Saturday project and one more off the goal list!

Let the project begin... all taped up, floor behind and under the washer cleaned.. now THAT was gross!  There were at least three socks, a penny, some jewelry pieces and a lot of dirt and fluff back there! Bleck - note to self, clean that much more often!

 where everything went while we painted!!

LOOK who my helper was today - she painted a good 50% of the whole place - especially above the cabinets and behind the washer/dryer!  She was such a trouper!

 one coat done!

 So sad, I said "do the Vanna White Pose" and she had NO idea who Vanna White was.  I'm so old!

We're almost done!  The fish are semi-permanent - one goes on the back porch and they were so inexpensive when I got them (clearance of course) that I got two and the twin has been in the laundry since!  I guess when the outdoor One (which is fading!) dies, this one will move out and I'll get a proper rug.

Now to put up my vinyl on the back wall (to the right in this picture - above the garbage)...

The more I do Laundry... the more I understand Nudism. 

Not sure what color vinyl however...

hahahaha!

And if you remember correct this was done in the BRIGHT color of the three pack I had looked at color wise.  I do believe the kitchen will go to the middle shade rather than this.. It's pretty - just NOT in a large amount in the kitchen.  Lighter for Kitchen it is, descision made - however that painting effort will wait for another weekend.  It will require removal of a boarder... not looking forward to that!

To work, or not to work....

That is seriously becoming a debate in my head…

I am frustrated with my job.  I don’t seem to accomplish anything on a daily basis… I try and I try, but it’s road block after road block after road block.

The level of concern or lack there of is scary.  I guess that’s my issue… I care. Then again, I’m on the front line, I hear it from the users, I get complained to daily.  The ones in the ivory tower don’t hear all the yelling and gnashing of teeth, we do.  Not sure how to make it a point that this is killing us down here….

Band Night.

Did I mention I KNOW these kids don't get their musical talent from me?They don't - Angela is first chair in flute and has a ton of talent.  Liz is really good with clarinet and can pick out music by ear.  Such talent kids. 
Angela was playing with the Jr. High Bands and Liz was color guard in the back left.
I was VERY grateful it was an unseasonably warm evening and we saw all but one band perform - Angela had enough after 4 of the 5 High School bands had performed - couldn't blame her.

promised Photo from the ATL trip with mom

Can you SEE what the draw was on the Asian antique store?  To see this in a garage door type set up... very pretty and very EXPENSIVE at I believe $16,000.00  yes, I believe you read that correctly SIXTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.  It's pretty cool... but not that cool!

Blue Funks

Ok, I’ve been in a blue funk on and off for the last month… can’t seem to shake it.  Face book is doing a month of being grateful, maybe that would help me realize what I do have – what do you think?  So here is a good start to maybe carry me through ½ of my month.

I’m grateful for:

1.       The fact my car fits in the garage after a lot of cleaning and moving – nice to have a warmer car on a colder day

2.       That I don’t live in Utah where it’s snowing and VERY cold

3.       That I don’t have to shovel walks (I could go on for 30 days of that trend)

4.       That the leaves are particularly beautiful this year in color

5.       The fact my Christmas card photo shoot went OK and I have pictures that “will do” for a card for this year

6.       That the girls actually enjoyed the Christmas card photo shoot and had a good time

7.       That I didn’t attempt to put together my own cards this year and print them myself and fight printers and programs, and fuss about it until well after the first of December like I typically do

8.       That everyone is healthy in the family

9.       That Mom and Dad are healthy (with exception to your cold this weekend Mom)

10.   That my family is all talking and on good terms with each other

11.   That I had everything I could possibly want/need in a physical sense… when you look through the Sunday sales adds and NOTHING leaps out at you, you’re doing well, I think… I haven’t seen anything in there in a long time that I would truly want

12.   That I am prepping one daughter to go to college because it means she’s growing up, choosing right decisions (college) and has the grades to even consider it as a viable option

13.   That I have a good car in working order that takes me where I want to go

14.   That I had some simi-disposable income that I can even consider taking my 2^nd  vacation of a life time

15.   That I had friends all over the world that allow me to plan for vacations of a life time

16.   That I’m healthy enough to consider going on these vacations and seeing more of the big wide world

17.   That I can consider taking Liz to Europe and letting her stay the summer with her best friend!

 

There, that should carry me through to part of the month of being grateful… there are always things that sap the energy from me.. like not being able to actually set a date yet, but this too shall pass… soon enough, I’m sure.

