Happy New Year

My NYE is going to be very tame. In fact, I'm already in my pjs. Have been all day, although I put on clean ones after a shower. Tonight I'm going to watch the first dvd of season 5 of Six Feet Under and the first part of season 6 of Sex and the City while I knit on The Boss scarf. My goal is to finish the damn thing tonight/wee hours of 2007 so I can block the thing tomorrow and give to the man on Tuesday. I'm so sick of looking at it.

I did take a break to do some home decorating today. Because I couldn't find any art I liked to hang over the guest bed I made my own. Pictures will be posted when I actually hang the frames.

Once again I wear my pjs in public

Just another fun Saturday night over here at Chez Lazy. Possum #3 has been caught.



Shortly after I got back from that fun little trip, I took this spooky photo of Lulu jumping off my new day bed. It makes her look see through.

Best movie of the year

If you have not yet seen Dreamgirls you need to get to the theater and see it ASAP. This movie was amazing. From the first moment Jennifer Hudson began singing I got goosebumps. Awesome. Seriously. I can not put into words how much I loved this movie.

Ever have that feeling.....

that you are supposed to be somewhere doing something? My office is closed for the holiday, so I'm not supposed to be at work and I don't have any appointments anywhere but I can not shake this feeling that I am supposed to be somewhere else. Freaky.

Fire update

In case you were wondering, here is the story on last night's fire.

Good news, Bad news

The good news: the fire is not in one of my HOA's condos.

The bad news: it's an apartment fire. Austin has had several bad fires in just the past few months. I hope this one is not that way.

Also, I was not the only one outside in my pajamas trying to see what was going on. I was, however, the only one wearing pjs while walking a dachshund. The sirens have quieted but the helicopter is still buzzing around. It must be from one of the news stations because I can't imagine the police would need to do that. In fact, does Austin even have a helicopter? I must google.

Uh oh

I just heard a bunch of really loud sirens and was reminded that I should check to see the trash was collected today (it wasn't). So I go outside and see a helicopter circling around. Now I live on the edge of the ghetto, but other than some thumping radios, it's pretty calm around here.

A neighbor is in his yard and I can barely hear him over the sirens when he tells me he thinks it's a fire on the next block over. I peer through the trees. From I can tell, if it is on that street, it could possibly be the HOA president's house.

Because I am curious and Lulu needs a walk, I think we might meander over there.

Christmas Day Report

I hope that you all had a very merry Christmas. Mine was quite nice. That is, until the afternoon when I started getting a headache that, by dinner time, morphed into a migraine. After taking Excedrin for tension headaches, Darvocet and Fioricet without getting any relief, I began to get paranoid that I was going to overdose. As you can see, that did not happen.

Here is a shot of our stocking loot.

Normally, the stockings are done on the sofa, but with all the dogs and Kristin not arriving until mid-morning, we decided to do them at the table. I know that some people use stockings to give small trinkets and candies but ours usually contain useful things like Target gift cards, toothbrushes, and stamps.

This year, Kristin finally got the one thing she's been wanting for years. Lonesome Dove on dvd. She was very happy (as was I so I don't have to listen to her complain about not having it anymore).

I got a children's book, Pretzel, that has been on my Amazon wish list for years. Also a quilting book and Amy Butler's Stitches (which actually is still in transit).

For the past several years, our parents have given Kristin and myself what we like to call a "practical" gift. The first year it was jumper cables, then a fire extinguisher, then a small tool set and last year it was a cordless drill. This year there was a bit of deviation since Kristin got a set of sheets and I got a pair (it's not really a pair, just one, but pair sounds better) of Loppers with telescoping handles.


All in all it was a very enjoyable holiday. Everyone was happy and relaxed.


Oh, I even got the sock monkey slippers. So comfy and cute!

Home again

Lulu and I made the trek back home today. I am so tired but did make my annual after Christmas shopping trip to Target to score 1/2 price wrapping paper and other holiday items. Sadly, none of the paper really shouted at to me (at least not at only 50% off) but I did buy some Christmas cards.

There is a detailed, with photos, post about Christmas 'n stuff in the hopper so I'll try to get that out soon. For now I am going to put on my pjs and veg out on the sofa.

