to begin with. The only thing she was able to save was the laptop b/c it happened to be in her car since she takes it to work. The most important thing in all of this is that NO one was injured or hurt as for now we think that no one was at the house when the fire took place. All were at work, school, or running errands. So THANKFUL for that. Things can be replaced, memories can be saved, remembered, and shared, but people are irreplaceable. As I know more, I will update. Please keep my family overseas in your thoughts/prayers/send good vibes. I know they will feel it and appreciate it. Thank you!

**I am thinking about posting about a few free apps and freebie sites and such soon (maybe tomorrow?)

Also: I came across this blog: Happy Wives Club and their post about "Why I Love My Husband" and aww, it is so sweet. So, although I am not yet married yet, I will still tell you one of the many reasons "Why I love my Love"...I love him because he is patient with me and the wants in his life. 

~eloquently rambling and thank you...

Hungry or Thirsty?

which one would you rather be...hungry or thirsty? for me i would much rather be hungry than thirsty. i cannot stand being thirsty at all. i always have a drink with me. my mouth feeling dry is a NO-NO! i guess even if i am hungry, drinking something will make me feel less hungry and sometimes even feel full.

work days seems to be going fast. i guess that is what happens when you have a 7:45am meeting/presentation and get back to the office at 9:00am. it is already noon and i could not be happier! i enjoy my job and thankful to have one when so many are in search of one. i will say i do not like having to depend and rely on numbers. bascially, being a grant program i work for, if we do not hit our target number of 1500 clients, i am/we are out of a job. there are 5 other people i work with and we have different areas in town that we are to focus on etc. i do not like this stress at all...especially come April-July as folks really start to realize..."oh Fall semester starts soon like in August". so far, even in the years before me, the number has always been met, but it is still scary and last year when i started we were only over our number by 9...YIKES!! i am working and recruiting the best i can to get these students to want to go and actually go to college. any and all tips and advice is welcomed :)

**TMI alert!! okay, you have been warned! so why is it when it is that time of the month for us ladies (our periods/menstrual cycle) no matter how BIG the pad or even tampon, somehow, someway, it seems like it misses all together and you end up getting blood everywhere else BUT the pad/tampon. happens to me at least one time during the course of the cycle. i swear i positioned everything correctly. good thing my pants are black ones :)

ok to add to all this now...my love's place of  employment's athletic department was broken into early this morning around 5:00am and EVERYTHING was stolen :( from the computers in the office to the food left in the main coach's fridge. glass is everywhere all the windows are broken too. how sad. i am glad no one was around that could have been hurt. 

~eloquently rambling...

Readers and Comments...OH MY!

i am so tickled here right now. one of my post received many comments (mine included) total 14 comments (and may be growing)!! imagine my surprise. oh i LOVE it and i hope i responded to each of you. i am sure i did. if  not, feel free to say..."hey Eloquent O, what is up? why you no comment back?!?!" (yes, i meant for that phrase to be terrible grammar) (LOL)!

 I am still new to getting back in the groove blogging so this is SO NEAT. thank you all for making me feel so welcomed! i do not think i can say it enough...THANK YOU x 1,000,000 and counting! i think i am going to keep "hopping" and blogging along. maybe yours will be the next one I follow...dun, dun, dun....! help a novice out here... How did you feel when you first started blogging and first started to see comments and build readers?

~eloquently rambling...

Another This & That

--another quiet day at work. just me :( my assistant is sick. i hope she feels better soon, but i am glad she stays home when sick so i do not get it.
--breakfast from McDonalds today. not the best way to start with fast food, but it is breakfast and I have a long day, missing lunch due to a meeting so, it is okay right?
--i really LOVE sweet tea. in fact i am having it with breakfast.
--prayer link up today at this blog: http://ramsaygrace.blogspot.com/ if you have something on your mind that needs prayer, stop on by :)
--trying to figure out how to get more students in to see our program. i fill out FAFSA's for FREE... with virtually no errors (unless you tell me something different and you change your taxes later)who does not want that? any ideas please share!
--thank you to my new followers...i have a couple that have joined :)
--blog hops...too cute! love it and who knew SO MANY BLOGS existed! i always stumble across a few that i really like. i must say there are some UNIQUE blog titles out there too :) i wish i understood the concept more so that i could "hop" better.
--my love and i are doing better. we are talking more and using that wonderful invention called skype more.

