Ramblings, Ponderings & Thoughts

Thoughts for Today - July 2, 2009

2009-07-02T08:47:00.002-04:00

Outside my window ... Clouds again this morning. Hope I can get the car loaded before it rains.

I am thinking ... that the landlord is not here yet, and that is making me impatient.

I am thankful that ... all of yesterday's Criticals got done, and that we have the chance to get away for a long weekend.

From the kitchen ... nothing today, since it's a travel day. However, I am planning and thinking of what all I will cook for the weekend.

I am wearing ... pink tee, dark jeans that are too darn long, flip flops.

I am reading ... just finished flipping through a book on quilting that I bought quite some time ago.

I am hoping ... that the landlord gets here soon, so that I can get on the road before lunchtime.

I am creating ... to-do lists and grocery lists to get us ready for our picnic

I am praying ... that Shawn gets out of work at a decent time today so the traffic isn't too bad for his drive up tonight, that a friend's surgery goes well today (and actually does the trick this time around), and that the weather will be nice on Saturday.

Around the house ... Finished my first Critical for the day (getting the cats all situated for the weekend), and am now working on 2 and 3 (grocery list and coupon organization).

One of my favorite things ... French Vanilla creamer in my coffee.

A few plans for the rest of the day ... head up to the Poconos and clean the house up there to get ready for our picnic.

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Have a Happy and Safe 4th of July!
See you next week!!

Thoughts for Today - July 1, 2009

2009-07-01T09:49:00.005-04:00

I've seen this meme a few different places now, but I think it all goes back to this blog here.
In any event, this how today is shaping up.

Outside my window ... a momentary gap in the traffic is giving me some silence while I contemplate the clouds and wonder if it is worth attempting to hang the laundry out to dry.

I am thinking ... that I should probably be working on The Criticals. Sigh - off to a bad start already.

I am thankful for ... the well wishes and encouragement of good friends.

From the kitchen ... nothing spectacular today. The kitchen needs to be tidied up before any great creations can be made.

I am wearing ... khaki skirt (yes, I know! a skirt!), white cami, peachy-corally plaid shirt.

I am reading ... For fun, I'm still slowly plodding through New Moon (2nd time through it). Not for fun, I'm reading up on fun things like unemployment and COBRA.

I am hoping ... that it doesn't rain on my laundry.

I am creating ... a new program for myself, The Criticals.

I am praying ... that my faith about this job situation will continue to be strong.

Around the house ... much to catch up on, laundry rinsing, cats napping.

One of my favorite things ... having a cat curled up next to me while I type.

A few plans for the rest of the day ... After The Criticals are done, I need to start making to-do lists and packing for the long weekend.

Day One as a Domestic Engineer: The Criticals

2009-07-01T09:24:00.003-04:00

Today marks the first day of the rest of my life. Sounds corny, doesn't it? But when you think about it, this day is pretty significant. It marks the start of my new job - Domestic Engineer. Oh, sure, I AM looking for a "real" job, but I'm also planning on enjoying this stint as a SAHW, for however long it lasts. I figured "Domestic Engineer" was a good title - in my "previous life" I was working toward a Master's of Engineering (MEng as opposed to MS), so why not? Too bad Domestic Engineers don't get a paycheck.

So what am I up to today? Well, for starters, I stole an idea from a friend and modified it for us newbie DE's. My friend, Rollie, posted on her Facebook page that she was implementing a 3 chores per day program for her son. I figured, if it will work for a kid, it can work for me. I call my modified program The Criticals. The Criticals are the 3 to 5 things that NEED to get done each day, before any "play time" and before any other chores. I hope this will keep me on track, and prevent me from being a lazy bon-bon eating couch potato.

Anyway, today's Criticals are: Updated at 3:20 this afternoon.

Pay the rent. Done.
Finish the laundry. (There's a load entering the first spin cycle as I type.) All done, except for Shawn's work clothes, which will go in the washer as soon as he gets home.
Perform some financial finagle-ing. Done.
Call for an oil delivery. Done.
Call to cancel Shawn's dentist appointment. Done.

Believe me when I say that there are many (MANY) other things that need to be done around here, but these are the highest priority. Check back in later or tomorrow (or next week...) to see how this all worked out.

Yeah!! I got all my Criticals done - as an added bonus, they were done before Shawn got home from work. We'll see what he thinks of this program. I do think that I should consider making it a "requirement" that 1 or 2 of the items must be something to physically improve the state of our home (ahem - CLEAN SOMETHING), because it doesn't actually *appear* like I've done anything.

It's official ....

2009-06-30T19:01:00.003-04:00

This is the note I sent to my coworkers earlier today.

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And so, here it is - my last day. I'm not so good at "good byes," but then again - who ever really is? Instead, I'll say thanks.

Thanks for teaching me the ins and outs of the work we do, how to work on a team, and how to be a leader. This was my first job right out of college, but the learning didn't stop when I started working here. In some ways, the learning hadn't yet begun.

"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts," - Attributed to Harry S. Truman

Thanks for being my friend, and I hope that our friendship never fades. At one of the first farewell celebrations I went to in my early days here, the person who was leaving said that it was the people who made this job memorable and enjoyable. At that time, I wasn't exactly sure what they meant, but now I know.

"And whether we shall meet again I know not.

Therefore our everlasting farewell take:

For ever, and for ever, farewell, friends!

If we do meet again, why, we shall smile;

If not, why, then this parting was well made. "- Shakespeare

I am thankful for all the opportunities I had here, and view this not as an ending - but as another opportunity. I'm excited to find out what's next for me.

"Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next." - Gilda Radner

I'm hopeful that life will be good to each of you, and I leave you with this.

"May you always have walls for the winds, a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you, and all your heart might desire." - Irish Blessing

"Be well, do good work, and keep in touch." - Garrison Keillor

To Say Thanks, and a Progress Report

2009-05-10T19:56:00.003-04:00

As most of you know by now, or have figured out, I found out a little over a week ago that my position at work has been eliminated due to a restructuring associated with my company's merger. My last day will be June 30th.

Since then, I have received so many messages of encouragement and love from my friends. Comments left here, things posted on my Facebook page, sweet words shared in person and through beautiful cards when the words were difficult to voice.

And so, I just wanted to take a moment to say thanks, for all your wonderful words and the many prayers you've offered up on my behalf. I feel so very blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful friends.

At this point, I've been working with a career consulting group for the past week. My company contracts with them to help employees through this time of transition. I have no doubts that my efforts will pay off and the right opportunity will come along. I fully trust that God has a plan for me, and that we will get through this.

Thank you all so much for your love and support. I will definitely keep you posted as to how this latest part of my journey through life progresses. And keep up the good thoughts and prayers - I might be optimistic, but I can still use all the help you can spare!!

In the interest of networking and helping to get myself out there...

I am on LinkedIn - if you are too, look me up and help me network!
I am still sorting out exactly what direction I want to take for my next position, but I do know that it will be scientifically minded, either in chemicals or pharmaceuticals. If you, or someone you know, works in the chemicals / pharma / biotech industries anywhere in eastern PA, please get in touch with me. I am interested in expanding my network and learning about any positions that may be out there for me.
I learned this week that at least 75% of all positions are obtained through networking rather than advertised positions, so - here I am to network!!

Thanks again for all your support and kind words!!

Bring on the Rain - Jo Dee Messina

2009-05-01T07:52:00.002-04:00

Another day has almost come and gone

Can’t imagine what else could wrong

Sometimes I’d like to hide away somewhere and lock the door

A single battle lost but not the war

'Cause tomorrow’s another day

And I’m thirsty anyway

So bring on the rain

It’s almost like the hard times circle ‘round

A couple drops and they all start coming down

Yeah, I might feel defeated,

I might hang my head

I might be barely breathing - but I’m not dead

'Cause tomorrow’s another day

And I’m thirsty anyway

So bring on the rain

I’m not gonna let it get me down

I’m not gonna cry

And I’m not gonna lose any sleep tonight

'Cause tomorrow’s another day
And I’m thirsty anyway
So bring on the rain

PRAYER REQUEST

2009-04-30T08:44:00.002-04:00

If anyone reads this in the next 2 hours -

I came in this morning to find a meeting notice from my Department Manager (that's 3 levels above me, if you're keeping track). It was for a half hour "discussion" in building 6 - the building where the HR and administrative offices are. It did not say what the discussion is about, and there appear to be no other invitees. Building 6 is where they hold meetings when people lose their jobs, and they are scheduled in a very similar (very short notice) fashion.

To say that I am scared is an understatement.

Another person in my group has the same kind of meeting scheduled right after mine. She has 3 kids, and her husband's job is in a major state of uncertainty.

Please pray for both of us. We surely need it. I will update as soon as I can.

Behold - The Power of the Internet

2009-04-23T08:02:00.009-04:00

Yeah, ok, it's a cheesy title. Sorry - the creativity as far as words and writing just hasn't been with me for a little while now. Hence, the lack of posts.

But why this particular title? Because the internet has done some awesome things in my life, and I wanted to share one or two of them with you.

Many of you who know me IRL (in real life) know that I met my husband on the internet - definately a life changing experience, so the internet will always hold a special place in my heart. Yeah, I know - that was cheesy, too. But recently the internet did something else that was pretty special, too.

I've mentioned before that I am a regular Facebook-er. Thought it was a pretty neat way to keep in touch with friends and family, and check in with people I've lost touch with. A few months ago, I "friend-ed" two girls that I went to college with. Let's call them J and A. We had a few short conversations, mostly of the "Hey! How are ya? How's life been since Cedar Crest?" variety. But then we discovered that we had something else in common, something other than 4 years at Cedar Crest and being floor-mates during our freshman year there.

We are all obsessed with the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer.

There, I said it - it's out in the open. We are three college-educated, married, professional women who are quite dazzled by a fictional character. Ahem, yes, pun intended.

And so, at J's suggestion and invitation, we did what any obsessed fans would do - we got together to watch the movie (AGAIN - this was at least the 2nd viewing for all of us). But that night, last Friday to be specific, was more than just a movie screening. It was a reunion for J, A and myself because we hadn't seen each other in the 7 years since we left college. And let me tell ya - we had a blast! J also invited some of her friends from work (who are also obsessed), and it made for a great evening of old friends and new. I haven't laughed that much in quite a while.

Here's a picture from Friday night (Oh come on now - I'm a scrapbooker, so of course I had my camera with me!) From left to right, myself, A, and J.

I really have to say that I'm learning more and more to value my girlfriends, and to treasure my time spent with them. It's definately something that I've seen and felt grow within myself these past couple of years. We're already planning our next get-togethers - - - a possible trip to a winery, and then of course an outing when New Moon hits theaters on November 20.

And so, no matter what evil lurks out there on the internet (and believe me, there is plenty of BAD out there), there is also a whole boat-load of good things happening because of sites like Facebook. J and A aren't the only people I've reconnected with, either - it's been an interesting mix of people from high school and college, some of whom I talk to regularly, some not so much.

And lastly, here's a shout-out to Kira, a friend from college I found on Facebook, who's prompting is what brought you a blog post today. Love ya!

Contest Closed!

2009-03-25T09:14:00.003-04:00

The contest has closed. Edie guessed correctly at 10 pounds. Yes, I have lost 10 pounds in two weeks - how fabulous is that?!?

Edie, email me your mailing address for your gift card.
laurel_burns (at) hotmail (dot) com

Thanks everyone for playing! It was a lot of fun to do something nice for all of you, as a nice twist on the idea of rewarding myself for an accomplishment. I'll probably do this again in a few weeks, so keep your eyes peeled!

A Contest

2009-03-24T08:15:00.003-04:00

Today was my 2nd weigh-in since restarting the South Beach Diet on March 9.

The first person who correctly guesses the total number of pounds lost so far will win a gift card to Starbucks. Just leave a comment here at this post with your guess and your name.

The contest will remain open until someone gets it right.

The contest is now CLOSED. Thanks for playing, and keep your eyes peeled for the next time I offer up this lovely little contest!

Housekeeping

2009-03-19T10:49:00.002-04:00

housekeeping: (noun) a collection of random tidbits that are too short to be their own blog post

I've done a bit of rearranging over on my sidebar. You'll find many more links to blogs and websites that I frequent. They are organized by genre. While there are more blogs and sites on my "favorites" list, these are the sites I visit most frequently.
I've also added my email address over to the side, in case you would prefer to email me rather than leave a public comment. I welcome and treasure your thoughts and comments.
To the anonymous commenter from a few posts back, yes I have perused the FlyLady's website before. I've pulled bits of her program into my domestic life. For instance, I tend to clean in 15 minute bursts (15 minutes per room, cycling through the rooms on a particular floor of our home), because ANYONE can do ANYTHING for just 15 minutes. Unfortunately, her program feels like a bit too much structure for me. I'm more the kind of person who needs just the outline of a box to work in, rather than having the box entirely divided up into compartments. Does that make sense? Perhaps at another time in my life, it will work better.
Progress report: As of Tuesday, I had lost approximately 4 pounds. It's a start. Hoping to see more progress this coming Tuesday.
We haven't gotten any more updates regarding the situation at work. Not sure if that is good or bad (probably bad), but I'm doing OK. I think I'm doing as well as I am because I have a plan. I think knowing that we are preparing in the best way we can is helping to keep my stress levels down. My current work-related stress is more project-related at this point.
I'm totally obsessed with the Twilight series of books, but am trying to focus on the priorities (a test next week, homework due a week or so later, a paper due at the end of April) before I dive into the third book. My friend, Ann, said it best when she described the books, especially the first, as HOT. It's true - the books are a romance novel / chick lit kind of thing, but there is NO sex. It's kind of refreshing, and good to see since the characters are teenagers, but make no mistake - there is definitely a high degree of passion and HEAT still present.
See above - I'm up to my neck in work for my current class. Registration starts soon for the summer and fall classes. Hopefully, I will still have a job after I register to continue justifying my work toward this degree.
Friday (tomorrow) is the First Day of Spring. You know what this means - - - free ice at Rita's!!

I think I've covered all the odds-and-ends for today. Not sure if I will have any other posts before the weekend - if not, enjoy the wonderful spring weather, and I will see you next week!

MyPoints

2009-03-17T19:34:00.006-04:00

So, in my previous post, I referenced something called MyPoints. Here's a further explanation.

The Simple Version: You earn points by doing things you already do, and can then redeem those points for gift cards to dozens of merchants.

The Details: How to Earn Points ...

You can earn ponts in several different ways. The following are the things that I've done.

Reading emails - You get a few (like, anywhere from 2 to 5 on average) emails per day. All you have to do is scroll to the bottom of the message, click on a link to confirm that you read the message, and your account will be credited with the points, usually 5 per email. If you choose to take advantage of the offer in the email, you can earn more points, but you don't need to. In fact, I have NEVER participated in one of the email offers.

Surveys - Occasionally, you will get survey emails fom MyPoints, where you can earn more points. They are typically 65 points per survey. You aren't guaranteed to get the full point value from each survey, but you will get at least 5.

Searching the web - You have the option to either use the MyPoints website as a search engine, or add their toolbar to your browser. Every search helps you earn points.

Shopping - If you link through to your desired shopping destination from the MyPoints website, a certain percentage of your purchase is credited as points to your account.

Quick surveys - There are shorter surveys right on the MyPoints website that can tyically earn you 5 ponts, more if you contine on to participate in whatever is being offered. Again, I've not ever done the offer, just the survey.

The Deails: How to Redeem Points ...

After you've earned some points, you can then begin to redeem them for gift cards. Examples of merchants include:

CVS
Amazon
Macy's
JC Penney
Applebee's
Barnes and Noble
you get the idea - they are legit, nationwide companies

I've already gotten 2 gift cards for $10 each for CVS, and I'm waiting on another.

The Details: Don't Be Scared ...

I know, I know - there are lots of websites out there that are "scam and spam". This company isn't one of those sites, though. Yes, you will get emails, but they will only be from MyPoints, and they will be easily identified as such. However, if you chose to participate in any extra offers, I would recommend that you get a secondary email address through something like Gmail or Hotmail. I can't vouch for the secondary offers, and I can guarantee that some of them might like to send spam. I've always stuck to the MyPoints emails, though, and been fine. I've also not gotten any viruses through this program, and have been doing it for more than 6 months, so I would say it's safe in that regard as well.

If you have any questions, you can always feel free to ask me. I've been happy with the program and would love to give you any advice I can. Besides - it's enabled my CVS-ing, so it's all good :)

The Details: How to Sign Up ...

Feel free to go to the MyPoints website and check it out (www.mypoints.com) . If you are interested in signing up, you can do it right then and there. However, it would make me a very happy camper if you could shoot me an email before you sign up. If you give me your email addy, I can send you a "refer a friend" linky-doo that will let me earn some points. It's a win-win.

Recent Trips to CVS

2009-03-17T12:44:00.007-04:00

Last week sped by so fast that I never got the chance to make a trip to CVS, so I decided that I would take care of that Saturday morning. Shawn was glad to come, mainly because I promised him a trip to the hardware store afterward :D. I can't recall exactly how I fashioned my deals for that particular trip, but I do know that after $2 in manufacturer's coupons, a CVS coupon for $3 off a $15 purchase, and $12.98 in ECB, I only owed them 99 cents in actual cash. As we were walking out of the store, Shawn said to me, "I can't believe they make any money with people like you." And there in lies two key points surrounding the CVS game:

The vast majority of people who shop at CVS are NOT people like me. Perhaps CVS is convenient for them. More convenient in the hustle and bustle of errand-running than a cheaper alternative. Perhaps they don't have the time or energy for matching coupons with sales and ECB offers. Perhaps they've not seen the savings that can be gained by playing this game. Perhaps no one has shown them how. In any event, CVS is a successful business, so you have to know that the vast majority of its shoppers are not shopping the way I shop.

CVS is overpriced. There, I said it. The only way for me to make it worth shopping at CVS is to do these deals. If it weren't for having learned the game and how to get things for free/cheap, I would not be shopping at CVS.

So, after that successful trip, with a few more ECBs in my hands, and a few leftovers set to expire this week, I couldn't wait to get my paws on this week's CVS ad. I stopped by the store last night, and this is what I came away with.

Pantene was on sale 2/$7. If you bought 2, you could get $2 ECB. I had $1 coupons for one of their new varieties. So, I used 4 coupons and got 4 bottles. $14 for the sale price, minus $4 in coup's, minus $4 in ECB returned to me, equals $6 for 4 bottles of Pantene. That equals $1.50 per bottle. Not too shabby for Pantene.

Dry Idea was on sale for $2.99 and you could get $2 ECB in return. I had a $2 coupon that I printed from a link I got at Money Saving Mom. That made my deodorant FREE, plus OVERAGE! That means that they basically PAID ME to take the deodorant.

True North Nuts were on sale 2/$6, with some varieties on clearance for $1.75. Quaker oatmeal and granola bars were on sale 2/$5. If you bought a combined total of $15 worth of products, you got $5 ECB. I bought two of the full-price nuts, and one of the clearance nuts, along with 3 boxes of granola bars. (Side note: the nuts are OK with South Beach, the granola bars are for Shawn's lunch - I'm not a big fan of granola bars, so there isn't much danger of me snatching one.) So, if you're following along at home, that's $15.25 in product. I had three $1 coup's for the nuts, and one $1 coup for the bars, which brings the price down to $11.25, but since CVS bases their ECBs on the pre-coupon price, I still got my $5 ECB back. That means I got 3 packs of nuts and 3 boxes of granola bars for $6.25, or something like $1.04 per package.

Irish Spring was on a three day sale. It was $4.99, and you got $4.99 back in ECB. There was a coupon in Sunday's paper, but in my area it was for $1 off two bottles. That would have made the product CHEAP, not FREE. Considering that Shawn already has an impressive stash of body wash, thanks to CVS-ing, and considering that FREE is better than CHEAP, I skipped the coupon.

BandAid and Neosporin products were on sale for various prices, but if you spent $7 you could get $3 back in ECB. I had two $1 coupons for BandAid products. I tried to do this one as absolutely cheaply as possible. I got one box of SpongeBob BandAids and one box of Hello Kitty BandAids, for $3.59 each. So, $7.18 at sale price, minus $2 in coups, minus $3 in ECB, equals $2.18 for the two boxes, or $1.09 each. And yes, I am cool enough to sport a SpongeBob or Hello Kitty BandAid.

Dove products were on sale for various prices, and they also had the "buy $15 worth, get $5 ECB" promotion. Shampoo and conditioner were $4 each, and I had two coupons for $1 off any Dove haircare product, as well as two coupons for $1.50 off any Dove conditioner. So, I got two shampoos and two conditioners, for a total of $16, minus $5 in coupons, minus $5 in ECB, for a result of $6 for four bottles, or $1.50 each. Very good for Dove haircare products.

Anyway, the final tally was that the total of my purchases was $60-65.

My coupons brought that down to something like $35-40.

My ECB that I was redeeming dropped it to $20.65.

I then used two $10 gift cards that I got thru MyPoints (which I will write about in another post - Promise!!).

I gave the cashier 65 cents. That's the only cash I put out for all of that. And in return, I got $24 in ECB and a receipt that was longer than I am tall. When the kid was pulling my receipt and it just get coming. and coming. and coming. he said that it must have been some kind of a new record.

I just laughed and said, "That's how I get 60-some-odd dollars worth of stuff for 65 cents!!"

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone!

2009-03-13T08:38:00.004-04:00

Yep, I fell off my rocker completely and have now broken into song!

Nah, actually the song lyric just popped into my head because of something that happened here at work, but it just so happens to fit with what I wanted to write about today anyway. Coincidence? I think not.

What happened at work is actually quite trivial, in the grand scheme of things, but it did brighten my day. Melanie and I played a nice game of Musical Monitors, where we exchanged my "dinosaur," as she called it, for a much newer, brighter and bigger flat screen monitor. I have SO much more space on my desk now, and the picture really is much better. Thanks Mel!

On to what I wanted to write about today anyway...

As you may know, my word for the year is CLARITY. These past few weeks, I haven't been feeling it all that much. Ok, to be honest, not really feeling it *at all*. Feeling a bit down about the progress that I haven't been making on the health aspect of things. Feeling shaky on the financial aspect, since we made headway but still had a ways to go. Feeling really low on my efforts to be a better wife and homemaker. And of course, there has been no clarity on my situation at work since December.

But this morning, for the first time in quite a while, I could feel the CLARITY coming back into my life. It was such a freeing realization to make, and it has put me in a good mood this morning.

So, how am I feeling the CLARITY?

