What did I expect?

Blogging has dropped off the radar for me the last months or so. I miss it, but somehow it seems "easier" to do the quick little meaningless soundbites on FB.

Possibly I've just been avoiding doing any thinking. At least, the thinking I should do for blogging. Life is pretty much the same in my universe. Work. Home. Family. Friends. Pretty short and sweet. [g]

Little Sis did decently at the climbing comp in Boise. She only made one climb out of three, but that happened to a lot of the climbers. Even one of her friends on the team, who is really good. The trip turned out to be fun, driving was pretty decent, and I really need a GPS for the car. LOL. I got around quite well, it's just that I did do some doubling back due to missing exits where two interstates connected/overlapped. Hate those. Especially when you think you're just on an on-ramp and geez, turns out before you actually get on the interstate you are past the first exit for that interstate, with no signs indicating so, and it was the one you needed!!!!

Had fun shopping, found a lovely basket - finally - for my Wi.i accesories. It even fits (barely) on my coffee table shelf. Just need to put a wee bit of felt on the bottom. Scratches the wood when it is pulled out. Oops.

So what else is new?

An Excellent Weekend

The weather was wonderful this weekend. Up in the high sixties, just a little rain Saturday afternoon/early evening.

Did a little grocery shopping Saturday morning, got some things to fix up the yard, and then spent the rest of the day until dinner crashed on the sofa. Started on a head cold last week. In an effort to head it off I took some cold meds that clogged up my ears. Nothing is working. Not Sud.a.fed (the real stuff you get from behind the counter), not the Mullein Garlic drops. My head hurts from doing the "fish" face trying to get my ears to clear. So this pm I'm off to the doc for stronger meds. Four days is long enough!!!

Little Sis and her family came over Saturday for dinner and cake. All of which they cooked. Including the cake in my brand new 9" spring form pan. (Thanks Sis!). That was awesome. No struggling to get the cake out of the pan. Then they came back on Sunday for my birthday present. This year they gave me, drum roll please, free labor. Yep. They spent about 3 hours working on my yard. Doing that wonderful spring cleanup stuff. Raking, mowing the weeds (hate hate hate Foxtail), and raking that up. Amazing how much stuff gets piled up against the fence on the inside of my yard. Especially considering I don't have any trees! Edging got done, too.

Along the west side of the house, where it's only 3 feet between house and fence, Little Sis and I got the weed blocker put down. At each end I put up decorative border. Now just need to get the pea gravel/rocks to lay down in there and it'll be done! No more weeding, no meters blocked. Love it.

Spent a considerable amount of time blocking holes so Leia will stop escaping. Bad thing is most of the chain link fence bottom is just against the ground. So she can dig a little and then push her way out. Sigh. But we got the worst of it blocked off, I think. Also got the gazillion rocks (former flower bed border) picked up. Now just need to get someone with a truck to take them to the dump. Going to call a landscaper/sod company about extending the yard along the garage. Hopefully it's within my budget. Otherwise, it won't be happening this year!

Only thing left to do is the front flower beds, and creating my patio out back.

Oh, and used the clippers I got for my bday (thanks Mom & Dad!) to cut the hair on Little Sis' Westie. The grubby little thing. Worked great. It was like a knife through butter. Amazing. And this dog has a LOT of coarse hair. :) All in all, it was a good weekend.

Quirks

Sitrep: Walk - 15 minutes. Very brisk.

That's quirks, not quarks. The one I have, the other has to do with physics (I think).

Whenever I buy a coffee or hot chocolate in one of those disposable cups with lids, I always make sure the opening to drink from is opposite the seam that runs down the side of the cup. Dunno why, but it drives me batty if I don't. I like to feel the ridge under my fingers as I pick the cup up to drink. Maybe it's because this assures me I've got the opening aimed in the right direction. Since usually I am only drinking from this type of cup in the car or at work, where I'm highly distracted, this could explain it.

But it's odd. Like the fact that putting the little and big spoons together and the little and big forks together in the silverware drawer drives me batty.

Another quirk I've noticed is that I. Read. Everything.

Even the backs of cereal boxes or milk cartons (every single morning, even though they never change!) If it's got letters, I'm subconsciously trying to figure it out. It's kinda like my Little Sister's mom and numbers. She counts steps, etc.

