Dennis Parrett....he really is the person for this job.

Last night, I had my first experience with really campaigning for my dad. Sure, I'd been in parades and rode on the "Dennis Parrett for State Senator" float and passed out flyers, but I hadn't had a conversation face-to-face with someone about why they should elect my dad to be their next Senator. That all changed last night. My mother calls me up and informs me that my name is on the list of volunteers to go walking door-to-door in a local community. It was the moment I dreaded. I don't mind doing the fundraisers, asking people if they want a yard sign, posting on facebook about all of my dad's activities and exclaiming "Elect Dennis Parrett!" but this was real-life, I'm going to be knocking on people's doors and they might not be happy about it. Not my idea of a fun night. Nevertheless, I tell my mom that I would be happy to walk (I'm secretly trying to win the "Most Helpful Daughter During the Campaign" award). As time gets closer for us to depart on our excursion, my nervousness and fear begins mounting. Every worst case scenerio plays through my head. What if someone slams the door in my face? What if I get blessed out by some politic-hating person that doesn't want to be bothered during their dinnertime? What if I am greeted by a large dog that attacks me? Or worse, what if I'm greeted by someone with a weapon that's totally annoyed that I'm on their property??? Not only that, but what if someone puts me on the spot? What if they ask me a question I can't answer, or they want to know why they should elect my dad (and I don't think "Because he's a good daddy" counts as a valid answer). I could feel a stomach ulcer growing as big as my list of worries. But dad assured me that I would be fine. So dad and I, along with my littlest sister and my aunt, make our way to the city of Radcliff. Arriving at our first street, I'm so nervous, I feel the need to be sick. We get out our map and begin to ring doorbells. I begin by sticking close to dad's side, lingering on the sidewalk while he talks to the homeowners. That is, until dad notices. He encourages me to go up to the next house while he's talking. Reluctantly, I go. I ring a few doorbells, I pass out a few flyers, I give the "I'm campaigning for Dennis Parrett and here's why he should be your Senator" spiel, all the while dreading the moment that I deal with one of my above mentioned fears. Although not out-loud, I'm grumbling in my head about signing up to do this. Only crazy people volunteer to walk up to a complete stranger's house and knock on their door! I begin to look for my quickest escape route. Until I look at my dad. He's LOVING this. He's trotting from one house to another, talking with everyone that will come to the door, flashing us the thumbs-up sign and moving on down the street. He's really excited about this. Here I am, worrying about a dog or a rude reaction, when dad's just thankful to be there. With every person he gets to talk to and every semi-interested person that will listen to him, he gets even more excited. His excitement is contagious. So what if someone has a few choice words for me? It's not like it would be the first time. So what if someone ignores me? I slip a information card onto their doorknob and move on to the next house. Dad loves this. This is why he's running in the first place. To meet the people of this area and have the opportunity to represent and help them. He loves getting to talk with these people and find out what's really bothering them. With every thumbs up and smile he gives me during our walking, I realize, THIS is why my dad should be the next State Senator.

Save Money, Live Better, I'm Trying!!

Maybe I'm being over-ambitious. Maybe I'm taking on too many resolutions at once. I've vowed to myself to slim down and get back to my pre-wedding weight. And, starting today, I'm adding another item to my to-do list. Save money. Marty and I have been taking a 13 week Dave Ramsey finance class to learn how to live on a budget, pay bills and build wealth. We're 6 weeks in and I've already learned valuable tips about how to live within our means and not overspend. If anyone is having trouble making ends meet or living paycheck to paycheck or just want to learn how to live more comfortably, I HIGHLY recommend the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University workshop. Absolutely worth the money. So here's my promise: I'm going to stick to the budget we are going to make for ourselves. I am going to cut out all fast food meals, drinks at the gas station and completely unnecessary purchases that I make everyday. Instead of going out to eat a couple of lunches a week, I'm hitting the grocery and stocking up on my favorite things to take for lunch. Instead of getting a Dr. Pepper from McDonald's on occassion, I'm going to buy cans and have them by my side. Yes, it's only a dollar here or a couple of bucks there, but those add up. I wish I had back all the money I've spent on meals out or impulse purchases. Things that I didn't need, but bought anyway. There's so many things that I want to do, but don't have the funds available to do them. So here's to building our wealth. Here's to raising enough money to someday be able to finish landscaping around our house. Here's to saving enough money to live comfortably and taking the chance of finding a job that I enjoy, no matter what the paycheck is, instead of working everyday to be able to pay bills. I encourage everyone to join in this pledge with me. Until you sit down and figure out exactly where your money goes, you're clueless as to how much you're really spending. Starting today, I'm saving money. Frugal doesn't sound like such a bad word after all....

Scaredy cat in love with hats.

I. Love. Hats. I do the same thing every year. I walk into stores when the fall clothes make their debut on the racks and I immediately check out the selection of winter hats. During a recent trip to Target, I drooled over at least 6 hats that I would love to have. But I have a problem: I'm scared. I want to be fashion forward and wear some trend setting things, but I don't want to go so far out there that people think I'm weird. And trouble is, I don't see a whole lot of people wearing hats around Etown. I don't want to be the only nerd sporting a fedora or a winter cloche. The fashion adventurous side of me says "Who cares?! If you think it's cute, then go for it!" But the more dominant, people pleasing side of me just wants to fit in. How nice it must be to just not care at all what people think. To be able to do whatever you want without fear of people thinking you're different or a nerd. Sigh. So I guess pictures of my lovely hats will have to do instead. Maybe I'll gain some courage one day and go buy myself one.......