My Weblog

dumb, dumb, dumb

Well, I think I pulled one of the dumbest moves in my recent history today.  I went to work.  Stupid, Stupid, Stupid.  I only went tor two hours, but it was still just too much for me.  I mean, really now, I haven't even been wearing clothes, just my nightgown these last few days, so getting dressed was a hardship.  Then I had to drive there, etc.  I honestly was not sure I'd make it home.  I was careful to select routes where I could pull off to the side of the road and rest if need be.  This has been one wild dose of the flu.......  I don't think I could have felt a whole lot worse.  I am praying that by Monday I will be somewhat normal.  That will be two weeks of this mess.  One of the worst things is that I have had NO ability to sleep.  You know, when you see the doctor, he/she always tells you to go home and rest.  But, in my case, lying down just meant more and more and more coughing, a level of coughing so violent I felt as though I was being turned inside out.  Of course, Matthew talked to his father, something on the order of "what the hell, did she quit or something?"  No, Matt I didn't quit.  Try to imagine being sick enough you can't go to work.  Strange, I know but that really does happen to people.  So, of course, Joe is pushing me to go.  That'll be the last time I do THAT!

I have done almost nothing this week on designing.  I have just felt so darned bad that if I had any creativity left, I couldn't find it.  I've got a kit about 1/2 done.  I'm going to try to finish it up over the weekend so I can put it in the store.  Can't sell it if I don't finish it, right?  NDISB just came out with the color scheme and theme behind our April collaborative kit.  I have a feeling this one is going to be a beauty.  The store is big enough now that we only have to participate in the collaborative every other month or 6 times a year.  So far, I'm 4 out of 5.  I had a LARGE contribution for the March kit all set up and ready to go on my computer when my computer locked up on me.  I lost it all.......  Then, right on the heels of that I got sick so I knew I wasn't going to redo everything I'd done.  So, I'm looking forward to this next one. 

My designer girls have been pretty quiet.  Amanda has been doing a lot of commercial use stuff which doesn't require layouts.  LaWanna popped out a beauty this week and I hope to get two sets of quick pages done with that kit sometime this weekend.  We have not heard anything from Cori since November.  She did drop us one e-mail saying she was having personal problems and her way of dealing with them is to hibernate.  It's sad though as she had a large and VERY enthusiastic creative team.  When she does come back, who knows if she'll be able to round 'em all up again.........Nina put out a very nice kit last week.  But, her husband had lost his job.  Then he got a new job.  Now he's lost the new job.  It helps me remember that it isn't just the US that is effected by this economy.  They're dealing with it in Germany also.  Of course, the designers at ACOT just keep pumping out new kits.  There are now quite a lot of them, including a lot of them whose stuff I really like. 

I have at least two tax appointments tomorrow.  I have another lady who wants hers done this weekend.  I just don't know if I'm up to it.  I've got one laying on my desk where the client did her own US form but can't figure out the Hawaii.  So, I'll be busy if I can stay out of bed.  I am so tired from lack of sleep that I nod off here in front of the computer.  That's never happened to me before in my life, but it's happening now.  And, I'm actually grateful for that little bit of sleep......

Well, that's my tale of woe.  I just got up about an hour and a half ago.  I think I'm going to nuke myself something for dinner and try lying down again.  Love to all. 

STILL sick

Today marks one week of battling whatever this is.  I've coughed and coughed and coughed.  I coughed so much last night, I spent about an hour and a half in the bathroom (3 half hour shifts) just letting the room fill up with steam and breathing it in, trying to loosen the congestion on my chest.  Normally you could run a freight train down the middle of the bed and not awaken Joe, but he heard me coughing.....  I finally got up and just left the room and came out to the computer and did some design work, just to try to give him a chance to get some sleep.  Just a few minutes ago, I sent him off to the drugstore to find an expectorant that doesn't mess with the blood pressure.  He came home with Mucinex DM 12 hour pills--almost $25.  I hated spending $25 for that, but missing a day of work costs more than $25, so I guess it's a good investment.  I took one of those and tried to lie down and get a bit more sleep, but it was no good.  So here I am back at the computer.  I blame exhaustion for any flaming errors that show up here. 

So, I've been working away on a new kit.  I really like the color scheme, so hopefully I'll really like the kit as well.  I've got the solid papers done and most of the print papers.  I've even got a few elements done.  I'm having a hard time finding the elements I want for it.  I was going to go down to Jennifer's over the weekend to photograph an item which will go in this kit but I was just too darned sick.  Maybe I can do that Wednesday morning.

My tax clients are starting to find their telephones.  I've got two returns to do on Wednesday and I did three Saturday.  Pretty sure I have one to do tomorrow as well.  We had to buy a toner cartridge for the fancy schmancy printer.  Ouch!  $89.  Hard to pay that all in one fell swoop, but the little printer would cost me more than that, just spread out over the tax season.  With this printer, I doubt I'll need more ink til after April 15th.

Joe has left for work already and I won't see him til tomorrow morning.  He's going to the carpet place to spend some time with the Assistant Sales Manager to get some training.  I don't know if this is a one-time thing or if he'll need to go back several times.  I'm just kind of glad to see it start.  He'll be one tired old man by tomorrow morning, though.

I am having some work done on the blog.  I have absolutely no idea about HTML coding so it is not something I can do myself.  And, I need it done because of the scrap design business.  So, I went to someone I trust and asked her to do this for me.  I don't want to spend the money, but I'm looking at it as an investment.  I'll be using this blog for both business and personal for a while and a designer shouldn't have a crappy looking blog!  I had been told in the past that this blog was so cheap that there was nothing that could be done to dress it up without signing up for a more expensive blog first.  But she thinks she can do what I need without that.  I'll be so happy when it's done.

Everytime I sell a product in the store, I get a report showing the name and e-mail address of the purchaser.  I had put together a little address list of those folks.  I'd send thank you notes and given out some freebies and I did one e-mail showing one of my kits when it went into the store.  I had plans to continue sending out gifts, coupons, and so forth.  I did my research and my mailer complied with the federal CAN-SPAM law.  And, of course, that means there was a place to unsubscribe if anyone wanted to do that.  No one unsubscribed but someone went to one of the hater blogs and complained about the store sending out advertising e-mails.  Well, the store didn't send that e-mail, I did.  And, All that person needed to do was drop me an e-mail with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line and she would have never received another e-mail from me.  But, she chose to do something different.  So, I've been asked to do something differently, offering a place to sign up for a newsletter rather than sending out a newsletter from which people can opt out.  That is one of the improvements that will be made to the blog.  And there will be no more thank you notes or gifts because of one person's complaints.  Sorry, ladies, but I'm under orders from the store owner.

