Monday, December 28, 2009

i really need to move back to Dallas...love it here SO much more than TN!!!

Realization

Just realized my aunt has everything I want:

-a divorce
- a cozy, adorable & beautifully decorated home
- a good job
- lives alone with her 17yo son

-it's like I'm seeing my OWN future being played out before my eyes!

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Texas...here we come!!

~E and I are headed to Texas today!!!

~Wish me luck as this will be his first flight and to say I'm nervous would be an extreme understatement.

~I fear that all that complaining about kids on airplanes when I was single may backfire on me now and I may become *THAT* mom with the noisy child. Oh I sure hope not. Thankfully it's only about a 2 hour flight.

~I've downloaded a few Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episodes to my iTouch for him and I'm banking on them to help us through the trip. If not, there's always the alcoholic drinks on board, right? For me AND him. Kidding!! Or not.

~This is my first trip back to TX since March 2007.

~I'm SUPER excited to finally be meeting a long time fellow blogger & fantastic photographer....Miss Andie!!! Woohoo!! We are going to take lots of pictures (yay!) & eat some good food (double yay!)...maybe even some frozen yogurt...I heard she likes it! So do I!!

~On Sunday, the 27th, E and I will be having lunch with 2 gals i used to work with way back in 1997!!! A LONG TIME AGO!! I cannot wait to catch up with both of them.

~I also hope to visit with a scrapbooking friend, although we won't scrapbook, it will be nice to catch up and she can meet E too.

~There are so many things I want to do on this quick trip...to name a few...Ikea, Stonebriar Mall (love the atmosphere & they have a merry-go-round), Yummy Restaurants...too many to name.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

some favorites...

Once again, courtesy of Tumbler...

i'm quickly becoming obsessed with vintage spools of thread. they are so cute!

this just screams NYC to me...specifically Carrie Bradshaw's apartment, don't cha think?

i've seen this numerous times on Tumblr and I love it more everytime.

And while I'm not a fan of "love", this is freaking adorable!

NYC-->love!! What an awesome picture!

Adorable pillow. I want to make one!

Central Park in the winter time--->dreamy!


Monday, December 21, 2009

pouting

~that is what I will be doing on Tuesday....all day!

~why you ask?...well, because I will be the ONLY Grad Assistant in the office this week, even though it's only 2 days, it's TWO days longer than any of the other GAs. I say "UNFAIR"!!!!

~GA #1 went home to TX TWO weeks ago already...and still gets paid the full month...technically we are "salaried"

~GA #2 lives locally and was MIA last week so I'm assuming she will not be there this week either. Wonder what happened to the 20 hour work week for GAs.

~GAs #3 and 4 - their supervisors are out this week and so told them they didn't need to come in. Wow!! How nice is that!! Again, they will still be paid the full month....AND did I mention that one of them was out last week with her sick child....just like I was the week before...yet I will be reporting to work at 8am (ish) on Tuesday and I will NOT be even a little bit happy about it.

~who wants to place a wager on whether my supervisor comes and tells me I can leave early or that I don't have to come in on Wednesday??? I'm not thinking there is a good chance of that.

~so freakin' unfair.

~i'm pissed really.

Friday, December 18, 2009

quilt 2 in progress & other sewing endeavors

finished piecing this tonight. now have to come up with a back for it, then it will be ready for quilting. it measures 40x60 (or so)

still haven't completed my 1st quilt...procrastinating on doing the binding as it frightens me.

also trying to put together an "artsy clutch" but i don't have the little elastic loop...

also working on quilt #3 which is the PINK THEME quilt for me.

i met a lady on line who said she'd send me a bunch of her stash as she just has TOO much and used to work for a fabric company so she is always getting more and more...i'm waiting for the package of goodies to arrive to see if there is any pink fabric I can use as well as a fabric that would work for the binding on quilt #1.

i need to make another checkbook like the one I made the other day. my aunt says she needs a new checkbook and then the daycare owner/friend said the same thing.

oh and i'm also working on this cute little camera case (for my point & shoot)...sort of stuck on the binding here as well...ugh. and then I'll have to do a button hole and that freaks me out beyond belief...

really hoping that someday (soon) i get good enough at this to put a few things in my etsy shop...*sigh*

Thursday, December 17, 2009

couldn't have said it better myself

Courtesy of Tumblr:

The average person tells 4 lies a day, or 1460 a year, a total of 88,000 by the age of 60. And the most common lie is: I'm Fine.

energy savings, really?

~someone please tell me how much energy can be saved by closing a parking garage for 3.5 weeks? there aren't many lights on it anyway.

~the garage i park in at work is closing TODAY until January. they neglected to say WHAT TIME they are closing it so I did not feel safe parking there today. it would be my luck they would close it at noon and i'd go to leave at 4:30pm and not be able to get to my car. instead i am back to parking in BFE & freezing my ears off as I walk to my building.

~i thought about parking on the street, but either the spots are 2 hour time limit or they are metered and I've already paid $167 to park on campus for the school year, so why in the heck should i fork out more dough to feed the meters.

~so this is how my day started. hopefully it's not a sign of how the rest of the day will be.

~i'm still in a quandary about going thru with the starbucks job. i hate that most of my weekend will be spent there and for peanuts and when I say peanuts, i mean VERY little money...is it REALLY worth it? I finally got O to say that he didn't think it was worth me being gone all that time...when I previously asked him, he said "i don't care"...but what he really meant was he didn't think it was worth it but didn't want to tell me what to do. i can almost guarantee that if I do go thru with it, he will be quick to complain about all the time he has to care for E by himself which will make me feel the need to quit and look like an idiot in the workplace. so you see, it's a lose-lose situation for me...just can't decide HOW i want to lose.

ETA: After consulting with a few more people to get their input (and because I seem to be majorly indecisive) I have decided to pass on the 2nd job, continue to be broke, but able to be at home and play with E....and that's worth millions.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

reminiscing

~i've been reminiscing lately, particularly about the past year which in turn led to thoughts of 2008 (yes, 2008, not 2009)...a difficult year and one in which I would not normally rate high on "my fave years" scale, except for E's birth of course....but now the more I think of it, 2008 was pretty darn great! (that rhymed!) Here's why...

~feb 2008: E was born.

~may 2008: job fiasco, which sucked @ the time, but it turned out that I got to spend the rest of the year at home with E and that rocked.

