Live Like No One Else

This is the entry for Tuesday........I fell asleep before I finished posting it......

Today was a very packed day as we were "in session" from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. We started out with retirement discussion in the morning. Then after lunch we went to Finacial Peace Plaza and saw Dave doing the radio show. He does it live from the first floor where vistiors can sit and watch him on the air. It's like he is in a corner fish bowl. Two sides of the room that he is in is glass and the "lobby" is full of couches that people can sit and watch him from. On the bottom corner of the glass is a small little box that says "Do not feed the Monkey".

Across from the recording studio is the bookstore and "Martha's Kitchen"--which is a coffee bar that serves homemade desserts--everything from lemon bars, cupcakes cookies, chocolate dipped strawberries, brownies, lemonade, expresso, and coffee all complimentary to vistitors that come in.

What a fun place to work! Most employees LOVE their job and can tell you where in the Dave Ramsey story they were hired on. "I'm employee number 100" "I am employee number 47". The average age of employee at Lampo is 29 and There is currently around 250 employees.

Lampo Group (parent company of Dave Ramsey) ranked1 the #1 place to work in TN the last five years. Everyone looks like they work hard but love every minute of it!!!

Ended the day doing a role play with a case study. Played a counselor for 20 minutes and a couple that needed help for 40 minutes. I was really nervous about this but it went fairly fast. Much easier to be the ones in need of help than the one giving it!!!

Walked two blocks over and got a Baskin Robin's Mocah Almond Fudge Ice Cream Cone. Yum! Now off to bed!

When I came into my room tonight...This was sitting on my desk! What Fun!

oh boy!

Today started with a swim in the pool during torrential downpour. Made me feel like I was in one of those snow globes. I was swimming a few laps back and forth and when I stopped the water kept coming down. Fortunately it was in the 70s so it wasn't too cold.

Classes started this afternoon at 1:00 over at the Financial Training Center (located behind Financial Peace Plaza). Met the staff of Lampo Group (The lead company of Dave Ramsey) and dug in right away. There are about 83 people in the class--from all walks of life (a lot of CPAs and teachers) and all areas of the country (including Spokane and CDA--which made me happy!) Pretty cool to be in a room with a bunch of people who want to help bring hope and information to others.

Dave Ramsey himself showed up around 5:00 to say welcome. What a cool guy--for all his fame and fortune he is pretty much a down home person with a heart to help. He talked about some of the things that he is in the middle of and asked us for questions. We get to go tour his offices later in the week which should be fun.

All in all--lots of information and I am exhausted. We start tomorrow about 8:00 am and go till 6:00 pm. Pray for strength and concentration for tomorrow. I want to get everything I can out of this!!!

Off to do homework and then to bed.

Welcome to Music City

Well...It's been a whole lifetime since I posted anything. Monumental things have happened but to write them down would be overwhelming at this point.

I thought I would start re blogging with Today as I pray it will a positive monumental moment in my life......

Today I left Missoula MT at 6:20 am and arrived in Nashville, TN @5:30 pm. I am about to embark on 5 day training for Dave Ramsey Counseling. I am both excited and Nervous. The most interesting thing is that this is something totally for me. It's weird to me to be traveling alone and spending a week meeting new people by myself. It's been exciting thus far and me, myself and I have all made it safely to TN.

Pray that God blesses this event and that it can be a springboard for a new direction in my life.

Highlight of the day: Having Dinner next door in an Irish Pub (had the blackened Mahi Mahi) and having a hotel room all to myself.

Disappoint of traveling alone: Having to drag your luggage wherever you go cause no one is traveling with you to watch it while you run to take care of business! Bummer!

Pictures of my hotel room are above.

Curiously Delicious

On 4/26/08 My family of Mom, Dad, Warrens, Jones, Chrissy, Andy, Laura, and Jamie all went to Lewiston to watch my brother David fly in. This was an exciting and monumental moment for all involved. After Dave landed the helicopter, fueled up, and hung around for questions and answers and took pictures we had an hour for lunch so all 13 of us tromped off to find a place for lunch and thus entered..........The Buzga Phenomenon (known to all the rest of the world as Arby's)

The first part of the Phenomenon was that before the last person was in the door the first couple had ordered. (No waiting, no wondering, decisions were being made right and left)

The second part of the Phenomenon was that all of us were done ordering and had food within 10 minutes. Amazing.

Then came the best part......Steph then asked Dave, "Are those cheese curds?" We all sort of looked at her and she said" You know they are curiously delicious". Dave then told Steph that they were motzasarella sticks but she could have some. Steph then said,"Is this the restaurant that serves Cheese Curds or is it A&W? They are curiously delicious according to billboard out there. I was just wondering if this was the restaurant." The conversation proceeded to get more complicated from there. Someone offered Steph more motzasarella sticks but she refused. She finally got the answer to her original question after much "curiously delicious" debate. Whew! it was a tough one but we made it through!
Here's to my cheesy family!

