figuring out 40

i had plans

Big plans. Plans that included organizing and cleaning and de-cluttering and bill paying and getting things done and and and and...

And now it's Sunday night and I need to go to bed. And I've accomplished exactly NOTHING this weekend. Damn it. Where does the weekend go?

I barely left the house on Saturday. Slept in a little. Got up, grabbed a cup of coffee, and headed down to my scrap-room. I'm just going to work on a layout real quick. And several hours later, after Rob & Austin have left for a ball game, I realize that I still haven't taken a shower or changed out of the t-shirt that I slept in or consumed anything other than coffee. Eeewww. So I showered, and came downstairs and looked at the layout and said WTF? and ripped it apart and started over. And I'm still not sure that I like it, so I'm not posting it. At some point, the boys came home and I made spaghetti and I laid on the couch and watched a re-run of Project Runway.

We got up fairly early this morning (which means sleeping in for those of you who still have wee ones)...grabbed a cup of coffee, and headed into the Bay for a triathalon. If you thought, even for a moment, that either of us actually competed in this triathalon....you are either delusional, or far too kind. We were cheering on our friends Glenn, Murray, Matt, and Rachael. It was a lot of fun, and really brought back memories of my Dad's triathalon days. After the triathalon, we realized that we'd forgotten to eat (again) and went to get some lunch....by way of Home Depot. Because Austin wants to paint his room this week. Then the boys went to a ballgame (again) and I went to the grocery store to buy food to take over to Glenn & Ronnie's house....b/c we've gotten in the habit of eating there every weekend this summer. And in case you were wondering, I made a kick ass lemon-strawberry trifle for dessert. Yum.

And just so you know, the title of this entry is a nod to Grey's Anatomy and that scene in the season finale where Mer is explaining that Finn has plans. And dude. I can't wait for that show to come back on.

effer dare #37

I dig these dares. Positive self-talk. Wrapped in a little sarcasm, but still. And I should probably add "takes cool pictures one-handed in the kids filthy bathroom mirror" to this list. I guess I could have cleaned the mirror...but I cloned out the spots in PSE instead. What? It's their mirror...they can clean it! I also spent an exorbitant amount of time trying to get an urban acid action to work in PSE...I have this nifty little work around that usually makes it possible. But I couldn't get it to work, so I just played with the saturation & levels instead. Anyway. Happy Friday, y'all.

on talking and teaching

I am involved in the second phase of a software selection project. I (fortunately) missed the first round of web demonstrations. We've brought the 3 finalists in to present a more in-depth look at their application and how it would suit our business. These are 8 hour demonstrations. 8 freakin' hours.

Today is the 3rd demonstration. Please, please, please... for the love of....let this presenter be at least marginally skilled at presenting. Is that too much to ask? I realize that a lot of people do not enjoy public speaking. Those people should not be working in a field that requires them to give presentations. Especially 8 hour presentations.

For someone who has a background in public speaking, some experience in sales, and a lean toward a type-A work personality....these presentations have been like nails on a chalkboard. The presenters are supposed to be both teaching & selling. Teaching us how the software works. Selling us on how it will work for our company. I really don't want to hear that you prepared last night (committed to our project, eh?), that you aren't familiar with the version that is loaded on your laptop (damn those software fairies that loaded your machine w/o your knowledge), or that you don't have ANY freakin' examples to show of reporting that is pertinent to our company's function (this is round 2, folks, and we GAVE YOU A DISK OF INFO!).

Now, to be fair, I work best under pressure. So prepping the night before is not a foreign concept. But I have never used that as an excuse for why I'm not prepared.

This is, however, a good exercise for me to go through because I am going to start teaching at our lss in August. I do not want to put any of the attendees through the pain that I'm going through now. So for those of you that teach....and those of you that take classes....let me know what else I should keep in mind. Bring on the {free} advice!!

back to our regularly scheduled programming...

I'm done....my MMM entry is finally done! I finished up all the forms (holy forms batman!) and will mail it off today. Feels good. Entering a major contest was a goal of mine this year, and I am patting myself on the back for getting this entry done.

