My Domain

NEW JOB NEW JOB NEW JOB! What's that? OH YES... I have a NEW JOB! Well, I accepted one and turned in 2 weeks notice today. So, sit down, crack open a nice cold beer, appropriately tempatured(I made that word up) glass of wine, or favorite mixed drink (or just a coke if you prefer) and celebrate my liberation with me! I'm gettin' OUTTA HERE!


"The new job? what is it?" you ask? Ah yes... I will be the Assistant Director for the American Heart Association under the Regional Directors for Jackson, TN & Desoto Co./Oxford, MS. P-U-M-P-E-D PUMPED... yup, that's what I am!

I hope I just brightened your day (if nothing else, you know you don't have to listen to any more rants about the current job)!

I actually updated my blog... so here's the link if you care. I don't want to post twice really... so yeah! http://brittanycrockett.blogspot.com/

I've decided to go with a change. I've started another blog. Not that I post here a whole lot or anything, but when I do, it's very "this is what I'm doing, this is what I've been doing, etc...etc...etc." So, I'm going to try to keep this one with more substance. Here's the link... I like all of y'all so you can go visit if you want =) http://brittanycrockett.blogspot.com/
I know, tell me I'm not original. But, I'm scatterbrained sometiems, and I didn't want to make it something that I'd forget. (and if I forget that one... I've go some problems!)

So there it is! Happy hump day!

I don't write here very much. I'm bad about that. In fact, most times I actually post, I begin with that. So, here's to keeping the tradition alive.

But, just because I don't post, don't think I'm not around. I read this thing daily... it's in my website rotation at work. Yes, I get that bored sometimes. Leave me alone about it.

Things are good I suppose. Just working, going to the gym alot (that's a recent development... as of a week or two ago), and just hanging out at the house. I feel like I haven't seen anyone in forever. That's probably because I haven't. It kinda sucks. I'm to a point where I really don't know if I have friends anymore. I mean, I know I "have friends", but yeah. (btw, this isn't a sympathy thing... just a statement). Just kinda feel bad about it, cause I'm usually the low many on the totem pole. Ya know, last to know about something going on(and usually only then because I overheard it and then therefore have to be invited) and just generally forgotten. It kinda sucks... I don't really wish it upon anyone.

But enough of that. The puppies are huge. I feel like they aren't really puppies anymore (even though they are only like 5 months old) because they weigh about 45 pounds a piece now. They are still adorable though. I need to take some more pictures of them and put them up. They are definitely alot of fun (except for when they chew up the door frame on the outside door).

I guess the only other excitement in my life was the NHRA drag races a couple of weeks ago. It was amazing. You can make fun of me for loving it if you want, but it's one of the most fun weekends every year. Plus, I got to meet Ashley Force(hottest athelete... seriously, voted that... she's kinda my favorite drag racer =P), John Force(again), and even got hit on by a top fuel car drag racer, Clay Millican. That's fun... I suggest you all have that happen to you at least once!

Well, I suppose I should be working. And by working, I mean packing. We are moving offices today, tomorrow and Friday. In case you are wondering, packing up an office that has been here for 30 years, with 50 agents plus staff and ALL of those people's crap and moving it 4 blocks away... not so much fun. But, less other work for me! =)

So I might not get my M.A.T. ... I might go to law school. I'm too damn indecisive.

Anyone else have any weekends that they'd be available to get together? August 17/18/19 weekend would probably work for me and Haley said that'd probably be good for her. But, I don't wanna plan anything 'til I know some people will be there!

Here's hoping to a speedy week and a LONG lasting next weekend!

I think I've come to a decision, at least for the very immediate future. For now, I'm just gonna get a TON of info. from tons of schools and start from there. I'm going to get stuff from Memphis, Christian Brothers, Union (I think they have the MAT program at Germantown... gotta check)... then I'm going to get Nashville schools: Belmont, Trevecca, Lipscomb, and Vanderbilt (I always did say I was going to Vandy... that would be kind've fulfilling two things there... of course I would never make enough as a teacher to pay back my student loans, but hey... Clay could be raking in the moolah at some point. And there is ALWAYS the lottery... it's for education, right?). I may even look into Mississippi schools (Ole Miss, MS State...) and maybe University of North Alabama.

