An Overdose of Fun.

This weekend was jam-packed with good things.

Saturday night was High School Musical: The Ice Tour.

Marti and I kept looking at these two little girls with their heads together, singing along to the songs and cheering with the crowd. (Marti and I may have sang along to a few of the songs too… maybe) It was so darn cute.

The girls waved those pendants all the way through Phillips Arena, the CNN Center and around Centennial Park on the way back to the car. (I do remember saying, “Sweetie, let’s put on your sweater after we walk past the panhandler, please.” — ahhh, city life.)

See. I wasn’t kidding.

Then on Sunday was Olivia’s birthday party at Build-a-Bear Workshop. More time with the Moats Family! Yayyy!

As if the weekend couldn’t possibly get any better… we also carved pumpkins!

I don’t know about you… but I could really use an extra weekend day just to relax.

A busy week at work is coming with a Halloween Rally, Sexual Harassment Training, Budget Meetings and our own Pumpkin Carving Contest. I’m exhausted already.

The tail lights go on forevah.

And it’s raining.

Rain in Atlanta means that traffic is worse than every other day. Actually, there could be just the hint of precipitation in the air & that would make the traffic worse.

Now that I think of it…there could be a report on the radio by Flip Spiceland who may insinuate that there may be some grayish clouds overhead in the next week or so… and it would make the traffic worse that day.

I live 18 miles away from the hotel. This ride takes me 25 minutes during off-peak times. During peak drive-time it takes me 50-60 minutes. Today, in the rain, it was definitely 60 minutes. *sigh*

Just another thing (like pollen & people named Flip Spiceland & southern accents & grits) I’ll need to learn to live with here in Atlanta.

(P.S. – it took me 15 minutes to get to and from work in Orlando. I’m just sayin’.)

Did I mention that it’s raining? Like four days of constant rain. Totally. The drought has got to be over by now, right? Is the lake full yet?

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.

Oh boy – is it Monday.

I set the alarm to wake me up at 6:15. I don’t know what happened except that the boy came in to say that his clock said 7:15! HOLY SHIT! SO DOES MINE! A mad scramble to get four people ready to leave for school and work ensues.

I help to get the kids dressed and ready and fed and out the door so they wouldn’t get a tardy. I usually leave the house at 7:00 – instead I left at 7:50am. Well, I tried to leave… I got in the car (through the rain - the car wasn’t parked in the garage) and couldn’t remember if I had unplugged the iron. I run back into the house to check. (it was unplugged) I run back to the car (in the rain) and then leave for my traffic-filled ride to work. The line at Starbucks was too long. I could feel my hair getting frizzier and frizzier. I arrive at work at 8:45am.

Alas… its not all bad. (although, the day ain’t over yet) I did arrive to work (albeit very late & frizzy) with this sylish bag:

I treated myself this weekend – I had been coveting this purse for a LONG time. Isn’t it so darn cute?

So – I’m here… with my new cute purse and my super-cool iPod (that hopefully I can find some time to listen to today) trying to hold it together and fight off this sore throat and itchy ears that have creeped up into my body… anyone have a tissue? Cold medicine? A snifter of brandy?

Maybe even one hour at a time…

This website http://inspiredscrapping.blogspot.com/ got me to do this page.  I had to scrap as soon as I saw the inspiration piece.

And this is what I came up with… I think it sums up things for me pretty well right now.

What’s going on?

Geez… lots of stuff on my mind right now. And I’m feeling a teensy bit, okay a lot, PMS’y so maybe I shouldn’t say anything at all. (this is where I’m going to politely apologize in advance) Sometimes the part of me who says to shut-up is gagged and bound by the part of me that wants to speak up. Guess who won this round?

There’s been some scrapbook controversy going on… for those of you who don’t scrapbook - sorry… for those that do,  you probably know what I’m talking about. It has to do with contest rules and whether or not someone (either the winners or the company holding the contest) ignored those rules. Okay, fine… whatever. I don’t think it’s right & I definitely think there’s something fishy going on – and I don’t think we’ll ever know the whole truth.

I understand that it’s not along the same lines as the Kennedy Assassination or whether or not the government really knows about UFOs and has them all in Area 52… but in our little scrapbooking world it is quite a big deal.

Why? Because people enter this contest thinking that all of the work will be looked over fairly and somewhat consistently based on the rules that were set out by the company. And because people still want to believe that there are still some things in this world that are FAIR and RIGHT and GOOD. And that when people say they are judging a contest based upon certain criteria that they would actually KEEP THEIR WORD.

That’s why it’s important. It’s not because we think that by following the rules of this scrapbooking contest and being fair that the war in Iraq will end and there won’t be any starving people anywhere in the world. But – can’t we at least have faith in a scrapbooking contest??

I’m also a little peeved at those people – some winners included – who insist that people need to focus more on their own lives and forget about this little “snafu.”

