Busy crazy life

Hey All! Thanks for checking in. I'm sure you all could say the same of me. :) Where has the last four months gone??? I really love blogging, but life has sure been busy lately. I have not had a lot of energy left over to do things like this... HOWEVER, I am still committed to this blog and am thankful that you are following me! So I'll start where I left off in December.... At that time, I was having an interview with ACS, the company that Red Lion Hotels outsourced (locally!) to handle their reservations. I was hired (yay!) and have really enjoyed the job. I went to training starting Jan. 17 and was very sick with the crud that's been going around, and like many others, it took a very long time to get rid of. I finally went to the doctor and the antibiotics finally seems to have taken care of it. I had been sick with that crud for two months and was so miserable. I am grateful to be healthy again!!! Anyway, I'm loving the job and the people I work with. The company is great and I have been able to make use of the hotel once (for free even!). I am very impressed with Red Lion Hotels and this coming weekend I get to try another hotel, in Pasco. I'm very excited! So the job has been great and I've been happy. My schedule has been a little crazy, but I'm very grateful they have been able to work around my church schedule. They have been great! The people are amazing and it has been a good experience. My only real struggle there is the pay. They DO have a great incentive program, so the better you do, the more you can earn. Unfortunately, I am earning about $4 less per hour than I was making on unemployment. It was more important for me to work for my money than to be on the dole in a challenging time for our state's budget shortfalls. I hate to say it, but I am still looking for work so that I can make enough money to pay my bills. I have never been past due on any bills until the past year and that has been a tough pill to swallow. One of my two roommates moved out and has made my finances a real challenge. I am grateful to work, truly. Unfortunately I really need to try to make it financially... I am considering applying for food stamps as well. I never thought I would have to resort to that, but reality is reality. As much as I don't want to be on the dole, I am earning just over half my former salary and I need to feed myself and Wolfi... All in all, I am still very happy and enjoying life, and trying to learn how to live on what I do earn. The past year and a half has been challenging, but I feel like God is teaching me to really trust him and to rely on him and not on myself and my talents (which HE gave me anyway)! So, on a brighter note, I am very excited to say that I am officially a business owner! I haven't sold anything yet, but that's okay... I just started it about a week and a half ago but am very excited to be a representative of market america. A friend introduced me to a product last year that has had an amazing effect on my stomach. I had a lot of reflux and was in a LOT of pain and this is an aloe product you take internally that is really incredible. I am also trying other products and can feel more energy and vitality! They have lots of avenues to get discounts on products for myself and others and the health products are the best on the market. Back in September I purchased a 1987 Toyota Corolla Hatchback, FX-16. It's a sports model of the Corolla and is such a cool and fast little car. After I bought the car I realized I really couldn't afford it with my salary so I decided to sell it after doing some things to fix it up. I decided to post it on eBay and sold it for $500 more than I bought it for. It sold before the auction was up and the buyer flew in from Massachusetts and drove it home. Due to the windshield being badly scratched, I replaced it so they would be able to drive it back safely. I picked up the buyer and definitely felt like I made a new friend. He and his girlfriend were really cool. They took off and I mentioned to them that the only concern I had with the car was that the heater wasn't working very well and didn't know if it would be an issue. Well, I regret to report that it apparently was a problem... The car overheated in Montana, but he was able to patch it and still get it home (how, I'm not sure, but that's AMAZING!). I felt terrible about it, because it had never overheated on me. I don't drive a car that I don't trust and I certainly would have never let him drive it across country if I felt it was an issue. I just felt terrible about it. Life has definitely been challenging lately but I am convinced that God still has everything firmly in control. He sees my suffering and will bless me and I believe he will not give me more than I could handle. I could use some good news soon, so please God, hear my wish! I have found a couple jobs that I have applied for recently, including a job with Spokane County as a Liability Claims adjuster. It sounds extremely interesting and challenging. I love my current job, but it's not really pushing me very much. This job would be fun and I would learn a lot, but be able to use a lot of years of experience in claims handling to be successful in it. Prayers would be greatly appreciated! I have also been paid a GREAT honor by one of my very best friends, Lionel. He and Autumn are getting married next month and he has asked me to be his best man. I am so humbled and honored that he asked me. I'm so grateful for him! He asked me to help him pick out some songs for his reception because he wants an "80's Dance Party" for after the wedding. We spent some time Thursday night listening to all these great 80's songs and now I can hardly wait for it. The songs are danceable and many are very meaningful as well. It's going to be soooo much fun! I've never been a best man either, so I'm a little intimidated. I hope they're encouraged! Well, there are a lot of other things I could discuss so I may have to do another update soon. Anyway, I wish everyone a great week! Thanks for checking in on what's up with Tim!