That tiny little photo is a charity kit I participated in recently.  It doesn't begin to do the kit justice.  It just went up for sale at Elemental Scraps.  Proceeds will go to benefit a little boy whose parents were killed recently.  The boy has an aunt who loves him and will take him in, but she lives in a very small apartment with her husband and her own 3 small children.  The parents had started some sort of a trust fund for the boy but that money can't be touched until he's 18.  The hope is that the sale of this kit will allow his aunt to move into a larger place so that he can stay with her rather than having to live in an orphanage setting. 

There is another really large charity kit available right now.  It's something like 120 papers and who knows how many elements.  It is to benefit the victims of the fires in Australia.  One of the ladies I CT'd for was effected by these fires so I have a personal link there.  Anyway, you go to the online site for either the Salvation Army or the Australian Red Cross and make a donation ($5 minimum).  They will send you a receipt for your donation via e-mail.  You forward that e-mail receipt to the store that's hosting the charity kit and they will send you links to download you HUGE kit.  You can read more about it here:  http://artisticmusings.typepad.com/artistic_musings/  (Check out the posting for February 22.)  Let me see if I can "steal" a photo of that big boy.   Not that we would want you to stop buying scrap supplies, but I do think you could probably scrap every photo you'll take this summer with this kit!

Well, I have a screaming headache to go along with my cough, so I'm going to hang this up for now.  Oh, I forgot to mention that Joe is convinced he's got the dining room table fixed so that's a blessing.  I'll now see if I can borrow a sander from work and sand the top down where it was badly gouged by the previous owner.  Then I'll paint it and we'll go from there!  Bye for now......

Progress Report

Well, I am still coughing, but much less than I was a few days ago.  For a while there, I was certain I'd end whatever this is with the best abs in town.  That deep contraction with each cough made for some sore abs.  Most likely, they really needed to be worked!  My throat is scratchy and I still have fever and drainage down the back of my throat, but all in all, I'm doing better than I was......  However, if you were around when I started coughing, you might really doubt me on this...

And, I am pleased to report that I now have 5 cashable paychecks.  In fact, the bank is my first destination tomorrow morning.  I have a bill that is due almost immediately and, if I cash the checks, I can use part of the money to pay that bill while I'm still at the bank.  Then I'll run over and deposit the rest of it in my bank account at another bank so that checks can be written and a few of our bills can be paid.  Whoopee!

Remember my great plans for working around the house these evenings when Joe is at work?  Well, those plans have been a total bust.  Early in the week, I lost at least one evening to getting my new kit finished up, packaged up, and into the store.  Since then, I've been sick and I've been way more likely to just go to bed rather than try to work around the house.  I could probably drag myself through the process of doing a load of laundry tonight, but I've decided to just skip it til tomorrow.  So, the house is actually in worse shape rather than better shape........  Isn't that the pits?

Last night Joe reported for work, but, being on the extra board, didn't get a cab.  He was home a couple of hours after he left.  This evening, he's driving but he's in a restricted cab, meaning he cannot queue up at any of the strip hotels.  He usually calls me 3 or 4 times a night, but so far tonight I've only heard from him once.  He was actually only about a mile from home.  He was hoping maybe he'd catch someone who wanted to go to the airport which is a big fare with, hopefully, a big tip attached.  At the time we talked, it didn't look all that likely, but who knows?  At least he's working.

He had an offer of a job selling carpet and flooring.  Of course he's done sales for 30 years, so this would be right up his alley.  The problem was that we needed immediate cash and this cabbie thing was one way we could get that.  And, with just a few nights experience, he's figured out some ways to maximize his earnings.  Additionally, there is training involved in the sales job.  Normally they train a salesman for 40 hours.  Of course, Joe doesn't really need any training in sales techniques; what he needs is product knowledge.  The Assistant Sales Manager really wants Joe and has agreed to try to work around Joe's schedule.  So, they will meet for 4-5 hours on Monday.  That's a decent plan since Joe doesn't drive on Saturday or Sunday nights.  By Tuesday morning, though, he'll be pretty darned tired.

If you want to make good money being a cabbie in this town, the way to do that is to make a lot of trips to the local "gentlemen's clubs".  That's the polite term these days for topless and nude bars.  You drive up in your cab, drop off 3 or 4 guys out for a night on the town, pull your cab off to the side, and after the guys pay for admission to the club, the doorman comes to your cab and hands you money.  This would all be well and good if we weren't born-again Christians.  But, as born-again Christians, our time would be better served praying for those clubs to be closed down rather than ferrying men to them.  And, you can't refuse a fare unless you are concerned for your safety.  So, this doesn't seem like the kind of job Jesus would call Joe to.......  Of course, he's not trying to talk anyone into going to one of those places; they already intend to do just that.  And, if he didn't drive them there, someone else would.  Still, it feels like a line's been crossed and we're on the wrong side of it........  so, let's all pray that the flooring sales thing works out and kicks off soon!

It is funny the places Jesus DOES call us to.  I was working from home and perfectly happy doing it.  I did a signing here and there and tended to my tax clients and it was all good.  Then, I got a call from Matthew about coming in and dealing with the books at the place where I now work.  The company had been embezzled, books had been ignored by the "bookkeeper" for a full year, etc.  Just the kind of call you don't really want because you know you are jumping into a snake pit as far as what needs to be done.  I have so hated dragging my butt to that place on a daily basis.  Matthew is frequently surly and stressed and in a bad mood.  Greg does a better job of controlling his emotions, but it is Matthew with whom I am more likely to deal on a day to day basis.  The air is blue with foul language, it's dirty, these two guys don't have a lot of skills handling paper (they know how to lose it, but that's about it), and it's just generally a disagreeable place to be.  And, I am underpaid and I frequently don't get paid on time and when I do get paid, frequently I can't cash the checks.  Do you get the picture of this place?