Today is Day 5 of following the South Beach Diet (again). Some of you may know that I "fired" my nutritionist several weeks ago. Our personalities were never that much of a match right from the get-go, and I finally reached a point where enough was ENOUGH. Let's be honest here - I *gained* weight, and a significant amount at that, while seeing her. Does that sound like a good situation to you? I made that decision knowing that I would need to pick up something, some kind of healthy eating plan, if I were to ever lose any weight. I decided that South Beach would be my method of choice for a couple of reasons: it had worked for me in the past, and once you get past the first two weeks, it isn't so much of a diet but more like eating the way we are *supposed* to be eating all the time anyway. So, here I am at Day 5 and I think I'm doing quite well. I did not suffer from the carb withdrawal nearly as bad as I have in the past. Even Shawn remarked last night that I have not been very bitchy at all :) Sure, I'm not perfect about this - I still use a sugared flavored creamer in my coffee - but I'm doing darn well, if I do say so myself! That creamer has been the only sugar or carb to pass my lips since I started this. As a side note, Day 1 was Monday - the day the merger was announced, and a day of great stress. So, bonus points for me! Definitely feeling CLARITY, headway and hopeful peace of mind on this one.
We have decided to pay off the remaining money we owe on our credit cards. It's not a trifling little amount, but it will bring us greater financial peace now and in the long run. It's part of our greater plan to increase our financial security in preparation for a possible job loss. I've also been running the numbers and have formulated a plan where we can dramatically increase our savings each month, in further preparation. I am very grateful that we are able to do this. It was through a series of unfortunate life circumstances which brought us the ability to do this, and so I am feeling very grateful, blessed and humbled by this. I am also very grateful to not be facing the life situations that those around me are looking at - kids in daycare, kids about to head off to college, kids about to get married. However, for all my gratitude, I am also feeling significant amounts of concern for those around me, so my feelings of gratitude and blessedness are bittersweet. Still, being able to make financial progress is giving me an awesome feeling of CLARITY. Also, if you know me, you know that I like to (need to!) have a PLAN. So even though I have no idea if I will have a job in 1 month, 6 months, 1 year - I have a PLAN. And that makes the situation feel so much more under control and easier to face. (Yes, I am aware that the last time we had our credit card debt paid off, we ended up paying something like $2500 for a sick cat, and several hundred or thousands of dollars when we moved - all of which sent us right back onto the credit card roller coaster. I am hoping and praying that I did not jinx us to a similar fate by broadcasting our current news to the world.)
There hasn't been all that much to report on CLARITY in the home, but I'm optimistic at the moment. I'm hopeful that my improved mood and sense of clarity in other areas will allow me the freedom and energy to focus more on my home in order to bring it into order. I'm not the greatest housekeeper ever, and I come by that very honestly. It has always been a source of trouble for me, and it does bother me deeply that I am surrounded by such clutter and mess. So, I was thinking this morning that even though next week promises to be busy as usual, I am confident that I can carve out 15 to 30 minutes each evening in order to focus on cleaning up and restoring order to my home. I plan to focus on only one room each night, so as to not become overwhelmed. I'll let you know how it goes - you can all be the ones to help hold me accountable! I might not have any progress today to show for it, but just having a PLAN is giving me a feeling of CLARITY.

How about you? How are you progressing with your words for the year, or your resolutions for the new year? The first day of spring is next week - we'll have made it through roughly one-quarter of the year. Are you where you want to be with your goals? If not, consider this: Spring is a season of renewal and rebirth. Maybe you can take that opportunity to dust off your words and goals. Do a little mental spring cleaning. Get yourself back on the right path. I'm confident that you can do, because if I can do it - so can you!

This one's for you, Mel.

2009-03-12T14:20:00.007-04:00

To appease Melanie, one of my very few faithful readers, this one's for you.

An update. But no pictures, so don't get your hopes up about that. The biggest topic of late has been what's happening at work, so that's what this post will be. So Mel, I guess it isn't much of an update for you then, huh?

The court case pertaining to my company's merger was settled on Monday, with the closing date to be April 1. (Yes, I know that is April Fool's Day. End of discussion on that particular point.)

The most significant new development is that, because the financing has been restructured and because the economy is in the crapper, the company acquiring us has to find an increased number of "synergies". That's a new buzzword you can add to your dictionaries, ladies and gents. "Synergies" is a business-speak way to say "what overlaps and duplications can we chop in order to save $$$".

In this case, the "synergies" mean

3500 jobs - - - which are in addition to any that have already been announced by either company, and which will all (or nearly all) come from my company.
closing or consolidating ~6 R&D or lab-type facilities - - - this has not been clearly delineated as to which side, but I assume our company will be hit on this point as well
closing 10 - 15 plants - - - again, this hasn't been delineated, but I'm making the same assumption

That 3500 I reference - - - when you combine that with the 900 jobs announced in January, we're talking about at least 25% of the company's workforce. Twenty-five per cent.

So, the mood is down. I made the comment earlier today that we're all a bunch of Eeyore's around here. Walking around with our heads down, shoulders slumped. Beaten and broken, or at least that's my observation. Lots of worry. Lots of "do I plan that summer vacation or not?", along with a lot of hunkering down. Riding out the storm.

In my particular case, I don't feel particularly safe. It doesn't have much to do with my personal performance (I do believe that I am highly regarded around here), but it has everything to do with the business unit that I am in. We seem to be one of the few "lucky" groups that will be shifting to the parent company, instead of staying with the subsidiary. No one knows, at this point, what that means for our jobs. For me, it means this: In all the previous rounds of cuts, I felt more safe than unsafe, but this time around I feel more unsafe than safe.

So, what to do?

Rest assured, I (we - Shawn and I) have a plan. It's still just loosely formulated, but we've got a good idea of what to do if I lose my job in this next round. We're doing all we can to prepare for that, in terms of paying off some things, getting a bit more financial security and working faster and harder on some already established personal goals. I think doing things that are in preparation of a job loss can only help us in the long run, even if I make it through this round unscathed. It's a scary time, but we're taking the approach of controlling only that which we can control, and letting the chips fall where they may for the rest of it. Preparation it is.

In terms of my mood and attitude - again, I control what I can control. I'm just doing my best each and every day, doing what I can to get through the days. Hunkering down and riding out the storm.

In the meantime, say some prayers. Not just for me, but also for Melanie and her niece Alexis who both work for the same company as I do, and also for the state of affairs in this country that have lead to so many thousands of people being laid off or being placed in the uncomfortable position that we, and too many of our coworkers, are in. In a horribly ironic and painful twist of fate, we will be saying good-bye to coworkers let go in the last round of cuts at the end of March - just a short, short time away from the April 1 closing.

To say that the morale here is low would be quite the understatement.

This is why I play The Drugstore Game,

2009-02-19T19:43:00.002-05:00

I paid $12 for $66 worth of merchandise at CVS. And it was completely LEGAL.

I'm so excited that I don't even want to take the time to get a picture of my pile. So here's a visual description for you - my receipt was ~5 FEET long. From the floor, the top of it was just above my shoulder!!!

So, what all did I get and how did I do it?

Certain Suave products were on sale for $2 each, and if you bought $6 worth, you got $2 back in ECB. I also had 2 Q's - $1 and 50 cents. So, each bottle was less than $1!!
Colgate Total Advance toothpaste - the 4 oz tube - was on sale for $2.99, and you got $2.99 back in ECB, making it FREE. There was a limit of 2. I had 2 Q's for $1 each, so I actually MADE MONEY on this deal.
Herbal Essence shampoo and conditioner was on sale for $2.99 each, and I had 2 Q's that were for $3 off 2 bottles. So, 4 bottles = $11.96, minus $6 in Q's = $5.96, or ~$1.50 per bottle.
Gillette shampoo products for men wereon sale fo $4.99, and you got $3 ECB back with a limit of 5 bottles. I had 4 Q's for $1 each, so I got 4 bottles for 99 cents each!!
Certain Gillette razors were on sale for $7.99, and you got $4 ECB back. I had a $4 Q for the Gillette Fusion series, so I got a razor for FREE. Did this same deal last week, too.
Kleenex tissues were on sale Buy 1, Get 1 for a Penny. This deal was on the 110 ct package. I had a Q for $1 off 4. The tissues were $1.49 each, so with the sale I got 4 boxes for $3, minus the Q = 50 cents per box!!!
I had a Q for a free (up to $3.99 value) tube of Crest Weekly Clean. It's a new product that is designed to polish your teeth more like what the dentist's cleaning equipment can do. Anyway, CVS had it for $4.49, so I got it for 50 cents!
I got a few other items, not necessarily on sale but that caugh my eye.

So, the total after sales and before taxes was ~$66. I had $26.50 in Q's, and I got $28 back in ECB's. That means I got $66 worth of stuff for $12, with rounding of course :)

I love The Drugstore Game, especially when I can keep up with it like this!! I love to get stuff for FREE, but I get really excited when I can make something cost less than $1 - it's almost as good as free!

You might be asking what I do with my STASH. Well, we do use quite a bit of the stuff. But, I do like to donate it or give it away when I can. For instance, a coworker of mine belongs to a motorcyle group that is making a trip down to Walter Reed in two weeks. They are asking for donations for the troops, so I will be sendng in a large portion of my stockpile of shampoo and toothpaste. There's really only so much toothpaste two people can use, and this way it is going to a very good cause.

Ahh, I love a good deal!!

bad things happen to good people

2009-02-02T15:07:00.003-05:00

Life sucks. In fact, life can be down right shitty at times. But then again - you knew that already.

I learned earlier today that a coworker passed away over the weekend.

He was young - in his 40s - and he left behind a wife, a son in college, and a daughter who will graduate from high school this year. I guess I identify very closely with his children, since I was only 20 when my father passed away. The family was just getting back on its feet, after a house fire took everything they had almost 2 years ago.

I feel so horribly bad for his family, even though I've never met them. He leaves behind a tremendous void in their lives, and in our lives here at work as well. With times being shitty here at work, this almost feels like too much to bear - a slap in the face we could have done without, but also a reality check ... that no matter how bad work gets, it's family that matters first and most.

Sigh. Bad things really do happen to good people.

My thoughts and prayers are with Rich's family.

May they find comfort in knowing that he is in a better place,

where there is no pain or physical suffering.

Miscellaneous

2009-02-02T08:43:00.002-05:00

Poor little blog is feeling neglected. Guess I'd better do something about that.

Thanks to everyone who kept the political discussion of the previous post polite and well-behaved. I was glad we could have the discussion and wish more of my posts received that many comments :)
To the anonymous person whose word for the year is TRUST, thank you. I needed to read your words because sometimes I have the exact same problems with trust. Sometimes? Yeah, ok - LOTS of times. Thanks for the reminder.
I began another class towards my Master's degree on January 12, so that's why the posting frequency has nose-dived around here. Don't expect much of an improvement any time soon.
The situation at work is getting ... worse, more complicated, more frustrating. The acquisition passed all its regulatory approvals, but now the company that was going to buy us has said they are unable to do so at this time for financial reasons. So, the company I work for is suing them for breach of contract. The court date on that is in early March, which means the deal isn't going to close for at least another 6 weeks. In the mean time, my company has announced that 900 positions will be eliminated in order to save money. My particular group of 40 - 50 people will lose 7. These seven will be told by the end of February and will work until the end of March. I have no idea if my position is safe or not, but I am praying and preparing for either outcome. The sad part is that this is not the end. Regardless of the completion of the deal, more jobs will be lost. It feels quite inevitable at this point.
I have my performance review at work today. It's such a moot point right now - they've already said that there will be no raises this year or next, so this is just a formality. I still hope it goes well, though, because it could be used as a determining factor in the layoffs.
Shawn finally had his broken tooth removed on Thursday. Thank God for that, because he was quite anxious to have it done. It wasn't so much that he was in a lot of pain or discomfort (the real pain only lasted a couple of days) - he was just tired of waiting around and having it disrupt his life.
We've gotten almost all of the mess cleaned up from when the water pipe broke in the garage at our home in the Poconos. Thanks to Shawn for the majority of that work. When I got up there on Friday, I began the task of sorting through something things that he had saved, mainly papers and some cookbooks, to determine what needed to stay and what could go. And once again, I was faced with my own inability to throw things out. Sigh. But I did make progress, which is a good thing.
Still working on getting some CLARITY. Not sure that I've made much headway, since January has been one hell of a month, but I keep plugging away at it. Hopefully February will bring more success.
Speaking of February, it's a celebratory time of year for us. Might save that for it's own post though, just to brighten things up around here.

Tootles for now. Gotta put my nose back to the grindstone.

Some Thoughts

2009-01-21T13:01:00.003-05:00

Yesterday brought us our 44th President, and I have some thoughts about that. Please remember that these are only my thoughts and opinions. You don't have to agree with them or like them, but you do have to respect them and my blog, since I consider my blog to be an extension of my home and my heart.

First up, the issue of race. I am glad that the issues Martin Luther King Jr. fought so hard for were finally seen through to such an extent, and what a tribute to him for this to culminate the day after we observed his birth. For a group of people who had to fight for their freedom, their right to own property, their right to vote, etc, it is truly a marvelous day when one of their own is sworn in to lead our nation. I will feel the same way when we elect a woman to the White House.

Perhaps now we, as a nation, can finally move past the race issue. I cannot begin to tell you how it frustrates me when race is brought into an otherwise neutral context. This happens in both positive and negative connotations, when really race should serve no other purpose than to be a physical identifier. Skin color should be treated with the same regard as hair color or eye color. We are all HUMANS, each with varied pasts and histories, but PEOPLE first and foremost. I hope that since we have seen an African American elected to the highest position in the land, we can move beyond this and get down to the business of seeing one another as a PERSON, and not a RACE.

Second, and really I think my bigger problem with yesterday's activities - the hype. The hoopla. And yes, I realize that my posting on this subject is just further feeding into it. I can accept that. No need to call me a hypocrite. Let's begin by clearing the air on a few things, just so you can see where I am coming from.

I agree that this country is in awful shape right now.
I agree that something needs to be done to fix it.
I agree that sometimes that repair work can only come from a wholesale, broad and sweeping change in the way that the government carries out its duties. This can, and usually does, include changes in which political party controls the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives.
I do have faith and hope in things getting better in this country. There are a very few ways in which it could get worse, and yet each of those ways is very serious and quite upsetting.

However. Yeah, you knew that was coming - there's always a "but".

I think it is ... unrealistic ... unfair ... and yes, even wrong ... to place all of our nation's hope on one single man.

Unrealistic: He cannot make these changes by himself. Our government was designed with checks and balances to prevent this. Even with the Democrats having the majority control in the rest of Washington, Barack Obama cannot single-handedly fix everything that is wrong with our country.

Unfair: All of these hopes, dreams, and expectations are A LOT of weight to place on one man's shoulders. I think it's a bit unfair to him, as a simple human being, to suggest that he can right all the wrongs we are facing.

Wrong, version 1: In order for this country to come back and turn around from the place where it is at right now, we need every man, woman and child to STEP UP. Do not expect one man, or even all of the politicians in Washington, to fix this. Each of us needs to step up and lend a hand. To expect that the new leadership we have in this country can make everything all better is to do a severe injustice to both the people who founded our nation, as well as the threads of patriotism and the American spirit that linger in the hearts of our citizens.

Wrong, version 2: (This one is probably a point that will get me "in trouble" with some of you out there. So be it. Again, these are only my thoughts and opinions. Take them, or leave them - just be sure you respect them.) I think that the hype and sensationalism I witnessed yesterday via various media outlets borders on idolatry. As in, "Thou shalt not have any other gods before me." You may think I'm off my rocker, but think about it. The media attention and the reactions of the individuals interviewed left a sour taste in my mouth because it resembled some bizarre celebrity adoration or cult following. I found myself wondering if this is how some of the world's most notorious dictators and general all-around bad guys got their followers. It comes back to the thoughts I expressed above regarding having hope in one single man.

Personally, I have hope and faith in the American spirit and the American people, but my greatest faith lies with the Lord because I know that He has a plan for me and for each of his sons and daughters. I have faith that He (uppercase "H", the Lord) will get me through this rough patch, and I choose not to place that faith with him (lowercase "h", Obama).

Wrong, version 3: (Yep, again, I know that you won't / don't all agree with me.) I think it's a bit premature to be doing all of this celebrating. Let's see what Obama can get accomplished. Let's see where we are in 6 months, 12 months, 4 years. If our nation is in a better place at that point than it currently is, that is a time for celebrating. If anything, I feel like we should be cautious and guarded... have a bit of a nervous apprehension. For instance, the healthy and normal apprehension that comes when you are a new parent letting someone babysit your child for the first time, or when you let someone borrow your brand new dream car for a spin around the block. If we can honestly say that our country is in a better place 4 years from now, throw him one doozie whizz-bang of an inauguration celebration for his second term. But for now, cautious optimism is about all that I think he deserves.

One last time, these are only my opinions, and I ask that you respect them and me. I encourage comments, and am curious to know what other people are thinking. I actually kind of wish I had a bigger readership so that there could be more of a dialogue about what I've said here. I realize my views are different from many of my friends and readers, but that's what makes our country so wonderful. I can have my thoughts, and so can you.

One last thing: I'll be away from tomorrow morning until late Saturday. Do not be alarmed by my lack of response to any comments left behind - I'll respond when I get back.

Brr.

2009-01-18T19:52:00.001-05:00

This weekend, while in the Poconos, I learned that my car's thermometer can, in fact, display negative temperatures.

'Nuff said.

Thoughts on the New Year: Clarity

2009-01-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

The beginning of a new year. Time to step back and assess. Examine the events and accomplishments of the prior year. Anticipate the coming year and all that it has to offer. For some people, this means resolutions or goals. I have a hard enough time with a daily or weekly to-do list, so resolutions and goals are not exactly my thing. Last year, I tried Ali Edward's "One Little Word" approach. You can read more about it here, where she reintroduced the idea for 2009. My attempt at using one word as a focal point for the year was not very successful - I couldn't tell you what word I even picked, so I think it's safe to say that it didn't really resonate with me.

This year, I decided to give it a go again. I am a bit more optimistic that I will be able to carry the word with me for more of the year, mainly because I see it as being partner to the word SIMPLIFY, which has been entwining itself in my life for the better part of 2008.

My word for 2009 is CLARITY. We're not talking about clarity in the sense of using illegal drugs and suddenly knowing why the sky is blue and the grass green. The CLARITY that I am envisioning is more of a state of being. My CLARITY is similar to the fog breaking up or the haze lifting. My CLARITY is a clearing of the mind and a refreshing of the spirit. I want to be able to look back on 2009, take a deep breath and smile with my head high and shoulders back - knowing that I had accomplished something, or at least have a much clearer picture of the situation.

There are a few areas of my life where I want to experience this CLARITY:

My Employment: With my company being acquired in a move reminiscent of a whale swallowing a guppy, I'd like to have some CLARITY regarding the status of my job. I have a "Plan B", and I am working on that so I am not caught unprepared should something go wrong, but I am beginning to feel overwhelmed by the stress of not knowing which way things will go. If you know me at all, you know that I do not deal well with uncertainty - I NEED a plan, and I need to know what is going to happen next.

Our Finances: While we are by no means "hard up", we can certainly be doing a lot better. We've been fortunate enough to pay down a significant amount of debt in 2008, and I'd like to continue that progress in 2009. To use the awful "G" word, I have a Goal of being credit card debt free by the end of the year. We've been too "loosey goosey" with our finances, and we need to focus if we are going to accomplish our Big Picture Goals for our future. I would like to close out 2009 by feeling unburdened by some of our debt and financial insecurities. I want to have a greater sense of CLARITY regarding where we stand financially, so that we can begin to actively and aggressively pursue those Big Picture Goals.
Our Stuff: We have an overabundance of STUFF, and we need to do something about it. Between what was mine, what was Shawn's, what has become ours since we got married, and all the stuff we inherited (literally!), we have a lot of STUFF - two houses worth! We need to get serious about clearing it out - to simplify our lives, remove the clutter and excess in our house, and prepare for the day that Plan B might come fully into play. I have some ideas in mind to help with this particular area, and am looking forward to putting them into motion. I want to feel CLARITY at the end of 2009, when I can look around and feel less claustrophobic and confined by the STUFF.

My Health: No worries - there are no serious health concerns here, just the continued struggle to live a healthier lifestyle. If we want to get serious about having a family, I need to get serious about losing weight. It's as simple as that, and yet anyone who has tried to lose weight knows that it is not all a simple task. I'd like to close out 2009 with some success in this area, and a greater sense of CLARITY about when we can begin working on our family.

There are other areas where I am seeking CLARITY, but not all of them are rightly shared here. Just know that for each of them, a positive outcome would be to close out 2009 feeling happier, refreshed and much more at peace.

Have any of you chosen this "one little word" approach to the new year? I'm curious to know what your words are, and what plans you may have for carrying them through the year.

Beware the Penguins!!

2009-01-07T08:35:00.000-05:00

The Wilkes Barre - Scranton Penguins, that is!

While we were up in the Poconos over the holidays, Shawn and I took an evening for ourselves and went to Wilkes Barre to see the AHL Penguins team play. We are fans of the "big Pens" and thought it might be fun to see the "baby Pens" in action.

No hockey game is complete without a zamboni, and no team is complete without a mascot.

What team were they playing? Why, the Philadelphia Phantoms - the "baby Flyers," if you will. That made the game all the sweeter since we are NOT fans of the Philadelphia sports teams.

The icing on that sweet cake?
The final score. 6 - 4 in our favor.
Let's go Pens!

Deals of the Week

2009-01-06T10:30:00.000-05:00

We interrupt the great holiday recap with this post on some of the deals I was able to get this week.

First up - CVS:

I haven't done the CVS thing in a few weeks, and I've been contemplating it's value in my life. You see, I did a fine job of stocking up on certain things (toothpaste) while I was heavily CVS-ing, but I began to walk away from the store wondering if I had just spent money to make money. If you know the CVS game, you know what I mean - I was wondering if I had just shelled out money on things we didn't really **need** just to get the precious Extra Care Buck. I know for a fact that this happened more than once (fancy shampoo and make up - make up? I don't even WEAR make-up), and it was unsettling in my overall goal to get us into a better financial position. So, this was weighing on my mind when I went to CVS on Sunday.

Garnier Fructis shampoo and conditioner were on sale for $2.99 each, and then you got $2 ECB back (limit of 1 offer). It's not a brand I normally use, but it's price was reasonable. Even though it wasn't free, it did correspond nicely with a deal at Rite Aid (see below) so I decided to go for it. I bought 1 bottle of conditioner. $2.99 out, $2 received in ECB.

Dial body wash was on sale 2/$7 and I had a coupon for $1 off 2. It ended up being $3 a piece after the Q. Nice, but .... Soft Soap body wash was on sale BIGI, and was regularly $5.49 a bottle. That's a 50 cent savings - not much, I know, but it's still 50 cents.

