A Day To Relax

Well, I finally have a day to actually relax. The past few days off have been filled with other household tasks that have made it like another day of work. Today, I can actually take things at my own pace despite the fact that I have to do two loads of laundry. It feels so good to relax especially after a successful day. Yesterday, my store actually caught up from some slower days and went ahead of our projected sales for the month. It's been hard because no one knows we're there. We have no sign on the strip mall marquee and there's a restaurant between our store and the street.

This isn't totally new territory though. The past three years I've worked at a new H and R Block office that also faced the fact that people didn't know we were there. We went out into the surrounding neighborhoods and visited the local businesses and beat the corporate goal for our office in 2007. I know we can achieve the same results at my RadioShack store.

Today, is about relaxation though. I plan to enjoy my time off to the fullest. I've got karaoke songs that I've been dying to practice and there's a cookout later this afternoon. My laundry is almost done so I'll be able to fully relax very soon. In the meantime, I can catch all of my readers up for the month. I'm still taking HRB online courses also. I plan to advance two more certification levels before next tax season. That will really help the income especially since I've officially transferred to the Bloomington district. Well, I'll write more later. It's time for me to start publishing this to all of my blog sites.

Woohoo!!

Thursday, I took a shirt out of my closet I hadn't worn in a while. It's a size 2X button up dress shirt. It fit!! There was no pulling against the buttons when I sat down!! I had been wearing 4X shirts to get that same effect as recently as last tax season. I'm so excited!!

There are several reasons for my excitement. The first is that I know I'll be healthier as this trend progresses and I'm down to a more normal weight. Secondly, the clothing industry charges us more for the same clothes. It'll be so nice to buy clothes at the regular, less expensive price. Thirdly, is the feeling of being normal. I haven't felt that way since the 3rd grade when I was one of the smallest kids in the class both in weight and height.

Hope everyone else is doing well!! I'm off to another day. I'll write more later.

A Big Day In My Life

Today is a day I've been awaiting for more than a year and a half. I was officially welcomed into the brotherhood of Islam. All my life I've heard different things that have made me feel that Islam was a religion that spoke to me. Primarily, this is the peaceful nature of the religion. While I'm not one to hide in a corner when provoked, I'm not one to do the provoking. Then, I met Muslims personally and came to learn about the people who follow the religion.

These people are not the terrorists behind Al-Qaeda who claim to be following the orders of Allah. The Muslims I know love peace as much as I do. Most of them also love America and value capitalism. This was all the proof that I needed to know that I was ready. I've already been following the dietary guidelines for the past year. There's only one thing I haven't done which I'll do for the first time this year.

This year, I'll be fasting during the holy month of Ramadhan. This is something that I'm really looking forward to as the true test of my faith. I pray Allah gives me the strength to go without food and water during the daylight hours. That's all for now. I'll write more later.

Things Aren't So Hectic Now

My Radio Shack job became a full-time position on Thursday. I'm so excited!! Thus, I no longer had a need for my other part-time telemarketing job so I was able to turn in my resignation. While I still might put in a little more than 40 hours/week, I won't be putting in weeks of 50+ hours now. This gives me a little more time to spend with Dot and a little extra relaxation time.

This past weekend, Dot and I went over to Paris, IL just outside of Terre Haute for my Dad's wedding. That was my first experience with wearing a tuxedo. The wedding was nice. At the end of the ceremony, we all released a butterfly outside the church. They were tucked inside these little paper envelopes. I've never seen such a flock of butterflies before. They were a little confused. One of them landed on the bride's shoulder for a few seconds.

At the reception, they did a mixture of dance music and karaoke. Dot and I sang a song together as well as one solo each. The happy couple is honeymooning in Branson, MO. Talk to everyone later!!

So Much Is Happening I Can't Decide On A Title

This has been a fairly busy time for me the past few weeks. Since getting home from Connecticut with Dot, we've gone through commencement exercises, moving everything out of my Dad's house which is now sold, and having other Malaysian students visiting who started their US education experience in Bloomington before heading off to other colleges. Two guests arrived last week. One of them goes home tomorrow, but, two more are coming tonight.

