Mackinac Island

Aw man, I am missing last week. Last Sunday at about this time, my husband and I were chasing down the sunset on Mackinac Island.  

 

That is about all I could capture of it - we needed to be on the other side of the island.

 

 http://www.mackinac.com/?SourceId=tdAttractions&display=horse

 

 http://www.mackinacisland.org/

 

 

I love Mackinac Island! I have loved it since my parents took me when I was a little girl. I highly recommend going to the island. It is so beautiful and seems to be a magical place. It is very romantic. My husband and I went last week-end to celebrate our anniversary. We finally got to take a road trip in our new car. I was lucky enough to get the week-end off and so we took off for Mackinaw City on Saturday. We got over to the island by about 5pm. We settled into our hotel, The Murray, right on main street. We like staying there because it is on the main street, is relatively inexpensive, provides complimentary breakfast, and it has a great spa-pool on the roof.

 

Saturday night my husband and I took in a comedy show. We had seen it last year but went again because we like the comedian...and they serve the most awesomemest drinks - it is like 3 drinks in one. We had Bahama Mama's. I got buzzed off on one drink, so I mistakenly ordered another one  Yikes! The comedy show only lasts an hour but I was feeling really, really good by then. That is the good thing about the island - there aren't any cars allowed, you can walk to all the restaurants, bars, etc. So we walked on down to Sinclair's Irish Pub and listened to an amazing blues band. We had been there before the comedy show for dinner. Well we went back after because that is where we hung out last year and we like the place. The band's bass guitarist saw us and actually thanked us for coming back. He was really sweet. We talked to him all night, in between the music - he is a really cool guy and a great bass player. He is retired from Ford and he said now he gets to have fun - "It is never to late to live your dream". The waitress kept our drinks coming - that was a bad thing. I drank more than I wanted, but me and my husband had the best time.

 

http://www.stustuart.com/

 

http://www.michalbailey.com/

 

 

Sunday, we rented bikes and biked around the island. It is an easy eight miles around the island - relatively flat. It is so beautiful too.

 

Look at how calm the water was on Lake Huron. I have to make frequent stops around the island to take pictures. I uploaded all the pictures I took in an album on this Space.

 

Although we didn't bike the interior of the island this trip (it is really hilly and can be dangerous, definitely arduous), we ended up biking at least 10 miles total and probably hiked about 4 miles that day. Sunday night was spent in the hotels spa pool, hehe.

 

Monday we took a carriage ride around the island and visited the butterfly house.                                                          

 

Sadly, we didn't have time to visit the old fort or have tea on the Grand Hotel porch - we had to get back to reality.

 

 

I just love to share a little of my experiences on Mackinac Island and my photos with everyone. It is one of my most favorite places and I think people should definitely visit Mackinac Island if they have the chance. My husband and I always have a good time (and good weather) when we go. We hope to make it our annual tradition.

 

 

 

 

Finally!

Wahoo! The things I get excited about. I got my diploma in the mail yesterday. It states I have an Associate in Arts, High Honors! All that hard work and money represented by one little piece of paper. I hope it pays off. I know I only feel a little smarter than when I started, hahaha.  Yeah, and a couple of weeks ago Mott Community College finally updated their Dean's list webpage and sent me letters that I made the Deans list for fall 2007 (well Duh) and the all 4.0 Dean's list for winter 2008. I must brag on it.  I need that validation! I love making the dean's list and getting the letters and seeing my name on the website. I was waiting impatiently.  I miss MCC. I miss school. I can't wait for fall. Now I have to get to know U of M - Flint. I am afraid it is going to be 10 times harder than MCC. I hope not. I must work on my writing this summer and review all my psychology texts.

 

http://www.mcc.edu/registrar/reg_deans_list.shtml

Busy, Busy Last Couple of Weeks

 

 

Busy, Busy.......

 

Whew!  It has been a busy few weeks. I have been wanting to blog about a ton of things but I have just been so busy and wore out. I went to like 3 graduation parties, started a new job, signed up for classes at U of M - Flint, got my financial aid for school in order, and continue to job search. My husband and I had our first wedding anniversary also. Busy, busy. Although, I did take some time to stop and smell the roses like my Grandma taught me. I have missed writing/blogging.

 

 

New Job

 

I got a new job! Hahaha. I am working at McDonalds. Whoopeee! After the play was over and we bought the new car I knew I needed to get a job to help my husband with the car payment and save for school (poor hubby can’t do it all). I have been hearing everyone complain about how there are no jobs in Flint and, in fact, there have been news stories about how teens can’t even find work because adults are taking lower wage jobs. I was talking to my sister-in-law (she is a volunteer firefighter) and she said that some of the guys on the fire department have looked everywhere for a job – even McDonalds – and no one was hiring, not even calling them for interviews. One of them finally joined the armed forces - not an option for me. I got scared because I was hoping to get a job this summer to save for school – then add the new car payment on to of that… So I went up to the McD’s close to home (which I was hoping to find work close to home or close to where my husband works to save on gas and running) and filled out an application and left my resume. The manager called me the same day! I was so excited. Heeheehee. I have been working there for over a week now. I never thought I would be so excited to get a McDonalds job. There were a couple of other ladies that hired in with me and they said they had put out apps everywhere and didn’t get any calls except for this McDonalds. I guess we are lucky to have a job. People (some older too) are coming in every day asking for applications.

