Boo!!

A friend sent these to me - I thought they were cute!

Happy Halloween!!!!

Beautiful Quilt!

My friend MaryAnn and I known each other for well over 20 years. We work in the same field. But over the years we have discovered that we have many common interests.  (I have her to thank for getting me into the jewelry making thing.)  But, she is a master quilter and I am constantly in awe of her work.  She makes all sorts of quilts and always has a few in the works.  She has entered many of them in shows, with positive results. 

Whenever we get a chance we like to get together and sew.  We have made a couple projects together (I'll share those in detail on other posts).  When we do work together, she is the ying to my yang.  I am the sort that just kinda throws things up in the air and they come out kinda gal.  She brings precision to our projects.  I can't be bothered with the precision that some things take (or I don't have the patience for it).  She also has a eye for color and patterns in fabric that work best together (in that department you'd think I was color blind).  Thus a couple very good reasons that she is a master quilter and I am not.

We also ike to share pictures of projects we have made or patterns we have purchased.  E-mail and those fancy-schmancy phones we have make sharing so quick and easy.  We are gettin ready to do a project together - a mystery quit - you don't know what it is unti it is done - I'll post about it later as we are going to work on them Veteran's Day.  But the other day she sent me a picture of her latest quilt.  She picked up the technique on a recent trip to Hilton Head (even though it was a vacation with the famiy - she always takes her sewing machine and works on some projects).  I beieve it's called a kaliedescope technique (that's what it looks like).  Anyway it is absolutely gorgeous!!!!  I wanted to share it for her.  hahaha  It is very beautiful and I wanted y'all to see it.

MaryAnn, my dear friend I hope you are reading this!  hahaha (and not kill me for posting your quilt, but it is just too beautiful).  You're an inspiration and a true friend.

I am aso bad about looking at someone's project and figuring out how to do it mysef. So I have been trying really hard to figure this out. I think I have it and am gonna try it and see.

Kitten on the Keys

I sure wish my kitties could do this.  They run across the piano keys occassionally - but nothin' like this.

New Digs!!

Have I ever mentioned that I HATE moving?  I'm pretty sure that I have somewhere along the line.

I have whined for several weeks now that we were moving offices.  Well last Friday was M-day!!!!  And much to my surprise it wasn't all that bad.  There were professional movers who moved everything for us.  All we had to do was have our items for them boxed up, slap a sticker on it and they took it to the appropriate place.  All in all I think it went pretty smoothly.  Prior to the move we purged files and got rid of a lot of crap that we no longer needed.  So it lightened the load a bit.   As far as I know everything that was supposed to come over did and most of us have our individual cubies unpacked, as well as our common shared areas.  I left last Friday with my computer and phone still disconnected.  But when I came back in on Monday; *poof*; it was all back up and working.  Though I *still* haven't figured out how to connect to a network printer.  But that's a minor problem for the moment.  Needless to say I am pretty happy in our new office - it's clean and everything is new (it's all been renovated).  The funniest thing for me about all of this is that the building and the floor we are on (even the area) is the exact place we were located when I first started here 20 years ago.  Needless to say the next time they move - it will be without me!  :-)

Here is my old cubie (but remember this was about 3 days before the actual move - I was still sorting):

And here is my new one!  I have vowed not to junk it up.

Be Good...

Sometimes we forget this:

Be Good to Yourself

Who's one of the most important people you know?

You are. That's who…

So be good to yourself.

Come alive to all the happy things there are.

Do something for yourself every day…

Something you really enjoy.

Make your own kind of music…

After all, you know best what means the most to you.

Say what you think.

People nice as you should be seen and heard, too often.

Don't keep your worries to yourself - let a friend in on them.

Is there something you're always meant to try?

Now's the time to try it.

Is there something you've always wanted to buy?

Be impractical - buy it.

Spread joy wherever you can…

But be sure to keep some for yourself.

And when love comes along, welcome it and never let it go.

Let the sunshine in each morning…

Let the starlight in each night…

You're a very special person - so be good to yourself.

Author Unknown

The Nosey Neighbors!!!

Does this look like a junk car to you?

Me either!  But apparently to my nosey neighbors it is.  Granted, it's not the newest car (it's my old-new car I mentioned a couple weeks ago) in the world - but junk!?!?!  Now, I'll have to go and enroll it in car counseling, it's poor little car ego has been damaged.

