the skip-bo queen forfeits her crown

work today went well. i really enjoy the people i work w/...... and amanda, kristin, and james stopped by to see me! what a surprise!

had a fun night w/ family-- will, wayne, and jen (wayne's gal) were all here for dinner (sarah and grandma, also, and andy, ronnell, scott, tracy, and snickers of course)- naturally there was lots of food and the table set out w/ candles and everything (could we expect any less from mom!?). was nice to spend time together... especially since it's not very often when we all are together. was lots of fun sassing will around-- we just have a fun time together. jen seemed like a sweet gal. had lots of fun playing cards as well........ i was on a winning streak w/ grandma in skip-bo until i started bragging about it-- then what would you know, grandma started kicking my bum! sure taught me a lesson. :)

i got my christmas present early!; a digital camera. woohoo, now i can join the rest of the digital world!!!... if i can ever figure out everything on the darn camera (too many options; too many buttons!!!). :-S unfortunately i'm afraid i inherited a little bit of mom's inability to quickly figure out things like that.

am very tired. have been frustrated during a lot of the day (though i know it doesn't sound like it). have been blasting mercy me's new cd in my car-- w/ the treble up on a particular song (track 13), w/ it being a sort of small car, the sound is just incredible-- and the song moves me so much anyway. thank God for music. i guess my feelings go up and down depending on the--well, minute. it's gotten a lot better though. but still... sometimes i do wake up thinking "uggghh, another day." wondering why in the world i should even get out of bed. not too much to look forward to. sure, there's all the traveling i'll be doing, but that's not for another 6 months. what's before then? God really has a way of taking control-- i suppose-- b/c right now i truly just have no idea. no idea! somehow i survive, day after day...

*sigh* i cleaned my car this evening. gave it a good washing in town (ugh-- the bugs and birds totally adorned my car; it was awful!) and a vacuuming (it sure needed it). it was 30 degrees outside and there i was, taking my thing of bug/tar remover spray and spraying it onto the car and wiping it w/ a cloth... my hands were freezing by the time i finished vacuuming. even w/ gloves on (my hands are weird that way). but it felt good to clean up. something about a clean car brings me a little bit of *peace.* i dont really know how to describe it, but... it's nice. i definitely can't stand the cars in my family that are dirty as heck and how our house tends to be... have to have order! have to have cleanliness! *sigh* was fun cleaning though.......

had breakfast w/ lauren this morning, then got to see a million pictures of the grand canyon, vegas, and arizona... sure made me homesick for arizona again... how i just want to go down there. or anywhere in the southwest. and just really live... but anyway. got to pounce on kiel (he was still asleep) and, like an annoying little sister, tell him to WAKE UPPPPPPP! mannnn it was good to see him (although he was half dead it seemed like). he's changed a lot and he has his g/f and work and such but i really hope our friendship is still there like before... i don't think there's anything that could keep me from loving that kid. (kid? although he's about 25 days older than me. oh well.) :) so anywhoooo...

onward to bed i go. peace, friends... peace to everyone.