~Mandy's Journal~ Everything from random thoughts, hot news, and anything else going on with me you can imagine. ~October 27, 2000~ Today has been sooo miserable! I worked 10 1/2 hours at the daycare and I'm exhausted. Tomorrow is my friend Lakisha's 21st birthday party. I don't want to disappoint her by not attending because I know she expects me to be there, but I'm beat! Oh well, I will cross that bridge tomorrow. ~~October 31, 2000~ ADAM CALLED!!! I didn't get to talk to him though. I was in class. I told him 9 days ago NEVER EVER to call me again unelss he was absolutely positive that he wanted me back.....well guess what, he dialed me up; not only at my house but my cell phone too! I kind of do want him back in a way, but I know it is best that we are apart. I'm just excited he called; it tells me that he doesn't love Christina after all! I knew it! He can lie to everyone all he wants, but he will NEVER be able to lie to me! I am not calling him back though. I'm gonna play wait-and-see and let him call me back again. If it's important enough, I'm sure he will.Also, I went to Kisha's party Saturday night. I hung out with Erin W. and Alan D. I hadn't seen them in FOREVER! Kristen, Emily, and Leanna also ended up coming as well. Emily had never been to a "redneck party" so this was a new experience for her. We had a BLAST! ~November 18, 2000~ Today was the FSU vs. Florida football game. I was so sick! I have a bad case of bronchitus and had no business being out in 28 degree weather with it misting rain! Am I insane?!?! Anyways, FSU won so I guess it was all worth it. I'm kinda sad though, today is Travis's 1st birthday and I'm no longer a part of his life, therefore I can't celebrate with him. I bet he is such a cutie now! I sure do miss that lil' fella. If you would like to visit the site I made for him before Adam and I split in July, please click here. ~December 13, 2000~ Adam & Christina got married today! I can't believe he actually did it! Not 4 months after leaving me he marries my friend. That's pretty crappy if you ask me. And he has been calling me along the way as well? That is a match made for Divorce Court even if I do say so myself. Oh well, he is 22 years old, he makes and has to live with his own poor decisions, not me. At least I know this marriage was out of spite for me, not love for her. That makes me feel a wee bit better. Mark my words, I give them 3 years, tops. Only time will tell.......... ~December 15, 2000~ AACCKK!! I've been so sick today! I went to the doctor and he told me I have food poison! YUCK! I have thrown up so much in the past 24 hours that it isn't even funny. No more Pizza Hut pizza for me. I've ate my last! ~December 23, 2000~ Tonight me, Kristen, Leanna, Emily, and Jessica went to Stetsuns. We had alot of fun. I met this guy named Thad who WOULD NOT leave me alone! He was ok, but he is friends with GT.....that is 3 strikes against him right there! Other than that we had a pretty fun night. Kristen ended up riding the mechanical bull! It was so hilarious! ~January 1, 2001~ HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Wow! I cannot believe 2001 is already here! It seems like just yesterday it was Y2K time! Boy how time flies when you get old! hahaha! Last night I went with my friends Carla, Melanie and Tonia to Mikato for dinner. We met Carla's friends Erin and Jason there. We ate and then me, Carla, Tonia, and Melanie went to a party at Carla's ex boss's house out on the beach in a very NICE neighborhood. Afterwards we finally came back to my apartment to pick up Emily and Kristen. They worked until 10 last night so we had to wait for them to get off work and get dressed. When they FINALLY got ready to go we all went to the Sandpiper Hotel on the beach to the Tiki Bar. We met some cool girls from Minnesota and we hung out with them for a while. Melaine was leavine for UCF the next day and her family owned the motel so she decided to stay behind and hang out with them. We left there and we ended up at Spinnaker. Can you believe they wanted $35 to get in that place!?!?!?! That is absolutely ridiculous. We went in anyways though, being it was New Year's Eve and all. Kristen got kicked out at the door because the bouncer thought she was drunk so we had to talk them into letting her in.....she wasn't drunk at all I dunno what they were thinking! So, we FINALLY got her in the door right at the clock struck 12. We were there for a while but it wa so hot and crowded there we left and went back to our apartment and tried to get up with this guy named Eric we thought was having a party. We could not get up with him so we left and ended up at Stetsuns (imagine that! lol) They closed at 4 so we finally had to make our way back home! We had so much fun, but I sure am tired today! ~January 8, 2001~ I hate to do it, but I have finally decided to take Adam to court. He owes me $767.45 for stuff he charged on my credit card and he refuses to pay me! I tried to contact him in November about this and he was rude and hung up on me, so today I went down and filed the suit in small claims court. Please pray he doesn't hunt me down like a dog and kill me! I dont think he will try anything foolish, but when he gets mad you never know. ~January 12, 2001~ I HATE GULF COAST HOSPITAL!! I spent 5 hours in their ER last night in SEVERE pain. I had no idea what was wrong with me! I thought I was having a heart attack there for a while because my chest hurt so bad. The did all kinds of tests and found absolutely nothing wrong with me. I know, being in that much pain, there was something not quite right going on there! They told me they thought I could possibly be in the early stages of shingles, gave me some Lortab and an antibiotic and sent me home. Some hospital huh? I will probably never know the origination of my ailment! ~January 19, 2001~ GUESS WHAT! JANICE IS PREGNANT!! I'm so excited for her and Ricky! She told me this tonight at school and I was in complete shock! First thing I said was "What are you going to name her?" because I just know she is having a girl! They have already picked the name Emily Nicole for a girl and John Austin for a boy. I'm so happy for them! After all, I am the one who set them up! Well that is all my news for now. I will keep everyone posted! ~January 22, 2001~ Last night me, Emily, Kristen, Tonia, and Carla went to the latin dance at the Bayside Inn. It was alot of fun! We met these 2 guys Jorge and Luis. They are at the navy dive school here in town and are from the Dominican Republic. They were pretty cool to hang out with. Other than that, I have no news for this weekend. Adam did receive his subpoena and he was less than pleased with me. His mom called my mom and cussed her out and my mom just hung up on her and told her real quick it was between me and Adam and no one else. She certianly did not like that being she is the type who likes to tend to ALL his busniess for him. That is what has him in the predicament he is in now. Like I've said before, only he can change that, no one else. ~January 31, 2001~ Well wonders never cease! Adam sent me a check for the $767.45 he owes me! I would have been pleased with that and probably dropped the whole thing, but there was an ugly letter from Christina inside saying how he would not pay the court costs of $63.50. I hate to break it to them but that is out of his hands now. Until I get my $63.50 I will not drop the suit. Petty, yes I know, but he is not getting a dime out more out of me than he already has. I guess I will just see him in court on March 19th as it stands now. ~February 13, 2001~ I am soooo sick again! I have another bad case of bronchitus! Will this madness ever end?!?! I guess if I stopped working around kids I may get over it once and for all, but with them, I drag in EVERY snotty nose that comes through the county! I hope to feel better soon because this is miserable! I'm just thankful I wasn't sick for the Kenny Chesney concert this past weekend. That would have been the true epitome of all misery! ~February 17, 2001~ Today me, mama, and daddy went to Milton. Tomorrow would have been my grandaddy Jones's (Duke) 81st birthday. We went to the cemetary and had visitation. It was really weird. It was the first time I had been back since his funeral in August of 1999. I know this probably sounds totally stupid, but in a way, it made me miss Adam. I know I know I'm nuts! However, it was the feeling I got nonetheless. I guess it was because last time I was there he was with me. Who knows! ~March 3, 2001~ YEAH! I'm so excited! Katie just told me she is for sure coming to Panama City for her spring break! I cannot wait to see her! I have not seen her since September of 1998 and she and Brianne came to Tallahassee to Chris & Michael's apartment! This should be ALOT of fun!! ~March 10, 2001~ I had an exciting night last night! I came in from work and went to bed. I was so tired. Kristen went to Stetsuns by herself, fell asleep on the way home and hit a fire hydrant down on Beach Drive. Leanna had to go get her when she got off duty. Mitchell called out house about a million times looking for Kristen because Leanna had put him as head of the official seach party for her. She was not home, not matter how much he called that fact was not going to change! I was most definintly not up to talking to anyone at 3 am so him calling made me all the more ill! I'm just glad she is ok and got by with minimal damage to her truck and she did not get into too much trouble with the law. ~March 19, 2001~ Well today was judgement day. Adam and I went to court this morning at 8:45. He was on time, there before I got there actually. I was shocked! Christina was with him of course. We sat in the courtroom for what seemed like forever before they called us back to the mediation room. When we finally got back there, Adam would not even look at me. He was visibly upset about having to come to court in the first place, but he was also stressed over being face to face with me.....it was obvious! He didn't tary though, he pouted the whole time with big tears in his eyes, but he wrote me a check for my money so I didn't care if he cried or pouted orwhatever! I am pleased with that. That is all I wanted from him, what he rightfully knew was mine. I'm just glad it is all over and done with and I can now go on and put this whole situation behind me. ~March 22, 2001~ I do believe I have lost my mind! I pierced my bellybutton tonight! Leanna went with me and she told me if I went in there I was getting it done because I was not embarrassing her and walking out! It took me a while to decide on a ring, but I finally chose a little silver daisy with a rhinestone in the center. It is so cute! I moaned, groaned, and bellyached over the whole ordeal for like 45 minutes before I finally got up the courage to just go for it! In all actuality, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Just a little pressure, no vast amounts of pain and misery like I was expecting. I'm so glad I finally worked up the nerve and did it because I had been wanting a belly ring for a while and now i have one! Wanna see the damage? Click here! ~March 31, 2001~ Last night I went home to my parents' house. I was trying to have a civil conversation wth my dad and we got into a HUGE fight. I ended up storming out and contemplating going all the way back to Panama City. I went to Janice and Ricky's for a while to cool off and visit a bit. Ricky's brother Alan and his wife Chris and their kids Roger and Paige were there. We all got to talk for a while. I finally decided to go back to my apartment in Panama City. However, on the way, I got stopped for going 70 in a 45 MPH zone....talk about one BIG ticket! It is like $143 I think. I have no idea how I am going to pay for that thing! I guess I will just have to save up my $$$ because I have to pay it somehow! ~April 9, 2001~ I have such a boring life!! Today the highlight was me and Leanna making a trip to Winn Dixie to get a Boston Creme Pie! It sure was good though! I called Brady tonight and wished him a Happy Birthday. He is a guy I hung out with a few times. He likes me; the feeling is not mutual! I figured I would be nice and call him though. Nothing much has been going on lately, but I thought I would update this journal anyway. :o) ~April 12, 2001~ Ever made jello in an ice tray? If not, I *HIGHLY* reccommend it! It's so neat! That is what me, Kristen, Leanna, and Emily did last night for entertainment. Kristen and I went to the beach yesterday because it was so nice outside. I love this time of year! We did not get to stay long though because it got way to hot for us. Brady wanted me to go to his place last night but he never called so I didn't go. Oh well, I didn't really want to go over there anyways! ~April 15, 2001~ Howdy! I