Just so you know...

It is about that time again.  Another delightful update.

This one topics three important topics:  1. Home Improvement 2. Cats and 3. Christmas.

Why one might ask?  (or might not.  Maybe you merely accept my idiosyncrasies.  If that be the case, I have some people you need to talk to....)

In the meantime, let us continue on with the show starting with topic Number 1:
Home Improvement

One must continually improve one's home.  How Am I doing that these days?  Well the painting is done aside from the touch ups to the dining room.  I made the rather sweeping decision to not change the paint color in that room from what the previous owners had.  It's grown on me so now I just need to find the paint gallon down stairs and bring it up and touch up where I have tested other colors. 

Aside from that issue.  I have not done much else.  I did take Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend and go to IKEA for the deal that they had on the four cubicle shelves.  They were only $19.99 and well worth the price.  Now I just need to get them together and get the basement all settled.  I am hoping to have some desire to get that done tomorrow.  On the other hand, there is a lot of stuff to prep for for the season with shipping overseas and the like.  I have GOT to get my Redditt SS stuff sorted and mailed.  I also have the Sam-chan to get done as well.  And as both have projects that are handmade, I can't mail until I finish those.  I think the basement might have to wait until Christmas break.

I could also consider painting my bedroom them.  And getting the flooring for the basement.  I know I should consider doing that before setting the furniture but the cost isn't something I can afford at the moment.

(On a side note, I hate these Lexus Holiday commercials.  Seriously!  NO one gets a car for CHRISTMAS!  And David Bromstead, I liked you and then you did a room based on Twi-*gagging sound* -light and now I can never see you in the same way - handsome and all.  My heart must solely belong to Nathan Fillion now.)

Aside from that issue, I have other IKEA things I want - my bed for one.  My new sofa...  I think i may have spent my tax return before I even get it.

On to topic two:

CATS

I love my cats, really I do.  I seem to constantly have them cuddling with me these days - either in bed or on the couch.  It makes it difficult to get up and down off the couch and get anything done.  I am usually pinned to my seat by this large fluffy black thing.  It is heavy and keeps me pinned down.  I can't think of why he does it other than to keep me from moving and suck out all the heat from my body.  They get warm and warmer and I freeze regardless. 

It may be a way though to make sure that I don't accidentally shut my cat outside again.  Yes.  I shut my cat outside.  Here is how it all ran down.  I went outside to unplug the lights on my balcony.  Normally my cat ignores the door.  This time, it (this is Delusional btw - Paranoid is too agraphobic to go outside or come near the door regardless of where I am), followed me out.  I unplugged the lights and came back in and shut and locked the door and went to bed. 

Paranoid was not himself in the morning.  (Which shouldn't be that odd, but he was).  I finally realised, after most of my chores, that Delusional was missing.  I finally found him outside.  He had managed to get himself shut out on to the balcony.  I can't believe it.

Of course, they have been clinging to me ever since.  I have been trying to craft and they have been 'helping'.  How do they help?  Sit on my lap.  Chew on packaging.  Bat the jewelry chain around the room.  Of  course.  All things the cats should do, right?

Could someone inform me again of why I have these things that meow constantly, get themselves locked out and eat me out of house and home?!

Yeah.  I didn't think so.

TOPIC 3: Christmas

I am constantly amazed by Christmas.  First of all, this is my favorite season of the year.  I love nothing more than decorating for the season and all the things that go with it.  I like shopping for people and finding just the right present.  I like making things for people.  It is just a super enjoyable part of the year.  Of everything that is just what I love.

I am annoyed about crap at work meaning that we can't celebrate the season or even enjoy Christmas kinds of things with the kids or Hannukah or anything.  It is so annoying that I can't have that enjoyment.  I do get to go to the Nutcracker tonight though so at least I get something.  And I have brilliant shirts from Old Navy to wear about all the time - well, when I am not at school clearly.

Well I had better go.  the cats are meowing and clearly they need to be fed.  Far more important than anything else.

I suppose I should pay more attention to this blog.  Maybe actually use it to write or something.

Or something.