But the big thing that made me realize that I read everything has to do with work. I organize adult ed classes. Because someone complained about an extra fee once to a state regulatory official, I have to go out of my way to clarify some pretty basic stuff. So I attach to the front of each manual on BRIGHT PINK PAPER the requirements to get their certificate. It's pretty simple. Goes something like this:

1) It takes XX amount of weeks to get your certificate. After XXX weeks, go to xxxxxx to download your certificate.
2) You can get it quicker for $XX.
3) Make the check payable to XXXX. or Put your credit card info on the form.
4) TELL THE INSTRUCTOR.

The instructor even goes over this at the begining of class. Yet a large majority just don't get this. I think it's because they don't read the announcement.

It boggles me, because I read everything. When I'm driving, walking, whatever. If it has letters/words, I'm reading it. I've also noticed my dreams contain alot of words. Very verbal. That'a fairly new realization for me. Last night I was dreaming in Spanish.

Do You Ever?

Understand this: you are the ONLY ONE who can change and cast off these shackles of limitation and turn your life into what you want it to be…until you do step forward, you will be a prisoner within yourself, a shipwrecked spirit without rudder or compass, subject to the winds of your own self-imposed limitations…or even worse, the limitations of others. ~ Alden Mills on Charlie Mike http://perfectpushup.blogspot.com/2009/01/perfect-promise-part-ii-team-perfect.html

Sometimes, when I listen to music, read a passage in a book, when the air and light are just so I feel like my inside self is doing pirouettes across the grass. As if I’m leaping through the air, like dolphins on a sunny day. Sometimes I truly understand what the Grinch felt when his heart grew two sizes. Sometimes, when I’m too tired, too stressed, too something, I feel like pulling in as much breath as my lungs can hold and just letting it out in the longest, loudest scream I can manage. Sometimes, when the sky is gray, the clouds play peek-a-book with the mountains, and it’s just plain cold out, I feel my heart squeeze tight with happiness, and can't help but sing. Sometimes, walking down a hallway at work, dealing with the minutia of life, I hear a carnival theme echo in my head. Sometimes, I don't. Do you, ever?

Things I Learned...

Sitrep: Okay, I didn't get anything else done last week. Sigh. Lovely little stomach bug took me out of the equation. Goal: 2x Abs, 2x Gym visit

I guess I've been a single gal living alone for too long, because the last 6 weeks of having my little and her family live with me has, shall we say, broadened?, my self-knowledge. Considering I'm very self-aware as a general rule, it was a bit surprising to me. There were the usual things that got under my skin, like asking every other sentence "what did he say" or "what did he mean" or "what's so funny" (from the other room); Shanni's inability to understand my need to read quietly without explaining my book or carrying on a conversation with her at the same time. New Things That Irritate Me: 1) People not emptying the garbage can even when it's overflowing 2) Squashing over-full bag down so you can force more items in it and still not emptying it 3) Emptying the garbage and not putting a fresh bag in 4) Throwing trash in a garbage can that doesn't have a garbage bag in it 5) Putting a garbage bag in the trash can without removing items from #4 6) Leaving the butter out on the counter New Things That Make me a Teensy-Eeensy Bit Crazy: 1) Putting the little spoons in with the big spoons 2) Putting the little forks in with the big forks (c'mon people, how hard is this?) 3) Using every pan & pot in the world to make dinner and then not cleaning up 4) Using the very, very last of the toilet paper and not telling anyone until the mad "get ready for bed" dash begins at 10pm 5) Eating the last 2 slices of bread, leaving me nothing for breakfast...especially when you've been specifically warned I must say, items 1,2 and 5 on the second list were danger zones for me. Who knew having the silverware in the wrong spot would freak me out so? KT came upon me re-sorting the silverware and muttering "Big fork - little fork - big spoon - little spoon..." She gave me a weird look then wisely started loading the dishwasher. LOL. They moved out last Thursday, and while I do miss some of the chaos, just a little, I am relieved to have my home and solitude returned to me. The dog is thrilled...she slept like the dead the first 2 days. [g] Things are slowly returning to normal, the house is getting straightened up bit by bit...although they did a good job cleaning before leaving. KT is stopping by after school to clean the garage - animal crates, last few boxes, etc. And I even got some Halloween decorations out yesterday. Whoo-hoo.