know I just update the other day but I just have to tell about the party I went to last night. Leanna and I went to Jerica's 21st birthday party and Bud Edwards' house. It was alot of fun and guess who I ran into....Adam's brother BEN!! I about fell out when i saw him! He was nice to me though. He told me just because me and his brother can't get along doesnt mean that I can't speak to him. I guess he is right. Other than that no one in particular was there. We left and went back to Leanna's mom's and went to bed. We were both sooooo tired! Today is easter Sunday and since I am not speaking to my family, I went with Leanna to her family's dinner. We ate alot of good food and I got to see her cousin Jennifer's new baby Ethan. He was born about 3 weeks ago and is soooo tiny! He was a few weeks early actually. He is so precious! I can't wait to have some of my own one day.....maybe 20 years from now! hahahaha ~April 21, 2001~ WOW! Have the last 2 days been a mess or what! It all started on Friday. My cousin Misty, her husband Scotty, his brother Josh and their friend Jason all came to my house to stay the night! Not only were me, Kristen, Leanna, and Emily all staying here but there were now 4 extra people all crammed into our lil 2 bedroom apartment! It was alot of fun though. we rode the strip, went to Stetsuns, played alot of pool and just had a great time. They all went home today though. It was kinda sad. Just when we started having fun they had to leave. Oh well, there will be a next time I'm sure! ~April 29, 2001~ Yesterday I went to Wild Adventures in Valdosta, GA with my friend Stephenie. We had so much fun! We rode ALL the rides several times and saw Lonestar in concert. She won free tickets off the radio to the concert about a week ago so she invited me to go with her. We went up there, ate at IHOP, stayed at the park all day, saw a concert, then I came all the way back to Panama City last night. Needless to say I was worn out! It was well worth it though because I had a blast! ~May 13, 2001~ IT'S MOVING DAY!!! Today Kristen and I (along with her Barbra and Dennis's help) moved from our apartment to a 3 br 3 bath place across town. Leanna has a job with the police department and wanted to move in so we moved today. She is in Hawaii right now for 3 weeks but me and Kristen went ahead and got all our junk moved. She will be moving in a soon as she gets back around the 25th. I'm so excited about this new place! It is so big! I can't wait until she gets back.....then we will be like the 3 muskateers again! ~May 17, 2001~ Carla and I went to the beach today. We laid in the sun for what seemed like HOURS! We parked our cars at her friend Aaron's house because he lives right on the beach and we didn't have to go down and fight all the tourists. She is house sitting for Aaron and taking care of his cat, Rockstar, while he is in Minnesota with his family. We finally left the beach and walked across the road to Evergreen and ate some chinese food. It was great! ~May 26, 2001~ Well so much for spending a quiet night at home last night! I had worked 11 straight hours and that was my plan, but it didn't happen. I ended up going to Stetsuns with Leanna at 2 o'clock this morning after she got off duty!!! That was ok except we were talking to these 2 guys out on the back deck and I dropped my shoe right off into Martin Lake! Oh man! Is there any worse place than Stetsuns to have to walk through barefooted? I think not! I survived without catching the foot-rot though, so that is a positive thing. After I came home I had to drive this freak who came to the house with Kristento his house. His name was Oscar and I volunteered to drive him because I knew she was in no shape to drive. However, she did not tell me that Oscar, the nasty pervert, lived in WAUSAU 40 miles away!! So, at 4 am I struck a trot to Wausau. I got home just as the sun was peeking out from behind the clouds. Kristen was asleep in the front seat. I could not get her to wake up so I left her there. I figured "it's May, sooner or later she will get sweaty enough and wake up!" and she did. Thank goodness for that too because her parents were on their way and arrived at our house just as she was showering from the night before.....what a recovery! Looked as if she had slept all night long peacefully in her bed, no adventure whatsoever! Good acting, Kris! ~June 5, 2001~ Last night Leanna, Kristen, Emily, Dennis, and I went to Sweet Dreams, the karaoke bar on the beach. We had so much fun! Kristen, Leanna, and I all sang "This Kiss" by Faith Hill and "Let 'Er Rip" by The Dixie Chicks. Somehow me and Leanna got roped into doing our own little rendition of "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye because this guy, Chris, said he would sing then got up there and did not know the words so we had to sing it for him! It was totally embarrassing! However, Emily's version of "Kiss" by Prince stole the show. She is so goofy! That girl sure knows how to work an audience! hehehe Well that is about all that is going on here. Tomorrow is my 21st birthday and I am sooo excited!!!! I'm sure we will do something tonight as well as tomorrow but God only knows what! ~June 6, 2001~ Happy Birthday to me! I'm now officially legal! Woo Hoo!! hahaha Anyways, I was right! Last night Leanna, Emily, and I rode around the beach. Right after the stroke of midnight I went into a convenience store and purchased my 1st alcoholic beverages, some Sax on the Beach wine coolers.....some hard drinkers we are huh? Soon after we went back to Sweet Dreams and hung out for a while. They let us all in free being I was the birthday girl. Traditionally, the birthday girl gets a free drink there, but I went to the bar and it was the bartender's birthday too so he gave me 2 free drinks! :) 2 Purple Hooters, wasn't that nice of him? :) We didn't sing though because there wasn't much of a crowd there so we left and came back to the apartment. Get this, I had to work this morning! Wednesday is ALWAYS my day off but I had to work today....isn't that a bummer?! It was ok though, I got off by 12:30 so it was not as bad as it could have been.As far as gifts go, Kristen got me this little hand creme jar from her store that says "Big Boob Creme" on the side. It's too cute! I could sure use some of that stuff! haha Leanna got me a cookie cake from the place in the mall. Our neighbors, Barry and Jason, (whom I've never spoke to in my life) found out it was my birthday so they bought me a bottle of Absolut Vodka (YUCK! Like I drink that nasty mess anyways!) It's the thought that counts though. It was nice of them to think of me. I hate to cut this short, but Leanna just called and her alternator has gone out and I have to take her to her job interview that starts in 20 minutes and it takes longer than that to get to the beach!!! Ack! I will write more soon! ~June 10, 2001~ What a weekend this has been! Goodness! I'm sure glad it's over! It all started Thursday. First of all I found out my friend Amanda is going to be a mommy! She found out today and could not wait to call me! I'm so excited for her! That now makes 2 of my friends having babies in the next year; well 2 so far at this point! Later, Emily and I went to Spinnaker for Ladies night. That was pretty cool. We had a few drinks, rode around, came home pretty early....no BIGGIE! Friday night however was a different story. Me, Emily, Kristen, Leanna, and Dennis all went to Stetsuns to celebrate my birthday. It was fun, don't get me wrong, but it was also weird. This guy who works with Dennis, Chad, came up and started talking to me. Leanna saw a cute guy was talking to me and she IMMEDIATELY had to butt in,take over, and get all in his face. That was ok with me though because I wasn't going home with him anyways; I'm not that kind of girl. Of course he ended up with Leanna that night, but it still kinda made me mad because it is like if she sees anyone else getting any attention (especially from someone she thinks is attractive) she has to get in the middle and throw herself at him.....I just don't get it. Is she really that insecure? Anyways, last night Leanna and I went to the Riverfront in Tallahassee. We drove ALL the way there just to go to the Riverfront....are we retarted or what? LOL I got in free and got a free drink, naturally being it was my birthday weekend. It was pretty fun. We saw alot of people we had not seen in a long time. We went back and ended up staying the night at Leanna's mom's because there was no way we were driving the 2 hours back to Panama City after going to the good ol' "Riverdump". haha Today, we came back to Panama City and I am exhausted. I guess that is what an entire week of working all day and partying all night and sleeping little if any will do to ya! ~June 16, 2001~ I had a softball game today and it's all the way in Campbellton!!! Uggghhh, that is such a long drive! I love ball though so I made it. Dennis followed me to Marianna to attend Amanda and Timmy's wedding because Kristen was a bridesmaid. We were parked outside McDonalds in Marianna waiting for Coach Ken to get there and someone from the Nissan place next door started waving at me. I think it was Adam's cousin Robby!! Yuck! Why is he waving at me? He is such a perv! I can't stand him! However, if It was Robby, (which I'm 99.9% sure it was)I'm glad he saw me because I was sitting there talking to a guy and he can run back and tell Adam! So what if it was Kristen's boyfriend, he doesn't know that! Other than that, we lost our game; how exciting huh? I also almost lost my right big toe when I got line drived. I'm glad I jumped; if I wouldn't have it would have been my shin instead! OUCH! Well I have gotta run. Leanna and I are headed for Applebees! ~June 21, 2001~ Guess what! We finally got to meet Demaris! She is our friend from Iowa who moved to Panama City just yesterday. She and her brother, Colter, came by the house, so me and Leanna took them for a ride on the strip. It was a lot of fun. I think she is gonna be a pretty cool girl to hang out with once she settles in and realizes she isn't in Iowa anymore! ~June 28, 2001~ Last night Leanna, Kristen, Demaris, Jessica, an I all went to Sidekicks. We sang karaoke yet again, imagine that! We stayed there ALL night and I had to be at work this morning at 8! Boy was I tired! Bobby also came down and he showed up at Sidekicks as well and he ended up staying the night at our place. He and Jessica got to be real close, and I think Kristen is less than pleased about that! We shall see how this one turns out; it ought to be interesting! ~July 4, 2001~ HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!! I have had a great 4th of July! Tonight, me, Kristen, Leanna, Jessica H., Bubba, and Demaris all went down to the marina and watched the fireworks. We had to park like 4 blocks away, but we finally made it down to the water. It was a really great show! Afterwards we all came back here and Dennis was on the doorstep! He just cannot take a hint! He got so drunk then wanted to leave. He then got in his truck, put it in reverse, passed out, then rolled across our parking lot!! Demaris saw this and FLEW down the stairs, put it in park, then siezed the keys! Way to go Dee!!! Finally someone took him home. Sarah and Mandi were suppose to come back here and stay but they ended up going home. Jessica and Kristen are planning on going out but I'm way too tired. Gotta go to work early in the morning, so I have to pass up this outing. ~July 21, 2001~ Wow! It has been sooo long since I have updated! I'm falling down on my job! I have been pretty busy, but today I was lazy. I took the entire day and me and Demaris went to Tallahassee. Yes, we rode ALL the way over there on this boring Saturday. We went to both malls and I stopped by Merle Norman and got to see my friend Candy who I havent seen in FOREVER! She got married in June, but I was unable to attend her wedding. However, that is not the highlight of the day. Earlier today, while traveling backroad shortcuts I met Adam in the road! Oh my goodness! I wanted to faint! I haven't seen him, not even in traffic, since March! I was in shock! I knew I was close to his house, but I figured that the one time I go down that road in a year wouldn't be the time he chose to travel it as well. Boy was I wrong. He saw me and he didn't even wave. However, I looked up in my rearview mirror and he slammed on brakes like he was gonna turn around or something. He was pulling his boat and he saw I kept right on going so I guess he figured that being he had the boat behind him, now wasn't the time to make a hot pursuit of anyone! hehehe I would not have stopped anyways. He is married and I honestly want nothing more to do with him and if someone would have seen us stopped aside the road talking rumors would