WELCOME TO THE GOOD LIFE!

I am SO excited!
7 months ago, I was transferred to a job I ended up absolutely despising!
For the first time in 7 months, I am back at my old job this evening!!!!!!! I could not be more elated at this time! The girls at my old job were more like family & seeing them this evening is going to be a big boost in the way I feel. I needed this so terribly badly! (don't know if that even makes sense, I am just too excited to care).
I am proud of myself that I made through the 7 months. My doctors nearly forced me back into my old job BUT I said nope, I am going to stick it out. I am not going to be a complainer, I can do this! Well, 7 months later, here I am, I made it through! After this evening back at my old job, I have one more week at the old job and HOLLA - I'm back w/the girls in Parasol for good! woot woot :-)
What have I learned? I have concluded that our careers have a tremendous affect on our emotions and our physical well being. We, as humans, all have to work - therefore - work where you are happy. We only have ONE chance to live. ONE. No second chances, therefore do what makes you happy. If your don't - you'll be extremely unhappy and everyone around you will feel it. It's not worth it.

My most recent posts

My 30th Birthday
Looking Back.......12 Months
My Parent's Visit
Blessings
Bonnie Screams
It's FREEEZING!

It's FREEEZING!!!!!

These pictures were taken at 4pm..... It was Dark,Gloomy, Windy and Cold all day the last 3 days here in Las Vegas. The only thing missing is the snow! :-)

When living in the desert, we are used to 115 degree days, therefore when the valley gets as cold as 45-50 degrees with 40mph winds, we are FREEZING! Doug and I live up in the mountains & it is MUCH colder up here! I've enjoyed the days off of work BUT it has led to me to begin the unpacking of the Christmas Decor'. My husband is going to kill me when he gets home and see's all of this! LOL.....

Bonnie Screams!

Tonight was SO much fun! Doug & I joined a group of friends from the Wynn at "Bonnie Screams" for a night on a haunted - ghost town!
Bonnie Screams was located at Bonnie Springs Ranch in Nevada.
Bonnie Springs Ranch was originally built in 1843 as a stopover for the wagon trains going to California down the Old Spanish Trail. In 1846, General Fremont, on his way to California, stopped at what is now Bonnie Springs Ranch to gear up for his trip through Death Valley. Since 1952, the ranch has been used as a tourist attraction. Often called "an oasis in the desert", where you can stop for a cool drink of spring water.

My Parents Visit

8/27/09 - 9/02/09
Mom & Dad Visited Douglas and I.

I hadn't seen my parents in almost a year. I flew out here October 15th 2008 with nothing but 3 pieces of luggage and faith that best was to come.

NOW, almost a year later, I was finally going to see my parents.

They drove across country to see me, therefore, when they arrived at my front door, it was a HUGE surprise! (meaning no scheduled airplane arrival and such) They called me and said they were stuck in traffic at the Hover Damn. 5 minutes later, I heard my garage door opening!! I walked into my garage to see what was going on & THERE WAS MY MOTHER!

Being away from my parents was a tremendous strain for me. After everything this family has been through, the bond has become unbreakable between us and just a small time apart makes me feel as though a part of me is missing & it was. Almost 1- year without them was breaking me. It had grown to a point that just talking to them (hearing their voice) would leave me in tears for hours. Doug spent many times calling my parents pleading for them to take time off of work to come visit their daughter. He's such a wonderful husband because, we finally got them out here!

When they arrived, it was HUGE hugs and LOTS of happy tears.

It was such a blessing to have my parents here. The peace and calm I felt was heavenly! I slept incredible!

The only negative was that although I was enjoying every moment of this blessing, I knew that eventually, there was going to be a "good-bye." I knew that eventually they were going to leave and again - be over 2500 miles away from us.

We enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, enjoyed mom's home cooking, got family portraits for the 1st time in 28 years, video game at go-carts, went to the movies(the hangover), had a cookout, took the dogs for walks, played poker at the house and we of course enjoyed dad's favorite bottle of Tequila - Reserva De La Familia, Jose Cuervo specialty. We also did something that my father enjoys - we went to the auto auction..LOL.... We also climbed a mountain which was an extraordinary experience as a family!

Living out here is truly wonderful. I am so fortunate to have the things I have BUT on the same note, it is incredibly frustrating that my parents live over 2500 miles away. There are days like today that I sit in tears because I miss them so much.

Blessings.....

I always count my blessings in life...My incredible family, my amazing friends and my ability to just be alive and functioning BUT not too often am I mentioning how blessed I am to have the sweetest, most caring dogs in the world.
I have dogs and they are my little angels - mommy's angels.
You see, for around 5 years of my life, I lived in debilitating pain and spent many days in tears. Those dogs would NOT leave my side, would lick the tears off of my cheeks, slept with their paws hugging me and sometimes wouldn't even let my hubby by me!
For the past few months I have been dealing with what has turned out to be an Ulcer and a Hiatal Hernia. I've been great for the past month BUT this past week it has all acted up again. Tonight was the worst. :(
My hubby and dogs were downstairs while I was upstairs taking a shower. I became so sick that I started trembling and vomitted. My baby boy, Apollo, came running into the bathroom, cried for me until I got out of the shower. Then I laid on the bathroom floor crying and he licked every tear off my face!
When I finally made it to the bed, he jumped up and as you see in the picture- he laid his head on my chest and hugged me with both his paws. He stayed by my side until I was awake and moving around. That's when he moved to the foot of the bed - under the a/c vent..LOL.

