Moonpies, Mosquitos, and Flies!

2009-04-10T02:41:00.000-07:00

I have been more stressed this past month than I have in my entire life - not really. I just have to be dramatic. Still, I am just getting overwhelmed with stuff! I got engaged, was told that our landlord was being foreclosed upon, started looking for a place to rent, started planning a wedding, started planning trips back home to see the fam and to go fishing with my mom and dad, and then work on top of that. I still have baby gifts in my trunk from MONTHS ago that I haven't mailed yet. Who does that? ME.

After looking at places to rent, I decided we should just buy. It's going to suck so bad to leave our high-rise condo on the Las Vegas strip, but I can't afford a $600,000 mortgage! At least I am able to say that I did it. That's what I have to keep telling myself. How many other people can actually say they lived on Las Vegas Blvd.? Yeah, Melissa, keep telling yourself that. :)

I have been through the house search. It was pure hell. Do I move far away from work and drive 30 minutes a day to have a larger house with a big yard or do I move way closer and sacrifice a few things? Well, after looking at over 50 houses - and this time I am NOT being dramatic, we have found the one! We opted for a house close to work and family with a smaller yard and a large, open floor plan. The bedrooms are small, but in Vegas, you don't get a lot for your money! We are content and excited and it's big enough for us and a couple of kids - ONE DAY.

We've placed our offer, signed 74000 forms, had the bank accept our offer, open escrow, and we've had the appraisal. We only have the inspection left and then we close! Wish me luck because you never know what could happen - especially when dealing with me! My parents are coming out the first week of May to help us fix it up. I'm so lucky that my mom loves to shop and decorate and my dad is a contractor!

One last thing to all you ladies having babies...I am awful. I have your gifts and I feel terrible, but one day at a time! I'm trying. I really am. I just made the mistake of getting something too large to fit in a box that the post office sells. What was I thinking? It's coming. I swear!

I am officially engaged!

2009-02-21T01:09:00.000-08:00

I picked out this ring that I wanted so bad. I gave him about 3 options, but this was my favorite! I didn't think I was going to get it. I thought he was NEVER going to ask me to marry him, even though we talked about it all the time. It's just not the same.

WELL...tonight I came home from work, we went to eat at a great little Sushi restaurant and then he asked if I wanted to go to the top of the Stratosphere. I was really excited because I had never been up there. It's around 1400 feet off the ground! We were looking out over the whole city when his keys "fell" out of his pocket. I didn't think anything about it. He bent down to PRETEND like he was getting his keys, but came up with a ring box. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I was expecting it sometime, but not tonight! Little did I know, he had the whole key thing planned out.

The pictures do NOT do it justice. I'm so happy!

Just pour me a tall glass of poison.

2009-01-28T23:30:00.000-08:00

This is going to be the most "VENTY" blog and not in the STARBUCKS VENTI kinda way. I don't see how you people work out on a regular basis. You piss me off and annoy the hell out of me. I do the whole weight watchers thing, for the most part, and try to eat right. It's the working out part that kills me. I don't like it and I wish it would die. I woke up all early this morning, bright eyed and bushy tailed. My boyfriend starts heading up to the gym. I can't let him get skinny without me again so I start throwing on the 'ole workout clothes. After all, I have a wedding to plan. I don't want to be hearing, "Here comes the BLOB" as I'm strolling down the aisle. Also, I think that my boyfriend is great. He deserves a skinny chick, even though he's very supportive no matter what I weigh. I remember growing up as a child being very skinny. I also remember being the heaviest of all my friends in high school and junior high. I remember everyone on my cheerleading squad voting on sports bras to wear to cheerleading camp at Auburn University and I had to wear it too. My belly has always been big and no matter how many crunches/running our squad did, I could never get skinny. I WILL get skinny this time and as my friends, I would hope that you would try to help me stay motivated. I am going to post HORRENDOUS before photos on this blog. You are going to see pale, drooping fat rolls. This is the price you must pay for being my friends. Suck it up and keep me in check!

Useless Knowledge

2009-01-22T21:50:00.000-08:00

A rat can last longer without water than a camel.

Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks or it will digest itself.

The dot over the letter "i" is called a tittle.

A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.

A female ferret will die if it goes into heat and cannot find a mate.

A duck's quack doesn't echo. No one knows why.

A 2 X 4 is really 1-1/2" by 3-1/2".