have went flying! I just do not need that stress right now! I do feel certain he will be calling me though, it always happens; lucky me! ~July 29, 2001~ What a week it has been since I last wrote in this journal! First of all, my friend Janice's baby shower was yesterday, so I spent all week worrying over what to get her, what to wear, if Christina would be there, etc. I finally went to Sears and bought me a cute little 2 piece skirt and top outfit. I really like it, so I hope it looks ok when I wear it. Friday night Kristen was out of town so me and Leanna decided to go to Stetsuns. Just as we were pulling up we met Chad and his cousin. They ended up coming back to the house with us and hanging out for a while. His cousin thought I was cute and absolutely WOULD NOT leave me alone! He was the most aggervating human! I finally just left him in the living room and went to bed hoping they would leave soon. Yesterday, Janice's shower FINALLY rolled around. It was really nice. Ricky's cousin Derek's mom and sister Allison put it on for her. It was there at her house and that was good because she got so much nice stuff and she didn't have far to move it once the shower ended! :o) I'm so excited for her and I'm ready for her to have the baby. She still does not know what she is having, but my bets are still unchanging: Baby Girl Emily Nicole 7 lb 2 oz 20 inches longFriday August 17, 2001 Let's all see how close on any of that I am, hehehe! Oh well, we shall all see shortly, because I do not think she will make it to her due date of August 27th, butI guess stranger things have happened. ~August 6, 2001~ What some excitement we have had over the past few days! First of all, Friday night at Stetsuns, Kristen and Leanna almost got in a fight and came an inch from getting tossed out! I was trying to explain to the bouncer that they did this all the time at home and it was no big deal, but he didn't see it that way! Finally they settled down and we could enjoy the rest of the evening. Yesterday was Kristen's birthday and that was exicting, but not half as exciting as our weather here. We had a hurricane come ashore here in Panama City! Me and Leanna spent the afternoon riding around the beach and watching the weather get worse and worse. We were out on the pier watching the BIG waves come in until it started swaying and I decided it was not structurally sound enough for me to be out on it so we left. Last night after Kristen came in from work we went to see the movie "Summer Catch". It was pretty good. I mean, it had Freddie Prinze Jr. in it, you can't go wrong there! Ü Afterwards, we got the wild hair to ride out to the beach. The hurricane came ashore at about midnight last night and there we were around 11pm riding around. We don't have a bit of sense. There were some places in the road where the water had overtaken and you had to detour and some palm trees getting whipped around, but that was about it. I rode out there today and there does not seem to be much damage, just a few light-weight items like trash cans you can tell have obviously been moved but that is about it. We got lucky on this one. I think hurricanes are cool, but anything more serious than this one scares me! ~August 19,2001~ Whew! I am so glad to be home! Kristen and I left Thursday and went to Tampa for the weekend. We stayed with my friend Jessica and her brother T.J. Thursday night we stayed at Kristen's parents house in Sneads. We got up at like 3 am to leave. We were making great time until we hit Gainsville. We got stopped in traffic for 2 solid hours!! Of all places to be detained, it had to be Hogtown! It was bad that we got stopped, but even worse we got directed off I-75. We were totally lost then! We got the grand tour on the backroads of Gainsville. I'm glad I have a good sense of direction or we would probably still be roaming aimlessly around Alachua County! We finally got to Tampa a little after lunch. That night, master chef T.J. made us a fabulous dinner. We had salad, homemade lasagna, and desert. It was wonderful! Jessica told us he was a great cook and she was not lying! Later he gave us the tour of Tampa. He took us by the Bucs stadium, Channelside Drive, and to Ybor City. That was so awesome! We went to a few places, but Kristen isn't 21 so we couldnt get into The Ampitheater. That really sucked too because Sugar Ray was going to be at that club that night and we sooo wanted to get in. Oh well, we had fun anyways! Plus, we were very tired and had to be up early the next morning. We got up Saturday and spent all day at Busch Gardens. I have not been there since I was 10. I liked it alot then, but now I absolutely love it! It has some really good rides! Last night we went out to Oldsmarr and ate at a very nice Italian place. This morning we got up early and came back to Panama City. We had such a great time! I even made a page for our Tampa Vacation so check it out! ~August 27, 2001~ I was wrong! Janice did make it to her due date! Well, unless she has the baby in the next few hours, hehe. They are going to induce her tomorrow morning at 7 so hopefully by tomorrow night we will all get to see a brand new baby! It's so exciting! I talked to her tonight and she is surprisingly calm. Her theory is if you go in there calm things will progress quicker and hopefully won't be as painful. I also have more news, I got a tattoo tonight! What was I thinking?!?! It was a random thing, just like with the belly ring. I was just sitting here watching The Weakest Link and was like "Leanna, I wanna go get a tattoo, let's go". She did not take me seriously, but I made a believer out of her. I now am the proud owner of a tiny blue and purple butterfly-in-flight on my left hip. It is really cute. I'm not really the tattoo type, but you only live once so I figure you have got to try everything at least once! ~August 29, 2001~ WELCOME JOHN AUSTIN ROBERTS That's right, I was wrong! Janice had a little BOY! Not a girl!! He was born Tuesday, August 28th at 11:34 PM. He weighed 7 lb 7 oz and was 20 inches long. I went to see them tonight and he is an absolute doll! I think he looks just like Ricky with that light blonde hair and big blue eyes. Ricky is so excited to be a daddy and Janice is in high spirits forsomeone who just went through what she did; 18 hours of labor with no epidural! Her mom and dad were there tonight when I got there. Ricky's parents showed up soon after. I also got to meet her sister-in-law Gina and niece Jana. They came to meet and greet Austin, too! If everything goes well, they all get to come home tomorrow. I don't really have any more news, so I will cut this entry short and save my rambling for next time! ~September 9, 2001~ I am so glad this weekend is over! I had to go face my mom for the first time since March. It was really weird at first, but then it was like old times. I think me cutting all contact was good for our relationship. She now realizes she cannot push me around and treat me any old way and get away with it. I hope it lasts and we can have a good relationship. We went to the FSU football game Saturday and it was miserably hot! Then today me and Leanna rode over and visited with my cousin Misty and my Grandma Jones. Leanna also got to meet my cousin Cindy (Misty's mom) which was a real treat. We were going to go over to Pensacola and visit with Kisha, but by the time we left my grandma's we were exhausted and opted to just return to Panama City. I am going to the FSU game again next weekend so I'm hoping all is still ok between me and my mom. Only time will tell..... ~September 11, 2001~ I do not have much news today, but I am in such shock, I wanted to document my feelings today. I know this is a day that will go down in history and will be in the minds of all Americans for many years to come. I was on my way to work this morning when I heard the news about the attack on our counrty on the radio. No one else at work knew, so I got to be the one to break the news. My boss, Ms. Clara, came to my classroom and told us to pray. That is what she had done ever since I told her. It is so sad! I was really worried about my friend Kate Beaton's dad. He is in the Navy and works in the Pentagon. I tried to call her all day, but the numbers I had for her have been disconnected. Thank goodness she sent me an email this afternoon letting me know that all is ok with her and her family. Her dad escaped the massacre. Tonight, me, Leanna, and Kristen spent the evening together. We went and ate at La Fiesta. Afterwards we came home and read our Bibles. It was a really strange feeling to watch all that on tv. I just wonder what is to come next for our country and I hope and pray they get some of those people out alive. ~September 14, 2001~ Today I got to go and see my Austin. He is so precious! Janice is feeling alot better, so I went to see her. Ricky is still kind of unsure about all this baby stuff, but I am sure he will get the hang of it. Janice said she had never changed a diaper in her life until she had Austin. Now she has changed many in his short 17 day life and says already feels like a seasoned pro! After I got home from seeing him, me, Kristen, and Leanna went to Ruthie T's. Jason, our neighbor, found out he is being transferred and this is his last week here so he wanted to take us girls out for the night. We ran into Jay, Demaris's boyfriend, there and he hung out with us all night. Also, this guy named Jeff that me and Kristen met a few weekends ago was there. He is so annoying so we kinda pawned him off on Leanna! haha! Tomorrow is Leanna's birthday so we are trying to think up something to do this weekend to celebrate. Hopefully it will be better than Kristen's birthday when they fought at Stetsuns!! ~September 19, 2001~ I'm pretty bored, so I thought I would give all the info about Leanna's birthday. We ended up going to La Vela! I really don't care for it, but we had alot of fun. Me, Kristen, Leanna, Desirae, Danny, and Vanessa all went. It was not all that crowded there, so it wasn't too bad. Leanna had a great time I think, but she was the party pooper and would not wear our famous birthday crown into the club! Jessica B. is next in line for a birthday, so we will wait until November and see if she opts to keep the tradition going. ~October 7, 2001~ I do believe I am going to be a traitor! FSU lost pitifully to Miami this past weekend! They suck!I guess there goes our shot at the national title this year! I had alot of fun at the game though. It was a bit hot, but again, it is only October, we still have a pretty good bit of hot weather ahead of us. Other than going to the game, I have not been up to much lately. I'm seriously entertaining the idea of moving to Tallahassee next semester. I think I may want to try the main FSU campus for a while. I do like Panama City, but finishing up here is almost impossible unless I am willing to go for like 4 or 5 more semesters. I am so ready to be done with school!! I don't know though. That is something I am going to have to think more about before I make a big decison. ~October 21, 2001~ I'm depressed! This weekend I went with Carla to her friend's wedding reception. They are all happy and I'm glad, but I have no one and now I'm sad. I wish I could find me someone and fall in love and all that good stuff. Maybe one day, but at this rate things are not looking favorable for me. I have been single for 16 months now and this is getting OLD. I haven't even had the first date! Then again, that is sort of my choice. I have had opportunities, but I'm just so picky! Hopefully, when the timing is correct, Mr. Right will walk into my life. I'm in no hurry, but some companionship, at least, would be nice! ~November 1, 2001~ Happy Be-Lated Halloween! This past week has been alot of fun even though I have been soooo sick! I've had yet another upper respiratory infection! When will this end!! Saturday night Me, Kristen, and Leanna went to Stetsuns after I got back from the FSU football game. I wore my genie in a bottle outfit as I call it, and Kristen was a cop. Leanna was hanging out with her Dillards friends, so she was too good to dress up, or so she thought. We took some pics of us cutting up and being silly that night in our costumes, and they are posted here for your viewing pleasure! Last night, me, Leanna, and Melody went to Ruthie T's. Leanna got caught with a beer so she got kicked out! We all had to leave then. It was so crowded there I did not really mind. At least I got some sleep before having to be at work this morning and that is always good! ~November 12, 2001~ Oh me oh my! I've been a bad bad girl! I'm still in shock! I surprise myself sometimes! This past weekend, me, Leanna, and Kristen went to Stetsuns like normal. Guess who we ran into, ADAM'S BROTHER BEN! He was there with his friend Drew. We