~august 2008: ran into a gal @ the mall who was in my birthing class and who now has evolved into my best-mom-friend.

~august 2008: started taking E to Mother Goose classes with above mentioned friend. rhymes, singing, playing, stories...tons of fun!

~september 2008: started participating in bi-weekly play group, which was great fun at the time, despite the big "crash -n- burn" it turned out to be recently.

~october 2008: no obligations to get up early, be anywhere, do anything...could stay in my PJs with E all day long if I wanted to.

november 2008:
pushed E around the mall in his stroller as I casually window shopped fantasizing that I had countless dollars to spend there.

~december 2008: interviewed & received GA position @ UT so I could return to finish my Masters.

So it was fun while it lasted. 2009 has sucked in comparison. here's hoping 2010 is on the upswing.

*this is your "positive-themed" post of the month. I cannot promise another "happy" post prior to year end...but it's always possible...just not likely.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

randomness

~it's a ghost town here at work today & tomorrow. everyone who is "anyone" is away at a conference, so clearly I'm "no one". while i love the peace & quiet, I am once again bored stiff. I wish I had brought my book! Dang!

~I think my next sewing project will be this...with a different fabric though.

~I lost another 1.6 lbs on WW this past week. That brings the total to 12.6 in five weeks. I'm hoping to hit the 15lb mark by Christmas!!

~my cousin was accepted to Boston University. I'm happy for him, while simultaneously feeling like more of a failure myself. isn't my self-confidence spectacular?!?! more like non-existent.

~my dad turns 73 today. my step-siblings & I all went in together & got him a Kindle. it's so cute teaching him a little technology. he already bought/downloaded his first book.

~looks like i'll be taking a 2nd job at Starbucks inside of my local Kroger. I have mixed feelings on this. I could definitely use the income, but I hate that most of my weekend will be spent there instead of at home with E. I also found out how little I'll be paid...and I received a whole extra .35/hour for my previous ONE year of experience at Starbucks back in 2007. Whoop De Doo...35 cents...are you freakin' kidding me? Also, there are no SBUX benefits as I'll be a Kroger employee (I knew this going in, but it still stinks). The only "bennies" are 10% off SBUX stuff and Kroger-brand groceries....eh...not that great really. I may be starting there on Friday or Saturday of this week. I still have time to back out, but seems stupid of me to do that when i'm as broke as I am. i feel like i have no choice...especially since my "all talk, no action" husband hasn't gotten the 2nd job he keeps talking about getting. if you have advice on this semi-dilemma, i'm open to hearing it.

~i changed the ringer on my cell phone to "all I want for Christmas is a real good tan" by Kenny Chesney...because really, that IS all I want....if Kenny comes along too, that would be good. a real good tan--->means many uninterrupted hours relaxing in the sunshine...pure bliss...i used to take those moments for granted...i'd give anything for them now. if i had the $$ i'd even resort to the tanning booth at this point - always SO relaxing.

~i have not been able to wear my wedding rings since I was about 6-7 months pregnant. now that i'm FINALLY losing some of the remaining baby weight, they just may fit again soon...I refused to have them made bigger. While I may not always ever like what they represent...they are gorgeous, so hopefully I can wear them soon. My personal goal is by Christmas...that will also help reduce any accusations and/or rude comments by family members I may be visiting post-Christmas. Oh and people won't give me "those" looks...you know....like I'm single with a child or something (gasp!)....they happen...they REALLY do.

~i guess that's all I can come up for now. happy tuesday.

Monday, December 14, 2009

book recommendation

I just have to share a good book when I come across one...I mean a REALLY good book. This was a quick read (220-ish pages) and it sucked me right in and I finished it virtually in one day - yesterday.

A unique story for sure and definitely "deeper" than the usual chick-lit books that I read. I totally fell in love with the two main characters AND their relationship....that's all I'll say so as to not spoil it for anyone who may be interested in reading this one.

I even emailed the author to tell him how much I loved the book. This is the first book he wrote. He emailed me right back to thank me and told me he is working on a sort of "sequel" to this one - WOOT!!! Basically the sequel will be the story told from the lead male character's point of view.

So if you are looking for a great, quick read....pick up this book!!

*I am NOT receiving any compensation or free books etc. by posting this....I'm simply sharing this with you all as I truly loved the book.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

miserable in 0-60

~it really sucks how quickly i can shift from happy to miserable...all thanks to one single person.

~so much for TWO nights of peace, tranquility & happiness...he came home early...WAY early.

Friday, December 11, 2009

feels like saturday

~I guess that's what happens when you only work 4 hours THE WHOLE WEEK!! that's about 16 hours short of what I'm supposed to work each week...and I'm still 4 hours in the hole from when I was sick an entire week. lovely!

~while i'd like to say how wonderful it has been being off of work all week...the only reason it happened it because E has been sick...WAY too sick to go to daycare. can't wait to pay them for their fine service this week. (yes, you still have to pay if your kid is sick or doesn't attend-I hate that...but understand it...sort of).

~on wednesday he took a turn for the worse (103.7 fever!!) and we returned to the Ped after seeing her on Monday. the antibiotics he was on were doing NOTHING and so the lucky little guy got a shot. ouch!

~later that day I drove cross town to campus for my appointment with a sports doctor to look at my shoulder. it's messed up...big time...at least that's how it feels. turns out after my exam and 4 x-rays...she says it's probably tendonitis/bursitis...really? WTH? it's way too painful to *just* be that. so now I have to do arm/shoulder exercises everyday, take an anti-inflammatory pill & ice it...um daily!! yeah, we know what the chances of that happening (daily) are...not very good. wednesday I did the exercises. thursday I picked up & took the meds....maybe today i'll ice it. i suck at these kinds of healing plans. i do hope to get better at it though because I have to return to see her in 3-4 weeks and I don't want to fabricate my story about it not being ANY better when I followed (exactly) her instructions. :) so even though it's freakin' cold outside...i'll ice my shoulder.

~the doc asked how I injured it and sadly I did not have a concrete answer for her. i really have no idea, however earlier in the day on wednesday as I lifted my 27.8lb son into his car seat...I wanted to scream out in pain...so i think it's safe to say that lifting & carrying him around is NOT helping. his car seat is in the middle of my backseat (it's the safest place!) and the movement of leaning over to plop him in place is hard. so now I will be more patient and let him climb into his seat...he's a big boy anyway, he can do it.

