Well, I told my parents last night I was applying at Starbucks at the Florida Mall. They say the mall is too far away, but I really don't care. I wanna work at the mall, and actually have a life! And somebody told me that Starbuck's usually pays pretty well for entry-level positions. I doubt that Starbucks is the only good-pay place at the Florida Mall, so anywhere inside there is probably a good bet. And it's someplace that I actually want to work--not just convenient because it's a mile or two from home. I'm sick of having to find someplace closer to my house; I'm either not happy at those places, or not making enough money. I'm still going to apply at the mall, I don't care if the rest of my family thinks it's too far. Lynx exists for a reason, you know? I looked online this morning and it appears that taking the 26 from my house to Osceola Square Mall, and then transferring to the number 4 bus will get me up to the Florida Mall, which is my destination. Still going to take a day to figure out the length of time it'll actually take to get there. Also, I'm going to look into getting a bus pass when I get a job up there.

7 days left until my 20th birthday!! Yay! My parents asked what I wanted and where I wanted to go next week, but I haven't decided. I know I want the two seasons of Friends that I'm missing (Seasons 7 and 8.), along with Beverly Mitchell's new CD, Beverley Mitchell. Other than that, I'm really game for whatever. A laptop would be cool!! I also asked for a webcam, since Ed asks about every other week if I've gotten one yet. As for where to go, I have no idea. My usual favorite is Fazoli's, but it's so inexpensive and my birthday is the one day I can say whatever restaurant, and regardless of the expense, we go there. I was thinking Olive Garden, but I like Macaroni Grill too. I just don't want anybody singing to me, and I'm pretty sure they do that at both of those places. (MG for sure; heard them singing to someone else just last week! OG seems like a place that would do the same..) I wanna go somewhere different though, someplace new, and I have no idea. I'll probably think more about it this afternoon during my walk.

Yeah. I'm going to start walking, and eating a little healthier from now on. I haven't had soda in a couple days! Also bought Shape magazine at Walden's while we were out last night for Joe's birthday; it's probably my favorite of the health/fitness magazines because it's got the health/fitness articles, but it's also got a little bit of the fashion side as well.

I think that's all I've got to say for now, so I'll end with that. Pray that I get a job at the Florida Mall, that Ed is kept safe from harm and does well on his next PT test, and that I get accepted in to Trinity College for the fall! (Somebody remind me on Sunday to turn in my Pastoral/Spiritual Reference form to Pastor Karl or his wife, please!)

Love, Laura

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Wow. I haven't blogged on here in almost two weeks. Sorry, I've been busy trying to catch up on schoolwork (unsuccessfully). And I've got a major paper due tonight that I am having a really hard time finishing. Can you start a paragraph with the word 'Which', or is that bad grammar??
I actually don't care. I probably should, but I don't. My grandma passed away the other night on Saturday and I can't stop think about her. Mostly about how she's not going to be at my wedding, which is something I really wanted. Yeah, she'll be there in spirit. But it's not the same. I can't even imagine my wedding day anymore, even though I still want to get married. I don't know. I just feel like I've lost control over everything. Emily wants me to use fake flowers at my wedding; I think fake flowers are ugly. She wants me to get my hair done by someone she knows cause it'll be free; I don't care about the money when it comes to my hair, I want to be able to trust the person doing my hair. I can't trust someone I don't know; Cindy, the girls who's been cutting my hair since I was nine will be doing my hair. I don't want the same photographer that Eric and Xiomara had at their wedding; I know plenty of photographer who can take way better pics. My dress? It's going to look good. Trust me. Just stop telling me how to plan my own wedding! It's my wedding, what I want I'm gonna get. Well, as long as Ed's okay with the decisions. It is his wedding too, isn't it?
Which reminds me, I finally got an address to mail him care packages and things! As soon as UPS drops off my MilKit...it's been 10 days; you said 7-10 days for delivery. I'm gonna complain if it's not delivered today. Actually, I shouldn't count the weekends, but still. He mailed me something within the last month (don't know what..and he won't tell..), I want to mail him something too! Aye.
I'm gonna go try and finish my paper now..wish me luck! (I need an 'A' in this course!)

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Well, we went up to the Florida Mall on Saturday so Kaiti could get Kevin's Valentine's Day gift. I tried to get a job while that was being done, but my sister wasn't having it. I got a ton of applications, but I was only able to fill out one in person. . And that's only because they don't let applicants out the door with a blank application. The person from Human Resources, or the hiring manager wasn't in the store that day to look over the application, so I've got to call them back on Tuesday at 2:00 or 2:30. I also have applications from Starbucks (I haven't returned that one yet because I still have to answer the three open-ended questions.), The Body Shop, bebe, Charlotte Russe, Papaya, and Claire's (Haven't returned that one yet either, cause I got lost and couldn't find the store while we were there, lol.) Please pray that I get one of the job opportunities!

