I have not forgotten you!

my dear blogger friends...scratch that, my friends period :), i have not forgotten about you. remember my "freedom" week that is still going on, well, i have been busy and my love is here all week so we have been spending time catching up and talking about life in general and our future together. i have also been playing "mommy" from making sure dinner is ready for my brother, my love, and i and also taking the bro to and from school while going to work too! phew! much better respect for your parents out there! who knew what an extra 30 min of sleep deprivation can do? i can do it. 1/2 day at the office today so, it looks like i can spend the afternoon with my love. my brother will be fine as it will give him a chance to study for his test and watch a few of his favorite shows. going to clean the kitchen and pantry, and dining area, and do some laundry this week and hopefully head to the outlet mall and/or beach for the weekend. so far so good. and believe me my friends, i have not forgotten you at all...just a little preoccupied :) that is a little update for now.

~eloquently rambling...

Spies

whoa! i think i have a few spies here and there. not cool. think there may be some trust issues on my folks end with me, not sure how or why, but to say the least, i think they have the whole neighborhood watching us. had to go to plan B for the love and i. we will make it work. kind of hurt, but i am going to try and put it behind me and enjoy. just makes me want to move out of here faster. bro is doing well and day off for him tomorrow. 1/2 day for me. i am just going to relax and nap in his arms. wish me luck. no one should stop love!

~eloquently rambling...

Freedom and Weird Dream

wahoo! today is the day! FREEDOM!! the folks are off and they are safe! the bro and i said a prayer for everyone before they departed. i just went a got some food for the week. i really do not plan to head out this week except for work and school. i get to watch ALL the TV i want...yea! so far i have done all the real housewives and now i am traveling with house hunters international. hope to see my love this week! we need it and he will get his $$$ right. it will work out. hope to have a relaxing week and hopefully not too many neighbors will come and  "check on" us ADULTS!!! HA!

now on to the CRAZY dream...so it was about facebook, lemons, and being chased by a female killer/ghost. strange! i got called in by my boss in my dream and something was said about me being on FACEBOOK, they forgot that i manage the company page, so i did not lose my job, but it was scary and got me thinking. there was a LEMON tree outside my bosses office and i was so excited about heading out and picking some for my family. but when i got outside, all the lemons in reach were gone :( then somehow, i ended up being chased by a FEMALE KILLER. oh boy! we were running up and down the stairs and then ended up on the baseball field bleachers, someone stopped her to talk to her and then i woke up. phew, what a night. my mind must have had a lot on it.

ok, going to eat some veggie sushi and a cupcake and watch the Oscars all before monday gets here! cheers to this week!

~eloquently rambling...

Colors and diets

i really do like colors. i usually like my pants black or jeans so i need to dress it up with usually a colorful shirt. my favorite colors are pink, blue, and purple. what are yours? so far, it has been quiet and i can see, come sunday, i know i will have lots to clean up at the house, but at least it will stay clean for at least a week :) i do not mind if your personal bedroom is messy, b/c really no one sees those area, but i do care if the living room, bathroom, and kitchen are dirty b/c that is where people gather. just my take on it. i am starting to feel fat at work :( many of my co-workers are on a diet. it is 2 protein shakes and then one meal. the protein shakes are around $99.00 a month. it is working for them and i guess they were trying to get me to get on it? are they calling me fat?? as for me, i am happy with my size. i am not fat, but i could drop 10-15 lbs, but for me, i just need to workout more and rearrange how i eat and that is what i have been doing and i am down 2 lbs so far!!! :)

well, going to eat a chicken salad and start working on the pantry and try to come up with a meal plan for the week ahead. i am enjoying watching tv right now and catching up on my viggle points. hope you guys are well!

~eloquently rambling...

What a Day!!

today was a busy friday and it started off early...5:45am early. i made it and i am SO ready to go to sleep. it was a nice day. the all faculty and staff meeting went well. got a chance to see others that i really do not see too much being on another campus. lunch with a work buddy was nice. meeting and presentation went well again for round two. it is a work in progress. got a great deal on my college t-shirt. i think i will be very ready for work come monday...freedom week starts sunday!! wahoo! the staff meeting agenda made me want to scream and quit my job. i thought we had an issue already resolved and somehow it has re-surfaced its ugly head again. i am not understanding why one person feels the need to have extra paper in files. 8 extra sheets that are not needed. i will let you do the math, but if we need to see 1500 students and have to add an extra 8 sheets of paper to each....well 1500x8= that is a lot and a WASTE of paper because IT IS NOT NEEDED!! i am not sure how else to get the point across? phew...this weekend is much needed. also: i am SO HAPPY to see Robin Roberts back. i hope all things only continue to go only better for her.

