Yippeeeeee

It's Friday!! Not only is it Friday...it's a long weekend for me! I took today and Monday off. The weather is cool again and hopefully the sun will begin to shine soon. Looking forward to a fun weekend in Austin...Texas State Book Festival, hanging out...hoping for a run to San Antonio to see the W family and their newest addition....lots of relaxing. Maybe the cool weather and weekend away will give me the jolt I need to get things accomplished.

Holy SCRAP!

This is my creative area after scrapping all day Sunday....it's a wonder I got anything done!

Sunday, Sunday

ba da, ba da da da, Sunday Sunday....okay so the song is actually Monday, Monday....but today is Sunday......another beautiful day expected thought the temps are supposed to hit 80s today--guess I'll be running the ac again this afternoon.

Despite working for a bit yesterday (required) I had a fairly lazy day. Played with pictures and paper a bit--maybe not as much as I might have liked but I only have myself to blame. I did spend my time pursuing another creative outlet so all is good.

Today I have grand plans of spending a great deal of time playing with photos and paper. Somewhere in there I feel I really should do some domestic chores--laundry, picking up, etc--we'll see how far that gets! I'm looking forward to what I'm hoping will be a short week. Planning to take Friday and next Monday off so I can spend the weekend in Austin. State Book Festival is next weekend so that should be fun. It will be nice to get away and spend some time with Elsa plus hopefully make a run to San Antonio to see Joey.

NIght at the Aquarium....

MS Social at the Aquarium this evening....we pretty much had the run of the place and were able to ride the rides and check out the exhibits. Shock of all shocks, I even rode the ferris wheel! I took tons of pictures yet cannot get them to all download at the moment not to mention the fact I should have used a different setting on the camera for of the shots. I think I still managed to get some decent shots and I'd be scrapping them tonight if I didn't have to get up and go to work in the morning! A fun evening for certain.

Busy Day....Busy Night....

My work day stretched into the evening--till nearly 8p to be exact. The nice thing is I have the satisfaction of knowing all appeals are read and summarized. Just need to add transcripts and they'll be ready for committee Thursday afternoon.

Tomorrow is Gulf Coast Consortium Meeting with the other gulf coast community colleges. Should be a small group and hopefully informational. Other than having to leave here by 7am, I am looking forward to going.

Thursday afternoon will be a marathon meeting--with nearly 80 appeals and I need to leave ON TIME. The MS Society is having a social downtown at the Aquarium--looking forward to that! I am enjoying the various events and getting involved--even on just a small scale. Super duper excited about having another scrap opportunity.

MS Walk fundraising is going well. I've gotten my first batch of thank you cards off and need to work on making and sending some more. Sent quite a few emails yesterday which resulted in donations today. If I can do that well between now and the walk I should make my goal and possibly even surpass it! I originally set $500 and thought maybe I was being a bit too optimistic....after surpassing that I've raised it to $1000 and I would really, really like to meet it. Still have a little over 20 days till the walk....

On a super HAPPY note....baby Joey is home...YEAHHHHHHH. Poor little guy's been in the hospital more than he's been home but I'm thinking that will be changing now. I think he's all fixed up and will continue to amaze everyone. Can hardly wait to get my hands on him!!!

In need of a break...

I'm sensing a theme here.....just a day or so ago I posted about needing some scrap time--which I do--and now I am lamenting the need for a break. A real break. For the first time in 6 years I've nothing planned for October/November. No trip to the Ozarks and I'm starting to notice. No trip anywhere. But I think most importantly, no trip to the Ozarks. I think I'm even mourning it a bit.

Things just haven't worked out to that end this year. Many factors playing into my lack of a real vacation. A real get-away. The lack of a trip is what keeps creeping to the forefront. And here at the middle of October, I just don't see such a thing as a reality this fall. Time to stop dwelling on what isn't happening and work towards what can happen!

Besides, as I look at the calendar I see it filling with all sorts of activities. More than enough to keep me busy!