Georgia Southern University Open house

Liz and I were up at the crack of dawn yesterday to participate in an open house at Georgia Southern University.  boy, College dorms have SURE changed since I was in college.  No more communal showers, no more communal bathrooms... each one has a bathroom shared by at most two individuals  How would that be??  Wow... what a world
Right on the heels of the dorms in my college town being shut down for the final time due to a heating outage.. it was too costly to fix it... what a sad day in the world, eh?  I did submit one memory that was highly illegal.  We used to sneak up on the roof and just "chill"... didn't do much - well, with one exception I did Frisbee a horrible painting from my summer oil painting class from said roof.  ha!  I guess that would be considered littering.

All in all a very interesting day.  She did talk me into swinging by an international fair in the local area that was a total bust.. of course it was 1pm and it was slated to close at 4pm, but still - maybe 10 food booths and that was about it.  No-one seemed interested that folks were there to check out the fair and it looked rather teen agerish in nature and in construction.  Interesting...

A long drive home, and that was my entire Saturday - what a day!

I take it back, I did have a photo from the day... Liz found a cyberman on a garbage can - and HAD to backtrack after we were done seeing everything to take a picture with MY phone - so it would be a better quality than she had on her phone :o) Geek to the core, that's my girl :)

Mothers, Doctors and trips to Atlanta

Weird subject line, isn’t it?  I agree, but it really is what the subject is.

After talking to others in my same age range with aging parents, I have to say I’m lucky.  I’m very, very lucky both to have my mother still here on this earth with me and to actually like spending time with her.  And I also have a great mother-in-law too, so I’m doubly blessed.  I hear horror stories of parents in homes, parents who are highly dependant and have to live with the family – not that this is a bad thing, I think having older generations in the same house as a great thing for kids to live and learn to appreciate who their grandparents are as people.  Note to self, have more family time with folks :o)

Anyway on to the subject at hand.  Mom had a Dr’s appointment in Atlanta at Emory – the very same place I had my surgery back in 2007 (has it been that long?) so knowing the area was key to getting her there in one piece.  Driving through ATL can be a challenge on a good day and impossible on a bad day.  This was a good day.

 I worked ½ a day and then picked mom up and had a nice lunch at Olive Garden (soup and salad – yum!) then headed north.  We only made one other stop and got to Emory right on time – literally – got there at 2pm for a 2pm appointment.  Hum should have planned that a bit better, eh?  Either way, they didn’t look at us funny.  Mom got in and out fairly quick for a large teaching hospital.

Now, if we headed home, we would get into traffic of schools, work, etc, so *I* had made some plans to go thrifting while there in a LARGE town.

The run down:

1.       Finders Keepers (2134 N Decatur Road) – clothing, just clothing and nice clothing.. but tiny clothing.  Not for me, thanks.

2.       Last Chance (2525 N Decatur Road) – HUGE goodwill sort of place.  Tempted by one console table.  Good prices, but nothing screamed buy me

3.       Buckhead Thriftique (800 Miami Circle #1600) – looked to be very nice – why I headed that way to begin with… but they were CLOSED at 4pm – what the heck?

a.       Side stops here included one place with a moving sale banner that drew us in.  Very nice, very high end, nothing there for me.

b.      Antique Asian Market with a cart in their roll up door (picture forthcoming when I get home)

c.       Note to self, this road is KILLER with shopping!!

4.       Last Chance (yes this is another!) (5488 Peach Tree Industrial) same as the last one, smaller building with a very tempting hotel close out store next door, however, we were running out of daylight and due to NOT knowing the area and shopping thrift, not something I wanted to do in the dark, thanks!

5.       My Favorite Place (5596 Peach Tree) right down the road from the last and the mother load of all fun things.  My whole childhood was in this store… and some of mom’s too.  Found a lunch box like Dad’s old metal one he took to work every day of my childhood… old rotary phones – the big black ones that I would love to have hooked up now in a house just for giggles.  My mother-in-law has one in her kitchen that I just LOVE in a green.  Had the wall one I found in this store been anything other than tan, I think I would have been more tempted to buy it just to mount to the wall (we don’t have a land line!)  There was soooo much in this store it was scary and so much fun!!  By far the best place to end our thrifting trip.  Mom even purchased something at this one too – a nice solid rooster made of cast iron and metal – very nice one too.  What did I purchase?  Nothing – the whole trip – nothing was purchased by me… how very sad, eh?  Not really, I have enough projects to last me a year.