~eloquently rambling...

Presentations!

presentations are the bain of my existence! ahhh! i have one to give tomorrow after a 1/2 day full of training. i will be fine and well, just keep going with it and be thankful that i get to help others. i do a great job and i am happy that others notice it! thank you! :)

 i got the chance to listen to a great speaker today Mr. Brooks Harper. he was dynamic and quite funny. it was an event that i certainly did not fall asleep at :) he has 2 books one about hiring (why should we hire you?) and one about 7 steps to make mill$ (millions). he went through the TRiO grant program that i work for and it is great b/c he came from a low income home and raised by a single parent and now, you know he has made something of himself and has ended the poverty generation for his family. he said: "you know how TRiO has helped me? it has helped me because now my kids will not need TRiO because i am now at an income level that my children will not qualify." that is great and such a success. we love to hear how we have helped you stop the low income gap or how by you, you have encouraged others to go to school. also, he said a really funny joke...well funny to me at least...he said: "i am like butter....i am on a roll!" hahahah!! 2 more days until "freedom week!" LOL!

~eloquently rambling...

Semi Wordless Wednesday

ahhhh, next week is going to be SO nice. i will have the house to myself with just me and the bro for a whole week! yea!!! it will be quiet and i can do things when and how i please. so refreshing and much needed. like a great mini vacation! so next week will feel a lot like....

 

~eloquently rambling...

Ode to Tuesday!

ode to tuesday! it is raining SO hard today. good thing i am indoors for now. hope to catch up on files that i am lagging behind on. munching on snacks this morning and hopefully i will be around for prayer link ups and blog hops. not too much i have to say right now, just keeping quiet and to myself for the most part and thinking about things as my mind wonders. sometimes we just have days as such, not a bad day, but just a i want to be quiet and keep to myself kind of day. maybe during lunch i will catch up on Law and Order SVU and Days of our Lives and/or the Real Housewives of Atlanta. have a good tuesday!

~eloquently rambling...

Happy Monday!!!

i have a dental appointment...enough said :( better eat a good breakfast and brush up b/c if i do not, well i cannot eat anything if they give me some fluoride  i do love the dentist goodie bag though of a toothbrush, floss, mouth rinse and lately now a tongue scrapper. wahoo! happy monday everyone!!! hmmm, random thought....i should get back to snagging those freebies!

~eloquently rambling...

Radio Interview!!

yep my friends, that is me :) i had the opportunity to have someone interview me about the program i work for to help adults of low to modest income and/or first generation (first one in their family to go to college) get into college and how my program assist with this process :) enjoy! here is the link: Radio Show Interview. i do not look that bad right? happy sunday!

~eloquently rambling...

It is only what???

saturday is here! you all should check out your local thrift store! mine has a President's Day Sale going on and and certain color tags (today was RED) items were $0.69 cents a piece or less. WOW!!! i had a good time finding things. jeans, shirts, dresses, jackets, plates (full set of 4 plates), cool gear travel cup (well this was $0.45 cents) some ties for dad and light kahki pants and men shirts for the brother all for $0.69 each or less. i ended up spending $40.00 and some change for A LOT of items. i even found a KardashianKollection shirt for...yep...$0.69 (only way i would give them money and also only way i could afford their line too). i have liked their Facebook page so that i will know when their HOT 69 cent days are. i think the pattern is usually on holiday weekends like labor day, presidents day, christmas, new year etc. i like this thrift store b/c it is close to home and also the money you spend there goes to feed the homeless who use their shelter and they are Christian based too. it takes about $2.00 to feed one person. so looks like my contribution will help feed about 20 people :) makes you feel good does it not and i got some great finds too. do you all have a favorite thrift store or stores where you can get things for rock bottom prices?

now, i am cleaning up and re-arranging my room and desk and the sheets on my bed need to laundered. waiting on some call back phone calls, but until then, keeping this saturday a busy one!