Phaneromania It Might Be

Last Week's Sitrep: 1x Bootcamp, 1x Lawn (incl trimming/edging), 1x Hauling Boxes (63 15-20lb boxes to storage, onto shelves, etc.)

This Week's Goal: 2x Bootcamp, 1x Lawn

But at least I don't have Rhinotillexomania. Seriously. ;) I've discovered this show on NPR at 11:10 am (MST) Saturday mornings. It's called "Says You" and comes on right after "Car Talk". I enjoy both shows. But "Says You" has become something I'm starting to plan my Saturday mornings around. I've always been a wordsmith. Love words. Which is no surprise to many of you. But who knew words could be so darn amusing? This past week they had to define these two words:

Phaneromania (which I have) and Rhinotillexomania (which I don't!). The first being, here it comes, the habit of biting one's nails. [g] The second, compulsive nose picking. [giggle] I'm so glad I don't have that one!

Any wordies out there might want to check out this show. I actually sat in my car in the library parking lot for fifteen minutes one Saturday just so I could hear the end of the show. You can find a listing of radio stations and times on their website.

As for Car Talk. They're a hoot! I like listening to them just because they are so funny. I might not know what the heck they're talking about, but I might just learn through my smiles & giggles. :)

Everything's Coming Up Roses

Sitrep: zero

So Shanni got to meet the President & First Lady this morning. The awards ceremony was held in the Rose Garden at the White House. Pretty exciting for her! Here's a link to the video of the ceremony: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/04/20080417.wm.v.html

It's about 14 minutes long, the first half is the Prez giving a speech, then the awards. Shanni & her group are the second to last. About 11 mins in. She's the one standing in front of the First Lady.

Afterward she called me, all excited. They were getting ready to go to the zoo, and after that the memorials. She's still more awed by the fancy hotel ("There's a LAKE in the middle of the hotel! We ate dinner on it!") than meeting the President, but it's going to be a fabulous memory for her. I'm glad she's having so much fun.

I'm having a great day myself. It's my 35th Birthday. Got some cool gifts - new camera battery, camera cleaning kit and a heart rate monitor watch. I think this new toy will help me get back on the exercise track. I'm such a geek. [g] I'm also hoping to take pictures this weekend. If the weather holds!

Got my hair cut at lunch today, and my hairdresser wouldn't let me pay since it's my birthday! Wasn't that sweet of her? Then I got my DL renewed...it took less than ten minutes, there was no one in line. To top it all off, they took a new picture...and I'd just come from the hairdresser. At least the hair looks good. [g] I'm sure my smile will be more of a grimace. Hah. ;)

It was tough not checking the BB today during work. Just about drove me crazy. But it doesn't look like too much went on. Coworkers are none too happy about the new time managment monitoring. They announced at our staff meeting today they will be implementing internet monitoring software. And we have to track what we are doing in 15 minute increments for the next few weeks. All I can say is as irritating as it is to track, I got a lot more done today! Which I expected.

And I killed the copier. LOL. At the end of the day, just over halfway through getting all the books printed for next week, it stopped and threw up a message "System Error. Call XXX-XXXX. C2550." And that was that. No copier. They'll be in tomorrow to coax it back to life. [g]

Well, I'm off to email the video to tons of people. I need to see if we can get a copy of it somehow. :)

Mental Tornado

Sitrep: 1x Boot Camp (~45 min), 1x Boot Camp (30 min)

Goals for January 7-13:

1. Monday - Boot Camp (at least 30 min)
2. Tuesday - Abs
3. Wednesday - Boot Camp
4. Thursday - Abs
5. Friday - Boot Camp
6. Saturday - at least 30 minutes of any activity that gets me moving, with my little sister
7. Sunday - at least 30 minutes of any activity that gets me moving

I can't believe I'm scheduling myself to do Boot Camp three times this week. Insane. But I'm enjoying it, so, why stop a good thing? It's making me work harder than I have been.

