THE FULL MOON HAS PASSED.............

...........hence, the reason why all hell literally broke loose last week.  But everything is back to normal now.  The landlord went downtown to check the neighbor's criminal record (something he should have done long before moving the man in here!), and found out for himself that all I knew, and even more (God, help us!) were true.  Needless to say, he will not be living here anymore. 

The kids have calmed down, too.  They were cutting up long before "the incident" happened.  But Matt and I finally managed to straighten them out.  This past Friday, I had taken them, and one of their friends, out for dinner.  Four giggling girls made for good, clean fun!  Matthew and I had our date night Saturday.  It was a fun weekend, but I am beginning to tire of these weekends.  Lately, I've noticed that I haven't been getting very much accomplished (laundry, shopping, appointments, etc.), because once the weekend rolls around, everyone has only one thing on their minds: having FUN, and lots of it!  That's fine and dandy, but the important things still have to be done, too.  My weekdays were where I could do all of my family and household business with little or no interference.  I have been going to bed early so that I can have the energy to run a few errands in the mornings before heading to work.  Even with more sleep, I still feel like I am burning a candle at both ends, you know? 

We also returned to the subdivision where we are interested in moving, and put our deposit down for one of the available units.  The units we saw the week before are taken, but the ladies showed us one that will be available by the time that we are ready to move (probably next month).  It is the biggest floor plan that they have available for the price, and the only unit with a walk-in closet in the master bedroom!  This home looks more like an actual house, with plenty of yard space.  Matthew liked the previous one with the open floor plan, but agreed that this duplex has way more room.  The bedrooms are bigger, too, and the garage is detached from the unit.  We're just waiting forthem to call us and let us know if we have been approved.  Everything requires a background check and a credit check these days, sheesh!  But I have been PRAYING, and hoping that they will consider the fact that I have been working on my credit, with wonderful results, and Matt's solid credit history.  Between the two of us, one of us should be accepted! LOL 

If we move there, we'll have to buy a refrigerator, a dryer, and furniture for the girls' rooms.  We've just been looking so far; we're not going to make any purchases until we have been accepted. 

The neighborhood will be like living in the country; it seems so quiet and peaceful.  I never thought in a million years that I, an urbanite for life, would dare consider living in an area like that.  But I see what urban life has the potential to do to my kids, and let's face it, my kids aren't ME.  I survived urban life because I HAD to; I had no other choice.  My children have, and deserve, better options for their lives, and Matthew and I both work hard to provide for them.  I don't see the point in putting the girls through what I went through as a child.  There's no need for that; there are no mystical "life lessons" to learn; only fear, plenty of despair, and hopelessness.  I want them to enjoy their childhood, to enjoy being kids.  I want them to have hope for a better tomorrow.  It took a miraculous miracle from God to break me out of that hopeless mindset.  I don't want them growing up with troubles like that on their little minds.  Life is hard enough without adding unnecessary stress and danger to it.

My trainer is a handful!  I chose her because she seemed like she was a very knowledgeable person.  She is, but my goodness, I had no idea of how fussy and argumentative she is!  What the heck is she trying to prove, anyway? LOL  And to whom?  It stands the reason for a woman that young to be so caustic.  I guess being one of the best isn't enough these days; everyone wants to be THE BEST, and will try to sabotage anyone that gets in their way!  I am just trying to make my transition as seamless as possible.  I glean from her what is important, and disregard all of the unimportant stuff.  I do not intend to let little petty things ruin my workday.  That's my rule that I follow with a passion.  

As far as the workload goes, it seems that the higher you go, the less work you do.  And I see that the across-the-board city pay raise plus my promotional raise gave me the salary I desired; actually, it's about $900 more than I asked for.  What had taken me seven long years to accomplish in New Orleans as a police dispatcher took less than two years here, and for much less work.  God is so good to me! 

Adrian        

 

**UPDATE**

WE'RE IN!!!!!!

WE'RE IN, WE'RE IN, WE'RE IN!!!!!!!!!!

I've just received the call from the subdivision!!!!!!  Oh, Lord, I'm crying right now........I am so happy!  I'll have to take pictures of our new home.....what a blessing!!!!!

A SEX OFFENDER IN OUR MIDST

Last night, my neighbor, a registered sex offender, was caught masturbating while peering through my living room window, watching Nicolette.  Nicolette was innocently sitting on the sofa, watching cartoons, totally unaware of what was going on outside.

My neighbors let me know what was going on.  I didn't even know that he was on the side of my house.  2 of my neighbors were returning home last night and saw him on the side of mine and my neighbor's house.  I don't even know how long he's been there.  I don't know how long he has been doing this.  I don't even want to consider the fact that he may have been watching ALL of us.

