I love the song, unfortinatly its messing with my head and my heart. Listening to this song and living in the situation I am has given me lots of time to think but there is nothing I can do about any of it.
Watch "Glee Cast - Pretending (Glee Cast Version)" on YouTube
I love this song. Its always in my head now.
Watch "Glee Cast - I Feel Pretty / Unpretty (Glee Cast Version)" on YouTube
*points if you know where the title came from*
So. Joey has always had a dream of either owning his own railroad or a theme park. Well tonight he is one step closer to one of those dreams...maybe both.
October 2010 Joey is introduced to a man with some money and several miles of shortline railroad in North East Georgia. He and his friend Jason start on the task of trying to save Central of Georgia locomotive 509 built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philidelphia Pennsylvania (same people that but the ones Walt Disney World uses) that was built in the early 1900s. Joey and Jason and the man with the money go down and meet with the Mayor of Macon, Ga and get the approval to go forth with writing up a lease to go infront of the City Councel for the Hartwell Railroad to lease the 509 for 30yrs at $1 a year.
November and December go by and no word from Macon...it was the holidays and all. February comes and Joey starts getting phone calls from the city attorney. They have a lease that is suppost to go to the Mayor for approval before it goes infront of the City Councel. The Mayor approved it but someone kept pulling it off the docit. They go round and round fixing "loose ends" and "misworded" items. All during this Joey is still calling other citys and museums that have steam locos that are not in use anymore. He would get so far, then someone would decide they wanted a million for one, or someone else would say "no" because they decotate it pretty for Christmas (no joke!) Some cities were unaware that they even had a locomotive sitting in a city park.
Well, when hope was just about gone for the Macon loco, they were getting desperate and about to order one from China. China was making steam locos up until the late 80s, and they were in use until the Bejing Olympics. They stopped using them because they didn't want to look like they were behind the times. April came and they were asked to go down for the commetties meeting in Macon to see if they even wanted it to go in front of the City Council. It was approved across the board! It was on to the next step just 2 weeks later it would go infront of the City Council!
May 6th. Joey and his friend Jason (who works at Steam Town in Pennsylvania and will be the cheif machanic on this loco) went to Macon for the Council meeting. They were #10. Joey didn't even really have to get up an speak, the locomotive was theirs! The 1906 Central of Georgia locomotive 509 is being leased by the Hartwell Railroad for 30 years at $1 per year. Yes, $1 a year! A full size loco for $30!
Joey went down on his 31st birthday to sign the lease. He said it was the best birthday present, he always wanted a steam locomotive for his birthday.
Now begins the long process of the rebuild. No details on it yet, Joey is making all of the phone calls to find a place to rebuild it. Joey was also named the President and General Manager of The Grand Georgia Railway. Hopefully this will mean better thingsd for us, one can only hope. I will keep you updated on all that goes on. Join our Facebook page Central of Georgia locomotive 509 to keep up with the progress.
Peace Love and Mickey Mouse
So I posted this...and now its gone. Let's see if I can come up with a shorted version.
Last Friday we had Madison, Colin and Megan over. We dyed eggs and made sugar cookies. All of this at about 10pm Friday night! Ryan was sleeping, so I was kinda sad that he didn't get to have any of the fun. This was Meg's either 1st or 2nd time she has dyed eggs, and I think she enjoyed it. We made cookied and iced them with colored icing that I "made". It was a fun late night for all.
Saturday we were suppost to go to an Easter egg hunt at the elem school by the store. Ryan and Meg got their Easter baskets that morning cause Meg had to go home that night. Joey and I went to work, but then had to close up shortly after to go home and pick up the kids for the egg hunt. Unfortinatly Ryan was asleep, so we didn't go, but I don't think the kids minded. Joey went back to open the store again, and I stayed back with Ryan. Joeys mom took Madi and Colin home and then took Meg to the grocery store. Ryan finally woke up and he and I went back to work. It was a ghost town up there, so we closed up early...it was only 3pm...I need a nap just thinking about how busy that morning was! We went home, had dinner and took Meg and Ryan to the mall to see the Easter Bunny. Lucky for us there was only like 2 people in front of us, so it was a quick in and out. Best part was Ryan wasn't scared and even cracked a smile! We took Meg home and that was the end of Saturday!
Sunday morning, the 3 of us were up at 6am. Partly because Ryan was awake and hungry and partly because Joey was starting his smoked pork for dinner. Joey spent until about 530pm smoking his pork butt and pork ribs for our Easter dinner, and it was well worth it! Ryan and I on the other hand spent the day with Ma, Pa and Grandaddy playing. I blew up Ryans pool and he played in that for a bit, rode the lawn mower with Grandaddy and just played and played. It was a very nice family day at home.
