A Cruise

For those of you who knew me in middle school or high school saw first hand my ridiculously crazy, over the top, out of control small crush on the Backstreet Boys.  I mean let's just be real for a second...I had an obsession.  Like for real.  I was reading back through some journals the other day, from that time period, and I was quite delusional about the whole thing. It was pretty pathetic.  But that is not what I am here to talk about.  What I want to tell you is the most AMAZING news you will ever hear in your whole entire life!!!!

Can you stand the anticipation???...No?...Okay, I'll just tell you...

Did you know that the BSB hold an annual cruise every year (well, this year will marks their 4th)?!?!?

Wait! Did you hear what I said??  They host a CRUISE! Where you get on a boat and go somewhere tropical and you are trapped on said boat WITH THE BSB for days on end in the middle of nothing but ocean!!

Okay, but wait...are you getting what I am saying?  Are you picking up what I am putting down?  Are you smelling what I am stepping in??????

Like...all 5 Backstreet Boys are TRAPPED on a boat with....well, ME (if I go)!!!! Like...is this a joke??? (They have body guards of course)

I could finally live out my childhood fantasy to meet, in real life, Brian Littrell.  Do you have any idea how crazy the 15 year old inside of me is getting?? Like, she is goin' nuuuuuuuuts!!  I can't even control her!  The 28 year old me, says that it is $1100 that I can't just part with so easily.  Yeah, I said $1100 (for 4 days).

But I really want to go!!! Because then I would get to meet Brian, and I could take a picture with him, (and rub it in Amy's face, who said I would never meet him.  HA!), and maybe his shoulder would rub up against mine which would mean he was touching me.  Uhhhhhhh...I just drooled a little.  Sorry about that.

I go back and fourth every. single. day. as to what I should do.  Bahhhhhhhh!!!!!

Oh, it would be so fun!

The Life of a Collector

The other day when I was at work a story popped into my head from my past.  As I think you all know, I used to work in collections.  Mortgage collections.  And the job is crazy.  No...it's really crazy most of the time.  So much so that getting yelled at over the phone may not be a daily event, but its also not a noteworthy event either.  Meaning it happens often enough, and at least half the people you talk to are some form of upset, that getting yelled at it just another job description.

There are stories, however, that are noteworthy.  We (my team members and I) would share stories of crazy borrowers, but it was not the majority of what we talked about in our downtime.

But there was this one lady who popped into my head the other day and I couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous our conversation was.  And actually our conversation was ridiculous enough that I had to mute my phone a few times to keep from laughing while the conversation was happening.

So let me set the scene.

It was probably 2+ years ago and I was just minding my own business, doing my work.  Work included making phone calls to borrowers who were behind on their mortgage.  At the time I think I worked mostly east coast accounts.  I don't remember which state I was calling, but somewhere over there is probably a safe bet.  On this particular account the only person on the mortgage was a man, so when I pulled the account up the only name I see is a man's name.  I wouldn't know if he were married or not and if he was, what his wife's name was (unless a previous collector had noted it, which no one had).  The rules go like this: If he is married, I can speak to his wife as long as she can verify their address and his SSN (even though she isn't on the mortgage), and then I just have to take her word for it that they are married.

So I make the call. The borrower is something over 12 months behind on the mortgage (because those were the only accounts I called at the time).

A woman answers.  I don't know that the man is married or who is answering so I just ask for the borrower.

Here is how our conversation went:

Woman: Hello.
Me: Hi, may I please speak to Mr. _________  __________ (I can't remember his name, nor would I  put it on here.)
Woman: Who is this!?!?
Me: My name is Alison, and I am calling from Nationstar.  Is Mr. _______ ________ there?
Woman: How dare you call this number looking for my husband!!
Me: So you are his wife?
Woman: Yes I am his wife!!  Who the hell are you?
Me: Like I said my name is Alison and I am calling with Nationstar about the mortgage.
Woman: I KNOW you are one of my husband's whores!  I know you are sleeping with him!!! (she is screaming now)
Me: Ma'am.  I am calling with the mortgage company about your mortgage.  Can I speak with you about the mortgage? (I am sort of laughing under my breath at this point, because...really?? I just told her who I was)
Woman: What about the mortgage?
Me: Can I have you tell me your mailing address and your husband's SSN to verify who you are?
Woman: I'm not telling you all that.  I knew you were one of his whores!! You are having sex with my husband!!!  Don't you call this number looking for him.  And by the way he's not just sleeping with you.  He has lots of whores!!!
Me: Ma'am...I am really calling from the mortgage company.  I can talk to you about your mortgage if you can just identify the information and we can more forward.  
Woman: Well, my husband deals with the mortgage...I don't.  You will have to talk to him.
Me: Okay.  Is there a better time to call him back?  Or a better number to reach him at?  Maybe a cell phone number?
Woman: Well, shouldn't you already have his cell phone number since you are sleeping with him??
Me: (OMG!!! are we back here again??  But really, I am just laughing now, but she is just being ridiculous) I ensure you that I work for your mortgage company and that is all I am calling to speak to him about.  May I have his cell phone number?
Woman: No!
Me: Alright...well, I will just have to call back another time for him.  I hope you have a better day.  
(Call ended)

Sorry for the language.  I am pretty sure she used a few other colorful words in there too, but I don't exactly remember.

That is the first and only time I have ever been accused of sleeping with a married man.  And really, it shouldn't be funny, but it just was.  Like...I told her we could talk about the mortgage and then she just went right back to accusing me of things and calling me a whore.  I did feel bad for her though.  I mean, it didn't sound like their marriage was very stable, and it sounded like she had already caught him cheating before...sooooooo that sucks.

I don't remember if I ever had to talk to her again.  If I did, it was nothing as memorable.

Ahh...the life of a collector.

I do not miss it.














Ever.

I know, I know

Y'all (yes I said ya'll) are sick of seeing me post pics of my paintings.  But I paint.  And this is the 'Life and Styles of Marty Crocker' so you get what you get. Lol

My rendition of Van Gogh's "Cafe Terrace at Night"

I have discovered that I am not too good at Van Gogh's style.  I liked my sky and the hill of buildings and my cobblestone (sort of), but other than that, I don't don't like much else.  This is a 16x20 and I am going to hang it up next to the one I bought of his 'Starry Night over the Rhone.'  (Printed on canvas)  It is on  a 30x40 canvas I think.  I also plan on trying to paint 'Starry Night' at some point and hanging it on that same wall.  Someday when I have time.  Ha!

Silly silly

Sometimes you just need to appreciate some silliness.

Here are some classics! haha

We forgot there were multiple pictures being taken.  The second frame we were not expecting, and the third frame is our reaction.  haha

Volleyball night will Lori!

One of my favorite pics of me and my Rose girls.  lol

 When my Mama came to visit

 Channelling my inner "Nicole squirrel face"

Me and the Dew-ster aka Dewey

This is just so awkward.  But it makes me laugh every time without fail.

 These next two are by far my absolute favorite morning pictures of myself.  Someday when I get serious with a guy and he thinks he wants to marry me, I will show him these.  Just so he knows what he is getting himself into.  It's really just polite to let him know in advance.

I mean...check out those classic peacock-like strands sticking up in the front.  haha. clearly I am not a morning person. 

 Me and The Debs aka Debby

I love Bre's face here.  classic!

Bre and I made a music video to the song "grillz" by Nelly.  This is a still frame of the beginning.  And, No, you cannot see the actual video.  It is sooooo embarrassing!

 Goodwill shopping.  I wanted to buy this so bad.

 Pre 5k.  And soooo early.  blah!

Pride Parade 2012.  It was rainy and gross outside, but we had fun!

Class

I love the painting classes that I have been going to.  They are just so much fun and I always feel soooooo good afterwards.  It is a natural high for me.

You know that feeling when you leave a sporting event and your favorite team has just won?  Well that is the feeling I have when I paint something I am proud of.  Maybe it's pride.  Maybe it's adrenaline.  Maybe it's happiness.  I don't know, but I love it.