~on thursday we trekked back to the Ped for a follow-up and thankfully he was doing MUCH better, although not quite 100%. she mentioned giving him another shot, but then decided to try a breathing treatment. it made a huge difference (so she said after listening to his lungs post-treatment) and so we went home with a nebulizer & picked up some Albuterol at the Kroger Pharmacy to do breathing treatments 3x each day through Sunday. I can already see a significant decrease in his nasty cough. Hooray. He hates the breathing treatments though. it takes about 10 minutes and he tolerates maybe 2-3 sitting still and then I have to chase him around the coffee table trying to get as much steam in his face as possible...it's a blast...really. i should get the video camera out for this...he also got a new antibiotic too. after all of this...all I have to say is he BETTER NOT get sick for the rest of the month...we are flying on the 26th and flying with a 22 month old is scary enough, i don't want to fly with a semi-sick and/or congested 22 month old....nightmare!!

~so while today is friday, it feels like saturday to me. E and i are meeting mom @ the mall for lunch & some (window) shopping. i do have to buy my immediate family Hallmark cards though, so i'll get them outta the way while there. E was going to have his pictures taken with Santa on monday (not at the mall) but with him being significantly UNDER the weather, we changed the appointment to today at 3pm. there is a local photo store here and they have the most rockin' Santa EVER...seriously!! We went there last year and even though E was not crazy about Santa, we got a few good pictures. They only charge $25 (same or less as mall) and they take their time, you don't wait in line & you get an 8x10 included. that is my biggest complaint though...who the heck wants an 8x10 of their kid w/Santa?!?! not like i'm going to frame it, ya' know? so it's all a big scam so that you then order a few 4x6 size etc.. and they make more money. all things considered however, it's still better than standing in line @ the mall for some creepy Santa.

~and the highlight (seriously!) of my weekend will be being a single mom...through Sunday. O is being sent a couple hours away for a job that has to be done over the weekend (yay for pre-Christmas OT hours!!). He left early this morning and won't be back 'til Sunday. O wants E and I to drive up there on Saturday night to stay with him, but I'm thinking "UM NO"....I would rather savor my "single" time...every last second possible. thank.you.very.much. The funny part is that we had been planning to go to this same area on Sunday to visit my dad anyway. He will be 73 on the 15th and so we are meeting my sister & her husband there and taking him out to lunch/dinner to celebrate. We also all went in on buying him a Kindle as he is a MAJOR bookworm. I can't wait to see his face when he opens it.

~so since E and I will have the day to ourselves on Saturday, we will do our regular grocery shopping errands...i guess i'll have to do the grocery shopping this week since O will be out of town. grocery shopping will be followed with a lovely Christmas cookie baking session. due to being on WW though, the cookie extravaganza has been cut back to ONLY making the delicious Peanut Butter Blossoms...you know, the ones with the Hershey Kiss in the middle. Yum!! Do you ever wonder WHY they are a "holiday" or "Christmas" cookie though? Nothing about them really "screams" Christmas. It's not like they are gingerbread flavor or have eggnog in them or some other bizarre holiday ingredient.

~on an unrelated note...about a week ago i applied to work at the Starbucks inside our local Kroger. a gal I knew there is moving & she said they are hiring for her spot and she'd put a good word in for me. when E and I went to Kroger Thursday morning, i talked with the other gal there that I know (i go there too often) and she offered to write down my name and talk to the HR lady on my behalf. She also suggested calling the HR lady myself in the afternoon...which I did...and got the lovely response of "the managers are reviewing applications & will call you if they are interested"....really? she made it sound as if NO ONE had said ANYTHING to her AT ALL. i'm certain that at least the gal I spoke with today DID talk to the HR lady. she sure seemed nasty to me on the phone though.  oh well.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

sewing: love & hate

~i am enjoying sewing....when things turn out as they should & look "normal"...which honestly is not often.

~i don't sew straight lines very often...I think there is a little "guide" I can get to attach to my sewing machine to help with this...going to hunt that down tomorrow.

~i'm SO frustrated right now cuz I bought THIS KIT...looks super easy, right? Like, anyone could make these!! Well, apparently anyone BUT me...why when I cut the mittens, sew them & turn right side out the thumb is totally wonky. I made 2 attempts, failed both times, getting stuck on the crap directions that came w/it. Packaged them back up hoping for an email response from the seller...then maybe, just maybe I'll try again.

~the past few evenings...or hours here & there, I have stared at this picture trying hard to imagine HOW that super cute little iPod case was created. I made one attempt so far at how I thought it was made....and well, let's just say it wasn't pretty. WTH? Why is this SO freakin' hard? :) I want to crank a bunch of those out & put them in my Etsy shop...at this rate, I would make maybe .01/hour being the crappy/slow sewer that I am.

~i've successfully made two scarves. sold one. (thank you Emily)!! The bummer is that I can't wear mine 'til I lose a few more pounds and can comfortably fit back into my brown leather jacket. I think that scarf will rock with the jacket.

~i have my first quilt back from the quilter-lady. tonight I cut off all the excess batting/fabric so it is officially ready for the binding...the MOST difficult part from what I've heard in the mad-quilting world. LOL. I'm thinking the best fabric to use for the binding will be a solid brown...of course, I don't have any but NONE of the fabrics that I do have will work with it. Bummer!

~i sort of have 2 other quilts in progress...i'm cutting pieces for my "all pink" girly quilt that will be just for ME ME ME. I still need to collect more pink fabrics though so that will be slow going since I don't want to spend $$ right now.

~i did make a good start on a quilt similar to this one though. most of the same fabrics. i just love them - they are so "fun and happy" looking!! can't wait 'til it's finished.

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

missing you...still


~i still miss you. every.single.day.

~i wish you could have met E.

~i wish E could have met you.

~i wish for just one more day spent with you.

~i cannot believe you've been gone for 15 years today. for me, it's been an eternity.

~i remember every last detail of that awful day.

~it hasn't gotten easier. i miss you & think of you every.single.day.

Monday, December 07, 2009

a few of my favorite things...aka...blogs!

~spent the day today nursing the health of an almost 22-month-old.

~we made a trip to the pediatrician, then to Kroger for medicine & a quick stop at WW to weigh in and discover that I've lost a total of 11 pounds in 4 weeks. Woohoo!!! My goal was 10 lbs, so I'm quite happy with those results.

~being that I'm short on time today, I wanted to put together a quick post and thought I'd share some of my favorite blogs with my readers...here ya' go!!