P.s. Steph sent me the billboard today! She's does know what she is talking about! Happy Birthday Stephie! We love our "curiously inquisitive" Neeno!

ABCs of Life

ABC Tag
A-Attached or Single?- Besides the 3 of us--Me, Myself, and I--I'm Single
B-Best Friend?- Depends on the situation--Friend is so generic--Best Roommate--Patty, Best Person to watch movies with---Pookster, Best Fan Club--Chrissy, Best Bookmark Maker--Stephanie, Best Fairy Godmother--Nette, Best Person most like me in grace--Bekah, and the list could go on........
C-Cake or Pie?- Pie or maybe cake depends on the day
D-Day of Choice?- Saturday
E-Essential Item?- My eyes
F- Favorite color? Green
G-Gummy Bears or Worms?- Bears
H-Hometown?-Hard one born in Moscow but almost lived in Missoula for as long
Favorite Indulgence?- Cold Coke from a glass bottle.
J-January or July? July- the bestest month ever!
K-Kids? I have played with, wrestled with, stayed, dried tears, just about all of the kids in church.
L-Life isn't complete without? funny stories
M-Marriage Date?- TBD
N-Number of brothers and sisters? 3 Sisters, 2 Brothers (biological)
O-Oranges or Apples?- Apples Monday-Friday Oranges on the weekend (too messy for the desk!)
P-Phobia and Fears? Ending up in heaven by accident (ABC--Always Be Careful)
Q-Quote?- "Some Days I feel like a Flintstone stuck in a Jetson World"
R-Reason to smile?- Life is good!
S-Season of choice?- Fall
T-Tag ten people?- Do Ten People even read my ramblings?
U-Unknown fact about me?- I have a lazy eye! Only visible in pictures!
Vegetable?- Peas
W-Worst habit?-Being Late
Y-Your favorite food?- Salads and chocolate!
Z-Zodiac Sign?- Cancer

My Rap

He's no ordinary Phil
If he can't pay for it no one will
He whips out his plastic with such skill
and swipes in to pay the bill.

Who is this masked man with all the money?
Some know him as Chrissy's honey
Others prefer to call him Andy
Many think he's handy

But really he's more defined and should be known
as Skinbone

CHOURS:
Skinbone...yeah yeah
Skinbone..bad,bad
Skinbone..the complex guy
Skinbone...the name doesn't lie

A Wolf Loge Steak
Keeps his mouth wide awake
If a plate of veggies make
It's more than he can take

Some find him quiet and think he's an illusion
Not many would classify find him as an intrusion
But little do the thy know
just how deep this man's mind can go

CHOURS:
Skinbone...yeah yeah
Skinbone..bad,bad
Skinbone..the complex guy
Skinbone...the name doesn't lie

Deep Mind
Heart Kind
Never in a bind
Always like to Dine

Give him a rod and a reel
Then he'll give you a deal
Give him a high five
Then you'll find him quite alive

He's the man
He's got the toughest skin
and good to the bone......
He's

CHOURS:
Skinbone...yeah yeah
Skinbone..bad,bad
Skinbone..the complex guy
Skinbone...the name doesn't lie

Skinbone....the badest, coolest, kindest dude you'll ever meet
Skinbone.....Yeah Yeah
Skinbone.....bad bad

Feeling Small

This week has been a very interesting week. It's February in Missoula which means that the restless bug hits really fast. Anywhere but here is a good place to be. I get feeling that way often on the cold dreary days of winter--I just didn't expect it to hit so soon after all my recent running around.


I have been reflecting on life a lot lately and decided to make some changes--so in the past month I have updated my wardrobe and my resume. I really like the feeling of excitement of doing something new....There is also a fear of leaving the comfortable and safe. But I guess that is what a leap of faith is--knowing that God will be there no matter what and moving in a direction to better my service to Him.

I have also had to deal with some stuff about myself I do not like. I hate that. It leaves me feeling so small and tiny. You know--that knot in the pit of your stomach that doesn't leave. I just want to hide away from the world. Find my bed and not come out till spring. I know we don't grow unless we go through growing pains but Ouch they hurt!

So for today I'm going to go curl up in God's lap and have a good cry. There is a Twila Paris song that talks about the warrior is a child. It really fits today. Today I am a child...Tomorrow I'll be the warrior. The lyrics are listed below:

Lately I’ve been winning battles left and right
But even winners can get wounded in the fight
People say that I’m amazing
I’m strong beyond my years
But they don’t see inside of me
I'm hiding all the tears

[CHORUS]They don’t know
That I come running home when I fall down
They don’t know Who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and cry for just a while
Cuz deep inside this armor
The warrior is a child

Unafraid because his armor is the best
But even soldiers need a quiet place to rest
People say that I’m amazing
I never face retreat
But they don’t see the enemies
That lay me at his feet