Life Is Good

Yesterday was a full, but really fun day. We woke up at 7 something and headed over to a nearby neighborhood to do some garage sale shopping. We ended up getting some wooden patio furniture for free. Needs a board or two replaced, and a fresh coat of paint, but otherwise, it will do just fine. While we were finishing up there, my boss called wanting to know if I could run some errands. So, we dropped back by home, and then I took off in search of 12 yards of zebra print fabric and some other stuff. I had some trouble finding it and was getting worried, when I happily came across some...but not enough. Thankfully, it was a chain store, so I was able to have them call the other store and hold the rest of it for me until I could pick it up. Anyway, I ran back home to grab a bite for lunch, and realized that there was just enough time before class to run to Lowe's with Jesse and pick out cushions for the patio furniture we found earlier at the garage sale. (A new Lowe's just opened up right by our house, and we got a stack of coupons, so we've been going numerous times daily and using the coupons.) So, we got cushions and I headed to class. We're doing portraits right now, which is pretty funny. We have to use one another as models, and many times, you find yourself just hoping you don't actually look like what is on the paper! Anyway, after class, I headed home and then spent a good hour or so on the phone with tech support for my online Spanish class. (For some reason, my recordings were not submitting properly, so I was getting all 0's on my work because my professor couldn't hear me at all.) So, got that solved finally, and then I jumped in the shower to get ready to go to this DIFFA event that my boss had invited Jesse and I to. DIFFA is a design foundation set up to benefit AIDS and every year, they do this dinner where local designers and various people in the art circle do these grand tablescapes. Then, they sell tickets to the dinner for over a hundred dollars, and all the money goes to help with AIDS right here in the city. Pretty cool. Anyway, so they were having a preview party where you could get in to see the tables and stuff, but not actually attend the big main, expensive event. So anyway, my boss(es), very generously paid for us to go with them. (Side note: I say boss, meaning really either of the two guys I work for. Technically, I am a contractor who works for either of their two separate businesses at any given time.) Anyway, so we went, had cocktails and hor'dourves, and got to see all the tables, which were pretty cool. I'll post some pics below, but just to give you an idea, the tables could be decorated with anything - one was themed in toilet paper (which Jesse and I voted to be the most fun table to sit at), one was all recycled materials, one was all paint chips, some are just purely elegant with beautiful floral arrangements, etc. So, it's just a wide mix and anything goes. (Another side note: In the past, my boss has donated his time/talents to do a table, and mentioned that he would like to do it again next year - which means, that I will get to help...FUNNESS!!!) Anyway, after that, they invited us to go to dinner with them, so we ended up going to this relatively newer restaurant that is pretty pricey. Once again, my super awesome and generous bosses picked up the tab, and finally around 11:30, we decided to wrap up the night...and I crawled into bed right around midnight....and then I woke up this morning feeling totally wiped with a very sore back. (What moron invented high heels anyway?) Upon waking up in this state, I declared myself an official old fogey who should not a) stay up past eight o'clock or b) eat or drink anything except maybe warm milk and geritol at night.

Anyway, it was a fun day and I find myself caught up in delight at the good things I have in my life right now. The extravagant generosity of God is enough to make me blush.


Waiting to go into the event...Jesse and I were talking about this background thingie, because it reminded us of the backgrounds that you see at Hollywood events where the stars pose in front of it so that sponsors can get their logo plastered in magazines.


These next ones (by the way, all of these were taken on a camera phone, so they aren't so great....especially the last one which I took that is super blurry.) are of the paint chip table. And the bottom one is Jesse looking at stuff.

Pergola Progress

Just needs stain on a few more boards...

Around Here

As Jesse mentioned, he is on vacation this week. It's only been two days so far, but I am really enjoying having him around more. No 3am alarm clocks, no worrying about being up past nine o'clock...I could get used to this. Anyway, Jesse started working on the back pergola today while I was in class. I plan to help out tomorrow as soon as I am finished with school stuff. I only have three weeks left this semester, which I'm pretty happy about.

Working hard....


Still working hard...


Break time....


Not working so hard... (but look at the snow fountain cherry tree all in bloom!!)

Mickey Won

So much for international travel....we decided to go back to Disneyworld. (Yeah!!!) Last year, we were at the Caribbean Beach Resort, and this year we decided to try to Port Orleans Riverside resort. I just got off the phone booking the dates, and we got the free dining plan again...yippie!! Now I just need to wait until September...

