So true...

IT'S A BOY!!!

Look at my new nephew William Atticus! I can't wait to meet him!

I have gone Pro!

Flickr Pro! On Friday, Stephen surprised me with something better than flowers! A new 12.0 Mega Pixels camera! I love it! I’m still learning how to use it so bear with me & my slightly out of focus photos. I took some shots at The Day of the Dead festival on Friday & tons of the pets over the weekend. I just can’t get enough photos of their furry cuteness! Every time they snuggle up together I run to grab the camera. I’m having so much fun with them & they keep me company when Stephen is at school.

I am going to get a booth at an upcoming craft sale. I’m splitting the booth with my friend Dolores (EonsMomma on Swap-bot). This will save us some money on booth fees. The space is going to be limited but I probably won’t have a ton to sell anyway since I haven’t started making anything yet! The sale is only 3 weeks away!!! I better get going. I think I’m going to make pins, ornaments & some shadowboxes. Stephen is going camping with his cousins this weekend so I have a craft filled weekend planned. I'll post some photos of my creations.

Tuesday! Bleh! My least favorite day of the week...at least it's nearly over.

In Honor of Grandma

I remember...

-How she loved a cup of coffee with something sweet

-Her favorite spot on the couch - don't dare sit in her spot!

-Her couch exercises

-Playing Mexican Bingo with beans

-Going with her to the "Beauty Shop" in her friends basement

-Helping her make Tacos, with lots of pepper

-How she loved BBQ ribs

-How she'd laugh when she'd watch the Newlywed game & Bob Eubanks would say the word "Whoopee".

-Driving around with her in her yellow Nova, which smelled like gasoline

-Her Avon bubble bath & Skin so Soft

-Watching Day of Our Lives with her

-Her silver flower ring

-Her love for the color yellow

-Her idea to use Palmolive on her porch as a make shift slip-n-slide for me & Billy. LOL!

-Christmas and her dry, still on the cross, Douglas Firs, with clumps of tinsel

-Shopping with her at Big Buy market

-Her love for Whiskey Pete's & slot machines

-Making us be quiet & hide from her neighbor Julie when she'd come knocking

-Her old stories, especially the one about how she fought a lady in a laundry mat & ripped her shirt off (my Grandma was tough!)

-Her couch with the plastic cover

-The way she smelled, her giggle & how she loved getting "dolled up" for special occasions

R.I.P Grandma!!! I love you...

Halloween Candy Hangover

I'm so sad...Halloween is over! I didn't dress up (except for my light up pumpkin socks) but I had a great time anyway. I had a blast playing with the pets, eating pizza with Steph & Greg & handing out candy. We had more Trick-or-Treaters then last year & we came close to running out of candy. I had so much fun decorating the house, putting together treat bags & waiting for the kids to come. Halloween brings back so many great memories of being a kid. I love it!

I finished all my swaps & I am on a swapping hiatus for a few weeks - unless something intriguing pops up sooner. I posted some photos on Flickr of my recent sent & received swaps. I am awaiting 2 Dotee Dolls & 3 Frida ornaments. I can't wait to see what I get! It is the best feeling to come home from a long day at work to find a package waiting for me.

Tonight I am going to finish my Dia de los Muertos altar. I made 4 fake sugar skulls & I have been collecting little odds & ends to add to it. I'm really excited to see how it turns out. I love Dia de los Muertos. It's such a beautiful celebration of life. I saw the coolest DOD wedding cake on Flickr & I saved the photo because I want one just like it for my wedding (which will be in 2008 even though Stephen is dragging his feet!!! LOL!) I can't wait! Wedding 2008 or BUST! If I wait any longer I really will resemble the bride on top of that cake!

HaPpY HaLLoWeeN!

Love,
Woody
xoxo

Tuesdays Blow!