So, why am I there?  Well, Joe and I have a list of 31 "kids" we pray for on a daily basis.  Our kids, our grandkids, our son-in-law, our former daughter-in law, Matt's fiance, Joe's stepkids, Joe's nephew/ward, Joe's adopted daughter, and other young people we've gathered up and put on the prayer list over the last few years.  Our prayer for Matthew, repeatedly, has been that God would surround him with fearless Bible-believing Christians.  So, who does God put into Matthew's office to work in this tiny little room with him elbow to elbow practically everyday?  Me.  All I can say is "be careful what you pray for", LOL.  I know that much of what Matthew has done that has been disagreeable to me has been done intentionally.  It's been an 8 month long test to see if we could make Marci leave or make Marci blow her Christian "cover".  I have been the bug under a magnifying glass and he's been the little boy trying to pull off my wings and my legs and poking at me with a twig.  Yesterday, he began asking me questions.  Of course, I told his dad, later, as much as I could remember from our discussions.  We both celebrated that although his attitude was mocking and smart alecky, he had to be thinking about these things to decide to start talking about them.  We discussed my own personal testimony and we talked about the key issue being relationship with Jesus Christ not religion and we discussed his doubts and his questions.  Part way through our discussion, some friend of his showed up and he kept drawing the friend into our conversation.  The funny part was that the friend was more on my "side" than on Matthew's!  Today, he started again.  This time he drew Greg into the conversation.  So, I was double-teamed.  At one point, I could see Greg getting all red in the face.  Of course, I have enough sense to know that I'm getting to him.......  It all ended amicably enough with Greg giving me a hug and me joking that the two of them had just started this discussion to keep me from getting to the bank in time to cash my paychecks (which indeed they did!)

Immediately afterward, Matt called his dad to tell him he'd been harrassing me.  Joe told him that was okay, that I could hold my own and "whip his butt".  Well, I don't know about that, but if silent prayer and the best answers I could get from the Holy Spirit will do the trick, then I must have scored some points.  His phone call to his dad also gave Joe the opportunity to give him an answer he would buy to one of his questions. 

There's a statistic floating around that the average unbeliever needs to hear the gospel 7.6 times before he will actually give his heart to the Lord.  Well, I have no idea where that statistic comes from but I can account for more than 25% of that 7.6 times with Matthew over the last two days.  I also know that his dad has talked to him on several previous occasions.  The boy had better be careful bringing this stuff up again because we're getting awfully close to that 7.6 number if we're not actually beyond it!

So, you have probably surmised from my comments above that the MGM has finally paid its bill.  The check came in on Wednesday afternoon and by this morning, we'd spent 2/3 of it.  Now we didn't go down to the local casino and offer to buy everyone a drink.  We paid past due cell phone bills and past due truck payments and past due this and past due that.  Repaid a couple of short term loans.  If we spent all of what's left, it would cover about 1/2 of what's still owed to various creditors.  Then, we'd be broke and we'd still owe the IRS thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars.  So, it's time to start praying in another BIG job. 

I haven't done any scrapping in the last day or two.  I have done a bit of designing.  I tried my hand at designing some overlays to be sold for commercial use.  Next, I'm going to try some extractions.  I don't like doing extractions.  It's very tedious and I don't really have the right set up for it so one tiny slip of the hand and you make a mess you have to fix.  But, there's a commercial use market for them and they are a bit of a change from creating papers and elements, so it's okay to do something like that every once in a while.  I have an idea for my next kit, but I certainly don't have all the graphics I will need for it, so I guess I will start scouring the internet tomorrow. 

And that's it for me tonight.  I'll try to get back here with an update soon.

Still coughing

Well, I've just taken another antibiotic pill.  Actually, I feel pretty well wiped out and just a little while ago I was experiencing fever symptoms.  But, I think I'm better than I was last night, though more tired.  I piddled around here on the computer then when I went to bed, I coughed and coughed and had a very difficult time getting to sleep.  I was up and down repeatedly during the night.

I don't think I could have disliked the idea of going to work more than I did this morning.  Tired, coughing, feverish and lacking in energy.  But I've got a project that needs finishing this week so I dragged myself in.  When I got there, Matt was there, working on payroll.  I am proud to report I now have 5 uncashable paychecks!  What a deal.  It's possible they'll be cashable tomorrow.  We got about $7700 in from a customer Monday afternoon, but as of the time I left work today, it had not yet been deposited in the bank.  So, maybe tomorrow.  $7700 sounds like a fair chunk of change, but between the negative bank balance, payroll, and a payroll deposit that was due today, it's mostly gone.  I didn't stay long.  All I really wanted to do was put my head down on the desk and take a nap.  I found myself staring off into space instead of working so I came home.  When I got here, Joe took one look at me and asked if I felt as bad as I looked!  What a flatterer he is, LOL.

I have come to admire Greg a lot.  It doesn't hurt that he is one handsome charmer.  But it's his attitude I like.  He just is never defeated.  He keeps going and going and going.  If one avenue closes, he digs around until he finds another.  I can't imagine the stress most of us would feel, being so deeply indebted and with employees to try to take care of.  But, though I think he feels it, it almost never shows.  He is also very talented.  He is an artist in many ways.  He has two business/contractor's licenses, one for concrete work and one for painting.  We've got a bid in for a very sizeable job painting the exterior of one of the smaller casinos.  We've got the job, the only question is when we can start.  For the last few days, he's been doing body work on a car for a "friend of a friend".  The car had a smashed left front fender and damage to the right rear fender as well.  All the dents have been pulled out, with a thin layer of bondo applied and everything is sanded down now to perfection.  I'm anxious to be around the day he does the painting......  He did paint and body work for years before getting into the concrete stuff, and he is so conscientious about what he does.  I walked out into the shop yesterday where he was sanding the bondo.  Honestly, to my eye and to my touch, it felt and looked perfect, but he wasn't done.  He continued working on it for several hours.  I am convinced that when he's done with it no one will ever know that car was ever damaged. 

Well, how about some pretty pictures to break this thing up.  I mentioned last night that I'd finished up the quick pages and an alpha to go with my Misty Morn kit which I previewed below.  Here's a look at the quick pages and the alpha.

 

 

I also mentioned that I'd done a page for another designer.  I'm on the CT for NinaScraps.  Nina is a great person to work with and does beautiful work.  You can find her kits at OScraps.  This is from her latest kit, Happy Moments.

