Oysterz - Boone Hall Plantation Oyster Festival 2011

Recently, Becky, Jesse, Caitee and I went to the Boone Hall Plantation Oyster Festival put on by the Charleston Restaurant Association. Oyster buckets were $10!!! OMG, they were so good! We sat in the sun, ate seafood, drank some beer and listened to music. All in all, a great time was had by all!!!

Digital Expression

I finally had a chance to do some digital scrapping. Lately, I've been so into my Kenya trip, that all I did was fundraise and make things for my Etsy shop and orders. Make things for scrapbook classes I was teaching.  I didn't have much time for self-expression! Plus, I've been printing out all the blog entries about my fundraising to go in my Kenya album. That has been paper scrapping for the time being, which I have found frustrating somewhat as I can't do all the things that I can do digitally.

I've missed my digital world! And photographing things for my Etsy shop, got me excited about photographing what's out in the world and so these photos are from that inspiration.

I'm caught between a rock and a hard place right now...sort of...I love glue and inks and the tactile feel of scrapbooking, but I adore the results of my digital scrapbooking and the challenges of getting done what I want.  I should do hybrid, but at the moment, my color printer is out of ink...a paltry excuse, but the only one I have. Plus the printer has not been hooked up correctly as in it got knocked off the network. That is fixed (by me!!!). Now I just need to put it back in it's spot in the cabinet.

I digress. I did find a huge box of embellishments the other night. Quite a nice surprise! Left over from my move from the bonus room to my new scraproom/office. It might help if I unpack the rest of my stuff! All things in due time.

Such are my scrapping ramblings for today...

Another Day...not another dollar?

Big excitement...I tried Craigslist for the first time last week after my friend, Nancy E., recommended it. It was a successful venture. I'm going to root around for more things to see if I can't sell something else. I also had a successful week on e-bay. Not that I do it that often. I go in spurts, but I had some things I needed to sell, and so I listed them. We're trying to Dave Ramsey ourselves, and if you don't know who he is, I recommend looking him up. I'm too lazy this morning to URL! lol!

In that vein, I'm trying some new financial software that I seem to be having a good success with...which SUCCESS must be the word of the day! Mainly for budgeting, and that means expense tracking!

And as luck would have it, when doing some research on how to use this new budgeting tool, I found a great article on two headed snakes. What?!!! Not two headed snakes really. It was an article that basically said, pick your two biggest expenses that you think eat your budget...i.e. not your mortgage. Let's call them your budget eaters. Where you go off track...NOT THE LATTE. For me, right now, it is eating out. Not that we do it alot, but you get tired, and then next thing you know, you are getting a sandwhich somewhere. Try a goal of trimming this over the next month. By attacking your two weekest areas...and not eliminating them, but trying to reduce them. You free up the money you were spending there, to go to other areas. It may be a potential savings that if you keep on trying to find your two headed snakes, will help you keep your spending on track.

I think it is kind of like dieting. If you just go cold turkey and cut everything out, your mind is not happy! And you set yourself up for failure. But if you pick a habit, such as not getting fries with that meal, it's a change that when added to another change, becomes a lifestyle change and leads to weight loss on its own.


This is my last scrapbook page, which was sometime in June. I just have no mojo like I said. It doesn't have anything to do with a lack of materials, it's my brain won't cooperate. Maybe it's because life is busy right now. I miss my outlet, but it will come. I just need to give it time.


One thing really fun about my iPhone is the Hipstamatic film app. I bought it, which I don't usually buy apps. It has been worth every penny. This is my favorite combination (you Hipsters know what that means). B&W is my favorite film type. It can be so expressive in its contrast.

Anyway, that may be all I have to say for this day, aside from my glee in my coupon shopping yesterday at Bi-Lo! Save, save, save! Not my usual over 50%, but I bought alot of fresh fruit on sale so I still saved! Just could'nt get double coupons on top of the savings.

Mend, Layout of the Week at SBG

This layout was the Layout of The Week at Scrapbookgraphics this week and also featured on their blog, Scrap Matters. I was so excited. I couldn't believe it!
Last week, or week 2's, word was Accept. I didn't know what I was going to do at first and then thought of the Serenity Prayer...This page just came together...