I've been on this never-ending quest to figure out how to manage my horrendous commute, work full time and still enjoy the things I love. It’s nearly impossible but I’ve been trying. I’ve started to wake early (well earlier then usual) to tend to my new little pets & the house. I spend my lunch hour reading or crafting. I zoom home (well not zoom since my commute can take up to two hours) make a quick frozen dinner, play with the pets, work on swaps, watch TV & try to spend quality time with Stephen when he’s home from school. Needless to say, I am exhausted and not really giving any of those things the full attention that they need. At least I am feeling somewhat accomplished. I stuffed a gazillion things into my weekend as usual. A BBQ, vet appointment, historical home tour (amazing), Peruvian food with the newlyweds (which was beyond delicious I should add), Target shopping, lunch with my honey & enjoying time with Lily & Woody(the sweetest fur babies). It was one of the best weekends I've had in so long...but now I'm feeling drained & tired. I was falling asleep and my desk so I thought I'd take a much needed break & accomplish another thing I love. This blog! Yes, I am guilty of blogging & slacking on the job! So what! I really hate Tuesdays. It's the worst day of the week. The weekend is a distant memory & Friday is still worlds away. Besides at my job (& previous job) Tuesdays always mean office meetings. Boy, do I despise office meetings...especially when ice breakers are involved. I am the anti-office worker and it's funny how I find myself stuck in a cubicle under a fluorescent light. Bleeeehh! At least, I am in one of the most unconventional office environment you'll come across. I still wish I was an artist with my own art studio. I think when I have a baby it is definitely something I will pursue. That's my dream, one of many!

Tomorrow is Halloween! I put together little treat bags for the Trick-or-Treaters. Last year we only got a handful of kids passing through trying to get to the historical district. I have 3 pumpkins ready for carving & hopefully they will bring us lots of kids. I just love Trick-or-Treaters because it was something I had so much fun doing. I can't wait to have kids & Trick-or-Treat vicariously through them! haha! Yes, I am one of those weird pet parents who likes to dress up pets. I just can't seem to find costumes small enough for them. Maybe I can come up with a cape or something. Anyway, I better get back to work! Happy Halloween Eve!

I love my new babies!

Finally, some time alone! I have the office to myself for another 30 minutes! Time to blog! haha...Things are FABULOUS (Do I sound WeHo enough for you?). We got our new puppy on Saturday. His name is Woody & he is so adorable! The first two days were difficult but little by little he seems to be adjusting. Lily pounced him a gazillion times the first few days & he would yelp every time. Now he bounces around and provokes her & now when she pounces him he fights back. He's smaller then her but I'm getting a little worried he might bite her too hard. She must like it because she keeps coming back for more. They roll around & chase each other. It's so cute! She tries to groom him but usually he tries to bite her tongue. It's funny! He sleeps in his little crate at night which I put on the bed & she sleeps right outside the door. The first night in his crate he cried & she sat by him until her stopped. Now he falls right asleep once he's in the crate. He's pretty good so far. I heard horror stories on the Doxie forums & I was slightly

panicked! I'm sure he'll get into lots of puppy trouble but I just have to be patient with him. He's still a baby & has so much to learn. Cats are easy...well easier!

I am a little behind on my swaps. The send by dates are quickly approaching & I haven't even started. I got done with my Skulls for the Dia de Los Muertos swap just in time. I love swapping but I wish I had more time to do it. I have 3 more to do & then I may take a temporary break so I can work on some crafts for a holiday sale. I will have to do one X-mas swap for sure. There are just way too many cool swaps on Swap-bot. I will post photos of my swaps on flickr shortly. I am banned from posting anymore photos until next month or until I upgrade. I will probably upgrade because I really enjoy flickr.

The other night I had a dream that my best friend (and neighbor) had a party & didn't invite me. I kept looking over the fence to see what was going on at the party. It looked like so much fun & all my other good friends were there. I was so sad...She recently found out she's pregnant. I think pregnancy is the real party I'm wishing to be invited to! Dreams say so much...I also had a dream that Trick-Or-Treaters came to my house & I didn't have any candy. I was running around the house in a panic getting canned food to put in their bags! LOL! I wonder what that one means? I also dreamt that I lived in a high rise & from my window I could see buildings collapsing from an earthquake or some disaster. It was scary! Maybe it had to do with all the fires raging. You feel insecure when you see people's lives going up in smoke! Sad & scary.

Spoiled!

October's Surprises!