hung out ALL night long and Ben was just as nice as he could be to me. I knew he was going to run tell Adam I was there so I tried to put on a good show and give him alot to tell....you know, gotta keep it interesting. Well, about 3 am they were tired so who came back to our apartment? None other than Ben and Drew. They stayed there until daybreak just talking and chilling with us girls. Of all the people I never thought I would hang out with, Ben was # 1 on that list! Sure, I had seen him at a few parties and whatnot, but as far as hanging out, NO! I never though I would see the day. Oh well, I'm sure his brother is getting an earful right about now.I love it!!! ~November 19, 2001~ What a weekend I had! I went to Kisha's on Friday. We went to the mall and rode around town. Then, about 11 pm, she got the wild idea to go to Biloxi, Mississippi. That is about a 2 hour drive, but she wanted to go to the Grand Casino. I had never been and she was wanting to take me, so me, her, and Dennis loaded up and rode to Mississippi. It was alot of fun! I know I could not go there often! I would be broke! Saturday night me and Dennis watched FSU lose to UF. Kisha was at work, but she had to call about every hour to get a game update. Later that night the 3 of us went out with Kisha's old roomates Beth Anne and Alicia. We went to De Luna Lanes and bowled until 3 am. It was fun as well. I did great for not having bowled in a year or more. I even beat Dennis one game. I do not think being beat by a girl at a sport was his idea of fun, but sometimes, things like that just happen. After all, he got beat by a pretty good girl bowler, not someone who did not even know what they were doing like Kisha! hahaha Finally, Sunday afternoon, I came to the house. I am so exhausted still, but I will get over it. It was all worth it! ~November 23, 2001~ It's now official; I am moving to Tallahassee in January! Woo Hoo! I'm thrilled! Me and my mom went looking at apartments today. Not too many places were open, but we at least have an idea of what there is in town for me to chose from. Also, Nonnie came over yesterday for Thanksgiving. It was really nice. She, along with my mom's whole family, ate Thanksgiving dinner at our house. I needed some nourishment after what I did Wednesday night. Me, Kristen, and Jessica B. went to Ruthie T's. We stood out in the cold for like 2 hours. We never did get in! We eventually got frustrated and left. We ended up eating at the Waffle House. That was the highlight of the night! I just knew I was going to be sick after that night out in the cold but so far so good. Maybe I will keep up my trend of "wellness"! ~December 2, 2001~ Last night me and Kristen went to a REDNECK party in Caryville. Drew invited Kristen, so I decided to go with her. I was so tired! I went to the FSU vs. Ga Tech game and drove ALL the way back to Panama City before heading to the party. It was ok, but Kristen ended up getting sick, so I had to bring her home. She swears she ruined things with Drew, but I don't think so. He knows she could not help it. Other than that, I have no news. Me and mama are going to look at more apartments Wednesday. I will update once I know what my status is. I hope I find one! ~December 7, 2001~ I have great news! I now have a place to live in Tallahassee! We went Wednesday and I found a place right on the edge of campus within a block of the football stadium! I am so excited! I guess I should start packing! I really loathe and detest moving, but I think I am really going to like life in my new town! It is all worth it! ~December 14, 2001~ Today was my last day at Pons. I'm kind of sad, but I know I have to move on. I cannot work in a daycare my entire life, so I think moving to Tallahassee is going to be really good for me! We had our annual Christmas party tonight at Mrs. Jennie's house. We played a game where we passed around envelopes. They each had money in them and each time an envelope passed through our hands we had to sign the outside. After dinner, Mrs. Jennie gathered us all in the living room. We then had to open our envelopes one by one. Each had at least $10 in them but two of them had a 50 dollar bill. By the time it got around to me no one had got a $50 yet. I was so nervous, but I had a feeling about my envelope and I was right! I was the first one to pull a $50! I was ecstatic! They were all really happy I got it as well being I was moving and they knew I could use the extra money. That was all the excitement for tonight. Leanna wanted me to go to Stetsuns with her tonight, but I declined. I was tired. Plus, tomorrow night I have to babysit Brooke and Brittainy, 2 girls from the daycare. After that, it's more packing for me. Gotta get all my stuff boxed up, and that is a BIG project! Bye Bye for now! ~December 23, 2001~ Today, me, mama, and daddy went to Milton for Christmas. We had a really good time. I had not seen alot of my dad's family since my grandaddy's funeral in August of 1999, so it was really nice to get to visit. Pretty much everyone showed up; there were a few exceptions, but you are always going to have those I guess. I played with Garret, Corey, and Robert all afternoon. We had a ball playing in the mud puddles outside even though Deena about had a fit over Robert getting dirty! He is a kid, he is washable! He was having fun so that is all that mattered. After dinner, Rachel and P.J. went to leave and their truck got stuck in the mud. They tried and tried to get out, but Uncle Frank eventually had to come pull them out of the mud with his van. It never fails, there is always some excitement over there no matter what! ~December 26, 2001~ MERRY CHRISTMAS!! I had a great christmas. I got lots of neat things and visited with my mom's side of the family. We got together and ate like 4 times in 3 days. That is ALOT for us! Last night I went to Janice and Ricky's. I visited with them for a while. It was alot of fun seeing Austin get all his new stuff on his first christmas. He got a kick and drive gym and boy was he thrilled. That thing just tickled him to death! Afterwards, I rode back to Panama City and spent the rest of christmas night all alone at my apartment. Peace and quiet was a good enough present for me! ~January 1, 2002~ HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Last night I had a blast. Me, Kristen, and Jessica B. all went to The Riverfront. We saw John Joel there and I just do not like him. He is so disgusting. He is Kristen's ex and he is so cocky and arrogant and has no reason for it at all! He did take a pic of us at midnight so that was pretty cool. He was about the only person we saw there that we knew. We met these 3 guys from Georgia and they came back to my apartment. Me and one guy was throwing around a softball in the parking lot at 4 am. It was wild! Lots of fun though! They did not stay long. One of the guys had to be back in Bainbridge by 5 because he was going duck hunting. All and all, I had a great new year's eve. Maybe the rest of 2002 will follow suit! ~January 6, 2002~ Have you ever spent the night on a cold concrete floor? If not, I don't advise it at all! That is what I did last night! Me and Kristen spent the night at the civic center, sleeping on the floor to get us some Kenny Chesney tickets. He is coming to Tallahassee on February 1st along with Phil Vassar, Sara Evans, and Carolyn Dawn Johnson. We just HAD to have tickets to the show! All I have to say is after a night on the concrete, we BEST have great seats! I know what section they are in, but I'm still not sure where they are in relation to the stage. I figure we deserve the best after the torture we put ourselves through! I'm gonna be a bit upset if we are so far away he looks like an ant, so we have to hope for the best! ~January 8, 2002~ When you hit rock bottom, the only way is up correct? I sure hope so! This week has been miserable and it's only TUESDAY!!!!! My car got put in the shop Sunday and I won't get it back for like 5 days. That means Ihave to walk to and fron school. Yes, I know the exercise won't kill me, but I really am not fond of roaming around Tallahassee on foot before the sun comes up and after it goes down. This is one scary town! Not to mention the fact I have to walk across the overpass that is under construction. Those men out there are so perverted! I hope I can get my car back before I am forced to say something to them! After all, a quarter til' 7 in the morning is not my most friendly time and that is when I am walking to school. They just do not know how ill I can get! Oh well, enough ranting from me for now! Maybe when I update all will be better here in paradise! ~January 11, 2002~ I got my portraits taken today! I'm so excited! I hope they turn out good. I have scanned in some of the black and white proofs. So far that is all I have. I should get the color ones back in about 2-3 weeks. To see them, click this grad pics link! Other than my pics, the only news I have is that Nonnie is coming to stay with my parents for the weekend. I am going home tomorrow so I can visit with her. Tomorrow is her birthday. I guess she just wanted to get away for the weekend. I hope she enjoys her visit. ~January 21, 2002~ Howdy! It's been a while since I wrote in here. Since today is a school holiday, I figured I would update my journal. This past Saturday night was alot of fun. Leanna and Kisha came over and we went to The Riverfront. Kristen was suppose to come, but she did not feel good so she stayed home. We had alot of fun though. We ran into lots of people from back home. Sometimes it is good to see the people you grew up with. We left there and were going to go to the Waffle House but everywhere we went was really crowded so we just came back to my place. Leanna and Kisha then left and went home. Sunday I went to my Grandma and Grandpa Young's house. We had a family cookout for grandma's 82nd birthday. She really seemed to enjoy it. I'm glad she had such a good time. Later this afternoon I am going to the mall with my old friend Chris from Flagler so I had better get off here and get ready! ~January 27, 2002~ Well, things here are gettingbetter for me. I'm glad everything has sort of settled down and I have not had any more catastrophies as of late. This past Friday night my friend Candy came over and we hung out for a while. My neighbors were being REALLY loud and she started yelling right along with them. Whaddya know but 2 guys showed up on my doorstep within 10 minutes wanting to introduce themselves. YUCK! They were just as gross as I expected. However, Candy took care of it. She told them so much junk I doubt they will EVER come knocking back on my door! Saturday morning Kristen and Jessica P. came over and we all went to the hospital to see Kelly. She had Trevor at 8 that morning via c-section. She was sore, but not as bad as she could have been. He is a doll. Both Kelly and her husband Burt seem really proud of him. Her mom is absolutely ecstatic! After having 3 girls of her own she finally has a baby boy to spoil. I hope all goes well with them. That night me and Kristen went to The Riverfront. She wore an aqua sparkly shirt and her bra showed through it under the blacklights. Robert was there and he kept YELLING so loud about her glowing bra! Kristen was mortified! It is pretty funny now looking back! At least next time I hope she knows better than to wear a white bra under a shirt like that! ~February 2, 2002~ Last night Kristen and I went to the Kenny Chesney concert. We had great seats! Then again, like I stated earlier,we did sleep on the floor of the civic center and stand in the icy cold for a time of 10 hours in total so we should have had great seats! It was a great show. We saw Jinny and Shannon there and hung out with them for a while. We were both sick though. Kristen has had pneumonia all week and I felt queasy all night. I wish we both would have felt better! After the concert we came back here, watched the movie "My Girl" on tv then went to bed. Today we got up, went by Carquest to see Drew, went to the mall, then went to eat at The Olive Garden. That was some good food! I was starving! I have lots of school work to do so I need to get back to it! Hope everyoneis ready for the next 6 weeks of cold predicted this morning by Phil the Groundhog! ~February 12, 2002~ WELCOME MANDALYN GRACE CHANCE That's right, my friend Amanda and her husband Wesley had their first child, a daughter this afternoon. Mandalyn Grace was born at 2:45 PM via c-section here in Tallahassee, FL. She weighed 6 lb 9 oz and was 19 inches long.Born on her mommy and daddy's 2 year wedding anniversery; I don't think they could have gotten a better gift! I talked to Amanda and she is SO glad it is over! She got induced yesterday morning at 6 and went through 32 antagonizing hours of labor