Weekly Recap

Well getting ready for the weekend and tomorrow is a bit busy.



I have vowed that I will get to the health club at least one of the two days this weekend.

I have just been invited to take the place of my sister in a class on how to develop a website. My sister is out of town so I will take her place with her friend Sandy at the class held at a local library.

I am going to participate in my first crop at my local Archiver's store tomorrow night. I hope that it is fun and that I get a lot of crafting accomplished.

Have set up an appointment for Maggie to get groomed in our house. My brother's friend who grooms on site will be coming next week to "do" Maggie's hair. Coincidentally that is the same day that I too will be getting a haircut and dye.

Angels & Demons

I highly recommend the book "Angels & Demons". I finished it last evening and just when I thought that I had it all figured out there was a twist and then another. Very good read. I now am going to rent the movie to see how they brought the book to life.

Cards

The Biggest Loss

No, I am not putting up double digits on the scale at my weekly Weight Watchers meeting. No, I am not putting in hours of exercise every day. In fact I haven't even been to the gym yet. But, last night I achieved the highest weight loss so far. I released 3.4 pounds and reached my 5% mark. To date I have released 12 pounds in 10weeks. Having surpassed that first 10 pounds has given me more motivation. My clothes are feeling looser and I have begun to feel much better about myself.

So for all those Biggest Losers on the TV program and those like me who are just plugging away to make a healthier life. Kudos to YOU! And remember if you stumble and have a bad day, pick yourself up, brush off the stumble and keep moving forward!

Just Some Cards

Not much going on, getting deeper into the book that I am currently reading. Dan Brown's "Angels & Demons". I can't wait to finish (about 1/2 way through the book) so that I can rent the movie and see how they brought the book to life.

Back to Normal

So last week here in Chicago it was very springlike, a prelude to the day when spring would officially roll in. Well, no one told spring and when Saturday (3/20) rolled around you would have thought that we were back in February. It was cold, snowy and windy. The snow seemed for the most part to stay off of the sidewalks because of their warmth but it did accumulate on the grass, bushes and trees. I did go out in the mess on Saturday and it was such a harsh change from the day before. Alas, today the sun is shining, the snow has melted and the 50's are expected temp wise.

I had to update my TV/cable/phone bundle as the special rate that I got when I bundled expired. In doing so I got a new cable box that has a dvr. Ooohhhh I am in love. No more icky VHS tapes to record my shows. I can watch one program and record another on a different channel, something that I was unable to do with my previous set-up. The downside, well besides the major dust bunnies hidden behind the TV cabinet and in the TV compartment that had to be cleaned out. The new cable box has a computer type fan in it and it needs air to breathe and stay cool, so that means no stacking the movies and such back next to the TV. Instead I will have to keep the area free and clear which is by all means a better look, but that means I must find new homes for the stuff that was stored next to the TV. Guess that bag for the Salvation Army will get more items into it.

I did my taxes this weekend and I will be getting a refund. Yeah!!! Now I know that a good idea would be to change my exemption and get more money each pay period and not get a refund but I am bad. I like to get this "surprise savings" each spring and I know that I shouldn't let the government keep my money since they don't always spend it the way that I want anyway, LOL but it's like getting a X-mas club payout in the spring, just in time for garden plants and projects around the house. Too bad that this is going toward credit card debt and not for something super fun. Oh well, maybe next year...

I saw the movie "The Bounty Hunter" over the weekend. The movie stars Jennifer Anniston and Gerard Butler. Wow, he is HOT! I liked this movie but I was told it wasn't getting good reviews. I don't care, I am a sucker for the romantic comedy and this one fit the bill. If you like this type of movie, by all means go see it or if you are frugal,I went to the matinee, you can do the same or wait until it comes out on dvd.