Wishing you happy holidays

In a few hours I'll be packing up the car and the dog and heading out to the hill country to spend a few days with family. Mentally, I've written several very witty and informative posts, but you know how I am so you'll just have to pretend that you got to read them.

Before I leave town I need to:
-finish wrapping gifts
-take a shower
-gather ingredients and recipe for the dressing
-go to Target and buy shampoo for brunette hair (that's right, I have dark hair now and the blonde shampoo just will not do)
-pack while Lulu whines because she's afraid I'm leaving her behind
-buy lottery scratch off tickets (I've given them to the family for the last couple of years---trying to start a new tradition ala toothbrushes. What, you don't know what I'm talking about? That was covered in one of the mental posts--we get toothbrushes in the stockings.)
-enter receipts into MSMoney so I know how much money I have left

I'm sure there are other things I'll do but I can't think of them at this point and there are less than 4 hours before I leave town. Normally, it would not matter when I leave, but a friend is riding with me and we have a set time when I'm picking her up.

On a side note: I used to be neat and prompt. Both have fallen to the wayside. Wonder what that's all about.

And so it goes

You see, I jinxed myself. Earlier tonight I was mentally writing up a blog post and thinking how witty it would be to entitle it "Silent Night". Because there were no possums and no barking Lulu.

Oh how wrong I was. Possum #3 just made an appearance. *sigh*

Possum catching continues

Tonight, while wrapping gifts and watching season 5 of Sex and the City, I caught another possum. This time, the trap wasn't even baited! I was waiting to bait it until after Lulu went to bed. Even saved part of a not so tasty clementine for the trap. Since Lulu was resting on the sofa (she likes to watch SATC too) and not guarding the door at the time, she hasn't barked at the thing too much.

I feel a little bad about it having to spend all night in the cage on top of the fence, but I am not driving to the pervert park by myself at 10:30 pm.

Okay, gotta go. Lulu has started her possum freak out and is trampling my wrapping paper!

One down, how many more?

Tonight, I caught a possum *happy dance*cabbage patch*.

Then I was too scared to pick up the cage and put it in my car.

So I went next door and asked my neighbor to help me.

And I didn't even give out a girly scream when we had to shake the possum out of the cage.

Did you know they can run really fast when they want to?

Game on!

Tonight is the night. Your ass is mine possum! That's right, I borrowed the humane trap from the HOA president and it's baited and in position.



In the morning, I will have to put it (still in the trap, of course) in my car. This may require some girly screaming. Then I will drive it to the park a couple of miles from my house and set it free.

Rinse and repeat until all y'all varmits are gone!

Contains: craft

Yesterday I got my craft on by making these adorable (if I may say so) bracelets. The main beads were purchased at the quilt festival and then I picked the rest up at a bead store in Austin. It was my first attempt at making jewelry.

Organize Yourself!

Ever since I was little I have had a thing about being organized. Nothing excited me more than finding the perfect storage solution for my things. Fast forward to November of 2005. I took a holiday job working 3 nights a week at The Container Store in their Holiday section. After 6 weeks of that, as much as I enjoyed it, I was just about organized out. My bedroom and computer/craft/guest room certainly reflect that fact. Also, I didn't really make any money working there since I managed to put the employee discount to good use and spent within $100 of what I made. Half of that was on an Elfa system for my bedroom closet.

Today I started trying to tidy up the guest room of all my crafting crap, since Kristin is going to be spending the night with me on Monday. I thought it might be nice to actually have the room all put together.



I found these clear file folders in the closet. I bought them at the CS a couple of months ago, for what I have no idea, and I used them to store my half finished projects. Please notice that the project on top is the Sew? I Knit! purse from the May challenge. I'm nothing if not the world's greatest procrastinator. Anyway, as long as the project is not too big the folders make great storage devices.

(please note, that is not my pink closet but it is very close to how mine is arranged)

Lulu's Christmas Stocking

I bought this stocking on sale after Christmas last year for something cheap like 50 cents. In my mind, I wanted a big L like the kind Laverne, of Laverne & Shirley, always wore on her sweaters. Not being a seasoned user of glittery slick paint, I had a wee bit of a wobble. But the rest of the name turned out fine. It's pretty cute, don't you think?

