My Weblog

Friday!!!!!!!!

Well, it's gonna be a good day!  I just checked the forecast.  There is no rain in the forecast for the next 7 days and we've got predicted highs in the high 50's all week.  I have one very precocious Iris blooming in the garden already!  When I checked the weather forecast, it occurred to me that weeks like this are the reason we have to plant gardens (tomatoes, potatoes, that kind of garden) by the end of February around here!

My meds came!  I'm so happy.  Last time we had them shipped it took well over a week to get them.  This time we received a call on Sunday saying they would be shipped on Monday and I received them on Thursday!  Yay!  Because of the snafu last time, we had vowed that the moment I opened my last bottle of blood pressure meds, we would order another shipment.  But, at that moment, we didn't have the money.  I was literally down to a 2 day supply yesterday so I'm happy things went better this time!  Unfortunately, we'll have to call them as they shorted us one bottle of blood pressure meds......

I spent yesterday afternoon with Atticus and Elizabeth.  Elizabeth has a cold but wasn't unpleasant or difficult at all.  But her daddy let her sleep all morning, and "nap" didn't come up in her vocabulary until pretty late in the afternoon.  Even though she had a slight fever, Elizabeth treated me to several smiles and I was, of course, smitten........  Sick or not, she did manage to suck down two bottles!  Atticus was a sunshine and smiles.  No problem this time with getting him to take his nap.  I don't know, maybe it is being back in the daily routine at day care since Mommy's gone back to work.  But, he was watching a video when I got there and we had lunch and then I advised him that it was almost nap time.  I told him we'd be taking a nap as soon as his movie was over and then he could watch another video when he got up.  That made him happy and the nap thing was no big deal.  Maybe it's just that you can never really tell how they'll react at that age....... 

Jason came home early and I got to head home at a good hour--before the 5 o'clock traffic.  It was kind of weird.  He had told Jennifer he had to attend a seminar and couldn't watch the kids.  And, I HAD to spend some time at the office.  Jennifer had had to take the previous afternoon off with Elizabeth and has just returned to work from maternity leave, so Jason relented and said he'd just miss part of the seminar.  I was scheduled to be there by 11:15AM and I was all set to leave the office and head that way at 11 when the phone rang.  Jason had decided that I could wait because those seminars always have a lunch break and it wouldn't make much sense for me to come so he could go eat lunch.  So, I did some more work and went over there at 12:30 as promised.  He didn't actually leave until after 1PM which seemed strange to me.  I've attended my share of those kinds of seminars, and 1 is usually the back-from-lunch-time-to-start-again time.  Then, when he came home, at 4, he was wearing his work out clothes and was sweat soaked.  Said he got out early.  I was pretty surprised.  That means he got to the seminar around 1:45 and made it back to the house, after a workout, by 4PM.  They must have gotten out REALLY early.......

I am very very used to having some iced coffee drink mid afternoon.  I tried to lie down and nap with the kids, but that didn't work out and I found myself really needing that caffeine after I got up again.  Since I was expecting to stay there until after 6, I was not gonna get any coffee.......  I "happened" to call Joe and ask him where he was and what he was doing around 3:20PM.  He was just getting into the car, heading to work.  When I told him about my iced coffee dilemma, he just said he didn't have time........  About 10 minutes later, my cell phone rang and he told me to meet him outside.  He was still a few blocks away, but had run through a drivethru somewhere and gotten me a Frappucino.  Yay, Joe!  I have yet to break the news to him that I actually could have gotten one for myself a half hour later since Jason came home early.  Perhaps I'll just keep that bit of news to myself.

We have been having trouble with our phones and internet again.  It started with the rains last week and then kicked up again the last couple of days.  We are thinking maybe it has to do with the weather.  In any case I have a repairman due here between 10 and 12 to see what's going on.  Sometimes it seems to ring, but the caller goes direct to the answering machine and it really doesn't ring at all.  Other times, the caller gets a busy tone.  And, sometimes, if a call really gets through, it is REALLY static-y.  In any case, here on the EVE of tax season, it HAS to be fixed. 

I broke down last night and offered up my credit card yet again for sacrifice.  I bought and downloaded the initial version of tax software for the season.  As the calls have already started coming in, I really couldn't put it off any longer.  It's all installed and ready to go, I hope.  I'll check it out more thoroughly this weekend.  I've already got appointments scheduled for next week.  I am praising the Lord for the bit of extra money this will bring in!  How I'd love to have enough to really pay off some credit card debt.  We've used the credit cards as sparingly as possible, but Joe's earnings have not been enough to cover our monthly bills.  EVERY little extra thing has had to go on the cards--neutering Parker, car registration, the broken garage door a few months ago.  Sometimes we've even charged groceries.  I want so desperately to start paying back more than we charge.  I pay these bills from what I earn and it becomes such a hassle when you work at a place that doesn't have enough money to cover the paychecks it issues!

