BRRRRRRRR Freezy!!!

Well, it is unbelievably cold here. It started snowing two nights ago - just flurries really, with very little accumulation - and is still spitting a little here and there. It's just so cold here. Fortunately, the roads haven't started freezing over yet. UGH~

I begin recording my CD tomorrow and I cannot wait! I am hoping to have the CD recorded by the end of the year and completed (packaged and everything) by the middle of January. The further along I progress with this project, the more excited I get. My big task right now is finding out the songwriters of my chosen songs and sending notices that I'm singing their songs and get their permission. Cross your prayer fingers....

At church, the worship leader has decided to have only one praise team that helps lead praise and worship every Sunday. He has asked me to be a part of that and I am so honored. God is really starting to help me get settled here and helping me to find my way around.

Construction is starting to finish up for the winter (unbelievable).

That's all -

It's All About Mi Mi Mi

Princess Rhonda

They're Called WHAT???

So, Mark and I were driving down the road one night when I happened to look at the big lighted sign at the Methodist Church that said "Pasties - $3.00" I lost it! I mean, that's a pretty funny typo for a CHURCH! That's when he tells me that it wasn't a misprint. Up here, they have this fried pie looking thing that has meat and cheese cooked inside. I call that a Hot Pocket. They call 'em pasties....I hope they aren't served hot - That would burn. And how do you keep 'em on????

It's supposed to snow tonight/tomorrow. Let's discuss how many things are wrong with that sentence. Unbelievable. People keep asking me if I'm getting nervous. WELL OF COURSE I'M GETTING NERVOUS... helllooooo??? I am a terrible driver as it is. With dry pavement and no one around for miles, I will still find a way to have a wreck...you throw down snow and ice and put other bad drivers all around me? You gotta be kidding me - Be afraid. Be very afraid. I think I want to get those rails installed on both sides of my car. You know, the ones that they pull out at the bowling alleys that keep balls from going in the gutter. I think that's the only way I'm getting through the winter. I guess a good start would be to get my Michigan car tag on. The Oklahoma one is now a month past needing to be legally changed....oops.

Mark said we need to put snow tires on my car. I think my car will look funny with those things. They're about 5 feet across...I will look like a june bug on wheels. My little antenna will be waving in the air. I think I should get a cowboy hat topper for my antenna. Just in case I drive through snow that's deeper than it looked and that's all they can see of my car - Just this little cowboy hat riding on top of the snow, while underneath, I'm burrowing through like a groundhog....

Mark and I are getting a puppy! He is actually supposed to be born this Saturday, which means we can't get to him for another 8 weeks. That will be difficult, but somehow, I will manage. He is a miniature dachshund and his name is Norman Winthrop Pierce. He's absolutely the cutest dog ever and he isn't even born yet! Mark and I are both getting very excited and looking forward to being parental with Norman. He will be over loved and yet well disciplined. We'll probably get nominated for "Parents of the Year" or something.

Norman will also have to have coats and boots since it's so cold here and he'll have to go potty and stuff...I have already purchased a carrier for him to go out with us in. We can't wait for everyone to see him. Shoot, WE can't wait to see him!

Today, out of a bout with being homesick, I emailed everyone I know that lives out this way and sent them the link to the BC Clark Jingle, explaining to them that this was a Christmas Tradition. I told them if they really wanted a holiday experience, they should call me and I would sing it for them personally. I haven't had any takers on that yet. I'll keep you posted.

OK - Gotta go for now...It's quite obvious I'm not doing so well at keeping my blog updated regularly. I'm not gonna give up trying though....

Love to you all -
Eskimoe Princess

Attention Drivers: The Fast Lane is No Longer Fast

OK - I just have to talk (vent) about Michigan traffic. Ya'll (in the South...) would NOT believe the insanity that takes place every time you get in your car and hop on an interstate (ANY of them). First of all, they drive fast. Really fast. I drive fast. That's good. But it leads to other sins.... Because everyone drives fast, they all feel that they are eligible to drive in the fast lane. Even the people that don't drive fast - they think they drive fast because people in Michigan drive fast, so they must be driving fast too. Better get in the fast lane then. Out here, the fast lane is not for passing. The fast lane is for anyone who thinks they drive fast - whether they do or not. Oh, and to show people how fast they drive, they tailgate. GRRRRR - It's like, "I drive fast - Can you see me in your rear view mirror? See how close I am? That's because I drive FAST. That's why I'm in the fast lane."