Well...that's all for now...let's see what this weather is going to do.
Peace Love and Mickey Mouse
Joey went to Macon, about 2hrs south of here, yesterday to fight for his train. I am happy to say that all of his efforts paid off, and they are moving onto the second phase with the city and it will go infront of the city councle May 3rd. Joey's dream of owning his own tourist railroad is getting closer everyday. I couldn't be prouder of him. Yeah, it gets annoying when he is on the phone all day with everyone in the train world, but he is doing it for something he loves. His family doesn't support him like they should. Which is sad, but I will always support every dream he has. Project Megan is coming closer to reality.
On a different note... joeys brother Jeff is getting married July 30th. Well, I get 2 invitations yesterday to his fiances bridal shower and bachelorette party. Guess what day its on... June 11th. That is the day before my babys 1st birthday...the day Joey and I were planning on having his party. I was heart broken. But then thought, well, maybe it was done by her brides maids, and they didn't know and she didn't remember. I told Joey and his mom (his mom was invited to the shower). Joey was not happy. He called his brother and said something about it. Turns out that Jeff's groomsmen planned it with the bridesmaids(yeah, get this shit, Joey wasn't even asked to be a groomsman btw. Jeff was Joeys best man at both of his weddings. Joey was asked to be an usher. An USHER! Joey has been heart broken about that. At first he was ok when he was told that his niece was going to be a bridemaid and his nephew was going to be the best man. But then he found out that a frat buddy and a guy from utah that Jeff knows from work are going to be standing up there. Needless to say, Joey has been upset about this ever since) anyway. So joey was invited to the bachelor party which isn't even in the state. Jeff was not apologetic and said "oh well, I guess we just won't be there." How can you say that about your only nephew? I only have Joeys family here for Ryans birthday, and his only uncle on the McCollough side doesn't even care about his birthday. My brother in law in Texas may be an asshole sometimes but he wouldn't do anything to miss a birthday of his only nephew. Sadly, my family in Texas can't make it out here for Ryans 1st birthday. So I am totally devistated and about this. I have no family of my own here, and I would expect to my son to be treated the same way all of the other McCollough/Fox grandkids are treated. Joey doesn't even want to go to the wedding now because of this. Even since Jeff started dating Dara (well, ever since it was made public, he was dating her before his divorce) he has just turned into a huge frat boy again. Last year the week of Joeys birthday we met up with Jeff and Dara and 2 of her friends at WDW. Now it was only suppost to be Jeff, Dara and 1 friend, but someone else tagged along. Joey and I had limited tickets because we were seasonal, and now we had to find a way to get 4 people in without using all of our free tickets. Anyway, so there was that, and to top it off, the reason they were down there was because it was one of the friends birthday. We went to dinner at Epcot and they had the servers come out with whatever free dessert it was and sing happy birthday to her...and Jeff didn't even THINK to include his own brother. Joey wanted to cry, he was so upset. It was his 30th bday and his brother just blew it off. I even ran my pregnant self over to Soarin and back to Mexico (I had Ryan a few weeks later...) to get fastpasses for these people, and they didn't even care. Joey just feels like he means nothing to this family and it is very heart breaking to see them transfer that to my son. They love Meg to death, but no one sees Joey as Megs dad. Yes, he left when Meg was 3, but he never stayed away for longer then 2 weeks at a time. Heck he said when he first moved down to Orlando he was going every week on his 2 days off. He did the best he could, he had to leave to protect himself and his daughter and to get away and get a fresh start. Shit, this family thinks of Meg as their own child so much that when we told his mom we were having a baby, she immediatly thought, "poor megan. What is she going to think. She might think you are replacing her and won't want to be with her anymore." I was in tears when he told me that. How could anyone say something like that. Wow...I went off on a big tangent. Way off topic.
Anyways...yeah. good and bad stuff...both happened yesterday. Guess I should get back to my store...not that we are selling anything anyway.
Peace Love and Mickey Mouse
I just need to let off some steam.
~We have made just about $200 this MONTH at the store...
~My 2nd wedding anniversary to the person who at one point worshiped the ground I spit on, is one Wednesday and the only money we have in the bank is money I get from my dad twice a month.
~My step daughter would rather go to WalMart then spend time with me and her dad.
~My mother in law treats our childern like they are hers.