 

I feel like a high schooler again, working at McDonalds. I worked at McD’s when I was in high school. It is a lot different than it used to be. It is not as easy or as organized. They have a lot more stuff then way back when. I am doing pretty good and for the most part I don’t bring my job home with me like other jobs I have had. When I leave there I forget all about it. Which is good, because that is what I was hoping for; something fairly simple so I could concentrate on other things, like school and/or looking for a better job? I think I am going to get the schedule and amount hours I want too so that is a blessing.

 

 

Opportunities

 

I put in for a really good job. I am not going to say where because I don’t want to jinx it but I had to send my resume and transcript and fill out a form indicating where I wanted to work (which areas around where I live). I received a letter back stating that I had the qualifications for the job and I would be contacted for an interview as soon as an opening becomes available in my chosen areas. I am hoping I get a call. This job has to do with my chosen field of psychology so it would be a great experience, not to mention awesome wages and benefits. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

 

Then in the local paper I saw a job posted to work at a credit union as a teller. I said to myself, what the heck. I went down and filled out an app. The hiring manager pre-interviewed me right there. I didn’t think I would get called because I don’t have any banking/teller experience but she called me the next day to set up a formal interview. Today I went for the interview. I think I did really well. It was a nice interview. It was with another lady. She and I had a nice conversation and it was not like an interview at all. I am kind of excited about that job, although if I am offered the job I will have to switch my school schedule around. I will be surprised if I get the job though because I don’t have any experience as a teller. I should know by the end of the week.

 

All and all I am feeling a whole lot better about my job search now. I was pretty discouraged because of the way the economy is and the way the job market is around here but I have some pretty good opportunities and I haven’t even been to my schools to see what jobs they have to offer in their career centers. If worse comes to worse I will go back to being a waitress. My Aunt, who had retired, got a job at Olive Garden. She says she makes awesome money – better than the job she retired from.

 

 

Decisions

 

So now I have more decisions to make. If I get a full time job should I attempt to go to school full time too? I don’t think I am up for it. I am crazy enough to try it though. Also, if I get a M-F daytime job I will have to change my classes for fall semester. I will have to go at night and take some distance learning classes. I am not very fond of distance learning classes. I like to go to class and talk with the professor and other students. I have my financial aid already too, and I don’t want to mess that up. Taking a full time job is tempting though, because then I will be able to get ahead and maybe not have to finance so much of my education. I will have to think about this if I am offered the teller job.

 

 

 

I love my new car!

 

I really love our new car. I think my husband and I made the right choice. It drives so nice, though it does not get as good gas mileage as I hoped for. I had to take it in to get rust proofing and upholstery protectant on it. The dealer gave me a 2008 Impala to drive. I had been thinking about getting an Impala. I am glad I didn’t. I don’t like as much as my new car. It was like driving a big boat of a car. It didn’t seem like the suspension in that car was a good as in my Cobalt either. Really, I couldn’t wrap my brain around the fact that I was driving a 2008 car – it seemed like an old 1985 Buick LeSabre or something. It just seemed old. Maybe it was because it had leather seats – I don’t like leather seats. I still want to test drive one of the new Chevy Malibus – I wonder how they are. I drove a 2005 or 2006 Malibu once but I didn’t like it so well. I hope they will be coming out with some more hybrids soon.

 

 

Graduation Parties

 

I am feeling so old. All these kids are graduating that I really remember as little ones running around acting silly. My cousin graduated high school. He is so tall. I remember him as a cute, little chubby boy doing a Forrest Gump impression. Chuck’s nephew graduated – the first of all my husband’s sibling’s kids to graduate. There is going to be a niece or nephew graduating each year from now on for the next few years. Then my friend’s son graduated and is going in the Army. I can’t believe how time has flown by. I remember when my friend found out she was pregnant with her son. I took her to get her pregnancy test. Wow! It has been 18 years all ready. I just can’t get over it.

 

 

1^st Anniversery

 

My husband I have been married one year. We have been together for 9 years though. We didn’t do anything major for our anniversary. We went out to dinner. I wish we could have gone to Mackinac Island (where we honeymooned) or at least spent the night at Waldenwoods (where we got married) but we didn’t have the time to get anything together. To much stuff going on right now, and anyway, our anniversary fell on Father’s Day this year so we had to celebrate Dad’s too. I have been so tired and crabby lately too because I felt like I have been pulled in 20 different directions lately with all this stuff going on. My poor husband! I have been on the emotional roller-coaster. Haha. Maybe things will calm down now. One can only hope. Ciao

Roses

I took some pictures of the first roses of 2008 that I have planted in my yard. I love roses, well flowers in general. I love taking pictures of them to. That way they last forever. Some of the pics I have taken of my roses are so beautiful. I have a few rose bushes but I want a few more. I am not the best gardner though; I need to get out in the yard and weed my flower beds. I hate weeding. I guess who doesn't, haha. Luckily, this rose bush is pretty hardy.

 

Here are my favorite pics I took of the first roses of 2008

 

 

 

Here is one of the first rose pictures I ever took with my camera, back in 2004. This pic is one of my all time favorite rose pictures that I have taken. I took it in the morning and if you look really close you can see the dew. Such a beautiful flower.

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah for cleaning!!

hahaha, I am in a cleaning mood today. It is so cool when you clean and find something you forgot you had. I found some picture CDs from when me, my husband and stepson went on the Disney Cruise. I wanna' go back...now! These pics are taken on Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. We went snorkling and on a Banana boat ride. The Island is beautiful. I should upload all my Disney pics into an album on here.