Now, let's look at the people who actually do drive fast. Passing on the right is not illegal in Michigan. It's necessary. Unfortunately, there are a few uneducated souls who actually think slow people should be in the slow lane. SO, there are occassional speed bumps. However, I'm trained to handle those - And once I have them driven off the road, it's back to my cruising altitude of 80 mph.

Which leads me to the Michigan Traffic Farts (MTF). This is when traffic just comes to a halt all of a sudden. After about 5-20 minutes (times will vary), you start moving and you realize that there was absolutely no reason for the stop. No wreck. No sudden snowstorm. No hit deer. I guess people in Michigan have weak gas pedal feet and have to take a break every so often....IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSTATE. I don't know. My philosphy is that because of the tailgating and the slow people in the fast lane, one car hits their brakes and then people are following so close that they can't just slow down, they have to stop completely (and quickly, I might add). Then, it dominoes...and the poor guy at the back of the line 50 or 60 cars back....well, I hope he has a book on tape in the car with him, 'cause it's gonna' be a while. If you get a call from me between the hours of 5 - 7 p.m., it's not so much because I really want to talk, but I have to kill time somehow. And when you say hello, and I say hi back, don't ask what's going on. You know what's going on. I'm in traffic. Don't patronize me.

And it is very rare to actually see a highway patrolman. And when you do, they just wave as you FLY by. When I see that a cop has someone pulled over, I cannot imagine what that person could have done to get themselves pulled over. They had to have been driving with their feet while hanging out the window with an alcoholic beverage in one hand and a "Go Buckeyes" sign in the other. It's unbelievable.

So, on to more exciting things....

I got my 90 day review. I was quite nervous because, as far as I can remember, I have never had a review of any kind. My philosophy is "If I'm doing it right, leave me alone." Well, not so much around here. I was quite nervous. I just knew it was going to be a verbal review of all my report cards as a child in school..."Talks too much" "Doesn't stay in seat" "Talks too much" "Won't stop singing" The review went really well though. She didn't mention any of those things. It couldn't have had anything to do with the fact that I went in acting like I was on the edge, about to jump off. Fragility can get you a lot of places...like out of trouble.

I have had the opportunity to sing a solo the past two Sundays. I'm not really sure why they would have me sing from the stall in the bathroom. I asked how the sound system worked in there. They just told me that the microphone was in the ceiling and just sing - they promised me it sounded great afterwards. hmmmm

Just kidding - The first Sunday, I sang, "I Bowed On My Knees and Cried Holy" and the second, I sang, "He'll Do It Again." Both went really well and have helped Mark and I meet people. This Sunday, I get to sing with the Praise Team. I hope they don't freak out when I start hopping all over the stage. So far, all their praise team members have stood around music stands. I can't stand still, much less focus on a music stand. HE HE HE That's funny - ME? Focus on ANYTHING??? They'll learn me soon enough, I guess. I'll try not to scare them all at once.

I get to come home for the holidays!!! I'm so excited! It looks like we'll be coming on Friday before Christmas and leaving the next Wednesday. I know it will be busy as I try to see some people, and I am so excited! I will try to make the most of the time I have.

A few nights ago, Mark and I cooked "Beer Butt Game Hens" for dinner. Mark even made a website to show off and to show people how to make them. Check out the website: http://home.comcast.net/~markcpierce/beerhen.htm They were great and we had a blast cooking the dinner together.

Well, I did so good on my review, I better finish up my lunch and get back to work so she doesn't change her mind! I'm pretty sure I'm getting Employee of the Year, but I am trying not to rub it in too much. Peg says I can't get it because I haven't been here a year yet. I told her, "Well, maybe average people have to wait a year...but when you reach a certain level of fabulous, there are no time restrictions. You cannot hold "stinkin' awesome" to a time table."

No Need to Bow-
Princess Rhonda

Weight WHAT???

Stupid food. Why does it have to make you fat? Mark and I had a date night last night. We went to Red Lobster. We ate bottomless shrimp....for the second time this week. Here's my issue - I shouldn't have to count points at dinner time. If breakfast and lunch are so important, THOSE are the ones that should be counted. Dinner doesn't mean anything - just family time, and how can one put points value on FAMILY TIME??? I mean, the thought of it! Besides that, who needs family time when you can eat those cheese garlic biscuits? A girl has to have priorities.

And why is the yummiest stuff in the world either FRIED or coated in CHOCOLATE? I cannot find these "healthy foods" that weight watchers talks about. They don't sell them at the places I go, so I don't know if they exist.