TGIF!

So very glad it's Friday. Why? Because it means I only have 4 days of work next week. Yay! Also, I have about a zillion things I need to do around the house before Christmas and work keeps getting in the way.

My back is still aching, but mostly in the mornings so I'm afraid it is my mattress. I love my bed. I bought it right before I quit selling furniture at Lacks. Since I was an employee, I was able to get it at cost and the idea of having to pay retail for a new mattress set just kills me. It's a good set. It shouldn't be worn out after nearly 10 years! I'll have to flip it tonight and see if that helps any.

Another good reason for being glad that today is Friday is because tonight I am going to babysit for my friend Sheri, the ornament maker. She has two cute kiddos who really are propaganda babies. Seriously, I have to remember to leave my ovaries in the car when I go to her house.

later in the morning.......The children are sick, so no babysitting. Bummer.

Gimme a Kiss!

Yesterday, during my Twerp buying expedition, I came across a new Kiss from Hersheys. Dark chocolate with macadamia nut. Yummy. Of course, once again, the Hersheys Kisses website does not have them listed (of course, they did finally list the mint and candy cane ones, so I'm sure these will show up eventually).

Quiz Time

Bekka had this quiz on her blog, so of course I had to take it. I'm a quiz-aholic. Just this afternoon I took a quiz my health insurance company sent me to determine my risk for heart disease (which is low, btw).

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Fad Reader
Literate Good Citizen
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Book Snob
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

I have a stack of books by my bed to read, just got two more in the mail last week, and am having dinner with a friend who loans me books this weekend. Now if only I could stop watching so much tv and get back into the reading groove.

Speaking of tv, did anyone watch the season finale of Nip/Tuck last night? This season was much better than last year's and I am hoping for more celebrity guest spots now that they've moved to LA.

TWERPS HAVE LANDED!!

This morning I had to visit my doctor for every girl's favorite thing--the dreaded annual exam. Now, without going into TMI territory, I will just say that it's not really any big deal to me. Anyway, all my LDL/HDL and all that other medical jargon is good. I've lost 20 lbs since July but none in the last month. Doc is not happy with that since I'm taking medication to facilitate weight loss and my appetite is still pretty low (despite all the posts where I talk about food). She wants to see me at the end of January to see how I'm doing and then we'll re-evaluate.

Anyway, on to the good news!

There's a Walgreens by her office so I popped in there on the off chance that they might have my beloved Twerps. And guess what?! They DID! Glory, glory hallelujah. Not only that, but they were on sale, 2 bags for $4. I held myself back though and only bought 4 bags. I must ration.

Another reason why Google rocks

I found out about the newest cool gadget from Google, via my friend Katie. She had a link to the Gmap Pedometer on her blog and with it I was able to figure out that the little walk Lulu and I do is a mile. The longer walk is 1.6 miles. Sure seems longer, but that could be because Lulu's legs are only like 3 inches long.

Speaking of Lulu, poor thing is tuckered out. Today I took her to the vet to have her teeth cleaned. Despite the fact that my credit card squeeled in pain with the $400 charge, I just could not take her ass breath any longer. It was so bad. So very bad. Worse than her Frito smelling feet. But seriously, people, isn't $400 a bit much? I know the dog has to be put under and all but give me a break!

Goal for the new year: get some pet insurance!

Anyway, Lulu put herself to bed around 6:30 and didn't even make a peep with the possum feeding neighbors were making loud noise in the backyard. It sounded like they were chopping wood, or at least I hope that's what it was. I did my best to be a nosy neighbor, but I wasn't going to climb on the rotting wood pile and peek over the fence.

Lulu sits with Santa

Lulu got her picture taken with Santa at Petsmart over the weekend. Unfortunately, the pictures didn't turn out so great. But that's okay because part of the money is donated to the animal shelter. Plus, you know how much I like it when people exclaim how soft and adorable Lulu is.

(Photo posted is actually a photo of the original polaroid. Why can't they upgrade into the digital world?!)

How to seriously creep yourself out

First, watch a creepy movie home alone on a dark night.