Me and Horton

Horton and I have decided that we are going to start doing some races together. Last night, we began our training for the Dog N Jog in June. Horton is very interested in doing the two mile run, but I told him we will have to see how my training goes, seeing as I can only run about two yards right now. If that doesn't pan out, we may do the 2 mile walk, or the 1 mile run. I have actually been wanting to do a 5k or something, but it's really not that appealing to me to run alone, and I'm not convinced I would stick with a running group due to our weird schedule. However, running with Horton is a lot more appealing, and he is a great partner. When I start to slow down, he keeps it up, practically pulling me along to keep me going. Plus, he helps me feel a bit safer when I am out and about running paths by myself. If we like the race in June, we are eyeing Strutt with your Mutt for a fall race, though that one is just a walk. Still, these doggie ones are much more appealing than regular races to me. I am pretty sure the crowd will be pretty non-competitve and fun-loving, and we may have frequent stops during the race to pee on things and sniff other dog's weiners. That's a good time right there.

So What?

I can't decide if I am happy or sad today. I think it's the weather. Sunny - cloudy pouring rain blowing wind is a tornado coming - sunny. Mother Nature isn't sure and apparently, neither am I. As I was walking to class today, I was watching all the worms who are out of their holes, looking for a drier place. Silly, but it seemed so triumphant when I saw one who had made it to the pavement, safe from the underground flood. I wonder how nature can be so beautiful and cruel all at the same time. I overheard someone in one of my classes say she doesn't care about global warming or environmental issues, that the ice caps can melt, and she'll just watch the waters roll in. That is all well and good, but the thing is, we're making decisions now for the future generations. Global warming isn't even so much about us, for we'll all be dead by the time the effects really hit hard. It's more about a connectivity between time and people. And I'm not looking to debate whether global warming is or isn't true; I'm more wondering about the human race I guess. How is it that we are so into ourselves, yet have such a capacity for empathy and compassion? I mean, comments like this girl in my class - I've made them before, and I've heard plenty of other people make them before. I remember after 9/11, the very day after, I was at work, and a girl said "Turn off the stupid tv. I don't care about that. It doesn't affect me." But yes, it does. Have we become so blind that we don't realize that any human problem is our problem? I just struggle with this. I told you I saw that play, Nine Parts of Desire, and I was chatting with my professor about it. She made a comment that really made me think. She said something along the lines of "I've traveled. I've seen poverty, and those people, really, they are okay. They are happy. But, Iraq, they were like us." As if, through some connection of living standards, it's different. They were like us. That has just been stirring in my heart the last week and I can't seem to get past it. What does that mean? We have all these sayings Education is power. We learn history so we don't repeat it. If education is power, then why do I feel so very powerless about Darfur? And studying history - do we really just mean we study it to make sure it doesn't happen to us? If Darfur were Paris...if Sudan were England....if it was happening to people more like us.... would things be different? Would it all of a sudden "affect us"? Yet, even still, I sit here, wondering these things, and so what? So I think about it. So I know about it. So it still goes on. So what?

Pergolas and Petunias

The pergola is finished. (Well, we need to put one more coat of paint on, but otherwise, finished.) Jesse did an amazing job, as always. This morning, I worked in the yard and got lots of flower seeds planted. I decided this year, we will grow Hyacinth Bean Vine on the pergola, and then maybe next year, we will put in a perennial vine like Honeysuckle. So, the vine seeds are in, and I'm hoping to see sprouts within two weeks. My lettuce, spinach, kohlrabi, and snap peas are slowly making their way up. Just teeny tiny little green sprouts right now. Hopefully this week, we will get the lawn over seeded, and once that is done, then our main outdoor projects left are the back pergola and finishing up planting in the beds (too early for lots of my veggies yet, so that is on hold). I am throwing a bridal shower here at the end of May, so I'm hoping that everything is wrapped up by then so that we can be outside and have the yard looking nice. Plus, when June comes, so does the heat and it's not so fun to be working outside anymore.