Nichole - she is a general surgeon in CA & I've been following her for close to 5 years! She's great & always has interesting blogging material!! Visit her blog!! Hurry!!

Optimistic Pessimist - a great read! She is an excellent runner and recently finished the NYC marathon. She is witty, sweet & fun!! Read!!

Rachel - just moved from OH to NY and it's been fun following her blog AND her move. She's crazy in love with her boyfriend.

Fidgeting Gidget - been following her for about 6 months now. I just love her. I SO need to meet her in person as I'm certain we would be fast friends!! She is all kinds of crafty!!! She also has a house in Michigan and one in which I intend to visit her IN come next Spring!!

Beth - she is hilarious!! she is also an elementary school principal and therefore has endless blogging fodder. I also love her because she is going to cross the finish line (close to last) with me in the WDW Princess 1/2 Marathon.

Dawn - this one goes without mention. I've been following Dawn since the beginning of time, or so it seems. She is my long time blogging friend. I cannot wait to FINALLY meet her in March 2010!!

There are countless MORE blogs that I love and read regularly...it would take me forever to list them all here, but maybe I'll start a regular post where I feature a few of my favorites...what do you think?

Enjoy!!

Sunday, December 06, 2009

and today...

i made a scarf!!


if you want one. i can make you one for $20. let me know.

Saturday, December 05, 2009

change in plans

~we woke up to this...
so I did NOT go to the store. It's 2:30pm and I haven't left the house yet.

instead I made finished this!!


using this tutorial... it's FAR from perfect, but it's complete.

The zipper thing is crazy-difficult. I think I may stick to quilts and other non-zipper related items.

Off to shower now...the snow is all melted (it's still effin cold though) and so we are off to dinner & a movie!!

Saturday to do...

~i'm officially DONE with the semester. woohoo!! completed my dreaded Stats final tonight. it was somewhat painful, but I'm glad it's behind me.

~on to the weekend...busy day Saturday. I have quite the to-do list:

~vacuum house.

~grocery shopping 

~finish putting up outdoor Christmas lights. (brrrr!)

~put up Christmas tree & decorate.

~meet lady @ 3:45 @ local McDonalds to complete one Craigslist transaction

~meet quilt lady @ same McDonalds to get my quilt...all I have to do is the binding & it will be complete!!

~go to mom's house. have her take pictures for our Christmas cards...hopefully we get a decent picture.

~leave E with grandma & off to dinner & a movie...a quarterly occurrence in this household.

~we are going to see "2012"....not my first choice...oh well.

Thursday, December 03, 2009

why i'm annoyed today...

~i know it seems i'm often quite annoyed...well maybe i am. that's just my life right now. oh well.

~today i'm annoyed because:

*I have my Stats Final tomorrow morning @ 10:15am and virtually no time to review for it until around 9pm when E goes to bed. Looks like I might be up late tonight.

*O has a this fabulous ability to make me feel as if I'm not allowed to EVER go out for dinner with a friend. Or I go & suffer his wrath. Marriage is so effin wonderful!

*Being taxed with crazy tedious project at work. It's either complete boredom or complete idiot/tedious projects. Gee - what a great addition to my education!! (which is what this position is actually supposed to be).

*The fact that I cannot leave the office until 4:30pm today. Straight to pick up E. Then home, make dinner, bathe E & then put him to bed. Like I said...no study time 'til 9pm-ish.

*Friday cannot get over with quick enough for me (this semester has sucked a$$).

*The fact that I have not been able to do any sewing for more than 48 hours now. You see, I'm addicted to it, so ultimately I'm having withdrawals. I'm dying to make a cute little case for my iTouch!! I also have to finish a Crayon Roll Up for Heather/Catherine!!! :)

*that darn Stats test is sucking up any time I would rather spend reading Shanghai Girls!! It's sooooooooooooooooo good and I'm almost done with it!! Would finish it tonight if I didn't have to study. Argh! This school stuff really stinks sometimes!!

OH LOOK!! Two "happy" things to post about...(for all you Negative Nancy haters!)

*I get to wear comfy track pants & a sweatshirt to school tomorrow for my test. hooray. i'm always having to dress up for work. this will be a nice change.

*I listed 2 things on Craigslist this morning and already have both sold. Yippee!!!

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

work vent

~i've been quite frustrated with my work situation for a while now and the frustration is finally starting to bubble over.

~not only am I grossly underutilized; when I am given something to do, I am talked to as if I were born yesterday. I am constantly made to feel stupid...or that my supervisor thinks I am stupid.

~feelings of being stupid then get over-analyzed and I feel like she doesn't want me here but there's really nothing she can do about it. i don't know why she would feel this way as i've always done what has been asked of me...but still.

~last week she finally admitted to me that she SUCKS at delegating (alternatively worded of course). while she has TWO to-do lists on her desk, I am bored out of my mind. a person can only read so many blogs, write so many blog posts and surf Etsy for so long. i'm sick of it all.

~a few months ago i felt that my supervisor and I had really connected, but that is no longer the case. there haven't been any "issues" or anything, it's just that she's well, weird. she is very hard to figure out. one minute she's nice, the next minute she is over-the-top business-like as if we have just met. i don't get it. what's the deal?

~now that i'm STUCK here for (one semester) longer than anticipated, I'm miserable just thinking about it. i don't feel like I really fit in here. in my defense, there are TWO other GAs who have expressed the same feelings, so I KNOW it's not me.

~i don't want to sound ungrateful or anything. i'm lucky to have this position and there are excellent perks to the job...i.e. free tuition & health insurance, but is it so much to ask for the environment to be at least a little bit friendly??

I want Wednesday...

Now that it's December, I thought it would be ever so appropriate to share a few items on my Christmas list...I would LOVE a SBUX giftcard...or actually I already have a card, but it has a big fat ZERO balance...so you could just reload it for me (card# 6042 4210 2723 9414 - you know, just in case, tee!!) that would be great....now that I'm on WW, I have successfully limited myself to 1-2 Iced Chais per week...a true miracle in itself.

Any of the gazillion fabrics I have found & fell in love with on Etsy.

Or this super cute wristlet I also found on Etsy!! Adorable! I tell ya' that site is dangerous!!

10 inch tube pan...for after I lose a gazillion pounds and can freely bake again!

