Friday, August 31, 2007

~it's finally Friday~

~Another week gone by. I'm glad. It means I'm closer to my 4 day mini-vacation in Myrtle Beach. It's been a fairly uneventful and drama-free week, I like them like that.

~Yesterday my dad called and said he'd be coming in town on Monday and he'll take me to dinner for my birthday - wahoo!! I went from no plans on Monday, to a full day. Yay!

~After I drop O at the airport tonight, my mom and I are going to dinner with a friend (of hers more so than mine), that shares my birthday...so I guess I'll be having 2 birthday dinners this weekend. Goodbye diet!

~I'll be going to bed early tonight as I have an the 8am-12:30pm shift at SB tomorrow and then mom and I are going shopping. That will be fun!!

~Speaking of shopping, I need YOUR help...I need, desperately, a new purse. I'm not much of a purse shopper - I've never owned a purse that cost more than $50 and my idea of a nice purse is usually from Fossil - that's top of the line for me. You won't see me with a Coach, Dooney & Burke or any of those other fancy (often butt ugly) purses that you see all the celebs with. I'm a plain Jane when it comes to purses. Please give me some suggestions if you've seen something recently in the stores. Note:it must be FUNCTIONAL, not just "cute", heck it doesn't even have to be "that" cute I mean it gets thrown on countless floors, tossed to the backseat of my car and spends A LOT of time on the floor in my office...need I say more?

~Sunday I have a short shift @ SB from 11am-430pm and I think I'll rent some movies and chill the rest of the day/evening...that sounds wonderful!

~And my PSA for the week is please, please, please be careful and cautious w/your personal belongings such as your WALLET. You DO NOT want to deal with the headache that we are currently dealing with to clean this up. Not only did O lose about $100 that was in his wallet, we are still waiting on the stolen funds to be returned. Even though his account was "frozen" by the bank after he reported this, they have still managed to screw up more stuff causing 1 check to not clear. Guess where we will be stopping on the way to the airport today? I will be unleashing my wrath upon them today. Bankers beware!

~Have a good weekend~

alone at last

I am a BACHELORETTE this weekend (and loving it). Yes, I know, I know I *just* got married, but who doesn't need their alone time? I KNOW I do. I dropped O @ the airport at 5:30pm and went to dinner w/my mom and a friend for a late birthday celebration (mine and friends are the same day). I devoured my pasta and salad and we decided that between the 3 of us that we could also split 2 desserts - yum -good idea. Cannolis and Creme Brulee it was...both delicious.

Since I have to work early tomorrow morning - I'm home now - going to fire up the DVD (I think I have this past Wed Top Chef to watch) and relax and then head to bed early. :?

Thursday, August 30, 2007

~random thoughts~

~Not a whole lot going on - work and work really.

~I've tried to do more scrapbooking than I had been doing. I am trying to finish up a layout that I started last weekend and I ended up making 2 cards instead...how did that happen? It seems that cards just come easier for me. It's how I got started in this whole "mess" of scrapbooking. LOL! I just finished a card that I'm pretty proud of so I'll be submitting it for publication in the CARDS magazine. Wish me luck! I haven't had anything published in the past couple years and would like to get back to that.

~I feel like I'm talking to myself here lately...since starting up this new private blog, I've noticed that many of my former regular readers don't stop by anymore. I guess logging in is a real hassle and while I would love to make this an open blog again - I just don't need to deal with the drama and headaches that the infamous "nasty poster" inflicted upon me. I'm a sensitive soul and yes, I let it get to me. Sorry! In addition, I think I know who SHE is and I really do not want her knowing ANYTHING about my life...especially about my pending future...'nuff said for now.

~You know there is always something at SBUX going on. Turns out the manager put in to transfer up to Chicago and it came thru A LOT faster than expected. She will be gone on 9/7. That makes the Asst Mgr the Manager, of course. It will be interesting to see how things change along the way. Some partners are happy w/the change, others not so much. I do not have a strong opinion at this time - ask me in a month or so. If things go according to "my plan", I will be outta there by mid-November anyway. Yahoo!!

