Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Oh, How Time Flies!

Not having class most of the week has clearly freed up a lot of time. But somehow I don't seem to be getting much done.

I have worked on one of the hospital packets. The only blanks I left were dates of shots and doctor visits as well as current medication. I was too lazy to get up and go find the medicine. I have a general idea of what I take and why, but I don't know technical names and dosages. I attempted to do the other one online but the login info doesn't work. Not sure what to do about that one. Then I tried to do some work for my computer class. That website would not load, so I gave up. Even when I make myself finally sit here and accomplish things, I still get nothing accomplished.

But I have gotten a few cute fall tops over the last couple of days! And all but one of them were clearance finds! A couple of them were only $5 which I totally think is an awesome deal considering one is from Belk's. I found five of them at TJ Maxx. I'm pretty sure that three of them were $10 each (and tank tops.. for layering) and the other two were $15 each. My goal is an item of clothing for less than $20. I'd say I beat my own goal this time! Maybe I will have some pictures of me wearing this stuff after the weekend. But don't hold your breath!

I have also been crafting up a storm. I have made a teacher gift, a couple sets of coasters, a gift basket, and I'm working on some other projects. Hopefully I will get pictures up here soon because everything is for sale!

Monday, September 26, 2011

I Would Just Like to Say Thanks to...

...my teachers for being at a conference for the rest of this week! You have no clue how much I appreciate you for this!

We had class today, which included another test. And I didn't do so good on the test. But it is okay. I have learned my lesson. Writing out the answers to the objectives should not count as time of actual studying. So if we take the entire time I studied and subtract the time I spent answering the objectives, that would leave about fifteen minutes this morning. And really the fifteen minutes got cut short because I really had to use the bathroom and would rather bathroom time take away from study time instead of from my "make myself look presentable" time.

Then we got a ton of handouts, forms to fill out, and an assignment to write a summary of an article. All of this will be due Monday. So now I've got a lot to do before Wednesday night since I'm leaving Thursday and going to Charlotte for the weekend! I am so excited to go see my friend "E"! I would say "Easy E" as that instantly comes to mind. But I know she hates that. I can't wait to see her cute apartment and of course, just be in Charlotte.

Also, the funniest thing ever just happened!!! Matthew's mom usually cuts his hair. I don't know what has happened over the last week, but his hair was really long and nobody has had time to cut it. So Matthew brought the clippers home to do it himself. He called me in there to help trim the bottom up, except he didn't make it clear to me what I was doing. I might add that I have never cut hair before and the buzzing and shaking of the clippers along with Cinnamon barking in my ear and Matthew yelling to direct me... well, let's just say I couldn't focus and may or may not have given him a bald spot on the back of his head. Whoops! He was pretty made for about fifteen minutes. However, with my uncontrollable laughter, he just couldn't stay mad forever!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Odd One Out

That would be me. Remember in the last post how I said I felt like I was not being as included as before? Well it's true. Now if it is due to the fact that I stood out from everyone because of religion, I'm not sure. That could be part of it. But I think what really makes me different is that I have a life outside of school. I'm not saying I'm super popular and have a hectic social life. That's definitely not it haha! I just have a lot of things going on other than school. I am working on occasion, helping out with my grandma, crafting, going to two other (non-respiratory) classes, maintaining the house, paying bills, Christmas shopping, running a million other errands, and the list goes on. Do other people in my class not have anything to do? It sure seems that way.

My classmates have all been going out to lunch together quite often, maybe even every day that we have class. They have been forming multiple study groups, if not having one big study session with everyone after each class and even on days we don't have class. The grandmother of one of the teachers passed away over the weekend and everyone in the class (except for me and one other girl) went to the funeral, which was an hour out of town.

I don't get invited to lunch. I have not been asked to join a study group. And the truth is, I am really okay with it. Yes, I feel slightly excluded. They post on facebook how much they love their class and how close they have gotten with everyone else. It bothers me to read that, because I know that I'm not included in that. I don't feel close to any of them, and I wouldn't say I love my class. Maybe things will change over time. I did get invited once to lunch, but I had to work. I did go to class early one day to study with someone, but they wanted to chit chat instead and nothing was accomplished. We all know that when you invite someone to do something and they say no a couple times, you just stop asking them. That's what has happened to me.

