From 7/5/2007
I've had this whole week off from work. And as I stated in a recent entry on my Yahoo 360 blog, it didn't start out to be that cheery. I think my hormones were a bit out of whack, although for no particular reason. Anyway...
Once the week got going, I put all my energies into helping a good friend who had surgery on Tuesday. She had to have her rotator cuff repaired on her right shoulder, and therefore has been quite layed up. It's amazing how much we rely on BOTH our arms and hands and now that she can only move ONE for several weeks, it has been quite challening for her to do pretty much anything, especially get dressed. After picking her up from the hospital on Tuesday, I took her home and spent the night at her house (since she lives alone). I also spent the day there yesterday as well. It was a somewhat uneventful Fourth of July for both of us, but it felt good to be doing something good.
Sometimes I feel like I get really caught up in my own life and worrying about my own needs, which is logical, since I also live alone, am the only "bread winner" that I can rely on, and therefore have turned my lifestyle into one that is quite independent. I don't like relying on others, and neither does this friend of mine. But it was a bit humbling for both of us to have to work together. I had the opportunity to serve someone else besides myself, and she had to humble herself enough to ask for help repeatedly. It was quite hard for her to ask, especially when she needed help getting dressed.
At the end of the day, we were able to watch the town's small fireworks display, which added a bit of 4th of July spirit to our otherwise "normal" day. Today, I'm actually at home, but I've already called and checked in on her and will probably stop by her house for a while later today. It's not been a bad way to spend my time off.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Happy Birthday America!
From July 5, 2007
Happy 4th of July! (A day late, I know.) I always say that the 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays, but I really didn't do that much to celebrate. I did get to go to our local fireworks display, which wasn't too bad for our small town. I snapped a few pictures with my cell phone camera. They aren't the best, but they are still fun. (One of my friends took pictures last year with her "good" camera. I have one of those photos posted on last year's blog entry.)
There was a bit of exci
tement in the fireworks display that doesn't normally occur. At three different times, there seemed to be some "technical difficulties" going on down where they were lighting the fireworks. It was actually quite scary! It was as though the fireworks they were attempting to light exploded into huge balls of fire that then floated a bit up into the air, turning into a cloud of thick black smoke. I wished I had my camera ready to go for that! But really, I think the city lost some fireworks in these explosions, since the show seemed a bit short and there wasn't a finale, at least not a traditional one. The last explosion was huge and I think it was supposed to be the fireworks that would end the show. I just hope no one was hurt -- I haven't heard any reports or news of it.
Happy 4th of July! (A day late, I know.) I always say that the 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays, but I really didn't do that much to celebrate. I did get to go to our local fireworks display, which wasn't too bad for our small town. I snapped a few pictures with my cell phone camera. They aren't the best, but they are still fun. (One of my friends took pictures last year with her "good" camera. I have one of those photos posted on last year's blog entry.)
There was a bit of exci
tement in the fireworks display that doesn't normally occur. At three different times, there seemed to be some "technical difficulties" going on down where they were lighting the fireworks. It was actually quite scary! It was as though the fireworks they were attempting to light exploded into huge balls of fire that then floated a bit up into the air, turning into a cloud of thick black smoke. I wished I had my camera ready to go for that! But really, I think the city lost some fireworks in these explosions, since the show seemed a bit short and there wasn't a finale, at least not a traditional one. The last explosion was huge and I think it was supposed to be the fireworks that would end the show. I just hope no one was hurt -- I haven't heard any reports or news of it.
Emotions Gone Amuck
From June 2007
I had the weirdest day yesterday! I'm not quite sure what was up... but I was just not right. I woke up not feeling quite well. I had a bit of an upset stomach or something. As the morning progressed however, I started to feel much better. Whew! But then in the afternoon, I started to feel weird again. I didn't feel outright sick, but just not myself. The weirdest part of the day kicked in as evening approached. Since I wasn't feeling all that energetic, I decided to just kick back on the couch and watch some tv (Sunday night hosts some of my favorites). As I started to get into the shows, I noticed I was becoming quite a bit emotional. There were a few scenes that could make ya choke up a bit, but I started to really cry. I realized that maybe the storyline was what got me started, but it wasn't what was maintaining this emotional outburst. I was feeling very alone and sad. This is not a usual thing for me. In fact, it's pretty rare most of the time (although this has happened before, so it wasn't new either). Anyway, I finally got a grip on things, and started to watch something different. And it started again!! For the life of me, I could not figure out what the hell was wrong with me! It's almost a bit amuzing now .
But ya know what? Sometimes a good hard cry can actually feel good in the long run. I went to bed with a "crying headache" but this morning I felt quite good. I can tell the lonliness had a little bit of an effect on me, because I felt a bit of motivation to go guy hunting today - (now that's really funny!!)
I had the weirdest day yesterday! I'm not quite sure what was up... but I was just not right. I woke up not feeling quite well. I had a bit of an upset stomach or something. As the morning progressed however, I started to feel much better. Whew! But then in the afternoon, I started to feel weird again. I didn't feel outright sick, but just not myself. The weirdest part of the day kicked in as evening approached. Since I wasn't feeling all that energetic, I decided to just kick back on the couch and watch some tv (Sunday night hosts some of my favorites). As I started to get into the shows, I noticed I was becoming quite a bit emotional. There were a few scenes that could make ya choke up a bit, but I started to really cry. I realized that maybe the storyline was what got me started, but it wasn't what was maintaining this emotional outburst. I was feeling very alone and sad. This is not a usual thing for me. In fact, it's pretty rare most of the time (although this has happened before, so it wasn't new either). Anyway, I finally got a grip on things, and started to watch something different. And it started again!! For the life of me, I could not figure out what the hell was wrong with me! It's almost a bit amuzing now .
But ya know what? Sometimes a good hard cry can actually feel good in the long run. I went to bed with a "crying headache" but this morning I felt quite good. I can tell the lonliness had a little bit of an effect on me, because I felt a bit of motivation to go guy hunting today - (now that's really funny!!)
Reminds Me of Home
From June 2007
This was an email (a "funny") that was forwarded to me quite a long time ago. But I printed it off once, because it reminded me so much of how life was where I grew up.
Small Towns
In a small town...
1. You can name everyone you graduated with.
2. You know what 4-H means.
3. You went to parties at a pasture, barn, gravel pit, or in the middle of a dirt road. On Monday you could always tell who was at the party because of the scratches on their legs from running through the woods when the party was busted (see #6).
4. You used to "drag" Main.
5. You said the "F" word and your parents knew within the hour.
6. You scheduled parties around the schedules of different police officers, because you knew which one would bust you and which ones wouldn't.
7. You could never buy cigarettes because all the store clerks knew how old you were (and if you were old enough, they'd tell your parents anyhow.)
8. When you did find somebody old enough or brave enough to buy cigarettes, you still had to go out into the country and drive on backroads to smoke them.
9. It was cool to date somebody from the neighboring town.
10. The whole school went to the same party after graduation.
11. You didn't give directions by street names but rather by references. "Turn by Nelson's house, go 2 blocks to Anderson's, and it's four houses left of the track field..."
12. The golf course only had 9 holes (if you even had a golf course!)
13. You couldn't help but date a friend's ex boyfriend/girlfriend.
14. Your car stayed filthy because of the dirt roads, and you will never own a dark vehicle for that reason.
15. The town next to you was considered "trashy" or "snooty," but was actually just like yours.
16. You referred to anyone with a house newer than 1965 as the "rich" people.
17. The people in the "big city" dressed funny, and then you picked up the trend 2 years later.
18. Anyone you wanted could be found at the local gas station or hamburger joint.
19. You saw at least one friend a week driving a tractor through town on one of your friends driving a grain truck to school occasionally.
20. The gym teacher suggested you haul hay for the summer to get stronger.
21. Directions were given using the one and only stop light as a reference.
22. When you decided to walk somewhere for exercise, 5 people would over and ask if you wanted a ride.
23. Your teachers called you by your older siblings' names.
24. You could charge at any local store or write checks without any ID.
25. The closest Mc Donalds was 25 miles away or more.
26. The closest mall was over an hour away.
27. It was normal to see an old man riding through town on a riding lawn mower.
28. You've pee'd in a cornfield.
29. Most people went by a nickname.
30. Your teachers remembered when they taught your parents.
Such fun memories! Some of these things are still true in my hometown. Some of these are true in the small town I live in now!
This was an email (a "funny") that was forwarded to me quite a long time ago. But I printed it off once, because it reminded me so much of how life was where I grew up.
Small Towns
In a small town...
1. You can name everyone you graduated with.
2. You know what 4-H means.
3. You went to parties at a pasture, barn, gravel pit, or in the middle of a dirt road. On Monday you could always tell who was at the party because of the scratches on their legs from running through the woods when the party was busted (see #6).
4. You used to "drag" Main.
5. You said the "F" word and your parents knew within the hour.
6. You scheduled parties around the schedules of different police officers, because you knew which one would bust you and which ones wouldn't.
7. You could never buy cigarettes because all the store clerks knew how old you were (and if you were old enough, they'd tell your parents anyhow.)
8. When you did find somebody old enough or brave enough to buy cigarettes, you still had to go out into the country and drive on backroads to smoke them.
9. It was cool to date somebody from the neighboring town.
10. The whole school went to the same party after graduation.
11. You didn't give directions by street names but rather by references. "Turn by Nelson's house, go 2 blocks to Anderson's, and it's four houses left of the track field..."
12. The golf course only had 9 holes (if you even had a golf course!)
13. You couldn't help but date a friend's ex boyfriend/girlfriend.
14. Your car stayed filthy because of the dirt roads, and you will never own a dark vehicle for that reason.
15. The town next to you was considered "trashy" or "snooty," but was actually just like yours.
16. You referred to anyone with a house newer than 1965 as the "rich" people.
17. The people in the "big city" dressed funny, and then you picked up the trend 2 years later.
18. Anyone you wanted could be found at the local gas station or hamburger joint.
19. You saw at least one friend a week driving a tractor through town on one of your friends driving a grain truck to school occasionally.
20. The gym teacher suggested you haul hay for the summer to get stronger.
21. Directions were given using the one and only stop light as a reference.
22. When you decided to walk somewhere for exercise, 5 people would over and ask if you wanted a ride.
23. Your teachers called you by your older siblings' names.
24. You could charge at any local store or write checks without any ID.
25. The closest Mc Donalds was 25 miles away or more.
26. The closest mall was over an hour away.
27. It was normal to see an old man riding through town on a riding lawn mower.
28. You've pee'd in a cornfield.
29. Most people went by a nickname.
30. Your teachers remembered when they taught your parents.
Such fun memories! Some of these things are still true in my hometown. Some of these are true in the small town I live in now!
What Flavor of Ice Cream Are You?
From June 2007
Ice cream is one of my all-time favorite treats, ESPECIALLY in the summer. The only time I'll refuse ice cream is when it's plain ol' vanilla, unless I can load it with toppings. Overall, I tend to like toppings on any flavor (or get ice cream that is already loaded with nuts, caramel, brownies, marshmellows, or fudge). Anyway, this quiz stood out to me, since I've recently increased my intake of ice cream. The results were of no surprise... Duh! Chocolate is my favorite!
You Are A Chocolate Ice Cream Girl Dramatic. Powerful. Flirty.
Go here to take the quiz for yourself: http://www.blogthings.com/whatflavoricecreamgirlareyouquiz/
I'd love to hear what your results were!
Ice cream is one of my all-time favorite treats, ESPECIALLY in the summer. The only time I'll refuse ice cream is when it's plain ol' vanilla, unless I can load it with toppings. Overall, I tend to like toppings on any flavor (or get ice cream that is already loaded with nuts, caramel, brownies, marshmellows, or fudge). Anyway, this quiz stood out to me, since I've recently increased my intake of ice cream. The results were of no surprise... Duh! Chocolate is my favorite!
You Are A Chocolate Ice Cream Girl Dramatic. Powerful. Flirty.
Go here to take the quiz for yourself: http://www.blogthings.com/whatflavoricecreamgirlareyouquiz/
I'd love to hear what your results were!
Journal/Scrapbooking Group (7) - Dreams
From June 2007
In February, one of my friends in our journaling group assigned the topic of Dreams as that month's page. She really didn't define exactly what that meant, whether it should be about our dreams for life, for the future, etc. Or, if it should be about dreams we have while sleeping. Later she stated that she was focusing more on the latter, but she also knew that some would go in the direction of what they dream for themselves or their children in life. Since I rarely remember my dreams once I wake up, and I felt like in some ways I had already covered what I wanted out of life in other pages, I decided I would go a different route and talk about daydreams.
I struggled a bit with how to create my page and with what to write. Part of it was, I think, that I just wasn't in the mood to scrapbook that month. So, I kept it really simple. I thought about daydreaming as being light and airy, peaceful, and happy, and somewhat youthful. I picked papers and colors that resembled the light airy part. Then I wrote a simple, somewhat humorous poem (mine always are) about the kind of daydreams I have, when I take the time to let them float through my mind.
DAYDREAMS by Buffy
In February, one of my friends in our journaling group assigned the topic of Dreams as that month's page. She really didn't define exactly what that meant, whether it should be about our dreams for life, for the future, etc. Or, if it should be about dreams we have while sleeping. Later she stated that she was focusing more on the latter, but she also knew that some would go in the direction of what they dream for themselves or their children in life. Since I rarely remember my dreams once I wake up, and I felt like in some ways I had already covered what I wanted out of life in other pages, I decided I would go a different route and talk about daydreams.
I struggled a bit with how to create my page and with what to write. Part of it was, I think, that I just wasn't in the mood to scrapbook that month. So, I kept it really simple. I thought about daydreaming as being light and airy, peaceful, and happy, and somewhat youthful. I picked papers and colors that resembled the light airy part. Then I wrote a simple, somewhat humorous poem (mine always are) about the kind of daydreams I have, when I take the time to let them float through my mind.
DAYDREAMS by Buffy
"Lazy afternoons, daydreaming of what life could be... should be... I dream of beach houses and ocean waves; of novels I've written about romantic days. I dream of financial security and yummy cheesecake; of a child of my own to be my namesake. I dream of hairless legs and a year-round tan; of holding hands with a very cute man. I dream of a house with a porch and of having a skinny waist; of really, really low interest rates. These are a few of the things out of many; to hope for, to wish for, to dream of, to believe..."
Some Much Needed Vacation Time
From June 2007
I'm free from bondage (work) this entire week! Yay!! I always have quite a bit of accumulated vacation time by the time summer hits. And since work slows down just a little bit during the summer months, I usually like the fact that I've saved it all and can take it off in different chunks of time. Some summers I've tacked on a couple of days to each weekend, so that I have 3 or 4 day weekends each week. But this year, I have so much time (some of it was carried over from last year) that I decided I just really needed to take a week here and there. And this is one of them.
Sooo, anyway, here I am, already at Tuesday. I seem to always create a long list of things that I need to get done (like spring cleaning, yard work, etc.) and things I want to do (like visiting some friends, scrapbooking, playing the SIMS on my computer, read a book, etc.) I never do get it all accomplished. In fact, sometimes I feel more busy during weeks like this than I do on regular weeks!
For example, yesterday I spent the morning paying bills and then running a couple of errands. I was trying to get a care package mailed to one of my nephews who is out of the country. Since I was doing it in conjunction with his mother (my sister-in-law), I went to the store that she works at to finish it up and get it ready to mail. Unfortunately, things weren't as ready to go as I had hoped. I had already made plans for the afternoon to visit a friend, so I was on a bit of a time crunch. My sister-in-law doesn't respond well to a "hurry up" mode. She doesn't get grumpy or anything like that. She just continues at her usual casual pace. Therefore, I started to get impatient. Finally, after boxing up what we did have ready and addressing it, I had run out of time, and so I left the box and some cash with her to take to the Post Office to mail. But, when she went, there were complications and they needed my signature since I was the sender, so today I have to go and try again. Sigh...
This really isn't that big of deal since I had originally planned on mailing it myself, except that I don't see it being a fast errand to run. With this particular sister-in-law, tasks to be done usually take a bit longer than they should. This is when I often slip into my independent mode of "just let me do the whole thing by myself, it would be much easier". I'm getting really bad at relying on others!
Anyway, enough rambling for now. I'm off to get some of those tasks done... like doing dishes and mopping the floor. How Fun!!!