Here are my most recent.


The Peacock!

The Lighthouse

 The blues in the color of the ocean look so much better in real life.  Come by and check it out if you don't believe me!  Haha!  I was unimpressed by my sky, but I'll work on it. ;)

 I was really impressed with my shading.  And other people in the class were all talking about it.  The original was very cartoon-like.  It was outlined in these huge black lines.  I just couldn't handle it.  I don't really like my red dome though, but I decided I was over it.  It's not that bad.

That First Day

I love the winters here in Texas.  They are amazing.  It almost never gets at or below freezing and it's just chilly enough to wear comfy clothes and not freeze to death.  It stays in the 40s and 50s.  I am good with that.  I think I have come to enjoy this weather so much because every other season in Texas is just hot.

Hot, hotter, and hottest!

And I don't love that so much.  Well, I hate it.  But I suffer on.  So in those "winter" months I really try to soak it up.  It's sort of weird reading everyone's status about how much they want winter to be over and they "just want Spring to come!!"  And I get that.  I really do.  I lived in places like Indiana and Idaho for all of my winters previous to moving here.  So I really get it.  And I use to mentally cry over those dark days in February when the cold just wouldn't quit.

Today was pretty chilly here.  It was in the low 40s.  And it reminded me of those long dark winters, and I once more felt sympathy for my northernly friends.  But, it also reminded me of another time.  A day every year that comes.  A day that reminds me of hope.  A day that tells me that the sun has not forgotten who we are and will come back to us once again.

It's that first day when it is truly warm.  That first day of the year when you tilt your head back, push your chin towards the sky, close your eyes and the sun warms your face.  There is nothing like that moment for me.  It's like 100% pure magic.  It is a moment filled with hope not only for sun but for a future and for good things to come.

Now maybe I am being a bit dramatic, but I most often remember this day every year when I was at Purdue.  When I would be walking on campus, tired and cold.  When I would be crying on the inside from studying for midterms and just wishing it was Spring Break.  A day when I would be mentally planning my summer and wondering what magical details it would hold.  And then, I would feel it.  I would feel the sun beating down on my face, and I would know.  I would know I could make it through the next few months of tests and homework and cold.

Because the sun was coming back.  And that made it alright again.

I don't get that here in Texas.  I don't think anyone in Texas knows that feeling.  They/we don't have to suffer through long winters.  This is our break.  (Or at least that is how I see it.)

This makes me think of trials and how they often feel long, and horrible, and they just come back to hit us over and over again.  And it feels like there is no end in sight.  Sometimes our trials can seem so unbearable and we wonder why Heavenly Father can't just ease up on us.  Not even make it go away, but just lighten the load, right?  But would you ever fully appreciate the sun if you didn't know what a freezing cold day felt like? And wouldn't you appreciate it that much more if there were lots of freezing cold days in a row?  Or would we ever appreciate the sacrifice made on the cross if we were never tempted and fell short at times?

So sometimes I miss that feeling of magic on the first warm day after a bitter cold.  Don't curse me too much for my "nice" winters.  Your day will come.  It will come sooner than you know and every bit of hope for your future will be right there waiting for you.  And it will be fabulous!

Carry on my cold and shivering friends.  Carry on!!

50 + 1

I have add a #65 to my bucket list: Visit all 50 states (and DC).

I made a list of all of the states and the ones I have already been to.  Of the 51, I have only been to 19 states.  19!  That is almost shocking how low that is.  Now of course I'm not counting just driving through a state on my way to another state.  Or if I have just stayed in a hotel for a night and gotten back on the road in the morning.  Or if I was too young to remember.  Or if I have just had a layover in the airport.

I want to VISIT each state.  See what I'm saying.

So I have a new mission people.  A mission to visit all of the states.  Let's do this thing.  Who wants to go on road trip? or a new vacation spot??

Here are the states I have been.  I hope I haven't forgotten any that I have been to.

Florida
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Michigan
Nebraska
Nevada
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Washington DC