The drive home was adventurous too.  We ran into traffic on 285 just as we hit 85 – so I zipped over on 85 across to 75 south and zipped right along in the HOV lane (carpool) until we were just south of ATL and saw a warning of “all lanes blocked” at Cleveland street.. Where IS Cleveland Street?  Not a clue… so I see the sign, just as I see a lot of solid red so I continued on 85 around the airport…. However, not before I noticed the “all lanes” was only in reference to the actual Cleveland exit… 75 was clear as a bell, drat it.  Oh, well, just a few more miles out of the way and around the airport… zipped back over on 285 to 75 and headed south… doubled my miles the whole way – but better than sitting in a parking lot, I guess.

All in all a great day!!

Daylight Savings Time...? Really?

This weekend was a full one (when are they NOT full?)  We had a friend of Angela’s overnight Friday night and most of the day on Saturday.

The kids really enjoyed that part – they slept until they wanted to get up, they did nothing but play games on the xbox up stairs and visit, talk, eat, play… ah, the life!

We had to take Liz to the school at 4pm for her last football game and we headed to the fish fry.  She was NOT happy she was missing the fish fry this year again – seems it always conflicts with football schedules in the last few years.  Poor Lizzie! 

We had a good time while there, Butch was flying kites and I was helping the gals with the fish (no complaints, as we get all the gossip while in there too!).. we ate and sat around and chatted by the fire late into the evening.  We were some of the very last to leave and got home about midnight – just in time for Butch to get Liz from the school after her return from the football game (they won!)

Sunday morning I woke up LATE – looked at my clock and thought – WOW – it’s LATE, then looked at the TV and discovered it was changed already – well, lookie there, it wasn’t THAT late after all – ha!  Good theory.  I really didn’t sleep all that long as compared to when I went to bed and when I woke up, but let’s just say that it was over 8 hours… but under 10  J  Ah, the life!!  I got up to find Angela still at home and not on her way to church as she had overslept as well due to our late arrival home the night before.  

We had another bummy weekend day lazing around, doing laundry and waiting for Butch’s 15 bean soup to finish in the crock pot – it smelled SOOO good cooking!! 

I did a few more coats of paint on my projects – and even took a BEFORE picture of a few of the new ones (finally remembered).  Ran to Lowes for more spray paint… let them dry one more time then moved them all into the garage along with my car.. yes, it’s true, the car is STILL in the garage.. now to keep it that way J

Today…. Sinus headache… what’s up with that?  I did notice late yesterday there was a front or something coming through as it clouded up like it was going to rain… I don’t think it did actually rain, however.  Hum.  This morning seems to be fairly clear.

 

Goal revisited

• Kitchen    • Tile in the kitchen backsplash
   • Paint the kitchen (ok, these have to go in order – tile first – THEN paint)
• Master bathroom
   • Paint the ceiling with the new ceiling paint I just purchased
   • Paint the walls to match the brown in the potty room.
• Have the living room painted (by someone else)
   • I would LOVE to get some crown molding put up at the same time….
• Trees:
• Install screen door
• Paint the front door frame
• Sprinklers:
   • Find the sprinkler box UNDER the ground from when the wall was put in a year ago…
   • Get the new sprinklers laid
   • Borrow the trencher and put the new sprinklers

I think I first published these goals about a year ago... but look they ARE getting done.  I'm still toying with the kitchen color.  I think the current goal is to paint the laundry room first so I can see if I like the much BRIGHTER color for the whole room, or if I should tone it down for the main room.

So there it is in writing - PAINT ... starting with laundry room
how about I just get the laundry done today instead?
Yeah... that sounds good.
I did accomplish another coat of paint on a LOT of little projects outside today.. so that is something... not really the end goal, but something :)

Why I love my new buiding the photo explanation

This is the hallway outside of my door - I'm actually standing in my doorway looking towards what used to the be the gym - that is natural light you see at the end of that hall - the hallway is flooded with light from the courtyard and from the big windows at the end of each of the hallways to left and right.  Ah... light... the opposite direction has the same effect

 Turning around facing into our room - what you can't see is there is a window the the left and right of this photo - albeit above the cubicle walls, it is still natural light into the room...