~I am still not aloud to have anything, not a pair of shoes, a jacket or even a diaper bag left up stairs. If its up there too long (like a couple of days) it gets piled on a bench in the laundry hall way by the basement door.
~I miss my life in Texas and in Florida, and think that the 3 of us would be better off in Orlando.
I think that's all for now... I'm just so stressed and I have no where to go, no one to talk to and no means of escape. Its sad when I can't even do any of those with my own husband. I want to cry. I guess I will just hide in the basement whenever I get a chance. Can't be for very long though, or else people start asking questions...
We just finished our monthly trip to WDW. Joey worked 4 days and I worked 1. We got in Sunday night, checked into our hotel; Disney's Pop Century Resort, then headed right to the Magig Kingdom. We of course rode the Walt Disney World Railroad, and ate dinner at Pinocchios Village House. After a quick night, we headed back to the hotel.
Joey was in at 7am the next morning, he took the car and left me and Ryan at the hotel. Which I guess was a good thing, it rained all day long. I was suppost to see one of my best friends that day, but the rain put me and Ryan to sleep most of the early afternoon. Joey came back around 430, and we decided to go to Winter Garden for dinner at Mimi's Cafe, somewhere we haven't eatten at in a long time. I am alwayed amazed at how much attention my little man gets from strangers. Every waiter that walks past and guest, no matter where we are, has to stop and look at Ryan and comment on how adorable he is.
Tuesday wasn't too bad, Joey worked in the morning. That was the first time Ryan got to go swimming. I wish it wasn't just the 2 of us, I didn't get any pictures. After Joey got off work we all met up with Travis and Blake, had an early dinner and wondered for a bit before I went to work. I had a South PAC shift for The Main Street Electrical Parade, The Magic, The Memories and You and Wishes Fireworks...all for less then 4hrs. I was kinda irritated though, I was put in a meaningless postion. I ended up helping out a ton of other cast members and coordinators, and only did my assigned position for an hour.
Wednesday Joey worked the night shift, which worked out well for us. Wednesday was the first soft opening day for the new Town Square Theater and the new Mickey Mouse meet and greet. We got to be the second family to meet Mickey. We walked around the park til it was time for Joey to work. Then Ryan and I went back to the hotel, swam, napped and then went to get Joey. It rained and stormed pretty bad from Wednesday afternoon all the way to Thursday night at about 9pm.
We didn't do anything on Thursday. When Joey got off work we braved the rain so we could eat dinner at The Crystal Palace, but it rained more so we headed back to the hotel. On the bright side, Ryan got to meet Tigger, Pooh, Piglet and Eeyore. We left early Friday morning, Joey wanted to be at an antiques auction. This was a pretty uneventful week. Sad I didn't get to see any of my friends. Hopefully next time.
Peace Love and Mickey
Ryan and I stayed home from work today, he is having allergie issues. Way too much pollen in the air, so much that everything is coated in a nice yellowish green. Joey took his friend Tim to the store to keep him company.
We have this beautiful Burr Walnut, late 1880s French 5 paneled armoire that Joey bought from the Auction Kings at Gallery 63. This was the first piece he bought from that auction house.
We have had a few people come in and peak an intrest at it, but no one ever came back. Today Joey called me and said that some lady came in and wrote down the dementions of the armoire, asked if Joey delivered, said she lives 6 miles down the road. Joey said yes, and she said that she was going home and wouls call him back. Well, not 30 mins later Joey called me and said that he sold it!!!! We had it marked for $1600, he sold it for $1000 because she is a friend of the owner of the other antique store across the street.
So, in our first 3 weeks we have done pretty well for ourselves, and I don't feel like we are going to have issues going to Orlando for work next week. Here's hoping that it continues going well for us. I wanted to celebrate, but Joey isn't feeling well, so maybe in Orlando. Well, I guess I should go. Good night
Peace Love and Mickey Mouse
Yes, I have a temper. Yes, I get hurt very easily. And if you do me wrong more then once....well...watch out.
I have been living in Georgia for going on one year now. It has been a year of ups and downs. Coming here while I was pregnant, taking my mom back to Texas, and leaving the best job in the world that I had some of the best years of my adult life. We moved into my in laws basement, hoping that Joey would get back onto his old job and before Ryan was born, wwe would have a place of our own. Well, one year later, Joey finally hit his big break with a *real* job, but we are still living in a basement. I know I shouldn't complain, we are better off then most, as least I have a roof over my head for my baby, but it comes with a price.
