Make It Stop

I get random songs stuck in my head all the time.  And sometimes their annoying.  The whole time I was in Brazil, Copacabana was stuck in my head.  At least there was some rational about it.  I was in Brazil, the home of the Copacabana (actually saw it while I was there).

There is almost always some song stuck in my head.  Usually I know why (even if I can't get rid of it).  This time, I'm at a loss.

Since Thanksgiving, I have had this stuck in my head: "Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel.  I made you out of clay.  Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel..." and that is ALL I know of the song.  Its constant.  Its annoying.  And I have no idea how it ended up there.  I never sang it in school.  I did not grow up in communities where there was any sort of a Jewish population.  I had never even seen Hanukkah decorations in a store until I moved to OKC.  But at some point during my post Thanksgiving shopping, that song played somewhere in my earshot and it has been stuck in my head ever since.

Maybe I just need to learn the rest of the song so that I at least don't get frustrated because I don't know the rest of the words.

Figures

I have always believed that there is a big difference between having "bad luck" and making poor decisions that lead to undesirable consequences.  It is actually a pet peeve of mine for someone to complain they have bad luck when ultimately it is a result of a poor decision/planning on their part.  I admittedly have made some bad decisions that have ultimately led to undesirable outcomes, but more times than not I am just a magnet for actual, legitimate "Bad Luck".

My whole life, my brother has always been the lucky one, I have always been the unlucky one.  My family has no idea why this is, but I digress.  I could dedicate several blog entries on my bad fortune (actually I could write a book) but today I'm only going to lament about the current run of bad luck.

I posted earlier about how I was planning on going to back to school.  This has been a challenging process, but after months of researching and going back to the drawing board, I finally found a program that would be most beneficial to me.  I applied, I was accepted, I secured a student loan.  Only thing I was waiting on was confirmation from the school that they would in fact accept my student loan (which I wasn't too concerned about since it was one of their recommended loan resources.)  Since it has been almost 4 weeks and they still hadn't approved my loan, I decided to call and find out what the hold up was and to see if there was anything I needed to do to speed up the process because I can't enroll until they approve the loan.

I called the 800 number on the acceptance letter I received and when the lady on the other end went to enter my information, I couldn't be found in the system.  I gave her the confirmation number.  Couldn't be found.  Gave her my SSN; couldn't be found.  Tried my date of birth.  No luck.  Even tried switching my first and last names to see if there was a mix up.  Nothing.  To that lady's credit, she tried everything she could think of because like me, she could not find a logical reason why my information wouldn't be in their system since I had proof I had in fact been accepted into the program.

So now I wait to hear back from said school to find out what to do next.

And THESE are the days of my life.

I'm Having A Dilema Here

I cannot decided if I'm attracted to the State Farm Guy or if I'm creeped out by him.  Depends on the commercial.  Jury is still out if he gets added to "the list".

I Want! I Want! I WANT!!!!!

Dear Santa,

Please bring me one of these:

and if you're feeling generous, you can bring me one of these too:

Thank you!

November in a Nutshell

I’m not sure what happened to November, but it flew by. So here is November in a nutshell:

School
 Decided to go back to school. Actually, I have been wanting to do this for long time, but it just never seemed to work out until now (and still everything in tentative). It was a stressful month trying to figure out the direction that would be the most beneficial in the shortest amount of time. Lots of going back to the drawing board only to end up where I first started. I’ve been accepted to the program, had the student loan approved, and now waiting for the school to approve the student loan so that I can enroll in my first two classes. All goes well, starting in January I will be getting a Certificate in Meeting and Event Management from the University of Massachusetts. If everything goes according to schedule, I should be finishing up this time next year. Nervous about going to school online (requires much discipline on my part) but excited to finally have a speck of light and the end of this tunnel that has felt like a dead end.

Mixer

I recently posted about my mixer that was leaking oil. Getting it fixed was going to be pricy, so I was going to borrow my mom’s through the holidays. Well, my mom went off and left hers at her house before coming to see me Thanksgiving. Even though I wanted a larger mixer, I was okay with getting mine fixed, but after my mom forgot hers, we decided to price them the day after Thanksgiving and she said if we found a good deal, she would get it for me as an early birthday present. As luck would have it, we ran across this is Sears:

It’s a Kenmore instead of a KitchenAid, but many of the accessories I had for my KitchenAid fit the Kenmore, plus the Kenmore has a more powerful motor than the KitchenAid of equal bowl size and over $100 less. I’m looking forward to putting it to use. Now I just have to figure out what to do with my old mixer. I hate to just throw it in the trash, but not sure where to recycle something like that. A co-worker suggested putting it on Craig’s List which I might do because if someone is mechanical and knows how to repair small engines, they might be able to fix it.

 

Window

This was the most eventful part of my weekend. Wednesday night, a fly ended up in my house. I spent the next two days trying to kill it but was not successful. Friday afternoon, I was in the other room when I heard my say “Oh No Stacey!” I walk into the kitchen and she has her hands on her face and just kept saying “I’m so sorry!” I look up to see a big hole in my window. My mom saw the fly land on the window and thought it would be a good idea to just smack it with her hand. Problem: 1) it was really cold outside and 2) my windows are really thin. She got rid of the fly all right…and put a big hole in my window in the process. So I now own the title of neighborhood redneck until Wednesday.

And sadly, a JCPenney sack and duct tape is equally energy efficient as my current windows.

BTW, the place that was recommended to me by a local hardware store is almost $100 cheaper than any of the other places I called. If they do a good job, I’ll let you know.

Anniversary

I have officially been in my house five years today (just realized that).  What is monumental about this five year point is that I can now officially sell without penalty.  Not that I plan to do that anytime soon, but I can.  I remember when five years seemed so far off, but it has flown by.  Wish I had time to reflect more on those five years or do an anniversary special linking to all the highlights, but I really don't even have time to write this...but I didn't want to let the moment pass.  So happy 5th Anniversary to me.  The only anniversary I'll probably ever celebrate. ;o)

In Case Your Wondering

If by some off chance you noticed that my Etsy box is blank...its because my shop is on an indefinate vacation.  Over the weekend I noticed that my mixer is leaking oil...badly.  Since oil in cookies would not be good for business, I am temporarily out of the cooking making business until 1) I can afford to get it fixed or 2) I can afford a new one.  Neither is looking good at the moment.  This might just be the first year in FOREVER that I won't make Christmas cookies.  But, my mixer is not required to make pies so this may be a total pie year.