Second, just as the movie is getting to the creepy climax, have the power in your home go out.

Third, make the power be out not just in your home, but as far as the eye can see.

Fourth, find no comfort in your dog because what does she care about your silly human eyes. She can see in the dark, fool!

Fifth, sit on the sofa and wonder what the hell you are going to do if the power doesn't come back on soon.

Lastly, finish watching the movie when the power comes back on 30 minutes later.

Sad news

I'm sad to report that one of Miss Doxie's dogs, Tasha, passed away yesterday from pneumonia. As soon as I read that on her blog, I had to stop and give Lulu some love. It makes me sad that dogs can be our closest companions and confidants yet we don't know how ill they are until it's too late.

Last year I read a book in which a man tries to teach his dog to speak, because the dog was a witness to the suicide of the man's wife. Have you read The Dogs of Babel? If you are at all a crier, keep the hanky nearby.

Decorations

This little mushroom is a new addition to the tree this year. I found them (it comes in a pack of many) at World Market and they instantly made me think of the wooden mushrooms my mom has on her tree. Her mushrooms were purchased in Germany and they've been on our tree as long as I can remember. The wooden mushrooms are in a pair and use a twist tie, sort of like you use to close a garbage sack, to attach to the tree. Over the years, the ties have broken off so she doesn't have as many as she used to. When I was a kid I hated the mushrooms because there were so many and putting them on the tree took forever.

Honestly, I really don't like decorating the tree. It's so tedious to make it look perfect and of course, I can never achieve perfection. This year, my tree looks a bit lopsided due to the light placement, but I had to finally say "good enough" or it never would have gotten done. Also, my mom really gets into decorating for Christmas. Decorations in every room! I tend to be more minimal. For example, my mantle:



I do love Christmas ornaments though and I'm always on the lookout for them whenever I travel. There are also some stores that I shop at specifically for their ornaments. Such as Anthropologie:



On my tree are also hand made ornaments from friends. My friend Sheri makes ornaments like this one every year. I'm looking forward to getting my fourth one from her soon.




Of course I already showed you the adorable Lulu ornament that Kristin gave me, but she also gave me this really cute glass Dachshund:



Some other places I've found great ornaments over the years include Target (no luck this year though), the Container Store (they call them package tie ons, I call them ornaments, and Smith & Hawken. My favorite thing to do is shop at these stores on the 26th of December to get ornaments on sale. In fact, I like to buy all manner of Christmas things on sale on the 26th. The cards from Target are especially a weakness of mine.

Massage

This morning I had a nearly 2 hour massage and it was worth every penny. Most of this past week I was battling what I thought was a bad back. When it didn't respond to normal chiropractic treatments, my chiropractor thought it might be a kidney stone. He sent me to a pain management doctor and she determined that it was just some kind of deep muscle strain. That's right, I strained my ass by sitting on it all day! Why does that not surprise me? Anyway, she said a massage would probably help. I feel 98% back to myself. Yay!

Sock Monkey Slippers

Are these not the cutest slippers you've ever seen? I saw them while at Target tonight and it was all I could do not to buy a pair! (size XL, hint hint).

Cheeeeeeeeeeeeese

Yesterday, Kristin, El Hombre and I went to Canton, to shop the giant flea market. It was cold. So very cold that I had to buy gloves. After we had shopped and eaten we went over to the pet section and nearly came home with a Dorkie (dachshund/yorkie mix). He was adorable and FREE, but I just can not handle a 5 month old puppy at this point.



This guy was walking around with a puppy in each pocket. At least it kept them warm!

We got to play with Sugar Gliders and boy were the cute too! This one was trying to crawl into the sleeve of Kristin's jacket.

Why I don't have a cat

cat
Originally uploaded by soulebro.

That ain't right

Ornaments

It's time to start pulling out all the Christmas decorations, since tomorrow is the 1st of December. Over the past several years, I have collected quite a few dachshund ornaments. When I saw Kristin over Thanksgiving, she gave me this adorable ornament.



Speaking of adorable dachshund things,

Miss Doxie has created her own online shop, called Shop Doxie, and has some really cute things. The dachshund Christmas tags really crack me up.