Actually I have two paychecks in my purse that I will be depositing in the bank today.  Whoopee!  We (the company) have been awaiting payment on a large account receivable for weeks.  It was finally received and deposited yesterday and the first thing we did was process 2 back payrolls!  Everyone even finally got their Christmas bonuses!  Actually, as tight as money has been, the fact that we got a bonus at all is wonderful.  I'm thrilled with the bit of extra money.  But, I've learned from experience, that this particular payment will be gone quickly.  Greg did get signatures on the dotted line for a HUGE job, starting April, but it's up to the Lord to carry us (the company) through til then........  But, the Bible does say that the company will be blessed because I, a Bible-believing Christian, am there, so I'll be reminding the Lord of his Word on that subject.........

WAY back in September I did a signing for a local real estate agent.  At the time he was overflowing in praise and thanks, boasting that he was REALLY busy and would be calling me for additional signings.  Well, there've been no additional signings and I still haven't been paid for the one in September.  We keep calling him and he keeps putting us off.  Joe called him again the other day and he told us to call his client direct as he'd been unable to get a check from them.  Joe called the client and they told Joe they'd given him a check for me last week.  Joe called him back and he denied having the check.  Then he called Joe back yesterday and said he'd found the check in his jacket pocket so we could pick it up today.  I certainly hope that today he doesn't say he forgot to bring it in!  It's so much fun to be in business........  I don't think he's purposely trying to cheat me, just more concerned with making a living himself.

I actually broke down and spent some money on personal scrap supplies today.  A whole $5.  These days I don't have a lot of time to scrap and what spare time I have seems to go to designing my next kit.  I could certainly design a kit to meet my scrapping needs.  Or, I could use something from my stash.  But, this was a good deal, a very good deal, and I treated myself.  Not that I needed it--Bella Gypsy just hit the CT with 4 kits!  But, of course, you have to dig through your stash of photos and find just the "right" photo for those.  Sometimes I just would like to scrap what I want to scrap.  I could do more of that with the CT materials, but I'd have to convert the photos to black and white and I do love my color photos. 

I found a camera shop very close to Jen and Jason's house last night.  Actually I've known it existed for a while now, just didn't have an opportunity to get there before they closed at 6PM.  My camera has been misbehaving for almost a year.  It still takes great shots.  It's just that sometimes the shutter doesn't work.  You have just exactly the shot you've been waiting for in your viewfinder, you press the shutter, and nothing happens.  It's maddening!  I'm finding that I'm frustrated enough with it that I'm taking almost no pictures.  But, that particular shop doesn't work on Sony cameras.........  She did give me a bit of advice.  Call the manufacturer and see what they'd charge to work on it.  If it's half or more of the replacement cost of a new camera, get a new camera.  And, she very kindly gave me the names and phone numbers of two other camera shops in town.  So, we'll see.

Well, having said all that, I think it's time to get crackin'.  I don't want The Cable Guy to show at my door and me still be in my jammies!  Have a blessed day!

It's that time of day again

It's the time of day I usually post.  That time of day when I just got out of bed and my head hurts.  So, I guess I'll blog......

Joe worked last night.  As to commissions for rides he didn't do all that well.  But the Lord blessed us with a bit extra in the "tips" department so that made the night more or less worthwhile for him.  After midnight, there isn't much going on and Tuesday nights are pretty slow even before midnight, so he and two other drivers are meeting over a $2.99 breakfast at 1AM at one of the local casinos for a Bible Study.  I think he's decided that he's going to be the pastor to the cab drivers.  Go Joe!

After I blogged, I didn't really do a whole lot more around the house.  I did go into the bathroom and finished up cleaning the countertop.  Whatever sticky stuff he had glued to the countertop didn't even come off easily with dishwashing liquid.  I did get the mess off, but it took a lot more elbow grease and the scratchy side of the sponge.  I hate using that as the countertop in there is that yucko faux marble and it scratches pretty easily.  Oh well, it's a bit more scratched now..........

I have another bag of stuff ready to donate.  And, enough leftovers from that bag to fill up at least half of another.  I got that all listed out and packed up, ready to go.  Now I will have to get Joe to put that in the car for me.  I drive past the place where I usually donate pretty often; I just have to remember to stop during the daylight hours when they have a guy who will actually come and get the stuff from your car.

Joe stopped by the vacuum cleaner place yesterday on his way to work.  He balked but he went.  With all the dog hair around here, I am chewing through bags like crazy.  I also asked him to get another belt.  He got that too.  Then, this morning when he arrived home, he left everything in the car where it just won't do a lot of good.  I'm guilty of doing stuff like that too.  Many times, by the time I get home I'm too tired to care about what's in the car.  So I just leave it there.  Sometimes I think I'll go back out and get whatever it is, but that seldom happens and once I'm in the warm house, behind locked doors, I don't like going back out there.  It occurs to me I probably need a stash of bags in the car.  That would help as leaving the car with random "stuff" wouldn't require a juggling act.  I'll put that on my list of things to remember.

It's raining here again.  I don't know whether to praise God for the rain or feel bad that my floors will be disgusting for yet another day.  I didn't wash them during the "lull" because I needed to vacuum them and get up the dog hair first and the vacuum was misbehaving.  Last night I vacuumed and had planned to clean the floors today.  Now I know that if I'm stupid enough to do that, I'll be cleaning them again tomorrow.......  But, I've checked the weather report and tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and there's no precipitation forecast for the next week.  Sounds like a chance to clean those floors!