My big ECB purchase of the week .... Certain Johnson and Johnson products were on sale, and then if you bought $20 worth of those items you would get back $10 ECB. For this deal, I took advantage of some Q's that I had for Sudafed and Tylenol Cold products. I got 3 boxes of cold meds for exactly $20 and had $3.50 in Q's to bring that to $16.50. I then got the $10 ECB on my receipt. Not a money-maker or anything, but those $10 in ECB should be useful next week or whenever I get back.... as long as I get back before they expire, another one of my issues with the CVS game.

My last deal at CVS was obtained as I took an obliatory spin through the Christmas clearance aisle. I found Ocean Spray cranberry sauce there, regularly $1.69 per can but on clearance for 75% off. I got 2 cans for 42 cents each, and the date on them shows they are good until March 2010. They definately will get used before then. I was quite pleased with this deal.

From CVS, I went to Rite Aid. Very short list here.

First, the Garnier Fructis shampoos and conditioners were on sale here for $3 and were eligible for $2 in their Single Check Rebates. I tend to like the SCR's better because they come to you as an actual check - it's not "play money" that lures you back into the store. I deposit the SCR checks into my ING "snowflake" account, so I'm actually seeing and feeling the savings. Anyway, that's another story. ..... I bought 1 bottle of shampoo at Rite Aid, since the offer had a limit of 1 rebate. I also used a $1 Q, so after the SCR I will have gotten the shampoo for free. In theory, $2.99 + $3 - $2 ECB - $2 SCR - $1 Q = 99 cents for 2 bottles.

Second, and last, Excedrin was on sale - either the 80 ct or 100 ct, depending on variety, for $6.99 and you could get another $2 SCR. I also had a $2 Q that I combined with this deal. The Excedrin was originally $9.99.... minus $3 for the sale price.... minus $2 for the SCR... minus $2 for the Q.... equals a 100 ct bottle of Excedrin Migraine for $2.99. Not too shabby at all.

After Rite Aid, it was a long journey across the parking lot to Acme. Acme has tended to be hit or miss for me, but in recent months their deals have gotten better. I think they are trying to compete more heavily with Giant in this area, which could explain some of this. All I know is that I am appreciating their coupons - both in their ads and that they mail to me.

I bought bread, English muffins, and crackers all on sale, but they weren't anything outstanding as far as great deals go. The BIG deal was ... Yoplait yogurt. Yep, yogurt. It was on sale 20/$10. Now, I know that I didn't HAVE to buy 20 of them, but.... If I bought all 20, Acme would automatically deduct $2 from my receipt. I also had 3 Yoplait Q's, two for 40 cents off 6 yogurts and one for $1 off 8. Acme was nice enough to double both of the 40 cent Q's. So, if you're keeping track, that's 20 yogurts at $10.... minus $2 auto savings .... minus $1.60 in 40 cent Q's .... minus $1 in the other Q. That's $4.60 in savings, or $5.40 in cash outlay. That amounts to less than 30 cents per yogurt!! And THAT'S why I coupon. (Well, I also Q for the stuff I can get free, but getting a good deal feels so awesome!)

From Acme, I drove across the street to Giant. The trip to Giant was more about restocking the cabinets, since they are routinely cheaper overall than Acme, so there weren't really any deals here. The only one worth mentioning was pretty good, though - certain Electrosol products were on sale for $2.99, and I had a Q for $2.50. Yes, a good deal .... until I came home and went to put the Electrosol away, when I realized that we had 2 or 3 bottles of it under the sink. Oy. And THAT'S why I'm no expert at coupon-ing.

The Great Dumpster Filling of 2008

2009-01-05T18:00:00.000-05:00

Not to be confused with The Dumpster Filling of 2007, which was also known as The Great Frozen Turkey Bowling Escapade.

Oh, and then there was The First Dumpster Filling when we cleaned out the cellar, which is also called The Day I Knew Jen Would Be a Friend for Life. Also referred to as What in God's Name Used to Be in This Jar?

Yep, we've done this before. You'd think we were pros by now. We had a little bit of a slow start this time around, mainly because we didn't have any one area to focus on. So, the first day or two, we really had our doubts as to whether or not we were going to fill the dumpster or get our money's worth out of it. Silly, silly, us.

That first day, we were putzing around the garage. We found...

Christmas lights that had been used outside for various things. About 6 or 7 strands worth. And all but 1 of them worked. Actually, the one that didn't work was only half broken, but I didn't feel like trying to figure out which was the bad bulb in it.

These crazy thick book / binder type things that held manuals and parts catalogs for when my grandfather had his lawnmower repair shop. He passed away in 1984, and no one ever threw away the books. These things were each seriously almost as big as a cinder block. Some went into the dumpster, and some of the smaller ones got burnt in our giant bonfire.

Yep, we had a bonfire. There was a lot of brush on the property from some recent emergency tree pruning. That, combined with a few things from the garage and the barn made for a nice fire.

After taking that first day or so to ease ourselves into the dumpster process, we knew we had to get serious. So, we ventured into the lower attic. Yes, the house has two attics. The lower attic is easier to get into, so it was used more heavily, but it was also at one point inhabited by bats. Bats make poop. Poop is yucky. So, we had to wear masks to avoid breathing poop and booties to avoid tracking poop and funk through the house. We also put down a tarp to try to contain some of the yuck as we were carrying stuff out to the dumpster. However, despite all the yuckies, there were some pretty interesting things to be found up there...

Salt and pepper shakers. Lots of them. A pair of turtles. A pair of frogs. A pair of strawberries. Several wooden pairs that were purchased as souvenirs in the 1000 Lakes region of New York. Not really sure why these were collected or what their story is. I kept the turtles, because I am a turtle fan and collector, but the rest will find themselves on display at the next yard sale. Here's an example of one of the pairs I found. I googled them to find this picture. They aren't exactly big collectibles - this pair is available for less than $5.
Christmas lights. Several strands, some used and some still in their boxes. Haven't checked them yet, but there's enough there to stretch from one end of town to the next. Really, these weren't a surprise, but they serve as a nice connection from the garage to the attic.

Lamps. As in plural. I think we sent at least 2 to the dumpster - they were fugly, and I doubt they worked. Mice and chords don't mix, ya know. There are a few that were saved, but will probably be set out at the next yard sale. These were mostly table-sized lamps. Still dated, and totally not my style.

Lamp shades. 'Cause what good is a lamp without a shade? We found more shades than lamps, and they were very dirty and very dated. Yep, they met the dumpster.

An antique curling iron. Modern enough that it did use electricity. Antique enough that you plugged it into a light socket instead of an outlet. Here's a picture of one, although what we found was not in such good condition. This was saved, mainly for curiosity's sake.

Fabric, some good and some not so good. By "not so good", I mean both uglier than sin and also in bad shape due to mice, bats and time. The good, which could someday be used for quilting or other projects, was kept. The bad went into the dumpster.

Various crafting supplies. The makings for those little diorama things that were made in upside down glass jars. Patterns for clothing, some used and some not. A couple of containers of sewing supplies - as if I didn't have enough of that sort of thing already! Of all the crafting supplies, some went into the dumpster and some was saved.

Pictures of my mother's mother and her family members. Most of them are unfortunately unlabeled, but I did find a series of letters from before my grandmother got married. She had apparently written letters to family members (aunts and cousins) back in Germany. However, the family members did not speak English, and my grandmother did not speak German. So, the family in Germany found the one boy in the village who spoke English - a student at the university. They asked him to translate the letter and write back. I have the first letter he wrote back, along with a separate letter he sent with it to my grandmother. I then have several other letters he wrote to her and photos that he included, some of the family but a few of him. It was really neat - he was so thrilled to have a friend in America (a female friend, nonetheless!), he asked for money since he was a poor student, and he had friend who wanted a friend in America to write to him. The whole thing sounds very cliche and very .... Hollywood .... but it's true!

An assortment of various empty gift boxes and other bags and boxes. These are being saved for the next bonfire.

However, after all of these interesting and "interesting" finds, the real mother load was all of the handcrafted things that we found. Embroidered pillow cases, dresser scarves, handkerchiefs. Crocheted and tatted doilies. Quilt pieces. Tablecloths. Aprons. An appliqued baby quilt that was never finished. All of these things, just from the attic alone, filled a gigantic plastic tote. We're talking the 100 quart model from Sterilite - the monster that I can barely hold onto from end to end because it's that long. The tote was full, and that doesn't count the pieces that were in such bad shape they couldn't be saved or the similar pieces that we had already found in the master bed room. I don't know why they were never used. Probably because they were "too nice" to be used. In any event, the plan is to clean them up and then save them in the cedar chest until we are up there and can use them on a regular basis. No point in shutting up all that beautiful handiwork. It needs to be displayed and used.

We also spent some time cleaning in the barn, which is also referred to as the honey house since my dad processed honey out there. We focused a lot on the side where he kept his boat, since Shawn had managed to clear a path to the back side of the boat. When we got into this spot, we found the things that no clean-up is complete without...

Fireworks. Actually, more like quarter sticks.

Bullets and shotgun shells.

Fishing lures.

Pesticide and herbicide, much to Shawn's dismay.

We also found a set of dishes that had been my parents' every day dishes at one point, as well as other interesting glass items - canisters, vases, etc.

When all was said and done, by New Year's Eve we had the dumpster nearly full to the gills and we were able to sit down and relax. There were a few holes here and there, but we had definitely maximized the opportunity. At some point in time, we'll need another dumpster, but we've made a tremendous dent in the clutter. We're now at the point where the attic can be used to store some of the stuff that is in the main living part of the house while we finish painting it. That is definitely a good thing.

Christmas Recap

2009-01-04T16:11:00.005-05:00

So, as I said in my earlier post, we had a great time spending Christmas up in the Poconos. Here's the run-down....

Christmas Eve meant time for church. As usual, I wasn't a fan of the children's portion of the service. I'd much rather they have their own time slot so that the candle-light service can be more calm, but unfortunately our church doesn't have a large enough congregation for that. This year, it was especially unbearable because they re-wrote the pageant. Somehow in this new version we started with the Wise Men already at the manger, and then Mary and Joseph came along later. Not really sure what the rationale was for this change, and the whole thing was pretty disjointed so I couldn't really pick up on the logic there. The candle-light portion is my favorite part of the Christmas Eve service at my church. There is a tremendous amount of tradition behind the type of candle used, the way the candles are served, and one particular song that is sung during that portion of the service. You can read about my church's Christmas traditions, with more here, and here, and here. I encourage you to check out the links because it's all quite interesting.
Christmas morning, Shawn and I exchanged presents. The "big" present that I got for Shawn was a fly fishing class. He already knew that I had signed up for a fly tying class, and that wasn't a present, but the fishing class was a surprise. The classes are all offered through The Evening Hatch Fly Shop, a nice fly shop we frequent up in the Poconos. The "big" present that Shawn got me was a Vera Bradley handbag. Yes, this is the same man who FreAkS OuT whenever I bring home a new purse or bag. I got a Vera catalog back in November and mentioned how I'd love to have a Vera bag someday. Well, Shawn came back with "Well, maybe if you're really good, one will appear for Christmas." So, I marked up the catalog thinking it wouldn't actually happen because of his aversion to purchasing new bags. He did warn me at the time, however, that if I got one, I had to make it last a year. No other new purses. I think I can handle that :) I even went out this past Friday to get a matching medium sized cosmetic bag to go inside of it. Shawn also got me a storage case for the blades of my food processor, which will be very handy.
After we opened our presents, we went to our neighbor's house for breakfast. Joann has 4 kids, the youngest of whom is Shawn's age. Two of the 4 came with their families for breakfast. I decided to make Sticky Buns, and let me tell you - they were a HUGE HIT! I came back with a spotless pan - the only 2 that were left, we hid away for Joann to snack on later. Even better, we had a message on our answering machine just yesterday from one of Joann's friends asking for the recipe because she had heard how great they were from one of Joann's sons. Definitely need to thank my mother-in-law for such a great recipe.
After we left Joann's we spent the rest of the day at home. We watched some movies, played some games - a nice quiet day. I made a ham, with various side dishes, including pineapple stuffing. Oh Lord, is that ever a great dish! I got the recipe from a coworker a couple of years ago, and I swear that it could pass for dessert because it is THAT sweet. I told Shawn I might just add some coconut to it and a simple caramel sauce and call it Pineapple Bread Pudding.
On the Saturday after Christmas, we went to my aunt and uncle's for dinner. They decided to post-pone the festivities until my aunt's daughter, her husband and his girls could be there. No biggie - just meant that we got a turkey dinner after a few days of ham :)
The festivities wrapped up on New Year's Eve, when we went to Joann's daughter's house to celebrate. We got there shortly before 7 and things were already in full swing. It was a covered dish, so there was all kinds of yumminess there. We sat around and chatted, listened while Joann's granddaughter and her friend entertained us on the piano and string bass, and then played a few games before watching the ball drop in NYC. Is it just me, or did Dick Clark look especially ... artificial ... this year? He seriously looked like he had been pulled from a coffin or something - his makeup was *that bad*. I admire the man for trying, but jeez oh man, someone needs to encourage him to step aside.
Oh, can't forget New Year's Day. After we returned to S-ville, I ran to the grocery store to get the traditional pork and sauerkraut. Can't ring in the new year without those!

So, that's how we celebrated. Our tree is still up - I told Shawn that since we were spending a week in the Poconos without a tree that we should leave our tree up for an extra week so we could make up for the lost time. He agreed, so I am sitting here looking at it's pretty baubles and lights while I type.

I know it's belated, but I hope each of you had a very Merry Christmas and a magical New Year's!!

What I've Been Up To

2009-01-03T14:20:00.005-05:00

Also known as, The List of Topics I Want to Expand Upon.

Basically, this is a quick overview of what I've been up to over the past couple weeks and an inventory of topics I want to cover in blog posts over the next few days.

Work was insanely busy in the last week before Christmas. I had oodles of stuff to finish before leaving for 14+ days away from the lab. The good news is that I was able to get most of it done. The bad news is that recent events have significantly increased the tension surrounding the acquisition of the company I work for. The next few weeks will be very interesting, to say the least.
On the home front, the "short month" between Thanksgiving and Christmas forced me to prioritize the Christmas preparations. The to-do list for baking was dramatically shortened, and the decorations were kept to a minimum.
We spent a day with Shawn's parents on December 22 to celebrate Christmas with them. It was a very nice time, and we were glad to have made the visit.
We headed up to the Poconos on December 23 and were there until January 1. We had an good time up there and got to spend time with family and friends, which is always nice. It wasn't all fun, though - we had a 30 yard dumpster to fill while we were there, which will be the subject of its very own post.

Since we've been back here in S-ville, it's been a time to catch up, regroup and clean up. We brought back mountains of laundry (even though I washed 3 loads up there!), and we didn't exactly leave the house in pristine condition when we headed north. So, we've spent some time cleaning up. Ran some errands yesterday, too, which was good. Well, except for the snow squall and stupid drivers. It was definitely a good idea to have these 3 or so days to catch up before I have to head back to work on Monday. Yep, that's right - I took Friday (yesterday) off from work. Seemed kinda silly to go back for 1 day.

So, that's the scoop. Check back for the expanded version of these stories, because it would have been too much of a novel to include them all in this post.

I'm back!

2009-01-02T21:12:00.002-05:00

After more than a week of recharging, I am BACK!

Enjoy the new "decor" around here, while I work on getting some fresh posts up here.

Check back soon!

Full Plate

2008-12-10T12:38:00.002-05:00

"My plate is so full these days."

A much nicer way of saying, "The amount of stress and general CRAP in my life is out of control!" I never meant for this blog to be such a bitch-fest, but it seems like a good place for me to vent.

I've been sick since the week of Thanksgiving. Hit it's worst last week. I mean, we're talking, head pounding congestion, blowing yellow wonderfulness from my nose and coughing up gobs of yuckies. Yeah, I know - TMI. Welcome to my world. Thought I was on the up-swing this past Saturday, but that didn't last long. Went to the Doc on Monday and got me some antibiotics for a sinus infection. Thank God he gave me cough medicine with codeine to help me sleep. I needed it last night.... oy. I've had sinus infections before, but this one has really kicked my ass.
The stress levels at work have been extremely high since mid-November, and they aren't getting lower any time soon. We just got a form this week to fill out - Employee Profile, it's called. Basically, it's a resume-type of thing. An attempt to justify your existence and why you should remain in the company after the acquisition. Everyone is on edge and just hoping for the best, or at least to still have a job in January. Morale is at an all-time low, and it's just miserable. We had a telecon today that I thought might be informative... umm, NO. In fact, I walked away feeling like I had wasted my time and feeling very pissed off. It's really not professional for the Way High Ups to **laugh** when they are delivering serious news about the business. I'm glad some of you know your jobs are safe - have some respect for the rest of us.
Got moved onto a different project at work, one with really fast time lines. What a way to add more stress to an already stressful situation.
Christmas is TWO WEEKS AWAY. Did you hear me?? TWO WEEKS. We started the inside decorations last night, but I have not started the baking yet. Oy. Baking is probably one of the things I enjoy most about the Christmas season. Hope to be feeling well enough to get a big start on it this weekend. Tree? Yeah, that has to happen this weekend too. Oh, and we still don't have firm plans for Christmas, so that's kinda stressful, too, especially because of having to coordinate/deal with the outlaws. Christmas cards need to get done, as well.... which reminds me - here it is the 10th of December, and we haven't gotten a single card yet. I wonder if everyone else is feeling rushed and stressed this Christmas?
I've probably forgotten some things, so here's an extra couple of bullet points for the forgotten side dishes on my full plate.
...
...
...

It's times like this that taking a look at the to-do list brings about heart palpitations. It's very easy for me to get overwhelmed by everything that's on my mind and on my plate. So, don't expect to see much here on the blog. If you want to catch up with me, find me on Facebook. Short sentences seem to be all I am capable of these days. I can't wait for December 19... it's my last day of work until January 5. Very thankful to have enough vacation time to do that, because I seriously need a re-charge.

I'm still alive - Life and Facebook have me all kinds of DiStrAcTEd !

2008-11-20T14:51:00.006-05:00

No, I haven't run away or gotten kidnapped. I'm still here.

But where have I been?

~*~ LIFE ~*~

Borrowed and condensed, from my friend (and coworker) Melanie's blog, cause she said it pretty darn well ...

Oh my word, it seems like ages since I posted anything. Life has been hectic lately. Mostly at work because the company I work for was bought by another company. We were told about the sale back in July but now that the transaction will be final in the first qtr of next year reality is setting in. Anxiety levels are high. ... I just feel exhausted lately and I really don't feel like doing anything when I get home ... Most people will retain their jobs, some will be transferred to other locations and others will lose their jobs. ... I should know by February. I am preparing for the worst case scenario. I have no delusions of grandeur. I know the Lord will provide, not necessarily a job but a way. I heard this saying a few months ago, "God does not promise smooth sailing, but He does promise a smooth landing".

So, yeah, I'd like one serving of stress, with a heaping side of anxiety. We had 3 meetings in a row last Thursday to pass along more info about the merger. Can't really say much of what went on in them, but many of us walked away with more questions than answers. We should be getting little bits of info over the next several weeks, with the finalization happening in January and lots more info after that. Might want to throw some prayers / good thoughts / positive vibes our way.

~*~ FACEBOOK ~*~

I've also discovered something new (to me) that has sucked me in the past several days. Facebook. Yes, me, I know.... the one with no interest in MySpace or class reunions.

I've connected with several current friends and a couple of coworkers, but I've also gotten in touch with a few people from college. It's pretty neat - you can ask to be someone's Friend, or they can ask to be yours. My connections have gone both ways in that regard, but what is nice is that you can always hit "ignore" if you aren't interested. There seems to be a good amount of privacy control involved with the site, so it's nice to not have totally random peeps looking at your profile if you don't want them to.

But, you know me - I overanalyze EVERYTHING. So, I'm sitting here wondering... There are some people (high school and college) that it might be interesting to reconnect with. Some are lost connections that I have thought about resuming. Some I'm just interested in the quick and dirty recap of life since we lost touch, without any pressure to maintain the connection. I'm wondering if it's worth it (emotionally and mentally) to venture down any of these paths. I search the lists of classmates and ask myself these questions ... and wonder if someone on the other side is asking the same thing about me.

For now, I've been pretty conservative. I've asked a few peeps if I can be their Friend because they were people I am genuinely interested in reconnecting with, and I knew it was a "safe bet". But I've also *not* asked others, and have just kind of let Friend requests happen as they happen.

It's not really meant to be a slight on anyone, this method that I've chosen. It's just that I've always been a less self-confident person - I don't really want to put myself out there just to feel rejection or hurt.

I'm actually considering a new approach. My blog is listed on my profile, and I know that I've gotten at least 1 hit on it that for sure came from a Facebook Friend. So, I'm considering opening my profile so more people can read it... thinking that either seeing my profile or reading my blog might bring about interesting "hits" or Friend requests. I dunno... I'm not trying to go fishing for Friends - I'm just curious to see what might come of it, especially if someone were to find this particular post.

So, I've decided to sit on this for a while. Mull it over. Solicit advice. Those few of you who are regular readers - give some input. Point out the flaws in my logic (I know there are probably many). Tell me where I'm going astray. Stop me from making a fool out of myself, or making myself look like a beyotch. Talk to me, peeps!!

So what did you do this weekend?

2008-11-02T19:45:00.007-05:00

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Yes, I know, once again it's been forever since I updated. Shame on me.

As for my weekend, this picture pretty much sums it up.

What you're looking at ...

10 C of pureed pumpkin
8 pints of apple butter from 2 separate batches
8 half-pints (8 oz jars) of apple conserves
8 quarter-pints (4 oz jars) of cranberry mustard
1 tuckered out domestic goddess

Not shown: the failed attempt at making Apple Peel Jelly. I found several recipes that gave instructions on how to cook the leftover peels and cores from making other apple goodies in order to produce juice that could be used for apple jelly. However, this idea only works if the apple juice you end up with has good flavor. What I made, although it was a pretty pink color, had little more flavor than water.

Also not shown: the bushel of apples that didn't even get touched. I didn't measure it, but it wouldn't suprise me to learn that it really is a whole bushel. All Northern Spy's, which should make good applesauce.

Something else not shown: my sore and tired feet. Signing off now to finish my adult beverage and put my feet up for a few hours before bed. Tootles!

(And yes, I really do wear an apron around the kitchen. Great way to protect my clothes, and it makes me feel especially domestic!)

Some Thoughts on the American Dream

2008-10-21T07:43:00.007-04:00

First of all, my apologies for not updating in forever. We were away for a couple of days, but in general I've been in a little hibernation state. Annoyed with people and the world. Fun stuff like that.