Needless to say, free time has been slim to none. I did make it alone to karaoke Saturday night over in Elletsville. It was great to get back out again. Tonight, we're going to one of our favorite steak houses for a dinner with a group of Malaysian students and one of the Indiana University staff members who was really instrumental in helping them through the first year.

Next week, Dot and I are going to take our second trip to Gatlinburg. The smokey mountain area is really beautiful. Last year, we stayed in a cabin up on a hillside. This year, we're going to be in a motel closer to the main downtown area and all the attractions. That will be nice because it's a very hard place to drive through and find easy parking. We'll be leaving Wednesday morning and coming home on Sunday.

Then, I'm going to be busy seeking ways to raise money. I'll be making my contacts with the local employment offices, but, I'm also going to start offering guitar lessons. I'm hoping that I get a decent number of students to sign up since it'll be summer time soon. I love the guitar and it'll be great to share my knowledge of the instrument with others. That's about it for now. I'll be back with more news later on in June.

Meeting Her Parents And Other News

As some of you who are also friends with Robin may know, my girlfriend was diagnosed with uterine cancer in April. She is totally cured of it now. I am so grateful to Yale University and Dr. Rutherford of the Yale OB/Gyn Oncology department for saving this beautiful lady. For those of you not in Robin's circle, here's a small recap.

On Good Friday, Dot left to go see a friend in Connecticut. She was checked into the hospital that evening after fainting. They let her out the next day and she was planning on coming home the day after Easter. That Monday, she started feeling dizzy again and she was taken back to the hospital. She postponed her trip home and they started searching for the cause. On Friday, she called me and gave me the news about the uterine cancer. They scheduled her for surgery on April 17. On April 15, I started driving to CT to be with her. We started driving home on Thursday, April 26. On Friday the 27th, this wonderful lady agreed to be my wife while we were driving through Pennsylvania. So, she is my fiance now. We got home Friday evening and went out to dinner with our friends here at Indiana U. Over the weekend, we started getting the apartment ready for company.

On Tuesday, her parents arrived in Indianapolis from Malaysia in order to attend her commencement ceremony. I was so glad to finally meet them. I hadn't talked to her Dad, but, her Mom and I had talked on the phone and communicated through IM's and webcams. Things have been going great with them. They are here until the 13th of May. I am so glad they will be here for her birthday (tomorrow) this year. It's going to make it so much more special.

That's all the news for now. I have other news to share from my professional side also, but, it will have to wait for another entry. Today is all about my wonderful fiance and her family who has embraced me so warmly. I'll talk to everyone more later.

The Feet Seem Healed For Now

This has probably been one of the quickest recoveries I've ever had when my ankles flare up. I have to thank my wonderful girlfriend, Dot, for this because she really allowed (read "made") me rest. I went into work the day after they acted up, but, she convinced me to call in the next day. She brought me everything I might need and allowed me to walk only when I really had to.

My co-workers (Robin, Jeff, and Roe) were also helpful. They would do things like pulling my printouts off the printer or getting me something from the dollar store when they were going. This also helped in my recovery.

Friday was my first day of really normal movement on the ankle. I stayed in Terre Haute after work and went to karaoke with Adam and Robin at Imperial. For me, I had a personal highlight with getting to sing "New York, New York" and "Summer Nights" for Mom. It was kind of a belated birthday gift to her. Mom really loved Sinatra. She also enjoyed Grease when it was released because there hadn't been a musical in so many years before that and "Summer Nights" was one of her favorite songs from the film. In fact, I've opened with "Sandy" if I'm doing karaoke somewhere new where I don't know any girls because it invariably gets one to approach me and ask me to sing "Summer Nights" with her.

When I got home from karaoke, Dot was limping. She had sprained her ankle so it was my turn to take care of her. She heals so quickly though that she's already moving more normally. I'm still in shock at how quickly she bounced back. That should catch everyone up. I'll be in touch with more later.