Cravings

Suddenly this morning it hit me. I have a big time craving for chick'n dumplings. Specifically, the ones from Threadgill's. They used to be the Thursday special, but I can't find anything on the web site stating that, so I'll just have to remember to check back tomorrow. I like theirs because the chicken is boneless. You know that sound Homer Simpson makes when he's drooling over a donut? I made the same sound when looking for pictures to post.

Other things I'm constantly craving are Twizzlers Twerps. Of course, I can no longer find them anywhere. Seriously, I will stop at every Target I pass looking for them, because Target is the only place I ever saw them. I did find them online and even put them on my Amazon.com wish list.



Since I can't have Twerps, I've found a substitute that will do. Sour Punch Straws. I had never tried these until I got some in a swap package. So yummy and fun to eat!

You say that like it's an easy thing

Yesterday, Lulu was not acting like herself at all. It turns out that we both have the same back problem! Bulging/leaky discs. Thankfully, it is in the early stages and if we can stop or slow the progression of the disease Lulu won't need surgery. The vet has put her on bed (i.e. crate) rest. She's not to jump up or down or exert herself in any way.

It's a good thing that Lulu is the laziest dachshund I've ever known so there are only a few lifestyle changes for her. She has to be crated when I'm not home but she doesn't seem to mind much. Last night I let her still sleep with me and as soon as the alarm went off she jumped off the bed. So tonight she'll have to sleep in the crate again. I feel bad about that, but I feel worse when I hear her whimper and see that she won't eat (not even people food). When weighed at the vet yesterday she was down 2 pounds and tonight I can easily feel the bumps of her spine. Normally there is a thin layer of fat (hello, oxymoron!) there and her back is just flat.

So please send healing thoughts our way.

He's back

The possum is back. He's been back for a while, but tonight is the first night that Lulu has gone crazy about it. Currently, she's barking and spinning in circles at the back door. Guess I need to get the humane trap from the HOA president. For all I know, it's a she and has babies in her pouch. Did you know that baby possums only gestate for 13 days! Of course, then they stay in the momma's pouch for a while. I know this because I google.

Most of the time I am not bothered by Lulu's incessant barking at the thing, but when it's late I worry about her bothering the neighbors. But really, it's the only time she barks and she gets lots of exercise running back and forth across the yard.

Ganache Galaxy Cupcake

Ganache Galaxy Cupcake
Originally uploaded by cupcaketastic.

Now I am craving a cupcake. I want to eat this now!

It's a Major Award!

Now that Thanksgiving has passed, preparing for Christmas can begine. Retailers all across the country start putting out their Christmas things before Halloween, but not me. The tree can not be putup any earlier than the day after Thanksgiving at my house. In fact, this year, I'm waiting until December 1st.

But that doesn't mean I can't watch A Christmas Story. I think I saw the dvd on sale at Target, so I need to go over there this afternoon and purchase it. I do own it on VHS, but my vcr committed suicide when I brought the dvd player home so it's not doing me much good.

This story on CNN, about a man that bought the house from the movie, cracks me up.

You'll shoot yer eye out kid!

Correction

I gave credit to the wrong blogger for the zipper tutorial. The blog that I should have mentioned was Twelve22.

Zipper Pouch

Kristin's birthday is tomorrow and I wanted to make her something special. After reading a tutorial on Thimble, I was all set to make a zipper pouch.

Of course, being the procrastinator that I am, I waited until nearly the last minute to start. It was late at night and I tired, so I'm not totally pleased with the final product.

Because I could not wait for Kristin to see her pouch I gave it to her already and inside were two Christmas ornaments. She liked them very much.

This makes me laugh

Somebody's been crafty!

Look y'all! I actually did some sewing over the weekend. In fact, I did more than this but it's a surprise so I can't show you until next week.



These blocks were made using a charm pack of Amy Butler's Belle line. I got the idea from Allsort's post about crazy quilting. 3 of my squares came out more narrow than the other 6 so I'm setting them aside. These blocks will either become a throw for the sofa or the fronts for sofa pillows.

Another attempt at a Christmas photo

Presenting Lulu the sad weendeer

Best spam email name ever

Jim The One-Eyed Wonder Muscle


Could I laugh anymore?