Mend was the word for week 3. Not that I always follow the words or the prompts on the Art Journal Caravan, but I'm doing it so far, I guess! I really wasn't sure where that word was going to take me, and I had a hard time putting this page together. It was a "journey" for sure to get this the way I wanted and the journaling was difficult to get out. But I am really trying to be REAL with this art journal and having something at the end of the year that is about me...and life...

I still have not done my FEARLESS page. I'm waiting for some colors to inspire me!

Some recent layouts

Shame on me for not blogging since February 11th! OMG! Blogging is my favorite. I can say whatever I want and people have to listen...well, read it!

I went through a long dry spell of scrapping. The creativity was sapped. It was really weird. I think it was related to getting my son to graduation! OH YES! And he did, so WOOHOOOOOO! Stress both good and bad!

I miss checking out my blogging friends and stuff. I've been facebooking. Not the same as blogging. I really need to do both.

I do have pics to share for project 365 as well. Later I guess!

ASDR Here I Come

OK. So I was over at Tangie Baxter's CT forum checking on what was going on and Carolyn was looking for a partner for the Amazing Digi Scrap Race. I figured, "What the hey!" So starting Jan. 4th, she and I will be racing together. I think that will be big fun and give me some good scrapping challenges!

Well, for those of you who have visited, you know I signed up at ChaCha to earn some extra money. It is a legit thing, but they are having alot of problems on their site, apparently getting the text questions out to what they refer to as Guides, which are us. Anyway, it has caused a big slow down in the amount of money people can make. Sometimes questions are 10 minutes apart. Some folks sat for three hours and got none. Now, if you know me, that is not gonna happen. I have ants in my pants all the time. I liked it when I first joined...I think the first two days when it was working. It has been broken since.

Then they have alot of rules about which sites you can and cannot go to for answers, which I apparently violated a bunch of rules to the point I nearly got myself kicked out of ChaCha. And you must use complete sentences that are grammatically correct with no spelling errors. You get 160 characters to reply. And if they don't like your reply, they hit you with a QC complaint. All that for ten cents a question, unless you make top guide, but to do that you have to comply with all their rules. If you know me, you know I am not too good with rules. Rules are for everyone else. In my life, if you can't get around the rule, you didn't approach it correctly. HOLY SHIT! This is supposed to be some mad money not a chokeholding, smothering additional stress factor! LOL!

Anyway, I'm not killing myself until they get their site fixed. And apparently the MOzilla Firefox that you must work out of instead of IE SUCKS! It caused my computer to lock and not operate. Now, as a scrapping addict, we cannot have that. Locked computer means I don't have access to my designs. I don't have access to my photos. I can't scrap. That will not do.

I scrapped today and yesterday. I can't share either lo because (and lo is a no-no on ChaCha cuz you must use real words and cuz is out, too)one lo is going in a grab bag in December and the other can't be shared until tomorrow, which when you read this will be tomorrow. So then I could share it, only it is not tomorrow now so I can't.

I have alot more to ramble on about, but then I'm not sure I really can because I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings in case they read my blog, which I don't think they do. But I'm not sure.

I'm a bit aggravated. So let's just say I need to run apparently. Which I only ran one day this week because it was cold. Boo hoo!

She is not Diane! OMG!

I made this card using product from Christina Renee. My friend thought I bought it. NOPE! It is only one sided and fits in a legal envelope. Easy and quick!

So I have met many peeps through my digi and paper scrapping world. One of them is a cool chick named, Dawne, who is Ladybug Graphix. I have been calling the poor woman Diane. Absolutely no reason or sense there whatever. Lucky for me she has a great sense of humor! HAHAHAHAHA! Sorry Dawne! I can't promise I won't slip up! I hope you will check out her blog and store.

I have been slack in scrapping mainly because my brain is dead from Christina's block party. I do have some assignments I need to get busy on!

Today I was so tired for working last night that I took a whole two hour nap. Oh, it was glorious!

I have also been trying to earn extra money over at Cha Cha. But it seems I have joined at a time when they are having a huge amount of technical difficulties. I'm trying to stick it out. Mainly because I need to earn some cash for some new running shoes before I become a human cripple and also because I'd like a pedicure. I'm a simple girl! LOL!