On Saturday night, I was able to go over to Esther's and participate in The Truth Project that Josiah is leading. And hang out with Esther. The Truth Project is really interesting, I missed the first video last week though. We're trying to set up some time this week so that I (and the few others who also missed the video) can go over and make that up, but we're pretty much hitting dead ends. I think Weds was good for everyone, until I remembered I'm going out to dinner for my birthday. How I forgot that is beyond me! Please pray that we can get that worked out in our small group, and that it continues to be amazing and allow each one of us to grow spiritually in Christ.

Also, I got all my references turned in for the application to Trinity College. Esther has said she returned hers to that admissions office, and I handed off the Church Reference Form to Pastor Karl. No doubt he'll get that done in a timely manner. As for the second Personal Reference, I had Sydney fill out that form; it's just got to be sent in to the right people. I found most of my outline for the testimony I have to write for the application; it's just missing one section, but I think I may be able to outline it again. Pray that I am able to do so!

Oh, and one last note: I had a tiny bit of Pepsi with dinner last night. I didn't drink much of it though, about 4 or 5 sips. I think I've gone without soda long enough to not crave it as much as I do water. That's kind of cool! I think it was mostly the caffeine shock that I didn't particularly care for in the Pepsi, but I can't be sure. I know for my birthday, I was planning have a soda with dinner, but after last night, I'm not sure now. I may just go with water, who knows?

Ok, so that's not the last and final thing I've got to say..sorry! I decided where I'm going for my birthday: Olive Garden! Xiomara says they sing for birthdays, but I'm going to tell them not to sing. I kind of feel that singing for anybody's birthday is really only appropriate in a large party setting with all of your friends and family, not just a family dinner out to a nice restaraunt. Pary for that as well!

Now, that really is all I've got to say for now so..God Bless! Love, Laura

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You know what I've recently developed an obsession for? Watching old episodes of 'Are You Afraid of the Dark?' online. I miss that show so much; Snick was awesome! I miss my All That with Lori Beth, Kenan, Josh, Kourtney, Alicia, Kel, etc. I miss Kenan & Kel, it was so much funnier than Drake & Josh. Salute Your Shorts, Pete & Pete, Clarissa Explains It All, etc. Man, TV has gones downhill. Woah---wait. Do these kinds of feelings mean I'm getting old?!? .

So anyways...I have seen quite a few of them by now. Or, rather, re-watched a bunch of old episodes, like 'The Tale of the Doll Maker'. (That's the one I'm watching now, actually.) Some of the ones that scared me as a 7-Yr. Old child I'm finding are rather mediocare in the scare aspect. To a 7-Yr. Old child, it's spooky as hell, but to a 20-Yr. old, they're not so scary. A few I still refuse to watch though; the vampire episodes come to mind. Some of the episodes though are still able to give me nightmares after all these years. Not many, but they're spooky enough. I can't believe they actually aired some of these episodes..Anyone else miss the old Nickelodean shows I mentioned earlier? Snick was way better than Nick's Teen Nick they've got now, too. Ah, memory lane...

Went over to Emily's yesterday. That was fun; we went up to Kohl's so that Emily could return/exchange a few dresses for Elisa. We also both applied for jobs up there since they're hiring right now. After Kohl's, we went to Wal-Mart so she could get a few items, though she ended up with a cart full of stuff. When she found her card wasn't in her purse, we had to go back and get it from the house. We picked up Elisa while we were doing that; luckily Wal-Mart didn't put the items all back. Elisa wasn't feeling too good, poor thing. . After Wal-Mart, we picked up Elexis and her friend Sasha as they were walking home from school. Apparently there was a drug bust at Discovery when two girls passed out from getting stoned. 11,12,13 Yr Olds getting stoned? . What is the world coming to? That's an interesting piece of gossip Elexis and Sasha shared in the car trip home.

Once home, or at their house, we put away the groceries, and made some sandwiches for dinner. Well, it was my dinner anyway, I didn't anything else after that sandwich. I watched an episode of Reba and then Elexis turned on Legally Blonde with Reese Witherspoon which I hadn't seen in forever. I never realized it before, but there are a lot of inappropriate scenes in that movie that I felt were unnecessary. Mostly the language used in certain scenes, and a 6-Yr. Old doesn't need to know what they mean. After Legally Blonde, Elexis kept flipping through different movies and shows they had recorded before she finally turned it off so Erica could work on her essay for World History.