And now I'm to the point where I realize I didn't ask for anything that exciting for Christmas...you know, a couple pair of running socks - for the running that I haven't been doing lately...along with a couple of running shirts...yawn! I so need some new running motivation...just not feeling it these days. can I get that for Christmas? (I did miraculously squeak in a 2 mile run last night though, apparently not enough to satisfy that fussy Nike Mini gal over there!)

I did ask for an iPhone with 1 year of paid service, but it was more of a joke than anything cuz I'm about 99% sure it's not going to happen for me. *sad face*

In the end, I asked Santa for Kroger & WM gift cards...to offset our grocery bills...you know, cause I'm practical (and boring) like that. *sigh*

I'm starting to lose my Christmas cheer....

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

quilting

~whoa...this quilting interest of mine is getting out of hand.

~i am finding (way too) many fabrics that I need want.

~now that someone showed me that Etsy sells SUPPLIES for crafting & not just completed crafty items...well, i'm crazy addicted to that sight. this may cause me to have to file bankruptcy. kidding...but I could easily spend a small fortune there.

~i am also a bit confused on some of the quilting lingo...for example...they sell "rolls" of fabric, cut into 2.5x40 inch strips...they are called JELLY ROLLS!

~there is also a smaller roll referred to as a DESSERT ROLL!!

~and then there is a packet of cut pieces called a LAYER CAKE!! WTH?

~oh and this interest of mine is not just limited to quilting...it's sewing in general.

~you saw the crayon roll ups...well i've since made 3 more and have another in progress.

~i want to make a scarf! similar to this one. i love it! I found a tutorial here to help me along.

~then there's this 'coin quilt' (another strange name) i want to make...i love the fabrics too, may have to replicate this one.

~i'm also trying to make these little zippered pouches (NOT that fabric though). I'm a bit stuck on cutting down the zipper...it has to be whip-stitched after it's cut down! I also need a zipper foot for my sewing machine...which apparently is either a high shank or low shank...um, ok, whatever that means. I need to remove the entire foot & take to the store so they can tell me what kind I need. I forgot to take it to JoAnns today. Boo! I love the fabric i'm using for these so I'll post it when I've got one completed.

~then there's this one!! see what I mean?! I cannot stop. It's addicting. This orange quilt is just so freakin' adorable though.

~and well...i bought these fabrics (yes, from Etsy) last week so I can make a quilt similar to this one. it just screams fun! look at those colors!

~oh and um, i sort of bought these fabrics too...to make a quilt for E.

~someone needs to take away my internet access...

~i would really like to take a quilting class to at least see if i could manage the actual quilting part of the process. i need to see if my sewing machine even has the capability. honestly, many people have the quilting done elsewhere & focus on the piecing of the quilt top and back (that's the fun part anyway). i'm hoping the lady who is quilting my 1st quilt calls soon to say it's ready. she thought she'd get it done over the holiday.

~my current WIPs (works in progress) include a pink color-themed quilt for ME. i'm still cutting pieces as well as collecting a few more patterns. working on one crayon roll & i have those zipper pouches in progress, but can't do more 'til I get that zipper foot.

Monday, November 30, 2009

productivity!!!

~i love being productive.

~it might take me a while to get there, but when I do...lookout!!

~we returned from VA on Saturday afternoon and I promptly got to cleaning the house (what a mess!) and then O took E to the grocery store with him (after telling me that I don't know how to grocery shop)....while they were gone I completed my on-line test for my Wed night class and thankfully I am officially done with that class.

~i then listed that text book on Amazon for sale and it was sold within just a couple of hours. Hooray!

~thankfully I can put all my scholastic energy (which isn't much) into prepping for my Stats final.

~on Sunday I managed to assemble (ALONE) a nifty storage-like piece of furniture for my office, make TWO crayon roll ups for a lovely bloggy friend and then also cut some fabric in prep to create my 2nd quilt. I sure hope the lady that is quilting my first one calls me soon. I can't wait to see it.

~now if school would just be over with, maybe I'd have MORE time for fun stuff...like sewing!

Thursday, November 26, 2009

thankful

today I am thankful for...

~that I don't have to deal with all the nasty people i've met through the years working in Corporate America. Good riddens.

~that i'm celebrating with "new" family...a positive to my parents divorce...a blossoming relationship with my step-siblings, particularly my sister in Virginia. Good times!!

~taking O's company truck to VA & sparing my vehicle the mileage & wear & tear (for once!)

~great blog friends!!!!!!!!

~the semester is almost over. one on-line exam & one (dreadful) stats exam 'til I'm FREE for 5 weeks.

~the opportunity to go to Dallas the week after Christmas and meet up with friends...old & new.

~what have you been thankful for today?

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

videos!!!


~the one where E does his animal impersonations~


~the one where E rocks at the Hard Rock~

gobble gobble

~E walks around saying "gobble gobble" - it's pretty funny.

~I'm hoping we get out of work early today.... I have too much to do at home.

~We are headed north to VA tomorrow bright & early.

~I have to bake TWO desserts...one of which has many steps...ugh.

~Even worse, I will likely not taste either of these two desserts.

~I refuse to fall off the WW wagon this week.

~Thankfully, turkey & other typical Thanksgiving foods are not big temptations for me.

~Here are 9 reasons why I'm crazy addicted to the world of quilting & fabrics in general...

1. hop, skip + jump!, 2. animals quilt, 3. Lovely-ness, 4. Basted - Back, 5. Ducky Day Front, 6. Red and Aqua quilt, 7. Red and Aqua quilt, 8. Putting on the Pink Quilt, 9. Denyse Schmidt Hop, Skip & a Jump Quilt

~Happy Thanksgiving to you!!

Monday, November 23, 2009

sew fun!!

~i found a new hobby. that is NOT a good thing. I don't have time for more hobbies...

~i made this Crayon Roll Up last night...fun!!

~i'm also dropping off my quilt top TODAY to a lady to do the actual quilting of it for me. when i get it back it will only need to have the binding put on, which i've heard can be difficult...i'm a bit frightened.

~i'm totally 'addicted' to this quilting/sewing thing...it's fun to look @ all the fabrics...makes me want them all!!



Friday, November 20, 2009

friday randomness

*random posts are my favorite. they are easy to read too!

*i'm at SBUX relaxing in the cafe 'til I can pick up E...he's napping right now.

*i'm clearly missing something on this "glee" show...I watched a few minutes of it a couple wks ago and I don't see the attraction. oh well. to each his own. i don't have time for more TV shows anyway.