New Favorite Website

A friend sent me a link to the Pioneer Woman's blog today because of these.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE them (might just have to get some).  But they came from this website which I totally love because it is so my sense of humor.  Watch out family, I know where I'm buying your Christmas presents!!!

USPS You Are NOT My Friend

Late Friday afternoon I got an email from a lady in NYC wanting some Halloween cookies for her child's party at school this Friday.  This was going to mean a quick turn around time, but didn't want to turn down the money so I told her I could do them.

I worked on them most of the day Saturday and a better part of Sunday afternoon.  Carefully packaged them so that they would not shift and break in the container I put them in.  I put them in a larger box than necessary so that I could put lots of packing materials around them.  Nothing was moving inside the box when I took it to the post office.

Before I package them...this is what they looked like:

This is not the actual picture of the cookies I baked this weekend - its from my Etsy site, but you get the idea.

THIS is how they arrived to the lady on Wednesday:

Thankfully I purchased insurance, but not only do I now have to refund her money (which means a waste of my weekend) BUT I didn't charge her enough for shipping and if she doesn't want to go to the hassle of filing the claim herself, I told her I would refund her the shipping costs to send them back to me, so instead of making some extra money, I LOST money on the deal.

USPS might be cheaper, but I've kind of lost faith in them.

Ouch!

Ever question the choices you make? “What made me decide THAT was the best way to solve my problem?” Sometime we don’t have time to think and just react.

Saturday, I was bringing laundry downstairs. I’ve often said that I’ll probably die from a fall down my stairs. I live alone and if it weren’t for work, could go days before anyone would notice I haven’t been heard from. (You’re getting worried now, aren’t you?)

Okay back to the stairs. As I reach the 3rd or 4th step from the bottom, I trip. Not sure on what. Maybe my own feet. None the less, I trip. At that split second, I thought “that is going to HURT if I fall” and without out even realizing what I’m about to do, I jump. Bare footed. A couple of feet down. Onto a tile floor. It HURT, but I don’t think I broke anything…but I am quite certain it sealed the deal on my need for knee replacement surgery some day.

Aggravating

I know that I have readers that are big coupon people and some that hate them.  I for one don't mind them as long as the person using them has them ready before they check out so as to not hold up the line.  I actually do use them when I have one for something I am going to need, but I don't spend a lot of time searching for them like some do (though realize the benefits if I would take the time).

All of that said, Saturday I went to do some grocery shopping and had a few coupons for some stuff I needed or would need soon and was purchasing before the coupon expired.  There weren't a lot.  Five total.  Had them all together so all the cashier would have to do is ring them up at the end of my transaction so speed up the process for all everyone's sake.  Well, I was busy putting sacks in my cart while the cashier was scanning the coupons, so I didn't watch to see if she scanned them all, but when I saw my total there was a thought in my mind "the total should have been a little less than that" because I saw the total before she scanned them.  But I was in a hurry and figured I just miscalculated.

Well, yesterday it was still bugging me a little (I live on a VERY tight budget so I pay attention to these things) so I pulled out the receipt.  Would you know that she only rang up two of the five coupons.  And though it wouldn't have been a huge savings...it would have been about $5.  Of course by yesterday there was nothing I could do about it and really just need to let it go.  But it was aggravating, especially since two of those items I wouldn't have purchased this pay check if it wasn't for the fact the coupons were about to expire and they were for something I would need soon.

Must Put It In Writing

Otherwise I won't do it. ;o)

This weekend I WILL clean my house (b/c I'm hosting my Bible study group).  I WILL fill in the gap where the wasps made their home (teach them to invade my house).  I WILL actually go out and do something (I spend too much time alone on the weekends).  I WILL get back into my workout schedule (fall allergies messed me up).  And I WILL finish my laundry.

There!  That's a perfectly accomplishable list.


UPDATE: Okay so I didn't accomplish EVERYTHING because I had an unexpected weekend.  BUT all that is left is to fold the towels and fill the wasp hole and I plan to do that this evening so I almost did it all.  That counts, right?

For The Record

When someone tells me "when you have a second" I WILL interpret that to mean that it is NOT urgent and WILL get to a stopping point on what I am currently working on before I help them.

Wasp Saga Continues

So I found another wasp in the kitchen when I got home Friday. Since it was becoming obvious that this was one of those things that was not just going to go away, I decided to finally go outside and investigate again. They thought they were being sneaky about their hiding place, but they should have been looking over their shoulder before entering their secret hiding place (though obviously they aren’t too smart or they would have figured out by now that whoever enters my kitchen does not come out alive). While scoping the situation out, I noticed a wasp enter a knot hole in the wood on the side of my house near the window. Then I saw two wasps come out. I have no idea how large their lair is behind the wood, but I found the entrance and that battle began.

I went into the garage and got a can of wasp spray and aimed it at the hole (which was a challenge because my spray is getting old and didn’t spray so well…but was sufficient for the moment.) As soon as the spray hit the hole, wasps started slowly emerging. Wanting to confirm that the spray was working, I stood back and watched…and then it happened. A wasp landed on my shoulder. I couldn’t see him or feel him, but I could hear him. So what did I do? I threw the lid to the wasp spray and ran along the side the house screaming and trying to knock it off. Thankfully I was successful before I was stung, but I lost one of my favorite earrings in the process. So sad.

Deciding that was enough adrenaline for one evening I went into the house…praying that they learned their lesson and hoping that I would not wake up the next morning finding that they had moved inside. They didn’t. And upon inspection the next morning, it seems the spray worked because there were dead wasps on the ground.
I have since found two more wasps in the house (though they were sickly so I put them out of their misery). I’ve caulked every possible crack in or around my windows that I can find and plan to fill the knot hole with expanding insulation this weekend. Still too soon to claim victory, but I think the war may be close to over and I have been victorious. Now if only I could have the same luck with the squirrels and raccoons.

OC Cookies

So this was my latest cookie order. I was a little nervous about how well I would be able to recreate the logo with decorating bottles, but I was pleased with attempt considering I was working on blind faith and hoping I hadn't overestimated myself. Of course as it is with everything else I do, it was not without some moments of panic.

Moment #1 – Grey icing looked purple when I was mixing it. I didn’t want purple icing. Turns out that the blue walls in my kitchen were making the icing look blue. It looked grey in the dining room. Lesson learned…don’t try to match colors in the kitchen.

Moment #2 – the bags I bought were narrower at the opening than they were at the bottom so the cookies wouldn’t fit into the bag. Made a run to Wal-Mart at 10 p.m. Say what you will about Wal-Mart, but their 24 hour stores have saved my life on more than one occasion.

