It Has Been Said

Phillip James Bailey (English poet; 1816-1902) once said "Art is man's nature; nature is God's art."

As I arrived home from running errands last night, my eyes settled upon the fallen leaves at my feet.

Pretty much all evening my thoughts had been on the design for my Happy Thanksgiving cards.

All of sudden it became clear to me.

The design, the colors, the stamps...the layout. Now it is a matter of pulling it all together.

Inspiration is around us.

Supplies used are

• An old hospital mailer and previously received envelopes; there is a reason why I keep those stacked here and there...green is good.
  
• Handy dandy generic foam brush from local craft store


• Delta Ceramcoat acrylic paints: Maroon, Pale Metallic Gold, Bittersweet Orange, Antique Gold Veil, and Spice Brown

Peace and Love Peeps. I have more creating I am inspired to do. But before I do,

Happy Halloween!

I hope your day is one big sweet treat!

Things Not to Say During an Interview

Pizza

and

Porn.

Hot Secretaries.

Peeps, I believe it goes without saying these are things you should not say during an interview.

But lo and behold, these words were spoken during an interview this morning.

Do you think the interviewee was passed along to the next round?

Um that would be NO.

*************************************************************************************

In case you were wondering, I woke up with no foot pain this morning. However, it is back to hurting tonight so I will be calling in for an appointment tomorrow.

*************************************************************************************

If you are participating in this week's challenge, don't forget about your vitamins and minerals too. I don't keep mine in the medicine cabinet and remembered to take inventory tonight.

I'll be adding calcium to the shopping list. Mine expired in December. I have not been taking them consistently so I think I will be ok.

*************************************************************************************

Off to bed I go. I'm tired today and will be up kinda late tomorrow.

Why is that you ask?

This returns tomorrow.

Peace and Love Peeps.

In My Future?

The day of the break up with Pete we wrassled and I hurt/bruised the top of my right foot.

It remained painful to the touch for a few weeks but eventually the tenderness went away.

Fast forward to mid September - early October. I was kickboxing and whammo! I bruised my foot in the same spot. This time the bruise stayed around for over a week and the tenderness hasn't gone away.

However, I have been dealing with it because it only bothers me when touched directly on the spot of "impact".

That is until this evening.

Now it is uncomfortable when I walk.

Looks like I may have a doctor visit in my future.

Here is to hoping I wake up feeling fine in the AM.

Peace and Love Peeps.

Weekly Challenge #4

Challenge for the week is to go through your medicine cabinet.

Check expiration dates.

Remove expired items.

Replace needed OTC meds, band-aids, ointments, etc.

Go on now. Your health and your family's well being might depend on it.

Car Love

I spent the day being a responsible car owner.

Passed a few hours at the service station getting an oil change, rotating my tires, changing my air filter, and having all the fluids checked and replenished if needed.

In a nutshell, I had the service done as noted in the manual.

I followed the internal love with some external attention...a car wash, a new steering wheel cover, and a new air freshener.

My little friend is shiny, the leaves are gone from inside, and we are ready for winter.

Is your vehicle ready too?

Have you done the scheduled maintenance?

Your car will love you back if you show it some love.

My baby is 7 years old. Has 82,000+ miles and is going strong.

$4 and Peekaboo

You might be wondering what those images have in common right about now.

Let me set the scene for you.

Thursday night.

Happy Hour.

New peeps joined us.

Cute boy playing pool in league play in our direct line of vision.

New peep undressing said cute boy with her eyes.

Talk turns to him obviously.

Conversation leads to what type of underwear he is wearing.

Steve thinks he saw red. Kaitlyn says commando. Kristin says boxer briefs.

At this point I am butt ass tired and want Steve to finish his beer so I can go home.

I decide to put an end to the debate and find out what exactly he is wearing.

I trek to the bar and ask them to send a Bud Light his way. Let him know it comes with a price. I have a question to ask him.

I pay my three dollars plus tip and wait for him to approach.

Impatience sets in and I walk up to him.

I say, "I hope you enjoy your beer. Sorry to interrupt your game. I have a question."

He, whose name is Jason, replies, "Thanks. Is it am I gay? I get asked that a lot."

I reply, "No, that is not the question. My friends are trying to determine what type of underwear you are wearing. Boxer briefs, commando, or boxers and if they are red."

