My Weblog

Ouch!

Well, honestly, God spared me today. It was only the last few minutes at work that I experienced any pain. But, I could not sit down quickly enough when I got home. And, when I tried to get back up and walk to the kitchen, I knew I'd been to work today. Took quite a few steps to get me moving normally. Owie! I am sore.

I am going to have to make a Costco run. I am going to have to lay in a stash of ibuprofen. I have some of the BIG ibuprofen (800 mg) but I don't like to pull out the big guns if I don't have to. I know Costco sells a big bottle of the regular strength ibuprofen (200 mg) for a really good price. That way I can take one or two and only take more if I need to. But, I know, for me, ibuprofen is one of the most effective things I can take for soreness and pain of this type.

Oddly, the thing that hurt the worst while I was at work was my left foot. No idea why my left foot hurt and my right foot didn't. How weird.......

I worked with Mr. Doper again. I still think he is wired, but he's a good guy to work with. He really does the work. From one source or another, he has energy to burn and he pushes hard. I appreciate being able to ask him questions because he is able to answer me with a step-wise explanation. THAT is what works best for me. So, one way or another, this guy is a blessing in my life. I love that he is more than willing to tackle the heavy stuff. For example, we got a Pepsi delivery today. I think we make the same hourly wage. But there was no question from him as to which of us should manhandle those heavy boxes. I'm not sure I could do it......... I stuck around a few extra minutes before I left. It was just about time for me to walk out the door when there was some sort of random flash mob in the store. Not really, but it seemed like it. All of a sudden, we were slammed. Anyway, I wasn't going to leave him then, particularly since he had multiple food orders mixed in there. So, I waited and kept at the register til we got the mob handled. He said some folks would have just left. Well, not me. I wouldn't feel real great about someone who left me with all that to handle and I wasn't going to do it to him.

The schedule for next week was posted today. I worked 16 hours spread over 3 days this week. Next week I'm on for 18 hours over four days. Every little bit helps. I'll be there.........

Tomorrow is payday. I find myself really looking forward to Thursdays nowadays, LOL. Can't wait to go collect my little money. I will use it, I think, to fund the Costco trip. I guess I'd better get a list going so I walk out of Costco with what I need instead of forgetting a bunch of stuff!

I wake up every day, expecting to see the hand of God in my life somewhere. Expecting a blessing to come my way. I don't always see that. Sometimes I think the blessing is in the form of things I don't see--the robbery that didn't happen on my shift, the accident I didn't have on the way to work, the appliance that didn't quit on me, stuff like that. But today's blessing is very visible. A friend I know from the design side of my life via the internet offered to set up a blog just for HotFlashDesigns! And she's also offered to post on it. And she's doing it for free. Now, you tell me that isn't God meeting a need and I will try not to call you a name or roll my eyes, but I can't help it if I think you are blind, LOL. And what does she want from me in exchange? My prayers about a situation in her life. Well, you know i'd pray for her and that situation with no exchange! So, yes, I am truly blessed.  Now, if God will just send a carpet layer my way....... I'm so grateful God doesn't get disgusted with me because I always "need" something. He is so faithful........

I have not gotten much of anything done in the house today, but I am hot on the trail of design stuff. I am really liking what I see on my screen as I work away at the current kit. It's bright and colorful and fun. And, I've been able to slip a few unique elements in there. Papers are done, even the solids. And, I'm about 60-65% done with elements. It's really coming together nicely. It's a thrill for me when I see what I am able to create these days. Of course, I was thrilled with what I was able to create when I started. But, I think it was more that I was thrilled to be able to create anything. What I create today is created according to my rules as to quality, colors, content, and so on, but I am darned proud of it. It seems I've learned a lot along the way. I look at older kits sometimes and think what I would do with those kits now. Big difference! But a difference that makes me smile.

Well, I'm going back to working on my kit and doing just a little in the house between now and the time I call it quits. My mind is not tired, but my body is. I think I will attempt to work til my mind gets fuzzy, LOL. See you in the AM.

Late Arrival........

I am usually here hours earlier. Truth is, I got up at my usual time, strolled out here to the office, checked e-mail, checked Facebook, and made the decision to go back to bed. I have been feeling really tired, drained, lately. It impacts every part of my life and I decided a bit of extra sleep might be worth it in the long run.