I'm going to look into all of the programs in all of the places that we might want to live (or close by... North Alabama isn't exactly where I wanna live, but if we were in Corinth, I could go to classes there). I know I wouldn't be starting this fall anyways. I need to take a pre-req or two (general education and the like) and the GRE and I think some other random standerdized test). Hopefully within the next year we'll know if we are a) going to be staying in the Memphis area for a few more years b) moving to Nashville c)moving to Tupelo d)moving to Corinth e)going completely crazy and heading off somewhere random.

Thankfully, Clay is really supportive about all of it. He's said that if that is what I'm really wanting to do, we'll make it happen. So that's always good.

On a completely other note... we need to have a little get together. I'd love to have everyone up to my house sometime in the somewhat near future for dinner/movies/whatever we wanna do. I know Haley is super busy planning stuff, but trust me, you'll want a break. I'm thinking probably sometime in August (this month is crazy and y'all know I'm a planner... I gotta plan stuff out). So let me know if there are some weekends that look good to y'all. I miss everyone!

Back to work... lemme tell you, desining business cards and letterhead is thrilling...

So, I'm thinking about going back to school. What for? A M.A.T (Masters of Art in Teaching). Total 180, right? I've been thinking about it for awhile. I feel like I need to go back to school. Everyone's doing it and I just feel left out! =P OK, that's not really why, but I do feel like I need to go back. It's not that I don't like what I do, marketing, etc wise, but I just don't feel like it's what I'm supposed to be doing. I debated about the whole teaching thing before I ever got to college. When I was working at St. Bernard, that place was like an education major machine. If you were working there you were either a)a college student majoring in education or b) a high school student who was GOING to major in education. I thought about it for awhile, and then narrowed it down to Comm or Computer Science. Obviously, I chose comm (even though comp. science would've been nice for my bank account now... damn young, unwise decisions!). Now, I feel like teaching is probably the way to go for me.

Not just any teaching... elementary. Preferably 2nd and/or 3rd grade. Now my problem is figuring out the logistics of it. Where do I go? What do I have to do to get in? What prereq's do I have to go back and take? Part time or full time? Tuition??? Should I try and do this now at Memphis State or CBU? Or should I wait, maybe move to Nashville in a few years and go to Belmont, Trevecca, Lipscomb or Vanderbilt(I could finally be a Commodore for real! haha!). It's just a lot of thinking to do, espcially because I can't just go take the GRE and get in. No matter where I go, I'm gonna have to go take a general education class at the very least. On top of that, I'm going to either have to quit my job and go full time to school (and that would require Clay moving jobs most likely), going to school part time and working full time until it was time to student teach, or try and get a teacher's aid position somewhere and go to school either full or part time (depending on schedules).

I swear, all of this makes my brain swell! But at the same time, I get happy thinking about it, which makes me think it's really what I should do. I'm not scared or worried about the actual courses or anything like that, I'm just worried about the logistics of it all. I mean, I know people do it all the time, but I'm just too damn practical to say "OK, I'm gonna quit my job and go to school full time" when I've got a perfectly good job that certainly doesn't hurt when it comes time to pay the bills.

So yeah... any input would be MORE than welcome...

I'm pretty excited about this weekend. My high school has an alumnae luncheon every year. Well, to be more exact, they have about 45 alumnae events every year, but the luncheon at the start of the summer is the bigger one. Basically an excuse for alums to come back and pay $25 a person for whatever fundraiser they are doing for the school this week. Usually, I don't make it up for these things. I've got enough to do without trying to get to Nashville for that stuff. Anyhow, this year is a little different, cause it's my class's 5 year reunion. A little silly, I know, but we figure we should all try to get together, because we are only going to move further apart and develop more and more things that hinder us from going back and getting together. But, anyways, I'm pumped: my best friend from grade school/high school is flying in from D.C. for it and most of my other good friends from SCA are gonna be there too. It's been quite awhile since we've all been together. I used to host a Christmastime brunch at my mom's house every year that probably 15 or 20 people came to, but that was a year and a half ago. It's just gonna be fun to see the girls that I spent ALOT of time with for 4 years.