~eloquently rambling...

Being Helpful...

first off...yea for friday! so glad it is here. busy week i have had. i hope yours was better. please send off good vibes as i have a presentation today and i could really use all the well wishes and prayers etc. needed. already got one from my love so that is a start :)

had a safety meeting and well, it went well but now, i will admit, i am a little more worried than i was before. our country has become scary and yes, mass shootings are now becoming common. never thought i would have to worry about it in places that are "safe" such as work and/or school. a little on edge right now and you know, i really do not know what to do, i think i do, but when fear sets in....who knows.

so glad the folks on the cruise are back safe. what an experience it must have been. i cannot imagine. makes you think twice about a cruise now does it not. i will say this, Americans may be at times mean or have the attitude of "hey, i got mine, go get yours" but i will say when it comes to a major event or disaster, Americans are there for each other and are willing to help out any way possible. look at past events...9-11, Virginia Tech, Hurricane Katrina and Sandy, Mass Snow Storms, The 2012 Election, and even Newtown, CT. we managed to put our differences and aside and stand up for what is right and help each other out. i just wish we did not have to wait until a major event or disaster to be willing to lend a hand. thoughts? happy friday!

~eloquently rambling...

Happy Valentine's Day!

yea, a day full of love is here...awww! HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!! i hope this day is filled with lots of flowers, teddy bears, surprises and of course... chocolate!!!! i hope you get sweet messages, notes, letters, cards, phone calls etc. you deserve it. enjoy the day and hope everyday is a special as this one to you all. i am looking forward to seeing my love soon, but in the mean time, his words are going to be my hugs and kisses.

~eloquently rambling...

In a perfect world & State of the Union (SOTU)

in a perfect world....
--all my clothes would fit all the time regardless of how much i ate :)
--their would be no violence of any kind
--the light will always be green for me to go especially when i am running a tad bit late
--everyone would be nice to each other and follow the rule: if you have nothing nice to say, do not say anything!
--everything would be on sale ALL the time or at least Buy one Get on Free (BOGO)
--wal-mart would have all 35 lanes open at all times rather than 5 out of 35
--people would not feel the need to lie
--people would not have fatal diseases like cancer, heart disease, HIV/AIDS etc...or at least there would be cures for these diseases and there would be a cure for diabetes.
--people could love who it is they want to love without judgement from family, friends and even society.
 **i am sure the list could go on and on...what would take place in your perfect world?

now on to the State of the Union (SOTU)...this is a twitter hashtag now right??: #SOTU
i agree with a lot of the items mentioned and i disagree with some. i am glad that we are moving away from foreign oil and using our own, but if this is the case...why is gas still well over $3.40 a gallon? i agree we should allow individuals who want to come to America for a better life do so legally, but i do not think we should drain other countries of their best and brightest. how will their country ever move out of being a "developing country" to a developed country if America has all of their individuals that could make a difference? i really agreed with the President in finding a way to encourage men to be better and RESPONSIBLE fathers. if you make a woman a mother, you need to be man enough to be a father to your child/children. i found it really touching and emotional to her the President talk about gun control issues and that they deserve a "VOTE". they do deserve a vote and i was pleased to hear that the President was not forcing Congress to vote only "YES", he said, your vote can be "NO", just vote because they deserve it and it is our job to not only keep our children safe, but our citizens safe also. overall, it was good, and if we can all, regardless of party, work together we would have a safe, and prosperous nation that we can continue to be proud of. what was your take on the SOTU address?

~eloquently rambling...

Coke, Soda or Pop??

coke, soda, or pop, what do you call it? i call it soda. either way it is SUPER expensive. OMG. i was helping my mom prep for a work event and she was bringing the soda's. my goodness we went to EVERY store from Wal-mart, to Target, to CVS, to Publix, to Winn-Dixie...phew. also...since when is soda normally $4.28-$5.49 a 12 pack? i am sticking to generic thank you and now i have a better understanding as to why when soda goes on sale, you need to be in line well before the store opens. the last time i got soda was a little more than a month ago and it was 4 for $10 at CVS...what a deal...for "brand name" Sprite too! i like it when winn-Dixie has a sale on their winn-dixie sodas 5 for $11 and they have SO many flavors. mine are diet strawberry and diet cream soda. long day, got all the soda needed and had some much needed chocolate fudge...mmmmm.... chocolate!!

