An award!!! An award!!! I've won an award!!! I've never won an award before!!!

My blogging friend, Miss Hope, has awarded me the Brilliant Weblog Premio-2008 Award! [Personally I think the southern sun has caused her to feel a bit faint - surely I don't deserve such an award... If you read her blog, you'll see she thinks I have a busy life. Not really, not busy...]

The only catch is that I have to pass the Award along to seven other worthy bloggers. (I suppose I can't really just send it on back to Miss Hope, since she's already received her award but PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE visit her - she'll be your friend, too!)

So let's try it... here you go...

1. Jeanette at A Passion for Scrapbooking, Decorating and Shopping - Some day my house will look like hers - NOT! I found her while I was trying to design a scrapping room but she's since become one of my favorite bloggers. She somehow has the time to find all this stuff, but the thing that appeals to me the most is her vision. She has an idea in her head of how she wants her house to look, and is on a path to getting it. Not like me - not only is my dinner table full of leftovers and hand-me-downs, but my home is, too!!! One of the nicest things about Jeanette is she's so responsive - if you drop her an email or a comment, it's not unusual to hear back from her...
2. Dawn at Because I Said So is the mother of 6. Now although I haven't birthed them from my loins, I'm the (step)mom of 2 (adult kids) and every time I visit the salon, I ask if there's a grey hair in there. So far, no, but I know, deep inside, it's just a matter of time! 6 kids! Young'uns, too! But she has time to write a book, visit BlogHer as a speaker... I haven't even done a load of laundry in weeks (thank goodness DH is on summer break and he's been doing them!)... Dawn and I have never met, but my neighbor has 5 boys, and when I read Dawn's blog, I can so easily pretend that she lives right next door!!!
3. I actually had the chance to meet Suzanne when I visited my sister in AZ this past spring. If you know me, you know that I am obsessed with becoming organized. Not that I've done it, not that I'm particularly in the process of doing it, but along with time management (another lofty goal!), I read all I can read about organization with the intention of applying it (someday). Suzanne has this great website called Let's Talk Organizing. I actually won several hours of organizing help from her when she opened her new offices; that's how we "met" and when I found myself heading out AZ-way, we both jumped at the opportunity to meet. She's a fun, bubbly lady who loves her kids, Scotland, 2008 Dodge Caravans and her blog - go and read her blog for some terrific ideas and you'll meet a great person, too!
4. I have the pleasure of working with Ellen at a not-to-be-named publishing house in NJ (yes, if you do a bit of digging, you could figure it out...). Her blog is IT-oriented, family-oriented, music-oriented, work-oriented - in no particular order! She's a bright, funny woman and I think you should visit her blog to laugh and learn (again, in no particular order!).
5. Although I can't say that I'm personally friends with Heather, I think her site, Dooce, is one of the best blogs I've ever run across. Her writing is outstanding, and what a way with words!! I'll warn you - it's not for the faint of heart! But if you read nothing else, read her monthly newsletters to her daughter Leta - that is one mom just filled to bursting with love for her baby girl!!! And be sure to check out her three daily photo postings - love her sense of style and Chuck and Coco? A picture is worth a thousand words!

I can't do it. I can't come up with 7. I don't want to just list 7 blogs I read. I wanted them to be friends. Blog pals. Like Miss Hope. I read quite a few blogs, most of them, though, topical - they're scrapping blogs, and while they're great, they're not my friends, and I can't speak personally about the authors. There are a couple up there that are more acquaintances than friends, but as you know, their lives are open to us through their blogs and we just feel like we know them!

Even though Miss Hope has already received this award from her friend Chelle, I think she deserves it again, so she's my #6!

I have a #7 but it's a private blog and she wouldn't be too thrilled with receiving this award. So E, #7 is for you, but you'll never know about it 'cause I won't tell you about it, and you don't know I have a blog...

Thanks to all who kept my daughter in their prayers last week.

The surgery was successful in a number of ways. No tumors. No cysts. They removed a lot of endometriosis that was spreading toward her back, but there was none on her organs. Her recovery will be painful; after all, her insides were all moved around and scraped... No need to remove her ovary, as she had thought...

AND she's feeling better, post-op, and can't wait to come home. So much so, in fact, that she's been calling us several times a day... She's staying with her mom, which is good for her - her little brother and sister are there to entertain her, but she's really looking forward to being here, in her own apartment.

I suggested she put together a shopping list and her Dad and I can buy what she needs and get it into the apartment before she comes home. We'd be happy to go down and pick her up; don't know yet how or when she's coming back up here, but we hope it's before Friday, when we leave for our mini vacation in...

Ta da!

Mystic, CT!

I've always wanted to go there! Jack originally wanted to go to a bed-and-breakfast in Cape May, but we're last-minute planners (unless we're traveling with others who are not!) and our anniversary weekend wasn't available. Plus, quite frankly, the rooms were much more expensive than we're comfortable spending. I just can't wrap my arms (or my checkbook!) around more than $200 a night for a bed and a bathroom, no matter how nice they are, not when I have to pay for them! When I'm traveling for work and getting reimbursed? Money is no object! But we just need a clean room, clean sheets and a clean bathroom - we're only going to be there to shower and sleep...

I can't wait to go! I'll post some pictures next week, when we return!

I'd like to ask for your prayers...

My DSD has been suffering for YEARS from endometriosis, along with a pre-big-C condition of her cervix, and severe cramping and ovarian tumors and fibroid tumors.

This Friday she goes in (again) for a laparoscopy. While it's minimally invasive, she was pretty sore the last time she had one done.

Please cross your fingers, light a candle, say a prayer - whatever you're comfortable with... She's been in pain for years and years, and with other stuff going on in her life, being healthy would bring her a lot of peace of mind...

Thanks, friends!

THIS, THIS is why, other than the fact that I'm married to the most perfect man in the world, I am SO GLAD I'M NOT SINGLE.

Please allow me to warn you - you will be disgusted by this guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acERZQIAjUk

I know nothing about the background of this clip; I heard it on a blog I visit once a week or so. Be sure to read the history on YouTube. And whatever you do, don't go to Dmitri's website...

Now keep in mind that I'm no great beauty. Men have never crawled out of the woodwork and fought each other have the honor of taking me out on a date. (They don't run screaming into the wind, either, though!) In fact, you can count on one finger how many boyfriends I've had, and on one hand how many different men I've dated in my life at least once. BUT, before you think me a pathetic loser, keep in mind that when you're waiting for Mr. Right, it's not such bad a thing to not have to suffer through all those Mr. Wrongs...

I knew all about the theory of kissing a few toads before you find your prince. However, I've discarded that theory as absolutely DISGUSTING after watching the various Bachelors and Bachelorettes kiss several toads, all within hours (or minutes!) of each other, whilst looking for Mr./Miss Right. [Insert disgusted shiver here.]

I'm a firm believer in waiting for THE ONE. And I also believe we all have a ONE. We just have to be open to the possibilities, just not open for business!!!

And I truly believe, in my heart of hearts, that Dmitri is not THE ONE for ANYONE!!!

Sex and the City.

A movie I would have bet money I'd never see.

And I'd have lost.

Last week my niece called me and asked if I wanted to go see it with her. I debated and debated. After all, it's not my cup of tea.

The movie tickets were free. And I hadn't been to a movie in months and months and months and I miss going to the movies.

And surprisingly, it wasn't bad. Now, none of the girls will win an Academy Award for their performances, but if you look beneath the sex and the city and the labels, it did a good job illustrating the devotion and dedication best girlfriends have with/for each other.

And I'll never brag that I went to see it. After all, I spent a lot of minutes over the life of the HBO show telling how "I don't watch porn" and "I saw 5 minutes of an episode once and all I saw was Samantha having sex with some guy."

But it brought back girlfriends and fun and parties and get-togethers and I miss the Entenmann's Pineapple Crunch Cake after the Domino's Garbage Pie with Coke or Pepsi, and the pot (or pots) of coffee we'd go through with dessert.

Oh well, even though the girls never really moved on, we did, but I can't wait for dinner at the Olive Garden and a little girl talk!!!

Assorted photos, as promised weeks ago...

Went to Teaberry's in Flemington with Mom, P and A for a girly lunch, to celebrate P's b'day. Yummy food and wonderful conversation!









