Sunrise, Sunset...

Que Fiddler on the Roof::

Sunrise...

Sunset...

Sunrise, sunset were both on Friday.

It's the litle things...

It is the little things that make life bearable.  Yesterday after having family over for dinner, I had some brownies.  Because it had been a good day, I wanted to end it on the high note.  Have you ever had the urge to make something feel extra special?  Well I did last night.  So instead of using the standard white paper towl, I used one of my old pretty saucer plates and took it upstairs to eat while I read.

I have also enjoyed the fresh flowers I have indulged in.  They really so nice to look at and just make everything feel a litle better.  I actually walked by these brown eye susans (I think that is what they are called) next to the railroad tracks so thankfully there were free!!  Aren't they pretty?

Lovely and Horrible..

I am a reader of NieNie.  Lately at the end of each post she has added a lovely and horrible experience from the day.  I LOVED that idea. So being the unoringal person I am...I am going to steal that idea and do that too.  I know it is only 9am but here is the experiences for today:

LOVELY: using my new showerhead that has the "rain" setting!!

Horrible: actually have to get out of the hot shower into a cold room.

Puppy love...

I love it when TJ nestles on my chest.

TJ does it because it is the easiest way to get his belly rubbed but I love how comforting it is.  

He is such a great dog.  He isn't completly obidient (sorry if incorrect spelling) but he is getting there. 

It is the simple things..

That have been making me happy:  

Seeing my new picture on the wall
The fresh flowers on the coffee table

Having the windows open

Smell of fresh laundry
Pretty bedroom
Dinner cooking

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been organizing and cleaning my house like mad.  I finally conquered my bedroom.  Not that things were dirty/gross, but I just let chaos and clutter reign supreme.  I let it get so disorganized because I was emotionally conflicted.  I wanted my outer environment to match my inner emotions. 

So I have taken a few weeks and did baby steps to be organized and in control. All closets are organized.  Unused decorations are Rubbermaid bins.  Used blankets are hanging up.  Thankfully I am pretty much done.  I have hated the process but love the result.  It has taken an invisible load of my shoulders.  I want to stay home now.  I used to escape to my parents house nearly every night but now I want to stay at my house.  I don’t see the clutter in the corners and feel intimidated. 

I like being surrounded by my pretty things.  I enjoy hosting my family for dinners.  My blinds and windows are open so the fresh breeze comes though.

So far I have been able to maintain this for a week.  Aim is to keep it going for another week.

My first attempt at arrnage fake flowers. 
I got the vase and flowers are thrift store for a total of $2.50!! 
The vase is actually an insense burner that I have converted. 
Just one of the pretty things I like to look at in my bedroom.

Slight progress

To Do by Sunday:


-move love seat from bedroom to downstairs

-measure couch for slip cover

-find slipcover

-finish sanding bedframe

-paint bedframe

-install bedframe

-arrange bedroom w/ new dresser

-organize craft room

-organize pantry

-wash car

-detail car
 
Slowly but surely getting there!!  But there has been a change of plans.  Saturday instead of shopping, I will be attending a funeral.  A coworkers son died on Sunday and the services will be on Saturday.  She is the nicest lady and lost her son tragically so my heart just breaks for her.
 
In a weird twist of luck, on Sunday I am going to a friends babyshower.  She is having a boy. 

It is on like donkey kong!!

Ok so challenge back on.  I am resolved to get fit and lose weight.  I did really well at the beginning of the year and feel that I am even better equipped to handle the challenge now.  I have organized the majority of my life which should be a great help to achieve my goal.  I watched the Dr Oz Show yesterday where he issued a challenge for everyone to lose jus 10 lbs.  You can view details here. (http://members.doctoroz.com/challenge/the-just-10-challenge)  

I have signed up and waiting for my bracelet.  In addition, I will keep a detailed food journal, move an additional 10 minutes a day, and reduce my soda intake.  The small term goal is to stay on track for a week.  Next Tuesday, I will review and see how I did.  The ultimate goal is to run the 1 mile Race for the Cure in May 2011.

Tis the season of MANY blog posts because work slows down and I get bored easily. 

Tortured TJ

TJ just looking cute. He is getting groomed on Thursday so goodbye scruffy.

Yesterday TJ and I were playing around.  While playing, he would get the cloth tangled around his head.  Using that as inspiration, tried tying it around his head to see if we could pull of the Ewok halloween costum.  He kept it on for a long time.  Mom saw and said I was torturing him.  This just makes me chuckle. 

TJ looking straight to camera and best picture

           I didn't know  that TJ could     --         TJ looking like a yente..
           pick his nose with his tongue!!

UNCOMFORTABLE!!

A couple of weeks ago, Caitlyn, Emma, TJ, and I were at our parents house having dinner.  Emma was watching a Sleeping Beauty and wanted me to "tickle" her back.  I was going to move but she just climbs up into my lap.  OH to be young and flexible.  She layed like that for probably 20 mins. She is such a silly girl!!

