Nicole’s Life

I can’t believe it has been forever since I posted!!! What has happened since the last post hmmmmm……. I read the Book Night – Wiesel, and The Wedding – Sparks. They were incredible books and I finished each of them in less than a week. I can’t believe how much I love reading when I am not tasked to do it, as in a school assignment.
Night
This novel was so powerful, I don’t think it was as explicated as I thought it would be and for that I am thankful. The story was as much about the Holocaust as it was about the relationship of a boy and his father. He is such a strong and intelligent person to be able to endure such a violent life. I would recommend this book to anyone; it is short and keeps the pages turning.
The Wedding
This book involves some of the characters from Sparks other novel The Notebook. I didn’t really want to read this book out of fear that is would not be as good as the Notebook, but it was just as romantic. I didn’t want to put the book down and I didn’t want the love story to end. I am not sure how a man can write something so sweet and incredible!!! The setting was North Carolina, I honestly felt like I was there!! I can’t wait to read another one of his novels.
So I have finished my books for February and March already! I am now reading Fat Girl: A true Story. So far so good. I am about 1/3 the way through the book and it is a great!!!  I think everyone who is over weight has thought the things that she is telling the reader.
The weather was beautiful this weekend!!! It was flip flop weather, my favorite!! It was just another example of why I want to move south, more days to wear flip flops. I realized on Sunday night that I had no short sleeve shirts to wear to work. Since I lost all the weight I have gotten rid of all my shirts. I really need to find time to shop. I am hoping to get away from my desk tomorrow and find some clothes.
I scrapbooked more of the wedding pictures. Heather and I were scrapbooking until 4 am; no one believes that we weren’t at a bar. I try to explain that once you get in that grove of being creative you can’t stop. We had such a great time talking, joking, laughing, and being creative.
I took some great pictures on Friday night and Sunday morning. I am starting to get a little more confident in my abilities. I think the ones of my dogs are great, but that is because they are so cute. The cows that “posed” for my on Sunday were so cute. It is amazing how curious they tend to be. I would really like to go back on a day when the weather and light are a little better.
I must get back to doing taxes but I am going to try to post at least one other time this week! Try being the key word!!

Well last week was my birthday; turning 27 wasn’t as scary as I thought it was going to be. I am in a much better place then I was 5 years ago. I am finally comfortable. I am happy with my life. I love my husband, family, house, job (most of the time), and most importantly myself.

In the days leading up to my birthday I started thinking about all these things and that is when I realized I have spent most of my adult life saying what I wanted to do and then why I couldn’t. That is no more!!! There is a site www.43places.com and www.43things .com both are incredible sites that let you put in writing what you want to do. My brother introduced me to these sites about 6 months to a year ago and now I am hooked. I have always had a list of places I wanted to go before I died and things I wanted to do but there were always in my head. In what I will now call my “birthday epiphany” I looked at that list and decided I need to have at least something checked off before my 28th birthday. I told my husband about my “wish”, he must think I am nuts most of the time but he supports me in everything I do. So we already had a trip planned to go to Disney World in May and I new that I could complete one of my things in Florida, soooooo we will now be swimming with the Manatees in May. Then he agreed to go skydiving for our 1 year anniversary. So here are my 43 things in no order:
Swim with the Manatees
Swim with the Sharks
Dive the Great Barrier Reef
Go on and African Safari
Skydive
Cruise Alaska
Cruise Panama Canal
Visit the Galapagos Islands
Visit Russia
Open a restaurant
Learn to Dance
Go to the Kentucky Derby
Hike in a Rainforest
Horseback ride on the beach
Get my CPA
Learn Russian
Live by the beach
Relax
Be more Patient
Get Organized
Go to a NASCAR race at Talladega

My 43 Places I want to go:
Botswana
Australia
Russia
Alaska
Egypt
Italy
Greece
Cuba
Costa Rica
Fiji
Madagascar
Galapagos Islands
British Columbia
Wyoming
Malta
Great Wall of China
Romania
Zanzibar
Kilimanjaro
The places will be a little harder to accomplish because they are a lot more expensive! I am trying to get to Wyoming this summer.

I can’t tell you how insane my family and friends think I am most of them just make the list and never try to fulfill them. My theory to those lists is “Talk is cheap”.

At least I figured out how much I love my life and how LUCKY I am on my 27th birthday and not my 80th!

I wanted to update this last week but unfortunately I was at work late every night!! The worst day was Wednesday, when we stayed until 10pm. At least I can say I learned alot!!!