I'm sorry to have left you all in suspense since my last post! I ended up going on the 2nd interview for the "dream job." I redeemed myself the second time around. I felt good about the interview and the feedback I received afterwards. I got a follow up e-mail requesting references so I thought for sure I had it in the bag! I was even slightly stressed just imagining how I would break the news to my boss. It felt like it was a sure thing & I never feel that confident after interviews! I was patiently awaiting the job offer. A few days passed, then a week, then a week and a half...Finally I got an e-mail saying she went with the other candidate but how great I am and that she wishes she could hire us both, blah blah blah. I have to admit I'm still really bummed about it. REALLY BUMMED!

Other then that waste of time...Life is good. Stephen had his surgery & it went well. I'm so happy & relieved!...We also got a new kitty! Can you believe it? I wasn't sure I wanted another cat or would be able to love another cat after Sammy. I will always love my Sammy & there will never be another cat like her. This little kitty is special in her own way. She is all Puuurrrsonality! LOL! She is a Tonk, so she is affectionate & smart. She demands attention! She's slightly different coloring then Sammy was as a kitten & she has this unusually fine hair that is slightly long & she puffs up into a ball when she's excited. I am so in love with her & we just met! LOL! I found a Tonk breeder in Georgia after striking out with a bunch of local breeders. They said they would have a Tonkinese Natural Mink available for adoption a few days after I e-mailed them! What perfect timing! She arrived at LAX on Friday. Stephen & I went to pick her up & we were met with a BIG surprise! There were TWO tonks in the carrier! I don't know exactly how it happened but the other kitten was supposed to go to Houston, TX. It was a big ordeal because we couldn't reach the breeder & we had no idea what to do with the little stowaway. We brought them both home & enjoyed 4 fun days with two kittens running around the house. I fell in love with both kitties & I was hoping the Houston family would change their mind about him & I could keep them both. No such luck! I had to send "The Little One" to Houston. I cried! I talked with his new owner & she is going to keep in touch. I hope she does. He's my kitties brother & I felt so bad for separating them. The Houston couple named him Fievel after Fievel Goes West. Very fitting! LOL! After throwing a few names around I decided on calling my kitty Lily (Tiger Lily)...Some other BIG news is that we'll be getting a Doxie puppy On Oct. 20th...That way these two can grow up together. My two little brownies. It's going to be an adventure...

Updates: Other then that I've been annoyingly busy at work. I have a ton of fun swaps this month & I'm trying to post photos of them regularly on Flickr. Halloween is in the air! I have my decorations up...too much fun! I love Halloween!!! oh, & if you don't already know....I AM GOING TO BE AN AUNTIE AGAIN!!! Exciting!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC X 2!!!

OK, I think that's most of the updates.

Ohhh my. Hell has frozen over! "The lady" wants to bring me back in for a second interview. What a roller coaster of emotions. I suppose my witty e-mail saved me. Do I want this? I'm not sure anymore. I guess I'll put myself through torture again & see what happens. I was actually a little relieved to never have to see her again. Arghhhhh!!! I'm stressed!!!

I am mine

I had an interview today. It was literally around the block. It's an awesome opportunity but of course I came across as an idiot & screwed it up for myself. Here's why it was an awesome opportunity.

Great position
No commute vs. my 1.5 hour commute each way
A month off every year
Great hours - gives me time to go to the gym, craft, have pets, have a life
My own office

I don't hate my current job in fact I am kind of fond of it & the people I work with. The hours & the commute are what's driving me insane. At least once a day I'm in my car practically in tears. I'm getting home after dark now. I'm ready to go to bed & start all over again as soon as I get home. Soooooo, I apply for this job & lo and behold I get the interview. The lady interviewing me seemed nice enough in our e-mail correspondence. She ended up being quite serious, a little eccentric & kind of a bitch. She asked me tough questions & wouldn't let me go on to the next question until she was 100% happy with my answer. She kept asking me to "elaborate" & was kind of rude. She made me really nervous & I started to trip over my words. I was so uncomfortable! She told me I was cutting my answers too short, not marketing myself good enough & then she picked up my resume to critic it line by line. I wanted to go home & crawl under my blankets. I tried to pull it together but it was too late. It hurt because her criticisms were totally on. Everything she said was true! I couldn't verbalize to her why she should hire me no matter how hard I tried. My nerves caused me to become tongue tied! Since kindergarten I've been wishing I could be like everyone else - a go getter, aggressive, tough, outgoing. It's hard being an INFP. The constant pressure to conform has been constant throughout my life. I'm sick of being fake, it takes so much energy. Take me or leave me. I don't think I'm capable of changing. Should I be forced to change? To get a ahead, maybe. I don't know.