Another meme

Another meme, this one found on Chef Messy's blog

One word answers only.

No.
Explanations.

1. Yourself: me
2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend (spouse): none
3. Your hair: good
4. Your mother: short
5. Your Father: terrific
6. Your Favorite Item: ipod
7. Your dream last night: unremarkable
8. Your Favorite drink: fizzy
9. Your Dream Car: clean
10. The room you are in: unfinished
11. Your Ex: loser
12. Your fear: alone
13. What you want to be in 10 years? happy
14. Who you hung out with last night? Lulu
15. What You’re Not? cool
16. Muffins: yummy
17. One of Your Wish List Items: books
18. Time: lacking
19. The Last Thing You did: breathed
20. What Are You Wearing? pajamas
21. You Favorite Weather: brisk
22. Your Favorite Book: provoking
23. The Last Thing You Ate: cheerios
24. Your Life: predictable
25. Your Mood: melancholy
26. Your best friend: sister
27. What are you thinking about right now? fabric
28. Your car: faded
29. What are you doing at the moment? typing
30. Your summer: hot
31. Your relationship status: spinster
32. What is on your TV? dust
33. What is the weather like? dark
34. When is the last time you laughed? earlier

Oh no they DIN'T!

Last night I had the tv on while the Friday night football scores were announced. Football in Texas, in case you didn't know, is a big deal. I don't care for it at all, but I like to know how my schools are doing. My high school lost to a local school 42 to 16. Ooops. There goes the playoffs and their top 10 ranking.

What got me though was the highlight of a marching band. I was in the kitchen and it took me a few minutes to figure out what song they were playing and then I realized it was Justin Timberlake's "Sexy Back".

Uh no. That ain't right.

Not enough time! (long rambly free association post)

People. There are 425 blog posts for me to read. Did I not saying I was going to be out of town? Haven't I been trying to spend less time online--crazy, I know, but it needs to happen. Tonight, the tv has even been turned off for over an hour! I had to turn it off because I just finished watching the 5th episode of season 4 of Six Feet Under. The One Where Something Bad Happens to David (aka That's My Dog). I love this show! Do you love it? And I'm sad because that was the last episode on the dvd and now I have to mail it back to Netflix and wait unti Tuesday or Wednesday to get the next one! And then that means that I'm that much closer to finishing the series, which only had 5 seasons, and then what? Then there's not Project Runway, no Six Feet Under. Thank god Medium started again.

I watch too much television. Let me tell you a story. When I was little, around 5 I think because Kristin hadn't been born yet, my parents had a garage sale. At this sale there was a tiny b&w tv. I begged for it. How bad did I want a tv in my room? So very badly. They relented but the very first time I turned it on, it died. So said. No Smurfs in the bedroom for me. You see, the tv in the living room was on the same wall as their bedroom and on Saturday mornings I had to keep it very quiet. My favorite thing was to make myself a bowl of cheerios and sit on the window sill to watch my cartoons. I would sit on the window sill because the sofas weren't close enough to the tv and we had these old dining room chairs with cane seats that were scratcy and lion heads on the ends of the arms that creeped me out.

One Saturday morning cartoon I wanted to watch so much was a Dungeon & Dragons one. I think that these kids somehow get sucked into cartoon land and the dog became a unicorn. But I don't know because I was not allowed to watch it because my parents though it was "evil". All I cared about was the unicorn. I was unicorn obsessed.

Oooh! Oh! Another tv show I really liked but wasn't supposed to watch (but was often able to sneak) was Fantasy Island. Love Boat was also not supposed to be watched, but by that point in the evening my dad would go back into the master bedroom and put his nose in a book and my mom was too tired of dealing with my sister and I bickering all day to turn it off. It wasn't until last year that I found out that cruise ships....not near as cool as the show made them seem.

Other Forbidden But Watched shows included:

Dukes of Hazzard--I would call my sister the same derogatory things the sheriff called Roscoe.

Dallas--hello! drinking! pre-marital sex! oh my. But as soon as the theme song came on I'd be shakin' my little 7 year old booty away. I wanted to be a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader in the worst way.

