for how I'd feel this morning. But, God is faithful. I still walk funny but my shoulders and neck area are fine. My feet, well they're still a little sore, but they're not too bad either. My back is okay. My hips--well those outer thigh muscles have had a work out and they are talking back. So, I'm pretty sure I shall not die, but live, and proclaim the glory of the Lord!
I slept like a log. I don't even remember getting up to use the restroom. Maybe I did, but, if I did, I have no memory of it. God has designed these bodies to recover with sleep. Recover and heal. That was so thoughtful and wise of Him! I expect as time passes that the recovery will be more complete overnight with fewer symptoms the morning after because I will be stronger.
Today is upload day at the DSB store. I'm putting a really cute kit in that store this week. I've put this kit out before, but it has about 50mb of new elements in it. If you've got daughters and/or granddaughters, you're gonna want this kit! But, in the meantime, I've got to do the upload and then work my way through the process of getting it into the store's software. I think I am not quite ready to bite that off yet....... I'm still working on my first LARGE cup of coffee.
Man does not live by Cheetos alone. And, so today, I am going to take special care to eat some good stuff with vitamins and minerals and protein and all that good stuff. I have a feeling my body needs it! I have the urge to make potato salad, but after my Costco run, I don't know where I'd store it. The fridge is FULL of good food. Another good reason to not eat Cheetos, LOL.
As I look back at yesterday's shift, I have to say I don't know how we got through it. My partner for the night, again, was the guy who appears to live on uppers or who has overactive adrenals. The boy puts out some work! No one could ever rightfully accuse either of us of not doing our best last night! That's good. I don't ever want to be guilty of not doing my best on any shift I work. Never. It would be a terrible witness to go there and collect money and not do everything I could/should. And, thank God for the young man I worked with. However he does it, you can't fault him for what he does. The guy just keeps going and going and going at top speed. I am also VERY appreciative of his attitude towards me; he is particularly good at answering my questions and at bailing me out when I create trouble for myself.
For over a year now, I have been praying for God to make me "younger and stronger". That prayer is based on "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as the eagles. They shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." (From Isaiah.) Well, this job is the living example of "that which doesn't kill us makes us stronger", LOL. I KNOW I will be healthier and stronger and thinner from doing this job. And, I might even be able to pull together enough $$$ to do some very badly needed maintenance on this house someday. What more could I ask? However, somewhere in the back of my mind is a niggling thought: "Be careful what you pray for--you just might get it." How appropriate! (Giggling at that one.) But, I am determined I will keep at this and keep at this and keep at this til, though I may look much older, I can work like a 30-year-old. So there! Satan, take that! I WILL NOT QUIT.
So, today, uploads first. Then I will work on a tax return. Next in priority is working on the kit I am trying to finish. That has been made more difficult because my computer rebooted overnight. Darn thing! Mostly I lost color palettes, but I lost a few elements too. This place needs work. We'll see what this younger and stronger woman can accomplish!
I want to brag on Costco for a minute. On Thursday, after reading through lots of reviews and specs online, I ordered a shredder from Costco. It was supposed to take 3 to 5 business days to be delivered. Well, I am amazed to tell you it arrived yesterday. It arrived shortly before I needed to leave for work, so it's still in the box and I haven't had a chance to test it out. BUT, it came overnight! Way to go, Costco!
Okay, I'm outta here. I need to finish this cup of coffee and get on my uploads. YOU be BLESSED today--I certainly am!
Although I admit to suffering a LOT in the summer heat here, I don't know what I would do without our sunshiny days! I couldn't live in the Northwest with its multitude of overcast, rainy days, particularly after living here. Our forecast for today is a high of 93 degrees. That is really edging close to the three digit mark! Ugh!
One thing I've figured out about my job is that it doesn't pay a whole lot but it provides other bennies that can't be underrated. Power bills here in the desert in the summer are SO high. I DREAD finding them in my mailbox. Really I do. I know God has promised to supply all my needs, and when it is over 100 degrees, I NEED air conditioning. My faith, though, is still shaky enough that there is some fear in my heart when the power bill comes. However, with this job, I leave here and I turn the thermostat up. So far I've worked shifts somewhere between 11AM and 7PM, from the hottest part of the day til almost sundown. I am not dreading the power bills nearly as much this summer. Particularly when I arrive home at 7PM, it is cooling down outside and it only takes a very short time to cool the house down.