 

This is supposed to be a "surprise".  I'm on the CT at ACOT.  Every week we do a "reveal".  We pick a theme of some sort and each member of the Creative Team prepares a layout around that theme.  This week we are doing layouts featuring products by Bella Gypsy Designs.  Bella Gypsy Designs is the professional name used by two sisters, Tabatha Reed and Lena Brandenburg.  I was on Tabatha's first CT when she began designing.  I continued working with her and Lena when they began working as a team.  All in all, I've scrapped with their stuff for about 4 years, minus some time when they were on hiatus.  I'm so glad they're back at designing......They're very good--great color combinations, fun prints and elements, oriented mostly (in my mind) towards children's layouts.  They're also prolific.  They pump out kit after kit after kit.  Blink and there's another one!  The kit I used here is called Tomfoolery and they joined with Amanda Heimann (for whom I also CT'd a while back) to make it.  I love the colors and patterns in this particular kit.  They also did some templates, their "Sketchology:Balanced" templates, and I used one of those templates for this page.  There's a story behind this photo too.  It was taken at the end of December.  I'd gone to pick up the boys at their day care.  I always go collect William first and then he and I go together to get Atticus.  On this particular day, it was COLD outside.  I decided Atticus should wear his jacket.  William volunteered to help him.  He got down on one knee and very carefully zipped up the jacket and snapped all the snaps so that Atticus would be warm.  It was a very sweet and loving scene to watch.  And, here's Atticus, all zipped up and ready to go home with Grandma and WIll.

 

Well Jennifer has moved again.  She is back in Jason's house with the boys.  We've been the happy recipients of several bags of groceries.  SInce Jason is a vegetarian, there are some foods they just don't use there so we got them.  We also got our dining room table back.  Don't get me wrong, this table is not wonderful or anything, but if Joe can fix it, I'd like to sand the top down and paint it a matte black finish.  I'd leave the oak legs alone.  Then, we're hoping for curtains with a natural colored background and a green and black botanical print.  I want to use the same fabric to recover the seats of the chairs.  When we're done with it, I think it will look good.  Joe has looked the table over and is sure he can fix it.  Now, I just have to be sure to stand over him to make sure it is a quality job.  Of course, before we get there, the painting has to be finished.  I'd hoped he do some over the weekend, but he was just wiped out.  He literally spent from 10AM til 8PM in bed Saturday, after working all night Friday.  So, we're still stalled at needing to paint the living room ceiling and then still needing to paint the walls as well...........

I could probably think of something else to say if I felt better, but I don't so I can't.  I'm going to hang this up now and go to bed.  Hopefully that whole sleeping thing will go better tonight than it did last night.......

Cough, cough, hack, hack

I can't believe it.  I'm coughing my fool head off.  It started just a bit last night.  Got worse today and by tonight I can barely stand myself!  Apparently I'm trying to do some sort of bronchitis or something.  Well, prayer and my Mexican antibiotics should take care of it. 

I should be off to bed, but, honestly, I'm not looking forward to lying down.  The coughing gets worse....... 

Anyway, the latest kit is up in the shop and I have to tell you, I'm impressed with myself that I created it!  It is really gorgeous.........  Of course, I feel that way about every kit when I finish it up, but I think this one is special.  I got the quick pages done yesterday, started the alpha last night, finished the alpha tonight, then got everything uploaded and into the store.  There was one step I couldn't do, primarily because my instructions have a heading for that step but no instructions to go with the heading!  I'm told there is a new set of instructions in the works.  What a blessing that will be!  Anyway, it's way too late at night for me to add previews but I'll come back here tomorrow and do that.

I also scrapped a page tonight.  The designer wanted samples for her advertising, so I did my bit.  Not posting that tonight either, LOL. 

It has been cold and damp and rainy here today.  Lousy weather, except when you're driving a cab.  Joe seems to think he's going to make out reasonably well tonight, comparatively speaking.  I hope so!  When the temperature is in the 40's and it's wet, walking from casino to casino is just not a lot of fun.  Hence, it's a good night for cabbies. 

Well, the paycheck still does not cash.  When I left the office today, Matthew was supposed to be going to a customer's place of business to pick up a check for $8000 and change.  And, the MGM is promising payment now as of tomorrow.  I really don't understand how they can treat a small business this way.  The work is done; it's done well and to their satisfaction; they are so happy with it, they want more; we still aren't paid even though the contract they signed indicated they were to pay "on completion".  We have bills and payroll and payroll taxes and so on to pay and they are really making it tough on all of us.  Anyway, I'm taking this 3 week old check that's been lying on my desk with me tomorrow in hopes that I can actually cash it.  Then, there's 2 more weeks of checks that haven't even been cut yet......

Okay, that's enough for now.  I promised to get into the office early tomorrow.  I need to do some work that entails making multiple copies and I arranged to do it at a time when Matthew won't be in the office so I don't have to crawl over him to get to the scanner/printer.  I'm going to go to bed and pray that I don't cough all night!  More tomorrow.........

It just might be an okay weekend

I did not go in to work today.  I was awake from 5AM on with a pounding blood pressure headache.  By the time I got rid of the headache, it was after 11 so I just ended up staying home.  I should have gone in and I feel guilty that I didn't.  We could have used that extra bit of money, assuming I could get paid and assuming the check was cashable.  Joe talked to Matt by phone and the word was that MGM was going to cut the check for the work we did today.  For some goofy reason, they wanted to mail it.  Matt wanted to go pick it up.......  I sure hope Matt won that argument.  I'm going to have Joe call Matt tomorrow morning to find out for sure and if we actually got the check, I am headed straight to the bank to cash this paycheck I've been holding. 

Last night, Joe did not work.  When you're on the "extra" board, you work when people more senior to you call in sick or don't come in for whatever reason.  There's a lot of "sick" people on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday because there's not as much business and not as much to be made in tips.  But the closer you get to the weekend, the more you make.  Tonight being Friday night, we had little hope he'd get a cab, but he did.  We were both really excited about that!  Of course, Vegas is economically depressed, same as everywhere else.  But when the economy is right, cabbies have been known to frequently make $500 on a Friday night.  We have $800+ in bills that need to be paid immediately lest utilities be shut off or the car repossessed and we have less than $500 to pay those bills with.  So, I've been talkin to Dad about Joe needing a GOOD night!  Wednesday night he had one cheapskate that rode to the airport.  The fare was $10.90 and the jerk gave Joe $11 and told him to keep the change!

Have I mentioned here that Max sheds like crazy?  I swear, I never believed I'd see as much loose dog hair as we had when Indy was around.  But, skinny as he is, I think Max has him beat.  I've been brushing him every night, hoping to forestall the 3000 dog hairs that end up on our bed and clothes daily, but I don't think I'm winning this battle.  I brushed him last night and cleaned out the brush five times.  I had quite a mound of hair accumulated.  I took a look at him this morning after I petted him and could see loose hair on his coat, just waiting to attach itself to my pant legs!  Geez......... 

Joe went in the linen closet a couple of weeks ago and drug out some blankets.  He threw them on the bed to protect the comforter while I was washing the duvet.  I have now washed those blankets twice and they are still covered in dog hair!  I can promise you I am cleaning the lint filter on the dryer a lot too.  And you can tell it's not ordinary lint because what comes off the filter is coarse......like dog hair?????