I'm supposed to go weigh in today, but you know how it goes. If I don't weigh in, then I didn't gain any weight this week. It's moot (sp?). Null and void. (I can't hear you - la la la la la la lala la) In other words, denial. But that's such a technical term, and I try to stay away from words like that.

I'm doing great today though....of course, it's not dinner time yet. We'll see.

Love so much~
Fat and happy

Oh Lordy, Here It Comes....

Well, I don't know what the weather is like today in the South, but here in the Antarctic, it's going to be a high of 58 warm and sunny degrees. I knew it - winter is coming and there's nothing I can do about it. The temperature today is nothing we don't see in Oklahoma...except that this is usually where it ends - cold temperatures. You don't have the impending doom of daily blizzards. Shopping is inevitable because I don't have the clothes to brave this stuff which, you would think, would excite me. And it's not just clothes. I probably will have to buy food rations and bottled water for those days that we're snowed in.

I can already see that I'm going to use all my vacation time on not coming to work so that I don't have to drive in it. I'm already getting sick - it's like my body can sense what's coming and it is just giving up - my immune system will shut down soon. My body is like an animal that knows when stuffs about to happen. It just does. I think my throat is closing shut. Everything's going black....hello? is that you God? I'm fading fast... *cough* *wheez*

Anyone wanting to contribute to my blizzard relief fund can mail money to me directly. I accept check and money orders....and cash, of course.

Love so much~
The Snow Princess

Here Comes the Bride...

Well - it's done. Mark is forever stuck with me. Many thought it would never happen. Some of you might have even lost money on it. That's what you get for bettin' against a princess!

I know it's been forever since I last wrote. I really am going to try and be better about writing every few days instead of every few months~ So many of you reading this were able to attend the wedding. Thank you so much for being there. I only wish I could have spent more time with each you! I was absolutely in awe at the turnout and am so honored to have you all as my friends and family! OK - enough with the goosh...

I do have to say that was one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever been to - wouldn't you agree? he he he First of all, NO ONE can ever have any more precious children (or well behaved) than the ones we had. They were absolutely angelic! The music was divine, the wedding party stunning, and the cake was delicious! All the makings of one fine weddin'! (Now, if I could just get those thank you notes written!)

Thanks to everyone who laughed at me when I said "I do" - I had to have someone explain to me what made everyone giggle.

For the honeymoon, we went to Winter Park, CO. It was absolutely beautiful there, but we weren't prepared for the weather or the altitude. We had checked weather.com before the trip and saw that it was going to be in the 60's so we took jeans, long pants, and long sleeve knit tops, and a few fleece shirts.... Just FYI - low to mid 60's in Colorado isn't the same thing as low to mid 60's in the rest of the country. I had to wear the same pair of shorts almost every day. Also, we couldn't catch our breath because of the altitude. Every so often, your breath would go and it would be like, "OK Honey - this is the big one. Tell everyone I love them." By Tuesday, we had been deprived of so much oxygen that we took a 5 hour nap and still went to bed at 10 that night. And here I thought we wouldn't see the light of day because we were, well, you know...turns out, we didn't see the light of day, but it was because we couldn't wake up!

Once we left Oklahoma after the honeymoon, we took two days to get back to Michigan. The entire road trip was good for us - a successful road trip is one that exposes your weaknesses and issues... you know, things that might cause a divorce. (ahem) We found one. My driving. On the way down to Oklahoma, it wasn't so difficult because we drove all the way through and when it became my turn to drive, Mark was so tired he had little room to argue - he was out of it most of the time, so I just followed his rules to shut him up and get him to sleep and then it was back to my way. The trip back was a little tougher because we stopped part way through. There was no sleeping on this portion of the trip. On the first day, we really wanted to get to St. Louis because that's half way. Unfortunately, Mark got tired about an hour and a half outside of St. Louis. We decided I would drive us on in and through St. Louis to get a place to sleep. Well, we made it about 30 minutes and by that point, neither of us wanted to be in the car with each other. So, we called it a night in, what has to be, the dirtiest motel I've ever seen. It was a small sacrifice compared to murder.

The great thing about being married is that we don't hold grudges for too long. Why should we - we're stuck. Neither of us is going anywhere. Might as well make it as pleasant a trip as possible!
I joined Weight Watchers two week ago. My first weigh in was last friday, I lost 2.6 pounds! YES! Mark has been so supportive of me and my efforts. I told him if he didn't, I would keep gaining weight and he would have to buy me all new clothes. That helped things along. I've done really well with the program and am excited about my anticipated progress. I'll keep you posted~

I had to go back to the Secretary of State's office to get my drivers license now that my name change is official. I actually had all the ID I needed...but no proof of residence. UGH~ I went back to work and got a pay stub and that night, I actually got my drivers license. Well, the temporary one...they have to mail your drivers license to you. I don't know what THAT'S all about.