Terri Walsh at Digitals and ATC Fun

digi credits: Birthday by Terri Walsh at Digitals


digi credits: Timeless by Terri Walsh at Digitals


Check out Tangie Baxter's ATC stuff by clicking on her blinky!

I made some lo's this weekend. I scrapped my brains out! And I'm still in the mojo! I'm binge scrapping!

Remoulade Sauce (courtesy of Emeril Legasse)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
3 tablespoons Creole whole-grain mustard
3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons chopped parsley leves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process for 30 seconds. Use immediately or store. Will keep for several days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Talk about tangy and delicious. OMG I made this to go over some salmon and as a side to dip shrimp in for dinner. It was absolutely amazing. I highly recommend it. It's easy, but it has a big bang impact. Definitely something you'd want to serve to impress your guests...and it's so easy.

I had to help my dd with a paper on some aspect of Beowulf. Surely she realizes that I have been out of high school more than (ahem) twenty years (egad!). Thank goodness for the internet because I was able to help her organize her thoughts and find examples to complete her paper.

Cottage Arts News and Rasberry Road

credits: HERE, and if you want to leave me some love, you can!!!

This lo is made using the Sunflower Susie Collection by Rasberry Road. Click on my blinke if you want to check it out. And if you like it, a QP based on it will be released on 9/18 at her site! I know, cuz I did it!

OMG! They just said that if you live in a 1 or 2 story house in Galveston, you need to leave or you will die. So my dh put this in perspective for me at our beach house, which is up on stilts, that the water would be up to his neck on the 1st floor at the expected levels. The sea is such a powerful force, that at that depth and ferocity, it would level what was in its path. How scary! I hope everyone listens and evacuates.

DD is still sick. The strep has really wiped her out. I feel so bad for her. I have used all my motherly knowledge to keep her comfortable.

Ds has worked every day this week except Sunday and Tuesday. I'm so stinkin' proud of him I could bust! He hasn't complained one time, well except for trying to keep his check, but his fight was short and he showed up with his insurance $$ for me today. What a good boy!

Cottage Arts has released 2 calendars for 2009 with more to come. HERE to check it out. This is the blurb from the site.

"You can see it comes with alot of goodies for you to personalize the CD calendar: Our very popular CD Case Calendar is back once again...this one having an everyday theme in creams, browns, greens, and blush. The everyday theme comes with 16 monthly calendar overlays (Sept 08-Dec 09), 7 patterned paper ScrapOver Templates, 1 texture overlay (play with layer blend modes for more possibilities), and 4 frame clusters. You can use the plain calendar overlays as they are and simply drag a photo behind them, add the vellum flourish overlay over the photo (beneath the calendar), or use one of 7 different ScrapOver templates with a photo mat opening. We've included 4 of the frame clusters if you would like to use them with other backgrounds or simply on white. Print 2-up on your home printer. Take a CD case and pull it back for a fun easel desk frame (slim line with black back work real well)."

And finally, our news told us there was a shortage of gas and that in some parts of the country, due to Ike, gas had already reached over $5.00. Locally one of our gas stations was limiting customers to 10 gallons each. Now you know with them saying that, it caused a mass panic (in our small town). Walmart was backed up all in its parking lot with people lined up to get gas at each of its pumps. The station at the end of our neighborhood had an accident due to cars lined up in the road waiting to pull off to get gas. Mind, you we decided to fill up since the national news said that the floating oil rigs and such might get damage causing a shortage like after Katrina. OMG! Now, I'm trying to restrict my teenage drivers to ONLY drive where they must and NO hauling anyone anywhere.

A New Rasberry Road LO

I made my lo using the Boys To Men Collection available from Rasberry Road Designs. And then I made a QP based on my lo. To get the QP, if you are interested, CLICK HERE and you can download it!

Oh, I got so many comments about the nasty little cheerleader. Y'all have no idea what a crushing decision it was to leave, but with my hands tied behind my back, it's impossible to effectively coach. So thanks for your support. But some decisions are perhaps the Holy Spirit hitting us over the head for not seeing earlier messages. As bummed as I was, when I hit the lss to sign up make a deposit on an all day crop, she asked me to teach a digi scrapping class! WAHOO! Now that's right up my ally. So I'm jazzed!

I've got a kiddo down with strep. 1000mg of Amoxicillon 2x per day. You know she's puny!

