Humpty Dumpty, Transmission Fluid, Skunks and Fireworks

Last week, we lost three months of computer files at work due to a hard drive crash. I’ve been sitting at my computer for at least 13 hours a day for the past three days trying to put the Humpty Dumpty of data back together again.

On top of working crazy hours, this morning, I found a puddle transmission fluid under my car. Two more days and $400 later, hopefully it will be up and running again.

When I got home from work tonight about 9:30pm, I discovered that Samson, my 115 pound Chocolate Lab, got sprayed by a skunk.

After a rather unsuccessful dog bath to get rid of the stench, I finally fell into bed exhausted. To help me fall a sleep, I was going to play a DVD on my laptop. For some reason I can’t get my nearly new laptop to recognize the DVD player that worked great a couple of days ago.

Striking out with the DVD player, I settled for just going to sleep. Just as I was drifting off to dreamland, one of my neighbors decided to set off a ton of fireworks.

So here I am smelling skunk, listening to fireworks, blogging instead of sleeping, and dreading the fact that I have to go into the office tomorrow on my day off to catch up due to the stupid computer hard drive failure.

Summer Pictures

Breaking the Silence

I've been contemplating writing a post for some time. In fact, I think I've started at least five different times, but I've never managed to actually finish a post. Now I've waited so long that I'm a bit intimidated to break the silence. So much has happened in the last two months, I don't even where to start. Perhaps, I can just summarize my last two months, with a series of bullet points instead feeling obligated to write a post about each not so significant event.

• Our summer season started with training on May 10th, and everything has been whirlwind ever since May.
• Abigail learned how to say "Mama"
• CP hired a new Executive Director to take over for Jason.
• You can buy a red, white, and blue mullet wig in Crossville, TN
• I am hoping to put my house on the market around the first of August (Anyone looking for prime real estate in Crossville?)
• I'm addicted to coffee and Gilmore Girls reruns
• My sister visited for two weeks at the beginning of July. Hurray for time with my sweet sister.
• I hate cell phone companies.
• My job and place of residence after the summer are in limbo.
• Crossville still has one of the best fireworks displays ever.
• My parents have spent four weeks of the summer staying with me, watching Abigail, and helping finish my house and landscaping.
• Yesterday I ripped a six inch hole in the butt of my shorts... Yeah, I'm cool.
• I might be moving to Kentucky this fall
• I need a vacation, so I booked plane tickets to Phoenix and Denver in August. I'm going to spend a couple of weeks visiting friends and fam.
• I decided I'm officially crazy because I'm going to Phoenix in August...Can you think of a worse time to visit?
• I'm trying not to think about the fact that next week would have been Jason's 33 birthday.
• We ended up short staffed for the summer, so we've been pulling all kinds of past staff in for a week or two at a time. Overall, a scheduling nightmare.
• I'm dreading the thought of packing of my whole life and moving...especially because I'm not exactly sure where or when....although I'm guessing soon rather than later.
• Abigail and I might go to Korea in October if we can get our passport stuff together.
• Only two more weeks left of summer mission trips...I think I can, I think I can, I think I can make it.
• I still cry myself to sleep at least three nights a week.
• Every Sunday, I get to spend hours making quesadillas. Sometimes, I even wear the world's largest sombrero
• I'm stressed because the computer system crashed at work, and the person Jason always called won't be able to help us for several days, if not a week.
• Abigail, isn't crawling yet, but she does this hilarious butt scooting thing. She can cross a whole room in about 10 seconds.
• Several weeks ago, I was feeling impulsive, so I chopped off 10 inches off of my hair. It's the first time I've had semi -short hair in at least 10 years.
• It's after midnight, so I should go to sleep. I have to leave for work about 6:30 am tomorrow...actually make that today.

Okay, I guess breaking the silence via random bullet points wasn't too bad. Perhaps next time, I'll fill you in on all the really big stuff that is happening in my life.