I'm free from bondage (work) this entire week! Yay!! I always have quite a bit of accumulated vacation time by the time summer hits. And since work slows down just a little bit during the summer months, I usually like the fact that I've saved it all and can take it off in different chunks of time. Some summers I've tacked on a couple of days to each weekend, so that I have 3 or 4 day weekends each week. But this year, I have so much time (some of it was carried over from last year) that I decided I just really needed to take a week here and there. And this is one of them.
Sooo, anyway, here I am, already at Tuesday. I seem to always create a long list of things that I need to get done (like spring cleaning, yard work, etc.) and things I want to do (like visiting some friends, scrapbooking, playing the SIMS on my computer, read a book, etc.) I never do get it all accomplished. In fact, sometimes I feel more busy during weeks like this than I do on regular weeks!
For example, yesterday I spent the morning paying bills and then running a couple of errands. I was trying to get a care package mailed to one of my nephews who is out of the country. Since I was doing it in conjunction with his mother (my sister-in-law), I went to the store that she works at to finish it up and get it ready to mail. Unfortunately, things weren't as ready to go as I had hoped. I had already made plans for the afternoon to visit a friend, so I was on a bit of a time crunch. My sister-in-law doesn't respond well to a "hurry up" mode. She doesn't get grumpy or anything like that. She just continues at her usual casual pace. Therefore, I started to get impatient. Finally, after boxing up what we did have ready and addressing it, I had run out of time, and so I left the box and some cash with her to take to the Post Office to mail. But, when she went, there were complications and they needed my signature since I was the sender, so today I have to go and try again. Sigh...
This really isn't that big of deal since I had originally planned on mailing it myself, except that I don't see it being a fast errand to run. With this particular sister-in-law, tasks to be done usually take a bit longer than they should. This is when I often slip into my independent mode of "just let me do the whole thing by myself, it would be much easier". I'm getting really bad at relying on others!
Anyway, enough rambling for now. I'm off to get some of those tasks done... like doing dishes and mopping the floor. How Fun!!!
Small Town Summer Celebrations
From June 2007
One of my favorite things about summer time is all the varying festivals, carnivals and fairs that the local small towns put on. I live in an area where there are a lot of country towns scattered around the area. Each one seems to have their own festival. For example, yesterday I went to Emmett, Idaho where they were having their annual Cherry Festival. Yesterday was the last day of a week long event. My friend and I go mostly for the food and to walk around and look at the vendor booths. It's just great to be outdoors around a group of people too.
This next week is the Fiddler's Contest in Weiser Idaho. I'm sure we'll drive over at least for one night if not two to walk around and eat some more - lol. At this particular festival, I also greatly enjoy a lot of the musical performances. And I usually run into at least one person I know and haven't seen in a while.
1 Comment: I've never gone to a small town festival, but it sounds fun. Except for all the people. That ALWAYS drives me crazy!!! (Celia)
One of my favorite things about summer time is all the varying festivals, carnivals and fairs that the local small towns put on. I live in an area where there are a lot of country towns scattered around the area. Each one seems to have their own festival. For example, yesterday I went to Emmett, Idaho where they were having their annual Cherry Festival. Yesterday was the last day of a week long event. My friend and I go mostly for the food and to walk around and look at the vendor booths. It's just great to be outdoors around a group of people too.
This next week is the Fiddler's Contest in Weiser Idaho. I'm sure we'll drive over at least for one night if not two to walk around and eat some more - lol. At this particular festival, I also greatly enjoy a lot of the musical performances. And I usually run into at least one person I know and haven't seen in a while.
1 Comment: I've never gone to a small town festival, but it sounds fun. Except for all the people. That ALWAYS drives me crazy!!! (Celia)
Random Thoughts for the Midweek Blahs
From June 2007
Happy Wednesday!
Wouldn't it be nice if whenever we messed up our life we could simply press "Ctrl Alt Delete" and start all over?
Just remember, if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off!
Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live forever!
When weeding the garden, the best way to make sure you're removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it's a valuable plant.
The easiest way to find something around the house is to buy a replacement.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
Have you ever noticed that since everyone has a camcorder these days, no one talks about seeing UFO's like they used to?
In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.
How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?
Who was the first person to say, "See that chicken there? I'm gonna eat the next thing that comes outta its butt?" Or the first one to look at a cow and think, "I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here and drink whatever comes out?"
Why does your OB-GYN leave the room when you get undressed if he's going to look up there anyway?
Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?
Why do we strive to eat a lot of natural foods when most people die of natural causes?
Just remember, if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off!
Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live forever!
When weeding the garden, the best way to make sure you're removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it's a valuable plant.
The easiest way to find something around the house is to buy a replacement.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
Have you ever noticed that since everyone has a camcorder these days, no one talks about seeing UFO's like they used to?
In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.
How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?
Who was the first person to say, "See that chicken there? I'm gonna eat the next thing that comes outta its butt?" Or the first one to look at a cow and think, "I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here and drink whatever comes out?"
Why does your OB-GYN leave the room when you get undressed if he's going to look up there anyway?
Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?
Why do we strive to eat a lot of natural foods when most people die of natural causes?
Here's to Friday, which is now only two days away!
Lazy Summer Days
From 6/30/2007
Man am I just on a lazy binge lately. I really haven't had much motivation to do anything. I'm not sure if it's because typically things are slow for me during the summer (in regards to work) and so I tend to really shut down, or if I'm going through some stage. I've been using up some of my vacation days this month, because it is such a convenient time to do so, and all I want to do is stay home. And while at home, I just want to read a book, watch a movie or tv, scrapbook, and play on the computer. I have done a bit of spring cleaning (a little late for spring, I know), but other than that, I'm a bum. And yet, it really does feel good! So maybe I should stop feeling so guilty about it and let myself enjoy it, right?!
1 Comment: I'm being a lazy butt too! I always stay home though, so that's nothing new for me. How are you liking this heatwave? Pretty miserable! Maybe I should move to the NE or NW where it's cool!!!!!!!!! (Celia)
Man am I just on a lazy binge lately. I really haven't had much motivation to do anything. I'm not sure if it's because typically things are slow for me during the summer (in regards to work) and so I tend to really shut down, or if I'm going through some stage. I've been using up some of my vacation days this month, because it is such a convenient time to do so, and all I want to do is stay home. And while at home, I just want to read a book, watch a movie or tv, scrapbook, and play on the computer. I have done a bit of spring cleaning (a little late for spring, I know), but other than that, I'm a bum. And yet, it really does feel good! So maybe I should stop feeling so guilty about it and let myself enjoy it, right?!
1 Comment: I'm being a lazy butt too! I always stay home though, so that's nothing new for me. How are you liking this heatwave? Pretty miserable! Maybe I should move to the NE or NW where it's cool!!!!!!!!! (Celia)
I Believe In Love
From 6/22/2007
I Believe In Love
I made a promise to myself;
Locked it away deep down inside.
Told my heart we'd wait it out;
Swore we'd never compromise.
Oh I'd rather be alone,
Like I am tonight.
Than settle for the kind of love
That fades before the morning light.
Silence stared me in the face
And I finally heard its voice.
It seemed to softly say
That in love you have a choice.
Today I got the answer
And there's a world of truth behind it.
Love is out there waiting somewhere;
You just have to go and find it.
I believe in love.
I believe in love.
A love that's real, love that's strong,
Love that lives on and on.
Yes, I believe in love.
by the Dixie Chicks
"Home" album
The Handy Man Returns
From June 2007
Home repair #3
If you are familiar with my blogs from last summer, you'll understand my title. Living alone, without much knowledge of home repair, having a good handy man around is vital! My entry today continues the never-ending saga of dealing with home repairs (and their dent to my wallet).
I had a three day weekend (thanks to a vacation day). I hadn't necessarily planned on working on some of the things at my house that needed repairing, but that's how my time ended up being spent. And in reality, even though I was looking forward to a quiet, peaceful weekend, I'm glad it turned out this way.
Friday morning, while I was still laying lazily in bed, my mom called to tell me that one of my older brothers who was in town visiting, was coming over to check out my sprinkler system. (During dinner the previous evening I had been complaining about how the whole thing needed a major overhaul.) So I jumped out of bed and into the shower. Within an hour they were there with a few tools in hand. We spent the rest of the morning working on the various sprinkler heads, cleaning out clogged ones and re-aiming them to more appropriate parts (rather than the fence - lol). My brother had to catch a flight home that afternoon, and so when he left, I had a small list of a couple of sprinkler heads that needed replacing. I also had a high priority repair where there was a constant leak -- causing me to have a high water bill. Since I had already spoken to someone at work (the same guy that fixed my swamp cooler last summer), I knew he could fix what my brother was unable to.
Amazingly enough, without me even calling, my co-worker/handyman showed up Friday afternoon to make a list of everything that needed to be done. I told him what my brother had already accomplished and he said he be back the next afternoon to finish it all up.
To his and my surprise, there was much more work needed than we thought. He spent quite some time on it all. BUT, my water leak is now fixed - YAY!! And several (more than two) sprinker heads were replaced or adjusted. He only charged me 50 bucks for labor and then $40 for the cost of parts. I offered to pay him more, since it took longer than he thought, but he refused -- what a nice guy!
Saturday night I was excited to run the entire system and give my lawn a thorough soaking without having to pull the hose around. It worked great! And then Sunday we had a down-pouring of rain all day long!! LOL Oh well... my lawn is now very well watered!
Home repair #3
If you are familiar with my blogs from last summer, you'll understand my title. Living alone, without much knowledge of home repair, having a good handy man around is vital! My entry today continues the never-ending saga of dealing with home repairs (and their dent to my wallet).
I had a three day weekend (thanks to a vacation day). I hadn't necessarily planned on working on some of the things at my house that needed repairing, but that's how my time ended up being spent. And in reality, even though I was looking forward to a quiet, peaceful weekend, I'm glad it turned out this way.
Friday morning, while I was still laying lazily in bed, my mom called to tell me that one of my older brothers who was in town visiting, was coming over to check out my sprinkler system. (During dinner the previous evening I had been complaining about how the whole thing needed a major overhaul.) So I jumped out of bed and into the shower. Within an hour they were there with a few tools in hand. We spent the rest of the morning working on the various sprinkler heads, cleaning out clogged ones and re-aiming them to more appropriate parts (rather than the fence - lol). My brother had to catch a flight home that afternoon, and so when he left, I had a small list of a couple of sprinkler heads that needed replacing. I also had a high priority repair where there was a constant leak -- causing me to have a high water bill. Since I had already spoken to someone at work (the same guy that fixed my swamp cooler last summer), I knew he could fix what my brother was unable to.
Amazingly enough, without me even calling, my co-worker/handyman showed up Friday afternoon to make a list of everything that needed to be done. I told him what my brother had already accomplished and he said he be back the next afternoon to finish it all up.
To his and my surprise, there was much more work needed than we thought. He spent quite some time on it all. BUT, my water leak is now fixed - YAY!! And several (more than two) sprinker heads were replaced or adjusted. He only charged me 50 bucks for labor and then $40 for the cost of parts. I offered to pay him more, since it took longer than he thought, but he refused -- what a nice guy!
Saturday night I was excited to run the entire system and give my lawn a thorough soaking without having to pull the hose around. It worked great! And then Sunday we had a down-pouring of rain all day long!! LOL Oh well... my lawn is now very well watered!
I'm Afraid I Have A Disorder Called AAADD
From 6/2007
AAADD- KNOW THE SYMPTOMS.....YOU MAY JUST HAVE THIS DISORDER!
Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how it manifests:
I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide it needs washing. As I start toward the garage, I notice mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mail box earlier. I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car. I lay my car keys on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full. So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first. But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first. I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Coke I'd been drinking. I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over. The Coke is getting warm, and I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye--they need water. I put the Coke on the counter and discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers. I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I'll be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers. I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill. Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.
At the end of the day:
the car isn't washed,
the bills aren't paid,
there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter,
the flowers don't have enough water,
there is still only 1 check in my check book,
I can't find the remote,
I can't find my glasses,
and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.
Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day, and I'm really tired. I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail....
AAADD- KNOW THE SYMPTOMS.....YOU MAY JUST HAVE THIS DISORDER!
Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how it manifests:
I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide it needs washing. As I start toward the garage, I notice mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mail box earlier. I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car. I lay my car keys on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full. So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first. But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first. I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Coke I'd been drinking. I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over. The Coke is getting warm, and I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye--they need water. I put the Coke on the counter and discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers. I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I'll be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers. I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill. Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.
At the end of the day:
the car isn't washed,
the bills aren't paid,
there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter,
the flowers don't have enough water,
there is still only 1 check in my check book,
I can't find the remote,
I can't find my glasses,
and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.
Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day, and I'm really tired. I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail....
What Color Do You Need?
From June 2007
Took a quiz tonight based on my mood.... and the results suggested that:
You Need Some Orange in Your Life
Took a quiz tonight based on my mood.... and the results suggested that:
You Need Some Orange in Your Life
For extra punch: Combine orange with red or yellow
The downside of orange: It's too powerful and unusual for some people to deal with
The consequences of more orange in your life: You will become more creative in almost every aspect of your life
You will find humor in the most serious and dismal situations
You will feel like life is exciting, even when you're doing ordinary things
I thought that was kind of cool! Especially since fall colors and leaves are my favorite and so is being creative. I could use some "inspiration" so I think I'll wear an orange shirt tomorrow!!
To find out what color you need in your life right now, go to: http://www.blogthings.com/whatcolordoyouneedquiz/
I'd love to see your results! Just paste them into the comment section of this entry.
Here Comes The Sun... Sigh
From June 2007
Summer is certainly well on its way. And dangit! It's getting HOT already. It's forecasted to be in the high 90's, possibly even 100 degrees this weekend. For anyone who has read my blog entries from last summer, you'll know I am not fond of heat. I'd rather it was extra cold, than extra hot. And we had a hot summer last year, so I was hoping for one that wasn't so extreme this year. Sigh.... guess I better prep the swamp cooler for some major usage.
Summer is certainly well on its way. And dangit! It's getting HOT already. It's forecasted to be in the high 90's, possibly even 100 degrees this weekend. For anyone who has read my blog entries from last summer, you'll know I am not fond of heat. I'd rather it was extra cold, than extra hot. And we had a hot summer last year, so I was hoping for one that wasn't so extreme this year. Sigh.... guess I better prep the swamp cooler for some major usage.
Spiritual Energy
From 6/12/2007
I spent some quality time with my new Live Your Best Life book from Oprah Magazine last night. This time I picked an article titled "Spiritual Energy". The opening eye-catching phrase, which by the way worked, stated: "Have you ever been in the presence of something so lively, engaged, selfless, and utterly radiant, it's left you speechless?" The reason this one phrase caught my attention is that I love meeting someone who has such an effect on me. I love when I feel their soul speak to me, not just their voice and body.
This was pretty deep and heavy stuff for me at bedtime. I actually had to re-read certain paragraphs to ensure I was truly obtaining the meaning intended. But I do love the deep stuff... so once I started to really grasp the meaning of this entire article I was engrossed.
The author outlined four characteristics that are common to people with this spiritual energy:
#1-they have a palpable goodness that goes far beyond a "warm and fuzzy aura" and seems to arise from genuine integrity.
#2- they give an impression of selflessness-- a lack of concern with status, fame, and ego.
#3- their expansive, compassionate energy nurtures others.
#4- they have an amazing power of attentiveness. When in their presence you experience a feeling of being wholly acknowledged and embraced with open eyes.
What wonderful qualities to have! I'd like to say that I want to strive to be this kind of person. But I'm so far from it... it would take a lot of time and work. Yet that's not any reason to not try!
The article goes on further to explain that to obtain these qualities one must seek to be a better person by not focusing on yourself, but on others. And not dwell on the things in life that you don't have, but be grateful for the things that you are blessed with. And in return, you develop an energy within and about you that is capable of such a better connection with those in your presence.
If I could get anywhere near those traits, I would be amazed and grateful. It would be such a positive, life changing thing! Another goal too, would be to meet someone who has embraced all of these qualities and make them my next new hero!
I spent some quality time with my new Live Your Best Life book from Oprah Magazine last night. This time I picked an article titled "Spiritual Energy". The opening eye-catching phrase, which by the way worked, stated: "Have you ever been in the presence of something so lively, engaged, selfless, and utterly radiant, it's left you speechless?" The reason this one phrase caught my attention is that I love meeting someone who has such an effect on me. I love when I feel their soul speak to me, not just their voice and body.
This was pretty deep and heavy stuff for me at bedtime. I actually had to re-read certain paragraphs to ensure I was truly obtaining the meaning intended. But I do love the deep stuff... so once I started to really grasp the meaning of this entire article I was engrossed.
