Cleaning Up & Out

BigCat is working hard to get the downstairs bedroom finished so that everything from the spare bedroom upstairs can be moved on down. Then Bubba, and all his belongings, will be moved into the former spare bedroom (which has been a play room for the last handful of months - yikes, he probably doesn't want to lose that!) and baby girl will be moving into Bubba's current room. Why so many moves? Well, the "baby" room is by far the smallest so it only makes sense, specially since Bubba and his toys require a greater space these days.

Anyway, point being, I'm hard at work to empty (and hopefully get rid of some of) the contents of the former spare bedroom closet. The issue at hand... I have a box full of all of the cards I have received in my 30 years... what do I do with these?? I don't think I can continue to keep them all as I would have way too many by the end. I have even started a box for BigCat, mostly against his will, but those will be easier to weed out and toss. Does anyone have any fun ideas of what to do with these? I'm definitely going to get rid of some of them, maybe just keeping the ones with special personal messages? I don't know... I'm at a loss. I feel like I'll be getting rid of a part of me, but I don't know that keeping them around is the best answer. The house just isn't big enough!

I'm Excited that You're Excited

Remember long ago when I wrote of my estranged friend?? I honestly don't recall how far I ever made it with that story... but, for now we're picking up in the present. Tonight I went to a party at her house, but only after much debate. I was slightly anxious as I would be reunited with some members of her family. Some that I haven't seen in almost a decade but knew well growing up. Like family. I'm glad I went. The atmosphere was right for this type of meeting and it was really good to see them. Lots of hugs all around.

When I came home - which was about an hour later than anticipated being I had planned a quick escape prior to going - BigCat was fast asleep. He did, however, rise to the occasion (what? my coming home isn't an occasion?) long enough to hear my excitement... about cleaning products. See, it wasn't just a party, it was a Norwex "party". I could hardly contain myself when I was given a sample of this environmentally friendly, good for your health laundry detergent and two "rags" to try on my way out. For the first time in... well, let me see... forever, I was incredibly eager to clean. So much so that I tried one rag on the windshield of my car before leaving the party and a different on a few spots on the carpet walking into my house. Awesome.

I just don't get why BigCat wasn't excited about the rags too! But, I was really glad that he sleepily claimed to be excited about my excitement. :-)

Busy as a Bee

Nothing new to report on. Bubba is clearing up from yet another cold. He goes to daycare ONE day a week and this is what he comes home with. Good times!

It has been quite some time since I've written any blog-lists. So here goes one on the many things BigCat and I are trying to coordinate into our schedules before my procedure mid-February.

*Birthday parties - Including my own, yay!
*Girlie outings - And not just one, but two!
*Ice fishing - BigCat MUST fish more before the house comes off...
*Meeting and cuddling a newborn babe
*Side-jobs - Thankfully one is on the horizon
*Babysitting - Yes, someone other than my own
*Haircuts - I don't have to beg myself to get one like I do BigCat
*Potlucks - My friend is leaving me at work
*Appointments - Make sure I'm all ready for this procedure

And I'm certain more things will develop, making their way into the schedule, as we move along.

However, the busy element is a good thing. In fact, I'm dreading a certain something I have to do at work in a couple of weeks but in the end it's a really good distraction from the anxiety creeping in in the days leading up to my procedure.

Busy as a bee... back to work for me!!

Booking Backwards

It's so unlike me, and some may find it hard to believe, but I am doing things out of order. I saw the Twilight movie with my galpal a month ago; I debated going only because I hadn't read the book. If a movie is based on a book, I read the book, then catch the flick (like Marley and Me, which BigCat and I saw tonight... Sarah says 4/5 stars, 10/10 tears). The Twilight story was so enthralling I had to continue on, immediately starting the second novel, New Moon. Although I do not regret my decision to see the movie pre-read, the written Twilight has been nagging at me the entire time.

