Monday, April 28, 2008

BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN SISTER

'A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ
that a man should have to seek Him first to find her.'
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not shouting 'I'm clean
livin''I'm whispering 'I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven.'
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.
When I say.. 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I am worth it.
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain...
I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.
When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!

by Maya Angelou

Friday, April 25, 2008

So tired...

I'm exhausted! After 3 nights this past week of painting from 5pm to 9pm, and only stopping at 9pm because it's decided that dinner must be eaten before midnight, I'm ready for a break. I work all day. Then come home, change, and then work until past dark.

Alas, I get a break from the painting. Reason #1, the crew came in this afternoon and put another coat of varnish on the floor. All of the base boards are painted, and there is just a bit of trim left over. This is the 4th and absolutely final coat. Until they decide to do a 5th... But I pray not! Of course, with this last coat of varnish, it is preferred that we stay off the floors for 72 hours! And if we do go inside after 24 1/2 hours, we are to only wear socks. I suppose the footprint of my Rocketdog shoes forever ingrained the the varnish would be bad... But you know what that means...? That means I can't start to move things in until Tuesday after work. But at that point the only things left to do is paint (bathroom trim, kitchen windows trim, hall closet, and touch-ups), tile back splash, and...ummm.... oh! moving things in!!

Reason #2, I'm going away for an over night bachelorette weekend to Santa Cruz for my friend Jenn who is getting married in 2 weeks. It'll be good to get away to the coast with the clean fresh coastal air. I'm in the wedding and am excited for her.

Dad decided that since we can't work on the inside we'll work on the outside. So we made a quick trip to the local lumber yard to get supplies to build a cute little railing for the front porch. So tomorrow while he's cutting wood and using big boy tools, I'll be wandering around a cutesy little beach town with friends.

So I'm excited to come home to find railing around the porch. So rest assured, if you have one too many drinks at my house and you happen to stumble outside, the railing will catch you before you fall off the porch. And we don't want that to happen. Cause if you have one to many drinks at my house, there will be no wondering outside. There will only be wondering to the couch where you will be sleeping. See, I'm responsible!

But right now, I just want to sleep all weekend. Right now though, I need to go pack for my overnight excursion.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

I've done it...

What I've not wanted to have to do. Because I think it's dumb and unconventional. That's right, I still think it's dumb and untraditionally. I've signed up for e-harmony. God save me.

You see, I'm very skeptical of the whole online dating/meeting people thing. Maybe because I'm more traditional and believe in being persued...in person...not by e-mail...

But maybe I'm also a bit curious. What other kinds of losers, like myself, have signed up out of curiousity? Or because they feel pressured by their mother? Well, I'll let you know what other kinds of losers there are out there.

What's the worst that can happen? I don't get any bites, nothing different than any other day. Maybe something will come from it. We'll see...

I'll keep you posted on the going ons of my online dating experiences. Hopefully I'll end up with some funny stories to share by the end of the 3 months.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Too funny not to share...

Why females should avoid a girls night out after they are married ...
(If this does not make you laugh out loud, you have lost your sense of humor.)

The other night I was invited out for a night with the 'girls’. I told my husband
that I would be home by midnight, 'I promise!' Well, the hours passed and the
margaritas went down way too easily and around 3 a.m., a bit loaded, I headed for
home.
Just as I got in the door, the cuckoo clock in the hallway started up and cuckooed
three times. Quickly, realizing my husband would probably wake up, I cuckooed
another nine times. I was really proud of myself for coming up with such a
quick-witted solution, in order to escape a possible conflict with him. (Even when
totally smashed, three cuckoos plus nine cuckoos totals 12 cuckoos--MIDNIGHT!)
The next morning my husband asked me what time I got in, I told him 'MIDNIGHT.'
He didn't seem pissed off in the least. Whew, I got away with that one! Then he
said 'We need a new cuckoo clock.' When I asked him why, he said, 'Well, last
night our clock cuckooed three times, then said, 'oh, shit.' Cuckooed four more
times, cleared its throat, cuckooed another three times, giggled, cuckooed twice
more, and then tripped over the coffee table and farted.