Moment #3 – Though I had let the cookies set for 4 hours before trying to put them in the sacks AND to the touch they seemed like they had set up enough…in reality they had not. But I didn’t discover this until they were all in sacks and the leftovers were stack on a plate. This sadly flattened out and distorted the writing on some of the cookies. I was so aggravated because this should not have happened. Thankfully they didn’t all look THIS bad, but I was still disappointed to say the least. Not sure what the lesson is here since I don’t know why it happened.

Forgot to take a picture of the semi-decent ones.  This is one of the seriously messed up ones.

What!?!

You mean to tell me not everyone carries a pretty little sack full of nose sprays in their purse?!?  That's just crazy!

Welcome to MY world!

September in a Nutshell

So I've become bad about updating.  Sorry, but my life is sooo not exciting these days.  It seems like a waste of time to write "this weekend I did laundry" or "last night I cleaned the bathroom".  You could care less.  And what has been eventful this last month has not been eventful enough, but here it is in a nutshell:

• Been sick ALL month...literally.  Hate allergies
• Went on a float trip with people from class to the Illinois River.  Despite being sick, had fun.  There was barely anyone on the river so it was nice and relaxing.  I do now feel the need to watch Deliverance, but too afraid to watch it alone since I've never seen it.
• Cleaned my shower.  What makes this eventfully is that I really CLEANED it.  Lime scale and all.  Shower door has been my nemesis since I moved in.  It took me 3 hours.
• Helped friend with a garage sale and got a TV that looks like it belongs in my entertainment center because my friend's husband is a "technology snob" and didn't think anyone would pay more than $20 for it.  I jokingly offered him $10 and he gave it to me for free.  I now owe them some free babysitting.
• Someone appears to have a crush on me.  Granted he's only 2 1/2, but he's thrilled to see me and talks to me on his play phone when I'm not there.  Most attention I've gotten in a loooong time.  LOVE IT!!!
• Finally battled the bathroom door downstairs.  It has progressively gotten harder to close since I moved in so I sanded it down so it will not close.  Now I just need to finish painting it.
• Had another raccoon in the attic a few weeks ago.  Haven't heard it since, but not getting my hopes up that its gone for good.  Probably just staking his claim before winter.
• Kitchen has been infested with crickets (first centipedes, then wasps, now crickets.  Hate to think what is next).  And spiders seem to be multiplying.  I could probably learn to live with spiders (as long as they leave me alone) if it wasn't for those stupid cobwebs.  They're everywhere!

 Yeah, I think that about covers it.

Oh Happy Day!

After YEARS of writing and petitioning my bank, they are FINALLY building one in my area of town.  (And like the people in the Windows 7 commercials, I am fully taking credit for this!)  This particular banking establishment has banks on almost every corner it seems, but the closest one to me takes me 20 minutes to get there.  When I first started banking with them, they were right around the corner from where I lived.  But I have since moved (twice) and banking with them was no longer convenient...but I liked them as a bank.  So today when I drove by and saw the sign that said "Coming Soon _ Bank!" I was ecstatic!!!  May not be having much luck on the dating and job search front, but before too much longer, I will no longer have to spend my entire lunch hour when I have to go to the bank!  Woo Whoo!!!

Another Infestation

I’ve been invaded…again. But this time its not squirrels or raccoons (though fall is coming and it’s just a matter of time). This time it is wasps. Big red and black ones. And they keep showing up in my HOUSE. They seem to be attracted to the kitchen window. Problem is I have no idea where they’re coming from. Usually it’s just one at a time. A few weeks ago it was two. Some meet their demise quickly. Others hear the words “die sucker!” before its all over.


There are no cracks near the kitchen window, so they’re not getting in there. Maybe squeezing their way through the frame of the patio door (another reason why I need new windows). At first I thought maybe it was the fireplace, but I think I would be seeing more if they had a nest in there. Regardless of where they are getting in, it’s annoying. Though granted, they are easier to dispose of than the stuff in the attic. I’m not scared of my kitchen. Attic is a whole other story.

I Know It's Wrong

And it does not portray a Christian-like attitude, and some of you are judging me right now, BUT…

I LOVE THIS SONG! It makes me laugh. So sue me!  (And for the record, I have no one in mind that this goes out to...just think its funny.)

I Pray for You
Jaron and the Long Road To Love

I haven’t been to church since I don’t remember when
Things were going great til they fell apart again
So I listened to the preacher as he told me what to do
He said you can’t go hatin’ others who have done wrong to you
Sometimes we get angry but we must not condemn
Let the good Lord do his job, you just pray for them

I pray your brakes go out runnin’ down a hill
I pray a flower pot falls from a window sill
And knocks you in the head like I’d like to
I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls
I pray you’re flyin’ high when your engine stalls
I pray all your dreams never come true
Just know wherever you are, honey, I pray for you

I’m really glad I found my way to church
Cause I’m already feelin’ better and I thank God for the words
Yeah, I’m gonna take the high road and do what the preacher told me to do
You keep messin’ up, and I’ll keep prayin’ for you
I pray your tire goes out at 110
I pray you pass out drunk with your best friend
And wake up with his and her tattoos…

I pray your brakes go out runnin’ down a hill
I pray a flower pot falls from a window sill
And knocks you in the head like I’d like to
I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls
I pray you’re flyin’ high when your engine stalls
I pray all your dreams never come true
Just know wherever you are, near or far
In your house or in your car
Wherever you are, honey, I pray for you
I pray for you

Just When I Think It Can't Get More Disturbing

I've mentioned before how the Old Navy Supermodelquins really creep me out (along with the Burger King and the Quaker Oats commercial guy), but they've reached an all time low in my book.  Have you seen this commercial?

I don't even know where to begin its just so wrong!!!!!

Videos

Been super busy and no time to post (not much too post worthy has taken place anyway). But for sake of updating, I'm sharing my two favorite videos from our Brazil trip.

Dia's Video of the Toilet Flushing

Water swirls in the opposite direction south of the equator, so Dia filmed it. Maybe you had to be there, but WE found it HILARIOUS!

Jason's Video of Our Ride Down From the Christ Statue

If you listen close, you can hear some commentary in the background. The laughter was more nervous than anything...trying not to think about the fact that our lives could come to an end around any bend. Brazilian Driver + Winding Mountain Road = Recipe for Disaster!

An THIS Is Why I Will ALWAYS Be Single...