Shopping at Ikea for a scrapping Expedit... Parked in the parking garage. Saw a car "parked" in the middle of the street, missing a bumper or two. Saw a spark under the hood. Within minutes (and AFTER we moved my car away!), it was up in flames! DH wanted to put the fire out with an extinguisher, but the police officer wouldn't let him. He said the firemen were on their way. Had he let Jack do it, the poor guy's car could have been saved. Instead, totaled.










In June my handsome nephew graduated from high school. When last updated, he's heading for college at William Paterson. Hope he does it, and does it well.










Traveled to Chicago at the end of June, on business. Here's the closest I got to Navy Pier.

Okay, fine. I've been tagged. By Miss Hope at http://phopecj.blogspot.com/

Let me tell you, if I didn't think she was just the cat's meow, I'd be ignoring that tag and running the other way... But since she's THIS awesome... Here goes...


Here's the deal. Think back on the last 15 years of your life.What would you tell someone that you hadn't seen or talked to for 15 years? How would you sum up your life? You get 10 bullet points. A list of 10 things to summarize about you. At the end of your list, tag 5 more people and send on the love.


Ten things about me during the past 15 years, hmmm??? Okay...

• First and foremost, 15 years (and a little more) with my husband. Those 15 years are 15 of the best of my life. How wonderful to spend that time with the love of my life. A man who loves me. A man I don't doubt in any way, shape or form. A man who puts me first over and above all else, although it is in addition to his kids... Knowing that no one will ever come ahead of me - what a feeling!! [Insert pretty white daisy.] He loves me. He loves me. He loves me. He loves me... Get the picture?
• Secondly, 15 years (and a little more) without my dad. 15 years of missing the first man in my life. Missing the dad who taught me what a dad and a husband should be. The man who taught me that nothing comes ahead of your family. The man who taught me not to settle for second best. The man who taught me that I could do anything.
• Thirdly, I've been a stepmother since 1999. I've known the kids much longer than that; their dad and I started dating in 1990. Being a mother has always been my #1, numero uno, top'o'the'heap goal in life. I still can't get my arms around the thought that I'm not ever going to give birth. Although I didn't birth my stepkids from my loins, I can't imagine loving them any more than I do. And I can't imagine any more pain than watching them suffer through the slings and arrows of puberty and young adulthood and the pride in watching them become adults in their own right.
• Fourthly, I was born in 1960, to two very traditional parents. I always thought the way to go was to find a job and stay there until you retire. In 2003 I got laid off from a job I'd been at for 15 years (love that number!) and had planned to be at until I retired. What do you do? You dust yourself off, wrongly assume the world is out there for the taking, and remain unemployed for a year-and-a-half, waiting for a job to come along that will pay the bills and not make you the most miserable S.O.B. on the planet. And guess what?! It most certainly did come along! I learned that there are companies out there who put you, the person, ahead of you, the professional. And that's actually part of their HR policy!
• Fifthly, for 15 years (and 37 more), I've been a sister and a daughter and an aunt and an in-law. As I've gotten older, I've watched my mom lose a sister, and then her parents. I've watched my sisters grow up and become smart, beautiful, loving women I'm so very proud of. (Sorry about ending that sentence with a preposition!) I have a handsome, smart nephew who just graduated from high school. I have a beautiful, smart niece who has a couple of years to go before she graduates from highs school. I'm mad about them both! And I've been lucky enough to gain a huge family of in-laws who I absolutely ADORE! They've welcomed me into their family, along with my small troup of family members, with open arms. They are so very loving and an absolutely wonderful group of people.
• Sixthly (yes, I'm going to torture you with those numbers...), I had the absolute best mother-in-law anyone could ever have. Losing her to colon and liver cancer in 2001 was horrible. I was lucky enough to be able to spend every day except 2 with her from her diagnosis in October 2000, to her death May 24, 2001. And I don't regret a thing except that Jack and I were married such a short time before her illness and her death that I didn't have a chance to learn how to cook from her! And another regret that ties into my relationship with her: she made me realize how much I regret my behavior when my dad was sick. He was sick from August 1986 and he died March 16, 1987. And I didn't spend the time with him that I should have. I was much younger. But I should have known better. I know you can't change the past, but I wish I could.
• Seventhly, I am so very lucky to have so many wonderful friends in my life. One I met in college, and we're still thisclose. A few were friendly acquaintances in high school, but we got to be friends when we worked on our HS reunions together. Some others are neighbors I met when we moved into our neighborhood. Others are friends I met at various jobs, who became more than work friends, who became important forever friends. My sisters, too, are my friends, as is my sister-in-law and my nieces-in-law. I'm blessed to have these wonderful people in my life.
• Eighthly, and I've blogged about this before. I've discovered a hidden inner bit of creativity that I never knew I had. I scrap. There, I said it. And I am happy with what I scrap. So happy that we're actually dedicating space to my scrapping in our lake house, by means of our combination guest room/scrap room. And my DH has recognized how important scrapping is to me, so much so that he's the one all gung ho about putting a really quality space together, not just slapping a few plastic drawers in a room and calling it done!
• Ninthly, I've discovered that even though I'm - gasp! - 47 years old/young, and currently on the down side of that hill, and only 2-1/2 years away from - bigger GASP! - 50, I am still a young, vital woman with quite a lot left to do in her life, even if she does them with a few more aches and pains every morning. I've started to make a list, a "Bucket List," if you would. Here are a few highlights - Things I Want to Do: travel; learn to cook; learn to quilt; get a pet; when I retire, work somehow/someway to help children learn to read and learn to love reading; be a good - no - great wife (okay, so I have some work ahead of me!)...
• Tenthly, and maybe almost as important as the nine that came before, I've learned in the past 15 years to really like myself. To believe I have a lot to offer. To recognize that I'm worth it (credit to L'Oreal).

I'm supposed to tag 5 more people and ask them to do this. I'm don't think I can come up with five - not many of my friends are bloggers and those that are would run the other way if I tagged them. What I will do, though, is ask a few email buddies to participate. Perhaps we can share these insights that way!
Thanks, Miss Hope, for tagging me - I had barrels of fun doing this and it was a real challenge to me to stay away from the ole' "in 1993, I turned 33 and was driving a Honda Accord" format. I tried to rise to the challenge and describe the "me" I've been these past 15 years. Hope I did an acceptable job...

It has begun. Computer trouble.

Whilst I LOVE playing on them and with them, I HATE them. I.Am.Not.a.Programmer.

But I have some brains. Sometimes they're a bit mushy, but I do have some. And when the cable-guys came in and installed my online modem doodad, I asked them: "What about my current dial-up ISP?" And.They.Said.They.Fixed.It.

They.Didn't.

They did supposedly click where they were supposed to click to tell the computer to ignore the three-lettered ISP that begins with M and ends with N.

And it did. For an evening.

Then last night I went online to show DH how to get online and look stuff up and sell stuff on Craig's list (his newest obsession and get-rich-quick-idea). I clicked on a link in a message, in order to reply to that poster, and I got an error.

So after talking to a friend, I uninstalled M-N Dial Up, apparently successfully, until the very end where it said it would reboot and it didn't. So I tried to shut down and start up again, so that the uninstall would take effect, and my computer wouldn't shut down.

So I called the cable-guys. And their tech support suggested he take control of my computer and designate Microsoft Outlook as my email manager since I didn't want a cable email address. (Oh, I almost forgot - I didn't get any manuals or instructions with the new computer/phone/TV thingee like my friend did who had the same thing installed two days ago. Cable-guys suggested I go to Paterson to pick them up at the store. Paterson??? NJ??? Are you kidding me???)

And it didn't work. I still have a rundll32.exe error. I know it's serious. And I know it has something to do with "panes of glass" and the operating system, but I don't know how to fix it. So cable-guy told me to call the computer manufacturer.

I did. And I HATE them, too! This is the 5th piece of equipment from a company that starts with H and ends with P and I don't like them any more than I did the first time I had trouble. Do not ask me why we keep buying them. I'm not paying for these items so I just say thank you and open the box and keep my fingers crossed.

Here were my two options:
1) Pay $99.95 for an extended warranty that includes virus protection for a year. (My response: No thanks. I just paid for Norton Anti-Virus for two years last night so I don't need that.)
2) Pay $49.95 for the "event."