During the chariot scene in "Ben Hur," a small red car can be seen in the distance (and Heston's wearing a watch).

On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents daily! (That explains a few mysteries....)

Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn't wear pants.

Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood.

The number of possible ways of playing the first four moves per side in a game of chess is 318,979,564,000.

There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with month, orange, purple, and silver.

The name Wendy was made up for the book Peter Pan. There was never a recorded Wendy before.

The very first bomb dropped by the Allies on Berlin in World War II killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo.

If one places a tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion, it will instantly go mad and sting itself to death. (Who was the sadist who discovered this??)

Bruce Lee was so fast that they actually had to s-l-o-w film down so you could see his moves. That's the opposite of the norm.

The first CD pressed in the US was Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA."

The original name for butterfly was flutterby.

The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.

The first product Motorola started to develop was a record player for automobiles. At that time, the most known player on the market was Victrola, so they called themselves Motorola.

Roses may be red, but violets are indeed violet.

By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you cannot sink into quicksand.

Celery has negative calories. It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with.

Charlie Chaplin once won third prize in a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest.

Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.

Sherlock Holmes NEVER said, "Elementary, my dear Watson."

An old law in Bellingham, Washington, made it illegal for a woman to take more than three steps backwards while dancing!

The glue on Israeli postage is certified kosher.

The Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from public libraries.

Astronauts are not allowed to eat beans before they go into space because passing wind in a spacesuit damages them.

Bats always turn left when exiting a cave!

A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.

A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.

A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.

A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours.

A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.

A group of geese on the ground is a gaggle; a group of geese in the air is a skein.

A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.

A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.

A snail can sleep for three years.

Al Capone's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.

All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.

All of the clocks in the movie "Pulp Fiction" are stuck on 4:20."

Almonds are a member of the peach family.

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age.

Butterflies taste with their feet.

Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds. Dogs only have about 10.

Did you know that crocodiles never outgrow the pool in which they live?

"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".

February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.

In England, the Speaker of the House is not allowed to speak.

In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.

If the population of China walked past you in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.

If you are an average American, in your whole life, you will spend an average of 6 months waiting at a red light.

In most advertisements, the time displayed on a watch is 10:10

It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.

Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.

Los Angeles' full name is "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula"

Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.

Mr. Rogers was an ordained minister.

On a Canadian two dollar bill, the flag flying over the Parliament building is an American flag.

Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.

Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.

Pinocchio is Italian for "pine eye."

Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.

Shakespeare invented the word 'assassination' and 'bump'.

"Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand, "lollipop" with your right.

The average person falls asleep in seven minutes.

The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.

The Bible does not say there were three wise men; it only says there were three gifts.

The characters Bert and Ernie on Sesame Street were named after Bert the cop and Ernie the taxi driver in Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life."

The cruise liner, QE2, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.

The giant squid has the largest eyes in the world.

The longest one-syllable word in the English language is "screeched."

The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

The only 15-letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is "uncopyrightable".

The sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter of the alphabet.

The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.

The words 'racecar' and 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left.

There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.

There are 336 dimples on a regulation golf ball.

There are more chickens than people in the world.

There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.

There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: "abstemious" and "facetious."

There is a word in the English language with only one vowel, which occurs five times: "indivisibility."

There's no Betty Rubble in the Flintstones Chewables.

Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.

Two-thirds of the world's eggplant is grown in New Jersey.

TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.

Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.

Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks; otherwise it will digest itself.

My First Ski trip

2009-01-22T20:48:00.000-08:00

I love living in Las Vegas due to the fact that I have the strip with casinos, clubs, restaurants and bars. If you travel a little to the West, we have the Hoover Dam with Lake Mead, which makes for awesome water play, fishing, camping and sightseeing. If you drive about 30 minutes, you can go to Mt. Charleston. You can hike, camp, and Ski at the resort. JR is a great snowboarder and I wanted to go and ski. I had NEVER tried it before and just assumed that it was way easier than everyone claimed. I mean, it looks easy, right? WRONG. The scenery was amazing, but I will never try this again in my life. The skiing isn't hard. The STOPPING IS! Forget the bulldozers. If you guys need any trees or bushes cleared, give me some skiis and call me in the Winter!

New Baby

2009-01-22T20:43:00.000-08:00

JR and I don't have babies yet, so apparently I have become a dog collector. I wanted someone for my Charmer to play with so we got a new little Chihuahua. Her name is Fiona. She's VERY bad, but oh so cute.