I am not even sure what I should write about.  I am definitely very busy with work crap.  Alright, I shouldn't say crap.  But some days I feel like I wade through far too much of it.  Mostly you want to occasionally knock heads together because you think that some days adults should act like adults.  And you want to be treated (and better yet PAID) like a professional, then you should stand up and act like.

People either get that or they don't.  I can't make them do what I want.  You can lead the horse to water but you can't make them drink.

In the end, I need to focus more on my house when I am here instead of recovering from work.  I have managed to paint the basement.  I need to get the floor laid.  I decided to put down an IKEA laminate floor which is going to make a difference down there.  I considered one of those peel and stick kinds of floors, but I ended up deciding that it would be better to put down something I knew about.  I think it will look better.  Of course I also have a wonderful new saw to help me lay it and I think it will make a difference.  Now I need to decide what kind of furniture to put down there.  I decided it is definitely going to be an office area so I have to measure and lay everything else.


I did get a new piece of furniture to refinish.  It is a super cool vanity. I found it for a grand total of $35 at a thrift store.  It should be awesome when done.  I need to sand it and either paint it grey or black.  I would love to even use wallpaper or something on it - like on the drawers or something.  I shall have to think on it.  Of course I should also consider painting the walls in the bedroom.  I also want to do the bathroom.  I pulled down the extra cabinet that was over the bathroom toilet.  it was super ugly and not me.  I think I might put something up instead, but what I am not sure what.


Now I just need to find motivation to get all this stuff done.  And not want to sit around and cuddle my purring kitty.  I need a purring kitten.


And a hot man.


I wonder which one I might actually get ....

Crazy Mixed Up Dreams

So I wasn't sure that I wanted to post this, but in the end, I need this crazy mixed up OMG dream out of my head. That and someone to tell me what it all means. I am sure that there is something deeply psychology about the whole thing. And another part of the issue is that it was a dream that occurred near the time I finally woke up. That makes for weird dreams regardless I am sure. I think what makes it even weird is that I wasn't able to make any connection between the dream and what I had been doing before or after.

I dreamed I was Ginny Weasley.

(This is where the WTF?! really begins. I haven't done or said or interacted with anything Harry Potter in AGES. I have not seen the last two movies or the current one. It has been years since I read the books or did any kind of HP RPing - though I will admit that I did often RP as Miss Weasley though she wasn't the person I RPed most recently. And I've been reading Game of Thrones which bears NO resemblance to HP in the slightest. And before I went to sleep I did NOT remotely think about HP!)

I was definitely Ginny Weasley though. It was a first person dream.

So the dream started out with the sense that someone was watching us - somehow we (I am not entirely sure who the we was - though my sense is that we were rebels (against what I know not) and needed to get away from something) were in trouble. We ended up watching some kind of show wherein we were still trying to hide, but people were being paired up. Of course, as Ginny I was paired with Harry (which is odd for a dream since I don't ship H/G). You watched these scences as lighted windows with shadows moving behind them.

Then of course (as its a dream) we shifted location. We ended up in some kind of remote rocky location where a group of us were trying to figure out a way to kidnap the minister (and no, I did not watch any heist movies recently either). I don't know what it was a minister of or who, but they were TEH EVIL to some level and we needed to get them. In order to kidnap the minister, we had to do so in the midst of a car race. It was a cross country race at high speeds. So most of the dream is about the group of us (Harry, Hermione, ron, Luna, Snape and McGonagall) had to use a combination of magic and car mechanics to not only win the race but also kidnap the minister (seriously - how did my brain come up with this?!). Funnily enough, Ginny (me) has learned how to drive and tune cars at University. (Really?!) It takes all of us to get the car to the speed and then Ron, Draco and I (all together in the front seat) drive in the race. (You cannot even imagine how my face looks at this moment - I can't believe this was in my brain!!!) We stopped the car carrying the Minister by using our car (?!?!?!) and Ron and Draco kidnapped the minister and I put in a new engine (we needed to go faster!!). We got the minister back and then we all had to scatter. Of course, I had to go with Draco because no one would suspect that I was with Draco.