~I closed last night...it was uneventful really...rather slow for the last hour, which drives me nuts...time drags by. Anyway, I was home for maybe 1 hour or so and it started to pour rain, I mean really pour - lighting, thunder, hard, hard rain - I love it!!! I got up to shut off my computer - I usually leave it on, but in sleep mode over night...back to bed and fell asleep to the calming sound of raindrops on the roof. And we REALLY need the rain here!! Here's hoping my lawn leans more to a shade of green as opposed to the dingy brown it's been sportin' lately.

~On Monday, O was able to get a TN identification card, but not a license. They told him they needed his old (AZ) license number in order to get him a new TN license. He does not know that number by heart and so he is driving w/o a license for now - oh well. I don't think he'd have a hard time showing any police officer that his wallet was stolen/lost as the new one is paper thin. It also looks brand new and unused considering there is next-to-nothing inside it. He doesn't have his new ATM cards either...how did we ever function w/o these wonderful little pieces of plastic? I haven't stepped foot in a bank/credit union in ages. I love ATM machines! All that to say, we are glad he'll be able to get on his plane tomorrow night for his quick weekend jaunt out to AZ. (not to mention my weekend alone -woohoo!) That's not mean, is it? I just like my alone time and have been quite deprived of it lately. :-)

~I'm looking forward to having Monday off (from both jobs), even despite the fact that I will get no $$$ for that day...another reminder that contracting is not *so* wonderful. What I wouldn't do for paid time off....but that's another rant that I will not go into right now. I have NO idea what I'll do on Monday, but that's ok. I may go to a movie, sleep all day or go over to my mom's for a bit. Time will tell...

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

~why?~

I have no energy today....can someone please tell me why this happens to me on the days when I'm scheduled to work 14 hours? Why? Why? Why? I just want to go back to bed...zzzzzzzz.

Monday, August 27, 2007

~new, cozy living room~

I finally got off my butt today and took pics of the living room. Mary had asked me about them and I kept forgetting or putting it off - it's a PITA to transfer from my camera to PC...but I finally did it today...so here they are!
The view from the red couch. With 1 inch to spare, we managed to fit the entertainment center in the cubby that it was designed for by the crazy homebuilders!

The "sofa table" - finally a place to put some decor and candles.

Another view of the entertainment center. We leave the blinds closed or we can't see the TV...see, I told you the homebuilders were NUTS! Check out my little storage ottoman I picked up this weekend in NC...fits perfectly below window and provides extra seating when needed.

And the much talked about RED COUCH. Oh so comfy and the perfect addition to my living room. You also have a "rear view" of the new coffee table and a little peek of the end table--they match the sofa table (pictured above).
And here we have the super duper heavy iron scroll that I absolutely love. It is the perfect piece for way up there! I was SO excited when it finally got hung up!

Friday, August 24, 2007

~TGIF~

~Yay, it's finally the weekend.

~I depart for NC in exactly 1 hr 50 minutes...cannot wait!!! Girls weekend -woohoo!!

~So excited for a weekend FULL of scrapbooking and shopping. I managed to scrounge up quite a few projects to work on - so wish me luck. :-)

~Dinner last night was DELICIOUS! The cheese was excellent and I also indulged in a Grilled Chicken Greek Salad with the absolute BEST dressing ever. Feta cheese rules too!! Mmm!

~And to cap off a wonderful evening - how about some ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins? Chocolate cake with chocolate chip frosting. O wanted to burn the house down by putting 1 candle for each year of my long life on there. Thankfully my mom and I were able to talk him out of that - considering it was an ice cream cake - we probably would have melted the whole thing.

~I blew out all the candles (9) so here's hoping that my wish comes true!

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

~last day @ age 35~

~I'm looking quite forward to dinner tomorrow night - my birthday dinner.

~We are going to a steak/seafood restaurant, however the owner is Greek.

~I've been craving that Greek "opa" cheese for a while now...there are NO Greek restaurants in this ridiculous town in which I currently reside.