Fifty freakin' dollars for them to read off a piece of paper how to fix my problem????? No way. No how. Not a chance.

I slammed the phone down on them.

DH gets REALLY stressed when I go ballistic over computer problems 'cause he can't help me fix it. He's clueless when it comes to computers, and actually, so am I. I just use them. And drop the f-bomb a few hundred times while I'm doing it.

I emailed my friend to see if her brother had an idea about fixing it. She's very computer savvy, too, and suggested reinstalling Windows. She said she'd come over next week and help me.

Thank the dear Lord for friends who understand computers.

I'll keep you posted.

Welcome to the 21st century!

I've heard that several times in the past 24 hours.

As of 6pm yesterday, we are the proud owners of an Optimum Triple-Play account. This means that we're on line via our cable, we have 200+ channels on our TV and just for sh-ts and giggles, Optimum will handle all of our land-line phone calls for the reasonable rate of $29.95 per month.

This means, my friends, that I can actually open emails at home.

This means that there is no longer any reason for me to do my personal email reading and writing at work when I arrive there at 7:30 in the godawful morning! (I'm not really, deep down, a morning person!) This means that I can actually spend my hours at work - well - working. Wow. What a concept.

It also means I can read my daily favorite blogs at home 'cause my computer will actually access them in less than 10 minutes. Whatever will I do without dial-up access??? Ah, modern technology!

In a few minutes, I'm actually going to be giving DH his first computer lesson on the new system.

Wish me luck.

Vote Wiley!

To those of you who want to support my employer, in a rather indirect way... Go to http://www.gawker.com/, scroll down and vote for one of our Wiley guys as "Hottest Man in Book Publishing 2008."

Go ahead, support our guys!

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

You must know how much I miss you.

I know you're there, somewhere, still a part of my life. Still watching over me. Still keeping an eye on me and guiding me when I need a helping hand.

When I hear the dishes settle on the drainboard, I think, "Hi, Dad!"
When I see a gardening book, I think of you.
When I see an Oldsmobile, I think of you.
When I visit the Harley Davidson factory and I smell the odor of machinery and grease, I think of you.
When Jack starts a project at the house, I think of you. (And I hope you keep an eye on him,
too!)
When I see a cemetery, I think of you.
Whenever it's March 16, or June 14, or July 25, or August 12, or December 18, I think of you.

Whenever I have a moment, I think of you. It doesn't really require a specific thing to make me think of you - you're still so much a part of my every day life that even though you've been gone since March 16, 1987, I talk to you every day. I think of you every day. I miss you every day.

When I got married, I stood up on that altar, wishing not for a happy marriage, but that you were there. I prayed for a sign from you: a breeze in that hotter-than-hot church, a window slamming, a car backfiring - I wanted you there so badly that anything would have been a sign from you!!! I wanted you to walk me down the aisle. I wanted to dance that father-daughter dance the worst way. To this day, nine years after I got married, twenty-one years after you died, I can't watch a bride dance with her dad without crying. And it doesn't matter who the bride is: Vanessa, Carrie, or a complete stranger on television. I cry. I miss you. And I am angry that I didn't get to dance with you on my wedding day.

But you know what? When it's time, when I move toward the light, when I die, you'd better be there to dance the first dance with me.

Happy Father's Day, Mr. S.

I wish you were here. I wish I got to have a father-in-law. I know I met you. I know you know who I am, and I truly believe that you know Jack and I are married and happy and I know you're happy for us.

And I'm happy to hear Patty talk about you and say that she knows you liked me, that you were happy when Jack and I were together, and that you were annoyed with him when we split up.

But I wanted to know all that in the first-person! I wanted to visit you during the week, have a cup of coffee or tea with you, and eat some sugar-free Jello with you. I wanted to see you with your grandchildren. (I truly believe if you and Mom were still here that all that nonsense with Johnny would never have happened. And if you're bored wherever you are, we could use a little help with your grandson!) I wanted to get to know you as your daughter-in-law, not just that nice girl that Jack was dating.

I'm going to have to settle for making you a part of my day, a part of our day, in all those small ways you would have been were you still here. I mention you to Jack, I ask him about you as a dad, as a grandfather. He misses you. So very much that he can't really talk about you without tearing up, and that's the way it should be. You know what he says? He says all those times you asked him to hang around and do some work with you and he didn't 'cause he was on his way out to play or to hang with his friends - he says he should have spent that time with you. He misses learning from you, learning to do things like create the Christmas wreaths and grave blankets. He does that for you. In your memory. In your honor. Not 'cause he really likes to do it. It makes him sad. But it's a way to keep you alive with us in a really small way.

I never got to tell you I love you in real life. I hope you know now, though, that I love you and I miss you. And I'm going to be the best daughter-in-law you ever had (not a tough task, I know, considering the competition!) and a great wife to your son. I promise.

BORING! I know, this blog is boring. My life is boring. I don't know why the two of you read this, but thanks!

If Shannon at EightCrazy Designs (www.eightcrazydesign.blogspot.com) were to pick me and give me a bee-you-tea-full website or create a custom banner for me, wouldn't you tell a friend, who might tell a friend, who might tell a friend... that there's this really boring website but you've GOT to see the website's design... It's awesome! And then I might actually have a little web-traffic...

Shannon, pick me, pick me! I want a custom banner! Something with irises or books or both... Yea, I know, Shannon, you haven't picked me yet, and here I am, annoying you with creative ideas... Pick me anyway!!! Please?!?

49th Annual N---- Family Reunion Picnic!

Saturday was the picnic. It was our family's turn to host the event. Never before have I been personally involved in any drama on my husband's side of the family, but there's a first time for everything!

It was the 49th annual summer picnic. 49 years they've been doing this. And for the past 14 or 15 years, I've been lucky enough to be a part of them (I can't remember exactly when we started going - DH had been boycotting them before 'cause of his divorce, and other reasons).

My family is not very big. I have my mom, my 2 sisters, and my niece and nephew. My one cousin R is like a brother to me; we were raised together - we saw each other almost every day, at least that's what it seems like to me. My mom has another sister who doesn't speak to us so her entire family is separated from us and she had four children who are all married with children. My dad's family all lives out west, in AZ and in CO, for the most part. Or they're dead, the ones left here in NJ...

So I was THRILLED to become part of a big, huge, Italian family. A family that gets together without fail twice a year, and more often in smaller groups. You may already know that DH and I go to his sister's house every Monday night for dessert. The dessert is bonus - I get to see my SIL and BIL and an assorted niece or nephew every week. I love this. I love family. And they were so welcoming to me and to the rest of my family that there are no "in-law" feelings - they're my family.

Well, when part of the N---- family decided we were all going to take a turn hosting either the Summer Picnic or the Christmas Party, I was okay with it, even though it meant I'd probably be doing the bulk of the work 'cause I'm the most tech-oriented one between my DH and my SIL. And I loved it - designing the email invite, getting it out, sending out reminders, hard copies to the aunts and uncles who had no computers, and collecting RSVPs. I, however, would not have changed the picnic to the first Saturday in June. Every one of the cousins had multiple children, which means graduations and communions and all sorts of other obligations. And shore houses, there are a lot of those, too.

I have a lake house. And we LOVE it. But we didn't go 'cause it was the weekend of the Family Picnic. Others obviously don't feel that way. The turn-out was okay, but not great; the ones that showed up are the ones who always show up and that's okay - they're not the troublemakers. But afterwards, there were phone calls and comments about how so few people showed up and we should just cancel it 'cause the cousins have been going to these things for years and their kids were going only cause the grandparents demanded the families go but now some of the kids are getting older and have other obligations of their own and besides, it was the hottest day of the year and the seniors were hot.

Well, heck, I was hot, too! Now of course I don't want any aunts or uncles dropping like proverbial flies, but we were in the shade and sitting, not making them play volleyball or do calisthenics. And if it was too hot, they could have stayed home!

Why start making noise about cancelling something so wonderful??? I know I'm speaking selfishly, because I love these get-togethers so much, but come on. One hot day and a relatively low turnout (32 people instead of 50 as usual - and over 100 at the Christmas Party!) and they want to quit the picnics?!??

I VOTE NO TO DROPPING THE SUMMER PICNIC!!! (Not that I have a vote since I'm only an in-law!)