I have been living with Joey, Ryan, his mom, dad and grandfather. Its been a very interesting situation. They are very helpful with Ryan, babysit when we want to go out, do his laundry for me and they love to bathe him at night. Unfortinatly, I have to deal with their ways of doing things.
My biggest battle in this house is how to raise our kids. Megan has been coming over to this house almost every weekend for her whole life. they treat her like a princess that can do no wrong because she is the first child in the family that had to deal with a divorce. Actually, she's not, her twin cousins were, but they are Joey's second cousins so it doesn't mean anything. So, she has always gotten everything she has ever wanted, plus more. They also always do the opposite of what her mom wants, except when it comes to bathing or getting ready for bed. I met Meg when she was 3 yrs old, and she already knew how to lie to her mom. Meg wasn't aloud to have bubble gum, and I don't blame her momma, she was only 3. But Joey's parents bought it for her all the time, and would have her spit it out the window on her way home. If Meg went somewhere or did something that her mom didn't want, it was always a secret that they wouldn't tell her mom. Well now it has come to bite Joey in the rear. Megan thought it was okay to lie because her grandparents taught her how. Megan also, even though she was told not to by Joey, eats Ryan's baby food because her grandparents give it to her, because she wants it. She is always misbehaving and getting away with it and I have had it. I end up steping over everyone to speak to Meg or tell her what to do, and I know I'm getting the stink eye from everyone.
Ryan gets treated the same way too, to a degree. But Ryan tends to be in the same boat as me. They have spoiled him in a sence, as much as you can spoil and infant. But it makes it difficult for me and Joey to take care of him. I'm glad he finally learned how to crawl, everyone around here has to carry him, I didn't think he would ever learn. I'm also glad he is finally eating jar food.
But like I said, Ryan and I are in the same boat. We (Joey included) don't seem to be aloud to have even a jacket or a pair of shoes upstairs. Everything gets shoved in the hallway, and if it doesn't get moved in a timely manner it gets moved into the garage or down to the basement. I have had jackets, baby swings, baby toys, shoes, letters, checks, EVERYTHING go missing because it either got shuffled somewhere where it didn't belong or tossed out. Right now, not sure where my suitcase went. When Ryans swings or seats end up out in the garage is when I lose it. Just like when I found out that Ryan's g-ma and Meg were eating his baby food.
I know I am lucky to be here, but with what we have to deal with, sometimes doesn't seem worth it. My marriage has been tested over and over again. Many times I thought for sure I would be packing me, my baby and my puppy up in my little hoopty and heading to Texas. This living situation has not been good for Joey either, he has kinda regressed, but when he trys to be an adult, or a parent, he gets treated like a teen. We both do. Sometimes I feel like we are teenagers that had a baby and had to move into the daddys house with his family.
Hopefully the new antique store makes us money so we can move out soon, and that the tourist railroad picks up soon too. I need a chance to live with my husband by myself, with our children and our little dog too.
I know this was a long rant, it took me a few days to type it. I don't have internet at the house, so I have to use my phone. Have a good night, I'm going to bed soon. Disney World is next week!
Ryan had his 9mo check up today, 17 1/2lbs and 26 1/2in long. The doc said he was practically perfect in every way, can't get any better for a Disney baby if you know what I mean. We went to the store, a had another non profit day. Its been rainy and cold so I don't blame them. I was so bored. We have a 3 step stair case with a landing to the back door in the back of the store; I sat on the top step with Joeys jacket and took a little snooze. We closed up early today and came home.
After dinner Joey and I went to the bank and went to Borders to look at the antique books and get a coffee from Seattles Best. Gotta love some Cold Brewed Marble Mocha! After that we went to the grocery store and came home to watch Glee. I have to say, I love that show. The original songs tonight were amazing and I just have this connection with the characters.
Ryan is wide awake now, don't think we will be going to bed any time soon. Well... guess that's all of our do nothing day. As the song says, "There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of everyday."
We had a very succesful first week at Remember This Antiques. We sold almost $800 in merch! And we did that with only word of mouth advertising from the antique store across the street. We tried opening at night, that was a bust and from what Joey said, Sunday isn't working out too well either. He and Meg went up there but Joey just called and said that they were coming home. So it looks like we got our day off. Hopefully it just keeps going up from there and we can make ourself a nice little living with this store.
Tomorrow Joey has to go fight for his locomotive for his tourist railroad, so it looks like Ryan, Grandaddy and I will be running the store for the last few hours of the day. Tuesday morning Ryan has his 9 month doctors appointment.... I just realized Ryan is now 9 months old, wow, I've been working to much!
