A New Year is Almost Upon Us

Has this year gone by quicker than the previous ones or what? This is the usual time for reflection and try to decide on what to change for the next year. For me, I've gained too much weight and I need to get it off...I've already started exercising again and trying to watch what and how much I eat. I will be moving around March...not quite sure where yet. I'm not looking forward to it at all but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will be mostly painless. I definitely want to get more crafting done and actually be successful in selling it. So be on the lookout for my store on Etsy.
So three things for the New Year...hopefully 2010 will be successful. Hope that everyone has a happy and safe one.

Happy Holidays

I know that I haven't posted much over this past year. I cannot promise that I will post more next year. I did want to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season. Enjoy!

Cuties Alert

Happy Dance

I finished this on Sunday and it's available for sale if anyone is interested.

Gee, what have I been up to?

I guess I've been more focused on getting over this nasty cold and finishing up my Christmas gifts lately. All the gifts are ready-just need to be shipped since I will not be joining my family this year for Christmas.
I've also been trying to figure out where I'll be living come March. Joey and I will not be renewing our lease and are going our separate ways. So I need to figure out what I can afford and find it.
I've been attending a lot of Joey's band's shows. They are getting better and better with each show. I'm glad that Joey is back to playing on a more regular basis and the guys are really laid back bunch of people. No egos.
My cousin Denise is now a Northern. She had to move out of Florida due to not being able to find a job once she was laid off from her previous one. So she's now in VA and a lot closer to me!
Work is work. Always changing.

Happy Dance

The last of the coasters for my brother

Happy Dance

This is the 2nd part of the Christmas gift that I made for my mom and dad. Started and finished it yesterday.

Quote of the Day

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."

- Aesop, Greek author of fables

Happy Dance

#3 for my brother

Miami Vs. Carolina

Not the greatest pics since they were taken by my cell but what a great time I had!

Early Christmas Gift

Today I get to use the Christmas gift that my parents got for me-a ticket to see my favorite NFL team-Miami Dolphins-play live and in person. They're playing Carolina Panthers tonight I'm going to the game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This will be my first NFL game in person and I can't wait to go!

Happy Dance!

Just finished Coaster #2 for my brother's Christmas gift

Mini Vacation

I just got back yesterday from spending some time with my cousin, Denise and help celebrate her 30th birthday. I arrived early on Friday and hung out with her and met the neighborhood "kids" and her newest addition, Jasmine. Kicked some ass in Scrabble which is always a good thing. Denise had also bought a butter sculpture in tribute to the NYS Fair that we both missed this year.
Saturday was beach day and boy did I pay for it. We spent most of the time sitting at a beach bar and listening to the band and people watching.
Sunday was family day. Denise and I went to her parents where we hung out with them, our Uncle Gerry, cousins Mollie, Christina and Destiny. We also ate the BEST ribs on the planet.....thank you Uncle Ricky!
Monday was Downtown Disney and basically just get out of the apartment. It was a laid back day.
Tuesday was Epcot...lots of food and beer for me...We did a lot of walking and my dogs were certainly barking at the end of the day. My mom had requested that I have a German beer and a French dessert for her birthday and I obliged.
Wednesday was my return home and I definitely had a much harder time coming home than I usually do.

Cutie Alert

Happy Dance

Here's the first out of 4 coasters that I'm making for my brother.

Crafting

Been slowly doing some more latch hooking and cross stitching. I've been cross stitching some more Christmas gifts. Once I finish them, I'll post the happy dances.

Cutie Alert

Honoring One's Wishes

I spent this past weekend with Joey's family on Emerald Isle. The main reason why we all had gone was to scatter Joey's grandmother's ashes out into the ocean...a place where she wanted to be and spent much of her life at. She had requested this before she past away. At one point, Joey's mother was struggling and stated that she couldn't do it. Luckily, her ashes were scattered...just like she wanted...not necessarily what the family wanted. It got me to thinking how selfish human beings can be. I would be beyond pissed if my family did not honor my wishes (which are by the way, to be cremated and thrown into the ocean off of Maui). I would probably end up haunting them for the rest of their lives until they did what I requested. Yes, you miss the person who went on but the least you could do is honor their wishes...don't be selfish and hold on because you miss them. You have your memories...cherish them...hold on to those, not the ashes of them if they have specifically wished to be somewhere else.