Today, class was pretty much done at 9:30 because we had finished reviewing for our test on Monday. The teacher wanted to start new material, but everyone else wanted to get in their study groups. We were taking a short break before all of that began. As everyone left the room, I quietly asked the teacher if I really had to stay for that. He asked, "You like to do your own thing and study alone don't you?" I nodded yes and he told me I did not have to stay. I was out of there in about one second! Maybe no one else in there understands, but at least the teacher does. I am the only person responsible for me making it through this program. Nobody else is going to get me the grades I need to graduate and get a job.

So for once, I'm happy to be the odd one out.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

A Burden on My Heart

Class began the other day with the teacher asking if we wanted to see an experiment. Everyone agreed. As he came back into the room with the supplies, he asked if we believed in magic. A few nodded yes, a couple shook their heads no, and some didn't respond at all. He looked at me with this look as if he couldn't grasp that I didn't believe in magic. In that instant, I didn't know what to say. So I said the only thing I'd been thinking since he asked the question. "Magic is of the devil." I didn't laugh as I said it, which I tend to do in uncomfortable situations. I just said what I felt and what I believe. It was the truth, and I have no shame in my beliefs.

Somehow the conversation turned to religion and how people have varying opinions because of what they believe. The teacher asked if anyone wanted to share what religion they were. Very few spoke up. Someone said Baptist and another said Methodist. Then someone else said they were Hindu. I don't recall hearing anyone say Christian. I am sure that the two that said Baptist and Methodist meant to say they were Christian, but they didn't. I have asked myself a million times since Tuesday (when this all occurred) why did they choose to say what type of church they went to as opposed to saying Christian.

The teacher went on to tell about what religion he considered himself due to the varying religions of his parents and grandparents. His mom was a Jehovah's Witness; his dad an atheist; his grandmother Baptist; his grandfather Methodist; his other grandmother Holiness; and his other grandfather was whatever his wife made him be. And the teacher called himself a "mutt of religion", taking aspects from each and implementing them into his own life. He even said he did not consider himself to be an atheist, but sometimes that made more sense than the others.

My natural response to this entire situation was to be angry that someone would dare bring this conversation up in class, when there is supposed to be a separation of church and state. This is a community college run by the state. And this is where the irony comes in, I actually do not believe in the separation of church and state. I believe that this nation was built on a foundation of Christian values and everything the Bible stands for. In today's world, it is not operating on the same standards. It even seems strange to me that I was angered by the situation.

My next reaction was this overwhelming feeling to just cry. I did not actually cry in class, but I wanted to. I just had this burden on my heart for these people, all of them. It doesn't make sense to me. I was raised in a Christian school. Ever heard the phrase that it takes a village to raise a child? I don't take that phrase literally, but I do think that children take bits and pieces of everyone along the way to form the person they will grow up to be. For me, that includes going to a Christian school my whole life. Those teachers, classmates, and other parents all helped shape me into what I am today. It's hard for me to see how people can believe in other gods or in nothing at all. My family never went to church every Sunday or even every other Sunday. I wasn't sent to a Christian school because my family was religious. The truth is, I went there because my dad didn't want me in the public schools. They were gradually worsening every year. And the district we lived in would have put me in the heart of downtown, in the hood, for lack of a better word. Every single day I feel blessed that my parents made that decision to send me to a Christian school. What would I be like today if I had gone through public school? I see all of the kids that are my age and went through public school. I am so thankful to be so different in so many ways!

During a class break, I was asked if I was super religious, is that why I said magic is of the devil. I said well I'm not super religious. I am a Christian, and I stand up for my beliefs. I politely told the girl that I love to debate and argue for my beliefs and I felt it was best I just keep my mouth shut. But is that the best move, to say nothing at all? I think in that moment, I was just so flustered, angered, and saddened by all that had been said that if I spoke up, it would have come out as a debate instead of being a genuine welcome to know and understand God.