Interview Time!

2009-01-14T23:29:00.000-08:00

My secret Southern Belle friend posted a blog a few days ago, and I ALSO couldn't resist begging shamelessly for her to interview me and make me feel all important.

First, we need to lay down some ground rules:

1. If you want to participate, leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.” (And your e-mail address, please.)
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Here are the questions that I received:

1) If you were an exotic dancer, what would your signature song be?

Oh, it would DEFINATELY be this song called "Nasty Dancer" by Kilo. It's not the original old nasty dancer song. It has a lot of beat and bass, which makes me wanna get ghetto and bounce my booty.

2) If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?

Just like everyone else, I'd buy me a house and a car, make sure my family is also taken care of, give a little to charity, tithe, and invest!

3) What was your biggest accomplishment in 2008? Your biggest disappointment?

My biggest accomplishment in 2008 was that I met the man of my dreams, and graduated from college FINALLY. I also started saving a little money. AWESOME.

My biggest disappointment would be that I haven't gone back to school yet, I haven't saved ENOUGH money, and that I am still a porker.

4) If you could relive one day in your life, which day would it be?

I can't just pick ONE day. If it were a recent day, it would be the day that my family and my boyfriend were all together in Alabama. I had everyone that I love the most, all in one place. All of the other days that I would relive would be the days before my friends and family have passed away - that way I could have said goodbye.

5) What's one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?

Since I have been through a LOT in my life, I am very strong and not easily affected in my day-to-day life. HOWEVER, when I watch something on TV, I cry like a little bitch. I cry watching American Idol, Grey's Anatomy, Biggest Loser, and ESPECIALLY Extreme Makeover Home Edition. By the way, have you seen the movie called, "PS, I love you"??? I did the ugly, snotty cry with that movie!

Alabama Christmas Trip 2008

2008-12-25T04:16:00.000-08:00

JR went home with me to meet the fam. We had a BLAST. We tried Ashton Kutcher's new restaurant called Ketchup - which I would not recommend, ate lots of other FRIED foods, opened gifts, went to the ICE exhibit at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, hung out with my great Alabama friends, and hung out on the farm. You will see a small town called Mooresville, Alabama, where Huckleberry Fin was filmed. You will also see a video of me attempting to play Wii fit. It was terrible and you can see my gut jiggling. Lisa, I didn't get to see you, but I plan to come back in May. I wasn't planning on taking so many road trips!

Our Little Christmas Get Together 2008

2008-12-25T04:08:00.000-08:00

JR and I had our first Christmas party at our home with our Vegas friends before leaving for Alabama. It was the first time that his friends mingled with mine. We had a great time.

Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Botanical Cactus garden

2008-12-09T01:59:00.000-08:00

Ethel M. Chocolate Factory is a self-touring facility in Vegas where you can see how chocolate candies are made. This factory has a series of pipes, conveyer belts and tanks that hold 20,000 and 35,000 gallons of chocolate. It's completely free and fun! I have to say that I have never tasted a hot chocolate as good as I did tonight! It was AMAZING.

After exiting the factory, you can get free samples in the chocolate lounge. And you don’t have to feel guilty about eating all those little chocolate bites – you can walk off the calories at the Botanical Cactus Garden. The cactus garden boasts three acres of more than 300 different kinds of plants, including Teddy Bear Cholla, Texas Prickly Pear, Spotted Aloe and other cacti that most people never knew existed.

The whole reason we went is because my little sister from Big Brother's Big Sisters was with us and wanted to see the Cactus Garden. They put lights on all of the cacti. There is one photo that I was complaining about because my double-chin was showing. In the next photo you'll see that Marvin is trying to hide it for me! HAHAA

You'll also see my little sister doing cheerleader moves. She taking after me. AWWW. lol. Oh, to be 15 again.

This one cracks me up because she leaned up against a cacti and was asking Marvin to remove her thorns!

And then I got hungry. Believe it or not, people out here eat cactus. Just for your information, it's slimy and disgusting. Even more slimy than okra.

This is a "had to be there moment", but I laughed so hard. There was this rent-a-cop that was hired to ensure that no hoodlums got off the concrete path. Iwas going to take a picture of the two of them by a tree, but the rent-a-cop lady yelled at us. Let me first say that we didn't see ANY signage about staying on the path. Anyways, it was hilarious because everytime the guard turned her back on us, Marvin would stick his foot in the dirt, off the path. HAHAAAA

Above is the BEFORE photo. Below is the photo after he said for us to smile and say "PROVOLONE". Where does he come up with this crap?