The author outlined four characteristics that are common to people with this spiritual energy:
#1-they have a palpable goodness that goes far beyond a "warm and fuzzy aura" and seems to arise from genuine integrity.
#2- they give an impression of selflessness-- a lack of concern with status, fame, and ego.
#3- their expansive, compassionate energy nurtures others.
#4- they have an amazing power of attentiveness. When in their presence you experience a feeling of being wholly acknowledged and embraced with open eyes.
What wonderful qualities to have! I'd like to say that I want to strive to be this kind of person. But I'm so far from it... it would take a lot of time and work. Yet that's not any reason to not try!
The article goes on further to explain that to obtain these qualities one must seek to be a better person by not focusing on yourself, but on others. And not dwell on the things in life that you don't have, but be grateful for the things that you are blessed with. And in return, you develop an energy within and about you that is capable of such a better connection with those in your presence.
If I could get anywhere near those traits, I would be amazed and grateful. It would be such a positive, life changing thing! Another goal too, would be to meet someone who has embraced all of these qualities and make them my next new hero!
Journal/Scrapbooking Group (6) - A Favorite Book
From June 2007
I'm still catching up in posting my journal/scrapbooking pages from the journal group I'm in. Sigh... I should just sit down on a Saturday and post all of the ones I have to date. I am actually quite fond of the pages I've created, just because I love being creative. So I really don't mean to make it sound like it's a chore to "show them off".
In January, we were assigned to scrapbook a page about our favorite book. It was really hard for me to choose. I don't know that I have a favorite book. I'm not an avid reader, yet I do read from time to time. And my selections vary from novels, to magazines, to self-help. Then it came to me! I absolutely love to read Calvin & Hobbes comics!! So that's what I chose. The picture above is what my page looks like, including some little booklets of favorite comic strips-lying around the page-that I put inside the sheet protector when I'm not actually reading or viewing the page.
I'm still catching up in posting my journal/scrapbooking pages from the journal group I'm in. Sigh... I should just sit down on a Saturday and post all of the ones I have to date. I am actually quite fond of the pages I've created, just because I love being creative. So I really don't mean to make it sound like it's a chore to "show them off".
In January, we were assigned to scrapbook a page about our favorite book. It was really hard for me to choose. I don't know that I have a favorite book. I'm not an avid reader, yet I do read from time to time. And my selections vary from novels, to magazines, to self-help. Then it came to me! I absolutely love to read Calvin & Hobbes comics!! So that's what I chose. The picture above is what my page looks like, including some little booklets of favorite comic strips-lying around the page-that I put inside the sheet protector when I'm not actually reading or viewing the page.
My journaling for the page is also in one of these little booklets. And it states:
I WAS INTRODUCED TO CALVIN & HOBBES COMICS BY A FRIEND WHO FOUND THEM HUMOROUS AND REMINDED HIM OF TWO OF HIS YOUNGER BROTHERS. AS I BEGAN TO READ THEM, I FOUND THAT CALVIN, AND HIS DEAR PAL, HOBBES, PROVIDED ME WITH A WONDERFUL SOURCE OF COMIC RELIEF. I WOULD LAUGH SO HARD SOMETIMES, THAT MY BELLY ACHED, TEARS RAN DOWN MY CHEEKS, AND ONLOOKERS THOUGHT I'D GONE MAD! I NOW OWN MUCH OF THE BOOK COLLECTION OF BILL WATTERSON'S POPULAR COMIC STRIP. I'M SAD HE'S RETIRED, YET I'M GRATEFUL HE DID SO BEFORE LOSING HIS FLAIR.
CALVIN REMINDS ME OF ALL THAT CHILDHOOD SHOULD BE ABOUT; IMAGINARY FRIENDS AND EXAGGERATED ADVENTURES, DISOBEDIENCE TO RULES AND BOUNDARIES, CHILDHOOD MOCKING OF ALL THAT IS ADULT-LIKE, AND THE ENJOYMENT OF SIMPLE PLEASURES. WHAT FUN IT IS TO REMEMBER AND RELIVE MY OWN CHILDHOOD BY PICKING UP AND READING A BOOK OF CALVIN & HOBBES COMICS! AND AS I DO, I'M ALSO REMINDED OF HOW GRATEFUL I AM TO NOT HAVE GIVEN BIRTH TO A "CALVIN" OF MY OWN! (YET, ANYWAY. )Live Your Best Life
From 6/2007
Not too long ago, I received an offer in the mail to purchase a book put together by the Oprah Magazine. This book contained the "best of" all the Live Your Best Life articles that have been published in her monthly magazine. I've always loved the Oprah Magazine and so I was highly tempted.... and after waiting a week or so, I gave in and ordered it. Well... IT CAME IN THE MAIL TODAY!! I was quite excited and became even more so when I opened it up and saw that the pages were so bright and colorful. They look just like the magazine articles except they are printed on nice thick paper and put together in a hardbound book. I can't wait to really get into it. I don't plan on reading it cover to cover, but instead just picking out articles here and there based on my interest at the moment. I actually read one right off the bat about finding a way to be active when you really hate exercising (that's definitely me). As I read ones that really hit me, I'll try to write about them here.
One other great thing about this purchase is that all the proceeds go to Oprah's Angel Network. If I ever win the lottery, I really do want to give some to her charity. I think she does great things with it! I also got a free canvas book bag, which is a fun bonus -- like I don't have a ton of those canvas bags from the various conferences and trainings I've been to. But I don't have an Oprah, Live Your Best Life one!
Not too long ago, I received an offer in the mail to purchase a book put together by the Oprah Magazine. This book contained the "best of" all the Live Your Best Life articles that have been published in her monthly magazine. I've always loved the Oprah Magazine and so I was highly tempted.... and after waiting a week or so, I gave in and ordered it. Well... IT CAME IN THE MAIL TODAY!! I was quite excited and became even more so when I opened it up and saw that the pages were so bright and colorful. They look just like the magazine articles except they are printed on nice thick paper and put together in a hardbound book. I can't wait to really get into it. I don't plan on reading it cover to cover, but instead just picking out articles here and there based on my interest at the moment. I actually read one right off the bat about finding a way to be active when you really hate exercising (that's definitely me). As I read ones that really hit me, I'll try to write about them here.
One other great thing about this purchase is that all the proceeds go to Oprah's Angel Network. If I ever win the lottery, I really do want to give some to her charity. I think she does great things with it! I also got a free canvas book bag, which is a fun bonus -- like I don't have a ton of those canvas bags from the various conferences and trainings I've been to. But I don't have an Oprah, Live Your Best Life one!
A Promising Horoscope
From 5/31/2007
My horoscope today read:
"The gentle winds of change are blowing through your life at the moment, dear Aquarius. You have a feeling of newness and an open attitude toward the world. Some outside events will be coming up in your life that give you the impression you are advancing in a concrete manner toward a new life. You can expect to have some pleasant surprises."
I like to read my horoscope, just like I enjoy fortune cookies (although I hate it when a fortune cookie contains a character anaylsis or a phrase of wisdom instead of an actual fortune). I think that there's just a part of me that wants to believe (or wishes) there really is a way to fore-tell the future. I've had my palm read before and I have a deck of tarot cards that I dabble with every so often.
The above horoscope really does sound promising. Mostly because a new life always sounds enticing. I love change. I know, I'm weird. Most people hate change. I tend to seek it out to bring something new and exciting to what I feel has gone stale in life. And so I pose the question -- do ya think things might change in my life now, because I read this horoscope and will then through my thinking and focus on these things, make it happen? OR if it comes true, is it really because there is some power to the astrological signs? (I tend to think it's about the power of our thoughts, rather than the astrological signs.)
By the way, when I had my palm read in New Orleans two summers ago, I was told I would be married within two years. In July, my two year deadline hits. Hmmmm.... I haven't met anyone yet that could fill those shoes. Although 07/07/07 is a very appealing marriage date (the number 7 is my favorite). Unfortunately, I just don't see it happening -- so much for positive thinking, right? (Goes against everything that The Secret says to do!)
My horoscope today read:
"The gentle winds of change are blowing through your life at the moment, dear Aquarius. You have a feeling of newness and an open attitude toward the world. Some outside events will be coming up in your life that give you the impression you are advancing in a concrete manner toward a new life. You can expect to have some pleasant surprises."
I like to read my horoscope, just like I enjoy fortune cookies (although I hate it when a fortune cookie contains a character anaylsis or a phrase of wisdom instead of an actual fortune). I think that there's just a part of me that wants to believe (or wishes) there really is a way to fore-tell the future. I've had my palm read before and I have a deck of tarot cards that I dabble with every so often.
The above horoscope really does sound promising. Mostly because a new life always sounds enticing. I love change. I know, I'm weird. Most people hate change. I tend to seek it out to bring something new and exciting to what I feel has gone stale in life. And so I pose the question -- do ya think things might change in my life now, because I read this horoscope and will then through my thinking and focus on these things, make it happen? OR if it comes true, is it really because there is some power to the astrological signs? (I tend to think it's about the power of our thoughts, rather than the astrological signs.)
By the way, when I had my palm read in New Orleans two summers ago, I was told I would be married within two years. In July, my two year deadline hits. Hmmmm.... I haven't met anyone yet that could fill those shoes. Although 07/07/07 is a very appealing marriage date (the number 7 is my favorite). Unfortunately, I just don't see it happening -- so much for positive thinking, right? (Goes against everything that The Secret says to do!)
An Anniversary!
From May 2007 
Today is the first year anniversary of my moving into my very own house! It was Memorial Day weekend last year that I had a small crew of friends helping me clear out my small apartment, load up trucks, drive across town, and unload into my newly purchased home. I can't believe it's been a year! I even went back to the beginning of my blog (which I started July 1st of last year) and read an entry where I was amazed about having lived here for a month. Now it's been a year! And ya know what? I have not ever once regretted it (even though I'm perpetually broke now). I love this house! It may not have all the elements that my dream house has-like a bay window or big front porch-but it's mine (and the bank's).
1 Comment: Happy Anniversary Buffy!!!! :o) Someday I will own a home (I hope), and I too dream of having a big yard, bay window, a garden, and a big front porch. It would be awesome! Maybe someday..... (Celia)
Today is the first year anniversary of my moving into my very own house! It was Memorial Day weekend last year that I had a small crew of friends helping me clear out my small apartment, load up trucks, drive across town, and unload into my newly purchased home. I can't believe it's been a year! I even went back to the beginning of my blog (which I started July 1st of last year) and read an entry where I was amazed about having lived here for a month. Now it's been a year! And ya know what? I have not ever once regretted it (even though I'm perpetually broke now). I love this house! It may not have all the elements that my dream house has-like a bay window or big front porch-but it's mine (and the bank's).
1 Comment: Happy Anniversary Buffy!!!! :o) Someday I will own a home (I hope), and I too dream of having a big yard, bay window, a garden, and a big front porch. It would be awesome! Maybe someday..... (Celia)
A Day Spent With A Friend
From 5/27/2007
Yesterday, I spent the day with one of my dear friends. We went on our traditional trek to a small Oregon community up in the mountains, where they hold a huge flea market on Memorial Day weekend, the 4th of July, and Labor Day weekend. This entire community (probably only a population of 100) fills up with vendors and shoppers. The streets and empty lots/fields are packed. This year was particularly great! In fact, over all the years I've been traveling up there, I've never seen so many booths and tents. The day was beautiful! I even got a bit sunburned.
The time with my friend was well spent. Yesterday, during the 1 1/2 hour drive there, I noticed she was quite jabbery -- which is usually my role! I, on the other hand, was a bit more quiet. I think I was just enjoying the beauty of the outdoors, the pine trees, the lakes and rivers, and the music I had playing on my MP3 player. At some points I actually wanted to shhhhush her jabbering (you can tell we've been friends for a long time because some of the politeness has faded!), but I didn't.
The two of us are pretty opposite in our tastes. But we know each other well. As we shopped, she knew that I always stopped to look at homemade jewelry, hippie/bohemian type stuff, art/home decor, and antiques; I knew that she would stop to look at tools, old musical instruments, sunglasses, and to buy kettle corn.
We have been friends for a long time. She is a good "always there, good ol' standby" kind of friend. I know that the "good ol' standby" kind of label doesn't sound very complimentary, but it IS in the sense that she's a stable friend. There are times that I prefer to spend time with other friends who are more exciting, more spontaneous, more "hip". But I always know that she will be there when I need someone of maturity, stability, and a listening ear. And I know that I take her for granted way too often!
1 Comment: Hey Buffy. :0) Sounds like you had a great weekend. My best friend in Alaska should have had her baby the last couple of weeks, I haven't heard from her yet. She's my best friend. I've known her for 20 years, and it doesn't seem to matter how much time goes by, we always pick up where we left off. I love that kind of comfort with another person. (Celia)
Yesterday, I spent the day with one of my dear friends. We went on our traditional trek to a small Oregon community up in the mountains, where they hold a huge flea market on Memorial Day weekend, the 4th of July, and Labor Day weekend. This entire community (probably only a population of 100) fills up with vendors and shoppers. The streets and empty lots/fields are packed. This year was particularly great! In fact, over all the years I've been traveling up there, I've never seen so many booths and tents. The day was beautiful! I even got a bit sunburned.
The time with my friend was well spent. Yesterday, during the 1 1/2 hour drive there, I noticed she was quite jabbery -- which is usually my role! I, on the other hand, was a bit more quiet. I think I was just enjoying the beauty of the outdoors, the pine trees, the lakes and rivers, and the music I had playing on my MP3 player. At some points I actually wanted to shhhhush her jabbering (you can tell we've been friends for a long time because some of the politeness has faded!), but I didn't.
The two of us are pretty opposite in our tastes. But we know each other well. As we shopped, she knew that I always stopped to look at homemade jewelry, hippie/bohemian type stuff, art/home decor, and antiques; I knew that she would stop to look at tools, old musical instruments, sunglasses, and to buy kettle corn.
We have been friends for a long time. She is a good "always there, good ol' standby" kind of friend. I know that the "good ol' standby" kind of label doesn't sound very complimentary, but it IS in the sense that she's a stable friend. There are times that I prefer to spend time with other friends who are more exciting, more spontaneous, more "hip". But I always know that she will be there when I need someone of maturity, stability, and a listening ear. And I know that I take her for granted way too often!
1 Comment: Hey Buffy. :0) Sounds like you had a great weekend. My best friend in Alaska should have had her baby the last couple of weeks, I haven't heard from her yet. She's my best friend. I've known her for 20 years, and it doesn't seem to matter how much time goes by, we always pick up where we left off. I love that kind of comfort with another person. (Celia)
The Secret
From 5/24/2007
I just had a question posted in my guestbook about one of my new favorite books, so I thought I'd respond in my blog.
The Secret is a great book! It's all about changing your thoughts so that they are focused on what you want in life and that through those thoughts you can create or have pretty much anything you desire. I actually started reading it after watching an Oprah episode. My main goal wasn't as much to go out and become some big sucessful entrepreneur by adopting the techniques suggested. I really just wanted to be more positive about life. At the time I was really focusing a lot of energy on how unhappy I was at work and with my relationships with co-workers. I also was a bit down about some of my friendships, my financial state, and how I was without a boyfriend. I just wanted to figure out a way to focus on what I did have and be grateful. So, I ordered both the book and DVD from Amazon. (Around the same time, I started a Gratitude Journal, that I wrote in regularly about things I'm grateful for, which has been good for me too.)
I'm now on my second time through the book and I've watched the DVD several times. Sadly, I haven't picked up the book in a few weeks. I've noticed that I need to read just a little bit everyday for me to really keep in mind the techniques. It really is quite challenging and it takes a lot of mental energy to keep my thoughts going in a positive direction on what I'm looking for in my future instead of on what is going wrong in life or all the negative things.
Overall, I've seen a difference in myself and I like it!
I actually tested it out in the beginning. One morning after reading just a few pages before getting ready for work, I decided I was going to see if this whole belief that "if you think it, it will come" could really work. So, I picked something that I wanted to happen at work that day; something that rarely happens-"my boss will give me a compliment today!" And I focused all my thoughts on it. I believed it would happen. I pictured it happening in my mind. Then I continued with my regular routine and headed out to work. Once I was at work, I actually kind of forgot about it. At the end of the day, right before leaving I ended up in a conversation with my boss, and low and behold she gave me a compliment! I didn't even realize the whole connection between the Secret and her compliment until I was driving home. It was kind of freaky, really.... but cool!