I just finished up a new kit which I think I will put directly into the store.  At least that's my plan.  My daughter forwarded me some gorgeous photos taken by her husband's uncle on one of his hikes.  I couldn't stand it.  I turned 4 of those photos into papers and designed a kit around them.  It's very different from what I might usually do, but it's very pretty.  I was blessed to have some really good elements that work with it beautifully as well.  I'm dying to show someone, so it might as well be you, right? 

 

 

 

 

I haven't gotten any quick pages done with the kit yet.  That's next on my scrapping agenda.  I may do an alpha to go with it too.  Anyway, these kinds of muted colors are not usually appealing to me, but this time they just work!

Well, Joe just called to check in with me.  He has been having a good night, at least as far as trips are concerned.  He got out of the yard just about 3 hours ago and was just about to do his 10th trip of the night.  He seems to think this old town is rockin', probably because for some folks it's a 3 day weekend.  He's on duty til 4:30AM so I hope this town KEEPS rockin' into the wee hours of the morning!

Well, it's almost 10PM but I've got laundry churning.  I need to go check on that.  Thanks for readin'!

la de da de de

Drums keep pounding rhythm to my brain.  No, I guess not.  Just my blood pressure......  There will be several reasons for the doc to change my bp medicine on our next trip to Mexico.  One is that the Mexican drug companies will no longer be manufacturing the medication I've been taking for several years.  The second reason is that it seems to be working less efficiently anyway....... 

Well, Joe worked Monday and Tuesday night and has gone off to try again, brave soldier that he is.  Last night was so slow that he stopped on the way home and bought laundry detergent and a couple of sweet rolls and that used up almost all the tips he made.  I am beginning to wonder if we are just missing the Holy Spirit and we are supposed to have a ministry among the homeless?  Before he left tonight, we prayed for a better night.  It's pretty bad when you feel guilty asking for laundry detergent.......  Last night he drove a "restricted" cab.  We have no idea why the cab company does this, but it has certain cabs that are "restricted".  They are supposed to take radio calls and they can queue up at certain taxi stands, but not at any of the taxi stands on the Strip.  Joe called in every hour or so, looking for fares.  Finally early this morning, he called in again and the dispatcher said she didn't even have him on her board.  No wonder he didn't have many rides.  He intended to speak to the supervisor about that when he left here today.  I am concerned about him trying to work 12 hour shifts.  Honestly, by the time he drives there and back, works 12 hours and gets some sleep, it's a different day and time to start it all over again.  If he's going to work this hard, it would be nice if he could earn something doing it.

No, my paycheck still doesn't cash.  I am about to go over to the Accounts Payable department at the MGM and see if they need some volunteer labor to get that darned check done.  They owe us a LOT of money!  Besides me not having a cashable paycheck, every creditor is just screaming to be paid and there's just not a thing that can be done.  Most everyone else at the company seems to be better off than I am.  Greg's wife is a nurse and she just landed a position making almost double what I make per hour.  Matt has his live-in girlfriend and she is making good money while his aunt has been paying the house payment.  Of course, he owes his aunt but she's not likely to foreclose on him.  One of our workers is not making his mortgage payment because he's working on a mortgage deviation deal which is supposed to be saving him money in the long run.  But, then there's me.........I really need the paychecks and I really need to be able to cash them.  If I didn't feel the Lord sent me there for a reason, I'd be out pounding the pavement looking for another job.

I've about got the books in shape to send to the CPA.  They'll have some reclassing to do but other than that, everything should be pretty clean.  I sincerely doubt he's ever had this company's books so early in the year.  THIS year we will not be assessed a penalty for late filing of the corporate return unless HE screws up, and if he does, perhaps he can pay the $500 civil penalty.  Meanwhile, while I've been trying to get the year end close done, everything else is piling up around my ears.  And I have to decide each day that I really SHOULD go to work and do what needs done, even if I'm only being promised a paycheck.  It's hard to do that.  It really is. 

It has been several years now since we've had the money to send out letters to my clients.  It is not a good thing, but it is what it is.  One of the bad side effects is that they all seem to come a bit later every year.  So far this year, I've been paid for one tax return.  I have another one I finished today that will have to be mailed to Indiana and then I'll have to wait for a check by return mail.  There is one other here and I'll be working on that this weekend.  I have four appointments scheduled for the rest of the month and that's it (and they're all short forms).  Every year, as they all come later and later, I wonder how I'll ever get them all done.  I suppose I'll manage it again this year just as I did last year, but one of these days I may find I'm doing a lot of extensions because they all came at once in the first two weeks of April. 

Joe went out today and bought dog food.  Once again, I need to say thanks to Jennifer and Jason who gave us a gift certificate to Petsmart for Christmas.  I have no idea what we'd be feeding the dogs were it not for that gift.  Thanks, Babe.

I had the boys Monday afternoon and evening.  It was fun as always.  However, I noticed that Atticus REALLY IS two years old.  We had a couple of go rounds of him asserting his independence and telling
"Wawa" "NO".  Wawa doesn't go for that much.......  It was cold and damp and windy when I picked the boys up from school.  Our first round of "no" happened when I told him he needed to wear his jacket.  Knowing that modern science says he will not get sick just because he is cold, I finally took him out of there without the jacket.  Things went pretty well until bath time came and then it was "no" again.  I'd about made up my mind to change his diaper and skip bath until I peeled the diaper loose.  Yucko!  Nope, into the bath he went.  Once he got in there he was fine, but he was certainly not enthusiastic about the idea when I first told him about it...........  And, William has a problem with doing what he's told WHEN he's told.  I got Atticus all bathed and ready for bed and told Will to go get his shower and get ready for bed.  Instead, he continued to play his computer game.  I finally had to leave Atticus and go deal with WIll just to get him cleaned up.  Grrrrrrrr.  I really am not a fan of disobedience any more than I am of "no"!  I think I will need to remind him of his failure to obey me and deny him the right to play on his computer the next time I babysit.

I was putting away some clothes in the closet when I noticed that one of the supports for the closet organizer system seemed to be loose.  Knowing how little time Joe had, I hated to but I asked him to take a look at it.  He assured me it wouldn't fall down, but did finally go in there.  Funny thing--it had fallen down!  So, I got to deal with folding and putting away two bins full of sweaters and rehanging about 1/4 of my wardrobe after the great collapse.