Another thing is the free food. That is a blessing. I've never been one to go by the dates on food containers. I think when those dates are put on the containers, the expectation is that they will sit in someone's fridge for at least a few days. So, yes, I WILL eat outdated food. Much of what I've brought home is sandwiches. I have eaten one or two, but mostly they've gone to the dogs. They are vacuum packed and there is a plastic strip that has to be peeled off to get to the food. Would you believe my dogs come running now because they recognize that sound--the sound of peeling off the plastic strip? It's really pretty comical......... I cut the sandwiches up and they each get no more than half a sandwich and that doesn't happen every day (this information provided for anyone who thinks dogs should only eat dog food). And, I am keeping an eye on them for any adverse reaction or weight gain.
But, I do eat the salads. I have been buying the occasional salad at Trader Joe's. One of those salads is more than enough for me for a meal and they run somewhere between $3.49 and $4.99, depending on the ingredients. I do not traditionally do a good job of keeping track of fresh veggies and fruit and seem, to my chagrin, to end up throwing some away when I buy it. So, at least with the Trader Joe's salads, I am not throwing away fruit and veggies I bought for a slightly lower price. Now, however, I get the occasional salad from the store. That is a savings for me. I do not eat the hot dogs I bring home. Those, too, end up being doggie treats. I don't want the fat, the salt, the filler, etc.
I will never stop celebrating my commute. My last big time "Queen of the World" job had me driving 27 miles one way, on a freeway that was under construction, during rush hour. In Vegas, they can throw up a new casino in less time than it takes to blink your eyes, but highway construction is terminally slow. That was a horrific side effect of a very responsible job for which I was paid better than I am now but still vastly underpaid for the load I carried. I cannot begin to express the joy of leaving home and arriving at work 3 minutes later! I am just tickled pink over that part!
Well, I am due at work in just about 3 hours. I still have stuff to unload from the van (I just brought in the artichoke hearts and something (???) else. Yes, I DID eat two artichoke hearts straight from the jar. I wanted to eat another dozen or so, but managed to hold myself in check, LOL. Don't take this to mean I won't eat more the next time I'm in the kitchen!;)
I have a fruit bowl. Yes, I do. I can't remember the last time I had a fruit bowl. It's got oranges, bananas and mangos in it and it looks pretty neat on my dining room table. There's a lot of fruit there--slated for smoothies........ It could use something red to top it off--apples, maybe? But even without the apples, it looks pretty to me. And, it's a BIG bowl. It's my big pasta dish! Full of fruit! Wow!
Hey, here are a couple of bargains that I grabbed at Costco yesterday that got short shrift in my "I survived Costco" post. One is the coconut oil. I have been buying one pound for 6.99 at Trader Joe's. I really didn't pay as much attention to the jar I got from Costco. Well, it is 78 ounces, almost 5 pounds. And it was $22 and change. That's actually a pretty darned good savings. Another item that was really a deal was a container of crumbled Feta cheese. I got 24 ounces for $6.99. I don't really know the # of ounces you normally get in the grocery store for $3 and up, but I know it's way less than 12 ounces.
I love Feta cheese. I don't think I ever tasted it til just a few years ago. When Joe was around, I used to make homemade pizzas with fresh spinach, sliced tomatoes, and Feta cheese, on Focaccio bread. The first time I presented him with one of those, he turned up his nose. His comment was something on the order of "You call that pizza? Where's the pepperoni?" Well I didn't want him to have the pepperoni. If I didn't say anything, he'd eat a pound of it at one time and I wasn't blind--I could see all the fat pepperoni rendered on a commercial to-go pizza. He was overweight when we got married and I gained weight while we were married. Neither of us needed pepperoni! He tasted the "you call that pizza" and decided it was darned good. It became something he smiled about when I brought it to the table. I just might try making one of those "you call that pizza" pizzas for myself! Nom, nom......
Lately, I've been making "Greek salads". Sliced cucumber, diced tomato, a little red onion, Feta cheese and Kroger brand Greek salad dressing. It is phenomenally good and good for me and low in calories (compared to a lot of things I could be eating). And that's one of the other things you can do when you are the proud owner of 24 ounces of Feta cheese! I've been buying the English cucumbers, mainly because they come sealed in plastic. They last longer in the fridge if I don't get to them in a timely manner.
One thing I am proud of myself for--I bought no candy and I didn't even buy nuts. I don't mind the nuts and they're a good source of good fats and a bit of protein. A healthy snack if you don't eat half the jar at one sitting. I am not particularly fond of peanuts, but I do like about every other kind of nut I know of. But they were, depending on the type, pretty darned pricey. I already had a load of stuff in the cart so I made the decision to get along without any of that kind of thing right now.