*i finally received my magic yellow paper from the school district which states that i'm cleared to be a substitute teacher.

*i went to FOUR elementary schools today to get put on their substitute list.

*i'm hoping i get called soon to sub on a few mondays & fridays. it will help offset the daycare costs and maybe even buy a few Christmas presents.

*i don't know why i'm excited for Christmas...probably for E really because otherwise, there is no reason...I have NO money, I hate life @ home most of the time & we are spending Christmas day with my mom and her husband...and well, her husband is NOT my favorite person & I hate pretending I like someone when I really don't all that much. it's a long story & i have repeatedly tried to like him. just when things are looking up, something happens that resets me to my 'not-liking-him' point.

*i was going to go back and temp at the Talbots call center this year...but I would have spent my ENTIRE weekend in training (9-4:30 both days) and when i calculated how much little money I would make, I decided it just wasn't worth losing the time with E.

*i feel like crying on a daily basis lately. that sucks.

*i ran (& walked) 4 miles @ the gym today. I also did some weights & a brief 10 minutes on the elliptical machine. I should have done more as I later realized I won't get to the gym at all next week. oops!

*on monday E and I are going to meet up with his girlfriend and her mommy for a playdate (hence no gym for me). we haven't seen each other in about 3 weeks. he'll only be at daycare for 2 days next week and the best part...we still get to pay the full week's tuition. damn that hurts!!

*SBUX has THE cutest Christmas plush characters...a reindeer & a teddy bear. love!

*i'm still rocking the WW diet. i even restrained myself to only a TALL Chai while here at SBUX (4 points). i'm looking forward to weighing in on Monday. my scale @ home has me down about 2lbs but i'm hoping (& praying) for at least one more...that would put me at my lowest weight post-baby. I would still have about 20 more pounds to go though. If i'm down 10lbs by Christmas I will be SUPER happy!!! And I think it's totally do-able.

*there are really some interesting characters at SBUX right now. great for people watching.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

it's beginning to look a lot like...

Christmas!!

~not sure why i have so much Christmas spirit this year, but i've been enjoying getting out the decorations a bit early. Maybe it's simply because I did not decorate AT ALL last year, no tree, nothing. It's like Christmas for me just opening my storage containers and seeing everything in there...I always forget what I have and I have WAY TOO many Christmas decorations. Four FULL storage boxes & that doesn't count the ornaments I have...eeks!!

So anyway, I'm not the best decorator & I'm limited with what I can do & still keep the house childproof, but I thought I'd take a few pictures to share with you. Enjoy the holiday tour!!

I just added a few items to my this table. I have to put NON-breakable items here since E can reach everything on it now.

This is the top of the entertainment center. Clearly I have an abundance of plush Christmas decorations.
And here's the mantle (so far). Somewhere I have 2 other stockings which I'll hang up as soon as I find them. This is the first year for the reindeer as I purchased them TWO years ago at 50% from Pier One!!
Lastly, here is a shot of the entire (tiny) living room. Don't mind my pathetic window treatment...it's supposed to hang there draped as in two scallop shapes, however a certain pair of hands OFTEN pulls on it and i'm tired of fixing it everyday.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

the eternal student...

~yep. that's me. the eternal student...

~i will attempt to make this post as brief as possible but it is somewhat of a cumbersome story with potential to be confusing as well. enjoy...plus if you read to the end, there's a giveaway...

~i have been planning on graduating in December 2010, specifically December 10, 2010!!!

~yeah, well, that probably won't be happening, at least not on that day.

~while i only have 1 class left to take (after this semester), but I still have to do my Practicum (a mini-internship) which I will do in the Spring. It requires 100 hours working in a school enhancing counseling skills etc....essentially working as a school counselor for FREE. After I complete the Practicum, I will only have my Internship left, which cannot be done until Fall 2010 (no school in the Summer). It is a 300 hour requirement...same objective as the Practicum, but more intense.

~originally i planned to do my Internship in one semester which boils down to a 40hr-a-week job...so that means quitting my GA position. all along I thought this would be the best route to go so as to get done with school & back to the real world. as i've pondered it more and more, graduating in December is less favorable than in May when seeking to work in the school system. while there CAN be positions available mid-school year, there will likely be LESS positions. Additionally, leaving my GA position means NO income, NO health insurance and NO FREE tuition...all expenses I would incur. Now, I had been planning on this so I did set aside some monies from the lawsuit fiasco, but in a perfect world I wouldn't have to spend it just to live.

~so to run the numbers...health insurance (for just Aug-Dec) would cost AT LEAST $1000 for the semester...and that's for me and E. (O's job has crappy yet expensive insurance so that's not an option.) Tuition would be $2538 PLUS fees...so let's just round up to $3K. And then there's the loss of income, which would be a whopping $4400. I don't care telling you what I make...if you look hard enough, you could find the info yourself on the school website. So that's about $8K and that's barring any emergency spending that may present itself along the way...which you know, would be bound to happen. just because.

~and so, my friends, it seems the wiser choice is to split my Internship up over two semesters - which, honestly, is what the majority of students do anyway-and that way I would work 20 hours as a GA and 20 hours in a school every week over the course of the two semesters.

~there are many other positives to doing it this way-with the exception of dragging out my graduation date until May 12, 2011...which seems like an eternity...oh and which happens to be my very first boyfriend's birthday...ugh - where did that come from & why do I still remember that?

~so the positives are: less stress during the Fall 2010 semester. word on the street is that it's quite a challenge to get all the internship hours completed in one semester...like you can't be sick...ever...and we know how well that worked out for me this year. i'm thinking with a 2.5 year old by then...i'm gonna be sick...or more likely, he's gonna be sick & i'll have to stay home with him.

~another positive: continued income & free health insurance & free tuition. also, since i'll be sticking around, i'm thinking i may take an extra class or two which I could eventually apply to my EdS...and that means FUTURE money saving. hooray!

~another positive: regardless of splitting the internship, technically I would still be "employable" in the school system come January 2011 and if i were fortunate enough to be hired, that would mean i'd finish my internship concurrently while working & getting paid for a FULL TIME job. that would rock my socks off. it's happened to quite a few of my classmates, so i'm going to be (gasp!) hopeful for that to happen. and if it doesn't, i'll still have my GA position.

~if i were to do the internship in one semester & be done in December 2010 and then unable to find a job for Jan-May 2011...i'd continue with NO income...or insurance...you get the point.

