A great day

Finally. A great day from start to finish. Hallelujah and it's about time! I got an early start for the aquatic center. Swam, swam, swam. Then I went to Queen's Ink to meet Bonnie and Karen for our stamping class. It was intense! It's amazing to see what can be done with a stamp, some ink, watercolors, glitter and decorative paper. We worked hard! The class was supposed to be 3 hours, but I stayed for over 5! I know what my Christmas cards are going to be. Yeah!!!! Here's a picture of the three of us. Of course I think I look bad in in, but I'll post it anyway. I guess it's not fair to only show the most flattering pictures of oneself. On second thought, I looked at the picture again and it's a 'no way!' Here's one I like:



My night with Emily was good! We ate dinner together. I asked her if she'd watch Fringe with me. I've been recording all the episodes but haven't watched any of them and my DVR is filling up. We watched the pilot and the next episode. What an amazingly intense show! We loved it! We sat on the couch together with our blankies. It was like the old days. It might have been for just one night, but it was a much needed reprieve from the status quo.

Tomorrow's Halloween. I'm working late, so I'll miss out on all the trick-or-treaters for the first time ever. I should have switched my schedule. Some people from work will dress up. I've considered it, but I doubt I'll do it. Unless I wear some type of athletic outfit, like a warm-up suit. That might be a maybe.

I haven't had time to read any blogs today, and I'm only going to look at Soul and Jamie's now, or I'll be sucked in for the count and it's already my bedtime. I'll catch up with you soon.

Hope you found some great in your day too!

So, hi. I'm eating a Klondike bar. Have you noticed how many flavors they come in? I'm eating a Reese's one tonight because I already ate the cherry ones. This was after having Chinese food for dinner, then ice cream, then popcorn. Sometimes I'm so careful with what I eat; other times I totally blow it. I took my mother out to dinner for her birthday. We went to our favorite Chinese restaurant. I had combination Singapore rice noodles. It was so spicy, my eyes were watering the whole time. It was worth it. And now I'm just blathering.

Tomorrow I'm going to a stamping class with Bon and Karen (Happyone). We're going to have great fun together. I'll have pics. They've never stamped before, and they're in for a treat. I hope to get psyched about making my Christmas cards. An early start is a good one.

I'm thinking of leaving the house really early to get my swim in before the 10:30 class. Got to work off all this ice cream.

This post is going nowhere. I had things to say this morning. I'm gonna put it to rest till tomorrow. Till then...

Ladeda

I got tired of my profile picture. It's not summer-like outside anymore, although what do I pick out but a summer picture? OK. That doesn't make sense.

I was out of the house early and off to the pool. Someone stole my lane. She was walking just ahead of me and passed the lane just as I was stopping there. She backtracked, then asked if we could share. I said I'd go to the other side of the pool and she thanked me. But I really wanted my lane. My shoulder hurt pretty much the whole time I swam, but it wasn't too bad. The pool is 82 degrees, which is nice and comfortable. I've noticed that I'm the only one to put on make-up while I'm in the locker room, and to use a blow dryer. It takes me a half hour to shower and get out of there. I have my routine. The ladies in the locker room are all very friendly.

I went to my sister's office afterward for a flu shot in the arm that didn't hurt. The shot hurt and I was wimpy. Then I forgot all about it.

The counseling session was intense. And confrontational, but not between her and me. Tracy is fantastic, and I feel a real bond with her. And there was a situation in school today. And then one at home. And 'you know who' is staying at her father's for a few days. And I'm dealing.

I went to my parent's for a visit after counseling. I was going to cut my mother's hair, but just wasn't in the mood. She was fine with that. I went to return something to a store in her neighborhood and couldn't find my credit card. Luckily it was in a jacket pocket at home. I was so glad I didn't have to cancel it and go through that bother.

It's cold and rainy here. In the 40's. Brrr. I've been using the little space heater I just bought for Emily. It's fantastic, and I think I'll buy one for me and just keep the rest of the house cold. It warms up your immediate area in a flash.

It's almost 9:00. I think it's time for bed and book. G'night. Remember to smile.

Making up for lost time; bear with me

Alright, it's been long enough. I've been busy. Busy with what, though? Often, when I come into work on a Tuesday and I'm asked about my weekend, I have a hard time remembering. It's a long weekend...Saturday afternoon till Tuesday at 11:00. A nice long weekend, but always busy. I should talk about it today while I still remember. Hmmm...Em's friends were over yesterday so I came home from Borders at about 5:00 and stayed in. I cooked quesadillas for them and cookies. Pre-formed frozen cookies, but they were still hot and delicious. The kids were happy.


