If its that much fun, it doesn't feel like volunteering

I usually spend about 4 hours each Saturday at a nearby thrift store that supports a great charity/ministry.  The woman who runs the store is just great.  She's like the sister who got separated at birth, you know?  We have similar backgrounds with similar stories and similar problems.  We have the same sense of humor and have a really good time working together.  She is married while I am not and she has two kids to my one, but I enjoy being around her so much!
I'm actually a little nervous about transitioning our friendship out of the "work"place, for fear of wrecking things somehow.  Silly, huh?  What a treasure she is for me!

Such cute little stuffed... rats?

These rats were sold as a way to get your child to develop a greater love for nature.  Really?  Rats?  The photos don't really do them justice.  These are not cute little humanistic rats with happy smiles on their faces.  To be fair, they also don't have an evil red glint in their eyes either, but they are... rats.  And now I have a pair of my very own!

Retail therapy

I took myself shopping today.  I managed to avoid spending too much money-under $50 anyway.  The best thing I got was a set of measuring spoons that I COULD NOT RESIST!  They are heavy and wonderful and I only hope that they are accurate as well.  Anthropologie

Bike rider extrodinaire

So I went for a nice bike ride last night.  The weather was still quite cool, so I wore winter gloves most of the time, but it was nice and sunny.  I tried to estimate how far I'd ridden-I hoped for at least seven miles, but was prepared to call it six or seven.
WELL-I had some time to kill while I was avoiding my teenager so I drove the route in my car and it was 10.4 miles!  Yeah me! 
It was also very encouraging that by the time I got back home from the ride, I wasn't dead tired. I'm not sure just how much more I could have ridden, but it was good nonetheless!  Of course my destination was closed, so I wasn't able to get a few things adjusted, nor was I able to purchase real riding gloves or a cyclometer, but maybe...Friday?  I think we have storms forecast for the next five days, though.

A little more light over here, please!

We have payments made for my company by Wells Fargo and whenever I see that name, it makes me sing the song, either in my head or out loud.  (I have a similar problem with Saginaw, thanks to Simon & Garfunkel.) I had explained this to the two women I work with recently, just so they'd know why I suddenly burst into that song every few days.  Well, it happened again this morning.  So then I commented that the song was from O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A, but then corrected myself and said The Music Man.  And also sang little parts of some of the other songs from that show, although I couldn't remember the name of the song that Buddy Hackett sang in the film version (Shipoopi).  One of my Christian co-workers joked that I should try out for a musical.  A little later, on a whim, I Googled amateur theater in Illinois and came across open auditions for... The Music Man!  In about a month.  In the next town over (I could ride my bike!) Wow!  I couldn't believe it. 

As if that wasn't enough, a little later than that, I started to wonder about the theater company, and whether they might support a point-of-view that I don't ascribe to and, what do you think I found?  Bible verses.  They are a Christ-centered theater company!  What an amazing God!

Why can't he just do nothing?

Apparently my darling child feels he cannot get a job because they just won't hire him because he isn't 18 yet, even though he is available any time.  I feel he cannot get a job because he hasn't applied more than three places and he won't speak to the manager.  He knows several people who are not yet 18 who have jobs...  he's just lying to himself and lying to my face now whenever I ask him how the job hunt is going.  My real problem is why I don't just let him sponge off me for the next ___ months or years-whatever his lazy little heart desires, right?  The poor dear just isn't ready for the big scary world of retail sales in the west suburbs.

Not now allergic to nuts or shellfish

I went to an allergist a little over a week ago to find out just what nuts and which shellfish I am allergic to.  Turns out that I am not currently allergic to either.  The last time I was tested was about 20 years ago.  At that time I was allergic to trees, which I am also not now allergic to either.  Now, don't even get me started on my current mold, grasses, cats, dogs and ragweed allergies.  So ever since he told me, I've been eating almonds and pecans like there is no tomorrow.  Gonna make some zucchini bread with walnuts, maybe even tonight.  Especially if the weather doesn't get better and I can't get out there on my bike...! 

What is that smell?

(I apologize right now that this is the third post in a row with a question for a title)

So first my son acts completely disinterested in what I have to say and just now I walked past his room and some awful smell is emanating from it.  In the past he has watched Stargate as well as Monk, so I had stopped by to say that Lt. Discher is on tonight's Stargate episode (Linnea is back!)


The time has come, the Walrus said... for my son to grow up.  He's the one who decided to leave high school early so now he needs to GET A JOB and clean up his room.  In 50 more days he turns 18 and that's when the turnip hits the fan.  I will no longer have a legal responsibility for his lazy butt and I can ask him to leave.  He has applied for 3 jobs in the past five weeks since he left school.  As if!  Three???  He didn't even do it in person.  Tick tock tick tock

Hoarder?

Worst handwasher ever?

I've experienced this quite a few times with the same person.  This person is washing her hands after going potty.  The water runs for three seconds, max.  Then I come out and there is dripped water all over the paper towel stack and I just want to leave!  She reaches with one hand to pump soap on one hand and turns the water on with the other.  The hands join VERY briefly under the water (remember that the water is only on for three seconds) and she's already turning off the water.  The part that turns my stomach is that she is then dripping dirty water and soap all over the stack of paper towels.  The cleaning people no longer use the more-sanitary dispenser because someone has put a sign over the garbage can section below.  I'm torn between wanring the other people who use the room and simply using a different bathroom myself.  Saying something directly to that person is out of the question and you'll just have to trust me on that one.  YUCK!