Yesterday was a day off for me - I work for the government and it was Columbus Day.  As my favorite guy and I were enjoying a weekend breakfast before he had to depart for work, we saw the Police Impound Unit come into our neighborhood.  We live in a pretty nice neighborhood, so it's rare to see them.  He pulled across the street from where the car is parked and sat for a while.  Then he backed up.  I went out (in my pink fuzzy bathrobe noless) to see where he had gone- and he was talking to my neighbor!!!!! So, I went back in and waited for him to either come back or leave.  He came back and sat and looked at my car again.  Known for my meek, mild nature (yeah, right) I flew out the door and across the street (still in my pink fuzzy bathrobe) and asked the cop if there was a problem.  He informed me that there was.  And I asked him why the nosey neighbors didn't come and tell me - why did they have to call the police.  The pink fuzz on the back of my bathrobe must have been standing up, as he told me to calm down and he would explain it.

Well, it's a city ordinance that a car can't continuously sit on the street for longer than 72 hours. And mine has been sitting there longer.  Since we have had it back we have been driving it on Saturdays. He claimed there had been lots of complaints about it.  I must say I'm not surprised - one neighbor did ask me if it was mine.  She said that "someone" (meaning they had been gossiping about it) had said it might be stolen.  Then she informed me that I might want to move it, as the tags were expired (and they aren't).  I wish if these damn people were going to help me mind my business they would at least get the facts correct. Or mind their own damn business! 

Well, now I understand that the car has to be moved every 3 days (I didn't know what the time limit was before) and I understand that I have a bunch of nosey neighbors who would rather call the police than come talk to me (I haven't bitten a neighbor here yet). So, they'll get what they ask for. 

I did have all this room to park the car in front of my house to park and keep the car out of everyone's way.  But that doesn't seem to be good enough. 

I will be a good law abiding citizen and move the car every 72 hours. I was trying to keep it back out of everyone's way.  But, gee, I can't do that anymore, so I guess it will have to be parked in various places, so the impound guy has no doubt that it was moved.  Wonder how the lady that was talking to the impound guy will like it parked in front of her house?  Because that's where it's going to go for the first 72 hours. If she doesn't like that I think I'll park it in the side yard - that's always a neighbor pleaser.

I can't wait to go fuck chat with the neighbors and make sure I am doing everything I can to make their little lives happy.

I HATE Moving!!

I don't care what it is - I HATE MOVING!!! We are moving our offices in another week (it was supposed to be this week, but it got postponed) and does it really look like I am ready??

Last year, I packed up and moved my residence.  I had been entrenched living in the same house for 12 years.  And I loved that house.  I thought I would never move from it.  But fate had something else in mind and I had to move (don't worry it was for the MUCH better).  But because I lived for so many years thinking that I would never leave it, I didn't give much thought to what I accumulated and how I stored it.  I wasn't going anywhere, so what difference did it make if the basement was about to explode and spew many of my worldly possessions I hadn't looked at in at least 10 years all over the neighborhood?

But I digress...What was the topic?  Oh yeah - moving - but I wanted to talk about my office.  Well, at work I live in cubicle world (I am a nobody and like it that way).  I have worked at my present job for 20 years (seriously, I didn't think my attention span was that long).  We did move offices once before but I can safely say that was about 15 years ago. I applied the same logic to this cubicle that I had to my previous residence - I've been in the same place for a long time - I'm not going anywhere.  So now I am reliving moving hell of last year all over again!  Apparently it is more cost effective to hire a moving company than to have our own in-house movers do this.  So we are being issued tubs and rollers to pack in.  Only thing is, we are limited to 4 tubs per cubicle.  WTF?!?!?!?!?!  4!?!?!?!?! What's up with that?  Do they know anything about historical records?? I mean there might be something important in my files about a facility that was built 100 years ago. It could be relevent today (it could be!) and I know just the moment I throw it out, I'm gonna need it. 

Well 4 tubs is just a good start for me.  Over the years, I have brought in lots of personal stuff one piece at a time and now am suddenly faced with having to pack it all up and move it. Even worse, I have had to gather up all my personal stuff and take it home until after the move is complete. So far I am at 6 boxes.  Needless to say, I am getting the funny "where is that going to go" look at home too.

