saturday

When you go up the mountains for a 2 hour visit, some how it turns into an all day event. Today was the first day of Girl Scouts for my daughter J. She's a Brownie, in her 3rd year and heads off to Juniors next year. This year is going to be exciting, because they are again, much older so able to handle more outings and I for one will be able have some fun with her. I hated GS when I was kid. The troop leader was mean, catered to her daughter and treated anyone that wasn't on her 'level' like crap. But then, I was the person that everyone picked on in school, so GS was no different. I can remember many times getting into my uniform, heading off to school, be told by the leader's daughter that it had been cancelled, call my parents from school to come get me to find out it wasn't cancelled, and the girl would say "oh she misunderstood me".

This is troop is awesome. Both leaders treat the girls the same, even their owns and it's nice to have an over-emotional leader who tears up when she hasn't seen the girls in 2 months. I'm again the cookie mom. Picture the Soup Nazi from Seinfield but as a woman with GS cookies.. and you have the same thing. It's a total power trip for me and it was a blast last year so I look forward to doing it again.

Already a camping trip is planed for Oct., a block from my house to be exact. Since we moved out of the school district, we still go to the troop meetings in Littleton. They were describing this camping place with tee-pees, and out in Aurora and I started putting the 2 together. About half a mile down the road from our place is a house, out in the middle of no-where with 4 tee-pees. Perfect for looking at stars which is what they will be doing. Nice thing is, both my friend Jennifer (scooby snacks journal) and I live just a stone throw from this place.

But today we went up to a cabin owned by one of the girls mom's and it was great. About a 45 minute trip out of town, up in the mountains, on 400 acres and with a 10 degree drop in tempature. It was just so nice. The kids went on their first hike of the year while us mom's talked about the events for the year. It should be exciting, they will have plenty to do for the girls. I can't wait.

goggle

I feel sorry, ok, no. I don't feel sorry. I laugh my ass off - when the person who searches for "Relationship husband porn want to fist me problem" finds this journal. All those words in different parts of my journal showed up.

best friends

Julie - - for you my friend. :) Annette sent this to me and I thought of you. :)

1. When you are sad, ...I will get you drunk and help you plot revenge against the sorry bastard who made you sad.

2. When you are blue, ..I'll try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile, ...I'll know you finally got laid.

4. When you are scared, ..I will rag you about it every chance I get.

5. When you are worried, ...I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be and to quit whining.

6. When you are confused, ...I will use little words to explain.

7. When you are sick, ...stay away from me until you're well again. I don't want whatever you have.

8. When you fall, ...I will point and laugh at your clumsy ass.

9. My personal to you.. I will not think ill of you if you eat pickles in bed before going to bed and burb. :)

This is my oath, ...I pledge 'til the end. Why you may ask? Because you're my friend!

Send this to ten of your closest friends and get depressed because you can only think of two, and one of them is not speaking to you right now anyway.

Remember: A friend will help you move.
A really good friend will help you move a body.
Let me know if I ever need to bring a shovel.

banana bread

I hate to cook. Despise it with the passion. I once watched an episode of "cribs" on MTV and it had John Leguizamo's home. He showed his cupboards.. nothing but menu's for take-out/delivery. How lucky can the guy get?

But tonight I got in a weird mood and made not one, but TWO loaves (loaf's?) of banana bread tonight. Not only that. but LOW-FAT banana bread. Hmpf! I can pig out. It's been awhile since I spent more then 10 minutes in the kitchen and since B dominates it, I had to go looking for all the items needed, cook ware, the works. I love the smell of the house when there is fresh cooked bread. Doesn't matter what it is. It smells good. Tastes good too.

I have also followed the pack. Wasn't going to do it, but I have asked B to go to Amazon.com and get his wish list for Christmas. He said they don't sell cars. he needs to look again! So I have posted mine.. it will grow over the next few weeks. Not like it's for anyone to buy me anything. It's more a mental note of what I want when things are rough and a reminder when things get better I can go "oh yeah... I wanted that". A lot of kids music and movies for the tykes, not me personally, so don't ask about Jimmy Neutron the soundtrack. I do have to admit though.. it is cool. I am on this kick lately to have nothing but soundtracks from movies. Can't get enough of them.