When Joe is gone to work, I headquarter here at my desk.  I do a bit of design work or some scrapping, then I go clean something.  Then I come back to the desk for a few minutes to check my to do list, then I'm off to clean something else.  I almost always have a movie of some sort from Netflix running in the background.  It's kinda cool that I can be working away and if something exciting happens, I can just mouse over the little thingie at the bottom of the screen and it shows me a thumbnail version of what's going on.  And, when it's time to go do something, I can just click on it and pause it til I get back.  But, it's getting harder and harder to find something that isn't filthy, let alone something that's worth watching.  I started yesterday afternoon watching a documentary on the liberation of Europe at the end of World War II.  I stuck with that until almost the end when they gave out some incorrect information and I caught it.  Okay, I'm done with that now.  So, I went looking for something else to "watch".  Found a movie that was supposed to be about World War II and started that rolling.  In reality, it was about a woman who had survived a concentration camp experience.  She became a mother and apparently allowed her pain and hurt from that experience to REALLY color her day to day life.  Anyway, she had two sons who were both totally maladjusted, just in different ways.  Anyway, it was not the kind of movie I should have been watching, but I couldn't determine that from the description.  I can put up with a lot if there's some redeeming value to the story line, but there was none.  So, I had to do some significant I'm sorry's to the good Lord and ask him to delete that one from my memory banks.  There's not a single scene in that movie I need to recall, ever. 

Finally, I got smart and went to the website of a church I love that has years and years of archived sermons as well as current ones that can be watched.  The movie I'd watched left me empty and disgusted.  The sermon I watched left me feeling joyous and full of the Holy Spirit.  Now, you just can't beat THAT for a good time!

We have been having trouble with our phones again.  Sometimes Joe calls and the phone rings busy and I haven't been on the phone for ages.  Other times he calls and there's so much static I literally can't hear him.  I guess we'll have to call the cable company again...........I dislike calling them for several reasons, not the least of which is their computerized answering system.  Don't those things just frustrate you no end?

Well, that's it for today.  The headache has faded a bit and I NEED coffee.  So I'm going to risk it and toddle on out to the kitchen.  Have a blessed day!

Evening Now........

So did you like that new kit?  I personally think it's gorgeous, but I just might be a LITTLE bit prejudiced!

As I start to compose this, it is only 5:30PM, but I am exhausted.  I've been cleaning like a maniac.  I have to get control of the dog hair, clutter and dust and I have to get control NOW because, soon, I will have lots of visitors at my front door.  Tax season approaches very quickly.

I tried last night in vain to get the vacuum to work in the office.  I just wanted to get up the bulk of the dog hair and mud that the pups have drug in since the start of the rains last week.  It didn't work out well.  The belt seems to keep slipping off so the beater bar doesn't turn.  This results in 10's of small piles of dog hair wherever the vacuum travels.  I checked and the belt was positioned properly, but still it wasn't picking up.  I called Joe in total disgust and frustration.  He looked at it this morning and said the belt was off again when he looked at it.  Well, it was't off when I looked at it, but he must have a magic touch as, for the moment, it is working.  I have pulled more handsful of dog hair out of the thing than I want to count.  I abhor doing that.  It's full of dust and who knows what........  YUCK!  However, I've made my way through the office, living room and hall.  Now, if I keep after it on a regular basis, maybe I have a chance against the dust problem as well.  IF, of course, I can get Joe to change the intake duct filter on a timely basis.  After doing the vacuuming, I started doing a bit of dusting in the living room.  Joe had stacked 3 piles of framed photos on the coffee table.  Yes, dear, that looks charming.  I cleaned all the glass and the frames.  My ex-cleaning lady made quite a deal of cleaning those when she was here so, again, I was shocked at just how filthy they were.  They're clean now and I'm going to pack them away in a box until we finally finish painting the living room and dining room.  Then I can start on the other piles of stuff Joe stuck just anywhere when he decided to "turn the room back into a room" halfway through our painting job.  Ugh!

Then I moved into the hall bath.  This is the bath that Joe uses daily and the one that will be available to my visitors if need be.  Oh, my gosh!  Unbelievable.  I won't tell you the details of some of the things he does that are totally disgusting.  However, I spent 10 full minutes and did not succeed in getting the countertop clean.  I sprayed it down thoroughly with Windex and went after it with paper towels and a lot of elbow grease.  Nope, that didn't do it.  Finally, I went to the kitchen, grabbed the dishwashing liquid, smeared it on the spots I couldn't get clean, and left the room to give it time to "work".  In general, I find that stuff, when applied directly to surfaces, seems to work on almost everything.  So, when I've stopped perspiring from my efforts, I will go back in and see if the dishwashing liquid did it's usual magic.  I was amazed that when I spoke to him on the phone about this, he claimed he had wiped the countertop with a sponge.  Well, yes, the sponge was damp, but there wasn't 1 square inch that was clean so where could he have wiped????  I want to strangle him.  I've been in his mother's house and it's spotless.  I know he wasn't raised to behave this way and I don't have time to chisel God knows what off his countertop.   I'm so glad he's at work.  If he were close by, I just might hurt him!  Oh, Lord.........I just realized that next up is the toilet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I went into the office for a little while.  There's not a whole lot that has to be done there as there's no money, again/yet.  I think there's a little over $100 in the bank and I'm owed at least 2 paychecks.  Well, at least I have the money to pay this month's credit card bills.  I don't have to start worrying over next month's credit card bills for 6 days! 