He smiles and says, "They are striped boxer briefs. See."

And he proceeded to lift up his t-shirt, pull the band of his striped gray and black boxer briefs up over his pushed down jeans.

I told her she should have just bought the guy a drink.

I made my way back to the table, reported in, and they were all like "I can't believe you just did

that. That takes guts."

Y'all know by now I will talk to anyone.

We are all people.

I figure the worst that could happen would be he wouldn't answer the question and I would be out four bucks.

I did it because I wanted the chatter to stop, I wanted to leave, make it home, talk to T, and go to sleep.

Oh and before you start wondering, I was stone cold sober. I don't need liquid courage.

The next time you are wondering, want to approach someone...go for it. What's the worst that can happen?

Peace and Love Peeps.

Photo credit:

Bud Light

Dollar

As Seen on TV

I finally dug the Magic Bullet I bought over a year and half ago from my closet.

WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG?

It lives up to the infomercial hype.

It puts my blender to shame.

The blender I use pretty much every morning for smoothies, making my chai tea latte, and blending my fiber will most likely be replaced by the Bullet.

It is much faster.

It blends better.

It chops, it purees, it shreds.

It is easier to clean.

Thank you blender. You served me well and have earned your break.

Say hi to the Pampered Chef chopper. She will be resting too.

Day Tripping

Bed after 1:00 AM.

Up at 5:15 AM.

Left for the airport at 6:30 AM.

Breezed through security, purchased a granola bar and USA Today from Hudson News, placed a few phone calls, listened to two people rant about their current project and co-workers.

Found myself staring at them and thinking, "Can it really be as bad as they make it out to be?"

Boarded a few minutes after 8:00 AM.

Spent the day assessing. Doing an investigation. Auditing. Listening. Coaching. Recovering funds.

Almost didn't make my flight back as I rounded out the day's trip by sharing a glass of wine with the manager I was visiting and his wife in their home.

Thanked the powers that be for holding the plane while I breezed through security and left 'em laughing instead of being grouchy like they had every right to be.

Home around 8:30 PM.

Will be asleep by 10:00 PM so I can get up and make it a good day.

Peace and Love Peeps.

Blessings

Thank you God, Mom, and all the other angels watching over me.

As I entered my living room on the way to the kitchen this morning I noticed a flickering out of the corner of my eye.

I failed to extinguish one candle last night before going to bed.

It could have been disaster.

I am one lucky girl this Monday morning.

Weekly Challenge #3

Week 3's Challenge is

Clean

up/out

your

makeup

How many of you have items you just had to have but have not used in months, maybe even years?

I know I do.

This is the week to purge, purge, purge!

Happy cleaning internet!

Photo courtesy of this flickr user.

Weekend Plans

Before we get to the weekend in review, lets talk about the windstorm.

Around 2:30 PM, when we were heading to lunch, it was fierce.

I was happy I chose to put my hair in a ponytail and had the insight to stop by Radio Shack to stock up on batteries.

I was pretty certain the power would be out as trees were snapping all around us.

It was nasty, really nasty, as the afternoon progressed and early evening set in.

Since we ate lunch late, my team member and I were not too hungry. We opted for a snack and a treat from Starbucks instead of dinner as planned.

We settled in at what some say is our second office, the newest Starbucks, which is down the street and around a few corners from the office.

Hey, less interruptions, wi-fi, and a relaxed atmosphere is conducive to getting a lot of work done and building great working relationships.

I had a slice of pumpkin bread and a hot chai tea latte with soy and a splash of pumpkin flavoring. He enjoyed a slice of lemon cake and a vanilla frap.

We busted out the laptops and got down to business. Great planning session. While we were in there, the winds continued to whip.

When we departed around 9:30 PM, it was still. No wind. No rain. Only a decrease in temperature.

Oh yea baby! Crisis averted!!!

Today? Lots and lots of rain. Winds in the 20s with gusts in the 30s. Blustery conditions but hey, that is how we roll in the PacNW.

So, what is on tap for the weekend?

Friday: After a day of work and lunch with another co-worker late this afternoon, a birthday party this evening.

Saturday: Finish some lingering work and household chores, mail out the Halloween cards made a few weekends ago, and a slumber party with Pete's girls. We're going to brave the elements to collect rocks to make rock animals, bake homemade chocolate chip cookies, and simply be crafty and cozy.