We are rethinking vacation plans...we were going to do Disney again. I really want to. I would be fine going there every year. I love that place. But, there is a possibility that my family may be trying to make a joint vacation thing happen in Jan or Feb, which would be at Disney, so we'd be doing back to back, which is still fine with me. But the other thing is that we were going to go in the off season, which is right after school starts to get some really good discounts like we did last year, but it looks like I am going to be taking 4 studio classes this fall, and missing a week of that much studio work would be really insane. I don't mind missing school in general, but studio work is just so much more intense, and as such, gets really overwhelming really fast if you fall behind. So, if we did Disney, we'd need to do it before my fall semester, which would probably fall still in peak season, and Disney would really be miserable in the peak season. The other factor coming into play is if Jesse decides to leave his job in the next year, which is a possibility. We'd lose flight privileges obviously, so we got to thinking that maybe while we have them, we should do an international vacation and save Disney for when we don't have them. You can always find decent prices to Orlando, but international prices are crazy, so it makes sense to do any international travel that we may want now when we still have the passes. So, all that to say, now we aren't sure what we are doing. I admit, I will have a hard time choosing something other than Disney, but it does seem like the smarter thing to do given circumstances in life right now. But, Disney is just the "no-fail" vacation for us. We have a great time there, laugh a lot, there's anything and everything to do depending on how you feel...it's just a really good fit for us. We'll see.

Anyway, here are the pergola/pretty flower pics. (Just imagine a pretty flowering vine growing up it...)



I planned to do all red/orange/yellow flowers in the front (to set off our red shutters), but I caved when I saw these purple petunias yesterday. I wanted the trailing variety, and they didn't have red or yellow or even pink in that variety, so I decided to let a little purple slide on in. Now the theme is pretty much lost. Oh well.

Art and Animals

Can my two loves mesh any better? I don't know where this is, but I would gladly fly across the world to watch.

Today

Today I am happy that my daffodils are in bloom. I am happy that my lettuce seeds have sprouted and I am happy to say it's April. Today I am also worried about student loans. I am disappointed that it doesn't look like I will be graduating at my anticipated date, even if I work my arse off..which I have been doing. Year round in class, 18 hours semesters, working on the side, I've been hitting it hard. Today, I wonder if hard work ever pays off. I wonder if there is anything like justice in this world. Today, I wonder how much is enough. I wonder if silly little things I do make any difference. I wonder if those silly little things are more for appeasing myself than making a social impact. I wonder of all the causes, how can you ever choose which one is best to put resources into? How much is enough? And is there even such a thing as enough? Can the world's thirst ever be quenched? Today, I wonder why abstract ideas rule our lives. Why time and money appear as silly numbers that dictate nearly all of our actions. Today, I wonder if balance exists. If we are ever meant to find it. Balance is stagnant, and tension moves, but is that really the way it's supposed to be? Today it's cold, but the sun is shining.

My Name is Nikki...And Other Stuff.

Last night, I saw 9 Parts of Desire. Beautiful. It's basically monologues of Iraqi women, but in the end, all the stories seem to cross into each other and you have a hard time separating yourself from the characters. I was near tears numerous times and really thought I was going to totally lose it near the end. It really left me speechless. Definitely see this if it comes to your area. I may do another blog post later on this, but I think I will need a few days to gather thoughts on it, and I'm not sure if I will ever come to any conclusions.

The fall schedule came out at school, and looking at classes, I was a bit worried because a couple of the studio classes I needed were scheduled for the exact same times, and I'm to a point where I can't afford to just slowly take them in, since 90%of what I have left is studio work. It made me worry about the drawbacks of being in a small art dept. that simply doesn't have enough students to fill classes each semester. I was brainstorming all these other options, like taking classes at another school at the same time, and then transferring in some studio work. Anyway, my worries were cheerfully resolved after I met with the dept. head. She basically registered me into my own little section and will let me work on my stuff outside of the normal scheduled class times. After the meeting instead of worrying about being at a small dept., I was extremely happy with a small dept. who can afford to know me by name (actually, let me get to that later), and bend over backward to accommodate me. I would never get that kind of flexibility at a bigger school. Just another reason I am loving this place compared to the institute. It's a whole other culture. I just highly doubt many other schools would be so accommodating and individualized.