Emily also gave me some pictures that we had taken back in January while Ed was here on R&R. They came out really nice; I put a few in my wallet and the others I'm going to get framed and put in my room. She also gave me a map of the Lynx Bus System that Eddie got for me. (Thank You! .)

I got home around 8:30, and watched some Friends on DVD before going to bed. I got up around 1:30 to get online and maybe talk to Ed, but apparently he'd already gotten on and off the computer by the time I got online. I keep missing him lately... I'm hoping to get to the bank today and deposit my tax refund that I got yesterday, and maybe buy myself a new jacket since the one I have no doesn't keep me warm when I'm cold.

Oh, and I found out something I find a little funny. My brother broke his foot! Nobody really knows how though; his foot has been bothering him for about a week now and they finally got it x-rayed at the doctors yesterday. It's broken; that's why it's bothering him! Now he's got to wear this gray boot-like cast thingy mahjig that he hates. What do I find so funny about it? Well, I've gone 20 years without breaking a single bone! And my little brother didn't! So, it's a little mean, but I can't really help it. I feel for him though, I hope it gets better real soon. It's still funny though. The closest I've come to breaking anything is a sprain. Did that falling down the stairs up in the Smokies. Man, I miss the mountains now too..I miss a lot of things right now..

Back to watching more episode of AYAOTD?!! .

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These past couple of days have been interesting. Went home on Wednesday evening, after stopping at Chili's for some dinner, although I'd already eaten what the school served for dinner that night (individual pizzas and curly fries). I just got some fried cheese sticks, which are awesome! I love those things. I got home around 8-9 pm, and I wasn't even home five minutes before getting annoyed at Joseph. Sometimes I feel it is his goal and mission in life to annoy his older sisters...grr! His fall break from school isn't until next week, so I didn't see much of him after that, and I'm kind of thankful for that. I love my stupid brother, but he's more annoying than friendly. At least towards me.

I didn't really do much on Thursday and Friday, although I did get to play Sims 2 and download ALL of my music onto my MP3 player. 783 tracks...yes, I am a music addict. I'll admit it--I absolutely love music. I also got to go out to eat on Friday and Saturday to a couple of my favorite restaurants, Fazoli's and Olive Garden. I still say Fazoli's has better Italian cuisine than Olive Garden, and it's cheaper! Oh, and funny story about something that happened at Fazoli's--some guy tried to take my food. Off the tray. Seriously! The guy was confused and thought that my baked ziti was actually part of his order and took it off the tray and started to walk back to his table. HELLO. The guy realized his mistake not two steps back from the counter, and returned the dish, but still. I just stood there stunned as he tried to steal my food. I was offered a new plate, but he didn't actually do anything to the food (I had my eyes on him the entire time).

I saw the last half of Final Destination 2 on Saturday. It looks like an interesting movie, although I haven't gotten through more than the first half hour of Final Destination nor seen the first half of FD 2. I would like to see both of those movies in completion though. (Oh, and Kenan & Kel came on Friday night. I was so happy to get to see that again!) I figure I'll have an opportunity to rent both of those sometime in the near future, so I'm not too upset about having missed the ending of one, and the beginning of the other.

I decided to visit two different churches on Sunday. First United Methodist Church (FUMC) was the first one I attended. I used to work at that church as a babysitter in the nursery in high school, although I never actually attended the services on Sunday morning. It was a good service; they're actually one of the few churches back home that use hymnals. It reminded me a lot of Charlie's church, just a little bigger. I was mostly interested in possibly getting to see the kids I used to babysit, which I didn't realy get to do. I saw two, and third who looked a lot like Maddie, but I can't be certain that it was her. I also got to talk to Dwight for a few minutes, which was awesome.

The service at Cornerstone has changed so much since I last attended a service there. It's a good change though, I kind of like the new format that they are using now to spread the message. Speaking of which, Sunday mornings service was about sex..and the emotional/mental aftermath of having pre-marital sex. It was interesting to say the least. There's more I want to say on this particular topic, but I'll save it for the two people I trust most in this world.

I also saw the Ten Commandment with Esther and Charlie on Sunday night. It was pretty good, although it did leave a few things out. I enjoyed it all the same though. I've also come to realize that I'm starting to trust my new friends here at Trinity a lot quicker than I used to trust people I just met at school or work. I think that's good for me, though.

Come Monday morning, I find that my roommate, Jesse, is engaged to her boyfriend, WIll. And the wedding is set for someime in December. I have very mixed emotions about this, and again need to talk to the two I trust most in this world, Ed and Esther. I'm happy for Jesse, I really am, but I just got out of an engagement and am still trying to get over it. It also seems a bit rushed to be getting married in December when they just got back together. (They were broken up about two weeks ago...)

This is certainly a lot more than I bargained for when I decided to go to college...

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