Got my way - was there ever any doubt?

I have been wanting to change up my stamping room for awhile now. I basically need extra space but being a bedroom, and a small one at that, I really couldn't spread out much more. Not with a twin size bed in the room. So I have been trying to convince the powers-that-be(lieve-they-have-any-power-at-all) to let me take down the bed. Hasn't been much budging on the issue. There is always a reason to keep the bed up. Things like "where will a guest sleep?" (that would be our 1 guest per year) or "where will our grandkids sleep?" (um, don't even have one of those yet and they aren't going to be sleeping in a craft room full of ink, markers and scissors anyhow - are you crazy??)

So this past week, I finally made the decision to take the bull by the horns and make this change happen. I had a little additional leverage as my daughter and her husband will be closing on their first home tomorrow (YEAH! Get a wash machine, sugar, so you can stop bringing your laundry to Mom's house, ok?) and I just told the husband that they will need a bed for a guest room at their house (until there are kids) and the bed is hers after all! Yes, I know we bought the mattress. Yes, I know the bed was a hand-me-down, not truly hers. But come on - she slept in that bed for enough years to make it hers - like a common law marriage - and so to her house it will go.

So this weekend I, with the help of afore-mentioned daughter, rearranged and organized the room, removing the bed. Which is currently propped up in my living room. But it will be leaving our house soon, I promise! And now, not only do I have more room in the room but I also created a space for my husband to have his own desk where he can work on computers that he brings home as well as a place to set up his laptop cause he doesn't like to use his lap. Go figure. And we could even spend time together in the room - he paying bills, me making a card....yeah, it'll never happen but it might!

Here's a couple of photos of the new room "do":

My desk and workspace

This is another angle of my desk

This is the other corner across from my desk with more storage shelves

This is my husband's area - it will look better when I get a desk

Again, my area

His area

Making me wait has it's price you know.

"Guard and Protect Her Heart" - Oh no, you didn't say it again!

Are you a Bachelor/Bachelorette fan? I have never missed a season. I know that seems twisted to some of you but I am sure there are plenty who side with me on this. There is something addicting about the show. Maybe it's host Chris Harrison with his deep wisdom and insight. Maybe it's the romantic get-away travels that we all long to experience (Iceland - yeah, baby!) Or maybe it's the hilarity that ensues when you group more than two people in a house who are vying for the same person's affections! Or are trying to get sufficient facetime on camera. Uh huh - train wreck waiting to happen. There's (at least) one every season. So far the wreckiest of them all this season - Kasey.

Now I don't want to be too harsh because, after all, he did get dumped while freezing his a*s off in Iceland and was left on a glacier, all alone in the great snowy expanse, trying to find his way back to civilization, while the love of his life flew off in a helicopter with his arch nemesis. Or so it appeared. Cold, I tell ya. Literally and figuratively. (Didn't you wonder if anyone was going to pick him up off that mountain?) And I also can't be too mean to Kasey now that he will have to live out the rest of his days with a tattoo on his wrist that was meant to show his sincerity and deep love for the woman he met, umm, 3, maybe 4 weeks ago. So I don't want to be too critical.

BUT COME ON!!!! Dude, wake up! Did you ever think that you are still single because you have a bad habit of telling a woman over and over and over again that you want to "guard and protect your heart" like you're the Love Avenger or a Brinks armored car driver or maybe...and I'm just throwing it out there....you're just plain crazy!?! Did anyone on earth find this an endearing trait in Kasey or were you just hoping that Ali would not only leave him on a glacier but that she might do womankind a favor by pushing him off the edge of a cliff?

Ok, that might be too drastic. And besides, if that happened, then where would we get our next Bachelor.

God save us.

More Job Talk

I don't like to dwell on job talk because it's not really my favorite subject but lately it seems to be on my mind. Too often for my own good. And to top it off, today my daughter told me some bad news about her job. And she certainly doesn't deserve any more bad anything in her life. Especially on the verge of buying a house. Not a good time. Although with job troubles, there is never a good time.

My job has simply become overwhelming. Working part-time with what has become a full-time workload. Not that there has been more or different responsibilities piled on me but procedures have changed that just make the job more time consuming and time is not something that is overflowing my bucket! Of course, part of what I have been up against lately is following behind inept people I deal with to make sure they do their job as well as doing my own. And as I mentioned in an earlier post, that is not directed at anyone in my office. It's the other buffoons outside of the office that need a babysitter. Geesh people, do your own job, already.