--looks like that is it for this & that!

~eloquently rambling....

100 :)

Hello post 100 :) I did it. !Welcome! Now our next goal is to get to post 200 :) I have some confessions to make. Yes, i watched the golden globe awards yesterday and I follow Kim Kardashian's blog (runs and hides). I am interested in seeing how this "I am having a baby" is going to play out with her. This is purely for entertainment, I am learning nothing from following her...promise! I do like her fashion and shoes though :) Happy Monday to everyone and thank you for being a reader/follower :) You are AWESOME!

~eloquently rambling...

Quiet Sunday

today is a quiet Sunday. so far so good. not much going on today. i cleaned up the bathrooms and FINALLY took down the Christmas Tree. the area under my chest is hurting making my upper back hurt as well. i could not sleep to well last night. i was up at 430am with a sharp pain in my upper stomach area. after a few moments of breathing, it went away and i feel back asleep. it was scary though. i cooked up a storm so at least food is ready for the week! i guess it really has not been a "Quiet Sunday" just one that so far has been indoors :) SO ready for the work week. happy Sunday to all!

~eloquently rambling...

Number 7

Started off my weekend with a 7 mile, YES 7 (SEVEN) mile run/walk. I went out to the National Park that is along the beach/water and just ran/walked all the way to the end and back. It is 3.5 miles down and 3.5 miles back. They have it paved so that is nice and the breeze was comforting and cooling. Thank goodness for my iPod. The exercise was SO long it seemed that I heard songs on my iPod that I forgot I had even placed on there! (HA!). It took me about an hour and half to complete, not bad for my somewhat first time in a while doing it. I LOVE to walk, especially outside.  Phew, I am exhausted but I kept moving! Needless to say, I have tired legs now :( Hope your weekend is going well! Also, I now have the family "hooked" on using Crisco as their body moisturizer. Especially good for the winter! No More Dry Skin!!!

~eloquently rambling....

Findings and Sad News.

Findings: Look what I found today and you would not believe where!! I found this, see picture below  and it usually around  $2.98 to $3.50 depending on where you shop at. Well, I found this little gem at the DOLLAR TREE!!Yep, for $1.00 for 48 oz. So excited. I LOVE the dollar tree and yes, everything in there is $1.00. If you have not been in a Dollar Tree, you are missing out!! They have good things there. Cards of all kinds are 2 for $1.00, Books, School Supplies, Cleaning products, Food, Sunglasses, Reading Glasses, Candles, Flowers, Vases, Home Decor, Soap, Shampoo, Conditioner Calenders, Candy, Drinks, the list can go on! Some even have a frozen food section where you can get frozen dinners, ice cream, frozen veggies, frozen fruit etc. I have even seen rib-eyed steak. Again EVERYTHING is ONLY $1.00. I would just be mindful if you are going to purchase food there to check the expiration date. Nothing they sell is expired, but the expiration date that the product can still be in the shelf at stores may be close. I lucked out on these and bought 5 (so spent $5.00 total. At $2.98, 5 would be $14.90. So I saved $9.90...WAHOO!) and they are good until April 13, 2013. If me and my family do not finish it off by then...well, all 5 will be gone in about 1 week, so no worries here. Hurry into your nearest Dollar Tree and see what great things you can find! Happy "Dollar" shopping! 