Most people are like "holy crap, I wouldn't go to see people I graduated with"... but when you graduate with a group of just 40 girls, you're close... there is NO way around it. It's a neat thing though. Plus, we are, uh, quite the rowdy bunch when you get us out on the town/a few beers or drinks in us. I mean, really... a bunch of mostly Irish/Italian/Scottish Catholic girls and then a few of the same but Methodists & Presbyterians? Seriously... if that doesn't spell trouble, I dunno what does.

Anyhow, the point is, I'm looking forward to it. But I know it's gonna make me miss all of you guys too. We need to play a reunion too. Just a little over a year or not, I'm not scared. I'll host a movie night at my house sometime this summer (and Lauren, if you're nice, I might even let you do MK at it... pretty good offer, huh?). Lemme know if y'all are intersted.

OK, back to work...

I'm pumped about the long weekend. Any day that I get to do what I want, not be at work and get paid, is a-ok with me!

This is a little weird to me... the movie Pearl Harbor came out 6 years ago today. Why do I know this? Cause I skipped out of school early to meet my best guy friends at the time to go see it on my friend Clint's 18th birthday. We were just a liiiiiiiiiittle bit into movies (ALOT).

The day before or after a holiday here at work is always so slow. Real estate agents tend to take long holidays. Both my boss and boss's boss are gone... so why are we here?!?!

Headed down to Corinth tonight after work. I think we're just gonna lie by the pool most of the weekend. I was hoping for some Pickwick action, but alas, our friends Jim & Jade (who's family has the cabin, boat, and wave runners) just moved to Nashville and aren't gonna be down for the weekend. How dare they move and mess up my Memorial Day weekend plans?!!! Oh well, they'll just have to owe us for 4th of July.

Nothing else much here... I put some new pictures on facebook of the house and then of the beach from last week. Check 'em out if ya want!

Ya'll have a good weekend... drink way too much beer and do nothing. That's the game plan for me anyways. =)

I'm really bad with this thing. I used to be all about updating this & xanga, etc... but not these days. I think about updating it, and what all I could write about, but it's always when I'm in the car, driving to or from work for 45 minutes to 55 minutes, twice a day.

With all that time in the car, I tend to have alot of time to think. I think about everything. About how much I hate Memphis traffic (and the fact that only about 4 people in the entire metro. area know how to drive), about what I need to do when I get home, about what we've got going on the coming weekend, about what I was doing this time last year, two years ago, etc., about the past, about the future. Kinda crazy all the thinkin' I get into on Hwy. 14/Austin Peay Hwy. everyday.

Alot of times what I'm thinkin' about stems from whatever music I happen to be jammin' out to that day. This morning, I had to drive Clay's car to work. He needed my suv to borrow a trailer to take the lawnmower to be worked on. Anyhow, he had this WOW worship CD in the car that he bought a couple of weeks ago. CD's that have pretty much only worship music on it... it always affects me. I feel like Lauren may understand me on this one. I swear to you, it plops me right back to about the summers of 1999, 2000, and 2001. Straight back to Hickman Co., TN... Pleasantville to be exact. It's always just this flood of memories. Sometimes I want to have it all back SO badly. But, at the same time, I'm so thankful for where I am right now. All this crazy conflicting stuff in my little ol' head. It's such a happy thought, thinking of all the absolutely WONDERFUL times down there (NaCoMe... my old camp for those not familiar). All the people there that had such an impact on my life and who I am today. Funny to think that a place I have only spent about 10 weeks and 6 days (ish) in my entire life has made all of the difference. But, at the same time, it's kind've a sad thought these days. Knowing how it's not the same place that I knew... most of the people have moved on, just like me. But, then again, it's becoming that place for other people too, like my little sister. She knows a completely different place, except that it's exactly the same too. It's crazy like that.