before she had to have an emergency c-section. Her placenta was ripping away, the baby was in danger of breathing in meconium (baby's first poopie) so they went ahead and got her out safely. I can't wait to go and see her. I bet she is beautiful! I hate to cut this short, but I have so much to do! I will keep everyone updated! ~February 15, 2002~ Can things get any worse for me? Seriously! Give me a break! Yesterday, on my way to see Amanda, I wrecked my car!! I rear-ended a guy right in front of the capitol building during lunch hour. I couldn't have picked a more hectic time! I ended up sitting in the middle of the road with people honking at me and flicking me off for impeding traffic for over an hour until the cop finally got there! Then, he told us to get out of the road, so we had to pull onto a side road and wait for him yet again. He was such a jerk! However, he did not write me a ticket for careless driving so I most definintly got a break on that one! I am so thankful of that! About 1 more ticket and I will not be in good hands with Allstate and my parents won't be thrilled about that at all! I ended up not getting to go see Amanda at all. Later last night, after my midterm her mom called and said she was bleeding internally and they were going to have to run lots of tests on her and possibly give her a transfusion. She told me to come this morning because last night wasn't such a great time. I tried, but she had already checked out of the hospital when I called. I guess that is a good thing because it means her health is ok. Last night they weren't so sure what was going to be the outcome of her situation. I plan to give her a call later and make sure all is ok with her and Baby Mandalyn. ~February 27, 2002~ Today I spent the day visiting with Janice and Austin. I just adore that lil' fella! All I have to do is look at him and he breaks out in a big smile. It's good to know I have at least one fan out there! It was so cold out today, so we just hung around her house. It's possible it may snow tonight or in the morning. That would be pretty exciting! We also did a little detective work. We "think" there is something such as a possible split in progess between Adam and Christina. If not a split, we think there is at least some unfavorable conditions taking place. There is no telling with those two.Personally I hope they both live to be 110 years old so they have to put up with each other from now on! It would serve them right! I am going to have to do a bit more snooping before I can say there is something positivly going on there, but I will find out; you can take that one to the bank! ~March 3, 2002~ What a weekend this has been! First of all, I went to Panama City to stay with Leanna on Friday afternoon. Kristen had been there all week and we were all 3 suppose to just hang out being we never get to be together hardly at all anymore. I went by my old workplace and boy have things changed there. Alot of the people I use to work with are no longer employed there. It was weird going back and all the kids I use to have in my class are already in the next room andthere are all new kids in my old class. I knew only a few of the 15 enrolled in my old class. Weird! After that I went to Leanna's. She had to go to work at 5, so me and Kristen made plans to go to dinner with Carla and some of her friends. We were having a "girls night out" as Carla called it. We went on to her place and not everyone was there. It seemed like we would NEVER make it to eat! Finally, me, Kristen, Carla, Heidi, Nicole, and Erin arrived at Outback. We had a blast! Afterwards, me and Kristen went back to pick up Leanna and head to Stetsuns. She was there but informed us she was running out to the beach to give a girl she worked with a birthday card. She told us to go on to Stetsuns and she would meet us there 10:30 at the latest. We did and guess what, she never showed! She sold us out for those superficial %^$$%#^ she works with! Me and Kristen were so mad! Carla and Erin were also at Stetsuns so it wasn't like we were there alone, but it was just the principle of the thing. Leanna was the one saying how we never get to hang out anymore. The one night we were all three back together she chosepeople she sees every day over us! Some friend she is! Kristen waited until she got home at 4 am and told her exactly how she felt. Leanna had some lame excuse as usual. I got so irritated I got up early Saturday morning and went to my parents. I had all the fun I could stand! Me and mama went to Wal-Mart this morning and then I finally came back to Tallahassee late this afternoon. Boy it is great to be home!!! ~March 7, 2002~ WELCOME CAMERON ATLAS TAYLOR Rindy & Doug's baby boy was born last night at 10:01 PM. He was 7lb 11.75 oz and 21 inches long. I do not know any of the other details and I have to go to class. I will have to give all the info later! ~March 10, 2002~ Have you ever been glad to see a weekend come to a close? I have! This weekend about KILLED me! I am so exhausted! It all started Friday. Carla and I went to the Travis Tritt concert inPanama City. After it was over I drove back to my parents. I planned on resting all day Saturday, but you know that never happens! Me and mama ended up going to K-Mart and Wal-Mart and all over Marianna shopping. After that, Kisha called me and told me she washome for the weekend. We talked and I ended up going up to where she was working and waited untilit closed at 11. Then, me, Kisha, Jerica, and Mandi H. all took off and went to Panama City Beach! We didn't get there until 2 AM!!! We rode up and down the beach and met up with this guy Andy, that Kisha met the night before in Pensacola. He was such a JERK! We ended up putting him out in the parking lot at Wal-Mart and leaving him! We had rode around with him, sat at the police station with him, and mostly put up with his mouth ALL we could stand. I ended up having to drive home and I did not get to my parents until 8:30 that morning. I rolled up as they left to go eat breakfast. I do not think they were too pleased with me laying out all night like that, but oh well, I'm grown. Today, after sleeping a few hours, I came back to Tallahassee. I am not sure what the rest of this week long break from school holds for me, but maybe the pace will slow down a bit! ~March 13, 2002~ I got to meet Miss Mandalyn Grace today! She is such a cutie! Amanda seems to be in pretty good shape as well; considering what she just went through. Mandalyn looks alot like Amanda with her dark hair and tiny build. However, as much as I hate to say it, she looks alot like Amanda's Granny Mildred as well. I am glad me and Amanda got to visit. It is the first time I had ever been to her house and she has lived there like 3 years! I am such a bad friend! I have been one of her best friends since 1985, I need to make more time to go see her. We just run in completely different circles now, so that makes it tough. She is married and has a new baby; I'm as single as they come, childless, and in college and all that good stuff. Other than that, there is no news. I plan to relax a few days in Tallahassee before I go to Pensacola to spend the weekend with Kisha starting this Friday. ~March 18, 2002~ I made me some money this weekend! Woo Hoo! Me, Kisha, and Leah went to Biloxi, Mississippi to the Grand Casino and Imperial Palace. We cashed in BIGTIME! We played Black Jack for 12 hours and brought home a combined 2 grand. Not bad for a night's work I don't think! We had planned on staying out there, but we got to winning so big we did not want to quit playing. So, from midnight on Saturday until lunch on Sunday we played cards non-stop! We then drove back to Pensacola, went to Red Lobster, to the mall, and rode around. After that, I went back to Kisha's, took a shower, got in my car and drove the 3 hours back to my parents! Boy was I tired. I went to bed about 9 that night and did not get up until about lunch yesterday. Now, I'm feeling good; Ready to go for some more! However, all the fun is over; school started back today, so it is back to the ol' grindstone! ~March 24, 2002~ Guess who I saw up-close and personal yesterday! MARK WILLS!! Yes, THE COUNTRY SINGER Mark Wills! How exciting is that?!? He and Chely Wright were putting on a concert at Wild Adventures in Valdosta,GA. Me, Kristen, and Jon all rode up there to see it. We rode rides all day and while in line I spotted Mark. Kristen about had the vapors! She absolutely loves him! We did not get to meet him though. Just as we got close enough it was his turn to get on the roller coaster. It was a close encounter though! He is just as handsome in person I might add! hehe Other than that, I have had no excitement, so I will bring this entry to a close! ~March 30, 2002~ I got to go see my Austin yesterday! He is such a sweetheart! That baby just loves me to death. Janice gave me some of his 6 month portraits and they are just adorable! We had a good time visiting. We talked; Austin played with a plastic Wal-Mart sack, and all was well. She was telling me all about how Ricky saw Adam last Sunday riding his 4 wheeler. Word has it that his and Christina's marriage is less than blissful....IMAGINE THAT!! HAHA! Serves them both right! I hate to derive such great pleasure out of the misfortune of others, but with those two, I don't feel so guilty about it! I know it won't last, and that is the beauty of the entire situation. Well, enough of me being hateful. I'm going grocery shopping with Kristen shortly and need to get ready. I will write more later! ~April 5, 2002~ Finally, the monotony has been broken! Kristen stayed here last night. I get so bored here at this apartment all by myself. We went to eat at Red Lobster and then to find the surgery center where she had to go do observations today. It was such ugly weather over here too! I hate it when it rains in Tallahassee! EVERYTHING FLOODS! Also, you wanna talk about some fractious drivers, I think this town is the home of all Road Rage sufferers! I have never in my life seen such bad drivers! I'm going to my parents' soon, so I had better cut this short. Kristen and I will probably ride over to Marianna tonight being there is nothing else to do in Jackson County besides go to Wal-Mart! ~April 10, 2002~ Today is Janice's 23rd birthday! She, Ricky, and Austin came over to my new apartment for the first time last night. Her dad fell off the roof of the house 2 days ago. He is here in Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, so they dropped by for a visit on the way home. We visited and ate pizza so you cannot ask for better. Janice also told me that she and Ricky saw Derek Saturday night. He said he had totally forgotten about calling me with his dad being so sick. He said he was definintly going to give me a call sometime soon so we shall see. I really hope he does. I know he has made some bad choices with women in the past, but deep down I think he is a pretty good guy; just needs a good girl in his life, that's all. I will keep everyone update on this soap-opera in the making. ~April 20, 2002~ Ever been completely scared out of your wits? That is what I was Friday morning about 1 AM. I was sitting on my couch, minding my own business when outside my living room window I heard, "GET ON THE GROUND!! DROP THE GUN!! DROP THE GUN!!" I was thinking it was my neighbors partying again, but drop the gun? No, that was NOT the obnoxious neighbors. I kept hearing all the commotion, and before long the sky was lit up. It looked like Independence Day with all the flashing lights in the sky. Sirens screamed from every direction, ALL arriving in my parking lot. Seems that 4 guys had either tried to break into a car in my parking lot or they were in the process of breaking in an apartment here in the complex. Whatever the case, they gotapprehended right outside my bedroom! Talk about scary! Good ol' *SAFE* Tallahassee, gotta love it! YEAH RIGHT!! I'm just glad they caught them before they attempted to break in my place and I had to shoot them with my shotgun! Now that would have been some excitement! I just hope I get to graduate soon and I can leave this God-Forsaken town for good! ~April 30, 2002~ Today I went to Panama City. My first stop was Shaw to visit Janet before she moves to Oregon this summer. I stayed there for like an hour and a half and visited with her. After that I hung out with my friend Carla. We had us a girls day out. We went and ate at Tony Romas, to the mall, and to see The Sweetest Thing. I highly recommend this movie; well for a chick-flick adventure anyways. Its really cute! Afterwards I went to my parents and SLEPT! Seems like I sleep so much better when I am home instead of here in Tallahassee at my apartment. I guess I just feel safer there than I do here. I dunno! ~May 2, 2002~ HE