I worked a weird shift last night, 3PM to 7PM. I don't much like that time slot. But, if those are the hours I am offered, those are the hours I will work without complaint. We weren't totally slammed, but business was steady. It would have been difficult to find time for a potty run if I'd needed one. I had very few moments when there weren't 2 or 3 customers lined up waiting to pay and leave. I think it was the "after work" and "after school/day care" crowd.......

My partner last night was Mr. Doper. He really is a decent kid. And he is fast at what he does and he is diligent. I am still convinced he was hopped up on drugs, but he sure did some work last night, high or not. I stayed at the register, mostly, while he did some stock work in the cooler, emptied the trash, and did some of the other extra duties. Maybe he just has overactive adrenal glands, but I don't think so...... He talks so fast I see puzzled looks on the faces of customers when he talks to them. And, I guess he is not a "kid" though I am old enough to be his mother. I guess that tells you something about me.

I think working that shift was made more difficult by the fact that I was tired before I started. Hopefully it will go better today.

I did learn something new. I learned that the scrub mops are designated for different uses. We had a spill and I went for the mop to clean it up. Later he told me I used the "wrong" mop. Apparently one is to use the blue mops for cleanup in the store and the gray ones are used elsewhere. I am not at all sure where elsewhere is, maybe the bathroom? Okay, so one more fact to tuck away.......... The store is owned by a couple. We see the lady on a day to day basis on weekdays and the man pops in from time to time on different shifts and on weekends. Everyone seems to be in fear of him. So, I was informed that he gets very unhappy when you don't observe the proper mop rules......... Details, so many details.......

I am finding that everyone has a way of dealing with the cash drawer. It takes extra time if you don't have enough cash in the drawer to make change, for example. Not a lot of extra time, but it's a problem when you have folks lined up waiting to go home. So, you kind of want to keep enough cash in the drawer to, for example, make change from a $100 bill. However, remember, I got busted for having too many $5 and $10 bills in the drawer....... I finally decided I am going to ignore what everyone else is doing and try to do what the owner told me. Of course, there will be times when I can't do what is expected. I am not going to open the cash drawer and count out $100 in 20's or $50 in 5s while there is a line. That would just make people wait longer which they wouldn't love, and would be, in my opinion, temptation to anyone with something less honorable on their minds. So, I will only be dealing with that issue if there's a lull!

I don't have a lot of time til I have to be ready to go to work today. I'm back on the same shift. So, I have no high expectations as to what I might accomplish. After all, I have to start with getting me ready and everything else takes a back seat. I am going to concentrate on design for the next couple of hours with a little bit of something thrown in whenever my butt signals I need to get up and move around.

Oh, by the way, do you remember that I have been saying my "hips" hurt? Well, I have come to the conclusion that that is a good thing. I hypothesized that I was toning up some muscle and that was the cause of the "hurt". Well, I think that is actually the case. As I was getting dressed yesterday, I got a look at my upper outer thighs. By George, they look better. I lost a lot of weight in the last year and despite the work I was doing around here, that area was looking kind of "saggy". Not any more! I'd bet you I would be willing to be seen in a bathing suit (if I had any need of a bathing suit) within a month.

And after the last 8 hour shift, I noticed my inner thighs talking back a little. Now wouldn't that be a miracle, if they started to shape up! In the meantime, I am still praying for stronger back muscles!

So, I will do a little design work with my limited time here at home. But, in the meantime, let me show you a few more layouts with A Little Bit of Sunshine...........

Here is a fabulous layout created by Sherry. First, a disclaimer--the paint splatters in the background are not part of this kit. There are many things to notice in this layout, more, probably, than I can mention. How about those cutouts where the patterned green paper peeks through the background layer? Or all the little fab clusters? Or the round photos with the pretty plaid frames. Super fun layout!

Ms. Sarah Whithers crated this. First I have to give her kudos. Some crazy lady FORGOT to give her links to download this kit in a timely manner. Geez....... So she whipped this layout up at the last minute and I think she did a great job. There are several comments on the ACOT gallery with regard to the design of the layout, the triangles. From a designer's point of view, I love those triangles for the good look they give you of the papers in the kit. BUT, they also serve a different purpose, especially against the white background. They draw the eye right to the photos which are always supposed to be the focal points of our layouts! Love this, Ms. Sarah!

Okay, I've used up a good bit of time with this blog post, but now I am officially awake. It's off to design I go. I started doing glitters for the kit I am working on yesterday and I want to keep on that. YOU be BLESSED.

 

Stopping a little early today.......