 

Sad News: I found out today that the person I was hired to replace b/c she fell ill, then got better, but then decided to resign to focus on her health, just passed away as of yesterday I never met her, I only saw pictures, but I was still sad. She had some heart issues which is why she was out ill since Nov. 2011. That is when I was first hired as a temp, and then I applied for the position in March of 2012 when she put in her official resignation letter, and I got it officially as of April, 2012. Now that she has passed, I do feel bad, but I know it was not my fault and nothing I did wrong, like I said before, I never met or heard of this person before, but somehow I feel that it is some type of "Bad Omen". Is it?? I mean I am now working the job that a former person who has now passed away was working. Hmmm?? Although I got the job fair and square after rounds of interviews, elimination sequence and all many months before today/her passing, somehow it just feels strange. From what I have heard about her, I do know she was a person of STRONG faith so I am confident that her soul is now at peace. 

 

~eloquently rambling...

Yoga, Quiet Then, and Street Signs.

Again, I think I have this habit of thinking of things to blog about that really do not relate to each other. Oh well. Happy reading anyway. Here we go:

Yoga: I found a yoga video on YouTube and decided to try it with my mother and brother. OhMyGoodness, Yoga is NO JOKE!!! It is not just warrior poses and downward dog, it is a major core workout. I felt so out of shape when I was tired and my heart was beating like crazy after staying in "plank" pose and "cobra" for 45 seconds. My legs feel MUCH better now as my calfs have felt SO stiff lately.

Quiet Then: Today has been quiet at work. I have 2 people scheduled to see me. So far one is a No-show :( It was a quiet day and then all of a sudden...a TON of e-mails just come popping in from this admin person, and that, and all needed IMMEDIATE reply. So I spent most of my morning replying to e-mails (and cleaning out a few too) :) Took a walk to the end of the campus and back too. I get SO stiff if I sit in one place and I just cannot stay seated for to long at the office (at the movies, I can sit 2 hours straight no problem; must be b/c I am engaged in the movie). It took about 10 min total. It was a nice little break after the e-mail attack and the fresh air although wet and damp was nice.

Street Signs: Today for "Welcome Back" week at the College, they are making street signs for the students. It looks like a license plate, but they have the school logo on it so it is nice. I had one made for me, my brother, my uncle&aunt and the family...PHEW!

~eloquently rambling...

Crisco and Music

Yes, I know these two things are NOT related in any way, but they are on my mind right now. First with the Crisco. I have VERY DRY skin mostly due to eczema that I have had since I was little. I have been reading on what are some good remedies for dry skin and Crisco came up many times. They also say it is good for the hair if you use a hot iron/comb/straighter. So I got a small container of the SOLID form it (the one with a pie in front of it) to try. I figured, it is not too expensive, it is natural since it is just solidified vegetable oil and palm oil, and if I do not like it, well, I can use the rest of  it for cooking and not buy it again. WOW!!! So far my skin feels...NOT DRY or ITCHY . It is a cheap and good alternative the more expensive products out there/body butters.  It does not feel greasy and NO, I do not smell like a pie or fried food :) (thank goodness!). I hear you can add some essential oils to it like lavender, mint, lemon, rose, etc. if you would like more of a smell (as plain/vegetable Crisco has NO scent), but I use body spays so no need for that for me. After my shower, I used it all over my body and I have a feeling it will be a keeper. Wanted to share..sometimes "kitchen" products are little gems! If you decide to use it PLEASE make sure you get the plain/original/vegetable Crisco and NOT the "Butter" flavored one; as then you may smell like a pie or fried food!!! If you try it, let me know! :)

Now, on to music :) It is "Welcome Back" week at the College and well, today is Music with a DJ and Photo Booth pictures. Good for the students, but for us workers, well, we cannot hear too much of anything right now, b/c it is loud. I/we only have to listen to it from 10:00am to 2:00pm. I can handle it, light schedule today for me and well, at least there is a variety of genres being played.

 

~eloquently rambling...

What makes a Good Teacher?