Lighter note.. then I'm off the computer for the night to watch "The Rookie". Going into the mountains tomorrow. Girlscout thing. Pisses me off that the boy scout troop doesn't call me for weeks, there hasn't been a meeting, then I get this email today that they are selling popcorn this weekend when can I show up? I promptly told the lady that I have plans and when they get more organized I'll get back with them. HUGE SIGH. I think D is going to be out of Boy Scouts again this year. I just don't have the patience to deal with them - again.

e-mail

I just love getting emails like this:

S,

It's been crazy busy here in NY this week.

Thank you for your hard work in developing and designing the www.lowermanhattan.info website. Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Pataki were very pleased with the site when it was unveiled at the press conference they held Wed. at City Hall. Our primary client on the project, the Deputy Mayor was particularly complimentary.

The press conference was covered by all of the TV news stations in the area (channels 1,2,4,5,7,9 and 11) and all the major papers (New York Times, Daily News, NY Post and NY Newsday). It was a difficult assignment that we accomplished thanks to your talents, commitment and professionalism. This is a landmark project for us, one that will take Company 39 into new, interesting (and profitable) directions.

Once I return back to Denver, I will get a better sense of what is needed from an ongoing basis for updating of the site. Right now...things have been smooth on that front. So...let me assess future needs, and I'll follow up with you late next week or sooner to determine if Company 39 as some continuing needs for your help.

Thanks again for your exceptional efforts.

L

There is a Heaven in e-mail.

With next week approaching - what do you have planed for the day? Since working on Lower Manhattan.info for the city of New York and the WTC.. it has hit a little closer to home then I thought. The project has been launched and I no longer work on it, but I still feel I need to do something besides work through my lunch next week.
I have invited the co-workers I was with on that sad day for a luncheon. We were in shock, and just couldn't work that day or for the next day, and though I don't work with them anymore, I stay in touch. I thought about a picnic close by our jobs and have some time to reflect together. What are your plans? You can post in the tag section.

1. What is your biggest pet peeve? Why? Slow drivers. Idiots who don't know when to drive in the slow lane, use their signals or on the phone. I'm guilty on that last statement, but I use the earpiece to make my calls and I use it at red lights and make my calls quick and simple. When I am on the road, I'm not joy riding, I have somewhere to be. Move it or lose it. I also don't like it when someone isn't honest with me. Once I realize they are hiding something I don't want to be near them.

2. What irritating habits do you have? Serious road rage, grind my teeth at night, bite my nails when I have stress and my husband says I make all stories long when they could be short and sweet. He has room to talk.

3. Have you tried to change the irritating habits or just let them be? No, Yes, Yes and Yes. I think this is about the only time I let stress out. I can yell and scream at people who can't hear me. This will all change when I have that new car... When stress is away, teeth and nails do fine, I have about let go of the long story telling thing.. but have noticed I do it in my journals to. Have to set the scene ya know.

4. What grosses you out more than anything else? Why? Gory movies. Farts. (my son is the WORST). The dog throwing up.

5. What one thing can you never see yourself doing that other people do? Eat seafood? I don't know. That one has me. I'll come back to that one.

greymatter

YEAHHHHHHH I mastered greymatter! What is it? It's an application used for bloggers/journals to make it easier to log their entries. I'm not personally using it until I get my own domain name and host, but I set it up for my Director whose website I designed so she could post messages to the team and not have to go through me to post them to the site. I just do everything else! LOL. But I spent the better day of yesterday working on it and after trying out a few other journal software like moveable type and Php something or other, I found a cool link made by someone called a "Greymatter for Dummies". It worked for me. I have it basically set up right now to post messages, but I'm curious to all what it can do, I think it would be great to use it in other places of the site that gets weekly updates and that alone could save me a ton of work.

Tomorrow my Director is taking 25 brochures to her Directors meeting and giving me a plug on my website design. We hope to get about 10 to 15 more websites to do for the Area. That alone will bring me in some small cash, this isn't to take place of my job, just help. So I'm glad I got greymatter working so I can tackle the future designs.