I have also gotten my (personalized) Michigan car tag - OKIEMOE (that's Oklahoma Eskimoe abbreviated). Now that I have that, I am good to go (and speed and hit things....yeeeehaw!)

As of Friday, I am officially a 'Pierce'. I got the ol' social security card changed too. Geez o pete, I think I'm done.

So, I think it could snow any day...people around here tell me differently, but I think they're just trying to trick me. It better not snow. I don't have the apparel necessary to brave the winter here...you know, GORTEX, FUR, Snow Shoes (those tennis racket looking things)....a DOG SLED. Unbelievable - All my shoes have the backs out of them. But have you seen real live snow boots??? They are UUUUUUUGLY! They remind me of those things I used to wear as a kid and I tucked my jeans into them. Tacky. Oh well, like it or not....

I'm singing a solo this upcoming Sunday at my church. This is my first time and I haven't sung a solo in church since the end of June. It feels like it's been forever. I'm so excited about that - then maybe I can make some friends...as they are drawn in against their will to the sound of angels that emits from my mouth.....hmmmmm

OK - I'm going to sign off now. But don't worry - I will write soon. I just gotta finish all these thank you notes. Good NIGHT! It's like high school graduation all over again. I'm tempted to send all the gifts back to their sender just so I don't have to send thank you notes. But probably not.

Love to you all -

Rhonda Pierce (Your Ears)

**sigh**

Well, tomorrow is finally almost here (that either made complete sense or none at all). Tomorrow, after work, Mark and I leave for home (Oklahoma). I have been trying to work on that - trying to call Michigan home. They say that home is where your heart is. It just hasn't been long enough for my heart to be here yet. I could say that my heart is neither place, but that would make me homeless, and I don't know that I like that.

I'm so excited about going to Oklahoma that I have convinced Mark to let us drive through and not stop in St. Louis. We promise to pull off if we get too tired, but otherwise, it's onward and southward!

I have been trying to make friends, but up here, that's a little harder. People, in general, aren't as open to new people...not at first, anyway. I mean, I had people in Oklahoma who thought I was weird, but can you imagine what they think up here??? lol Actually, everyone at my job has been really nice. Damaris, one of the employees here, even laughs at me being funny, which is nice 'cause no one else does. I told her she was my new best friend up here and that we were gonna do stuff together all the time and not to even worry about giving me directions to her house 'cause I have already mapquested it! She asked if that was considered friend or STALKER??? lol

They also don't disclose much of their personal information up here - very private people. You should see the faces of those unwilling participants who make the mistake of sitting in my chair in my office. After about five minutes of me going on and on and disclosing everything from my bra size to "How to Have a Healthy Bowel Movement" (those of you who I've had this conversation with know who you are), the look on their faces...I can't tell if it's shock or disgust....or just utter amazement that ANYONE would consider talking about so many things at one time. Sometimes I just talk and talk just so I can look at their reaction and laugh when they leave! ha ha ha ha

I also found out today that Anne, the HR Manager, is also a talker. She and I will be getting along really well - she understands my predicament. She is so nice - she's also a hugger. he he he Whodathunk?

Well, Mark and I have a busy night ahead of us - we have to pack and then pack up the car so that when I get home, we can jump in the car and go....I can't wait to see everyone.

Love you all -

Wow- I didn't know I had the attention span necessary to write this much....

Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit! I am so behind (no pun intended) in my Eskimo updates…Wherever should I start? Here goes….

I absolutely love my job! The people here are so nice and I am busier than a one-legged cat trying to bury poo on a frozen pond! Just a little history… My boss is Dr. Stern. He's a new yorker who moved here from pennsylavnia and his assistant came here with him. They have worked together for over 12 years so they had quite a working relationship. The reason she left to go back to PA is that her familywas from back home and she missed her grandbabies. Enter ME. Dr.Stern, I think, has forgotten that I'm just starting. Some mornings, I come in and look at my in box, and I contemplate the idea of being an eye-witness to "what appears to be an electrical fire in the EPMG building. Fortunately, no one was hurt…unfortunately, the entire building burned to the ground." (ahem) *In my very best Oklahoma drawl…"I cain't believe mah ahys! I was jist sittin' here in mah car puttin' ohn mah lipstick when BOOM – I ain't seen nuthin' lahke that in forever! It was jist lahke back when I was a kid and pappy got the cook light on the still too high….poor pappy. Momma had to draw his eyebrows on him after that. Yip, it was jist lahke that. Oh wayt, it sorta remahnded may of the tahme when Uncle Jed was impressin' a female caller and trahd lahtin' one of his 'bouquets of natural gas' as he liked to call 'em. I ain't seen so much fireworks frum one source since...well, since pappy got the cook light on the still too high….poor pappy."

