Summer Card Camp Week 1

So more laundry early today. But just three loads as I had to take Don out to the groomer. He looks so pretty now! See?

He definitely does not like to pose for photos. I had to make a weird noise, (which was very difficult for me), in order for him to look at the camera. Yeah, I know, his left eye looks at the camera, while his right eye looks at the television. What can I say--he's talented. (Or a little walleyed).

So I started the online Summer Card Camp this week. I am still working on a card for a CMC class, which I will show you when I finally get it done. I can't figure out what is taking me so long to finish that card. Anyway, I did do a card for the first week of camp. Yeah, I know, I am amazed, too.

Our assignment was to make a card with "warm shades of purple, pink, and orange alongside sky blue and white". I looked through my entire stash of patterned paper and card stock, and I couldn't find anything I liked. So I winged it [is that proper grammar--or should I say did wing or wanged ;^)] and this is what I finally settled on at 2 a.m. Please don't look at it too critically, as I was really, really tired when I finished it.

I used a Holly Berry House medium tulip stamp and colored with Copics: RV02, RV06, RV09, V000, V01, V04, YR000, YR65, YR68. I used several dies from the Spellbinders Parisian Accents sets. I colored Stampin' Up rhinestones with RV06. I added a bow (without the aid of my Bow Easy, which I still can't find a year after we moved--perhaps I should buy a new one?). And the card stock is Stampin' Up Vanilla and Blue Bayou. Now, I have to confess that I meant to use Whisper White, but it was so late that I obviously couldn't see and grabbed Vanilla instead. And I just realized it now; but, there is no way that I am re-making this card. So my white is a dirty white. Sue me. (But you have to catch me first).

Anyway, I am pleased that I submitted a card during week one. I will have to miss a week during the Card Camp, as I will be on vacation with Gary, and I am positive that he will not want me making cards in Oregon. Actually, I am positive that I will not want me making cards in Oregon. We will be spending too much time tasting wines and just enjoying cooler weather.

Wishing everyone everywhere a fabulous Friday!

I need a nap

I'm sleepy. It's 9:06 a.m. and I'm sleepy. I went to bed after 1:00 a.m. and got up at 4:00 a.m. to start my laundry. One has to start laundry at 4:00 a.m. because our cold water is too hot to use during the daytime. Living in the desert in the summer does have some drawbacks. Like scalding yourself in the shower with the tap set all the way to cold water. And having to get up in the middle of the night to start laundry. I am a night owl and it hurts my feelings to get up early. Especially at 4:00 a.m.

I would like to prey upon your sympathies some more by saying that I stayed up and am doing laundry on 3 hours of sleep. But that would be a lie. I went back to bed and set my alarm for 5:30 a.m., so I could get up to put the washed clothes in the dryer and start a new load in the washer. I would like to tell you that I stayed up then and am doing laundry on approximately 4-1/2 hours of sleep. But that, too, would be a lie. Because I went back to bed and set my tea timer for 30 minutes. Because I could. And because, since I was so horribly sleep-deprived, I was stumbling around like a drunken sailor. Being tired does that to me. And I really need a full 8 hours of sleep in order to function like an intelligent adult. Otherwise, I act like a cranky child. Not pretty. So I would now like to tell you that I am finishing the laundry on 5 hours of sleep. But that would also be a lie, or a fairy-tale. Because both times that I went back to bed, it took be a while to go back to sleep. I am not sure why I bothered with the last 30-minute attempt, because by the time I finally drifted off, that damn tea timer started beeping at me. Ugh.

So I am doing laundry on about 4 hours and 22-5/16 minutes, give or take a minute or two. I am washing my sixth load now. Not that you care, but I just want you to know how self-sacrificing I am. And I was able to wash the last two loads this late into the morning because they needed to be run on hot water. Which I have. In spades.

Well, the good news is that I have plenty of time today to take a lonnnnng nap. Without setting an alarm or timer. And you can bet your bippy, (now I am really showing my age), I will be doing just that! And I know you are happy for me. I can tell.  