Sunday: Relax at home.

What do you have going on? How is the weather where you are? How are you?

Talk to me. I am interested.

For now, back to work I go.

Peace and Love Peeps.

Windstorm Brewing

Just in case you don't hear from me over the next few days, this would be why.

Don't worry too much. I have plenty of clothes to layer myself in, blankets, some canned food, water, candles, and I picked up some fresh batteries at Radio Shack for my lantern type flashlight on my way to the office today.

As I type this, the lights at the office are flickering something fierce. And the worst of it has not even hit us.

Good times peeps. Good times.

Updated Thursday 1:35 p.m. (Updated with some wind gusts.)
SEATTLE - The storm continues to roll into the area, and wind speeds are picking up as a result:

Here's some of the early peak wind gusts as the storm approaches the coast:
Newport, Ore: 60 mph
Astoria, Ore.: 60 mph
Tatoosh Island: 59 mph
Ocean Shores: 56 mph (unofficial)
Hoquiam: 49 mph
Tacoma (Fort Lewis): 49 mph
Tacoma (McChord AFB): 46 mph
Olympia: 46 mph
Kelso: 43 mph
Oak Harbor: 39 mph


This storm isn't behaving quite as we anticipated --- it has become incredibly complex and looks like it's coming in farther south than we thought earlier. In fact, the center of the storm might now come right over northwestern Washington, and that will have some localized effects as the winds mix with the terrain, but we're still running with the same wind forecasts.

(Some of those localized effects? Some downsloping winds off the mountains, which cause drying. With strong southwest winds aloft, the Olympic Ran Shadow came out in full force around noon, opening up sunny skies in Sequim and the northeast Olympic Peninsula. A second rain shadow came off the Willipa Hills, allowing the sun to break through in south-central Washington.

Meanwhile along the coast, the temperature went up 9 degrees in 17 minutes at Hoquiam when the wind shifted.)

Meanwhile, some south winds are already picking up in the South Sound, but that's due to other factors besides the passing of the storm center. Those winds are still not expected until later this evening.


So the meteorological 'how' of this storm is changing, but the 'what' is still about the same, and we're sticking with the same wind speed forecasts.

A HIGH WIND WARNING remains in effect for the Washington Coast, Willipa Hills, and the Northwest Interior (This is the area in a box from Everett west to Port Townsend, and then north to the Canadian Border. That includes Whidbey, Camano and San Juan Islands.) That means high winds are imminent -- although there is some possibility now that the far northern areas could be let off the hook if the storm goes in to your south. But still prepare for strong winds just in case.


A WIND ADVISORY remains in effect for the rest of Western Washington. What's the difference you ask? A Wind Advisory is sort of like a High Wind Warning lite. A High Wind Warning means wind gusts of 58 mph or faster. A Wind Advisory is issued when peak forecasted wind gusts fall in the range between 45-57 mph. The Puget Sound area is more in that 40-45 mph range.

What's The Timing?
The timing of the storm is still about the same as we've been advertising:


Cascade Foothills: The east wind is abating and this is becoming a non-factor.

Washington Coast: Now through 8 p.m.. The coast not only gets the strongest winds, but gets stuck with them the longest as they don't have the terrain to the south or west to block the winds as the low passes by. Winds will begin from the east, then gradually shift to the southeast, south, then southwest as the day progresses. Wind speeds are expected to be between 30-40 mph, with gusts as high as 55-60 mph.


Northwest Interior: Now. - 8 p.m.. This is the area in a box from Everett west to Port Townsend, and then north to the Canadian Border. That includes Whidbey, Camano and San Juan Islands. We'll keep the wind speed estimates of southeast winds of 30-40 mph gusting as high as 50-55 mph, but there is now at least a chance the far northern areas in this box could end up with much less wind.

Puget Sound Area/Southwestern Washington: Now to 8 p.m.. Some south winds are already forming in the South Sound area at 1:30, but this is not the main event. That is still expected to be sometime late in the evening around 5-7 p.m. or so.


North Central Olympic Peninsula / Along Strait of Juan de Fuca: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. This is for west wind that will chase after the storm as it passes inland. These would be around 25-35 mph, gusting to 45 mph.

Things To Think About
One thing to note with this storm is that while its strength shouldn't be as strong as the December storm that's still fresh in everyone's mind, it is expected to strike during the afternoon instead of overnight. That means we'll have a lot more people out in the storm than we did last December, and if you assume a traditional commuting pattern will be taking place, could cause some traffic problems.


