name change

It started when I realized I was almost out of business cards.

I thought... hmmm... if I'm going to get new cards, I might as well drop the Darby from my name.

On facebook and in my personal life, I use the name I was born with...

Professionally I've been hesitant because of my sales agreement and my license both being Darby.

But really... what spurred me to action was a mental image of the name "Darby" on my tombstone.

I was born Heather Nancine Gant and I want to die Heather Nancine Gant.

Not that it will be soon. But you never know.

SO yesterday I set the wheels in motion, talked to the Department of Insurance, found out what my company required... called the Clerk of Courts.

I can have the company name change fairly quickly.

The Department of Insurance takes a little longer.

The court filing fees are $207.50... which I don't have at the moment but I'm going to find it.

And then I have to run it in the paper for 4 weeks... in the legals... which will cost $80.

Very soon I will have gotten the darby out of my life completely.

In other news... there is a client who I bonded with... he's an older guy, very hard to understand due to the effects of a stroke and some parkinson's and the fact that he usually doesn't wear dentures. A Gator fan... loved Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow as much as I did... he called me "Gator Girl"...really loved and appreciated SEC football... we'd talk about it forever. He came in about a month and a half ago and told me he was going to have surgery for cancer... jaw, tongue, etc. It was going to be a very highly involved surgery - he would never be able to eat again... would spend two weeks at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta - then a few weeks relearning to take care of himself before he could come home. The surgery was July 18th. I told him I'd pray - I put the surgery date on my calendar and I have prayed for him since... but I told my co-worker when he left that day that I knew it was the last time I'd ever see him. One of his friends stopped by last week... he was still in ICU, infection, not doing well and seemed to be in a lot of pain. Yesterday my co-worker showed me his name in the paper... the obituaries. I immediately broke down. He didn't have any family... didn't have any money... but he mattered.

There are definitely clients that I dread to see coming... and clients that I enjoy so much that I can't believe I get paid to spend time with them. We have a lot of older clients and I enjoy them... and usually I'm very matter of fact about life and death. This guy... I'll miss him. Lord, let me be the kind of person that people miss when I'm gone.

I'm obsessing about Hurricane Irene. Risk management and all... I'm fascinated by weather. My kid is on his way up i-95 from Tampa to Pennsylvania... so I'm slightly worried about his safe travels... I'll feel better when he makes it home safe and sound. I worry about my brother and his significant other and their significant fur baby there in NYC. I always worry about human suffering. I'll be glued to the Weather Channel for the next three days.

My friend Gina from way back in the theatre days is coming up from Atlanta tomorrow to hang out here in the mountains with me. I'm hoping to show her some of the major highlights of my life here... check out the Garlic Festival at Loganberry Heritage Farm... do a wine tasting at Habersham Winery... go to the bakery... maybe even go to Babyland General. There's lots to see... although I typically avoid Helen because it's so congested. I need to spend time with the three dimensional people.... although I'd rather just stay in my nest... that's not always the best thing to do.

Austin is having girl trouble. Girls are just sketchy. Austin may be rebellious and a little odd at times but he's fairly steady... He doesn't understand why people say one thing and do something else. I told him not to get too hung up on any one girl. Not yet. They're still figuring out who they are and who they want to be when they grow up.

So glad it's Friday.

Hope you're all safe and sound.

Love and hugs!