About Me

Hi, my name is Angela and welcome to my blog. This is a place where I write about my life in an honest and open way.

I am 36 years old, single, and a Christian. God gave me a heart to work with children and so I spend my day teaching kindergarten. It is my fourth year teaching and although it is hard I love it. I currently go to a college for my BA in Elementary Education which keeps me busy. Between work and school there is not much time left but I enjoy serving and helping others, watching netflix, or reading a good book.


Friday, July 29, 2011

Quad Cities

I have lived in Phoenix, AZ all of my life. So the hot weather and the lack of snow is something I am just used to. I do enjoy to travel but in my 29 years have mostly found myself only traveling on the west coast. A few years ago I went to the east coast for the first time on a trip to Disney World. My older brother and I went together for 5 days and that is all that we did there. We had arrived between hurricanes and so we saw the wreckage of what a hurricane can do. It also meant it was very very humid. In fact we had planned to spend the 5 days at each of the 5 parks but I was being eaten so much by bugs at Animal Kingdom that we left early and went back to one of the other parks.

So when my sister was moving to the east coast the different weather and the fear of being eaten alive was what was most on my mind. Today is Friday and I arrived on Tuesday evening. The amount of humidity was pressing when I first stepped out of the plane and then again out of the airport. But I have found that, so far the humidity is manageable. Just like in Phoenix when it is over 110 degrees you just don't spend as much time outside those days or if you do you just deal with it. On Wednesday my sister had several errands registering her boys for school and a some shopping. Getting in and out of a hot car and go in and out of air conditioned buildings was difficult and sticky but you just deal with it. Yeah it sucks but I can't change the weather.

The interesting thing is when it rains here. In Phoenix it seems to always rain in the evenings. I am used to going to sleep to the rain. But here it is the opposite it rains in the morning, you wake up to it being cloudy outside. The thunder also sounded different. The one time so far that I heard thunder I was inside and half asleep so I am kind of curious to be outside to hear it. But it was more of a long...I don't know how to describe it but is different. Lets see in AZ it seems louder and like crack in the sky and this was more like a rumbling across the sky. Luckily the weather has been pretty good. I had been checking several weather sites and they had all said it would be raining all week and yet here we are with cloud coverage but no actual rain.

The bugs haven't been bad either. I was very concerned about mosquitos but haven't really seen any. There are big black ants outside that I have found crawling in my shirt at least once so far. I was also warned they just drop off the trees sometimes too so you have to be aware they could drop off onto you. My sister is having a problem with little black ants in the kitchen. I once had those in the kitchen at my condo they were a pain to get rid of. Otherwise just flies hanging around. Though I do seem to have a bug bite on my face. It is on the side of my cheek close to my ear so not too noticeable but it itches so I am trying to leave it alone to get better. Oh and no lightning bugs. I think I saw one the first night but it was alone and high in the air. I was really hoping to see many of them, that would have been cool. Oh, well.

One thing I am enjoying is the houses here. They are different then in phoenix, mostly because they have been here for over 100 years. Some look more modern than others but it is interesting to just walk through the neighborhood and see everything. I think about the history of the houses and even how the streets are lined with trees, some of the trees are just huge, how long have they been there? Never being to the east coast I could only imagine through pictures and movies. So I don't know if this is ignorant of me but I will just be honest. When I walk through the neighborhood it reminds me of movies they show in history. Like these are houses people used to live in though of course they still stand here people still live in them. Though maybe that is why I think about the history of the houses. In AZ the houses are becoming more and more cookie cutter. Even in the neighborhood I live in that is mostly trailer homes you see people just people knock down the old and put in one of the cookie cutter houses. That just isn't the same here. I will put some pictures below to show you.

The other thing that is a little weird, ok different, is not having the same number of businesses. In Phoenix there is a dozen fast food places in a square mile, gas stations and banks on every corner. It isn't that way here. Things are more seperated and randomly around town. Oh and I don't think I have seen a Mcdonalds since I got here. On Wednesday as we were doing errands I was just looking out the windows at everything around and on our way to a cluster of stores (ulta, target, best buy, etc) we passed both a corn field and a hay field. So yes they have a mall and other corporate stores I am used to but passing by a corn field on the way is a little odd.

Have I ever described where I am exactly. On the border between Iowa and Illinois there are five small cities called the Quad Cities. On the Illinois side there is Moline, East Moline, and Rock Island. On the Iowa side there is Davenport and Betttendorf. My step niece and nephew's mom lives in Moline and my sister is in Davenport. They are less than 30 min away from each other. In fact the airport I flew into was in Moline and it took about 10-15 min to drive to their house. When you think of Illinois what comes to mind? Chicago right? Then what comes to mind when you think of Iowa? Cornfields and farm land. Two different things but these 5 cities are all the same even though they are in two different states. Though as I said I did see a corn field and it was in Davenport so I don't know. Usually I tell people I was traveling to Illinois because it seems the easiest. So there is your geography lesson for the day.

Yesterday we went to the local high school to register my eldest nephew Kalvin for school, he is going to be a senior this year. We didn't confirm it but we have heard that although the gym as air conditioning the school building may not. The campus is 4 stories tall and the auditorium still has the old type of theatre seating in it. Brown/orange seats that the bottom cushion has to be pulled down before you sit. They have these rounded backs and the entire row slightly curved toward the stage. The one thing I thought of is I wonder how small the seats are. All of America is more plus sized these days and I am sure the kids here are no exception. Hmmm. The halls are all lined with lockers and they are the tall ones, maybe 4 1/2 to 5 foot. The kind you always see in the movies or tv where they are big enough to stuff someone in standing up. The middle school I didn't see much of because we just went to the front office. My sister had also heard the middle school may not of ac but I thought it was when we walked it. So maybe that has changed.

