Begin Again.....

Its September 1st. The unofficial close of the summer. This was the summer that wasn't. I didn't get to the beach, a baseball game, a carnival, a special event. I didn't see fireworks, the city nor explore Atlantic city. It was a sad excuse for the summer.

I was diagnosed with Chrons Disease, a chronic disease that affects my GI tract. [I sure do win the great diseases, let me tell you. ] I spent the summer trying to figure out that I really wasn't crazy and I was really sick. After fainting for the third time, I KNEW I needed to see a doctor. Dr. B has been great and he has been right about what he thinks is going on with me. It is very frustrating.

I feel that I need to change some things in my life. Its not like I am doing terrible things but this diagnosis has opened my eyes. I need to start doing things that make me happy; make me less stressed and enjoy life. I know this is not life ending but to me, I need to start really living life.

Earlier in the year, I was a bump on the log all I was doing was working. I wasn't happy. I started painting in the spring and that slowly started to make me happier. I took up yoga for a short time before my anemia and chrons started acting up. I was sleeping so much because my iron count was SO LOW. My social life was almost non existant, a went on a few dates but nothing was real- there was no spark. I want a spark- is that so hard to get?! Apparently!

Its September, fall is starting and I have a new outlook on life so I am beginning again, again.

I want to come back to this blog, I missed you. It keeps me accountable, and it lets me document life, since I am not taking photos of my everyday life.

I have no idea who reads this- (Hi everyone! nice to meet ya!) but whoever you are, thanks!

Let me officially start this off by introducting myself and giving you a sneak peak into my life:

Name: Gabrielle or Elle for short
Location: the beautiful Jersey Shore (yes where Jersey Shore was filmed but I am nothing like them!)
Occupation: Paralegal and Hostess
Age: 26.7
Likes: Bright colors, creativity, people watching, the local summer, family, memories, photos, and reading, to do lists, productivity, organization and home décor.
Dislikes: liars, smokers, fake people, unorganized people and drugs.
Hobbies: painting, people watching, golf, reading, relaxing.

I am excited to start writing again and I am excited to have you along for the ride.

Have a great night.
-Elle

Best Present EVER

Merry Christmas everyone. I hope everyone got what they wanted. I wanted to share this one photo.
My Favorite gift this year- yup 3 old keys with a ribbon tying them together.
My parents gave this to me as my very last gift. along with it came a note- on parchment paper and it read:

Dear Gabrielle,
We want to first tell you how proud we are of you. We are proud of the person you have grown into. We are also so proud how level headed you are as a young adult. You have set goals for yourself and applied yourself and achieved those goals. We are also very aware you have a dream which you have shared with us. The dream to someday own your own home . We want to help you achieve this dream.
Enclosed are three keys. These keys are actually keys from the turn of the centry. Dad searched high and low for these keys. He lovingly sprayed them for you so they shine as bright as your personailty.
The first key is the key to our heart. You have our unconditional love and support and always will. The second key is the key to unlock your future. You have so many opportunities waiting for you- don’t let a great opportunity pass you by. The third key represents the key (someday you will actually hold in your hand)…. they key to your FIRST HOME. We want to start your HOUSE FUND with a contribution from us to you…. WITH LOVE!
Love,
Mom & Dad
ps. We read somewhere you are more likely to achieve your dreams and goals if you actually visualize them… we thought these keys and your HOUSE FUND should help you do just that! XXOO

I was so touched and taken aback by this gift. My parents are so amazing and this was so amazing.
THANK YOU MOM AND DAD!

