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I love Friday...........

At least, I love THIS Friday. I am not working. Better yet, it is the beginning of DSD weekend and the CU stores have their wares on sale.

I've spent the bulk of what I have budgeted to spend. I got a pretty good haul, mostly because I have bought almost nothing for 3 months. I know there won't likely be another sale this good for 6 months, so I may even give myself leeway to go a bit over budget............ Can't afford much, but maybe a little more. :)

I was able to make pretty fast work of the shopping. The primary store I shop at shows the date the item was first offered in the store on the opening page. I know I pretty well got everything I wanted prior to the first part of May last time there was a sale like this. So, I just didn't look any further back than that. There WAS an error in my order, though. I hit the buy now button several times and that part of the order did not go through. But, this particular store offers a freebie with purchase and the freebie changes frequently. So, if I wait til tomorrow to "fix" the problem, I might even get a different freebie, LOL. We scrappers LOVE freebies, don't we?

Well, when Mr. Fixit came over to fix the computer Wednesday, he did not have one cable he needed. So, he was back last night. Thankfully, it went a bit faster than the night before and I was more tolerant, feeling a wee bit better. I am pretty sure my desire to have him gone on Wednesday night did not show. However, I'm glad I was feeling better about the whole thing last night. 

I am still under the weather. I can tell there is still a low grade fever lurking in my body. Nothing feels much better than putting my cold hands on my too warm face or neck........ I'm a little headachy from it too, but, I'll dose myself with ibuprofen and get on with life. 

I have big plans for the design side of life today. Mucho to get done. Among other things, I have a whole lot of CU design stuff to unzip and organize. :) That's a happy circumstance though it is a chore as well. But I love having new stuff to add to my kits, whether I make it myself or buy it CU. I do want to keep my kit contents fresh. 

I do have a bit of a "formula" with what goes into my kits as far as basics go. I tend to do that stuff first and then add whatever I can thereafter. I like to create new paper patterns; that's always fun for me though it can be time consuming, simply because I am so darned OCD about it. But, for example, I want a kit to have AT LEAST 3 frames from which a scrapper can choose. I know a lot of people don't use frames, but I want to make them available anyway. Most every kit will contain either curly strings or curly ribbons, and so on. 

Today, I want to try to finish making some previews for a kit I finished last night. And I have several kits that need alphas. I set out to do those alphas Wednesday when the computer died, so now I'll be doing make up work.

There is plenty around here I could/should do. I have one primary task in mind right now: I want to get the van vacuumed. I tried that the other day and from where I had the vacuum plugged in, even with an extension cord, I couldn't reach the van. So, I need to try that again, plugging in in the garage this time. That should work.................. There are plenty of other things I can do. Believe me! But, I do have a lot of design stuff that needs done so I don't know if I'll get there or not. 

Anyway, there's my update for this morning. Now I'm am going off in search of ibuprofen. YOU be BLESSED today!

If it weren't for bad luck..........

I'd have no luck at all. I'm taking this as a sign that I'm doing something right. I know Satan doesn't bother Christians who are not a threat and he doesn't bother heathens either. Apparently I don't fall into either of those categories which pleases me immensely. 

I signed off here yesterday and got to work on those alphas. I was on alpha #3 when, all of a sudden, the computer just died. It would not reboot. I finally got in touch with Mr. Fixit who diagnosed the problem as the power supply. He contributed a used power supply and got it installed and now I am poorer........ But, the computer is functioning again.

I was disappointed when I turned the corner coming home from work last night. All I wanted was to be alone and to have a chance to recuperate. Turns out he was here, still messin' with the computer. It is not that I was ungrateful. I'd just had about all I could stand of coping with pain and the public. It took me an hour and a half to get him out of here, during which time he went through the same description of the diagnosing and repair of the computer problem three times. To tell you the truth, he seemed as out of it as I felt, but the big difference was I didn't want to talk and he did, LOL.