The neighborhood my sister lives in isn't the best though that means something different then in AZ. In Phoenix I live in a bad neighborhood which means that I hear gunfire at night and cops are always driving past and at least once a month a police helicopter is overhead. But here it is more like teenagers walking the streets getting into fist fights. So a bad neighborhood but I would rather have kids fist fighting instead of kids with guns. So good and bad.

Overall I am enjoying my time here with my family. The weather and bugs that I thought would make me uncomfortable and frustrated aren't really that big a deal. And it has been pretty relaxing so far. This weekend there is a street festival saturday and then my brother-in-laws extended family is having a party on Sunday. Then hopefully we will go to Chicago the following Saturday and see the Navy Pier.




Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Trip Across the Country

As you know I was very nervous about flying. Not because of the safety of it but because of my size. I know I am a big girl but I wasn't sure I would fit in a 17" seat. Well I am sitting on the plane now as i type this and I fit just fine. Is there a lot of extra room? No. But it is comfortable even with the arm rest down. All that worry though of course it just had to do with the unknown and fear of embarresment. The flight isn't full so luckily On my row of three seats there is space between me and another woman.

I know I haven't updated my blog in awhile so let me tell you what is going on. I had planned on traveling for just one week to see my sister but then I found out the week prior to my vacation week inwhich I was supposed to be nanjing last tue I found out she didn't need me. So that meant I had three consecutive weeks off and so I changed my flight. I had bought this tripflex thing so I was able to change flights at no additional cost. I think the most difficult thing about leaving early is that my house goes for forclosure auction on aug 4th and my brother still isn't moved out. I had hoped that I could make sure that everything was mostly clean and that any furniture being left was not just random but left nicely. As you know I have been living at my dad's for the last two years so most of my stuff was out I just had a few things to get. So I did that on sat with the help of my big brother and sil. So now I just have to hope that the move for my younger brother goes well while I am gone. It is a weird feeling. I have shut off and out all of my emotions about the house but of course I can't help but feel sentamental about it. I remember being handed the keys and my realtor leaving and just laying on the ground so happy. It felt like this freedom. When I bought it 8 years ago I also thought I would be married by now. I have a second bedroom and not for a random roomate I thought I would have my first kid by now and that the second bedroom would have been a nursery. And so I have to remember that my plans are not God's plans. And I have to remind myself that his plans are so much bigger then mine.

Anyways, so 16 days with my sister in the Quad cities. I am hoping that at some point I will get to go to Chicago. It is a 3 hour drive but it should be awesome. I think right now the two things I really want to do is Navy Pier and the Willis tower, formerly the Sears tower. I am not a big museum person and then I looked into the Magnificent Mile but most of that are high end shops I have been to here in az or in Las Vegas. But of course if that was on the top of my sisters list I wouldn't pass it up, I mean what girl doesn't want to window shop at high end boutiques. So I think that is it for now. I am so very very excited to see my sister and her whole gang again. I miss them so much and it won't be long now!



Sunday, July 3, 2011

Acne = Stress?

Lately my face has been breaking out. People have always said how great my skin was and I always wrote it off because I think I have big pores. But now that my face has all of these big splotches I totally understand what they were talking about!

I keep trying to figure out how to get rid of them. I have been washing a little more and most of them are on the sides of my face so I try to make sure I am not leaning on my hands or anything. But when ever I get rid of one another pops up. It is so frustrating! I have even been looking into getting a facial or a peel specialized to acne because I just want it gone. But I can't really drop $60+ on my face.

So I have been trying to figure out why is this happening and I realize it probably is stress. There is nothing huge going on, weighing me down. But I think it is a bunch of little things. Like some women at church who totally frustrated me last week and although I keep praying and trying to let it go every time I think about it I am mad again. And then problems with my brother and my constant lack of money. And lately I have been thinking about finding a husband and feeling God is bringing one soon (I might post details about that later) and that is stressful. And then both of my jobs have gotten a little more stressful which is not what I want. That is why I live so poor so I can have a job I love not so I can be stressed that I might have to go answer phones because the receptionist decided to leave a day early for her vacation and I am the only one to cover the phones. I don't want that. If I wanted that stress I would go make a lot more money for someone who would give me a lot more hours. And although i am not really feeling the stress I am sure that the fact that my condo will be auctioned off in a month, ruining my credit for the next 7-10 years is not really cool. Oh and then my sister. What can I say about that except that I just try not to think about it. Which then makes me feel bad that I am not calling or writing more but I just can't seem to get myself to do it. It's like I really want a hair cut but I keep giving myself excuses because when I go get it done by someone else it will really mean my sister is gone. I know I know not dead but still it hurts. Even worse I know that she reads this so I kind of want to delete those lines but you know what I am not going to self edit today. (I love you April!)

It is just a bunch of little things. Just life moving forward. Not more than I can handle I just need to figure out how to handle it in healthy ways instead of eating horrible food and being sloth. Oh and staying up way to late. It is totally 1:30 am and I have been tired since I got home from babysitting at 11 so I don't know why I am still awake since I have to get up in 5 1/2 hours. Bleh...Which then just makes me think about church again and how upset with the ladies I am. And how stupid it is since they probably don't even realize how much what they did bothered me.

Anyways, there it is. Me stressed about life. Now if I could just get my face to clear up because like everyone says "At least she has a pretty face." I totally don't right now, bleh.