Thursday Randoms....

Ok, so I'm at work and trying to stall on doing these month-end reports that I have to do for the people on my caseload and I figured that I'd blog :)

1) I really need to get better with not procrastinating!!! I mean those aforementioned reports that I'm trying to put off are due the 1st day of every month WITHOUT FAIL! However, I manage to wait until the VERY last minute to start trying to do them and end up stressing myself out during my feeble attempt to get them done!!! UGHHH!!! I guess it's too much like right to actually start this effort earlier, huh?? Geesh!!!

2) So, I finally found out that I got accepted to grad school and I'm super excited about it....HOWEVER, I have orientation on tomorrow and I have to "find" an excuse regarding why I can't come to work. I'm sure you're asking, "why would she have to find an excuse for not coming to work in order to go to orientation?" Well, I'm glad you asked ;-) The reason for my "excuse finding" is because my job does not look fondly upon employees increasing their education!!!! Personally, I think that it's a weird and sadistic practice. I mean, seriously, who wouldn't want their employees to not better their education?!?! Again, that practice is extremely strange to me ESPECIALLY since that is one of the criterion used on our semi-annual and annual evaluations!!!! But, I've been told that when management sees that an employee is going to grad school, then they essentially see that as a measure that the said employee is using to improve themselves to leave and get another job!! I mean I can see why they might be a little worried about the latter, but at the same time, why would you want to hold someone back for your own selfish purposes?!?! Or, hey, maybe I'm just crazy for thinking that...**shrugging my shoulders**

3) Don't know if anyone's been paying attention, but we're in midst of a pretty heated political season and while it's ABSOULUTELY FABULOUS and I could talk about it for days...but also I think it's also becoming a little ridiculous... But, I'll talk about the fabulous part about it first...excuse me while I get on my soapbox :) Ok, so we've pretty much gotten the Republican side of the nomination wrapped up and it's been wrapped up for a while now -- and that's great for them.... or atleast it SHOULD be great for them. BUT, in the past few days, I've been seeing how former top Republicans such as Pat Buchanan and Scott McClellan (former press sec'y for George "Dubya" Bush) are coming out with these books which pretty much blast the Iraq War policies that have been such a stronghold for the the current administration!!! I mean, most people could care less about that, but to me it says what the people on the "right side of the aisle" have not wanted to admit for a loooonng time...BUSH'S WAR IS NOT CRACKED UP TO WHAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE! Now, please understand, I try hard not to necessarily affiliate myself to a specific political party (I mean I voted for Gov. Riley in the past Alabama gubernatorial race), but I've found myself leaning more to the left during 2008 presidential race. Anywhoo, the reason why I think the fact that Buchanan's and McClellan's books are great and right on time is because, hopefully, it will force McCain to take a stance that might be somewhat different from President Bush's. I mean, don't get me wrong, I KNOW that there's no possible way that our troops will be fully removed from the Middle East for years and years to come. HOWEVER, in my opinion, there needs to be a more progressive strategy for the war, rather just staying over there while there are still suicide bombers feverently bombing the streets of Iraq everyday meanwhile the American public is being led to believe that there's progress being made in the path of democracy for the Middle East. While I would like to believe that TRUE democracy could be achieved in countries of the world, I'm also not naive enough to believe that we're gonna achieve this anytime soon ESPECIALLY going on the present path that we're on today. So, if McCain is president, then it is my hope that he revamps this whole Iraq War idea... Anywhoo, let me switch soapboxes and talk about the ridiculousness that's happening on the Democratic side for a hot minute...

3a) In my humble opinion, Hillary needs to close up shop. It's time for her to go. She has "fought the good fight" and she needs to be the lady that claims to be. I mean, seriously, she loves to talk about how this race is sexist and she's not going to quit but she owes it the women to look up to her. No, Hillary, what you owe is that $6 million dollars plus some that you've had to loan to your campaign because you're getting a many contributors as you would like. Also, Hillary, you owe yourself the dignity of stopping the spectacle that you and your husband have carrying on the the past couple of months when your advisors started telling you that it might be time to exit. Now, I will say this and I don't mind telling anyone who asks... If by chance Hillary does end up getting the Democratic nomination, I will glady cast my vote for Sen. John McCain. As much as I would love to see a woman as the head of our country, in my opinion, Hillary is not that woman -- or atleast not in 2008. I feel that she has good intentions, but she also displays that her emotions too often get the best of her and I don't think that would be good living in the world that we live in. I mean, we're constantly in conflict with the Middle East and given the fact that a large majority of Middle Eastern countries do not even allow women to look men in the eyes, I don't think Hillary would be a woman that could stand up to that challenge. Look at Condie Rice...she can go over there and present herself in manner that is not disrespectful but can also effectively convey her message without making herself look so stupid that news outlets constantly replay her blunders like they do for Hillary. She has had to stick her foot in her mouth too many times for my taste. Maybe in 2012, after she's gotten a psychiatric evaluation, she should try to gain the nomination...but, as for now? Yeah, Hillary, not so much...