Cutie Alert

1 Year Work Anniversary

Now some of you may not think that this is significant. I only do considering the previous year I had to deal with unemployment, working at different agencies, and basically my life being turned upside down. This past year at work has seen different supervisors, a complete different set of coworkers, and like with any government position, lots of bs policy changes. I am curious on what this next year will bring...a possible move, a possible departure, or even a possible staying put.

Cuties Alert

Happy Dance

Here is half of the Christmas present for my parents. I started it yesterday and I finished it yesterday!

Quote of the Day

"Our lives are a sum total of the choices we have made."

- Wayne Dyer

Cutie Alert

Happy Dance

I finished this yesterday while watching football. Picture is a little blurry.

Cuties Alert

Cuties Alert

Life Updated

Been a while...first...today's is the day that Scott is getting married. And my thoughts have ranged from sadness to craziness-anyone want to go to NYC and crash it? I do have to say that I have been VERY tempted to go up there this weekend and clearly tell him and Amy the mistake that they are making but I'm better than that. As much as I want Scott to be happy, I don't think that he will be with the decisions he has been making over the past year or so. But it isn't my problem anymore and that is something that I'm still struggling with. Especially when I hear about their wedding and future plans-all which are VERY similar to what Scott and I had discussed. The more I try to move on, it seems the harder something keeps me from doing so.
Joey has been doing fantastic with his new band: Rockshow. The guys definitely appreciate having him as their drummer and he's having fun playing music on a more regular basis. This fact alone has made living together a helluva lot easier lately.
I have the pleasure of having to take my car in today to get it looked at. Seems that oil is leaking onto one of the spark plugs. Not good. Hopefully it's not going to cost me an arm and a leg.
Work has been miserable. We started using a new software program that we were all told that it was going to be better than the old system...well it sucks. Compared to the amount of work that I had to do before, I'm now doing about 5% more. And when the phones get busy, a lot of things are being forgotten. The software doesn't flow correctly and we're constantly being told to wait and it will be fixed. Well, I've almost quit my job a few times...and not just because of the software. One coworker is constantly trying to push my buttons and little does he realize the more that he keeps doing it, the worse it's going to be for him. And I have another coworker (not in my direct unit) that thinks that the world revolves around her and that we're supposed to drop everything to help her...uh no bitch. We're still not fully staffed which means a lot of calls fall upon yours truly because I'm the quickest in the unit-the other two take twice the amount of time that the screenings are supposed to take....which pisses me off and has been addressed but on deaf ears.
I'm still grieving over the loss of Zeit. The others spend a lot of time trying to get on my lap and go to sleep which is comforting...if not annoying when I'm trying to do some latch hook or something.
NFL is back and I can now spend my Sundays wasting away watching the games instead of from watching movies from Netflix.
I think that's about it in a nutshell...until next time.

Quote of the Day

Coming together is a beginning; staying together is progress; working together is success.

- Anonymous

Cutie Alert

Cool pic

Diving anyone?