I woke Matthew up and told him what was going on.  Matthew went outside while I called the police.  I am grateful for my neighbors, because usually they scatter when the police come around, but they all gave their version of the story to the officers.  I am grateful for Matthew's friend, Jerold, because when my neighbor had gotten dressed to try and leave before the police came, Matthew put his tennis shoes and sweat pants on, called Jerold, and he came right over to help support my husband.

To make a long story short, they had taken him away.  I already knew that he was a registered sex offender, because his name and picture is posted on the Family Watchdog Site (which is also listed under My Favorite Links).  But I didn't want to treat him like a villain, or cause others to.  I'm like this:  we all have done things in our pasts that we'd like to forget, and everyone deserves a chance to redeem themselves.  Up until this point, he never bothered us, so as long as he kept his distance, we left him alone.  He does have a sexual problem, though.  Sexual addiction is like any other addiction (drugs, alcohol,name your demon here), when, if not treated, can consume you.  Women, young and old, would come in and out of his house at all hours.  He has two lesbian nieces, who he paid to act as subjects for his voyeurism ( I just found this out today).  But anyone who knows a sex addict, especially a pedophile, knows that all of the sex in the world won't satisfy their urges; what they desire are pure, innocent, untouched children.  This is where Nicolette, and possibly my other two girls, came in.  

But he made his mistake there.  He also made his mistake by underestimating me.  Many people make the mistake of taking my kindness for weakness.  But underneath all of this cordiality is a VERY INFORMED individual.  I MUST STAY informed for the sake of my children.  And this is a scripture that I follow with a passion:

Matthew 5:43-49 (The Message)

 43-47"You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

 48"In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."

I cannot be everywhere that my children are, but God is.  And if we desire to obey Him, regardless of how much it hurts us, He will look out for and care for His children, and all who are under their care.  And He'll use ANYONE to do it.  I don't make a habit of disrespecting anyone, or treating others with contempt, because I don't know WHO God will use to bless us, or look out for us, or who he'll place in my path for ME to bless.  And if I am making a commitment to live right before God, believe me, He'll deal with anyone who persecutes us for no cause. 

If any parent is reading this, I urge you to get informed, and STAY informed.  Don't stick your head in the sand.  For the sake of your children, be in the know.  Be wise as a serpent, yet gentle as a dove.  Because when it becomes necessary for the serpent in you to strike, you will have plenty of venom (information) with which to defend yourself and your loved ones.

Adrian         

 

         

SO FAR, SO GOOD

Well, I am into my second week of training, and so far, so good.  I always take good notes, and read over them nightly, so most of the information is being committed to memory.  The only thing that I have to work on is remembering who to call for what, and what goes where.  I am getting used to handling different kinds of calls.  There are some issues that come up which require more detail, but I have six months to learn it all.  Well, Rome wasn't built in a day!

Matthew and I have been looking for new housing this weekend!  We found a BEAUTIFUL residential community that looks just like a suburban subdivision!  It's not an apartment, but more like a house.  The rent is decent, but we will have to pay for our own water and utilities.  The rooms are spacious, and there is a park RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COMPLEX!  The unit we looked at has more than enough storage space ( a 1-car garage is included, along with a closet in each room, plus a utility closet).  I just cannot believe how beautiful and peaceful the neighborhood is!  I knew that we had to move, but I didn't expect to find anything like this!  It would be a great environment for the kids to grow, play, and ride their bikes!  The only thing is that Matthew had his heart set on a single unit (a house), which they have, but they cost slightly more.  We will have to sit down and find out if we can afford the place.  I'll keep you posted. 

My mom fell in her kitchen this morning.  It had taken her 2 hours to get up and into her bed in her room in the back of the house.  I keep calling her, and she is assuring me that she is fine.  She has to go to the doctor tomorrow, and told me that if she is feeling really bad, she will check herself in to the emergency room.

As my mom gets older, it is becoming more difficult for her to get around.  Her health is fine, but because she is so heavy and her legs are so bad, it is tougher for her to walk and do simple things.  I realize that in the very near future, my mom will have to be constantly cared for.  This poses a problem, because I don't know what to do.  I have considered letting her move in with us, but for my husband, that is out of the question.  In a way, I don't blame him.  My mom is a very difficult person to live with, and it just wouldn't be fair to the kids.  I have also thought about moving her in to an apartment close to where we may be moving.  The residential community that we are looking at has several apartment complexes within walking distance, and with reasonable rent.  There's also the possibility that she can move back to New Orleans.  Her friends and my brother want her to do that, but she wants to stay here.  Like I said, it is a LOT to think about, but with all things, I put it in the hands of the Lord, and I know that He will show us the best way.