So here's a few items to think about today to come up with some contingency plans if the peak winds are during the afternoon commute:

* If winds are sustained over 40 mph for a while over Lake Washington, the DOT will close the 520 Bridge. So plan on perhaps not having that bridge available to get across the lake Thursday afternoon and/or evening. If the bridge does remain open, beware of spray blowing over the roadway.


* Power outages mean dark intersections with non-functioning traffic lights. Treat those intersections as 4-way stops and plan for big backups.

* Trees could be down and blocking your primary route home, especially if you live in more of the outside suburbs. Figure a few alternate routes home.


* It's possible some schools could close early depending on how the storm shakes out. Might have some child care contingency plans just in case.

* Remember the biggest killer in December's windstorm wasn't the storm itself, but the aftermath where people were succumbing to carbon monoxide poisoning trying to heat their home or cook dinner. The weather now isn't as cold as last December, but still, make sure you do NOT use any kind of heat or cooking source indoors that would put out carbon monoxide.

Here's a link to King County's site on carbon monoxide poisoning -- www.metrokc.gov. This site also has warning labels printed in several different languages.


* And some of the basics: fresh batteries in the flashlights and a full tank of gas are good ideas as well. Perhaps think back to last December if you were here and without power for a while: "What did I wish I would have thought of then?" You've got another day to rattle your brain.

Oh, and by the way, it'll be quite rainy through the day as well with maybe 1/2" of rain or so in the Puget Sound area.


The wind should begin to die down Thursday late evening and continue to fade through the night. Looks like another wet and breezy day Friday, but winds will stay in the 25-35 mph gust range -- just enough to knock off some of those really stubborn leaves that might have managed to hang on through Thursday.

Tuesday Tales and Wednesday Ways

Y'all mark the day. I forgot my camera two days in a row. Not one day. Two days peeps. One after another.

Ahh, the horror!

This wouldn't have been such a bad thing if I didn't have a chance to capture one heck of a sunset on the Seattle waterfront Tuesday evening and of course the obligatory location and food shots both Tuesday and tonight.

Instead I have been resigned to finding photos on the internet and honestly, there is not much out there to choose from.


Tuesday I'm chilling at work. You don't believe that one for one minute do you? I was at work but chilling? Hmmm, not so much.

One of the managers from our Boise location, who used to be in the Seattle area, was in town. He didn't want to spend another night in a hotel room, working with sports on in the background so he called to see if I was free for dinner.

Just so happens I was. The last year and a half we have been missing each other in various locations so the idea of catching up over dinner sounded superb.

Even though I wasn't too keen on heading north to downtown at the end of rush hour, I embraced the journey and headed to Pioneer Square.

We had a fantastic dinner here. It was nothing short of amazing.

Great Italian food in a historic building, specializing in Southern Italian fare, romance, and wine.

Not much beats that.

Our waiter was an evacuee from New Orleans and let me tell ya', he had the accent to match. His service was attentive, polite and professional. No stone was left unturned. He made our dining experience a good one.

We shared a bottle of Chianti, an order of garlic bread, and each ordered the scallops with pesto sauce (there was a lot more in the dish but that is the gist of it), and shared a strawberry flambé with chocolate liqueur over ice cream.

Succulent. Mouthwatering. Nummy. Oh, and the company? It was as good as the dining experience.

After dinner we headed next door to grab a beer and continue catching up. You can read all about the establishment here.


What I assume to be the saloon's regulars were watching an episode of the Family Guy at the bar.

One of them had his yellow lab with him, on a leash, and the pup proceeded to hang out like it was his second home.

How cool is that?

It was unpretentious and offered up some great people watching.

Good times peeps. Good times.

Luckily I arrived home shortly before 11:00 PM and promptly crawled into bed to read a few chapters before falling deep asleep.

The alarm went off way too early as often is the case. Love me some 7:30 AM meeting start times really I do.

I spent most of the day in a meeting and thankfully got three major things crossed off of my to do list.

Unfortunately I was not able to connect with Kyla and crew to go dress shopping for her quickly approaching wedding or have dinner to celebrate Steph's birthday but I was able to have dinner with Maricel at a new eatery in town, the Thai Bistro.