I went back to the sucky job today, and I still have not told my husband what is going on. Who knows.. the check might come in after all. I won't know till Sep. 9th, so I see no sense in worrying him till then. I'll just worry about it. Everyone made jokes like "are you here for the day?" and my response was "only till something better comes along". My boss kept his distance letting me catch up on stuff and then leaving me with stuff to do while he goes back out on the road to Lake Powell with his buddies. Thank goodness. the VP is going too. It WILL be a short day for me tomorrow.

Off topic: In honor of a favorite past time (shopping), the Thursday Threesome today celebrates the Autumn Soap Sale over at Loveland Soapworks!

Onesome. Autumn. As the season changes, what changes for you? Your Daily Routine? Weekend Schedules? Your Mood?Not much. I think my children see the changes.. they are on year round school, and on their first 3 week break, which ends next Tues. That means late nights, sleep in's in the morning. With school back in, it now means Girl Scouts on the weekends, Boy Scouts when ever they pick a date to meet, and life goes on. Not a major change in my schedule.

Twosome. Soap. Come now, fess up. Are you a squeaky clean kind of person - or are there dark secrets hidden in your closets???To a point I am anal about cleaniness. I can let the house go dirty for awhile, but not my office desk, my computer screen (all icons have to line up in a certain order) or my closet. My clothers line up by colors so I can tell what is clean and what is in the wash and can find easily what I'm going to wear for the day. But I can let the house just fall apart for days, weeks and what right now feels like months.. we still have over 10 boxes still packed from our move in March sitting in the living room, and about 30 in the basement.

Threesome. Sale. Have you ever bought something absolutely ridiculous or unnecessary, simply because it was on sale and "such a good deal"? Is it tucked away in the attic or a closet - or did you find it really useful? Yeah - the suede jacket (pictures in last Friday's Five post) but I didn't buy it, my mom did for me.. but it would have been a deal and I would have if I had the money. Other silly things - a ring I bought on ebay. Don't need one, it's cheesy looking, fake as all hell and I haven't even told my husband about it yet. He's upset as it is that I have had to take my wedding band off because my finger was swelling. I wear the ebay ring ($10 with shipping) only on special occasions.

How about you? Post your answers in your own space and leave a comment so we can find you!

Thursday Theme

I updated the Thursday Theme, which was "money". I took a picture from the website that I just finished working on. It is brining in some money. :)

husband factor

For those who have come to see my "Friday Five" post with the 'pictures' - here is the post. I wore this outfit tonight to my MK meeting.

I guess this picture can also put me in the Mirror Project. I did take some photos of myself in the elevator where I worked the contract job, so I guess I need to do that too.

I got this great email from my project manager -

S,

If I can do anything to get you back...I will. You were awesome to work with, not once did you complain, and you were incredibly fast and good!!!

I'll let you know how the launch goes..but watch the news. We should make national news today!!!! And you were part of this!!

Anyway...Gotta run....

L

Even had an ex-boyfriend get ahold of me because he heard on the grapevine that I worked on this project... damn! So now I wonder do I write him back or not.

But the husband factor. I just don't know. Back up to when I joined MK, my husband said, "don't expect support from me". He went to a few things with me and one was a major disaster, he thought he was at some church revival and all he could hear from the speakers was "quit your job, make money for us". That day pretty much told me that I was going to fly solo and I would have to do a "WOW" thing. With or without him. Once a year my Director has a 'husband' night where they get to come to the weekly event and see what we do and gives them a chance to ask questions. When this was brought up a 2 years ago, I got a sounding "Hell NO" and I left it alone. I don't remember there being one last year, and when it came to this year's (tonight) I didn't ask and I just went to the meeting. There are a lot of women whose husbands can't go, won't go, single mom's, single women.. so I' m not alone in a room full of couples. But at the same time, Stephanie has the men stand up and introduce themselves and say something nice about their spouse/significant other and at the same time I can't see my husband saying nice things about me to other people. I mean, he does say nice things to me, not to others in public though, or that I'm aware of at work.