I currently work for a college. I assist students through a grant program known as the Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) fill out the Pell Grant and work on Admissions into the college of their choice. Classes have just started back up again for the semester and I am located in the student center. You can imagine ALL the things I hear! :)

One of the many things I hear as students are registering and eating and hanging out is a lot of talk about teachers/instructors. Usually it is b/c they did not do so well in their class and they are telling their friends or others "Oh No, you do not want THAT teacher/instructor". This made me wonder: What makes a good teacher? Is a good/cool teacher the one that "gives" you the A or maybe even the B in class? Is the bad/old-fashion teacher the one that gives you a C- or a "failing" grade or perhaps goes back on their "promise" of giving you that extra 1/2 of a point to get you to a passing grade (even though YOU have missed a "few" assignments after that "promise" had been made)? Hmmm? What ever happened to going to class to learn? Now it is more of, what do I need to know to pass your class.

My advice to all this is: Go to class, every day it is held. Get a planner (they are $1.00 at the dollar store) so that YOU remember your assignments, do them well and turn it in so that near the end of the semester you are not relying on a "promise" you and the teacher/instructor made after midterms. Get help if you need it. Someone knows something about the subject that is giving you a hard time. Usually, if you show you are trying your best (good teachers/instructors know who are serious students verses those that just want to pass) and are in class each time, if you happen to be on the boarder of pass or fail or you really need that A or B+  the teacher/instructor will usually give you that EXTRA point to put you where you need to be (this has been true for me a few times when I clearly knew I was supposed to get a B+ or even a C and somehow managed to get a final grade of a B or an A) like "MAGIC".

~eloquently rambling....

Interesting Morning...

Good Morning! I hope it turns out better, it is not even 8:30 am and a lot has been going on. Oh goodness, this could be why I know my Faith was paying attention to me and wanted me to make sure that I got on the prayer link up on this wonderful blog here: http://ramsaygrace.blogspot.com/ Today is: Tuesday's Prayers Link-up and it is live! I know I post a prayer or two on there. Also please know that if you would like for me to say a little prayer or send you some good vibes, leave a comment and I PROMISE I WILL. I know we can all use a little boost from people, even strangers sometimes and it can make a world of  difference.

Well, WOW! What can I say? I checked my phone today and no word from my love. I hope whatever it is he is going through will be better sooner rather than later. I miss our chats. It is 3 days now and that may not seem like a lot, but being that there is already a little over 300 miles btwn us, it feels like an eternity. His words and our chats are my hugs and kisses until we are closer.

My secretary is going through a lot family wise and I am wishing her well and she will be in my thoughts. I know it is hard when you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. I am hoping she gets some relief soon, even if it is a good cry. I told her to take the time we need. We are not super busy at the moment so it will be fine.

I sure hope this Tuesday shapes up to be a better one than how it has started. Like I said earlier, my faith must have knows I would need an extra few prayers, well wishes, and good vibes today! Hope your day is much better!

~eloquently rambling....

Good Vibes and Hungry

Please sent good vibes my way! I need them. I need good vibes from everything from work, to the hunt of a new job, to love. All areas have had their little snags, but I know in the end will be okay. I will still be patient and kind, as we should be because I still have SO much to be thankful for. Thanks for the good vibes y'all!

Also, does this happen to you also? I wake up and I have little to no appetite. I am up by 5:50am, out the door by 7:00am and at work by 7:30am. I am still not hungry until about 10:00am (maybe this is when my body fully wakes up). Anyhow, it seems like as soon as food hits my mouth, I am HUNGRY for so much more. It is like: "Hello, I am you appetite, and I am here now, so please feed me!" Hmmm?? Breakfast was good none-the-less.

~eloquently rambling...

This and That...

I really have no true topic for this post so it is going to be "This and That".

--Did 4 miles today. My body needed that.

--Made a triple berry smoothie with Chai seeds and honey. It was good. A bit "seedy" but I have a new found respect for honey now.

--Decided that I will post daily on this here blog (if I can) even if the post title has to be "This and That".

--Will let the woes of Facebook and its mess up not effect me SO much. It gets better each day. I hope my love calls. Now I feel as if something is up? Hmmm?