Yes, bizarre. But what I haven't put in here is all the subtext between Ginny and Draco and Snape ending up with McGonagall (!?!?!?!!!!). Clearly my brain needed everyone paired up. But then D/G is definitely what I ship so that does make some kind of rather twisted sense in terms of the dream.

The rest makes none.

And now I am going to go and use bleach on my brain.

There and Back Again: Lessons from Vacation

Unlike Frodo, we were not required to walk into Mordor, merely drive to Wisconsin. Some would akin that to walking into Mordor, but I am going to give it the benefit of the doubt. On the other hand, I'd consider the trucks on 94 something akin to the black riders. Seriously.

So Lessons learned:

1. Trucks on 94 have the great desire to fuck with you. They have a hideous sense of timing and the slowest love trying to pass the slower. So that means you spend a good portion of time behind Idiot A truck or Idiot B truck while one attempts to pass the other. I hate that. Mostly because I happen to like using my cruise control and going one speed at all times. And of course, that speed is usually more than the speed limit, but that's my issue and not yours. Your job is just to get out of my way.

2. Jellystone is a great place - though something of a place for hicks. It is NOT the land of beautiful people. Though I suppose that might depend on your age level. There were some beautiful teenagers (or at least skinny ones who had clearly been tanning), but lots of middle age people wandering around following small children with beers disguised in those cooler things. Very priceless.

3. There are a lot of fun things to do at Jellystone - my favorite was definitely the wave pool. Monkey enjoyed himself and impressed me by learning to jump into the pool and swim to the side. When I feel less like I'm on vacation I will go and get the pictures and post them. Even managed a movie.

4. Always reapply sunscreen. Always.

5. Lumpy mattresses are no fun to sleep on with sunburn.

6. Every movement on a plastic mattress echoes through the room and keeps you more awake than it should.

7. Toilets should not rock. Ever.

8. Small children are so sweet when they fall asleep next to you after a long day of sun and fun and swimming.

9. Game of Thrones is a brilliant book. Now I only need to find the episodes somewhere. This is why illegal downloading happens. I've watched all the recaps and summaries and now I want the whole thing. And I'm madly in love with Tyrion Lannister - the Imp. If you are going to be a bastard, you might as well as do it in a big way. And when in doubt, piss off your siblings.

10. The best thing about coming home is my own washer. My purring kitties. My sweet soft quiet bed. My fan. My shower with lots and lots of pounding hot water.

Until the next vacation.....

Fearless

Today I finally finished installing my brand new IKEA floor in my living room. It took a lot in terms of physical labour, but in terms of time, no more than about 10 hours total with clean up of the mess from cutting wood.

I can't believe I did it.

Yes, there are imperfections, but in the end it looks very good and will look even better with all the furniture set in.

See?



See again?

The process wasn't that hard in terms of mental work. It was a bit tricky in some areas and you had to have a bit of finesse, but once I got in the groove, it actually was quick. Physically though you end up completely and utterly exhausted which I definitely wasn't prepared for. the cats referred the underlayment as it crinkled when they walked on it and perfect to lay under and be hidden.

I figured out what my real problem was when I started.

Fear.

It is funny what we are afraid of. I was afraid of the saw and timid with it and it was using that and taking more control of the wood than I was. I was timid about putting things together, not pushing or forcing things to be as they should. It took time to realise that was what was happen. Once I admitted it and gave up the fear and took control, I found things went a lot smoother. I was willing to tackle it and do what needed to be done. I took control and let go of the fear and trusted I could do it. Then everything went like clockwork and turned out fantastic.

I am glad I trusted and let go of the fear.

It made all the difference.

Optimistical Decorating

While I don't think that optimistical is an actual word, it does rather fit how I am feeling about all the things I am currently tackling in my house.

I have to admit to going through phases in terms of what I want to work on outside of work. Since I usually just work on work, the summer is a nice time to attempt other things instead of just being a crazy teacher lady. With my son gone for a week, it was time to get started on some decorating.