Anyway, about being known by name at a small school....well, it's sort of true. The dept. head keeps calling me "Nikki". I am not sure how to correct it. I've said my name to her before, but I know that she hears the "Nikk" part in my last name, and then also sees the spelling, and in her mind, it registers as "Nikki". I don't really care, as long as she knows who I am, but it could be embarrassing for her to be calling me that when everyone else knows my real name... I've been trying to find a good time to correct it, but it's not come up yet, and I'm worried the longer it goes, the worse it could get. But, I don't want to correct her in public and embarrass her...but then I'm not really sure what to do. And I totally understand where she got "Nikki" - I've got N's all over the place, and a "Nikk"...visually and audibly...so I can see the mistake. But, I'm just not sure how to correct it. I feel like I already should have corrected it long ago the first time I heard, and now it's all gotten out of hand. But, it's one of those things where the first time or two I heard her say it, I was listening really hard, thinking "Did she actually just call me Nikki or did I mishear?" And like I said, I don't really care if she calls me that. My name gets so butchered anyway and I'm used to not being called by my real name, but I'm more concerned about the embarrassment factor that could happen to her. And now I just don't know what to do!

Anyway, with all this spring in the air, Jesse and I both get an itch to do home improvements. We got a new oven. New to us, that is. It's a used smooth top, but with some elbow grease, baking soda, and ammonia, it cleaned right up. We sold our old stove, so now we have all white appliances in the kitchen, which looks much better than the random black stove in the sea of white. We also have made back all of our money from the screen doors we bought at the auction. Sweet. The auction is becoming a slight addiction for Jesse, and he has thus been banned until all of the crap is out of the garage. He came into the office this evening and declared to me "I've become Papa!" (Papa, his grandpa, "collected" lots of random items...) His most recent auction purchases (and I don't even know all of them) are these two huge fan units, a couple ladders, a box of honeycomb-like plastic (I asked "What is that?" when he showed it to me, and he happily replied "I have no idea!" - in his defense, he does have a couple ideas of what he is going to do with it), and some other random stuff, I don't even know what all is out there. Anyway, so Jesse is banned from partaking in all auction-like actions until further notice.

The pergola is up, just needs to be painted. And do you know what else is up? My daffodils!!!! In just a couple weeks, I'll have full on tulip/daffodil/jonquil mania. Plus, once the pergola is painted, I can plant a vine to grow up it. I'm still anxiously awaiting the sprouting of my seeds. Nothing yet, but it hasn't quite been a week, so it's still early. None the less, I am anxious. Spring is finally here!!

Home

The front pergola has been going up this week. I'm pretty excited about it and have been looking into some vines that I can grow up it. It also makes me very excited to do the back one. Jesse is so handy.




This is the "after" of the kitchen cabinets...though my "before" is apparently on the other memory card, so I don't have it right now.



While Jesse was working on the pergola, I got my seeds in, which reminds me that I need to go check them this morning and maybe water. I also tried to clean up the backyard a bit. Our ornamental grasses needed to be cut back for spring, so I got those done. Abe helped. His latest thing has been "jungle Abe" where he likes to go crawl in between the grasses and then he will peer out at us from behind them. It's really cute, especially right now since everything is still brown and he looks all camouflage. Anyway, unfortunately, I had to cut back his hiding spots, but he made sure to supervise while I was doing so.

Exciting Discoveries!

I just discovered igoogle a few weeks ago (well, technically, Jesse discovered it and showed it to me.) Can I just say, this website has revolutionized the way I surf the internet and saves me hours? I have all of the blogs that I check regularly feed into it, so now, instead of typing in each url, I can just go to one spot and see if anyone has updated. Plus, no more time spent sitting in front of the computer thinking "now what other sites do I check?" Anyway, I can also see my gmail from there, so I'm really thinking about switching from my hotmail account and using gmail as my primary.

Another very exciting discovery has been the wealth of thrift store/rehab/good deals places information that Jesse and I have recently been obtaining. Jesse's friend introduced him to the Habitat ReStore, which is like a thrift store for construction goods, along with the occasional brand-spanking new items. Just one trip there has already saved us over 100 bucks on screws and hardware for our pergola.

Also, another friend of ours told us about "the caves". They have an auction each week and it is so totally random you wouldn't even believe it. We went on Thursday for the first time, and as you walk through, this is how it goes: to your left, there's a pallet full of mayonnaise packets...to your right there's a 55 gallon drum of who knows what solution....behind you is a paddle boat...in front of you is a solid mahogany door...so random. Jesse and I bid on a number of items, and ended up winning one lot. We got a (small) pallet of doors. We had been wanting to put a new door on the front of our house, and priced at Lowe's, we were looking at 200 bucks. Well, we bid 61 bucks on this pallet, and got the exact door we were looking at (actually, we got 3 of them), and then a number of screen doors. Sweet! As for the extra doors, we've had a few people tell us that they need/want doors, so we will be able to get rid of them. And, we checked out another store someone told us about, which is also totally random (actually, this store is run by the same people as the auction), and Jesse got some wiring stuff and I got a necklace and earrings for a dollar. Man, I love a good deal. Anyway, with all of these new places for home goods, it's actually becoming quite feasible that we can do things at our house that we didn't think we could afford anytime soon (such as replacing windows or putting up crown moulding). Very exciting stuff I tell you!