Well, that's about it for now.  I still have laundry to do.  I had hoped to have it done long before now, but tiptoeing around so as not to wake Joe, it didn't work out that way since the washer and dryer are just outside the bedroom door.  And, I need to clean up the kitchen.  I did sort through a huge stack of papers on my desk today.  That was something I could do without waking my tired man.  Later.......

Not what we expected

Well, our weekend turned out differently from what we expected.  I had great plans for a quiet evening at home Friday night after I packed Joe off to work.  I was scared to death about 2 hours later when I heard the kitchen door open!  Yes, he has a job.  Yes, he is supposed to be working full time.  BUT, he is on the "extra board".  That means he only gets a cab to drive if other drivers don't show up.  Friday being a really good night for tips, all the other drivers showed up..........  So, that was the end of my quiet evening.  That was the end of having only 3 bodies in the bed and maybe getting a decent night's sleep.  That was also the end of him bringing home some cold hard cash......... 

At last report, he has $22.87 in our joint account.  I have abit more than that in my account but I've got a credit card bill due and I'm afraid to spend a cent, knowing that bill is headed my way and my paycheck is uncashable.  This would be my paycheck from three weeks ago and two weeks ago.  Last week, they didn't even cut checks.  Geez..........

Well, Joe goes off to work again this evening.  Word is that there'll likely be a cab for him.  I hope so.  I know he isn't likely to make what he would have made Friday, but we'll be grateful for whatever we can get. 

We've talked it over and decided that within the next couple of days we're going to have to find a food bank.  We hate doing that, knowing there are people who are worse off than we are, but if we don't do that very soon, I'm going to be trying to make soup with the odd bottle of barbecue sauce that is still in the pantry.  We are really scraping bottom.  And, before we can buy food, it would probably be a good idea to pay the gas bill so that we have heat!  We've lowered the thermostat another 2 degrees and it's actually chilly in the house now.  Not much more we can do with that.  We've put extra blankets on the bed and we have a space heater working in the office where we spend most of our time.

I started working on a kit that I've been wanting to do.  However, not far into it, I kind of lost momentum.  Just kind of stumped as to how to proceed.  Then I thought I'd give myself time to work on it, not push myself, and just put an alpha up in the store this week.  I got about half way through the alpha when my computer seized up and I lost everything--the start of the kit and the start of the alpha.  I finally pulled myself out of the doldrums yesterday for a while by working on a mini kit I put together for a charity kit.  Hopefully I'll make some progress tonight.

Of course, progress is questionable.  Jason is out of town and Jennifer has to work til 8PM.  This means "wawa" gets the boys.  It'll be fun but not necessarily conducive to work, LOL.

I thought I was going to have to make an emergency trip to Mexico.  i woke up Saturday with a very sore mouth.  One of my molars was loose and there was no reason to even think about chewing on that side of my mouth.  Thank God I keep an inventory of antibiotics from our Mexico trips on hand.  A couple of azithromycin and a lot of prayer and my mouth is pretty much back to normal.  I'm going to blame part of my lack of productivity on the throbbing in my head (blood pressure) and the throbbing in my mouth!  Sounds like a darned good excuse to me.

Gotta run now.  More later.

 

A Whole New Era

If you're looking for the blog train freebie, it's two posts down.........

Well, I actually went in to work a little late today.  When I left home, it was with the knowledge that I won't see my husband until tomorrow.  He is starting his new job today as a cab driver!  What a come down for the man who used to be general manager of a fair-sized construction company and who used to be a loan officer.  I've been reminded of a TV commercial where a lady introduces herself.  She then states that she used to be a mortgage broker and now she cleans houses for a living...........  I know it's hard on him, but really any work, as long as it's honest and done as a service to the Lord, is good work, right?   

In a way, I think he is a bit excited about the job.  It represents a new challenge so that is good.  And, it is a good thing to have ANY job in THIS economy.  On first blush, it seems as though the company for which he will be working has a pretty good operation.  For example, there is a schedule of conventions posted on the wall.  That lets the drivers know what part of town might be a good place to pick up customers.  Joe and several other new drivers were taken out yesterday and shown the ropes which would hardly have seemed necessary after all the training they've given him, but he learned some good things so that little expedition will pay off. 

Joe is scheduled to work from 5PM til 4:30AM 5 days a week.  That's a lot of hours.  And it's a lot of evenings home alone for me.  Actually, as I was thinking about it this morning, I realized that "home alone" part is a good thing.  I will be able to accomplish a lot that needs done around the house and accomplish a lot on the designing front because the TV won't be blaring behind me.  I actually sat in our office last night, trying to work, with ear plugs in my ears!  It's unbelievable how loud that TV is.  I was ready to abandon my post and all hope of finishing what I was doing and just head to the bedroom.  Now I won't have to worry about that kind of thing.  I figure I will also most likely lose weight.  I won't be trying to cook dinner for the two of us because he won't be around to eat it.  That most likely means I'll just pick at whatever is around.  AND, I'll have access to the treadmill without all of his editorial comments.  I was running and walking when he was still trying to figure out ways to put on weight.  I've read many a fitness book/magazine/article.  FAR more than he'll read in his lifetime if he starts now.  So, I don't really need him to tell me how to walk on a treadmill.  I plan on getting back into lifting weights and I assure you, he knows nothing about that! 

I have several kits waiting to be put into the store.  I'm trying to stay ahead of the game or get more head of the game as tax season heats up.  I don't have your "standard" tax practice.  Many of my clients are retired.  They aren't panting over the idea of receiving their refund yesterday.  So they take their good old time about coming in.  That's okay with me.  It will allow me to get even further ahead.  I don't want a break in the pattern of adding something to the store weekly. 

Life with our new dog, Max, is interesting.  He has been with us about 9 weeks now, and so far, we've only heard him bark once.  But he "talks" a lot--those low throaty growls......  He's not growling because he's angry or anything.  It's just his way of verbalizing whatever.  So, if he wants attention and he's not getting it, he "talks".  If he's getting attention and he's loving it, he "talks".  It's pretty funny.  I had Indiana trained to "talk to me" on cue.  I made growling type noises and he "talked" back.  I think we may eventually be able to train Max to do the same, but he's not as quick to learn as Indiana was.  He is, however, very LOVING.  He was supposed to be MY dog, as was Punkin.  They both are all over Joe, though Max almost guards Joe to make sure he can keep him to himself.  He is overjoyed and just bonkers when Joe comes home.  No doubt, he has abandonment issues from his past, but MY arrival doesn't elicit that kind of a response.  He also frequently goes over to Joe and does his best to "sit" in Joe's lap.  Now, there's no way he could actually "sit" in Joe's lap, but he stands on his hind legs and puts his front paws on Joe's chest and just loves on him.  If Joe ever wanted to know what it would be like to be worshipped, surely he knows now.  Joe insists that Max and Punkin sleep with us.  I don't mind having Punkin on the bed too much; she lies at the foot of the bed and is totally content.  Max, however, is a different story.  First he's longer and he's got longer legs than Punkin.  So, anyway he lays in the bed, he takes up more room.  And, for him, the ultimate joy is to deposit himself between Mom and Dad at the top of the bed.  So, for example, I got up in the middle of the night to use the restroom to discover that Max was lying with his head on my pillow!  Now, I ask you, how many German Shepherds have an orthopedic pillow????  With Joe's new job, I am looking forward to better sleep as we will be down to three bodies in the bed instead of four!