I was HUNGRY! Not just hungry, HUNGRY! I made a smoothie, or at least I tried. It didn't get very smooth, LOL. I seem to have mouthfuls of kale to chew up and swallow, all from my "smoothie". (I'll have to be sure to check my teeth for green bits before I tear out of here for work, LOL.) I think I needed more liquid.......... Anyway, tasty combo today. I used most of an apple, most of an orange (both with a few bites reserved for the pups), a banana, kale, some strawberry colada Greek yogurt I had sitting around, and some ice cubes. I decided I am going to HAVE to get going on the homemade yogurt again. A smoothie with no protein just does NOT satisfy me. I'm even thinking of investing in some sort of protein powder just to help solve this problem.

Feeding my dogs anything is such a contrast in behavior. Punkin will eat pretty much ANYTHING. And, if you don't remind her to take it "NICE", she might take a finger with it. Parker on the other hand is pretty picky. He will eat some fruit and vegetables, but he is not at all sure he wants anything to do with it when he starts. He never "takes" food; rather he opens his mouth and you have to put the food in there. He did eat a bite of orange. Then I offered him a bite of apple. He smelled it and turned his head so he didn't have to make eye contact. Finally he turned his head back towards me and opened his mouth just a little. It was a little bit like trying to feed a child something he/she doesn't like. Kind of "if you can get it in this littly bitty hole, I'll try it. But I won't like it........" Consequently, Punkin got extra apple, LOL. She was happy about it too!

Did you know that design sometimes creates brain teasers? Well, it does. I had this really great overlay that I used to create a paper for this kit. I wanted to extract some of the flowers and some of the leaves to use as elements in the kit. Yeah, well............. Turns out these items were REALLY not clean. When I tried to pour paint or glitter into them, the paint splattered all over, way outside the lines. NOT Good. I knew what I wanted and I knew I'd like it when I got done. The problem was how to get there. Obviously pouring paint into the thing was not the way. First, I used the magnetic lasso and selected the leaf in question. Then I selected inverse and hit delete. This seems to have cleaned up all the stray pixels outside the leaf. It was as if the leaf was surrounded by an invisible "cloud" of pixelation......... The next problem was that there were "cut-outs" in the body of the leaf. I wanted to fill those cut out places with contrasting glitter. However, they were as much of a mess as the outside of the leaf had been. Tried pouring glitter and got a splattery mess. NOT Good. And the pattern of cut-outs was very detailed, not the sort of thing I wanted to try to clean up a bit at a time. After all, I couldn't even see "the cloud" when I zoomed in to 200%. I finally hit on the idea of duplicating the leaf. Then I took the paint brush to the bottom layer and painted in the cut-out areas. Then I filled that whole bottom layer with glitter. This way the glitter shows through the cut out areas on the top layer. I was pretty proud of myself for figuring that out.......... And, sure enough, I have produced one very good looking element! Totally unique too. Ain't nobody got one like it, LOL.

And now, 2.5 hours before I need to leave for work, I am tired. I couldn't get to sleep when I tried to nap yesterday. And I had trouble falling asleep last night. And NOW I am tired? Well, all I need to do before running out the door is grab my smock, pull on pants instead of the shorts I'm wearing and I'm ready. (oh, I almost forgot that I need to check my teeth for green stuff, lol.) I think I will try lying down for an hour (with the alarm clock set, of course). Maybe I can catch a few much needed zzzzzzzzz's.

Back to work..........

In about 6.5 hours I will show up at work, ready to work a 4 hour shift. I'm happy about that. A few more $$$ in my pocket and an opportunity to get out of the house and be among people. Yeah!

I did not sleep well last night. I laid awake for a long time after I crawled into bed. I did, however, get some dedicated prayer time in. Can't complain about that!

I was thinking about my fridge last night. Thinking about how it needs cleaned out again. Thinking that there are numerous salads in there which I received for free but have not eaten because I was in the mood for something else. Thinking that is an example of ungrateful behavior. Shame on me! God found a way to give me free food and I have turned up my nose at it. Something is wrong with that picture! I doubt I will tackle cleaning the fridge today, but I do intend to pull those salads out, look them over really well, and decide which are still edible. They are all vacuum packed and should be in good shape, I think. Then I am going to eat the ones I decide should be eaten, one at a time over the next few days. And, whether I'm "in the mood" for salads or not, I'm going to thank God for them. So there! Really, how many people are blessed to receive free food? Shame, shame.........