Here's the 411

All we have left to do is finish painting and moving my stuff in. Moving can't happen until they do one more coat of varnish. And one more coat of varnish won't happen until we're done painting. So guess what I've done about 10 hours worth in the last 3 days. Yep, that's right, painting.

Have I told you before that I now hate painting?

But here's also what's happened the last week or so...

I can make cookies.
And then do the dishes.
And then serve them to my guests.
To be my office/craft room/guest room. Accordion doors for the utility closet. Barf! I think it is hideous. And yes, it will be painted.
To be where the TV hangs, and where it is now hanging.
Ceiling fan in one of the 2 bedrooms. Oohhhhh.... Aaawwwwww....
Light in the bathroom. The medicine cabinet is now installed, as well as a sink.
A view of the kitchen.
"Dining room" light fixture.


That's what I've got for you for now. Once everything is all done, and I'm all moved in, I'll show you the before and afters of the house in a couple different installments. Prepare to be shocked and amazed.

In the meantime, if you need me, I'll be painting.

I'm a slacker!

I've got updated pictures of the house on my computer (I'm at work...shhhhh...) and I forgot to share them with you. But I will. I promise. Keep checking in.

I also have some pictures from a wedding that I went to this past Saturday. An old co-worker and lunch buddy has gotten married and is moving to Texas :( I'll try to share some pictures from that too.

I better write those down. I'll forget.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

This little light of mine...

I'm gonna-flip-ALL-the-switches-on-and let 'em shine.

That's right folk. The lights and fans are up and running. As of yesterday evening all but one fan was up. The refrigerator was even plugged in and running. Although I think they forgot to hook it up to the water for the ice maker... Gotta get that fixed. Things are coming right along. There is still some painting to do (I hate painting), the counters to install, and ummmm... Well, I think that's about it! What's left after that you ask? Moving in!

Sweet!

(Once again, I apologize for the lack of photographs. I will get some up for you.)

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Quilt Swatches

My quilt is so close to being done! It's so close I can feel the snuggliness of it on my bed. Yesterday I dropped it off to the quilt shop so they can stitch the backing, batting, and top pieces together in some fancy pattern. 3 weeks from now I should have it back. Then I just need to put the binding (edge) on it and throw it on my bed.

To tide you over on what the quilt looks like, here's a pictures of the progress:

Here's all the fabrics spilling out of a bag. Yep, I had to make sense of it all.

And I did. Look it, they're all sewn together. Well, almost all; there are one or 2 missing. Ohhhh....awwwww.... Look at the pretty color and patterns...

That's what the back looks like. I'm not showing you the front yet. I'm gonna keep you all in suspense for now.

Check back in 3-4 weeks. Then I'll show you the WHOLE thing. And I'll cross another thing off my resolution list.

By the way. It's a big quilt. Much bigger than I had planned. Let's just say that to find a sheet for the backing, which luckily I found flannel, I had to get a CAL KING! Yea, that's a big arse sheet, and it just barely finds the length of the quilt. And my bed is only a queen...

Oh yea, and in order to quilt, I had to get a sewing machine. It's a Baby Lock. It's a small, compact, quiet little thing.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Pick up the Pennies

Here's a sweet little story that a co-worker sent to a handful of us. I liked and thought I'd share it with the rest of you...

You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about.

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than their house. The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment.

Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny.

He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value.

A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?

'Look at it.' He said. 'Read what it says.' She read the words 'United States of America '


'No, not that; read further.'

'One cent?'

'No, keep reading.'

'In God we Trust?'

'Yes!'

'And?'

'And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold; I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, 'In God We Trust,' and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message.

It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient...

Sunday, April 13, 2008

W-O-W!

That's all I can say about the Rascal Flatts/Taylor Swift concert that I went to on Thursday at Arco Arena.