I'm going to be a little weepy

Today was interesting. Our computers were down for a bit and it was slow which I was happy about. I received a few phone calls that were very sad which in turn made me very sad.
1. A mother whose first words to me were "I'm sorry I'm going to be a little weepy" which I didn't understand at first but then she started to tell me that her son was killed in Afghanistan last month. I believe I remember seeing the procession on the local news station. He was 19 or so.
2. A mother called saying over the summer her 9 year old daughter drowned in a pool. I believe this was on the news as well bc she drowned in a local hotel pool
3. A young woman came in about 27-30 with a very curious young boy; the look on her face told the whole story. The look of sadness that filled her face was deafening. She tried to speak and as she spoke her voice trembled and she tried so hard to be strong for her and her son. She sat down and she tried so hard to not cry. She must have really loved him.
One of the highlights of the day was this olde man came in pretty early this morning asking if his paperwork was ready. Unfortunetly it wasn't because our computers were down. He was going back to michigan tomorrow and he wanted to settle some affairs before then. So I told him that we can mail him the paperwork so he could go home as planned. I suggested he could call back a little later to see if it was ready. Later that day, the older man called back and he paperwork was ready. He came in and I handed him his paperwork and he was amazed. He looked at the envelope and then at me. He finally said "I bet you had something to do with this being ready. " I just smiled and said have a good holiday. He walked away smiling whig was a nice surprise for me after all of the sadness.

I came home to stress and thinking to. Myself- wondering why do we bother with love if it doesn't last? My parents marriage is hanging on by threads. All my relationships have ended up in sadness. I posed this question to a friend: "Do you think everyone has someone out there? Do you believe that there is an invisible red string that connects 2 people together? "
His response : "I'll be honest with you. I think there is someone for everyone. I think there are a few people for someone, that if things go wrong you can still find someone and be happy. I also believe that some people, no matter how happy they are with another person, some people are destined to live their lives without someone by their side. It's fate and chance and love and it's all a big mess."
I was intrigued by his answer because I sometimes think I can live my life without anyone. I like being by myself. I am more comfortable alone. I am not a showy person and I am quiet.


Life is funny.
-Elle

5 years ago...

I was dating this boy and he had me totally smitten. He held doors open for me, picked me up at my house (in this white car), always paid (even when I offered to pay), watched Disney movies and silly cartoon with me...you can see where I'm going- he was the perfect guy in a Taylor Swift song. When we came home for thanksgiving- we lived in the same town we went to see happy feet. It was a sweet movie but since we decided to go to a late showing, we assumed (you know what happens when you assume) it would be empty. Well we were SOOO wrong An eight year old little girl decided to have a birthday party at the movies and decided to stay up late and watch yup you guessed it- happy feet. It was precious and we laughed about it afterwards. It was a perfect date.
Unfortunatly it didn't work out and years went by and he admitted to me that he had made a mistake hurting me and it has eaten away at him for the past four years. Sweet right?! Well , not really because he graduated and moved outta state. Sounds like another Taylor Swift song right?
We still keep in contact, wishing each other happy birthday but that's it.

SO the whole point of this post was that Happy Feet 2 came out or is coming out this weekend and I got a fit of giggles when I realized that
1. It's been 5 years since we dated
2. Happy feet 2 is out
3. How much I want to call him and see if he wants to go see happy feet 2 this weekend for old times sake.

I will not be doing #3 but it would be nice.

God I feel old. 5 years is a long time.

A whole new world for you and me.
-Elle

I spy

I saw a lot of unique things today. Prisoners outside my window; people in a store I never seen open; I saw other funny things that I just cannot remember now :/
I have the hiccups right now- I do not like it.

So goodnight moon,
And goodnight you,
When you're all that I think about.
-Elle

Disappointed.

Boys have broken my heart in the past. I get it- boy breaks my heart, I mope around, I eat junk food for a week or so, I'm find. But when boys say hurtful and mean words that essentially make me cry- I break. And boys have broken me in the past. This boy said some of the most hurtful things- saying that I don't have my life together because I am not comfortable with driving somewhere at night by myself. Then he went on to compare me to his ex girlfriend who is in med school becoming a doctor- she has her life together and I don't.
I am me that is only who I can be. I know you might look down on me because I don't have clients all over the world And I have a job that pays good (in my opinion), I have an AAS degree which I'm very proud of and yes I did live on a college campus- for 3 years.
You have not only embarrassed your self by what you said but you have lost my respect. And to think I thought you were a good guy.
But I'm not a vindictive person- I am not going to smear you name all over the Internet; I'm not going to talk badly about you to my friends; I am a good girl who will hold her head high and bounce back from this hiccup in my life because that is what I do- I always bounce back and I'm always stronger than I was. THANK YOU for showing me that you are NOT the man of my dreams. The man of my dreams is out there somewhere and I won't lose hope even in my darkest days.