I hauled all the trash to the curb last night. I had a load of it. The last two trash days have been REALLY windy and I knew I'd be out searching the neighborhood for my trash can if I put it out. So grateful to have all that out of here. (I actually did have a lady banging on my door over the weekend, asking if I'd seen her trashcan..........)

All the bed clothes are finally washed. I slept "rough" last night--no sheets or pillowcases. Just me, the dogs, the down comforter, the featherbed, and my pillows. Yeah, that's a pretty odd definition of "rough", right? I am going to start the day by fighting with the duvet cover, trying to get it back on the comforter. While I'm doing that, the sheets will be in the dryer and I will have a clean, fluffy bed to sleep in tonight.

I had quite the mess in the kitchen yesterday. Primarily just an accumulation of stuff that needed to be scrubbed before it went into the dishwasher. I've managed to get all that taken care of except I'm still working on one pot. I didn't turn the heat off under that one the other night and have some badly burnt stuff stuck to the bottom of that. My aunt once claimed that because my mother did this a couple of times, my mother must be senile. Well, I'm a lot younger than my mother........... And I'm not senile, LOL. Just have a mind that wanders, also known as ADD. It is only when I am not focused on what I'm doing that this sort of thing results. And I'm sure this is exactly what happened with my mother as well. I definitely inherited this gene from her!

I am beginning to wonder if I will EVER get this desk to look the way I'd like it to look. Maybe not. But, I'll never know if I don't keep after it, so it's high on the agenda for today. I still have tax season leftovers on here. This is not necessarily the same kind of stuff though. At the end of tax season, I usually find spare copies of W-2s and extra copies of client letters and such on the desk. I do have to say I found much less of that sort of thing this year than in the past because of concentrated effort (focus) on my part. This is more on the order of things that have come in the mail that didn't get filed or tended to. I'm going to stay on it.

I need to dig out a copy of Joe's Death Certificate and fax it to the lender. His name is still on the loan. He hasn't made a single payment in 3 years, 114 days. If I have to make the payments on the mortgage myself, I think I should get the credit for doing so, (wry grin). It bothers me to see his name on correspondence and the only way to avoid all that is to take care of these details....... And, at least, on record, there will be one debt on which every payment has been made showing up on my credit record.

Alright, I think it's time for eye candy.

Deanna did this layout. I love all the bright colors against the black background. I also like the way this layout shows off the unusual texture on the solid papers. Deanna was on a roll this week--check yesterday's post to see another layout created with this cute kit!

Here's a winning layout from Sherry. I SO love the contrast of the brights against the blacks. I used this technique a lot in years past and I think it just might happen again! I was so happy to see that Sherry used one of the little word art flairs from the kit--I remember I had a lot of fun designing those. This is a really fun layout, Sherry! I love how those checked frames pop the photos!

Alrighty, time for me to get to work on deconstructing and reconstructing that bed and a few dozen other tasks. YOU be BLESSED today!

 

It's been a pretty good day..........

It could have been better if I'd worked harder. It could still be better if I did a bit more before I crawled into bed. I don't think that is going to happen.........

I'm tired. Maybe it's because I'm still dealing with physical/emotional "leftovers" from tax season. Maybe it's because I tried to take a nap and could NOT sleep. Instead I coughed. Yes, allergies are wreaking havoc. It's windy again today and that just makes the problem worse. Or, maybe I am worn from trying to add the job into my schedule. Whatever. It still all boils down to "I'm tired". So, I think I won't be awake much longer.

My greatest accomplishment for the day was in my conversation with the mortgage company. I spent a good chunk of time on that, but I got the foul up on the homeowner's insurance straightened out. I found out that contrary to the information I received from the original lender, these folks are not just servicing the loan--they actually own it. AND, I managed to request a copy of the loan docs and I have some degree of confidence I will actually receive them. I had previously requested them from the original lender and never got anything. Hopefully this time will go better.

I have done some thinking about the job today. I am so grateful to have it. I am really earning very little compared to what I used to earn, but it is enough to put me over the top, month to month. I realized today that I own one bra that actually fits, one I bought recently (a couple of months ago). And I realized that I could order another one. I don't have to fret about it or wonder if I am exchanging food in January 2015 for a bra in May 2014. What a relief. Other things, little things for most people, need to be purchased. For example, I mentioned the other day that I really need to get a new shredder. Without this job, that would have been a major purchase, even though I can get a good one for well under $100. Now, I realize, that I can go ahead with it. What a relief. Lord knows, I can't make any progress in pulling this room together til I get one. So wonderful to know it's okay to do what I need to do.