With New Moon finished I am backtracking to Twilight, the novel. At this stage in life, reading a story I already know is incredibly beneficial. Lately there have been many things clogging my brain, when reading it easily veers to other thoughts. Sometimes I'll read an entire page before I realize I haven't captured a thing. And tomorrow I have the EUS (see previous blog*), so there will be plenty of waiting time, great for reading except for my easy distraction by those bustling around me. In either instance, I won't have to waste time reading words I missed the first time... I can just concentrate on finishing the book and being back on the right away.

* If the color contrast isn't great and you can't tell, you can click on the word "blog" above to read about the EUS. It will underline it while you hover as well - for future reference (I like to use this feature).

No Compliment Intended

As long as I've known BigCat, he has been anti-computer. Didn't want anything to do with the "Internet machine". However, since the laptop joined our household a few months back, BigCat has found a new hobby... Now I can hardly get the thing away from him, and when I do, I feel pressure to get it back into his anxious hands.

Since his realization that computers are indeed good devices, the television rarely gets his full attention. Pre-computer, if the TV was on, I would have to beg, yell, wave, all to get his attention. And I don't mean his full attention, but just enough for him to comprehend I was talking.

Last night, I explained my astonishment to him... How he can tune into the tele like nothing, or anyone, else existed, and that even now with a favorite playing device on his lap he was still able to "watch" a show. He looked at me, smiled, nodded, and said thank you.

Pineapple

First of all, this is post #100. What a milestone! Now, onto the matter at hand...

We have had a cat for the last 12 hours. Although BigCat's name may imply otherwise, we are far from 'cat people'. In fact, we're the complete opposite. After arriving home last night, a cat, we'll call her Pineapple, shimmied right into the garage. It took us 20 minutes or so to get her swept out (yes, BigCat used a broom to coax her). After she reluctantly left the garage, we were able to shut the door and continue unloading our groceries. Pineapple sat right next to the garage door and meowed, constantly, non-stop. Although I'm not a cat person, I felt for the poor little thing. Pineapple is clearly a house cat, waiting at every door, and at the sound of one opening bolting towards it. We had to be cautious about letting the pup out being Pineapple is bigger than her, and the pup has not had any cat encounters. As the night went on, we continued to check once in a while to see whether the coast was clear for the pup, but each time we neared the front door there it was... meow... meow... meeeoooww. I eventually took the pup out back and called it a night. BigCat checked a bit later and said that Pineapple was gone.

After the night's sleep, I woke with only brief thoughts of Pineapple. BigCat heard the meowing but the coast was clear in the front. I went to open the back shades and there she was on the deck, clawing at the screen door and meow... meow... meowing.

There will be no feeding, housing or loving of Pineapple. I thought she'd realize when looking in through the back door this morning at the house with the yipping pup and short guy that it wasn't her home like she seemed to believe. My only option of ridding her (without using BigCat's idea) is to haul her into a shelter, and honestly, that isn't happening until Sunday at the earliest. I hope you find your home Pineapple...

A Day Late and A Comma Short

I would guess most of you are not aware that yesterday was National Punctuation Day Dont believe me check it out www dot nationalpunctuationday dot com I had no idea until a friend at work sent me the link because she thought of me I wasnt sure exactly why it triggered thoughts of me however I know I really like to use commas ellipsis and the like to get my point across as close to the way I would speak it So for a gift on National Punctuation Day a day late I have decided to give all punctuations a day off or at least a blog off It is one of those things we may take for granted and maybe a day without will remind us that sometimes too much is better than too little

Cup-A-Joe

For the first time ever, I had myself some homemade coffee on my way into work this morning, and let me just say, it was de.light.ful! For years now I have treated myself to a Frozen Caramel from Panera a couple times a month. On these days I am either fueling up for craziness at work or starting my day out happy with hopes it would end that way too. At 5 bucks a pop, I thought maybe I should consider buying a good coffee of my own to experiment with. And with fall rolling in, what better time than now to see if I like the hot stuff as much as the cold.