Oh, and about those croissants I bought. Yes, I know they are not low carb. But the price comparison did it for me. Twice now I've bought a croissant in the store for $1.29. And, as I mentioned yesterday, they are something I can grab a bite of between customers. Probably better than buying a bag of chips, right? Anyway, I got a dozen croissants at Costco for $4.99 or $5.99 (memory fails me, again, LOL). Anyway, that's less than half the price I was paying in the store. Yes, I'll save $.60 or $.70 anytime! So, yes, I bought croissants. They are all sealed in individual ziploc bags in the freezer.
Oh, I should also give you a report on the Kirkland Pacific Rim coffee pods I bought. It took me 3 tries to get it right, but my 3rd try is in front of me and it's darned good. On the first cup I made, somehow all the water did not drain from the machine into the area where it gets heated and pumped through the pod. So I had a cup of not very hot, VERY strong coffee. Oops. On the second cup, I somehow got all the water left over from my first try PLUS the water I added to make the seocnd cup. So, I got weak coffee. But this time, I've gotten it right and it's really good. So, for twice as many pods for the same price, sign me up! This IS a BOLD roast coffee, so if you like namby pamby coffee, you probably won't appreciate this stuff. Just a word to the wise namby pamby coffee drinkers out there.
Oh, and I did get my bottle of Ibuprofen. I think that will be a big help as long as I am hurting and sore. I have stronger stuff, but I don't want to take it if I don't have to. Got 750 200mg tablets for $6.79. WAY cheaper than the last bottle I bought at CVS pharmacy.
Alright......... just about 2 hours to blast off. I'm going to see how many pounds of Nesquik I can carry in and how many elements I can design before I have to head out to work. Pray for me today--it's a 6 hour shift......... If you don't pray, there's no telling what shape I'll be in at 9PM tonight.........
I did the Costco thing. Whooey! I spent money. I saved money too, but even though I now have THE JOB, I still want to hold my breath til I see the total and then, when the total is visible, I want to pass out, LOL.
I got some good stuff, stuff I needed to replace things I have been trying not to use up for a while now. I got a big old bottle of Palmolive dishwashing detergent. It is supposedly double the concentration. Whether it is or not, ya gotta have something to wash dishes with, right?
I was getting low on coffee pods for the Keurig. I could have lasted another week, but no reason not to buy coffee pods when I will need them in a week and Costco has a good price. I've mentioned before that we've used Kirkland brand coffee in this house for years and found it to be quite good. So, I opted for a box of 100 Pacific Rim coffee pods by Kirkland for $37.99. That's twice as many pods as I usually get for the same price from Amazon. That kind of savings sure makes the 10 mile round trip to Costco worthwhile!
I have now made the switch from olive oil to coconut oil almost completely. Oh, I'll use up the olive oil I own, but I'm not going to be buying more til I find news stories that tell me they've finally managed to get some quality control on olive oil. Reading that one of the ingredients in the diluted down olive oil we get is soy oil kinda finished it for me. Soy is a no-no for thyroid patients. So, I got a big thing of organic coconut oil from Costco for a very good price. I haven't felt robbed when I buy the little one pound jars from Trader Joe's, but the Costco coconut oil was definitely a better price.
They had Nesquik on sale, $2 off their usual $6.99 container. Well, if I buy it at El Cheapo, it's a dollar more, $7.98. So, I stocked up on Nesquik. I'll hate that I did that while I'm trying to drag all my purchases into the house, but........ I still think it was a good idea. I do go through that stuff! Many morning mocha frappuccinos in my future!
Last time I shopped at Costco, which I think was in February, I bought some 55 pound bags of dog food. They were on sale and they had a bonus of 3 pounds in the bag. Well, they weren't on sale this week, but they did still have some of the bags with the extra 3 pounds. And God provided a good looking, well dressed strong young man to load that miserable bag into my cart. Can't beat that!
I wanted to get some eggs. I gave up on that. Some old dude was going through box after box of the eggs. I have no clue what he was looking for but he was definitely in the way of anyone who wanted to buy eggs. I marched through the entire dairy section, picked up 2 gallons of milk, picked up 3 pounds of cottage cheese and he was STILL opening cartons of eggs and checking them out. It didn't look like it would ever end, so I just moved on...... 2 gallons of 1% milk was $5.85 at Costco. If the store where I work still has their " 2 for" deal on, it's like $7. One gallon is $4.09. And that twofer deal is one of the cheapest prices around......... Can you believe it? Yes, indeed I got Costco milk!