 What I can see if I'm sitting in my chair and just turn around.  There are squirrels in the trees too - and, well, in our ceilings for the time being too - ha!  Small problem.  Two rooms over there is a panel missing in the ceiling and the gal turned around to see a squirrel checking her out from the hole - how funny!  This is also our FAT trap door... note the cube goes one third over the door -doesn't stop us!!  I have since put two rugs - one inside the door and one outside the door for the dirt factor. :o)

 My cube in the background... where I sit.every day for the better part of 8 hours.  it's smaller than before, but really, I LIKE it... Even Butch said I'm a lot happier since I moved into this building.  I really think it has to do with getting more sunshine in my day!

 What I see when I step out the door... ah, it's so nice!!  It's more of a fall landscape now with leaves changing fast.

 the white building you can see to the right of the picture is the BX (clothing store, like a mini-target without the grocery store). they have a food court and this is where I will walk to most of the time for lunch.  short white building in the FAR distance (not really that far).. is the commissary (grocery store) so no more excuses that I can't get to the commissary for shopping - drat it!  Within walking distance there is a Pizza Depot that has everything from Pizza to burgers to salads.  There is a bowling ally with a grill within walking distance and of course the BX food court with two sandwich shops, a Cinnabon (I have avoided it this far!), a pizza place, and a Mexican place.  Ah... the life!!

Fall School Pictures

NOW I remember why I don't buy school pictures!

 This is SO not Angela - she isn't smiling big - she looks like she's in pain (or constipated!)... HATE this picture of her.... she is SO much more beautiful than this picture shows and something with the angle gives her a MUCH more rounded face than in reality.  Horrible picture!

Liz's, I had to take a picture of a picture (from her school ID) because I don't know where her package went to purchase (thus couldn't get a good picture of it...)... I like hers well enough.  But there are no glasses - reality is that there are glasses in her life.  Hum.. interesting. 

Even though I don't buy them, I do want to see them, look at them.  Then take my own with their personality shining through :)

Happy Halloween (yes, I know this is late - we've been busy!)

 I think Angela changed outfits about three times before heading out.. she had this choice on first, then went to bride of Frankenstein (*my favorite!) then back to this - vampire girl :) 

Her Friend - Miss M is a SkullAnimal person.  Cute girls!

 Not sure about the bloody bandage on her wrist, but it's an addition that couldn't be passed up given it was in the blood package I picked up for the night :)

 Liz looks positively scary and actually answered the door to some trick-or-treaters and gave them a second thought about getting candy form this house!  ha!  Can you believe that is her MIDDLE SCHOOL chorus dress?  Yes, she's a Junior now... and it still fits - it's a few inches short in the length, but overall the rest fits just fine.

Although looking horrible, actually a smile for me before she headed out... all alone with her sword in hand ... She never did catch up with her sister on their rounds. 

They were all back in the house at 7:30 and 8:00 - Angela came home first, then Liz came in thinking it was closer to 9pm since it was dead (no pun intended) out here...  Our last trick-or-treater came at about 7:50 - then NO MORE.  I went through about 3 1/2 bags of candy where as we typically go through about 5.  Weird event this year.  It didn't seem nearly as busy I actually watched part of the Walking Dead (zombie apocalypse show filmed out of Atlanta for those not in the know) between treaters.. how appropriate, eh?

Hot Tub Season is now OPEN!

Yes, it’s official – hot tub season is now open and in full swing… the tub has been heated and occupied for about an hour last night – ah, the life!!

Come on out and join in on the soaking!

 

College Meet and Greets and choices...

Well, last night was a meet and greet with Georgia Southern University.   We’re trying to get Liz to concentrate on a school or two to figure out just WHERE she wants to go.  This could be interesting.

She has been to the SUU Campus (my Alma Mater) by default because *I* wanted to see how much it had grown and changed since the 80’s and boy has it!!  It’s still a very small campus (only about 4 city blocks long and two city blocks wide), but has a lot more to offer than when I went there. 

We drove through the GSU campus on Saturday night on the way home from the band competition in Statesboro and it was large, but looked to be fairly manageable and they have transportation on campus, so that is a plus.

There is an open house on campus on the 12^th, so I guess that is the next step – have her go there and see what she likes.

I should have all my nieces and nephews and even Sister tell her how great SUU is and the benefits of it as well.  Butch doesn’t want her going that far away from home, however it could be an option in the future…. Or not.  I think she is destined for a much brighter future than I could even dream of.  We have even teased her about Harvard… maybe it’s not so far fetched…

So – for now, we keep visiting campus’ and see what she feels is a good fit.