In all seriousness though, I really do love my job. I love being busy– it keeps me out of trouble (pause) (hysterical laughter) That's funny – like anything could keep me out of trouble. I just haven't found my cohorts yet…I don't think anyone around here trusts me enough to be ornery. I'm just a sweet southern girl – how could I ever get anyone in trouble???

Mark and I are doing great. The first few weeks after I got here were tough though. That whole "adjusting to living with royalty." I felt sorry for him – I wouldn't want to have to do it. I think the actual problem resided in the fact that I may have led him to think I didn'treally have that much stuff (which I didn't until you throw all those wonderful wedding gifts in the mix – then there was substantially more). Anyway, I show up on the doorstep with the second largest truck U-haul rents and a car in tow that is also stuffed full. Reality really sank in when we finally got it unloaded and had nowhereto sit and we couldn't really see each other.

So I thought I would be the wonderful little wifey – I have actually impressed even myself with my mad cooking skills. Everyday for the first few weeks I would find a new recipe on the internet and cook it for my sweet precious. He was impressed. I was impressed. EVERYONE was impressed. Now that I have narrowed the time gap and it's really too late to cancel the wedding (since all his family has purchased/made travel arrangements), we ate out every night last week. Ahhhhhhhh – much better. Actually, I enjoy cooking, if I could just get him to understand that once it's on the table, I'm finished. The cleaning thing is a whole different subject and it's something I just don't do well. He's learning. He'll get there soon enough.

We have started going to church with Mark's twin brother, Matt and his wife and kids. It's Living Word Church of God and we really like it. The praise and worship leader is Mike Mariucci (pronounced mary-oochee for those of you who aren't football fans), Steve Mariucci's brother (head coach for the Detroit Lions). The church isn't so big that you get lost, but is bigger than my church back in Oklahoma, which I miss. Still, it's small enough to get to know each other and kind of know when someone's gone. They currently meet in the high school auditorium as they are working towards a new building. The pastor is from Tennessee, so I enjoy hearing him talk (he's the only around herebesides me that doesn't have an accent!)

One thing that hasn't changed with me is that I still like to take naps, although I don't really have a chance to do that anymore except on the weekends (usually Sundays after church.) Well, Mark likes to nap too, so…I bought ear plugs. I hope Jesus doesn't come back while we're sleeping, 'cause I won't hear it. Mark's snore is something between a large train and a larger vacuum. If he's turned toward me, I can feel a small pull on my body every time he breathes in…and we're across from each other in the living room on separate couches! There's a train that goes by our house – it has NOTHING on Mark. If the train company really wants to let people know their trains are coming, they should strap a sleeping Mark to the front. That's just an idea….but I digress….

The biggest complaint I have would have to be a small thesis I have written addressed to the Michigan Department of Transportation. There's a big joke around here – Michigan has two seasons: Winter and Construction. Well, I beg your pardon, but where I come from, jokes are FUNNY and not one thing about that punchline makes me laugh. While I haven't had the blessed opportunity to experience the winter yet, I have seen the construction. ( ) That's me being speechless. The bad weather requires salt on the roads. Salt on the roads tears up the roads. Torn up roads require a bit of reconstructing. It's a cycle of evil really. Everything is under construction except the city streets. They don't have time – they're always working on the interstates (they call them expressways out here). AND THE TRAFFIC. There should be a mandate that comes down straight from the Governor himself that says NO MORE PROCRIATING! THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE HERE ALREADY!!!! I mean, COME ON~ That's what happens I guess when you have such bad winters and there's nothing else to do. Like I said, a great big cycle of evil.

Fridays after work are the worst because everyone is going up north. Oh wait…silly me, I thought I already WAS up north…since where I came from was 1,000 miles SOUTH of here, this pretty much constitutes UP NORTH, but alas…there is a north north of here. It's called the great lakes area. And every weekend, everyone goes up there. And on Sunday afternoons, everyone comes back. So, the only day worth being on the interstates in Saturday cause nobody is going north OR south.