We sent off an order for meds last week.  They called and left a message that they would be shipped out on Monday.  So far we haven't received them.......maybe tomorrow. 

Well, I need to get back to work.  Have a great evening!

Love kit

Well, all the designers are throwing gorgeous "Love" kits into their stores in preparation for Valentine's Day.  I didn't want to be left out so I've created one too.  I'm gonna pop some previews up here and then I have to go get ready to go to work.

Here's the full kit--8 cardstock textured solids, 17 print papers (one is a surprise because I couldn't fit it into the preview), and a busload of elements.

Elements:

Print Papers:

Solids:

The kit is up at ACOT and at NDISB.  It's on sale for 20% off, or $4 til February 4th. 

No time for chit chat.  Have a wonderful day!
 
 
 
 

It's your turn

 
You get to come up with a title today.  I'm fresh out of ideas!

Real Life

Joe did not work last night.  Instead he stayed home and then went to church this morning, angling to catch another pastor and get a service for the Gideons.  I went to church on the internet.......

I got up early and went back to work on my Valentine's kit and the charity kit for Haiti.  Both are now finished.  I need to zip them up and upload them to their respective locations.  So, come tomorrow, there will be a new kit in the stores.  I'll have previews for you tomorrow.

Joe had his Gideon breakfast Saturday morning.  He came home pretty discouraged.  He disclosed that he's actually considered resigning as President as he feels he is unable to motivate these guys to do anything.  However, his term expires in May and he cannot be re-elected, so, for now, he's decided to stick it out.  He's been trying to get them to contact pastors to get speaking opportunities for 5 months.  So far, I'd have to guess that Joe is responsible for at least 80% of the speaking opportunities they've lined up.  He's done everything he can think of--praying, challenging them, embarrassing them, and on and on.  I feel bad for him.

I didn't edit a lot of snow photos for you, but I do have a few. 

This photo isn't out of focus.  That "cloudy" look is indeed a low hanging cloud.  I'm quite sure more snow was being dumped on this mountain area even while I was taking this photo.

I liked the look of this church and steeple against the background of the snowy mountain:

I took this photo from the parking lot of a shopping center about 3 miles west of my home.  I loved the palm trees in the foreground down here in the valley, against the snowy backdrop:

So, aren't those some crazy photos of Vegas!  And, seriously, every mountain from the south west to the north east was snow covered.  Just beautiful!

Scrapping

I scrapped 3 pages today.  Phew! 

This page was done as a sample for my kit "In or Out, Pick One".  I found this charming photo of William amongst some I had taken in 2005 when we'd gone up to the mountains.  Squint real hard at your screen and look at the expression on his face.  I found it totally heart warming and endearing.

I used a template by Bella Gypsy Designs and an alpha by LaWanna Desjardin.  This kit is available at all three of my stores and is still on sale for 20% off.

This photo was taken on Mother's Day, 2008, as I joined Jennifer and family for brunch.  I grabbed this shot of William looking sad.......

I loved working with this kit.  Such gorgeous colors.  It's called Love Stinks and it's by Bella Gypsy Design.  It will be available tomorrow at Elemental Scraps and later at Gotta Pixel and at ACOT.  And my grandson is gonna be a true heartbreaker.....  I pity the girls his age.

This kit is called I Wuff You and it's by Bella Gypsy Designs.  This is Punkin, our beloved little girl dog.  Actually she's not that "little"; she weighs about 60 pounds.  But she is the most petite of our three "kids".  We love her and think she's the greatest!  She's a little odd and has her own personality, but she's a sweetie and we love her.  She has certainly stolen our hearts......  You can find the kit at Elemental Scraps tomorrow and at Gotta Pixel and ACOT later.

It's late and I need to get my butt to bed.  Hope you liked the photos and pages.  I'll try to have something pretty to show off tomorrow too.  Nighty night........
 

 

Oxygen? Transfusion? Caffeine?

I'll take whatever you've got!  I'm tired......  I got up early this morning and eventually made my way out the door headed to the office.  I made it a little over halfway when I realized that I'd left my whole bag of "stuff" at home.  The "stuff" was printouts of the check register--37 pages-- and my draft of the 941.  It didn't make a lot of sense to me to come home and then try to go to work again.  45+ more minutes wasted in the car and I'd have had very little time at the office before Matthew arrived.  Nor did it make any sense to me to continue on to the office without the "stuff" as I'd have had to reprint it and start over on it.  A waste of time, ink and paper.  So, I came home and worked on it here.

On the way home, I made the mistake of looking to the west.  The mountains on the north and west sides of Vegas are totally snow covered.  Some of them had low hanging clouds over them, doubtless dropping even more snow on them.  It was a beautiful sight and I had my camera in my purse (as always) so I went for a little drive and got some snow photos.  I had to giggle.......I headed west almost to the foot of the mountains, at least as close as I could drive.  There was one spot with a clear vantage point and it was fun to see other photography nuts like me pull up and take photos.  If someone would have brought the hot chocolate, we could have had a party!  At one point there were 5 of us shooting and 2 more trooping up from their cars, cameras in hand.  I'd love to post some photos here, but I'm too tired to mess with them tonight.