This one is my boyfriend trying to pick up the Ms. Green M&M. His pick up line? "Wow, I see that you're wearing green too. Maybe we should hang out sometime."
I guess if he likes chocolate, then he's in the wrong relationship! I'm the most vanilla person ever, with my skin that won't tan!

Our first Thanksgiving

2008-12-09T01:57:00.000-08:00

We were really excited to be celebrating our first Thanksgiving together. I had to work, but we were able to cook at home in the early hours of the morning when I finally got off work. That way, he was able to eat with me and then get up later that day and go and eat with his family. I love to cook so I was especially happy about that. One great thing about Vegas is that you get to do anything you want at ANY hour of the day - and I'm a NIGHT person. I am blessed to have a great boyfriend. I am so thankful that I have the life that I have. I have a great family, job, friends, and doggy. I am able to enjoy my life, even with the daily struggles, knowing that everything will be ok because God is on my side.

He wanted to take pics of the food because he loves to eat. I'm just glad he loved my Southern cooking!

Election Party 2008

2008-12-09T01:39:00.000-08:00

I voted for McCain and obviously lost. I'm not a sore loser, though. I believe that it will be interesting to see what happens. My gay boyfriend, Columbus, invited us over for a party. He cooked and had lots of live-feed for us to watch. It was funny because Columbus and I are the only ones that voted for McCain/Palin in the whole house. As soon as Obama Bin Laden won, Columbus fell asleep.

Halloween Haunted House

2008-12-09T01:34:00.000-08:00

These pics are a little old because I found an old memory card. They are just randoms. We went to a house called Hotel Fear. Enjoy.

My First NFL game!

2008-11-30T13:59:00.000-08:00

I don't watch football. I only care about Alabama because I miss it so much and because they are GREAT this year. My boyfriend, however, is a huge Colts fan. His sister got us tickets to the game for his Christmas and my birthday gift.

We headed to San Diego to watch the Colts vs. Chargers game. We won in the LAST two seconds and I got a lot of pics of Peyton Manning. It was hilarious because we rode with friends to the game and they drive a lime green CHARGER, which is who we were playing. We couldn't help, but be noticed. It was hilarious because people kept yelling at us and saying that we should be driving a challenger instead. :)

After the game, we headed down to La Jolla Cove, California and did some relaxing and shopping. We had a BLAST. I love little beach towns. The weather was sort of rainy, but we saw cool stuff. Below you'll see walruses, pelicans, anenome, my friends, Inga and Robert, and a rock shaped like a fried egg.

Posting

2008-11-13T19:11:00.000-08:00

I try to update this as much as possible, but if no one is really reading it, please let me know so I can stop, lol.

I can just continue on Myspace if no one from here is keeping up.

Love ya!'
Mel

Weight Watchers

2008-11-03T00:25:00.000-08:00

I started weight watchers a few months back and FINALLY hit my 15 pound mark! Now I only have about 20 more pounds to go. It seems like it takes FOREVER! Anyways, here are some pics of my first time learning to golf and my new skinny self!

My 29th Birthday! 10/23/08

2008-11-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

We had my birthday party at the Aloha Kitchen here in Vegas. It's a restaurant/bar that has the BEST Hawaiian food, LIQUOR, and Karaoke! Almost 40 people showed up, which made me feel sooooo awesome. I love all of my friends. They make my life great. I think it may be a good thing that my camera battery died before I got some incriminating pics!

My trip to Disneyland!

2008-11-02T23:46:00.001-08:00

I had a blast in Disneyland. It's nowhere as great as Disneyworld, but hey, I can't be flying to Orlando very often!

Los Angeles California

2008-11-02T23:31:00.000-08:00

After our cruise, we took a little trip to Los Angeles. These photos are at the Maddame Tussaud's Wax Museum. The Roosevelt Hotel is where Marilyn Monroe overdosed and died.

This is the Ripley's Believe it or not Museum. The man is made from all buttons, the bridge is made from only toothpicks, and the marilyn monroe is made from shredded money.