I have a weird allergy that I get on my hand from touching something I am allergic to which erupts into a strange kind of hives that blister and hurt and itch. Today I had two eruptions on my hand. I'm about to go crazy itching! ACK! I'll ask the dermatologist when I see her next.

Ds got his first paycheck from his new job which he so richly informed us that he needed to keep to use towards the car. AHEM! You will put 1/2 of your check in to pay for your insurance son! Driving isn't free. The rest you may have towards gas or whatever. GEEEEZ! What are they thinking?

Saw a cute movie today called "Smart People". Dennis Quaid was in it and that girl from Juno (which I disliked that movie!). It has some very funny lines in it and is a cute movie about a quirky family. I rather enjoyed it and had more than a few laughs. That to me is entertainment!

I guess I am chatty today. Oh well! Thanks for stopping by!

School Tearz

Credits

Can you imagine? My dh told me to take it easy today, relax, and scrap. HAHAHAHAHAH! OK! I will! So I made this lo! Went back to bed this morning. Drank a diet coke. Ate some popcorn. Watched Oprah. Yeah, that's a great day! LOL!

Not much else to chat about!

Printing at My Pic Tales: A Review

Okay, my prints came! I'm not going to discuss the uploading at this time as I believe they fixed or are fixing the bugs they had with that.
I ordered 1 8x8 print and 11 12x12.

In order to print, they ask for bleed. Now there are tons of threads at DST about this and even actions for sale if you save your files as a layered PSD. I don't. Frankly, that isn't necessary. I increased the canvas size on each lo to 8.25x8.25 and 12.25x12.25 respectively. I use PSE 5.0 if that matters. Anyway, this made a border around my lo's.

The purpose of this is that in mass printing, they do mass cutting, which means they put it in a stack and chop. I am not sure what type of tool they use for cutting because I used to work in a factory that had what we called a cutter. Now, it would go through stacks of paper the thickness of file folders effortlessly. Anyway, the bleed is so that as the blade goes through the stack and papers shift, you are not getting anything cut off that you consider important on your lo's.

The one 8x8 came back with no bleed are left on it at all. Smart, clean edges as it was a single page cut.

The 12x12 came back with a few having a small area along the bottom. It happens to be a light gray, but you don't even notice it. I am very picky and it didn't bother me at all, but if you were bothered by it, you only have the one edge to trim so it's not like it is all 4.

I am very pleased with the paper quality. It is a nice thickness.

The colors on all my lo's are true. You know how when you used to get film processed, if the person didn't know what they were doing, you might get a greenish cast or a pinkish cast, and they'd have to re-do all you photos? Well, this is not the case.

The printing is sharp. Very high quality as far as I can tell. My 12x12's look fantastic. I can't even begin to tell you how nice they look. And my 8x8 is gorgeous, too. On a bigger canvas, you would definitely notice shoddy work.

So, in closing, I have to say that this place is IT! Their prices are perfect for my SAHM earn-printing-money-through-paypal-sales budget. I highly reccomend them as I am very pleased with my end result. I am pleased enough that I will be placing another order today!

If you have any other specific questions that I might be able to answer, let me know...Oh yeah, shipping was very reasonable and the pages came in protective plastic in a heavy duty cardboard box. There were several options for shipping and I'd say it took my entire order about a week from order placement to my door.

FREEBIE
Click here for a beautiful QP by Cheryl at Rasberry Road.

And right now there are only two entries for the Bucket List Challenge to win a $10GC to Tangie Baxter's Store. Challenge ends today at night so you still have time! Click here for details

I'm Aggravated and Lo's and Rasberry Road Grand Opening

Let's chat first about Rasberry Road. Susan Darter has slated her Grand Opening of her new fully functional site for October 1st. There will be tons of games and prizes so it should be a good time. The new site will include a gallery and forum and blog and all that good stuff, along with her fabulous shop which she has been using Blogger to host.


This lo was made using Wee Lil Wise Guys available at Tangie Baxter Designs. Click on my active blinkie on the side to check out her store. I do still have ds's back to school page to do. At least I'm putting along on my lo's.

I ordered some lo's from My Pic Tales. Still waiting for those to come. I don't know what their turnaround time is. When I get them, I will give a full review.