Can I do it?

To Do by Sunday:

-move love seat from bedroom to downstairs

-measure couch for slip cover

-find slipcover

-finish sanding bedframe

-paint bedframe

-install bedframe

-arrange bedroom w/ new dresser

-organize craft room

-organize pantry

-wash car

-detail car
 
I really don't have to have it done by Sunday but I am just tired of having these things moved from to do list to to do list.  They will get completed.  If I complete them all, I will reward myself by going to the Super Junk Store next Saturday.  Can I do it?  I HOPE SO!!

And it gets better!!

Not only is it Friday, the day is going by super fast!!  I am also headed to happy hour with two friends from work!  That is guaranteed to get a GREAT time!

Just wanted to say...

Going to see Eclipse tonight with sister.  Happy to actually be doing something instead of chillin' with TJ.  Maybe she and I will hit up happy hour first.

Sleeping positions

TJ always sleeps in the weirdest positions. He here was last night.

More camping..

No explanations because pretty self explanatory.

Too close for comfort!!

Friday I was in a hurry to get home. I usually park in the same spot next to the support pole for the carport. I am usually close to the pole because I wants as much room as possible on the drivers side because that is where I load/unload. Mom pointed this out to me. I think I parked a LITTLE TOO close. Thankfully nothing was scratched pulling out. (PS: That is not my front door)

WOOHOO!! A day off!! LOVED most of Monday. I slept in til 8am. I wanted to finish a couple of projects so I was out the door by 9am. First stop to Caitlyn's coffee shop to get the most delicious drink ever...Raspberry lemonade. I love how she makes it!! After some chitchat it was to Saver I go. Savers was having a 50% clothing, shoes, bed/bath, and accessories sale. It was a mad house but it was awesome!!
When I first walked into Savers, I saw a woman with an old pitcher/bowl (the kind they used to wash with). I thought to myself "DANG!! I wish I would have gotten here earlier so I could have gotten that!!" Oh well. I go shopping and find some great stuff. New mats for my master bath, an awesome Spiderman pillow for Wyatt, new purple decorative bed pillow, a cast iron grill skillet, vase, and an apron.

As I was shopping, I saw the woman who had the pitcher/bowl in her cart but it was no longer there!! I run...well move quickly over to the shelves to see if she left it AND SHE DID!! I quickly grabbed it but and I was lifting it into my cart, I saw she broken the handle!! POO on her!! Oh well. Simple fix with some super glue. I head to check out and the clerk first tells me the pitcher isn't for sale.

WHAT?!? My heart just sinks. I ask her why not? It was on the shelves? She then says it isn't an accessory or bed/bath. OH!! She meant it wasn't ON sale but still FOR sale. She asks if I still want it and I say yes. She then points out the broken handle and confirms again. I say heck yes I want it do you know how much my mom would love it? She says because it was broken, she will only charge me....$0.99!! The tag was for $9.99. I wouldn't have paid $10 for it broken but I still throught $3. WOOHOOO!! I was excited.

I head next door to Lowes to get some crafting material and paint so I can paint my bedframe. I am painting it "antique yellow". It will match my dressers pretty well. I was then excited because the paint was on sale. So I get my paint and head to my car. Later I am driving to parents to get a perm when I realized I forgot to get the 1 thing I went to Lowes to get. JEEZ!!

I decided to go to Lowes a different day because now I am tasked with getting 5 gallons of white vineager to clean the RV watersystem.  With the latest task accomplished, I head to parents to get a perm and watch the BSU Game.


Perm happens and Mom makes pork chops for dinner. Lexy and Chris come over. As we are eating Caitlyn and Emma show up. We have dinner, play and then it is game time. Dad and I are watching the game when we hear some ruckus in the kitchen. Lexy and Caitlyn are in an argument for some reasons and then it escalates. Game gets interupted as hell breaks loose.

People say things, people leave and after awhile, it is back to the game. The game is just as dramitic as the family drama.

BSU was great. We could've been better but a win is a win. See article here for more details.

Lets start at the begining...

FRIDAY
I got of work on Friday at 5pm, which was earlier than I expected. I make it home by 530 which is great. Now I have more time to do some last minutes packing. Mom was supposed to pick me up at 6pm, however she didn't shows til 620. After loading up, we still needed to stop for dinner.  After a quick trip to Carls Jr we were on the road at 7.

We figured it would be a 3 hrs drive to Huckleberry Heaven. Thankfully there wasn't that much traffic and we made it in only 2.5 hrs. The only sanfu happened about 30 mins from our destination. I had the light on because it was dusk and in the mountains, it is dark. So driving along and I look at the dashboard, and it is black. I panic internally so I continue to drive. I slow down some just to be cautious. We pass under lights from a lumber mill and I see that I have gauged my speed correctly and are goin the speed limit. That made me proud.  (Just FYI...I accidentally hit the dimmer dial on the singal lever.  I thought the dimmer was near the vent on the dashboard.  I was wrong.  Sunday we found the dimmer switch and fixed my mistake.) 