Since that class, I have not felt as welcome as I did before. Maybe it's me, and I'm over analyzing. I thought I was fitting in. But maybe it's meant for me to be the standout and go through this on my own. I hope and pray that over the next 20 months, I can be an example to everyone else in that class. Even if I cannot bring myself to talk about God, then hopefully my actions will be enough to show them God.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Thirty-One Party!

So I have decided to do a Thirty-One party since apparently September has an awesome hostess reward! The girl is really booked up for the rest of the month, so I am only doing the catalog/online ordering. All of you are invited to check out the catalog on the website, or if you live near me then I can get you a book and order form!

If you do choose to shop online, here is the website: http://www.mythirtyone.com/mmatthews/. On the right side of the page it says "My Events"; click it. ...On the next page, look through the list until you see my name (Morgan Daughtridge) and click "Shop Now".

Once you get to the checkout process and are on the Shipping Information page, if you want your products shipped to me then make sure to select the very first box that says "Ship To Host-Check to Ship Product to Host". If you get the products shipped directly to you, there is an extra cost. So if you live near me or have a way of meeting with me at some point to get your stuff, then I would definitely make sure that box is checked!


If you have never heard of Thirty-One, then you are missing out! They have tons of really cute organizers, purses, and so much more! And you can get most of it monogrammed, which makes it even cuter! This month's guest special is for every $31 you spend, you can get 50% off a Celebrate Card Set, Zipper Pouch, or select wallets (organizing wallet, coin purse wallet, soft wallet, essentials zip wallet, and hard case wallet). You can easily find enough things to get you over $31. I personally think that card set is a steal at only $15.50 after the 50% off!

I hope you will check it out! Let me know if you have any questions. The party will end September 25, 2011. And maybe, just maybe I will do a giveaway!

Happy Birthday to My Husband!

Happy 25th Birthday! I hope that you have had a great day and great rest of the week as we will continue to celebrate!

You finally got your Mexican fix for lunch. I know you are glad that I was up and not in my pj's or else we wouldn't have gone. And I know you loved the surprise of me coming to your work and bringing you 25 balloons and some cupcakes for everyone. I know you were embarrassed by that, but birthdays are supposed to be fun and full of surprises! I wanted to make it the best birthday you've ever had! And every year I will outdo myself. So just think that by the time you are 75, you should be getting a pretty awesome surprise haha.

Hurry up and get home because I am starving and Ichiban is sounding pretty great right now!

Love you!

Monday, September 12, 2011

Monday!

I am telling you, time seriously is flying by lately! What is going on?

I had another impromptu speech in public speaking last Thursday. I guess it's supposed to make us more comfortable being in front of people. Well, after I gave my (supposed to be) 2 minute speech and sat back down, the girl next to me asked why I was so red. Ever heard of anxiety or being nervous or being scared to death? Yeah, that's me! So my face, neck, and chest turn a few shades of red. It's normal, at least for me!

Friday, we had our huge CPR hands-on exam and written test. After being the luckiest person in the room and going first, I am happy to say that I passed both parts with flying colors! I only missed one question on the written test and got to leave class an hour early! I spent the afternoon with my mom and two of her friends going to a furniture consignment store in Knightdale (great stuff there.. lots of Pottery Barn things). We also shopped at TJ Maxx and Baskin Robbins. The only thing I bought was a mocha blast haha!

The weekend was a blur, but it was back to school today. We learned how to wash our hands. Did you know that a 4-hour college class could be based on that? Neither did I. We also got fitted for masks and learned how to dress in a sterile gown and gloves. It was like playing dress up, but being more serious about it. Luckily, there's a photographer in our class so she got some great shots!

And what did I do after all of that hard work? I shopped! I told you that all of this free time is killing me! But I didn't even spend $50. So proud of myself! I got a cute owl, decorative napkins, and some Peeled snacks (http://www.peeledsnacks.com/) at TJ Maxx. I've been wanting to try those snacks but have only seen them online. I was afraid to buy them not knowing if I'd like them, so I'm glad I saw them! I got some sconces and a cute tin bucket at Ross. And I hit the motherload at Michael's! If you need anything crafty or decorative, go to Michael's this week. Run to Michael's this week, or like right now! Most stuff was 50% off. Scrapbook paper was 6/$1! Picture frames were half off. Photo boxes were 6/$10, regularly $4 each! All flower stems are half off. Seriously, go! I am already wanting to go back and I just left a couple hours ago!