I had the littles today at Jen's for about 4.5 hours while Jennifer attended a faculty meeting.  It wasn't the easiest afternoon I've ever had.  One thing for sure, I'm going to have to start doing some bench presses.  Elizabeth pretty much expected to be held or carried every minute she was not asleep.  My arm and shoulder muscles were shaky from overuse by the time Jennifer got home.  She (Elizabeth) only slept for about 20 minutes in the whole time between 12:30 and 5.  Atticus got it into his head that he wasn't going to take a nap.  He's at that point where he REALLY still needs a nap but fights it tooth and nail.  He wasn't a problem at all, but he may be hard to handle this evening as bed time nears.  In the middle of all that I got hit with a raging case of diarrhea and between that and Elizabeth, Atticus didn't take a nap.  Hey, I'm only a grandma.  I leave that "I can do it all" stuff to folks younger than I.

I did manage to get Elizabeth to take two bottles today.  She's refused them from everyone else.  I was shocked myself when she took the second one, but she was crying and I couldn't figure out what else could possibly be wrong.  Sure enough she sucked the whole thing down in no time flat!

Praise God, the rain has stopped.  I'm still not going to try to do anything with the floors until at least tomorrow afternoon.  With all the rain we've had, I just know there's still mud to be found in the backyard.  So, muddy floors for another 18-20 hours.  Hopefully, by tomorrow afternoon, things will have dried out some. 

I was shocked Wednesday night driving home at the water that was all over the road.  When I first moved here, the "sewer system" consisted of little dips at every intersection.  After numerous floods, money was allocated to build a REAL sewer system.  And that has been more or less an ongoing process for years.  Yet, as I was headed home, coming up hill, on a 4 lane road, the outer two lanes were flooded.  The volume of water was just too much for the sewer system to handle, I guess.  Joe indicated that a lot of the streets around the strip were under water.  For example, there's a one-way street coming out of the airport that is about 6 lanes wide.  Two lanes were completely covered in water.  Amazing given the effort that's gone into dealing with the problem.  But, at least, we didn't have any houses sliding off the sides of mountains like they did in California!

Down south where I grew up, if you got a pimple or bump under the skin, it was referred to as a "risin'".  Well, I've got a "risin'" on my face just outside the orbital area of my left eye.  I have no clue what it is.  As long as it's not another spider bite, I'll be happy.  I've done the spider bite thing and have an extra pock mark on my face above my right eye to prove it. 

I have the papers for a full kit and for my contribution to the Help Haiti kit complete.  I still need to do elements.  I've got a lot of fun ideas for that and I'm anxious to get started.  Maybe I can churn out a few tonight.  We got a new Netflix movie, so perhaps while that's on, I can do something.  I've got to move this thing along so I can get to the other collaborative kit I'm supposed to contribute to by January 31! 

I wanted so badly to get a good photo of Atticus today.  He looked so darn cute.  Of course, he has a cute face and loves the camera, and today he was dressed in bib overalls and a gray turtleneck and bare feet.  He looked adorable.  Unfortunately, Elizabeth didn't cooperate so I couldn't get the photo I wanted.  Darn.  I was also going to try to get some photos of her, but that was just a silly idea, I guess.  She sure wasn't in the mood to pose!

Well, I'm going to go try to find something to eat.  It occurs to me that I've had a small bowl of soup and a piece of bread to eat today and nothing else.  Maybe some food would help those weak muscles in my arms?????  Later, gator.  I'll try to have those snow pics ready for tomorrow!

muddy paws

It has now rained here for several days in a row.  I'm pretty sick of it.  It's cold and overcast and dreary and the cold is that cold that just penetrates through every stitch you have on.  I did layer up yesterday and still spent the day looking for ways to get warm.  I was ready to beat up on a couple of the guys at work who kept coming in and out and in and out and leaving the darn door open, all while I had the heater pumping its hardest so I could get warm.  I wanted to ask them if they'd been raised in a barn but figured the question would be lost on them........  And when I went to Jen's house, I was really nervy and set the thermostat up 2 degrees.  I wanted to set it up 10 degrees, but I used restraint........

Everywhere I look, there are muddy paw or foot prints.  I am holding to my resolve not to wash the floor until it dries out.  Rain like this is so unusual, and, lord knows, with the water shortage we've had for quite a while, is welcome.  But, mud on my floors, not so much. 

For years, as Las Vegas has grown and tapped more and more into the water from the Colorado River and as those areas north of us have had light snow years, the water level in Lake Mead/Hoover Dam has gone down.  It is a matter of curiosity and concern to drive past Hoover Dam and look at the water marks from where the water level USED to be and then look where the water level is now.  And, of course, our water is rationed.  I started wondering yesterday, amidst all the rain, whether this rain isn't just what we need.  It's estimated that 25% of Las Vegas's population has moved elsewhere since the economic downturn.  Surely, between those two factors, the water level should come up for a change, right?  The last January like this I can remember was the year I moved here, 30 years ago.........