P.S. I think Tonkinese cats are all INFPs. That's why I love um!

P.P.S. The lady also said I needed a firmer handshake. LOL! My dad used to say holding my hand is like holding a cloud & I like it that way! What does a firm handshake say about a person?

Miss me?

I've been too busy for blogging these days. Work, traffic, a cold, exhaustion, & pure laziness has kept me away. I'm ready to jump back on the blog wagon. I have so much to bore you with! Until then, take a look at my Flickr account. I posted photos from some swaps & my wonderful (but short) vacation.

xoxo

Time has come today!

Note: Whole Foods Butternut Squash Enchiladas = Not good AT ALL!

I got "gypped" by 3 swappers! What is up with that!? I am working on a self portrait for a current swap. I already received a cool self portrait from the UK, which I'll post on MyFlickr later today. I better get a move on! Luckily my portrait doesn't have far to travel - just a few miles away. I opened an etsy account and I'm going to try & actually make some money from my creations. Another goal is to add some stuff to my collection of large shadowboxes & paintings so I can have a show. I'm so inspired by all the artist's I've met via Swap-bot & MySpace. Hopefully I'm inspired enough to finally do something with my passion! I had so much time off while I was job hunting & I wasn't productive at all! I'm so disappointed in myself! I was really depressed and uninspired. I rarely worked on my art or got off my ass and went to the gym. Now that I'm inspired again I am lacking the time & energy. I'm trying to figure out a schedule that includes work, the gym, time for art, my loved ones & my house. I want to make all of those things a priority. Is that possible? Advice needed! I hate doing a million things at once, dodging traffic & running around like a crazy woman. I like peace. I'm hoping this little upcoming vacation brings me a little of that before it's back to the rat race again. I can't wait!

Heaven in a bottle

Mmmmmmm, this stuff is good. A new addiction to add to my many others. I struck out finding a bookstore on my lunch hour so I ended up wandering around Whole Foods. I bought Sushi for lunch & Butternut Squash Enchiladas to make for dinner. Yum! Whole Foods makes me crazy!

I'm still grieving from the loss of my Sammy. It doesn't seem to be getting any easier, but I know in time it will. I got her ashes back on Wednesday. They're in a little box in her bed until I can think of a proper place to put them. I was home sick of Friday & I was napping on the coach & I had this strange sensation she was laying on me, I opened my eyes & there she was! I'm pretty sure I was dreaming it but it felt real for a few seconds. I think I was in some sort of partial dream state where I was semi aware of my surroundings. When I snapped out of it I was really bummed out! I fell back to sleep & there she was again, but this time sharing the pillow with me! It must have been a dream but it felt so real.

In other news, Stephen & I are going to Martha's Vineyard! It's only a short trip, but we both need an adventure. We can't wait to leave "it all" behind for a few days. By the way, keep checking my Photo Album. I'm trying to post photos regularly despite having to use Stephen's paparazzi camera or my cell phone. I need a new camera! I posted some pictures of my most swaps! Enjoy! xoxo

TGIF!

It's Friday & I could use one of these!

Rants

Dear crazy guy that flipped me off today,
I wouldn't have cut you off if you would have been courteous & let me in. Chill out, relax & take a chill pill. The look on your wifes(?) face was priceless! Stop embarrassing her by being a crazed jerk!

Dear alarm clock,
I'm sick of hearing from you. Shut-up!

Dear Subway Sandwich Artist,
Stop looking at me weird because I don't want your stupid vegetables. They're yucky and I don't like them! Oh, & easy on the mayo!

Dear Flaky Swap Partners,
How do you sleep at night?

Dear people with embarrassing e-mail addresses,
speedofetish@fillintheblank.com is not very professional. I'd advise against using it on your resume.

Dear Parking Garage Nazi,
Your parking garage is gross, on the verge of collapsing & it smells like pee. Stop guarding it like it's Fort Knox!

