Wooo saaa May 3, 2011

I’m using today’s post as a chance to vent. I truly believe there is health and beauty to venting. It sure beats letting it all pile up on your chest and stress you out more!… *sheepishly* right?

Now, this little rant is based off of other frustrations but what I’m upset over is directly related. So, bear with me, por favor.

I find it incredibly disheartening, untrustworthy and totally cheap for anyone to promise anybody anything … And then not follow through with that. Matter’fact’ly… Its probably my biggest pet peeve in life. (or definitely atleast today) So, I’m sure you’re wondering what was promised to me that was never made good? Well, good question.

The company that Brent’s rig is contracted with promised bonuses. When bonuses are a regular monthly and sometimes TWICE monthly thing, you (not advisable) learn to depend on those. So, they rope these ol’ southern dudes up here to the near Yankee states, and some even IN the Yankee states to work. PROMISING bonuses. So, February of 2010 they come. Spending their own family’s money to drive 16 hrs or buying their own ticket to fly a whole day here just to be away from their families for an entire 14 days… Mostly 15/16 considering travel time. And the bonuses never come. “we’ll do it quarterly.” “we’ll do it semi-anually” “now annually” and now never.

Don’t get me wrong! Don’t go jump on the hate bandwagon that says “well, atleast you have steady income and a Job!” yes, you’re right. We truly are blessed and I truly am very grateful for the great job Brent has, and I have. That’s not my point. (Don’t you love how I go all around the mulberry bush and still don’t make a point?)

POINT IS – just like AMERICA. We are putting all these dollars into the pockets of politicians, honest and crook, into debt, into raises for senators who already make over a quarter million dollars a year. What’s $50,000 more to someone who makes $250,000 annually? That’s like someone who makes $20,000 getting a $1,000/yr raise. When they could take that $50k and divide it between 5 Americans making $10,000 a year, doubling their income. Likewise, all these “big wigs” in the oilfield industry make hundreds of thousands of dollars. When the “little people” are the ones busting their rumps and still making it check to check. Sure. They busted theirs and climbed the ladder and feel they deserve every penny they earn… But At some point – doesn’t money become irrelevant? What’s the point of making a million dollars a year, but see the rest of the world struggling? I know… Greed. Selfishness. Power. But its not how it should be.

So, if one politician or “big wig” would take just .2% of the quarter million they make ANNUALLY and give it to someone who needs or depends on that… Itd be a huge difference for that person and a minuscule difference for that big wig. Do the math… That’s only $500. ONCE. What a shame how greedy our country and corporate America have become.

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Switchin’ it up!! May 2, 2011

Ok, no lectures, please, on how long it’s been since I last posted. I didn’t necessarily lose interest… I just lost motivation to be positive. It was hard to be upbeat and positive when I was going thru something hard or challenging. And my thought was… If I can’t inspire myself, why would I post anything online that other people will read? So, I’ve decided I’m going to change it up. Rather than pretend to be positive when things are down, I’m just going to be honest. Because that’s beautiful too. Honesty, with myself and others. Anyway – off that and to the point!

This change is kicking off not only for my blog, but my life too, because we have a little one on the way. It starts with a challenging conundrum. What came first? The chicken or the egg?

The backdrop to this question is – I think, ok, ok… I KNOW, I need structure in my life. Not only will it help now, but also when baby arrives with his/her own schedule. The conundrum though is – where do I start? Obviously I can think of a hundred things I need to change right NOW, but I have to take this one small step at a time to be successful and have these Habits stick FOR GOOD.

I’m going to treat myself like a child. And when I think of a child and the structure they have, my first question is, where does it start? To consider that question seems quite elementary, my dear Watson. The very first obvious set plan I see with children is a set time of rise and sleep. If a child varies from their set bed time/ rise time, everyone knows how off kilter it leaves them. Grumpy or hyper and throwing off their whole day. Meal times, nap times, and the next night’s bed time, which leaves room for ruining a habit/structure for the rest of their life. Literally. So, I think I’ll start with setting a bed time and a wake time. (ugh! But I CAN do this!) It will not only help me be more productive in my day, it will probably make me feel better. And that, my friends (yes, the 2 people reading this), brings me back to the age old question. Chick or egg? Do I start with setting a bed time? Or a rise time? Both are reeeaalllllyyy hard habits for me to start. I hate getting up in the mornings and I’m a total night owl. Would waking up earlier make me go to bed earlier or vice versa??