Also, how can I forget....HAPPY MARDI GRAS!! I hope to get lots of beads (without flashing of course) and eat some yummy red beans and rice :) since the college it having a little "mini" mardi gras event, i should be able to get some beads and food with no problems. 

 

~eloquently rambling... 

MMM, smells

happy monday! interesting day so far. so far no students showed up today. sad, but i got some office stuff done. left my lunch at home, but at least i had some snacks in the desk to keep me going. getting ready for a presentation this week and working on getting some mileage money back. got a good report back from the event from others that were there that knew my boss so that is good. going to represent at the other ones. send out my little gift to my love for v-day :) i hope to get FREE pizza from Papa John's for guessing the toss of the Super Bowl game coin correctly. my family can have that plus a nice salad for dinner.

now lets get to smells...the good ones of course :) i love the smell of baby lotion, cinnamon, perfumes, baked desserts and breads, and candles. i just got some baby lotion and well, that is what triggered this all...it smells SO nice. hope your monday is going well and what smells do you like?

~eloquently rambling....

Eye Opener!

wow! yesterday was really an eye-opener for me. if you are one that complains ALL the time about your job or life you need to visit and/or volunteer at a job fair. it will open your eyes to reality. i was working one for my program on saturday and was there ever a turn out! there were about 25 companies there looking for or giving out information about what is open in their area. many places only had a few slots opened with all the firing freezes and cut backs etc. it was sad and not many choices for the over 300 people in attendance. yes, 300 + people were there looking for something, anything, just so they could get by. these were people with degrees and/or skills, not "lazy" people looking for anything and willing to take whatever possible so that they could get a check and pay some bills. i overheard one person who has a bachelors in economics willing to take a job as a server at waffle house with no benefits and starting at min. wage or the nurse who cannot find a job although we need nurses b/c they do not have at least 5 years experience. well, to that i say, how can this nurse get the 5 years experience needed if no one will hire them? you have to pass the exam to be a nurse. is that not enough? nursing and teaching used to be sure bets to get a job, now it seems they have made the rules and requirement SO HARD now, that it is almost a waste of time to go through all the training all to be stuck having to work a min wage job. makes you wonder if getting a college degree is worth it. does not seem to carry much weight anymore huh? i have heard about this on the news etc. but never really thought it was really "true" until i saw it first hand for myself. at that moment, it made me very thankful for what it is that i do have and to continue to work to better myself and not only have a job or a career, but a profession. for those of you looking for work, what has been your experience? what are some good job searching areas/websites?  happy sunday all!

~eloquently rambling...

Saturday happenings

**sorry this is late :( busy day!

--going to sit/sat at a table for 3 hours for my job at a career fair. i hope to get some extra clients coming in. i have a few extra copies of my resume...just in case. gotta be up early. out of the house by 7:30am!
--may head out to the coach store this saturday! they have an extra 50% off all merchandise including clearance items. link for it HERE! 
--pick up my area and clean out car.
--dad got a new phone...android :( it is pretty and light though. i am thinking to hook up my iPhone 3GS to a computer and update it that way. i think i just really want a new phone that can take all my apps and have a front camera.
--i hope to take a walk. my body feels heavy and it would do me some good.
--head to bed EARLY to get some rest for the week...yes, some much needed rest. thank you!

**also, do you make money $$ off your blog? if so how do you do it?

~eloquently rambling...

Friday Rambles...

yea for friday! we made it! recap of the week includes:

- participated in blog hops...that was fun...i just linked up to this one (see pic above) and here is the blog hop page:  http://www.pharr-away.com/2013/02/find-follow-friday.html
-attended lots of meeting for work...goodness driving is tiring.
-ate TOO MUCH food this week...but all were yummy and helped out the school donation wise. had it all from pasta's to cupcakes :)
-setting up a table at the career fair this weekend...debated on taking my resume with me? i think i will run off a few copies to have with me, just in case :) i will check out who is there.
-going to try and comment on at least 5 blog post a day...even if just "hello" Jen @ The Adventures of our Army Life and NavyWif33@ NavyWif33 usually get my first 2 comments, gotta surprise a few others.
-still debating on apple-vs-android, post HERE. right now, apple is winning by your comments.
-my love has games to call this weekend so i wish him well.
-i hope to sleep in this weekend.
-thinking about daily blog themes, like "motivational mondays" any ideas would be great.
-i will try and understand that one does not need to post everyday, but it is a good goal to have so at least i am on here sometime during the week.