I thought, since it's the 30th of the month, I'd give you a little update on my budget program. I bought a program called YNAB. That is pronounced why-nab and is short for You Need A Budget. I'm pretty happy with the way October turned out. I am over budget in a few categories: giving, sewer, medical, clothing, and household goods. I am over budget in giving because I did not take into account that I needed to tithe on 5 paychecks instead of 4 this month. Also, I started tracking the cash out of my pocket that I throw into the pot when customers come up short at the store. That's not tax deductible, but it IS cash out of my pocket. With regard to sewer costs, I underbudgeted by about $3 a month. Also the sewer bill comes every three months so I've budgeted that out in 3 payments. However the bill came in the 2nd month of the budgeting process. Anyway that should turn around next month. Medical is pretty much the same thing. I refill prescriptions every 90 days and I only had 60-days worth of money set aside when it came time to refill. However, for some reason my usual prescriptions decreased in cost by $35 this time which was good news. So, this will turn around in November as well. I overspent in clothing. However, do you remember I went shopping at the thrift stores for long-sleeved tees to wear to work? Yeah, well....... I will not spend anything on clothing in November and that should even things up. I haven't tracked down the overage in household expenses, but it just might be the cost of the budget program that put me over, LOL. That seems ironic to me, but over or not, I'm still glad I made the purchase. I truly believe this will be a big advantage to me in the long run.

I am also significantly under budget in several categories. Even though I've purchased stuff to eat when I'm at work and called that "groceries", I am significantly under budget in the groceries category. Those purchases at the store were worrying me as I had no real idea what I was spending on them; glad I now have a record. With the decrease in gasoline costs I am happily under budget in the "fuel" category as well. There are several other areas where I'm under budget. All in all, my income exceeded my cash outgo by about $200 and my expenditures were about $200 less than I'd budgeted for. This is all good! However, I realized after yesterday's fiasco that I failed to budget for computer repairs. Ouchies.......... 

One of my assigned tasks for yesterday was the front porch. I really wanted to finish cleaning that up. If you remember, I have bees hanging around here. We sprayed them and that decreased the size of the swarm, but, they're still here. For some reason, they are attracted to the porch light. They hang around up there and then they die. So, I had dead bees all over my front porch. Well, no more. I got that taken care of.

I tried to drag the little vacuum to the van because I want to get that cleaned out, but the cord wasn't long enough. I think that is because I had it plugged in in the living room. I'll try again, plugging it in in the garage. That should work.....

So, today, I have to work on previews. I've got a problem somewhere in the working preview for the kit I just finished. As I create stuff, I always plop it into the working preview and I periodically save it. Well, when the computer crashed yesterday, there were a few items that I'd put into the preview on screen that weren't in the saved version. I opened the saved version and tried to put those elements back into the preview and, for some reason, I keep getting an error message. I can't seem to add those elements. So, I will try to get that fixed today and I'll try to create an alpha preview. I sure hope I don't have to create a whole new kit preview.........that would take a lot more time than I want to allocate to it.

The tooth situation continues to improve. There is still some pain and I am still running a low grade fever. But, the pain is manageable. It will continue to improve. I am just very grateful I didn't miss any work because of this tooth mess. That would have put a BIG hole in the budgeting process, LOL. 

Alrighty, I think I have you updated on what's going on around here. I want to get going on the day. I expect God's blessing on my life today. And I'll be praying that you, too, are blessed today.

Made it through........

It took quite a few ibuprofen and a good bit of prayer but I made it through that 8-hour shift with a major tooth infection. The ibuprofen does provide some relief. I have to admit that by the 8th hour, my smile was wearing thin, both because I was tired and because of coping with the pain. In just a few minutes, I will take my 4th dose of antibiotics. Things should be looking up soon. 

This little episode just makes me want to go to Mexico even more than I've been wanting to in the recent past. And it makes it economically more reasonable. Expenses to get there would include two full tanks of gasoline. And I'd have to pay for a hotel for the night. Most likely I would do it as we used to do it. Drive to Yuma on day 1. Stay overnight. Next morning head across the border and do all the things that need to be done, then drive home. 

I would want to go sometime between now and February 1. It's just too darned hot and exhausting to go any other time. One trip we made down there it was 100 degrees on November 1!!! But, it would take a tidy portion of all the cash I could lay my hands on. I'd want to see a dentist and get my eyes checked and probably get new glasses. I would also bring home a garden variety of meds that you can't get here without a doctor's blessing each time you need them. I would also almost have to buy at least 3 meals along the way. I don't think I could make the trip for less than $600, but that's a lot less than the same goods and services would cost me here. 

I am concerned, unreasonably I suppose, about driving the van. It's not giving me any kind of trouble, but the drive is through a whole lot of bare land on the backside of California and through the boonies of Arizona. I can only imagine how expensive repairs might be if something happened. I'd definitely prefer not to travel alone but I haven't found anyone who would like to go along.......... Well, we shall see if I can pull this off. It would be a relief to be able to do some of these things that have been put off for years.