It looks as though we're going to have to buy another tire.  Drat!  Why can't cars just go on running without repairs and maintenance?  For months I've had an indicator light on on the dashboard telling me the tires were low.  And for months I've asked Joe to put air in the tires when he puts gas in the tank.  But he "forgets".  I don't know if that's voluntary or if he really does forget.  I have difficulty believing he's truly "forgotten" that many times.......  If he's choosing to not mess with it, month after month, it's pretty stupid since we all know that underinflated tires will lower gas mileage.  Anyway, I was at the office the other day when one of the guys came in and told me my front tires were almost flat.  The Driver's side tire was really low and the passenger side tire not a whole lot better.  He had a tire gauge on him and checked and the air pressure in one tire was 22 when it was supposed to be 40!  He grabbed the compressor hose and filled up both tires, bless his heart.  Then he came in with the sad news that the Driver's side tire has a cut in it, up in the sidewall.  He says we shouldn't try to fix it because the repair won't be good enough.  And he says I shouldn't drive on the freeway til we get a new tire.  It's always something.......

As it turned out, I had all three kids yesterday.  As usual, William was Mr. Helpful.  And, Atticus was Mr. Sunshine.  And Elizabeth ate, pooped, slept and peed.  William was off from school Monday for Martin Luther King Day, and both Tuesday and Wednesday for teacher in service days.  So, it will be a shock to his little system to go back to school today after 5 days off (including the weekend) in a row.  We're really proud of him because he got A+++ on a recent project for school.  He's an extremely bright kid and that's part of the problem......they don't seem to be able to challenge him and, as a result, he tends to goof off.  But he outdid himself on that project and we're proud, not only of the result, but of the effort he put into it.  Atticus didn't want to take a nap yesterday, and while I was tending to Elizabeth, it was big brother Will who talked Atticus into getting on the bed and then bribed him into going to sleep by reading him a story.  Elizabeth went to sleep pretty easily at nap time for which I was grateful.  I was particularly grateful because I think maybe sometimes Mom nurses her to sleep and I couldn't do that!  Later on, though, I did succeed in getting her to take an ounce of milk from a bottle which, from what I'm told, is a near miracle.

Apparently I insulted Jennifer when I told her Elizabeth is getting prettier.  As far as Mom is concerned, she worked hard for 9 months to bring us that little package and she is the most beautiful, most perfect child ever born.  Well, to my eye, it seemed, when she was born, as though her hairline came down almost to her eyebrows.  Secretly, I thought of her as a Cro-Magnon man throwback though I love her dearly.  But with almost 3 months under her belt, her face has changed shape and she no longer looks as though her hair is going to overtake her face!  Of course, her hair is really just fuzz so far anyway, but.......  For sure, you can't beat that little pouty bow of a mouth she has!  Of course, her eyes are still blue and I can't help but hope they stay that way.  It would be nice to have one blue eyed child in the family. 

And, Elizabeth has learned to smile!  It is the most charming gorgeous toothless smile ever! 

I was handed a controller and a joy stick for the Wii and given a 3 second set of instructions and asked to play Star Wars with William.  Nah, that didn't work.  It took me a while just to figure out that he was Obi Wan Kenobe and I was some R2D2 derivative.  I think it was R4D17????  So, finally, he just took the controller away from me and turned it off.  I guess that's the end of me and the Wii!  But I did give him a good game of checkers on the world's smallest checker board.  I think it's maybe intended to be played with in the car while on a trip.  Anyway, I'm pretty sure it's no more than 3 inches x 3 inches with little pegs for the checkers.  I was ahead when Elizabeth needed attention and then Jason came home........  So, he was saved from a loss by his baby sister. 

Somewhere along the way, Atticus got his diaper changed and refused to put his pants back on.  Everytime I looked at him a chill ran through me.  After all I was wearing a tee shirt, a sweat shirt, sweat pants and socks and shoes and I was still cold.  I did talk him into throwing one of Elizabeth's blankets over his legs for a while, but that didn't last.  Finally, after his Daddy arrived home and took the dog outside, Atticus decided he wanted to go outside with Daddy.  Mom said okay, but, of course, he would have to put his pants and socks and shoes on.  I changed his diaper and started to put the pants on and he told me "it hurts".  Sure enough, the waistband was really tight on him.  It was adjustable and Mom loosened it up for him and all was well. 

Jason is different.  I have a hard time understanding him.  I think it is that since the attack, he is so self-involved........  I had been there, all together for about 6 hours yesterday, babysitting and I'd worked 3 hours before I got started on the babysitting.  I was cold and I wanted to go home.  I was thrilled when he walked in.  However, he had been at the gym and decided he needed to shower and change clothes, so that is what he did.  Now, I love my grandkids.  And they weren't being a challenge at that moment.  I was just tired.  And I'd expected to hand Elizabeth to him and go home when he arrived.  Instead, I had to wait til Jennifer got home.  But, when I finally got to my shabby little house, I was happy--pretty much too tired to accomplish anything, but happy.  Jennifer would tell me "you need to talk to him.  You need to tell him."  But, that's hard to do.  I don't want to walk into their bedroom, find him naked, hand him his child and leave.  Nor do I want to talk into their bedroom, find him naked and engage him in conversation!  Somehow I don't think that's the way to handle it.........