We finally make it to the top of the mountain and honk the horn. Becasue we are camping in a different spot, that horn is signal to Dad to come get us. Works pretty well. We arrive at 930 and chill around the camp fire for awhile.

TJ settling in for the night.  He wasn't upset and there were other pictures but this one makes me giggle.

SATURDAY
I woke up around 730. I thought I would sleep in longer but oh well. I get up and have breakfast out by the fire. Love it. So warm and nice. Dad and I joke back and forth for awhile.

View first thing Saturday morning.

Mom rolls out of bed around 9am. We get dressed and Dad and I head for a ride. TJ comes along and does really well. However, I only can drive with one hand because I want to make sure TJ doesn't fall off. I need to jerryrig sometype of harness or box for him to ride in. We return to camp and have lunch an rig up a harness. It work pretty aweome. I have some lanyards that are clipped to TJ body harness. He only has enough room to stand. I was pretty proud of hwo we rigged it. We go on another ride and TJ loves it. He does love to bark at the horses we see along the way.

TJ and I testing the harness.

Back we go for lunch. After lunch we head for another ride but TJ didn't want to go. He would refuse to leave RV area. That is ok. We look him in the RV with food and water and head off. Mom comes along and rides with Dad.

We found a new campsite we will try next year that is next to a spring. We eventually head back and havea great meal of hobo dinner (aka tinfoil dinners). Mom and I want a Smores so we break out the marshmellow, chocloate and .... Where are the graham crackers? Crap we left them at home. We decided to experiment. Mom tried frosted animal crackers, I try Ritz and vanilla cream cookies. I thought the most successful was the Ritz. It brought the salty into the mix. Next time I am brining Oreos to try.

With desert over, we decided to watch a movie. Dad brought otu the laptop and table. It is pretty awesome watching Tommy Boy by the fire. I don't know if it was because I was tired or I hadn't seen it in awhile, but Tommy Boy is really funny!

We have to watch the last half in the RV because battery was dying but it was still a fun time. We head to bed around 1030. I must have been really tired because as soon as my head hit the pillow I was out for the count. The next day Mom and Dad kept teasing me about how quickly I was out.  Oh well.

SUNDAY
I get up around 700 and head outside with TJ. We are snuggling by the fire and I am ready to fall asleep sitting up. Dad is a sweetheart and takes TJ for a walk. I take advantage of the oppurtunity and DIVE back into bed. I snooze til 900. Mom never got out of bed until 9 and that is when we decided it was time for breakfast.

Dad playing with TJ before the walk

Mom makes waffles, bacon, hashbrowns. It was YUMMY!! Mom had put some butter in a bowl on Saturday so it would be soft to spread on the waffles. As we are eating we are trying to figure out where it went. She placed the sliver of butter in a bowl and placed it on the table on Saturday afternoon.

All of a sudden, Mom knows what happened. TJ ATE IT!! We look underneath the table and sure enough, there is the bowl. He ate it while we went on a ride!! Crazy dog!!

TJ sitting at the table for breakfast.  No we didn't give him his own plate and
no he didn't actually sit there while we were having breakfast. 

Over breakfast we decided to head home that day. We go for another ride and then have lunch and break camp. We leave around 430 and I am home by 7pm. It was a fun time.

TJ sleeping right before we head home.  Of course he would choose to be in the drivers seat.

See new post for more random pictures of the camping weekend.

UGH!!

This day has barely started and I want it over with!


It has been nothing but problem customers all day. They call because we aren't getting the freight there as quickly as they wanted. They want us to delivery at 8am even though they are 2 hours away from our closest terminal. Please. If you need it guaranteed, PAY for the service.
 
Anyway....
 
On to more important things....like thanking Heaven that it is a long weekend. To celebrate the long weekend, Mom, Dad, and I are headed to the hills. Huckleberry hills to be more exact. I doubt there will be much fruit but oh well. It will be fun to be outside and to ride the ATV and have camp food. Yummy S'mores!! Bisquick pancakes (in the mountains is the only time Bidquick pancakes taste good), hotdogs over the fire, hot coco. Chilling around the camp fire. Taking naps. Oh how wonderful it will be!!
 
BUT.....
 
I am kicking myself. My normal work schedule is 730-1600. Couple weeks ago, a friend asked to switch shifts on Friday (today). She works 830-1700. Not realizing Monday was a holiday, I agreed to switch. I realized this week it was stupid of me to switch. I have delayed my holiday by an hour!! UGH!! I could have used that hour to get half way to my destination!! Oh well. What is done is done. Hopefully Karma rewards my good deed and work is slow so I can get off work early or the day goes by really quickly.
 
So....

I hope that everyone else has a wonderful weekend and play safe.