I tried something else the next day, regarding my gaining $5.00 by the end of the day. (I wanted to try something more physical and monetary). When at the grocery store after work, I got $5.00 deducted from my total due to sales, etc. It wasn't quite as concrete as I had imagined, but it was pretty cool that my total savings was $5 and some change.
After that I started thinking about real goals for myself. I wrote them on sticky notes and put them on my ceiling above my bed, so that I was reminded of them at night and in the morning when in bed. (I got that idea from the DVD.) I have to say, I haven't been as diligent in focusing on them. In fact, lately I've been distracted by old habits and I need to get back to really training my thoughts. It IS challenging!
In the whole scheme of things though, it has made me a better person, even if just slightly. And I want to continue.
1 Comment: So, I finally read your blog entry on The Secret (since I asked you about it before). You pretty much confirmed what I thought. It's not as easy as it sounds. I'm sure the whole Law of Attraction works, but it's not like people try to make it sound. You just think it, and it will come. You know? There is work that goes into it, just like everything else. Thanks for the review though. I'm definitely going to buy the book/dvd now. Thanks Buffy! :o) (Celia)
I just had a question posted in my guestbook about one of my new favorite books, so I thought I'd respond in my blog.
The Secret is a great book! It's all about changing your thoughts so that they are focused on what you want in life and that through those thoughts you can create or have pretty much anything you desire. I actually started reading it after watching an Oprah episode. My main goal wasn't as much to go out and become some big sucessful entrepreneur by adopting the techniques suggested. I really just wanted to be more positive about life. At the time I was really focusing a lot of energy on how unhappy I was at work and with my relationships with co-workers. I also was a bit down about some of my friendships, my financial state, and how I was without a boyfriend. I just wanted to figure out a way to focus on what I did have and be grateful. So, I ordered both the book and DVD from Amazon. (Around the same time, I started a Gratitude Journal, that I wrote in regularly about things I'm grateful for, which has been good for me too.)
I'm now on my second time through the book and I've watched the DVD several times. Sadly, I haven't picked up the book in a few weeks. I've noticed that I need to read just a little bit everyday for me to really keep in mind the techniques. It really is quite challenging and it takes a lot of mental energy to keep my thoughts going in a positive direction on what I'm looking for in my future instead of on what is going wrong in life or all the negative things.
Overall, I've seen a difference in myself and I like it!
I actually tested it out in the beginning. One morning after reading just a few pages before getting ready for work, I decided I was going to see if this whole belief that "if you think it, it will come" could really work. So, I picked something that I wanted to happen at work that day; something that rarely happens-"my boss will give me a compliment today!" And I focused all my thoughts on it. I believed it would happen. I pictured it happening in my mind. Then I continued with my regular routine and headed out to work. Once I was at work, I actually kind of forgot about it. At the end of the day, right before leaving I ended up in a conversation with my boss, and low and behold she gave me a compliment! I didn't even realize the whole connection between the Secret and her compliment until I was driving home. It was kind of freaky, really.... but cool!
I tried something else the next day, regarding my gaining $5.00 by the end of the day. (I wanted to try something more physical and monetary). When at the grocery store after work, I got $5.00 deducted from my total due to sales, etc. It wasn't quite as concrete as I had imagined, but it was pretty cool that my total savings was $5 and some change.
After that I started thinking about real goals for myself. I wrote them on sticky notes and put them on my ceiling above my bed, so that I was reminded of them at night and in the morning when in bed. (I got that idea from the DVD.) I have to say, I haven't been as diligent in focusing on them. In fact, lately I've been distracted by old habits and I need to get back to really training my thoughts. It IS challenging!
In the whole scheme of things though, it has made me a better person, even if just slightly. And I want to continue.
1 Comment: So, I finally read your blog entry on The Secret (since I asked you about it before). You pretty much confirmed what I thought. It's not as easy as it sounds. I'm sure the whole Law of Attraction works, but it's not like people try to make it sound. You just think it, and it will come. You know? There is work that goes into it, just like everything else. Thanks for the review though. I'm definitely going to buy the book/dvd now. Thanks Buffy! :o) (Celia)
New Guy at the Office
From May 2007
I'm sure this really isn't all that exciting of a topic for any of you readers (like there are lots of you out there!), but for me, this was a really exciting part of my day, month, and even this year! We hired a new technology guy and he started today!! You must understand, we have been without anyone of quality in this position for quite a long time. And of course I'm assuming that this guy will be better than any of the others we've hired in the past two years. But really, I can't wait to see what he'll be able to do to build upon the data system we have.
The other positive about it all, is that HE is a GUY! Since I work in the early childhood field, most of our employees are female. So when we actually hire a man, I think it's great!! Sometimes, I get a bit tired of all the estrogen floating around the office. No, I don't intend to hit on him, although he is cute and funny (and married); I'm just happy for the change of gender.
1 Comment: Hopefully he won't touch your butt like our "new guy" did! :o) (Celia)
I'm sure this really isn't all that exciting of a topic for any of you readers (like there are lots of you out there!), but for me, this was a really exciting part of my day, month, and even this year! We hired a new technology guy and he started today!! You must understand, we have been without anyone of quality in this position for quite a long time. And of course I'm assuming that this guy will be better than any of the others we've hired in the past two years. But really, I can't wait to see what he'll be able to do to build upon the data system we have.
The other positive about it all, is that HE is a GUY! Since I work in the early childhood field, most of our employees are female. So when we actually hire a man, I think it's great!! Sometimes, I get a bit tired of all the estrogen floating around the office. No, I don't intend to hit on him, although he is cute and funny (and married); I'm just happy for the change of gender.
1 Comment: Hopefully he won't touch your butt like our "new guy" did! :o) (Celia)
Office Parties
From May 2007
I'm often amuzed at work by the things that the organization does to try and build morale or mental health. Not that I'm against parties and celebrations, in fact, I love them. But I like celebrations to hold meaning to them, so that I actually can get into the celebrating.
Last week, during Monday's lunch hour, our office had it's annual Birthday party. No this is not a party to celebrate the anniversary of the organizations existence. It was a mass-celebration of everyone's birthday for the year. We've had these parties for a few years now and it originally came about when some members of the office continually had their feelings hurt when no one remembered their birthdays, yet others around them had co-workers showering them with gifts or cake. So they decided to start having one big party to ensure everyone would feel included. (The funny thing is that there are still little celebrations throughout the year as birthdays come and go.)
This year's party was pretty lame. Since the program wouldn't put any money towards the party,we were asked to pitch in $6.00 a week earlier. We had pizza, played a couple of simple party games, got some cheap prizes and a cupcake, and that was it. There was one member of our office group that told the organizers a couple of weeks ago that he didn't want to participate this year. I don't blame him really. But those in charge were upset -- they took it personally. Why?! And then during the party one of the participants seemed upset all of a sudden. She was pretty quiet about it, but I could tell something had made her mad. (She was one of the one's to complain year's ago when no one remembered her birthday.) I think she was upset that her giftbag of candy was sugar-free (she's diabetic, but cheats regularly). The whole thing really is amuzing to me. The things we do to make sure everyone feels included and not isolated; in this case, as I mentioned earlier, it just ended up forcing everyone to celebrate something that didn't have much meaning behind it.
I bet 90% of those present would have preferred to spend their lunch hour doing their own thing.
1 Comment: I agree with you. The people that were making a "big deal" out of other co-workers birthdays was just rude. You don't do that for some and not others. Especially if the company is paying for it. If individuals are paying for it themselves, and if you are that good of friends that you want to celebrate their birthday, then you should do it after hours so noone is left out. As far as the people who are feeling left out, who cares!!!! We are adults!!!! Celebrate your own damn birthday!!! (Celia)
I'm often amuzed at work by the things that the organization does to try and build morale or mental health. Not that I'm against parties and celebrations, in fact, I love them. But I like celebrations to hold meaning to them, so that I actually can get into the celebrating.
Last week, during Monday's lunch hour, our office had it's annual Birthday party. No this is not a party to celebrate the anniversary of the organizations existence. It was a mass-celebration of everyone's birthday for the year. We've had these parties for a few years now and it originally came about when some members of the office continually had their feelings hurt when no one remembered their birthdays, yet others around them had co-workers showering them with gifts or cake. So they decided to start having one big party to ensure everyone would feel included. (The funny thing is that there are still little celebrations throughout the year as birthdays come and go.)
This year's party was pretty lame. Since the program wouldn't put any money towards the party,we were asked to pitch in $6.00 a week earlier. We had pizza, played a couple of simple party games, got some cheap prizes and a cupcake, and that was it. There was one member of our office group that told the organizers a couple of weeks ago that he didn't want to participate this year. I don't blame him really. But those in charge were upset -- they took it personally. Why?! And then during the party one of the participants seemed upset all of a sudden. She was pretty quiet about it, but I could tell something had made her mad. (She was one of the one's to complain year's ago when no one remembered her birthday.) I think she was upset that her giftbag of candy was sugar-free (she's diabetic, but cheats regularly). The whole thing really is amuzing to me. The things we do to make sure everyone feels included and not isolated; in this case, as I mentioned earlier, it just ended up forcing everyone to celebrate something that didn't have much meaning behind it.
I bet 90% of those present would have preferred to spend their lunch hour doing their own thing.
1 Comment: I agree with you. The people that were making a "big deal" out of other co-workers birthdays was just rude. You don't do that for some and not others. Especially if the company is paying for it. If individuals are paying for it themselves, and if you are that good of friends that you want to celebrate their birthday, then you should do it after hours so noone is left out. As far as the people who are feeling left out, who cares!!!! We are adults!!!! Celebrate your own damn birthday!!! (Celia)
To Mentor or Monitor? That Is The Question...
From 5/2007
I'm a bit reflective of my work this week as part of the preschool program I work for is shutting down for the summer. My thoughts have mainly been on the following:
In my daily work, I play the role of mentor and trainer as I work with the preschool teachers, helping them to become better teachers. But a huge part of my job also includes my monitoring of their work in the classroom as well as their paperwork. From time to time, even though I'm not their regular supervisor that signs their timesheets and fills out their evaluations, I have to play the bad guy and get tough when performance isn't what it needs to be.
Over this past year, I've noticed that I've had to do that a lot! I'm not sure it's really all that productive to be so critical and judgemental (even though sometimes I'm so frustrated, that it comes very natural to me to just get blunt and tell them how it is). I'd much rather spend my time mentoring and building up the teaching staff than to constantly monitor them and point out what they are doing wrong. Yet, this is what is expected of me by MY supervisors. I've had comments made that most staff are scared of me. Often it's stated in a joking manner and I do usually chuckle and say "good!" And even though I feel a good healthy respect from them is needed, I really don't want it to evolve into them not wanting to come to me for advice or help when they need it.
I'd really like to overhaul the whole atmosphere and attitude in our management team's style of managing. We should be spending more of our efforts MENTORING and less time MONITORING. Right? How to do this, when I'm not the ultimate authority, is daunting and almost impossible. But I can certainly set as a goal for myself to work more on bringing out the 'mentor' in me.
I'm a bit reflective of my work this week as part of the preschool program I work for is shutting down for the summer. My thoughts have mainly been on the following:
In my daily work, I play the role of mentor and trainer as I work with the preschool teachers, helping them to become better teachers. But a huge part of my job also includes my monitoring of their work in the classroom as well as their paperwork. From time to time, even though I'm not their regular supervisor that signs their timesheets and fills out their evaluations, I have to play the bad guy and get tough when performance isn't what it needs to be.
Over this past year, I've noticed that I've had to do that a lot! I'm not sure it's really all that productive to be so critical and judgemental (even though sometimes I'm so frustrated, that it comes very natural to me to just get blunt and tell them how it is). I'd much rather spend my time mentoring and building up the teaching staff than to constantly monitor them and point out what they are doing wrong. Yet, this is what is expected of me by MY supervisors. I've had comments made that most staff are scared of me. Often it's stated in a joking manner and I do usually chuckle and say "good!" And even though I feel a good healthy respect from them is needed, I really don't want it to evolve into them not wanting to come to me for advice or help when they need it.
I'd really like to overhaul the whole atmosphere and attitude in our management team's style of managing. We should be spending more of our efforts MENTORING and less time MONITORING. Right? How to do this, when I'm not the ultimate authority, is daunting and almost impossible. But I can certainly set as a goal for myself to work more on bringing out the 'mentor' in me.
A Day to Play!
From May 2007
Last Monday, I got up and did the usual things in my routine to get ready for work. But I was fighting and dreading it the whole way. When I arrived to work, my blah-zay attitude had not improved. So, what did I do? I pulled out my calendar and looked for the first possible day that I could take some vacation time. And guess what?! That's this weekend (yesterday actually)!!
I really don't have any special plans for my now 3-day weekend, just puttering and being lazy. I'd love to go shopping, but the funds are a bit tight, especially after just paying the bills yesterday. I'll just have some extra time at home -- really all I care is that I didn't have to go to work! Yay!!
Last Monday, I got up and did the usual things in my routine to get ready for work. But I was fighting and dreading it the whole way. When I arrived to work, my blah-zay attitude had not improved. So, what did I do? I pulled out my calendar and looked for the first possible day that I could take some vacation time. And guess what?! That's this weekend (yesterday actually)!!
I really don't have any special plans for my now 3-day weekend, just puttering and being lazy. I'd love to go shopping, but the funds are a bit tight, especially after just paying the bills yesterday. I'll just have some extra time at home -- really all I care is that I didn't have to go to work! Yay!!
Sunday Best
From 5/20/2007
So, today was a perfect example of one of the role's I play. I went to church today, sat amongst fellow church-goers, and participated in the services just as I have since my childhood. I enjoy having strong beliefs. I just don't always enjoy sitting in a congregation pretending to be like all those around me. You know, that "hat" that defines me as do-gooder, sweet & mild, never a harsh word leaves my mouth, etc. I have some of this in my personality naturally, but to be able to say outloud "Man, I just did not want to come to church today! I'd rather be shopping or watching movies in bed." just wouldn't fly with some of my fellow church-goers. This is when I realize I can't be myself completely while at church functions. I am a bit sarcastic and a cynic. i do sometimes gossip. And I don't always want to spend my free time in the service of others. Does that make me a terrible person? No. Just human. AND just who i am. So how do I get past the fear of judgement of others, so that I can be more of myself while at church? VERY GOOD QUESTION!
So, today was a perfect example of one of the role's I play. I went to church today, sat amongst fellow church-goers, and participated in the services just as I have since my childhood. I enjoy having strong beliefs. I just don't always enjoy sitting in a congregation pretending to be like all those around me. You know, that "hat" that defines me as do-gooder, sweet & mild, never a harsh word leaves my mouth, etc. I have some of this in my personality naturally, but to be able to say outloud "Man, I just did not want to come to church today! I'd rather be shopping or watching movies in bed." just wouldn't fly with some of my fellow church-goers. This is when I realize I can't be myself completely while at church functions. I am a bit sarcastic and a cynic. i do sometimes gossip. And I don't always want to spend my free time in the service of others. Does that make me a terrible person? No. Just human. AND just who i am. So how do I get past the fear of judgement of others, so that I can be more of myself while at church? VERY GOOD QUESTION!
The Roles We Play
From 5/19/2007
I changed the title/name of my site last night (Window's Live Spaces). I decided that since I have another blog on my Yahoo 360 page that pretty much logs my daily events and thoughts about them, that I would make this site more about my journey to finding my true self.
I have always been fascinated by human behavior, including my own. And one of the things that I notice quite a bit about myself, is how I tend to change when around different people or in different situations. This is, of course, pretty normal for everyone. For example, when we go to work, we put on our "professional hat". When we are with loved ones, we are hopefully more relaxed and layed back. And for me especially, when I go to church, I'm really reserved and pristeen.
But what I have noticed about myself is that, even from close friend to close friend, I choose to play a different role and therefore act differently. So my big question for myself is: Are all of these roles truly me? Or are some of them an act based on my fear of not wanting particular people to see my weaknesses or the fear of not fitting in? Hmmm... I shall have to ponder on this a while.
I changed the title/name of my site last night (Window's Live Spaces). I decided that since I have another blog on my Yahoo 360 page that pretty much logs my daily events and thoughts about them, that I would make this site more about my journey to finding my true self.
I have always been fascinated by human behavior, including my own. And one of the things that I notice quite a bit about myself, is how I tend to change when around different people or in different situations. This is, of course, pretty normal for everyone. For example, when we go to work, we put on our "professional hat". When we are with loved ones, we are hopefully more relaxed and layed back. And for me especially, when I go to church, I'm really reserved and pristeen.