This picture was taken on Sugar Loaf Mountain by two cute guys from New Jersey who were also traveling in Rio. Sarah titled this picture "Worst Flirters Ever" and pointed out that at least she SPOKE to them (though I did have to point out I spoke...I told the guy he didn't have to take a picture with my camera, I would just get a copy of Sarah's. Pathetic, I know). They were nice. The one who took the picture tried to chat with us (his friend was a male me...he didn't speak either). They even seemed to follow us around a little...but eventually gave up.

I wanted to talk to them, but part of me was self-conscious because Terry (our trip sponsor) was close by. But really, when it comes down to it, it's just the way I am. Generally it takes me FOREVER to warm up to people. It's not that I don't want to talk to people...I'm just overly guarded around people I don't know. It's so rare for me to be chatty with someone right off the bat. I have no idea why I'm that way and I really wish I wasn't. I try not to be, but I'm rarely successful at overcoming it.

So people...this picture is all that came from our encounter with the cute guys in Brazil. But look at how BIG my smile was. Ha! Yep, I will be single forever.

It’s Not “OK” in Brazil

So, its been a while since I posted (over a month it appears). I’ve been a little busy with Relay For Life (June 11 with hurricane force winds…it was lovely) and my mission trip to Brazil (just got home this past Monday). I will try to include some pictures of my trip on here at a later date…but for now I have a little story to share.

Picture this…it was our last night in Campinas, Brazil before we flew out to Niteroi, Brazil. We had gone to a local mall for dinner and were doing a little shopping before the mall closed. The “must have” item on our trip was Havaianas (really comfortable flip flops). Brazilians are not tall people and don’t have big feet, so for a team with quite a few women who are above average height and have above average shoe sizes, finding our size was a challenge.

So it’s around 9:45 p.m. We’re supposed to meet our group at the entrance at 10:00. Some were still shopping in one store, but I needed to go back to a previous store and look to see if I can find a particular pair of Havaianas. Robin (she and her husband are the missionaries there) goes with me because I don’t speak the language. A sales girl asks Robin if she can help us and Robin tells her what size I’m looking for, but the girl is trying to sell me on styles I’m not interested in.

Because it’s the World Cup, they had lots of Havaianas for different countries. Robin asks the girl if they have USA ones…they didn’t. The sales girl tells Robin they have ones for France. Now, Robin is very much the extrovert and very silly and has lots of energy. She’s being her silly self and tells the sales girl she doesn’t like France…so the sales girl turns the shoes around backwards and puts them back on the sales rack. Robin thinks this is funny and proceeds to tell me what just took place.

Now, I was really focused on trying to get my shopping done before we had to meet the group. So when Robin tells me what just took place, she asks me if that is okay with me. Not even thinking, I look at Robin (who is standing next to the sales girls) and make “OK” signs with both of my hands.

If you’ve ever been to Brazil…you know where this is going. In Brazil, giving someone the “OK” sign is like flipping them off…I’m told even worse. I knew this before I even went to Brazil, but at the moment it just didn’t occur to me. As soon as I did it, I realized what I had done. I put my hands over my mouth and then start apologizing profusely. Robin’s jaw is on the floor and then immediately turns to the sales girl trying to explain to her that the “OK” sign means something different in my country. That I didn’t mean to offend her, and that I’m a good Christian girl who would NEVER do something like that on purpose.

Yes, I went to Brazil and almost caused an international incident. The sales girls seemed to accept the apology…but didn’t find the humor in it. My group on the other hand found it very funny and would ask me if things were “OK” just to see if they could get me to do it again. Lovely.

So the moral of this story is…its NEVER “OK” in Brazil!!!

Welcome Summer!

I love summer! Though there are things I enjoy about spring and fall, I LOVE summer. I love being able to spend time in the water. If I had a pool or lived near a decent lake, that is where you would find me ever spare moment. Brad Paisley’s new single “Water” should be my theme song (minus the wet t-shirt part). As a kid, if there was water, I always managed to “accidentally” fall in.

I love having/going to cookouts. I love grilled hamburgers and homemade ice cream. I love baseball games, and fireworks (LOVE LOVE LOVE fireworks). I love shorts and sandals. I love working in the flower beds. I love watching fire flies (I get those in my back yard). I also love driving thru Kansas during early summer and seeing the wheat about to be harvested. Harvest time in Kansas and cookouts by the river are still my two favorite childhood memories.

So here’s to you summer. Please don’t fly by too quickly. I’ll enjoy fall when it gets here, but it can take its time.

I Have Been A Busy Woman

So, I took a few days off last week to get some stuff done at home. It spilled over into every evening last week and this past weekend, but after numerous trips to Lowe's and Wal-Mart, here is what I accomplished:

Put some plants & mulch in the front flower bed. Also "transplanted" some mum plants I've coveted from my neighbors. I know, I know...sounds like stealing, but in my defense the new tenants aren't taking care of them and their landlords didn't plant them and I KNOW Lynn (the lady that did plant them) would want me to have them...and it's not like I took all of them, I just took a few small sprigs.

I finally put border around where my tulips are and added a few new plants that you can't see yet because I started them in the house and the still aren't very big. I still need to add mulch to the big flower bed, but I want to plant a few more things before I do.

End table that I painted black.

Coffee table that I also painted black. I still plan to frost the glass, but that will probably have to wait a few weeks.

Some of you will be glad to know I FINALLY finished painting the stairwell. That lamp is so dang ugly, but it is staying for now.

Now for the biggest project of the last 9 days. My neighbor/friend down the street and I had been talking about taking the carpet off our stairs. Her husband said I had to go first. So I did. And for once, I have full before, during, and after photos:

This carpet looks so much better in the pictures. It was was horrible in real life.

After the carpet was removed (mid-tack removal).

I cannot believe I'm posting this, but it was too funny of a sight not to share (Facebook Profile Pic? I don't think so). The mask was to help with allergies and the goggles were for the tack removal process. I didn't have time for a trip the the ER because some wood chip or tack flew into my eye...I am accident prone (and I'm going to spare you the photos to prove it this time around).

This was the results of my gap-filling mishap. It spray in gap filler SAID it wouldn't over expand. So I sprayed it in, cleaned up the foam that did expand, waited an hour before I went to bed to make sure it didn't expand out any more, and when I got up the next morning that stuff was all over the place. This picture is after I had trimmed it down and sanded some of the mess.

The stairs after a day of sanding.

After the painting.