I also participated in my fantasy baseball draft. Out of the ten teams in our league, I believe that I am the only woman. I of course not knowing what I was doing I used my name in my team's name and it is a dead giveaway that I am a girl. Well, the draft went by very quickly because only 4 managers out of the 10 showed up for the draft. The others had "auto-pick" and they did not attend the draft so it went by very quickly. We were done in 1-1/4 hours. I am happy with my team and only made one major faux pas. I drafted someone who is currently injured and will not be playing when the season starts. The prognosis is that he will play this year but it will be a little bit into the season. I guess I drafted a nice bench warmer for the time being. This is my first attempt into any fantasy sport and I thank my nephew Jerry for assisting me before the draft and the morning of the draft. It will be hard now to ask for assistance since he is playing in my league and well, we are rivals so I will be asking my male friends who have played in fantasy leagues for their help.

I got a little bit of crafting done this weekend and will have to take some pictures. In the interim, here are a couple of cards I made a little while back.

AH Spring!

Is it just me but does the world seem larger?

I say this because as the snow melted the alleyways and streets seemed to get wider. The yard became bigger as the snow made way to patches of grass. I know that my dogs feel that there are so many more places to explore. They were very limited to the area that was shoveled for them when the snow was on the ground. They now have the whole yard and patio "to explore" all those smells that they couldn't get to just weeks ago.

I dropped off my first bag at the Salvation Army this morning. I have a 1/2 bag full in my bedroom and will add more to it tonight while watching The Biggest Loser. I have the topmost shelf in my linen closet empty. I can now bring the clean set of sheets that are sitting in a laundry basket in the basement to that nice clean shelf along with the clean mattress pad. Small steps but steps of progress.

Tonight is Weight Watchers and I feel good that I will have a loss, how much I can never accurately predict that number. I hope at least a pound, two would be fantastic.

Here are a couple of cards. Nothing like Spidey Man and the Man of Steel.

Tidbits

I never left the house this weekend. Instead, I stayed home to get well and it worked. I slept and took care of myself and now my cold is gone.

I also finished a book and was both saddened and scared. Normally I love John Grisham's novels. He is one of my favorite authors and I have read just about everything that he has published. It wasn't the writing that I had a problem with it was the storyline. I know that it is only fiction but with the recent Supreme Court ruling allowing corporations and unions to have unlimited ability to make political contributions the whole thing scares me. The book was "The Appeal" and in brief it is about how big business bought a politician and a seat on a state supreme court to vote in favor of big business. Can you now see how even though this book was fiction that it could be something that could happen in real life?

I am now reading Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons". This book is very good and even though I only started it late yesterday afternoon, I am almost 75 pages into it. I have not seen either of the movies based on his books yet as I prefer to read the books before seeing the movie. I did that with all the Harry Potter books, all of the John Grisham books and like to make sure that I understand was is happening in the movie as they sometimes for time constraint reasons cut out background information that helps link the story.

I also stamped and cataloged more stamps and brought down more supplies into the craft cellar.

I started cleaning my linen closet. I realized that more than a year ago when I got my new mattress that many of my old sheets will not fit the new mattress. I am finally getting around to either discarding those sheet sets or donating them to the Salvation Army. I have also decided that I need to get rid of some shoes. I have filled one bag and have enough for at least one if not two more, and I have just started.

I will leave you with another card.

I'm Feeling Gray

With this head cold I have been feeling kinda gray. This card however explores the contrasts of black and white.

Hope you have a great weekend. I have sleeping and crafting on my agenda. One that will hopefully make my body feel better and one to make my mind feel good.

Yeah, a picture of a card!

I finally loaded the software into my new computer. It took forever to download the pictures from my camera (no wonder the card was full). I spent some time fixing some photos and placing an order for photos. Once they arrive I can delete them from the card in my camera.

In the middle of the worst part of the cold and really wish that I could fly home or have someone else drive me. I just want to go to sleep. Was in bed last night at 7:30and slept until 4:30. I needed that, felt pretty good at the beginning of the day but now my battery has run out of energy.

With the new movie out I thought that this picture would be perfect.

What Are The Odds?

Okay, I by no means am a statistican, but what are the odds that I tried to win tickets to an Elton John concert sponsored by a radio station. I needed to be caller number 9 and I was number 1. Truly, what are the odds?

I guess I'll try again the next time.