~hope your friday goes well :)

~eloquently rambling...

Apple vs. Android Wars!!

first off, before the "war" begins, i am over here for a blog hop: http://www.herandnicole.com/ and over here for "thirsty for comments thursday"; you know for that blog post you have that did not get any or many comments and you could really use some comments/advice on that blog post topic :) here: http://www.actingbalanced.com/ enjoy! now for the war...

Apple -vs-Android: i currently have (don't laugh, though i know you will, an iPhone 3GS (hangs head in shame)) and well, i would like to upgrade, but i do feel that the price tag of $199 for an iPhone (4S) or $299 for an iPhone 5S is a bit much.  then here comes a really good Android that is $19.99 on sale or a top of the line one that is $49.99. ugh. i am used to Apple, but i guess i can learn and maneuver through an Android right? which one should I go for? will my apps/freebie sites work on an Android? i would get a front and back camera with either phone i assume so i could download Skype (but not FaceTime) right and chat it up with my love? hmmm?? which would you choose/prefer and why? what features make your apple or android so..."cool"? thanks you all and...let the phone wars begin!!! (be nice now :p).

~eloquently rambling...

 

Weekly Blog Events & Advice

advanced bloggers hello there :) ok, what are the monday-friday and even saturday and sunday blog events and/or themes? is there one for each day of the week? for example: sunday seems to be "social sunday" and wed. seems to be wordless wed. or i guess one word wed. thurs. at a blog i follow is "thirsty for comments thursday". what are some others/the other days of the week. thanks!

also, question to think about: divorce is hard and can be hard on a family/children and it hurts to see it happen or hear that it about to happen for someone (no, my family is not going through a divorce, but i know of one that is). the question is... divorce... does it or can it have the same impact on an individual that is an adult (as in a year shy of 30 years or older) as it would on say a child under the age of 18? what do you say to them, how do you help them cope with the situation?

~eloquently rambling...

Wondering...

we have all heard this saying below before and often times have wondered at some point that it must be true because our day is just yucky and things are not going as we planned. well, right now, i am feeling as such :(

but then the question at the end...or is it? makes me stop and think. right now i am doing ok, i just want better. i was talking to my love about this yesterday and reminding him that yes, it seems that the people we know are married, getting ready to marry, have kids, are pregnant, or have their "dream" job. etc. and yes it has not happened for us yet, but also, you do not know what problems they have or may have down the road. but it seems like they are doing "better" than we are. i do want better for him and i individually and as a couple. i want to continue on with school (PhD or Medical School) and/or get a better job and he would love that break into his "dream" job. of course we think and know it will happen for the other person, but it really comes down to: do I think it will happen for ME/does HE think it will happen for HIM? what do you think? how do you handle these feelings? prayers/good vibes for our "better and greener side of the grass" are welcomed and needed. 

~eloquently rambling...

Brand Name or Generics?

i am not really loyal to any brand. usually, if it is on sale, i will get it. if not generic is fine with me. the only thing that i may not get generic is over the counter meds. with that said, generics sure can carry funny names such as apple hoops for appple jacks and honey oats for honey nut cherrios etc. my favortite and funniest (at least to me) in generic names is one i came across at the dollar tree for oil of olay called "oil of life" see hahah! it has great reviews and i have spotted it many times. now that i am ready to try it out for myself...you guessed it, i cannot find it :(  well, here is the pic. what is your take on generics? what is the funniest generic name for a product you have spotted?

or

~eloquently rambling...

Super Bowl Sunday!!

wahoo! it is here. where are the men? oh, yea that is right, they are all watching the game :) so, which team are you rooting for? i think i am leaning Ravens right now, the underdog here. wish i was in New Orleans, i am sure the atmosphere is an "experience" to say the least. i am sure there are going to be lots of blog post about the "Super Bowl". i am ready to read :) what yummy food did you have? which commercials were the best? did you like the half-time show. to be honest, i watch the Super Bowl for the half time show and then 3rd and 4th quarter (sorry love...it is just not the same without you!). if you use VIGGLE make sure you are "Viggling" the game! if you want to start using viggle click here---> VIGGLE. enjoy the game!