But what I have noticed about myself is that, even from close friend to close friend, I choose to play a different role and therefore act differently. So my big question for myself is: Are all of these roles truly me? Or are some of them an act based on my fear of not wanting particular people to see my weaknesses or the fear of not fitting in? Hmmm... I shall have to ponder on this a while.
20 Years!
From May 17, 2007
It's been twenty years today that I graduated from High School! I can't believe it!!
Reunion plans are in the works, in fact I received a letter earlier this week asking for money (of course), photos, and a bio. A bio? What do I have to say? I swear it doesn't feel like I've done or changed much (even though I know I have), especially since I don't have children to brag about.
Anyway, I added a photo of that great day 20 years ago. What a cheesy, happy grin. You can tell that I was happy as a clam to be gettin' out of the place!
It's been twenty years today that I graduated from High School! I can't believe it!!
Reunion plans are in the works, in fact I received a letter earlier this week asking for money (of course), photos, and a bio. A bio? What do I have to say? I swear it doesn't feel like I've done or changed much (even though I know I have), especially since I don't have children to brag about.
Anyway, I added a photo of that great day 20 years ago. What a cheesy, happy grin. You can tell that I was happy as a clam to be gettin' out of the place!
Monday Blues & Mother's Day in Review
From May 2007
Sometimes I really do hate Mondays. I can't believe the weekend is over. I just read my Saturday entry, full of hope of what the weekend could bring and now it's all over. (Gee, even my writing is dreary - lol). I just really don't want to be at work, that's all. If I were at home today, I'd be happy as a clam!
Yesterday ended up being a pretty nice day including the Mother's Day part. I got up the gumption to go visit a friend (whom I've talked about before on this blog). I really felt an inner push that it was time to just go stop by her house -- I haven't seen nor talked to her since February. I took her one of the Lavender plants that I purchased at Home Depot and filled out a friendship card and wished her a happy Mother's Day. I ended up staying and visiting with her for over 3 hours. I don't quite know anymore why we don't do things more often. I realize we are both dealing with issues with each other -- I think I know what mine are, but I'm not sure what hers are. My guess is that her physical condition (being confined to a wheelchair) is the largest issue -- causing me guilt for not being there for her more often and probably causing her a level of depression that makes her isolate herself from others. I miss her dearly though... and I keep telling myself it doesn't have to be that way. I can be near her and have all the fun times that we used to have before the accident. We talked about getting together to scrapbook. I need to make sure I push that and make it happen. I'd like to do something with her at least every other week.
I also spent some time with my mom. One of my brothers invited her out to his house. Two of my nieces cooked their mom and my mom dinner. It was yummy and a nice visit. I also gave her a lavendar plant and a scrapbook page that I made a duplicate of from one of my own pages. It was a dedication to her as one of my favorite people. It made her cry , which means "it hit the spot". I don't spend as much time with my family anymore, unfortunately. Part of my increasing independence from others creeping in as well as my time being so limited anymore.
AND then at the end of the day, I had a nice phone conversation with a friend that lives in Arizona. We've been talking more regularly lately and it's nice to get to know him again.
The day was filled with lots of reconnecting. Great way to spend a Sunday! I just want to have more days like that instead of sitting at my desk pushing paper - lol
Sometimes I really do hate Mondays. I can't believe the weekend is over. I just read my Saturday entry, full of hope of what the weekend could bring and now it's all over. (Gee, even my writing is dreary - lol). I just really don't want to be at work, that's all. If I were at home today, I'd be happy as a clam!
Yesterday ended up being a pretty nice day including the Mother's Day part. I got up the gumption to go visit a friend (whom I've talked about before on this blog). I really felt an inner push that it was time to just go stop by her house -- I haven't seen nor talked to her since February. I took her one of the Lavender plants that I purchased at Home Depot and filled out a friendship card and wished her a happy Mother's Day. I ended up staying and visiting with her for over 3 hours. I don't quite know anymore why we don't do things more often. I realize we are both dealing with issues with each other -- I think I know what mine are, but I'm not sure what hers are. My guess is that her physical condition (being confined to a wheelchair) is the largest issue -- causing me guilt for not being there for her more often and probably causing her a level of depression that makes her isolate herself from others. I miss her dearly though... and I keep telling myself it doesn't have to be that way. I can be near her and have all the fun times that we used to have before the accident. We talked about getting together to scrapbook. I need to make sure I push that and make it happen. I'd like to do something with her at least every other week.
I also spent some time with my mom. One of my brothers invited her out to his house. Two of my nieces cooked their mom and my mom dinner. It was yummy and a nice visit. I also gave her a lavendar plant and a scrapbook page that I made a duplicate of from one of my own pages. It was a dedication to her as one of my favorite people. It made her cry , which means "it hit the spot". I don't spend as much time with my family anymore, unfortunately. Part of my increasing independence from others creeping in as well as my time being so limited anymore.
AND then at the end of the day, I had a nice phone conversation with a friend that lives in Arizona. We've been talking more regularly lately and it's nice to get to know him again.
The day was filled with lots of reconnecting. Great way to spend a Sunday! I just want to have more days like that instead of sitting at my desk pushing paper - lol
A Typical Saturday "To Do" List
From May 2007
I'm not sure what I really want to blog about, I just know that it's time. (I wouldn't want to let my loyal readers down)
This past week seemed to fly by. Both my work and personal life seemed to be full of planning and projects. It's actually kind of nice this morning to be able to take a deep breath and just sit back and do nothing. Although I've already set the sprinklers on the lawn and I need to work on my mother's day present for tomorrow, plus run to Home Depot. I want to buy some lavender plants (one of my fav's) and get them replanted into a planter that I can put out on the front step. I love the smell of lavender! Maybe I'll get some for my mom too .
I also need to do laundry today, power spray all the cobwebs out of the eaves of my house, and I'm in the mood to do some baking -- cookies maybe. Hmmmm... my lazy day all of sudden looks a bit full! Guess I better jump in the shower and get to it!!
I'm not sure what I really want to blog about, I just know that it's time. (I wouldn't want to let my loyal readers down)
This past week seemed to fly by. Both my work and personal life seemed to be full of planning and projects. It's actually kind of nice this morning to be able to take a deep breath and just sit back and do nothing. Although I've already set the sprinklers on the lawn and I need to work on my mother's day present for tomorrow, plus run to Home Depot. I want to buy some lavender plants (one of my fav's) and get them replanted into a planter that I can put out on the front step. I love the smell of lavender! Maybe I'll get some for my mom too .
I also need to do laundry today, power spray all the cobwebs out of the eaves of my house, and I'm in the mood to do some baking -- cookies maybe. Hmmmm... my lazy day all of sudden looks a bit full! Guess I better jump in the shower and get to it!!
Hair Removal At Its Best!
From May 2007
A month ago or so I received a forwarded email from my sister-in-law. You know, one of those funny ones that gets sent and forwarded to millions through the email airwaves. I'm not much into "forwards." Often I delete them after glancing briefly at their content. But this one caught my attention and is probably one of the funniest ones I've ever read. So I thought I'd post it on my blog, not only for all to read, but also as a way for me to save it... to archive the things that we women go through. Who knows if the story is actually true, but it really doesn't matter because we've all done something similar to this at one point or another. All in the name of beauty and feminism!
All hair removal methods have tricked women with their promises of easy, painless removal - The epilady, scissors, razors, Nair And now... the wax. My night began as any other normal weeknight. Come home, fix dinner, play with the kids. I then had the thought that would ring painfully in my mind for the next few hours: "Maybe I should pull the waxing kit out of the medicine cabinet." So I headed to the site of my demise: the bathroom.
It was one of those "cold wax" kits. No melting a clump of hot wax, you just rub the strips together in your hand, they get warm and you peel them apart and press them to your leg (or wherever else) and you pull the hair right off. No muss, no fuss. How hard can it be? I mean, I'm not a genius, but I am mechanically inclined enough to figure this out. (YA THINK!?!)
So I pull one of the thin strips out. It's two strips facing each other stuck together. Instead of rubbing them together, my genius kicks in so I get out the hair dryer and heat it to 1000 degrees. ("Cold wax," yeah... right!) I lay the strip across my thigh. Hold the skin around it tight and pull. It works! OK, so it wasn't the best feeling, but it wasn't too bad. I can do this! Hair removal no longer eludes me! I am She-rah, fighter of all wayward body hair and maker of smooth skin extraordinaire.
With my next wax strip I move north. After checking on the kids, I sneak back into the bathroom, for the ultimate hair fighting championship. I drop my panties and place one foot on the toilet. Using the same procedure, I apply the one strip across the right side of my bikini line, covering the right half of my *hoo-hoo* and stretching down to the inside of my butt cheek (Yes, it was a long strip) I inhale deeply and brace myself....RRRRIIIPPP!!!! I'm blind!!! Blinded from pain!!!!....OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!! Vision returning, I notice that I've only managed to pull off half the strip. CRAP!!! Another deep breath and RRIIPP!! ?Everything is swirly and spotted. I think I may pass out...must stay conscious...Do I hear crashing drums??? Breathe, breathe...OK, back to normal.
I'm blind!!! Blinded from pain!!!!....OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!! Vision returning, I notice that I've only managed to pull off half the strip. CRAP!!! Another deep breath and RRIIPP!! ?Everything is swirly and spotted. I think I may pass out...must stay conscious...Do I hear crashing drums???
Breathe, breathe...OK, back to normal.
I want to see my trophy - a wax covered strip, the one that has caused me so much pain, with my hairy pelt sticking to it. I want to revel in the glory that is my triumph over body hair. I hold up the strip! There's no hair on it. Where is the hair??? WHERE IS THE WAX???
Slowly I ease my head down, foot still perched on the toilet. I see the hair. The hair that should be on the strip. I touch. I am touching wax.
CRAP! I run my fingers over the most sensitive part of my body, which is now covered in cold wax and matted hair. Then I make the next BIG mistake...Remember my foot is still propped up on the toilet? I know I need to do something. So I put my foot down.
DANG!!!!!!!! I hear the slamming of a cell door. *Hoo-Hoo*?? Sealed shut! Butt?? Sealed shut!
I penguin walk around the bathroom trying to figure out what to do and think to myself "Please don't let me get the urge to poop. My head may pop off!" What can I do to melt the wax? Hot water!! Hot water melts wax!!! I'll run the hottest water I can stand into the bathtub, get in, immerse the wax-covered bits and the wax should melt and I can gently wipe it off, right??? WRONG!!!!!!!
I get In the tub - the water is slightly hotter than that used to torture prisoners of war or sterilize surgical equipment - I sit. Now, the only thing worse than having your nether regions glued together is having them glued together and then glued to the bottom of the tub...in scalding hot water. Which, by the way, doesn't melt cold wax. So, now I'm stuck to the bottom of the tub as though I had cement-epoxied myself to the porcelain!! God bless the man who had convinced me a few months ago to have a phone put in the bathroom!!!!!
I call my friend, thinking surely she has waxed before and has some secret of how to get me undone. It's a very good conversation starter - "So, my butt and *Hoo-Hoo* are glued together to the bottom of the tub!" There is a slight pause. She doesn't know any secret tricks for removal but she does try to hide her laughter from me. She wants to know exactly where the wax is located, "Are we talking cheeks or *Hoo-Hoo*?"
She's laughing out loud by now...I can hear her. I give her the rundown and she suggests I call the number on the side of the box. YEAH!!!!! Right!! I should be the joke of someone else's night. While we go through various solutions. I resort to scraping the wax off with a razor. Nothing feels better then to have your girlie goodies covered in hot wax, glued shut, stuck to the tub in super hot water and then dry-shaving the sticky wax off!!
While we go through various solutions. I resort to scraping the wax off with a razor. Nothing feels better then to have your girlie goodies covered in hot wax, glued shut, stuck to the tub in super hot water and then dry-shaving the sticky wax off!! By now the brain is not working, dignity has taken a major hike and I'm pretty sure I'm going to need Post-Traumatic Stress counseling for this event. My friend is still talking with me when I finally see my saving grace.... the lotion they give you to remove the excess wax. What do I really have to lose at this point? I rub some on and OH MY GOD!!!!!!!
The scream probably woke the kids and scared the dickens out of my friend. It's sooo painful, but I really don't care. IT WORKS!! It works!! I get a hearty congratulation from my friend and she hangs up. I successfully remove the remainder of the wax and then notice to my grief and despair.... THE HAIR IS STILL THERE.......ALL OF IT!!!!!!!!!!
So I recklessly shave it off. Heck, I'm numb by now. Nothing hurts. ? I could have amputated my own leg at this point. Next week I'm going to try hair color...... Now that's funny Notttttttttt
1Comment: LOL! That was pretty good Buffy! Hope all is well!!! :o) (Celia)
A month ago or so I received a forwarded email from my sister-in-law. You know, one of those funny ones that gets sent and forwarded to millions through the email airwaves. I'm not much into "forwards." Often I delete them after glancing briefly at their content. But this one caught my attention and is probably one of the funniest ones I've ever read. So I thought I'd post it on my blog, not only for all to read, but also as a way for me to save it... to archive the things that we women go through. Who knows if the story is actually true, but it really doesn't matter because we've all done something similar to this at one point or another. All in the name of beauty and feminism!
All hair removal methods have tricked women with their promises of easy, painless removal - The epilady, scissors, razors, Nair And now... the wax. My night began as any other normal weeknight. Come home, fix dinner, play with the kids. I then had the thought that would ring painfully in my mind for the next few hours: "Maybe I should pull the waxing kit out of the medicine cabinet." So I headed to the site of my demise: the bathroom.
It was one of those "cold wax" kits. No melting a clump of hot wax, you just rub the strips together in your hand, they get warm and you peel them apart and press them to your leg (or wherever else) and you pull the hair right off. No muss, no fuss. How hard can it be? I mean, I'm not a genius, but I am mechanically inclined enough to figure this out. (YA THINK!?!)
So I pull one of the thin strips out. It's two strips facing each other stuck together. Instead of rubbing them together, my genius kicks in so I get out the hair dryer and heat it to 1000 degrees. ("Cold wax," yeah... right!) I lay the strip across my thigh. Hold the skin around it tight and pull. It works! OK, so it wasn't the best feeling, but it wasn't too bad. I can do this! Hair removal no longer eludes me! I am She-rah, fighter of all wayward body hair and maker of smooth skin extraordinaire.
With my next wax strip I move north. After checking on the kids, I sneak back into the bathroom, for the ultimate hair fighting championship. I drop my panties and place one foot on the toilet. Using the same procedure, I apply the one strip across the right side of my bikini line, covering the right half of my *hoo-hoo* and stretching down to the inside of my butt cheek (Yes, it was a long strip) I inhale deeply and brace myself....RRRRIIIPPP!!!! I'm blind!!! Blinded from pain!!!!....OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!! Vision returning, I notice that I've only managed to pull off half the strip. CRAP!!! Another deep breath and RRIIPP!! ?Everything is swirly and spotted. I think I may pass out...must stay conscious...Do I hear crashing drums??? Breathe, breathe...OK, back to normal.
I'm blind!!! Blinded from pain!!!!....OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!! Vision returning, I notice that I've only managed to pull off half the strip. CRAP!!! Another deep breath and RRIIPP!! ?Everything is swirly and spotted. I think I may pass out...must stay conscious...Do I hear crashing drums???
Breathe, breathe...OK, back to normal.
I want to see my trophy - a wax covered strip, the one that has caused me so much pain, with my hairy pelt sticking to it. I want to revel in the glory that is my triumph over body hair. I hold up the strip! There's no hair on it. Where is the hair??? WHERE IS THE WAX???
Slowly I ease my head down, foot still perched on the toilet. I see the hair. The hair that should be on the strip. I touch. I am touching wax.
CRAP! I run my fingers over the most sensitive part of my body, which is now covered in cold wax and matted hair. Then I make the next BIG mistake...Remember my foot is still propped up on the toilet? I know I need to do something. So I put my foot down.
DANG!!!!!!!! I hear the slamming of a cell door. *Hoo-Hoo*?? Sealed shut! Butt?? Sealed shut!
I penguin walk around the bathroom trying to figure out what to do and think to myself "Please don't let me get the urge to poop. My head may pop off!" What can I do to melt the wax? Hot water!! Hot water melts wax!!! I'll run the hottest water I can stand into the bathtub, get in, immerse the wax-covered bits and the wax should melt and I can gently wipe it off, right??? WRONG!!!!!!!