I wanted to get some Kleenex. The last box I bought is from the $1 store. Those things are not as wide as a regular Kleenex and definitely thinner. I originally bought them for in the car. I frequently find myself driving down the road with my eyes watering, here in allergy country. But Costco wanted over $14 for a multi-pack of Kleenex which would have lasted me til the rapture. I'll wait and buy one box at El Cheapo.....
Last time I went to Costco, I had to forego buying two things that I ALWAYS buy there. I just couldn't afford to buy them. They make a killer spinach salad with everything you could desire in it (poppyseed dressing, hard boiled eggs, craisins, grape tomatoes, and more). It makes a good 3 meals for me and it sells for around $10-$11. I got one this time! I also usually buy a package of their fresh sushi. It sells for around $15 and feeds me for 5 meals. I figured that would be something good for me to grab to eat on days when I work through mealtimes (which seems to be about every day I work).
I did get another of their cooked chickens. They are $1 less than El Cheapo. I'm planning on making some chicken salad out of the leftovers, after I eat all I can handle, LOL. I'll probably eat at least 3 meals from that chicken before I turn whatever is left into chicken salad and get a few more meals out of him. Not a bad deal for $4.99.
I bought one thing that was off the beaten trail for me. I rarely buy prepared foods. Particularly prepared foods that contain ingredients I can't pronounce. I looked at this frozen "crab and macaroni and cheese" casserole and actually walked away from it. But, my taste buds were already excited. Who doesn't love "real" mac and cheese and I'm a seafood lover, so the idea of adding crab was pretty exciting to me. Well, it was around $12 for 2 pounds. That was a little pricey, I thought. But, again, I'm looking for stuff I might have enough time to eat before work or enough energy to eat after work. So, I weakened. It comes in 2 1# containers and is microwaveable. I just had some for dinner and it's pretty darn yummy though I have to tell you it's rich! I don't really have "meals" like normal people, so just a serving of this stuff is dinner for me. I ate about 1/2 of one container, so I guess about 8 ounces. I really had to work to get the last two bites down because of the richness of the sauce. But it is definitely tastey. And I won't be eating crab again anytime soon, so I'm going to enjoy every rich crabby bite of it.
I am sometimes floored by prices. And, at Costco, where the packages are big, it's even more shocking. I wandered through the seafood aisle. They had scallops. Oh, how I love scallops......... Yeah, they were 2.5 pounds for $45. No, thank you. I haven't had scallops in quite a few years and I don't guess I'll be having them again for a while. The other thing that got me was the price of ground beef. Now, I really do have more faith in Costco's meats than I do in El Cheapo's. But I cannot lay out almost $19 for four pounds of ground beef. My conscience just won't let me. I can eat something cheaper and save the extra $$$ or give it to someone poorer than I am.
Here is a splurge: I love marinated artichoke hearts. But they come in tiny little jars that are around $4 and up. And, I sincerely doubt that the folks at El Cheapo know they exist, much less stock them. I could eat them right out of the jar, but not at that price. I grabbed 2 jars (I am guessing the jars are at least 1# jars) for $9 and change. Please don't tell if you find out I'm standing over the sink eating artichoke hearts from the jar, LOL. My mother would be so disappointed with such behavior! Heaven.........
And another splurge: I bought some biscotti. I allow myself no more than 2 cups of coffee a day. Frequently I'll have one in the morning these days and then again in the early evening. It seems the height of luxury to have a biscotti (particularly biscotti with almonds and chocolate) with my evening coffee. I don't recall the price on the biscotti but it will afford me many evenings of feeling just a little bit pampered.
Up by the front entrance, they had a display of Eco-friendly detergent. Well, that interested me. It was 120 loads for $10.99. That's a pretty good price. But, I came to my senses and remembered that almost 1.5 years later, I still have 3-4 gallons of homemade laundry detergent. I rolled on past......
I got some Greek yogurt. Yes, I am planning on making my own, real soon. But I will need some for "starter". So, yeah, I bought some. I also happen to have bought a bag of frozen cherries. If you have never bought Costco's frozen cherries, indulge yourself sometime. They are BIG and they are sweet just like cherries should be. You get the idea they are picked at the peak moment and frozen immediately. Anyway, I nuke 10-12 frozen cherries for about 30 seconds, just til they kind of break open and start to give up some juice. Then I mix in some Greek yogurt and think of myself as a very blessed woman.