After my doctor's appointment yesterday, during which he found out I truly do have "white-coat-syndrome" blood pressure, my sister, Merrilyn, and I went to lunch. We ate at St. Francis in central Phoenix, and if you haven't yet been there and have a chance to go, do so. It was fab.u.lous! Loved it. Service was great, quirky atmosphere, and the food--well, let me tell you it was simply divine! We each had what is called Roasted Salmon "Superfood"; dang, it was tasty! Yummy roasted salmon, red quinoa, avocado, soy beans and radish served with a sweet chili vinaigrette. Perfection. And the fact that it was actually a healthy meal--well, that just enabled us to split a dessert without too much guilt. (And I am still trying to fit into those new pants. Sigh.) But if you go there and do not get the sticky toffee pudding to split with someone, (anyone--or call me and I'll drive the 39.3 miles to share it with you), you are really doing yourself a disservice. It was unbelievably delicious, with a capital D! But don't try to eat one all by yourself, because it is so rich and sweet, it would spoil the experience.

Well, I finally have two, count them--two, followers. Angela is no longer alone. Merrilyn and I finally figured out how to set up her Google account and add her as a follower. Yay! I know I have a couple of more readers, but they must also be having trouble adding themselves as followers. I still haven't broadcast that I am doing a blog. But, if you are a reader, and you enjoy this (how could you not), feel free to refer this blog to your friends, relatives, and worst enemies. Hey, a girl needs all the encouragement she can get, and so do us old ladies. ;^)

Here is the card I gave to Gary in May for our 41st anniversary. Not that we got to spend the day together. He was in England on business, and I was home sick in bed. Lovely. Anyway, I will try to finish up another card later today to post soon. In the meantime, here's wishing everyone everywhere a super Thursday.

Hair's the thing

OK, so it has been mentioned that I didn't blog about my new hair style. And that's a valid point. I cannot tell you why I hadn't--but now that it was brought to my attention, I shall fully disclose the results. I really like my new "do"; it's shorter than my old hair style, and I now have bangs. I told Linh, my hairdresser, that I would live with it for a few weeks to see how I like it. And to see how easy it was to maintain. So far, so good. Linh said she didn't want to cut my hair really short--she felt I would hate it and blame her--which is probably true. She knows me too well. After all, I have been going to her for 21+ years now. That's a long time, don't you think? :^)  So we compromised with the in-between cut, and we'll see how it goes. Gary took a photo of me last night (at our daughter's irritating insistence--she kept emailing me to send a photo); my comment to him when I saw it was something on the order of, "I don't look as good as I thought I did. I look much older." He just laughed.

Yeah, I'm not laughing. Look closely at my eyes, if you dare. (It may turn you to stone.) I have the droopy upper eyelids and the puffy lower lids. Not a good look, if you know what I mean. And today, of all days, I got a "Buy with Me" offer to get an laser eyelid lift for half off. I said to Gary, "Hey, maybe I should do this. It would probably improve my vision." You know what? He actually told me that if I really wanted the surgery, to go ahead. But he said he didn't want me turning out like Joan Rivers. I'm afraid I'd turn out like Priscilla Presley--now that's a scary thought. But I now know why a cashier at Joann's recently asked me if I wanted the senior citizen discount. Aaaaaaack!

This hits me really hard. Don't laugh. It's not funny. To me. At all. Really. (Well, maybe just a teeny bit, but very teeny). You see, people have always thought that I was younger than my real age. (Well, always up until now, apparently). Can you imagine this scenario--when I was in my early twenties, I hated people thinking that I was much younger. (Was I crazy then, or just stupid)? I didn't want them thinking I had married an old man. (Gary looked much older than he was then, and I looked younger. So people thought there was a huge age difference between us; actually it is only 15-1/2 months). Now I would give almost anything for people to think that. I'd laugh about it--I'd actually brag about it. No such luck. Not anymore. Sigh. Sometimes, it is just hell getting old.