And lastly, we have decided to sell one of our beach houses. BOOOHOOOO! It's mainly an economic thing in this slowed down economy. Which this economy is eating us alive. It's kind of depressing, and I handle all our bills so I'm feeling all of the pressure. Looming on the horizon is sending two to college a year apart, although all of their tuition is already paid. A fourth car since one will be gone. You know, all the usual home maintenance stuff with a 20 year old house ...plumbing, new dishwasher. I'm coming unglued...back to school. ACK! I know we are all going through it. I'm just venting! Oh yes, and ds is always starving because we are starving him because "we have no food in this house."

Cottage Arts, Digitals and Chat

Credits here


Each of these lo's has a 2nd page that I need to do to go with them. I have some silly shots of my family cooking to go with the Thanksgiving one. They are hams! And I have some more dancing pics from camp and the journaling to go with that activity and page!

Credits here Look at this yummy tree that is brand spankin' new and available at CottageArts along with another beautiful kit they released today. Trees really are all the rage these days. I love the beauty of this one.

Well, aside from cheer camp I haven't done too much with cheerleading since we got back. Mainly because they are just learning the cheers and band dances, which all the returners already know. It's just the newbies that have to learn them really. But tonight we are off to an event at our local civic center put on by the school foundation here. The girls are performing a lil sumpin. So I will have pics of that. And I'm in my official capacity as Asst. Coach. I'm sure it will be fun!

I'm about to go and feed my son, who assures me he is starving to death. Do teen boys ever get full? And then it's a nice run around the neighborhood. So I hope that dd has not run the battery dead on my ipod so I have some good tunes to keep me occupied. And I'm getting my hair colored today. HOORAY! No gray! LOL!

Cheerleading Camp and Recipe Page

This lo was created using the Mystical Skies kit available at Rasberry Road. Just click on my blinkie over on the side to get a peak at more of Susan Darter's clever kits. She has such great variety.

This page was created using Homemade Goodness and Farmer's Market kits by Rasberry Road. The recipe card and the QP without the recipe are part of a participation prize for this month's challenge. I hope you will check it out. Personally, I can't wait to get all the QP's just to whip out a quick recipe book for a Christmas gift!

I worked on a lo last night for Becky Fleck's Page Maps coming out in September. I finally got it done. I just couldn't get it right. You know how that goes sometimes, but the great thing about digi is you can just delete what you don't like. Anyway, I can't post it because it is going to be pubbed. So as soon as it is, I will post and link so you can see it.

I ran my 1.25 miles on the street today. Big accomplishment as last time I ran only 1 mile because when I rounded the corner and looked up and saw that hill, I completely unpsyched myself. Today I was focused, determined and completely in the zone. So I am very happy! YAY! It was also alot cooler today than it has been for a while.

I will say this: I need some new running shoes. I wore an old pair and my shins and knees told me about it. That's usually how I can tell when my shoes are gone. Plus my hips will hurt later. No biggee. Just a reminder of how important it is to run in the right shoes because the stress it puts on your joints can lead to other things down the road. You gotta take care of yourself and have the right equipment! But my running shoes are $100. And yes, that is alot of money. However, I have tried cheaper pairs and the same thing happens...sore shins, sore knees, sore hips. Once you find a pair that does the trick for you, you really have to stay with them.

I ran so many errands yesterday. I had to take a nap! But I think that might be my new bp medicine as well. I've been jacked up for a while...zippy and so not feeling that way, makes me sleepy. Gotta get used to it.

I hope you will check out the Authentic Artistry blog. They have some freebie templates posted today. HERE.

I guess I'm feeling chatty today! LOL! My kids are cramming in all the fun they can before school starts. They are cracking me up. And dh is so addicted to the Olympics. Now he has all of us, and the kid's friends, glued to the t.v. routing on the athletes.

Rasberry Road and Recipes and a Challenge

Don't you just love the jar in this set of elements? Susan always does something unique. Her papers are just beautiful. This also has a freebie alpha available at the blog. So check it all out here: Rasberry Jam at Rasberrry Road Designs by Susan Darter.

Only today and tomorrow left to participate in the "Layered Frame Challenge" I am hosting at the Rasberry Road Forum: Click HERE for details! You can win a kit from Rasberry Road Designs!