So back at the ranch… I wanted to say that on January 31 I finished my book!!! Yeah!!! On February I started my new book and I am already getting sucked in. The book for February is “A Million Little Pieces”, it is funny because I received this book for Christmas and now after all the controversy I just want to read it that much more. I may not think of it as a memoir but it is still a good read.

On another great note I am down another size, this means I have lost a total of 4 sizes. My birthday is this week and it feels great to buy the size I was wearing when I met my husband!

If that didn’t make my week then the envelope I received today did!!! My brother’s friend Paul sent me a bumper/window sticker for my truck of the South Carolina flag. It was perfect timing considering it is soooooo cold here!!! What a considerate person, how very thoughtful of him.

On a different note, I loved the “Sheep Streaking” commercial on the Super Bowl last night.

Things to do this week:

Write to Nicole - and send picture

Send Package to Amber

Send Picture to Tatum

Scan Mee Maw’s pictures in

Buy Card table
Ok I think I will go read some more of my new book!

There is an elderly man that walks his dog behind my office on nice days. The first time I saw him he was pushing his dog in an old stroller, he wobbled back in forth as though he was in some discomfort. It broke my heart to see him walking alone. I wonder what his life was like, why he was out walking, was he homeless,or just trying to get exercise. This went on for a few weeks, I would see him and get myself all upset hoping that he had a good life, and what could I do if he didn’t? I think that once you get to your “twlight years” you should be able to enjoy them and I was still concentrating on this man and his old dog.

Time went on and I didn’t see him for about a month and then we had a beautiful day in December and he was out walking his dog again. I was releived, because nothing bad had happened to him and I believed he had a home because I had only seen him walking on nice days. I wish I would have been satisfied with that logic. I would come home and think about him and his life. One night I was talking to my husband about him, I hoped he had someone to spend the holidays with, what if he was lonely? did he have any family?

The next day at work I was talking to one of my co-workers who has lived in the area for some time and I mentioned the man who walks his dog. She knew just who I was talking about, my worries were all about to be subsided, my co-worker told me he lived with his child and her grandson always ran out when they walked by their house to feed the man’s dog. I realized at that point the man had his best friend (his dog) with him and lived a simple life. So now when ever I see the man I just smile and wave.

The real point of this story is When you get older you should be taken care or by your family, this doesn’t mean live with them, and be able to live the rest of your years in happiness.

My Grandmother worked her whole life, since she was 14. Her mother died when she was 7, her husband was an alcoholic, she has always had to be independent. I think now that she is 75 she should be able to enjoy her life and do all the things she dreamed of. I am sure that is what she thought would happen. Over a year ago she went on 100% oxygen not because she smoked but because my grandfather did, doesn’t seem fair. So she isn’t able to travel, shop, walk, or go out on weather extreme days as often as she would have liked. She can’t have pets anymore because it bothers her breathing and she taught me about the love of animals. She lives in a house that was built in the 1930’s, the house where her 4 children were raised. The house is in need of constant repairs as most houses built that long ago, repairs take money. Her husband died 17 years ago, she has lived alone since. She says she is not lonely and she likes her independence. This year she fianlly made the comment “I guess he just didn’t want to grow old with me”, I felt her lonleiness in that comment. So my grandmother who is the strongest woman I know is on oxygen all the time, living alone, forever putting money into an old house because there isn’t an alternative. It isn’t that my mother wouldn’t love to have her mother live with her, my grandmother wouldn’t want to burden any of her children. I wish things were different, I wish I didn’t have stairs in my house so she could come here. Then she would have extra money to do whatever she wanted. I know money is an issue for everyone on a fixed income, it is sad that she worked all her life and she is still struggling.

I spoke to my grandmother today and she told me of her latest dilemia, something is wrong with the 1930’s water pipes. She has no water coming into the house. This is no way for someone who has raised 4 children and worked all her life to live. I told her I wanted her to come up and spend the night and insisted that she was alright and plumbers would be by tomorrow to talk to her about the problems. Anytime anything has gone wrong with her home she has taken it in stride, but today she said to me “I don’t know why this is happening, I have never hurt anyone in my life”. I wish things were different, I wish she would have sold that house long ago and moved into a nice condo. This has really broken my heart.

I wish she would sell that house, but it is the one thing that has remained constant. My mother and I searched online tonight for apartments for older individuals, now I will cross my fingers that she will agree to sell the house. I just want her to be able to enjoy her life.

I don’t take for granted that she is still alive. I know I am lucky to have such a wonderful woman in my life that has helped to shape me into the woman I am.