Falcon Crest--mom liked this show so I got to stay up late to watch

Soap Operas--my mom watched the ABC soaps and I did too. I remember the summer that I was 6 and Kristin was just a baby...it would make me mad when she'd cry while I was trying to watch. At noon was All My Children, 1pm One Life to Live and then at 2pm General Hospital. After that we'd go to the swimming pool and snack on melted oreos and warm lemonade. Good times.

Okay, enough rambling. Ugly Betty is calling me from the DVR.

On the road again

Tomorrow morning it's back to Houston I go. The driving is really getting to me, but I do enjoy the atmosphere of the office there. Plus, way more interesting places to eat!

Some of my favorites are: Cafe Express. I like their Signature Triple salad, pictured, but have them leave off the olives. Another one I enjoy is the Greek restaurant, Yia Yia Marys, which is part of the Pappas family. And then there is Collinas, where I had probably the best ravioli I've ever had in my entire life. What can I say? I love food.

Christmas card photo attempts

Yesterday was beautiful, but Lulu did not feel like posing.





Won't you please just let me nap?



Possible card

Saturday night report

Last night I actually went out of the house after dark. This is a rarity. Not sure when it happened, but somewhere along the line in the last 8 years or so, I have adopted an aversion to leaving the house after dark. But last night I went downtown, by myself! My therapist would be so proud. The StitchAustin show was totally cool and while there I ran into my friend Bessy. I didn't buy anything but I did get a little free pin from the Imaginary Boyfriend booth and I think it's totally appropriate that I have a pretend boyfriend. His name shall be Shawn. So Shawn and I walked around and I took note of all the bags and headbands made from fabric just like I had. There was one booth, which I first saw at ACL, and in fact is how I found about last night, in which there was a purse I really wanted, but I decided to stick to my frugal ways. Of course, I was totally inspired to go home and sew but by the time I did get home I was too tired.

The fashion show was fuckin' awesome, even if it did make me feel like a frumpy, non-hip, 30something from the 'burbs. The models were “normal” women so that was cool to see and I had a spot right next to the stage, so close that I had to avert my eyes when the girls did their little side voguing because I did not want to look up their skirts.

I wish I'd taken my camera but tons of people were taking photos so hopefully some will turn up on Flickr. There was one dress, in particular, that really reminded me of a dress from Project Runway. Then I started thinking that I wish Laura from PR was my friend or at least had her own tv show. The Life of Laura—Fashionista and Mom of 5 boys. Would you watch? I totally would. Okay, so back to my original story…..

I left Stitch around 10:45pm and was tired and hungry, having only eaten a string cheese stick for breakfast and a beef & cheddar from Arby's way earlier in the day. What did I want to eat? Donuts and sushi (see previous entry). Seriously, and I’m not pregnant and hadn’t been drinking. But I was too tired to drive all the way to Krispy Kreme so I just went through the Taco Bell drive through and got a taco instead.

So I went home and played with the dog some before going into the bathroom to take off my eye makeup. I thought to myself that it was such a shame to be wasting such a good hair and makeup night on the dog, but what're ya gonna do? There are two things I’m really vain about: my hair and my eyes. The hair has been an issue of late because my last coloring fried it so I have all these random frizzy hairs floating around my head, but last night I managed to make them work (plus, Bessy said my hair looked cute and she’s hip so I believe her). So I went to bed and then woke up around 6:30 with a killer headache and a hungry dog. Fed the dog, took some meds and got an ice pack for the head.

The headache still persists but I’m hesitant to take any more drugs because I can’t remember what I’ve taken already and if I keeled over dead it would be a while before anyone noticed. At least a day, because if I didn’t call Kristin in a 24 hour time period she’s be sure to notice. What if Lulu got really hungry? Do you think she’d nibble on my toes? I don’t think so. Only cats would be so bold.

You know what, the headache, it worsens. I think I'll take the maxalt and go back to bed.

What's a girl to do.....

when it's midnight and you're driving home from a kickass fashion/craft show and you want donuts and sushi?


Wouldn't Midnight Sushi be an awesome name for my fictious rock band or fashion line? I declare right now that I am the owner of that name, so don't steal it!