--Thank you to my followers/readers!! I hope I am  not boring you :) I have the Google Follower gadget thing on my blog now :)

--My father is in to this eat vegetables phase. They are good. Sauteed kale and spinach and french green beans are really good and hearty. 

--Learning to just sit back and observe. I think this will assist out a lot in my current situation. Please come around My Love.

--Ready for another week at work and week 2 of the money Challenge! My brother and I are doing it. It is $2.00 this week. Are you doing it too? I know at least one of you are (Navywif33) :-p

~eloquently rambling....

I WANT THIS!!!

Despite my post earlier about "Facebook glitches, they make me sad", (you should read it. I am curious to know if it has happened to you all too), I still want and feel as if I TOTALLY deserve the ring pictured below. I long and wish for the day my love will propose to me. Until then, I will be the best and supportive woman I can be and continue to wait.....patiently (insert sigh and then sweet smile) :) My time and day will come...I know it! Is this ring not beautiful???!!!

~eloquently rambling...

Facebook Glitch make me sad!

I like Facebook and sometimes I do not. This is the time that I do not. I was on Facebook to check my messages and see what some folks were doing etc. and well, I was on my page and I saw that I was no longer in a relationship with my love or even friends!!! WHAT???  How? Why? You can imagine my horror when I saw this b/c I just saw him on Jan. 3 for a surprise visit and got roses etc. After my SHOCK on how I may have been "dumped on Facebook", I knew something was not right b/c he would not be that shallow and break up with me via Facebook without us talking first; especially not after driving over 4 hours to visit. He just would NOT do that. Needless to say, I was very worked up and well told him to call me ASAP and asked if I had done something? Of course I did not do anything, but it did make me wonder. He called back and was clueless of the event and I told him and he said not sure what happened he was not on his page changing things except to "like" some pages and comment on some post and pages. He added me back as a friend, but I cannot seem to get the relationship status update to work. I told him about this too and he says well, dear, "Everyone knows we are in a relationship" so no need to worry what Facebook says. I know my love is right and he reassured me that he loves me more than life itself, but it is and was very nice to look up on my profile page and see that I was "In a Relationship with JJ". Since it was being SO difficult and frustrating I took off the whole in a relationship part on Facebook. I am kind of sad about it, but it was probably for the best.

I hope Facebook fixes itself soon and stops with these glitches. It just seems like others can keep their relationship status correct on Facebook and for me it does not. But it has happened the same way twice now: Not friends on Facebook and then we re-add each other start with the whole fixing of the relationship status on Facebook. Sheesh :( What do you think, did I go overboard with it all?

On another note, I like Jewelry and Make-up a lot and a great site that has good daily deals and specials is called End Of Retail: https://www.endofretail.com/ I just ordered a set of 4 rings (on right) for $7 and a gold plated chunky bracelet (on left) for $3.00. They are a safe site and their items ship quickly to you. Check it out and let me know what you think. Here are some pictures of what I ordered this shipment. They have deals sometimes as low as 1 penny!! Yes ONE PENNY!!!

 

~eloquently rambling...

Cool as a Cucumber!

It was all about the cucumber today! I started off my day with a shower using Freshwater Cucumber Creamy Body Wash. Then After that used the matching Triple Moisture Body Cream. It was nice and different from the normal bar soap. Hence now, I am "cool as a cucumber". The Freshwater Cucumber was a Bath&Body Works older product. I am trying to use up my old products before getting into the new ones.

If you like Bath&Body Works and/or Victoria's Secret, both are having their Semi-Annual Sale and everything is marked down at least 50% if not 75%. The Semi-Annual Sales are the only time I really shop at these stores unless of course I have a great coupon or they send me something for a free item in the mail.

              

On another note, how long do you say "Happy New Year" to folks? My guess is I will say it until MLK Holiday/Birthday. I suppose you could say it everyday until the next new year, but there are other holidays that will come up and "over shadow" (LOL) the Happy New Year theme/saying. Regardless of this, continue to do what makes you happy!

