Cherrie...Cherrie Fritchett

Ah...the Cherrie Fritchett story.....so...I wear a name tag all day,every day, for a
number of reasons, one of which is free ice cream in Croatia, but that
is just a perk. SO my last week...I hand out my evals on the
bus...and I proceed to spell my name...at the very least 6 times. And
slow. Especially since unless they really paid attention? Why would
they know how to spell my last name?! So I get them back, and one my pax? She writes down..."Cherrie Fritchett". Now I'm
fine with Fritchett....but really? CHERRIE? The second you wrote
that? Wouldn't it sound funny in your head, and cause you to
think...wow...her name is Cherrie? That's weird. Is she a dancer?
Was her mom on crack? Why wasn't it spelled with a Y? She's like a
fruit? Weird. Oh no...not my pax...Cherrie Fritchett it was! So as of late? I've been going by "Cherrie"!

Apologies!

So...I'm back, and I was the worst blogger ever...as in I didn't at all! For what it's worth...I did mail out like 2 updates...gimme your e-mail address...that might be easier! Perhaps I'll get around to updating here....perhaps no! HA! Anyway, best time ever. Never have I been so tired in my entire life...or hungry...or whatever...and never have I felt so perfectly suited for a job. LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT! Absolutely loved it. I mean Italy, Greece, Croatia? The dynamic of people? It was awesome...really really awesome! So, again, apologies for not keeping up with the blogging game...wireless is never free, and really expensive on the ship! So land was my only chance! Thanks for checking though...maybe this spring...I'll have a full time gig, have a groove, and be able to update!

But for now...Cherrie Fritchett? She's off to bed. And Cherrie? I'll blog that story a little later! Hugs!

PACKED!

And with 3 hours to spare. So now I'm CHARGING...my phone...my laptop...my BriPod (to which I added "Princess Bride" As..........you..................wish............................!

And I'm off....I am still uber tired...still a little wigged about what is gonna happen...but ready to get on with it. I talked to the two group leaders going with us today...which was nice to touch base...but staving off the personal questions is going to be a challenge!

So, I'm gonna go hang out with Mom and Grams for a spell...before I jump in the shower....essentially...kill time, so that in the end when I realize I've forgotten something? It will be too late! Hip Hip hooray!!!!

So...from this side of the pond...peace out!

Stolen from my Jelly Banelley.

Optimists do not ignore the difficulties; they are keenly aware of them. But the knowledge of God's presence prevents them from being discouraged or giving up. It is impossible to stand in the presence of God and be a pessimist! The account of David and Goliath vividly pictures the source of the Christian's strength -- not our own size, strength, or resources, but the power of almighty God. If we focus on our opposition and problems, they will seem gigantic. But as we focus on God, we will see our situation in the proper perspective and be assured that all things are possible with God (Phil. 4:13)." - Henry Blackaby

Uncle Pete cracks me up...

When I sent out the generic "HOORAY" e-mail....this is how Uncle Pete responded...I had to share!

Doesn't sound like a real job...sound more like a GEICO commercial....(English accent) So, its as easy as cruising to Santorini...like what could be easier...you get on the ship, eat lots of food until you fall over they carry you back to the suite...easy as saving money.



And this is what Penelope/Christine had to say....

Sooo...I got a new job too. I am going to be a tour guide too. I will be going to the moon and all around the universe giving tours to Martians and other assorted aliens. I am going to have my own spaceship and I get to have 5 days off per week and I am getting paid a billion dollars. (hair twirling)

TIRED!

I'm just wondering if I could be more tired? No? Oh okay...just checking. And have I packed yet you ask? Also a NO! But at least I've done the laundry of what I'm bringing right? NONONO! AH! I do this all the time...you'd think I'd learn...but alas...I don't. So be it. I'm banking on those 2.5 days I have without PAX to get my groove on! FYI...did I go over the fact that PAX=Passengers?! There you have it. Anyway, I'm beat...tuckered...and I have WAY too much to do, so hope for wireless internet in Milano!