This year's election has really gotten me thinking about a lot of things. I think that this might be the first Presidential election where I've been aware enough of my situation in life to have more of an active interest in the issues and the outcome, which could explain my heightened level of interest. At any rate, the one topic or theme that keeps coming back to me is the proverbial "American Dream" - what exactly does it mean? how does one achieve that dream? is it even a reachable goal?

The traditional American Dream has its roots in a time before any of us were even born. When the first individuals came to this country hundreds of years ago, they did so in order to find religious freedom. They made the decision to come to this country knowing that they would have to work very hard and make many sacrifices in order to have the freedom they so strongly desired. As more and more people emigrated to the United States, they did so in order to provide a better life for their families. Again, they knew that this would require work and sacrifice, and they were willing to make that effort.

During the years of the Great Depression, and as a whole during the first half of the 1900s, this idea of working hard and making sacrifices was still a very strongly held belief in America. My own grandparents were shuffled amongst different family members to be cared for as children because there were too many mouths to feed at home. As young adults, my father's parents had multiple jobs or sources of income, and it took some time (meaning, hard work and sacrifice - are you seeing a theme here?) before they were able to purchase their own farm property. My father grew up on that farm, and, as a child during the 1940s and 50s, was up before dawn each morning to help milk the cows. He had put in several hours worth of work before ever showing up for school each morning, and yet he did go to school and graduate with his high school diploma. My mother grew up in a house where her mother made most of the family's clothing. Every scrap of fabric that might be good for something was saved, including the feed sacks in which flour and other goods were stored.

My parents never had it easy as adults either. My father always worked hard physical-labor types of jobs, and when he wasn't working for a paycheck, he was doing other types of work to provide for our family. There were many things I did without as a child because of the sacrifices my parents made, but I didn't miss them. In fact, now I'm glad to say that I didn't have a video game system as a child, and I did just fine with not having a computer until high school and no internet access until college.

"Where am I going with this?" you ask. Well, did you see the common thread through all of that? Hard work and sacrifice.

WORK.

SACRIFICE.

Not entitlements. Not hand outs. Not lovey-dovey, touchy-feely, namby-pamby crap.

Work. Sacrifice.

What infuriates me about my peers (the tail end of Generation X and the start of the next generation, so those born between 1975 and 1990) is this overwhelming sense of entitlement. That just because an individual has reached the age of adulthood means that they are somehow entitled to certain things. New cars. New houses. Every whiz-bang gadget that comes along - iPhones, iPods, etc. Whatever happened to buying a "beater car" until you can afford something better? Whatever happened to apartment living, or buying a starter-home? Why the need to jump right into something brand-spankin' new? Somehow, the American Dream of working hard to achieve your dreams and goals became corrupted into the American Sham of instant gratification.

I feel that it's this sense of entitlement that has lead our country to the current economic disaster. Why work for something, when I can just have it? Why save money for something, when I can just charge it? Why live in an apartment, when I can buy a house?

Unfortunately, the government - BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE - are feeding into this. The economic stimulus package from earlier this year. The bailout of the banks. Another economic stimulus package under consideration. These hand outs are providing an artificial sense of security to America. I'm sure that most of you are familiar with Darwin and his theory of "survival of the fittest". Apply that fundamental of biology to economics. To provide artificial financial support to banks, businesses and individuals leads to a state where society cannot sustain itself. Economics and business principles of the free market dictate that there be a natural ebb and flow. Businesses do badly and close. Businesses get bought and sold. This is as natural as a bear catching fish from a stream. But the programs being put into place in our government today lead to a situation where there are no consequences. No checks and balances. No natural ebb and flow. These programs and the overall sense of entitlement feed into this notion that no one is ever "wrong" or "bad" or a "failure". Americans are given second chance, after second chance, after second chance.

So what can be done about it?

First, it would be nice if we, the citizens of America, could admit to playing a hand in this. If we could stop passing the blame and accept some personal responsibility. No one held a gun to your head and made you sign that bad mortgage. No one spent your money for you - it was your hand that put the junk in your shopping cart.

Secondly, let us all remember the sacrifices that have been made for our freedom. We, as a country, need to stop being so cocky and self-righteous. Thousands of individuals have fought in many wars in order to form this country and protect its ideals. They fought, and many made the ultimate sacrifice, in order to give us the freedoms we enjoy today. We need to remember that, and it would be nice to see that heritage be shown more respect. Our freedoms, our rights and our privileges were not handed to us on a silver platter, and there needs to be more of a sense of gratitude for them within this country. We need to be more humble.

Third, we need to get back to that American Dream of hard work and sacrifice. We need to return to the idea of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. We need to get rid of this idea permeating society that we are "entitled". There are very few people who are truly "entitled" to anything in this country. We need to get over ourselves and get back to our roots. I truly believe that is the only way we can save our country.

Yes, you can call me old fashioned. You can even call me a stick-in-the-mud. And yes, I know that I am not perfect in regards to the situation presented here. The car I drive was purchased new, and I quickly came to regret that decision. I have racked up a hefty balance on my credit cards more than once, but I working very diligently now to erase that debt. I have made mistakes, but I have learned from them and I will continue to learn from them. I am not asking for a handout. I am working as hard as I can to achieve the dreams and goals I have set for myself. I simply ask that all Americans do the same, because I have a real problem with my tax dollars going to someone who is waiting for that silver platter to come along.

When free samples go horribly wrong - and Customer Service makes things right.

2008-10-02T08:05:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago, I requested a free sample of Nature Made vitamins after seeing Crystal mentioning them on her blog. This particular offer was for two weeks worth of liquid soft gels - ya know, the *liquid filled* things. We ain't talkin' 'bout tablets here, folks.

Monday when I got home from work, I had an envelope waiting for me from Nature Made. It was one of those envelopes with the bubble wrap lining. There was a small tear in the back of the envelope, but I wasn't too concerned. That is, until I opened the envelope and that vitamin smell wafted up at me. If you've taken vitamins, you know that smell I'm referring to - it's something to do with the fillers and such, I think. So, I tip over the envelope and out falls three pieces of plastic. They were what was left of the lid of the container. Ruh roh. Not good.

I pull out the rest of the contents of the envelope - one piece of paper with a coupon, and one brown plastic bottle that didn't look so much like a plastic bottle anymore. This particular brown plastic bottle had been crushed. Actually, it looked like what would happen to a bottle of this type and shape if you were to step on its side. The bottle had been crushed with such force that the paper-foil seal thingy on the top was popped off. Not torn - no, it was popped off by the force of the bottle being crushed. No wonder the lid itself was in three pieces. And needless to say, the soft gels were ... softer. Crushed, as well, which explains the vitamin-y smell I was getting. And if you were wondering, the vitamin I chose to receive was a loverly shade of yellow orange.

So, I did what any self-respecting freebie gatherer would do. I called the company.

I explained that yes, the envelope was torn, but no, it wasn't anything that would have lead me to believe I would find a crushed bottle inside. I explained that the seals were broken, and the soft gels were crushed. And I politely asked for a resend of the same product.

It should arrive in a few weeks.

I love it (LOVE IT) when Customer Service actually steps up to the plate and honors the customer. Kudos to you, Nature Made Vitamins. Looking forward to doing business with you again.

If you go to the Nature Made website, you will see that the offer is still available. You get your choice of different vitamins, and you should receive a coupon with your sample.

My husband is a 73 year old woman trapped in the body of a 33 year old man.

2008-10-01T09:39:00.008-04:00

Yeah, I thought that might catch your attention. Allow me to explain. (And remember, this is a post that the hubs must NEVER know about.)

I've often commented that my dear husband can act a bit old for his age. This typically happens in the realm of economics, politics and the such. So you can imagine what all the talk of the upcoming election and the bailout is doing to him. This trait also appears when faced with situations of personal behavior and personal responsibility. He's what you could call wise beyond his years... or you could just call it cranky and crotchety. Truth is, he should have been born decades ago. So, I occasionally say that he is a 60 or 70 year old man trapped in the body of a 30-something year old man.

But there was a new element added to that recently. I'm sorry - this is really long, but if you can stick with it, and if you know my husband, this will be worth it in the end.

I mentioned several posts ago that we have a new neighbor. He's a young guy, and we've since learned that his girlfriend/significant other lives there, too. We found out about her from the landlord (let's call him Tweedle Dum), so it seems that her presence has their "blessing". In the past, the landlord had told us that the other 2 units in the house were meant for 1 occupant only, because only 1 parking spot is available for each unit. I'm not sure what happened or why this change has occurred, but in any event, The Boy and The Girl have been living in the second floor unit.

During this time, the landlord has been fixing up the first floor unit. This project has taken literally all summer long and has been a mockery of all things home-improvement. No Mr. Fix-it in his right mind would have stretched this project out as long as Tweedle Dum did, but that's another story for another day.

As usual for a weekend, Tweedle Dum and his wife (Tweedle Dee) were around this weekend pretending to execute various feats of home improvement. Sunday evening we heard some thumping and banging of indeterminate origin (1st floor? 2nd floor?) but didn't think too much of it. Monday evening we heard the same noises, but they were clearly the sounds of things being drug down the stairs and into the first floor unit. Shawn went outside and scanned the back porch and back windows and determined that The Boy and The Girl are moving from the 2nd floor to the 1st floor. And yes, his little reconnaissance mission was just as Nosy Nelly as it seems.

So of course this discovery sent Nosy Nelly into overdrive. You see, the front porch, which is where the 2nd floor unit enters the building, has a railing dividing it in half. There is no porch sharing there, or even any possibility of porch sharing, because of the clear presence of the railing as a boundary. However, this is not the case on the back porch, which is where the 1st floor unit enters the building. There is no railing on the back porch, and the yard is open to the full back of the house as well. The yard is perfectly free to be shared, but the porch has always been regarded as having an invisible boundary down the middle. Just a common courtesy kind of thing.

Given our past history of back porch neighbors (see this post and its references to "E") , Nervous Nosy Nelly is FREAKING OUT that we are going to have *issues* with The Boy and The Girl. Playing into this is the fact that The Boy and The Girl do have friends over once in a while, and Nervous Nosy Nelly is FREAKING OUT that they might have a *party* and be *loud*. Ok, once - ONCE - they had friends over on a Sunday night and they were noisy, but it ended promptly at 11, so needless to say, I am NOT concerned that there will be a problem. Of additional *concern* to Nervous Nosy Nelly is that The Boy and The Girl are obvious Eagles fans, so of course any time there is a game, Nervous Nosy Nelly FREAKS OUT that The Boy and The Girl might be *loud*. Another factor here is that The Boy and The Girl left two pair of sandals and a pair of swim trunks on the front porch for several weeks this summer. I'm not sure why they left the stuff there, but when it disappeared nothing else reappeared in its place - leads me to believe Tweedle Dum might have said something to them, but I don't really know. Anyway, Nervous Nosy Nelly is FREAKING OUT that they will make a mess of the back porch, and all of my reassurances that I would speak up if that ever happened are.not.helping.

Are you with me on this? Do you feel my pain? More importantly, if I show up on your doorstep at 11:00 one night with my pillow and my blankie, will you let me crash on your couch?

Compounding ALLLLL of this (yes, I know - you're thinking that there can't possibly be MORE)..... Just before we realized what was happening next door Monday evening, I made the mistake of pointing out that the bone belonging to Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee's dog was laying in the back yard. Now, I mentioned this only because I didn't want the hubs to mow over it since it is our responsibility to mow the yard. Big mistake. BIG MISTAKE. This dog is the same dog that poops in the back yard, and Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee don't bother to clean up the piles. Needless to say - the dog and Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee are all on Nelly's Poop List.

When Nelly found out about the bone, there was (yes, you guessed it) more FREAKING OUT. Nelly wanted to put the bone between the screen door and the regular door of the first floor unit, because at that point we didn't know about The Boy and The Girl. Nelly just wanted to "make a point" because Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee are obviously clueless. Simply putting the bone on the porch has not gotten the point through to them in the past. No arguments there, but I was trying to explain that we didn't need to stoop to their levels of game playing. Didn't work. Got crap for suggesting that. Finally told him to do whatever he wanted, and in the end, I think he just threw the bone up onto the porch.

This is what I have been dealing with since Monday night. Last night was more subdued - there was less thumping and such from next door, but Nervous Nosy Nelly did make several trips out onto the back porch that were of definite Nosy Nelly origin. Well, Nosy Nelly combined with Testosterone-Induced Territory Claims. I'm pretty sure that for at least one of the trips onto the porch and into the yard, Nervous Nosy Nelly used the steps on the other side of the porch just to be NOSY and just to make some kind of "Man Point". Ugh.

So, all of these recent events have led me to conclude that my husband is actually a 73 year old woman trapped in the body of a 33 year old man. Seriously - - - is it just me, or do these actions of his SCREAM of that nosy old biddy living on every street in America?!?! We may have just celebrated 5 years of wedded bliss, but days like these make me shake my head and want to run screaming from the house!

What a Difference a Decade Makes

2008-09-29T19:36:00.009-04:00

All the recent events with the economy, energy crisis and upcoming election have me feeling introspective. Thus, this post.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

10 years ago, I was 18.
Today, I am 28.

10 years ago, I was single and didn't have any prospects of meeting Mr. Right, or any guy for that matter.
Today, I have been happily married for exactly 5 years and 2 days.

10 years ago, my parents were too strict because they wouldn't let me take my car with me to college.
Today, my father has been gone for 7 and a half years, my mother has been gone for just over 1 year, my grandmother has been gone less than a week, and I would give anything to have them each back for just one more day.

10 years ago, I was finishing my first month of college.
Today, I have just had my 6th anniversary of working for my current employer, and I'm wondering what the future holds for me there.

10 years ago, I couldn't wait to get out of Small Town, Pennsylvania.
Today, I can't wait to get back there.

10 years ago, America was the invincible top dog.
Today, we live in a very uncertain world with terrorists who would love to see this country crumble and an economy that is on very shaky ground.

10 years ago, my biggest concern was getting to class on time and figuring out how to pay my credit card bill.
Today, my biggest concern is getting to work on time and having enough money in the bank to pay ALL the bills (utilities AND credit cards AND car payments AND student loans AND rent AND on AND on AND on....), while still having enough left over for groceries and other necessities.

10 years ago, EVERYTHING was a necessity because I was 18 and invincible - and mom and dad would always bail out my credit card bill.
Today, I like to think that I consider every purchase, but I still don't always make wise choices with my money.

10 years ago, gas was less than $1.50 a gallon. (12 years ago, gas was 99 cents a gallon.)
Today, gas is $3.49 and that seems like a GOOD price.

10 years ago, I thought that I would never be in a position where grocery shopping would be too expensive.
Today, I clip coupons and have a weekly grocery budget, while playing the CVS game and keeping track of which generics are OK and which are not so great.

10 years ago, the grocery store provided everything I needed to cook with, and growing vegetables seemed like too much work.
Today, I wish we were in a place where we could have a real garden full of vegetables, fruits and herbs.

10 years ago, I scoffed at the idea of canning foods and swore that I would never do it.
Today, I am planning on canning barbecue sauce, pear honey and more blueberry jam - among others.

10 years ago, I trusted the things that I bought at the grocery store.
Today, I read the labels to make sure nothing was made in China.

10 years ago, life was simpler.
Today, I long for that simplicity.

Quick Update

2008-09-17T11:00:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to leave a quick note here for those who follow my blog.

My grandma passed away very early this morning (4 am or so). Services will probably be sometime next week, after one aunt and uncle return from vacation.

Weekend Recap: The word for the weekend is AWKWARD.

2008-09-15T07:49:00.008-04:00

Not too much exciting went on this weekend, but I thought I'd run it down for you anyway. Sorry, this is a long one, and there aren't any pictures. (ETA: I did go back through after I posted this and tried to cut it down - not sure that it worked, though.)

We were up in the Poconos and were joined by Shawn's parents. I was not looking forward to this weekend - it's always an awkward experience to be around his parents. That had me on edge Friday evening, and this anxiety was heightened 100-fold when we realized that Shawn's parents did not take his advice regarding their departure time to drive out to the Poconos - they left waaayyy too early, and we thought for sure they would be sitting in the driveway waiting for us.

We got to our house up there a little bit before Shawn's parents (they had found a Perkins to stop at for their dinner), and after we unloaded our car, I went to the grocery store. Of course, it being a small town, the chances are better than 50/50 that I will run into someone I know. While searching for the things on my list, I bumped into a friend from high school who I also roomed with for a year at college. She was there with her husband and daughter. Another awkward moment. We didn't exactly live together well at college, and Shawn does not care for her husband at all, so it was good that he was not with me. Our little bit of small talk went OK, but this awkward little encounter just lead to more anxiety on my part.

When I got back to the house, Shawn had given his mom a mini-tour of the flower beds and the rooms we cleaned up and redecorated this winter. I walked in at the end of it, but because I wasn't there for it, I'm not really sure what she thought of things. It doesn't really matter, but my relationship with my mother-in-law is so awkward that I never really know what she is thinking.

While sitting around our little fire ring Friday night, we got a phone call from my Aunt Dian. She started the conversation off by asking if I had talked to my uncle, Davie, or his wife, Jane, this week. Ruh roh. Not a good way to start a conversation. That was Clue #2 that something was wrong. Clue #1 was that my aunt's voice was rather shaky.

The long and the short of it is that my grandma is not doing well. She is living in a nursing home and fell last Saturday. When my aunt took her to the doctor, they discovered that she had broken her pelvis in the fall. While at the doctor's office, my aunt asks them to do a CAT scan of Grandma's head. She had been acting very confused and just not at all herself these past few weeks/months, but a scan in May didn't show anything. Unfortunately, the scan taken this week showed a mass in Grandma's brain, which explains a lot of what has been going on recently with her health and behavior. She's also not eating or drinking, and doesn't seem to be able to swallow. My aunt asked the doctor how long we've got, and he said that it could be today, could be next week, but that he didn't foresee her lasting more than 2 months. So, my aunt ended the conversation basically saying that the next time she called me, it would probably be with bad news. My grandma and I were never especially close - she just was not that kind of grandparent - but it's still sad, especially to watch my aunts and uncles deal with this. Grandma was a rather bitter woman, so this is just difficult (and awkward) all around. She's 92 or 93, has survived a stroke, several mini-strokes, and several bouts with cancer, so it's amazing we've had this long.

After all the awkwardness and whatnot associated with Friday, I wasn't sure what to expect of the rest of the weekend. Saturday, I helped my mother-in-law make sticky buns for breakfast. After Shawn mowed the yard and we had lunch, we all went to a nearby state park. Shawn's mom and I and their dog went for a walk while the guys fished. When we got home afterwards, we had dinner. We made turkey burgers and also served pasta salad and baked beans. The turkey burgers were a new thing to the in-laws, although I had used ground turkey in a lasagna I made for them a couple years ago so it wasn't completely new to them (translation: I snuck the ground turkey into the lasagna, and they didn't know about it). I don't think my mother-in-law cared for them, because I use herbs and spices when I make turkey burgers and she really doesn't care for any flavor in her food. I don't think she liked the pasta salad either - I saw her picking things out of it. Whatever. Shawn said later that if they went hungry, it's their own fault. That's generally the view I take every time we have people over, because I know that I will always have plenty of food on hand. We spent the rest of the evening sitting around the fire again.

Sunday morning, I made blueberry pancakes. The biggest hurdle I have when cooking for my in-laws is that my mother-in-law likes to ... insert herself ... into the kitchen. She can be like an overeager puppy dog when it comes to offering her assistance, but if you let her help, all she does is tell you how she would do things, or what she doesn't like. I get weird offhand comments from her like, "Oh, I don't add ____ to my ____," typically said in a tone of voice that just grates on my nerves. Perfect example of that was Christmas 2006, when she watched me make stuffing and said "Oh, I only add parsley to my stuffing." Well, that explains why her stuffing tastes like BREAD, and my stuffing tastes like STUFFING. And let's not forget her sighs. You know the ones. The sighs that someone gives when they aren't pleased with something but don't want to come right out and say anything. Yeah, that's her. Fortunately, I somehow managed to give her the hint that her help was not needed in the kitchen.

We all sat around lazily after breakfast, and then the in-laws left after lunch. We drove back down here and relaxed with what little was left of the weekend. Now here we are at Monday.

Nothing exciting on the horizon for this week... I have a bunch of tomatoes to deal with, which is probably going to happen tonight. Other than that, I have a list for CVS and would like to get to Weis because they are having a big meat sale which ends on Wednesday. We need to get our vehicles inspected this week, and I'm supposed to be scrapping with a friend on Sunday - the bright spot at the end of the week. For now, I really should get back to work.

Enjoy your Monday and have a great week!

Last Night's CVS Deal

2008-09-12T08:30:00.003-04:00

Sorry that I didn't get a chance to take a picture of this deal, but it was a doozie! Doozy? However you spell it.

Right Guard and Soft n Dri deoderant was on sale for $2.99 and you got $2 in ECB back for each one. That effectively made them 99 cents each, with a limit of 5 items. I had 5 coupons for $1 each, so I got 5 deorderants essentially for free.
Schick Quattro disposable razors were on sale BIGI. At CVS, a BIG sale means that you can use 2 coupons - 1 on each item technically, but realistically it amounts to taking the value of the 2 coupons off of the price of the non-free item. Follow me? So, I had lots of coupons, some $2 and some $3. The $3 coupons were for an extra fancy model, and even though the signage within the store was super spotty and the vast majority of the sale items were not marked, I decided to risk using the coupons for the extra fancy razors without knowing for sure if they were a part of the sale. So, each pack of razors was $7.99 and I used two $3 coupons. That means I got 2 packs of razors (6 razors total) for $1.99.
I grabbed a couple of odds and ends - Shawn needed face wash ($4 and change) and I had a raging headache, so I grabbed a 99 cent travel pack of Advil.
GRAND TOTAL - After using $11 in coupons and something like $17 in ECB from last week's trip .......... $1.72.

Yes, that's right - I got 5 deoderants, 2 packages of razors, facewash and Advil for less than $2. And the only reason I paid that much was because you can't really use the ECB for sales tax. I was totally excited by my purchase. Shawn was his usual apathetic self when I shared my deal. I think he is worried that I will become a bit of a hoarder like my mother was. The difference, though, is that we will use things like deorderant, shampoo and body wash before they spoil. The same can't be said of the 4 bottles of ketchup that Mom would buy at any given time, when there were already 3 in the pantry.

Getting that many things for less than $2 totally made up for the fact that I had someone with the brain capacity of an amoeba as my cashier. She couldn't get my coupons to scan, accidentally ended the transaction without scanning all my coupons, and then didn't know how to correct what she had done ..... bad scene, but I was good. As much as I was screaming in my head, "Where the &^## is the &!^$ manager?", I managed to keep a cool head and waited patiently while my purchase was fixed.