And the "almost" finished project. I have a college student moving in with me today and so I was trying to get it stained and polyurethaned before she moved in because you can't walk much on the polyurethane for 24 hours after. But the stain bled through the tape onto the white (what I get for not using the Frog Tape on all the stairs. The two I did use it on didn't have this problem). So since I now had trim work to do and because there were some flaws that need to be fixed better, I'm holding off finishing them until the college student moves out at the end of the summer. They at least "look" finished for now.

Its the Little Things That Make Me Happy

Call me crazy, but I’m in love with this thing…

It’s my new washing machine! Isn’t it pretty? I have never had so much fun doing laundry. It’s like I have a new toy. Poor dryer, I don’t get as excited about it.

On a totally unrelated note, but one that deserves some mentioning, this is my latest cookie project.


Frogs, Fish, Flowers & Butterflies for my friend’s Sonshine School Pre-K class. Still working on designs I like for the butterflies, frogs, and fish but I’m pleased enough for something that will be gobbled up in less than a few seconds. ;o)

I’m also still working out the best method (and amounts) for using my decorating bottles. And thanks to my wonderful mother, I now have 6 bottles instead of 3…which helps to speed things up. Now if only the kitchen fairy would swing by my house before I get home.

Where Do I Start

So my weekend was a little on the nuts side. Here is just a taste (warning, this will be long)…

Critters
I finally got the hole fixed leading up to my attic, and since I hadn’t heard a single critter in my attic since early January, so I decided to take advantage of the fact that my mom was at my house and had no problem pulling the trap out of my attic (I don’t know why I’m such a chicken when it comes to that). When we pulled the trap out, this is what we found…


Nothing triggered the trap, but something ate all the corn. Thinking I might be putting some Decon up there sometime soon (though a little afraid something other than mice will eat it and then I’ll have a real mess on my hands). So after months of not hearing a peep, at 3:44 Saturday morning, I woke up to the sound of a something overhead. Oh yes, there was another raccoon in my attic!!! What are the chances? Since inspection of my house doesn’t show an entry point on my property, then once again its getting in on my neighbor’s property and making its way through the eves to my attic. I’ve decided to resort to coyote urine and either a super soaker or water balloons (since I won’t go any farther into my attic other than lifting the opening).

Washing Machine
Another highlight of my weekend was buying a washing machine. I suspected that it would take me more than an hour with it being the first day of the Oklahoma Cash for Appliances program, but never dreamed it would take 3 hours!!! We got there at 8:50 a.m. since I couldn’t make a purchase before then. There were people who had been there since 6 a.m. I took a number (#29…didn’t seem too bad), picked out my washer and waited for them to call my number. Seems the state’s rebate website kept freezing up. By 10 a.m., they were still working on #5. By 11:00, one of the employees found a way to get people entered and by noon I had my rebate form (though not without issue…the website didn’t recognize my address b/c the person on the other end of the phone entered something wrong). I’m supposed to be in possession of my new washing machine by this evening, but the phone call I had this morning isn’t sounding too promising (stupid tornados).

Porch Light
You thought that was it… not quite. I also recently installed a new porch light that has a photocell in it so it turns itself on at dusk and off at dawn. The first one stopped working after a week. So I finally took it down and installed returned the malfunctioning one and got a replacement. I really like this porch light, so I was hoping I just got a dud the first time around. Maybe not. The new one took several attempts to get it to work and it flickers some when it is on. I don’t see how I could get the connection any better than it already is, so I think it’s just poorly made…but I will keep it there until it dies.

Alarms
Finally, I got to put my new alarm system to the test Saturday night when my friends/neighbors came down to see if I had started my next home improvement project yet. I thought I had disarmed it, but when I opened the front door, we all got a scare. Yeah, it’s loud…and I shouldn’t have a problem hearing it upstairs.

Okay, so now I’m done. A week’s worth of posts in one day.

From Smart Cars to Barbies

Has anyone seen one of these?



It is a ForTwo Smart Car. I wish I had the picture of the one I saw. It was grey with pink and black trim. All I have to say is that I would hate to get hit by a Mack Truck driving one of those. Seriously, my Barbie jeep was bigger than this thing.


Speaking of my Barbie jeep...my Barbies used to travel like the Clampetts when they took Barbie road trips. I would put a couch across the back seat and at least 8 were good to travel (Skipper often had to ride under the couch and the luggage got shipped to the destination...but they all fit).


I miss my Barbies. Actually my mom still has most of my Barbie stuff. She was holding on to it so that my daughter could play with it. Not looking good for that to be happening. It may be time to consider selling off the Barbie collection. I think there are at least 3 tubs of them in her basement (dolls, accessories, and furniture). Sadly, most are not worth anything for a collector...a few of them had hair cuts. Did you know that you can't cut bangs on Barbies?

This Week

This week has been a difficult week. This week I feel like the world is against me and no matter how good or sincere my intentions are no one else sees it that way. This week I want to scream “please cut me some slack because there is no way I’m going to be able to make everyone happy…sometimes I need to just say ‘no’.” Actually this week might have been better if I hadn’t said “yes” to so many things I knew I really didn’t have time to do. I’m ready for this week to be over so that I can start over next week.

I've Not Heard Everything...But Close

Are you kidding me? I read a story on MSN earlier about how a website has been started to raise money to help Stephen Baldwin (the dorkier of the Baldwin brothers) pay off his $2.3 in debt. And according to the article I read, people are actually donating to it!!! Check out the website for yourself at Restorestephenbaldwin.org.

Now, I don't have anywhere near that much debt (I also don't have near the assets he does either), but I would love to have total strangers willing to pay it off for me. Maybe I'll start a website called "If it can works for Stephen, it should work for me."

Well, I can promise you one thing, I will NOT be donating to his website. But if you want to donate to me, I'll set something up on PayPal. ;o)

Update on Washing Machine

Last night I finally felt like I was finally making some headway on one of my "must take care of immediately" to-do's for the week. I researched washing machines and found 3 at Lowe's that would qualify for the Cash for Appliances program in my state. But when I went to ask a store employee a question about one of the washing machines (AND an additional discount Lowe's has right now) he informed me that the start date for the program had been bumped to May 8 instead of April 22. Sure enough when I checked online this morning...doesn't start until May 8. So you better bet I'm going to find a way to get by without a washing machine until May 8.

When Life Give You Lemons…

…chucking them at the world seems so much stress relieving than making lemonade. I try not to worry or stress about financial woes. Somehow it all works out and I’m sure that somehow, some way it will this time too. But its hard to imagine how at the moment. Don’t get me wrong, I have a decent sense of humor about recent events…but it could turn to tears at any moment. Beware.