We ate at the Deli last night and had a wonderful salmon dinner; it was served with delicious orzo and a squash gratin. Mmmmmmm. And we finished the meal with a fresh berry tart, served with lemon cream. Again, mmmmmmm. Luscious! Then today Gary ran back out to the Deli (good thing it is nearby, or is it?) and got a sandwich for us to split for lunch. When he walked in, our favorite waiter said, "Get a life."  Is it possible that we do the Deli too often? Not on my watch!

Tonight the dinner club--from Gary's work--got together for our monthly meal. We ate at Mellow Mushroom Pizza in downtown Tempe. It was pretty decent pizza, but not our favorite--that still remains the Parlor, and in second place, Grimaldi's. There is another new place, that is certified by some group in Italy (who it is I couldn't tell you) and if we can ever remember the name of the restaurant, we might give it a try, too. You know, to compare to our favorites. To see if certification by whomever is all that.

Of course, since we were in downtown Tempe, we had to go to the Shoe Mill. Because I had a coupon, naturally, and I needed a pair of black sandals to wear in Hawaii. (Maybe "needed" is stretching the truth just a tiny bit). So I try on a pair of leather Ecco sandals that fit and are very comfortable. And the salesgirl tells me that I won't want to wear them on the beach because I could ruin them. But she has another pair that would be perfect for the beach and for hiking. OK, so I try them on and they fit and are comfortable, too. But they are ugly. And they are just like the ones Gary was wearing tonight. And it's fine if he wears ugly sandals, but I didn't want to. So there was a little tug-of-war going on between Practical Penny and Peevish Penny. I am proud to say that Practical Penny won. I bought the ugly, comfortable sandals and shall wear them in good health. Or whatev.

That's the update. Sorry for the length. Actually, I'm not. So there.

Wishing everyone everywhere a super Sunday. Now go buy something ugly and comfortable. You'll feel good about yourselves.

Too much typing today!

You know those emails that get sent out with the fill-in-the-blanks. The ones you roll your eyes at, but then, when you start answering them, they actually are fun to do. And fun to get back. You can learn some surprising things about people you thought you knew. Well, I am in the middle of one of those right now. I blame it all on my sister, Barbara. She started the dang thing, and it has morphed into a life of its own. Honestly, I left my computer for a few hours today--to do some CONSTRUCTIVE things, ahem--and I came back to 52 new messages. And they were all from various members of my family, smart-mouthing each other over and over. (I think I am really ticked because I didn't get to play with them real-time!) I fixed their wagons for them (what does that really mean), because I was on tonight when the barrage began again. I was able to respond with witty comments of my own--typing faster than I ever thought possible. Gosh, I am exhausted. I don't know how people actually do this for a living. I used to, many moons ago. I digress. And lucky for you, I forgot what the point of this whole paragraph was.

So, tomorrow is hair-cut time. I haven't even left the house for a week. I just can't face the public with my hair looking soooo bad. (Yeah, like anyone really cares, or would even notice--LOL). I need hair help badly. Do I sound desperate? Perhaps just a teeny bit.

I got a couple of images done for a class I am taking on-line with Suzanne Dean and her Color Me Creative Classroom. I actually liked doing them--a sepia image and a black-and-white image. I may use this technique on some cards in the future, as it is rather fun.

I made a card for another surprise birthday party--two in one month is a little weird--this one for Barry, my son-in-law's brother. I added bling at the insistence (really) of my daughter. I don't think that Barry minded though, as he is pretty easy-going. It was a great party, btw, thank you for asking!

So You Think You Can Dance was great tonight! The Viennese Waltz was beautiful--loved it. There was even a performance that brought tears to my eyes--the one about a soldier coming back from Afghanistan to his wife. Very emotional. Mmmm, it took me back to the days of Gary in Viet Nam. Scary days, those--and it would be wonderful if no one had to experience them ever again. 

And I wish everyone everywhere a wonderful Thursday! :^)

Hooray, I got my blinkie! :^)

I am so tickled! I emailed Suzanne and requested the picture file for the CMC Classroom blinkie. She sent it right away; and, after a bit of maneuvering, I was able to add it to my blog! Yay!!