~eloquently rambling...  

Are you up for a Challenge?

Here is a neat challenge. A way to save MONEY on a weekly basis this year. Seems doable. I think I am going to try it. Over $1300.00 savings is great! LOTS of things the money can go towards such as school loan payments, debt repayment, savings, a fixture or two for the home, a home project, a cruise...the list can go on and on. What would you do with over $1300.00? Here is the plan below. I guess you can always deposit more per week, but even at the minimum it is A LOT! We are still in "Week 1" so not too late to start right?? :) Feel free to post on your own blog and share.

 

~eloquently rambling...

Surprises!

I just love surprises...who does not? Well, I got a huge one yesterday 1/2/2013. My love came to visit me!!! It was such a surprise (lets see how many times I can say surprise in this post :p). We were chatting on Facebook and on the phone and he said oh yea, I am at work etc. etc. and then all of a sudden, I look up from my desk and here comes this fellow with a dozen red roses walking in. OMG! If I was not at work, I would have screamed! Instead my mouth was open in shock and (you guessed it) surprise and then I covered it and almost cried. Then another surprise came up when he had to leave SO early :( His silly work had to call/e-mail him saying there was a mandatory meeting. Who does that? I was mad, not at him, but at his job for just all of a sudden deciding, "Oh, we are going to have a meeting and if you are not there, you may be out of a job :( Well, to no ones surprise, I said, "Go ahead and go, you need to and no worries, we will make up for this later". I did not want him to lose his job for missing the meeting. I am just thankful that he saw the e-mail/call in time or this may have been a different surprise and post! (AHHH!) Was I hurt by this, yes. Was it his fault, no. Regardless of this, I was SO happy to see him! Made my start to 2013 a great one!!

My love always did say, "You never know when I am going to make the ride up there and just pop up on you and surprise you!" Hahah, he is too funny, but he knows how to sweep a lady off her feet and surprise her! Thank you my love for a great time, although short, it was good and needed and I know I will see you real soon. I love you! This is the lovely surprise I got when he walked in...

Surprise count: 10 :) LOL!

~eloquently rambling...

Work Flow...

Back at work today. Kind of glad to be back. I am a bit tired, but so far so good. Let the questions about "why is my money not here" begin. I work with students at a college and I deal mostly with Financial Aid so I get this question a lot, especially right near registration and when fees are due. One cannot expect your federal money to be on time, when you start the process late! Not much i can do about that, but stay nice and provide other alternatives to tide them over. Ahhh, the joys of work, but I love it and it is nice to see students striving for something better. It is going to be a LONG day, but I can handle it :)

I think my New Year's Resolution for work is to...get up and go to the bathroom when I need to! Does it not make you wonder how and why, when you need to go, someone walks in or the phone rings or something "important" comes up? Then you NEVER get to go to the bathroom. Poor bladder. I am sorry, 2013 will be better to you I promise.

~eloquently rambling....

No Falling here!

Folks, looks like the Congress got together and made a deal so looks like "no falling off the fiscal cliff" here! What a relief. There are still many things that need to be done to get back to feeling overall more comfortable, but the leaders we have in office and the fact that they all are attempting to work together is a start and is promising. It is nice to know that our paychecks will not suffer and our taxes will not increase. Nice way to start 2013 don't you think...with MONEY in your account :)

Overall good start to 2013. New Year's Resolution, drink more water, eat more fruit, and spend less (purchases at sales, even if items are $0.50  a piece or less, do add up!). Work starts back again on the 2nd and I get to talk to my love for the FIRST time in 2013 via Skype. Hurry back to home to the computer love, but please be careful and safe. *muah*

Pic of the day: I hope everyone is surround by this all the time!:

~eloquently rambling...

Happy New Year!!! 2013!!!

Happy New Year to Everyone! Make it a great year! No real New Years Resolutions, but to continue to be as successful in all things as I can be. Much happiness, love and success to you all in 2013!!! Enjoy!!

eloquently rambling in 2013...