I always have this little flood of missing it around this time every year. It's starting to get hot and muggy and it's just plain summer. The time when I still feel like that's where I'm supposed to be...



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And on another note, things are going well for me! (haha... 180, eh?). Work is pretty good. Clay FINALLY graduated this past Saturday! Woo hoo for him being done with grad school! He graduated summa cum laude from UT-Martin with an MBA. Our families all went to the graduation in Martin, and then everyone came back to our house for a party. It was a good time, and our friend Trey and his girlfriend Maria drove in from SC for it. It was great to see them (and meet Maria too!).

Sunday was our one year anniversary. RI-FREAKIN-DICULOUS! It's crazy to think we've been married over a year now. And, sad to think about how at this time one year ago, I was on a beach in Mexico... I wanna go back in a REAL BAD kinda way.

We're headed to Destin on Friday after work. Gonna drive to Hattiesburg, MS Friday, stay there that night, then get up and finish the drive (to allow for maximum beach time). We'll be down there until Tuesday. I'm totally ready for the break, but I'm already wishing we were going to be there longer. But alas, I have no vacation time and so I don't wanna take more than 2 days off without pay, that's for sure!

OK, so, longest post ever... over.

Remember when I used to update on here and stuff? Yeah, it's been awhile... Would you like the "quick" update, cause by the way, it's not so quick. Seriously, I don't even know the last time i got on here. I couldn't even find where I last read everyone's posts. I suck, but that's ok.

Let me take you back a few months... back to a time I'm kinda glad is over... (hah)

On my birthday, Jan. 22, clay and I put a contract on a house in Brighton, TN. Feb. 2nd (i.e. one of the best days EVER) was my last day at The Jackson Sun... WOO HOO! We moved to Brighton (in Tipton Co. for those of you who don't know... north of Memphis) the next week. I started my new job as an Agent Assistant at Hobson Realtors in Memphis (where Meghan Arnold works) on Lauren's bday (Feb. 14). About two weeks later, the girl who was doing the advertising/marketing for Hobson put in her two weeks notice. For about 3 weeks, I did the agent assistant job and all of the advertising and marketing for the company. Now, I'm officially the adveritising/marketing person at Hobson Realtors. I enjoy my job enough, I like the people I work with, I'm getting good experience, and I get paid about 30% more than I did in Jackson with a raise coming next month.

So, that's the very short version. Life is pretty good right now... just trying to keep up with everything. I've got about a 45-55 minute drive to and from work everyday, so my days get long sometimes. But, it's worth it.

Clay is finally going to be graduating in less than a month. May 12th is the big day, one day before our one year wedding anniversary. (Absolutely CRAZY/RIDICULOUS that we've been married almost a year!). I think after he graduates, we'll take a year off from the whole school thing and then i'm gonna start thinking about going back. Maybe for business... marketing... maybe for teaching. Who knows?!

I guess that's enough updating for right now. I'll do better, I swear. And hold me to that.

For the specific shout outs (and yes, I just used the phrase shout outs)-
Lauren - I miss you ex-roomie... I wish we'd been able to hang out after all-sing, but we headed back home. I'm totally (hopefully) there for your MK party in memphis!
Mitzi- Lunch on Thursday, me, you and meghan? i think I can do that (though I may have a thing... if so, we'll do another day this week?)
Haley - I'm kinda excited about the "you moving to Memphis" thing... actually, REAL excited. Lemme know what kinda house you are looking for... I've kinda got the hook up and can do some research for you.
Mary Ruth - AllSing was wonderful AND your dress was HOT last night, though I didn't really get to tell you that.
Lindsay- I miss you... Arkansas is overrated... come back.