4)Ok, one more thing...I promise :) Did I happen to mention that I'm somewhat nervous about this whole school thing? I mean, I've found myself seriously contemplating what my orientation outfit as well as my first day of school outfit should be. I've wondered if I should be casual and wear jeans and a shirt so that I'll be seen as "friendly and approachable". However, I've also thought about possibly throwing on a pair of slacks and pearls so that I can show that I'm "professional and up for the challenge". Lol!!! Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Ok, I'm done with my randomness...Hopefully, I can now get some work done; or at least be able to do a little work until another idea floats into my head... I don't think I've ever told anyone, but I think that I might have a touch a A.D.D. (attention deficit disorder)... can you tell? lol!! Happy Thursday!!!!

OK....so what now?

So...as I mentioned in my last post, my dad needs a kidney. Out of my dad's family, only myself and my aunt (my dad's sister) stepped up to get tested to see if we matched.

Initially, the nurses told my aunt and I that she would most likely be the best kidney match from my dad since they're biological siblings. Right??? Well, that didn't turn out to be the case... I actually came up to be the better match; more specifically, I was a 5 out of 6 match whereas my aunt didn't have the same blood type.

So, anyway, I went for a glucose tolerance test on this past Monday. It was tiring and my arm was bruised from being stuck so many times...not to mention the fact that I had not eaten since previous evening!!!

Well... I got my results and they won't let me go any further but the test showed that my glucose level was too low during the fasting period... So, not is this the end of the road in terms my giving my dad a kidney but it also means that I need to keep a close eye being a diabetic...

I just called my dad but there was no answer. I feel bad because I was pretty much his only known match so far and he was really counting on having this transplant by the summer... I know that God is in control and has His hand over this whole situation but I still can't help but to wonder "what now?"...I'm thanking God in advance for what's going to happen because I know that whatever His will may be, He is in control. Pray for me and my family :)

Feliz Seis de Mayo :-)

Happy day after "Cinco de Mayo"!!!! Lol!! Ok, so I'm sitting here at work and letting my mind wander as usual... (sidenote: I think that I seriously have a problem with my attention span) But, anywhoo, I'm thinking about the past couple of days.

Yesterday, I went and spent about 5 hours at Kirklin Clinic to have a glucose tolerance test. I underwent that because I might be giving my dad a kidney... Anywhoo, I had to begin fasting on Sunday (5/4/08) in order to be "test-ready" on the next day (5/5/08). So.... as with fasting, in order to keep your mind off of eating, a lot of people meditate and/or become EXTRA introspective so that the thoughts of cheeseburgers and koolaid don't dance through your head like a semi-finalist on the show "So You Think You Can Dance"!

Well, thoughts raced through my head about what has happened over the previous year. I thought about how my dad was in a coma last year beginning on Mother's Day of last year. They said he wouldn't make it or if he did, he might have serious brain damage. Well, he's still here and I thank God for that!!!

Then, I thought about how I was in a job last year that was AT BEST okay, but it wasn't really something that I wanted to do. Or better yet, I didn't see myself doing for it more than a couple of years. But, in order to keep gas in my car, I would drag myself to work everyday. BUT, God stepped in, and even though I didn't know it at the time, made it possible for me to go back to working in a field that I feel passionately about -- social work.

I also thought about how I was glad that I finally followed that little voice in my head to go ahead and apply for grad school...despite my DEPLORABLE undergraduate GPA!! I mean, the worst they can say is "no", right? I'll still live, I'll still survive. But, to know that I finally got over that fear of being rejected was TOTALLY good for me because I let go of a huge burden!!

Continuing in that path, I thought about how I really just barely scraped by in college. I was much more involved in where the next party or set would be to even give my actual school assignments a second thought! However, I finished and I know that it could've ONLY been a higher power at work for that to have happened!!! But, to know that out of my maternal grandmother's 7 children and 13 grandchildren, I was the first to finish college is a humbling fact because I know that I didn't do it by myself!!! (BTW, this is a pic of the cousins who followed me as graduates of UAB)



Still, while sitting in the doctor's office and following a routine of having blood drawn for 4 hours and gulping down cups upon cups of water so that they could test my urine, still made me thankful...

To know that I can even be considered a good match and a potential kidney donor to my dad so that his life may possibly be prolonged is wonderful!! To know that I'm still here despite many times feeling as if I didn't... or to know that I've found a purpose and a destination in life when I didn't know what I what I should do the next day or even the next hour made me sooooo THANKFUL!!

So, in closing, I'd like to say that I thank God for the days with the sunshine as well as the days filled with clouds... Things could've been a lot worse and He has seen me through my share of pain, but I'm glad for them because it's a been a lesson learned.

I thank HIM for what's he has done in my life, what HE is doing, and what HE will do in the future...I'd like to think that I'm living a life of expectancy!! I expect great things to happen for me as well as everyone who reads this blog!! So, good day and FELIZ SEIS DE MAYO!!!!!