Labor Day weekend vacation

I went camping this past weekend with my parents, brother and aunt and uncle from Florida. We headed out to a small mountain town called Baslam here in NC. I, of course, was the first to arrive and had to wait around for about an hour before my parents came...good thing I had a book to read. The campsite was small and the sites small for huge mobile homes like my parents. Couldn't even park a car on the site. Bad sleeping experiences-I ended up spending the last two nights in my dad's van to sleep-too much snoring both human and canine. Friday everyone arrived and we all had dinner together.
Saturday we headed to Cherokee Reservation where I was a little disappointed. I was hoping for more authentic reservation stuff but it was essentially a tourist trap. We did hang out and look through a craft co-op store and some of the others stores along the way. I bought a pair of beaded earrings to help support. We did NOT hit the Casino and we all were perfectly fine with it.
Sunday we headed to Hendersonville for their huge Apple Festival-essentially it's a huge street fair through downtown. It's good to know that my hatred of crowds is still intact....no plans for NYC anytime soon.
Monday we had no real plans except the boys took a look at my car...luckily it seems that it's only the spark plugs that's an issue. My parents and aunt and uncle were going to continue camping the rest of this week while my brother and I were headed back home and to work. So we spent the rest of the afternoon traveling to other campsites for them to stay at.
Overall it was a much needed break and despite my allergies or cold or whatever I got from there, I'm glad I went.

RIP Zeitgeist

You lived a very long life and in lots of different environments. You have bought me great joy over the past 4 years (even when I didn't see you) and I'm grateful that I got to spend your last six months with you. You talked until your last breath and I know that you are no longer suffering. Have fun hissing at the other cats over that Rainbow Bridge and I'll see you again. I love you Zeit.

Update on Zeit

I took her in yesterday. She walked around the exroom-something that she's never done before or even does here. Everyone said that she was moving well for an 18-year old cat. They took some bloodwork and they should let me know what the options are hopefully tomorrow.

Cuties Alert

Time is getting really close

Zeit had a seizure or stroke last night...and I witnessed it. I'm wondering if she's been having them the last few days since her water bowl was all yucky after last night's episode and I've seen her water bowl like that in the mornings the last couple of days. I have an appointment with the vet Saturday morning. Not sure what they'll be able to do so....

Joey's First Gig

So Joey has joined a cover band called Rockshow and had his first gig with them this past Saturday. This band has been together for a while and have auditioned several drummers since their original one had to leave. Joey did a fantastic job and it was very obvious that the band was happy. I'm very proud of him and how well he did.

Happy Dance!

I finished this yesterday and it's available.

Cuties Alert

Michael Vick

I have tried and tried to remain calm about this whole issue. For anyone who knows me, they know I LOVE the NFL and dogs. Now normally these two things would not go together unless you're talking about the Dogpound for the Cleveland Browns...however thanks to the asshole Michael Vick, these two things have been brought together and not in the best of ways. For anyone living under a rock in the US or out of the US, Michael Vick, one of the better quarterbacks in the league was arrested for dogfighting a couple of years ago. He "did his time" and now has the opportunity to come back and play for a NFL team. He does NOT deserve to come back and play. Just because he served a jail sentence does not bring back all the dogs that died or got injured because of his stupidity. We all know damn good and well that if he had not gotten caught, he would have continued the slaughter and training. Some will say that it was because he was young and immature....bullshit. Put yourself in that ring Michael and see how it feels to be mauled by a dog that is trained to kill....in fact just fucking do it instead of playing for the Philadelphia Eagles.
My opinion is that NO ONE should be given another chance to play in such a high adrenaline driven sport like football if you have been convicted of a "violent" crime-that includes shooting yourself in the leg, dog fighting, DUI, attempted murder, etc. For the fact that the commissioner might possibly give him another chance is fucking beyond me....he's remorseful...bullshit....he got fucking caught and NEVER would have stopped if he didn't get caught and had his so called friends turn him in to save their own hinds.
So let me go back to the fact that the Eagles have signed him....I'm also a huge Donovan McNabb fan...goes back to when he played for Syracuse. The fact that Michael Vick is now on that team and what I heard McNabb say (among the others at that bullshit conference) makes me not a fan anymore....at least until Michael Vick is out of the league. So I won't be wearing that nice jersey that Scott gave me even though it's from Syracuse. I probably won't be wasting my life away watching NFL on Sunday afternoons all because I need to make a point: MICHAEL VICK DOES NOT DESERVE TO COME BACK AND PLAY AFTER WHAT HE DID. So expect some letters Philadelphia and the commissioner because you guys really fucked up this time.

Cuties Alert