-Elle

Its beginning to look a lot like.... FALL

This weekend was relaxing and non productive.

I got to speak to the boy this weekend which was nice because it was more than just 5 minutes.  Our mutual friend, might be right about him. BUT im not counting my chickens or jumping the gun or anything like that but I am hopeful about the future.

I have a full week this week unlike last week- where I had 2 days off. BUT the most exciting part of this week is NATIONAL ADOPTION DAY on friday. Technically it on Saturday but we dont work on Saturday so its on Friday for us. I am very proud to be part of this- which me only having 72 hours to learn EVERYTHING there is about adoption for someone who has been doing it 23 years?! Its pretty impressive in my book. It was a lot of work and I still ahve a lot to do this week. But I can do it!

Tuesday is going to be 5 months gluten free!!! I have been feeling a whole lot better than May. I have my mother to thank for that!

Well, off to prepare for another crazy week.

You need to have a little faith, not everyone you love is going to leave you.

-elle

Confidence

Sometimes I don't feel as if I measure up to someone's idea of what they imagine but in reality I exceed it but I don't believe I do as good of a job as I do. I need to believe in myself and be more confident in myself. :/



Even on my weakest days, I'm getting stronger....
-Elle

Just breathe.

Today I was eager and I got to work extra early to tackle the pile of work that has been growing the last couple of days. Besides mixing up 2 files (totally my mistake which I fixed) things are going swimmingly. I have to finish putting together 2 files and run them to the judge and start reading some others.
I'm starting to feel a little better about doing this work. I've only been here a month, I am doing fine - per my bosses. Lol

- it's a quarter after 3 and I'm all alone and I need you now.
-Elle

The good life

Work is going much better today. Since we are short staffed I got to go to lunch a little early today and I decided to go people watching. This has to be one of my favorite past times. The local library is one of my favorite spots. Lots of unusual people come and go here. Also the dunking' plays good music. And another highlight of my day-PAYDAYYY! Best day of the week by far.

Also someone telling you that "you are one of the kindest people we've met" ranks pretty high up there.
Also this:
-Im here there's no leaving
-You sure. I'm pretty sure I'm a handful and more.
-I can see that ;)

I just have to keep doing what I'm doing, stay positive and good things will come to me.

Shimmer of hope on this rainy day.

I am going for my complimentary Pilates class tonight. That made my day just a little better. Also, in other news- it is pouring outside and I parked in the garage today. I am happy with that decision.
Also, in upcoming news, I see my good friend tomorrow at her new apartment. She recently moved back to the area and I am so so excited to see her. And tomorrow I will be attending a seminar on adoptions.

My babys riding' shot gun singing just a little off key with her tan feet tappin out the back beat.
-Elle

(Summer) Snow Day

  Last night, my parents and I went to the NKOTBSB Concert in Atlantic City.
Before we got into the concert, we went out to dinner at 24 Central in Trump. Since we ate there before ( before the Michael Buble Concert), I decided to bring my own dinner (due to the fact that it wasn't a gluten free establishment and I was too afraid to try something-even salad- due to cross contamination with other gluten foods. ) My parents and I asked for a booth and they stuck us in a corner which made me feel a little better because I felt awkward bringing my own food to a restaurant. I 'ordered' a salad and a water. My parents ordered grill cheese and a burger. I kept the salad in front of me and put my fork on the side of the dish as if I was eating it. My parents ate it and I ate a gluten free ham sandwich which I kept on my lap. Luckily our waiter wasn't very attentive and I didn't have to explain to the waiter why I was eating my sandwich.
After dinner, I went to Starbucks and got myself a treat- An organic apple juice juice box. HAHA I felt five.

After dinner it was close to 6:30, we decided to get online to wait for the concert. Luckily it wasn't raining, unlike the last time we were here for Michael Buble but it was extremely humid and hot out. After waiting for about 20 minutes, we were finally able to get in. We made a beeline for the concert merchandise and I got a teal Backstreet Boys t-shirt ( which later I ended up wearing!)