I forgot some people. Forgive me... I love you all... and call me. i miss talking to everyone. new cell phone is 901-359-0075

In approximately 5 1/2 hours, I'll actually own a house. How RIDICULOUS is that?! Needless to say, I'm pretty pumped right now. We decided we'd stay at the new house tonight, even though NOTHING is there. I'm basically just packing food for dinner, pillows and blankets to sleep on the floor with, and stuff to take showers with in the morning. I mean, you can't buy a freakin' house and not go stay in it, right? Plus, it'll be nice for Clay, cause it'll be one less day he has to drive an hour to work. I've also got an interview in Memphis tomorrow afternoon, so less of a drive for me too. Speaking of, i should probably print out directions to the place now. I'm good with directions and finding stuff, but Memphis/the greater Memphis area are not my strong suit (yet... give me a few months and you'll all be calling me for directions... haha!).

So yeah, I'm definitely ready to get moved in. The actual moving day (as in, the day that the movers that the bank are paying for (thank GOD) come) is this Friday. It's gonna be a crazy week, but I really think it's going to be worth it. I just have a good feeling about it all. We found the perfect house for us the first time we went looking, we put an offer in on the house, got a contract, and are going to close on the house and move in less than 3 weeks. I had an interview lined up before I even left my old job. I just think it's going to be a good move for us. And, I'm thinking the whole job thing won't be nearly as bad this time around. At least I'm going to keep optimistic about it for now.

Hope everything is good with everyone... back to packing and whatnot.

Well, I suck at updating... oh well. Most of you have probably heard, but Clay and I are for sure moving! WOO HOO NO MORE JACKSON! I can't tell you how pumped I am! Clay got offered a job with the same bank, but in Covington, TN. So, we've made an offer on a house in Brighton(just south of Covington) and hopefully the offer will be accepted and we'll be moving very soon!

I'm gonna be turning in my two weeks notice tomorrow(happy birthday to me!) and starting the new job hunt. I've already applied for something in marketing/fundraising at St. Jude and I have a contact with Methodist Hospital and am probably going to apply for a Marketing job with corporate and then a fundraiding job with LeBonheur! So, keep your fingers crossed(and your ears/eyes open for any jobs open in the Covington/Brighton/Atoka/Millington/Memphis area for me AND mitzi!).

If the builder accepts the offer on the house, I'll put some pictures up. It's a 3 bed/2 bath new construction house in Brighton. It's on a half acre, has a hearth room and an expandable upstairs(that we could make into a 4th bedroom/3rd bath or a big game room or something if we want). Keep your fingers crossed on the house too... I'm pretty much in love with it.

So yeah... that's my update. I figured I should probably write about the life changing stuff. But I'm pumped about being NOT in Jackson(no offense to all of you still in J-town), being closer to some family (my grandparents in Ripley), and being closer to friend in Memphis(even though I'm still pretty anti-Memphis... I'll be in Tipton Co.... I can say that!)

Miss you all... ya'll all celebrate my birthday tomorrow and drink a beer for me! =P

So, the new car is a 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara Luxury Edition, silver with black leather interior... Cinda can attest, it's pretty freakin' sweet. I'm still excited about it. I hope the being excited about it lasts until say.... June when I can get the heck outta J-town!

I miss everyone... It's lonely in North Jackson!

I don't have much else to say right now. My litte and grandlittle are coming up to my apartment for some pizza for our extremely cheap family date =). It's exciting... I have friends!

Ok, THAT is all. hehe.

I got a new car yesterday... that is all =)

I suck at LJ. No really... I'm quite bad at it. At work(which is where I always updated when I worked at the law office) I feel like people hover over me all the time, which makes it impossible to get on here and vent about work =P.

Work is ok. They let me go everyday and they pay me every two weeks, so I can't complain too much!

Clay's in Tupelo for the week. Banking school stuff. I've been bored out of my mind. No one is really in Jackson, except everyone in school. But they've all got a million things going on.

Jayna came up and watched Gilmore Girls with me last night though. that was good. By the way, I'm a grandbig now... for the first time. I don't really know the girl though. Jayna's excited though, so that's what matters to me.

I don't know much else. Y'all come back to Jackson though... every once in awhile. I need friends!