So, as my father would have said, now we're cookin' with gas. :^) That is actually pretty funny, as my parents never had a gas stove all the years I lived with them. I wonder if they had one before I came along, or if that was just a saying from years and years and years ago. Yeah, I'm old. I know it. I admit it. And it's OK; it surely beats the alternative! And don't call me Shirley (what movie did that come from?).   ;^)

I have decided to do something different with my hair. All of a sudden I really dislike my hair style. It is so strange how that happens. One minute you love it (of course, the one minute lasted a couple of years) and the next you want to shave your head. Well, maybe not that extreme, but I really would like something different. Something easier than what I have been doing. Should I go back to "Spike"? Mmmmm, probably not. But, certainly, there has to be an easier style to deal with, doesn't there? Hopefully, I will find out on Thursday afternoon. Thank heavens!

So I am getting the new Stampin' Up catalog tonight. Be afraid, Gary, be very afraid! Fortunately, for him anyway, I am buying mostly children images now, and SU does not have very many of those. So I spend the bulk of my (his) stamp money online at various websites. There are so many I love, but right now my faves are Magnolia. Today I received my first Magnolia magazine, and I am excited to dig into it!

Here is another Magnolia image, which I did for my great-nephew, Trevor. He just graduated from high school in Texas. His school colors were maroon and white--I hope the maroon was close.

Here's wishing everyone everywhere a terrific Tuesday! :^)

Bits and pieces

So Gary and Angela had a cooking class at The Dhaba in Tempe last night. I think they both enjoyed the class. The girls and I had yummy pizza and salad from Jimmy and Joe's Pizzaria for dinner. Then we played cards--that Kelsey surely knows how to win Uno! After Kelsey's two wins, we played "horses" with Brynn, as that was her choice. So it was a good evening.

I came home and worked on images for an on-line class I am taking with Suzanne Dean. I am not completely happy with how they turned out, so I think I am going to color another set before submitting them. Yeah, that's the obsessive-compulsive coming out in me again. :^)

I decided to post another card I made. Since my great-niece, Christine, just got married on Monday, I thought I would show you the one I made for her and Adam. I don't know what her actual colors were for her wedding, so I just used ones I like. I used another Magnolia stamp--I seem to be stuck on them lately. I think Magnolia images are just adorable. 

Wishing everyone everywhere a super Saturday! :^)

More food for thought

Oh my, I can't believe I am up already! Actually, I awakened at 5:15, thanks to Gary not shutting off his alarm clock. :^P  Then I realized I needed to get some clothes washed before the water heated up, so I got up and started laundry. And read the paper. And ate breakfast. Isn't that exciting? No? :^)

Last night we had a fabulous meal at The Deli in Queen Creek. It was the monthly wine dinner, and probably was one of the best--if not the best--that they have served since they starting having them. I should have taken photos of each course, darn it! The first course was ricotta gnocchi, with sweet peas in a delicious cream sauce. That was paired with a nice Sauvignon Blanc. The next course was a wonderful salad of watermelon, local goat cheese, pistachios, red onion, and arugula served with a yummy watermelon gazpacho shooter. This course was paired with a light, but oh so good, Pinot Noir. The last course was pan seared sea scallops, caramelized fennel & potato puree, sauteed spinach with bacon, pine nuts and golden raisins--and it was a yummy-for-your-tummy main course! This was served with a delicious Merlot. Then we opted for Nicole's dessert of the night, and we each had one--a nice portion of various fruits topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Just deeeeeeeelicious! So very glad we were able to go to this wine dinner--they have one each month, but we can't always go. Sometimes Gary is out of town, and sometimes the main course is something I don't eat--like lamb or veal. But I know that each dinner is really well-thought out and executed by Blake.

A couple of nights ago Gary walked down to the mailbox at the end of our street. That, in and of itself, is not the least bit remarkable--he does that a lot. But that particular evening he met the neighbors at the corner house. They so liked our house elevation that they copied it, right down to the exterior colors. :^) Anyway, they got to talking, and Gary mentioned The Deli and Blake. The wife asked Blake's last name, and when Gary told her, she about flipped! Apparently she worked as a waitress for Blake when he was the executive chef at Cartwright's. She loved his food then, and told Gary that after Blake left to start his own restaurant, Cartwright's food went downhill. She was so excited to learn about The Deli, so I do hope she and her hubby try it out soon!