~eloquently rambling...

Love is in the air!

here is a beautiful love story that is from a page that i follow/"liked" on facebook called: Wedding Digest Nigeria. i just love reading about love stories. makes my heart skip a beat and say...AWWW! often times makes you think of your own love and/or know there is still hope in all that believe in love. i will be out of town this weekend, but wanted to have something for you all to read. :) enjoy and share what you think! what has your love one done for you that you hold dear to your heart?

The Story:

"True life story.....Please read on

Unemployed Christian Chukwudi Got Married against Friends Advise......
"You can't be paying the bills for him and still be doing all the work in the House". - wife's friends advised. A Guy who has no job got married to a banker, despite his fears and several advices that it's not good to marry without a job. Every month the girl would give the guy her full salary of N-135k after removing her tithe.

The guy would give the wife N-20k for personal upkeep and the guy determined what happened to the remaining money. This happened for three good years. There was happiness in the family and the wife never refused to do her primary home duties for that 3 years, despite wrong advice from friends that 'you can't be paying the bills and still be doing all the work'.

There was a particular month the guy used about N-70,000 to travel from state to state for different interviews.He finally got a job with a good firm in Port-Harcourt. His salary was N-600,000 monthly for a start. He bought his first car (a brand new) for N-4.5million(nira), he gave d wife the car key, and continued to take public transport to work for about two years. Then he bought the second car for N6 million. Then he took the keys of the first car and gave his wife the keys of the second car. They were very happy. They eventually moved into their own house after few years.One day, the wife was looking for some documents. Then she stumbled on a file neatly hidden, when she opened it, she saw her wedding picture when she was very slim in the first page of the file.

She then saw that the document to the purchase of the land and every other thing in the house were all written in her name! At the last page was the husband's wedding picture and a note written by him: ''MY WIFE IS ALL I HAVE GOT. NOT EVEN THIS HOUSE WORTH N-24M AT THE TIME I BUILT IT IS MINE''.

Tears started to roll down her eyes as tried to put the documents neatly as she saw them and walked back to the kitchen. This couple got married in 1998. Last Sunday was their wedding anniversary with three children, two boys and a girl. True LOVE still exists till this day. Are you sure the love you have for your partner can be compared to this one you just read? No matter what, remember you chose each other. So share. It doesn't matter who puts food on the table".

~eloquently rambling...

Mon-Fri Review

so glad it is friday! the week was a good one. no major issues and work was work. glad that the student count is picking up. my goal is to hit over 200 by the end of our grand year august 31, 2013. good vibes/prayers welcomed. i have had the car since the start of the year so that has been nice. i can actually get out of the office for lunch, but i have been a taxi driver in the process. you win some you loose some.

mon; start of the week. slow appt flow. caught up on e-mails and files. had some good dialog with my love.

tues: same as monday :) free lunch at work from subway so that was nice. chat with my love. 1/2 day at the office.

wed: electricity seminar, free subway lunch, evening workshop event (i hope to get some students in to me from this event). chat with my love.

thurs: 1/2 day at the office, appt. student flow picked up. i have not heard the phone ring SO much in 4 hours!! this is good. got to get the numbers! used my afternoon off to hunt for baby gifts (got some good deals) and snuck in a little shopping for me too :) (shhh, do not tell!). i am still on the hunt for a new pair of heels and flats. you all know of a good place to look? chat with my love.

fri: we shall see as that is today! fully booked, i hope they all show up. no weekend event for work planned so little trip perhaps to see an old friend of mother's. she has not seen her in over 30 years and her friend's daughter just had a baby. i am sure there will be a chat with my love. he has a couple of games today and one on saturday.

**question**: i have been asked to represent the program at a career fair hosted by the school i work at. is it wrong for me to bring my own resume to the event to hand out? i mean i am looking for something that pays more and is not 100% driven by numbers. meaning if the grant as a whole does not meet their specified number, everyone that is on the grant will lose their job. let me just say..AHHH! STRESSFUL!!!

hope your week went well :) have a great weekend. looking forward to reading about it all and Happy Black History Month!

~eloquently rambling...