And finally a little teaser for next month's challenge is this recipe card from the Homemade Goodness collection at RR. They will be given away with a bunch of others along with QP's for a recipe book made with the Farmers Market Collection just for participating in August's challenge!



As far as comments on my daily life, it's hot. It's summer. So what else is new! LOL! I ran a whole mile yesterday OUTSIDE, which is a big deal for me as I have always run inside on a treadmill. I had to give up my gym membership, and since I ruptured my achille's tendon several years back, have been afraid to run outside. But I conquered that fear and am now out on the road! So hopefully I can get up to my normal 3 miles! Keep your fingers crossed.

Here we are scrimping and saving like all of America with gas so expensive. And I get a bill for having our wrought iron gates fixed. DH said, "I found a guy to fix our gates for $160.oo." Yeah, bill comes, and true to dh's form, it is $725. Yes, you read that right. I said to him, "Now? With all that is going on we get this bill? If I had known it was going to be this much, I would have passed on this project." *#$_)(*@#_)(*$(_@)(#$*_)(*_@#)($*_)(*#$)(*$_$*#(_)(*#_@)$ Sometimes I hate handling the family finances, cuz I sacrifice so much and then ($*_#(*$@#)M*%_#)(* like this happens. I mean, where am I going to cough that out of??? HELLO!!!

PUBBED and Clearly Something with a BIG GRIN

This lo was created using Wendy Pages Clearly Something kit available at Digitals. I am so tired so I'm too lazy to direct link and use html code, so just click on the Digital blinkie if you are interested!

And take a look at my little dog, Runt. He is the one with the most hilarious human looking grin on his doggy face. My family saw this pic, and we were just rolling. Y'all, that little dog has dimples. Fo' real! He smiles!

And my big news of the day is that Scrapbook News & Review has picked up one of my lo's to be featured in their next mag issue which comes out in August. And they are the kind of digi mag that you have to subscribe to. Not that I mind ones you don't have to subscribe to. I'm happy to be pubbed whatever it is! LOL!

Fun New Lo with Cottage Arts and Senior Portraits

CottageArts Play & Grow Collection by Julie Meade

UNEDITED

Okay, I have always wanted to do one of these kind of cartoon lo's, for lack of a better description. When I saw this kit by Julie Meade over at Cottage ARts, I had to have it. It just so happens that I found these photos of my dd from about 4 years ago that were just perfect to be scrapped with it.

I can't remember if I shared this pic of ds that I took. I need to edit it, but I just love it. I believe it will be his Christmas card pic! And the one he can give his friends when they are passing out senior photos! I just love it when he cooperates with me.

His senior proofs came, but the tuxedo yearbook pics didn't come out. Photographer flubbed up so he has to redo those, but the casual looks were great. Now dh and I have to pick which one to order. TOUGH choice! LOL! I'm only going to get an 11x17 as otherwise it is way too expensive!

Christina Renee and When Do You Work

digi credits:HERE

That is my latest creation using Christina Renee's designs, including her latest Freebie at DST: The Scenery-The Royal Garden. I hope y'all have been downloading those cuz the heart, fish, hearts with arrows, star and UP are all from her freebie this month, too, at DST!

I told my son to be sure he had off Tuesday this week as he was getting his wisdom teeth out. Okay says he.

Tonights conversation went like this:
Me: Matt, when are you working this week?
Matt: Tuesday & Friday
Me: Matt, you can't work Tuesday. You are having your wisdom teeth out.
Matt: I know.
Me: I told you to tell Ryan you needed Tuesday off.
Matt: I did. We're having a tournament.
Me: Well, you can't work.
Matt: I know.

Why did I bother to tell him to be sure he had off? Anyway, he has to trade with someone now or WORSE, embarrassing Mommy will have to intervene!

UNCOOL: This girl at work asked me to work last Sunday for here which was my Sunday off. I did. She promised to work for me this Sunday, today. Did I hear from her? NO! Did I call her twice and text her. Youbetcha. Did she ignore my calls. Youbetcha. Did I have to go to work today. Youbetcha. Was I pissed? Youbetcha. Will I ever do anything for her again? NOPE! (Did you think I was gonna say YOUBETCHA?)

It was 101 degrees in the shade on our porch today. IN JUNE! Early June at that. That is HOT no matter how you slice it. Whew!