Again no pictures to show you but she had the green curry with a spice factor of hot and I had prawns with garlic over spinach with a spice factor of hot. We both had brown steamed rice on the side.

Great company, good food, nice atmosphere, attentive service...Good times peeps. Good times.

We saw two people, a man and a woman, in a semi private booth sharing dinner. I have a tendency to feel sad for couples who are out together and don't say but a few words, if any, to one another. Do you know the people I am talking about? You know the ones who also don't make eye contact?

I'm not one to judge. I simply wonder how they arrived at the point in their relationship where the conversation stopped. When what I interpret to be unhappiness began.

I ask the question of how they got there and consider the possibilities. I was once there so I wonder and send thoughts, vibes, prayers, etc. in the universe for a change to come their way if it is what their heart desires. For peace, comfort, and strength to envelope them if needed.

As Maricel and I mulled over the menu, I noticed this couple was each reading a paperbook book while eating their dinner.

Now don't get me wrong. I love to read as much as the next person but out at dinner? With another person? Really?

Y'all there was no conversation going on. Just a book in front of their faces and dinner being consumed.

Hours later and I continue wondering about them. And putting the thoughts into the universe.

I rounded out the night by finishing up a few things around the home front while Pete slept on the couch.

Now Princess is snug as a bug in her blanket and Jasmine is snoozing at my feet.

We're off to bed because guess what? The alarm will be going off at 5:30 AM. No happy hour for me tomorrow. I have a business dinner at 5:30 PM.

It's good y'all. All good.

Hope things are good for you and yours as well.

Peace and Love Peeps.

Time

Wind.

Rain.

Gray.

Fog.

Chilly.



The winds came in last night and brought a front with them.

This week we are not supposed have temps higher than the low to mid 50s.

Time to break out the wool sweaters.

Time to embrace the shorter days and longer nights.

Time to live life and enjoy this time of the year for all it has to offer.

Time to be thankful for another healthy day on planet earth.

Monday Happiness

The above are images from next to my TV. A little bit of Halloween and fall goodness for your viewing pleasure.

By now, you know I adore candles. I love to sit and watch the flickering of the candles and let my thoughts wander.

Today is no exception.

I hope the beginning of your week is starting off as productive as mine.

I am trying to get back on my schedule of getting things done. I've been procrastinating a lot lately. I find myself pushing things to the side instead of digging in like I used to.

By nature, I am a list maker. A to do kind of gal. A scheduler.

For some reason, I have gotten away from the core of me that does these things in the last six months and I find myself behind. Irritated. Off center. Not on top of my game.

Today marks the change of getting back into what works for me.

So far so good.

If you are game, T and I are doing a weekly challenge with each other to keep this going. It is in the spirit of Fly Lady but are things we come up with we know we need to be held accountable for. We are giving each a week to accomplish the tasks.

Last week was to clean out your wallet and purse.

This week it is to clean the inside of your car.

Some of you may not need to do either but if you do, won't you play along with me?

Peace and Love Peeps.

It is back to work I go.

Thank god for Norah Jones, Robin Thicke, John Legend, Michael Buble, and James Blunt to keep me mellow so I can focus on the analysis.

Literary Love

Does this bring a warm fuzzy to you?

It does me.

The only downside?

They arrived within the same week from reserves I placed at the library. This means they will be due pretty much at the same time.

Guess this means I will have to get down to some serious reading to avoid late fees.

Since all, with exception to one, are by popular authors and are their latest releases, a renewal is not an option.

That is a lot of literary goodness waiting for me to dive into.

Not to mention the other books I have received as gifts or have purchased stacked by my bedside.

I'm a happy girl.

I hope you are too.

A Better Day

This is for all who sent me wishes for a better day, sent hugs, gave me hugs, and for all the other actions you did without me knowing.

Yesterday, once I had my mug of tea, took some deep breaths, and centered myself was better. It was still full of too much to do and the desire to snuggle in my bed but better nonetheless.

It was a long day and I probably ruined the wonderful massage Maricel gave me Tuesday night by sitting at my desk until after 7:15 PM, then getting in my car, and sitting in a booth with Kyla for dinner at Azteca last night.

Sorry Mars. I am better than I was before I saw you so all is not lost.

Today I took a little bit of me time and slept in. It was wonderful to turn the alarm off at 5:30 AM and reset it for 7:00 AM.