It's Froggy Outside

Okay, there aren't any frogs but I like to say it that way when it is foggy outside.

While driving to work in the dense fog I had a few thoughts.

How do the people is San Francisco and other places that are known for dense fog deal with it on a frequent basis? I really wouldn't want to deal with it very often.

Does the fog remind you of film noir? The dark dirty alleyway filled with fog and the dark figure walking toward you with the fedora hat. Gives me the heebie jeebies. Is it friend or foe?

Or, how about the horse and buggy travelling down the dirt road as it ascends up to the large castle where Dracula, or Frankenstein or some other spooky monster lives?.

Or, here's the frog part. A misty foggy bayou swamp filled with alligators. All you can hear is the sound of frogs croaking and your paddle as it hits the water propelling your canoe through the murky waters....

Those are the images that fog brings into my head. What images come to your mind when it's foggy outside?

Got It - Don't Want It

I caught a cold, or I should say, the cold caught me! No one really attempts to catch an illness but that is always the way that it is expressed. Just like losing weight, do your REALLY want to find those pounds that you "lost"?

I have to laugh, my brother Rick who lives with me has had an upper respiratory/flu twice this past winter and has this same cold. I avoided being caught by the flu, but this simple not that horribly sounding cold found it's way through my immune system. I am at the beginning stage (sore throat) and could fall asleep right now at 11:30 am. I even slept through my alarm yesterday morning. An hour of music played and I dreamed right through it. When that happens I know that my body REALLY needed the rest.

Watched some of the Oscars and I am very happy to see that Sandra Bullock won. I didn't see any of the films nominated but I am a fan of Sandra and wanted her to win. I am very bad about seeing movies and often don't see them until they come to cable and sometimes not until they make it to regular TV. When I win the lotto I'll get the house with the big media room and then have "screenings" for all my family and friends. Ah, to dream of the ways to spend lotto money. I guess I have to play if I want to have those dreams. I guess that is one more thing to put on my to-do list.

Hope the germs haven't caught you and that your Monday is going well.

Report Card

After seven weeks, with no exercise I have released 6.2 lbs.

Slow but steady will win the race is my new motto.

The List

The list never seems to end.
Today I put down 24 things to get done.
I got 19 of them completed.

Tomorrow the list starts with 5 and I am sure that it will grow :-)

Hope you had a productive Tuesday.

Numbers I Can See

The wonder of technology.

As stated in previous entries, I am participating in Weight Watchers. I am not always a patient person and have pulled the old (at least 20 years) bathroom scale from under my bed to see my progress before meeting day. Well, these more mature eyes have had some trouble with that scale. It has a clock type face with all the small little lines for each pound and between trying to "set" the arm/hand to zero every time I pull it out from it's dust bunny home and trying to read it without bending completely over at the waste told me that it was time for a new scale. I noticed that Kohl's was having a sale and decided that I would go take a look at the new technology in weight measurement.

I have to say that the scales that they had were on sale, YEAH!!!

I decided that I needed a digital read out. One large enough that those pounds would just illuminate and scream to me how much I weigh. I also wanted one with the tenth of a pound increments because that is how I am weighed at W.W.

Now the thing that I found funny was that most of the scales that were in my price range were all glass. I know that many advances have been made with glass but am I the only one that thinks putting a 200+ person on a piece of glass less that 1/4 inch thick could pose a problem? Most of the scales were all The Biggest Loser endorsed so I decided that it must be okay, this glass scale that looks like it could be a chopping board. I stepped on that thin piece of glass and there was no cracking, creaking or breakage. The number screamed up at me and they were much better than I had thought or could see on the old dinosaur scale that this new one replaced. I have set it up in a permanent area in my room and will not be pushing and pulling the new one from underneath my bed.

Does anyone know if I can recycle the old scale? I wonder if I should donate it to the Salvation Army or just toss it away. What are your thoughts?

Fun Stuff

On Saturday I figured out how to use my Cricut. I realized that it wasn't too hard - ONCE YOU READ THE DIRECTIONS, LOL!