Well, for tonight it seems I’m passed any normal human’s bed time, and I have an early appointment tomorrow morning – I’ll begin with trying to get up earlier! Baby steps.

And to share something historical and interesting – even our founding father’s scheduled resting time. An excerpt from Benjamin Franklin’s journal, please see below.

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Cooper’s Rock August 8, 2010

from the lookout point

Me and the girlies (Roxy and Velvet) went to Cooper’s Rock hiking yesterday for a couple of hours. It was a lot of fun even just by myself with them. It was gorgeous there today. The temperature was only about 70 degrees and in the cool of the mountain side shade and rocks it was a lot nicer. It was very nice to get out for awhile to relax, take in some scenery and get some exercise!! Cooper’s Rock is my new favorite LOCAL get away!

All of the pictures are from my cell so the quality isn’t good. Hopefully next time Brent can go with me, so I can take my camera and get good pictures.

other side of the lookout   ^

the girls on the start of the hike. ^

huge rock formation. you cant see the detail cause its a mobile pic but the water had formed shapes

a cave!

looking down from a rock we jumped to

they are pooped afterwards!!

Chel-C via Mobile.

Someone to Talk to = to BE[auty] August 6, 2010

First of all this is my first phone post. It will be plain. It won’t be fancy and you’ll have to ignore any grammatical, spelling or code errors.

Anyway, I learned tonight there is true beauty in having someone to talk to.

I called a new friend from down the road tonight to see if I could bring Roxy and Velvet over to play in her back yard with her dog. She said something had come up but to come on over. I started thinking , “oh no!! Chelsea you are such an imposition. You aren’t really still going over there are you?? Besides!! You invited yourself over there….” well, I did. I got the girls and we started walking over. Of course the whole time I couldn’t help but think of how huge a burden I was being and how I shouldn’t just go parade into peoples lives with my dogs. But – she said it was ok, right?

I got over, she opened the door and was on the phone. Well! What do I do? Walk in? Take my dogs around back? Go thru the house? Ok. So I took my shoes off and went thru the house to the back yard. Do I stay here? Do I go back in? Well, she finished her conversation dealing with an issue the whole time I bounced from the room, to the yard to the thoughts of just going home. I mean, who am I to intrude on her like this? Even if she did say it was ok. Maybe I should have gone back at a better time.

Either way. I stayed. I felt awful for it, but then we got to talking. We are both in similar situations and we can both relate. I was able to be there to listen to her. I didn’t mind. I’m glad that I could be there so that she could have someone to talk to.

I know when I am upset or going thru something – sometimes all I want is for someone to just listen. JUST listen. Maybe I made a mistake, maybe I’m in the wrong, but when I’m already down, I really don’t need someone pushing opinions or “what to dos” down my throat. Or for that matter telling me what I already know. Ya know?

So anyways, we were able to sit and talk…share and relate. Hopefully I was able to help, and my prior thoughts of feeling like an imposing intruder weren’t the case. And if that is the case and I was a tolerated unwelcomed visit… She atleast help me to realize another positive thing.

Being someone that a person can talk to and depend on to listen non-judgementally, and not go blab the information, or even having someone like that you can talk to like that is a beautiful thing.

This isn’t to discredit any of my friends. I have several friends I can trust and count on to be there and help me. One here in Morgantown who has been there for me since before I moved here and others back home in Louisiana. I really do appreciate and love all my friends. I’m amazed at how long it took me to discover how such a great reason, like having someone to talk to, can really make a difference. Thanks to all my friends – here or back home for being there for me. You’re beautiful!! 🙂

Has anyone ever made a difference in your life just by being there to listen? Maybe offered some great advice you’d like to share?

Chel-C via Mobile