Other exciting news...the kitchen cabinets are painted!! Whoo hoo!! (I have pictures that I'll post later.)

Anyway, that's the big excitement around here lately. Today is the last day of my spring break, which has unfortunately turned out to be insanely busy. Such is life I guess.

Oh, and for anyone who cares, that Estee Lauder makeup - totally worth the money. I'm sold.

Photos and what not coming later.....

Visits, School, Work, and Day Planner Adultness

I'm sitting in the living room, the dogs are outside, Jesse is in bed, and everything is quiet. It is a good time to unwind from the week, which had lots of exciting things in it, and also lots of busy things in it.

It was midterm for me at school, so I had portfolio reviews, got loaded up with projects to be done over the break, and also had my online finals since it is the end of the eight week semester. I felt overwhelmed with school stuff that piled on this week, but overall, I am still really enjoying it. Funny, psychology was so important to me, and keeping the credits I had and making sure I got a minor in it and this and that was such a big thing to me, but now I don't really care. Sure, it's still interesting to me, but compared to art, I'm not really so concerned about it anymore. I may still get a minor in it, but it won't break my heart if it doesn't work out either. What a funny journey, only to get right back to the place I started.

Anyway, I also started my new job this week, which is the one that I was so excited about possibly happening a few weeks ago. Yeah it happened! I'm doing office work for an interior designer and his partner, and it has some decent potential for some creative work as well. Plus, the hours are flexible, and I really like these guys. God's just piling up those blessings lately.

And this coming week is my spring break, so no classes, which means we can finally paint the kitchen cabinets. I plan to get them sanded down on Monday and all ready to go. Once that is done, we are hoping to start in on our pergolas, and of course, it's March, and last frost date here is early April, which means seed planting time!!! I think I will try to get in the lettuces, spinach, and snap peas this week. Can hardly wait!

In other exciting news, I got a day planner. This is the first time in my life where I actually have a need for one. Especially now with the job, whose days and hours vary. This is really funny, because I have been married for 6 years, and I am on my second mortgage, but the purchase of a day planner has made me feel more like a real official adult than anything else in my life.

Anyway, I saved the best stuff for last in this post...as many of you know, Jesse's mom was here this past week (so she got to enjoy the full-on stressed out version of myself - ha!). I at least got to spend some time with her and Jesse yesterday after school stuff had calmed down. We went out to dinner, which was quite tasty, and as usual, I am about five pounds heavier from her visit. (She always brings a load of candy from the great north!)

Here are some photos of the visit, and when I have some time, I have a short little video clip to post for Trae on another day.

Wednesday evening my mom came down and Jesse and his mom cooked dinner for all of us (lasagna - yum!).

Thursday morning, I had class, which happened to be at the Nelson. Jesse and his mom dropped me off, and explored around while I was in class. Not sure what all they did, but these are some of the photos I found on the camera from that morning.







And finally, after putting together our photo album a few months ago, I realized how very few photos we have of anything except us and the dogs, so I had to get one last one in before the visit was over.

Almost Six

It is almost our sixth anniversary, which means we have been together almost seven years. Weird! We did lots of debating about what we would do to celebrate. I didn't realize it at the time, but we picked a great date for the wedding, because every year on our anniversary we have tax refund money to spend. Jesse has the weekend off. I have no idea when we actually had two days off together in a row last...possibly vacation last fall? Whatever the case, it is nice. Today we went down to the Nelson-Atkins, (an art museum), because I needed to check out some things for school. Then we went to the Habitat ReStore, which is awesome. Basically, a thrift store for construction goods. We picked up what we could for our anniversary present, which is going to be two pergolas - one in the front of the house and one over the back deck. Tomorrow we will go to Lowe's and pick up the rest. Funny how Lowe's has become our anniversary celebration place of choice! I know it doesn't seem romantic or what you should traditionally do to celebrate an anniversary, but I am not really into expensive wine and white linen tablecloth dinners. I'd much rather spend the day dreaming about home projects and future house ideas and then spend the next few weeks working with Jesse to make something cool. Plus, after it's done, we can enjoy the summer marveling at our hard work. It's like a whole season of enjoyment, rather than some fancy dining experience that only lasts two hours. Every once in a while, that is alright, but definitely not annually. I guess every couple finds what works for them and what doesn't, and remodeling is definitely a hobby that Jesse and I share, so why not enjoy it together on our anniversary?

