new dawn

Tomorrow is the big day...the start of a new job. I'm very excited. Now I just have to figure out what to wear!

There's another big thing on the horizon. One that I'm a little nervous about mentioning. I'm finally going to bring it out in the open cuz I've done a bit of surfing around and I've found great comfort in running across others with my same story. So if my story can help even one woman, it's worth my initial worry. So here goes...

I'm scheduled to undergo a breast reduction (BR) in June. I've thought about this for about 20 years but the neck and back pain that have developed over the last 3 years have finally gotten me to squelch my fears and see a plastic surgeon. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it was going to be. I was immediately put at ease and felt comfortable with the surgeon, his staff and the specifics of the procedure. My insurance will cover the operation so I'll only have to worry about the deductible. I'm still dealing with alternating periods of anxiousness and impatience, but I will go through with it and be much healthier and (hopefully) pain-free.

Hubby, my kids, and the few other friends and family members that know are being very supportive. I just hope all goes well so I have no regrets. My mom, who has more need for the surgery than I do, has stated that if it goes well for me, then she will also look into a BR for herself.

I won't bore you will the details, but I will be posting about this topic from time to time. So you're all duly warned!

YIPEE!!!

YEAH!

HOORAY!!

YAHOO!!!

and every other happy exclamation you can think of...

I've snagged myself a new job. I'll be working for the same company, just in a different department and completely away from the career track that I'm currently in.

It'll be blissful... same take home pay, no take home work, no extra hours, and an incredible decrease of job stress. But best part... I'll be able to go back to school. I cannot wait!

Only one more week of hell....

remembering the jukebox

On Friday professoreric posted a request on jozjozjoz. He asked people to write about their favorite jukebox and it's location. In the midst of creating my comment, I realized this would be a great post to my own blog.

For several years of my early childhood I would accompany my father on his "errand days". Back then I had no idea what errands were. To me it meant driving to the big city to walk around several of the huge buildings, most of which were gothic in design and completely fascinating to me. Of course now, being an adult with all the responsibilities of self and family, I am keenly aware of what those errands were. He had no online bill payment or auto-withdrawal options. To pay the bills at the last minute and on time, he had to trek around the city and visit the bank, electric company office, and various other business offices to drop off his hard-earned money.

As a treat for keeping him company on those days, my father would take me out for lunch. Sometimes we'd eat at the restaurant at the downtown department store where my mom worked, but more often we'd go to the little luncheonette at a busy intersection on the north side of the city. We'd always sit at the counter and were greeted by the same waitress bringing a black coffee for Dad and a chocolate milk for me. I'd always order the same thing... a grilled cheese sandwich. On one such occasion, the waitress noticed that I always ate the dill pickle slices first. She asked me why and I told her they were my favorite part. From that day forward, I got about 4 times as many slices as the normal serving.

At the back of the countertop sat a small jukebox, a pedestal version with the round disc on the top that you'd spin to flip through the "pages" of song selections. My dad would give me a choice... money for the jukebox or a dessert. On a hot summer day I'd go for the chocolate ice cream, but typically the thrill of picking a song would be enough to forego the sweets. I'd peruse the titles, having absolutely no idea who most of the artists/groups were, and eventually I would pick a song. The Jackson 5's "ABC" was the most frequent selection but several other favorites would make rotation: "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, "Vacation" by Connie Francis, and Donnie Osmond's "Puppy Love".

There we'd spend time... me kneeling on the stool, eating my pickles and my dad sipping his coffee. With the tunes playing in the background he'd tell me stories from his own childhood or about the plans he was making for our extended family's next gathering or camping trip.

I look back on my youth so fondly. It's the most precious gift my parents have given me. Sometimes I wonder... are my own children going to have similar memories? Have I done enough?

I love blogging!!

I have found so many great reads the last few days while trolling around checking out other blog rolls.

This could seriously worsen my addiction to the net.

oh my...

Thanks to Shakespeare's Sister and Pam's House Blend, I found an article on the Chicago Tribune that makes me very, very sad.

President Bush on voting rights: Is he savvy or just clueless?

Again I ask....IS EVERYONE PAYING ATTENTION?

Come 2008, I will be reminding everyone about the filth in politics and how hard we must all work to get a better group of people in the White House.