I don't know what God has in mind for me. Maybe He has something better/different planned for me down the road a piece. But, for now, I am thrilled to be just exactly where I am. Several people have felt called upon to tell me how dangerous this job is. I can honestly say I feel NO fear. I am protected by angels. I live in the palm of God's hand. If God is for me, who can be against me?

I also don't know what's up with my back. I know that Jesus paid the price for my back to be healed 2000 years ago. For all I know, this job, standing on my feet for 4-8 hours a day is exactly what is needed. Perhaps it will make my back so strong that all symptoms will disappear. Or, perhaps, as I show up each day, in faith that God will carry me through the day, whether or not I hurt, that is what is required for the miraculous to happen. Sometimes we have to walk out our miracles.......... But I am confident that I would not have this job unless God intended for me to be able to handle it successfully in every way. One way or another He and I together are going to get through this!

I have been a bit discouraged about this house lately. There is so much work that needs to be done. Yes, I still have a lot of decluttering to be done, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. I see ladies on the internet who have, generally with the help of their spouses and what would be, for me, a generous budget. I have neither of those things. However, it is wrong for me to be discouraged about it. Perhaps I can never make this place into what I would like it to be. Actually, I have the feeling that God will supply just what I need, when I need it to get to the place that it is presentable. THIS is not the way He wants His kids to live.......... Besides continued decluttering efforts, the next thing that I need is to find someone who will lay carpet and do a good job of it and do it for a price I can afford. If you want to help me pray about that, I'd appreciate it. I own the carpet already. It is part of the massive pile of "stuff" in the middle of the garage floor. Ditto on padding. Just need a person with the skills to get it on the floor after supplying sufficient muscle to get the furniture out of the way............

So, instead of being discouraged, I have decided to pray for what I need. God has promised to supply all my needs. I am not going to worry about it or be discouraged about it. I am going to sit back and watch Him keep His promise! I expect some highly unlikely, weird happenings in my life as these needs are met. And, when I tell you about them, God will be glorified and you will be encouraged to believe for Him to operate in your life too. So there!

Now, I am going to haul myself off to bed. Tomorrow is another day. See ya then...........

Midday Report

I have not been terribly productive on the housekeeping side. I did get the dryer emptied. Most of my time has gone to design. The kit I started Saturday now has 43 elements.

I made myself a smoothie for lunch. I am going to have to get back to making my Greek yogurt. No matter how much fruit I pack into these smoothies, I still end up feeling hungry. I have to get some protein into these things. Today's smoothie features a whole banana, a whole orange, a handful of kale, some ice cubes, and a fruit cup from the store. I brought home some fruit cups a while back that were out of date and pulled from the shelves. I figured I'd better use the fruit cup SOON or it would be inedible. So, there's a strawberry, some grapes, and whatever else in there. But, I've had a good 20 ounces of this thing and I'm still hungry!

Well, I comfort myself with the thought I'm getting lots of vitamins and minerals and that's a good thing.

I DID manage to get some stuff straightened out with the house. I got a billing last week for $807 because, in theory, my mortgage company did not disburse funds out of escrow to pay for my annual homeowners' insurance.Well, I've spent 45 minutes on the phone ascertaining that their demand from me and their receipt of the payment must have crossed in the mail. I got some sweet young thing from Ohio as the Customer Service Rep. She also helped me get through a request for a copy of the loan documents that, in theory, were signed in 2003. I find that really odd in that Joe negotiated some sort of loan modification in 2010, just prior to his death. Well, the original docs will help and I can chase it from there......

I'm back at it. Later............

I'm expecting a good day...........

I will be home today, picking at things that need done. My house will not be transformed in the space of the day, but if it's better tonight than it was when I crawled out of bed this morning, I'll be happy.

I am still working hard at keeping the backups going. I would really like to get everything backed up this month. I still have at least 3 really large files to copy. I ran one while I was asleep last night and did quite a few of the less threatening, smaller files yesterday.

Oddly enough, I need to print a tax return today. I was so stressed out around the 15th that I called my mother and asked her permission to file an extension on her behalf. She kindly agreed. So, I want to print it out today and get it ready for mailing. I appreciate her going along with this delay, but I'm sure she'd like her little refund sooner as opposed to later.