Slowly kicking the addictions?

I just uninstalled one social game and I had uninstalled another yesterday.  Which leaves me with two, but that's better than three, right?  I think I should get down to one, but maybe that will happen tomorrow.  Sundays can be lonely days for me.  After the glory of corporate worship, I come home to either a sleeping teenager or an empty house.  I know I should spend the day with the Lord, but I don't have a ton of practice with that and it just ends up feeling... lonely.

Shift in Vision

So as I was debating with myself about how much time was reasonable to spend building up a fake business, it dawned on me that a better use of my time would be to interact with real people.  Now I'm not talking about how much or little time I spend with real-live humans, but what I choose to do with my home-time, my creative energy (to some extent).  So instead of virtually working to build up an electronic restaurant, I'm going to spend more time doing this.  Well, not EXACTLY this, because right now I'm blogging instead of listening to a world-class sermon.  On that note...

Reverse SAD

YES!  Read this!  I LOVE THIS ARTICLE!  YES!!!

Recovering TapFish addict

I guess I'll admit it now-I was a TapFish junkie.  Every day i'd take care of those little electronic fish.  I even spent some real money to buy fake money to use in there.  NO MORE!  They let me down for the very last time.
Have you tried Farm Story?

Priorities

I just realized that my last three posts were all product-endorsement-related and it looks like I'm trying to be some sort of advertising person or critic or something.  I'm NOT!  I won't do that again, well, not three posts in a row anyway :)

I don't seem to have my life's priorities figured out.  Well, maybe in my head, but I certainly haven't really embraced them in my heart, it would seem.  I keep getting pulled off in "other" directions, finding myself in foolish choices and being badly affected by things that have no real value according to my own priorities.

And then God  puts one or two good people in my path to help me remember what I was intending.  And who light a little larger section of my path with their own "this little light of mine".  I'm not very grateful by nature, but I could cry when I realize how much He must care for me to send me little gifts like those people.

The secret to a lasting "natural" home manicure

I swear by this stuff.  It is a thin coat of rubber that really makes your polish last longer.

Dansko Professional clogs

I was pretty hesitant about spending $125.00 for a pair of shoes (I'm just cheap that way, I guess) however--- THESE CLOGS ARE GREAT!  After a four-hour stint on my feet, my back and feet were fine.  I highly recommend them.

Dinner of champions

For those nights when you don't have the energy, time or ingredients to make anything good for dinner. ;-)

A cool old rocker

And I don't mean Steven Tyler.  I got it at a resale shop.  It needs new fabric but I think it will only need one yard so I can get something pretty stunning (expensive-ish).  It also folds up, another handy feature for my tidy little condo, n'est ce pas?  It's a little hard to see in this light but there is some simple carving on the neck.

Resolve to...

I don't like saving up resolutions for the beginning of a new year, but it is just practically inevitable, right?  And also practically inevitable that by this, the twelfth day of the year, I'm already a little behind on those things I wanted to keep on top of....  sigh

What does this look like to you?

At first glance, it appears to be a nifty old knitting machine and a red bag full of accessories and such.  When I look a little closer, however, the truth is revealed.  It is a handy-dandy excuse to put off working on my living room project.  I REFUSE THE HEAR THE SIREN'S CALL, however.  Like that ancient sailor I will lash myself to the mainsail and forge ahead on my chosen path. Once the carpet is down and the furniture puchased and the walls painted and the drapes hung, then--and ONLY then-- will I allow myself the pleasure of opening the latches and learning how to knit with a machine from 1961---see, it already lured me to look in the instruction manual!!!  (It was manufactured in Japan? How cool is that? I wonder if it's written with better English than the e-mails I get...)

What have I gotten myself into???

It's gonna be fine, right?  I can do this, right?  Today I lifted ten thirty-pund boxes of carpet into my car, drove home and carried ten thirty-pound boxes of carpet up the stairs and into my home.  Now I just have get the stuff installed.  :'(
What have I gotten myself into???  Wait-wait---it's EXERCISE, right?

Crocheted teacups and such

I've been crocheting coffee cups and teacups and recently a couple of teapots as well.  I really like the free-form nature of the process, but also the restriction of the form and the final shape, too.  So far no one seems to object to getting one as a gift.  I've started a mis-matched set for a coworker's birthday present-at her request, I might add.  Keeping Mrs. Potts and Chip in mind as I work...

Popcorn floor for now

I'm getting there.  I just wish my living room didn't suddenly look so TINY.  Although that should be an encouragement to work harder since it no longer has the nightmarishly large proportions it had when it was just a looming project in my head.

I can't get this to turn, so tip your head to your left shoulder :)

There is still plastic draped over way too much of my living/dining room, but the photo below has given me hope!

This one also needs action on your part to work right (or left, as the case may be!)  Finally enough book shelves, thanks to Ikea and the sweat of my brow.

New technology

Sorry, I wasn't trying to be cryptic - my last smart phone just wasn't, so I got a new one that is better a few weeks back.  It takes nicer photos than my camera and now has the blogger app too, so I should be putting both of those things to good use.  I will catch up on the photos today.

Put this technology to (good?) use

It May not be Jan first anymore, but when a good idea hits your gray matter, you should act.  This is the first (horrible) picture in a long line of pictures to come.  This is also my one-hundred-and-first post to this blog.