Historic Charleston and Shampoonditioner

I went to Charleston, SC this past weekend and, as always, it is the best ever...who knew so much history could be found in one city. Every time I go, which is like twice a year, I learn something new. This is pretty awesome for a history major let me tell you. It's like a city specially created for us history buffs. In fact, I would love to be a tour guide part-time down there vs. the whole Starbucks thing. My family and I did do something different...we walked the streets around the battery at night and saw the 17th century houses lit up with gas lanterns...beautiful. We also spent part of a day at our favorite beach, Kiawah Island, followed by the biggest icecream sundaes ever! =)

I have told many people I am going to live in Charleston one day. Some may think I'm not that serious about it. BUT, if you have been around me more than 6 months, you will have most likely heard it about 100 times. This trip I actually went over to Mt. Pleasant (right outside of Charleston) and checked out the condos, etc. Now I just need to find a job down there and I'm packing up and heading down there!

If you have not been there or have only been once or twice, here are a few suggestions:
*Andolini's Pizza (right outside of Charleston)
*Hyman's Seafood/Aaron's Deli (downtown Charleston)
*Civil War walking tour with Jack Thomson
*Ghost walking tour
*Fort Sumter ofcourse
*Calhoun house
--and just pick a street to walk up and down...there are stories about pretty much every house!



Completely different topic. I really think I will always be a kid. I'm two months from being 23 and, WOW!, I sure don't feel like it. Take for example, my cousin Chad, who just turned 30 this year. My great-grandmother was in the hospital back in Jan./Feb. and there were a couple of chairs and the wheel-chair in her hospital room. Unfortunately, I did not witness this first hand, b/c Anna (my sister) and I had gone to get some food...Chad decided to sit in the wheel-chair since my aunt, uncle, mom, & dad had the chairs. A bit restless, he decided to pull a few wheelies and ended up flipping over backwards in the chair. =0) Moral of the story, "caution: keep wheel-chairs away from anyone under the age of 35. They can cause injuries." I wonder when you truly feel like a "grown-up" or if it is just an act our parents and grandparents put on for us.


Desperate Housewives started off pretty good. BUT, the real star is going to be Grey's Anatomy again. The CSI thing is SOOOO old and the spin-offs that take place in NY and Miami just drag it down even more. Criminal Minds and Without a Trace are good alternates. LOST starts next week, so we will see if it's a competitor.

Panthers finally have a win over Tampa Bay and face New Orleans next week. We should be able to take care of that game. However, N.Orleans and Atlanta are undefeated so far, at least until the end of tonight...one will have a loss. Bottom line_Steve Smith, John Kasay, Delhomme, & KJ are the key offense_bring out Peppers for a few sacks and Manning for an interception & we are in good shape.

Random thought of the day: a bottle of shampoo such as Pert, some Herbel Essence(s), and the little bottles that you get in a hotel, say they also contain conditioner. why not call them shampoonditioner?

How do you choose?

Choices. There are so many choices. They vary in the degree of importance, but are still there. Cherry Coke or Sprite? Sleep another hour or go ahead and get up? Believe or question things? Run or walk? Take this job or take that job? Live here or there?

Running would help me get to that place faster, but I might miss it. Walking might be slower, but I would be able to notice the details. I used to run all the time, sometimes I still do, but not as much. Most times I was trying to run away from "reality" if you will...like nothing could catch me...I wasn't consumed with having to make a choice.

They say if you don't understand something you should ask questions, that's how you learn. But, what if by asking these questions you change what your beliefs are? You don't have to know the facts to support your belief...noone can hold it against you what you believe...but, if you would like to encourage others to convert to your way of thinking you will need facts. So, do you ask a question or do you believe?

You can have Cherry Coke one day and tomorrow have Sprite. Easy choice. It's not like the whole world is going to change in the minute you decide which soda you want.

Random entry, but that's why this blog is titled "Randomness"

Drum Roll Please....8 Months Later

Hello all!

So many unexpected things have happened since January that I completely forgot I even had a blog. In fact, I forgot my username...good thing I had tagged my blog in "my favorites."

I've read and talked to many of my friends who graduated with me this past year about the next step in life. Most of us are/were expecting to land the career we wanted in no time at all. I for one thought I'd have a real job by the end of January or at the very least February. It's funny looking back on things. God really does have control of the paths we take and maybe brings things to reality or maybe it's showing us humility and teaching us to be more humble and gracious for things we take for granted. I had a seizure in January and it really set me back. I was really upset, confused, and even tried to blame myself for a few months...since it was probably due to too much stress among other things. Little did I know my parents were blaming themselves also, for what reason I don't know. It was a big scare at first, but now having had plenty of time to look back on it, I know that things do happen for a reason. Maybe God cannot completely change our stars in the sky, but at least he can control the severity of the bad things that happen. Not to go on and on about this, but at least I was at home when it happened...not at school...not driving...etc. The ironic thing in all of this is that I had an interview set up that afternoon. Hours before the interview, a different path was somewhat forced upon me.

I feel like there is more for me to see, more for me to learn, and that I was putting way to much pressure on myself to begin the "next chapter" in life back in January. Time off was not in the plans, but it was definitely much needed. The eagerness to move out of my house back in January may have been due to the independence I grew to love in college. The seizure made me depend on so many people to get me around to places (couldn't drive for 6 months) and help me when it was hard to get used to the medicine...the somewhat big changes....but, now I can drive again and things are more routine.

Having been confined to the house hours on end from the end of January to mid March, I really needed to get out. The new Harris Teeter a few miles down the road across from my church was set to open in early April. I got a job there at the Starbucks. Kinda neat that it is across from my church...don't know how to explain it, but it comforted me to be so close while at work. I'm still at Starbucks, even though I thought may only be there for a few months until I could drive again and start the job hunt...without as much stress.

The girls I work with come from very different backgrounds, each special in their own way. Some have grown up similar to me...similar families...similar backgrounds...and have lived in NC pretty much forever. A couple of other girls I had hardly anything in common, but they have taught me so many things. One of the girls, or women, is 29 and she has 3 kids. She is a single mother and is now a full time employee, but for many months was part time with another job to try to provide for the family. She was in the military for 5 years after she graduated high school, primarly because she could not afford to go to college and if she did go, she wanted to pay for it herself without getting "charity" from anyone else. I asked her if she could be anything, have any job she wanted, what would it be. She said she would like to be a nurse. She enjoyed taking care of her children and wanted to care for others also. I was like "wow." Some people take that question not as seriously and say "movie star" or "country/pop/rock star" or even "retired with as much money as I needed to live an extravagant, gold-ridden life..." you get the point. She and I have been working on possibly getting her enrolled in a community college for some night classes. Her mother lives nearby and has offered to take care of her children. Now that's pretty cool.
Another girl I work with is one year younger than me. She has a daughter that is 2 years old and she's also never been to college and never thought she would ever go. She's married and content with where she is in life and is probably one of the sweetest people I've known. I admire her strong character. Lord knows I would never be able to have a 2 year old this early in my life. I'm still learning to take care of myself.

So...my path is still winding and it is very cool not to have a plan...go with the flow. I watched Disney's Pocahontas (it's nice to go back to the kid classics) and I think we should do as the Indians and the John Smith's did (no, not fight over territory), explore the unexplored and embrass the unexpected.

That is all. I WILL post again soon.