I spent some time on the desk yesterday and thought I'd really made inroads on getting rid of excess paper. Then I looked at the dining room table and realized that, yes, there's a lot of stuff on there waiting to be bagged up and carried off to the donation center. BUT, there was also a lot of mail/trash on there. So that has now moved to my desk and my desk looks almost as bad today as it did before I started yesterday. All of this is crap that comes in through the mail yet I find myself disappointed when I open the mail box and find nothing in there. Something is wrong with that picture, LOL.

A lot of what was on my desk was coupon stuff. I am not much of a coupon user. I don't buy a lot of brand name stuff. I lucked into a coupon for brush heads for my Sonicare toothbrush. Yes, those are worth clipping a coupon. Those babies are not cheap and any little bit I can save is worth it. That was the only coupon I saved.

I washed the comforter cover yesterday and threw it and some clothes into the dryer. Hours later I discovered the dryer door open and the clothes still wet. Seems I had elected to wash a pair of old running shoes before donating them. I think that the dryer action stopped when one of those shoes banged hard enough against the door to push it open. Anyway, I need to dig the other shoe out of the dryer and get it going again. And I'll strip the bed and get that stuff in the washer shortly. I have two pieces of dark colored clothing waiting to be washed (including a pair of pants for work) and my sheets are a spice color, kinda like paprika. I think I can do those all together with no major incidents since I have washed everything before.

I am on the prowl for some polo shirts. I've checked some of the second hand sites like Thredup. I just can't buy stuff from those places. It's a problem with sizing. I don't care if a manufacturer calls an item "large". The problem is one manufacturer's "large" is never the same size as another's "large". I bought a "large" black polo shirt from Amazon and it arrived last week. It fits like paint! I will wear it only because I will wear it under the "smock" I wear for work. No one will see the "paint", just the collar and buttons. But, now I know that, right now, I can't wear a "large" from that manufacturer if I'm going to be in public. I guess my next step is to order a shirt, same manufacturer, same style, in an XL.

There are a lot of jokes about Walmart shoppers and the way they are "dressed" when they go there. Working where I work, I get to see a lot of the same people. I was thinking the other day about bra straps. Did you pin your bra straps so they wouldn't show? I always did. Now it's almost like bra straps are a badge of honor. They're sticking out everywhere. And some of the tops I see, well, if I liked tight clothes, I'd be looking for tents after what I see. We have one woman who is a "regular" in the store. She is most likely well-endowed normally, but at the moment she is preggers. And she wears low cut tops. Holy Tamales. I have absolutely no attraction to women, but she makes my eyes pop. I hate to think what might be running through the minds of the males she encounters......... No, thank you. I want to look clean and well put together and as attractive as I can for my age, but God didn't give me anything I feel needs to be displayed in public.

Well, due to various aches and pains, I have not been too vigorous in my housekeeping duties the last two days. I haven't just sat around and stared at my navel, but I want to accomplish more today than I did on Saturday or Sunday. Tomorrow I work a weird shift, 3PM til 7PM. I love that it's only 4 hours, but I am not thrilled with the time slot. I have kind of reworked my thought process to running an errand a day after work. I don't think I can run some of my errands after 7PM. And, I don't want to try to do that on the way to work because it's important to me that I be on time at work. I know how ready I am to leave that place when my time is up and I do not want to be guilty of keeping anyone waiting if they feel like I do at the end of a shift. I can still go to the bank and use the ATM or maybe even drop off donations. But I don't think I'd want to tackle a Costco run after 7PM............ If I know me, I'd be leaving most of my purchases in the car by the time I got home, LOL. Not a good idea........

Well, I think I should show you a couple of cute layouts with the latest kit and then move on. I hope that sounds good to you..........

This week, Laura gives us a page featuring Paisley, her Golden Doodle. She used her scrapping software to "mist" the white paper, just so you know that is not included in the kit. Love the ways Laura has "fastened" the photo to the layout--the green paper clip, the stitching, and the brad/photocenter. Do you like the texture on the green solid paper? I thought it was rather unique and I enjoyed the look of the fibers throughout the paper.

Deanna did this layout. I love the mix of papers here. Most everything is in classic designs but the colors work together SO well. Really looks good. Of course, Deanna has also added several of the doodled/stickery embellishments to this layout as well. This kit was intended just to be a FUN bright-colored kit and that's exactly how Deanna has used it!

Well, that's it for now. I need to be on my way. YOU be BLESSED today!

 

It's become an adventure..........

to try to sign into this blog. With all the problems Typepad has had, I never know if my post will work or not. Today it appears to be working, but the real test will be when I try to post this update.