Anyway, here are some photos...thought it was about time...


Just inside the Nelson...



Taking some notes...


Just outside the Nelson...


These shuttlecocks are famous. (B&W because the camera was set on some funky setting that I was having a terrible time color-correcting.)

It was so nice today. When we got home, we sat out back and Horton got to play in the hose. If you hold it up high, he tries to bite the water right as it comes out. (Although sometimes he gets too close and gets your hand instead...ouch!)


Me and two of my favorite boys...

Abe looks big here...

Horton helped me frame out the photos...

New Makeup

I have been wanting new make-up for a while. I want SPF in the daytime, but I hate that greasy feel that so many moisturizers have, plus I don't like spending more than five minutes on makeup, so I wanted something that could just do it all - look nice, give me some spf coverage, and be non-greasy and oil-absorbing. Turns out, that's not so easy to find. I had just been browsing around and reading reviews of different products online casually. In my research, I found out that the majority of the products I was using are linked to animal testing. So, that sped up my desire to find something new, as I don't want to patronize that. And you can't trust labels. Burt's Bees, for example, is known for it's organic, all natural, animal friendly line...but that's only sort of true, as Burt's Bees was bought by Clorox, and Clorox does not share the same stance. It's merely one nice line, but the end profit goes back to the big company whose values may be questionable. As I looked into more and more lines, it became nearly impossible to find a drugstore brand that would be free and clear of animal testing. And the thing is, with technology, there are really great alternatives to animal testing, especially for beauty products. So, I don't see any reason/excuse good enough for why a beauty company should use animals.

Anyway, I came to the final conclusion that I was just going to have to fork out a bit more money and go with a company whose values I trust. I settled on Clinique, and eventually mustered up the courage to go to the beauty counter in the mall. (Those things seriously intimidate me. I've never really used them before. I don't know how they work. I don't really know how to apply makeup anyway, and I don't understand if you are supposed to go to the counter make-up-less so that they can find your shade and do your make-up there, or what. And pretty girls with nice make-up behind the counter scare me lest they see my humble attempts at my own make-up and scoff.) Anyway, so yesterday was the day. I got there (there being the department store), and "browsed" the clothes for about thirty minutes before I got the courage to walk over to the counter. I stared through the glass for just a few seconds before one of those pretty girls behind the counter approached me. I was somewhat relieved when I looked up, and noticed that she had make-up lines along her chin (Alas, pretty girls behind the counter who have had training can't even apply their make-up flawlessly, so maybe I'm not that beauty incompetent after all.) Anyway, so I told her what I was looking for, and she was very helpful. In fact, when Clinque didn't have something to suit me, she went and asked the manager something, and then came back over to me, and recommended another brand. (She had asked the manager if it was okay to send me to another counter.) So then she, the manager, and this other lady were all talking to me, trying to figure out what product I would like and talking about their various blemishes and what makeup does and doesn't work for them, and eventually, we all agree that this other brand may have what I'm looking for. So, my original pretty lady behind the counter walks me over to the other counter, and helps me with this other brand's make up, which I eventually bought. (Estee Lauder's double wear powder foundation.) It is by far the most money I have ever spent on a make-up product. But, it's animal friendly, it has spf, it matches my skin, it's light, it's not greasy, it's one-step, and I'm assuming it will last a long time.

Lessons learned:
You can't always trust brand labels.
Pretty girls behind the counter are actually really nice and very like-able.

This and That

First, what is up with this winter going on so long? Where is the sun?! Daylight savings is only 2 1/2 weeks away, and we are not supposed to have ice and coldness and this sleet...what is up with that? Jesse says this winter has been warmer, but to me, it seems much much longer, and much much colder.

I filled out my FAFSA for next year...looks like I'm not eligble for any federal grants...boo. Oh well. We (as in Jesse) got our taxes filed. We are getting another good chunk of a refund. There are lots of things around here that we would really like to spend it on, but I think we have decided that instead, we will finish paying off our car loan (not much left on it), and finish paying off my medical bill. Not very exciting, but we figured if we did that, then the month to month expenses won't be so tight since we'll be eliminating two monthly bills that we have right now. If there ends up being anything left over after paying off those two things, then I think we may build a new shed or put up a pergola or two. I'm very excited about the possibility of that.