Bills, bills, bills. Checks, checks, checks.
Where it stops, nobody knows.

Just for the record, I hate to pay bills. And I don't really buy that much. Okay, yes, I do waste a few dollars here and there on scrapping stuff, and sometimes I even buy a pocketbook or a blouse I really don't need, but when you consider my store of choice is usually a Wal-Mart, you gotta figure I'm not really breaking the bank, here!

Today I had to pay: American Express (work-related, they'll eventually reimburse me), Jersey Central Power & Light, Dr. C., Verizon Wireless, Discover and Costco. And let's not forget the estimated tax I had to send to Uncle Sam!

That's the one that did it.

Do you realize that you can pay Uncle Sam some estimated tax and he doesn't send you a receipt for it for you to put in your tax folder for next year? We paid 2 quarters' worth of estimated tax in 2007 and our accountant forgot to include it on our tax form because I didn't tell him because the IRS didn't send me a statement or anything at the end of the year. You know how when you earn interest, the bank sends you a statement. Or when you receive some dividends in the VERY teeny tiny amount of stock you owe, you get a statement. Well, not our favorite Uncle! When he got my money last year, he didn't send me a thing! He just cashed those checks, quick as can be!

Our accountant sent our tax return to us to sign and we owed thousands! HOW COULD THAT BE? We paid some estimated....

AHHH, said the blind man... So I called him, reminded him and he adjusted our return.

WHY should I have to remember this? WHY can't the government send me a statement of my estimated taxes paid?

I'm on this rampage today 'cause today I had to write out the check for the second estimated tax payment of 2008. Jack does one in April, and I do one in June. And it has left me penniless until my next paycheck, when I'll get a little bit of money for doing a great deal of work, and then our very nice mailman will bring me a bunch of bills, and this vicious cycle will start all over again...

Thought for the day: When I first started this blog, I had hoped to be able to post all the wonderfully creative layouts I was going to create now that I had begun to scrap.

Well, s-crap, I've posted (I believe) one slideshow of layouts - that's it! One!

Needless to say, my thought for the day is: Try to finish what you start.

You're kidding, right? This blog? Genius level? Not a chance.

And you're right. When I entered yesterday's entry into the check your blog's reading level thingee, I got "elementary" level. Then I cheated and entered a specific entry where I quoted Henry David Thoreau or Ralph Waldo Emerson, and voila!

I'm a genius!!!

The Secret Is in the Sauce...

Check out the link to the left of this entry - an opportunity to find lots of new blogs to read, a contest to start things out in a really exciting way!

Just to spark your interest, and I quote from the website: "We are Heather and Tiffany. Two comment junkies who love to blog about life, motherhood, Crackliture and Naked Barbie."

'Nough said. Who wouldn't click on this link now?!?!? http://thesecretisinthesauce.blogspot.com/

Happy Birthday, Clint! (one day early!)

I have a crush on Clint Eastwood. What is it they say? Admitting you have a problem is the first step?

His day of birth was May 31, 1930.

Yes, I know he's going to be 78 tomorrow.

I know many people would say 78 is too old to be the subject of a teenage crush. Of course, those same people would say 47 is too old to have a teenage crush on anyone... Go figure...

I don't care.

I would leave my DH for Clint, if it was an option. I would, of course, come back to DH once Clint and I were done, but Clint has been "it" for me forever. And no, it has nothing to do with the craggy face that reminds me of my dad. And it has nothing to do with the fact that my dad thought he was an okay guy, too. In fact, the crush I have on Clint has absolutely nothing to do with my dad. (That would be sooo yukky!)

I like Clint 'cause - well, 'cause I do. Why do we like anyone? Especially people we don't even know! He's smart, he's handsome (okay, if you're not into 78-year-olds, he was handsome when he was younger - check out pix from his Rawhide days...), he's talented, and he makes me tingle when I think about him.

I have a pair of bikini panties that say "Make my day" on them.

'Nough said.

Special message to Clint: I hope you have THE best birthday ever! You are awesome! You 'da bomb!

I missed my neighbor's birthday. I'm such a bad person!

Sue, I'm so sorry! You never forget mine. I forgot yours. I will shop this weekend and make it up to you. I promise.

I can't see.

I used to be able to see.

In fact, considering I've worn glasses since I was in, like, second grade, I've always had my vision corrected to 20/20 and have never suffered from the "I can't see the board" syndrome, at least not in my memory. (I suppose I suffered from it before I got my glasses but I don't remember that time of my life...)

When I married my husband, I got not only the best guy in the world, I got vision insurance for the first time in my life! Too borrow a phrase from Washington Mutual: "Woo Hoo!" Imagine: new glasses every other year, and new lenses each year in between. Almost as good as s-x! (Okay, forget that, it's not as good as that, but it does rank right up there!)

When I turned 40, I went in for my annual eye exam and they asked me, "So, how old are you?" Since age isn't really that much of an issue for me, I said, "40," fully expecting them to say something like, "Wow, I'd have thought you were in your 20's!"

Instead they said, "Oh, then you'll need reading glasses."

Huh?

"NO EFFIN' WAY" was my response.

And I was right. After testing me, I didn't need reading glasses. But I was their favorite patient that day and at the end of my exam, when they put me in the same room as my husband (since we both had the last name), he was amused to hear the doctor come in and ask which of us was the one who doesn't need reading glasses? Apparently I had been a little forceful in my denial...

There were subsequent annual exams, one each in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 -

DANG IT! All of a sudden I need reading glasses! I can't read, I can't see my computer screen - this growing old SUCKS. My eyes go all wonky when I try to focus without my "cheaters" (a word I learned from my cousins on my dad's side when they were here at the beginning of the month).

I've graduated from 1.0 to 1.25 to 1.50. In fact, according to my doctor at my last appointment in February, I should be wearing a 1.50 to read, and a 1.25 to see my computer screen.

I wish they made a 1.35 - the 1.25 is terrific for the computer, but the 1.50 gives me a bit of a headache, and when I try the 1/25s for reading, they're just not strong enough.

I wish I could see. (I'm never taking my nephew to the eye doctor - he has better than 20/20 vision. I believe the last time I took him there he tested at 20/15...)

Hubby and I went out to dinner the other day and I forgot my reading glasses. He had to read the menu to me. If I was remotely unstable, that would have been enough to tip me over the edge!!! I have since bought another pair of reading glasses that will remain forevermore in my purse (until they have to be replaced with stronger ones). There's also a pair in one bathroom, and I'm planning to get another couple of pairs at the dollar store, one for each of the other two bathrooms. (I get a lot of my reading done in there!)

I think menopause will be easier to deal with than this.

BTW, I went for a complete physical last night - apparently I will live until I die. My heart is good, my blood pressure is good, my cholesterol is a bit high but the ratio of good to bad is high enough to compensate, my triglycerides are fine, my kidneys and my liver are okay, the cyst in my arm is innocent and apparently very common, I have some bone growths in one shoulder (and in one knee) that might be the start of some arthritis but they're having no noticeable effect on me right now. Aside from increasing my exercise and decreasing my fat/cheese/beef intake, I'm just fine. And I already warned the doctor, giving up cheese is not an option.

No longer a beached white whale...

We had BEAUTIFUL weather this past holiday weekend! I was able to spend several hours doing nothing more strenuous than oiling up my body and trying to make it look a little more tanned and a lot less white... Being successful at something is a wonderful thing. It makes you feel so accomplished. I have achieved the start of my annual summer tan.

Living next to a lake for 2 days a week, 52 weeks a year, 16 weeks of which are in late spring, summer, and early fall, you'd think I would find it easy to lose that pasty white winter look. But alas, no.

The first few years we were at the lake we made time to tan. We'd ride on "the boat that came with the house" and automatically we'd look pretty good, what with the sun reflecting off the water tanning us whether we tried or not! But then the dock was damaged and we couldn't put the boat in the water, so we merely tanned on the dock for a year. Then last year we built the addition, so we spent last year working, not tanning. And again this year, we will be sans "the boat that came with the house." Our dock, once again, was damaged by the winter ice and is now holding on to our bulkhead by literally a bolt. So again, no boat.

But I did manage to tan for a good six hours this weekend, and I look almost healthy and non-vampiric! (Is that a word?!?) I look as though I've been exposed to sunlight for part of my 47+ years. Thank the Lord!