My Cruise

2008-11-02T22:15:00.000-08:00

My boyfriend took me on a 7 day cruise to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta. It was the most wonderful time. I would recommend this trip to EVERYONE. Enjoy my photos!

Cabo San Lucas

The famous Arches in Cabo. Look how clear and blue the water is!

Puerto Vallarta

More pics

I voted!

2008-11-02T22:07:00.000-08:00

Because Obama Bin Laden SCARES ME!

It's time to buy Christmas Presents!!

2008-10-23T00:40:00.000-07:00

You all know that you have teachers, friends, coaches, family, and others that you have to buy presents for. Well, I can help you!

Whether you're a man or a woman, you all know that we love candles, but they can be dangerous - especially if you have children.

I have a small business on the side, along with my full time marketing job.

What kind of business do I have? I have a business called Scentsy. They are WICKLESS candles that put put more fragrance than any other candle you're ever going to smell and they also serve as a lamp. They plug in and never heat up to the point that they can burn your skin. I also have car candles, small plug-ins, and room sprays.

I personally love these items, which is why I started this business in the first place.

How will you benefit?
Lead Free, Wickless, Flameless, and Smokeless
Incredibly potent, highly scented wax blend candle bars
More fragrant than votives, tarts or wax chips.
Over 80 fragrances
60 to 80 hours burn time per bar
A safer and healthier alternative to wicked candles
Beautifully designed and unique warmers

Great for...
Dorm Rooms
Kitchens & Dining Rooms
Bathrooms
Kids Rooms
Workplace & Home Office
Daycares
Open Houses
Real Estate Offices
Reception Area
Classrooms
Doctor's & Dentist Offices
Vet's Office

Take a look at my website and BUY, BUY, BUY!

www.scentsy.com/melissascandles

Big Brothers Big Sisters

2008-10-23T00:33:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately for me, I have a HUGE heart. I cry at doggies on TV. I cry if I hear about a little kid without a friend or if I see a commercial that is sad - even if it's about a stupid car. Something is seriously wrong with me. However, there are times when that yearning for wanting to make everyone happy and thinking that the world really can be a good place to live comes in handy. I joined BBBS. It stands for Big Brothers and Bog Sisters. It is the most positive organization and I know first hand.

My little and I were matched over two years ago. I love her like she is my own. I have no children and I needed to make a difference. She is the only girl in her family and she has 3 brothers. Her mother is a very good mother, but she, like all us of, doesn't have enough time to be able to give all the attention that her only daughter needs. That's why I admire her so much. Instead of being selfish, she did what she knew was best. My little is 15 and she is the smartest young lady I know. She is growing up so much. I can't believe how much they change from 13 to 15! She wants to be a doctor and plans to go to med school in Atlanta.

BBBS needs mentors so very badly, especially men. All you have to commit to is ONE year and ONE hour a month. That is very doable for EVERYONE, especially those that have no children. Please think about it!

Goodbye, One Wheel Wonder!

2008-10-18T21:14:00.000-07:00

I had a 2001 Olds Alero and I loved it! My friends called her the "one wheel wonder" because I had a missing hubcap, but it was very good to me. Not once did it break down or give me a problem. THEN...the 2008 Malibu came out. I had to have one. I looked and prayed and thought and finally did it. I just got her. Isn't she a BEAUTY?

Oatman, Arizona

2008-10-18T21:05:00.001-07:00

Oatman is a small mining town in Arizona. It's not a place to stay or live, but it's a cute little town to visit. They have burros that roam the streets and eat carrots out of your hands. They will follow you around if they see you with them. JR and I got into a fight on the way there because he's a city boy. The ride looked like a scene from a scary movie like "The Hills Have Eyes". I don't remember if I'm supposed to italicize or quote movie titles. Sorry! Anywho, he was afraid that some 'ole country man was going to lynch him. It was hilarious.

Our trip to Laughlin, Nevada

2008-10-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

Laughlin is about an hour and a half away from Vegas. It's just a small little town that has VERY cheap hotel rates and water, which I love. I miss Alabama because I grew up camping at Lake Guntersville so I get my jet ski fix here. We had a blast and won money on the craps table!

Our night at the Palazzo.

2008-10-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

At my job, they gave us all a free night when we opened the new Palazzo. This is another one of our luxury, all suite hotels. The minimum suite size is 720 sq. feet. It's amazing!