Wishing everyone everywhere a terrific Thursday! :^)

I'm too full

So I finally let other family members know about my blog, but none of them can comment on it. I changed my settings to allow anyone to read and comment, but it still won't allow comments from anyone but Angela. I have no idea why or why not. I am too new at this to figure it out right now. So please bear with me, my dearest family readers, and just enjoy the blog. Don't worry about commenting, or else send me an email if you want to tell me something. Thank you! I really do appreciate you checking in!

Had a really, really exciting day today! Well...not really. I spent the day exercising and cleaning. Yeah, not much to write about, huh? Had to clean, as Shea Homes is sending their rep here tomorrow. It has been 11 months since we moved in (already?!), and they are doing a warranty visit. We don't have much to complain about now--not like when we first moved in, for sure--and the visit shouldn't take long. But the house has to be clean for anyone to come in, you know what I mean? I can't have strangers walking through my home if it isn't ready for prime-time. And I owe that to my mom, for sure, huh, Siblings? Yeah, you know what I'm talkin' about.  :^)

Remember the days when we got up and dusted the house before we went to school? (Making our beds was a given!) Not that we had it so terribly bad, but compared to our kids now--well, let's just say we did our share. Mowing the grass with a push mower, picking up dog poop, raking leaves, shoveling snow, carrying logs from the garage to the house for our wood-burning furnace, feeding the furnace after school, washing and drying dishes manually--oh, yeah, I forgot! My two sisters and I did that until they moved away, and I was working part-time in high school. Then Daddy bought a snow blower, power mower, and electric dishwasher for our brother! So he didn't have to work so hard. Admit it, Lar! You were coddled! LOL!

So tonight Gary and I went to the wine club's meeting. The rep from Kenwood was there with 6 (count them, six) wines for us to taste. And we had a delicious meal to go along with the tasting--little cracker bread appetizers covered with brie and apples, various cheeses, dried fruits, crackers, spinach salad, rolls (and I was good and didn't have one), garden veggies with a bread crumb and butter topping, and pork tenderloin stuffed with a delicious spinach mixture. Oh, it was a mighty fine meal! Our last wine was a Zinfandel, and you know what goes great with Zin--CHOCOLATE! So, of course, they had chocolate cake to go with the wine. But, unfortunately (or fortunately, whichever way you look at it) they also had a pecan pie. And Penny cannot resist pecan pie. I polished off a piece of that in a New York minute (what in the world is a New York minute, anyway?). And then, because we had the Zinfandel, I just had to try it with the chocolate cake. At least I only had a few bites of the cake, as I was too darned full by that time! The saving grace about the pie was that it had pecans on it and on the side. Good fiber. Yeah, Pen, you keep telling yourself that. And if you do, you will never fit into those clothes you bought for Maui!

Anyway, we came home to watch the D'backs lose to the Giants--grrrrrr. And then Gary went to bed. Me, not so much. It's far too early, even if I have to get up for the Shea rep in the a.m. I am off to watch my Tivo'd Covert Affairs. I have no idea why I got hooked on that show last summer, but I did. So now it is the second season (where did that year go, can anybody tell me?), and so far, the show is as good as it was in its debut.

I hope to get some crafting done tomorrow. And then we have the wine dinner at the Deli! Woohoo! :^) Scallops--can anybody say YUM?  (I hope I am hungry by then. With my bloated stomach right now, it could go either way).

Here's wishing everyone everywhere a wonderful Wednesday! :^)

And I say, WHAT?

So Angela saw my blog. It is nice to share it finally.  :^)

I am waiting for Gary to get home from work. He stopped at Jos. A. Banks, because they are having a great sale right now. He could use some new clothes to add to his collection. But the really crazy thing is that he keeps calling me from the store to see if I think he should buy this thing or that. WHAT? He makes all the money, so why does he feel the need to consult me? It has got to be a hold-over from years ago, when we had a much smaller income! I can tell you that I certainly don't have that problem. I used to ask him whenever I bought anything, but not any more! LOL!