It is Thursday and I am in town so you know what that means right? I committed to doing happy hour. Do you sense a bit of hesitation? If so, you are right. I would like to stay in tonight instead but I know once I am there, it will be good for the soul.

I hope things are good in your world.

Peace and Love Peeps.

Blah

I am having one of those days.

The kind of day where all I want to do is curl up snug as a bug in my bed.

To shut out the outside world.

To cuddle with the kitties.

To sleep.

To read.

To catch up on two weeks worth of dvr'ed shows.

If only I could but I can't.

Work is calling. And calling. And calling.

I need to change my inner thoughts.

Get in the right frame of mind.

Grab a nice hot mug of tea, take a few deep breaths, and center myself to the tasks at hand.



Photo courtesy of this flickr user's account

It's Nummy & Weekend in Review

Great weekend, with exception to the Horns and the Hawks losing. The Cowboys better do it right on Monday night football tonight. They are heavily favored. However, the Bills really want it and I fear the boys may be over confident going in. It is Monday night football so anything can happen.

First up, Friday. I headed over to Bremerton. Before we go further, let me introduce you to T.

I finally got a picture of her she is ok with me bringing to you live and in color.

T and I met via an online yahoo message board/navy wives support group. Our friendship really took off after September 11. Our husbands, like JP's, were all on the same aircraft carrier/ship, the CVN 70 - Carl Vinson, and were deployed on West Pac at this time.

JP and I met before this. She used to live below me and we instantly hit it off. Just like T and I did. Of course she thought I would never call her after the first time we met in real life. Now she can't shake me.

Anywho, T doesn't like her picture taken too much but I get to do so from time to time. Friday was one of those times I strong armed her into letting me snap her pretty mug.

We started off the evening with a . Originally we were going to head here and then go back to Red Robin to meet up with a group of gals T knows but due to me leaving late, time did not allow.

So, I suggested we hit the bar for a drink and some dip. I was a tad disappointed the Silverdale Red Robin did not have Grey Goose. WTF??? So I settled on Kettle One and T got a margarita.

There we are snarfing, and I mean snarfing y'all on the dip, and T says, "It's Nummy." She meant yummy but nummy came out. Lightweight. Love You. Mean it.

We finish our drink and dip in time to head off to meet the other women. It was all around. T selected the full size mushroom burger and I got the petite (yes Ace, the petite) cheeseburger with pepper jack cheese. It was eaten with a fork and knife as usual. It was nummy.

After dinner with the girls, we met so he could eat before we went to see .

Ace had and an order of "as hot as you can" . T had water and I had a goose and lemonade.

Then we went to Target and picked up some candy and some other necessary items before the flick, which by the way is funny. Inappropriate, out there humor again but good stuff.

A few other random shots from Friday for your viewing pleasure

I finally get Ace to take a picture without goofing and what do I do? Go and mess it up by covering up the flash.

How we roll. Jeans and ballet flats. What you don't see is we were both wearing the same black sweater too. There was one other lady at dinner wearing it too. Hey, great minds think alike right?

My hat was in the back seat so Ace took advantage as did I.


Saturday didn't turn out how I expected or planned. I was supposed to plant my arse firmly in front of my tv and watch some ball remember?

I did watch the games but it was at the local Cheers and then over at Pete's. Sadly the Horns did not win but it was a good game nonetheless.

Baby Jesus will you please give Colt back his confidence? He looks more like a freshman this year than he did last year. Thank you in advance.

After watching the game, I headed out and got stuck in traffic for quite some time. A major interchange was closed down due to this.

An explosion fueled by 8000 pounds of propane could have been a lot worse than it was. It is bad but it could have injured more and been devastation.

After I finally made it over in almost two hours for a trip that normally takes 30 minutes, we headed to the store to pick up some dinner fixings and pumpkins for the kiddos to carve.

Pete found this in the tater bin and me being me, had to take a picture.

We saw a heart but if your mind is in the gutter, you might see something else. And um, yea...the gutter visions came for us too.

A stencilled kitty with a spider, pumpkin innards, and a free hand classic jack 'o lantern.

After some hard good-byes, I headed home where T was waiting for me and promptly suggested we go get something sweet to eat.

Pumpkin cheesecake from the Cheesecake factory way of a Barnes and Noble Cafe anyone?