She gave them a "Big Hunk" candy bar to thank them for their support and because they are a "big hunk". Little secret.. all candy bars have a hidden meaning in MK. Remind me to list them all one day. I had to speak, which made me extremely nervous in front of the men and I didn't take proper notes so I felt like a nerd up there with all these extra eyes on me. After the meeting, Stephanie gave me an extra candy bar and told me to give it to B.

I did and he asked what it was for.

I said it was husband night and she gave me one to give to you.

He then replies "So I'm the asshole husband who didn't go?"

No, I didn't think you would want to go, you didn't want to go 2 years ago (HUGE MISTAKE FOR THAT COMMENT)

Oh.. 2 years ago. Am I still the asshole husband?

No. {huge sigh} I'll invite you next year.

What gives?

lower manhattan info

I finally get to talk about the site. It's launched.

Dear New Yorkers -

Recently, I was hired to work a contract job that entailed placing content into pages for a few weeks. The company was at a deadline crunch and needed an extra person for work and I was picked for the job. Because of 9/11 I was laid off from my job. Because of that day, I was able to work with this company and design this site for you. The irony of that is so sad. To work on something that will be a reminder to us all when it should have never happened, which means I shouldn't have been working there. BUt I did, and I'm proud to be a part of it.

Over two weeks, weekends and a few free meals, I was able to prove my web skills and was allowed to do more then copy and paste content into pages. This is by far, my favorite site I have ever worked on.

I'm real proud to be a part of this website development.. watch the news.. today and tomorrow.. this site is going to get a lot of press coverage. :) This is the biggest site media wise, I have worked on and it was a blast.

http://www.lowermanhattan.info

Pages I worked on - the site map, the poll page, about 80% of the content on the pages and I worked very close with the developer on the "Virtual Tour", the 360 pictures, text and links to other pages.

After 2 weeks.. I feel like I have been living in New York myself.. so you must go to. :) Check the site out. Have fun. :) I hope that this site helps the tourists, and the people who live there.

I had fun - thank you.

S.

monkey's paw or family outing?

I'm torn between two posts.. two that will go rather long and both pretty important.

I guess I'm going to go with monkey's paw because it's just pulling at my heart and mind and maybe I'll get a few emails on what I should do.

I read over the weekend one of the Diarist.net award winning entries.. the monkey's paw. In a nut shell. this is what it means (copied from the site:) Allen Philosophy Note 1: I find that much of life is like a Monkey’s Paw story. You can have something good and wonderful, but there will be a crazy and unforeseen side effect that invariably detracts from it in some way. (You know, like rain, on your wedding day...or is that irony? Or perhaps writing a song about irony, yet continually using it incorrectly, is irony...I don’t know.)

When reading the story I took a few seconds and thought of my own monkey paw moments in life.

1994) pregnant for the first time when I was told all odds were against me, then having to risk my life or the baby's life when I had my appendix ruptured. Did you know that 1 in 4,000 women have their appendix taken out when pregnant? See? monkey's paw.. happy pregnant me has to choose my life or baby's life. Of course, both babe and I turn out ok, but it was scary there for a few hours. She's bouncing around as usual for an 8 year old.

1996) this is a reversal of the monkey's paw. I had decided to go to college and knew my father would not approve. He thought it was a waste of time and money for me to go. When I made the decision to go, a week later my father passed away. It was some of his life insurance that was left for me that paid for my schooling.

2002) this great job I'm doing contract for. For once, I'm being paid a decent salary for the work I do, the skills I have, the knowledge I know. I'm having fun, more work down the road will come my way from it. We plan on getting our bills reversed so that rent can be on time. The bad side? I just found out today that the company (who own's the company I work for) does not cut checks till 30 days later. In the next 10 days our lives will fall apart again and we risk losing everything again because I didn't work at my other job enough hours and this place won't pay till Oct. 1. Major monkey paw there. I explained to my project manager before she left for New York that we can not possibly wait till Oct 1. We will sink faster then the Titanic.

My first thoughts, on the way home is "WHY?" "why me?", "Why us?" "Have I not been punished enough with the bankruptcy?" "lay-offs?" "having to move again?" "losing everything we owned?". I thought this job was going to help our situtation. Not set us back again. I didn't expect it to be our savor, I just thought it could help us reverse the bills. I thought maybe we could reverse the bill paying in Oct. but in the meantime, I didn't come home with a decent paycheck on the 1st (none at this point in time) and that is going to hurt us by the 15th and then it will effect us again on the 1st of Oct. so we gained nothing.