 Boy oh boy, did those boys grow up! I will admit, I am a bigger Backstreet Boys fan than New Kids on The Block but in the recent years I have liked them. What a wonderful high energy concert that lasted for 2 and 1/2 hours!! My mom was dancing and fist pumping and my dad even had fun. It was a great example to see how fans follow musical groups as they grew up. The audience was a mix of 20 something year olds to middle age to the older generation. Everyone was up on their feet singing along and having the best time. The opening acts were Matthew Morrison ( Yes, Mr. Shuster from Glee)and Midnight Red. Matthew Morrison was amazing- He is a dynamic performer!  My parents was very impressed! Midnight Red was cute. They are like a new school of boy bands- They had the cute one, the wild one, the young one, the old one and the shy one. I liked it.

Overall it was a wonderful night out.

I was exhausted, to say the least and I had to get up this morning for work. After being jolted out of bed by my alarm clock, I started getting ready, jumping in the shower etc. After my shower, my mom surprised me by making me my egg whites with ham and pepperoni and potatoes and onions (all gluten free! ), I went to my room and checked my phone and I saw I had a missed call and a voice mail. To my surprise, it was the store manager telling me that I didn't have to come into work because (get this!) our store was flooded and is closed today! What a nice surprise!
I was grateful for my snow day and I have been very very productive! ( and I believe I still get paid for the hours I would have worked because the store was closed for an unseen reason!!!!)

Other than work and the NKOTBSB concert, life has been quiet, which is what I like and relaxing.


Off to watch the Cops Marathon on G4!

"Jersey has the most beautiful women in the world." -Howie Dorough from last night.

-elle

you only see these things working in retail...

So the other day, I was one of the cashiers and I look up at the line that had quickly formed and I see a mother and son. The mother has some beauty product and the son was looking down at what looked like was a portable game. I then realized it was a cellphone and he was looking so intently at it,  I wondered what he was playing. Then his mother says to the boy " great job! You did it" at this point I was still clueless what he was playing. A girl, in her twenties, was waiting behind the boy and the mother and her boyfriend was looking down at his iPhone so intently just like the son was. I didnt think anything of it and the mother said something to the son about angry birds, and the boyfriend behind him, piped up and said "oh im playing that too". After saying that  he quickly got back to his game. This whole conversation made me giggle and made me wish I had a camera because it was just like a kodak moment to see a young boy and a grown up playing angry birds so intently.

Also, Im trying to think of a way to make some cash on the side of working retail and hopefully my full time job in the fall. I want something that i can make my own hours and do something that is worthwhile and people would pay for.

So goodnight moon,
And goodnight you,
When you're all that I think about.
All that I dream about.
How'd I ever breathe without...

-elle

You're Approved

I have been waiting to hear these two words since I turned 18 and it finally happened tonight. I was approved for my very first credit card. This is such a momentous occasion. I recieved yet another credit card application today in the mail and i sat at my desk after dinner staring at it intently and I decided to give it a go.I entered the information and then clicked continue. The very next screen came up and it said APPROVED in huge bold letters. I called my mom in to make sure I was seeing it correctly and I was! I beyond excited.

I just had to share that with you all.

-elle

we're growing up

Last night I got to spend some time with a good friend Emily. She recently (as in Tuesday) got her tonsils out. We spent a couple hours catching up on what has happened with us within the past month, what we are up to now and how she is preparing to spend the next two years in London, England. She is completing her Masters there. It was nice to get some perspective on my crazy life from her. We have known each other since my Sophomore year of High School.

Yesterday I also rented the Lincoln Lawyer at Redbox and I ended up watching it this morning. It was a wonderful legal thriller with a ton of twists. Plus who doesn't love a Matthew McConaughey movie?!

Beach tomorrow and life is going good!

And you know what?  When you least expect it, something great might come along, something better than you ever planned for.

-elle

Its my (1/2) Birthday...

Golly, Its already been six months since my birthday. I decided to do a half year update.

January: My birthday (sadly no photos)

            

A ton of Interviews for Internships

February: Started my Internship

March: St. Patricks Day

April: Bought a Bed!

May:

Fundraiser for a local firefighter who was severely burned and hurt at a fire.

click here  for the story.

I got my Iphone.

I met  Megan McCafferty (again)

I graduated college

I went to Disney World.