Oh, a funny blog thing...I got an anonymous comment! Cracked me up. And even though I have my suspicions as to who it is (not really anonymous), I told my Mom that it feels like a rite of passage. Now I just need some spam and I'll have really hit the big time! LOL

Lots of little recap-y things since I haven't blogged in days:

• Hope is safe & sound in CA. They decided to stay in Santa Cruz first to wait out some of the heat in Fresno. Hope said it was "kinda boring" b/c her cousins weren't there...I said "listen honey, I'll be kinda bored in Santa Cruz any day...wanna switch?"
• Austin is having fun in lacrosse camp this week...after getting over a moment of panic on Monday when he read the warning on his stick..."Lacrosse is a dangerous sport. You are at risk of crippling injury, even death." Sounds like fun, right?
• Saw Rumor Has It on Saturday...very predictable, but a fun movie nonetheless. I love this quote from it: "Life has to be a little nuts sometimes. Otherwise it's just a bunch of Thursdays strung together." Oh, and Kevin Costner is in it...yum.
• The Sept/Oct issue of Simple Scrapbooks is starting to arrive in stores - if you see it, flip to page 101. I did 2 assignments for this issue, but only one made it into the magazine (which I'm totally fine with...that's just the way publishing works sometimes!).
• I spent 11 hours at Scrapbook Central on Sunday...phew! Jean is in the midst of rearranging the store, so I went to help with that. And then we attempted to scrapbook after...and I was reminded that I *suck* at scrapbooking anywhere but home. I wound up getting home a little after 11:00pm, and stayed up until 1:30 scrapping right here at my scraptable. Funny how that works. After all the stressing over all of the journaling in my MMM entry, I really wanted to do something simple...

Alright, that's all for now...I promise to update more often. Wouldn't want anonymous to get all bent out of shape.... 

charged with blog neglect

I plead guilty, your honor. It's been a crazy busy week & typepad keeps doing wonky things to me, hence I've been neglecting the blog. Lots to cover, so let's bullet, shall we?

• So long smiley - in a move worthy of it's own post (I'll get to that eventually), Rob gave his notice to a certain big box retailer that he's worked for over the past 9 1/2 years. Wow. Still lots to do before I'm confident in spilling the whole story, but I'll just say that he's sorta self-employed now (well, in two weeks anyway). It will all work out (said while crossing fingers & toes).
• Jack of all trades, Master of none? - well, let's hope not! I'm making progress on my MMM entry. It's grueling. One would think that 5 layouts would be a walk in the park...not so much when your mojo is playing hide & seek.
• Going back to Cali - not me, Hope...she leaves on Saturday for a week in Fresno, and a week in Santa Cruz. We will miss her terribly, but she ADORES this annual trip, so I'm totally happy for her. And she'll bring me fresh tortillas, so it's all good (yes, Beck, I'll count the damn points for those!).
• Who Knew? - that I would like this girl so much? Totally diggin'...
• If my cousin Karen had a blog - she'd have some super cool news to share....I'm just saying.
• LOVING my Tucson - and my Dad took the news fairly well. :)
• WW works - not to sound like an infommercial or anything, but there's no denying that this program works. And I love that one of my co-workers calls it "the club"...as if I'm in some way coolio group (of fat women who eat cookies in the closet, but whatever).
• I dislike bugs - so the japanese beetles that are swarming my house are REALLY starting to get on my nerves.

That's all I've got. Be good.

my dad is going to kill me

My Dad is a car guy. I'm sure that the fact that my Mom drives a 2006 Mustang is heavily influenced by Dad. He did, after all, get her older Mustang when she bought the new one. When I bought a Subaru wagon, my Dad just kind of sighed...he was sure that the air in VT was just too thin (or too cold), and that it was affecting my judgement. Then, we bought an Aztek for Rob...I'm sure that my Dad thought we'd just completely lost our minds.

Dad, I'm sorry...

I'm contemplating buying a Hyundai Tucson. I picked it up at the dealership last night, and am test driving it until tomorrow. So far....thumbs up. Austin has declared that he loves it. Hope likes that it has a 6 CD changer. She has her priorities.

As you'll see from the pictures, it's silver. Which is kind of a joke in our house b/c Rob doesn't like silver. He often says "silver isn't a color." He ate those words the year that the kids & I wrapped every single Christmas present for him in...you guessed it...silver wrapping paper. He's already said that he can live with the color. That's progress.

So, if anyone has any thoughts to contribute to this decision....speak now or forever hold your keys peace.

20 minutes

I got up this morning and walked on my treadmill. For 20 minutes. I listened to my ipod, leafed through a couple of scrapbook magazines, and watched as the counter ticked off the minutes. At 10, I told myself..."halfway there." At 15, I told myself..."just 5 more." At 17, I told myself...."last song." I have this running conversation with myself because I don't like that I have to exercise. Really. I know that some people love working out(coughReneecough)...and i envy that mindset. It's not the activity that I dislike so much...it's the need. Anyway.

