First thing first… This layout is back but ONLY temporarily since it doesn’t actually work.

I am totally in the mood to finally get this site change rolling. It has been a few months since Danny upgraded me to Wordpress 2.0 and my Blix theme (the one with the now defunct navigation buttons at the top) wasn’t compatible. I have a few themes that I am going to manipulate in order to find the one I like best. I’ve been having a lot of fun with the Flickr blog feature so expect that to be implemented somehow I also need to find a good 2.0 compatible clickable smiley plug-in. Any suggestions?

A quick update on my life:

I work 2 jobs now and that consumes the majority of my time. I work at the bar still as a cocktail waitress every Friday and Saturday night and some Thursday nights as well. I also work as a Receptionist/Administrative Assistant Full-Time Monday through Friday at a Real Estate office. I work on Average 60 hours a week. Its quite exhausting and overwhelming at times but I am starting to get ahead. My student loans became repayable in January and between my Emergency Appendectomy back in November, my 2 ER visits for my almost deadly bout with strep throat in January, & my Tonsillectomy about 3.5 weeks ago– I have accumulated a lot of debt. Smack that on top of what I already owed to creditors and I’m going to be paying people for a very long time. Oh well though, such is life. I’m still alive and healthy and happy that is what truly matters.

I had a tonsillectomy about 3.5 weeks ago and have healed really well from that. I lost 20 lbs in the process (from my liquid diet and/or not eating) and have only gained about 6 back, just from starting to eat again. As soon as I get paid, it is back to the gym for me. I’ve been trying to go to Krav Maga again so I can take my Level 1 test (finally) in June. It is something definitely want to accomplish after waiting so long. I have also been attempting to utilize my tanning package at my gym and am managing to keep a bit of color in my skin. I used credit (from returns) that I had on Amazon so I could buy some nice new Designer Skin accelerator. I can’t wait to get it and try it out. Yay for brownness!

I got a new tattoo last week. It is 7 stars on my foot with varying line thickness and some solid, some just outlined. It is a tattoo I first wanted about nine years ago. As far as the meaning goes, I’ll start with the significance of stars and WHY I wanted a tattoo like this. First, when I got my bellybutton pierced when I was 14, my piercer and I got to talking. He was a 14 yr ER nurse and had a lot of passion for his profession and life. I admired him a lot. I asked about his tattoos and piercings and he showed me a tattoo that started on his foot and went up around his leg. I loved the placement and just knew I’d get one similar someday. Ever since, I have visualized 7 stars (7 is my lucky number and has had huge significance in my life) starting at my big toe and wrapping up to my ankle bone. I hate wearing shoes. I always walk around either barefoot or in flip flops and I absolutely love how this looks with my flip flops!

In middle school and high school I’d sit in class with a sharpie marker and draw it on my foot. When it would fade, I’d draw it again. It was supposed to be my first tattoo but I ended up getting one on my lower back 3 yrs ago that I also designed instead. Not only have I always had a huge connection to stars (I draw them all the time, etc) and astrology but also constellations (I have the big dipper on my arm in freckles… 7 stars). The star is also my favorite shape.

I have wanted this tattoo so bad for such a long time & last week I just had a feeling that it was time to finally go for it. It is going through its scabbing process now now and I can’t wait to see how it will look when it is finally done healing. Don’t worry, there will be pictures!

So between the health issues out of the way, getting in better shape, getting out of debt & on top of my finances, improving my friendships and relationships, physically improving myself (haircut/dye, tattoo, tan, working out, etc)… This is a time for change. Wish me luck with everything!

By the way, I haven’t really typed out a blog entry on here in such a long time that there are a few things I want to say to a select few special people who I know read my site.

To my wonderful Mom: Thank you so much for coming to take care of me when I had surgery. I appreciate it more than you know and am glad we got to spend that week together. I wish we could do that more often. I already have ideas for the next time and hopefully we are brought together during more healthy times & can go out and enjoy ourselves. Karaoke? On another note, I’m sorry for all the undue stress I cause you. Things will get better, I promise.

To my Dad: You always have my back. I love you so much! Thank you once again for helping me out in a time of need. I’m so thankful to have a father like you.

To the lovely Chaundra: I am so proud of you and what you have accomplished over the past year that I can’t even put it into words. A new baby, a new love, a new family, and a fresh new start and you are as strong as ever. I love you and can’t wait to see you again sometime soon!

To John: Thank you in advance for dying my hair Nevermind… it looks like Tara will probably do it tomorrow.

Well, I’d love to stay and type for a few hours because I really haven’t done this in a LONG time… BUT, I have to go take a shower, run some library books back, then we’re dying my hair tonight... and tomorrow its back to work for another 6 days. Miss you all!

Ciao!