One good thing is that when Joe comes home tomorrow morning, he'll be bringing home money.  It now looks like I'm in for three weeks without a paycheck.  Geez, it's hard to motivate myself to come to work under these conditions.  It's a good thing that I do this for the Lord and not for the job.  Sooner or later, He'll get me paid.  But Joe will bring home cold hard cash tomorrow morning.  We are at the point where everything is past due.....mortgages, car payment, utilities, etc.  I managed to pay last month's car insurance but this month's is due in a couple of days.  I know Joe's first inclination will be to try to hoard up enough money to pay the mortgages and car payment.  I'm hoping to convince him it is more important to pay the utilities.  I can't work without power and I will stink if the water gets turned off!  Last night Jennifer gave us some food, not a lot, but it sure means a lot to us! 

I fixed an old time Italian dish for dinner the other night and there was actually a VEGETABLE in it!  Wow!  Those things have been few and far between of late and fruit is pretty much non-existent in our house.  It was an easy dish to fix but very tasty--Spicy sausage, browned with a chopped onion, then half a head of cabbage thrown in and browned as well.  That combined with some pasta, a bit of the pasta water, and some parmesan, and it's pretty darned tasty.  I'm wondering if Joe will ever get used to the idea that "Italian" doesn't have to include red sauce?  Last night we had pancakes for dinner and a bit of the leftover sausage.  We've also had French Toast for dinner this week........  I'm running out of ideas for ultra cheap meals.  I know I've cooked ground beef a lot of ways in the last few months.  I've discovered that the little Chinese hole-in-the-wall restaurant down the street from us serves a lunch special for $3.99.  It includes an entree, an egg roll, and fried rice.  It's easily enough for two meals.  So, lots of days, I swing by there on the way home from work, if it's before 3PM and pick up something that will get me through the next two days worth of lunches.  I brought an old microwave into the office a long time back so I can easily warm up leftovers.  And, i'm not sure too many meals can be fixed for $2.00.  Thank God for Chinese food!!!!!  It has provided a quick, easy, and cheap way to keep myself fed!  And, is a source of vegetables as well!

I mentioned losing weight above.  Actually, with the big increase in my thyroid meds, I think I am losing a bit of weight already.  Not a lot, maybe 5 pounds over the last 5 months.  But, I can see a difference even if no one else has noticed it yet.  I'm pleased about that, hoping that my blood pressure may eventually start to go down a bit because of it.  Actually, I may not see a decrease in the blood pressure as it seems to be a direct by-product of the non-functional thyroid.  And, it has been on a rip this week.  Ah........there's just nothing like a blood pressure headache!  I took a nap yesterday afternoon and woke up with a ripping headache.  I realized it was from the blood pressure, took a reading, gulped, took a pill, it took 4 hours for the pill to get the BP back down where it oughta be.  I was not enjoying that much.  But it did result in one good thing--Joe learned to make pancakes!

Well, I gotta run.  Tata!

February

If you're here for the blog train, it's one post below.  You can skip down or you can stick here and be bored to tears with my family stuff......

Well, I have not blogged since Joe lost his signing "job" at Fidelity.  That is almost 3 weeks ago now.  When it happened, we were totally shocked.  There was a complaint made against him.  The customer came 35 minutes late for their appointment and then complained because he told them how difficult that made it for everyone.  He told me that when he said it, the wife looked shocked so he apologized again........  And, of course, you just know the people that complained were a minister and his wife, right?  We were blessed to have a number of files in process there, so money has continued to come in over the last couple of weeks.  We still show about $500 on the books as receivables, but Joe has his doubts as to whether we will receive that money--he feels there are some deals there that are not likely to close.

In the meantime, he has now acquired two jobs.  One he doesn't really much like the thought of and the other is kind of right up his alley.  But, the one he's not thrilled about could bring some much needed cash into this house quickly whereas the other will take longer.   So, for now, he'll have two jobs.  Seems only fair.  I have several, LOL!

Well, the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, right?  In the post before last I explained how I happened to be selling in two stores when I didn't expect that at all any time soon.  This morning I went to my second store only to find a little note posted that the store is closed until further notice.  I was pretty darn sad, and again, shocked.  I really enjoyed that little store.  The other designers were helpful and friendly and the owner is a sweetheart--very patient and sweet.  Poor thing........she is very close to her grandmother and has received word that her grandmother is very near the end.  In scrapbooking, the rule is always "family first" before scrapbooking obligations, so she's closed the store.  Makes me sad, but I'm glad she'll be able to spend some time with her grandmother.

My scrap design sales are picking up.  My transition from Creative Team Member to Designer was so smooth, I've believed all along that God had to be behind it.  He says that it is He who gives us the ability to "get wealth".  Well, I'm certainly not getting wealthy from scrap designing, but I am seeing an increase in sales and that pleases me.  There are some designers who have been around a long time and they continually come up with fresh and beautiful things with which to scrap.  I just want to "grow up" to be like them.  It really is a joy to put something together from bits and pieces of nothing and realize you've created something beautiful.  More than anything else I could ever think of, designing scrapbooking supplies is my dream job.  For many many years, I worked at a job I really didn't like.  I worked my way up the ladder to a pretty responsible position and still I didn't like it.  I left that job but each job I've had since has required much the same duties.  I did that job and the ones since because I was a single mom with no child support and a child to raise or because DH and I needed the extra money I could bring in.  I had moments when I was extremely proud of myself over this accomplishment or that.  For example, in my last big time corporate job, I could document savings to the corporation of over $650,000 as a result of my efforts on their behalf in my first year.  But, never have I had JOY in what I was doing until I started doing this.  I honestly never believed I COULD do this but DH kept pushing at me and some of the designers for whom I've CT'd have been very helpful and supportive.  I am blessed.  And I say all this in spite of the fact that I will probably end up hunchbacked from leaning into the computer screen and in need of carpal surgery from hours spent moving the mouse or pounding the keyboard, LOL.