Of CP and Swimming

For those of you who keep up with my blog, I apologize that I have been silent lately. The last month has been insanely busy as we just completed the training of our summer staff. The days have been long and the nights much shorter than I am accustomed to. I am mentally and physically exhausted, so I am not going to write much tonight, as it is already late.

Last Sunday was the first day of summer mission trips. To celebrate the end of staff training, Abigail and I dressed up in our new CP t-shirts. After all of the staff departed to meet their youth groups, we relaxed at the beach on the lake near our house. It was Abigail's first day swimming, so like every obsessive parent, I documented the day in photographs.

How Abigail Really Felt About Swimming

Prayer Request

I'm not sure anyone will actually read this post this morning, but I thought I would throw it out there anyway. This morning we have a CPR & First Aid recertification class as part of our summer staff training. Unfortunately, my certifications expire this summer, so I have to take the class to remain current. Normally, I don't give the class a second thought since I have been taking CPR classes since I was in Junior High. This time, I'm a bit apprehensive. I'm scared that the class will bring up bad memories of doing CPR on Jason while I was waiting for the ambulance to arrive. I'm just not sure how I will react in the classroom situation, and I really don't want to lose it in front of all of the new staff members. I also am nervous that the class will somehow bring back my recurring nightmares about the night that Jason died. Anyway, if you happen to read this, I could really use your prayers this morning (Tuesday). Actually, I appreciate prayers any time but especially today.

Giving Up

Tonight I decided that I'm officially giving up. I'm not going to write anymore thank you notes for a while, and I'm not going to feel guilty about it. Tonight I pulled out my bag to add some names to the list of people I still need to thank, and I discovered that at some point over the last few weeks, my system for keeping track of finished thank you notes broke down. I have no idea who I sent notes to and who I still need to send notes to. This process of writing notes has been hanging over my head for months. Every time I sit down to write, my emotions go haywire, and I always end up drained after only writing a few notes.

At this point, I'm just saying sorry to everyone that did not get a personal note from me. I truly appreciated each and every gift and word of encouragement! So many people gave me so much over the past several months. Someday, I'll have to write a blog post highlighting many of the amazing thoughtful things people have done for me.

The straw that broke the back of my thank you writing camel came in the mail about a month ago. When I got home from work a package was laying by the front door. Upon opening it, I found a bound book with a leather cover. The book was about the size of a high school yearbook. The cover was engraved in gold with the words, "In Memory of Jason Young." As I flipped through the book, I noticed that the first few pages were cheesy poems and words of advice about grieving. The back half was filled with summarized Bible stories and really bad illustrations of a pasty white Jesus in flowing robes. All in all, the book struck me as completely cheesy. I most certainly did not appreciate it, and I doubt if I'll ever look at it again.

Included in the package was a letter from the editor of the book explaining how local businesses had helped sponsor the gift. The letter noted that I should refer to the pages of sponsoring businesses printed in the book. For my convenience the publisher included 15 thank you cards, so I could easily thank all of the businesses for their generous gift to make this book possible. My first thought was, "You've got be kidding me!" Okay, I am a grieving widow, working full time with a small baby. I have a hundred things on my plate, and you want me to take the time and energy to send thank you notes to 15 businesses for a book I don't want and will never use. I have a hundred people I love and care about who have bent over backwards for me, and I don't have the time and energy to properly thank them. What makes you think adding more thank you notes to my list is a good idea?

(Moral of the story...if anyone ever approaches your business with a great idea to sponsor a cheesy book for people who have just lost a family member, say no thank you and walk away.)

Okay, enough raving about that stupid gift. I really am so incredibly thankful for everyone who continues to pray, encourage, and financially support me. You really are the people who help me get through the difficult days. Thank you one and all!

Photo Scavenger Hunt

As part of our staff training, we did a photo scavenger hunt tonight. Here are a few pictures of our team.

I can't believe we all fit in here

Were's Waldo...Can you find us?

Scene from a movie...Cool Runnings

Crossvile Date Idea...A Night At the Revival

A Crossville Landmark