So I feel like I'm in a mental tornado this morning. A gazillion thoughts zooming around in my head. I had an idea at some point on what I wanted to blog about, but, alas, it is gone. I had a good title and everything. Ya know, sometimes I think I'm getting early alzheimers. [sigh]

Maybe it's just the fumes from cleaning house yesterday. Did one of those semi-annual bathroom cleanings. The kind where you bleach the tub, etc. Got a new shower curtain liner, because, really, the one I had was no longer cleanable. I think if I'd dipped it in bleach one more time it would have disintegrated. Sorry if this is TMI, but it was getting to the point even I didn't want to step into the shower. [Mom, if you're reading this, it's just a nightmare, go back to sleep.]

Getting irritated by my bathroom sink. Used almost a whole 80oz Liquid Drain Gel bottle on it, various times throughout the day, and the darn thing won't stay unclogged. I'm gonna have to take the sink apart, damnit, because the drain plug is "attached" and can't be pulled out. Sometimes I hate my hair. [Sigh]

And then my brain is off on politics, what with the primaries being so prevalent in the news. Am I the only one that thinks we should have a national primary? Everyone votes on the same day, only one vote per person. The candidate for each party (including independents) with the most votes gets to run for president. That way the media can't do what they've done in this election cycle: decide who are the top candidates and focus all media attention on them. Drives me nuts. Because they limit the free coverage to just those people, which in my mind is an unfair advantage! I also don't like the fact that the current primary system lets a handful of states determine who actually runs for president, and the electoral system then lets a handful of states determine who becomes president. And yes, I even felt this way when I lived in FL, a state that plays a big role.

Off on another tangent (life is so much better when I don't watch the news in the morning): What the heck is up with this new book by Morton on Tom Cruise? I have to ask myself - If we were to substitute Christianity for Scientology, would it be such a big deal? Seems to me that heavy involvement in your church is a good thing. So what if it's Scientology? I don't remember Cruise being on the news lately for drunk driving or drugs or spousal abuse or incest or...Being very involved in your church is always praised as such a good thing for Christians. Drives me nuts.

Get a grip, get a life, move on Nat!!!!

At work this morning they announced who is taking over when the boss retires. Looks like the new CEO will start on Feb 1, with the current CEO staying through the end of February. I'm so bummed. I know the new CEO, we all do, he's a previous president of our board, we've worked with him a lot in the past on various issues/projects. He's very qualified for the position, he's a very nice guy. I'm just not sure what kind of boss he'll be. It's also gonna be sad to see RM go, and then there's that whole "change" thing. I hate that. I deal okay, am pretty flexible, just makes me uneasy.

So I'm gonna focus on the good things. :) Got some good cleaning/organizing done this weekend. Talked quite awhile with my SIL Friday after work. Still miss them a lot. Especially how much we laughed together. It snowed Saturday while I was at Costco with Shanni. 20 minutes in the store and we exit to a whiteout. Sweet. It blew over within 10 minutes leaving little on the ground. But it was snow! :) Did Boot Camp several times last week although last night it was only 30 mins. Got too overheated I think. Because I really pushed myself on those cover drills. Did I ever mention that I hate cover drills?

Oh, which reminds me, is anyone out there the least little bit worried that Alden's teaching me how to kick a door in?

The Hair is short.

Sitrep: 2wts- 1x Arms, 2x Cardio

Will, um, take some time to get used to my hair this way. I must say, it was nice in the shower today. I just need to remember I don't need a handful of shampoo anymore. Basically I got a short shag that should be good with the natural wave in my hair. I have decided to just go with the flow. Basically, the unmanageable wavy thick stuff that is my hair. This "tousled" look should work well. Once I get over the urge to straighten the heck out of every strand. [g] Went for 2 shades of highlights. A blondish one and a caramel one. Some of it looks a little coppery in the sun/light. Which is great. I like it. I really think I'll like the cut too once I get used to it being so short. Even on top.

KT, my little's older sister, went with me to get her hair done. It looks wonderfully "chic" as she put it. I like it. She is too pretty to start with, lol, now she has a cool do. We need some kind of guy barrier to put around her. ;) Anyway. We picked Shanni up after school and got a snack, then spent several hours at Hasting's. [g] Love an afternoon in the bookstore when everyone else is at work. It feels so sneaky. We stayed there until called home by their Mom. We didn't even tell her we were there, and the first thing she said was "Okay, it's time to leave Hasting's. It's Shanni's turn to cook dinner."