I set the 'Delay Brew' last night to have it ready just in time for my voyage in. There was a wonderful smell seeping from the kitchen as I readied myself. Ahhh. And bonus, a little caffeine jolt at dawn truly seems to go a long way. Maybe I've started something here, and maybe all my mornings will be a little brighter with a Cup-A-Joe.

(Thanks to Jo for the unintended recommendation and to Mom for always telling me coffee drinking didn't start til 30 (for her anyway). I didn't believe you and thought I'd never get there, but after one little bird and 30 growing nearer, sure enough...)

Just to blog

I've been having trouble with my postings lately... nothing is striking a chord to be written about. Maybe part of it is that my mood matches the weather of this past weekend... rainy, gloomy, grey. That makes writing a bit more difficult.

I am however wearing a darling pair of dragonfly shoes today (thanks Babbe!). That makes me feel a bit happier.

Also, I've been in search of a new hair girl and continue to fail. BigCat prefers that I no longer drive out to my main gal (it's approximately 50+ miles, so I don't blame him), but finding a good one for a short-do is exhausting. I have now given 4 girls in the area a try, some were horrible, others okay, but nothing fantastic. The mission continues...

Blast from the Past

Tonight I learned a few things. Firstly, that the neighbor across the way is a CPHS alumni along with BigCat and myself. I decided to dig up my old yearbook; I was a sophomore the year the neighb graduated. We looked up our sweater vested fellow man and ourselves before I proceeded to read through some of the year-end good-bye's:

"had a blast"
"so glad we met"
"call me this summer so we can get together"
"good luck in softball"
"glad we're still friends"
"congrats on the big K"
"good game last night, especially that at bat that you K'ed"
"see ya K queen"
"Strikeout queen"
"good strike out yesterday"
"I hear you struck out last night, good job"

In short, I also learned that I struck out the night before yearbooks were distributed. Thanks boys (yes, the last 6 were boy-voyages) for the reminder. I would have never kept that as a part of my teenage-year recollection, but I sure will now.

Dirty Update

For those that care: Diamonds is no longer Dirty's. As I drove by today on my way to work, a new sign caught my eye... Ol' Skool. It's still a bar, and it's probably still dirty, so I guess we should consider ourselves lucky (or something).

Nothingness

Is it possible to think about nothing?? Last night as I lay in bed, trying to fall fast asleep after getting home late (helped SIL with some wedding favors... good fun!), I tried to force myself to think of n.o.t.h.i.n.g. Of course that is when I started to ponder whether this was even a possibility. Once I decided that this didn't seem even remotely achievable (although BigCat has claimed on many occassions that he's thinking about "nothing"), I tried to focus on the here and now... laying in bed, listening to the AC, snuggled with a snoring hubby and pup, why would I want to be anywhere else? However, my mind always travels elsewhere... make a pedi appointment, directions to that restaurant, order this, do that, what a great idea! I found myself with eyes wide open under my trusty sleep mask, without hardly noticing because it was still so dark. I almost got up to blog, relieve myself of the many thoughts, when I realized staring at a bright screen probably wouldn't help the sleep overcome the ideas. This morning, I remember so little of what seemed endlessly important last night after midnight. I finally drifted (after a good hour or so), but not before thinking about what I might have for lunch today.

Curtain Call

I always turn the same way while showering, towards the shower curtain. Never do I face my tail-end towards the curtain. Why in the world would this be?? Anyone else have any crazy idiosyncrasies like this, or am I the only one? I'm quite surprised to have realized this quirk after 28 years of life.

Awesome

I was looking through a catalog yesterday and found this t-shirt. Bringin' Awesome back?? What?!?! Where did Awesome go? As far as I'm concerned Awesome has always been right here, a large part of my life. Awesome is one of the highest ratings I use for various subjects, daily. And someone is insinuating that it left?? I think not. There is nothing to bring back, it's been here all along.