On the job front, the psych office offered me the position. I decided to turn it down though. I didn't feel quite right about it after either the first or second interview, and while we could use the money, I just didn't feel like it would turn out to be a good thing. Jesse agreed, so we decided that I should look for something else. That is possibly paying off already, as I have a promising opportunity work-wise that I am way excited about in the works. It's not fully official yet, so I won't go into many details, but if you want to pray that it works out, I wouldn't be sad at all. I'll tell you more about it in the next couple weeks, especially if it all pans out.

Jesse is redoing the garage. We went to Barnes and Noble yesterday, and Jesse decided he'd read this huge book called something like "Electrical Code 549" or something... Wow.

School is going well. I'll have to post some of my projects someday. I only have 2 1/2 weeks left in my online semester. I'll have a week off as far as "online" and then another online semester will start, that ends at the same time as my regular "in person" semester. Spanish II for the online semester - I'm really dreading that one. I don't mind learning Spanish, and actually would love to be fluent in it, but doing it online in the accelerated semesters is too much too fast. Oh well, when this is done, I will have my 8 hours of foreign language finished, and no mas espanol!! And, actually, after this summer, I will only have 2 gen ed type classes left, and then it's pretty much all studio work or something art related. Eventually, I need to choose my discpline, and I'm not too sure where I'm heading with that one. In the meantime, I am learning lots of fancy snobby overly intellectual art words to toss around whilst judging other people's work....that's so achromatic....

Jobs

I had my second interview today. They haven't given me any clear idea of what exact days/times they would need me to work, and I am feeling kind of leery about it. I can't promise that I can show up anytime, because I need to put finishing my degree first. I mean, part of the job sounds good, but other parts sound like red flags that it may not be a good fit...so I don't know. I keep waivering. Not working isn't an option with our finances, but I don't want to take a job where I am constantly in tension over scheduling. The whole reason I had to leave my last job was that it didn't work with my school schedule, and I don't want to have to do that again. Oh well...Horton and Abe are both snoozing away, not feeling too stressed out over it...maybe I should take my cue from them!

Seeds

Jesse and I went to Lowe's today to spend a couple gift cards that we had from our birthdays or Christmas. I bought 12 packs of seeds, and he bought some wire stuff. (He wants to rewire our garage, and eventually our house...we have old wires, and when he uses power tools, it draws so much amperage that the house lights flicker and dim.) Anyway, when we got home, I was excitedly telling him all about my master garden plan, but shortly into it, I noticed the blank stare on his face....so I told him he could go play with his wires and I would blog and make everyone else listen to my master garden plan so that he didn't have to be so bored.

So today, I got seeds, which include:

Flowers for the front of the house: Blanketflower, Butterfly Flower, Tritoma, Sunflower, and Marigold. I'm doing an orange/red/yellow scheme to go with our red shutters, and am going to put up a hummingbird feeder by the window so we can watch them from inside. And the sunflowers should be good for attracting other birds. (Don't worry, I got dwarf sunflower varieties, so it won't be too country-looking.)

Garden seeds: Bib lettuce, Romaine lettuce, spinach, kohlrabi, sugar snap peas, bush beans, and squash.

Once the weather warms up, I will get transplants for eggplant and lavender as well, but those are more tricky to start from seed. Plus, I don't really have the space to set up seedling containers. Tomatoes are still in debate. I could do without, because last year my plants went nuts and we had WAY more than we knew what to do with. Even now, we still have a deep freezer full of tomatoes, so we don't really need more. However, Jesse says he likes them fresh, and he wants me to grow at least one plant. If I have room I probably will, but I'm excited to try some new things this year, and tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumbers are on the chopping block to give me more space. I hope I haven't forgotten anything. Last year, I most missed spinach and green beans, so I made sure to get stuff for them this year. I also want more flowers this year, so I think I will do a row of flowers in between each vegetable variety. Marigolds are good for nematodes anyway, so it will be good for my soil.

I will be able to start sewing the cool vegetables in late March, so I only have a few weeks before I can be out there again. I can't wait. The other happy thing is that we should be able to eat our strawberries this year. I planted them last year, and for the first year, you are supposed to pick all the blooms off before they pollinate and make fruit. It lets the plant put its energy into making roots instead of making fruit, and then you should have a strong plant, with more fruit for the future. Hopefully this worked.