When we got our snack at McD's, the guy behind the counter was flirting with me. Or that's what the girls said. I was totally oblivious. Even the free french fries didn't clue me in. I didn't even realize he hadn't charged us for them. Until he came over and pointed it out later, while we were waiting for our order, saying he didn't want me to think I was getting "over-charged" the next time I ordered the same thing. Boy did the girls tease me about that. Especially Shanni. They even had to bring it up over dinner at their house.

Then later that evening Shanni started teasing her sister about guys, and I started teasing her about the two guys she was "flirting" with after school when I drove up. And the friend of her older brother that was actually at the house last night. She was trying to flirt with him, but is at that stage she doesn't realize what she's doing and doesn't quite know how...Well, she got upset and started to stomp off, until I said "Hey, you're the one that was trying to marry me off to the guy working at McDonald's!" She tried to pretend she was still mad, but I could see her fighting that smile. And then her Mom grabbed her in a hug and started singing "Is this the little girl I carried." Shanni starts struggling to get away at this point, and Michelle keeps on singing "I don't remember growing older. When did she?" [Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler On The Roof] . I've never seen teenagers clear a room that fast. ;)

Danger Ahead: Entering Girl Territory

Sitrep: Does putting on my exercise clothes count as improvement?

"Are you going to be okay, or do you need psychiatric help?" [g] My boss said that to our C.O.O. this morning. Just about choked on my hot chocolate. Our COO was late to work, and was spinning an amusing story about nothing going right this morning. From shoes she couldn't buckle, to not being able to find matching earrings, to getting so entralled in news coverage of the CA fires she lost track of time. He said that with such a straight face, too. It's good to see him making jokes again.

Soooooo. I'm in the mood to do something "wild" and "reckless". Not quite itchy feet; I don't get those any more. Not since moving to Montana. But I feel this need to shake things up a bit. I've learned to humor myself in these moods and do something. Otherwise it builds and builds and then I end up doing something drastic. Like joining the Peace Corps. So what else is a woman to do when she needs a change? Why, get her hair done, of course. ;) Tomorrow afternoon I'm heading to my hairdresser. I'm scheduled for a cut and highlights. Have no idea what I'm going to have done.

Right now my hair is about 3 inches past the shoulders; at the shoulder blades. I always wear it up in a clip. Looks dowdy. Frumpy. Old. I want something young and stylish. Except it must be easy to maintain. I'm lazy in the mornings. No major primping for me. Do I cut it short? Medium length? Layers? Spikes? [g] What color highlights should I get? Blonde? But that's so...boring. Red? I like red. I used to have reddish highlights. Until the gray started showing. I was a total redhead for several years. And I do mean red. Along with a short hair cut. It looked good. But that was a decade ago and I was much skinnier. What to do, what to do. Maybe I should add purple highlights. My niece did that recently. So did my little sister. Do you think that would be too "hip" for work? [g] I could just go completely blonde. Hmmmm.

I don't know. I simply want something different than my usual just-above-shoulder-length slightly layered hair with bangs. Sigh. I think tomorrow is going to be dangerous. I need a sign that reads Danger Ahead: Entering Girl Territory

A Portrait of Me

Sitrep: Zero anything. It's beyond frustrating. Worked late both the last 2 nights. Will again tonight. Sleeping horribly. Can't seem to get up early. Actually, having trouble getting up at all!

This is me today

On a roll today!

Goal (M-Su): 3x Arms, 3x Cardio, 1x Abs

Sitrep: 1x Arms, 2x Cardio

;( The smoke has been suhloooowwlyyyy coming back over this week, to the point I've put the AC back on at the house. I just went outside and you can actually smell it now, it's not just haze, and visibility is atrocious. So it looks like the hike tomorrow morning is off. That just makes me crankier...

As does the fact that we are not being let go at 3:30 this afternoon. Oh, no. We have to be open if our members are open. Are they freakin' kidding me? It's Labor Day weekend! The last big weekend of summer. The phone has rung once in the past 3 hours, and that was a personal call for someone here. Really. All our members (and all the companies we deal with) are closing their doors at 3:30. Like they always do. They let us go last year...

