I had a bad day today. It started off with a 2 hour commute to work-which really should only take 30 minutes. It went down hill from there. So, in an effort to cheer myself up,I have decided to write about somethings that I love, make me smile or make me happy:
Diet Lipton White Tea-Raspberry: This stuff is so good! And no points!
Pecan Lovers Mix from Planters: This stuff is amazingly good. And lots of Weight Watchers points, but sometimes, you just gotta eat it!
My niece tonight when she said "Mimi let me cova you up wif da blanket...there you go"! I almost cried she was so cute.
My dogs who are snuggled around me.
I got my hair cut tonight and it was GREAT! I got to relax and get my hair washed. Fabulous!
Otto who is cracking me up by running around the living room with a squeaky candy cane squeaking it!
My friend "J". Thanks for being on the other end of the line as I tried not get out of my car and start running and screaming up and down the highway while trying to beat the crap out of the people who were trying to "cheat" by speeding down the median during the traffic debacle of 10/30. IDIOTS!!!!!! I love you!
My friend "A". Thank you so much for being there for me today. I can't tell you how much it meant it to me. Seriously there are no words.
Well, I hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween. I will be trick or treating with my nieces. I can't wait!
10/30/07
10/29/07
Parched
This is a picture of Falls Lake. A stones throw from where I live. I found it on our newspapers website. (Can I get in trouble for using it? Oh well!)
We are having a very serious drought here in NC. Our governor asked us to reduce our water consumption by 50%. I have my own well so I don’t use “city” water, but that does not mean that I am not taking this seriously. I am and I have thought of a few ways to personally conserve. Here are a few of the things that I have done:
I switched to paper plates. Now this was very problematic for me. Because I am fairly “eco” friendly I try to use things that can be reused. For this purpose that means plates. I try not to “kill trees” by using needless paper products if I can help it. But when faced with running the dishwater a couple times a week or just once a week, well I thought saving water was more important. The plates use a renewable resource, are biodegradable and are made of recycled paper. That is how I justified it anyway.
I take a “sailor shower”. Ok, I had never heard that term before but someone said it to me while describing how they are trying to conserve water. It means that you turn on the shower and get wet. Then you shut it off, lather up (hair and all) and then turn it back on to rinse. It really does save a lot of water but there are other issues. Like you can get a little cold for one! But it is worth saving several gallons of water so I stick with it.
I save the water from my shower. I have a “bathtub” shower. I plug up the tub and take a shower, thus collecting all the water in the tub. I was using it to keep my plants alive and also to rinse out the sink after brushing my teeth (no, not rinsing out my mouth, just the sink!) I also used it to rinse off plates and cups that I did use before putting them in the dish washer.
I turned off the water to my toilet. I know this one sounds bizarre. Every time I flush the toilet, approximately 2 gallons of water goes down the drain, literally! So, I use the saved shower water to flush the toilet. Yeah the water is a little cloudy from shampoo and soap but who cares. I also don’t flush after every pee. I know gross!!!! Really I do. But desperate times call for desperate measures!
I take my laundry to the Laundromat. Now, someone said that this is saving my water but at the cost of city water. And while this is true there is actually another reason for my going to the Laundromat. The washing machines are bigger than mine so I get more done at one time (saving energy-I think) and the commercial washing machines use less water than most home models-or so it appeared to me. I do one load per week at home and a couple at the Laundromat on Sunday. The Laundromat has other benefits, I get to sit and read while I wait for my clothes. A luxury that I don’t get often at home because the dogs want something or there is something to clean or to put away etc. It is kind of relaxing which makes me feel less stressed.
I know some of these things sound completely weird and not everyone has time to save water in milk jugs (another thing that gets recycled!) to flush the toilet, but these are the tings that I can do. Do a rain dance for us here in NC. We had some good rain last week but they said we need a lot more to fill the lakes!
10/22/07
The long awaited blog
Well, maybe not long awaited. I have no idea if anyone will be interested in my trip but here it is in pictures! Well, sort of...
So, here is the main part of the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina. It is the original section that opened in 1913. It was restored to it's original glory at the end of the 20th century. They still have many of the original furnishings which were done in the Arts & Crafts Style(some call it Mission Style)- my favorite! Gorgeous isn't it?
And here is the view from my room. Really fabulous right? (HaHa) They are building luxury condominiums or so I was told. Kinda too close for my liking.
Ok, here is a better view. This was taken from one of the windows in the Sammons Wing.
Cookie had a good time!
All in all I survived and had a bit of a good time, with a little help from my friends. Thanks A and C! Just remember, we stick together and no one gets left behind! Oh and "it is so pretty up there,we had a great time right"? RIGHT!(ha ha) And the Very Berry Tini at Elaine's was FABULOUS!!
The dogs were just fine without me as I knew they would be. But it sure was nice to get home and they were so excited to see me! That made me feel pretty good. There is nothing better that arriving home to 3 very excited fuzzies who just want your attention. Ah...I am loved! :-)
So, here is the main part of the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina. It is the original section that opened in 1913. It was restored to it's original glory at the end of the 20th century. They still have many of the original furnishings which were done in the Arts & Crafts Style(some call it Mission Style)- my favorite! Gorgeous isn't it?
And here is the view from my room. Really fabulous right? (HaHa) They are building luxury condominiums or so I was told. Kinda too close for my liking.
Ok, here is a better view. This was taken from one of the windows in the Sammons Wing.
Cookie had a good time!
All in all I survived and had a bit of a good time, with a little help from my friends. Thanks A and C! Just remember, we stick together and no one gets left behind! Oh and "it is so pretty up there,we had a great time right"? RIGHT!(ha ha) And the Very Berry Tini at Elaine's was FABULOUS!!
