Hiya!

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to pop on & write a quick post before settling in for the night. Today is my 2nd day off for the week & I slept half of it away & then got to spend about 2 hours of it doing laundry, so I don't really feel like I've had a day off, which probably sounds weird, but that's how I look at it, especially since I have to work the next 3 days. I think it's also because my husband was home today & is spending his day at home watching "The Walking Dead" on Netflix, and I'm sorry, but I just can NOT get into that series! I can read about zombies without a problem, but actually watching them in a movie/on tv, I just can't do it. So, I'm actually trying to ignore the sounds coming from the tv that is located behind me while I write this. Kind of hard when you hear that gross squish when one of their heads gets smashed in or the sound of their "rarr rarr" as they're about to attack someone. Yeah, I'm sorry, that's just not for me. LOL!

Anyway, I hope your week has been going well so far! We are just 2 days away from Halloween, and I'm actually kind of grateful that I get to work that day, as I don't really feel like opening the door to trick or treaters (not that we get that many at the apartment complex)...plus, I have no money to buy candy with, so yeah. That is a problem. LOL! Oh well, I'll just spend my Halloween at work, troubleshooting people's problems with their modems/tv's/phones. I can't believe October is almost over though. Where in the world did this month go!? LOL! I'm happy in a way though, because it means we are one step closer to the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season & even though the holidays can be stressful, I am looking forward to them! I really can't wait to put up our Christmas tree (which we're doing the weekend after Thanksgiving) & pull out my Christmas cd's & just get into the festive mood! Christmas is my favorite holiday, if you couldn't tell. LOL! I'm also looking forward to being able to actually spend money on Christmas presents this year, even though a few of my friends are going to get semi-homemade gifts, just because I feel they are a bit more personal, & I've never done anything like that for Christmas...well, at least not since I was kid. LOL! The hubby & I are still exchanging gifts this year, but just this past Saturday, we got one of our early Christmas presents...we FINALLY got a brand new dining room table & chairs!!! Yes! After almost 3 years of living in this apartment, we finally have a table & chairs that we can actually sit down to, & eat supper at! We actually just had our first meal at the table last night. It was nice to sit down & have your food in front of you, and not below you, like it had been, when we were eating at the coffee table. LOL. I'll include a picture of the dining room set. We got it from Ashley Furniture, and it definitely  makes this apartment feel a bit more like a home now! :)

Isn't it pretty!? :)

Well readers, other than that, I can't really think of anything else to say, except have a safe Halloween/blessed Samhain!!! :) I'll write again soon! Until next time, take care & stay safe!

Later gators!

*Jolene*

Holy Disappearance, Batman!

Greetings & salutations everyone!

Wow, I can not believe that I haven't posted in almost 3 months! I'm a terrible blogger, aren't I? *lowers head in shame* I'm so sorry about that everyone. I guess I've just had so much going on in my life lately that I completely forgot about my blog. But, hopefully (cross your fingers-lol) I'll be back & blogging more!

So, today is October 15th, and it seems that Fall has FINALLY arrived in Kansas! Yay!! We had such a hot summer (not as bad as last year though), which basically made it's way into September & was still hanging around when the calendar said it was Fall. Yeah, we actually didn't get Fall-like weather (where I live in Kansas) until about a week ago. Yeah, it was literally still in the upper 80's until about a week ago. It was crazy & I was CRAVING Fall-like weather like you wouldn't believe! Fall is actually one of my favorite seasons (Spring is my other one) so when it gets to that time of the year, I get so excited! And sadly, I had to wait until just a few days ago to actually experience that happiness! But, Fall is here now, and I am LOVING it! Yesterday it was cloudy, rainy, & about 60 degrees, which I happened to love (perfect sleeping weather) and today is sunny, but only about 55 degrees out as I write this. Plus, the rest of the week is supposed to be in the 60's and a couple days in the low 70's. YES, I am seriously loving this weather!! And the leaves have finally started falling off the trees & are now crunching underfoot, and I am having to wear my hoodie when I go outside, so I am one happy girl! Plus, we are only 16 days away from Halloween & the official "start" of the holiday season (for me anyway), so I'm getting more & more excited as the days pass by! Yes, Fall is finally here! *insert happy dance*

What else has happened? Oh, well, a couple months ago I finished my training for a Billing/Sales Representative job with a company called Convergys. I was happy to have a job, but because I didn't find out until the DAY OF my "graduation" from training that I had actually passed, I had been putting my resume out in a preemptive strike (just in case I didn't make it past training). Well, it turns out that it was a good idea that I did! Even though I passed my training & started working with Convergys, I actually got a call from Cox Communications about a Tech Support/Customer Service position! Well, to say the least, I didn't pass it up, and left Convergys at the end of August & started my training for Cox on September 3rd. I have just recently graduated training and had my first official day on the floor this past Sunday! I work 10 hour days, so I get 3 days off a week which is nice, and I am slowly getting more and more comfortable with the technical support aspect of my job! :) I even have my own desk that I can decorate with knick knacks or pictures! Granted, that may change in the next 6 weeks, as there's another class that just started on Monday, and we may end up having to do desk sharing once they graduate, but I'm going to enjoy it in the meantime! Haha! The pay is great, and the hours work SO much better with my husband's work schedule, so I'm a happy camper right now!

I do have some sad news to report, though. On September 30th, my husband's father passed away at the age of 57. He had been ill for quite some time (had lung cancer that metastasized to his bones) so we knew it was going to happen, but it was still hard to get that call. My husband has actually been out of work for the last 2 weeks, but hopefully will feel up to going back to work tomorrow. He has now basically lost all the parents he's ever known. His grandparents, who were his legal guardians growing up, passed away in 2002 & 2007, and he's not really that close to his biological mom. Obviously, it's hard for anyone that loses a parent, but my hubby had actually just started having a good relationship with his father over the last couple of years, so I think the death hit him harder than anyone expected it to, especially himself. All I can really do is just be there for him & give him support, but I pray every day that he'll have the strength to overcome this!

Well readers, I hate to end this on a sad note, but I honestly can't think of anything else to write about, so I'm going to go, but hopefully I'll have something new & exciting to write about soon, because I really don't want to go another 2 months without a blog post! LOL! Anyway, I hope you all have a great day, and I'll talk to you again soon! Take care & stay safe!!

Later gators,

*Jolene*

P.S. Happy birthday to our Boxer puppy, Panzer! I can't believe he's a year old today! Boy, does time fly!! :)