~There's another thing to miss about Detroit - Greektown!!! All you people who think Detroit is the pits...ha! Think again...they have a lot more to offer than the 3 other states I've lived in. If it weren't for the snow, I think maybe I'd actually move back there...well, that is if the economy ever improves up there too.

~Apparently Greektown even got their own casino.

~I've had a headache all morning. Woke up with it. It's worse when I stand up. I finally broke down and took a Tylenol. I think it's fading now....yay!

~I'm preparing for my weekend getaway to NC. A weekend full of scrapbooking with Mary. I cannot express how excited I am to have a weekend free of SBUX and my usual "hum-drum" life. Instead, Mary and I will be uber-busy shopping and scrapping...oh yeah and some eating too of course. :-) I will also be meeting her beau, Eric.

~I seriously need to scrounge up some pictures so I actually have something to work on. Thankfully, I have 2 LOs in progress, so I can hopefully finish them up. One is for the Scenic Route monthly contest.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Love The Lyrics

Explains how I've been feeling lately...

Man, I could use a PiƱa Colada
Little bit of sun on my skin
A hammock, a book
Never gonna look back
Once my feet hit the sand
I've had it up to here with this rat race
Need a smile on my face

I wanna go where I can lighten up the load
Drive a little while on the wrong side of the road
Get this laying low off to a flying start
Play my guitar in the Caribbean sun
Hang with the locals at the Quiet Mon
Where you can be a tourist, a beach bum, or a star
And be as you are

Gettin' stuck sure would be easy
In this palm tree paradise
Ambition fades with every wave
For the finer things in life
Maybe I'll just hang around here
Go home later next year

I wanna stay down here and lighten up the load
Drive a little while on the wrong side of the road
Get this laying low off to a flying start
Play my guitar in the Caribbean sun
Hang with the locals at the Quiet Mon
Where you can be a tourist, a beach bum, or a star
And be as you are

I wanna play my guitar in the Caribbean sun
Hang with the locals at the Quiet Mon
Where you can be a tourist, a beach bum, or a star
And be as you are
Be as you are

"Be As You Are" by Kenny Chesney

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

~random babble, it's all I got~

I will continue w/a bunch of nothingness (is that a word?) since that is really what my life seems to be full of lately...

*The furniture was delivered yesterday. I love it. It's definitely "cozy" now (considering that it was a bit of a tight squeeze). Good thing I only got 1 end table - there would be NO WHERE to put a 2nd one. I will take pics and post (one of these days).

*I was told last night by a regular customer that the Iced Chai Latte I just made him was the best he ever had. Now there's an accomplishment for ya'! I'm such an overachiever, I know! He is a really nice guy though (not to mention, kind of cute), so it was nice to hear anyway.

*Middle of the week- it's kind of dragging by. Someone please press fast-forward.

*I have a sh**load of petsitting to do this weekend. I'm a bit overwhelmed just thinking about it. My work partner is cruising the Caribbean (sucks to be me), so I am covering one job for her Fri-Sun (mentioned in an earlier post) and then I rec'd a call on Monday to sit for 2 more dogs beginning tomorrow night thru to Monday night. I could not say "no" to this lady because she is good friends w/my mom (and I like her too), but this proves that "when it rains, it pours." The only positive in this (besides getting paid) is that both homes are fairly close together so at least I won't be driving all over town all weekend long.

*Tonight will be my 4th consecutive night closing at SB. It's a shocker I haven't pulled all my hair out by now. The only thing that has made these nights tolerable is that I close with my favorite co-worker, Nicole. She rocks and we get outta there pretty quickly. Last night, she didn't work, but I closed with the resident "cutie pie" - there are only 5 guys who work there and he wins HANDS DOWN for the "eye candy" award. He's a big flirt too - considering there are about 15 women who work there. He's a sweet 'ol country boy.

*I've really slacked on my treadmill workouts lately. I'm trying to get back in the groove -although lacking in energy -big time. I managed to walk 2 miles yesterday and 1 today. Not much, but better than nothing I suppose.

Monday, August 13, 2007

~it's Monday again~

Here we go - another long, arduous week...ugh.