~so unless I win the lotto or O decides to put on his big-boy pants and go find a better paying job (and they DO exist right now)...then this is the route that I *must* take...and by *must* I mean *the wisest & more grown-up* route...and now i'm off to change my graduation countdown...adding another 150 days or so...oh joy!

~and let's end this on a bright note...i recently won a bunch of scrapbook stuff from another blog and well, it's basically a bunch of stuff that really isn't my "style" or that I'd use and so I vote for re-gifting it...leave a comment...something positive preferably to help keep me afloat while I cope with this 150 day graduation delay...maybe even something to the effect that taking SIX FREAKIN YEARS to finish a Masters degree really is OK...ha!! Actually you can say whatever you'd like in your comment (within reason) to be "entered" into this little giveaway. I'll do the random number generator thingee - sometime on Monday. Also, if you comment and DON'T want to be considered for the giveaway (like you don't scrapbook), tell me so in your comment and I'll just keep generating numbers 'til i get a winner.

~and here's my positive picture for the day...it's on my tumblr too...which by the way...is crazy fun and very addictive. I recommend you check it out. lots of good stuff there!!

I Want Wednesday...

I have lots of "wants" this week...
OMG! How cute is this pincushion!!! Now that I'm "quilting"...well, I really need one of these.

This has got to be the neatest quilt I have EVER seen! Want!!

Super cute lamps from Pottery Barn!

I have wanted this phone from Pottery Barn for years now...

Oooooh and this lamp...this lamp...major drool!!!
I love this little necklace tree...from Red Envelope!!
Yes, folks...I still want an iPhone. The obsession was subdued for a while when I realized there is really NO way on God's green earth that I can afford it right now, being a poor graduate student and all...but it doesn't make me want it any less. the worst part..it's not really the phone that i cannot afford, but the $60-70+ per month to pay for service. right now we pay $34 per month for TWO phones...

And last but certainly not least....
I miss my Wrangler desperately...and a little more recently since Chele went out and got one for herself!!! Lucky gal!!! All this talk about Jeeps makes me want mine back. Mine was just like this one sans the winch & add some side steps & well, it wasn't a Rubicon but I did have some nice big 'ol tires. Someday I WILL have one again!! Hopefully sooner rather than later.

Monday, November 16, 2009

WW - week 1 weigh in

~I have been on WW for one week.
~I lost 4.8 lbs this week.
~I'm pretty darn happy about that.
~I worked hard & did not cheat.
~There's no reason to cheat on WW though.
~I've never felt like I wasn't able to eat something on WW.
~You just have to count the points, easy as 1-2-3.
~The first week typically yields a bigger loss.
~Next week will likely be more around 1-2 lbs
~I'm going to be hopeful and aim for 3 lbs.
~SBUX Iced Grande Chai have 5 points!
~I decided that Monday afternoons will be when I indulge in one of those.
~On to week two...

Thursday, November 12, 2009

post by numbers

1-wednesday night class left, then just a take home 'quiz' & that class will be complete pre-Thanksgiving! Woot!

2-times i've been puked on by E. as a result, i have realized that i prefer being pooped on vs. puked on...the smell is MUCH more tolerable. really, it is.

24-WW points I can consume each day.

4-bottles of water consumed each of past two days.

64-ounces of water consumed each of past two days.

7-days i'll be spending in Dallas in December & I am super excited.

13-days since i last ran. *gulp*

5-pounds i hope to be down on monday. that will put me down into a lower "decade" range.

7-hours left in the workday.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

annoyed!

Disclaimer: I tried & tried to come up with some fun & positive things to write about, but alas I fail there once again. So here is a list of some recent things that really annoy me...most of which are not life altering in any way, shape or form...

~i am annoyed when a particular friend who is a stay@home mom recently tells me that being @ home or a working mother are equally challenging and then posts on her Facebook how she enjoyed a 3 hour nap yesterday. WTF? I don't get to take a 3 hour nap when I'm at work. equally challenging my a$$!!

~i am annoyed by the frenzy that the stupid media is causing about all this H1N1 hullabaloo. so much so that I was treated like I had the plague when I came into work last week for a whopping 6 hours. and I wasn't contagious AT ALL. nor did I have the Flu.

~i was really annoyed when my own mother would not take me to the student health center last week because she feared catching something prior to her departure for Hawaii.

~i was annoyed when a family member sent me an email that should have gone directly to O, thereby leaving me to be the messenger...you know...the one that gets SHOT. nice.

~i am annoyed that because I allow my cats free range in the house, Milo chose to walk on my pillow while I slept on Sunday night & as I went to push him off the bed, he used my face, right below my eye, to brace himself...and he has back claws. now i'm sporting a nice gash under my right eye...looks beautiful.

~and that is all I am able to muster up for you...I'm sure there are many more things that are annoying me, but my memory is failing me...and well, THAT is annoying. :)

Saturday, November 07, 2009

whole bunch of nothing

~as you can probably derive from my recent lack of blogging...I'm just not feeling the blogging thing lately...well, and I've been sick....but we all know that one can blog from bed if one really wants to. i didn't want to.

~i'm not even keeping up very well with most of my blogs. sorry. i'll get back to it eventually.

~i'm pretty stressed about these last few weeks of school coming up. now that i missed last week, that puts me at more of a deficit and adds some work to my plate (oh joy!).

~i'm still fighting off this cold...not quite feeling normal yet...hopefully soon though because I'm really tired of feeling like this. i feel like i missed out on a week of "life" geesh!

~well, that's it. i better try to make a dent in my "makeup assignment" for my Wed night class....apparently I'm in high school again...not grad school (make up assignment..wtf?) maybe I just should have gone to class & puked there instead.

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

checking in...

~if you are on Twitter, then you know I've been sick since last Thursday. No, it's not the Flu and it's not the Swine Flu either. Just a cold that is kicking my butt! I even stayed home today in hope that additional rest/sleep would help me. Not sure I feel a whole lot better but I must go to school/work tomorrow, so I'll just have to tough it out.

~I haven't been this sick since pre-pregnancy days. Thankfully I do not get sick often (knocking on wood now)...Ethan was also sick, although he is doing better than me at this point.

~It's likely he brought home some bugs from the daycare...although hard to say entirely. He's only been going for 2 weeks so this was bound to happen. Many people warned me, but on the bright side it's building up his immunities right?