Yes, I'm aware of the horrors of skin cancer/melanoma, but I am determined to look almost healthy when I croak! (Yes, readers, I am kidding. I would never risk my health by turning my looks-less-than-my-47-years skin into leather by tanning myself so dark I look like a California raisin!) I just want some color, and since I'm not one to wear a lot of makeup, I do allow myself a bit of a tan in the summer months...

My ducks were SOOO friendly this weekend. They literally stood on my foot, and stretched themselves to head-level (MY head when sitting on the lounge chair feeding them!) to grab pieces of potato roll from my fingers! They're so cute. Took LOTS'o'pix so when I get them downloaded, I'll be sure to post some on this site... Watch for them later this week!

I bought some paper so I can make little favors for J's graduation (!). Also spoke with A about a replacement gift for her sweet-16 cross - we looked, and I looked without her, but can't find one in my price range. I'd like to spend $400-$600 on the thing (on the cross alone!) but it's just not possible now. I have to put gas in my car to go shopping, you know?!? So we talked and she wants a chain, too, which I might be able to do more easily while remaining within my budget. After all, she's just 16, not getting married!

C got herself a new car yesterday. A 2008 Subaru - am hoping to get over there to see it tonight... Yea, you!

Went to my SIL's last night. Now I pride myself on being rather sophisticated, but I had to pick my jaw up off the ground when I heard this one!

I have a wonderfully smart and accomplished nephew on J's side. He's 36 or so, working his a$$ off in NYC, living in a 2-room apartment (bedroom and living room w/ a kitchenette, plus the required miniscule bathroom). Now, granted, he's in a building that has a doorman and, more importantly, an elevator! (We helped move him into a 4th floor walk-up several years ago, on 92nd Street - OMG! Once I got upstairs, I was done!) He just got approved to move to the penthouse floor (NOT in THE penthouse, mind you), into an apartment that has (drum roll, please!) 100 square feet more! Oh, and a small balcony, too. And here's the punchline: FOR $1000 MORE A MONTH!

My BIL outright asked his son what the rent was: he will be paying $4150 a month for this new apartment, which could fit inside my house several times over!!

I did a little math. He will be paying $49800 out of pocket for an apartment. That's JUST a bit shy of what I make a year, GROSS!!! Now I know he earns a lot of money and believe me, he works hard and long for it. BUT OMG!!! Can you imagine, even in this economy, what he could get here in NJ for that much per month? Even for thousands less per month?!???

All I can say is, OMG!!!

Speaking of how much things cost... Just got an email from an old boss who's now living in England. He filled up his Mazda Miata with gas this morning, and it cost him $100US. I had to ask. Gas is $11.00US per gallon!!! Makes my almost $4 per gallon look good!

An early Happy Memorial Day to you all!!!

Memorial Day isn't really a happy kind of day. We spend a bit of time remembering those who have gone before, not only our war veterans, but our family members. My MIL died on 05/24/01 so this weekend will be a tough one in our house. I miss her so much more than I ever thought I would. Thanks to her my husband is a family-oriented, caring, thoughtful man who knows how to make the best tomato sauce from scratch I've ever tasted! Mom was a terrific cook and DH must have learned it by osmosis. I'm a bit ticked that she left us so early, before she had a chance to teach me how to cook...

But on the other hand, Memorial Day weekend is a great time for us! 1/2 day today, off on Monday - 3-1/2 glorious days with good weather promised for every one! Here in NJ we've been having not such great weather - cold, rain, yuk... It might even hit 80 (or the 80s, depending on which TV station you watch)!

My personal goal for this weekend: get some color so I don't look like a beached white whale when I remove my winter garments for some with less fabric...

Went last night to a new place to get some highlights - my roots were showing a bit too much. I like the job she did, but boy can she talk! I'm not sure I can handle her too often! Plus she charged me to blow out my hair. I have hair shorter that doesn't even touch my shoulders and it was a $120 bill! If I'd known she was going to charge me to dry it, I'd have left looking like I just stepped out a shower and fixed it up at home. Now that I know, if I decide to go there again, I'll just tell her outright, "No thanks, it's cheaper to blowdry it at home!"

26 more days 'til my sister arrives!!! Yay! The only bad thing is that I'm in sales conferences all that week before she gets here and I'm not sure if I can take any time off; with so much time NOT being spent at my desk, I'll be WAY behind for sure if I take that Friday off... But then again, how much more behind can I be if I'm 5 days behind as opposed to 4? It's not like I'll get caught up in that 1 day... Maybe I'll just put in for the day now and say, "the heck with it!" Yes, I think I will. Sister and Mom have plans for tea at Teaberry's - sounds like a lovely way to spend the day...

TEAL - Typo Eradication Advancement League

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-typo-guys-0521may21,0,6902266.story?page=1

Two guys, armed with Sharpies, Wite-Out, chalk and markers, traveling the country, correcting typographical errors.

WHY THE HECK DIDN'T I THINK OF THIS???

Finding typos is my life! I derive such satisfaction, along with my frustration and irritation, from finding typos. DH teases me that I can't read anything without finding something wrong, either a grammatical error or a typo or even an error in content (believe it or not, Dante did not write Paradise Lost!). I've caught the heroine's eyes changing from blue to green (sans contacts!), her name changing from chapter 1 to chapter 3, the sun rising over the Pacific Ocean (which I suppose could technically happen if the story took place in Hawaii, but the heroine was on the beach next to the Pacific Coast Highway in California!), etc.

Typos are all over and no one cares. No one.

It drives me NUTS. So nuts that if I post a blog entry and find a type later on, I'll actually open the entry and correct it. (IF I see it - if you find one, let me know so I can correct it!) When I hit "send" in an email and miss a misspelling or a grammatical error, it's enough to ruin my day. I will beat myself up over it for an hour!

Okay, I have to go!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/femme_makita/2513492712
http://sites.google.com/a/savedukegardens.org/save-duke-gardens/Home

Doris Duke spent many years of her life traveling around the world, collecting various species of plants, and creating a garden - no, gardens that she then protected donating them to a Garden Foundation and by creating a special Board of Trustees.

Well, that Board has proven itself to NOT be very trustworthy. They have decided to destroy these gardens because they can.

It's that simple. They claim to have a new vision. That's great. It's my opinion, and the opinion of all the people who signed the petition, that they could have retained Ms. Duke's gardens and expanded her vision, instead of deciding to destroy her gardens and replace them with their own version of what they now think should be there.

Add handicapped access? YES. Please. Add examples of alternative energy sources? YES. Please. Destroy all the beauty of these gardens for your own personal gain? NO, NO, A THOUSAND TIMES NO!

My neighbors came to visit us at the lake yesterday, all five boys and their parents. We had SUCH a great time! S brough bagels and tuna fish and egg salad and cream cheese and marble cake and chocolate chip cookies. (They keep kosher so I couldn't feed them all that easily.) I had drinks and snacks for them. Poor A got a little carsick on the way up, so he ate a bit, then went to lay down for 10 minutes or so. J took the 4 boys to the Sanctuary and showed them the beaver dam, and they met Marley (our neighborhood dog). It was raining, that's the only bad part of the day. J really wanted to take them out on the rowboat and show them around a little bit. Maybe next time!

I have a great picture of the five boys but I won't post it 'cause I don't have permission from their mom. But trust me when I say you've NEVER seen cheeks like the baby has - he even beats my niece who had chipmunk cheeks when she was born! We called her Dizzy, after Mr. Gilespie! G has her beat BIG time!!!

On the way home (we all left at the same time), the boys called us on my cell to shout, "Thanks, J and Krys, for letting us visit you at the lake!" Let me tell you, 5 boys! 5 boys so well brought up that they were less trouble than either my nephew or my niece, and certainly less trouble than the two of them together!!! These boys are so well brought up - my neighbors should be proud of themselves!!!

I'm stressed with the reorg we just went through here at work: I have double the territory, and I have to cover it in the same amount of hours for the same salary. Now of course, once the targets are set, if I make my numbers, my incentive payment goes up accordingly. But the work!!! OMG!!! I have two cold sores that have broken out on my lower lip; yes, a pretty picture! Today I emailed my friend CT, and he wrote me such a nice note of encouragement:

"Deep breath.
Now, remember that whatever you do will be an improvement over your predecessor. Also, remember that the sun will come up tomorrow, no matter what you do. And finally, at the end of the day, you can go home and shut the door on the trials and tribulations of your job. Might not be easy, but it can be done.
Love,
C
P.S. – Not sure if this is appropriate, but I just re-read Illusions (http://www.barefootworlds.net/illusions.html) and it always improves my outlook on life.