I get In the tub - the water is slightly hotter than that used to torture prisoners of war or sterilize surgical equipment - I sit. Now, the only thing worse than having your nether regions glued together is having them glued together and then glued to the bottom of the tub...in scalding hot water. Which, by the way, doesn't melt cold wax. So, now I'm stuck to the bottom of the tub as though I had cement-epoxied myself to the porcelain!! God bless the man who had convinced me a few months ago to have a phone put in the bathroom!!!!!
I call my friend, thinking surely she has waxed before and has some secret of how to get me undone. It's a very good conversation starter - "So, my butt and *Hoo-Hoo* are glued together to the bottom of the tub!" There is a slight pause. She doesn't know any secret tricks for removal but she does try to hide her laughter from me. She wants to know exactly where the wax is located, "Are we talking cheeks or *Hoo-Hoo*?"
She's laughing out loud by now...I can hear her. I give her the rundown and she suggests I call the number on the side of the box. YEAH!!!!! Right!! I should be the joke of someone else's night. While we go through various solutions. I resort to scraping the wax off with a razor. Nothing feels better then to have your girlie goodies covered in hot wax, glued shut, stuck to the tub in super hot water and then dry-shaving the sticky wax off!!
While we go through various solutions. I resort to scraping the wax off with a razor. Nothing feels better then to have your girlie goodies covered in hot wax, glued shut, stuck to the tub in super hot water and then dry-shaving the sticky wax off!! By now the brain is not working, dignity has taken a major hike and I'm pretty sure I'm going to need Post-Traumatic Stress counseling for this event. My friend is still talking with me when I finally see my saving grace.... the lotion they give you to remove the excess wax. What do I really have to lose at this point? I rub some on and OH MY GOD!!!!!!!
The scream probably woke the kids and scared the dickens out of my friend. It's sooo painful, but I really don't care. IT WORKS!! It works!! I get a hearty congratulation from my friend and she hangs up. I successfully remove the remainder of the wax and then notice to my grief and despair.... THE HAIR IS STILL THERE.......ALL OF IT!!!!!!!!!!
So I recklessly shave it off. Heck, I'm numb by now. Nothing hurts. ? I could have amputated my own leg at this point. Next week I'm going to try hair color...... Now that's funny Notttttttttt
1Comment: LOL! That was pretty good Buffy! Hope all is well!!! :o) (Celia)
Yard Work
From May 2007
Well, another Saturday has come and gone, and very quickly I might add. It was a beautiful day, temps in the 80's , and so it was dedicated to doing some yard work (which I'm not too fond of, I might add ). I had a haircut appointment first thing this morning, but once I returned, I pulled out my new electric trimmers and set out to trim all the bushes that run along the front and one side of my house. It took me about an hour and a half or maybe even two to finish, but they look pretty spiffy now. My arms felt like jello afterwards though. Since I'm fairly short and I wanted to keep the shrubs pretty tall, I had to hold the trimmers up above my head to trim the tops off (I also used a step stool from time to time). I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow.
After cleaning up all the trimmings, I got the hose out (for the first time this spring) and began to hose down the sidewalk and drive just to get rid of the bits of trimmings still left as well as all the winter dirt. The neighbor girls, who had been out in their swimsuits came and asked me if they could run through my sprinkers (which I hadn't even started, but planned to after I finshed hosing off the drive.) I told them sure and mentioned something about my need to go wash my car. They then offered to wash my car (anything for an opportunity to play in the water) and of course I could not refuse. I figured that even if they didn't do a great job, it would be better than the dust and grime currently on it. So they washed and sprayed each other and when they were finished I put the sprinker on and they ran through it a few times. By then they were bored and wandered off to do other things. And my car really didn't look too bad!
As the day started to wind down, I just couldn't seem to stay inside. I went and grabbed something to eat at Wendy's. But once I finished eating I was back outside. I moved the sprinkler a few times, put some finishing touches on my car (tire cleaner and RainX on my windshield), and then finally, here I sit at my computer. It feels good to work hard, even though I usually dread it in the beginning.
Well, another Saturday has come and gone, and very quickly I might add. It was a beautiful day, temps in the 80's , and so it was dedicated to doing some yard work (which I'm not too fond of, I might add ). I had a haircut appointment first thing this morning, but once I returned, I pulled out my new electric trimmers and set out to trim all the bushes that run along the front and one side of my house. It took me about an hour and a half or maybe even two to finish, but they look pretty spiffy now. My arms felt like jello afterwards though. Since I'm fairly short and I wanted to keep the shrubs pretty tall, I had to hold the trimmers up above my head to trim the tops off (I also used a step stool from time to time). I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow.
After cleaning up all the trimmings, I got the hose out (for the first time this spring) and began to hose down the sidewalk and drive just to get rid of the bits of trimmings still left as well as all the winter dirt. The neighbor girls, who had been out in their swimsuits came and asked me if they could run through my sprinkers (which I hadn't even started, but planned to after I finshed hosing off the drive.) I told them sure and mentioned something about my need to go wash my car. They then offered to wash my car (anything for an opportunity to play in the water) and of course I could not refuse. I figured that even if they didn't do a great job, it would be better than the dust and grime currently on it. So they washed and sprayed each other and when they were finished I put the sprinker on and they ran through it a few times. By then they were bored and wandered off to do other things. And my car really didn't look too bad!
As the day started to wind down, I just couldn't seem to stay inside. I went and grabbed something to eat at Wendy's. But once I finished eating I was back outside. I moved the sprinkler a few times, put some finishing touches on my car (tire cleaner and RainX on my windshield), and then finally, here I sit at my computer. It feels good to work hard, even though I usually dread it in the beginning.
Creating My Space
From 5/6/2007
Since I love creating things, I have actually enjoyed spending some time setting up my page. I've added a ton of photos... probably way more than what people are actually interested in, but I just love pictures and I love showing them off! And no, I'm not at all vain (there are tons of pictures of me). I just have a friend that likes to dabble in photography and she takes some pretty good pics.
I've also started to create a favorites list. It's been kind of fun thinking about everything that I enjoy. I think the list could be endless. I'm sure I'll continue to add to it regularly and even delete things that I've lost interest in.
I wonder what other lists I could add? Hmmmm...
I haven't ventured out and viewed too many other's pages here yet, but I've already gained a new friend. And I've had a comment added to one of my pictures. So I hope the interest in my page continues!
Since I love creating things, I have actually enjoyed spending some time setting up my page. I've added a ton of photos... probably way more than what people are actually interested in, but I just love pictures and I love showing them off! And no, I'm not at all vain (there are tons of pictures of me). I just have a friend that likes to dabble in photography and she takes some pretty good pics.
I've also started to create a favorites list. It's been kind of fun thinking about everything that I enjoy. I think the list could be endless. I'm sure I'll continue to add to it regularly and even delete things that I've lost interest in.
I wonder what other lists I could add? Hmmmm...
I haven't ventured out and viewed too many other's pages here yet, but I've already gained a new friend. And I've had a comment added to one of my pictures. So I hope the interest in my page continues!
Addicted to Blogging?
From 5/4/2007 (First Window's Live Blog Entry)
Ok, so this is my first entry here, but I already have a blog on another site (Yahoo 360). Am I crazy for starting a second? Am I addicted to blogging? I do like to write my thoughts and opinions, but this may be pushing it. I told a fellow blogger and internet friend that maybe I can let my alter ego shine in my blog here whereas my other one tends to stay a bit sweet and censored. We'll see...
Ok, so this is my first entry here, but I already have a blog on another site (Yahoo 360). Am I crazy for starting a second? Am I addicted to blogging? I do like to write my thoughts and opinions, but this may be pushing it. I told a fellow blogger and internet friend that maybe I can let my alter ego shine in my blog here whereas my other one tends to stay a bit sweet and censored. We'll see...
It's Back to Work I Go...
From May 2007
I had a nice da
y off yesterday, just to recuperate from my trip, but now I'm back to work this morning. BUMMER. I enjoy not working way too much! I think I need to win the lottery or something so I can be a bum and do whatever I want. Although, I think I really would become a bum with no purpose. So as much as I complain about it, work is good for me.
I have posted all my pictures from my trip to San Antonio in the photo section of my 360 page. As you can tell I loved the River Walk and I love trees.
1 Comment: Loved the pics!!! (Celia)
I had a nice da
y off yesterday, just to recuperate from my trip, but now I'm back to work this morning. BUMMER. I enjoy not working way too much! I think I need to win the lottery or something so I can be a bum and do whatever I want. Although, I think I really would become a bum with no purpose. So as much as I complain about it, work is good for me.I have posted all my pictures from my trip to San Antonio in the photo section of my 360 page. As you can tell I loved the River Walk and I love trees.
1 Comment: Loved the pics!!! (Celia)
Honey, I'm Home!
From April 2007
I got home from San Antonio last night. What a great trip and
what a great city!! I want to go back there and visit "for real" and not for work. Although I really can't complain, we really did get quite a bit of free time to go site-see. And the weather was beautiful. It was 80 degrees and above the whole time. I even got a slight sunburn which will turn into a great start to my summer tan. (Too bad it wasn't on my legs )
Some of the places we visited were:
I hope to have all my photos posted in my photo section very soon.
1 Comment: I'm glad you had a great time. Can't wait to see the pics!!! :o) (Celia)
I got home from San Antonio last night. What a great trip and
what a great city!! I want to go back there and visit "for real" and not for work. Although I really can't complain, we really did get quite a bit of free time to go site-see. And the weather was beautiful. It was 80 degrees and above the whole time. I even got a slight sunburn which will turn into a great start to my summer tan. (Too bad it wasn't on my legs )Some of the places we visited were:
The River Walk and a river boat tour - my favorite and most beautiful, I could walk or sit along the River Walk all day long.
Market Square - a great Mexican and Farmer's Market. We didn't get out to the Market until Friday -the first day of San Antonio's annual Fiesta. The place was packed and very festive. Great fun!! (I would have liked to have stayed a bit longer and gotten into the festivities a bit more.)
La Villita-another type of market, but more about art and hand made crafts. I love to look at art, however we didn't spend much time here due to our desire to get out to Market Square. (Our time walking and standing was always a bit limited due to my co-worker's health difficulties - and we had to kind of prioritize which things we wanted to spend this limited time on.)
The Alamo- I didn't get to spend much time there since it closed at 5:30 every day. But one evening I made it through the door at 5 minutes before closing. So I quickly snapped a few photos, skimmed through the gift shop, and was out the gate. Sadly, I really didn't get to read any of the actual historical placards.
multiple gift shops - of course there were quite a few of these around The Alamo and throughout town.
River Center Mall - your average mall, except that the river and River Walk ran right around it. So I sat and listened to a live band play while enjoying the cool breeze from the river. (I also bought my first pair of Croc's shoes, which I now wear constantly!)
the Henry B Gonzalez Convention Center - this was where our conference was held, which probably doesn't sound like such a big deal, except it had a great park, some cool sculptures and statues, and again, the river ran right under it.
Hard Rock Cafe - I always like to buy a Hard Rock t-shirt when visiting a new city. I rarely eat in the cafe -- I just buy souvenirs. :)
A couple of great restaurants - We actually had quite a bit of food provided for us during our conference. But we did eat at a great Texan steak place and also a nice hometown Mexican Cafe. Both were YUMMY!!
Every evening, once my co-worker had taken a cab back to the hotel, I had some time alone to walk and see more of the sites of San Antonio. I usually didn't stay out past dark, since that's not really a safe idea. But I did get to spend more time on the River Walk and do a bit of shopping. I kept thinking over and over about how San Antonio would be a great romantic get-away. If I ever get the chance, it would be a place I'd visit again for exactly that purpose.I hope to have all my photos posted in my photo section very soon.
1 Comment: I'm glad you had a great time. Can't wait to see the pics!!! :o) (Celia)
I'm Off to San Antonio!
From April 2007
One of the great perks of where I work is that every so often I get to take a trip. And so much like this, sometimes
I get to go to new places! I've never really spent much time in Texas at all, so I'm excited to have a bit warmer weather and to see some new sites. I'm traveling with one other co-worker. She has a few health problems that makes it hard for her to walk long distances, so I'm not sure how willing she'll be to get out there and play the role of tourist. If the moment presents itself, I'll actually go it alone!
Of course I'm not getting an all expense paid trip just to site-see. I will actually attend some conference/training sessions during the day. I'm not really even sure exactly what I'm going to walk away having learned. So I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
One of the great perks of where I work is that every so often I get to take a trip. And so much like this, sometimes
I get to go to new places! I've never really spent much time in Texas at all, so I'm excited to have a bit warmer weather and to see some new sites. I'm traveling with one other co-worker. She has a few health problems that makes it hard for her to walk long distances, so I'm not sure how willing she'll be to get out there and play the role of tourist. If the moment presents itself, I'll actually go it alone!Of course I'm not getting an all expense paid trip just to site-see. I will actually attend some conference/training sessions during the day. I'm not really even sure exactly what I'm going to walk away having learned. So I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
"That" Time Of The Month
From April 2007
That's right, today was bill-paying day. YUCK!
Twice a month, I sit down with my checkbook, a stack of envelopes filled with bill statements, and my computer. And within usually about an hour, all my hard earned money is on its way, either electronically or through postal mail, to the various utilities, credit cards, doctors, and lending institutions I've become associated with. It really is soooo sad.
Lately, I've been spending more than I should on frivolous things -- most likely it's a spring fever sort of thing. Spring (and often fall) makes me feel the need for new clothes. A girl's gotta look good after shedding the winter layers, right?! Well, I think I did enough purchasing of spring/summer clothing for the season this past weekend. Shopping and bills have really made a huge dent in my wallet. Oh well, I can go on and feel poor as I wear a few of the new shirts I've recently purchased!
1 Comment: Paying bills sucks! I do it twice a month too, and it never ceases to amaze me how quickly it goes. I did some serious shopping a few months back, but that was because I quit smoking in October and kept gaining weight. I've finally hit plateau, so hopefully I won't have to go up another size. I'm not going to start smoking again though, that's not even an option. Don't forget it's tax day today (just another bill you might have to pay)! (Celia)
That's right, today was bill-paying day. YUCK!
Twice a month, I sit down with my checkbook, a stack of envelopes filled with bill statements, and my computer. And within usually about an hour, all my hard earned money is on its way, either electronically or through postal mail, to the various utilities, credit cards, doctors, and lending institutions I've become associated with. It really is soooo sad.
Lately, I've been spending more than I should on frivolous things -- most likely it's a spring fever sort of thing. Spring (and often fall) makes me feel the need for new clothes. A girl's gotta look good after shedding the winter layers, right?! Well, I think I did enough purchasing of spring/summer clothing for the season this past weekend. Shopping and bills have really made a huge dent in my wallet. Oh well, I can go on and feel poor as I wear a few of the new shirts I've recently purchased!
1 Comment: Paying bills sucks! I do it twice a month too, and it never ceases to amaze me how quickly it goes. I did some serious shopping a few months back, but that was because I quit smoking in October and kept gaining weight. I've finally hit plateau, so hopefully I won't have to go up another size. I'm not going to start smoking again though, that's not even an option. Don't forget it's tax day today (just another bill you might have to pay)! (Celia)
Blessed Friday
From April 2007
Some Friday's come and yes I am ever so happy that the weekend is here. Then other Friday's come along and you'd think I'd died and gone to heaven... like I couldn't make it another minute in my overstressed, frustrating work place. Today was that kind of day. I have been so busy at work lately, I can't seem to catch up on all the different tasks I have piling up. So when the weekend approached I seriously considered bringing some of that work home. But I defiantly decided NO! I probably wouldn't do any of it anyway. My time off from work is quite sacred to me and I don't like to ruin it with thoughts of or tasks from work.
It's kind of interesting to me how protective I am of my spare time. Not having kids or a husband, most assume that I have all the time in the world. But it's not true. Or at least it doesn't feel that way. In fact, I sometimes wonder how I would handle having little ones or a spouse that I would have to share that time with.
Tomorrow is a perfect example of feeling like my free time has been infringed upon. My mom is flying in from being in Colorado, so I'm picking her up from the airport. When I found out that I'd be traveling to the "big city", I thought I'd do a bit of shopping before going to the airport. But then a friend called to see if she could drop by in the morning for a visit. So I figured I could squeeze her in for just a bit before heading out of town. It shouldn't cut out too much of my shopping time. But then, just a couple of days ago, I was asked to prepare a dish for a dinner for some people tomorrow night. Knowing that I would be gone for part of the day, I added to my Saturday morning schedule some cooking time. Now I'm thinking I won't have much shopping time left in my morning...sigh... and once I pick up my mom, take her to her home in a nearby small town and then head back to my house, I'll have just enough time to finish the dish I need to make and deliver it. And pretty much there's my Saturday. I shouldn't complain so much. A lot of what I'm doing is helping others, and that's ALWAYS a good thing!!