The dog sitting went well - they are so cute and a little bit crazy -but it's fun.

I got all my furniture ordered on Saturday and it will be delivered tomorrow - I CANNOT WAIT!

My mom and her hubs came over yesterday to help move the 2 ton entertainment center to accomodate the new LR layout. I am really excited to see how it looks when it's all put together tomorrow. The last remaining component to make it just right will be the changing out of the WHITE ceiling fan...oh yeah, and I'll need an area rug too.

I'm feeling pretty frustrated today with yet more SB drama. It's really out of hand at this point and I wish I could just go in and quit today - with NO notice. But I can't! :-(

I'm using these "beachy"
Kenny Chesney songs to escape from it all right now. It's truly MY therapy. There are a few other songs I wanted to add, but they weren't available on the site...oh well. This will have to do for now...thank goodness for my iPod!!

Friday, August 10, 2007

~and more randomness~

*Just ordered one of these for me and Mary. I have no idea what I'll decorate it with or what pics I'll put in it - but it'll be fun when I do. Here's a lot better picture if you're interested.

*It was an "interesting" night at SB and not necessarily in a good way. At about 10pm, a guy decided to cross the street that we are on - it is a busy street - I do not advise you to J-walk on this street - he got HIT!!! I heard the squealing brakes but that's a common sound for where we are so none of us paid attention. Five minutes later, we find out this guy got hit and the street is full of flashing lights. Apparently, it was a hit & run. The guy was laying on the ground for a while - not sure what happened to him. I will have to look in the paper, although I'm not sure it'll be in there. I'm sure glad I wasn't working the drive-thru where I would have had a clear view of the accident...not something I want to see.

*Yay, it's finally Friday. I have to make it to the furniture store by 6pm to order my new coffee & end table. Hopefully it'll be able to be delivered along with my couch when it comes in. Since the lady came for my tables on Wed, it looks like we just barely moved in...kind of funny really.

*I've had a lot of pet-sitting jobs going on. I'm currently sitting for 3 cats, the same 3 from a couple wks ago. They are sweet. The apartment they live in is not. One word-->gross! Anyway, today will my last visit there. On Sunday, I have to make 2 visits over to take care of the Rhodesian Ridgebacks that I've cared for before. They are awesome. Gentle giants - so fun. Next weekend, I have to take care of them Fri, Sat & Sun!!

*I'm obsessed with these Maya Road chipboard albums - not all, just some. They are rockin'! Especially the Tab Chipboard Book! I have to find these somewhere.

*Newsflash...I forgot to mention yesterday that I actually COOKED dinner the other night. I made Chicken Caesar Lasagna and it turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. O said it was good. It was a recipe I saw in some magazine and have held on to for a couple months now. I finally got all the ingredients @ the store and put it together. Great for leftovers too!

*I'm starting to get very very sad about my Detroit Tigers. It seems they can't hit their way out of a wet paper bag these days. And their pitching...I won't even mention that. I might as well start pitching for them...can't get much worse. They lost Thurs night 8-1 and Wed night 7-1...and the worst part is they lost to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays who are in LAST PLACE in their division and 25 games out of first place. That's just humiliating!! WTH?!?!? I know Dawn will understand.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

~randomness~

*I love randomness posts.
*I sold my coffee table & 2 end tables on Craigslist last night. Hooray! Now I can "justify" buying the new ones that I want. They will look MUCH better. Slowly but surely, my LR is coming together.
*I am getting a massage on Friday @ 3pm. Cannot Wait! I have found the absolute best massage therapist EVER! She rocks!
*I saw this groovy idea yesterday on 2Peas and thought it was a fantastic thing to do with my postcards. All I need to get is the binder ring and it's done. A nice quick project.
*It's been HOT HOT HOT here. Unusually hot actually. I do not remember it being this bad last summer. Even though O is from AZ, he's having a hard time in it all day for work. The humidity here is killing him. He's "tossed his cookies" @ work 3 times now! Not good.
*I had the last 2 nights off from SB and couldn't have been happier. Tonight I have to go back - ugh! We are still waiting on O's company secretary to tell us if I can be added to his bennies or not.