CALLED! Yup, you read right, Derek finally called! It's about time, that is all I can say! I dunno, I may be totally wrong, but its weird how 3 years can change a person. We seemed to really get along, then again I guess stranger things have happened! I can't wait to tell Janice! She will absolutely flip out! He asked if he could call me some time again and I told him "Sure!" I know its early on, but I'm very interested in seeing where this goes. As usual, I will most definintly keep EVERYONE updated here! Other than that, I spent today with my friend Janice (and Austin of course) and her friend Laura. We 3 just sat around and visited and gave Austin an audience. He has just learned to crawl and delights in putting on a show for everyone. Janice and I went to the grocery store before Laura got there and I saw Adam's Aunt Tammy! YUCK! She is still icky, just like I remember her. I'm just glad it was a random family member of his instead of him! That would have been disgusting! I don't care if I EVER see him again! After that we went back and made some tacos. They were SOOO yummy! I finally got home like 6 hours after I went there.....a whole lot later than I planned! ~May 7, 2002~ Ever tackle a project without knowing what you are getting into? That is the mistake I made yesterday. First of all, classes do not start until tomorrow and my friend Candy called and told me she was on her way to class. I informed her there was no school, so she came by my place and I ended up following her all the way to Bainbridge, GA where she and her husband have just bought a their first home. We were not there long before she decided we needed to go visit with my mom since she had not seen her in a while. We did and then ended up at my parents house digging up running roses for Candy to put in her new yard. So, we hauled these roses, dirty roots and all, back to GA in my car. Once it cooled off Candy got the bright idea that things would go much faster if I helped her plant these roses. So guess what I got to do; stand on the end of a garden hose and follow her around while she dug holes and planted her flowers. It was cool though. We don't get to hang out alotanymore so spending a "girls day out" with her was great! I sure was tired when I got home last night though! Today, even though I know Derek asked to call me again, I got to analyzing the situation and figured out the following scenerio: He wants to talk to me but he wanted me to make a move to show I'm interested as well and not just messing with him. So, I called him up when I knew he was not home and left a message. This time he called me back the same day; he is getting good at this! We talked for about 20 minutes and he told me all about how he hit a deer with his truck and how he was going to Tennessee to see his parents this weekend and how we are going to have to get together sometime soon when he gets back from his trip. The plot thickens even more. This is really starting to get interesting now, hehe. ~May 13, 2002~ Drama Drama DramaThat is the story of my life lately. Today, I found out some interesting news. I was talking to Janice and it seems her husband Ricky saw my ex, Adam, this past weekend. Adam then began to talk about me. He first said that he heard I was dating some nasty, skanky guy. Then he tells Ricky I have really let myself go so he hears. Well, I am not the one who looks like I ought to be on the roadside holding a will work for food sign like he does. He is the one who has gained all the weight and looks all scragly since we split 2 years ago. The audacity of him to say such about me! However, it did turn out good. Ricky told him how I wasn't dating anyone in particular, but as far as men go, I was kinda talking to his friend Derek. Oh was Adam mad! He was in shock! Completely speechless from my understanding. I love it! I just wish I could have been there to see his face when he heard the news that not only was I not sitting around wasting my life waiting on him, but I was having something to do with one of his friends! Needless to say, that did not set well with him at all! I cannot wait to see how this little turn of events changes things! I just hope he doesn't go to Derek bad-mouthing me trying to start trouble. That wouldn't be in Adam's best interest. He just needs to tend to his wife and stay out of my business as far as I'm concerned!I was the best thing that ever happened to him and he wasn't smart enough to realize it at the time now he can just file my memory along with some of his good fishing tales; you know "the one that got away". ~May 22, 2002~ Guess what! I saw Derek yesterday! Woo Hoo! It was actually a complete accident. We had a really nice talk. He seemed like such a sweetie, but he also said he would call last night and he never did! What is the deal? Why do guys do that? He has done that several times. "I will call you tonight, are you gonna be home?" then I hear from him like 3 or 4 days later. GRRRRRR, Makes me MAD! Oh well, I dunno what his intentions are, but he sure seemed mighty glad to finally get to see me yesterday. We shall see. ~May 28, 2002~ Howdy! I hope everyone who is reading this had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend! Mine was pretty fun. Friday I went to stay with my parents. The next morning Me, Kristen, and Jessica were going to Wild Adventures in Valdosta, GA, so I had to get up EARLY! It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be though, I actually woke up on my on because my wonderful, sweet, darling cat Tipper was sitting outside my bedroom door going "MEEOOWW MEEOOWW". That is her way of waking people up. If she thinks its time for everyone to rise and shine, that is what she does until someone lets her into their bedroom. Anyways, I went and ate breakfast with my mom then left for Tallahassee. It was only about an hour before Jessica and Kristen showed up and we left. Kristen had worked midnight shift and just got off work at 8 so she was rather sleepy. We got to the park a little after lunchtime and set up our chairs for the concert that night. After the chairs were in their place we couldnt help but ride ALL those roller coasters. It was so much fun! Later that night we left to eat and change clothes before we finally got to see John Michael Montgomery in concert. He put on a really great show! After the concert we left and went to eat at the Waffle House. There we were approached by this OLD man of about 70 years old. He started off being just as nice as he could be; then he got weird on us. He went off talking about how he was looking for some young girl to bear him a son because he had no sons and wanted one to carry on the family name and inherit some of the family property when he and his brothers were all gone. WHOA!!! Did that come out of left field or what??? Then he gave us his address and told us he had plenty of money in the bank if we were interested. I was in shock! Then again, I guess there are crazies everywhere ya go! That was all the major excitement for the weekend. Then yesterday I finally talked to Derek again. He completely forgot his parents were coming home for the week and staying with him. That is why he never called. He got side tracked. He was really sweet though and told me that I should come see him sometime. I think we finally may be making a little progress. I sure hope so. I think I have more than waited around in my life (not just on him) and it's time I finally get to be with someone nice. I hope it all works out! ~June 6, 2002~ Happy Birthday To Me! Yep, it's that time of year again; today I turned the big double 2! What fun! Yeah right! I am so not looking forward to this getting old stuff. It's kinda depressing. Then again, it beats the alternative, so I guess turning another year older can't be all that bad! So, what have I been up to lately ya ask? Well, alot of things actually. Yesterday I went to visit Janice and Austin. Innocent enough you think? NOT!! I just happened to meet Adam on the highway! I did nothing to provoke him at all on purpose, but it didn't matter; he looks for things to get his panties in a wad over I think. After I left Janice's, Adam calls up her husband and was very ugly to him. Adam was telling Ricky (Janice's hubby) how he could not be friends with someone who had anything to do with me and that Ricky had to chose: Janice & I stay friends or He & Adam stay friends. How immature is that?! I mean, c'mon now, the "I'm not going to be your friend if you are friends with so and so" line played out in about the 5th grade, can't he think of something a bit more mature to use? Just one more reason why I just love his so dearly! I *HOPE* anyone who reads this can sense the sarcasm with that last comment! Anyways, after I got back from Janice's last night Kristen and I went to eat dinner at Bennigan's with Jessica P. and her boyfriend Jared. We had a really good time! After that, Kristen and I went to see Sum Of All Fears. That is a great movie!!! Then again, it stars Ben Affleck, how bad could it be? Tonight Jennie, Maureen, and I went to eat at the American Cafe in the mall then went shopping. Afterwards we called our friend Jason and he came over and hung out for a while. It really was alot of fun! That is about all that has been going on with me. I shall update all new developments later. ~June 12, 2002~ I saw Derek today!!! Woo Hoo! I was getting some gas and he was on his way home for work when he saw me. As soon as he rounded the curve and saw my car he turned in. I barely could get my window down before he was already talking up a storm. I was like "Hey there Mister I-Never-Call-Anyone-Back" and he just laughed and said "No no, it isnt like that, I have been so busy, you just would not believe all I've had going on". He also he told me that he would tell me all about it and promised to call tonight or tomorrow so we shall see if he does. I'm not betting on it though. He always says he will call and it never happens when he says it will. He is not very reliable in that aspect. All in all he seemed very happy to see me. I was kind of shocked about that being I havent spoken to him since Memorial Day. Once again he said he would call and didn't. Why do guys do that?!?! It makes me MAD! Once again I'm more confused by him as ever. He says he will call and then he doesnt; We have no contact for over 2 weeks then he sees me and acts as if he is my long lost best friend? How weird is that? Can someone please explain because I have yet to figure this one out! ~June 16, 2002~ Ok, any question I had about Derek liking me I think it was answered today! I talked to him like 3 days ago and breifly mentioned that my friend Candy and I planned to go to the flea market today. I had completely forgot I even told him until we drove up and who was there? None other than Mr. Derek himself! I was so shocked! I couldnt believe it! Well, I mean, It *could* have been a complete coincedence, but I highly doubt it. He is just totally not the flea market kind of guy, or at least he doesnt strike me that way. Whatever the case, something possessed him to ride an hour to go to a flea market this morning in the blazing sun. Even more shocking than seeing him there is the fact he called me not too long ago. I returned the call, but he was on a long distance call and asked me to call back. Then, when I did, he was not home! Boy he sure moves quick! I hope this is a good sign and will finally get things progressing as far as we are concerned because I really like him alot! ~June 22, 2002~ I'm sooo excited! Guess what I did last night! I hung out with Derek! I am so happy! I hadnt ever got to talk to him after he called me on Sunday night, sowhen Leanna and I rode to Wal-Mart I decided to give him a ring. He was home FINALLY! He and his friend Jason were hanging out at his house and he asked us to stop by being we were going right by his house on the way home. I was more than happy to take him up on the offer. About a year ago his friend Jason liked Leanna but since she did not live close by, did not want to start a relationship with him. However, they really seemed to hit it off the other night and Derek and I got a chance to spend some time together as well. We got to talk face to face for a long time and that was really great. I did not ask him if he went to the flea market on purpose, but I still sense that was the case by his actions. He was so sweet! After Leanna and Jason left he cuddled up to me on the couch and just talked. That was wonderful! He is very affectionate, and seems to be sincere in all he tells me. I sure hope we can be more than friends one day, but I'm not going to push; gotta let things run their course. ~July 11, 2002~ Howdy everyone! Boy it sure has been a long time since I've updated. I need to get on the ball! I really do not have much