I just confirmed with Jennifer by phone that I left my blood pressure meds and blood pressure cuff there last night.  I know it was in my purse when I left here in the morning and I couldn't find it when I got home.  So.......  I've got to get into the car and go get them pronto.  Hope you have a good day.

I musta been smokin dope!

What was I thinking?  I had Joe wake me at 5:30AM.  What a ridiculous hour, made even more ridiculous by the fact that I didn't get to sleep for an hour after I went to bed.  After some coffee, I'll be all right, but for now I hate the world!

So the plan is to go to the office this morning and try to do some catch up work.  I have to wait til I'm awake though.  At this point, I couldn't even make a decision on what sweatshirt to wear.  I'll stay at the office as long as possible without getting in Matt's way.  He promises that with the next infusion of cash he is going to buy another computer.  What a relief that will be.  Then, I guess I'll head to Jen's.  I may get there early and be in the way there too.  Who knows?  I'll do my babysitting thing til about 1:30-2:00 and then comes another "lull".  The big question is whether I spend half an hour driving home just to spend another half an hour driving back an hour later.......  Maybe I can rent a bed at her house and just take a nap????  Then, I'm on with the kids again from about 4:15 til maybe 6:30PM--whatever time Jason gets home.  Today is a day I really wish I owned a laptop.  I'm closing hard on having all the papers done for the Haiti kit and I know I could finish them up in the spare minutes today.  I've often thought of dragging my EHD with me, but they don't have any form of Photoshop on their computer so what good would it do me?  I guess I could unzip files.  That would be something good, right?  I'll have to think about that after some more coffee.

Joe had the forethought to make a pot of coffee before he woke me.  Wise man.  Otherwise, I'd be trying to drink cold coffee from Monday........yuck!

Well, it rained here off and on all day yesterday.  And there is the potential for rain in the forecast through Friday.  I learned one lesson (again) last night.  I will not be washing the floors til it dries out around here.  Given the state of my back and 12 puppy paws that drag in mud, it just isn't worth it.  So, if you stop by my house in the next few days, just close your eyes at the state of the floors, please.  I actually DID wash the kitchen floor last night--twice.  Once, before the puppy invasion, to wash up all of the coffee spills.  Then again after the puppy invasion to wash up all the mud............

I've had a dilemma the last few days.  Overstock has the most amazing clearance sale going on in their linen department.  I found a wonderful down comforter for around $65.  It's got a 500 thread count cover, is baffle box constructed, is oversized and is filled with 700 fill power down--really now, what more could you want?????  I know it won't be long til I need a new comforter.  Joe has this obsession about the dogs sleeping in our bed.  Which means I wash and wash and wash the comforter (yes, I DO wash them, even though they're supposed to be dry clean only--who could afford THAT MUCH dry cleaning?)  Each time I wash it, we lose at least one handful, maybe 2 of down.  I've run the seams with my hands and there are no tears, so the down has to be coming out through the cover.  I'm sure that one of these days all we'll have left is a cover with no down in it, simply because I've cleaned all of the down, over time, out of the dryer's lint trap.  Yet, for the moment, it is still comfortable.  So, do I spent $65 for a spare, now, while there is an amazing sale, or wait til I REALLY need a new comforter.  Of course, it would be wonderful to have one to drop on the bed while the other is washing and drying.........  Many's the night I've gone to bed under a damp comforter.  I try to position the damp spots where Punky and Parker sleep--they're like little furnaces--all heat throwing muscle.  Poor Max is all bone......can't seem to fatten him up even a little no matter how hard we try.  I don't want him "fat"--I know that would be unhealthy for him.  But he's so skinny....... When I started writing this, my thought was that it was wiser to wait on the comforter; however, that bit about having a dry comforter to replace the one that is washing and drying is pretty invited.  What to do????

Well, for the moment, the thing to do is to go find clothes to wear and try to remember not to put them on backwards............  And, with the wet cold, to try to remember to layer up on the shirts so I don't freeze out there.  I don't usually wear a coat.  It takes only about 1/2 mile for the heater in the car to start throwing heat.  And, I park right outside the office door.  But yesterday, at the office, I noticed that even with the heater on high, I was cold.  Yup, gotta layer up.  Hope you have a great day!

Where am I?

It is cold and wet and rainy today and, if I didn't know better, I'd think I was back in Nashville instead of in the desert.  A few degrees lower and we'd be looking at snow.  The sky certainly has "that" look about it.  I'd love that, but I don't think Joe would.  Of course, rain on desert streets is just about as bad.  Hope he drives defensively tonight!

I hauled my butt out of bed this morning and went into the office.  Matthew doesn't come in until 930AM at the earliest so I had several hours to myself, just me, QuickBooks, and the computer.  I got a lot done but there is a lot to catch up on.  I usually go in in the late afternoon, but I thought I'd go in before the back had a chance to start hurting from sitting at a desk all day.  It worked out well.  Matthew came in before I was done and was sweet as pie.  Praise God!  I've about finished everything for the W-2s and quarterly returns, but I still have to deal with the 1099's. 