There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts."

Illusions is one of several books by Richard Bach that I've read and reread over the years. I collect quotes and Bach's books are chock-full of them! I've sent so many of them to C over the years, when we were single and writing letters to each other (back in the days before email!). It means a lot that he chose that book for me today! And I think I'll go home and pull it off the bookshelf, drop it in my bag, and when I finish the one I'm reading, I'll reread Illusions again. I'm sure there'll be a quote for me to send C when I'm done!

My mom is joining the ranks of the technologically advanced: she's switching to Dish TV, and she's going to have to learn that remote control all by herself. No emergency calls to me to come and fix what she broke. And she wants to buy a DVD recorder. I am a simple Cablevision customer, soon to switch to the Optimum Triple Play, I think... I have to have computer access at home, and cable is taking away channels and adding charges each month. (Sound familiar?!?) It's time to upgrade!

Well, I'm about to leave and walk cross-town to J's school, so we can leave on time. He wants to mow Mom's lawn (at least the front lawn) before we go to his sister's to celebrate her b'day. It's supposed to rain for the next three days or so, not pouring down storms, but showers on and off 'til Wednesday or Thursday (unless they've changed the forecast since this morning!). (An aside: I hate rain.)

Toodles!

Another wake...

You know how they say bad things come in threes? Anyone ever heard of fours?

First, Mr. H. died. He was the father of one of my husband's friends, DH's former boss.

Then my cousin Todd died.

Then my friend E's grandfather in Poland died.

And last night we went to the wake for the sister of a woman who works for DH in the After-School Program. C has worked for him for 15 years. She's such a wonderful woman. She's been suffering herself with treatments for various health issues, serious ones. And now her sister's gone. There were 7 girls and 2 boys, all in their 30's and up. The sister was found in her apartment, already gone. Haven't heard how, probably won't, but we did hear the rumors that when she was younger, she was heavy duty into drugs. Don't know if that played any part in her death; I sure hope not. That will make it even harder.

The Cooks and Cahills, at Todd's wake, May 9, 2008.









From left to right: Phil (Kerri's husband), Nancy (Jeff's daughter), Mom, David (Jeff's son), Kerri, me, Gloria, A, Jeff, C, and J

My cousin Todd died on May 2, 2008. He was 48 years old. Todd had Down Syndrome. Todd was a fantastic person.

When we were young, we spent every Sunday at my dad's dad's house. I have lots of memories from Granddaddy's, and Todd is part of every one of them. Granddaddy would have a box of chocolates underneath the newspaper, on the coffee table in front of him. We'd go in, kiss him hello, and help ourselves to a piece of chocolate (Whitman's, Russell Stover, don't remember which). No one knew about this but us! (At Todd's wake last week I asked my cousins if they remembered, and they didn't know what I was talking about!) Every Sunday we'd go to church, change our clothes and drive up to Granddaddy's, where Todd would say, "Krysia, why can't you do a one-handed cartwheel? It's easy!" And he'd just do one! And eventually they were no-handed cartwheels ("Krysia? Why can't you do a no-handed cartwheel? It's easy!"). And he and my Aunt Cookie would squat down, and sit on their elbows. These are such vivid memories for me... And Evelyn's sarsaparilla soda - mmm, good!

At the funeral Jeff gave a speech about Todd. Then Kerri got up and spoke about her baby brother. Then Jeff asked if anyone else wanted to speak.

I honestly don't remember walking up to the casket: the next thing I know I'm standing there, with my hand on Todd's shoulder. I turned around and tried to speak. And I couldn't. I was crying so hard I couldn't talk. I knew Todd's death would affect me; he was my cousin, after all. But I hadn't seen him since 1992, and before that, it was 1975 or 1976, when they moved to Colorado. I really didn't expect to lose it like I did. I wanted everyone to know how much I would miss him. How even though he wasn't part of my daily life, even though he wasn't even a part of my week anymore, he was a part of my life. My cousin. Who I will miss so very much.

I am proud to have been his cousin. He accomplished so much, with the help of my aunt and my cousin. Jeff really stepped up and took the place of my Aunt Cookie once she wasn't really able to be Todd's #1 advocate any more. Todd had a full and complete life, thanks to the two of them. And I will miss him forever.

Here are few stories, though, light-hearted ones, intended to make the tears subside...

1) When my aunt died 10 years ago, we had the funeral, then proceeded to the cemetery. They had dug her hole on the wrong plot!!! Jeff made them come back, dig the right hole, then we buried her!

2) When we went to the cemetery to bury Todd, he was supposed to be interred head to head with my aunt. They assured Jeff they'd do it the right way. When we got there, they almost dropped Todd putting his casket on the supports. Thankfully, the hole was in the right place! But then Jeff asked about Todd; was his head actually at this end of the hole? No. So we had to have him turned around. Boy, would my aunt have haunted Jeff!!!

3) Two weeks ago, Todd's trainer heard him get up in the middle of the night. She let him alone, assuming he would go to the bathroom and go back to bed, or get a drink and go back to bed... He didn't. She heard some strange noises from downstairs so she went down to find out what Todd was doing. He had a suitcase on the floor, open, and he was packing. "What are you doing, Todd?" she asked. "Mom came and told me she's coming for me in two weeks, I'm going to go on vacation with her, " he responded. There's not one person on the Cook or Cahill side that doubts that story!!! If anyone could come back and visit Todd, it was Aunt Cookie!!! (Well, no one at the repast doubts it!)

Wow! I'm an Assistant Organizer!

I belong to a local scrapbooking MeetUp group and while I was at our all day crop last Saturday (National Scrapbooking Day), the Organizer came over and said they were thinking of offering me that position. Now it doesn't require a lot of work; if MB can't make an event that I'm attending, I'd "be in charge of" paying for the room, making sure we all leave the room in the condition we found it, baby stuff like that. But how nice to be a "part" of that group! And how flattering that they want me to be the Assistant Organizer!

I've met the nicest women in that group, wound up back in touch with a friend from high school, and have learned that I am, indeed, creative in my own way. I do okay making my pages - they may not be publishing-quality, but I'm proud of them. (Yes, there are a few I think could definitely use some tweaking, but for the most part, I like 'em!) I would never have described myself as artistic; I think I mentioned that in an earlier post, but I am! And I get a lot of satisfaction from it!

And now this brings up the issue of group activities. I belong to Weight Watchers. Again, I've met a great group of people, especially in the Ledgewood, NJ, group. They've extended their WW relationship into their personal lives - they cruise together, they have movie nights together, they attend cookie swaps and purse sales together... And they've invited me along but so far I haven't been able to attend; with the work at the lake and the fact that we're only up there 2 days a week, my time is a bit full. But when we relocate, I hope I can spend more time with these ladies. They're a FUNNY bunch of coconuts!

WW, scrapping. What an easy way to find new friends and experience new things. So far I haven't been disappointed!

But I have a friend who "doesn't do groups." She won't attend WW 'cause she "doesn't like that rah-rah mentality." It's not a rah-rah group. Sure, we clap for each other and sometimes I feel a bit silly being on the receiving end of applause for losing a 1/2-pound when there are women in there who have lost over 100 pounds. But the value of the support I get from these strangers-turned-friends is immeasurable. How nice to know that I matter to these people. They really do care that I lost rather than gained, or that I stayed the same rather than gained. And if I gain, they have ideas to help me lose. Of course, we talk about food, and eating, and weight. But we've also talked about children, and in-laws, and holidays, and family, and work...

This friend of mine won't come to my scrapping group, even though she's very artistic and would do extremely well. Why? Because she "doesn't do groups" and because she "can't afford to scrap." Now THAT I can relate to! It IS a very expensive hobby if you get addicted to it! But I've offered her the use of my materials for a day, or even for a few hours, just to see if she'd like it, and as well-read and well-informed and brilliant as she is, "No. I don't do groups." If she just doesn't want to scrap, okay. But she did it for a shower she organized and said she had a lot of fun doing it. She's just, well, rigid, in a lot of ways. She doesn't embrace change. Now, me? I hate change. But I acknowledge the fact that it's inevitable and I sort of have to adapt, whether I like it or not. Sometimes I think she "doesn't do groups" just 'cause she said, a long time ago, that she "doesn't do groups."