It's also 20 minutes to ponder. And I think that's helping my mojo. Shhhh....don't read that out loud b/c you might scare it off. LOL.

In my non-scrapbook ponderings, I've been thinking about an article in this month's Prevention magazine. The writer talks about why we use "I'm fat" as a way to cover up what else we're feeling. I'm all about defense mechanisms, so I like this theory. And I've been saying "I'm fat" a lot lately...what's that about? After several sessions on the treadmill (hey, it's cheaper than therapy), I have come up with several reasons...

• I feel out of control - several things have been fallen off of my regular to-do list, and it's caused a sense of panic that I'm not "on top of it"...finances being one of those things. So last night, I spent some quality time with online sites having to do with several accounts, and I'm feeling a little more informed about where we're at.
• I feel inadequate - I know, I know....I shouldn't let other people affect how I feel about myself. I KNOW. But I let someone convince me that I wasn't good enough....that I wasn't as good as someone else. That sucks. I can't easily fix that one, but I'm trying talk myself out of it when that feeling comes up. 'Cause that's the one that says to me "well, you're not good enough anyway, you might as well eat some ice cream." Whoa....isn't that giving in? I don't like giving in, so I'm trying to redirect that energy (hence the treadmill again).
• I am disappointed with myself - I have gained weight. I've let weight become an issue by letting food become a non-issue. And that's not okay. There's not a single meal, a single food, a single drink that stands out to me as AMAZING in the past few weeks. So, I've wasted this weight gain on so-so food? That's just dumb.

Who knew that the words "I'm fat" packed such a punch, huh? Hopefully, 20 minutes on the treadmill can help diffuse their power.       

stuff and a swap

Sonia and I did a photo swap recently...and (as usual), I'm slow about getting it posted. I had this rockin' photo of her daughter to work with, so the rest was easy....

Lori came over to scrapbook yesterday, and brought me the CUTEST book that she found in Maine. And she was right...if I would have read it in front of her, I would have bawled. Lori is just about the sweetest person that I've ever met. And the fact that she is an awesome scrapbooker....well, really, could I ask for any more? Oh, and the book! Check this out, my Pea Friends....

Freakin' awesome! I think I'll be placing an order at Eat Your Peas very soon! Love you Lori!

Productive (and rain free) weekend...did some much-needed gardening, some much-needed cleaning, and some much-needed scrapbooking. And b/c it was rain free and not terribly hot, we cooked our dinners on the grill, and ate out on the deck. That's what summers are for, right?

Hope & I went to see The Devil Wears Prada on Saturday night. Cute movie. We had both read the book, and for once, weren't disappointed in the screenplay.

party on Wayne

Yet another party last night. That makes 3 in the last 6 days. With basically the same group of people. Fun friends. This one was to celebrate our friend Renee's birthday....and because we're all responsible adults, we chanted we ain't leavin' till Renee is heavin' as often as we could. We're teaching the children that peer pressure never ends. :)

I realize that I haven't posted since Austin got home from his week in NY. Despite the fact that the area was heavily flooded, he had a great time. Hung out with family, got spoiled, ate lots of pasta. It's good to have him home. I had missed this cute face...

Happy Friday!

west nile & tequila

I'm pretty sure there's a connection....as in, if you drink enough margaritas, you won't notice that you're an all-night buffet for mosquitos, and you'll end up with a MILLION bites that will likely lead to west nile. Makes sense, eh? Only I wish that the virus would kick in right about now so that I could call in sick to work. Because I'm fairly sure that most of the free world is off today. That would NOT include me.

Yesterday was a complete and total time-sink day. Which might be related to the aforementioned margaritas. Anyway...we slept in. Drank some coffee. Read the paper. Drank some more coffee when a friend stopped by. Went for a ride to look at new vehicles. Wandered around a couple of nurseries looking for plants that I didn't have the energy to...uh...plant. Came home. Watched 3/4 of some really cheesy, totally unrealistic movie about sharks that were genetically modified. Hope came home. Ordered pizza for dinner. Tried to scrap, but didn't have *just* the right color Bazzill.

Riveting. I know.

In other news...oh wait...there's isn't any other news. Hmmm. I guess I'll go to work. Enjoy your day off!!