College Gala: Steve Wariner

The pictures aren't that great...wish I'd had my other camera but couldn't find it before I left....I guess these aren't that bad for being taken from the back of the ballroom......

In Need of Some Major Scrap Therapy....

Yup.....uh huh....that's what I need.....some major scrapping time with the girls.....I need laughter, goofiness, creative vibes, someone to ohh and ahhh over my stuff...or tell me it looks like crap! I need play time with the girls.....

Friends are the family we choose for ourselves....and other assorted thoughts.....

How true that is. I am very, very fortunate to have great friends. Good vibes and well wishes always seem to come when I'm needing them most.

Here it is, Friday eve. So many things needing attention. I have taken the evening to try to pick up a bit. I can now see my sofa and living room floor---I knew it was under there somewhere. Still many things to be done but at least it doesn't look quite as bad as it did.

I still need to get to my closet and try to find something to wear to the gala tomorrow night. I haven't bought anything new--there's a shocker and I'm not sure what in my closet that fits and looks decent will qualify for appropriate. I have a couple of ideas. The evening is growing short so I'm going to have to figure out something soon.

Tomorrow is Boss' Day and the girls have taken care of planning for that. I picked up a pie and have already delivered it to the office. They are taking care of everything else and in the event we find we need something else, I can always slip off to the store. My guess is the boss knows something is up---so much for surprising him.

At this moment the only items on my weekend agenda are laundry---as usual on the weekend---try picking up a bit more around here and scrapping. Tonight is the first night this week I've not done any sort of scrapping. It won't be long before bed but if I manage to find something to wear to the gala and to work tomorrow I may still have an opportunity to play with paper before calling it a night!

Crappy mood turned around...

Without going into detail let me just say I've had a lot on my mind the last 24 to 48 hours. Nothing life threatening but important to me. Anyway, enough of dwelling there. Let's just say I wasn't in such a good mood or frame of mind due to all of it.

Fast forward to my email this morning. Like every morning I opened my email and scanned the topics...usual spam, bills due or paid and a couple from the MS Society. I go straight to the ones titled 'A Donation Has Been Made On Your Behalf'. The Walk is a month away and I'm sending out emails soliciting donations and have been getting a decent response.

But THIS email blew me away. My friend Isaac from high school days-with whom I share a birthday-has donated $200 in my name! I was speechless. Not only has he made such a generous donation, he has also signed up to walk. I am truly greatful to everyone who donates no matter the amount but Isaac really has me grinning from ear to ear!

To add to the pleasantness of the day I was contacted by Naomi at the MS Society about cropping once a month and I've been asked to help with organizing it! Guess I have a few good ideas she wants to harness. Looks like I'll be cropping once a month at the MS Society. New scrappy friends is always a good thing.

In addition to getting ready for the Walk, adding crops to the mix and life in general, I am working on a memory book for a coworker's step-daughter who graduates in the spring. I started with a bit of a block but I managed to knock out a page last night and we are both pleased with it.

Friday night is the College Gala starring Steve Wariner. Saturday Joey and I are hoping to catch a movie or do something fun. Wow, October is flying....how is it that tomorrow is already the middle of the month??

Crops and belated bday stuff.....

Friday night there was a crop at the MS Society. I figured it would be a great opportunity to be creative and meet some new people so off I went. The offices are very nice with plenty of room to spread out. Naomi did a fantastic job hosting and said she would host more--hoooray! A fun evening despite the crappy weather and the fact that someone stole one of my windsheild wiper blades when I stopped along the way for a medical test.






If you don't already know, sigh up at Cold Stone Creamery and you get free ice cream for your birthday! This is really a good deal because the retail value is just under four bucks. You get a free Like It cup with one mix in. The coupon is good the week before and the week after your birthday. I finally got by there just before my coupon expired. They were out of the ice cream I really wanted so I settled on coconut ice cream with pineapple for a little tropical feel.... YUMMY!

Ooooohhhhh, cool stuff ahead!

Got an invite today for a Creative Memories crop hosted by the MS Society this Friday!