Well, actually it started before that. It started with a rather random and wandering visit to IKEA. (I have to admit that I heard online somewhere a great description of IKEA. They are these huge blue and yellow cubes dropped onto earth by aliens from outer space attempting to take us over one flat pack box at a time. I think they are winning in my house. Scarily I think there is at least one thing in each room in this house from IKEA. IKEA-Snatchers - the new SyFy movie of the week.) So there I am, wandering around IKEA. First, I had to try out all the sofas. I managed to find my dream sofa, but the fact that it costs $1000.00 is a bit off putting. Hopefully I will be able to find enough pennies in my house to get it in a year or two.

So finding the couch led me in a bit of a direction, but I knew that in reality I desperately wanted to get rid of my carpet in the living room. It was more appropriate for carpeting a ninth ring of hell in a cheery stained beige. It was gross, primarily because of the monkey and two cats. Why? Because they have CARPET RADAR. What does that mean? It means they could tell when it was time to spill, barf, dump, hack a hair ball and instinctively cross the house (or the Sahara for that matter) to find this carpet and use it inappropriately.

My wandering in IKEA led me to the rug area - normally a section I skip over. Instead I found this dream of a rug. I spent a long time considering it, rejecting it and deciding that perhaps it might work to cover some of the worst of the rug. Then I collected what I needed for this brilliant project (seriously, most brilliant idea for stairs EVER) for which I am using this rug instead. I got a couple of other things and then headed for home. I laid out dream rug and dreamed of dream couch in the living room.

This led to inspiration!

I decided that I wanted to change my wall color. I picked up these boxes in green and decided that the accent wall I had been intending to paint navy needed to go GREEN. It was a brilliant plan, because I'm brilliant. With the green on the walls, the rest needed to go the color of my dream rug and then my room would be grey, white, black and green. WOO HOO! A decorating scheme! I was so proud of myself for having an idea instead of randomly throwing things in a room.

But now, the carpet has definitely GOT to go. Hell needed its beige. The only quest was what. I looked into carpet (which is clearly some kind of racket run by the mob) and carpet tiles and flooring and .... You can imagine. Turns out that the best deal for something easily cleanable that looks like it costs more than it does and highlights my dream rug and dream couch is an IKEA floor (I think I hear the whir of a spaceship...).

So I purchased my floor and its now cooling its jets for 48 hours in my living room. I am expecting it to lay itself by this weekend. In the meantime, I am creating art for my wall. That will have to wait for another post. I am also changing the knobs on my cabinets since the kitchen over looks the living room and painting those walls as well. I'm also refinishing my end table and coffee table to be black.

Soon, my precious will all come together and I will love it.

Before the next project.....

On a new path

Well it is time to turn that path. Another depressingly high cholesterol reading from the doctor and it was time to make a change.

I looked at a bunch of different options in regards to what to do. I talked and read and checked through websites. I ended up deciding that I needed to just do it. I didn't think I could trust myself enough to do it completely on my own, but I couldn't afford something entirely drastic like doing nutri-system or something where all the food is provided. As much as that was what I probably should have done.

Though some blog adventures, I found a place called Lose It! which allows you to enter what your weight is, share your goal weight and then it tells you how many calories to eat a day based on what you want to lose a week. It makes everything very visual. And for someone who learns better and sees things better visually, it was a good choice for me.

I decided that along with that, I would replace two meals a day with a high protein, low carb bar or shake (Atkins Advantage is best in case you are wondering). Mostly I wanted more protein than carbs in the items I used as replacements - hard to find though! I then had to combine that with staying under my calorie mark for the day. I'm not worrying about exercise as much at this time, because I want to just committ completely to the diet change, regardless of wanting other things.

First week went well. I even made bread from the bread machine - though it is more fat and fiber than carbs because of a low sugar and flour content. I even had some dessert (mini chocolate chips or greek yogurt and blackberries) and some M&Ms during the week which means I didn;'t feel deprived. It was a good solution for me.

And the end result this week? 6 pounds gone. Probably a lot of water weight, but I was just glad that the scale went down. As long as it continually goes down, I will stay on this path. My goal? A total of 55 pounds. Which means only 49 to go!

The end reward? A trip to sunny Barcelona Spain over break.

Cross your fingers and cheer me on!