I still have lots of important stuff in my cube.  Normally, my cube doesn't look like this - I am much more neat and organized.  But, we are moving to a newly renovated building with new cubes, and we will be held to a certain decorum (what? no more boxes stacked under my desktop?).  So I have to sort through all this stuff - not everything can go with me (but I like my boxes and notebooks and stuff).  The sorting and packing process has really disrupted my organization.  the good news is that when we go to the new digs - I can redecorate a little.  I will bring back my beloved rat collection, but this will be a good opportunity to change some things too. 

Something I learned last year - a person should really move every few years, just to keep them organized.  It's either that or just pour lighter fluid on it and burn it.  Nothing like a fresh start!

Last Week was Some Week...

Whew and I am glad it is over!!  I had a headache that lasted the whole friggin' week!  Last Monday evening I kind felt like something might be coming on, so I took NyQuil trying to fend it off.  I spent Tuesday with a NyQuil hangover and Tuesday evening I napped at every opportunity.  Wednesday and Thursday were average.  Thursday I still had the damn headache and needed relief.  When I got home from work I made a trip to the pharmacy see what I could find to make it stop.  I came home with a bag of Tylenol, Head-On and Tylenol Severe Cold.  Well I took some good old Tylenol - it didn't help.  I thought that Head-On stuff that the advertise would be something of a miracle.  They make the same stuff for sore joints that you glide on your skin.  Turns out that the Head-On stuff was just the joint stuff only in a smaller tube.  It only heated up my temple and forehead.  Yeah - that was helpful. 

So, by then my cheek was hurting a little - giving me the hint that maybe the headache had something to do with my sinuses.  So thank goodness I bought the Tylenol Cold stuff too.  I took some of that before I went to bed.  Well during the night someone turned a faucet on in my head!  I blew and blew during the night til I finally had to get up so I wouldn't wake anyone else up and sit in the chair upstairs.  When I woke up in the morning I still had Niagara falls in my head.  I felt like shit at work all day - but plugged through because we are getting ready to move our offices. 

But when I came home Friday - I took some NyQuil and was soon fast asleep.  i was determined that I wasn't going to get really sick.  So I stayed liquored-up on NyQuil all weekend and managed to sleep my way through health disaster.  Whew!!  I got up this morning was my usual chipper self!

What a Week!!!

It's been a rough one! 

We are getting ready to move our office, so things have been chaotic there.  Since I am a nobody (and I like it that way!) I have a cubicle at work.  There is only so much crap that can go in one of those 8 x8 spaces.  But me being me - I managed to cram all that I can in there.  My cubicle represents me and looks much like my home in that I have to have things I love all around me.  So I have the usual family pictures, but I also have cups, cans of water passed out during a flood a few years ago AND my prized rat collection (I have squeaky rats, talking rats and other kinds of rats).  They make great conversation pieces. (yes, I did say rats - remember I am in public health).  Normally, the cubicle doesn't look too bad.  But this past week - ugh!  I have boxes all over the place.  I have already brought home 2 boxes of personal stuff, but have more to bring before the big move on October 9th.

Sunday night I got a headache that has never gone away...yet.

Monday night I felt like I was getting the crud that is going around.  When I feel even the slightest tinge of a cold or something else - I take Nyquil. So I did. I slept great.  Though I think I snored ike never before.  I get sooooooo aggravated at myself for snoring.  It's not very ladylike and I just hate the thought that I make such noises.  I know I make other noises when I sleep, because I have woke myself up making noises but they are so strange I can't duplicate them when awake. 

Early, really early, Tuesday morning I got up to let my dog out. (Remember, it's early enough I am still hungover from the NyQuil).  I went upstairs to let her out and I do this most every night and I know how many steps there are between the bedroom and upstairs.  Well, I got up to the top and took one last step.  One that wasn't there - at all.  Yep - I stepped right into the air.  I realized it as my foot was on it's way back down to a step that wasn't there.  I fell flat on my face!!  Well almost I was flat on my face after I landed square on my dog and she shimmied out from under me.  *Then* I was literally flat on my face.  I laid there for a few moments and then I shook each limb one by one to see if anything was hurt.  Nothing seemed to be.  So the dog went out and I returned to bed and to snoring.  I did twist my knee a little.

At the regular time I woke up with a twisted knee and a NyQuil hangover AND a headache.  I dragged myself into work and managed to get through the day.  But when I got home I couldn't keep my eyes open.  Everytime I sat down - I snoozed.  Thus, no Blog on Wednesday - I was sleeping through it.

The good news is - I think I fended off the cold or whatever (this time)!  The bad news is - I STILL have this damn headache!!!