So in the last month I have had…

- One unforeseen car repair, and looking at a sooner than later break repair;
- An incident at home that has required me to make some security upgrades;
- And I just learned I need to purchase a new washing machine.

I’m also very aware of my blessings, but I’m too afraid to list them for fear that what ever force is attacking me right now will just find more ammunition. I shouldn’t be too surprised, I have NEVER had good luck. You don’t want to take me to Vegas…trust me.

So if you hear a loud banging somewhere, its just me beating my head against the wall.

Can't Complain One Bit

I can't complain about this past weekend one bit. Here is the bullet point run down:

- Found white leggings for $4
- Hung out with good friends
- Planted grass in the backyard (the kind you mow, not the kind you smoke...but stay tuned)
- Got the most "comical" pedicure to date (consisted of an little Asian man who had to be close to 50 who was dressed like a Rock Star, cold water, and purple toenails...which I chose)
- Had Easter lunch with friends (it was fun b/c I don't get to do the "family Sunday Lunch" thing very often).
- Wrapped up the day with a Bible study that consited of an unwanted guest in the form of a snake and neighbors smoking pot (told you to stay tuned).

Yep, can't complain one bit.

There Should Be a Cosmic Rule

I think there should be a cosmic rule that if you have a cold, you don't have to also suffer with allergy symptoms. It's not fair. My head has felt like it is going to explode for days now and cocktail of prescription/OTC drugs is concerning. At this point I almost don't care if I OD...I just want to be able to breath some place other than the shower (hot water has been my friend lately). This morning I got up early because I couldn't sleep anyway and I was still 30 minutes late to work because I had to tend to my cold/allergy symptoms every 5 minutes. Ugh!

Drum Roll Please...

After years of trying, I have finally managed to get 4 tulips to bloom (and 3 more should follow before the week is up)! This is by far the best thing that has happened to me in quite a while. Pathetic I know.



I guess now I need to get on the ball and do something about the rest of the flowbed before this gets mowed over. Of course because of some recent unfortunate circumstances, it might be a wile before there is a "real" border around this. May just be sticks and strings for a while.

But before you get too jealous of my tulip success story (go along with me here and pretend you are...I need someone to be jealous of something in my life right now)...my other flower bed has a HEALTHY crop of weeds growing. I think weeding is on the agenda for this weekend.

Welcome Spring

What's better than the 70+ degree weather we're supposed to have today? Spring inspired sugar cookies!




I signed up for March Birthdays at work and since I had been dying to experiment with my new cookies cutters AND try out my new Pampered Chef Decorator Bottle Set, my office is getting sugar cookies (and peanut butter kiss cookies because I didn't get get as many cookies out of a batch because of the size of the cookie cuters).


By the way, LOVING the Pampered Chef Decorator Bottle Set. I wasn't sure if they would work as well as the bag method, but for what I am using them for, they made the job so much faster. I only wish I had another set. 3 bottles just isn't enough. There are a few things I will do differently next time, but all things considered, not bad for a first run...and I have something to update my Etsy shop with (which has been neglecting lately).

Multiple Post Friday

Oh where do I start? Let's start with the good news.

Tulip Watch 2010 is well underway. I am so excited that I might actually have blooming tulips this year!!! Heads are starting to appear among the leaves. I am a little nervous about this weekends unnecessary/unwanted/unseasonal snow storm so I will be going out after work today and covering them with plastic to shield them from the cold. I did not come this far to let a little weather ruin my tulips!!!

See...lots of tulips making an appearance this year. I better get a border up before they start mowing or they'll be goners!

If you look close, you can see one of the heads starting to appear. There are at least 3 of these so far.

Now for the frustrating news. The owner of the unit next to mine finally did something about the hole in his siding that was allowing critters into my attic. Not the most professional job, but the hole had been patched...at least for now. But it seems that these critters are not deterred by a little patch job. Instead of taking a hint and going elsewhere, they found a new way in. The little boogers just peeled back the screen on one of my eve vents. Actually, since both the patch job and the hole in eve vent just appeared in the last week, I'm thinking they got trapped in by the patch job and found a new way out. You would think they would learn, but it still sounds like they are having a hay day in the casing around my fire place.

This hole is actually big enough for a raccoon to get in...which is unsettling.

Not wanting them to take up permanent residence there and not wanting them to rediscover my attic (oddly, trap has remained untouched in the attic for almost 3 months now)...I was planning to pull out the big guns last night and toss some poison in the eve and fix the hole myself, but sadly my 13' extension ladder is not quite tall enough to reach. So for now I just have to deal until I can hire someone to come fix it.

This is why I can't fix it myself. My 13' ladder only makes it to the bottom of the window.

Oh and if you'll look at the board just above the roof line, they've done a number on that recently too. I can't tell if there is a hole there yet or not. There better not be!

My Career as a Cookbook Author May Be Short Lived

Long story how this has come about, but I have been formatting a cookbook for my church camp in my off time. In the process, I have been reminded of one of those minor pet peeves I have.

As a person who likes to cook…it annoys me to get a recipe and not have all the ingredients listed together at the top. Why? Because it never fails, I’ll be in the middle of making something and halfway through when I’m at a point where I can’t stop, I realize that there is a necessary ingredient that I don’t have because it was tucked away in the ingredients and I didn’t have it on my check list.

So to all of those people out there (who probably aren’t reading this anyway) who submitted recipes to the camp cookbook…if you are offended because you’re recipe is not entered verbatim the way great-grandma whoever gave it to you…tough. Your recipe will be included, but in a functional, organized format. And if you submitted a recipe for – let’s say cinnamon rolls – and you left out the ingredients for the filling…I just co-authored your recipe. Can’t make cinnamon rolls without the cinnamon filling. Just say’in.

This is SOOO Wrong

I recently mentioned that I have waited for 9 years to see the ending of The Pretender. I even watched the entire series from the beginning to refresh my memory. This was my personal quest…to have all the answers to all the unanswered questions about the lives of Miss Parker and Jared.

Friday, Netflix did me a favor and sent me the final disk in addition to the movie they had already sent me (thank you Netflix, you’re back in my good graces). Saturday morning I just couldn’t wait any longer. I knew I had a house to clean and a meal to prepare, but I just HAD to see how it ended. All I have to say is “shoot me now!”

-- Stop here if you plan to ever watch the series because potential spoiler ahead --

Yes, some questions were answered, but the most important questions still remained… and some new questions were left unanswered. How did Katherine Parker and Jared’s mom know each other? What happened to Mr. Parker and Bridgett’s baby? Will Jared ever be reunited with his family? AND if the Triumvirate didn’t want Jared because he was a pretender, but for another reason…WHAT WAS IT?!?!