Can't wait to take a look at next week's ad - I love getting stuff for free!

We Remember

2008-09-11T08:14:00.009-04:00

Today is September 11, 2008. Seven years ago, the face of America and its people were changed forever. Changed in a way that cannot ever be undone.

Seven years ago today, our nation was attacked. But more than that, our nation was brought to its knees and truly shaken to the core. I hate to use euphamisms like that, but really what other words are there?

This morning, I wanted to make a very short posting here and simply put up a picture of the American flag, but as I looked through the pictures that I found while searching Google, I realized that there were other pictures that spoke to me. I'd like to share those with you now.

As the daughter, neice, cousin and granddaughter of volunteer firemen, this image is stirring. It is also eerily reminiscent of the Iwo Jima Memorial in Washington DC. In the face of horrific tragedy and unthinkable loss, these men took time to raise our flag. It was as if to say, "You may have hurt us, but we stand tall and proud." For as much as we honor those who died in the planes, at the World Trade Center and at the Pentagon, let us not forget those who died in service while trying to save lives. Let us not forget the firefighters, EMT's and police officers.

This photo shows a flag being unfurled over the side of a wall at the Pentagon. I believe that the attack at the Pentagon will always hold an especially sacred spot in my husband's heart, as well as my own, because of the loss of this man.

The photo above is of Lt. Jonas Martin Panik. He graduated from Bellefonte High Schoool, in Bellefonte PA, in 1993, just like my husband. While Shawn did say that they were never close friends in high school, it was very clear that this personal connection to the events of September 11 made it all the harder for him to bear. Lt. Panik worked in the Naval Intelligence Office, and as the plane crashed into the Pentagon, he was part of a group trying to gain information about that morning's attacks on the World Trade Center. This article provides a glimpse into the events of that day, as it pertained to Lt. Panik and others in his group. Jonas left behind his wife, their dogs, his parents, and his sister.

I believe that the events of seven years ago will be forever engrained in my heart and soul. I believe that the attack on America will be like the assasination of John F. Kennedy for my generation - we will always remember where we were and what we were doing when we learned of the planes crashing into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the field in rural Pennsylvania.

In tribute to that, I ask that you use the comment section of this post to share with others where you were or what you were doing when you first heard about the attacks on our country.

I leave you with this. God Bless the USA - Lee Greenwood

Uh oh ... more politics!

2008-09-09T19:35:00.004-04:00

I really have to say that I usually don't spout off randomly about my political beliefs. That's my disclaimer for the day, since this is Political Post #2 for my blog.

So why are you being subjected to Political Post #2? (Or as Shawn put it, "Geeze, you're even more into this whole politics thing than I am!)

Because this is the first time I've felt like I've had a horse in the political race. Any race - presidential or otherwise. I feel *represented* - guess what? That was a premise our government was based upon. A premise that, unfortunately, has fallen by the wayside - sacrificed to lobbyists and political action committees and the almighty dollar.
Because the more I watch the Democrats absolutely *struggle* to dig up dirt about Palin, the more turned off I get at their desperate actions and rampant double standards. Don't know what I'm referring to? I can list several, but I won't - that could be a blog post in and of itself.
The aforementioned desperate actions and rampant double standards? Yeah, the fact that the media is *ripe* with them also has my knickers in a wad. If the media leaned any more to the left, it would FALL OVER.
Because for once, for one tiny moment of the past 8 years, I am not ashamed to admit that I am a Republican. Not screaming it from the rooftops, but certainly not cowering away from political discussions.
Because for once, when I hear a politician use the buzzword "change", I think she really means it. I have confidence that McCain and Palin can (and will!) kick ass and take names in Washington. Hell, if she listed the previous governor's plane on eBay - she's got the balls to take on Washington!
Because I am bitter. More specifically, I am a bitter Pennsylvanian - one of those people Barack Obama is so completely out of touch with.
Because I am PROUD to cling to my religion, my God and my guns! And guess what - those were rights guaranteed to us by our forefathers, as well. Hmm, seems like the Democrats are all too easily forgetting what this country was forged on. You know what they say - if you forget the past, you are doomed to repeat it. Frankly, this country could do with a little more of these founding values.

That's why I shared my excitement about Sarah Palin's choice to be McCain's running mate.

That's why I've added a "McCain - Palin" icon to the left.

That's why you'll be hearing more of these things from me in the days and weeks to come. No, this blog isn't going to turn into a political blog. It's going to continue being a place for me to write about what's on my mind - it just so happens that politics are on my mind right now.

(PS - You'll also be hearing more of this because I work with a bunch of Democrats, except for Melanie, and because Shawn is going to be sick and tired of hearing me rant!) :)

Staying Up Late Tonight

2008-09-03T21:50:00.008-04:00

I'm staying up late tonight. Bedtime is usually 10, but I'm thinking of staying up til 11 or so.

Why?

To watch this classy lady ROCK the RNC.

I've spent the past few months feeling very "blah" about this whole election. I started out on one side, began to lose interest there, and recently haven't really felt compelled to vote for either candidate. But when McCain announced that his running mate would be Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska, I suddenly knew where my vote lay.

Now, I realize that the VP has very little power unless the unthinkable would happen. And I also would never wish bad things on anyone. But this wonderful woman - this REAL person - has what it takes to make a difference in the White House.

Do I agree with her on every position? Not necessarily. But that's ok with me.

I truly think that she can lead this country in the direction in needs to go. I believe that she has what it takes (the guts, the determination, the courage) to stand up to the established "good ol' boy" mentality that has gotten our country where it is today. I believe that she is the most REAL candidate or running mate that I have ever seen. I love that she is YOUNG. I love that she has a family - a large family, at that. I love that she is a living example of a successful career woman AND a successful mother.

And so, because I support her and because I am curious to hear more of what she has to say, I will be staying up to hear her speech at the Republican National Convention. It's 10:15 now, and Rudy Giuliani is speaking. Gov. Palin is supposed to take the stage at 10:35, but we'll see if it happens on schedule - there has already been some sort of schedule mix-up or rearrangement that involved the Governor of Hawaii and the musical performance for the evening.

(Side note: The crowd just began chanting "Drill baby, drill!" I love it! Yes, please, DRILL. I know it's only a short term fix, but in my ever so humble opinion, the less money we send overseas to the Middle East - the BETTER! Drill, and buy us some time to find a more permanent energy solution.)

I'm signing off now... gotta get situated and ready for Palin's speech. If you see me tomorrow and I'm a bit groggy, now you know why :) Give me some coffee, and come find me after I've shaken the cobwebs from my brain.

Finally an update!

2008-09-02T20:42:00.005-04:00

Yes, I know - I've been a bad blogger. And now you finally get an update from me - but I don't feel like I have much to say.

Went to SAVE. Got 7 LO's done (9 pages total). Really pleased with most of them because they turned out nicely. The others were simpler - one I even called my "practice LO", because I started with it to get over my excitement of being there.
Went to the Poconos for Labor Day weekend. Didn't do anything super exciting... mowed the grass... went to the fair... tidied up a little bit... see? nothing exciting.
Helped to make a movie at work. It was a promotional piece for a new product launched this summer, and it will be on YouTube of all places. It started out ok, but got really corny / cheesy / hokey .... I really hope someone's artistic touches make it look better than it felt to be doing it. I mean, seriously - we were wearing pointy party hats, and the film crew was dropping "confetti" in front of the camera.

I think those are all the highlights. I had wanted to do a post last week of the deals I got, but since the deals expired when the week ended, it doesn't seem as worthwhile to post about. But I will say that it was very nice to have the Rite Aid cashier say, "Man - I'm shopping with you next time!!". Clearly my coupons made an impact on that trip.

Things coming this week... hmm, not much. Yes, I know, I'm living a boring life these days. Hopefully the blogging bug comes back... I don't like going so long between posts, but I don't always feel like I have anything worth sharing.

Only 1 More Sleep!!

2008-08-21T20:27:00.004-04:00

Just one more! Only tonight is separating me from a weekend of scrapping and relaxing at SAVE. Shawn and I packed most of my stuff into the car tonight... only my clothes, toiletries, 'puter and miscellaneous are left - just 3 small bags.

So, what am I planning on crafting while I'm there?

I'm taking all the Arizona material with me... still plenty to work on there, but I'm hoping to do other scrapping to prevent Arizona from becoming an unfinished chore.
I've scanned in and copied old pictures I found up in the Poconos, and can't wait to get all vintage-y and shabby on them.... a new truck my dad got in 1963... my parents' wedding day in 1965... my mom on a tractor sometime in the 70's or 80's
I have PLENTY of new pics to scrap, too... pictures of Mountain Laurel - I want to scrap the story of my name... pics of me on a lawn tractor - possibly to be used in conjunction with the pics of Mom on a tractor, but I'm not sure... Christmas 2007 is unfinished, and Christmas 2008 isn't started... and plenty more where those came from.
I also wouldn't mind taking some time to be able to sit and actually focus on getting down some blog post ideas... either entire posts, or just notes for future use. I have a lot of ideas floating around in this head of mine, but I very rarely get a chance to get them out - that very problem is also one of the things I want to write about.

So, as you can see, there is a lot of scrapping I can do. How much I actually get done remains to be seen. I did 14 pages (not layouts - pages) last August. It would be nice to do that many or more this year, but I'm taking two classes and getting a massage, so I'm not sure it will actually happen. I'm optimistic, and will enjoy myself regardless.

I might try to post from Split Rock, but if not, you'll hear from me next week. Tootles!!

Today's CVS Deals

2008-08-19T20:45:00.006-04:00

I ventured out to CVS this evening. There weren't a whole lot of things that grabbed my attention from the weekly ad, but I had a bunch of Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) that expire next week. I took a peak at next week's ad, thanks to hotcouponworld.com, and decided that there wasn't much to offer there either. So, I decided to use my ECBs tonight to get some treats and such for SAVE.

In this picture, you will find ...

4 bags of CVS Gold Emblem candy, regularly 99 cents each, on sale for 88 cents each = $3.52
2 bags of True North nuts, regularly $3.49 each, on sale 2/$5, with 2 coupons for $1 each = $3.00
1 small box of Oreos and 1 small box of Fig Newtons, regularly $1.89 each, on sale 5/$5, with a coupon for 75 cents off 2 = $1.25
3 boxes of Puffs tissues, regularly $2.19, on sale for 88 cents each, with a coupon for $1 off 3 = $1.64
3 bottles of Caress body wash, regularly $5.29 each, on sale for $2.99 each, with 3 coupons for $1 each = $5.97
4 Oral-B toothbrushes, regularly $2.99, on sale for $1.99 each, with 2 coupons for $1 off 2 = $5.96 AND I earned $1 ECB for each brush
1 8 bar package of Lever 2000 soap, regularly $7.49, on sale for $5.99, with a coupon for $1 = $4.99
2 40-ct canisters of Wet Ones wipes, regularly $2.99, on sale BIGI, with 2 peelie coupons for 75 cents each = $1.49
1 20-ct box of Band Aid Ultras, regularly $4.49 with $1 coupon = $3.49 (no sale)
1 Neosporin-to-Go package, regularly $6.49 with $1 coupon = $5.49 (no sale)
AND I made $5 ECB on the Band Aids and Neo-to-Go
4 greeting cards, total = $9.16 (no sale)
1 fingernail clipper = $1.69 (no sale)

The grand total of all that: $51.18 with $9 ECB earned back.

To pay for that, I used a total of $33.99 in ECB.

Total OOP (out of pocket) = $13.66 ..... some how, my math shown above isn't adding up correctly, but this $13.66 is what I actually paid, regardless of how this math works. And, I have $9 to restock my ECBs. I was quite pleased with myself - $80+ of merchandise, and I paid $13.

As for Shawn, he doesn't get quite as excited as I do about all of this, but he did say that he doesn't care where I get things or how, as long as we're maintaining our current standard of living (his words, not mine). He did mention something about putting the difference into savings, but really I'm just in this to get as much as I can for as few $$ as possible. Well, that, and the thrill of the hunt. It's really a great feeling to get stuff for cheap (or free). Makes me feel like I'm being a good manager of my home and my resources if I can get deals like this.

Ahh, it's good to get a deal!!

PS - 3 more sleeps!!

4 More Sleeps!!

2008-08-18T20:17:00.003-04:00

4 more sleeps until I can escape from everyday life and enjoy 3 days of scrappin' and relaxin' !!

The countdown is on!!!

I think I did something bad.

2008-08-07T09:27:00.003-04:00

Ok, I've been wanting to write about all the jam I made and my other domestic activities, but I really need to take this moment to tell you about something I did last night. I think I did something bad. Really bad. BAD.

I dumped almost all of my Prima flowers out of their bottles and into 1 gallon-size zip-top bag.

Yes, that's right. I dumped out at least 8 ... maybe as many as 12 ... jars of Prima flowers into 1 single bag.

Why did I do it?

It's a serious pain to try to dig the flowers out of the jar. Shaking the jar doesn't work. Tweezers are OK, but you have to be careful to not rip the flower as you're tweezing it. All around annoyance, especially with my pudgy fingers.
The jars take up a lot of room. They had been serving a decorative purpose at one point in my scraproom history, but there got to be too many of them. I put all the jars into a basket then, but it was a large basket. Took up lots of room, and of course, since the jars are heavy, I can't just use any ole' basket or set the basket any ole' place.
The jars are not very portable, again because of the heaviness and bulkiness. And you know me - I have to be prepared for any scrapping situation, so I'd like to be able to have every possibly color on hand. This is especially important because I'm packing to go away to SAVE in two weeks.

Why was this bad?

Because I am one of the most anal people I know.
Because aesthetics and organization are important to me and to my anal requirement for visual balance.

I knew it was bad even as I was doing it ... I was feeling definite pangs of regret with every jar I dumped ... Shawn was even sitting there telling me that I was going to regret it. He later said that he gave me 3 months, max, before I decided to sort them all back out again and return them to their jars.

But I did it anyway. I forced my practical side to overturn my anal side. When I said this to Shawn, he said that sometimes practicality isn't the most important thing. Guess he knows me all too well, huh?

As I sat there last night, looking at the bag full of flowers, I decided it looked like visual vomit. Brights and pastels and darks all mixed up together. I couldn't even bring myself to take a picture to show you. But when I look at my jars of buttons, which are also a jumbled mix of colors, sizes and textures, I don't see visual vomit. Part of me reasoned that if the buttons look good all mixed up, the flowers would too. Not so much the case. Maybe the flowers would look better in a jar, rather than the bag? Probably not.

Ugh. I'm not crazy - there's no way I'm going to sort them all back out. (But if I did, it wouldn't be the first time that I un-did some crazy reckless decision that went against my anal-ness.)

At least I was somewhat smart about it - I didn't include the obviously Christmas flowers, nor did I include the ones that were of larger or odd sizes. And I also knew enough to walk away before the reckless decision making turned to some other part of my scraproom. I know some people who can handle having their brads or eyelets all jumbled up. No, thank you! Not for me! I've got those sorted out by color in bead boxes, and I was half afraid that if I stayed in the room a minute longer they too would fall prey to my reckless hands.

Ugh. Someone tell me that they've done this with their flowers, and that it all turned out OK. Someone reassure me that it will grow on me, and that it won't look as much like visual vomit. Someone tell me that this was a good decision, 'cause right now it feels BAD.

New post coming!

2008-08-04T21:18:00.002-04:00

I promise!!!

Rough Day Yesterday

2008-07-29T08:58:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was a rough day at work. Several people were laid off. These cuts had been announced before we found out about our merger. It left all of us feeling shell-shocked. Apparently, they have until the end of September.

Heavy day yesterday. Still feels heavy today.

Scratchin' That Itch

2008-07-24T10:44:00.005-04:00

Last night I decided to look for a cross-stitch that I started a few years ago, in the hopes that it would "scratch the itch" I had for doing some craft work. This particular piece is a flowery heart that will have the "Love is patient, Love is kind..." verse below it. So did it work? Well, a little bit, I guess. A smidge. I still want to try my hand at the yo-yo quilt, but the cross stitch will do. It will tide me over until I can buy the yo-yo quilt materials. What's holding me up - what's stopping me from rushing out to get the fabric and thread and other such goodies?

We're trying really hard to get our finances (read: credit card debt) under control once again, so I'm trying really, really hard to cut back on impulse and frivolous spending.
The yo-yo quilt, for all its simplicity, is a time consuming project to undertake. Especially to make a true "quilt" out of them, rather than just a table runner. I don't want to go whole-hog (read: spend lots of $$) for something that will end up shoved in a closet in some half-assed unfinished state.
See previous post regarding Domestic Goddess ADHD. That little problem will ensure that the yo-yo's end up in the aforementioned half-assed unfinished state.

So, basically, I don't want to go whole-hog for something that is almost destined to not get finished. I'd like to give the cross stitch thing a chance - see if working on that for a while (maybe even - GASP - finishing it) will dull the urge to go yo-yo crazy. Oh, I'm sure I'll give in and buy the yo-yo stuff eventually, but if I can put it off for a few weeks, then I will know that it is something I really want to try and not just another impulse purchase.

As a little insight into my impulse decisions in the world of crafting, my dear friend Jen left a comment on the Yo-Yo Post ... something to the effect of "Oh no - here we go again!". Hahaha :) . Jen and I have this ... history ... of getting each other involved in crafting. And I'm assuming that her comment referred to this "history".

The summer after our freshman year of college, we were bored. Wanted something to do. So, we went to Wal-Mart. Found ourselves in the craft aisle. Decided to try small (5x7 inch) cross stitch kits of apples. We each got the same kit and taught ourselves how to cross stitch. We each followed those up with different projects. I made a very pretty wolf picture for Shawn. It was much bigger than 5x7, and I kid you not - it took my YEARS to finish. Mainly because I was in college and there were other things more important than cross stitch.
Junior year of college, I went out and bought myself a used sewing machine from 1960-something for $100. Don't really remember why. Think maybe part of it was because Jen was sewing pillows and other cute stuff, and I wanted to try too? I dunno. All I do know is that I decided to make myself a dress, and Jen helped me cut out the pattern and fabric.
Winter 2003-2004 (I think... or was it 2004-2005?). Jen started scrapbooking, and I totally blew it off. "I would never waste my time doing that. Bah!" Yeah. Right. Shoulda kept my mouth SHUT on that one. It wasn't too long, and guess what? I was scrapbooking, too.
HAHAHAHA! The funniest thing just happened - while I was typing this little bullet list, I got an email from Jen. Guess she knew I was thinking about her, huh? Anyway, in this email (hope you don't mind me sharing), Jen said that she had seen the yo-yo quilts before, even saved the pattern at one point, but had never "scratched the itch". Then she went on to say that she just might join me after she finishes her current craft project. So it seems that the "history" continues! Love ya girl!! When we're ready to start, you'll have to come to my Super JoAnn's for a big ole' shopping spree for fabric and supplies.

So that's my crafting history. Weird impulsive decisions that have lead to a lifetime's supply of hobbies. Well, and a lifetime's supply of SUPPLIES too! (Mel and Jen - you *know* what I am talking about, you've seen my room!) Now if only there weren't this pesky thing called WORK that stood in the way of my crafting time ...

Oh, wait - that pesky thing called WORK is what PAYS for my crafty supplies. Guess there's no escaping it. Darn.

Domestic Inspirations: Yo-Yo Quilt

2008-07-23T08:27:00.009-04:00

Ok, remember how a few posts back I said that I wanted to do something tactile and be creative? Well, for whatever reason, this struck me as something that might be fun to do.

Yo-yo quilts are made using small circles of fabric that have been stitched and gathered. The gathered circles are referred to as yo-yo's, and they are held to one another with a few stitches along the edges. In the past, they were perceived as a useful way to use up fabric scraps that couldn't be made into something else. Thus, a lot of the older (vintage) yo-yo quilts are a tremendous hodge-podge of colors and patterns. Of course today yo-yo's can be made to match any color scheme you would choose.

There are two different ways to attach yo-yo's to one another - at 4 points, and at 6 points. 4 point attachment provides a grid-like look, with each row having the same number of yo-yo's. 6 point attachment gives a hexagonal look, with the yo-yo's fitting much closer together.The beauty of the design is such that you can truly make any size quilt you can imagine. Use just a few yo-yo's, and you can make a trivet for a hot pot. Add a few more, and you have a table runner. Keep going, and you can make a bed-size quilt. The possibilities are truly endless.

So, I'm feeling the urge to try my hand at this. Literally - try my *hand*. You can't really machine stitch these yo-yo's, so it is definitely a "handicraft". But on the plus side, you can cut out a whole bunch of circles and have a ready-to-go craft that can easily be taken with you. Just toss the fabric, needle, thread and a small pair of scissors in a Ziploc bag, toss it in your purse, and you've got the perfect thing to keep you occupied while you're sitting in a waiting room.

This urge to do something tactile, and now this discovery of the yo-yo quilt has me absolutely *itching* to go to JoAnn's Fabric. I've got all kinds of ideas for color combos I could pick. One problem - I think my urging and itching would lead to a lot of trouble at JoAnn's. $$$ trouble. So, I'm trying to restrain myself for a few more days. Waiting until next week maybe, until I get paid again and have a few more dollars in my Spending Money envelope (more on that in another post). Until then, I'll be Googling these beauties and getting all kinds of ideas in my head. Sigh ... Google can be your friend, or it can be an evil temptress!

-----------------------------

Pictures from "The Yo-yo Quilt". More information & instructions are provided there.

Domestic Inspirations: Money Saving Mom

2008-07-21T20:03:00.008-04:00

As I said in my last post, I've been feeling very domestic these days. So, I thought that maybe others could benefit from my crazy urges. Hence, a new category of posts - Domestic Inspirations. I hope to use this category to share the things that are inspiring my domesticity. Or my insanity. Take your pick.

First up, a blog I came across a week or two ago. Money Saving Mom is written by Crystal Paine, a woman about my age with a husband and two little girls. The blog, as Crystal states is "dedicated to helping you find great deals, stretch your hard-earned dollars, and live on less than you make so you can save more and give more."

Since money is always a bit tight, and since it's growing all the tighter with the price of gas and the price of groceries, I was very intrigued by some of the things I saw on Crystal's site. First of all, Crystal does a fabulous job of monitoring the various deals that major stores are running. For instance, right now she is keeping track of the great penny and 5 cent deals that office supply stores have been having for the great Back to School rush. While Back to School isn't something that's a factor in my life, there are plenty of other things that this kid-less woman can benefit from.

On a regular basis, Crystal posts the various deals that can be had at CVS. For those of you who don't know, CVS has one of those card programs that allow you to get special sales and deals. The key to the CVS program - the thing that makes it worth investigating - is that the program gives you back money. They call it Extra Care Bucks, or ECBs. Once you get familiar with the program, you can actually use it to get products for FREE. Yes, that's right. By combining coupons, sales, and the ECBs, you can get products for free. Now, of course, not *everything* will be free - but it can certainly be CHEAP!