news, so I guess that is the reason for my slacking. The only thing half-way exciting that has happened lately is Kristen and I went to a concert and the fireworks show on the 4th of July. It was held at a park here in town and sponsored by the City of Tallahassee. Jeff Carson and Keith Urban put on a *GREAT* show! After the sun finally went to bed they did the fireworks. The most exciting event of the night was when we got to meet and had our picture taken with Jeff Carson! That was awesome! Other than that, I have not been up to much. However, I do think that anything Derek and I had or ever thought about having is over. I called him a few days afterthat night I went to his house and he acted strange. He said his friend was there and they were on their way out the door to go get something to eat and he would call me back later. Well, that has been a little over 2 weeks ago and I've yet to hear a word from him. He is soooo strange. I completely do not understand his behavior. One minute he is all cool with me and acting like I'm his girlfriend for all practical purposes; the next he acts as if we are complete strangers. I dunno though, I may just be reading too much into it. After all he did go like 3 weeks before without a word. Then he happened to see me pumping gasone day and went out of his way to stop and come talk to me, called me the next day, then made his appearance at the flea market the day he knew I was going to be there(which I still don't think that was a random act at all, I think he planned it). Why can't he just be, ummm, I dunno, NORMAL??!?!?! I honestly do not know what to think. I thought about calling him and asking him, but then that would make him think I actaully cared and I sure don't want him to think he has me eating out of his hand, so to speak. Then I also thought about just giving him a friendly ring out of the clear blue and act as if nothing happened and see how he reacted. My last option is to never ever call him and see how long it takes me to hear fom him. What to do, what to do?? Anyone have any suggestions? If so, PLEASE feel free to help me out! Maybe I will one day be able to make some sort of sense out of men, but Ihighly doubt it! ~July 24, 2002~ I'm absolutely heartbroken! I found out earlier today that my friend GT was killed in a car wreck early sunday morning. He was friend with me and our little group of girls from Panama City. I hadn't seen him in a few month, but I still considered him a pal. He and my roomate Kristen were kinda talking at the time as well. I got the news early this morning when I checked my voicemail messages. My friend Candy had called late last night and left the bad news on my cell phone. I had the task of breaking the news to all my friends. I did not want to be the one to tell Kristen, but I knew that no matter what, I would be the one. I called Leanna for advice as soon as I found out and she immediately started bawling. She was not of much help at that time. I called our friend Carla and she too started to cry, but told me to call Kristen ASAP and let her know. Emily called from her work and she too told me to call Kristen right then to tell her so I did. They ended up making her leave work because she was so upset. She came to my house and we got all the info about the funeral arrangements.Tonight, me, Leanna, Jessica, and Kristen all rode to the First Baptist Church of White City to his viewing. It was the saddest thing I think I have ever been to! I've never had a friend pass away before and this all just seems so unreal. He looked so peacful though; that was of some comfort to me. I know that he is in a better place now and I have to be there for Kristen. She had gotten so close with him, especially here lately, and now she needs me as a friend. I just hope I'm up to the task. ~July 30, 2002~ Congratulations to me! I had my very first job interview today! It was with the Department of Children and Family Services. I don't think there is a more controversial agency to work for this day in time in the state of Florida, so it should be interesting. After they lost that little Riyla Wilson girl in Miami,they have been cleaning house and hiring all kinds of new people. The job I applied for was an Economic Self-Sufficeincy Specialist. It seems like it will be an ok job. I just hope I hear something from someone ANYTHING soon! I am scheduled to be out of my apartment August 1st. That means I will be moving back home to my parents' house until I find a job. Hopefully something will come my way because I do not see me living at my parents being a lasting thing. We do not get along! They want to control my every move and I've lived on my own for over 3 years now. I am not use to such constraints. I will be miserable!! Oh well, I've gotta do what I've gotta do and right now that is my only option. ~August 5, 2002~ HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY KRISTEN!!! As you can see, today is my friend Kristen's 21st birthday! She finally made it! Tonight, I rode to Tallahassee with Jessica B. and we went to eat at Red Lobster with Kristen, Misty, Rachel, Kelly, and another girl named Mandy. We had a great time. Afterwards me, Misty, Jessica, and Kristen went to the mall and walked around for a while. We ran into my friend Candy and she just had to come take the birthday girl out for a drink. So after the mall closed me, Candy, Jessica and Kristen all went to a little resturant named Julie's. We had a drink then we all came home. Kristen has to work tomorrow so she had to be a good girl on her birthday! However, this weekend a group of us are going down to Panama City to celebrate. I can hardy wait! ~August 11, 2002~ HAPPY 22nd BIRTHDAY CARLA!All these August birthdays, I just dunno what I'm gonna do! Yesterday I went to Panama City as planned. I went to Carla's then me, her, and her 2 friends Brett and Allen, all rented a pontoon boat and spent the day sailing around St. Andrews Bay. It was absolutely beautiful! We really had a great time. After that Brett got a bit seasick on the way home. I know it was not nice, but I think that was the best laugh Carla got all day! Brett took it like a real trooper though and was a good sport. Later that night me, Carla, Kristen, Emily, Melissa, Jessica, Heidi, Marcus, Tracy, Brandon, and Shelaina all went and ate at Mikato, a Japanese place on the beach. Afterwards, I went to Leanna's and from there we all went to Stetsuns. I called my friend Kisha all the way in Pensacola and she and her friend Brandy rode to Panama City to celebrate with us. It was really great having our whole group of girls back together reunited for one night! At Stetsuns we practically owned the place that night! With me, Kristen, Leanna, Emily, Jessica, and Kisha there it was awesome! We had a blast! I hope we can all get together again really soon hang out because I havent had that much fun in a long time! ~August 17, 2002~ It's that time of year again. No, I don't mean Christmas either; I mean it's time for my seasonal allergies to get into full swing. I absolutely HATE this! I have been soooo sick this past week. I've done nothing but lay around the house as much as possible. However, ECS in Panama City did call me for an interview Thursday so I had to go down there. I was so miserable, but I think I had a pretty good interview other than that. I just hope to find something soon because this living at home isn't gonna work much longer. My parents drive me nuts!!! ~August 27, 2002~ Wow! I've had a lot going on in the 10 days its been since I updated this page. First of all, Kristen and I went to Cowboys last Friday night to see Andy Griggs in concert. We knew he was ok, but in person he is a real hottie! Our trip was made even more fun by the fact that my car's battery was dead as a doornail and every time I shut my car off it DIED! Boy was that miserable! We had to be jumped off at a gas station, at the mall, and at the club! Talk about embarrassing! It was! After the concert we came straight home. I was soooo tired and so was Kristen. She had spent the 2 days before moving to Tallahassee so she was exhausted. This week has been good for me too! Leanna and I went to Tallahassee Tuesday. We went to the mall and I found one of the most precious Boston Terriers I've ever seen! I wanted to bring him home so bad, but he was $850 and I just can't see paying that much for a dog. Also, my mom still isnt over me dragging the 2 cats to the house about a year ago so I thought bringing in yet another animal would be pushing it! While I was gone to Tallahassee my friend Candy called my mom and told her that she knew of a job opening I might be interested in. The job would be working with her at Florida State Hospital (the mental institution). I went up there and 15 minutes later I walked out with my confirmation letter. Not bad for a days work huh? I have my physical next Tuesday and I start to work on Friday. I'm pretty excited! I finally will be employed! Woo hoo! Now it's time to celebrate! ~September 12, 2002~ Well I started my job a week ago. It seems like it is going to be pretty fun. I love working with people. The only bad part is that there are just some people in this world that *SHOULD NOT* be allowed out in public without the proper supervision! I have got some of the strangest phone calls with people asking dumb questions. It drives me freakin NUTS!! Oh well, I guess that is just part of it. It's supposedly going to slow down this coming week. I sure hope so! I will keep everyone updated on how my new job is going! ~September 15, 2002~ Dontcha just hate airlines?!?!?! Leanna and I went to Tallahassee yesterday to pick up our friend Demaris and her flight was cancelled! We had no clue til' we'd drove ALL the way over there! I called Atlanta and left her a message there but she never called me back. We didn't know what else to do so we came back home. We went by the liquor store because Kisha was home this weekend and working. Our friend Summer also ended up dropping by while we were there. We thought about going to some party Kisha knew about but we didn't due to the weather. Leanna and I ended up going to her cousin Jennifer's house and hanging out with her and her 18 month old son, Ethan. We rode to KFC, ate, then came back. How boring huh? It rained all night and we found out Demaris's flight finally got to Tallahassee about 1 this morning. We felt really bad about leaving her but we really had no choice. I hope she makes it to Panama City ok. I'm sure she will call if all doesn't go ok. ~September 16, 2002~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEANNA!!She finally made it to the big 2-1! I'm so glad for her! Now she can finally get into a club with her own ID! I can't wait til' all of us girls get a chance to go out now that we are all 21 or over. It should be a blast! ~September 29, 2002~ Just as I said, once all of us girls got together for a night out, it would be a blast! Last night me, Leanna, her new boyfriend Jonathan, Kristen, and her neice Missy, all went to Dothan to Poplar Head to watch a band. We stayed there for a while then wandered over next door to this awesome new club called The Darkside. That place is most definantly off the chain! It's a techno club, and Im not usually to big on those, but this one was great! We stayed there a long time then we finally came home. Kristen passed out in my car and I could not get her up! I think we can safely say she had a wee bit too much to drink! It was alot of fun, but I sure wish it could have been just a girls night out. However, Leanna seems to really like Jonathan so we may have to implement him in our partying from time to time! We shall all just wait and see how this one turns out! ~October 2, 2002~ Well I had a bit of excitement today. I was at work and about 11:30 this morning my mama called. She told me she fell down while mopping the bathroom floor and she thought she had broke her arm. She called my daddy at work to take her to the hospital. Finally, at around 6 this afternoon they got home. She did indeed break her arm, so she will be in a cast for 6 weeks. She not only shattered her wrist bone, she popped it out of socket as well. They had to put her to sleep to get it back into place. When she woke up she was nauseated from the medicine they used to put her to sleep. All and all she is in bad shape. I hope she gets better soon, because I can't stand to see someone in pain! ~October 13, 2002~ I have some kind of willpower! I *ALMOST* bought me a brand new 2003 Mitcubishi Eclipse yesterday....but I didn't! I went to Kisha's in Pensacola and the guy she has been dating is a Mitsubishi salesman. I have an Eclipse now, but its a 96 and has like 170,000 miles on it. I want a new one soooo bad! I was so close, but backed out at the last minute and that is a major