This past weekend, we took part in a scavenger hunt, more of a wildgoose chase. It was a fundraiser and we made a team of four. We had to drive from one place to the next, gathering clues and solving puzzles, all the while, trying to be first to get back to the finishline. That lacked all the fun that I had hoped because I didn't know where anything was, so I was the "pretty one" – you know, the one who doesn't really make much of a contribution, just sits in the front seat and looks cute for all the pictures we had to take. However, I think Mark had a pretty good time, and I was glad about that. After the hunt was over, it ended up at somebody's property where there was a lot of food and prizes (we came in third – woohooo…it was all because of me, hello??? Without my mug in all the pics, we couldn't have done it….well, my mug and the foot race between us and one other team that pulled up at the same time. We were racing towards the finish line, and our whole team had to be there. I surprisinglywasn't the last person in. Of course, the last person to make it from our team was a JV volleyball coach. She was driving – I'm sure Iwould have beat her anyway, even if she had been closer to the line like I was and didn't have to put the car in park, yadda yadda yadda) Whatever gets me to sleep at night, right? I didn't know anyone there except for Mark and our two teammates. That was fun. Once again, I was the only one there that didn't talk funny – I think that made them all feel really weird and goofy or something, like they were different. I tried my hardest to make them all feel equal. We played volleyball. That was affirming for me. Nothing like doing something you are terribly bad at to make you feel good about yourself. I kept telling them that if the ball had been dry (it had rained earlier so the grass was wet), they would be in trouble. I can't tell if theywere laughing at me or with me. Hmmmmm People here are kind of uptight – they don't think I'm as funny as I do. Oh well, gives me more to laugh at.

So, with all that said, behind all the joking is a 30 year old woman who misses her friends and family more than she ever thought possible. I have learned the true value of the people in my life the hardest way possible. What I have at the end of each day is a deep appreciation for the people who know me the very best and love me inspite of myself - The people who hold a piece, if even only an ounce, of my past and thus have made their mark on my life forever, helping me become the person I am today, one precious moment at a time – the people that I can call at any time, day or night, and they will meet me for a "coke and a smile". I promise to never again take for granted the people who know and understand me. Those are some of most valuable people you can have in your life.

I love you all and I cannot wait to see you at the wedding (you better be there – I would hate to have to go running up and down I-35 in my dress to gather you all up. Too much activity will make me sweat and sweat does not help masking tape hold well…the tape gives, the dress will come down – not so pretty, I can assure…)

I will try to keep up more often – sorry this is so long. So, who's coming up to visit????? I hear that winter is a great time to come up– just something I heard though….

Love to you all~
Proud to be a Southern Princess

A boo boo boooo

Well, here I am...just over three weeks in Eskimo Land and I am gainfully employed and quickly developing a reputation amongst my co-workers of being quite funny. I'm not sure if they're laughing at my stories or the way I talk - bottom line is, they're laughing at me, and that's not nice. Oh well -

The job is amazing. The people I work with are so nice! For those of you who don't know, I'm the Executive Assistant to the President and CEO of Emergency Physicians Medical Group (EPMG). Essentially, hospitals have a difficult time staffing their emergency rooms and urgent care facilities. So, they contract with us to manage their emergency rooms and urgent care facilities and with that management comes staffing of doctors. So, the doctors are ours and the nurses, therapists, etc. are employees of the hospital. It's a great companyand they really care about what they're doing. My boss is so nice -almost too nice. Maybe he thinks I'm fragile...hmmmmm - sometimes, he's so precious, I just want to grab his cheeks, get in his face and say, "A boo boo boo" I don't know that we're quite there yet...I'll keep you posted.

This company even keeps a stocked refrigerator of sodas and juices and bottled waters. WOOHOO!!! Who cares about the condo up north, I want beverages! I just want to drink as many as possible just because they're free. he he AND BECAUSE I CAN! I do work for the president, you know....

The other day, I decided to clean out the oven. hmm Maybe I shouldn't have done that. I went and bought Easy Off oven cleaner. For the removal of baked on, caked on..."stuff". I got yer' baked on, caked on. Have any of you ever SEEN a 36 year old bachelor's stove??? Let's start with the top burners. I went to clean those pretty little silver things under the burners. One look told me they should be given an honorable burial - so I purchased new ones. They sure do sparkle. So, then I went deep into the bowels of "THE OVEN". Oh wow- caked on?? baked on??? yeah right, try soldered (pronounced sawterfor those of you who hypothetically had no idea and tried to spell it like it sounds) on. It was a whole new layer of lining on the inside. Spray was not gonna do it - a chisel, maybe. But I digress...So, I sprayed it on. hmm It came alive and started chasing after me. It was like nothing I've ever experienced. And hopefully never will. whew - fortunately, my new job has employee assistance with trained counselors to deal with this very thing. I just don't know if they're trained to deal with ME...

