Hurricane Katrina "aftermath" still isn't over...

Yesterday, Jody, Kayla, Jacob, Jabari and I all decided to randomly take a quicky road trip down to the coast. We saw the Gulf of Mexico... it was beautiful, but I also saw alot of the damage that Hurricane Katrina did down there... even though it's been cleaned up quite a bit, I could see places where the houses had been torn right up... like a set of stairs up to a porch, and nothing more. It was so heartbreaking to look at. So many people lost their homes. It made me so grateful for what I have.

I know there's been a lot of people, even a few people I know personally who have actually said "Ugh I'm so sick of hearing about Hurricane Katrina, it was years ago!!!" and I never agreed really, but now that I'm actually down here in this area, and I've seen all the damage she really did, I disagree with that even more. I knew that the hurricane had affected my family down here, so I knew that it wasn't really over, I don't think it ever will be over. So many people's lives were completely changed, and so many people's lives were lost.

I am so happy to have what I have, and I feel confident that I don't take any of it for granted. I know that I am lucky for everything I have, and all the loved ones I have especially.

Jody told me that with Katrina, the storm surge, which is the wave that comes off the ocean after a hurricane, usually comes in about two hours or so after the actual storm, so people have time to prepare for it. But with Katrina, it came right with the storm, so no one was prepared, and that's why so many people died. I just kept looking out at the Gulf, and thinking how terrible it would be to see a huge wave coming, and being so close to it, and not being able to do anything about it. It would be so terrifying.

I feel like I've come quite a ways in the last couple of months, thanks to family, and of course Tyler... without him I wouldn't have had the courage to come out here, and without my family here I wouldn't have had the opportunity. No one should ever take what they have for granted... and I know a few people that do, and it sickens me... it always did, but yesterday made me appreciate everything so much more.

I love you all!

P.S. I'm also a bit more emotional today because it's Tyler's birthday and he's off spending the day in Camden (it's a little town on the outskirts of London) so I'm missing him =[ but I do hope he's having a good time.

Anywho.. Toodleoo!

Good Feeeeeelins!

Today was a pretty good day...

I woke up and had some cereal, then got online to do some of my studies (I'm studying to be a Medical Transcriptionist) and of course spent most of the day talking to Tyler *blush* he makes me feel so happyyyy.... He told me a few things he's never been able to tell me before... (oddly enough we're so in tune with each others emotions... I could tell something's been up the last few days) he said he felt so much better after he told me, which made me happy.... Anywho... as I said you'd be hearing plenty about him hahaha.

Kayla and I then went to run some errands with Jacob and Jabari... we took a disc to my uncle Randy, then went to the post office, and theeen to get some snacks and THEN to the dollar store... and finally back to the house.

I got something in the mail that I'm not gonna post on here because it's rather embarassing... but it really scared me... alot, (no, I don't have an STD... sickooos lol) but I was feeling rather sick... and thanks to Jody and Tyler I feel much better now... though still a little worried.

Anywho... we're going to have a 'cookout' for dinner tonight... things just seem to be fun here, as Jacob is watching Fantasia on his little tv, Jabari is wondering around, and Kayla and I are watching King of the Hill... Jody's working in her room, and Randy is off at work. It's been a rather calm day... but I really am sooo glad that I have Tyler and he was able to make me feel so much better, and Jody, of course... I'm also so happy that I was able to help him feel so much better today... Whyyyy's England gotta be so far away!??!

Signing off :)

What a dayyy

Okay so I woke up today in paaiin because my teeth have been bothering me and I can't figure out why... it feels like pressure on my back molars, and it's rather annoying. Luckily I got to spend most of the day talking to Tyler, who I mentioned in the previous post haha... but as cheesy as it sounds he always makes me feel better.

So I woke up and stayed in bed for a while because I was in pain, and then Jody, Kayla, Jacob, Jabari and I climbed into the truck and we went to Forrest General Hospital (it's the hospital my aunt Jody works for, with her medical transcripting) so we could get lunch from the cafeteria... because we were hungry and didnt want ramen noodles, and Jody can use her badge at the cashier and get the employee discounted price of the meals deducted from her pay check.

Then we got back, and I grounded my kitty Ebony from leaving my room for the next two days because she attacked Cici, a cat that already lived here, when I've been telling her that this was Cici's house first and she needs to respect that. She's smart enough to know what she's being punished for.

So I was laying in bed, and the sweetest thing happened. There's a little pot of fake yellow tulips here that is kept by the fireplace. So I was laying in bed, and out of nowhere, my cousin Jacob (who is autistic) came into my room carrying the tulips, he walked over and handed them to me, and left again. I thought it was rather sweet so I got onto my laptop and sent an IM to my aunt Jody, from her computer in her bedroom. I told her he did that, and she told me that he had asked where I was, so she told him I was in bed because I wasn't feeling good, so I guess he got the idea to bring me the flowers! Then a little while later, he brought me what looked like a lid to a whinnie the pooh cookie jar... bit more interesting than the flowers, but still sweet...

A while later, we all piled back into the truck to go and get some snacks, because we're random like that. When we got back from that, I was sitting on the sofa with Kayla for a while, watching tv... and then I spent like over an hour on the phone with Tyler... you have to understand that he lives in England, so I can't call him every day... so when I can hear his voice it's a real treat. I can hardly wait for his birthday (November 21st) because I promised him I'd call again then... it had better come soon... I really don't want to wait that long to hear him again but I don't have very much time left on my phone card.

Now we've just had homemade pizza (which was delicious) for supper, and I'm sitting here on the sofa with Kayla.. watching tv again. The days here in Mississippi are never dull, and I'm loving every moment =]

First Post

So I got told by a few people to start up a blog on blogger, so here I am.

I just recently moved out to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to stay with some family I have out here, I am originally from Salt Lake City, Utah. I've recently turned 23, back on October 22nd.

My life has been grand down here so far, I've gotten rather close to my cousin Kayla and her son Jabari, and my aunt Jody. Things have been looking up... especially since I've found and gotten close with Tyler... he's what seems to be my other half, but I wont bore you with talk of him, believe me... you'll hear plenty.

Anywho, I'll leave it at this for tonight, and post more another day. Everyone take care :)