I'm still alive!

Gratuitous car pic to prove that I'm alive & well!

Sooo, errr, ummm...I deserted my happy place on the interwebz a bit longer than I intended to! My only explanation is that life has been taking me for a bit of a ride lately. Some things were more than I bargained for & others were just parts of life. Either way, I'm developing a gratefulness for all that I'm experiencing and patiently awaiting the moment that I can see the fruits of it all. As not to keep you in the complete dark on the latest happenings, here's a few things that have been keeping me tied up...

You've heard my constant rambling about my braces & I am glad to say that I am in the homestretch now! I've had 2 oral surgeries in the last 6 weeks and I'm praying that I can get this dang-blasted metal removed next Friday. (Send up a prayer that my Ortho doesn't throw me any curve balls by changing the date.) A couple of my awesome work friends have offered to go on a lunch date with me to eat all the non-braces friendly cuisine that I've been avoiding for the last two and a half years. I just want a plate full of sushi, corn on the cob & taffy! Yay!

My (not-so) little sister is officially a college graduate! This has been a very proud process for me to see her grow up & have the opportunity to go to college. She even found a full-time job and moved back home this weekend. I took a tiny sigh of relief knowing that she could enter the working class so quickly after school. Today, she received her acceptance into graduate school! A few more years & she'll be able to support me. (Wishful thinking, huh?!?!)

Work is rarely more than work but lately it's given me the opportunity to develop strengths that I wasn't sure that I had. I have a great work support system that keeps me off the ledge when things get to be too much for my introverted nature. Luckily, they push me to take chances and to get myself noticed by others across the organization. I'm hoping the last few months of hard work (& discomfort) will lead to advancement.

Dating...well, the dating game is just that..a game! There are times that I'm up for it & times when I just want things to be simple. Although I'm always looking for a challenge and the opportunity to learn from my interactions with others, I am not interested in the sport of dating. I think someone's passing out a memo that every woman over the age of 25 has obnoxious clock ticking that forces her to take whatever mediocre offering a man puts on the table. Not the case for me! I cannot deal with inconsistency and flakiness. As soon as the red flag pops up, I'm off the boat before it sinks. The BFF has shut down my wishes to become a nun so I guess I'm in this for the long haul. Prayers accepted for this endeavor, too!

I told you I had a lot going on & this only covers a small portion of it. I'm going to stay on my p's & q's as not to leave my happy place unattended for so long in the future. *pinky promise*

I would be remiss to close this entry without saying THANK YOU to all of those who reached out to me during my hiatus with kind words & well wishes! Very telling how the interwebz can be a place of positivity, support and encouragement when its power are use for good!