And she spends paragraphs and paragraphs on her blog lamenting the fact that she has only a few close friends and too much free time...

Happy National Scrapbook Day, one day early!

Tomorrow is National Scrapbook Day, and I'm spending the day scrapping! I'm attending an all-day crop with my MeetUp group, well, some of them! I'm planning to be so creative I'll scare myself!

I want to step out of my box and create something different, something I haven't done before. I'm not quite sure what it might be, but I'm going to try. I love the idea of a multi-sized album (you can see an example of a mini one at Ali Edward's blog today http://aliedwards.typepad.com/_a_/2008/05/weekend-creativ.html). I want to do something like this but I'm going to have to probably wait until I'm in my scrapping room; I don't have all my miscellaneous "stuff" ready to go to the crop tomorrow.

I'm still packed from my last crop so all I have to do is drag all those bags and boxes into the clubhouse and arrange my space. I think, nay, I hope I remember to bring a pillow to sit on (not that I don't have enough natural padding - those chairs are just a bit low for all day!) and my little portable shelf (it might help me to make space on the table for my scrapping).

I bought batteries for my camera; I'll try to remember to add it to my stuff for tomorrow. I broke my little mini camera while I was in Arizona. I have to do some research and find out if I can get it repaired. It was a cute little portable Kodak digital camera, took GREAT pictures, and it had a nice 2" LCD screen that I banged right into the corner of a table. It was in the pocket of my shorts and most of you reading this blog know I'm not the most graceful of women... BANG! And of course, with my luck, the screen was facing outwards. Dad-gum it!

I'd like to do a page about my scrapping. And a page about my office. And a page about the inside of my purse and/or my tote. I think they all say a lot about my lack of organizational skills, and my creativity (what little I have!), and my ability to work or play in a mess!

It's 9:58am and I feel as though I've been here at work for hours and hours and hours already. And it's only been 2 hours and 43 minutes... Aaaarrrrgggghhhh! I want to go home!

Well, we moved DD into her new apt last night. Actually she and her friend D did most of the moving; we did the TV, the bed, the sofa, a lamp, the dining room table, the bedroom blinds, and tonight we'll do the living room blinds and the last remaining lamp. She's so happy - it's clean and it smells clean and it looks clean and it's a clean start for her. Even though it's an apt that's identical to the one we moved her out of, one floor down in the same building, two doors over. Don't ask.

Her BF called me yesterday. I've already told him I'm uncomfortable in the middle. I don't want to be the one who hears both sides of the story. But he was only checking in to say he hadn't spoken with us in over a week, and that he was in touch with her - he hates texting. And DD would rather text than talk.

I figured out why. When you're texting you can ignore what you don't want to address. You just don't respond. When you're on the phone, you can be confronted. They can say, "Why aren't you answering me?" And you're forced to deal with the issue. Email is the same. But they both lend themselves to misinterpretation - you can't hear someone's tone in a text or in an email. And when you know the person you're texting/emailing, you would be able to interpret tone.

Besides, texting with 2 thumbs is SO much slower than just calling, talking, and being done with it. (Shudder.)

Gotta run!

SO.

Lot's is happening in my business life. Just found out they're adding 6 more states to my territory. I now cover, in no particular order:

• my original states - Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia
• my newly added states - Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, and Nebraska

I'm sure you can guess which one appeals to me the most: Missouri! My bestest college friend lives in the St. Louis area, in St. Charles, to be exact. And his parents live in Kansas City. And if I have large enough accounts to warrant a trip to those particular locations, I could actually visit with them and see them and that would be phenomenal!!!

Iowa? Nebraska? I don't know yet how much business is in each state, and obviously my goal is to build up the territory so I'll be looking for more business in each state.

I also found out today that they're adding a whole new class of trade to my reseller responsibilities. Yesterday I sold to trade associations and catalog resellers. Today I'm also doing bulk sales. Mm-hm. Sounds exciting, doesn't it? I'll have to make it exciting, if it turns out to be dull and boring. I got those states from one of my colleagues, Kim. She sits right next to me in the office. She has one of those voices they use for voiceovers (if you call our IT department, you hear her say, "You have reached the IT department. Please listen as our menu choices have changed. For IT support, press 1. For AS400 support, press 2. If you'd like to leave a message,..." Forget it! You don't really care!). Her customers are in for an awakening: first thing in the morning you can't tell I'm not a guy. My voice is not very feminine, at least not in my opinion, at least not first thing in the morning. And I talk really fast when I'm talking to a stranger. Really fast. Almost faster than I can type...

I think I'm going to take a picture of my desk here at work tomorrow so you can see what 6 new states and a new class of trade looks like. It's a bit frightening since I really do pride myself on keeping my office neat and orderly (unlike my home!). I have paper all over, like a paper bomb exploded on top of my desk and all around my cubicle! If I was compulsively clean, I'd be shaking right about now...

Tonight we're moving my daughter back into her new apartment, which we moved her into and out of last week. The apartment complex has basically sterilized it: washed the rug four times, painted three times, stripped the cabinets to remove the smoke/nicotine, fumigated, pulled out the refrigerator and the oven and cleaned and painted behind them, bleached the tiles and the entire bathroom. Hmm, did they do anything else? I think that's it. In fact, the former tenant is all upset that they did all this 'cause she feels like it makes her look dirty. Hey, lady, if the shoe fits!!!

Okay, that's enough blogging for now - DH is on his way to pick me up so we can go home, change, chow down and go move DD.

Toodles!

Just found out I'm getting some more states added to my territory. I used to have Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia. Now I also have Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri and Nebraska!

Wow!

The good news is maybe at some point I can swing a business trip to the St. Louis or Kansas City area and see Chris and/or his parents.

The bad news is this is a LOT more work. A LOT more pressure. A LOT more stress.

I have to learn to delegate.

Delegate. Delegate. Delegate.

Funny thing is that my old boss - sorry, SLH - my previous boss used to tell me that I had to learn to delegate. Guess she was right.

Guess I have to learn.

Yay. A challenge.

Feeling better...

Not.

Okay, truthfully, I do feel better. My cough is, well, not gone, but certainly on its way out. My swollen neck is less swollen, and I almost have my usually negligible amount of energy at my disposal.

BUT.

Yesterday was a vacation day. On vacation I'm supposed to - okay, not vacate, but certainly rest and relaxation should show up somewhere in the vicinity of a vacation day.

But they didn't.

Saturday - We picked up our red oak floor with the natural stain and hauled it up to the lake in 10 boxes of 20 square feet each. We laid them out on the floor to acclimate. I started cleaning the lake house with the intent of getting rid of the contruction dust that has begun to permanently embed itself between the floorboards.

Sunday - Jack spent ALL DAY (yes, ALL DAY) laying our hardwood floor in the guest room. IT LOOKS AWESOME. Pictures to come in a day or two...

Monday - I have no idea what Jack did all day, but I PAINTED OUR BEDROOM. TWICE. Isn't there some law that the second coat of paint has to be applied a week later, by another person, not the same day by the same person??? My legs hurt from squatting and standing, my back hurts from bending and reaching, and my arms hurt from stretching and painting.

But my room is now the sunny color called "Lemon Delight," which will look awesome with my yellow, green and blue blanket, the yellow crocheted blanket my sister made for me, and the yellow and white blanket my Mom made for us. And by the end of the week, he will be working on the floor in our room, after which we might even be able to move our bed upstairs from what is now our dining room to what is supposed to eventually be our bedroom!

Which means we can move the dinette set into the dining room and I might even be able to schedule a MeetUp or Scrapaholics meeting at my house sometime soon, instead of hauling my butt all over to someone else's home...

And then we'll have to get the floor for the sitting room and then we'll get the railings and then we'll have a housewarming party for our nearest and dearest...

I'm sick again... Can't wait to not be sick again... (sung to the tune of Willie's On the Road Again)

Went to the doctor yesterday. Another strep test, no fever, swollen glands (for the very first time in my 47 years!), clear lungs, slightly elevated blood pressure (due, he thinks, to the decongestant in the cough medicine I was taking), and bad sinus pressure in my head. Yuk.