Not that I wanted to be a rock star. Can't say that dream ever really crossed my mind. But I did want to be a Solid Gold dancer. Does anyone remember that show? The women would dance on platforms to current disco/rock hits while wearing gold sequined spandex. The one Solid Gold dance move that I would practice over and over involved rolling around on my bed. It was a really long time ago, and I drank alot in college, so I can't really remember what the deal was with that move but I owned it. Oh yes, I did!

Tonight I am going to check out the
Stitch show in downtown Austin. It looks like it should be pretty interesting and I'm sure I will see lots of things I want to buy for myself and as Christmas gifts.

This morning, my dad came over to help me do some stuff around the condo. It took a couple of hours, but now all the switches and outlets in the kitchen are white instead of the ugly almond. Also, one of the bathrooms has all the switches swapped out AND a new shower head installed.

Now if I had known how easy it was to replace the old shower head I would have done it when I bought the new one over a year ago! Same thing goes for turning up the hot water heater so I could actually take a hot shower instead of a warm one.

Tardy

This morning I have to go have blood taken to have my cholesterol tested, so I'm going to be late for work. In recent months, it has become the norm for me to be late for work. Typically, I will be anywhere from 5-15 minutes late. It might not seem like much, but since I usually am on time it annoys me.

Reasons why I've been late to work:
Get up late--this could be because I stayed up too late the night before, or because I slept poorly, or just because I didn't feel like it

Get up on time, but get into shower late--this can be caused by futzing around on the computer reading blogs/forums/paying bills, etc or because I'm rolling around on the floor/bed playing with Lulu

Hair/wardrobe/shoe issues--bad hair days, you all know. Hating all my clothes because I'm tired of wearing them. Current problem is that I've lost 20 lbs and all my pants don't fit right. Then the shoes. Ugh. I love shoes but they do not love me. Not only do I wear a strange size (10 1/2) but I have plantar fasciitis, so attractive shoes can be hard to find.

Listening to funny bit on radio--the morning show, JB and Sandy on Mix 94.7, that I listen to can be really funny and I'll put off getting into the shower, drying my hair, or leaving the house in order to hear what they're saying.

Who wants to get out of bed when you can snuggle up with this?

Life Lesson #284

Do not mistake the can of mousse for hair spray and wave it about the air while trying to spray your hair.

Election Day

Today is the day we get to vote for state's leaders so don't forget to get out there and make your opinion known. Normally, I do early voting but this time I didn't get around to it (gee, go figure). Of course, now I can't find my voter registration card to know where to go. But after a quick Google, I am 99% sure that my polling place is at the high school up the street.

I really meant to research the candidates and where they stood on issues so that I could make an informed decision. Hopefully, the internet will be up and running at the office today (it died yesterday afternoon, halting nearly all work) so I can do that.

Quick check in

I went to the international quilt show in Houston over the weekend and wow, was it awesome. So much to see, so little time! I took photos of some of my favorite quilts (not all of them could be photographed) and will post them later.

In the meantime, let me leave you with a little Lulu. We stayed with my cousin again and she has this terrific red sofa. Too bad I didn't have the antlers with me so we could try to get a Christmas card photo of Lulu.

Life Lesson #432

Don't cheap out on toilet paper.

Seriously. Most offices have the thinnest, roughest, cheapest toilet paper they can buy. Why treat your heinie to that when you get home?

Since I am trying to be a little more frugal (let's not talk about the new shoes I just bought, which I will be returning) I did not buy my normal, top of line, preference for toilet paper. In case you are needing to know which tp is the best, let me recommend Cottonelle Aloe & E. It's so soft and doesn't tear or leave lint behind (ha!) like Charmin (plus, don't you hate those bear commercials?).



So instead of my favorite, I bought Quilted Northern. Quilted! How could that be bad? It is. Maybe I got a bad batch because I've been buying on the cheap for a while now and I don't remember it being this bad. Seriously, it's as bad as the office toilet paper.

And thus ends today's life lesson, and sadly, one of the first thoughts I had this morning while brushing my teeth.

sweet! while getting all the links for this post I found that Cottonelle has coupons on their site. Target here I come!