Last night Gary informed me that he does not want to go up to the Haleakala summit in Maui. He says he has no desire to get cold over there. I told him we could just wear layers of clothes. Then he told me that he has never been up on a mountain. Again I say, WHAT? Honestly? Who has never been up on a mountain? Apparently my husband. I just find that so weird--but then I was raised in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, so I was on top of more than one mountain while growing up. Well, I tell ya, there is NO way I am going to Maui and NOT going up to the top of Haleakala, (even if I have to drive myself up there).  ;^) And I think Gary should add this to his bucket list, don't you? (BTW, I don't think he likes talking about a "bucket list". He feels more mortal every day, and for him, that is not a good feeling.)

I just got an email from my sister, Barbara. She read my blog and tried to comment. But, for some reason, she wasn't allowed to. I am not sure why. I told her to try becoming a "follower" first to see if that was the problem. Or, perhaps she needs to have a Google account. I don't know. But I am glad that I have another reader anyway, as you know I have so much of import to impart. LOL

Enough rambling for today. The Diamondbacks have scored 12 runs so far in their game tonight. That means that we could go to Taco Hell tomorrow between 4 and 6 and get 3 free crunchy tacos. Whatcha think? No? Really? HAHAHAHA!

Wishing everyone everywhere a terrific Tuesday! And someone somewhere will know this! :^)

Surprise! :^)

I finally finished the surprise birthday card today--I spent so much time on this card, it was crazy! But I am glad I got it done before the party!

It took us an hour to get to Le Chalet for a lovely surprise birthday dinner for our friend Catherine. She is turning the big six oh, and Jose, her hubby, wanted her to celebrate in a big way. She definitely seemed surprised to find all of us there when she arrived. :^) Oh, and the food was so delicious! The wine was great, too, and we even had a glass of champagne to toast the birthday girl. I am definitely stuffed right now and in need of a nap. So I think I'll just head to bed for the night. And, yes, this is early for me! ;^)

I want to wish everyone everywhere a wonderful Monday! And I am finally letting my daughter in on my blog, so she will know I said this! :^)

Ooops, I skipped a day!

I didn't write anything yesterday. I was still wiped out, and even took a nap again. I honestly cannot even remember if I did anything of substance yesterday, except that we went to The Deli for dinner. :^) How's that for a great memory? Oh, yeah, I did finish the laundry in the morning. Also, I started the birthday card last night after we got home from dinner. Gary watched some TV while I was working in my craft room. I crafted until about 1:30 a.m. (And Gary was in bed long before that!)

I got up today with lots more energy. I exercised for about an hour and then settled down to work on the birthday card again--I am spending a LOT of time on this one! I now have to glue everything down, and then will be done with it. Hopefully, our friend will love this card. Now we just have to make sure we are at the restaurant before the surprise party is to start--and the location is over an hour from our house!

I did order a couple more pieces from Chico's to wear on our trip to Maui. I definitely need to drop about 10 pounds before that trip. The crop pants I have bought are way too snug right now. But I am getting more fit by the day, so I know I will be in shape by the time we are ready to go. 

I wish everyone everywhere a super Sunday! Yeah, yeah, no one anywhere knows I said this--but I am getting closer and closer to announcing my blog to a few select people.

No crafting for you

Yeah, well I was planning to color an image for a birthday card today, but just didn't have the energy for it after I exercised and washed clothes. I had to take a nap, of all things! I think I crashed after so much adrenaline built up for the class yesterday. Maybe I shouldn't teach anymore classes if I am going to be wiped out the next day! Hmmmmm?

Anyway, this is going to be very short as I want to get to bed. I need to get up and finish the laundry--I could only do 4 loads today before the water got too hot to use. That's one thing I really don't like about the plumbing going through the attic and walls instead of the foundation. The water gets way too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. Of course, like Goldilocks, there are times when it is "just right". I do love the weather during those times.