I had known about this program for a while now. More than a year ago, my friend, Jen, showed me her closet full of free stuff. Ok, the whole closet wasn't FULL, but it was A LOT OF STUFF. But for whatever reason, I didn't jump on the bandwagon. Not really sure what has me more into it now, other than the fact that Crystal does a great job of explaining the program and illustrating exactly how to get the deals to work. At any rate, I encourage you to check it out - especially if you buy a significant number of health and beauty products. Here is Crystal's tutorial for getting started with the CVS program.

Lastly, Crystal's blog is great for finding free samples and printable coupons. I've signed up for several samples, and am waiting for my Happy Mail Day. I've also printed out a few coupons from the sites Crystal links to. Two pointers for you ...

1 - Use a "junk" email address for the sample and coupon requests. Companies can and do sell your email address, which is how you end up with spam and junk in your inbox. Free email addresses can be set up through Hotmail or Google, or you can set aside a separate identity for this purpose within your existing email program.

2 - Not every store will accept coupons printed off the internet. Check with your store before you march proudly up to the register with a fist full of internet coupons.

So, if you are looking for was to stretch a dollar (and really - who isn't??), I encourage you to check out Money Saving Mom. Even a little change can make a difference.

I think I'm suffering from Domestic Goddess ADHD. **

2008-07-21T09:02:00.008-04:00

So, recently I've been feeling this urge to be all domestic. I want to cook, clean, decorate, organize, etc. Grocery lists, meal plans, coupon-clipping, budgeting - all of that. I want to get creative. Try something new. Play.

And it's really frustrating when I can't scratch that domestic itch. And then, of course, because I have this strong desire to be domestic, it's like I can't focus on any particular task. This was my life this weekend...

--------------------------
Laundry? You got it! Oh, but wait - there's a sink full of dishes. Ok, I'll do the dishes when the laundry is washing.

Dishes done, laundry spinning. Now what? Oh - the grocery ads. Plan my lists and find the deals. But wait - what should we have for dinner? Do I have any of that in the cupboards? These cupboards are a nightmare - forget the lists, need to organize the cupboards.

What? The load of laundry is done? Ugh - but I'm halfway through the cupboards. Fine - I'll hang the laundry and get another load going, then come back to this.

Laundry is hung, but these plants really need to be pruned. Where are the pruners?

Ok, found the pruners in the kitchen. Man, would you look at the mess on the counter top! Prune first, mess second.

Pruning is done, but now I'm hot and sweaty. Ok, time for a break.

Break's done, but so is the laundry. Time to hang it up and get another load spinning.

Yuck - it's 90+ degrees out there, so I'm hot and sweaty again after hanging up the laundry. Time for another break.

Lunch? You want lunch? Ok, we'll do lunch. But wait - there's no where to make lunch - - the counter top is covered in the remnants of the cupboard organization. Need to finish this before we can have lunch.

(And all the while that this was going on, my head was spinning with thoughts of the laundry that needed folded, the kitchen table that I haven't seen the top of in more than a month, the scrap room that I haven't visited in a looonnnggg time, etc etc etc.)
--------------------------

Sigh. Was your head spinning through all of that? Mine sure was. And even though I managed to clear up some clutter and we vacuumed the downstairs, I still feel unfulfilled. The domestic itch is still there. There is more cleaning I want to do. There are sour cherries in my refrigerator begging to be baked into something yummy. My fingers are itching for something tactile and creative - I even feel an urge to whip out the sewing machine. Doesn't help that every time I peruse the internet, I find more ideas, projects, domestic inspirations.

I think it's only appropriate to say that I am suffering from Domestic Goddess ADHD. Wouldn't you agree?

** Please do not take offense at my reference to ADHD. I mean it only as a tongue-in-cheek reference to my own lack of focus.

Ack! A week!

2008-07-15T20:17:00.004-04:00

A week! So sorry - didn't mean to go so long without a post.

And what a week it's been.

The biggest news of the week is that the company I work for is being sold. It's in the process of happening, and will be finalized in the coming months. In the interest of not finding myself dooce-d, that's all I'm gonna say about that. Suffice it to say that this news has made life ... interesting.

In other news, we were up in the Poconos again this past weekend. Spent a wonderful evening on Friday with some friends sitting around a campfire. It's the simple things that make life great. Saturday, we spent much of the day picking blueberries. Shawn's sister came up for a few hours to join us in the picking, and, after grilling up some turkey burgers, we had a yummy dessert of homemade vanilla ice cream with homemade blueberry syrup on top.

Other than that, not too much going on right now. Looking forward to spending this weekend at home, because this place is desperately in need of some cleaning. Also looking forward to SAVE - 37 days away, baby!!

Ok, so that's it for now. Hope to have more to talk about later!

Wow!!

2008-07-08T19:39:00.004-04:00

Ok, "Wow!!" is all I can think of right now for a title to this post. I checked my counter and Feedjit gizmos earlier today and noticed an uptick in traffic, but when I checked just now - I've had at least 21 brand spankin' new visitors to my blog in the past 24 hours! 21 new visitors!! Wowzers!

All I can say is - where are y'all comin' from????

I don't mean in the physical sense, because I can see you're from California, North and South Dakota, Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio, and several other states in between. I mean in the internet sense - how did you find lil ol' me?!?!

You're showing up as "direct hits" on Bravenet, so it doesn't look like you've done a search for something I've mentioned. That usually shows up as a Google page with whatever topic you've searched for. It doesn't look like you're coming from a site who has my blog listed as a link, because then that site would show up as your origination point.

You've got my curiosity up. I never thought I'd have people stopping by from all over the country, and I might poop myself if (when??) I get an international visitor.

So help me out. Tell me how you've found me. I'm curious. Leave a comment for me on this post, letting me know how you found this blog. I just might make it worth your while - I'm thinking a little RAK or something, drawn from those of you who leave a comment.

You peeps have seriously made my day! Thanks!!

Ahh, the crazies have come out to play.

2008-07-07T21:07:00.002-04:00

Perhaps I should feel honored.
But I actually feel dirty.
So, your comment has been deleted.

It gave me quite a laugh, though.

I always laugh at the internet crazies.

Back to the Grind

2008-07-07T11:55:00.007-04:00

Well, it's taken a few hours, but I think I'm finally awake enough to write something coherent here. Not enough coffee in all the WaWa's in all the land could wake me up this morning. Isn't that the way it is, though? That first day back from a vacation or holiday is always a bit rough.

I'll try not to be too wordy in my recap of the weekend, but if you know me then you know that's a struggle sometimes. Oh, and there are no pictures. Yep, I know - bad scrapbooker. I enjoyed the moments, rather than trying to capture them all.

Wednesday we went to the Kutztown Folk Festival. We made a beeline for Paul Grecian's booth, and sure enough - we were his first sale of the day!! Check out his blog to see where he mentions it. We bought "Flowers for Him" and returned later in the day to purchase "Blue Bird". Can't wait to get those framed and hung up. Love his work, can't say that enough. Might catch him up in Hawley at the Audubon Art and Craft Festival, but if not, we'll definitely try to catch up with him later this year. There are so many of his pieces that we love - more than we could ever have wall space for.
Sometime Wednesday night, we caught a raccoon in our trap. We were trying for the groundhog who has been nibbling my petunias, but got the Masked Bandit instead. Shawn let him go, because we didn't figure he was much of a nuisance, but when he ran and hid in a hole under the barn we realized that he just might be a bit of a problem. We then decided that perhaps it was the Masked Bandit who had been digging up turtle eggs rather than the turtles hatching as we had earlier suspected.
Thursday we went to Wal-Mart for a few things and then took care of some business at the bank. Also did some clean-up work for our picnic on Saturday.
Thursday night we lost our hot water, right when I was about to wash some dishes. Could have been worse - one of us could have been in the shower when it happened. Never fear though - a quick call to the oil company, and a few hours later my cousin showed up to fix it for us.
Early Friday morning I ran to the grocery store and was able to fill my cart and get outta there before the crowds got crazy. Gotta love holiday weekends in the Poconos - there are as many people up for the weekend as there are leaves on the trees. Traffic is a nightmare, and the grocery store is only fit for shopping within its first hour or two of being open. The grocery trip was followed by lots and lots of cooking, baking and cleaning to get ready for the picnic.

Saturday was Picnic Day. Shawn and I both woke up with a headache - mine went away with 3 Advil and a hot shower. His did not go away, and he stayed in bed until something like 9:00, which is totally unheard of for him. So of course I was feeling very ... anxious ... about all that needed to get done before our guests started arriving. I spent a lot of time giving the walls dirty looks and screaming the silent screams of frustration, because of course I couldn't yell at someone who wasn't feeling well. In the end, Shawn came out of his fog and was able to help out a bit before the picnic. Also, as usual, I did not need to be freaking out like I was - we managed to have everything set up with 45 minutes to spare. At 2:15 we were sitting on the porch drinking sodas waiting for guests to arrive, which didn't happen for a whole hour. The invitation time was 3:00, but no one came until 3:15. I'm coming to realize that there aren't very many people like me in the world. You know, the (annoying) type who arrives at least 15 minutes early for everything. Yep, that's me. I swear it's genetic. It's in my blood. I cannot help but be early for everything.

Anyway, the picnic turned out to be a really nice time for everyone. The kids had a blast - they were running, laughing, carrying on. They were up and down the hill, criss-crossing the creek all night long, with the bug bites and bramble scratches to prove it. As for the adults, we had a great time sitting around talking and catching up. Shawn and Val entertained everyone with their pyromaniac skills. The kids were thrilled to have "Miss Val" light their sparklers, and then when Shawn and Val started lighting off fireworks, the kids just lay right down in the grass to watch. It was so much fun - can't wait to do it again next year. That's why I love to entertain... the feeling of getting people together for a good time and a good laugh. Found some Christmas-y paper plates and napkins in the stash of party supplies... might have to recreate this fun in a few months. Minus the campfire, of course.

Another quick moment of humor, or at least something that Shawn and I found humorous. We had one cooler designated for "adult beverages". We stocked it with Yuengling, various flavors of Woodchuck, and a raspberry wheat beer whose name escapes me at the moment. All of it was bought at the neighborhood grocery store. Now, Woodchuck is not really beer - it's hard cider- and I've always kinda thought of hard cider as a hick-ish redneck-y kind of drink. Several of our guests would somewhat fit into this type of backwoods category, but they had NEVER heard of Woodchuck. Never. Shawn and I were completely surprised. When we told them you could get it at the store in town, they were floored, mainly because that store doesn't have a good variety of anything at all. They also had never had the raspberry beer, and were thrilled to learn you could get that in town, too. It was just one of those moments we weren't expecting but made for some great conversation.

So, that was the weekend in a nutshell. Of course, Sunday was spent finishing the clean-up and returning to our real home. Blech. Back to the grind of work, too. Blech. We just love spending time up in the Poconos so much... it's definitely hard to come back down here. Oh well... that's our life these days. We'll get back up there this coming weekend though - it's blueberry season, and I need to go pick a few hundred cups of the precious blue goodness!!

Vacation starts tomorrow!!

2008-07-01T08:51:00.004-04:00

Just wanted to let you all know that vacation starts tomorrow - that means there won't be any updates until next week. Shawn and I are going to Kutztown tomorrow to the Kutztown Festival, and from there we're going to the Poconos for the rest of the weekend.

It's been a couple of years since we've made it to Kutztown for the festival, and we are really looking forward to it. Each time that we've gone, we've bought one or two small hand-crafted items but there have always been many more items that we couldn't buy - either for lack of money or lack of space to put them. Both of those situations are in a little bit better position at the moment, so we're looking forward to getting something nice as a present to ourselves.

One such treat is probably going to be a print from Paul Grecian. If you click on his name or on the link on the sidebar, you can get to Paul's blog, and if you click here you can reach his main website where you can view his work. We first saw Paul's work a couple of years ago at an art show at Cabela's in Hamburg, PA, which was being held to benefit Hawk Mountain. At that time, we purchased a copy of "Flowers for Her" for my mother's Christmas present. This print features a female cardinal sitting in a flowering apple tree. We're hoping that we can pick up a copy of the companion print, "Flowers for Him," tomorrow at the Festival. We think they would look beautiful hanging together. While I can't link to the pictures here, I encourage you to check out Paul's site. He has some fabulous work, and it will be hard to stop ourselves at just one. Or two.

So, that's Wednesday. After that, we'll be getting things ready for a little picnic on Saturday. It's our way of thanking everyone who helped us out over the past year since Mom died. Believe me, it's been a full year - everything from stuffing a dumpster to installing a new vanity and sink. And painting - LOTS of painting. I hope to take a few pictures, but I admit that I am not always so good at taking pictures of or around people who don't know that I'm a picture / scrapbooking freak. If I'm successful, I'll post the results here. If not, I'm sure I will at least have stories to tell.

Until then - enjoy your holiday weekend! Happy Fourth of July!!!

We've Got a New Neighbor

2008-06-30T10:22:00.003-04:00

So, Shawn and I spent another weekend in the Poconos. When we got back, as we drove past our house to park the car, we noticed that the door to the 2nd floor unit on the other side of the house was open. We figured that meant the landlord was around doing more work to get the two units on that side into rent-able condition.

Not the case.

When we get back from these weekends away, it usually takes us a couple of trips to unload the car. Yesterday as we approached the porch with our first load from the car, we were greeted by our new neighbor. He's a young guy - somewhere between 18 and 24, I'd guess. We were polite enough, exchanged pleasantries, etc. Shook hands even. But a part of me is incredibly suspicious of new neighbors. I mean, let's consider the history we've had with neighbors.

In September of 2006 a guy moved into the first floor unit on that side of the house. We'll just refer to him as "E" in order to protect the stupid, err - I mean, protect the INNOCENT. Blech. I had some pretty immediate misgivings about him, mainly because he exuded this air that screamed "Sleazy Used Car Salesman". You know the type - slimy and yet a charmer who could sweet-talk his through life. First sign that something was amiss: After we had friends over for a pumpkin carving night that October, he asked me who one of the girls was. He wasn't phased when I mentioned that her husband was our best man, in fact, he didn't back down until I explained that she lives on the other side of the state. Great, so then we were afraid to have any female guests come over.

Things went along OK the next couple of months until the end of December 2006, when E suddenly thought it was normal to parade around our shared back porch in nothing more than his boxers. Yes, that's right - his BOXERS. In December, at night, with a temperature of no more than 40°C. When that happened, I stopped going out onto the back porch. I refused to. This boxer parade was not a one time thing; it happened several other times through the winter and spring, earning him the nickname Mr. Underpants (a reference to the kid's character Captain Underpants). We even suspected he was peeing off the end of the porch in the winter time. Yellow ice is a sure sign. Anyway, after having enough of this, we spoke with the landlord in September of 2007. In the end, E disappeared in February - March of 2008. According to his sister, who stopped by for some of his stuff, E had gone into rehab - we assume for alcoholism because he was a very heavy drinker. While feeling a bit bad at his situation in life, we were also EXTREMELY glad that he was gone. Believe me when I say that this little summary is by no means a full accounting of his shenanigans.

Meanwhile, in April of 2007, a young guy moved into the second floor unit. Let's refer to him as The Punk, although I tend to use more *colorful* words when referring to him. He played nice for a very short time - even shook our hands when he introduced himself. However, it quickly became apparent that he was not the nice kid that he played himself off as. In fact, the landlord even told us all about the initial conversations he had with The Punk to inform him of the rules and such - looking back, the landlord was telling us all of this because he knew that there would be problems eventually. We soon realized that his girlfriend and their baby were living there with him, which is against the terms of the lease. We could have probably let this slide, since we rarely heard the baby cry, except for one minor detail. The Punk and The Girlfriend fought. A lot. And loudly. I mean, all out fighting. I'm pretty sure it got physical at some points, although nothing that we could prove. So, once again, we spoke to the landlord. There were plenty of other problems with The Punk - he couldn't pay his rent, and his temper lead to run-ins with plenty of people (Shawn, the landlord, the people who own the lot where we park our cars). In the end, The Punk was evicted right around the same time Mr. Underpants disappeared.

So, we've been without neighbors since March. It's been WONDERFUL. A good solid 3 months and then some. I guess we were getting spoiled. I suppose now it's only a matter of time until we get a new neighbor in the first floor unit. And I will be suspicious of that person, as well, just like I am with the new guy we met yesterday. I think it's understandable, although admittedly not the nicest way to be. I try not to hold grudges, but there are only so many times I will let myself be burned. I'm sure I'll be presenting updates to this situation.

PaperBackSwap

2008-06-26T08:36:00.004-04:00

I wanted to take a minute to tell you about this neat little website that I stumbled across. It's called PaperbackSwap - you can click there on its name or on the picture to get to the site. I also have a link posted on the sidebar.

The site is a way to exchange books with other readers. You can exchange all kinds of books -

paperbacks
hardcovers
textbooks
adult books
kids books
craft pattern books (quilting, crochet, etc - as long as there are no missing pages)
music books (as in, piano lesson books)

How it works:

To begin, sign up is FREE. The system is based on credits. 1 credit will allow you to request 1 book, except for audio books which require 2 credits. To get your first 2 credits, all you need to do is post at least 10 books that you are willing to send to someone else.

When someone requests one of your books, you print out the specially designed wrapper from the site, wrap the book and mail it out. You can even print postage right from the PBS site. When the book is received, or as soon as you mail it if you bought your postage from the PBS site, you will get 1 credit to be used for requesting a book. The person who requested the book pays nothing. The only money needed is to mail the book out. This is usually cheapest via Media Mail, and mailing a standard size paperback will cost you between $2 and 3, depending on its exact weight and if you chose Delivery Confirmation with it.

Important note: When a book is sent out, it becomes the possession of the requester. You don't get your book back, so make sure they are books you are willing to part with. Bonus factor here - it's a great way to get rid of books that were clunkers, while earning credits toward more books to read.

You can head over to the PBS site to read more. No, I'm not getting paid to make this post or advertise this site - I'm just genuinely interested in it, and I think some of you out there would be interested as well. I signed up on Monday, and I've already sent out 1 book. I requested 3 others, 2 of which are on their way to me. So, it's already working out.

If you do decide to sign up, you will see a box where you can enter the email address of the person who referred you. If you use my email address, I will get 1 credit for the referral. My email addy is: laurel_burns (at) hotmail (dot) com .

I hope I've explained the site well enough - if you have any questions, leave me a comment or send me a note. There is also info available on the site, and when you sign up you are automatically paired with a "tour guide" who can answer any questions you might have.

Happy Reading!!

Just a Smidge

2008-06-26T08:25:00.003-04:00

Ok, so in response to my Blog Improvement Poll, I lightened the background color by just a smidge. Like, literally, a smidge. One step away from the black that it had been. Let me know if it helps any.

Lightening it any more than that smidge or playing around with the font colors started to take away from the look I was going for with the blog. So, if this off-black color doesn't do it for ya - you'll just have to wait until the mood strikes me to make a major big-time change.

Thanks for the feedback, though - I do appreciate it.

Does anybody watch ...

2008-06-25T18:42:00.006-04:00

Does anybody else out there watch "Deadliest Catch" on the Discovery Channel?

Last night's episode was one of those shows that had me on the edge of my seat, wanting to jump thru the TV screen to smack someone.

The premise of the show: A reality show that follows several groups of crab fishermen in Alaska. It is on the top 5 list of the deadliest jobs, hence the title.

Last night, the primary focus of the show was what one of the captains was experiencing after his boat took a massive wave the night before. This particular captain, Phil Harris, got banged up against some furniture pretty badly and thought he broke a rib or two. This was causing him quite a bit of difficulty breathing, but what pi$$ed me off was that he was sitting there wheezing - and he picked up a cigarette and began smoking. Smoking! Like *that* will make it ALL BETTER.

Oh but wait - it gets better! He returned to work up in the wheelhouse, and began coughing. Coughing up blood. And he kept smoking. And he refused to go back into shore. Refused to tell his sons, who are in their 20s and are also on the boat with him. Eventually, in his own time, he did elect to go back to shore to the nearest clinic. That was an adventure in and of itself, but he did get there. Of course, they are leaving it until next week before you find out what his diagnosis is.

I guess what bothered me most about the whole situation was that it was so reminiscent of what I went through with my own parents, and also a bit foretelling of what things may very well be like with my father-in-law.

My dad did the same "in his own sweet time" thing before he went to the doctor for pain in his left arm. The pain turned out to have been a heart attack, which lead to bypass surgery a couple days later that he never recovered from.

My mom did the same stoic martyr routine, refusing to tell me or others about some of her health issues, because she knew that she would be strongly encouraged to see a doctor. In fact, when she was at a doctor's appointment before her hysterectomy, she actually said that a month prior to that she had been passing enough blood that she probably should have been in the hospital. Nice way for me to find out that the problem had been present for a couple of months, rather than the recent thing she had tried to play it off as.

As for my FIL - he is a heavy smoker. And a drinker. And I can TOTALLY see him not going to the doctor for something until it's too late. Might be lung cancer, or it could very well be his liver, but I'm not envisioning good things - the in-laws are very much not interested in going to the doctor for anything.

All of these things were floating through my head while we were watching "Deadliest Catch" last night. I don't think Shawn really understood why I was getting so agitated, but I also couldn't tell him because he still wouldn't *get* it. Or else wouldn't want to hear it, in the case of his father. It's not that he doesn't realize these same things about his dad that I do. It's just that he doesn't want the reminder, or to hear about it from me.

So because Shawn wouldn't understand, I'm writing out my thoughts and frustrations here. Maybe one of you will *get* it. But it doesn't really matter - what counts is that I'm getting it out. In the end, I ended up going onto the website for the show this evening. I found a message board for it, and saw where someone had posted a news report about Capt. Harris. I won't give away the results, in case one of you is a fan like us and doesn't want the "spoiler," but it did put me at ease.

Is it just me - am I the only person who gets MAD at TV shows or movies? Am I the only one who wants to jump thru the screen and SMACK people? I can't be the only one - please tell me there are more people like me!

Poll Results

2008-06-25T18:38:00.002-04:00

Ok, so the votes in my little Blog Improvement Poll indicated that the vast majority of my readers wanted me to either lighten the background or change nothing at all. In fact, there were equal votes for both of those choices.

So, in the next few days, I will try experimenting with some different background colors. I will probably check out something like a charcoal grey, since that isn't a HUGE change but enough of a change that it should make things eaier to read.

I'll let you know when I make the change, and I hope those of you who picked "lighten the background" will let me know if it looks any different (for good or for bad.

What a great weekend!!