So we will see what happens with the pipes tomorrow, I hope it makes it easier to leave that house.

January 20, 2006 I didn’t think Friday would every get here. 20 days into the new year and I figured I should actually start one of my resolutions… I am going to use this wonderful website that my brother designed for me.

Speaking of resolutions/goals let me think of some others:

Save at least $2000 by the end of 2006

Stop saying Shut Up - that’s for my mom!!!!

Take the CPA exam

Catch up on scrapbooking, finish all 2005

Read a book a month

Get back into creative writing

Learn to “Really” dance

Ok those are the only things I can think of right now. I am sure I will add more as time passes. That list doesn’t seem too bad, for the whole year… Now I just need to break it down piece by piece so that I don’t get overwhelmed by something that is supposed to organize.

So I guess since this is my opening post I really should say something about myself, I think I will use something taken from www.wesbaker.com because I think it is great for a first post.

LAYERS

L A Y E R O N E:
Name: Nicole Marie Baker Clabaugh
Birth date: February 10th
Birthplace: Baltimore, MD
Currently a resident of: Shrewsbury, PA
Eye Color: Blue or Brown depending on if I am wearing my contacts
Hair Color: Brown or Blonde depending on the time of year and my mood
Height: 5?9?
Righty or Lefty: Righty
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

L A Y E R T W O:
Your heritage: Russian, Irish, German
The shoes you wore today: Dansko’s
Your weakness: my puppies sad face
Your fears: FIRE, Failure, Disappointing people
Your perfect pizza: Pepperoni & Mushroom
Goal(s) you’d like to achieve: Get my CPA, MBA, Write a Book

L A Y E R T H R E E:
Your most overused phrase: “Shut up” but I am working on that one
Your thoughts first waking up: More Sleep………
Your best physical feature(s): Smile or Feet/toes (made for the beach)
Your bedtime: Midnight
Your most missed memory: Living at the Beach

L A Y E R F O U R: Pepsi or Coke: Coke
McDonald’s or Burger King: McDonald’s, but Chick-Fil-A is better
Adidas or Nike: Don’t care
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: Neither
Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate
Cappuccino or coffee: either

L A Y E R F I V E:
Smoke: Not any more
Cuss: Yes
Sing: Badly
Take a shower everyday: Yes
Have a crush(es): Still have on my husband!
Your type: Smart, Sweet, Funny, Believes in himself and me, Hard working, Determined, Tall, Nice eyes, Someone who loves to smile and laugh (my husband)
Want to go to college: I did
Want to get married: I did
Believe in yourself: Sometimes
Get motion sickness: Nope
Think you’re attractive: Depends on the day
Think you’re a health freak: Depends on the day, but not usually
Get along with your parent(s): Yes
Like thunderstorms: Not really
Play an instrument: I played Flute and Piano

L A Y E R S I X:
In the past month
Drank alcohol: Yes
Smoked: No
Gone to the mall?: Yes
Eaten sushi: Yes on the Cruise
Been on stage: No
Gone skating: No
Made homemade cookies: Yes last week
Stolen anything: Never!!!!

L A Y E R S E V E N:
Ever
Played a game that required removal of clothing: Nope
If so, was it mixed company:
Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: I am sure once….
Been called a tease: No
Gotten beaten up: No
Shoplifted: No

L A Y E R E I G H T:
Age you hoping to be married: LOL, life doesn’t always take the path you think it will (thank God because I would never have met Nick)
Numbers and Names of Children: 0 but I love my dogs
How do you want to die: Something without pain
Where you want to go to college: I would like to get my MBA from Loyola
What country would you most like to visit: Africa

L A Y E R N I N E:
Best eye color: Blue or Green
Best hair color: No preference
Short or long hair: Depends
Height: Taller than me
Best weight: Who cares…. as long as you are happy
Best articles of clothing: Flip Flops
Best first date location: Beach
Best first kiss location: Beach L A Y E R T E N:
Number of drugs taken illegally: None
Number of people I could trust with my life: 5 probably
Number of CDs that I own: 100’s
Number of piercings: ears and belly button
Number of tattoos: 3, I am ready for another one
Number of times my name has appeared in the newspaper: Zero, and I am on ok with this

In addition, I am married to Nick and have been since April 23, 2005.

I work as an Accountant, but I am not typical So there is a little glimpse into being me. I am hoping that this website will work as well as I hope. I would like to say I will post here at least every 3 days; hopefully I have things to write.

Always remember to be happy because you never know who’s falling in love with your smile. ~Author Unknown