I think I put too much of my energy into my job and so then when I'm actually off work, I don't want to do anything that keeps me from being carefree. Maybe it's time I changed that pattern a bit.
1 Comment: You are my soul sister, I swear!!! I know you know I'm single, but I don't have children either, and all of my married friends always assume I have all of this time. Like I have more of it than the regular 24 hours a day they have. Or somehow I am able to put it in "reserves" because I don't have kids or a spouse. Isn't it funny??? I read your blog, and it sounds so much like me. You're my blog sister!!!! :-) Celia
Some Friday's come and yes I am ever so happy that the weekend is here. Then other Friday's come along and you'd think I'd died and gone to heaven... like I couldn't make it another minute in my overstressed, frustrating work place. Today was that kind of day. I have been so busy at work lately, I can't seem to catch up on all the different tasks I have piling up. So when the weekend approached I seriously considered bringing some of that work home. But I defiantly decided NO! I probably wouldn't do any of it anyway. My time off from work is quite sacred to me and I don't like to ruin it with thoughts of or tasks from work.
It's kind of interesting to me how protective I am of my spare time. Not having kids or a husband, most assume that I have all the time in the world. But it's not true. Or at least it doesn't feel that way. In fact, I sometimes wonder how I would handle having little ones or a spouse that I would have to share that time with.
Tomorrow is a perfect example of feeling like my free time has been infringed upon. My mom is flying in from being in Colorado, so I'm picking her up from the airport. When I found out that I'd be traveling to the "big city", I thought I'd do a bit of shopping before going to the airport. But then a friend called to see if she could drop by in the morning for a visit. So I figured I could squeeze her in for just a bit before heading out of town. It shouldn't cut out too much of my shopping time. But then, just a couple of days ago, I was asked to prepare a dish for a dinner for some people tomorrow night. Knowing that I would be gone for part of the day, I added to my Saturday morning schedule some cooking time. Now I'm thinking I won't have much shopping time left in my morning...sigh... and once I pick up my mom, take her to her home in a nearby small town and then head back to my house, I'll have just enough time to finish the dish I need to make and deliver it. And pretty much there's my Saturday. I shouldn't complain so much. A lot of what I'm doing is helping others, and that's ALWAYS a good thing!!
I think I put too much of my energy into my job and so then when I'm actually off work, I don't want to do anything that keeps me from being carefree. Maybe it's time I changed that pattern a bit.
1 Comment: You are my soul sister, I swear!!! I know you know I'm single, but I don't have children either, and all of my married friends always assume I have all of this time. Like I have more of it than the regular 24 hours a day they have. Or somehow I am able to put it in "reserves" because I don't have kids or a spouse. Isn't it funny??? I read your blog, and it sounds so much like me. You're my blog sister!!!! :-) Celia
Journal/Scrapbooking Group (5) - The Colors of Fall
From April 2007
In my quest to get all of my past journal/scrapbook pages from my journaling group entered onto my blog, I will enter yet another one today.
November's topic was "The Color of Fall." This was not hard at all for me, since it is my favorite season. I love fall colors, fall weather, and the "mood" of fall (which for me seems to be similar to what the word "reminiscent" brings to mind).
Here is what I wrote in the brief journaling that I included amongst some photos from magazines, leaves, a quote, and fall colored paper:
Autumn... my favorite season and time of year! I absolutely cannot wait for the first crisp morning, the slight change of color in the leaves, and that certain fragrance that I can’t think of any words to describe, but is distinctive as the smell of fall. It’s when the Earth decides to dress itself in its best colors. And as if I’m trying to mimic these changes, I race to the closet to dig out the clothes I love to wear best: warm, cozy, sweaters and shirts in hues of purple, brown, olive, red, orange and black.
The season seems to bring on a sense of reminiscence and melancholy, as I spend time remembering such things as “back to school” moments, high school football games, and
long ago friendships and romances. It’s a time of rewarding reflection.
Both of my favorite holidays occur in autumn. As Halloween approaches my mind returns to the times of costumes, trick-or-treating, hay rides, bonfires, and times with childhood friends. Thanksgiving brings out all the warm feelings of family and of giving thanks for the simple things in life, such as good health, a roof over my head, the country I live in, and the many loved ones in my life.
Thank Goodness for Autumn! What would I do without it?
In my quest to get all of my past journal/scrapbook pages from my journaling group entered onto my blog, I will enter yet another one today.
November's topic was "The Color of Fall." This was not hard at all for me, since it is my favorite season. I love fall colors, fall weather, and the "mood" of fall (which for me seems to be similar to what the word "reminiscent" brings to mind).
Here is what I wrote in the brief journaling that I included amongst some photos from magazines, leaves, a quote, and fall colored paper:Autumn... my favorite season and time of year! I absolutely cannot wait for the first crisp morning, the slight change of color in the leaves, and that certain fragrance that I can’t think of any words to describe, but is distinctive as the smell of fall. It’s when the Earth decides to dress itself in its best colors. And as if I’m trying to mimic these changes, I race to the closet to dig out the clothes I love to wear best: warm, cozy, sweaters and shirts in hues of purple, brown, olive, red, orange and black.
The season seems to bring on a sense of reminiscence and melancholy, as I spend time remembering such things as “back to school” moments, high school football games, and
long ago friendships and romances. It’s a time of rewarding reflection.
Both of my favorite holidays occur in autumn. As Halloween approaches my mind returns to the times of costumes, trick-or-treating, hay rides, bonfires, and times with childhood friends. Thanksgiving brings out all the warm feelings of family and of giving thanks for the simple things in life, such as good health, a roof over my head, the country I live in, and the many loved ones in my life.
Thank Goodness for Autumn! What would I do without it?
Journal/Scrapbooking Group (4) - If I Had A Million...
From April 2007
It has been a while since I entered one of my scrapbooking pages into my blog. To catch those of you up, who haven't read my early entries, I am part of a journaling group. We meet once a month, taking turns hosting and picking a topic for that month's journal page. Most participants, including myself, use a scrapbooking format along with some journaling to portray our thoughts and feelings on the assigned topic each month.
As I mentioned above, I am really behind in entering them on here. So I thought I might catch up a bit! The above picture is of the fourth page I created, back in October (2006). It was actually my turn to host that month and so I got to pick the topic. After a bit of pondering, I decided to ask the group to write about what they would do if they were given or won a million dollars (without the responsibility of taxes, of course). I gave them three stipulations: 1) a third of the money must be spent on something pratical, 2) a third of the money must be spent on something frivolous, 3) a third must be spent on a charitable act or organization.
I divided both pages into sections and below is what I wrote:
If I Had A Million…
Let’s pretend for just a moment that I have just won a million dollars. Tax free even! In today's world, one million dollars doesn't seem to go far. But it would still be a blast to experience what it would be like to try and stretch it as far as it would go. There were many ways and ideas that came to mind on how I would love to spend my winnings, but the ones I finally came up with seemed like the most rewarding.
I Would Travel the World
I have always loved traveling. But money, or lack of it, always seems to get in the way of me being able to travel to the places that I have always wanted to go. To make my travels even more rewarding I would share my experiences by inviting a different loved one to join me as I traveled to each destination. One third of a million may not take me too far, but my first destination would be to Europe, including France, England, and Italy. I’d then set a course for Australia and New Zealand. And once I returned to the states I’d make sure to visit the New England states in autumn and Hawaii in the winter. Man I love to dream about money!
I Would Pay Off My Debts
Spending money in practical ways can be almost as fun for me as those things that are considered frivolous. The relief or the contentment that is felt from taking care of things that are needed is quite rewarding. With the second allotment of money, I would first pay off all my debts, loans, credit cards, etc. especially my mortgage and my school loans. With what was left over, I would divide up and invest some, put some in a retirement account, go back to school for my Masters, and make sure that my mother had enough of everything she needed to live comfortably for the remainder of her life.
I Would Give to Charity
“Oprah's Angel Network is dedicated to inspiring people to make a difference in the lives of others. It grants awards to organizations and operates projects in under-served communities that provide educational initiatives as well as assist people in fulfilling basic human needs and regaining dignity.” ~Mission Statement
It was certainly fun to dream -- who doesn't love to dream of how to spend money, especially when there's a lot of it! Now i just need to start buying lottery tickets so that I might even have a "smidgen" of a chance in winning!! (Yeah right! )
It has been a while since I entered one of my scrapbooking pages into my blog. To catch those of you up, who haven't read my early entries, I am part of a journaling group. We meet once a month, taking turns hosting and picking a topic for that month's journal page. Most participants, including myself, use a scrapbooking format along with some journaling to portray our thoughts and feelings on the assigned topic each month.
As I mentioned above, I am really behind in entering them on here. So I thought I might catch up a bit! The above picture is of the fourth page I created, back in October (2006). It was actually my turn to host that month and so I got to pick the topic. After a bit of pondering, I decided to ask the group to write about what they would do if they were given or won a million dollars (without the responsibility of taxes, of course). I gave them three stipulations: 1) a third of the money must be spent on something pratical, 2) a third of the money must be spent on something frivolous, 3) a third must be spent on a charitable act or organization.I divided both pages into sections and below is what I wrote:
If I Had A Million…
Let’s pretend for just a moment that I have just won a million dollars. Tax free even! In today's world, one million dollars doesn't seem to go far. But it would still be a blast to experience what it would be like to try and stretch it as far as it would go. There were many ways and ideas that came to mind on how I would love to spend my winnings, but the ones I finally came up with seemed like the most rewarding.
I Would Travel the World
I have always loved traveling. But money, or lack of it, always seems to get in the way of me being able to travel to the places that I have always wanted to go. To make my travels even more rewarding I would share my experiences by inviting a different loved one to join me as I traveled to each destination. One third of a million may not take me too far, but my first destination would be to Europe, including France, England, and Italy. I’d then set a course for Australia and New Zealand. And once I returned to the states I’d make sure to visit the New England states in autumn and Hawaii in the winter. Man I love to dream about money!
I Would Pay Off My Debts
Spending money in practical ways can be almost as fun for me as those things that are considered frivolous. The relief or the contentment that is felt from taking care of things that are needed is quite rewarding. With the second allotment of money, I would first pay off all my debts, loans, credit cards, etc. especially my mortgage and my school loans. With what was left over, I would divide up and invest some, put some in a retirement account, go back to school for my Masters, and make sure that my mother had enough of everything she needed to live comfortably for the remainder of her life.
I Would Give to Charity
“Oprah's Angel Network is dedicated to inspiring people to make a difference in the lives of others. It grants awards to organizations and operates projects in under-served communities that provide educational initiatives as well as assist people in fulfilling basic human needs and regaining dignity.” ~Mission Statement
It was certainly fun to dream -- who doesn't love to dream of how to spend money, especially when there's a lot of it! Now i just need to start buying lottery tickets so that I might even have a "smidgen" of a chance in winning!! (Yeah right! )
Internet Dating... Is It Really Worth the Time or Effort?
From March 2007
Last week, during my spring break, I went on a date with a guy that I met on the internet. I originally "met" him through a singles/dating site where we both posted profiles and photos. I found his profile "attractive" and from what he said, the same was true for him with mine. We emailed back and forth for a few weeks and it just so happened that he was going to be in a city nearby for work, so we arranged a time to meet. A few days before meeting, we began to talk on the phone as well. I was actually surprised at how comfortable I felt with him from the beginning. I felt our conversations flowed fairly well, for not really knowing each other. And once we met (and I shook off all the nervous jitters that go with meeting someone for the first time) the date went well. I enjoyed his company and getting to know him a bit better -- you can never really get to know someone that well through e-mail.
As I left, I briefly mentioned that I'd like further contact and he agreed. I felt the night was pretty successful overall, and looked forward to further conversations and possibly more visits. I didn't necessarily have huge plans for the two of us at that point, just a higher level of curiosity and a desire to continue to get to know him. But then the dreaded wait began. After two days of no contact from him, I began to wonder. And I know that two days really isn't all that long... but from past experience, when a date goes well, I usually either receive a call or something similar to confirm that feeling. So I decided to go ahead and call him myself. Why should he be the one to make that move? I was confident enough!! (Although I kept having the nagging feeling that I would also find out that his interest wasn't nearly as strong as my own.)
I took a deep breath and made a call to his cell phone. I timed the call so that I would hopefully catch him driving home from his week long visit for work. And sure enough I did. Initially the call was full of pleasantries and a review of how the rest of his week went. Then I just asked straight out how he felt our date went. This was when I knew he wasn't interested. Why do people (and I won't just say that guys are the only ones who do it) use the whole "I just want to be friends" line hoping to soften the blow? We all know what that really means. Just come out and say it! "I don't think we clicked like I originally thought we would." But instead he continued to give different reasons, like distance, time, etc, that would prevent him from being in a real relationship. Sigh. Again, just say... "I'm just not that into you" (quoting Greg Behrendt, from his book.)
This is actually only the second time I've gone on a date with someone that I met online. I've had lots of long term chatting relationships with guys online, but rarely do I ever meet them. And often it's because I don't want to anymore than they do. So this is why I asked the original question: Is internet dating really worth the time or effort? It has become such a popular method for meeting people. But I so far haven't found it more productive than conventional forms of meeting people. (LOL - like I'm an expert on meeting men the conventional way!)
To end on a positive note... it never hurts to try. Let me restate that... it doesn't hurt enough that I can't recover in a few days. It was kind of like a bruise. The first day the bump that would soon turn into a bruise hurt almost constantly. Then after that, it was just sore when touched or bumped. And within a couple of days all discomfort had ceased. But I can say I learn something each time I venture on a date with someone new. And usually it's something about myself... and that's not such a bad thing!
2 Comments: 1) hey hey hey all us men are not into beiing jerks = thank you very much give a guy a break lady = he he he! (john_white552).
2) I hear ya! I've met plenty of people online. Dating sites or not, and they never seem to workout. Just like the men I meet in person. I just don't think dating is for me. I hate to think I'm throwing in the towel, but NONE of my other relationships are that hard. Relationships just shouldn't be that hard. I don't think so anyway. My friends, co-workers, family, EVERY other relationship I have is very easily maintained. That's why I don't understand romantic relationships. BOO ON DATING!!!! :o) (Celia)
Last week, during my spring break, I went on a date with a guy that I met on the internet. I originally "met" him through a singles/dating site where we both posted profiles and photos. I found his profile "attractive" and from what he said, the same was true for him with mine. We emailed back and forth for a few weeks and it just so happened that he was going to be in a city nearby for work, so we arranged a time to meet. A few days before meeting, we began to talk on the phone as well. I was actually surprised at how comfortable I felt with him from the beginning. I felt our conversations flowed fairly well, for not really knowing each other. And once we met (and I shook off all the nervous jitters that go with meeting someone for the first time) the date went well. I enjoyed his company and getting to know him a bit better -- you can never really get to know someone that well through e-mail.
As I left, I briefly mentioned that I'd like further contact and he agreed. I felt the night was pretty successful overall, and looked forward to further conversations and possibly more visits. I didn't necessarily have huge plans for the two of us at that point, just a higher level of curiosity and a desire to continue to get to know him. But then the dreaded wait began. After two days of no contact from him, I began to wonder. And I know that two days really isn't all that long... but from past experience, when a date goes well, I usually either receive a call or something similar to confirm that feeling. So I decided to go ahead and call him myself. Why should he be the one to make that move? I was confident enough!! (Although I kept having the nagging feeling that I would also find out that his interest wasn't nearly as strong as my own.)
I took a deep breath and made a call to his cell phone. I timed the call so that I would hopefully catch him driving home from his week long visit for work. And sure enough I did. Initially the call was full of pleasantries and a review of how the rest of his week went. Then I just asked straight out how he felt our date went. This was when I knew he wasn't interested. Why do people (and I won't just say that guys are the only ones who do it) use the whole "I just want to be friends" line hoping to soften the blow? We all know what that really means. Just come out and say it! "I don't think we clicked like I originally thought we would." But instead he continued to give different reasons, like distance, time, etc, that would prevent him from being in a real relationship. Sigh. Again, just say... "I'm just not that into you" (quoting Greg Behrendt, from his book.)