 I started my accounting class

I supported the country and our veterans for Memorial Day.

Georgie met Jill Nicolini from Chanel 11 News on the Beach.

June:

Went to the Michael Buble Concert

 Got an A in my Accounting Class

July:

 Went to Fireworks on the Board walk

It has been such a great half of year. I am hoping that the next 6 months are as fun!

-elle

oh my gosh, these fireworks are AWESOME

that was said by a little boy tonight on the boardwalk while watching the fireworks. My parents and I went to the board walk tonight for the free fireworks. The boardwalk was fun, I went on the swings and on the carosel. I'm not much of a ride person. We played some skee ball and won some points. I have been collecting them since '95. I'm up to like 9000 and the only thing I can buy is a plastic whistle. hahaa I'll cash them in one day.

The rest of the day was nice, my new iPhone case came in the mail today. Its a penguin and its awfully cute.

I finally decided on a major for my bachelors degree. After a long thought process, I narrowed it down to 3 majors:
1. Education ( Mathematics)
2. Marketing/PR/Advertising
3. Accounting

Diversity was the key in my thinking. I already have an Associates Degree in Paralegal Studies and I really do like it ALOT but I cant get a Bachelor's degree in it unless I want to do an online degree, which I don't.
Here was my thought process for choosing these majors:
1. I always wanted to become a teacher. I toyed around with this thought all the way back in 2009 right before I started the paralegal program @ BCC. Though I thought I would want to teach elementary school but I don't- I want to teach math. That last statement made me laugh because from 1st grade all the way to 12th grade I had a tutor in math. (yes I know 1st grade math is 1+1. I was that bad in math.) Then my very first semester in college, I was placed in Calculus and I ended up passing the class with a B+ without a tutor. I did it all by myself. I felt awesome. I feel as if I can give back and help kids understand math like I did with the help of a tutor. Also I can work September to June in a School setting then June to September I can work as a paralegal so then I have 2 incomes coming in. BUT New Jersey seems to have an influx of teachers and there seems to be very few jobs for teachers. Not to mention the pension reform is still up in the air so that didn't seem to be a good idea right now.

2. I have always been a creative person (not as much the past couple of years but I am) and my mom has always told me that I would be great in Marketing/PR/Graphic Design. While I did take 2 Graphic Design classes, I realized that Graphic Design wasn't my forte but Marketing was still in my mind. For me, I feel as if I finally settled in here, where I live. I like the area, I am close to the beach, NYC and Philly. I am a homebody and I have finally realized. For me to make a decent living as a Marketing/PR/Advertising Representative, I would have to go north to the NYC area or West to the Philly Area. For me to commute either way would be A. very expensive and B. very tiresome (for me)
This didn't seem like a good idea.

3. If you told me 5 years ago, I would be considering becoming an Accounting major, I would have laughed so hard at you. Flashfoward to today, I am actually considering it. It combines what I like- numbers and math (but it all has to equal which is like a self check), being creative (naming the different accounts) and its recession proof. Who doesn't need an accountant?! After taking the Fundamentals of Accounting class a month ago, I realized with the right teacher I can learn and even love accounting. Now let me tell you- Accounting and I had a pretty tumultuous relationship. I used to cry during every class because I had no idea what was going on in this class. I got through it with a B the first time but in Accounting 2 oh gosh, I bawled my eyes out every morning at 8 am because the professor used to call on me every time because the professor liked to call on the student who got the lowest test score on first every since class; guess who that lucky student is- ME! Needless to say, I got my first D ever on my transcript. After I saw that, I was done with Accounting FOREVER. I took Accounting 1 again 4 years later at a community college and I did decent but I still didn't fully understand it. A year passed by and I decided to take Fundamentals of Accounting and I fell in love. I loved this so much that the professor even noticed and decided to point out to me (in front of the whole class) that I should be an Accounting major. I laughed it off but after I really started to think about it and I was intrigued and I started to investigate the major.
After a long time of research and weighing the pros and cons, I decided to go into Accounting. Since I am considered a Transfer student so I need to contact the transfer counselors and see where I can get the most bang from my buck.(ie Where the most of my credits to accepted, the lowest price etc. )

This is a big decision for me. I don't really like big decsisons and I finally realize that this is what I want to do. I am still interested in Paralegal and Legal Studies. I talked to my parents about it and they are so happy for me. Its been a rocky 5 years for me but I am happy to be back on track.
Also I will be paying for my Accounting degree (possibly MBA) all by myself. This is a choice made by me. My parents of course offered but I want to invest my hard earned money on myself. I have some savings bonds that I will probably use to help me along.