I think you never really realize the level of expertise scrapbook designers have until you begin to design.  Wonderful ideas float around in your head, but getting those ideas to work in Photoshop is another whole thing!  I've learned so much in the past few months and I intend to continue to pursue knowledge about Photoshop and what it's capable of and how best to make it sing.  But, I have developed true awe of the knowledge some designers possess.  They are amazing! 

I am proud of the kits I've designed.  I had no qualms about putting them into the second store.  Actually, the first one is a little edgy (there's nothing wrong with it--it just needed more elements), but the others are all good.  I've worked with color schemes I've loved and really enjoyed the process.  I continue to receive pats on the back from store management so that is good.  They think I have talent.  If I do, it's been long hidden and is completely due to God!

I have completed my Valentine kit.  Actually it was up at Designing-Moments, but that store is now closed as mentioned above.  I tried to put it up in the store at NDISB and got further with that process than I've ever been able to go in all these months.  But, ultimately, I am waiting for the owner to finish what I started as I could not understand the instructions I was given.  I am told that some steps are left out of those instructions and I believe it.  Anyway, it is "coming soon" to NDISB so I'll show you what it looks like.  It's called Hearts and Flowers.

 

 

 

I also have a set of 4 quick pages coming with this kit.  Guess I should show them here as well.

 

I did my first tax return of the 2009 tax season yesterday.  It was an accomplishment and my client got a substantial refund so it went well.  We've wondered for several months what we were going to do about a printer for taxes.  I have an inkjet all-in-one, but it's wearing out and I sincerely doubt it could take the wear and tear of another tax season.  Last year, a client closed her business and retired to Mexico.  She gave me an amazing laser printer, but we have been unable to get it to work.  Joe has spent the better part of the last 10 days or so, mumbling, grumbling, stomping, and snorting over that laser printer.  But, amazingly, it is functional and does a great job and that's all due to his efforts.  The transfer of data from the computer to printer is slower than I'd like, but once it begins printing, it prints very fast.  And, the prints are flawless.  I also love the fact that it has a very large paper bail.  I can really load that baby up with paper and not worry about it running out anytime in the next month!  Now, that's a good thing!  They fooled me on pricing this year for my tax preparation software.  I managed to get the package for $50 less than last year.  However, they've raised the processing costs $3 per client.  It won't take long for them to make back that $50 I saved and a whole lot more!

I managed to get all the W-2 information pulled together and the W-2s prepared for my part-time job.  That was laborious.........  And all the tax returns due to the feds and the state have been prepared and are in the mail or hand-delivered to the proper authority.  We are out of money again.  In fact, the bank account is negative.  So, no paycheck last Friday.  Greg managed to borrow $5000 from a friend to tide us over until the MGM job is complete.  It has cost us a bit more than we'd counted on for materials and labor, another client is sitting on about $13,000 that is owed to us, and we have had so many creditors nipping at our heels that what comes in just seems like the proverbial drop in the bucket.  But, there is hope on the horizon.  The MGM is really pleased with the work we've done on the relatively small job they've given us.  One of the VPs inspected the work last week and immediately wanted an area at least double the size we are working on currently done as well.  The materials being used are really impressive.  They are rubbery.  Water drains through them and they are non-slip.  So, doesn't that sound like the perfect material to put around a pool?  Sure seems like it to me!  Actually, hereabouts, some of the city parks have this material in the children's play areas.  Wonderful idea in that a child who falls off the monkey bars onto this surface would be much less seriously injured than if he/she fell on the ground or on pavement of some sort.  Once the MGM job is complete, we're going after the city and county for park jobs!  But, in the meantime, my quest for a timely and CASHABLE paycheck continues!

Greg had to create the MGM Lion trademark in the surface materials.  He really is an artist and a real perfectionist when it comes to his work.  He did a beautiful job and MGM was really pleased.

I did not have the boys today.  That's pretty unusual and I missed them.  But, it was probably a good thing.  My back has been giving me problems since last Wednesday.  Uncharacteristically, it is spasming on the right side.  I can tell it's a BIG spasm because, when I walk, I actually feel like I am limping, like the right leg is shorter than the left.  Then, I woke up this morning with a very upset stomach.  I didn't eat all day because I was afraid to put anything solid in my system.  This afternoon, I got myself a smoothie and that gave me some energy to get on with the day. 

In Atticus-speak, I am not grandma; I am "Wawa".  The other night he brought his mother the phone saying "I Wawa?"  So, she dialed my number and he and I had a little phone conversation.  They are beginning to work with him on potty training.  Actually Jennifer has taken a fairly low key approach to that, but has been nudging him closer and closer to the pottie.  The other day he came to her carrying a perfectly clean pottie saying "I pottie".  She thought he meant he needed to use the pottie.  As it turns out, he'd used the pottie, dumped the "boop" in the toilet, obviously sloshed toilet water in the baby pottie and cleaned it all out.  He was not asking to use the pottie, he was announcing that he already had! 

Health wise, there is some good news.  First, for the job he doesn't want, Joe had to take a physical.  He passed with flying colors.  Second, my arms/shoulders are doing a bit better.  It is amazing just what all we use our upper arms for.  And everything I've used mine for since OCTOBER has hurt to one degree or another.  However, I've actually managed to use my arms to get out of the bath like a normal person several times in the last week.  THAT is wonderful!  And, I can put on or take off a shirt or a coat without crying out in pain!  I am so happy this has passed.

We are still in the throes of painting the living room.  We are stuck at two coats of primer on the walls.  Joe has been working on scraping the ceiling but is decidedly lacking in enthusiasm for the project.  It's not a fun job, but it still has to be done.  I'm getting a bit tired of having all the furniture shoved into one corner of the living room.  Of course, when we're all finished, we're going to have to pray in a dining room table as ours was broken on Thanksgiving.  We've pretty well decided what we want to do about draperies for the dining room window and what we want to do about recovering the seats of the dining room chairs.  Now, if we could just get this painting thing moving.....

Well, I've got to run.  I've got 8 quickpages for LaWanna up in Photoshop, waiting to be checked and shipped off to her for posting in her store.  And I've got color palettes for two kits sitting there as well.  Why work on one kit when you can really make yourself crazy workin' on them two at a time, I always say.......  Night, all.