So here are my meds:

1. Z-pack once a day
2. Coricidin every 6 hours
3. Zyrtek once a day (it seemed to take the pressure away but took longer than my no-name Loratadine from CVS)

Then I asked him about the pain in my arm. Without an MRI [which we'll do if icing each night, no exercise (darn!), and anti-inflammatories don't help], he suspects a slightly damaged rotator cuff, probably just a few small tears. Boy, Jack really suffered with his - hope mine repairs itself...

That whole growing old thing? It sucks! Now I'm a firm believer in "you're as old as you feel," but being sick like this makes me feel old. When I look in the mirror, I don't see a 47-year-old. I look the same (or close!), for all intents and purposes, as I did when I was 20. Well, I certainly feel the same, minus a few aches and pains, but nothing I can't handle. I can't imagine turning 50 in three years. That just might be the one that actually hurts. It's just such a big number. I know there are bigger ones. But I had no meltdown when I turned 21 (like my college roommate did), nothin' when I turned 30, 35 was a bit bothersome (but not debilitating), 40 and 45 were proverbial pieces of cake!

But 50? I hope I'm healthy and still as happy as I am now, if not more so. 50 just "sounds" old to me. I remember all the people I knew were 50 when I was younger and they were old. I know I won't be that old when I'm 50, but still...

(added later)

I also went to the dentist yesterday. I broke a double crown sometime in the last few days. I'm thinking now it might have been on the remains of a cough drop. I haven't had any popcorn or hard candy lately, so that's the only think I can think might have done it.

I LOVE my dentist. For the record, I've told him he absolutely cannot retire until either (a) he replaces all the teeth in my head with false teeth that will never have a problem, or (b) I'm dead. He's got his nephew working there now; I'm sure the intention is for Dr. Mike to take over for Dr. M. when it's time, but that will never be acceptable. Never. Ever. You hear me, Dr. M.?

Puppy dogs...

Here are some pictures of my sister's puppy dogs. I guess I shouldn't really refer to them as puppy dogs since Miko weighs in at a hefty - what is it, P? - 85 pounds!?!? But their personalities are puppy-like and I had so much fun with them that I just have to call them puppies!!! I'm also including a picture of one of her cats, Daisy, laying right up next to this dog-person.

It's like I said, puppies and kittens and babies - they all love me!!!

Let's talk organizing...

I met an Internet friend...

Those of you who know me well might not think of me as organized (and you'd be right!). I'm a pack rat, I like clutter - well, I have a high tolerance for clutter, although it's starting to decrease as I get older! - I like being surrounded by my "stuff."

But at work it's a different story. I'm constantly on the search for just the right organizing tool, something to keep my desk neat and clean and orderly, something to help me stay on top of the myriad number of tasks I do every day, some way to manage my time more efficiently and ensure that the 20% of my clients that account for 80% of my business aren't dropped to the wayside while I send title information to the 80% of my clients who are 20% of my business!!!

So I read books - organizing books, time management books, books that can help me become the super-organized, clutter-free individual I know I can be. And I visit internet sites, sites like these blogs: Neat and Simple (http://blog.neatandsimple.com/2007/12/just-released-i.html), Organizing Queen (http://organisingtips.blogspot.com/) and Let's Talk Organizing (http://letstalkorganizing.blogspot.com/), just to name three. All of these blogs have links to other great organizing sites, too.

Well, in the not too distant past, I won the "Let's Talk Organizing Total Control Package." That put me in touch with Suzanne at Let's Talk Organizing (http://letstalkorganizing.blogspot.com/). And she's great! So easy to talk to, full of great ideas to help me save time, make space, and get organized. She opened some new offices in Gilbert, AZ, and I just came back from Arizona! I emailed her and we got together for a few hours at the Wildflower Bakery (yummy!)! Here's a picture of the two of us (I'm the less-put-together-one on the right!) after our delicious lunch!

We talked, and laughed, and talked some more! We talked about organizing and planners, and bookstores and stalkers (don't ask!), and we've each made a new Internet friend! We probably should have discussed organizing more than we did, but we still had a great time! I was able to show her a new planner I picked up - hopefully it will help me manage my time and keep track of everything... We talked about purses - too large vs. too small, one good one vs. many not-so-good ones, what we carry in them (too much or too little), etc. We talked about list making - she helped me create one at work a few months ago, one that works better than the sticky-notes version I was using before.

Thanks for a great afternoon, Suzanne, and have a TERRIFIC trip to Scotland - can't wait to hear about it and see some pictures! (Suzanne has arranged to meet up with another organizing guru while on her trip - how fun!)

Well, it's time to go to work (according to my planner!), so off I go! Toodles!

She's baaaaack!!!

Back in sort-of-sunny NJ.

Not only did I miss my DH so very desperately, he really missed me, too! Our DD texted me last night to tell me that "the ladies" who work with him are so glad I'm home 'cause he was depressed all last week. (Of course, I'm sure it had nothing to do with the g*d-awful 7th graders he was dealing with and everything to do with me being away...) I got in early enough yesterday morning to get home before he left for work, which was a nice surprise for us both! (I had planned to drive in to school to surprise him in the afternoon but since I got in at 5:35am and made it home before 7am, I got to sleep 'til 10:30am then take my mom out to a late lunch.)

I've been home a little over 24 hours and I think we've said "I love you" a hundred times, and "I missed you so much" at least a hundred times, and "I'm so glad to be/you're home" over a hundred times!

Now I had a loverly time with my sister, don't get me wrong, cyberpals. But other than a few three day business trips in the past couple of years, this is the longest we've been apart since we got back together in 1993.

Of course, on the up side, it's the longest I've spent with my sister since she moved out to AZ twenty years ago so that was really a big plus and made it a bit easier to deal with Jack being at home... AND I got to spend several days with her fluffy family: Kazia and Miko, her two Samoyeds, and Daisy and Lana, her two cats. Kazia and Miko are so affectionate and loveable; Miko is like a great big fluffy white teddy bear! Daisy is a pretty cat who certainly knows her own mind, but was very affectionate with me - we have a great photo I hope to share of her sleeping right up next to yours truly (who isn't really that much of a cat person!). And Lana? WOW! She crawled right up on my heaving bosom (I was hacking up a lung after getting sick in San Diego) and laid there for, oh, I don't know, a good half hour, maybe? And my sister said that she's real shy and doesn't come out much and certainly doesn't really lay down with strangers... Huh. So there. I guess I'm not only a dog person but cats like me, too!

It was so nice to see P for all that time, instead of for a few hours here or there, when she's in NJ for an event (birth, wedding, graduation, etc.). I got to spend some time with her and a couple of her dear friends, M and T, and we had some yummy pizza, some great shrimp toast and grilled shrimp and calamari at Feast, and some dee-licious biscuits and gravy and potato pancakes at Aunt Millie's... (Funny how my most memorable memories are food-related...)

Once my pictures are ready, I'm going to try something different, perhaps post a link to my album so you can see them all, instead of just a select few, if you're interested... Not sure I can do it; I seem to be having some difficulty with the download. For now, though, here are a couple of my favorite shots...

Hello from an un-named city in the Southwest!

Just checking in with a quick and detail-less update 'cause I'm using a laptop that belongs to someone else, waiting for the Korean Spare Ribs to thaw so we can have some dinner... Wait! Too many details for this entry!!

Got to San Diego last Saturday, worried I'd brought too many winter/fall clothes 'cause when I got off the plane and into the cab, I started to glow. Ultimately it turned out I was garbed just fine 'cause it was chilly-ish in the mornings and warmed up in the afternoons and my jacket was okay for the evenings...

Conference was fine - details to come.

Sister arrived Sunday after minor road worries - details to come.

Some good meals, some good company, some good cocktails - details to come.

Visited Cabrillo National Monument and the San Diego Zoo - details (and pictures!) to come.

Got sick. Visited Immedicenter. On antibiotics. Details to come.

Traveled to that unnamed city in the SW - details (and pictures) to come.

Visited the place someone works, dinner with that person's friends, met with new blog-friend - many details and pictures to come!

Walking in Race for the Cure tomorrow, then traveling to NJ - details (and maybe some pictures) to come.

Talk with you soon.