Dogs are the most incredible therapy and I am a blessed momma to have my babies! They take good care of me :-)

Looking Back......12 months..

A year ago today, I was flying into Las Vegas. I left everything I knew for a fresh start in a new city.

2002, Doug and I moved to Las Vegas. We absolutely LOVED this city because of the constant sunshine and the incredible financial opportunities it provided. The only thing that we did NOT like were the people. Maybe it was just the type of employment I had chosen that led us to meet certain types of people..... That I will never know......

Our problem with this city was the Fast paced lifestyle and the personalities in it. It seemed to be that the large majority of people in Las Vegas were extremely - Aggressive, Greedy, Materialistic, Superficial and they NEVER lived in the moment. There was no appreciation for life and today's breath we were taking.

Eventually, we transformed into one of those people. We could feel it, it pushed us apart and it led us in different directions. That's when we decided to go back to Buffalo for a bit. *(2004)*

At my grandmothers grave, I asked her to give me a sign or point me in the direction that I should travel. When I pulled out of her cemetery, I was in my 1st ever car crash. We stayed in Buffalo for treatment of my injuries over that next year........................................ 11 months later, I was doing fantastic and ready to move back to Las Vegas. That was our only goal - move back to Las Vegas. 4 days prior to moving, I was in a very horrific, near fatal car crash with my father. That day has forever changed my life. I went through another year of rehab for the injuries. I realized that moving back to Vegas should NOT be my only goal and that I needed to look at the bigger picture..................... I was ALIVE! and I was going to find a way to ensure others did NOT endure pain from Car Crashes!!! I put my all into a traffic safety campaign.

Finally, it came to be "my" time....I had realized that I lost all of my self-esteem in those car crashes. Every ounce of self-esteem was crushed. Therefore, I was too scared to find a job in Buffalo b/c I thought I'd never get hired! That left my husband, Douglas, to care for everything. I basically shut myself off and made him take care of everything for a year or two.

Because of that, we started to experience shut off notices....for the electric, the water, the gas and so on. Then the debt just kept building....and building...... Yet, I still didn't help b/c I had no self-esteem and thought no one would hire me - truly thought I was not good enough or pretty enough.

Finally one day last September (2008), more shut off notices.... I cried and remembered how fantastic our life was in Las Vegas and every bone in my body was telling me to go back. I told Doug that I would go back to Vegas, get a job save the money and move us out west again.

Doug won a football pool @ work, and 2 days later I was on a plane to Vegas with 3 suitcases and a heart full of hope. 4 months later, I had saved $10k.......he drove across country and we were finally re-united in a city that once gave us so much financial security and sunshine......

I am proud to say that we did it, we made it back to a city that we left in such a rush. Seeing my husband for the 1st time in 4 months was the most exhilarating feeling ever!!! Our love was expanded to higher levels and our appreciation for each other was overwhelming.
*seeing doug for the 1st time in 4 months!*

We've done so many wonderful things since he's been here and for 1 entire year, we've experienced a life of NO FINANCIAL stress! I have a fabulous job and great health insurance! :-)

I have had $23,500.00 in Re-constructive Dental work here in Las Vegas...NO DOCTOR in Buffalo would do the work - Since having this done, I have been 100% TMJ pain free!!!!!! The feeling is absolutely incredible and the ability to live my life is glorious!

Doug has attended and finished classes for something that we could not afford to send him to back in Buffalo.

My self-esteem has been restored

The feeling of "giving up"/ "shutting down" is NO longer an option............

Unfortunately, since Doug has been here, he has felt the impact of the recession on the city of Las Vegas. After repeated interviews he has not been hired yet. My job is incredible, the financial security it provides allows my income to pay for everything BUT that is NOT what he is looking to do. Doug really wants to work.

With that said, It has made us realize that it is NOT about how much money you make, what car you drive or what materialistic things you posses. Life (as a couple) is about what we accomplish in our combined efforts.

When I was 1st hired @ the Wynn, I was working in Parasol. It was the most incredible group of women & managers...(maybe 1 or 2 out of the 40/50 of us were the greedy, materialistic type) The rest of the group was down to earth, sweet and genuine! I LOVED that job and NEVER loved a job more in my life!!!

Then March 1st came along and I was transferred. I have NEVER hated a job more in my life. There are only 3 of us that work out at this position and one of my co-workers is the most aggressive, greedy, materialistic, hostile, superficial individual I have ever met.

The stress of her hostile attitude & the lack of management to correct her bullying actions, caused me to develop an Ulcer and further testing revealed a Hiatal Hernia. The hostile environment on a daily basis was absolutely too much to handle and the decline of my physical health was proving that!

And that is why I say I believe that everything happens for a reason............

When I worked inside @ Parasol, I had never been happier. NEVER........ I LOVED the girls & management I worked with and could have never found sweeter people than them. I could NOT picture my life any other way - I was going to retire here!
THEN - I was suddenly removed from that group and transferred.........

It was an abrupt reminder that most in this city do have a superficial, greedy, materialistic and aggressive attitude. Most are in such an alarming rush and never live for the moment. Life is and always will be only about themselves.

Try not to become a man of success but a man of value.
Albert Einstein