Typepad announced they'd had some sort of "attack" which they are working diligently to recover from. Keep working, guys and gals. I want to be able to post when I want to be able to post..........

So, I slept with my cell phone about 10 inches from my head. There was the possibility I was going to get called in to work. I wasn't looking forward to it physically, but it would have been a blessing financially. And a financial blessing I wasn't about to sleep through.......... No call. I guess Mr. Nice Guy has recovered enough to work his own shift. I'm glad for him. I'm glad for the store owner too because Mr. Nice Guy has a lot of responsibilities around there, stuff I could not do in his stead.

So, now, I have just 2 4-hour shifts to work between now and Thursday. Friday a new schedule comes out and we'll see what next week brings.

I am still hurting some from my wreck-of-a-day on Friday. Hips/upper outer thighs still are cranky. And there's about a 6 inch by 3 inch area of my lower left back that is sore too. But, both are just "sore". No muscle spasms, thank you God! I am sitting against the heating pad to help the back and if that is not enough, I may try an ibuprofen. Ibuprofen is the magical cure for almost any pain-related crap I experience.

I started off the day with design. Kick me in the butt--I fell in love with yet another color scheme. But, if it matters, it's a good one, LOL! Patterned papers are done and I'm taking a pre-lunch break.

I have uploaded the next kit to my upload site and I'm ready to ship that out to the artists who create such fabulous layouts with my products. I sure hope they have fun with it.........

My design assistant outdid herself and got 7 products wrapped overnight. Where she lives, they were expecting bad weather today and tomorrow and she didn't want to take a chance on not being able to use her computer. I rarely ask her to do things this quickly. I hate putting anyone out. But, I'm sure grateful she was able to get it done. (Carolyn, if you're reading this, this means you, of course.)

I got the news that my cousin lives just a little over a mile from where those 3 tornadoes touched down in North Carolina. Thankfully, he and his wife are untouched.

Slowly, very slowly, the house improves. I did a lot of little things yesterday. Folded and put away a load of clean laundry. Wiped down the surface of my desk. Cleaned my monitor. Sorted papers and other "crap" that were lying around on my computer desk. It's much better than it was but still needs work. Went back and worked some more on the master bathroom. In theory, I should have gone around the house with the edge tool and vacuumed, but bending was STILL not in the cards for yesterday.

Today, what shall I do with today? Well, I'm running backups, a necessary task. I have only today and 3 more days to finish April's backups. And, I still have at least 4 really large files to back up.

Today, I am going to attempt to launder bed clothes and get everything on my bed replaced.

The kitchen doesn't look bad, but, by now, I feel like every surface could use a good scrubbing.

Tomorrow is dusting day. I want to spend some time in the master bedroom today, making sure I've cleared all the hot spots so the dusting isn't quite so laborious. I really am not good at dusting around stuff. So, if I don't clear those surfaces today, it will just prolong the agony tomorrow.

I will work on creating my to do list ON PAPER today. I let that habit go during tax season and it was NOT a good idea. I am so much more successful when I am working from a written list.

I also need to work on my inventory launch spread sheet so I know what kits will go into each store on any given date. This also helps me not to forget holidays, LOL. Yes, I do. I do forget holidays!

So, yes, even without going to "work" today, I can stay busy. I'll be back, later, to show off this week's kit. Can you say "CUTE"? Yes, it sure is.............

 

SO much better today........

Yesterday was a booger of a day. However, so far, today is lookin' mighty fine. I've been up for about 4 hours and nothing hurts! Remarkable.

Uploaded my newest kit to the ACOT store. I'll come back and do a full post about it later. It's absolutely darling, if I do say so myself.

I've been adding elements and more elements to the older kit I am reworking. Also working on re-doing the preview. It always was a cute kit, but it's just getting better and better. Unfortunately, Photoshop is indicating it has circuit overload and wants to be rebooted. Geez. I just did that. It just slows down to a crawl and eventually locks up, so I have to pay attention to it..........

I need to work on my design inventory spreadsheet. I sat down early in the year and planned out what would go into the store when through sometime in May. Well, hello. Here we are close to the end of April. I have a number of kits in inventory that are just waiting for a release date. So, I want to get that all updated and squared away. I think I also need, at the very least, to make a list of kits I've started but stopped at various stages prior to completion. That will give me a direction for design time.