I'll add pics later of all my goodies I bought today!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

When Things Come Together

Before leaving my job to physically go to school full-time, I rarely worried about money. I mean, I worried about spending too much and saving enough. But I didn't worry if we would make enough to pay the bills. When I realized that I was not going to be working full-time and would become dependent on my husband, I admit that I was scared (I still am on occasion)! I was worried that we wouldn't have enough to make ends meet. We'd most certainly be giving up anything fun and extra.

This is the first month that we've had to buckle down on our budget (even though I haven't worked in almost a month). I'm not going to lie and say that it has been a breeze. It definitely has not been a breeze! It's tough to cook at home more nights than not. I'm still working on that. I'm exhausted most days, so cooking is even less fun than before. But I am improving, and Matthew is helping out on occasion. We even had a cheap "date" on Monday. We went to Raleigh and spent less than $30 on lunch and at the mall! Definitely a first haha.

The thought of me not having any income for nearly two years was scary. But things have come together over the last few weeks, and I will have some sort of income each month. It won't be a steady income, but it's something to stick in savings to help cover the cost of gifts, fun, school, and the unexpected. I wish that I could work full-time and make enough money to constantly save. I'd save every last dime if I could! Too bad things cost so much. But at the same time, I am glad that I am not committed to a full-time job right now. School is a lot more work than I have encountered with past classes. I so appreciate this time I have each afternoon and weekend to concentrate on my homework! I know it won't last forever, and I have less than two years to get this career figured out.

So you may be wondering what I'll be doing for this not-so-stable income! Some of you may know that I am still going to be filling in on occasion at the job I left haha. Can you call it that if you didn't really leave? I'm also going to be staying with my Grandma once a week (maybe twice) to help her out around the house and run errands. I'm so happy that I get to do this (as frustrating as she can be). These are moments I wouldn't pass up for anything! Sometimes I'll work with my dad and help them out. I'm also free for babysitting if anyone needs me or if you want to pass the word on to other people you know! I'll be having a yardsale with this girl in October! I've got lots of stuff to get rid of! And I think I'm going to start selling some of the crafts I've been making! I hadn't thought about doing that until someone else mentioned that I should. I have been crafting like crazy! But I'm excited to start showing ya'll what all I've been making! I've also considered making myself available to make gifts for teachers, shopping for Christmas gifts (for those who don't have time or those who want to get stuff for a deal!), maybe putting together gift baskets, and whatever else I can imagine!

It's so nice when things come together better than you ever expected they would!

Saturday, September 3, 2011

How to Deal with Difficult People

This post is not intended to be mean in anyway. This is just how I feel about the whole situation.

Have you ever had someone in your life that you just could not stand? They are not in your life because you chose for them to be in it but because of someone else you chose to be in your life. They sort of came along as somewhat of a package. You don't have any obligations to spend time with them or even talk to them. But they happen to be at several of the same places.

What makes this even more complicated is how you feel about the person's life choices.

You were raised to have a strong work ethic, believing that you should work hard to achieve your goals and that hard work will always pay off. You were raised to be independent, which allowed you to learn to make wise decisions. You learned that your decisions had consequences, which made you grow into a mature adult who was capable of making proper decisions with limited consequences. You were raised to value your education and to be a lifelong learner. You were raised to observe the world around you and to learn from others in both their accomplishments and mistakes. You were raised to respect your elders, no matter the age difference, and to trust their wisdom. You were raised to be confident and proud of your accomplishments, but not to be cocky and overbearing with your pride. You were raised to be frugal and make do with what you had; if you needed more, then you worked hard to get it.