*I'm totally addicted to Good Reads. I think this is the neatest website ever. Join if you haven't already!!!

*It's official! I will NOT be going back to Grad School this Fall...there are a few reasons why, that I choose not to list here at this time. :-(

*Today is Thursday lunch-with-mom day. I love Thursdays for this reason! It's usually the ONLY day I go out to lunch.

*I got really caught up on work yesterday and as a result ended up quite bored for most of the afternoon. I hate being bored.

*I cannot wait 'til Grey's Anatomy starts back up. I already changed my availability at SB to have Thursdays off - I'm ready. Hopefully I won't be there that much longer, but just in case, I wanted to be prepared.

*Have I said how much I dislike working at SB now?!? I've done a complete 180 - sucks! They are ridiculous.

*Only 15 days 'til I take a road trip out to Raleigh, NC to go scrapbook with Mary and see her new place AND meet her new man!

*I guess when you get as old as me you don't get too excited about birthdays anymore. I used to get almost as excited as a little kid. It seems all of a sudden I've grown out of birthdays. Mine is 2 wks away and I don't really care that much. I have to work that day so it'll be just another day to me. Oh well!

Sunday, August 05, 2007

~rear view mirror~

Detroit Tigers in first place - now in the rear view mirror.

Thanks to their current 4 game losing streak and losing 13 of their last 17 games, Detroit is no longer in 1st place and Cleveland now sits 1/2 game ahead. Yes, it's only 1/2 game but still.

Honestly, it could have been a lot worse if Cleveland had been playing better. Cleveland could have really moved ahead of Detroit had they been winning more games while Detroit was losing. They've lost 9 of their last 14 games. Thank you Cleveland!

It's still early, I'm not too upset, but I don't like to see my Tigers fall apart like this. They need to get it together and quick!

Friday, August 03, 2007

~TGIF~

Yes, it's finally Friday! Thank goodness!!

During the summer on Fridays, my "day-job" company works only 1/2 days - a nice little perk for EMPLOYEES....I'm a Contractor, not an Employee. Contractor=No Perks. I don't get paid if I'm not working, so it's certainly not beneficial to me to work only a 1/2 day on Fridays. Today I don't care. I'm worn out and I can definitely use a few extra hours away from the desk. I'm clocking out at 1pm ET!! I'll still have 42 hrs for the week and since the max I can bill for is 45, I'd have to clock out by 4 ET anyway.

I'll be flying outta here @ 1pm sharp and on my way to Target. That is THE excitement in my life these days folks....LOL. Actually, I just need to pick up some toiletries there and then of course, I'll make the lap around the entire store to see if I'm missing anything spectacular.

I have a dentist appt today too...at 3:45pm. This will my first visit to this dentist, so wish me luck. There were VERY few on the insurance providers "approved list."

There have been excessive amounts of drama @ SB lately. It's really ridiculous. It's also one of the many reasons I am now DYING to leave there. Last night was no exception...I only had a 3.5 hr shift and it felt like 8 hrs - no kidding. Geez! I feel like I've gone back to high school all of a sudden...wait, even high school wasn't that bad for me.

I think I'll pick up a lottery ticket today too. Can't win if you don't play - that's what my dad always says!!

Oh yeah...I almost forgot....I finished Harry Potter #7 last night!! Good book!

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

~5 questions~

I got this exercise from Mary's blog...instructions to play along are included and I hope all of you do it! Basically, Mary posted five questions for me to answer about myself and I agreed to answer them here. Simple, eh? Here are her questions and my answers:

1. You are granted 3 wishes. what are they?
This is a difficult one, but here goes...
Wish 1) All of my family members would be happy and healthy.
Wish 2) I could somehow spend every weekend on a Mexican or Caribbean beach.
Wish 3) That the USA would adopt the European work style and 4 week Summer vacations.