-- Okay, you can start reading again --

Seriously, I have never been so perturbed at the end of watching something (even more so than Jake choosing Vienna and Jason dumping Melissa for Molly). Ugh! All I have to say is all you "Lost" fans, beware…you don’t always get the answers.

Cruel & Unusual Punishment? I Think So.

I have noticed lately that Sonic has been heavily “encouraging” their carhops to be on skates. They’re surveys ask if your carhop was on skates. Their commercials even are starting to state that they’ll skate your order out to you. I guess they’re trying to go back to their early days. But I think this is unnecessary cruel and unusual punishment.

Case and point, I went to Sonic on Saturday to get a drink. The guy to delivered my order was on skates and it was quite obvious he was not comfortable on skates. The poor guy almost bit it twice that I saw. And this isn’t the first time I’ve seen a skating carhop struggle to stay upright. My question is if this attempt at some sort of unique branding ploy is worth injury to their employees and worth the amount of food lost because a carhop loses their balance and drops a tray of food. To me, that slows down service. And frankly, I could care less if my order is delivered by someone on skates. I can’t imagine that Sonic could FORCE their carhops to be on skates, but there has to be some sort of “incentive” to get their carhops to do something they are so obviously not comfortable with. Let’s just say I’m glad I don’t work at Sonic.

Netflix: I’m Disappointed

Dear Netflix,

Generally we are great friends. I look forward to getting that little red envelope in the mail (I would probably REALLY enjoy you if I could afford the necessary components to watch you instantly on my TV). You have made it possible for me to watch the entire season of "The Pretender" and FINALLY get to see the Season 4 Finale (which turned out to be the series finale, but I digress). All these years I have waited to find out what has happened, and now all that is left is “Pretender 2001/Island of the Haunted” – the movie that answers ALL the questions. I was so looking forward to FINALLY having all the answers, but this morning when I looked at my queue, you decided to send me “Up in the Air” instead.

Yes, I know people say it’s a good movie. Yes, I know it was in my queue. BUT it was NOT on the top of my list. I know you’re excuse will be that it was not available at my location at the time you processed my next shipment (though it SAYS it’s available now). But really, who else on the face of this earth could possibly care to watch “Pretender 2001/Island of the Haunted” at the exact same time I did? Really. I think there is some sort of conspiracy going on here. Netflix, you’re kill’in me!

Thought of the Day

I stole this from a high school friend's facebook status today:

Some people are like slinkies...not really good for anything but bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs.

Oh 5:00…Where Art Thou?

Ever had one of those days that you just know is destined to be “one of those days”? I’m having one. Can’t really say it’s because of anything particular that has happened. It has more to do with a dream I had during the early morning hours that just put me in a funk. It wasn’t even a bad dream really…just left me with a lot of questions and no answers. I know its all about attitude and ultimately I choose my mood. Today, I don’t feel like putting forth the effort needed to make it a “good day”. Putting forth the effort to get out of bed was about all I could handle today (and I didn’t want to do that). I just want the day to be over and start new tomorrow. Oh 5:00…where art thou?

My New Favorite

I have been a fan of Strawberry Yogurt Burst Cheerios ever since they hit the scene...

But they are now taking a close second to what might become my FAVORITE cereal of all time...

CHOCOLATE CHEERIOS!!!!

Seriously, how can you go wrong? Whole grain goodness AND chocolate!!! Maybe I should try mixing the two...then it would be like eating chocolate covered strawberries with fiber!!! I'm in love!!! Hmm, maybe instead of the Special K diet, I will try the Cheerios diet because frankly, there isn't a flavor of Cheerios I don't like.

Mostly Because I Can't Stand the Picture I Posted Yesterday

I started going to a new dentist about a year ago. So far I like the office. Staff is nice and the dentist isn’t creepy like my previous one. I went in for a cleaning earlier today and I walked away thinking “hmm” about two things that happened while I was there.

First, the dentist told me I had a tooth that had a small cavity that he “recommended I fix” but it’s up to me. I have never had a dentist really give me an option. It was like he was trying to sell me some sort of extended warranty. “We recommend you purchase our warranty, but it’s completely up to you.” Normally the dentist says “you have a cavity and we need to schedule a time for you to come back in and get it fixed.” I am of course sitting in the chair thinking “I have no expertise in this area, so you just need to tell me what to do.” Strange. Since I have just recently changed dental insurance, I’m waiting to find out what the waiting period is before I schedule anything. What I also find strange is that it is in a front tooth. I’ve never had a cavity there before. Hmm.

The other “Hmmm” moment is almost more of a “What the Heck” moment. Because I have new insurance I needed to give them that information. The girl in the office looks at me and says “is this your husband’s insurance?” And not in a fact finding kind of way, but in an assumption kind of way. I think its interesting people always assume I’m married. People always assume I have kids. I’m not offended by it really, but just think it’s odd the assumptions people make.

EWWWW

Maybe it's because I have my degree in advertising and spent countless hours sitting through classes analyzing what is good and bad about an ad...or maybe I'm just opinionated about this kind of stuff, but here is just another ad that frankly CREEPS ME OUT!!!!

Let's just say it is a real testament to how bothered I am by the image on this ad to be putting it on my blog because this image really gives me the heeby jeebies!!! What is worse is that Slacker runs this banner ad ALL THE TIME! All I can really say is that this is disturbing!!!

Someone Needs to Hire A Better Ad Designer

This ad was the banner ad when I pulled up my online email account this morning.


Anyone but me think it odd that they chose the picture of this old man to advertise their program? Does he LOOK like he wants to go back to school? Does he even look like he could get a job after he went back to school that would pay him MORE than $45,000 a year? I'm not even sure Wal-Mart would hire him as a greeter. Can you image that face saying "Welcome to Wal-Mart?" That face would probably even send the most desperate old lady at the retirement center running in the other direction.

Classes USA...maybe you're on a tight budget and you couldn't afford acceptable clip art, but Microsoft Clip Art Gallery is free and ANYTHING on there would be better than using the picture of Great Uncle Charlie that your mom emailed you.

Hair Brush Update

I ventured out at lunch yesterday and bought a new hair brush. Since they no longer make my hair brush (what were they thinking discontinuing a classic!) I had to find something that I thought would work in a similar fashion. After one day, it gets a B. It seems to work okay on the drying front, BUT as I discovered last night, when my hair is dry it causes much static. Frustrating!!! My only hope is that summer is on its way and maybe this won't be an issue once summer gets here AND maybe by next winter I will have found a better replacement.

