Oy!

Hey All!
Welcome to another chapter of "What's Up with Tim???". So, the last couple weeks has definitely been a roller coaster of emotions. Just when I start to feel some relief, it seems like I'm put right back down again. Details to follow...

So, I really do like my job but in May I was told that as of June 4 I would no longer have a job (I am currently a temp employee and they were doing away with them) BUT I could apply for and possibly get the job. So I applied and so far they haven't let me go yet, almost 3 months later. It's a good thing... However, this week, they cut my hours to 25 which is causing me some anxiety because money is already pretty tight. I am just starting to get caught up on some bills and this was not good news. But not the end of the world...

Also, at that time, I applied for a job with Traveler's Insurance which was a very good fit for my skillset. Had two interviews and was very hopeful for getting the position. The time from my initial application until I was eventually informed I did not get the job, was about a month and a half. I just found out last week I didn't get it and was super bummed. I have heard great things about Travelers and know at least 4 people who work there who love it... Apparently there were over 300 applicants, and the human resources guy said that I did "very well" in the interview process, but there were only about 6-7 jobs. Bummer!

I got home on Thursday and received a letter from the state of WA, Unemployment office. It's the decision on my case that I had been waiting for. I had a phone hearing last week with a judge over in Seattle and I was looking forward to seeing the outcome. Unfortunately I was denied AGAIN. I'm only looking for a few weeks of payments and I quit my old job because I was making $1.60 per hour, not ANYWHERE near what I agreed to when I started there. So, I'm going to give it one last try, but man I was S-T-R-U-G-G-L-I-N-G on Thursday night and was like an hour late getting to Bible Talk (it was the outreach BBQ so I didn't miss too much), but as is always the case, I was very encouraged very quickly by the fellowship and all was okay with the world again...

So, I have still been feeling a little melancholy the past few days, but I have to admit, I have been taking great (probably too much) pleasure in an incident last night that when I am gut-level honest, really kind of MADE my week. Hopefully not at the expense of a brother.

Last night, we had an incredibly inspiring baptism (all are, but this one was a little bit extra special). Kevin Kuhn got baptized and it was such a great time. After that, we went to the park to have a short lesson and water balloon fight for Kat's birthday/going away party. I did not partake in the water balloon fight. After that, Bryce had a cupcake fight with a couple of the sisters and they all got it pretty good!! Bryce kind of picked the fight, smearing a cupcake in Taylor's and Lauren's faces. They definitely got him back, though.

So after the cupcake fight had ended, Bryce was signing Kat's birthday/going away card, it seemed to me that Bryce's war wounds were very lopsided, only on the left side of his face. Well, obviously I was very concerned about this as symmetry is very important in my book (actually it isn't but I just needed a good reason to smear a cupcake in his face too). So, he was writing in Kat's card and I told him he needed a cupcake on the other side of his face and (after removing the "cup", smashed it on his right cheek! So, then I took off running, knowing he would want to avenge his newly cupcaked face, so he came after me and since he's just a little bit faster than I am, I threw a camping chair in his path and made my getaway...

Now I had told Ryan to hide the rest of the cupcakes so that Bryce couldn't get to them. Apparently he just put them in the back seat of his car! D'oh! Oh well. So Bryce found them and grabbed a couple and came after me. We were standing face-to-face and he's got a cupcake in both hands (I am "unarmed.") After a couple seconds of "dancing" around each other, much like boxers might do in the ring, I grabbed the cupcakes out of his hand. The look on Bryce's face was SO hilarious. He went back and "reloaded" and got two more cupcakes and then it was ON (like Donkey Kong!). He did end up smearing me a little bit on both sides of my face on the jaw, and a little went down my shirt, but I got off pretty light!

A little later, I went to shake hands with Bryce as a peace offering and he actually looked a little bit scared! I just think he was surprised that I would do something like that. He said he was just not trusting of me at that moment, but we ended up doing a fist bump or something and all was good... Anyway, ever since last night, every time I think of the look on Bryce's face after I took the cupcakes, it makes me giggle. Thanks for being a good sport, Bryce, I REALLY did need the encouragement this week and got it in spades. I love ya tons, bro and I'm grateful for you!

So, anyway, that's been my week. I was sharing with someone yesterday that I just wanted some good news, that I was just getting tired of bad news all the time (or at least so it seemed). I'm fine but could definitely use some prayers about the job (hours, being offered the position full time, etc.) or even to find a new job. I would really like to get back into insurance at some point, so any prayers would be appreciated.

On another front, I have been feeling like I need a vacation. My last vacation was 11 months ago. I just want to go somewhere for a day or two, no phone, no TV, no internet and just spend some time with God. I don't want to have any agenda (other than reading and praying) and no household chores or anyone around to distract me, just God and I. Hopefully that will happen sooner than later...