The dogs were just fine without me as I knew they would be. But it sure was nice to get home and they were so excited to see me! That made me feel pretty good. There is nothing better that arriving home to 3 very excited fuzzies who just want your attention. Ah...I am loved! :-)
10/17/07
Travelin' Blues
I should be packing. But I am not. I have been doing lots of other things. Like talking on the phone, working on this blog, feeding the cats, making the dog's food for the next 2 days, eating chips...I just don't want to pack. Because I just don;t want to go. Now there are some highlights like getting to ride with 2 really funny guys. Plus it isn't every day that you get to meet a US Supreme Court Justice, other female Chief Justices from other states or the Secretary of State of NC. I mean those are all cool things. The thing is, it is also a lot of work. Checking in 500 people and making sure everyone has their tickets, name badges etc. But I am going to try and enjoy myself. At least at some point. So I guess I should go pack...but I think I need to take out the garbage oh and I think the dog room needs to be dusted...
10/9/07
Random thoughts for today
WHY IS IT 94 DEGREES HERE IN OCTOBER?! Could I get a break please?
Why won't it just rain. A nice deluge-for a couple of hours, is that too much to ask? I mean come on already!
I learned something new today. A mountain lion is also called a puma, panther, cougar or catamount. I always wondered what the heck a Western Carolina University Catamount was. Why not just call yourselves the Western Carolina University Cougars?
Sugar Snap Peas ARE REALLY GOOD!
So are Slim a Bear 100 Calorie ice cream bars!
Morning Star Farms Cheddar "burgers" are not good. But I like their Grillers! Yes, even though it is a soy, meat substitute.
Men in Trees starts on Friday! Yeah!!
Why can't fried shrimp be good for you?
Why does Otto always bark to come in right when I get comfortable on the couch with
the laptop after just letting him out?
Oh good grief this was BORING!
Why won't it just rain. A nice deluge-for a couple of hours, is that too much to ask? I mean come on already!
I learned something new today. A mountain lion is also called a puma, panther, cougar or catamount. I always wondered what the heck a Western Carolina University Catamount was. Why not just call yourselves the Western Carolina University Cougars?
Sugar Snap Peas ARE REALLY GOOD!
So are Slim a Bear 100 Calorie ice cream bars!
Morning Star Farms Cheddar "burgers" are not good. But I like their Grillers! Yes, even though it is a soy, meat substitute.
Men in Trees starts on Friday! Yeah!!
Why can't fried shrimp be good for you?
Why does Otto always bark to come in right when I get comfortable on the couch with
the laptop after just letting him out?
Oh good grief this was BORING!
10/5/07
Trips
Well it has been a while since I posted. Mainly, because work is stressing me out. So, when I come home the last thing I want to do is turn on the computer. Even for fun stuff like blogging and ebaying!
Here is my problem. I have to go somewhere for a work function over night. I don’t want to go. We are staying in a very upscale resort and spa-somewhere that I would NEVER get to go left to my own devices. The problem is I am completely freaked out to leave the dogs. Now, the dogs will be fine. My dad is taking care of them and he is great with them. Plus my parents live 1.1 miles away, so multiple trips to my house to let them out really won’t be too much of a hardship. The problem is me. I am having huge separation anxiety. You see, I have never left them overnight in the past 5 years. This is significant. It became worse once I was divorced. The dogs became my “security blanket”. I knew when I got home they would be there waiting for me. And I kind of became a homebody. I mean I am not a hermit. I still go to the store, go my parents, go to my brother and sister-in-laws. I mean I have no problem going out for a couple of hours. But I want to be home, sleep in my own bed with the dogs snoring around me. I guess it is like people who can only go to sleep with the T.V. on or some other “white” noise. The dogs are my “white” noise!
Second, I am pretty shy and just the thought of having to possibly “mingle” with the 500 people that will be there has the potential to send me into an anxiety attack right now! I don’t think that I have anything that these people would be interested in hearing. Maybe we will run out of steak and chicken dinners and I will be allowed to go to my room and order room service! That would be great! But not likely.
Oh well, I will just need to suck it up and try to enjoy my time at an exclusive hotel and spa in the mountains in October!
Wish me luck. Seriously.
Here is my problem. I have to go somewhere for a work function over night. I don’t want to go. We are staying in a very upscale resort and spa-somewhere that I would NEVER get to go left to my own devices. The problem is I am completely freaked out to leave the dogs. Now, the dogs will be fine. My dad is taking care of them and he is great with them. Plus my parents live 1.1 miles away, so multiple trips to my house to let them out really won’t be too much of a hardship. The problem is me. I am having huge separation anxiety. You see, I have never left them overnight in the past 5 years. This is significant. It became worse once I was divorced. The dogs became my “security blanket”. I knew when I got home they would be there waiting for me. And I kind of became a homebody. I mean I am not a hermit. I still go to the store, go my parents, go to my brother and sister-in-laws. I mean I have no problem going out for a couple of hours. But I want to be home, sleep in my own bed with the dogs snoring around me. I guess it is like people who can only go to sleep with the T.V. on or some other “white” noise. The dogs are my “white” noise!
Second, I am pretty shy and just the thought of having to possibly “mingle” with the 500 people that will be there has the potential to send me into an anxiety attack right now! I don’t think that I have anything that these people would be interested in hearing. Maybe we will run out of steak and chicken dinners and I will be allowed to go to my room and order room service! That would be great! But not likely.
Oh well, I will just need to suck it up and try to enjoy my time at an exclusive hotel and spa in the mountains in October!
Wish me luck. Seriously.
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