I have to wait till my project manager comes back from New York on the 9th, but how long do I stall my husband of what is happening? I hate the monkey's paw.. and it's there, staring me in the face. Telling me what a great job I did on that site. When co-workers are hoping I come back. And I'm just falling back into my sink hole.

I will write later about the family outing.

When there are days like this.. Participation Positives and we all have that those moments...
There are days like today...

~*~ I am so blessed to have the husband I have

labor day

I was a little nervous that I would really being doing work on a holiday, and I can actually say, I'm glad they gave me today off. The tension is getting tight, nerves are on the edge, the a/c wasn't turned on over the weekend, so we worked in hot conditions Sat. & Sun.... and the pain from the massage.. I'm SOOOOOO glad they let me take today off.

What I wasn't warned about was the "release of bad toxins" from a massage and that drinking tons of water (not just a small cup, which is what I did) will help wash it out. Now you tell me after I feel like I have been part of a terrible car wreck. I think I was hit by car.. that's how I feel.

The most enjoyable part of the weekend? We talked my mother-in-law into bonding time with the kids and so she took the kids for part of the day and kept them over night. I was released from work around 4pm, came home and caught up on some e-mail reading, sat down to watch my Sex in the City DVD and munch on some potato chips, talked to mom, called Cynthia (she has decided to sign up with someone else.. I wish her the best).

Then I had some major one-on-one cuddling time with my husband when he got home. We don't see much of each other with his 2 jobs that both require long hours and odd hours, so we seem to lose touch of each other from time to time. Our one goal is to keep our kids life on track, normal as can be and not up-rooted with all the screw-ups we have had to endear. So if that means loosing touch with each other, giving up time for ourselves to make it ok for them, we do it. I can personally vouch for that part in our vows.. for better or for worse.. we have lived most of our life in the worst part in money woes which then reflects the rest of our marriage.. but we strive and have never given up that things will get better and so that is what makes us strong as a couple. I so love him.

Have a wonderful Labor Day Monday - I'm going to go have a family day with my family.

trading spaces

The topic at the back porch is awesome this month. All about trading spaces. I already posted mine, so please.. go sit a spell and tell the what you want done to your house!

emails

I have a "TO DO" folder of emails that I don't have time to read and I stash away till I have time.. there is over 140 emails in there right now. Most of it MK tips and training. There was a seminar in Dallas this past July and I'm now sitting down to read all the great training that was given.. I loved this quote from one of the top Directors..

...and when someone pops your pink bubble, just say "WOW" (translated: With or without you I'm going to do it).

I think I will use that on my mother-in-law today when I see her.

my daily motivation

Sometimes I get these and I think I need to share.

IT'S YOUR MIND THAT SETS YOUR LIMITS

Everything is possible when you believe it's
possible.
What you envision you can do, you can do.
What your mind can conceive and believe,
your mind can achieve.

Success is actually a state of mind.
Start thinking of yourself as a success.
Know in your heart that you can do the job you've
set out to do.
Believe in yourself.

If you think you can, you can.
-----------------------------------------------
©2002 Written by: MotivationMentor@aol.com

workin 2.0

Just a quick blurb before I'm off to work again. The massage was awesome yesterday... until... I got home last night. I sat down on the couch to cuddle with the kids before bed and everything tightened up/loosened up and then I was in serious pain for the rest of the night. I even had my husband check for bruises because I was in such pain in spots.

Today we go in extra early with the hope that we get off early. uh-huh. We'll see.

The wonderful out come of all this - I submitted my hours for the the 2 weeks I worked already.. I came in late in the week the first week and then I worked all last week.. with working both Saturdays, it came up to 70 hours total. I quickly figured it in my head the take home check and I paid rent for the house we are in. What an awesome feeling. So another long day.. another nice paycheck in the future. Oh yes... we are working tomorrow to. So this is what it is like to work for the big companies.