Also...as an added bonus to my day yesterday which was emotionally tiring as well as furniture moving tiring? I missed a step coming down the stairs with DRAWERS in my hands...and they totally BEANED me in the head. And while it was funny, as my big brother, so encouraging, kept telling me I took one too many and it was just a matter of time till they fell? I still have a mini bruise comin' and it hurts. The flip of that situation is that it could have been super ugly....torn ligaments, dented walls, etc. So praise God for that. But speaking of falling down stairs...you should really ask Gayley about when she brought down the stationary bike from upstairs. Mind you...stationary bike from like the 70's. Why she was even trying it, is really beyond me, and how she didn't die on the way down is all God again. I'm thinkin' that we Fitchett ladies shouldn't do manual labor anymore. Just a suggestion.

One more thing...Lindsay and Joel got married today...and it was BEAUTIFUL! And she...she was stunning, it brought tears to my eyes, I mean she's pretty anyway, but a truly gorgeous bride! They leave for Athens tomorrow...while I leave for Milan...and I miss them in Greece by a day...which is a bummer, but I'm sure it's fine that I don't crash their honeymoon! Speaking of people traveling where I am, when I am?! I know about 12 people in Italy and Greece the same time I'm there...CRAZY! It's a bevy of Italy TRAVEL!

That's it...I'm really goin' now!

Hi Penelope.

LY,
Moi

The Ant and the Contact Lense

So...my momma forwarded this to me and it's just cute...and true story or not..I liked the last line.

The Ant and the Contact Lens: a true story (but don't they all say that?)

Brenda was almost halfway to the top of the tremendous granite cliff. She was standing on a ledge where she was taking a breather during this, her first rock climb. As she rested there, the safety rope snapped against her eye and knocked out her contact lens. "Great," she thought. "Here I am on a rock ledge, hundreds of feet from the bottom and hundreds of feet to the top of this cliff, and now my sight is blurry." She looked and looked, hoping that somehow it had landed on the ledge. But it just wasn't there. She felt the panic rising in her, so she began praying. She prayed for calm, and she prayed that she may find her contact lens.

When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but it was not to be found. Although she was calm now that she was at the top, she was saddened because she could not clearly see across the range of mountains. She thought of the bible verse "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth. "She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know

every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is.

Please help me."

Later, when they had hiked down the trail to the bottom of the cliff they met another party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?" Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across a twig on the face of the rock, carrying it!

The story doesn't end there. Brenda's father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a cartoon of an ant lugging that contact lens with the caption, "Lord, I don't know why You want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I'll carry it for You."

I think it would do all of us some good to say, "God, I don't know why You want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it's awfully heavy. But, if You want me to carry it, I will."

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

3 Days to go...

So...as it turns out...this is actually WORK! It's not all play! I have like a mile high MOUND of paperwork, and all sorts of accounting practices in my head...I wonder if I should have paid more attention in college? Nah. The super cool thing though, that I just found out?! I'm in a two bus move...which in non-tour person lingo? Means I have a FRIEND! She is doing the same tour at the same time, so we aren't together during any of our passenger time, but off time, and when I need HELP....she is there! We are on the same ship, along with like 1900 other people, and we pick our PAX (passengers) up at the same time...different buses of course, and all that jazz. But what a cool relief! I have a friend! Her name is Pat...so pray for her too!

In other news...congrats to my Shannan...who is getting married on November 4. I won't be there...but of course in spirit! So YAY! Best wishes (sparkle sparkle)! I'm so happy for you! Hip hip hip hooray!

What else? I have like a gajillion errands to be running, and I'm sitting here...blogging!

And...FYI...go try the Maple White Mocha from Borders? OUT OF THIS WORLD DELISH! Yummmified!! I'm not sure that is a word, but it should be.

Alright kids...I'm outty, but I'm still stoked to go....crazy busy....and no, of course I haven't started to pack yet! DUH!

Love ya!!!!

I'm not gonna lie..