It was frozen so we headed home, changed into jammies, lit some candles, and enjoyed the treat. T didn't finish hers so Jasmine went in for the kill.

Headed to bed after 1:30.

Sunday I was woken up by the meows from the love kitty and Princess pawing my back to let them out of the room around 7:37 AM.

See, I usually sleep with my bedroom door open and they come and go as they please but when someone is sleeping on my couch, I shut the door so they don't have to hear me snore or be woken up by Jasmine's early morning howls.

I tried to go back to sleep but they were having no part of it. Got up, started moving around, made breakfast, got ready, and headed out to Bellevue to pick up a Halloween stamp and run a few other errands.

Before we got crafty, we stopped for lunch and had

I love me a biscuit bowl from KFC. I love it even more when it comes on a cool, windy, rainy PacNW day like Sunday was.

We busted out some Halloween cards and T left for home. I took a nap and then met

for dinner at Jimmy Macs. We started by chowing . For the record, neither one of us touched the rolls.

We saved ourselves for and .

Paolo surprised me with a signed/autographed copy of one of Ali Edwards books, A Designer's Eye for Scrapbooking.

Thanks again Paolo. You Rock!!!

Now you know what I did over the weekend. I hope yours, as I said before, was filled with things and people you love like mine was.

Next weekend I am hoping for some downtime and home cooked food.

Peace and Love Peeps.

Game Day

Please, for the love of all that is good and right in this world, will the eyes of Texas be upon us?

I'd also like LSU to rule supreme over Florida and the Buckeyes to beat Purdue.

Yep peeps. It is a day full of some must see football action.

My arse will be firmly planted in front of the tv all day. Watching football. Yelling. Jumping for joy more than hanging my head in shame hopefully.

Hope you get to spend the day doing something you love too.

Peace and Love.

Random Bits and Pieces

Happy Friday! Can y'all believe how quickly this week flew by? I mean flew by. Remember when ya' were a youngun and the days seemed to go on and on. Like forever? Yea, me too. Now? Can a girl get a few more hours squeezed into the day?

Tonight Maricel, Channy, and I went to see

at our local discount theater.

I love discount theaters where the tickets are cheaper than renting a dvd. This cinema, although it is an older theater and not snazzy like the newer places, has tickets for just two bucks and if you go on Tuesday, only a dollar.

You just have to have the patience to not see movies when they first come out, which can be hard, but getting a movie, large popcorn to share with your peeps, and a big drink for less than the price of a ticket for a movie at the regular theater....waiting can be worth it.

Anywho, the movie was funnier than I thought it would be and as usual, there were parts where I was the only one laughing.

I want to talk about boots for a few minutes.

I finally found at the right price. Less than $20.00 at Costco. Unfortunately they were out of my size in cute polka dots, stripes, or plaid. The shiny black ones will go with just about everything so with the price being right, score!

Rain boots, wellies, galoshes...whatever you want to call them, are a staple for enjoying a pumpkin patch, for staying dry when being bombarded with lots of rain, for splashing around in puddles just because. These are all things currently a part of my life so getting a pair was in order.

And speaking of things being in order, I finally took my Uggs in for repair. A great big thank you to Nordstrom for replacing my beloved .

Notice anything different? What is that you say? Mo swapped them out for the short ones? Say it isn't so.

It is so.

My tall ones are a thing of the past. Mine couldn't be repaired (a small tear in the front) and they were out of the tall ones the day I went in. So, I stuck with the classic sand but in the short version on the switcheroo.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Nordstrom for staying true to your exemplary customer service, service agreement, and warranty. Y'all Rock!

Lookie what is running on empty?

It is not even Halloween and I am almost out of the candy corn. The little pumpkins are long gone.

For the record, I will not be refilling the dish with candy corn or little pumpkins. (Sorry T.) I think I will go with snack size chocolate this go around. Oh wait. That means I have to go to the store and y'all know how long this can take.

So I talked about my setting last night as I typed my entry. Tonight? This is on in the background. Did you know it is 23 years old? Classic! Ya' think iTunes has the soundtrack? I used to rock out to some of those songs back in the day.

And finally by request I give you a picture of me with the new hat I picked up during Saturday's shopping and errand excursion. Perfect for cool rainy days and nights. Wore it out tonight as a matter of fact and probably will wear it again tomorrow night too.

Peace and Love Peeps.