Kaitlin
and I left home just a little after 4, and made it to Cafe Bernardo just a little later. Kaitlin's good friends, Britney, is going to UC Davis, so she met us for dinner. That was pretty special for Kaitlin. I had the most delicious Thai Noodle Salad. I forgot to take a picture of it at the restaurant, so here's a picture of the leftovers.

Imagine it not in a to-go box, on a leaf of lettuce, with purple cabbage on top.
We made it to Arco and our seats during Taylor Swift's first song. Can I just say that I want her sparkly guitar! It's pretty! Problem, with the sparkly guitar and the sparkly pink dress there was a lot of sparkle and light reflecting. So most of my pictures of TS show her as a moving white blog. But I did get a couple good ones!
I like her backdrop... So simple...We took this one during intermission.
And then Rascal Flatts started. They were one of the best concerts I've ever been to. If you are a fan of theirs or of just country, GO SEE THEM!
There were pyrotechnics.
And bright lights.Even the troops came out!They spent half the time on a circular rotating mini stage closer to our seats.Kaitlin was happy!
And that is how I spent my Thursday evening.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Walk this Way!

Just don't walk on the floor yet!
Look at the pretty floor! I took the picture standing outside the front door. That's where I'm confined to when I go to the house, the front door or the back door. And that's the only places I can go until Tuesday. That's right, I can't go in until Tuesday. Yesterday was the stain. Today is a varnish sealer. Friday is a varnish sealer. Monday is a varnish sealer. That would be 1 layer of stain and 3 layers of varnish. Yep, I passed 1st grade, only took me 2 tries.

So no painting for me this weekend. At least, no painting walls and trim. I have chairs to paint. 2 more to be exact. Then cushion covers to put on them.


(I apologize for the not-so-great quality of the picture. My camera was in my purse, in the car. I had my cell phone with a camera. I was being lazy and didn't walk the 20 feet across the street to get my camera.)

Another bites the dust...

Tonight I fulfill one of my 2008 goals.

Tonight I'm going to a concert! Not just any concert, a Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts concert...with my sister...and we're going to eat yummy food first. Besides the concert and hangin' with my sis, I'm really looking forward to the food, especially the Thai Salad. It's the most scrumptious noodley salad ever!

I'll take what pictures I can while out and about for the evening, and I'll let you know how the evening goes later.

And tomorrow, I'll be the one asleep at my desk.

Downward Trend

Just the way I like it! Here is a little chart that I've made with my decrease weight/increasing weight lose. I've removed the actual weights on the y-axis for my own personal privacy.

The dates and weights are based on my Weight Watcher weigh-ins that happen on Mondays.

Without including what I actually weight, I'll tell you that since the January 7th weigh-in I've lost 8.2 pounds. I'm only 1.8 pounds away from my goal of losing 10 by Jenn and Anthony's May 10th wedding. And then I'd only be 10 away from my 20 pounds for 2008 goal.

But with my 10 year reunion coming up the end of June, I've decided to add to my goal an extra 5 before the reunion. So, now my 2008 goal is 25 pounds, 15 before the end of June and another 10 by the end of the year.

Please help keep me motivated, hold me accountable, and slap my hand if I pick up a cookie.

Thanks!

Much love to homies!

Monday, April 7, 2008

Caution: Wet Paint

Oh my dearest readers, I apologize for not updating you lately with pictures of the progress of the house. The main reason for this is that when I go over there, I'm outfitted to paint. And well, I'm a messy painter and I'd like to avoid getting paint on my camera. My phone has survived and only gotten slimed once. Now I'm very careful where I put it and how I pick it up. Here are a few pictures for you, there are about a week old and a lot has happened in that week. At least a lot of painting has happened.


Oooohhhh, awwwww.... Look at the magnificent craftmanship with that tile work. That's my shower folk. The toilet is just across from it. I thought I'd spare you the details of that...for now... Shower door to be installed later.


This would be my counter and sinkless vanity in the bathroom.
And God said, "Let there be light." And then there was, in the hallway. Wow, I just noticed, it looks like the ceiling is way darker than the walls, but it's not. Everything is the same color... Cork Bark.



