Randomness...

Please excuse the randomness but this will be an uber random/long post.

Three nights ago I was getting ready for bed and I took Reese out to potty one last time before we went to bed. Reese, much like her mother, has the attention span of a gnat, and when she sees something she is easily distracted from the task at hand. On the way inside Reese started growling and barking at my patio. I turned and noticed a shadow, which I then realized was a black cat. Knowing that Reese thinks she's much tougher than she actually is, I quickly dragged her inside and closed the door. I have never seen a cat running around and I've lived here for over a year so this was kind of weird. I looked out my blinds on the patio and the cat was gone so I looked out my front window at my door and she was sitting on the front porch. This particular night it was super cold outside. I put Reese in her cage and went outside to see the cat. Now...let me interject a few points before I continue. I have owned three cats in my life. Once as a child and two on my own will as an adult. All three cats were loving...not like a good majority of cats that are stuck up and snobby (non-cat people know what I'm talking about). However, sometime in my old age I became allergic to animals...both dogs and cats...however cats wreak much more havoc on my allergies than dogs because it's actually the saliva (yes, I've done my research) that causes the allergies and cats are constantly licking themselves. So needless to say, with the allergies came a dislike for cats. Well that and I also in my old age began not liking animals that shed. Luckily for me, Reese is a single layer fur dog and she never sheds...ever. I digress. I went outside and this was the prettiest cat ever. I literally FELL in love. She (I am calling her a she although I'm not sure of the sex) was all black with these yellowish eyes. I actually sat on my sidewalk in my t-shirt and sweats and couldn't stop petting her...and I never pet cats because if I do there goes the eyes and nose. She just purred and purred like she was in Heaven. And she'd circle around my back and rub her head on my leg. I got up and walked to the front of my building. The precious cat followed right at my feet. I was kind of hoping it would get some sixth sense and realize where it's home was...but no such luck. Kitty followed me all the way back to my apartment...not missing a beat. If all cats were like this cat (personality wise) I would love them all...despite my allergies. I felt horrible because I wasn't sure what to do with Kitty. I had no litter box and couldn't bring her in because Reese would flip her lid...so I left her outside and quickly came in to call Casey...my farmer-esq boyfriend. Casey said that whatever I do...don't feed the cat otherwise I will be the proud owner of a cat and dog. I asked if I could go back out and pet the cat some more and he said that was fine...just no food. When I went back outside...the cat was gone. :( That was a long story for nothing.

So I have decided (feel free to steal my idea...i have yet to copyright it) to start what I'm calling a "new months resolution". Each month I am going to make a resolution to make a change in my life. November's resolution is to TRY to stop worrying about things that I can not control. I can thank the two marketing girls at work for this. These two girls, both in their early twenties are fairly new. Their job description says that they are to work 45 hours. Well unfortunately for me I sit next to a window so I see when everyone comes and goes. They should be coming in at 9 and leaving at 6...plus working events. Instead they come in at 9:15-9:30 and leave at 5:00-5:30...and take an hour lunch. Now I'm sorry...but how is that not supposed to be frustrating?? This has bothered me (obviously) a long time...then yesterday I decided I was done keeping tabs. They're not my responsibility so I'm not going to worry about it. I can't control it. And what good is going home mad every day and then dwelling on it all night?? So my resolution is to only worry about the things I can change and not worry about the things I can't. December's resolution is to stop complaining. Not sure what January will hold for me. I'll keep you apprised of how this is going for me.

A few weeks ago I started listening to Christmas music at work. I never realized that it's virtually impossible to be in a bad mood when you're listening to Christmas music. Granted anyone that walked by my desk would harass me for getting into the Christmas spirit before Halloween but as far as I was concerned, if they didn't like it, the world was a pretty big place and they could find someplace else to go. This has also led me to the decision that I am going to make this the best Christmas ever. I am not going to stress this year about getting the right presents. I'm not going to stress about going to the mall. I'm simply going to take the time to enjoy the season. I'm going to take the time to reflect on what Christmas is about. I'm going to give to charity, and give to every bell ringer I see...even if it is just a nickel or two. After all...doesn't it feel better to give than receive? I think we have all lost sight of what the true meaning of Christmas is about. It's about love...not about who got the newest version of an IPod. It's about giving...not about getting. I can honestly say that this is the first year I could actually come up with a laundry list of things I'd like for Christmas, but that being said...I'd really just like a new camera (because taking pictures is a passion of mine) and that's it. Sure a new perfume would be nice...but I have perfume. Sure a new blanket would be nice...but I have blankets...and a snuggie. I think this year I'd like to maybe do something different. Maybe I'll ask for donations to charities. Or maybe I'll tell people not to get me anything at all. I'm not really sure. I just feel like I'm about as blessed in my life as one person could be and I'm not sure that another trinket will really matter to me as much as maybe a new toy would matter to a child that's going without. I'm not trying to be a humanitarian...but over the last week I have come to realize what a difference a kind word can mean to another person...which leads me to my last and final random topic.

I answered the phone the other day and this lady was on the other end of the phone. She had the most beautiful southern accent (I LOVE southern accents). I asked if she was from North Carolina (I could tell by her area code) and she said yes, and asked me how I knew. I went on to tell her that I could tell by her accent. We ended up talking for 2o minutes. Just a random stranger and I. I mentioned how I'd always wanted to live in NC...preferably Charlotte because its an amazing city. At the end of our conversation she told me she wanted to get my name and number and she wanted to give me hers. She said she wanted me to come down and stay with her and her family anytime. They have a 5 bedroom house and only two bedrooms are being used. She said they'd help me in anyway that she could. I learned more from this woman in the period of 20 minutes than I know about some of my friends I've known for 6 months. As we were getting off the phone she told me how great it was to talk to me and she could just tell I was a wonderful person. It was after that that I realized how a simple word can make a friendship. My daddy never knew a stranger. In fact it would drive me crazy because we couldn't go anywhere without him talking to someone. Just a random someone. And sometimes these talks would lead to correspondence. And my daddy would never forget a person. If he meets someone on vacation you better believe he'll be going back to that same place the next year to see if they're still there. While it gets annoying at times it's also one of the neatest things about my father. He knows no stranger...but I know that his letter, cards, poems or emails have touched most if not all of the people that have been blessed to come in contact with my him I can't help but stop and think sometimes what an amazing world we'd be in if everyone took a little more time to make someones day. Just a hello could touch a person...but it seems like we're all too busy to exchange that one word. Maybe that will be my January resolution. Maybe I too can change a persons life!