2. What is your favorite day of the week and why?
Before working @ SB, I would probably have said Saturday simply because I don't have to work and it's my day of "fun" normally. I would run errands, get my hair cut/highlighted when needed, hang out at B&N and simply do the things that I enjoy. A day off is a good day! Since I often work @ SB on Saturdays, I rarely have a nice enjoyable Saturday to myself - but I will soon...

3. What are you doing this weekend?
This Saturday I have to work at SB from 12-5. My dad mentioned today that he may come in to town that evening and stay the night so that would be fun. We will likely do some steaks on the BBQ. I will enjoy a day off on Sunday and dad said he needed to do some shopping - not sure where, but normally that could include a trip to Sam's Club, which I will likely accompany him on.

4. Do you have a scrapbook or craft idea rolling around in your head? Tell about it.
I'm really stuck on mini-albums lately. I get about 1/2 way done w/them and then either run out of ideas or necessary supplies for decorating them. Right now I'm putting together a "favorite photos" mini album. The front and back cover are thick cardboard and the pages are cardstock. I'm using all Scenic Route papers with lots of 7 Gypsies rub-ons (I LOVE THOSE). I'll probably bring it with me to NC next month because I'm sure I will not be done with it. I also have 2-3 layouts "in progress" but my scrapping mojo has been on a rollercoaster lately. I think it's that I just don't have enough space....yeah, that's it.

Oh yeah...I will probably work on the August Scenic Route challenge too. I love their product and want to WIN some!!

5. What's your dream job?
This is an easy one. Don't laugh, but I've ALWAYS wanted to be that person that dives off of "Shamu's" nose at Seaworld. I would LOVE to be a whale/dolphin trainer. I even have a picture that I took of a trainer diving off of Shamu's nose back when I was about 10 years old. It was taken with one of those silly Disc cameras - I've held on to the picture all this time, can't seem to get rid of it. Maybe I should scrap that too...hey, there's an idea!

Want to play now?

Here are the rules if you do:
1. Leave me a comment saying anything random, like [the food you hate most in all the world]. Something random. Whatever you like.

2. I respond by asking you five personal questions so I can get to know you better.

3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and offer to ask someone else in the post.

5. When others comment asking to be asked, you will ask them five questions.

~a whole bunch of nothing~

*So my Tigers are getting a bit sloppy as of late. Losing 7 of their last 10 games. I'm ok with it though - they are still in first place (albeit by only 1 game), but you know what irks me...all of a sudden the people who know I'm a Tiger fan are quick to sarcastically ask me "how are your Tigers doing?" I don't quite understand this as I do not boast when they are stomping on everyone else...I am simply proud of my hometown team that has completely STUNK for 21 of the past 23 years. Who wouldn't be proud? It's about dang time. Geez people...gimme a break! So they are having a post All-Star break slump, it's meaningless really -there's LOTS of season left. :-) Restore the roar!

*Milo & Hula had their ever-adventurous visit to the vet on Monday. Always funny. I now have fur covered seats in my vehicle. I think I'll leave them like that -it'll be warmer in the winter.

*Is anyone watching Hell's Kitchen? I SO love that show!! It's down to the last 2...who do you think will win? I thought it was so awesome that when Gordon sent Julia home he told her he was paying her way through culinary school - how cool is that? This gal works at a Waffle House for pete's sake...she was at an unbelievable disadvantage and yet made it to the last of 4 people there! Talk about underdog! How cool!!

*At the next-to last minute, I entered a simple scrapbook challenge on Scenic Route's webpage. They were supposed to post winners yesterday...still nothing there. Apparently, they will be up sometime today. I'll be quite surprised if I win anything, but it'll be exciting none the less to see all the layouts. You can check them out here - if they ever post them of course.

*I'm still plugging along through HP#7. I'm at least in the 500s now...I just cannot sit down for a long period of time to read anything...a little bit here, a little bit there.

*I think that's about it for today. I don't know what else to write about really. Nothing exciting or blog-worthy happens in my work day - I work from home, so I can't rip on any co-workers apparel or loud cubicle conversations and so it pretty much leaves me with next to nothing else to write about for now.

Happy Hump Day!