They could not even get out of bed to finish their senior year of high school; the teachers simply passed them without a single assignment being done. They finally began a two-semester college program which they could not finish because they would not get out of bed to go. They got fired from their part-time job, the first and only job, because they could not do simple bank deposits and then felt they needed a week off work to go to the beach. They depend on their parents and grandparents to provide everything they need and want without any guilt of wasting their money. Instead of seeing how others work hard and following their example, they choose to see how others have babies out of wedlock, stay home without a job, and don't have a single thing going for them. They don't respect their elders; if they did, they would feel guilty about being dependent on their grandparents and living with their parents, not paying a dime of their own money for anything. When people try to give them advice, they yell and scream to get their way and then stomp off when they don't. Their elders have experienced life much longer and have plenty of advice on how to avoid certain pitfalls, but they won't accept their wisdom. The slightest accomplishment (if you can call it that) of getting out of bed gets praise worthy of a saint. There are no accomplishments to be proud of, yet they are beyond proud of the life they lead. And they aren't frugal in the least. When they don't have a job and live with their parents, they should be beyond frugal and try to find a job to help out. But instead they keep on taking.

This is something that has been bothering me for nearly three years. I am beyond irritated at the slightest mention of their name, let alone their presence. I feel very strongly about children being raised to be mature, responsible adults who are positive contributors to society. I understand when times are hard and people struggle to make ends meet. But that is not this situation. This is a blatant defiance of authority and responsibility. And when they do get money from their grandparents, it is used for tattoos, shopping, and tanning. The worst part is that they got married this summer, only making me more furious. If you cannot support yourself with an education and job, make wise decisions, or move out of your parents' house, then you should not be married. That is not marriage. That is two people playing house with someone else's money. That is not life. That is not the real world. It doesn't work that way.

Maybe you think I'm jealous. I can assure you that is not it at all. I am not jealous of her attitude, her disrespect for others, or her overall lack of concern for those around her. I am furious that people like this exist and even more furious that I will forever have to deal with her because she is considered part of my family. I dare to even use the word family. I am ashamed, even embarrassed, of her actions and decisions. And yet I cannot escape her. I don't know how to deal with her any longer. At just the thought or sight of her, I feel like I could explode. I do not have children at the present time, but when the time comes, I cannot even imagine letting her be near my children for fear that her ways will rub off on their young, impressionable minds.

If you have any advice on how to approach this situation to make it even the slightest bit better, I would so appreciate your thoughts! I am at a complete loss as to what I should do. I don't want to act out in anger, which I fear will happen soon. In the last few months, I have avoided it all by just not going around where she may be. I shouldn't have to live my life avoiding seeing others that I do care about just because I'm trying to tiptoe around her. She continually requests to be my friend on facebook. I cannot even bring myself to add her as a friend. I do not want her to know about my life. In the past, she has said some mean things about my friends and about me. I would rather just not even give her the chance to read anything about my life. If she doesn't know anything about it, then she can't say anything mean.

This is the drama of my life. Ugh.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

This Week is Flying By!

I just realized it's Thursday. I can't believe it's already Thursday! I feel like I have been running around all week from one place to the next.

There was school on Tuesday and then I stayed with my grandma for a couple hours. She's back home in case I forgot to mention that, and I'm pretty sure I did. She came home on Friday! It's not as easy as she thought it would be. I can tell that she has aged a lot in the last three months. Yeah, she's 89. But she certainly didn't act like she was 89 before the stroke. She had some slight issues with getting around before but could manage to do everything on her own. Now, it's taking a good 5-10 minutes to walk from one end of the house to the other, a good hour to shower (with help) and get dressed, and you can forget working in the yard. It hurts me to see her like that, but I have to realize how far she has come in the last three months and that this is just how it's going to be. I had class again Tuesday night which I decided to go early for so that I could be home at a decent time. Well, the website went down halfway through my assignments. I wrote the teacher a note and left.

Yesterday, there was more school. I found a study partner in my class! Woohoo! After a rushed lunch, I helped do some work for my dad. They got a big job cleaning the clothes for all (well, a lot) of the crews working to restore power around NC and maybe elsewhere (not really sure). Those clothes were stinky and sweaty. I washed my hands about ten times! But not having a job, I definitely need the money. I'm clearly willing to do most anything! haha I might go back today. I'm waiting to hear if they need me.