Should I tell her Princeton is a very small cute campus too?  Hee hee hee.

Tupperware....

On our trip to Orlando this fall, I inadvertently left a whole Tupperware full of crackers as well as a jar of peanut butter in the cabinet of the Condo.  Was it worth it to call the condo place?  Do you think they would have kept it – it took me a few weeks to even discover it was missing?  Sigh.  Today I went over to the BX and picked up a replacement container from the Tupperware Lady… did I mention just HOW much I like my new office location?

I now have a door and a window to my back – which you would think would bug the crud out of me with folks behind me all day, but really I don’t mind as I can look OUTSIDE.  This is a first – in 15 years with civil service and 5 years with contractors for the government and this is the first time I have a window, much less a door!!

I’m so thrilled with the cubicle I have.  So thrilled that I can actually walk out the door.. even if it is a “fat trap” – aka it’s not to be used for anything other than emergency as it’s partially blocked with the cubicle furniture… thereby making it a smaller than normal opening.

Even with all the horrible flimsy furniture (plus side is it’s new), and the odd door, and the fact that it is a school house and still is very much so with the tack strips down the hall that everyone saw fit to decorate with cutouts for the holiday (yes, now it SCREAMS school house)… even with all that I LOVE the new place.  Parking is wonderful.  You can walk to multiple food locations:  BX has sandwich shop, pizza place, Philly cheese place, and a taco place; class 6 has Churches Chicken; bowling alley; old NCO club has the pizza depot.  AND the thrift store is also within walking distance.  Yes, yes, I know – NOT where I need to go, but I still do!

I’m in love with my new work location!!

 

Concessions

This was our last weekend with concessions too – this year I only missed one game.  I had a sinus headache/migraine and just wasn’t up for it that night.  I thought there was ONE more home game that I was going to ditch… one that they had swapped from a Friday to a Saturday.  Turned out that was/is an away game, this last Friday was the last day our team would man the concessions – so I did my motherly duty as well as my school duty and did the concessions for my 3^rd year – yeah me!!

 

Band Competitions

Last year there were three band competitions if I remember correctly – one in Southern GA, one in Atlanta (really enjoyed that one) and another to the west, I believe (we didn’t go to it).  

 

This year there was only one and it was this weekend.  

 

Do I have a single picture?  Nope. 

 

Did I care?  Not really, I really enjoyed sitting there and watching the performance and cheering on the kids instead of worrying about missing a shot, and trying to get it “just so”… it was nice to sit, snuggle and watch the performance.  It was COLD – 40’s which to some isn’t too bad, but for us warm blooded folks, cold!.

 

The kids did GREAT.  They got excellent in all the classes and over hall “High Guard” as well.  They were excited. 

 

They still lost the overall best in show… but that is because there is a smaller band that goes for the “fun” factor and always puts on an excellent show (sorry Liz, but they really do have the entertainment factor down!)  Our band is good, really good and really BIG.  They are huge compared to most on the field and they can do some intricate work.  However, they do it as a band does, without a “show” and without much more than the band uniforms… these guys were dressed like crash test dummies or road crew or something… and really hammed it up.  Ah, well – our guys are good and very intricate and very formal :o)  That’s a good thing too.

 

All in all a good weekend activity.  Angela got to bring a friend with her, so was running back and forth to the concessions and here there and everywhere.  Half the time wrapped in blankets, which I didn’t care because they were red, so I never really lost sight of them!  Ha!

Project in full swing!

 Low and behold you CAN see the original color still from the bottom side.  I guess I haven't perfected the art of spray paint at all angels yet and spray from my HIGH vantage point without taking height into consideration - woops!

 All painted and looking loverly on the mantle with some tiny pumpkins :)

The full Mantle experience

BOOOOO!

Just don't look up!!!

Woops - you looked up!

things still hanging around on the floor that will go outside come Halloween night (floor) and a rat infestation!

The mantle

Sofa table on the wall behind the sofa...

Project in the works

Three vases/candle stands are being repainted... and would you know it, I forgot to take a BEFORE picture - drat it!!!

Oh, well.  It was a brass vase (with scroll work sides, so not solid functional vase, just decorative), a candle stand in multi colors with the same type of open work and a solid ceramic vase that started out as a gaudy gold...

Let the painting begin - they are BLACK now and will go on my mantle with some pumpkins on top of them....

Photo to follow after I get the final coat of black on them… and if I think about it a shot of some of them where the original color still shows through – if I remember!!