Invite:
Ok Walkers, let's get ready for a fun day/night of scrapbooking, card making and more! Each person will have a welcome bag with paper, stickers, and goodies to start a photo album, poster or cards to share with team members, donors or family! We will provide paper cutters, templates, shape cutters, punches, decorative rulers, fancy edged scissors and more! Please be sure to bring any additional supplies for any projects you will be working: digital photo albums, photos from past walks, or a traditional scrapbook. Come anytime from 2:00 pm- until 9 pm!

Looking foward to meeting new people and creating!

Office celebration

When it comes to birthdays, holidays or any reason to celebrate, the office really knows how to do it right! We had breakfast, snacks, lunch and cake. Breakfast casserole, kolaches, fruit, cheese, crackers and summer sausage, blueberry muffins, chicken salad, bbq sausage, pinto beans, potato salad and red velvet cake. Plenty to get us through the day, share with other offices and still have food left!

Weekend Adventures

Not what I envisioned...

...today that is. Though the weather was dreary, yesterday was fun with the girls. Spent way too much at By Design--now if I'd just get in gear and scrap! Today however has left much to be desired....

Goofy cat whining all morning to go out in spite of the downpour. I had a massage scheduled then planned for a nice late lunch then maybe a little shopping before coming home to play with paper. Got soaked just trying to get out my door--gonna have to have words again with the complex about cleaning out the gutters on my side of the balcony.

Came in to change, grabbed clothes and made the attempt to leave again--knowing I would be late due to the weather. Got in the car, just after going through a miniature lake trying to get out of the complex the check engine light begins to blink off and on and the idle is very, very rough as though it's about to die. Make the block back to the apartment. Call to cancel massage cause I am NOT getting out on the highway in the downpour in a sluggish vehicle with the check engine light blinking.

Decide to check it with a run to the post office a bit later. Light now stays on and the idle is still rough. Go arond the block, come home and decide to take a nap.

I awake to find the sun shining as though there has been no monsoon. I decide to just start the car. Let it run a few minutes. Light on but running like normal. Wait a bit and make the aborted post office run from earlier.....light on but running fine. Stop by the auto parts for Seafoam-a fuel additive/cleanser--just in case there is water in the lines. Watch the end of a Lifetime movie then decide I do need to find food...want Mexican.

Light on but running normal...go to Los Cucos for some mediocre Mexican food and a pina coloda-happy birthday to me. Nice, relaxing until.....a large group of women with a screaming child are seated right across from me. Why is it in certain cultures they feel as though they must practically yell at each other across a four foot table? Yes Carol, they were of the purple persuasion.... Oh and let's not leave out that ever other word is f*^%.....oh and the continual bitching that the tea isn't sweet--HELLO...that's why there are all sorts of sweetners on the table! I could not get out of there fast enough.

Thinking of a side trip to Walmart but can't recall what I was needing/wanting--could have something to do with the disappointing day and the carrying on beside me at Los Cucos. Light is off (and hopefully it will stay that way) and seems to be running fine.

It's 7:30p, little if anything today went as planned but that is life. Always throwing us a curve ball and keeping us on our feet! On to another year....

Another one in the books

Another week behind us and the start of a brand new month. I thought I posted yesterday but guess I didn't. How could I miss posting on the first day of October? Guess I just got wrapped up in other things.

So happy Friday is here. It's been another busy week so it's nice to have some down time coming. Tomorrow a group of us is headed to By Design and then to lunch--Kemah I think--at least that was the comment at one time. I know the plan is for seafood. Yummy. Looking forward to a day with the girls. Laughter, shopping, food, maybe some scrap time....good times coming!

To add to the good vibes there was a crispness in the air this morning which is quite welcome. Hoping it sticks around for a while.

Most people see spring as a time of hope and promise but for some reason, fall is that time for me. Maybe it's the hustle and bustle of the coming holidays. Seems there's always some activity. I know it's the cooler temps. It's like I get rejuvenated.