I grabbed some bananas. They were 3# for $1.39. I also got some mangoes. I see smoothies in my future. I particularly like being able to add in the bananas because they do such a good job of sweetening that I don't need any sugar substitute or sugar. I had a "brilliant" idea while walking through the store. I bought some pomegranate juice concentrate a while back. Pomegranate juice is supposed to actually work to unclog arteries. But, honestly, I don't like the flavor of it all that much. Something just a little bit strange about it. Well, here's my "brilliant" idea: I can mix some of that up and use it as the liquid in my smoothies. I'll get the benefits of the pomegranate juice, but the taste will be partially hidden in the other ingredients. Sounds like a win-win to me. I had intended to buy some juice for smoothies, but the pomegranate juice idea shoved that purchase right out of my mind. As I mentioned, I also picked up some mangoes. I LOVE mango. And Costco does such a fabulous job of packaging their fruit so it's not all banged up when you get it. I see those in smoothies too!
Well, I have now made 5 trips to the van to bring stuff in. I'd rather walk back and forth a bunch of times than risk herniating myself. And there's still lots more stuff out there. I just figure I'm burning off the carbs from that crab mac and cheese stuff I ate, LOL. I have almost everything in the house that is perishable. One more trip ought to take care of the perishable stuff. Then, if I decide I don't want to run in and out in the dark, I can wait til tomorrow morning and start again. Meantime, I have food to put away.
Well, I really haven't accomplished much of anything I intended this morning. What did I do? Well, I gave the dogs fresh water. I did a Costco list which still might get a few additions. And I did some design stuff.
Mostly, with design, I created a new paper pattern and decided to use it as part of an add-on paper pack that will go with the current kit. I did design a few more papers for that pack. I also did some shopping. One of my favorite stores for commercial use stuff has started its iNSD sale. I can usually drop a bundle (by my definition) at that store, but I came away with $5 in purchases. To me, what I was seeing was largely same-o same-o. It most likely wasn't--these are some incredibly creative ladies we're talking about here. Most likely it was just whatever weird mood I'm in today.
I did manage to get myself dressed and my teeth brushed and my hair combed. I've taken to braiding my hair at night. I don't always do the best job but, then, no one is going to see my messy braid but the dogs and I don't need to worry about what they'll think. They love me no matter what. But, the braid does keep the hair out of my mouth and from tickling my face during the night. And it is certainly a help with preventing tangles. When I take it down in the morning, my hair is so stubbornly stick straight, you really can't even tell it was braided. The only exception to that is that it is a bit fuller when it's brushed out.
I've created a new "rule" with regard to getting dressed. When I work, I wear this ugly "smock" that is red and black. And I decided to limit myself to tee shirts that are red, black, white, or gray. Anything else just looks kind of stupid. Can you imagine, for example, a red and black "smock" with an orange or lavender tee shirt peeking out from under it? Yuck! So, the newest rule is that I am not going to wear red, black, white or gray on non-work days. These will be my days for orange and lavender! That way, at least, I will have clean shirts in rational colors to wear to work. I also have some shirts (short-sleeved lightweight rayon) for summer. Those aren't going to work well under that "smock" either so, today I have on denim shorts and a navy rayon shirt with red and yellow tulip floral design. I'm enjoying the variety.
Anyway, I think it just might be nap time. I don't even care if I eat lunch. But I am so lacking in energy it seems a better idea to just go lie down. Even coffee isn't helping and I can't drink that much coffee anyway. I'm still short on sleep. Catching up might help.........
There's a calendar on my desktop. I had to go look at it to be sure today is Thursday. Phew! Things are sure different with a job in my life. I am never quite sure where I am or what I'm doing on any given day, LOL. But, I'm happy, LOL.
Today is more or less the kickoff of a big scrapbooking weekend. Not everyone who will participate is up and running yet, but I've already followed 2 blog trains this morning. One was rather small, just CU goods. The other was anything but small and lots of beautiful scrap designs with a good color palette.
I couldn't get my life rearranged sufficiently to really get into this thing. So, I am not even doing a sale. Usually I do, but not this year.
What does Thursday hold for me?