Dear Pedro Almodovar,
I was loving Volver, with it's bright colors, camera angles & strong women characters BUT why did you end it like that? I thought my DVD was defective. That wasn't cool.

Uh Oh!

I am an idiot. I just sent one of our big donors an e-mail that was meant for someone else. Arghhh. I forgot how to recall a message and by the time I figured it out, it was too late. I hope I didn't make him mad. Every once in awhile (no matter how much I try to avoid it) I make a little "uh-oh" like that. I guess I shouldn't beat myself up over such a small thing. At least it wasn't a BIG "uh-oh"! Donors, who you'd think are kind and generous can be difficult. I haven't run into that here as much as the last 2 places I worked but I'm still in defense mode. I'm just a little overwhelmed right now. I need a vacation from traffic, work, house cleaning, the blues and the drama that has been following me around lately. It's only Tuesday and I'm already whining! I guess I'm just in desperate need of a REAL vacation! Hopefully Stephen & I can make it to Martha's Vineyard for Labor Day. I'm imagining riding bikes around the island, having some good lobster (with lots of butter), lounging on the beach, shopping and taking walks around town with my love. Ahhhh, feels like I'm there already! ;-)

Where do cats go when they die?

I’m heartbroken. I miss my Sammy. I know in time it will get easier. Sammy wasn’t just my pet. She was my friend, confidant, security blanket and my history. She was there through most of my childhood, my teenage years and my twenties. If you didn’t know Sammy or my adoration of her then you probably don’t know me very well. She was a gift to lift my spirits and she never stopped cheering me up the entire 20 years. I feel immense guilt for making the decision to put her to sleep. I know it was the best thing to do. Her kidneys had shut down and she was uncomfortable & unable to eat, sleep or go to the bathroom. It’s still a tough decision to make. I keep wondering if there was something else I could have done to “fix” her. I hope she’s okay wherever she is. Maybe it’s hard for me to feel good about my decision because I’m not sure if I believe in heaven. I struggle with this every time someone I love dies. I’d love there to be a heaven but I have no proof of its existence. How heavenly can a place be when you’re separated from your body and those you love? Everything Sammy loved isn’t there. Me, El Pollo Loco scraps, Fancy Feast, being scratched under her chin by Stephen, hugged by me and laying on the living room floor. All those things are here on earth. I don’t recall them opening an El Pollo Loco in heaven and our living room floor is definitely still in Whittier. The heaven I imagine doesn’t impress me or comfort me. If you don’t take your body with you then how could you enjoy life's pleasures after death? Would you be able to enjoy Filet Mignon if there was no need for food? Can you kiss in heaven? What about drive down the coast? I don't want to be in a place without those things. I remember the day when my dad told me that the body is only a shell and that only your soul goes up to heaven – I was confused & horrified! I still am after 25 years! Leaving my body behind, happily floating around somewhere for eternity & chillin with God (I hear he’s so judgmental! LOL!) doesn’t sound like my kind of fun. If it’s so great then why are people so scared of death? I’ve been waiting for Sammy’s spirit to come visit but I guess she must be happy wherever she’s at. Maybe her little kitty soul is floating around the living room? It meant so much to have Sammy put to sleep in our home. It was sad, and ugly, but at the same time, beautiful that she died with family and in the comfort of her home & in her favorite spot. I got to hold her little hand through it all. I was happy we could do that for her. 20 years of friendship earned that respect. The past few weeks have been hard, even before Sammy took a turn for the worse. I’ve been dealing with some disappointments, sadness, Rose’s death, changes at work and trying to sort out some things in my head. Right when I was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel I got hit by a brick – actually a couple of bricks in the same week. I know I’ll be fine soon. Through these tough times, at least I find comfort in my family & friends. Thanks guys! Stephen, thank you for all you did for me & Sammy, for the gorgeous flowers, the very special card & for getting me out of the house this weekend. I had the best time. I love you!!!

Thought of the day: Please comment of your idea of heaven. I’ve been struggling with this concept since childhood…maybe someone can convince me that it’s not just hype. I’m not swayed by clouds, angels and harps so give me something good. Give me an intriguing concept to ponder.

RIP Sammy

Sammy's page