If you don't know where I work, check it out online. If you ever get to some to Vegas, you MUST stay here.

www.venetian.com

www.palazzolasvegas.com

Marvin (JR) and I

2008-10-18T20:38:00.001-07:00

These are just random photos of us.

My Life in a nutshell

2008-10-18T15:55:00.000-07:00

I have just a little free time so I am going to give a small rundown while I have the time. This is for old and new friends.

I am 28 years old and I came from Alabama with a banjo on my knee. I lived there my whole life, until the age of 21 when I got a wild hair up my arse and decided that I wanted to get out and see more. It was mostly due to the fact that the South, as we all know, can be a bit racist. My friend, Chelly, and I were working together at Decatur General Hospital and talked about leaving. We both hated our jobs and knew that there were more experiences to explore. We decided to move to Corpus Christi, Texas. Neither of us were married and I had a boyfriend that was a piece of crap. We told everyone goodbye and left with our two cars and a small moving truck. I worked there in a funeral home, briefly, and realized that I wanted to do that for the rest of my life! After working in a hospital, you come to appreciate the poor old peeps that have moved on. The don't speak or pee on you!

After the Spring Break time period was over, Texas started looking like a ghost town. We got the map out again and decided that it was time to go. We looked all over the map and wondered where we coulf possibly live that would be a blast. We both saw Las Vegas and our eyes lit up. Within two weeks, we were off to Vegas, baby!

Upon arriving here in fabulous sin city, I had no job and no idea of what to expect. I had never been here before. My roommate had a job and they paid our rent, since she was a travel nurse so I wasn't worried too much. The second day that I moved here I walked into Bally's casino and was offered a job on the spot. I got REALLY lucky, but it was for something that I had never even heard of before! It was for casino marketing at the Flamingo Las Vegas. I couldn't understand why I interviewed at Bally's but was hired for Flamingo. Well, I soon found out that Bally's, Paris, Caesar's Palace, and Hilton, at the time, were all owned by the same people. Whatever...I just needed a job. I worked there from 2002 until 2004 and then got a job at a beautiful property named the Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino. I have been working here since. I am doing the same type of job and it's great. Nothing could be better except for me being able to work in the field that I really love, which is a funeral home or the coroner's office.

So, on to the bad stuff. I met a guy. He was from Arab and I was from Somerville. We met each other online while I was living in Vegas and he was living in Okinawa, Japan in the U.S. Marines. We talked every day and every night. We hung out by me flying over there and him flying over here. We got married. Everything seemed fine until he had to leave to go back to Japan. He turned into an evil, hateful person. When he returned home, things turned very bad, very fast, mainly because I knew about his affairs and the physical abuse. People always say that they missed the signs. Well, I can honestly say in this one time, there were no signs. We were apart for six months so I didn't have a chance to see any. I have filed for divorce and it's supposed to be final on 11/06. I am SO excited because this has been a long time coming. I haven't seen him in 6 years. People keep asking me why I waited so long. Well, it's because i didn't want to pay all that money and secondly, I didn't want him to know where I was. I just thank God everyday for my friend, Chelly. She helped me through moving and getting away from him.

On to bigger and better things! I have met the man of my dreams. His mother is from Guam and his father is black. He is the nicest, greatest man ever. We just recently moved in together and have been dating since 5/20. His family is awesome and he just took me on a cruise to Mexico. We went to Cabo, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta, then to Disneyland and California Adventure. We are constantly doing fun things that I've never done before, such as playing golf and seeing shows. The thing I like about him the most is that he gets along with everyone. He is very smart and loving.

We have a doggie named Charmer and we plan to get married a little later on when we feel the time is right.

I guess I can start to wrap things up now since I've given you a small rundown of my life. For all of my Alabama friends, I miss you all and I'm so excited to be able to read about your lives and to see you at Christmas! My parents have given me permission to bring my boyfriend home to meet them, which is a HUGE step for them, as you all know. This will be the first time that I can ever remember that someone of another race has been in their home. I am excited and anxious to see how this all turns out.

I'll add pictures as soon as I get home to my computer!

Love,
Melissa

First Time!

2008-10-16T01:56:00.000-07:00

This is a new blog for me so be patient. I don't write too much, but I am a photo taking FOOL! I have thousands of photos and I figured that I can use this site to keep up with those of you that don't have Myspace.

It's 2am here in Las Vegas and I have to work tomorrow so stay tuned and I will update ASAP.

Love,
Animel