Well, guess that's all for now. As soon as Joey comes home, we are taking Megan back to her momma then we are going on an antique adventure.
Peace Love and Mickey!
We made our first sale today. Sold a total of 5 items. Not bad for a cold rainy March day. We opened a bit early, and made a sale within the first ten mins. Ryan did well, took a nice long nap for us. Joeys mom, Grandaddy, daughter Megan, brother Jeff, his fiance Dara and his kids Madi and Colin all came by at the same time to visit after lunch. We closed early, went home had dinner then went and picked up his cousin Chrissy to go to an antiques auction. We did pretty well, bought several glass pieces, 3 full sets of dishes and a solid wood rocking horse. All and all not a bad day. Let's see what tomorrow will bring. Running out of money though, hope we make a bunch this week! We got put on the work schedule for Disney at the end of the month, but have no money to book hotel. I really wish Joey would be more mindful about things like that. Oh well, we shall see what happens. Night night
Today was our soft opening for the new store, Remember This Antiques. Everyone was up early, Joey had to take his grandaddy to the doctor and the ATT guy was going to be at the store between 8-11am. Thankfully even though I was up Joeys dad went for me. That worked out cause Ryan fell back asleep from 745-1100! Joey and Grandaddy got to the store about 930 and we opened at 1000. I finally was able to make it up there around noon, then I had to run to Target and the bank. After that it was a lot of nothin'. Joey and Michael finished cleaning and setting up everything. We had lots of family stop by and just a few lookers, but we didn't sell anything. We closed up at 5pm came home, ate, then Joey and his mom went to an auction to get more things for the store. So, I am here, at the house with Joey's Grandaddy, dad, Bailey and of course my itty bitty baby, who just fell asleep. I think I will relax and watch some tv with some iced coffee. Tomorrow we get to do it all over again, just not as early....we don't have to be up at 6am ;)
March 2
No credit card machine, no internet, no phone line, and he wants to open on Friday?! I get so aggravated with some of my wonderful hubs choices and there is nothing I can do about it. I did some shopping the other day, got some clothes, but I still look fat. Maybe once I start wearing them ill feel better about myself. Awesome, we almost just got in a car accident. I am sitting in the backseat right now with a sleeping baby while we go Goodwill shopping. Back to the store later to work on my dinosaur of a computer. Hope the defrag worked or it'll be another long day.
March 3
So I guess I know where I stand in reference to the store. I'm owner by name, and name only. Joey is the hand shaker and the big man when it comes to the question "Who owns Remember This?". Because of his hot temper we lost Comcast today. While he was running his mouth with some cooks from the restaurant next door last night, I worked on the cash register for about 3 hours. I can't work on the printer cause it seems I got a bad cd, so I have to wait til we get internet, oh wait we aren't getting internet anytime soon Joey screwed that up. What happened to my fairy tale life? When did I become a nothing? This is definatly not what I had in mind.
I always see my friends blogging about work, families or whatever is going on. Figured why not give it a try, heck I have a new phone, I'll put it to good use. I am Elizabeth and I am 26 years old. I am married to a wonderful man named Joey and I have a beautiful baby boy named Ryan. Joey and I met while working at the most magical place on earth, Walt Disney World. I was a coordinator just transfering to the area known at Main Street USA, and Joey was an engineer on the Walt Disney World Railroad. We were set up on a date by some coworkers and the rest as they say was history. Joey is from Atlanta and I am from Dallas. He was married once before and has a beautiful little girl named Megan. She just turned 7yrs old and is in the first grade. Joey and I were married on April 20th 2009 at out favorite place, Epcot. We were married in the Italy Pavilion in the World Showcase and had the reception in the Living Seas VIP lounge, a building I use to work in before I moved to Main Street. We went seasonal at Disney World in 2010 when we found our we were having a baby. So we moved to Atlanta to be closer to his daughter and his family. Ryan was born June 11th at 1:23am. He was just above 5lbs, he was 3 weeks early. He has been the joy that has kept me and Joey together for the past 9months while Joey has been trying to find a job to support us. Just a month ago we landed the job of a lifetime, owning our own store. We are now the proud owners of Remember This Antiques and Collectibles. Our store opens in just a few days. Hopefully this will be the turning point in our lives that will help us take care of our family and help our parents by not needing them to support us. Wow, I typed more then I thought I would and it wasn't hard to do that. Time to check on Ryan and take our yorkie Bailey out. Ill be back again soon. Peace Love and Mickey Mouse!