Wishing everyone everywhere a fabulous Friday (and I know, no one anywhere will know that I did that). :^)

I can't believe I actually enjoyed it!

I have shocked myself today. I taught my first Copic class, and I rather enjoyed doing it! Wow! Who knew? :^)  I know there were things I could have done better. But, overall, I think it went fairly well, and I feel that the ladies, who were truly interested, did learn some things today. They even told me that they would like me to help them learn to color hair and skin. Cool, huh? :^)   And Ellie made me a darling thank-you card and they took up a collection to thank me for teaching the class. Very cool! And I finished the morning by having lunch with Ellie at the Deli. Hey, that rhymes. LOL! So it was a really good day at that point.

But it did get even better. I came home and found that my name had been drawn in a challenge to receive a prize! And I believe it is a prize for one of my favorite on-line companies. I guess I had a really, really good day!

Then Gary came home and asked me to go to dinner at Kona Grill. Had a yummy Thai beef salad (with only 500 calories, but who's counting?) and came home to watch So You Think You Can Dance. This was a very good day, indeed!

Tomorrow I have to start a card for a surprise birthday party on Sunday. I already know what stamps I want to use. Hopefully, the finished product will turn out as good as it looks in my mind right now. ;^)

I'd like to take this opportunity to tell everyone everywhere to have a super Thursday. And, as usual, no one anywhere will know this. :^)

Gulp! Better known as, what the heck what I thinking when I said yes?

So I have been practicing my presentation for tomorrow in my first Copic class. I hope I am ready, but who ever knows for sure? At least I am somewhat organized so I don't have to "wing it"! I will be so relieved when the class is over, and I can relax again! I wonder if I will ever teach another one; if I am smart, I won't because I stress too much over it. Of course, if you ask Gary, I stress too much over everything! :^)  (He knows me too well, you see.)

I had a good time yesterday with the granddaughters--I baby sat them for a couple of hours. We played Uno and I even consented to play Monopoly (which I detest, and I don't know why. Holdover from losing all the time as a child, I suppose).

I received my Copic badge today for the certification class I took. Now, if I could just figure out how to add it to my blog! The badge is different now, and I don't like it as well, but it is the one I am stuck with. Oh, and I can't, for the life of me, figure out how to add my blinkie from Suzanne Dean's class, so I sent her an email asking for help. But she is traveling to teach and has been sick, so I have not heard back yet. Hopefully, she will be able to help me at some point, as I really want that blinkie on this blog. Do you get the idea that I am challenged technologically? I think that is because of my age--I grew up with manual typewriters, after all. :^)

OMG, the "Customer Support" (yeah, right) dude from iTunes, who upset me yesterday, just emailed me again. I didn't reply last night, as I was too angry. But I just now told him that the email he sent was of no help at all, and I would be going to the Apple store to get things worked out. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Dude. And I am supposed to receive an Applecare survey. He doesn't EVEN want me filling that out. HA!

I think I need a young person to move in for a while and show me the ropes, so to speak, about my computer and phone. Maybe then I will be able to do things for myself, which I really would like! I am not one who likes to ask for help. ( Really?)!

Well, I am going to practice my presentation again before Gary gets back from San Jose. I don't want him to see me doing it--that would embarrass me for some reason. Wish me luck for tomorrow. Oh, yeah, none of you know I need it, do you, as you still don't know about my blog. I think I am living in the Twilight Zone. Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone everywhere. And no one anywhere will know I said that.

I'm doing what?

Wow, it's late! I have been working on my presentation for my first Copics class, and I lost track of time! I did have all of this set for last month, but got sick at the last minute, so couldn't teach. And I am giving the class on Wednesday, so I got everything back out and have been going over all of it again. I think I'd best get to bed, get some sleep, and practice again when I get up.

Poor Gary--I almost bit his head off tonight when he called from San Jose. Last night I tried to download (VERY unsuccessfully) an app to my iPhone through my computer. I paid 6 bucks for the stupid thing and it didn't download. So I sent an email to ITunes and asked for some help. Some help is right. I got an email back with some info that didn't help me at all, so I was really ticked off. And that's when Gary called. :^(  Oh well, he called back later and I apologized. He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. VBG

And to everyone everywhere, have a great Tuesday! And no one anywhere will know I said this. ;^)

My second second blog posting (or blog posting two squared)

Yes, I am posting the second post of the second blog attempt. Sigh.....