On the subject of vacations, I have decided to start saving up for a trip to Germany. It's been nearly 18 years since I left there and I haven't been back since. I have reached a point where I will have dreams fairly frequently that I am in Germany. The last few have been particularly difficult because as I am IN the dream, I realize that I am not ACTUALLY in Germany, but that it's just another dream and I will actually break out in tears in the dream!! I am taking that as a sign that I need to go back to visit. I would like to go in December (if not this year, then hopefully next year) because when I go, I really want to visit the Christmas markets there. They are so wonderful and amazing that I would rather go that time of year than any other!

Because I really do not make enough money to put anything (of any significance) away into savings, I think I may have to sell some stuff and do some odd jobs around to pay for the trip. So, here I go, pray for me that I can do it. I am very hopeful and excited about this. THIS will also be a H-U-G-E incentive to lose weight (save $$ on food?) and just be discplined in more areas of my life...

As far as my weight is concerned, I have definitely gained a few pounds back. I really need to lay off the ice cream, that's my biggest downfall. But Fred Meyer has this "President's Choice" chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream that is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Haven't bought it in years and hope I won't for more years. :) Anyway, but I do really hope for weight loss and money to save so that I can do this trip.

Well, I think that's enough for now. I didn't realize I had so much on my heart, but I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter in my life. Talk to you again soon, thanks for stopping in to read!

Ahhhh.... Progress!!!

As most of you may have noticed, I usually post my blogs late at night and I'm a little bleary-eyed when I do it. Tonight is totally different because it's almost 90 degrees and I thought chilling (not literally) in the house might be better than going out and getting heat stroke. Call me crazy! At any rate, I have been very excited over the past couple weeks because I feel like I'm just starting to hit my stride on the original purpose behind this blog, even though the time between blog entries still is long... I'm excited about this post because I am almost to my lowest weight in two years. I have lost about 13 pounds to date! I am finally out of the 330's... My first goal is get out of the 300's forever. Still have a way yet to go, but am excited for the momentum!

So, as many of you may have seen from my recent posts on Facebook, I have started to play tennis. Mostly with Don C, but with others as well. I'm having such a great time playing and I can already tell a difference in my body. Funny story: After three games of tennis in 4 days last week and a couple weeks playing, I was concerned that my legs were feeling kind of funny. I sometimes get that thing the TV wants you to believe is some horrible malady, "Restless Legs Syndrome" (which is a crock if you ask me, but I digress) and was concerned I was getting it again. But it was then I realized the horrible malady I really had was.... muscles in my legs! I went from concern to celebration because I was actually starting to get strong legs from tennis!!!!

So, Don and I have agreed on rules for tennis for our "games".... The point of our games is to get the ball over the net. Period. We don't care how many times it bounces on either side of the net, but just to get that ball back to the other side. We also have our baseball rules... If you hit it over the fence behind the other player, it's a home run. If it bounces first and then goes out, it's a ground rule double... Wednesday I hit my first (tennis) hole-in-one. Let me explain... So, I hit a tennis home run, cleared the fence, crossed a semi-busy road, lightly hit Don's car, on the up-bounce and landed on his trunk, falling into the low spot at the rear of the trunk and held by his spoiler and sat there for some time until we finished our game. It was really quite stunning and we both had a good laugh, so I actually got a hole-in-one on my home run.... I was feeling very good about myself, I have to admit. Three different sports achievements in one hit. LOL!

So, there's one more rule we play and you'll just have to accept, because it makes no other sense than to make me feel better about just stinking at the game. So, you "win" by having all the balls in play (we usually use 3-6 balls) standing on your side of the net, usually because you couldn't get them over the net by bad hits or serves. I tend to "win" a lot in our games.... I love our special rules, tennis rules seem so stuffy... :P

I was meaning to mention earlier in this entry today that I am very grateful for a conversation that I had with my dad a few weeks ago. He reminded me that I have not been keeping up on the blog and was wondering when the next one would be. He then asked me about how my weight loss was going and suddenly a light went on in my head... DUH! The whole reason for the blog was to share the revolution that I wanted in my life and to share with the world my journey... So, thanks Dad for brining me back to the reason for doing this, it helped me get back on track after a few months!

Life has still been very busy lately. I finally got done with the roofing project, although there are a few minor details that I will still be taking care of. But the VAST majority of the work is done on the back of my house. I am so grateful it's done, hopefully now I can try to enjoy my summer a little more.

Well, I think that's about it for now. Thanks for following and I appreciate your interest in "what's up with Tim". As Bart Simpson says, "Smell ya later!"