The good news is... I officially have a job. I start as an Advertising Sales Assistant at The Jackson Sun on Monday morning around 8:15-ish. So, yay for me FINALLY getting a job!

The bad news is... the transmission in Clay's 2002 Acura 3.2 TL-S is slipping (we think). It was COMPLETELY rebuilt at 53,000 miles under a recall warranty. Unfortunately, it's got 106,000-ish miles on it now, so, even though it's Acura's fault that they made a shitty, shitty transmission, we are probably gonna have to get another rebuilt one or a new one. Which, either way, will probably cost us upwards of $4000. So, there goes the rest of my college fund that i was gonna use to pay off some of my student loans with. It's not his fault, it's just really shitty, cause it happened all at once. And it shouldn't. We should've felt it slipping a little bit at least over a few days. But I mean hell, I took the damn thing to get an oil change on WEDNESDAY, and THURSDAY, it starts slipping. So, I think the Honda dealership jacked something up. Hopefully it's just that they overfilled the trans. fluid. Also, the Honda dealership pisses me off, cause they are gonna charge us $78 just to pull the codes. We coulda gotten that done at AutoZone or Advanced for freakin' free... but the damn tranny is failing, so we could hardly make it up the bypass. Let me tell you, having to be in the left lane going 20 miles per hour on the bypass in J-town at 7:30 in the morning is NOT fun!

Enough ranting though. Hopefully it won't be as bad as we are thinking it might be. And, even though it would suck to have to spend that money market account money, at least we've got it and won't have to take out a small fortune in loans to fix the damn thing. All of that being said, after the fix, we may be going car shopping. Unfortunately, not for me. But, mine works, and it's paid for... two very important qualities in my book!

This weekend should be interesting. It's the big "Jim and Jade wedding" weekend. Which reminds me, Corinth, MS is a dry county, so.... I need to go to the liqour store tonight, cause there's no WAY I'm gonna get through an outdoor reception in Mississippi in August without that little pitstop! =)

Hope you are all doing well. Come be with me in Jackson everyone! It's more fun when you're here with me!

Holy crap, two entries in one day! =P

Today has been quite a turbulant ride... This morning, I got a call from the STAR center saying that I didn't get the job there =(. Many a tear was shed, I was upset, etc., etc... So, I decide that I'll stop by the old law firm where I worked Jr./Sr. year. They were very glad to see me(always a good feeling!)and said they'd try to get with me by the end of next week.

Well, wouldn't you know it, while I was in Michael's office talking everything over, I saw that the other place I had interviewed had called me. So, I called her back and she said.....
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That they thought they would be making me an offer for the job and that I just need to come in for drug testing stuff/paperwork tomorrow!

So, assuming that the pay is acceptable(which is odd that I still don't know what that is... I'll find out with the "official" job offer once they learn that I'm not a junkie and I don't have a criminal record, I maybe the newest employee of The Jackson Sun!

I'll still have to weigh my options of the law office and the Sun, but either way it looks like I have a job! YAY!

Is anyone in Jackson? I'm thinking I need to go out to dinner tonight... so, if you're in town and wanna do dinner, or want to come to town for dinner, you should call me.

So, today is the day. I'm supposed to find out about the job I actually want today. I just don't know. I mean, I know that I would be perfect for the job. I'm qualified and feel that I interviewed really well for the position. So, I'm completely confident in my abilities. It's just whether or not they see me that way.

I over analyze all of it, but I can't help it. I'm just so damn nervous. If this doesn't work out, I really am just gonna feel sorry for Clay because: 1) he's gonna have to spend alot of money on alcohol tonight and 2) he's NOT gonna wanna be around me(nor is anyone else) but he'll have to be. But, hopefully, we're not gonna have to deal with any of that.

Time is passing so damn slowly today. I went back to bed after Clay left for work, in hopes that I'd just sleep through alot of the day. But, I couldnt' sleep, laid there until 9:30 or so, and have watched tv since. And watched the rain.

This has to work out. I don't know what I'm gonna do if it doesn't...