As to the infected tooth......... It IS getting better. I can now touch my top and bottom teeth on that side to each other without extreme pain. I wouldn't want to chew beef jerky on that side or even mac and cheese, but it's still better than it was. The swelling beneath my jaw area (in the area of that gland) is still about as bad as it was yesterday. The swelling on my face seems to be a little better. I am on the mend...........

I work 5 hours today. I don't mind a 5-hour shift at all. I can do it without pain, and I arrive home with enough energy to accomplish some things. Instead of eating my day, it simply provides an interlude to being here. I can deal with that. 

Last night I was pretty well wiped out when I got home. I didn't accomplish much of value at all. Eight hours is harder than 5, for sure. My longest shift before yesterday (in a very long time) was 7 hours. I made it through the 8 hours yesterday with no problems. But, I didn't have much left in terms of energy or mental concentration ability when I got home. It takes a lot of energy to cope with the crazies that make up "the public" for 8 hours while coping simultaneously with a fever and pain. That'll be different tonight. 

I have about 4 hours til I leave here. I am going to do some laundry. I will do some work in the kitchen and see if I can spend a few minutes on this desk. I spent a good bit of time Monday working on cobwebs on the front porch. That was the biggest part of the problem out there. However, I still need to sweep the porch with my trusty broom. In the meantime, I now have 3 kits that need alphas so that's where my design time today is going. I can't sell 'em without alphas! 

I have decided for sure that my next project here at the house will be painting the french doors that open onto the patio. Not the inside of said doors--the outside. It has been years since the house has been painted and it needs it badly. However, I am at a point, I think, where if I let this particular door go any longer, I'll end up having to buy new doors. THAT would be truly expensive........... So, it's time to paint. I will have to make up my mind about paint and get it purchased. I don't have a clue what will be needed for sanding the bad spots. I'll let Mr. Fixit worry about that. I will also need to buy some painter's tape. I have a huge roll of brown paper that I bought sometime back. I will be measuring the windows in the door and cutting and taping brown paper around the glass myself. Anyway I can save a few bucks on labor, you know............

Mr. Fixit came into the store yesterday. As usual, we didn't have much time to talk as I was working my butt off at the register. However, he announced he had acquired another customer. He said he had made some large cabinets for someone--4 of them. Sounded like some variation on armoires. In any case, he swore "never again". It was just too much for him physically. 

Well, I have alphas to make and laundry that needs done (so I have pants for work). So, I'm outta here. I am asking that you continue to pray for this crazy tooth thing. I truly believe it is your prayers that got me through yesterday. In the meantime, YOU be BLESSED today.

Mumps?

No, I don't think so. I haven't been exposed to anyone with the mumps that I know of. But, that side of my face where the infection is pretty much looks like I have a case of the one-sided mumps. I woke up around 3AM to find it is REALLY swollen, much worse than it was when I went to bed. The pain is not too bad as long as my top and bottom teeth in the back on that side don't touch. I couldn't possibly chew anything on that side though........... Perhaps this is a license to just eat ice cream all day, LOL. And, of course, I feel feverish. Not uncommon when you have an infection........... Anyway, I feel miserable. Feelings aside, the Bible says I'm healed, and I believe that more than I believe my feelings. This too shall pass, in His timing.

I am not at all sure how I'm going to get through the day but I am going to give it the old college try. I am pretty sure LOTS of prayer will be involved. Undoubtedly, this will be one of those days when He carries me.............

Anyway, I am going to take some ibuprofen for the swelling and the pain and get myself ready for work. I am facing an 8-hour shift. So, I will leave here by 10:35 and I'll be home again around 7PM. I might talk to you later; we'll see how it goes........ I have high expectations. In the meantime, YOU be blessed.

 

I've had it...........

I am in a lot of pain with this infected tooth. I do have a small stash of antibiotics here, but it is a small stash. My face is swollen. You know that area behind the jawbone that doctor's like to poke and prod? Well, that's swollen and sore too. I am going to need a dose of the supernatural to get through tomorrow........

I have done a lot of design today. Finished a kit all but alphas. I have another I started Saturday afternoon that is well on its way too. I still haven't been able to get in the mood to start Christmas kits yet. But, one of these kits is a "snow" kit. Maybe that will help..........

I became very friendly (and frustrated) with the little vacuum today. You know, I've been chasing cobwebs as well as trying to clean along baseboards and the bottoms of furniture with it. Today's big project was part of that. I actually went out on the front porch and spent an amazing amount of time vacuuming up cobwebs. It was getting so bad out there that I honestly thought about leaving the cobwebs and trying to pass them off as Halloween decorations, LOL. Well, I think I finally got them all, but that silly little vacuum was only good for about 5 minutes and then it would turn itself off! I'd have to wait a while and then go after it again. I'm surprised I got done with it. That's no way to tackle a heavy-duty cleaning job...........