2008-06-22T17:40:00.005-04:00

Was this weekend gorgeous, or what?? Not only did we have spectacular weather, but we had a very relaxing weekend as well.

Saturday, we went north to Hickory Run State Park. We spent most of the day there. After a quick lunch of some sandwiches from WaWa, we walked along a stream while Shawn fished and I provided moral support. When we grew tired of that, we returned to the picnic area and cooked up some hot dogs for our dinner. After dinner, it was threatening rain but Shawn wanted to fish some more since he was unsuccessful during the afternoon. We tried out another stream, one that we used to frequent when we were able to escape to the park more often. I sat at the dam and read, while Shawn fished further downstream. Despite being disturbed by two noisy and boisterous groups of tourists, I was able to enjoy my book (Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides) and Shawn was able to catch 5 trout. He was very glad for that, since his fishing has been in a serious dry spell for quite some time. When we got on the highway to head south, it was around 8:00 and we got home somewhere around 9:30. Quick showers and then off to bed. It was sooooo nice to have a day where we didn't *have* to do anything or *have* to be anywhere. We operated at our own pace, and were able to stay out until the evening because it was a Saturday.

Today started out with the best of intentions. I wanted to run some errands (Target, Giant, Acme) and then clean up the house. Well, the errands got done but little progress was made on the clean-up. Around mid-afternoon, we decided to venture out to BJ's. We were hot and feeling gross inside the house because of the humidity, but the temperature wasn't high enough to warrant using the AC. So, we decided to go to BJ's since it was somewhere we had been wanting to check out. We singed ourselves up for the membership and began our exploration. It wasn't all that different from Sam's Club, where we used to be members, but it did seem to have more stuff that we would use and at better prices. The meat looked great - we'll see how it tastes after we have our steaks for dinner tomorrow night! After we got back from BJ's, it was time for dinner. Shawn grilled up some chicken legs and used our fave BBQ sauce - it's called Stubb's, and it has an awesome homemade taste to it. I highly recommend it - waaayyy better than the Kraft stuff in a bottle.

So, now it's evening. We just finished cleaning up from dinner. I'm sitting out on the back porch catching up on 'puter stuff, and Shawn just took his fishing rod down to the creek. And so the relaxation continues. Love it!!

Couple of things, before I wrap this up.
1 - Check out the poll over to the left. There are only 3 days left to vote.
2 - Drop by my friend's blog and leave her some cheery thoughts. She's facing some time in a cast, and I think that anyone who has ever been in a cast knows that the summertime is the absolute worst time to be wrapped in a cast. The itching, oh the itching! And the inability to take a real shower is a definite bummer, especially with all the heat and humidity.

Enjoy what little bit is left of the weekend!! I know I will!

Poll to the Left

2008-06-18T20:16:00.005-04:00

I was reading a blog post that offered suggestions on how to write and maintain a good blog, and one of the suggestions concerned the font color vs. the background color. It specifically mentioned white fonts on black backgrounds as being difficult to read, but I'm wondering how my pink font is in terms of "readability".

Please take a minute to respond to the poll - I will take all advice into consideration. I want all of you out there to stick around and keep reading, so I'm willing to make changes if they would help.

If you have any other suggestions on improvements I could make, feel free to leave a comment.

Thanks!!

Grr.

2008-06-18T19:48:00.005-04:00

Had a bit of a "grr" moment this afternoon.

Just because I did not pick a side in the discussion, specifically just because I did not pick YOUR side, that does NOT mean that I don't agree with you. In fact, I can see valid points from BOTH sides of the situation. And frankly, I'm tired of the resistance to change that I see all around me every.single.day. Tired of the hypocrisy, too, but that's another subject for another day.

Grr.

That is all. I just needed to write it down and get it out of my system.

Little Suzy Homemaker

2008-06-18T07:48:00.007-04:00

Every once in a while, the mood strikes me and I become Little Suzy Homemaker for a day or two. Last night was one of those times. I volunteered to make a cake for work today (we're celebrating someone's new baby), and that was all the push I needed.

My original plan was to make a rhubarb coffee cake for work, then chop up the extra rhubarb and freeze it. However, I also had been tinkering with the idea of making a banana cake, since I knew that I had bananas in the freezer. Well, when I pulled the rhubarb out of the fridge and found it to be rather limp, the decision was made... sort of. Before I got started on the banana cake, I cut the ends off the rhubarb and stuck it in some cold water to try to perk it up.

It worked. The rhubarb lost its limp. Which meant I *had* to do something with it. I knew that if I put it back in the fridge, it would just wilt again and possibly go to waste. So, after I got the banana cake into the oven, I cleaned up and started in on the rhubarb cake. Yep, I made TWO cakes last night. And chopped up all the extra rhubarb to freeze it.

No, I don't have pictures. Yes, I know - bad blogger for not having pictures! But, I do have recipes.

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Banana Cake, from my Betty Crocker cookbook

2 1/2 C flour

1 1/2 C mashed bananas (~3 medium)

1 1/4 C sugar

1/2 C butter, softened

1/2 C buttermilk or sour milk

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

2 large eggs

2/3C chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour bottom and sides of a 9x13 pan (or two round pans, if you want a layer cake). Beat all ingredients except the nuts in a large bowl with an electric mixer - low speed for 30 seconds, high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in the nuts, and pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 9x13 for 45-50 minutes, round pans 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool and frost with your icing of choice (I used chocolate whipped frosting from the grocery store, and then tossed some more nuts on top of the icing).

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Rhubarb Coffee Cake, from my mother

2 C flour

1 1/2 C sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 C oil

2 eggs

1/3 C milk

2 C rhubarb, chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Place eggs, oil and milk in a bowl and beat just until combined. Add dry ingredients and mix well - batter will be thick. Fold in the rhubarb. Spread batter evenly into a greased 9x13 pan. Spoon topping over the batter (see below). Bake for 50 minutes at 350°F. Cake is done when toothpick comes out clean and coconut topping is golden brown.

Topping:

2/3 C flour

1/2 C brown sugar

4 tbsp butter, softened

3/4 C coconut

1/4 C chopped nuts

Weekend Recap

2008-06-16T09:52:00.004-04:00

We spent this weekend up in the Poconos. Great weather, temperature-wise, but crazy high humidity. We worked outside most of Saturday, and I swear I have never sweated that much in my entire life! We mowed the grass, but because it had grown so much and because it was very tall when we cut it last week, the yard looked like a hay field when we were done. That meant we had to rake it – hence the sweat. This reminds me – I need to post a picture of myself on the riding mower. Those of you who know me might find it hard to believe I would actually mow the grass or ride a mower.

After a day of yard work, we cleaned up and went to the Alumni Banquet that is held each year for graduates from my area of the school district I graduated from. Food was OK; speeches were drug out as usual. At the banquet, we got to see some of my aunts and an uncle, as well as our neighbors. Found out my aunt had her knee replaced in March, and will have the other done in September. Also got an update on my step-cousin, who has ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) . He’s to the point now where walking is extremely difficult, and his lung function has decreased but not yet to the point of serious concern. He has also lost dexterity in his hands, and has some problems feeding himself. There are a couple of fundraisers scheduled in the coming weeks to raise funds for his care, and the family is also putting an addition on to his house so that he can stay on the first floor. Keep him in your thoughts, and his family too – he has several kids; the youngest is 4 and is finally beginning to understand some of what is happening.

Sunday we did a little bit of work around the house in the morning, but the coolest thing that happened was that we found where some turtles had hatched the night before or early that morning. Should have taken a picture – darn it! We figure that at least a dozen eggs hatched. We don’t know what kind of turtles they were, but we do have a pond next door that is home to some snappers so that was our best guess. However, I just looked up turtles on Wikipedia ... it seems like the incubation period isn't a good fit for snappers. The timing fits a bit better for painted turtles, and I'm pretty sure they are in the area as well.

Before returning home, we spent a few hours with our friends, Emily and Rich, and their new baby, Ben. Ben just turned 2 months old on Friday, and he is such a cutie! (Again, no picture – sorry!). E & R hosted a little get-together with family for Father’s Day. Burgers on the grill, great food and good company – what more can you ask for on a gorgeous summer day?

So, that was the weekend. Now, it’s back to the daily grind. Looking forward to a quiet week, and hopefully some more blog posting!

Lots to Say Today

2008-06-13T08:59:00.006-04:00

So I have lots of things to say today, mainly because I haven't had much of a chance to update my blog this week. I think I might save some of the posts and do some delayed posting, so that my blog will have some fresh content even on the days when I can't get time to update. Because I want to try that, I will use today's post for some of the more ... time-sensitive ... posts I wanted to make.

The focus of today's post will be to introduce you to some people who could really use your prayers, good thoughts, etc. Now, mind you - I haven't met ANY of these people. I came across their blogs while reading other blogs. However, I've been reading their blogs regularly for a while now and have formed that connection you form when you are viewing someone's life from a completely outside perspective. A bit like the connection you form with characters in a movie, when you are able to get completely drawn into it.

First up is Jaymun. Jaymun is a little boy, not quite 2 years old, who was born with cancer. The doctors were able to drive it into remission last year, but he has relapsed. With each relapse his chances for recovery diminish. I believe they are saying his odds of surviving this time are around 20%. You can read more about him and his family at the blog that I linked above. This family has a tremendous amount of faith, even after having it tested and pushed to the limit. Please keep little Jaymun and his family in your thoughts.

Next is Tricia. That link takes you to her husband's blog; it's also a blog listed in the links to the left. Tricia has cystic fibrosis (CF). Since January, she has given birth to a beautiful little girl (Gwyneth) and has received a double lung transplant. Tricia was cleared to go home last week, but unfortunately is back in the hospital currently undergoing testing for some complications of the transplant. From what I've seen on Nate's blog, these complications are completely treatable - just a pothole in the road, as I commented on his post from yesterday. But this was a bit of a cruel tease, don't you think? A few days, a week at most, of living a more normal life... only to unexpectedly find yourself back in the hospital. From what Nate has posted, Tricia seems frustrated by much of this current situation, and also anxious about some of the testing that is required. So, I ask that you pray for peace and comfort for Tricia as she spends the next few days in the hospital. Pray also for Nate - he has been such a rock through all of this. Again, this family has tremendous faith, a faith that I can only hope to have if I were ever in a position like this. They are young, around my age (mid 20s), and yet it feels like their faith gives them a wisdom beyond their years. They are an inspiration.

So, that's my request for the day. Keep these folks in your thoughts - a few more prayers being sent up on their behalf can only help.

Update on the Simplification

2008-06-09T08:29:00.003-04:00

Baby steps, my friends. Baby steps.

We were up in the Poconos this weekend. I managed to fill a garbage bag and a half with stuff. Mostly paper work that could get pitched (anyone want a manual to a floor polisher from 1970-something? or the receipt to an avocado green refrigerator with matching stove from 1970-something?). If you looked around the house, you wouldn't even realize that I threw anything out. But I did. I successfully emptied a 2 drawer filiing cabinet that can now be reused to contain the paper work that had been stashed in manila envelopes and cardboard banker boxes. Said envelopes and boxes had just been randomly stacked and piled in the den, but they will soon have a proper home. It might have been just a drop in the bucket, but every drop counts and every drop helps me to feel a little bit better about the flood that remains.

As for our place in Schwenksville - more baby steps. Last night I spent 15 minutes or so organizing the drawers that hold my socks, bras and underwear. I was quite tired of the drawers not closing and the fact that I could never find the item I wanted. I purged 2 grocery bags full of stuff from those drawers. Took them right down and put them out in the trash. Shawn couldn't believe how much I was getting rid of. I had to explain to him that you can't donate used undergarments. He responded by saying something about holding on to them and using them for something else (I have been known to dust with old socks on my hands - perfect for more delicate work or tiny spaces). I told him that I was in the mood to eliminate the excess crap in my life, and that if he wasn't careful I would throw him out with the trash - totally joking of course!! But seriously, that's the mood I'm in - get rid of the EXCESS.

Tonight, I'm hoping to tackle the drawer full of t-shirts. I have a lot of t-shirts, many of which were acquired during college and few of which I wear now. There are a lot there that can go. I plan on donating most of them, but the ones that are too ratty to donate will get saved as rags. "Saved" in the sense that I will cut them up on the spot and stash them with other rags so that they cannot possibly find their way back into my drawers. And on the donation front - I remembered last night that there are Red Cross drop boxes just down the street from our place. I have to drive past them every day, and we have to walk past them if we go out for ice cream. So, I definately need/want to take more advantage of them.

Looking forward to more purging - tonight is garbage night, and I'm hoping to give the garbage man a very full can. And let me tell ya - it felt GREAT to finally be able to close the drawer that my socks were in!

In the mood to ...

2008-06-06T08:53:00.004-04:00

... simplify. Yes, I am in the mood to simplify. To pare down my stash of stuff. To eliminate the clutter that surrounds me. It's been a nagging feeling the past couple of days, this need to purge.

Last night, while eating dinner and then helping Shawn install our air conditioners, I looked around each room that I was in and pondered what could be gotten rid of. In each room, it took me less than 1 minute to come up with at least 5 things that we can live without. Things that haven't been touched since they were acquired. Things that have lost their usefulness. Things that can be recycled.

What kind of stuff are we talking about here? Clothing is a biggie. Also some kitchen items. Lots of textiles - sheets and towels from the 60s and 70s. Old sewing/quilting/needlepoint/etc patterns and such. Peanut butter jars and old coffee cans full of nails. Nope, not kidding.

It's actually something that weighs somewhat heavily on my mind, mainly because it feels overwhelming and to some extent smothering. And at the same time, there are two sides to this.

There is a HUGE part of me that just wants the stuff GONE. Throw it out. Put it out for recycling. Just GONE, and gone NOW.

But then there is the part of me that says, hey - someone might find a use for this or be willing to pay good money for this. This is the part of me that brings up donation, yard sales, E-bay.

These two sides of the issue fight with each other. One means an instant fix to the problem. The other seems better - more right. It lets others get to use the stuff, rather than just sending it to the landfill. Or, it might give us a few extra pennies in our pockets if we opt for yard sales or E-bay. But it's a lot more work, this second side. Yard sales are a bit of a pain, although I'm truly amazed at what people sell at them (good and bad ... and ugly). E-bay is intimidating because I've never sold on there before, and have only successfully bid on and won 1 item.

There are other issues, too. Some of the things that I want to get rid of were gifts. There are some pieces of clothing that Shawn got me that haven't been worn in at least 3 years, but I know he will not let me part with them easily. Also, there is a huge part of me that says, "You might need / want this again someday." That part is genetic, and a problem for both Shawn and myself. We both are pack rats and come from families that are full of pack rats. And then there is also the issue of having to do this for not one, but two houses. And up in the Poconos all of this is made harder - there is a lot of stuff sitting around that we don't know the story of. We don't know how it came to be in the family. We don't know if it is worth something (financially or sentimentally). We don't know if pitching it would cause Karma to come around and bite us in the tush.

Oh yeah - and in case you hadn't noticed - I over analyze things like this A LOT. Definitely not helping the situation.

So any advice would be appreciated. Insights on how you've simplified your life, or places I could go for inspiration and advice. Help me dig out from under the excess stuff in my life.

It's been a while ...

2008-05-28T18:55:00.005-04:00

Guess it's a good thing I never promised to do this blogging thing with any regularity.

Let's see what you've missed...

Went to the Poconos this past weekend and the weekend before that. That first weekend, we planted some more things in the flower beds and went out to dinner for my birthday (a week and a half early). Shawn took this picture of me before we went to the restaurant.

The second weekend, Memorial Day weekend, we relaxed a lot after spending Saturday as a "work day" - AKA, mowing day. On Sunday we went to the Delware Water Gap National Recreation Area and explored Ceorge Childs Park. There are several waterfalls there, each more wonderous than the last.

Today's my actual birthday, and I decided to take the day off work to relax and enjoy it. It worked out nicely because Shawn left yesterday for a work trip to the Poconos. It's always nice to get some "me time", but it's also nice to spend time with friends - which is what I did for lunch. I met up with Rollie, got in some shopping at The Corner Store, and then she treated me to lunch for my birthday. Thanks girl! I enjoyed it. Shawn will be back in a couple hours, and I'm looking forward to giving him a layout I made for him today using some of my purchases from The Corner Store.

Other than that, nothing else is too new or exciting. I am battling a sinus infection (blech!), so I went to the doctor yesterday to get some drugs. Hope to be feeling better soon - I can't wait until this yellow junk stops coming out of my nose!!

Hopefully, I'll be able to write more often. I miss it when I can't do it, but sometimes I can't always find something interesting to say (imagine that - in real life, sometimes you can't get me to shut up!) or I forget the things that I wanted to mention here. Oh well - such is life.

Enjoy the rest of the week - Friday can't get here fast enough!

It's good to listen to your gut.

2008-05-16T08:57:00.004-04:00

So yesterday after work I stopped at Dunkin' Donuts for my free iced coffee. When I was leaving their parking lot, I decided not to pull out when I had a small break but to wait instead. It would have meant pulling out in front of a tractor trailer, and while there was enough space/time, it probably would have pissed him off. So I waited. Sat there for many more cars, and began to think that I should have just pulled out when I had the chance.

When I finally was able to enter the flow of traffic, I didn't travel 1 mile up the road when we stopped. Just stopped. No movement. It was rush hour and all that, but we weren't near a light. We were just stopped. A long line of cars came past all of us who were sitting there, and then we finally got to move. I thought it was maybe some ill-timed road work, but unfortunately it wasn't.

The first thing I drove past was a silver sedan with a very crumpled hood. Two people were sitting on the curb by the car looking fine medically, but rather aggitated. Next, I came to a white SUV - its bumper was pushed very far in, and its hood was buckled in half. Lots more damage. Its occupants, a woman and a young girl around 11 or 12, were sitting off on the other side of the road in someone's yard. The girl was a bit bloody and obviously upset. The next vehichle was a tractor trailer. The tractor trailer that I almost pulled out in front of. It seemed like the truck had been hit fom behind by the SUV, and the truck driver must have jerked the steering wheel so that his cab veered off to the side rather than hit the vehicles in front of him.

There were no other vehicles involved, and while there were injuries, none looked to severe. But had I pulled out in front of that truck, I could have been involved in the accident or at the very least a witness to it. Made me glad that I listened to my gut and decided not to pull out in front of the truck.

It's a woman's perogative ...

2008-05-14T20:24:00.003-04:00

... to change her mind.

I made some changes around here. Jazzed things up. The buttery yellow of the last version just wasn't doin' it for me, and I did like that black background of the very first version. Plus, I saw an ad in a chemistry magazine (of all things) that used a row of bright pink gerbera daisies. That was my inspiration for this current atmosphere.

In addition to the new colors and pictures, I've also added, deleted and rearranged the various things on the sidebar to the left. As I learn more about this blogging thing, I'm finding new "widgets" and other fun things to add to my blog. Hope you enjoy them!

Belated Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-12T21:08:00.005-04:00

A friend posted this last week, and I wanted to share this with my readers even though I know some of you have seen it already. I had a picture I wanted to share here, but Blogger is being quite difficult.

For those lucky to still be blessed with your mom,this is beautiful.
For those of us who aren't, this is even more beautiful.
For those who are moms, you'll love this.

The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is this the long way?" she asked. And the guide said "Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it... but the end will be better than the beginning." But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams; and the sun shone on them, and the young mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."

Then the night came, and the storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, "Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come." And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary. But at all times she said to the children, "A little patience and we are there." So the children climbed, and when they reached the top they said, "Mother, we would not have done it without you." And the mother, when she lay down at night looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today, I've given them strength."

And the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth, clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped and stumbled, and the mother said, "Look up. Lift your eyes to the light." And the children looked and saw above the clouds an everlasting glory, and it guided them beyond the darkness. And that night the mother said, "This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God."

And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother grew old and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And when the way was rough, they lifted her, For she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And the mother said, "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them." And the children said, "You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates." And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said, "We cannot see her but she is with us still. A mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence."

Your mother is always with you.
She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street;
she's the smell of bleach in your freshly laundered socks;
she's the cool hand on your brow when you're not well.
Your mother lives inside your laughter.
And she's crystallized in every tear drop.
She's the place you came from, your first home;
and she's the map you follow with every step you take.
She's your first love and your first heartbreak,
and nothing on earth can separate you.
Not time, not space...
Not even death.

May we never take our mothers for granted.

Weekend Recap

2008-05-11T20:12:00.003-04:00

So you already saw the big news of the weekend - high speed internet. But that wasn't all that we did this weekend.

Friday night I went to Rollie's house for some scrapping and girlfriend time. I had a blast and got something like 8 pages done in my Arizona book.

Saturday was a day of errands, before the internet work. We had to drop the Jeep off for some work, so then we did some running around. Went to Office Depot to exchage our router because the first one we bought didn't have a power cord in the box (turned into a bit of an ordeal, but not worth going into). Went to REI because Shawn needs new boots for work. He didn't have any luck, but I found a new pair of sneakers on clearance (Good Buy #1).

When we left REI, we decided to run up to Limerick to the outlets because there is a Merrell outlet there and Shawn was hoping to get boots there. First stop was the Crocs outlet, where we each got some sandals - olive green for Shawn, chocolate brown and light blue for me. Then we went to the Merrell outlet. Shawn didn't have any luck, once again. I saw plenty of cute shoes, but they weren't really at any great deal of a price so I didn't buy. We stopped for lunch, walked around some more and stopped at the Lane Bryant outlet. I got TONS of stuff. They had great deals to begin with, and then special sales since it was Mother's Day weekend (Good Buy #2). I had a gift card from Christmas to make the deal even sweeter. Got the cutest tops - can't wait to wear them.

After we left Lane Bryant, we weren't expecting much more out of the outlets. They really aren't our kind of shops - if you know us, you know what I mean. We aren't hip trendy people - just down to earth regular folk. Anyway, we happened upon a Pfaltzgraff outlet, that I didn't even know was there. This was home to perhaps the best deals of the day. They had a lot of pieces for our pattern (Naturewood), and several of them were marked 50% off of the outlet prices (Good Buy #3). The outlet prices for the Pfaltzgraff are already pretty good, but these extra sales were PHENOMENAL. I got two different canister sets that extend the full range of sizes, a caddy for holding silverware in a buffet situation, a platter which I have been lacking, a butter dish that was also a big missing piece, and a spoon rest (not lacking, but a good price). It was so amazing to see that many pieces of our pattern - in the 5 years since we registered for stuff, we've never seen that many pieces in one location. Shawn was excited, too - I had told him that I didn't want a birthday present, since I'm going to SAVE in August, but he had planned on getting me something. He wasn't sure what that "something" would be, but when he saw the great deals at Pfaltzgraff, he decided to get all of that for me. I think we spent something like $85, but the full outlet price and the full retail price would have been well over twice that. I love being in the right place at the right time! Added bonus - they offer "back door pick up" at Pfaltzgraff, so we didn't need to try to carry all of that back to the car.