Condescending, much?

Don’t think that for one moment I have forgotten about my broken mother lying in a bed…being fed her medicine by my Dad who is at his wits end because she can’t seem to get her hand, her mouth, and her brain to all work at the same time to do this small thing herself…. or that I’m not thinking about the cancer that had spread up and down her spine, the food and water that she is NOT consuming, and all the moments in my kids’ lives that she is going to miss. Because I haven’t. Not for one second.

So please don’t talk down to me. Don’t condescend me and belittle the time I spend on my computer. Don’t think that I don’t have anything better to do. Scrapbooking is important to me too… it’s what has helped keep me (somewhat) sane through all that is on my mind… and I would hope that there are scrapbooking companies out there who NOT would cheat and lie over a contest.

That’s why people are upset over this. And after all, it is just paper and glue. Right?

The Other Man in My Life

Seriously. I cannot work a day without him. I shake so many hands throughout the day, touch so many pieces of paper that come from all over the place… I don’t know what I’d do without him.

I’m not a germaphobe or anything… except about the hands. Especially since my nailbiting habit comes and goes these days due to stress… this guy is one of my best friends.

This little piggy… put on a show.

Last night the first graders put on a performance of the Three Piggy Opera. It was super-cute-sweet-first-grade fun!

There were a lot of little piggies in this performance. Mine is in the front row to the right of the little one in the pink headband.

 

She had a line to speak and did a great job! She was rewarded with a little stuffed pig (webkinz) and her brother (the camera operator) received some trading cards. We were all rewarded with Moe’s for dinner. Yum!

What’s on your ipod?

I didn’t really understand the appeal of an ipod – until now. I’ve slowly been downloading songs onto my brand-new-super-awesome ipod & now I get it. Your own music. Whenever you want it. Oh-my-gawd. Why didn’t anyone ever tell me?

So – I’ve scoured the house for CDs & searched through iTunes and here’s what I’ve come up with so far:

• Plain White T’s: Hey there, Delilah
• Rihanna: Umbrella
• Ashley Tisdale: He Said She Said
• Maroon 5: Makes Me Wonder
• Feist: 1234 (the song from the ipod commercial – so good!)
• Lifehouse: First Time
• Kat DeLuna: Whine Up
• Melissa Etheridge: Breathe
• Various songs from the movie soundtrack to Hairspray
• B-52’s: Love Shack, Roam and Cosmic Thing
• The Beatles: 10 of their number one songs (Hey Jude is playing right now)
• Judy Garland (of course): a few songs from A Star is Born
• Aerosmith: Livin on the Edge, Dude Looks Like a Lady, Elevator
• Meatloaf: Paradise by the Dashboard Light (of course)
• Spice Girls (no laughing): Wannabe
• Gwen Stefani: Wind it Up
• Selena: Dreaming of You

Oh – by the way… Isiah Washington (that tall drink of water) is now on The Bionic Woman. I’m really missing him on Grey’s.

What other music do I need on here? There’s a lot more I have to load on… I haven’t even scratched the surface of my Judy CDs… and there’s still Frank Sinatra and U2 that need to be loaded. So fun!

(the husband is SO jealous)

Taking a Sick Day

The little one is sick. A fever. She’s doing better today-but couldn’t go back to school. So we’re spending the day together. My fingers are crossed that she’ll be well enough to go back to school tomorrow. I have an understanding boss… but I’m in the middle of an extremely busy time at work. A LOT going on right now.

Since I’m home… here’s a photo out of my kitchen window. Can you see the leaves changing? A little bit? It’s my first Fall! I’m so excited – every little yellow or orange leaf makes me so happy in anticipation of lots of Fall colors all around! 

Those few orange and yellow leaves inspired me to decorate my mantle. Not only have I never seen Fall before – but I’ve never had a mantle. A few days ago I went to Hobby Lobby – OMG, I LOVE that store – and stocked up on some Fall trinkets and decor. My mantle is up above…

Work has been consuming most of my life lately. It’s been busy and stressful and stressful. Did I mention the stress? I think I’m getting through the worst of it now… <<fingers crossed>> and maybe then I’ll stop being so scatterbrained. Seriously. I’ve forgotten a lot of important things lately. Not good.

I haven’t been scrapping much. My DT assignment at Serendipity Scrapbook Kits has ended. Man, that time went by FAST. I’m going to miss working with Darcy, Becky, Kimber and Milissa. It was very fun to get to know all of them – they are all so talented and kind! I’m amazed at the wonderful women I’ve met through this hobby – they’re so wonderful and I’m so thankful.

I did scrap my July 4th pictures a little while ago… a little mini-album:

I don’t think it’s my best work – but it has all those fun photos in there & I got it done in the year that it happened. That’s a HUGE accomplishment for me! Ha!

Okay – the little one would like to play on the computer. (another sign that she is clearly on the road to recovery)