And then today, my daughter is told she's not doing her job well enough. What is it about lack of communication in the work place? She took some flack for not attending a meeting. Guess what? Wasn't told there was a meeting. Got a little grief for not being more visible during the day on a random basis. Again? Never was instructed to do that. But it's her fault. Cause she isn't a mind reader or a psychic. News Flash: her parents didn't come from a long line of circus people. Sorry.

And does she need anything else going on in her life right now? Any other "let's give Aimee crap"? No. Not one.little.bit. Because she's had more of that than anyone deserves. Well some people deserve it but they never seem to get it. Hello out there, Universe? You are screwing with the wrong people! You wanna maybe start tossing us a bone once in awhile?

AND (can I start any more paragraphs with the word 'and'? Yes, I think I can) what was my husband's reaction when I told him about my job woes, our daughter's job woes...? He actually said "You both need to stop spending money". Ummmm....WHAT? Because of course the forgone conclusion in his mind is we will both wind up unemployed. Thanks Mr. Confidence, Mr. I-Feel-Your-Pain, Mr. It's-Going-to-Work-Out-Ok-Just-Hang-in-There-I-am-There-For-You-Baby!! Oh yeah that's the response I was looking for.

I may not have communicated this to him, but he better watch he's not out of a husband job soon!

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

Well at least I am not as contrary today as I was yesterday and that's because I think it's about 20 degress cooler! Not sure what the temperature was yesterday but combined with the humidity, I think it was 364 degrees. No? Felt like hell in an oven. I'm just sayin.

But today was cool enough that I could take some photos of the flowers in my yard without needing a shower in 5 minutes. Or to strip and go naked through the yard. Which the neighbors don't appreciate very much. So here are some of the floral visions in my yard:

The begonias planted in the stand by my back door. A combo of red, pink and white. love them, they don't need a lot of attention.

My hanging basket in the front. Not hanging. But was soon after this photo. Another plant that needs little attention. I {heart} that quality.

Dianthus by the porch. Love these because they just reappear every year and bloom. Did you notice the easy theme here?

A quarter of the flowers planted around the large tree in the front of our yard. This is a pretty shady area (see tree) and I have a hard time finding "shade" flowers so this year I just threw caution to the wind and bought a colorful variety of flowers and am just hoping things will continue to grow and bloom. There are pansies, dahlias, moss roses, snapdragons, a couple of things I don't remember the names of and a couple of hostas in the front corners. Love the color!

Another hanging basket in the front of the house. Gift from my darling daughter and son-in-law for Mother's Day. Such good kids.

Daylillies along the fence between front and back yard.

My beautiful hydrangea - LOVE!

And a close-up - how perfect is that? Almost looks like I have a green thumb.

This is the front garden-y area in front of my porch where I sit almost every day so I can see what the crazy neighbors are all up. Always something interesting to see.

And of course, my porch would not be complete without my favorite porch companion.

So what do you think of my garden? I always love starting the planting and sprucing up in the spring and then I die out about mid summer so we'll see how long everything looks nice. Plants at my home generally have a limited life span but I do try. Some. Unless I am roasting like a turkey in hell in an oven.

Watch for my first weigh-in post soon (better be pounds lost, I tell ya!)  Until then - have a good one!

People need to DO their job

I don't know about you, but in my job, I run across a number of people who can't seem to do their job and would like someone else to do it for them. Now I don't necessarily mean the people in my office, but rather, other people I come in contact with. For instance: my job consists primarily of billing. I sent a bill a number of months ago that has yet to be paid and there have been numerous run-arounds in trying to get this expense reimbursed. As I have kept all email correspondence regarding this bill, it has become a lengthy email that includes every detail possible. And it's been passed around to various people who may (or may not) have anything to do with said bill.

So here's where I get a little cranky about the whole thing. Someone new is now in charge (apparently) and is the latest person this email string has been passed to. He responded to me to say: Can you please tell me exactly how much this expense is?  

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Ok, not only is that information included in the email trail more than once but it is also in an attachment with the email!! How lazy can you be?? LOOK for heaven's sake! This is a common occurance (occurence?) and, well, I'm just starting to think that I am going to lose my mind. What's left of it anyhow.

On another note, I started going to Weight Watchers meetings this week with my daughter. And I am starting Lifestyles (ugghh exercise) so maybe a few pounds will in fact leave my body in the near future. So stay tuned - I will report how it is going right here on the old bloggo every once in awhile and if you are trying to lose weight, well I am HERE for you! We can sympathize with each other - misery loves company, right?

Here's a parting photo to share with you - just because I love ya!

These dogs know how to do their job! It's a dog napping train- whooowoooo! Have a good night!