U-S-A!

I am shamelessly addicted to the Olympics, so much so that I have consistently been staying up waaaaay past my normal bed time in order to catch each event. I have even gone so far as to set the DVR to record every bit of the action. In fact, it is all I can do in the morning to wake up, sleepwalk to the shower and then to the coffee but I just can’t stop. I have to admit that I have always been a little crazy about the Olympics, but this time it is serious. Surprisingly, Drew and I have enjoyed swimming the most so far probably because of the machine that is Michael Phelps. He really is incredible and I think now that swimming has concluded I might lose a little interest in the games. This is not to say that I will stop watching because it is beyond me to do so…I really am addicted.

I can’t believe it is Monday…where did the weekend go? It seems like it was just Friday and now here it is, Monday again. Another week of work is starting and I have no interest in responding to the 100 emails that I received over the weekend…is that so wrong? I will have to ease into that and I can tell you that if there is even one paper jam in either the printer or the fax machine, I just might walk off the job. J No, I would never do that….but I do refuse to believe that there is in actuality a “paper jam” 1) because it has never actually been seen by anyone I know and 2) the printer/fax will inevitably begin to work again the minute I have called IT over to fix the problem. IT probably hates when people do this as their job entails so much more than fixing lame-A printers and faxes. What can you do? I can say that I remain so very thankful that I have a job…it is so hard these days for so many people and I know that I am extremely blessed.

Drew has decided to get his teaching certificate and we are both very excited about it! I know that he would make an excellent and dedicated teacher…we are both looking forward to this new endeavor. I am very proud of him already as he is putting a lot of work into this. The other night he made me the BEST spaghetti I have ever had and surprised me with the most beautiful flowers…stargazer lilies. They are the same flowers that my wedding bouquet was made of. The smell is so amazing…it takes me back to our wedding day. I love him very much!

For those of you who read of my cat adventure, I am happy to report that Mismatch and Grenade have become best friends. Grenade has even been so kind as to teach Mismatch how to destroy multiple rolls of toilet paper with much ease…I have gone to great lengths to make sure that not even one more roll is shredded but to my demise one still sneaks through every now and then. In fact, last night I heard some noise in the bedroom and went to check it out. This is the scene I observed…Mismatch had a roll down in the floor and Grenade was poised on the edge of the bed ready to launch into his part of the attack…it was a double-team escapade that proved even further my inability to outwit a cat. What can I say? I have been defeated once again.

All in all, I had a wonderful weekend and spent some much needed time with Drew. We miss our friends horribly but the good news is that JBLAKE is coming to town!!!! WAHOO!!! I have already started planning what we will do…
I hope all of you have a wonderful and fabulous week and to those of you who posted your “trip-artist” stories, it is much appreciated. I somehow feel much better about myself!

Free Falling

You know that old saying, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it still make a sound”? Some will say yes, others might say no but I kind of need to know the answer and quickly. This is a legitimate question we have here. The reason I am wondering is because I am trying to decide if I am a little insane…not scary insane, but weird, goofy, lame insane. To explain myself further, I must expose a most embarrassing event that happened to me this morning at work. I was walking into the ladies restroom when suddenly everything started moving in a quick, downward motion…I was falling. What 24 year old person still trips and falls? Ashley does. It all happened so fast…my corporate life flashed before my eyes. In about one millisecond, 1000 thoughts went through my mind, none of them logical. What if my boss was in one of the stalls and came out laughing at me? What if I got hurt and couldn’t walk back to my office and someone had to carry me there in front of all my co-workers? What if…I broke my favorite pair of heels? The truth is that no one else was in there (thank goodness). Damn you rug. Damn you high heels.

This all brings me back to the original question. Shouldn’t I have been less embarrassed once I realized no one was in there to see (or hear) me fall? Well, it didn’t happen that way and I can tell you that I was entirely embarrassed. Then I started laughing which brought on another situation…there I was with my ankle half broken, my skirt out of control, my face red standing in the middle of the bathroom laughing when a lady from the Training Department walked in. I must have looked like such a loon…I didn’t explain myself I just quickly washed my hands and took off toward my office. Maybe this was the wrong move, but who can blame me.