Anyway, I am listening to Hawaiian music as I post this. We have bought our tickets for our trip to Maui and have reserved four different hotels for that vacation. We will be gone 18 nights and plan to stay on four very different parts of the island--the west side, the south side, the central-north side, and the east side. To be more precise: Ka'anapali, Wailea, Pa'ia, and Hana, but not in that exact order. I am so unbelievably thrilled about this vacation! Do you want to know why? Well, I am going to tell you anyway.

Short history:  Gary got an R&R (rest and recuperation) while he was in the war in Viet Nam, which meant that he could leave Viet Nam for 5 days. So we scheduled a vacation in Honolulu in January 1970. We got engaged there, which was quite romantic. The whole trip was like a dream. I wanted to move there immediately, as I found Oahu to be the most beautiful place I had ever been. (Of course, I was only 20 at the time; it was not like I had been many places!). My dad told me I would hate it after a while, because I would get "island fever", and want to come back to the mainland. Moot point. I didn't move there--instead I became an Army wife in May of that year and moved to Ft. Benning, GA.

Did I say this was a short history? I lied. But not on purpose. Anyway, we always wanted to go back to Hawaii, and in 2005 we finally scheduled a trip there for our 35th wedding anniversary. Yeah, we didn't get back there very quickly, did we? It was a bittersweet trip, and I cannot go into details or this blog would be as long as a book. But we went to Kauai for 6 days and loved that island even more than Oahu. Gary, the sweetheart, planned a surprise wedding vow renewal for us on Anini Beach--now that was romantic!

OK, so flash forward to 2010, when we decided to visit Maui and the Big Island in a two-week trip in April. HA! We planned the trip early in the year, and then bought a house that was to be under construction while we were gone--not the best plan for sure. Well, it didn't happen that way, because my darling husband broke his foot in March, thus cancelling our April Hawaii trip. :^(  I was so bummed about it, but actually it turned out for the best-- because the house construction was enough of a major event to worry about. I would have preferred another way to delay our Hawaiian visit than having Gary's foot surgery and healing to deal with, but that's another story for another time.

So that brings us to this year--and the fact that we decided to do the Hawaiian trip on the tax refunds we got from the house purchase. We are really doing Maui up BIG, let me tell you! I can hardly wait--I have so many places I want to see, things to do, and MEALS to eat! Romance be damned! I want good food and lots of it! Gee, does mean I am over the hill and fat now? Well, if the shoe fits....

So I will wish everyone everywhere a wonderful Monday--and again, no one anywhere is going to know this.

My second first blog posting

Is that confusing enough for you? It is for me. :^) Yes, only I would start a blog, use it for three days, then delete it and start a new one. So this is my second blog, but my first posting.

I really didn't like much about my first blog, so I am glad I didn't show it to anyone. I even changed the name of my blog, because, as luck would have it, I had the title wrong. I realized, after day three on the first blog, that the number of hawks was incorrect. That alone was enough to make me start a new blog! Yes, I am obsessive-compulsive, and I need things to be right. Anyone who knows me is aware of that--especially my family. I passed this trait on to my daughter, who then gave it to her daughter. Aren't we just a mess, though! The three of us could drive just about anyone stark raving mad, and we don't really even have to try! :^)

I spent some time choosing colors and fonts, but it wouldn't surprise me a bit if I change it at some point. And, if you know me, that shouldn't surprise you either! Perhaps I will now settle down a little and actually blog for a few days. We'll see. Well, you may not, because I am not going "public" with this until I feel comfortable with it. Oh, gosh, that could be a longgggg time! I might even delete this blog and start a third. Then I could have my third first blog posting. Oh, the possibilities! It's absolutely mind-boggling! For now, I will sign off and wish everyone everywhere a great Sunday. Of course, no one anywhere will know this. ;^)