I did laundry--had to--I only had one pair of pants for work and I work tomorrow and Wednesday. So, dark clothes are washed and dried. Now I have 3 pairs of pants clean. That will work til Thursday. 

I don't know what all else I did beyond a lot of work in the kitchen. But, now, I'm headed to bed. I want to be up fairly early in the morning and that won't happen if I don't get to bed now. I don't care what time I'm due at work--I always want to be sure I have time to become completely awake before I show up there (or anywhere, for that matter). And tomorrow, I'll be busy dosing myself with various meds before I go........... 

So, in case I don't update this blog in the AM, please pray for me tomorrow when you think of me! I think I'm gonna need it.

Struggling today..........

I think because I am feeling unwell, I am struggling with my mood today. I have been taking my Costco "benedryl" look alike, but this morning, I'm still coughing, sneezing, all the allergy symptoms....... Add to that this toothache and being awakened 2 hours earlier than I would have liked and I am not a happy camper. 

I know the answer. It is the title of this blog. P-U-S-H. Praise until something happens. I need a praise-a-thon right here in my own home. A nap wouldn't hurt, either.......

Beyond the physical stuff, I am feeling lonely. I am usually alone here at home. That is one of the reasons I took the silly little job I have--to be out among people. But alone usually doesn't bother me. In fact, I generally enjoy it. It is nice to have no demands, no one else's needs to which to attend. However, today, I'd enjoy company........ Most likely it would take my focus off how crappy I feel. Well, I know the cure for this too. It's the same. P-U-S-H. Praise until something happens.

To top it all off, I am still adjusting to the idea that I have to work Tuesday/Wednesday instead of Wednesday/Thursday as I've been working for weeks. Of course, my schedule could be completely different next week, or it could flip back to the old schedule. I don't know. But, I'll be curious (to say the least) to see next week's schedule when it's posted.

Tomorrow is an 8-hour shift. It's split across day shift and swing shift. I'll be running out of the house around 10:30AM and not returning til around 8:00PM. It's been quite a while since I worked 8 hours. The Lord has been good to me, helping me to finally get my feet adjusted to standing for hours on end. So far, though, I've only been doing that for 7 hours. I have another hour to get through tomorrow. I was nearing the end of my 7 hour shift last week and really feeling it. I got through the remainder by quoting over and over in my head: "'Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit' saith the Lord." I just might be quoting that one again tomorrow! 

I did accomplish a few things in the house yesterday, but thinking I would have 2 more days off, I was not all that ambitious. Today, I have to face the fact that I get stuff done today or it doesn't get done. So, I'll have to try to stay conscious of that when I'm tempted to stay put and do computer stuff instead.

I did get a good bit of design work done yesterday. However, probably not what I needed to do. So, today, I am a bit behind the 8-ball on that. I'll be busy during computer time, for sure.

Well, enough of this. I think I need to begin my praise-a-thon so that I begin to feel I can handle (with HIS help) what lies ahead. YOU be BLESSED today.

I only came to whine...........

My work schedule changed. I've written down the new schedule several times and I've kept losing the piece of paper on which I've written it. Well, I ran down to the store this evening. Darn it all, I lost my 3-day weekends. I now have to work Tuesday/Wednesday instead of Wednesday/Thursday. At least, thanks to going in to check, I'll show up on the right day! That's kinda important...........

My second whine: I have a toothache. And it's a bad 'un. That is not adding to my great joy tonight.

Okay, that's my whine. See ya tomorrow........

Beginning of a long weekend........

Here I am at the beginning of my 3 consecutive days off! I LOVE working this schedule. I always think I can accomplish SO much with 3 days off in front of me. I seldom live up to what I hope for, but it's fun trying. Sometimes I am exasperated with myself when I don't accomplish what I want, but I'm still grateful to have the opportunity. 

So, what do I plan for the next 3 days? Well, I had to stop chasing cobwebs and vacuuming corners because the filter on the little vacuum cleaner needed washed. I'll go after that again. I am packing stuff in the living room/dining room so it can be moved out of the way to do the carpet. I want to get more of that done. 

Of course, as always, I will spend time in the kitchen (I want to clean out more cupboards and drawers). And, the desk always needs attention. There's shredding to do here in the office as well. And, maybe, finally, I will go vacuum out the van. I used the excuse for a while that it was too darn hot out there to do that. If I don't get on it soon, I'll be saying it's too darn cold out there to do it. I need to just get it done!