I'm still ECSTATIC about my trip. And a big thank you to those of you that are also excited for me! So now...I made my way back to NJ after my rockin' week of playing with the Swaynes and spending time in the city...I'm home...and it's SURREAL! I can't even describe it. God is so faithful. We were talking about that last night with Lindsay and Jackie.....He is so sure to give us what He wants us to have...because it IS what is best for us! Most of you know my number 1 choice was A COMPANY I SHAN'T NAME to work for, and they didn't call....they did call my good friend Annie...who TOTALLY deserves it of course, and I'm super happy for her, but they didn't call me! I was bummed...and by bummed, I mean CRABBY! And then of course other people get trips....and I deem them not as fabulous as me....because, really? Who is?! Anyway, no job for Carrie. So I can't just shut up and do what I know to be true? Wait upon the Lord? No, I'm vocally crabby. And then this...this PERFECT opportunity comes up. I mean I would have been happy with anywhere? But really? Throwing in 2 brand new countries? One of which being Croatia, that was super TOP on my "get to stat" list? Go God...He is so super faithful, and only absolutely wants the best for us. The hard part now...and always....is listening when things aren't going perfect. I'm so thankful when I'm up...and petition when I'm down...I'm pretty sure I need to praise Him all the way around! Go God. It's still surreal...this blessing...I'm still making no strides to pack, I mean, I have over a week...what is the day before for? I'll solicit any tidbits, as long as they are true, on any of the places I'm going...I love great filler. Though...K$? Not from you....you'll tell me all sorts of garbage! Alright kids...I'm outty. Thanks for loving me!!

Finally!!!

so yesterday...in the midst of interviewing at Madison Square Garden for their holiday tours? I GOT A JOB....like a real gig! So I leave October 8 and fly into MILAN, ITALY, where I am till I get passengers on the 12th...then we do Lake Maggiore, Lake Como, and then in Venice I board a cruise ship and we head to Bari, Italy, Santorini & Mykonos & Athens, Corfu, GREECE, and then to DUBROVNIK, Croatia! Then back to Venice where my passengers leave and I have 4 days to myself before I do the exact same tour all over again! YAY! So...I'm jumping out of my skin excited...and I don't even really know how to process it all! But the kicker...is that I actually get PAID to do this! YAY YAY YAY! I mean...of course we'll see how it all goes down when I get back...which is November 5...but in the mean time? I'm getting to Greece, Italy...and CROATIA!

so...SAN GENNARO

I'm pretty sure that's the most original title in the world, I was gonna leave it with "so...". GO ME! At any rate....here's my blogging problem...anybody can read it....so then it lies up to me to be vague...I mean stalkers are out there...I know this, Fitzsimmons, because I am one!

Anyway, we went up to the city yesterday to the San Gennaro festival in Little Italy....then did some Fucci, Foach, Frada shopping. It was hysterical...we'd be in this tiny little shop....I turn around....Selvi (aka..Licious) is GONE....and I was in the situation where she couldn't really leave without walking past me....mysterious....so I go over..look for the secret door...because there is ALWAYS a secret door in Chinatown, and I can't find it!? So like 10 seconds later, I hear "Carrie" and not from Licious. I turn around....little Chinese lady poking her head out of purses...secret door revealed! She had to call me as Licious was crammed into a smaller world of Furses! It was a hoot....seriously....I mean no...it wasn't a van....but it wasn't much bigger than a van! So keep your eyeballs peeled in Chinatown for the mutterings of brand name high end bags, then follow very closely, and pay attention for the trick doors, and closed store fronts! What a riot. Then we went to the Empire State Building...which is always gorgeous...though...an hour of lines...to pay 18 bucks to be up top for a max of like 5 minutes? Maybe not the best choice for 3 days of food! lol! BUT...Frank, Selvi's boyfriend, had never been up to the top! He's from Jersey...no excuse...I couldn't have that on my watch, not as a future Tour Director of course! So then we high tailed it back to our bus...which was an event that I'd never let happen on my watch, and if it does...know that I'll be a stressed mess....we didn't have time to load everybody on...and we had to move on...due to WITCH traffic lady! So we had to call the leftover peoples that couldn't hightail it on to the bus/MOTORCOACH quick enough....and they had to walk up 2 blocks. Quasi-disastrous, if I had been in charge! BUT I WASN'T...so I soaked it up to ...."not my tour"! Anyway, now I'm home....putting off packing....but I'm off to Long Island....since I don't really work....after all. ;-)

Ooooohhh....

Well...looky here...a blog. More goodies for me to NOT do what I ought to be doing....as freshly unemployed! Ah well...c'est la vie! So there you go...that's that for my first blog.