Slowly Getting Back To Normal

This week I've started to slowly get back to normal after overdoing a walk with my girlfriend last Wednesday. On Sunday, I actually left the immediate area of the bedroom for a little while to sit in our living room while we had lunch and watched a little of the NASCAR race. Sunday night, though, I couldn't sleep at all. I was literally up all night crying in pain as my left toe went through these very painful spasms while it tried to put itself back to normal. So Monday, I basically rested in bed all day with the exception of taking a shower so I'd be ready to return to work on Tuesday morning.

Monday also would have been my Mom's 68th birthday. Robin had given me this wonderful idea of buying a balloon in a color Mom would have liked and releasing it from an attractive or meaningful area of the IU campus. I didn't make it out to do that this year so I might keep that in mind as something special for Mother's Day.

Today (Tuesday), I went back to work. My feet are stiff, but, they're not really sore. I'm hoping this is the big indication that all of the soreness is over and that I just need to gradually loosen them back up again. Thankfully, I start at 2 the next two days and work until closing at 7 so I can get up in the morning and take it easy while getting ready. Hopefully, I'll be back in top form by Friday when I work from 9 to 4. I might stay in town at that point and go to karaoke at Imperial Friday night.

Saturday, I'm off work. Dot and I are going to go see the Singing Hoosiers at the IU Auditorium. I introduced her to this group of non-Music Majors last year. She likes them as much as I do. The Singing Hoosiers is one of the things I had missed most about not being in Bloomington. I saw the travelling group once in Richmond, IN at IU East, but, nothing compares to the full ensemble on the auditorium stage.

That will wrap up March. April is right around the corner along with the deadline for filing your tax returns and paying any balance you may owe. This year, you get two extra days because the 15th falls on a Sunday and the 16th is a legal holiday in Washington DC. So, the deadline is the 17th just like last year which also happens to be my birthday. Looks like it'll be a fun night for closing our office again!!

Living With Injuries

When I was just a freshman in college at eighteen years of age, something happened that would change my life and abilities forever. I sprained my right ankle. As anyone who has sprained something knows, sprains don't ever really heal. They may stop hurting for a pretty good stretch of time, but, they never let you forget them either. Mine came back to me this week. Dot and I both love the scenery of the IU campus and she suggested on Wednesday afternoon that she and I get out in the nice weather and take a walk through the campus. I was immediately game for that idea. The only other plan I had after work was to pick my car up from the shop. That's a whole other story I won't go into here, but, it's still not working right. Anyway, I changed from my professional office attire into a pair of gym shorts, T-shirt, and my walking shoes. We went and got the car, parked both vehicles, and took off on our journey.

We were out for over two hours. Neither one of us expected to be out that long and we both paid a physical price for it; but, with my previous injury, it really came back to bite me. First on Thursday morning, my left foot was very sore and tender to walk on. But, everything else was fine so I took a little longer to get around while still making it in to work. That was all my sprain needed to decide it was time to remind me that I was injured. It flared up Thursday night to the point that on Friday morning I called my boss and said that I wasn't up to trying to make the drive in to work. The only thing I can figure is that I overused the right side to compensate for the problems my left side was giving me.

So now it's Saturday and I'm not sure if I can make it to karaoke yet or not. My left foot seems to be fine, but, my right ankle is still hurting. Unless it's in perfect shape by tonight, I'll be staying home. I'll write more later, but, I just felt like ranting my frustrations about how my body doesn't work right anymore.

It's Never Easy

The passing of someone you know is never an easy thing to deal with. This week was going to be a little harder for me to begin with because it was two years ago yesterday (March 14) that my mom passed away from a rare blood disorder. However, that was just going to be the tip of the iceberg.

Sunday morning, I opened the office as usual except that my co-worker wasn't there. Since we just changed to daylight savings time, I didn't think too much about it. I called her and she informed me that she wasn't feeling well and meant to call our office leader. I told her to take care of herself and I'd take care of things at the office. That would be the last time I (or anyone at our office) would talk to her and hear her voice. As I was closing the office, I got a call from a local hospital telling me she'd had a heart attack and was being airlifted to Indianapolis. On Wednesday, she passed away. My office leader called me after I'd gotten back home to give me the news.