I think my design mojo has returned, Glory Hallelujah. I started a "snow" kit last night and got through all the papers and created about 18 elements. I have lots of design work to be done......... I thought if I got in the "snow" mood when we're still having highs in the 80's, maybe the Christmas mood would follow. I hope so!

Anyway, just exactly what I'll accomplish along the way, I don't know. But I'll be working at it. And grateful for the privilege; I have a home, such as it is, and there are many people who can't say that! 

YOU be BLESSED today!

I am SO not a morning person...........

And for some odd reason, my usual work hours of 3PM-8PM have been changed to 10AM-3PM. I am not amused! I just want to go back to bed.

I did the Costco thing yesterday. I needed to do it. I probably needed to not buy all I bought though. My prize purchase was a bottle of really ugly, really bright pink Kirkland brand "benedryl". It's not called benedryl. It's called "Allergy Medicine", but the formulation is the same as benedryl. These pills are really a life-threateningly bright color of pink. And they are pills, not capsules. I don't care. They work. That's what matters most to me. AND, I ended up with 600 pills for $7.99. How's that for a bargain? I shudder to think what 600 benedryl capsules would have cost. The usual price for these babies is $11.99, still a bargain, but they were marked $4 off! Whoopee! 

I also got some Allerclear. These are supposed to be taken daily. I'm told they are a generic Claritin. Right now I am so overwhelmed with allergy symptoms that I think I must have the benedryl to treat the symptoms, but maybe I can also try some "prevention" along the way.

I bought coffee pods. I am still loving Costco's Pacific Rim blend and the pods are 100 for $35. That's a consistently good price for a consistently good coffee. It's about the best price I've been able to find on coffee pods........

I noted last trip that milk had gone up. Yes, it has. It is now $6.25 for two gallons. Previously it was $5.85. However, it's still a tough price to beat. Around here, some of the stores will occasionally sell a gallon of milk for $3 but that's really hard to come by. At the store, 2 gallons of milk cost $7.19. Of course, you should not expect bargains at a convenience store.......... Anyway, I now own 2 more gallons of milk.........

I fell victim to a set of knives. I am not beating myself up too badly over this. There were 6 knives in the set and I paid $23.99. The thing I like about these knives is that they come with their own protective sheaths. If they are carefully washed (not put into the silverware basked of the dishwasher to bang against other pieces of silverware), they should be sharp for a very long time with this kind of blade protection. I still have intentions of continuing to clean closets, cupboards, and drawers. I have one drawer that is full of the oddest assortment of old knives that you can imagine. I bought these knives to substitute for that odd assortment of old knives which are going to go away. 

I picked up some Nesquik while I was there. It's a dollar cheaper there than it is at El Cheapo. I also bought some canned pumpkin. Not too sure what I'll do with that but I know it's high in nutrition, not likely to be too contaminated with chemicals, and full of fiber. Sounds like a good choice.

I went to the store last month with the intention of buying Miracle Whip and Mayonnaise. Then, because I knew I had lots of stuff in the cart (bound to add up to lots of $$$) I decided to shine those two items on. Well, this trip, I could not even find Miracle Whip, but I did get a jar of Mayonnaise and I also got catsup. I'm thinking, with 3 big bottles of catsup, I am probably close to being set for life, LOL. The Mayonnaise was on special with $2 off on the jar. It cost me about half of what a similar sized bottle at El Cheapo would have cost. 

Oxiclean, the detergent, was on special for $4 off on a box. I bought some of that. I think it's supposed to be 290 loads per box. I have a box that is still quite full. I only use the Oxiclean on whites and light coloreds. I figure the darks can limp along on the cheap stuff. So, if you figure two loads a week, I am probably set for life on Oxiclean too, LOL. 

I really noticed an increase in price in dairy products. Butter was nearly $3 a pound this trip. It's been down around $2 a pound before......... Last trip, I bought a half gallon of half n half. I am using this exclusively in my coffee now in lieu of hydrogenated-fat-laden coffee creamer. The half gallon I bought last time kept well and lasted me almost a month. I did end up buying a pint at the store to tide me over. At Costco, the half gallon was $4.79. At the store, a pint is $1.79. I think I made a wise decision to buy it at Costco, LOL. 

