Perfect Power

I’ve been through my fair share of drama:

Parents divorced when I was 16.

Mom started dating a teacher at my school/the school’s soccer coach when I was 17.

Mom got married to the teacher/soccer coach when I was entering my sophomore year at Auburn.

I had step-people to deal with and that was a whole new world to me … still kinda is.

I was in love with someone I had no idea was only using me who to get out of his God-forsaken town and was smoking his life away on the side.

My very first job out of grad school was a disaster and only left me feeling embarrassed and wondering if I had any business operating in the business world (I no longer feel that way … but I did for about a month).

But all of that pales in comparison to the drama of learning that the lady who has been your second mother since before the womb of your real mother …. has cancer.

This woman, ever since I can remember, has reminded me that SHE will be the one hosting my bridal tea when the time comes, no one else. She’s the one I called on the night my mom had her catharsis and I was scared for my life. She’s the one consistent face in pictures from church functions of years past. She’s the one who squeezed my cheeks till I was a senior in high school and nicknamed me “dollface”. She loves meatloaf and has thousands of antique plates and spoons lining her house.

…and the doctors found cancer. They think they got it all, but are recommending she go through the chemo as a precaution in case they missed some of it.

I haven’t seen her since all this has happened, but I know she’s terrified. She’s already been told she will lose her hair.

It is my prayer that you will pray with me and my family as we lift her up to get through this.

This verse was brought up in our lesson at church yesterday, and I think I’ve decided it’s my favorite. No matter what it is that we are going through … divorce, broken-heart, job loss, cancer … these words melt away any anger, fear, sadness that this world brings about:

2 Corinthians 12:9 --

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

We have the chance to see God’s power work here. And for that, I am glad.

 

Working Hard for the Money

Only a few reasons why this agency is greater than the other agency

1.       I don’t feel stupid or that I can’t do anything right

2.       After 5 days, I’ve already gained respect for the CEO for several different reasons

3.       I’m getting paid more and my insurance plan is better

4.       We are 23 people in our own, rather large, brand new building as oppose to 50+ people smushed together in two different rooms

5.       I feel comfortable with my assignments … they are very similar to the projects I completed in grad school

6.

7.       The dry cleaners across the street is really cheap

8.       I’m proud to be part of a team that creates such awesome pieces, as opposed to not understanding the majesty of the ads produced by the other

9.       The fridge is stocked with diet dews as well as other lovely carbonated beverages

10.   We start work at 830 am … giving me time to make a small trip to wal-mart in the morning if need be … it’s right across the street

11.   Rumor is … lunch gets called in regularly. So far, I’ve had Mexican and Chick-fil-A, which just so happen to be my two favorite genres of food. God works in mysterious ways.

12.   I’m included in meetings and know what’s going on

13.   I’M HAPPIER (should be #1 but whatev)

14.   My title is more legit sounding (Account Coordinator vs Assistant AE)  

NYE & another dress story

This year was the first time in five years that I’ve had big major New Year’s Eve plans.

Going into 2009, a good friend of mine took me to a random house party and made me my first alcoholic beverage. It was disgusting, and I made him take me home an hour later.

Going into 2010, I was working at Walt Disney World until 1 am that night.

Going into 2011, I was in New York visiting my then-boyfriend and his family. We stayed in and watched the ball drop with sweet Dick before he passed into the rockin’ beyond.

Going into 2012, I sat and pouted because I had just broken up with the boyfriend because he was a pothead and liar and all around pathetic excuse for a person.

So … after much reflection on my past New Year’s Eves, I decided that I was not going to settle for crap again this year.

I got in touch with a girlfriend who is lucky enough to have her own apartment here in Birmingham (One of these days, dang it. I WILL be an adult with my own place. Soon SOON SOON!!) and begged her to co-host a party with me. And thank the Lord, she agreed.

In my excitement, I bought my dress like … four weeks in advance. I’m pretty sure it was still November when I bought it. But I didn’t care. I was too pumped up for what I envisioned to be a wonderful, memorable evening.

I got it from Forever 21 and only paid $30 for it. It was light pink and sparkly and gorgeous. And I already had a clear vision for the kind of tights I wanted (nude with something shimmery) and the kind of shoes I wanted (pink/gold sparkly heels). EXHIBIT A - 

Now, when I originally tried this dress on ... it was a little bit snug, yes. But I thought I’d be able to pull it off and that everything would be fine. I just wouldn’t eat at all on New Year’s Eve … that seriously was my plan. When you fall in love with a dress, you do what you have to make it work. It’s like ... the number rule of feminism.

The night before the party (around 11:30 pm, mind you), I was too excited to wait to put the whole outfit together and I just had to try it on to see the full effect.

Hindsight, I can honestly say without hesitation, that that was GOD. My pre-party outfit try out session was GOD working his divine magic.

I slipped the dress over my head, pulled it down and began to have a panic attack. I had …. the double boob.

I had four boobs.

I had the two regulars … and then the two faux pas boobs. It was a saddening, frightening, terrifying, heart dropping sight to behold. I was fighting back tears and struggling to breathe. The party was less than 24 hours away, and I couldn’t go out in public with four boobs. No one would want to kiss a girl at midnight with four boobs. 

I began to FaceTime my girlfriends, showing them the quad situation in the dress. They said they couldn’t see the problem. I was twisting and turning my phone every which way get the best angle. They still couldn’t see. But claimed that SPANX would solve the problem. Well, I didn’t have any SPANX … but my friend Courtney does. And I needed to have this problem solved … like ASAP. There was no way I was going to go to bed without knowing my New Year’s Eve fashion fate.

So I hopped in my car at 11:45 pm and drove the 20 minutes out to Helena to try on the SPANX with my gorgeous pink but super snug, double boob giving dress.

The SPANX did iron out the doubles, yes … but it still bunched up all weird, and I felt extremely uncomfortable and ugly. My friend Janie made the good point that I looked fine, but if I didn’t feel confident in it, I would be miserable all night. And she was right. So I made the executive decision to ditch the dress for something that I felt pretty in. It was a hard tough bitter decision but it had to be made.

The plan for the next day was to wake up and be at the mall by the time it opened, return the dress, get store credit and find something else just as pink and just as sparkly because I paid a good amount of money for my super awesome sparkly pink shoes and whatever I bought had to match them.

Forever 21 sucks and wouldn’t give me store credit or my money back. Or anything. So I’m out $30. Which is one of the best parts of this story … and I say that with as much sarcasm as I can muster. $30 to someone who hasn't been paid in over a month and a half ... might as well be $100.

I tried on a ton of crap and finally settled on a pink sparkly top that I decided to pair with my favorite pair of black skinny pants.  Exhibit B –

Needless to say, New Year’s Eve did not really turn out the way I thought it would … in several different ways actually. I had fun though, felt semi-attractive, and it was definitely memorable. Definitely definitely memorable.

Hope y’all all have fun stories to share from that night! Feel free to share.