Well, I am contemplating a trip to Costco. First the store to collect my paycheck, then back in the store, drive to Costco, and give them all the money I just collected, LOL. And my housekeeping plan calls for me to mop hard floors today. I have one small load of clothes to wash. I could have washed them in the last load I did, but I knew I was going to be using the stain cycle on that load. That means HOT water. Not for these clothes! I just had a feeling I had 3 shirts that would end up the size of wash cloths if I washed them in hot water. They could all stand to be smaller, but not that small!
Of course, there's the usual--kitchen cleanup, working on the desk, treadmill, some ironing. And computer maintenance--unzipping files, organizing digi CU products, and deleting e-mail.
And, I have a tax return to do. Well, at least that means a bit more money in my pocket.
And there's design. I'm close on being done with the current kit. It's turning out gorgeous, y'all.
Here's some weight-loss news. When Joe and I married, in 2002, I was near my lowest adult weight ever. Not at my lowest, but not far off. Even though Joe is gone, I still wear my engagement and wedding rings. This morning my engagement ring is rolling around on my now skinny fingers........ Wow! Now if the rest of me were that skinny, I'd be quite pleased. The rest of me is NOT that skinny, but still a vast improvement over last year this time. I had hoped that with the weight loss, my blood pressure would improve. It hasn't. I am 98% convinced it is directly tied to thyroid function....... So, until God's healing for my thyroid appears, I guess I'm stuck. Still, thinner is its own reward, to some extent.
I looked at my shoulders yesterday. Just kind of glanced at them and then looked back. By George, there are muscles on my shoulders! I don't honestly remember when my shoulders looked so good. My arms are coming along too. You know that part under the arm that can, of its own volition, wave at folks for 2 full minutes after you've stopped waving? Well, I don't have that any more.
Part of this is the job. Obviously, standing burns more calories than sitting. And, to be truthful, I usually miss at least one "meal" a day when I'm working. Sometimes it's 2 meals I miss simply because I'm too tired to eat after I get back home. Yesterday, I ate a croissant. Not a fancy bakery croissant--one from the store. Amazing. They are pretty decent for being sold in a convenience store. They aren't "diet" food; they are also not low carb, LOL. But you can step back into the back room, grab a bite between customers, and get back to work quickly. That's the criteria for food consumed during work hours, LOL. I must have eaten something last night but I'll be darned if I can think what it might have been..... Maybe I didn't????
I am hoping (shame on me) that we get in another shipment of "damaged" bananas. Those have been working out well for me. When I don't feel like cooking anything else, I can usually talk myself into some peanut butter/banana combination. And I've been using them in smoothies too.
I need to acquire some whole milk and do a batch of Greek yogurt. That stuff packs a lot of nutrition. And making it here at home substantially cuts the cost and allows me to be sure of what's in it. With the cold weather, I backed off the yogurt. I seemed to need heavier food. I ended up eating a lot of homemade soups. But, it's warming up so I think I'll get the yogurt making going again. Last year I had one strainer which seemed to be the "perfect" shape for draining yogurt. I don't think I even mentioned it here but I did find one in exactly the same shape at the Goodwill store a few months back. The straining is the most time consuming part of the process and now I will be able to do it twice as fast. Since my time is more limited, that's a good thing.
I think today I should push the "buy" button on a shredder. It's a cinch this room isn't going to improve until I can get rid of the paper that's laying around, waiting to be shredded. And my shredder just won't do squat. I really only want a strip cut shredder, but I'd like one that will shred a fair amount of paper at one time. These two requirements seem to be difficult to find. But, I need to do a REAL heavy-duty, devoted search today and get one ordered. That way, next week, I can make a start on the mountain of shredding waiting to be worked on over there on the other side of the room.
Well, some eye candy and gonna get going on my day......... These pages were created with A Little Bit of Sunshine, my newest kit at the ACOT store.
Lori is a loving grandma who scraps for her three grandchildren. Jude lives in South Korea and she doesn't get to see him often but her son keeps her supplied with photos. She scrapped this cute page of Jude playing with a "lawnmower" that blows bubbles. The perfect "fun" activity to scrap with this "fun" kit. I love the layered papers and the fun, reduced-in-size elements on this page! Good work, Lori!
Nancy scrapped this. CUTE photos of little girls in their cowboy boots! Love the banner under the strip of photos. Also that little cluster featuring the burlap flower, the checked bow and the woven flower! Love this!
Well, I am actually a bit chilly this morning. I'm going to get moving and get some circulation going and also get something warmer on. YOU be BLESSED today!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.............