Sad Day

It was a sad day in my home yesterday...my favorite hair brush broke. At first I thought I had easily had this brush for 8 years, but when I look back at it, I'm thinking I have possibly had it closer to 14 years!!! This hair brush has seen me through good dates and bad dates; boyfriends and break ups; good hair cuts and even helped me to survive some bad ones. This hair brush got me through my 20's and has helped me to survive the jump into my 30's. I've tried to change hair brushes over the years, but I've always come back to my old reliable.

I know, I know...it was time to let it go. I even know there are some that think my holding on to things for a long time is because I don't like change. Actually, that's not it at all. When it comes to purses, wallets, shoes, etc. it's because I'm really picky about these things and it can take a long time for me to find a suitable replacement. And when it comes to things like alarm clocks, head bands, or hair brushes it becomes more of an iconic thing for me. I like being able to look at something and say "wow, I've had this ___ # of years and it still works." So few things last long anymore, so I like it when I possess something that has withstood the test of time.

So Ulta, hear I come! You just better have a hair brush that can meet my high expectations! FYI, I've had my pick since I was in high school and the head band I use to wash my face since I was in Jr. High.

Tulip Watch 2010

Tulip Watch 2010 has begun. I have tried planting tulips every year for the last 9 years. Only once have they come up and bloomed. I even tried daffodils once, and even though they came up every year, I only got one bloom ever. Tulips are not supposed to be this hard. Matter of fact, my mom digs hers up all the time trying to keep them from growing in a particular area of her yard…but they always come back. I on the other hand am lucky if they make it more than 2 inches above the ground. BUT this may just be my year!

Last fall my mom and I dug up tulips in her back yard and brought them home and started a flower bed around my bird bath since grass really wasn’t growing there anyway. Well, last weekend I was looking out the window and much to my surprise there were at least ten tulips starting to peak their heads through the soil. Seriously, you would have thought someone just gave me $1000 I was so excited!

Now I just have to hope that 1) the mole and the squirrels leave them alone; 2) the weather doesn’t hinder their growth (I’m told it shouldn’t, but that has not been my experience in the past); and 3) the landscapers don’t mow over or weed eat them (which is why flowerbed border is an impending purchase for me).

So here we go. The first picture of what I hope will be a beautiful tulip garden come spring.

All those little green spots...those are tulips!!!

Close up shot to prove it.

Now I need to think of other things to plant in that garden so it doesn’t look like a weedy mess when the tulips are gone. Thinking creeping flocks.

Cruel Dream

I had this wonderful dream last night that I was dating Jim Clancy (you know Melinda’s husband on Ghost Whisperer) and he was being super sweet and making me feel super special and I think he was about to propose…just as my alarm went off. For a girl who has been struggling with the reality of my reality lately, this was just down right the CRUELEST thing my subconscious could have done to me. You’re supposed to wake up and say “oh good, that was just a dream” not “oh crap! It was just a dream.”

Could It Be?

Could it be? Is it possible that my neighbors are moving out? Is it too good to be true? Could I finally get some peace and quiet? If the U-Haul in their driveway last night and the fact that they kept me up until 2 a.m. doing what sounded like throwing furniture down the stairs is any indication...I think they might be moving. No more piano. No more tomato plants in front of my house. No more weird stuff in jars on my front walk. No more blue "ziplock bag" looking things attached to their front door. Oh wait...one less topic for my blog. I'll survive. Hopefully if I'm getting new neighbors, they'll be more like my first ones (who gave me the awsome mirror in my living room) and not worse than the current ones.

Pathetic Attempt

Yes, my blog has become too often neglected these days. What can I say, there is nothing to write about. Attic is currently pest free. Car is running (knock on wood…I’m almost afraid to say it out loud). It’s too cold to do any home renovations right now. Dating (or lack there of) and work are not acceptable topics of conversation. And my opinions in most cases are better kept to myself. And my birthday…well we’re not going to go there. So sadly, you are left with this pathetic attempt at saying I’ve updated my blog.

Some Days

Some days it doesn't pay to be a home owner. I'm thinking this is one of those days. I went to switch my laundry from the washer to the dryer this morning and found a piece of plastic laying on the bottom of the washing machine. After some investigation, I discovered it came off the piece in the middle of the washer (the thing that agitates the water...that I'm now "agitated" about).

First thought was to ignore it, quickly followed by the fact that there is now a sharp edge in my washing machine and I can't imagine that will be good for the life of my clothes. So I'm thinking of attempting the following (in this order): 1) Super glue. Hey, it's worth a try. 2) sanding down the sharp edge...it could work. 3) Check into what it would cost to replace the part. Part of me is thinking that it will cost more than I paid for the washer and dryer since I bought them, practically new, from family members who made me a REALLY good deal.

I wish the washing machine was my only immediate issue I encountered this morning. After switching the laundry, I went to turn on the light in the kitchen and "POP"! The last working light bulb in my light fixture burned out. I know what you're thinking...1) it's just a light bulb and 2) why hadn't I already replaced the other bulbs that were burned out? WEEELLLL...I tried that at Thanksgiving since I had another set of hands around (aka Mom), but the globe wouldn't come off the light fixture to change the light bulbs. There HAS to be a way to do it, but unlike most light fixtures, there isn't anything to unscrew. We tried just popping it off like my brother suggested, but it kept pulling the whole thing loose from the ceiling. I've never really liked this light fixture to begin with because it's ugly and it is hard to keep clean. I highly suspect that I will be purchasing a new light fixture this weekend and installing it. Not really what I had planned for this weekend, but I'll just add it to the list of "to do's" along with taking down the outdoor Christmas lights (sorry, but the weather has not been cooperative enough to do this sooner) and getting a jump on cleaning house for next weekend's Pampered Chef Party.

Stop Already

This is the conversation that took place when I went to the allergist this afternoon:

Allergist: Did you have a baby? (FYI, I've been seeing this doctor for 5 years)

Me: No.

Allergist: Do you have any children?

Me: No, but I still hope to someday.

Allergist: Are you trying to get pregnant?

Me: No, I'm not even married yet.

Allergist: So, that shouldn't stop you.

Me: Well, I would prefer to do it that way.

Allergist: Just remember, you're not getting any younger.

SERIOUSLY!?!?! Did I really need that reminder with the impending birthday coming up in less than 20 days? And even more, my child-bearing plans had absolutely no relevence to this appointment. I was just there so she could look up my nose. Sheesh!