step for me. Anyone who knows me knows how bad I want that car! I am so proud of myself! After we left the car place, Kisha and I went to eat and I came all the way back home. I really plan on getting that car, but I want to wait until I have a little more down payment money. I hope that will be in the very near future! ~October 21, 2002~ I just love my friends! They are so much fun! This past weekend Kisha came home. She and I went with her aunt to the homecoming game and watched her little cousin Taylor participate in the halftime activities. After that we went with her family to eat at this place called Parramores. They have the BEST chicken fingers in the world! Afterwards, Kisha and I went to J & N. It's this redneck club that none of our friends really hang out at but we had fun nonetheless. After we began socializing we realized that although we didn't hang out with any of these people, they were a lot of fun. We hung out with this one guy named Dewayne for most of the night until we left. Once I started talking about the stuffed deer on the wall being "counter-intuitive" we knew it was time to leave. We went back to her aunt's house and ate birthday cake at like 5 in the morning. I can't wait 'til Kisha's 23rd birthday party in 2 weekends. It is going to be a blast! After all my Friday night excitement, Leanna and I went riding around last night. We ran into her boyfriend Jonathan and he showed us how he could climb hills in his big 4X4 Ford truck. How redneck is that? After what seemed like hours of watching Jonathan sling red clay with his big tires, I FINALLY convinced Leanna I had to go home. Next weekend I think we are going shopping and I can't wait! ~October 28, 2002~ Wanna talk about a weekend that sucked? That would describe this past weekend for me. First of all I went to the FSU vs. Notre Dame game and FSU LOST!! What's upwith that?!?! They aren't suppose to lose! I guess this has to be yet another one of those "rebuilding" years as they call them. I've about had it with them though. After all, this is 2 years in a row they they just haven't had it. Maybe it's time for me to find me a new team. Mercifully, this weekend finally ended. Today at work we discussed Halloween and what we were all going to be this year. At work, Halloween is a BIG deal. They have a parade for the residents with floats, marching bands, local beauty queens, the whole nine yards. We're all suppose to dress up, but I did not have a costume. I did not want to wear my genie outfit from last year because it shows a wee bit too much for me to wear it to a mental health facility. With that in mind, Leanna and I rode to Panama City tonight and I bought me a costume. I'm going to be an angel this year. My outfit is absolutely precious! I love it! I will be sure to take lots of pictures and put them up as soon as I can! ~November 3, 2002~ Last night was Kisha's 23rd Birthday Party! It was so awesome! First, before the party, Leanna and I went to Tallahassee and shopped all day. We couldn't go to a social function without having a new outfit now could we? Afterwards, Leanna, Jonathan, and I rode to the party. It was alot of fun and I got to see people I hadn't seen in ages! Strangely enough, there were ALOT of my classmates from high school there and that was pretty weird. I say that being Kisha and I graduated from high school different years and we attended different schools all our lives. Somehow, through word of mouth I guess, many of them found out about the party. It was like one big Class of '97 reunion. I also met this really cute guy there named Trey. He kept wanting to sit with me and stuff on the hayride. I think he was trying to hit on me, but I'm so dense when it comes to that sort of thing I could be totally wrong! Also, I wasn't paying all that much attention to him because I was too busy watching Kisha's daddy (who was quite drunk I might add) dance around and sing "My Neck, My Back". That was sooo hilarious! Oh well, after the hayride ended I didn't talk to him anymore and I left shortly thereafter so maybe he wasn't interested after all. Who knows with guys! He is a friend of Kisha's so if he is interested I'm sure I will hear about it sooner or later! ~ November 12, 2002~ Oh I am in so much pain! I have a majorly infected wisdom tooth trying to come in and I think it is about to kill me! I went to the dentist today and she gave me some antibiotics and oral mouth rinse for the ulcers and blisters, but I do not think it is helping at all! It's been hurting now for about 10 days and I just do not know what to do. Nothing seems to dull the pain. My whole jaw is swollen, my gums bleed, and my toungue is all puffy and inflamed looking. Why do things like this always have to happen to me? My dentist gave me a referral to an oral surgeon at my appointment today. I was afraid it was going to come to that. I'm absolutely terrified of having my tooth cut out, but if it doesn't get better I'm afraid that is my only option. I am going to hold off on seeing the surgeon as long as possible and hope this awful infection goes away! She gave me some pretty strong medicine, so I am hoping in a few days it will be better. I will keep everyone posted on my misery! ~November 22, 2002~ I hate to keep complaining, but I am completely miserable! This tooth, I swear, I have no idea what to do with it! This past Tuesday I went to the oral surgeon in Panama City. They pretty much told me that there was nothing they could do with it until my insurance company gave them the green light. Is that absurd or what?!?!?! I was so mad when I left there I just wanted to cry! I was informed that my insurance company didn't pay for teeth to be extracted just because they are causing pain. Personally, I think the fact it's coming in crooked, it's extremely infected, not to mention the excrutiating pain, is a good enough reason to have them take it out. Then again, what do I know. I'm just the patient. You know my tooth has got to be making me miserable when I voluntarily do not attend a home FSU game. That's right; last weekend I missed my first FSU home football game since 1989! That right there tells you the trouble this tooth is causing! It's reeking havoc throughout every aspect of my life and I hate it! Also, I was unable to work due to the strong pain pills I've been taking. This whole week I've only worked a grand total of 14 hours of the 40 I'm suppose to work. I sure hope my supervisor realizes how sick I am and knows that I'm not faking it. I sure hope next time I update this journal I have better news to reportbecause I sure hate being miserable! ~December 1, 2002~ Good news! I think my toothis finally getting a littlebetter. I'm so glad! I'vebeen so busy this holiday weekendI haven't had the time todeal with such pain. Wednesday nightLeanna and I went to Wal-Mart. Whata big mistake! It was absolutelyPACKED! However I did get me a newCD player and my cousin Jeremy is going to install it when he is home for the holidays. Thanksgiving dayI went with my parents to myaunt & uncle's house and we had a huge meal. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits and too much foodwas eaten by all; as was to beexpected. Then, later that nightKisha called and invited me to goto The Riverfront with her, Jerica,Leah, and Josh. I felt like getting out so I went. Jerica got pretty trashed and fell down in the bathroom floor and on thedance floor. Before the night was over I ended up babysitting her. Also that night, Leah got in the dance contest and she won! Too bad she wasn't old enough to accept her prize of a $25 bar tab! I finally made it back homeabout 3 that morning. I wasso glad to get in the bed itwasn't even funny! Then, Friday, I had a rather odd experience.I was coming home from getting my nails done and guess who I happened to meet on the road; DEREK! Yup, it was most assuredlyhim. I was paying zero attention when I saw this white sports car flasing their lights at me. It didn't even compute with me that it was him until I wasright at him. I weakly waved and that was it. I've been told he is the type who just loves a chase. If that is the case he will be all wanting to talk to me because I made it clear I wasn't going out of my way to return his attention. I just don't get him at all. I mean, he hasn't talked to me since June. I figure it's obvious he wants nothing to do with me. Then, when I randomly meet him in traffic here 6 months later, he goes out of his way to make sure that I notice him. And the flashing, he didn't do it just once; he did it like 3 or 4 times to make sure I saw him I guess. I already was slowing down and had my signal on being I planned to turn at the upcoming stop sign. He, however, after all the light-flashing just kept going even though it was obvious I was about to stop. He is just so freakin' confusing! Why would he even flash his lights if he did not want me to stop? Why would he even care that I noticed him if he wanted nothing to do with me? I tell ya, it beats me! I sooooo do not understand him. If anyone reading this has the slightest clue and can decipher his bizarre male behavior, please feel free to email me! Anyways, later that night Kisha and I went to Wal-Mart to gether pictures developed of the deershe shot the day before. Then wewent to visit her friend Dennis. Hisdad had shot 2 deer earlier that dayand they were cleaning them. Afterwe left there we went to Pizza Hutthen came home. On Saturday, me, myparents, Kisha, and her little brotherall went to the FSU vs. UF footballgame. Other than it being 30 degreeswith a windchill in the mid to lower 20's, the game was awesome. We put iton UF real good to the tune of 31-14.I'm just so glad for that. Nowit will be at least another yearbefore we have to listen to thoseGators talking junk! Any goodfootball fan has gotta appreciate that! ~December 6, 2002~ Guess what! I'm going to see Cher in concert this coming February! I am so excited! My friend Candy called today and got us some tickets! Can ya believe they were selling floor seats for $80?!?!?! I couldn't believe it either! I mean, I know it's Cher, but still, I think that is a bit pricey! Other than that I do not have much news. I plan to spend a quiet weekend at the house resting. This past week at work has been HELL to say the least. Everything that could go wrong has! I'm just so glad today is Friday and I don't have to be me 'til Monday! ~December 18, 2002~ I'm soooo excited! I found out Friday that I got accepted into the nursing program! I can't believe it! I can hardly wait to start! I'm also thrilled because my parents have been gone out of town! What relief! I know that is bad to say, but every once in a while I think I deserve a little "me" time. It's good for us to seperate. The went up to stay with my Aunt Dot & Uncle Max and visit the light show at Calloway Gardens, Georgia. They left Sunday, but they will be back today. Sunday night after they left, Janice called and wanted me to go to The Olive Garden with her, Ricky and Austin so away I went to Panama City. We had a great time, even though Austin didn't really think too much of being there. He was so upset! It was all better though because we ended up getting some free cheesecake out of the deal. Then on Monday I left work early and Leanna and I rode to Panama City. We went to the mall shopping. We were doing ok until this girl in Things Remembered was very rude to us and I thought Leanna was going to split her wig for her. They got in a pretty heated argument before it was over, but Leanna got her stuff engraved so that is all that matters. Looking back now it was pretty entertaining.Yesterday I was off from work as well. I have all this vacation time I have to use before I go to nursing school so I figure I might as well take off occasionally. Other than that I have no news here. I am so ready for Christmas to get here and get over with because the sooner that happens, the sooner I get to go to nursing school! ~December 28, 2002~ I'm so sad! Janice called and told me that her mother-in-law,Lorrie, was killed in an automobile accident this morning. It's just so sad! I just saw Mrs. Lorrie yesterday! Right now, it just does not all seem real. I asked Janice if there was anything to I could do for them and she told me she wished that there was, but no. I know there is really nothing I can do, but still, I just feel so bad for them! I want to help out in any way I can. I've had so many bad things go on in the last few days, its tough to absorb it all at once. Just 2 days ago I had oral surgery to remove my wisdom tooth. Yesterday I had my physical for school and found out that I have gained 16 pounds in the past 3 months. How depressing is that? At this point I'm just wondering when the chaos will subside! Click here for My 2003 Journal: "The Rest of the Story"!