Well, let me recant an earlier statement. I just walked to the other end of the house. No, actually, I am not fine. Sitting here, there is no pain. However, once I decide to try to walk somewhere the story changes. If the gel inserts have done nothing else, and if they never make any other difference, they were worth the money I paid for them. My feet aren't "sore". However, I'm still getting lots of nasty remarks from my hips/thighs and just below my waist on the left side. The just-below-my-waist thing is leftover soreness from a million and one muscle spasms yesterday. The hips/thighs thing is the result of me using muscles to stand for long hours where muscles had virtually disappeared. This job is definitely making improvements to the appearance of my hips/thighs. And, it's great to be able to sit here and not hurt!

I think next on my agenda is a nap. I ended up taking three muscle relaxers yesterday, including one of the knock-me-out variety at bedtime. I have drug hangover this morning. I think I will either lay down and sleep it off or I'll be sitting here, staring at the screen, accomplishing nothing, for several hours. Laying down seems the better choice.

So, I'm gonna put myself to bed and when I get back up, I'll put together a plan for the rest of the day. If all goes well, I don't go back to work til Tuesday afternoon. If there's a snafu, I might be called in tomorrow. I'd like to get as much done as possible today, just in case. In the meantime, YOU be BLESSED today!

 

Oy Vey! What a day............

Well, you know that by last night, I was in a lot of pain. I went in and took a hot bath, hoping and praying it would loosen up the muscles and ease some of the soreness. This was, quite literally, an act of faith. When I am feeling like I was feeling last night, there is every possibility that once I get into the tub, I won't be able to get out. I had trouble getting in but I got out with very little problem. And sure enough, as I laid there and soaked my poor sore body, something in the back, something BIG, thunked into place. I really thought that would make a big difference..........

I woke up this morning hurting so badly I could hardly move. It was a case of full-on muscle spasms. However, I was bound and determined I was going to work. First, I've only been there a month and it would not make a good impression to call in sick. Second, we are short handed anyway and that would just make the whole problem worse. So, I managed to get myself ready and on my way.

Well, it just hurt worse and worse throughout the day. I've never really thought of myself as the kind of person who watches the clock. But, believe me, I watched that clock today. I hurt so bad and the muscle spasms just kept coming and coming and coming. I couldn't even estimate how many times I grabbed the counter or a shelf or any available surface to keep from falling or crying out. Once I got home, it took me about 29 seconds to crawl into bed. I probably should have been there in the first place, but I made it through. I'm sure God had a little to do with that "made it through" thing. And so much pain. So much pain despite muscle relaxers and Tramadol.

So, it's better tonight. At least the spasms seem to have backed off, but the muscles are now just incredibly sore. It was certainly not my finest day!

I really haven't done anything in the house tonight. No way. Today was supposed to be wall washing day and laundry day. Well, the wall washing is really physical and I knew I couldn't handle that. And, the truth is, when I considered walking to the other end of the house to fold clean/dry laundry or try to run another load, I knew I just didn't care enough to go through the pain of getting there.

So, I've been working on design. I had to break off on the kit I've been working on. I'm revamping a really cute girly kit for the DigiScrapBoutique store. The patterned papers are fine. I did re-do one of the solids. The solids are embossed with tiny hearts and one of the papers didn't take the embossing very well. And I'm creating new elements a-plenty to beef up the kit. I also have to completely re-do the previews for the kit because they're all in the wrong wrappers. I need to get this kit out to my layout artists no later than Sunday night, so........... I'm hard at it. Tomorrow is upload to the store day. We're releasing a really cute kit in the A Cherry on Top store tomorrow. So that will be the beginning of my day. We'll see what else I can get done, considering whatever I decide to do has to be accomplished by this very painful body!

Well, very shortly, I'm off to bed (again). I did sleep a couple of hours when I laid down earlier. But, I'm groggy from the pain pills and the muscle relaxers. I am probably "safest" in bed. Who knows what I might say or do if I try to stay up. Sometimes when I'm like this, I just simply stare at the screen. That's a total waste of time. So, when I can't be productive any longer, it's off to bed I go.

It may turn out to be a good night to sleep. We've got rain in the forecast for Saturday. And, we've got gusting winds up to 30 MPH tonight. Snuggling down under my down comforter sounds really enticing about now.

I think it is way too early to give you an evaluation of the new gel insoles. I did, of course, have those in my shoes today. At this point, the only thing I can say is that I think the soles of my feet are less sore than they've been.

So, I'm outta here. And probably off to bed. At least, I don't hurt when I'm asleep, LOL! See you on the flip side.