I've got to get out early and water tomorrow so everything we've planted lives. It was too hot by the time I woke up this morning for it to do any good. So I'll have to water extra tomorrow. Hate to see that water bill, but I gotta protect my landscape investment!

Any movement at all outside tomorrow will require a dip in the pool. That's what I do. Work a lil, dip a lil, work a lil, dip a lil! LOL!

Credits here
This lo was done for the Loft Challenge at the TBD Loft which will be posted today...it's a challenge to do a lo about what you love about Spring. Frankly, that summer is right behind for me as my lo says. Spring is cold and damp here and annoyingly long. I'm all about SUMMER!!! Anyway, check out the challenge, you could win a GC to Tangie Baxter's terrific store. She and Sherriejd are coming out with a new collab kit on Tuesday, and if you saw their last one, you know it is a big deal! We get it today. It's not ready quite yet.

I have to work every single day this weekend. OMG! What we mother's do to have flexibility for our children but provide some extra income...however, I do have 3 days off next week, which will mainly involve replanting everything I had to have ripped out since it was overgrown after 17 years in our yard...and affecting the water pipes...still waiting on my check from the city, although they did forward my stuff to the Risk Management folks who sent it right off to their third party handler with whom I spoke yesterday.

Meanwhile in order to be sure I am aware that the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing, the city's paperwork arrived which instructed me to mail (1) two estimates...uh, no, work is already done... and (2) send it to the Risk Management office who would then forward it to their third party handler...didn't they already do that? OMG, it really makes you wonder what the hell they do over their all day, doesn't it. Bumblers is what I'm thinking...Doesn't give you alot of confidence in the local government.

And when I spoke to the third party, upon receiving their letter saying they had tried to contact me...NOT...we have an answering machine, caller ID and cell phones...no message...no caller ID...I called them anyway, and they want me to explain the whole story, so I do, but then they start asking questions trying to make me say something. I tell them I don't discuss the plumbing since I am not an expert, but they can call the plumbers and, "I'll read you what they did. I have their e-mail right here."

"Oh, no. That's OK. I have a copy of that."

What do they think I am going to say? I'm not an idiot. Anyway, I wasn't really that aggravated because the city had sent everything off already cuz they know they are culpable even though their letter says they admit no guilt or responsibility. UMMMMmmm...ok.

Anyway, it should take about a week for them to get back to me. They have to get the city's paperwork. Which will say they came out, which they didn't. Which will include a photo of the dirt pile in my yard as evidence in the plumbing issue. Which will go against my photos of broken end cap, completely 100% clogged pipe and all photos taken in the hole where the plumbing is...now whose case is better. OH MINE!

One thing about me, I do not like to be unprepared. When I was working, I had to be 100% prepared for anything I did so I could answer any and all questions. It was just me. Kinda freaky like that. I don't like to be surprised with something I don't know about my job! LOL!

And speaking of ultra dorky and jobs. So I'm working this retail gig til the kiddies graduate and they are having some sort of contest while they educate the sups in each dept. They learn a lesson every week, give us the answers from the quiz they take, and last night the store manager gathers us all up and quizzes us. Now, frankly, I don't give a rat's behind about knowing the other departments because I don't care how they hang their shirts. I don't do it. I can't leave the jewelry department, even to go to the bathroom without at least a dept. supervisor there to cover so I don't get anywhere else all shift! Anyhoooooo, if you answer your question right, your dept. supervisor gets a point. Mind you. I'm standing behind the store manager because they have to have the meeting in jewelry because I'm still open. I can see all the answers. LOLOLOLOLOL! I got my question right, but it was about jewelry so duh! And so my sup got a point and lo and behold, I got a little dorky pin to put on my name badge like I'd done something spectacular at work. I'm sorry, but I find all that a little gay.

Hope everyone has a fabulous Memorial Day. We do not celebrate it where I live as they celebrate Confederate Memorial Day. So everyone is open except Federal businesses! LOL! Doesn't that kill ya! What can I say about a state who is proud of "First to Secede," and "the South shall rise again!" King cotton and all that! Heritage not hate. I'm just quoting, btw, so don't get panties in a wad, not expressing my opinion. Now let me go have a mint julep under my magnolia tree, I'm gettin the vapors!