I made a small box, small from the aspect that probably only one Hershey kiss will fit into it. Large on the scale of it was the largest setting that my Cricut would take. When I bought this machine more than a year ago, I thought that I had the large machine, well it turns out I have the one that only accepts 6x12" paper. Therefore, my boxes will be one treat wonders.

I also made some more cards to add to the pile that was waiting to be photographed. I have photographed them all and just need to load the camera software onto the new computer and download. Hopefully I will get that done soon and I will post.

Snowed again last night. I am beginning to get tired of it. At least I don't live in DC.

Car is working wonderfully. One of the suggestions from the auto repair place was that I needed new tires. Boy was I surprised to see (I found the receipt) that I bought tires over 45,000 miles ago, which was just about 6 years ago. I guess I really do need tires, along with brakes and a litany of other fun things for the ole'girl. :-)

Have a good Monday!

Things Are Happy Again

After more than two weeks of various car problems I finally drove to work this morning not afraid something was going to happen. I didn't have to keep my eyes glued to the temperature gauge or looking on the dash for that symbol to denote that I needed to add coolant. I am $400.00 lighter in the wallet but had two major problems fixed. The thermostat has been replaced along with my water pump. Of course there are other not so pressing things that need to be taken care of on my almost 14 year old car but for now it is running like a new baby.

On the work front, I am now the proud user of a "dual headed beast". I have been given a brand new, state of the art computer along with two screens, a new keyboard and laser mouse. To say that this new computer is speedy is an understatement. No more waiting forever for things to download or populate. They are open in mere moments. Couple of snags though, I have to reload my digital camera program so I don't have the ability yet to show the new cards that I have been making. My speakers need a special cable and so I am "deaf" to any funny YouTube entries.

Because of the car being in the shop I wasn't able to make it to my weigh in this week so I do not have an update.

It's almost the weekend, enjoy the day!

I Was Forewarned

So, I was told by my sister that after a week with a bigger weight loss that the next week might be small.

I let that get into my head and it became true.

At last night's weigh in I only released .6 pounds.
It's a loss but a small one.
Guess having stuffed sausage pizza on SuperBowl night was a no-no.

New week, new chance at a larger number.

Total pounds released into the wild = 4.2 pounds

Catch Up not Ketchup

Okay, let's see, I have not been a good blogger and my cards lately are lacking some freshness but I will continue to create just to get the stash full for craft fairs and post them here. I keep opening storage containers to find stuff that I forgot I had and it's just like going shopping, :-)

It looks like the J.U.G.'s trip to Vegas is really going to happen. Many of us have booked our flights and this past Saturday a handful of us met at Starbucks to firm up some other stuff. We have a schedule of who is coming and going when and their flight numbers. The rental van has been ordered. Our show tickets have been ordered. We collected some money to send down to Stacie (who lives in a suburb of Vegas) to stock the fridge for our arrival. Looks like out of the 12 of us (myself and Stacie included) we will have a gathering of at least 9. Trips to downtown, the strip, Hoover Dam and a spa are all on the agenda.

Completed my third week at Weight Watchers and last night I released (into the wild) 1.8 lbs. That added to my two previous weeks brings the total released to 3.8 lbs. I am setting a goal of 12 to 15 lbs. by the time the Vegas trip rolls around at the beginning of May.

Work is still a roller coaster. Some days I love working there and other days I really hate working there. I know that I am very fortunate to have a job so I will focus my attention on the good days and craft for happiness on the bad days.

I have been doing some purging and have two bags of clothes, an old computer monitor and some other items for the Salvation Army. Does anyone else have the problem of getting the items for donation out of the house, into the car and to the drop off box? I am such a lazy arse. I really need to do that this week. Not only will it help someone but it will make more room in my house. A precious commodity.

Here are the cards that I have recently created. I have more at home but the memory card in my camera is full and I need to purge some.


Not a good picture but I went into my box of stickers and found a sheet of birthday stickers and made a couple easy peeszy ones.













Ahhh, the man of steel





Take me to your leader


Found this cute paper and these stickers and did a simple lazy combo.











I just love this little monkey!