Anyway, so be prepared...the spring is coming which means you will once again be bombarded with garden posts and photos because I am a horticultural geek who loves my earthworms dearly.

6 some hours later...

I think we are finally organized (mostly at least)! I worked in the office all afternoon. I should have taken a "before" photo to show you the messiness that was our office. However, all I have to offer are my "after" photos (Which I'm sure are not nearly as exciting to anyone else as they are to me).


Horton and Abe's pad here... (They are so spoiled.) Jesse made the bed lifter thingies a week or so ago, so we can now put bins underneath, giving us some much needed storage/stash junk space. I also sewed "pillow cases" for their beds, which are some funky blue and gray paisley print. I like paisley pattern, but this was paisley color gone wrong, especially when combined with the other colors that were in the room.



These are the new curtains I sewed (they are actually semi-straight...a milestone in my sewing career!) I liked the print of the old curtains, but I quickly realized when organizing, it limited me to either pink or aqua greenish accents, and I was afraid it would be too childish looking, so I decided on a new theme of black, white, and khaki. I had been keeping my eye out for good deals the last two weeks, and came across this last weekend, at 70% off. It's considered "Christmas fabric" because the flower print is poinsettias. Didn't scream "holiday" to me, so I decided to go with it. The center of the flowers are khaki, so it worked out.




Yeah for labels.....I'm a geek....



And finally, the wall storage holding all the crap that was on the floor gathering golden dog hair. There are two of these. I think I am going to paint them white. Jesse spray painted them green before I had decided to change the curtains and make a whole new color scheme, but beyond that, the green paint looks way more forest-green than I had anticipated. Oh well, for now, it does the job, and I won't have to worry about picking dog hair out of my sketchbooks anymore. That is happy.

School, Jobs, and Rodents Revisited

My classes were cancelled today because my instructor is sick (I am in a couple of classes with the same instructor.) So, I came home, just finished getting caught up with my online class, and will try to finally finish organizing our office this afternoon. It's been a slow going project.

I had a job interview yesterday morning. It's for office work at a counseling center. If I actually get the job, I won't ever talk about it, because I'll have to sign a confidentiality deal, but for now, let me say this. After the interview today, she called me back to schedule a second interview later this week...but get this - It's with all of the psychologists at the office. So, imagine, not only an interview with a half dozen people all staring at you, but all of those people are trained in psychology. We'll see. It was hard for me to get a feel of whether or not this was a job that I would really like based on just the interview yesterday. This job doesn't pay well. In fact, I haven't worked for as little as they are offering since before I was married. Mentally, it is a very hard step to go backward like that on the payscale. But, I am somewhat limited with jobs based on my school schedule. I'm just not sure.

Otherwise, we are not rodent-free as thought. Though, we have verified it is a MOUSE, not a rat...which is good, very good. A few days ago, Jesse took apart the dishwasher because it was kind of stinky, so we were trying to see if food was stuck in there or something. Well, he took the bottom plate off, and when he opened it up, there was this huge pile of dog food....like probably 4 cups worth. That little mouse has been taking kibble one by one, and hoarding it under the dishwasher! Anyway, Jesse also spied the mouse in the very back corner, and they stared at each other for about ten minutes, which is how we were able to tell for sure that it's a mouse and not a rat. We are pretty sure there were 2 to start with (since Jesse saw 2 that one day), but one is dead (no signs, and 3 hunks of poison eaten from the last escipade). So, now we think it's just this one guy left, and we think he has just been hanging out under the dishwasher, because he had his lifetime supply of food, plus he had ripped insulation off the dishwasher sides and made a little bed with it. So, we put poison under the dishwasher, and some traps...but the traps made me cry because I was too afraid it would go off while I was home alone, and then I'd see the little guy half caught or something traumatic and I'd have to kill it on my own, and the thought was completely stressing me out, so now it's just poison. We will check in a day or two to see if the poison is eaten, and if so, then I can think we can finally rest easy.

Nature makes me sad. Well, it makes me very happy, but it's so sad how all these animals are just pitted against each other. Cheetah just trying to get a meal, zebra just trying to graze, one has to die. Mouse just trying to live in a warm home, human just trying to live in a clean home, one has to die. Ho hum. Can't we all just get along?