Along with these classes I hopefully will be working at the courthouse full time. I realized its not a rush for me to get my degree, I have to just take it one step at a time.
-elle

oh my god, these fireworks are awesome.

The title of this post was said by a little boy tonight on the boardwalk while watching the fireworks. My parents and I went to the boardwalk tonight for the free fireworks. The boardwalk was fun, I went on the swings and on the carousel. I'm not much of a ride person. We played some skee ball and won some points. I have been collecting them since '95. I'm up to like 9000 and the only thing I can buy is a plastic whistle. haha I'll cash them in one day.

The rest of the day was nice, my new iPhone case came in the mail today. Its a penguin and its awfully cute.

I finally decided on a major for my bachelors degree. After a long thought process, I narrowed it down to 3 majors:
1. Education ( Mathematics)
2. Marketing/PR/Advertising
3. Accounting

Diversity was the key in my thinking. I already have an Associates Degree in Paralegal Studies and I really do like it ALOT but I cant get a Bachelor's degree in it unless I want to do an online degree, which I don't.
Here was my thought process for choosing these majors:
1. I always wanted to become a teacher. I toyed around with this thought all the way back in 2009 right before I started the paralegal program @ BCC.  Though I thought I would want to teach elementary school but I don't- I want to teach math. That last statement made me laugh because from 1st grade all the way to 12th grade I had a tutor in math. (yes I know 1st grade math is 1+1. I was that bad in math.) Then my very first semester in college, I was placed in Calculus and I ended up passing the class with a B+ without a tutor. I did it all by myself. I felt awesome. I feel as if I can give back and help kids understand math like I did with the help of a tutor. Also I can work September to June in a School setting then June to September I can work as a paralegal so then I have 2 incomes coming in. BUT New Jersey seems to have an influx of teachers and there seems to be very few jobs for teachers. Not to mention the pension reform is still up in the air so that didn't seem to be a good idea right now.

2. I have always been a creative person (not as much the past couple of years but I am) and my mom has always told me that I would be great in Marketing/PR/Graphic Design. While I did take 2 Graphic Design classes, I realized that Graphic Design wasn't my forte but Marketing was still in my mind. For me, I feel as if I finally settled in here, where I live. I like the area, I am close to the beach, NYC and Philly. I am a homebody and I have finally realized. For me to make a decent living as a Marketing/PR/Advertising Representative, I would have to go north to the NYC area or West to the Philly Area. For me to commute either way would be A. very expensive and B. very tiresome (for me)
This didn't seem like a good idea.

3. If you told me 5 years ago, I would be considering  becoming an Accounting major, I would have laughed so hard at you. Flashfoward to today, I am actually considering it. It combines what I like- numbers and math (but it all has to equal  which is like a self check), being creative (naming the different accounts) and its recession proof. Who doesn't need an accountant?! After taking the Fundamentals of Accounting class a month ago, I realized with the right teacher I can learn and even love accounting. Now let me tell you- Accounting and I had a pretty tumultuous relationship. I used to cry during every class because I had no idea what was going on in this class. I got through it with a B the first time  but in Accounting 2 oh gosh, I bawled my eyes out every morning at 8 am because the professor used to call on me every time because the professor liked to call on the student who got the lowest test score on first every since class; guess who that lucky student is- ME! Needless to say, I got my first D ever on my transcript. After I saw that, I was done with Accounting FOREVER. I took Accounting 1 again 4 years later at a  community college and I did decent but I still didn't fully understand it. A year passed by and I decided to take Fundamentals of Accounting and I fell in love. I loved this so much that the professor even noticed and decided to point out to me (in front of the whole class) that I should be an Accounting major. I laughed it off but after I really started to think about it and I was intrigued and I started to investigate the major.
After a long time of research and weighing the pros and cons, I decided to go into Accounting. Since I am considered a Transfer student so I need to contact the transfer counselors and see where I can get the most bang from my buck.(ie Where the most of my credits to accepted, the lowest price etc. )