A co-worker of mine had taken a picture of me without my permission, and showed it to either some friends of hers or some family members.  Someone told her that I looked like a gorilla.  That person also said that they wouldn't be seen with me, and I wouldn't be able to go anywhere behind them. 

Ouch.  I know that I am not the most attractive person in the world (but, a GORILLA? LOL ), but for some reason, this aggravated me.  I cannot recall doing anything to this woman that would warrant such a vicious attack.  I have tried to be nothing but friendly and helpful to her (she is one of the SENIORS that I had to re-train!)  Her personality leaves much to be desired, but I have always tried to treat her with respect, and like a human being should be treated.  She always complains about white folks calling black people "black monkeys," and hating when that happens (especially when they call her sons this), but yet she calls me, one of her OWN, a gorrila!  I tell you, as long as I have lived, I have NEVER heard a white person call me the "N" word (PC term), a monkey, or any derogatory name.  I guess that's because when they look at me, they don't see that.  I don't carry myself like an animal.  Now, I am sure that some would have liked to call me those names (and from what I have heard, I may experience that here in Texas), but it's never happened.  But from myown people, I've been called all kinds of things, and then some.  My attitude has always been that it isn't necessarily white people that you have to worry about, but "YOUR OWN" people.  

She doesn't know that I know about this.  I don't know if I should confront her, or let the foolishness go.  The next time she tries to talk to me, I'd like to tell her "what do you think you look like, talking to an animal?" LOL  

Adrian

   

FIRST DAY OF TRAINING

To explain how I am feeling right about now, I guess I'd have to start from yesterday. I had to take my car to Car Max early yesterday morning, after dropping off the kids, to fix a leak under the hood (they found it; it was a loose gasket). They replaced the gasket and changed the oil free of charge, even though my 30-day warranty expired with them on the 8th. Since they extended the terms for me as a courtesy, they couldn't provide me with a "loaner" vehicle, so I had to wait until they were done with my car. That meant that I actually had to WALK to the mall, and to a restaurant for lunch while I waited! Those years at Wal-Mart definitely paid off in this case. I am still physically fit enough to walk long distances!

After getting the car back, I had to rush to the school to pick Nicolette up, took a short nap, then picked up the little ones from the after-school program. Then, I had to go to south Houston to run some errands for my mom. I didn't return home until about 12 AM!

At work today, I had to set up a new e-mail account for all of my new contacts, go over basic dispatch protocol, and had taken a TWO HOUR tour (on FOOT) of some airport terminals to get a visual on what our airport personnel and contractors handle and don't handle (thank God I wore comfy shoes today! LOL). I also learned why some aircraft are assigned to certain gates based on size, because that can be an issue if two large planes are parked too close to each other; they can clip each other's wings! I had taken a lot of notes, and my trainer also printed up some information sheets for me. After typing this, I am going to go and study a little bit. It always helps if I read things, so that the information gets into my head, you know? This job is all about how well we keep records, how well we pay attention, and how knowledgeable we are about our job, and the airport. If a person doesn't know anything, or is too lazy to find stuff out, it is possible to make oneself a target for abuse and disrespect, at all levels. Knowledge is POWER, and I plan to learn as much as I can.

I will be "shadowing" my trainer starting Saturday. Instead of my being off every Tuesday and Wednesday and she Friday and Saturday, I will be off the same days she is. Not only will that ensure that my training is consistent, but who doesn't want a few months or so to spend with hubby and the kiddies on the weekends? Plus, my sups won't have to use me to train the newbies. They'll just have to use the operators that are left. I will return to my Tuesday-Wednesday after training, though, which is what I want. I will be off this Saturday, and work from Sunday until Friday.

As far as my salary goes, I am making about the same amount I would have if I worked an extra day of overtime each pay period as an operator. However, all city employees just received a 3% raise, plus an increase in shift differential pay. My next check will be slightly higher because of this. I am grateful for anything I can get, you know? There are many people who can't say that they can pay their bills, so I know that I am blessed.

I know that I am rambling now, but I am completely EXHAUSTED. One more day to go, and I'll be off!

Adrian

A GLIMMER OF HOPE?

Brazil's Big Oil Find

In November, Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobas announced the largest oil discovery worldwide since 2000. Though the country is already a self-sufficient oil producer, the new Tupi field — located off the eastern coast of South America, beneath a crust of salt a mile thick in some places—could turn Brazil into a major exporter to rival Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Brazil wasted no time in protecting the area that is expected to produce as much as 8 billion barrels of light crude oil. The day after the Petrobas announcement, the government withdrew 41 exploration blocks in the Tupi region from an auction for private companies.

From “Time Magazine’s Top 10 Underreported Stories of 2007”