Today, I went back to the office and everything felt so strange. A box containing her personal effects was on one of the back tables and there was a memorial to her posted on our bulletin board with her picture. I'll always remember her desire to learn the business. This was her second year with us and she always strove to improve herself and her knowledge. I'm sure things will get easier with time. We were sharing a few laughs today along with getting some tax returns done. There was, however, a very strange quietness to the office also. Everyone was just a little more somber.

Just To Catch Everyone Up

When things get busy during tax season, they get busy in a hurry and stay that way. This is the first opportunity I've had to catch up on emails, social sites, etc. I figured it was the perfect opportunity to write a new blog entry also.

I was supposed to be at work today also from three to seven, but, they decided to close the office early. My district manager told me not to worry about heading in to the office due to the weather. Here in Indiana, we've got a real bad wintry mix. Right now, it's raining ice. The ice is sticking to the ground making things really slick. Snow is supposed to fall on top of that. I'm glad I requested tomorrow off to spend with my girlfriend. Happy Valentine's Day, Angel!!

I was able to get out on Saturday night and do a little karaoke with Robin and Adam. Dot was out of town so she wasn't there. Before karaoke, Robin and I had dinner at Texas Roadhouse. Her uncle was sitting in the booth behind me and was telling us stories about he, her Dad, and their sisters growing up. They were really funny. He had Robin and I laughing pretty hard during them. That was an unexpected surprise to see him there. It wasn't planned at all.

Well, I'm gonna get back to getting caught up on everything else that's been happening. I'll write more later.

And, before things get really busy, let's have some fun!!

Yesterday, I had to work the closing shift at the office from 3pm until 8pm. Dotty decided to come over to Terre Haute with me so that she could spend some time with Robin. About a half hour before the office was going to close, Dotty called me. Robin's Mom and brother were coming over to meet Robin at Texas Roadhouse. She was calling to see if we wanted to go also. I couldn't say no to that question. I love the steak at Texas Roadhouse. I had the 12 oz New York Strip. It was very tasty.

After dinner, Dot and I already had our plans to go sing karaoke at Imperial Lanes. We invited Robin along to join us which she did. It was really cool getting to hear Robin and Dot sing together again. Their voices blend beautifully. As much as I would have liked to have sung with both of them, I didn't want to disrupt the rotation. I just sang my own songs and enjoyed the evening as a whole.

I don't know when we'll get a chance to go out like that again. Ofcourse, Dotty and I have a blast going out just on our own also. I'm sure she and I'll be going out a few evenings during the tax season when I have some time off.

Happy New Year!!

I've been reading some reflective blogs lately. I decided I'd wait and post one of the first new blogs of 2007. I'm here to look forward. My friends and I have already started making some plans for this year. My girlfriend has to go home to Malaysia in the middle of the year and I plan to make the most of the next six months I have with her.

Part of those plans include our best friend, Robin. We've got a trip to the Smokey Mountains planned as well as a trip to New York. That trip will be bitter sweet as that's the trip to send Dotty home. But, she has promised me she will return as soon as she can. She's still here and I'm already anxiously awaiting that return because that means not having to say goodbye again.

Professionally, I'm starting my fifth year as a tax preparer at H & R Block. I love my job and being able to help my clients year after year. We've got some new things this year that should help to make this one of my most prosperous years in the profession to date. I'm also planning to become more active with the company during the off season giving speeches and teaching courses.

As for other activities, I plan to continue singing karaoke. I can't describe the joy that activity has brought into my life. It especially means alot when I get to serenade Dotty or sing one of my Mom's favorite songs. Somehow, I know Mom can hear me when I tap into Sinatra. I'm hoping to write more blogs too. I've found that it really is an easy and effective way to keep everyone up to date at the same time.

That's all for now. I hope you'll keep reading and I'll keep posting. Enjoy 2007 and I hope each reader can in his/her own way make it just a little better than 2006. Each person that has a personal improvement will add to a global improvement. Thanks for reading and we'll see everyone again soon.