This is a big decision for me. I don't really like big decsisons and I finally realize that this is what I want to do. I am still interested in Paralegal and Legal Studies. I talked to my parents about it and they are so happy for me. Its been a rocky 5 years for me but I am happy to be back on track.
Also I will be paying for my Accounting degree (possibly MBA) all by myself. This is a choice made by me. My parents of course offered but I want to invest my hard earned money on myself. I have some savings bonds that I will probably use to help me along.

Along with these classes I hopefully will be working at the courthouse full time. I realized its not a rush for me to get my degree, I have to just take it one step at a time.
-elle

hey did you go.....

Today was a good day, before i went into work this afternoon, I stopped into Old Navy to return a pair of pants I bought online but they ended up being too big! (ahhhh yess!!) So I walk in and hop on line with 3 people in front of me. I had my iPhone in my hand and I anxiously was looking at it making sure I was keeping track of time. Luckily the 3 people in front of me didn't have really complex or complicated purchases so I am standing behind this man who is looking at the gift cards and then there is me, standing there in all black clothes, my bright teal bag and a small brown shopping bag with the pair of black pants, the cashier, a boy, looked at me while the man buying the gift card was swiping his credit card, said to me "oh you can put your bag up here, its alright" with my shyness, smiled and obliged. The man who bought the gift card left and this was the conversation that transpired:

cashier boy: hello
me: hi, i bought these online but they didn't fit
cashier: oh okay i can take care of this for you
cashier: ::::looking at the receipt, punching keys on the keyboard:::
me: :::smiling uncomfortably:::
cashier: okay $25 will go back on the card
me: :::rummaging through my HUGE bag::: do you need the card?? ::my voice trembling at this point::
cashier: did you go to _____? :::as he is finishing up the transaction:::
me: ::::stumbling over my words and super surprised:: uh uh yes  i did
cashier: i thought you looked familiar
me: :::racking my brain to think of something intelligent to say because I am so surprised by what he said:::  ::smiling and my face is probably red::: what year did you graduate?
cashier: 05
me: :::smiling:: 06
me: i'm gabrielle ::smiling thinking if that was okay to say:::
cashier: i'm nick :: as he is handing me the receipt:::
me: well it was nice to meet you, see you around
cashier: you too have a good day.

I walked out of Old Navy beaming, things like this happen but never to me and it got me excited and i bounced over to my job. I wouldn't say it was busy because it wasn't but I wouldn't say it was slow either. Today brought in a lot of foreigners that were quite mean and rude. I didn't mind their rudeness because I kept trying to think who this Nick character was and how did I know him besides seeing him at Old Navy.

Hmm, I'll have to see where this one goes.

Other than that I was feeling a lot better today until dinner when i ventured to eat chocolate ice cream =( oh well, i have been really doing well with this whole gluten free diet/lifestyle. Friday will be the one month mark.

with sparkling eyes, look for the beauty in everything.
-elle

ce que vous voulez???

Today was an interesting day. I was met today with four customers who, I'm guessing are on vacation here in the states, who spoke nothing but this foreign language and I had no idea what they were saying. I had to resort to pointing , thumbs up, thumbs down, shaking head yes or no, feeling the fabric etc. It was quite hard and frustrating at first but after a while we got the hang out it. I had to help other customers and the four foreigners went out with their browsing  and other associates tried to help them and kept complaining how annoying they are because they didn't speak English. After a while (read:1 hour), the one man pointed towards the register, here is where I interact with them again and then the man looked at me, I was probably frazzled looking said to me with a smile "Tu parle l Français?" I somehow knew what that meant  and giggle to myself and said " no, Italian tho." Three Hundred dollars later the strangers from France had finally left. That started my morning off great.

The rest of the day flew by and by 4 pm I was ready to go go go.
On my way home, I stopped by the library and picked up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I have been looking at it for a hour.

Rizzoli and Isles was awesome last night and I am re-watching it right now. It's going to be a good season.

we were caught up in a southern summer.
-elle