chapters...

chapter 1: no more early mornings
today i started my new shift at work. the news department decided at our editorial meeting last week to stagger shifts. i said i had no problem working the 11a.m. to 8 p.m. shift. it would give me a chance to do more page design and editing. so thats what i started this morning. it was great not having to wake up at 6 a.m. to be on the road by 7 and at my desk around 7:30. i woke up this morning 3 times, im actually not used to getting that much sleep at night during the week. i now realize i am going to have to stay up later, which is going to be hard considering i actually like being in the bed by 10 p.m. so now im going to try and stay up til 11, shoo maybe even midnight...although i doubt i can make it til then. i got up this morning and was able to exercise for almost 30 min, tae bo is killing me, i can never make it to 30 minutes but im getting closer, im in the mid 20's. i had time to sit down and check my email, eat some cereal and watch some tv. i hope these late nights arent going to wear me out, i am going to be missing the beginning of my 8 o'clock shows.

chapter 2: stolen identity
i am on a very tight budget for the next couple weeks. VERY tight. so i have been checking my bank statement online every other day to make sure all my debits and checks are coming in and nothing is going wrong. i dropped off my rent check this morning and then drove to work. i was at work for a while and decided to check it to make sure i knew the exact amount that would be in there after the deposited my rent. well i saw that my balance was about $100 less than what it should be so i clicked a few screens and discovered about 5 charges that were made in HONG KONG. now, ive never been to hong kong, dont know anyone in hong kong and havent ordred anything from hong kong. someone had gotten my card number and bought who knows what, i really wasnt sure of the places that were charged. then i remembered my mom calling me this weekend saying the credit union had called me at my parents house, i guess i never updated my phone number. so i figured that the fraudulent charges were what they were calling about and i gave a call back. turns out that that hong kong charges were the reason for the earlier phone call. so they are faxing me some forms to fill out and sending me a new card. so no more worries. i wonder how my card number was accessed but im not trying to dwell on it since the issue is being resolved.

chapter 3: death in the family
right after the debit card issue my mom called and told me my aunt in north carolina had passed. she is actually my dad's aunt. we all knew it was going to be soon for her she had alzheimers along with a list of other ailments. my parents had driven down to see her last month because they knew it would probably be the last time they got a chance to visit with her. im not shaken up by this, i guess because her death did not come as a sursprise. and also because i am a strong believer in God and i know that she is in a better place, pain free. i do hope that her daugther is going to hold up okay. they were always so sweet to me. i love my aunt and my family and i know we are going to be fine. i am worried about my dad, i havent spoken to him since my mom told me the news. i hope he is going to be okay, i love him and hate that he feels any pain. but he is a calm, patient, loving man and i know my mom is there comforting him. i think i might travel home soon just so i can be around them and my brother for a little while. i miss my family a lot.