~I'm loving the daycare and I hope it stays that way. His teachers are sweet and we already have 3 art projects hanging on the fridge. I love it!

~I'm hoping by this Friday I am feeling 100% and able to go to the gym and enjoy a lengthy, non-rushed workout and run. Fridays are officially "my days" now that I have 5 days of childcare, although I won't deny I feel slightly guilty at dropping E off and then heading out to do things on my own. I know he has fun there and is learning tons -you wouldn't believe how his vocabulary has flourished- but regardless, I feel a tad guilty when he cries in the morning.

~Halloween stunk here. It rained. And rained. And rained. We went to a total of maybe 5 houses & headed back to our friend's house. It was more fun afterwards as we watched the Vols football game and just hung out. E enjoyed himself, although I do wonder if the rain had a negative affect on our health as that night he woke numerous times in coughing fits. Poor guy!


~a flower for mom...he picked it himself!!



~the most beautiful pumpkin EVER! he painted it @ "school" (daycare)


~the cutest doctor ever!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

dreams

~i dream about the day when I am standing in my cap & gown & holding E...I can't wait to have that picture taken.

~looks like it's about 400 more days away...

Random Dozen

Got this from MJ...if you play along, let me know so I can come see how you answered.

1.Candy corn: Your thoughts?
Probably the best Fall food ever. it's in a food group all it's own, right? love it!

2. Briefly, what was the first conversation you ever had with your spouse? (or best friend, if you're not married.) (Or someone significant, like your librarian.)
The first conversation revolved around my pick-up-mobile...AKA my beloved (and ever missed) 2000 Jeep Wrangler. A chick in a Wrangler is apparently a rare & eye-catching sight, especially in a ridiculously small town at the Mexican border. I think the first thing he said to me after "hi" was "when are you taking me for a ride in your Jeep?" Maybe I should have said "never"...just kidding, or not!

3. Could you ever become a vegetarian?
I'd probably fail miserably at it. I'm not a big veggie fan as it is, except for all the carb-loaded veggies...you know, potatoes, peas, carrots - yum! I could live without beef, but pork is my weakness...and I don't like fish...yeah, the vegetarian thing probably isn't going to happen for me. like ever.

4. Have you ever dressed up your pet in a costume?
I have two cats. what do you think?

5. Name something about childhood that you miss (like Clark Bars, Tea berry Gum, Malibu Barbie, cracking fake eggs on people's heads with your fist and "It's the Great Pumpkin" airing only once a year).
Oh I forgot all about the cracking fake eggs on peoples heads...i think I miss that most. not really, but it was fun. i miss the feeling that time DID NOT fly and the carefree nature of being a child.

6. Have you ever won a trophy? If not, what do you deserve a trophy for?
For softball, as a child....I have/had a few of them actually. I still have my MVP plaque from Senior Year High School Softball too. I think I want to be buried with it. As for now, I deserve a trophy for putting up with a lot of unnecessary BS!!

7. When do you think is the appropriate time to begin playing Christmas music each year?
How about a week or two before Thanksgiving. that is PLENTY early.

8. What is your favorite board game?
Haven't played one in about forever...i do remember enjoying Cranium though.

9. How do you feel about surprises (receiving, not giving)?
I cannot recall what it feels like to receive a surprise..i don't mean this in a negative or complaining sort of way but i'm pretty sure we were in the stone ages the last time I received one...in fact, maybe even before that...

10. Is it easy for you to say "I'm sorry?"
Most definitely NOT. it is actually excruciatingly difficult...although I will say it when I really mean it.

11. What is your favorite candle scent?
Usually some sort of vanilla combination is good.

12. October is traditionally "open house" time in public schools. If you had a literal open house in your home (like a reception) what light snacks would you serve visitors and what would you show them (as in art projects, graded papers) that would uniquely represent you?
Chocolate chip cookies usually work well for a snack and my scrapbooks would certainly represent me but I am typically a bit reserved when it comes to showing them to people.

Monday, October 26, 2009

my quilt-to-be...part 1


~so here are the 8 fabrics I picked out. i still need to pick on the back fabric.

~i layed them out to get an idea of how it will look. i'm thinking i will actually add a couple of more rows to make it bigger. the instructions i'm following call it a baby quilt, hence the size, but adding to it won't change the process.

~i likely won't start sewing 'til December 4...my last day of class for the semester. I'm itching to start now but it would not be a responsible way to use my time (boo!) considering I still have many chapters to read and projects to complete.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

week in review

~ran the Komen 5K today. not a great time, but I've been dealing with a funky Achilles Tendon that decided to go wacko on me after my Tuesday run. Lovely!

~took the cats to the vet today for their year (& 3 months) checkup. Hula is defying the odds as she turned 5 years old in March and I was told by the university vet docs that she may only last that long considering her grade 5 heart murmur and defect. she's amazing. i see no changes in her behavior and she continues with her daily Atenolol. all is good w/her. Milo on the other hand, while healthy, is a big wimp a$$...he cried and cried and cried all the way TO the vet, AT the vet & on the way home FROM the vet. he even hissed @ the doctor and he NEVER hisses. hilarious!

~cut a bunch of the squares for my soon to be quilt today. i'm pretty excited about making this. i hope i don't mess it up down the road when i get to the more complicated parts. i'm going with a green/teal/brown sort of theme. i'll post pictures soon. i need to find 2 more fabrics to coordinate first. i got 6 patterns at JoAnn's the other day, so tomorrow I'll head up to ACMoore to find at least 2 more. this is already getting addicting.

~no more studying on Sundays...at least until I start sub-teaching....which won't happen for at least 3 wks 'til they process the paperwork (slow pokes). i'll be dropping E at daycare on Monday, head to the gym and then to B&N (or Borders now that they joined the party with the FREE internet) to study.

~hoping to go to Boo @ The Zoo on Sunday but this afternoon E developed a fever which was later followed by a cough and runny nose. not sure where it came from as he did not go to daycare on Friday. he got a flu shot a week ago Thursday. hoping he can fight this one off quickly, if not, my study Monday plans will be shot & I have a paper to write. oh boy.

~got my PC back from HP. set it up last night. all is well. there are major pros & cons to tracking finances on the computer...like when you don't have it for 3 weeks, then have to install the program on your laptop & then restore the backup file & then input all the receipts & then when old computer returns, restore (new) backup file onto that computer. phew...it was exhausting (mentally & physically). glad to be done with that nightmare.