I realize I am falling more the older I get and it isn’t right. Once in high school on the stairs, twice in college (no alcohol involved) and now at work. I can’t escape it…I am a 24 year old trip-artist.

I hope everyone has a fantastic week and that no one falls…and if you do, I expect you to tell about it so that I might feel better about myself.

Love you all!

I Did a Bad, Bad Thing

I may have stolen....no, I may have accidentally, haphazardly, by mistake taken home a cat from work. I know, I know, I already have a cat but this one was just too cute to pass up and I figured that Grenade could use a friend of his own. The whole thing started a few months back...my office has a large parking lot that backs up to a fence and on the other side of the fence there are a few houses. I had seen this particular cat many times, along with a few others, and couldn't decide if it belonged to anyone. It was always out in the parking lot dodging cars and eating out of the dumpster so naturally, I started to assume it didn't really have a home. A couple of months passed without seeing the cat; I didn't really think too much of it. Well, the other day here it came, strolling through the parking lot. It is so mismatched...I will try to describe this cat to you. It is NOT a kitten but it is the same size as one. Isn't that everyone's ultimate dream about animals, to have a kitten/puppy and have it stay that size forever?? It is so strange and I still can't figure out why it is so small but man, is it cute. It has a tiny little black head with the greenest eyes you have seen all put together on a somewhat fluffier brownish body. It must sound so "un-cute" but I promise you it is adorable.

Anyway, so Wednesday of this past week was D-day. I decided I was taking this cat home with me and so the operation began...a few ladies that I work with went in search of the cat and surprisingly, it was easy to find. We packed it up in an Office Depot box and I prepared to take my new pet home (all without informing my car pool buddy or my husband!! ) The ride home was intense...so many ridiculous thoughts were racing through my head. What if I stole someone's cat? What if they reported it to my company and I in turn got fired? What if it scratched my co-worker''s leather seats through the cardboard box and I had to pay to have them repaired? What if Drew got mad at me for bringing another cat home? What if Grenade hated it and decided to kill it in its sleep? None of these issues were enough to make me change my mind however; this cat was coming home with me. Now don't get me wrong, if it turns out that this was actually someone's pet, I will graciously return it. I am convinced though that even if it has an owner, it wasn't really being taken care of. Back to Operation Gato...my co-worker dropped me off at my car and I loaded my cat-in-a-box into the passenger seat of my car. I proceeded to call Drew on my way home the way I always do and while we were on the phone, the cat started meowing and loudly. I was busted. As soon as I got home, I toted the cat up the three flights of stairs it takes to get to the apartment and let it loose for Drew and Grenade to see. It was a hit!! Drew must really, really love me to allow me to have two cats....it has since been named Mismatch.

I have another topic on my mind as well...I will keep this person anonymous but I must share their story. A lady that I know has struggled to get pregnant for many years. Throughout all of her doctor's visits and whatnot, she recently was diagnosed with early ovarian cancer and her doctor urged her to have a hysterectomy as soon as possible. Anyone who has kids or wants them in the near future can imagine how devastating this would be. She began to pray for God to help her and her husband with this decision as it would change their lives forever. Finally, she decided to have her surgery in August and hoped that one day after things settled down, they could at least adopt. Last week at one of her pre-surgery appointments, she learned she was pregnant!!! This is what she had been praying for for many years and finally it had happened. She talked this over with her doctor and found that she could wait until after the baby was born to have the surgery...there is no doubt that this will be a difficult pregnancy but I know that God has given her this baby just in time. I will keep her in my prayers for sure and ask that all of you do to. What a miracle!

I hope all of you are doing wonderfully and I will continue to keep everyone updated on our search for a job, our new addition, and anythng else that comes to mind. I will also use this post to call out the other Porter Family...Don't Let the Blog Die!!!!! ;)