One thing I bought that I didn't really NEED was a pair of sweat pants. I bought two pairs of these same pants before. Here's the trick: they're men's sweat pants. My life is in my pockets. If I don't have pockets in my pants, it's a real problem. And just try to find ladies sweat pants at a reasonable price WITH pockets. I'm pretty well convinced it can't be done. I have no clue why designers think we ladies don't need pockets in sweat pants, but apparently that's their opinion. I have numerous pairs of sweat pants with no pockets. I will now donate one pair and substitute my new pair WITH pockets. I am thrilled to have these pants. I bought black ones last time, thinking I could wear them to work. Well, maybe if I continue to work this shift, but if I'm going to work at a later time, I'd have to wear something else til moments before I bolt out the door. At that point it might be safe to put on the black sweat pants. There is one very needy dog here who comes and rubs up against my leg, looking for loving. Believe me, those black sweat pants don't look very good after a love-in session; I bought gray this time.......

Gotta run. Time for that "bold out the door" thing. YOU be BLESSED today!

 

Keep on Keeping on.........

In many ways, living life one day at a time is a good thing. I think that is where I'm at right now, or at least where I need to be. I am just sort of plodding along, putting one foot in front of another. My "vision" is limited and I have a problem with that one foot in front of another thing. I want to see the whole picture..........

I think what's got me spinning is my $$$ situation. I have so many places I need/want to put money and not enough $$$ to deal with it. This makes me even more grateful for the job. It's not a great job. I'm not queen of the world or even queen of the store. No one reports to me. I'm not responsible for anyone else's performance. I just take myself in there, do my best, and bring myself home. And I don't make a whole lot of $$$ for doing it, but, believe me, I am grateful for every $ I bring in. It's not an easy thing to prioritize spending when there are so many places where money is required!

We had "fun" at work last night. The biggest event was that a kid and her mom came into the store after a soccer game. They no more than stepped through the door to exit and the kid threw up.........all over the front entryway. I ended up going out there with bucketsful of water to wash down the area. Yuck! I'm the type that starts to heave at the very thought, LOL. In the process, I poured water on both feet. Well, I was offered the opportunity to stock the cooler last night. However, I remembered coming out of there last week with numb feet--and I didn't start with wet feet. The shoes I was wearing last night have a mesh type construction, so my feet, down to my socks, were soaked. I figured I'd end up with frostbite or something if I worked in the cooler! 

We were BUSY. The only way to get through it is just to keep your head down and push on. And it seemed to be a night where if it could go wrong, it did. People coming in with insufficient money and needing to cancel their orders after time was spent ringing them up. People coming in with insufficient money who then had to run to the car for money. People whose debit/credit cards didn't work or were declined. People coming in with insufficient money who then said "I don't want that. I'll go get the smaller sizes", while others waited, of course. People who can't count or can't manage American money......... (I had one guy who bought $5.15 worth of stuff. He gave me a $5 bill. I had a pistol of a time getting him to understand he needed to give me another $.15.............) Then, there are the people who come in and "price shop"--"What's your cheapest brand of cigarettes?" "What's that cost with the tax?" It's not like I have prices memorized for all the products in the store or even for all the varieties of cigarettes we sell............ And about then, the cash register locks up. Yup, fun time for all! About that time, you start to count your blessings that you work in a neighborhood store where people come numerous times a week. They see you over and over and know if they act like buttheads they'll have to face you the next time they come in. So, in general, in spite of puke in the entryway, customers who were a pain and really slowed up the works, etc., most folks behaved remarkably well under somewhat trying circumstances. And I kept my cool and kept a smile plastered on my face and managed to keep from rolling my eyes..........

So, today, one way or another, I MUST go to Costco. I am sneezing and snuffling, my head alternately drains through my nose and down my throat or it's stuffed up, my eyes are watering and my chest is congested. It's Buy Benedryl or else day! And, I MUST control my impulse buying. I only need a few things but I will save substantial money by buying those few things at Costco. What I don't want to do is then turn around and muck things up by buying stuff I don't need........... 

I also need to go to the drugstore and pick up prescriptions. And I want to get some hydrogen peroxide there as well. I may even succumb to buying a bit of make up........my concealer is getting LOW. And I have to hit the bank. I've managed to round up a few small checks that need to be deposited. 

Those are my must-dos for the day. Anything else I accomplish will be gravy. 

I am planning one small thing with a bit of excitement attached. Breakfast today is going to be whole wheat toast with some of my very own homemade apple butter. I haven't opened a jar of that yet and I think it's time, LOL. 

That's it for now. I've got places to go and things to do. YOU be BLESSED today!