Well, it's the final countdown to the big day. I am so excited. My plan worked just as I had hoped when I first messaged my vic, er, Mark. Perfect, I tell ya - he walked right into it. And he has no idea. **evil laugh**

Now that I'm getting up so stinkin' early, I have to go to bed by 10, so I better wrap this up. Mark and I started tanning today - I am a complete failure at weight loss and my dress may have to be strappedon me with electrical tape, but at least I will be tan. Now I just gotta find a hair do. More later -

Love Love Love -

The Fat and Happy Princess

What a might God we serve!!!

Well, here I am - I haven't even been here three weeks.....

AND I GOT A JOB!!! wooohooo! I had a second interview yesterday with the Medical Management company that I originally interviewed with theTuesday after I first arrived. I got home and not too much later,they called with the offer. They had asked if I was looking anywhere else, and I told them there was one other job that I was expecting a call from tomorrow (Today). I guess they thought they better snatch me right up -

Anyhoo - that's about all for now. Just wanted to share my "It's nothing but a God Thing" story.

Thank you all for your prayers - It looks like they worked! What an awesome God He is.

The Gainfully Employed Princess

Two Weeks Notice....hmmmmm

Well, hi ya'll! I hope this latest update finds everyone doing well. I have been here two weeks today and I'm finally getting settled in. I've been watching the news for some headlines like, "State Capitol has to shut down due to lack of ability to maintain a positive outlook since Rhonda left" or "Oklahoma State Highway Patrol has to request more funding because they can no longer meet their quota since Rhonda left" or even "Car Insurance rates at an all time high..." Well, you get the idea...but alas, no such news. I would come back if I had too, but I guess all is well WITHOUT me. **sniff**

Here's a travel tip: (This tip is sponsored in part by General FoodsInternational Coffees...Celebrate something) If you decide to come up and visit and want to take a leisure drive to see the sights, it is not in your best interest to take roads you are not familiar with. Should you do this, do not stop at red lights. Running a red light will only get you a ticket. Stopping will get you killed. P.S. Saginaw Street is not a good part of town. So there you go - Not that I got lost, I'm just looking out for my friends. That's all...

So, who's coming up to see me first????

I had another funeral procession - same thing happened, except this experience was spiced up a bit by an 80 year old who flipped me off as he passed me. I guess he had somewhere to go or something.

Mark and I started a diet this past Monday. It's called the grapefruit diet. Some of you may have heard of it or even tried it. It's not a bad diet, just really restrictive - you can't snack. That's just crazy talk. Who EVER considered not SNACKING???Hello???? I would cut MEALS out of my day before I would cut snacks. Oh wait, right before bedtime, you do get one snackie poo - an 8 oz glass of either tomato or cow juice (low fat skim). That's filling. Mark is used to snacking quite a bit in the evenings so the first night, he kept asking me if he could have stuff. Then, throughout the evening, he would go into the kitchen and just stand and look around. I thought he was never gonna go to bed. I, on the other hand, was a perfect picture of composed and committed.

Then comes day 2. I was fine until that evening. We went over toMark's brother's house to swim. When we were finished, Kelly (his wife) pulled out the leftover homemade strawberry shortcake fromJessica's birthday party. I lost it - I wanted it so bad. Shoot - I just wanted to smear it all over myself. Oh wow - I didn't cheat, but don't think for a second that I didn't want to.

We finally broke last night and went and bought low carb ice cream. It wasn't our fault really - that stinking diet made us do it. That's all I have to say about that really.

I had another job interview on Wednesday in East Lansing, which is just a few miles away from where Mark works. That would be nice so I don't have to be driving in the bad weather. Insurance companies allover the place - UNITE! It went really well, and then yesterday, I got a call back for a second interview for the job in Ann Arbor. It's next Tuesday. I wowed em' - I knew I would.

Well, I have to go get ready now. My future sisters-in-law are taking me to lunch to "Welcome Me to the Family". I'm really excited about it - they are three very sweet women. Ok...that's all. Except that I miss you all with everything in me.

Love, Love, Love
Yankee Princess

boy, aren't yankees NICE???

Ok, so here's what's been going on so far...unpacking. oh yeah , good times there.