Man that window is dirty! Here is where my stainless steel sink will sit on my counterless cabinets.
When you turn around from the sink, this is what you see. Well, this is what you would have seen until this morning.

Who likes dark brown? Here is the built-ins with Mocha Mousse. The tape came down yesterday and everything was touched up, it looks great!

And the fireplace is with the same Mocha color. It looks really nice! The dark color on the same wall just opposite ends really balances it out.

Today... are you ready for this?... They started sanding the floors!!! That means we are near the end. It's a good and bad thing. The good thing is that means I get time off from painting. The bad news is that there is still stuff to be painted. But it's almost done and complete and then I can move and unpack and be a domestic single non-housewife. Who's more excited than me?!?!
I'll do my best to get in there this week to take some more updated pictures. But I won't make any promises. If there is stain or sealer on the wood floor I'm not stepping in.
If that's the case, you can find me working on my quilt, painting the dining room set, or packing.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Has it really be that long?

Yea, I guess so. 2008 - 1998 = 10 years! Holy cow! Yesterday I received the all dreaded e-mail informing me that it’s time for our 10 year High School Class Reunion. The e-mail went a little like this…

Hey all,
After the first message went out, I received a lot of different feedback on dates. The majority of that feedback was to have the reunion later in the summer. So that's what we have done. The date of our reunion, barring any huge natural disaster, will be June 28, 2008. We need to book our location ASAP so if I could get some feedback right away that would be great. Double T (where we had our sober grad night) is one idea that has been thrown around. Does anyone have Adam A’s number so I could call and talk to him? Raju has also offered to let us use his place in Hilmar where he's done several very nice parties at. Other ideas have been Two Brothers (Turlock, CA) or possibly the Turlock Country Club. The facility is one of the biggest costs and setup/clean-up has to be considered at all these places. I would like as much input on this as I can so let me know your thoughts.

The other factor is cost. Last year, the class of '97 charged $50 per person. This cost covered facility, dinner, and dancing. Any drinks/cocktails were additional cost. Not everyone drinks, so they might like something like this, and others may not. Again, there are factors to consider, so all ideas are welcome.

Below is a list of people that I have contact information for: If you have contact information for people that are not on this list, please let me know. If you see a letter after their name, I am missing that corresponding information: (A - Address, E - Email, P - Phone).

I hope that everyone can make it. Please send me any questions that you have.

Thanks,

-CJ

(I obviously left out the list of names; I don’t want to bore you with too much.)

Here’s the thing, I’m not so excited about this "monumental event." I didn’t have the most grand of high school experiences, and the people that I hung around with then I still see occasionally. Do I really want to participate in the parade of showing off spouses, photo albums of children, and who looks like what now? You probably would have never guessed it, but I wasn’t one of the “in” crowd while in high school; because I didn’t bath in money given to me by mommy and daddy, I didn’t get my nails done, I wasn’t a dairy kid or show dairy in FFA, and I wasn’t a partier/drinker (the regular weekend past time).

I think that I’m at a good place in my life. So what I’ve been living with my parents the last few years. The house that I’ve been working so hard on is so close to being done I can taste it and I’ll be moving into it before the end of the month. I’ve got a good job with a great company and make good money for a single person. I’m happy with myself and who I am. I have great friends. I’ve moved on and away from really caring about high school and the 4 years that I survived through.

But I have friends that are so excited about it. Why? I don’t know. Am I not excited because I have experienced other things in life beyond high school, like college, that brought better memories? Maybe it’s because I’ve gain a little bit of weight since graduating. Or maybe because I don’t have things/people to show off like others will with their family albums. Hummm...maybe I should bring pictures of my doggies...

All I know is this, if I’m going to the reunion, I’ve gotta drop 50 pounds quick. I’ll settle for 20 though.

Oh, and I’ve gotta find a date.
Wonder which will be easier, finding a date or losing the weight that I want/need to lose?