This is actually only the second time I've gone on a date with someone that I met online. I've had lots of long term chatting relationships with guys online, but rarely do I ever meet them. And often it's because I don't want to anymore than they do. So this is why I asked the original question: Is internet dating really worth the time or effort? It has become such a popular method for meeting people. But I so far haven't found it more productive than conventional forms of meeting people. (LOL - like I'm an expert on meeting men the conventional way!)
To end on a positive note... it never hurts to try. Let me restate that... it doesn't hurt enough that I can't recover in a few days. It was kind of like a bruise. The first day the bump that would soon turn into a bruise hurt almost constantly. Then after that, it was just sore when touched or bumped. And within a couple of days all discomfort had ceased. But I can say I learn something each time I venture on a date with someone new. And usually it's something about myself... and that's not such a bad thing!
2 Comments: 1) hey hey hey all us men are not into beiing jerks = thank you very much give a guy a break lady = he he he! (john_white552).
2) I hear ya! I've met plenty of people online. Dating sites or not, and they never seem to workout. Just like the men I meet in person. I just don't think dating is for me. I hate to think I'm throwing in the towel, but NONE of my other relationships are that hard. Relationships just shouldn't be that hard. I don't think so anyway. My friends, co-workers, family, EVERY other relationship I have is very easily maintained. That's why I don't understand romantic relationships. BOO ON DATING!!!! :o) (Celia)
Planning A Reunion
From March 2007
Yup... it's that time. I cannot believe that I have reached the point and time in my life for my High School 20 year reunion! And I have just been added to the planning committee. Tonight I joined four other members of my graduating class to help them plan. They have already met previously and have quite a bit of the plans rolling. I mostly just joined them to visit ... whether I'm of much help is another story. My assignment from tonight's meeting is to try and locate a few people so we can get invitations out to them. Not too hard really. I work with one of my classmates, so I think I'll recruit her help as well (she still lives in our hometown and knows quite a bit more about many of them).
I think it's just fun to see everyone and I'm excited to see even more as the reunion approaches!
Yup... it's that time. I cannot believe that I have reached the point and time in my life for my High School 20 year reunion! And I have just been added to the planning committee. Tonight I joined four other members of my graduating class to help them plan. They have already met previously and have quite a bit of the plans rolling. I mostly just joined them to visit ... whether I'm of much help is another story. My assignment from tonight's meeting is to try and locate a few people so we can get invitations out to them. Not too hard really. I work with one of my classmates, so I think I'll recruit her help as well (she still lives in our hometown and knows quite a bit more about many of them).
I think it's just fun to see everyone and I'm excited to see even more as the reunion approaches!
The Quest for a Positive, Healthy, Lifestyle
From March 2007
Not too long ago, I hit a mental brick wall. I had had it with all the negativism all around me and especially within my own thoughts. I especially notice this attitude when at work. It's such a downer! Right around that time, I was able to watch an Oprah episode where they discussed how your thoughts really can determine how your life turns out. And within a day or so, I also received an email newsletter that had all these great tips for a happy Chinese New Year. With all these things happening within a few days of each other, I just knew it wasn't coiincidence. It was time for me to make a change. And man has it been hard. It's amazing how habitual my thinking processes are. Trying to think about what I'm striving for instead of what I don't want is the hardest. Maintaining that positive purposeful outlook and getting rid of the cynicism and sarcasm is tough as well. But as I tredge on, I created this daily to do list that I have posted on my mirror. Some of these things I've gotten quite good at doing each day... others not so much.
Daily “To Do” and Reminder Checklist:
Not too long ago, I hit a mental brick wall. I had had it with all the negativism all around me and especially within my own thoughts. I especially notice this attitude when at work. It's such a downer! Right around that time, I was able to watch an Oprah episode where they discussed how your thoughts really can determine how your life turns out. And within a day or so, I also received an email newsletter that had all these great tips for a happy Chinese New Year. With all these things happening within a few days of each other, I just knew it wasn't coiincidence. It was time for me to make a change. And man has it been hard. It's amazing how habitual my thinking processes are. Trying to think about what I'm striving for instead of what I don't want is the hardest. Maintaining that positive purposeful outlook and getting rid of the cynicism and sarcasm is tough as well. But as I tredge on, I created this daily to do list that I have posted on my mirror. Some of these things I've gotten quite good at doing each day... others not so much.
Daily “To Do” and Reminder Checklist:
To Do:
- First thing in the morning, complete the following statement: My purpose today, is to ______.
- Take a 10-30 minute walk. And while you walk smile. It’s the ultimate anti-depressant.
- Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes.
- Read something, anything. Pick something positive or that will increase my knowledge.
- Make time to practice meditation and prayer. They will provide me with daily fuel for my busy life.
- Eat more foods that grow on plants (as well as fish and animals) and eat less foods that are manufactured in plants. Especially consider organic foods, whole grains, green tea, salmon, broccoli, and almonds.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Clear clutter from my house, my car, my desk, and let new and flowing energy into my life.
- Try to make at least 3 people smile today.
- Say thank you often.
- Journal about one thing I'm grateful for.
- As the day ends, complete the following statement: Today I accomplished ______.
Reminders:
- Don’t waste precious energy on energy vampires such as gossip, issues of the past, negative thoughts, or things I cannot change. Instead, invest my energy on things in the positive present moment.
- Realize that life is a school and I am here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class, but the lessons I learn will last a lifetime.
- I am the only one in charge of my happiness.
- What other poeple think of me is none of my business.
- My job won’t take care of me when I’m sick. My friends and family will. Keep in touch.
- I am too blessed to be stressed. Don’t take myself so seriously, no one else does.
- Don’t compare my life to others’. I have no idea what their journey is all about.
- Life isn’t fair, but it is still good.
- I deserve to have positive relationships that build me up and motivate me to become a better person.
It's Valentine's Tomorrow... Sigh
From February 2007
It's Valentine's day tomorrow ... what to do? what to do? My answer to that is IGNORE IT!
I read the blog written by the 360 team and it sparked a few thoughts of my own on the big LOVE day.
I don't think I've ever actually been in a relationship when Valentine's day rolled around , or if I was, it was a fairly new relationship that didn't merit any special attention brought on by the day. But even though I don't have many memories associated with Valentine's (beyond the childhood ones of riding the school bus home with a hand made paper packet filled with schoolmate's valentine wishes and a belly ache from all the cookies and candy), I do regard the day as any hopeful (or probably more like hopeless) romantic would. I love the color red, I love hearts , I love "LOVE", I love sappy songs and chick flick romantic comedies, I love greeting cards and flowers and chocolate, and I love any kind of romantic mushy sentiment.
But since I don't plan on any of these coming my way tomorrow from some hunky guy, I plan to just go into denial and pretend none of it exists. It will probably work clear up until the moment that some office co-worker gets a huge bouquet of roses. So the back up plan is to then become the stereotypical bitter single woman.
Ok, so to lighten it up just a bit so that no one reading this thinks I really am a bitter old single woman, I am happy for everyone who has someone to celebrate with. And really, it is a great day for me to also tell everyone I love (even if not romantically) that they are important to me.
Then I can go into DENIAL for the rest of the day.... LOL
It's Valentine's day tomorrow ... what to do? what to do? My answer to that is IGNORE IT!
I read the blog written by the 360 team and it sparked a few thoughts of my own on the big LOVE day.
I don't think I've ever actually been in a relationship when Valentine's day rolled around , or if I was, it was a fairly new relationship that didn't merit any special attention brought on by the day. But even though I don't have many memories associated with Valentine's (beyond the childhood ones of riding the school bus home with a hand made paper packet filled with schoolmate's valentine wishes and a belly ache from all the cookies and candy), I do regard the day as any hopeful (or probably more like hopeless) romantic would. I love the color red, I love hearts , I love "LOVE", I love sappy songs and chick flick romantic comedies, I love greeting cards and flowers and chocolate, and I love any kind of romantic mushy sentiment.
But since I don't plan on any of these coming my way tomorrow from some hunky guy, I plan to just go into denial and pretend none of it exists. It will probably work clear up until the moment that some office co-worker gets a huge bouquet of roses. So the back up plan is to then become the stereotypical bitter single woman.
Ok, so to lighten it up just a bit so that no one reading this thinks I really am a bitter old single woman, I am happy for everyone who has someone to celebrate with. And really, it is a great day for me to also tell everyone I love (even if not romantically) that they are important to me.
Then I can go into DENIAL for the rest of the day.... LOL
Time to Set Some Resolutions... Before the New Year is Half Gone!
From January 2007
I stated in my last blog that I would be back soon to set some resolutions. And here it is half-way into January!! But anyway, here goes:
1. The usual - lose weight. lol Who doesn't set this as a resolution! But really, mine is quite simple. I seem to be on a bit of a trend of dropping a pound here or there... so now I want to make it official and shoot for a simple 5 pounds. That's it - that's all. However, the goal also has a catch. I also need to maintain that 5 pound loss. I notice that I seem to get stuck on this one particular weight (which I will not reveal to the entire cyber world), and when I lose anything, I tend to gain right back to that set weight. So, I want to lose 5 pounds, and make that my new set weight that my body tends to gravitate to. Wish me luck!
2. Um - something to do with my finances. So exact and precise, I know. But man, it sure seems like I have a lot of debt lately. A lot of it pretty legit, like hospital bills (from my surgery), a substantial house payment, school loan, etc. etc. So, my goal at this time is to really get some of those smaller ones paid off, so that I have a little bit of cash left to spend on myself.
3. Reconnect with some of my friends that I've noticed I've become distant with. Of course, I have one in particular in mind. I just don't know what to do about her! Her depression has spread to me I think -- I don't even know how to approach her anymore. It has brought such a sadness to my heart to think I've lost such a good friend. And yet I get quite angry too, because she won't take anyone's calls (not just mine) -- she won't return calls or attempt to contact any of her "old" friends. Yet, I kind of hesitate about just showing up at her house unannounced. I think I'm afraid of what I might find. Her whole household is just not in a "healthy" state. So this goal is a bit vague... mostly it's just about me needing to take action... of some sort. Sigh.
4. It is time to do some dating again. It's kind of been a while. I took a purposeful break from it all, because clearly my dating preferences had become a bit skewed. I needed to step back and reevaluate what I was really wanting and looking for. But now that I've done that, I notice I've become stuck in a very old, but familiar rut of not doing much socializing AT ALL. I seem to have this pattern of either over-doing it or not doing it at all. It's either feast or famine. (And when it's a feast - I make dumb decisions.) But really, I just miss having a bit of male influence... and attention in my life.
Alrighty, I believe 4 goals are good enough. I know that I really didn't write down specifics of how I plan to reach them. I'm not sure I even know yet. Needs more pondering. At least I've formulated what I even want to accomplish in the year, which is always a good thing.
I stated in my last blog that I would be back soon to set some resolutions. And here it is half-way into January!! But anyway, here goes:
1. The usual - lose weight. lol Who doesn't set this as a resolution! But really, mine is quite simple. I seem to be on a bit of a trend of dropping a pound here or there... so now I want to make it official and shoot for a simple 5 pounds. That's it - that's all. However, the goal also has a catch. I also need to maintain that 5 pound loss. I notice that I seem to get stuck on this one particular weight (which I will not reveal to the entire cyber world), and when I lose anything, I tend to gain right back to that set weight. So, I want to lose 5 pounds, and make that my new set weight that my body tends to gravitate to. Wish me luck!
2. Um - something to do with my finances. So exact and precise, I know. But man, it sure seems like I have a lot of debt lately. A lot of it pretty legit, like hospital bills (from my surgery), a substantial house payment, school loan, etc. etc. So, my goal at this time is to really get some of those smaller ones paid off, so that I have a little bit of cash left to spend on myself.
3. Reconnect with some of my friends that I've noticed I've become distant with. Of course, I have one in particular in mind. I just don't know what to do about her! Her depression has spread to me I think -- I don't even know how to approach her anymore. It has brought such a sadness to my heart to think I've lost such a good friend. And yet I get quite angry too, because she won't take anyone's calls (not just mine) -- she won't return calls or attempt to contact any of her "old" friends. Yet, I kind of hesitate about just showing up at her house unannounced. I think I'm afraid of what I might find. Her whole household is just not in a "healthy" state. So this goal is a bit vague... mostly it's just about me needing to take action... of some sort. Sigh.
4. It is time to do some dating again. It's kind of been a while. I took a purposeful break from it all, because clearly my dating preferences had become a bit skewed. I needed to step back and reevaluate what I was really wanting and looking for. But now that I've done that, I notice I've become stuck in a very old, but familiar rut of not doing much socializing AT ALL. I seem to have this pattern of either over-doing it or not doing it at all. It's either feast or famine. (And when it's a feast - I make dumb decisions.) But really, I just miss having a bit of male influence... and attention in my life.
Alrighty, I believe 4 goals are good enough. I know that I really didn't write down specifics of how I plan to reach them. I'm not sure I even know yet. Needs more pondering. At least I've formulated what I even want to accomplish in the year, which is always a good thing.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
CHRISTMAS VACATION
FROM DECEMBER 2006
One of my favorite things about working in a school setting is that I get all the basic school vacations off of work. For the past week or so I have been on what my employment calls "winter break" (in an attempt to make it sound politically correct). To me, it's just a good ol' Christmas Vacation. And boy has it gone by quickly!!
My original plans for part of my vacation time went down hill the first day I was off of work. I was scheduled to fly out of our closest airport and go to Denver to visit my brother and his family for Christmas. But due to all that snow in Denver, my flight as well as many, many others were cancelled. It was amazing to watch the news and see all of the people stuck in the Denver airport, unable to fly out. I was actually a bit grateful I wasn't able to go -- mostly because I was still at home and not stuck out there somewhere. But I had also been battling a cold and right around the same day I was scheduled to fly, my cold turned into bronchitis. Man, I was down for about 4 days with a fever, chills, aches, and a terrible cough. (Still have the cough and probably will for a while.) Not the most enjoyable way to spend a vacation. Although, I can't say that I didn't mind the excuse to just lay around for a few days.
I had an enjoyable Christmas regardless. I'm not so sure that my family that I spent the day with appreciated me being sick around them, so I tried to not get too close. That's pretty hard when there's a cute little great nephew toddling around.
I've also been able to do a little bit of the traditional Christmas baking -- too bad I wasn't able to actually do it before Christmas! Oh well, no one would have wanted germy cookies anyway. I enjoy the actual baking part the most. Although the eating part can be good too.
And now here we face a New Year. Sigh... that's a whole other entry to save for later. But along with that new year, I have to go back to work. Yuck!! I really could get used to being unemployed. But that's a bit impossible since I need money to survive. Hmmm... maybe 2007 will bring me some luck and I'll win the lottery (I would have to actually buy a ticket for the luck to work). Or maybe I'll find a "sugar daddy"!
Anywhoo... Happy New Year to everyone! I'll talk about some of my resolutions soon.
One of my favorite things about working in a school setting is that I get all the basic school vacations off of work. For the past week or so I have been on what my employment calls "winter break" (in an attempt to make it sound politically correct). To me, it's just a good ol' Christmas Vacation. And boy has it gone by quickly!!
My original plans for part of my vacation time went down hill the first day I was off of work. I was scheduled to fly out of our closest airport and go to Denver to visit my brother and his family for Christmas. But due to all that snow in Denver, my flight as well as many, many others were cancelled. It was amazing to watch the news and see all of the people stuck in the Denver airport, unable to fly out. I was actually a bit grateful I wasn't able to go -- mostly because I was still at home and not stuck out there somewhere. But I had also been battling a cold and right around the same day I was scheduled to fly, my cold turned into bronchitis. Man, I was down for about 4 days with a fever, chills, aches, and a terrible cough. (Still have the cough and probably will for a while.) Not the most enjoyable way to spend a vacation. Although, I can't say that I didn't mind the excuse to just lay around for a few days.
I had an enjoyable Christmas regardless. I'm not so sure that my family that I spent the day with appreciated me being sick around them, so I tried to not get too close. That's pretty hard when there's a cute little great nephew toddling around.
I've also been able to do a little bit of the traditional Christmas baking -- too bad I wasn't able to actually do it before Christmas! Oh well, no one would have wanted germy cookies anyway. I enjoy the actual baking part the most. Although the eating part can be good too.
And now here we face a New Year. Sigh... that's a whole other entry to save for later. But along with that new year, I have to go back to work. Yuck!! I really could get used to being unemployed. But that's a bit impossible since I need money to survive. Hmmm... maybe 2007 will bring me some luck and I'll win the lottery (I would have to actually buy a ticket for the luck to work). Or maybe I'll find a "sugar daddy"!
Anywhoo... Happy New Year to everyone! I'll talk about some of my resolutions soon.
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