I got permission today to cash 3 paychecks.  What a thrill that was.  Between the 3 I had enough to cover one credit card bill with a tiny bit left over.  One to go for this month.......but it's a small one.  I can now heave a sigh of relief til next month when we start this game all over again.  It looks like we will collect on a large Account Receivable really soon and that will help for a little while.  We have a few other small jobs and we'll see what happens after that.  We've bid another large job and one that is gigantic; just waiting to hear back or for the customers to accumulate the necessary cash......

Tomorrow will be an unusual day.  I will head to the office early in the morning and then be at Jennifer's by 11:30 where I will babysit for the littles til about 2.  Then I have a couple of hours to do what needs done and I have to be back there for 4:15-6:30.  I have to get everything planned out this evening because if I leave something at home that I need, I'm a goner.  It will be time to spend time with the little guys though.  I don't get to see them as much as I'd like.  I'd probably be happiest living across the street from them, LOL.

We finally got an order in the mail for some more meds.  We could use your prayers that we get a quick response this time.....

I'm making good progress on the kit I'm working on.  I think I'm going to like it a lot.  Gonna get to it now.  Have a good evening.

Ear Plugs, please

It is early Monday morning and the yard guys are here with their mowers and weed eaters, etc.  This is greeted by MUCH barking at our house.  We don't own a dog who would bite, but we own several who bark, Punky being chief among them.  Parker figures it's the thing to do so he chimes in.  Only Max remains a stately gentleman and stays quiet.  Max was here for months before I heard him so much as growl.  Before that, I was concerned that perhaps his prior owner had had his voicebox removed.  But, no, he CAN bark, he just doesn't.  On mornings like this, I am grateful!

Well, Joe has made friends with this guy named Chris.  Any number of times Chris has called Joe for a ride and he throws money around like crazy.  His tips are outrageous.  Anyway, in his drunken stupor, Chris has ranted about a movie called Into the Wild which was supposed to be a truly wonderful movie.  We got it through Netflix and watched it last night.  Big mistake.  It is the story of a recent college gradute who, out of anger at his parents and rebellion, decides just to disappear.  He donates the remainder of his college fund to charity, cuts up his driver's license and other ID, burns his cash and Social Security card and sets off on an "adventure".  His goal is to hitchhike and work his way to Alaska, a process that takes two years with intervening times spent with new friends and working to gather enough cash to go on.  While the cinematography is beautiful, there is no action, no plot, and in the end, the kid dies in a broken down bus in the middle of "wild" Alaska, alone, lonely, and in pain.  Nah, I wouldn't recommend it at all.

While we were in the living room, watching the movie, there was an incredible crash.  Joe just stood there, stunned.  I knew right away what had happened though I have no idea why.  Fourteen years ago I bought a wooden hang-it-on-the-wall shelf unit.  Last night it crashed to the floor.  I thought it was kind of funny that Joe informed me the wrong kind of nails had been used to hang it.  Perhaps he is right, but those "wrong" nails held that thing in place for 14 years so how "wrong" could they be?  Nothin ON the shelves broke, but the shelf itself is in bad shape.  Joe says he thinks he can fix it; I wonder how old I'll be when that happens..........

I did actually wear clothes yesterday.  That was an improvement over the previous two days.  I lasted 7 or 8 hours before I went and laid down.  I wasn't necessarily tired, just had to get the pressure off my back.  I fell asleep for 3 hours and that was the kiss of death over last night's sleep.  I had one of those nights where you wake up all night long and check the clock to see if you can get up yet.  When I spotted 6:30 on the clock that was good enough!  Woke up with a raging headache, so here I sit, blogging.  Blogging only requires that I move my fingers which is a good thing; moving more than my fingers hurts.........

Well, today the first snow kit goes into the stores, or else!  I'll bet you've gathered by now that I really do not enjoy the uploading process.  But, it has to be done or you can't sell 'em.  To me, putting a new kit into the stores is a bit like a test.  You've spent hours and hours of your life designing it (designing is very labor intensive) and what if the customers don't like it?  At my age, who needs another test?

Speaking of tests, the IRS has now decided it is going to test and certify all tax preparers.  In many ways this is a good thing.  I do hope all those tax cheats among Obama's department heads, cabinet members, etc., encounter a "tested" and "certified" tax prepare along the way.  You wouldn't believe some of the stories I hear from new clients about what their prior preparers let them get away with.  For example, Joe has a totally whacky friend who works with him.  The compensation there is figured at 50% commission on the fares booked, less a $16 shift charge, less the cost of gasoline, less a trip charge for the Taxicab Authority, plus 25% for tips.  Their W-2s are prepared net of the charges.  In other words, all the charges have already been deducted from the numbers reported on the W-2.  Joe's whacky friend has found someone who will deduct all those charges AGAIN in preparing his return.  He is expecting a $2900 refund.  Well, I've got a newsflash--this isn't going to fly!  But, he refuses to listen and is anxiously awaiting his big refund.  I wonder how long it will take before he gets his audit letter?

I still have to order tax prep software.  I haven't wanted to ante up the money for it.  But, I've got to get with it.  Got the first phone call last night......

Okay, I'm going to upload that kit to the store and write a letter to the pharmacy in Mexico to get some meds and hopefully go to work today.  I also got permission to cash two more paychecks.  Whoopee!  I'm outta here!