At that point, we really thought we were done. But then we saw the Columbia outlet and decided on a whim to go in. Wandered to the back and what did I find but fleece vests for $19.99. No, it isn't really vest weather anymore, but you see I was in need of replacing my fleece vest. Aragorn occaisionally chews on things, and one of his recent targets was my grey fleece vest. So I was very excited to see these Columbia vests and was even more excited when there was one that fit. Hardest decision was the color - I went with oatmeal. Shawn happened to find a work-type of vest that resembles Carhart with the sturdy outer fabric but this one has a fake sheepskin lining. It was only $24.99, making the Columbia store Good Buy #4. After this purchase, we really were done. We picked up our dishes and went home to hook up the internet.

Good Buy #5 came later that night, when Shawn realized that for $15 he could join the Arbor Day Foundation and get 10 free trees. They also sell trees at really great prices, so he was really excited.

Today was a more quiet day. We decided to go up to Allentown, where Shawn fished the Little Lehigh. I walked the paths there and also read for a while. So nice to be done with my class to have free time to read for fun rather than for school. When we got home, I experienced a culinary first - I made a leg of lamb. I've had lamb once or twice before - they would occaisionally serve it in the cafeteria at college - but I've never tried to make it myself. I found a recipe on the Food Network's website and tried it out. Turned out quite nicely, and we will have plenty of leftovers for the week.

All in all, a good weekend. Recharged my batteries for the week ahead. Spent some quality time with the hubby. All good things. But, like every other weekend, it wasn't nearly long enough. Tomorrow is Monday and it's back to the grind. Hope you all had a great weekend, too, and Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

We're not at Turtle Speed anymore!

2008-05-10T19:11:00.003-04:00

What a difference this makes! It is sooooo nice to be online, without wires, and at a speed that is faster than a turtle. And, even better, I'm sitting here blogging while Shawn is sitting next to me surfing. On two separate computers. Both moving considerably faster than turtles. Loving it!

With a few minor hiccups, we got connected in just a couple hours late this afternoon. And now, I'm at a loss as to what to do and where to go first. I'm like a kid in a candy shop... complete overload. So friggin' awesome!

Of course, there are more practical sides to this .... viewing Lehigh classes, for instance. But I'm not taking any classes this summer, so I have a few months to have fun and play. So nice to not have to wait so long for pictures to load. And videos? They were not even a remote possibility before. Now? We've already watched several from the Preston and Steve website.

So, I'm off to surf and explore and blog some more. Look out - you might not be able to get me to shut up any time soon!

Life in the FAST LANE!!

2008-05-10T17:08:00.000-04:00

Ok, I'll write more later, but for now - - - my exciting announcement is that we are HOOKED UP! We finally have HIGH SPEED INTERNET!! Look out internet - here I come!

Introductions

2008-04-30T08:47:00.009-04:00

It's been a while since I had a post with pictures, so I decided it was time to fix that. And I figured that while I was at it, I'd introduce you to my babies. No, not my *real* babies - my FURbabies!

Seniority rules. This is Pippo, the matriarch of the house. She will be 13 this summer. We've had her the longest - I adopted her in December of 2002, shortly after moving down here and getting my own place. She's a shy thing, and really doesn't like how rambunctious the others are. Which unfortunately sent her to the vet two weeks ago, because someone bit her ear. She also has a slight case of the arthur-itis, so every night we give her a pet supplement of glucosamine. Her favorite hangouts are her soft window perch and the underside of the dining room table.

Next, we have Katie. She is 4 and a half. Oh, she might *look* all sweet and innocent, but that's not the truth. The truth is that she has taken an EXTREMELY long time to warm up to us. We adopted her as a kitten from a co-worker of mine back in 2003 as a Christmas present for my mom. When mom passed away last year, we inherited the cat. The cat never did like us, and hid from us everytime we visited my mom, so you can imagine *that* was a fun experience. It took her from May until December before she would come downstairs when we were awake and around. It's only been in the past 2 months or so that she has stopped spitting and hissing at Shawn every time she sees him. And now her favorite activity of choice is picking fights with Pippo, trying to establish who is the Queen.
Lastly we have Aragorn. Yep, the character from Lord of the Rings. He's the only cat we have that is not a mutt. He's a Chartreux, and we got him from a co-worker of mine after our cat, Bear, passed away. He is just over 2 years old. He is such a sweet cat, with lots of facial expressions and TONS of personality, and he's a total Daddy's boy. I am clearly *not* his favorite person - I'm second best. He loves to sit on your shoulder - yep, like a parrot. He's also part dog - he plays fetch, comes when he's called, and greets his people at the door. He's a lover not a fighter, but the problem is that he is twice as big as the other two and very strong, so his version of play tends to be a bit too rough for the other two. His current obsession is the pair of cardinals who are nesting in a tree outside our house.
So those are our "kids". Just like real kids - they are cute and cuddly at times, and at other times I'd like to offer them to the highest bidder! (Those would be the times when I'm cleaning up hairballs and breaking up yet another cat fight.....)

Just because you can ...

2008-04-29T08:27:00.003-04:00

Does this happen to anyone else?

You go to the grocery store or Target or wherever, and you pick the lane with the cashier who operates under the misguided philosophy that more is better. The more stuff you can pack into one bag the better, or so they think.

Allow me to let you in on a little secret ... IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY.

I went to Target on Sunday. I needed to pick up a prescription and some toiletries for us. So, all told, I approached the cash register with 2 biggie ginormous bottles of Pantene, 1 body wash for Shawn, 1 shampoo for Shawn, 3 body washes for me (sale on SoftSoap if you're interested), 2 or 3 packs of toothbrushes, a can of soup, a box of crackers and a box of Kashi bars. Plus the Rx.

Unfortunately, I had the misfortune of picking the line being cashiered by a newbie. I thought I might be safe, as far as the bagging goes, because she was a middle-aged woman - someone who has probably done her far share of shopping, as opposed to some teen-aged boy who is clueless about proper shopping etiquette. But I was wrong. She was one of *those people*. Those people who think that just because you can fit all of the items in 1 single bag, that it must be OK.

And so, I walked out of Target carrying my filled-to-the-brim-and-then-some bag. No, wait, let's give the more accurate depiction. As I walked away from the register, I saw tiny tears in the bag already starting due to the cracker box and Kashi box. I knew that I had parked waayyyy farrrr outttt in the lot, because I was there at one of the worst possible times to shop. And so, I walked out of Target hugging the bag to my chest, with one hand supporting the bottom, hoping and praying that I would make it to the car in the far corner of the lot without losing anything.

Yes, yes, I know I could have said something to her, or left the bag in the cart and wheeled the cart out to my car. But that's not the point I'm trying to make. The point I'm trying to make is that just because it *can* all fit in one bag, doesn't mean it *should* all fit in one bag. It happens time and time again to me - it happened yesterday at Landis, with the aforementioned teenage boy. The worst is when it happens at the grocery store and you have one crazy heavy bag full of milk and OJ and a couple 2 L bottles of soda, along with one crazy light bag that's just holding the Sunday paper.

Seriously - where has common sense gone? Have these people not had the absolute *joy* of cleaning up broken bottles of condiments, thanks to someone's bad bagging? 'Cause if not, I'd be glad to arrange for that. I'm all for saving a plastic bag, and I do recycle them and use the reusable bags when possible. But seriously - if that overstuffed bag breaks, and the contents of that bag then break and spill, then you will have missed out on the chance to recycle the bag AND the containers inside it. Plus, then you're out a few bucks because you have to RE-BUY the stuff that broke. So all I'm asking for is some COMMON SENSE. And if that means using 2 plastic bags - so be it. Just because you can..., doesn't mean you should.

(Yes, I really am out of that funk - last week, that would have had me pissed off for hours, but this week I'm just annoyed and find it frustratingly funny.)

Out of the Funk.

2008-04-29T08:15:00.002-04:00

So last week, and the week before that, I was in this funk. Everyone was pissing me off. Everything was pissing me off. I was just cranky and pissy and wanted to go find a cave to hide in. And crying? Yeah, there was that too.

But, I'm happy to report that for the most part - the funk is GONE. It really was just everyday type stuff that was going on when I was in the funk, but for whatever reason I was just really sensitive to it. How do I know I'm out of the funk? Cause the same everyday stuff is happening, but it's not bothering me. It was like PMS, but without the actual, ya know, "event".

So, I'm done with the funk and back to feeling normal. Submitted my term paper yesterday (yeah!) and scheduled my final for Monday (blech - can't wait til it's over!). Trying to get back into the swing of things after being focused on the paper and the funk. Hopefully, you will see posts from me more often, especially since I just learned that there are actually people who are reading this!! I knew that J. said she checked in here, but now there are more of you! Hello M.! Hello R.! Hello to anyone else out there!

Ok, I'm off to tackle my "to do" list. Enjoy your Tuesday!

It's been too long!

2008-04-17T08:14:00.009-04:00

Wow - I can't believe it's been 10 days since my last post! See, I told ya this wouldn't be a daily thing ;) Let's see... here are the highlights:

- Got my new 'puter last week. Love it, although Vista and Office 2007 both have learning curves. Still on a quest for a laptop bag, but money's tight at the moment so I'm making due without.

- Got a few hours of scrapping time in last Saturday with my friend M. I was FINALLY able to finish a project I started all the way back in November. It was supposed to be a Christmas present - OOPS!!

- The weather is warming up finally. Don't get me wrong - I don't like the heat and humidity of summer. But I do enjoy spring days with temps in the 70's. We might hit 80 on Friday, and that's about as far as it needs to go in my opinion.

And what are highlights without a few low lights?

- That above comment about no laptop bag because money's tight? Yeah, money being tight is a low light.

- Having a bit of a craptastic week at work. Had a little incident involving a crazy exotherm and flying latex, so the aftermath of restocking my hood and dealing with the bureaucracy of processing the incident have me in a funk.

- Have a paper due next Friday, April 25th. Just found out the due date on Monday. Just started it on Sunday. Sometimes I wonder why I'm doing this ... why I'm putting myself through SO MUCH STRESS. Hope it's worth it in the end.

- Encountered more miserable people today and yesterday, just in the day-to-day living of life. People who are absolute slobs at WaWa. People who cut me off in parking lots and on the roads. People without a filter, who don't realize what they are saying or how they sound when they are saying it. People like these always put me in a funk. Make me want to go far away and hide for a while.

So that's it in a nutshell. I'll probably be in hibernation the next few days while I try to finish that paper. Hopefully you'll hear more from me in the coming weeks. Until then, enjoy the wonderful weather!

My New Baby (part 2)

2008-04-07T09:35:00.008-04:00

So, my 2nd new addition should be arriving later this week.
Yep, that's right - a nice shiny new laptop, in my fave color (Midnight Blue).

It's an Inspiron 1525 from Dell... lots of bells & whistles, but the thing I am looking forward to the most is having MS Office at home with me. No more having to cope with stupid Corel and it's Word "Perfect". Ha! There is nothing "perfect" about it. Anyway, I digress. My new baby is on it's way and will hopefully be here by Friday.

My upcoming missions will include ordering DSL service from Verizon and finding a cute laptop bag that doesn't scream "Corporate America".

Oh, and an added bonus for my scrapping projects - I ordered it with Adobe Photoshop Elements. Woo hoo!!

My new baby is coming home tonight! (part 1)

2008-04-04T09:18:00.010-04:00

Shawn is picking up my new baby tonight after work! I'm so excited - I will have almost double the storage of my existing shelves once this is put together, and when I combine that with another shelf we are relocating, it will be more than double the storage. So excited!! It's as much fun to "pet the paper" and reorganize the supplies as it is to actually USE them to make a layout.

My goal for the weekend is to get this puppy put together and get all my supplies put onto it so that maybe*just maybe*with my fingers crossed I can have company over to scrap with next weekend. So excited!! Have you picked up on the fact that I'm EXCITED?!?!

(part 2 of this post will be posted once I find out that my other new baby has shipped - cross your fingers that it will be today)

You need to check out this blog!

2008-04-04T08:30:00.004-04:00

indexed

I just stumbled across this blog today, and when I saw this posting from March 17 I CRACKED UP. Seriously - it was a good thing no one else was in the room.

The person who writes this blog also has a book out (a link to it will soon be appearing over in the margin). Here is what the editorial review on Amazon.com says about her work: "Jessica Hagy is a different kind of thinker. She has an astonishing talent for visualizing relationships, capturing in pictures what is difficult for most of us to express in words. At indexed.blogspot.com, she posts charts, graphs, and Venn diagrams drawn on index cards that reveal in a simple and intuitive way the large and small truths of modern life. Praised throughout the blogosphere as "brilliant," "incredibly creative," and "comic genius," Jessica turns her incisive, deadpan sense of humor on everything from office politics to relationships to religion. With new material along with some of Jessica's greatest hits, this utterly unique book will thrill readers who demand humor that makes them both laugh and think. "

It's so interesting (and funny) to see how Venn diagrams and simple graphs can describe social and life situations SO PERFECTLY. Go check it out - if you have a sense of humor anywhere near mine, you will be highly amused.

Hasn't even been a week yet ...

2008-04-03T10:36:00.003-04:00

... and I've made some changes already.

I really liked the look of the last template - it was dark yet bright and fun - but the problem was that the sidebar was really wide, and it made my posts look even longer than they already are. So, I switched to a "stretch" template that lets my posts be wider, thereby appearing shorter.

While I was at it, I made things a little springy in terms of colors. I tried other combos, and I'm not really sold on this one yet, but I'll leave it for now.

In the meantime, if anyone knows websites for getting Blogger templates / accessories / gizmos, feel free to pass that info along.... that is, if there is anyone who actually reads this.

Trying Again ... Again

2008-04-01T13:29:00.004-04:00

Those of you who know me know that my weight is an issue that has always plagued me. It isn't something that I talk about often, but it's always there in the background. I have tried several times to lose the excess weight, and every time I've said "this will be the try that works," only to see and feel the pounds come back. This time around, I'm working with a dietitian / nutritionist who created a plan for me follow. I've been seeing her since about September. The plan limits calories (1400 per day) and strives to balance carbs, protein, etc throughout the day in order to keep my blood sugar in balance (that's another story for another day). It isn't an impossible plan to follow, in fact in a lot of ways it couldn't be easier - the serving size of the different groups of foods are all listed so I know exactly how much of what type of food I should be eating for each meal and snack. The problem is that I like food, and the foods that I like aren't the healthiest. Combine that with a tendency to eat too much of the foods I like and a serious dislike of most vegetables, and it's a recipe for disaster.

The path hasn't always been smooth for these past 6 months or so (oh my gosh - has it really been that long?!?). I hit a rough patch during the holidays, and pretty much called it a wash from Thanksgiving until New Years. I tried to get back on track in January, but it didn't work. In fact, I've been "off track" far more often than I've been "on track" since Thanksgiving. Right now I'm still several pounds away from the low point that I was at before the holidays, which is a bit of a downer.

So, here I am. Trying again ... again. When I met with the dietitian almost two weeks ago, we talked about the fact that I pretty much need to start over. Wipe the slate clean and clear out the cabinets. Refocus. Measure everything and write down every bite I eat. Today is Day 2 of the refocusing. I managed to get through yesterday without giving in to various temptations, like the bakery case at Wawa and the new lime-black pepper potato chips in our snack machine here at work. I was even strong last night when I went to the grocery store to stock up on things that are good for me. I'm usually a sucker for all the bad stuff in the grocery store, but I did find a low cal - low fat dip (Marzetti's Light Ranch in 100 cal cups) that just might make eating veggies with my lunch bearable. I also found these yummy crackers by Kashi - 15 of them is 1 carb, which makes them perfect as part of my lunch or an afternoon snack.

(The crackers are Kashi TLC Crackers in the fire-roasted vegetable flavor, and if I could figure out how to post a picture I would.)

I am determined to make it through again today, and make today another day where I refused to give in to the food. It's almost 3:00 and so far, so good. I haven't given in, and I have my food choices planned out for the rest of the day, which should help to keep me on track.

Wish me luck as I try again ... again. And if you have any healthy recipes for vegetables, please pass them on - they are one of my biggest problem areas. Thanks.

Some people are just miserable.

2008-03-31T13:15:00.004-04:00

Friday afternoon I went to the nearby Starbucks to grab a coffee before heading off to a meeting. There was actually a bit of a line, and so I got to experience / listen in on the ordering process of the woman in front of me. She wanted two drinks, each with several specifications (whip, no whip, whatever). She told these all to the guy who takes the orders, and she just had this tone in her voice the entire time. A tone as if to say, "I just know you are going to screw up my order." When she finished her order, she moved down to the area where you wait for your drink, and that was when she got worse. Much worse. To the point where I felt total pity for the poor barista (or is it baristO if it's a guy?).

Anyway, she proceeded to double check every specification, and more-or-less told the guy how to make her drink.

"You put the shots in the cup, right?"
"Remember, no whip on that one."
"Did you put extra whip on that one?"
And there were others that I missed. And they all had that same tone.

And what grated on my very last nerve was when she dropped the wrapper from her straw. She saw it fall - she was trying to put it in the garbage can, it bounced off the top of the can and hit the floor. Rather than pick it up and throw it out, she just left it there - even went so far as to give it a dismissive little kick, although it didn't go far. Again, all with attitude. And through all of this, it wasn't just verbal attitude and tone of voice - there was also the physical body language of a bitchy and miserable person.

I wanted SO BADLY to say something, but I never know what to say in situations like that. Another woman was behind me in the waiting area, and I wanted to make a snide comment to her about this first woman, but I didn't. Again, I never have the words when I'm in the moment. I know, I know - the comments would have fallen on deaf ears, and it could have turned into some kind of altercation, so yes, I know that I am better off for having not said anything. But seriously - it is people with attitudes like hers that make life miserable for the rest of us. You could say, "Well maybe she was having a bad day, " or "Maybe she was trying to save herself from another incorrect drink." But that wasn't the way she was coming across - she was coming across as nothing but a beyotch.

So what did I do? As soon as the woman walked away with her two drinks, I stepped forward, picked up the straw wrapper and threw it away. And then, to compensate for her nastiness, I made sure that I was extra polite to the barista/o.

I just don't understand how people can be as miserable as this woman was. No matter how bad my day, no matter how sleepy/angry/sad/upset/beyotchy I might feel inside, I do my best to have a pleasant disposition when I'm dealing with someone in retail. I've been there, done that, and it isn't an easy job to deal with the public. She sucked the life right out of the place, and that makes it so much harder to be the person working in a retail / customer-focused job.

My hat's off to you, Mr. Starbucks Baristo-boy - you were a much better person than I would have been. If I had been in your shoes, I think the urge to do something to her drink would have been mighty hard to fight.

Update to Friday's Post

2008-03-30T19:34:00.003-04:00

With news like this, sometimes there is no better way to say it than to come right out and say it.

E's father passed away peacefully Friday afternoon at 4:00. A memorial service is being planned for later this spring, after the birth of E's baby.

I spent some time with E on Saturday, and she seemed to be holding up as best as you can at a time like this. She was glad that he passed quietly and quickly, and felt a sense of relief in knowing that he would no longer be in pain. I have to admit that even after having done this twice myself, it was difficult to find the right words to say but that was OK. We talked about other things (the baby, the work we are doing at my parents' house, etc), and even though death is not a pleasant circumstance to bring people together, it was nice to have an opportunity to visit with E and her husband. The baby is due in less than 10 days, and I think the excitement of their first child will help to dull the pain of their loss. They know that they are having a boy, and have decided that his middle name will be the name of E's father - a very touching tribute.

Well, it's time to bring this post to a close. I'm off to pay some bills (blech!) and then take a shower. Hopefully my next post will be on a happier note, or at least bring you a laugh.

Sometimes it's hard to remember that God has a plan.

2008-03-28T08:35:00.003-04:00

Last night I found out that the father of my friend E is very close to death. It is such a bittersweet moment, because just as his death is iminent, so too is the birth of E's first baby. I cannot imagine what she must be feeling, but my heart aches for her and I pray for her.

This morning while I was in the shower E's situation was weighing heavily on my mind. (Doesn't everyone contemplate life while washing up?) E and I are part of a group of four friends who have known each other since 5th grade or earlier. We're all 27 or 28 years old, and in the past 7 years, we've helped each other through the deaths of 3 parents: K's mom and both my mom and my dad. E's dad will unforunately be #4. I know that death can come at any time to any person, but it hardly seems fair that three of us will have lost parents before we ever reach the age of 30. There have been missed graduations, missed weddings, and now the possibility of a missed birth. I know our loved ones are all up there in Heaven watcing down on us, but when you are in the moment - getting your diploma, walking down the aisle - knowing that you are being watched over is little comfort when you think about the way things might have been.

It's times like this morning, when I sit back and look at the facts of the situation, that it becomes hard to remember that God has a plan - that He and He alone knows what is in store for each of us. It's so easy to say, "Life isn't fair," and it's easy to get angry. It is far more difficult to say, "I trust You, and I know that You are in control so I surrender to You." It's hard to not be angry with God when you see a young woman who is faced with both birth and death. That's why I'm writing this today - to remind myself that God is in control, and that no matter how angry I am that something like this could happen to someone I care about, it is all for a reason. I do believe that God doesn't give us more than we can handle, but sometimes I wonder what He sees in me, and in all of us, that we don't see in ourselves.

Heavy thoughts today. Heavy mind and heavy heart. I'm actually at a bit of a loss for words, just because I am trying to understand. Perhaps that's my problem - I'm being far too analytical of this situation, when what I need to have is faith. Faith that God will take care of E and her family. Faith that He knows what He is doing. Faith that everything is going to be OK in the end, even if it doesn't feel OK in the moment. More thoughts to ponder.

Some things to close with :

"I just keep reminding myself that God is writing this story (which is a drag because I've got some really great ideas for just about every chapter)." - Karen Russell

"What reason cannot understand, faith accepts." - Herbert Lockyer

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22 - perhaps my favorite Bible passage.

Love you E.

Welcome!

2008-03-27T10:07:00.003-04:00

Since this is the first post in my first blog, it seems appropriate to say "Welcome!" to anyone out there who is reading this. I've never done this before, but I've often thought that I should - that my writings and ramblings might be interesting for others to read, that they might give someone else a laugh or an idea or at least a sneak-peak at the inner workings that make me ME.

So sit back and enjoy. I can't promise that this will be daily - heck, it might not even be weekly - but I do hope that you will stop back every now and again for a visit. Consider this to be the kitchen table where everyone gathers to chat and catch up. Grab a cup of coffee and come on in!