Yesterday, I decided to go get my Michigan drivers license since you only have 30 days to get it. I go in, take a number, and wait. It's my turn, WOOHOO! I go to the counter and tell her I need a new drivers license. She asks for THREE forms of I.D. Oh, and by the way, a social security card doesn't work. (Then what the heck do I have this thing for???) She wants a high school diploma, a high school year book, a birth certificate...all of which I conveniently carry in my glove compartment. I almost asked, "Would you also like a stool sample? Maybe swab my cheek?" So in the midst of planning, I'm thinking that I won't get my car tag renewed until it expires in November - get the most bang for your buck, right? Not so much -Because I might get pulled over (yeah right), if I whip out my shiney new Michigan drivers license and don't have the coordinating accessories (license plate, antenna flag - you know, the usual), I just might get another ticket. So, I take my little Okie drivers license and go home.

So later in the day, I turn on to a two lane street that has a third lane on the far right of my side of the street. As I pull into that lane, a funeral processional heads my direction, so I stop the car, 'cause that's what you do right? Well, I ALMOST DIED waiting on that funeral processional because supposedly, Yankees haven't heard yet about the stopping your car out of respect thing. In fact, people SPED UP - It was almost like they thought that respectful - to get past the processional as quickly as possible. Unbelievable.

Last night, I got a call for another interview next Wednesday. This could be the job I really want. We're not sure - the one I interview for tomorrow pays a lot more, but the one I got a call about for nextweek is in the same town as Mark so he could take me to work (not thatI don't have mad driving skills, especially in snow and ice, but it makes him feel like a real man, taking care of me and all....it's all about him really) Cross your prayer fingers that God will simply close the door that I'm not supposed to walk through. We only want God's will for our lives.

Thanks so much for all your prayers and support. I can never tell you enough how much you all mean to me.

"Whatever you are, Be a Good One."

Princess Rhonda

No snow yet....

Hi everyone! Well, like it or not, I'm here now. We (my brother and I) left Friday from work and thought we had gained an hour and a half because the offices closed early. Alas, not so much. We hit Tulsa just shortly after some bad driver hit some other driver...fabulous -and in 5 o'clock traffic. Fortunately, I had my pedicure kit with me and could do some trimming while my brother handled the masses. Once we got through the wreck, it was on to some "one - lane action"....took us that extra hour and a half to get through 20 MILES...Bless my heart.

We got to St. Louis where I had made a reservation at the hotel I found to be closest to the interstate that we were on (I had no scientific knowledge to back up my decision, mind you). I even told her we had a u-haul with a car in tow. I'm sure she was just really busy when I called to make the reservation and just FORGOT to tell me there was nowhere for us to park in this very upscale part of downtown St. Louis. When we arrived and found the situation to be what it was, Abu and Shaq (an Assistant Manager who was from India I think and the security guard who looked just like Shaq - names have been changed to protect the innocent) tried to tell us we could back up the uhaul into a parking spot with the car in tow. Finally, after much discussion and not being able to convince Abu that there was no way that was going to happen, we cancelled our reservation and drove off as they yelled at us that we wouldn't find another room because "The fair is in town." We'll show them, and show them we did. We found another room - HA! (It just happened to be another 2 1/2 hours down the road- and that was just because at 3:00 am, someone had just checked out. We slept like babies and left around 10:30 the next morning.

Construction is a pretty popular thing we found out - sometimes they like to piggy back construct. Certainly, it was the ideal situation for someone with A.D.D. Good NIGHT! And I would have slept through it except (in case you didn't know this), the seats don't and can't recline in U-haul trucks. No one told me that ahead of time or I would have just strapped all my stuff onto the back of a GREYHOUND. So, I'm left to entertain myself (Bless my brother's heart). I think (Not for sure yet) I got a wee bit grumpy maybe towards the end of the trip. I was bored, irritable, and forgot to take my pill- We arrived safely and exhausted!

Mark built a deck to surprise me and it's beautiful! He also bought me a new Schwinn mountain bike so that we can get some exercise. He was right - I got plenty pushing that thing down the stairs of the deck to get it out of the way. Anyway, the family room looks just like it did yesterday evening - like a disaster area. Tomorrow will be good since Mark goes to work and I can start going through our house looking for places to cram things so he will think I cleaned when he gets home. I miss you all terribly and I hope you all had a beautiful Fourth ofJuly. We bought matching t-shirts from Old Navy and put them on just in time to watch a gigantic storm come through town. It was quite patriotic. I love each and every one of you from the heart of my bottom! Keep your eyes on the Son and ME in your hearts...And will someone check on my mom - I'm sure she is going nuts without me living with her right now! HA HA

Bye for now -Princess Rhonda