Sigh. I was counting on that time to do my workout before heading to Shanni's for the "last BBQ of the summer season". Of course, with the smoke, I have a feeling we are either a) going to end up cooking inside or b) skip the BBQ and go straight to dessert. LOL. Just kidding. We'll do both. Cook inside and eat dessert...

Someone also apparently raided Home Depot and Lowe's, 'cause when I went by nothing is in stock. Except the $800+ models. Ouch.

Ya know, I think I'd better eliminate this cranky mood. It's giving me bad karma! ;)

And no watching the news tonight!

Me

So I've rediscovered some stuff about myself lately that I hadn't even realized I'd forgotten! The debate on the BB about immigration, and my subsequent wading in and researching has made me realize how much I've missed discussing politics and economics and international affairs.

I mean, there was a reason that's what I majored in, and why I got my B.A. in Economics & International Relations in the first place.

Especially the economics stuff. I'd forgotten how much I really, really like this stuff. :) It's like my brain has woken up again.

Anyway. A few things in the news have gotten me going, and I'm just gonna post a bit here before going on to BOOKS.

1) Obesity is Contagious. Heard it on the news this morning. Uh-huh. Apparently, according to a new study,

Our ideas about what's a normal amount of food or exercise, and what counts as a normal body size, all seem to be influenced by the people to whom we're connected. And researchers believe these "norms" ultimately shape our weight.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12237644 Well, duh. Coulda told you that.

2) Housing Market "Slump". Now it's not just subprime mortgages defaulting. Another "well, duh."

When I took the first time homebuyer's class out here in the beginning of 2006, they brought in a bunch of banks/mortgage companies to meet with us individually. I met with 3 of them. One of them was Countrywide. All three of them looked over my credit report and credit score (I'd already obtained them, it was part of the class to get them for the bank meetings). I have excellent credit (yeah, I'm boasting. It was hard work to get that credit score) the highest my banker said she's ever seen. Anyway. ALL of them said I qualified for $120,000 to buy a home. Countrywide was even willing to loan me up to $140,000 for a mortgage. WTF?

See, I'd already done my homework. There was - still is - absolutely no way for me to afford that. Not and buy groceries, put gas in the car, pay the utilities, keep a little set aside for house repairs/emergencies. Not to mention cable and phone and internet. And entertainment (for me, that's my book budget.) Or clothes. What the hell do these people think? That people will live without these things? Hardly. Life isn't worth living otherwise! (Or possible if you have no food!)They absolutely did not take into account any of that. Crazy.

Most I could afford is $80,000. That's $40,000-$60,000 less than what they were willing to give me. That's a big difference when it comes to mortgage payments. So I am not surprised that people are defaulting, even those with good credit. Not with the way gas prices and other prices are rising...seriously.

We live too much on the premise that "bigger is better." And appearances mean everything. Must have the biggest and best of everything. I shake my head as I watch the HGTV shows "Househunters" or "Designed to Sell". A lot of the time these families are saying "We have to get a bigger space because we've run out of room." And as the cameras pan through their homes, I almost inevitably think, "Geez, get rid of some of that stuff and you'll have tons of room!"

Most people I know are appalled at my little house. It's tiny and old and needs work. But it's just me. What do I need with several thousand square feet and four bedrooms and three baths? I don't even use the upstairs space - that's about 600sq feet used on storage. Oh, I have dreams of a craft room and guest room. But all my time is spent in the living room and kitchen.

All those people who are appalled at my little house, are struggling now. But I've absorbed the increased gas prices and other prices (including property tax increases) into my budget. Oh, don't get me wrong, money is tight, but not that tight. I was able to pay Scully's vet bill of $125 in cash this month. Bought that new storm door with pet door in it and paid it off in 2 months. So. Anyway. I just want to know: what the heck happened to personal responsibility? Everyone let the apparent "richness" of the housing market go to their heads. Short term thinking. Hel-lo-o-o. What goes UP must eventually go DOWN.

It's a hard lesson to learn, and I probably sound harsh and full of myself. But hey. It's not like this is new. It's basic personal finance.

And now I've rambled enough...and used up so much space on these two items I'm going to postpone my book post until later. :)