Oh dear...Christmas time has been turned upside-down.

I lost my job. What a great way to keep the Christmas spirit in our little apartment alive!  I was laid off because they don't need as many people doing the job I was doing anymore due to the upgrade of a faster computer system.  What a crappy time of the year to lose a job.  Not only do we have a tight budget because of buying presents for everybody, but losing the 1500 dollars I made a month is definitely going to effect a lot of things.  I was planning on going to school in January. Not anymore. I feel completely worthless. I am not making any money, and I am not getting an education.  I may or may not have been bawling my eyes out for a few hours yesterday evening.  Without even any notice, the company dropped me on my tush, letting me know I wouldnt even be working the NEXT DAY. No severence, no nothing.   As if losing my job wasnt enough yesterday, Robbie found out that he didnt pass his ECON class. He didn't graduate because of ONE class. I know economy classes are hard, but hearing Rob talk about this teacher all semester didnt help. She is one of those power hungry teachers who doesnt care one bit for the success of her students.  Robbie emailed her multiple times telling her he was having trouble in the class.  She never said anything back to him...ever.  He emailed her again, letting her know that he needed no less than a C on the final exam to graduate in hopes that she would be reasonable in helping pass.  She never emailed him back or even acknowledged him whatsoever.  She didnt pass him.  Robbie wasnt the only one in the class with problems.  A valedictorian in his class that was also graduating this semester, has not received anything less than an A in every class.  He didnt do so hot in her class either and she didnt acknowledge his existence when he tried to contact her also.  I dont understand what is up some people's butts.  Robbie was going to job hunt for something better, but now is stuck in the job that he hates and will now have to pay $500 to re-take that stupid class.  

Now that I have told you what bad things have happened....(I hate complaining but I HAD to get that all out haha) We have been having fun lately...besides yesterday.  Robbie no longer has to come home and do homework from the minute he gets home from work until the second its time to go to bed.  I actually get to hang out with my husband.  It's amazing.  On Monday, we got a gingerbread house kit and made a gingerbread house.  It was so much fun! Robbie did a good job on the side he was in charge of. I was definitely impressed! I like to think of the creation as our "first house".  We put a down payment of $7 on it, and we are very happy with the outcome!

Life always has a way of throwing crap at you.  Literally, crap.  We both just need to stay strong, we will get through this.  If anyone knows of anybody hiring or you have any leads on any jobs, I would really appreciate it if you would let me know!

Some things you may not know about me...

I LOVE to watch ice skating. Ever since I was a little girl I have loved to ice skate, watch it, and even watch cheesy movies about it (i LOVEEE Ice Princess haha).  I could literally watch hours and hours of it and never lose interest. Not only have I loved watching it, I used to actually be pretty good when I was little. I could do single toe loops and axels. 




Every single time I hear the Charlie Brown Christmas song, "Christmas time is here", I cry. Dont know why. But I do. Tear up every time. Its my favorite Christmas song by FAR.


On my phone I keep a memo that I update every time I think of a name I want to name my daughter. Right now I will need to have probably 10 girls to each have a name that I want.


I like Taylor Swift. I havent actually told anybody that before. You should feel special.  It might be a bit embarrassing, but I reallllllly like her music.


I cried at a Kay Jewelers commercial the other day.  I also cried at a toll-house cookie dough commercial when the girl came home from college and her mom baked her cookies.  I have been crying a lot over weird things lately...and No, I am NOT pregnant :)  Oh, and I cried at the end of Home Alone the other night.


I squeeze the toothpaste from the middle, and it had never crossed my mind before that there is a "right way" to put the new toilet paper on the roll.  I never learned that it I was doing these things "wrong" until  I started living with Robbie.


For the past 19 years, I have hated wrapping presents with a passion.  I always threw it in a bag with tissue paper real quick or did a 30 wrap job that looked like poo. For some reason, I have LOVED wrapping presents this year.  I spend a lot of time on each one like its a masterpiece...making ribbon curls, homemade bows, nice crisp edges....oh crap- I'm turning into my mother ;-)


I watched "Watcher in the Woods" today.  Scared the crap out of me just like it did when I was 5.  How in the heck is that movie a Disney movie and only rated PG? Scary crap right there. I think its on my top 5 favorite movies now.


I have always hated cooking and baking.  Now it is one of my favorite hobbies. Same with crafts.  What is happening to me?


I dont match my socks. Never have.  I dont see the point, honestly.  Ok who cares if your socks match? It is a complete waste of time.  People rarely see your socks, and the people that DO see your socks are most likely your friends, and guaranteed your friends will not care if your socks match.  End of story.


I thought of more today that I cant recall now....so I will be adding to this post. keep posted. 

Grandma Perkins

Today a random memory popped into my head.  For those who dont know, my Grandma Perkins has alzheimers disease.  These days it is really bad, and she is in a home, but thats not what this post is about.  

             About 6 or 7 years ago I was at my grandma's house, just keeping an eye on her.  Her alzheimers was not as bad back then, but it wasnt good either.  I was watching tv and she was in the next room reading the paper.  I kept hearing her chuckle. (one thing about my grandma is that she never "laughs" its always a chuckle) I went in to see what she was chuckling about and she showed me the funny she was reading in the paper.  She always loved to read "Family Circle" in the comic section. So, I read the comic, laughed lightly (more to make her think I thought it was as funny as her....) and then went back into the other room.  No more than 4 minutes later, I heard her chuckling again and she yelled, "Ashleigh, come read this!"  I went back into the dining area where she was and she showed me the exact same comic that she had shown me 4 minutes before.  I laughed harder this time, more at the fact that she had already shown it to me.  I went and sat back down and within a few minutes, it happened again...and again....and then a couple more times.  I found it amusing and cute at the same time that she could sit there for an hour reading the same comic over and over again, laughing as hard as she did the first time that she had read it. She had no idea that she had already read the comic. 

             It just got me thinking...as terrible as alzheimers disease is, there can be beauty in it- just like there is beauty in every situation we come across...even though we may think there is no beauty to be found.  Even in the worst of situations, we need to try to find the beauty and the positive in it.  It's Christmas time, and that means that we should all be counting our blessings and being as happy as we can be.  We all have a lot to be thankful for, and no matter what is going on in our lives, we need to go back and "re-read our comic section" and realize how great our life really is...no matter what happens.  

My Dad, Grandma Perkins, Me, and Grandpa Perkins.

Christmas 1993