I'm not sure who did this, but check out the art they made on our whiteboard:


And those are lyrics. I asked.
I spent my time at Borders reading books about how to use your iPhone. I learned a lot! I went to my library afterwards and put a hold on one of them, then spent the night on the computer with an ebook, "The iPhone[R] Book" by Scott Kelby and Terry White, and my iPhone. I'm learning all the ins and outs. Next to my laptop, it's the best toy I ever bought. I've downloaded a few free apps, including the one that lets me post directly to Blogger, Twitter and Facebook. I've wanted to do all this since I first got the phone, but didn't have the time. I woke up at 6:00 this morning after 5 hours of sleep and spent the next 3.5 hours in bed with my laptop and iPhone. Then I got real and got busy.

Em and I went to the mall. It was not a success. I had to buy jelly beans, if you know what I mean. I ran the few errands I had planned, then we came home. It was a beautiful day, and I started my walk at 3:30. I think it was 67 degrees and sunny. Wonderful weather for a walk. Em asked if I could stop in Dunkin Donuts on my way home and get her an apple fritter. There I was, power-walking the rest of the way home with a donut bag in hand. I didn't eat any. I just finished an unappetizing dinner of microwaved Tyson's crispy chicken strips that Emily won't eat, and Trader Joe's organic vegetable medley. The veggies were much better than the chicken. And I read the paper! I don't know the last time I did that. And here I am.

I took a few pictures with my iPhone camera. Here's how they compare with my Canon. The phone pictures are first. Not as good as the real thing, but OK.






I met with the counselor on Thursday, and made some big changes around here. I'm getting lots of opposition, both from you know who and from her father. I just have to deal with it. He's going to the counselor with me tomorrow. I will let the professional decide the best course of action. The changes I made were proscribed by her. Change is hard, but the hope is that things will get better.

I'll start my busy day tomorrow with my swim. My favorite lane is just to the right of the lifeguard. See all that sun shining on the water? I purposefully smile whenever I swim into the light. This is the main pool. It's divided into 3 pools, all with the same water. The triangular banner's overhead mark the 1/4 and 3/4 lap, with the American flag marking the mid point. It's nice when I do the backstroke to look at the ceiling and know just where I am.



This is the therapeutic pool with a class going on.

I tried to get a picture, but it came out too dark. I stand under a waterfall after I finish my swim. It's in 1.5 feet of water. I let the water cascade over my head and massage my back. Then I get in the big hot tub and do my stretches. Then I sit in the water with my head resting against the ledge and water from a waterwall sprinkles cool drops on my face. Sounds good, huh?

I'm still sore from Thursday's swim. My shoulders. My friend Cathi said it's from overuse. I'm stretching, and it doesn't hurt when I swim.

Can you believe how much I wrote. Sorry. Did you last this long? I'm outta here.

I've been working with my phone since getting off work today. I'm testing posting on it. So, this is just a test.

I could stay up reading blogs, or post one of my own, but I'm too tired to do either, so I'll just say a quick hi here. Tomorrow's Saturday, a good day to blog. Catch up with you then!

A quickie post

It's a day off, and I'll be especially busy. I'm getting ready to get ready for the aquatic center. I have an 11:15 counseling appointment. I'm meeting a handyman at my house at 1:15. I'll be at Emily's away playoff game at 3:30. I'll probably spend 2 1/2 hours driving to and fro. At least gas prices are down. I just paid $2.61/gallon. Seemed like a bargain.

Happy Thursday :)))

About those squirrels

Feasting

Alright, I'll admit it, as pesky as those squirrels are, they're lots of fun to watch. And I encourage them by leaving out food. In this picture the squirrel is feasting on leftover waffles. Hey, I was taught not to throw away food! So, they're entertaining rodents, and my tomatoes were protected from them, but still, I don't want them sharing my house with me. It seems they're living in my gutters. At least that's what I think. They scurry over the roof, sounding like workers putting up shingles. They climb up and down the corner of my house on the siding to get to the deck and back to the roof. They fly through the air to get to the trees. A whole bunch of family and friends. So, I'm having a handyman here on Thursday to go to my roof and look for a nest. Maybe cut branches too. The squirrels can visit, but they can't stay. You think they'll listen?

A picture post

Thought I'd put up some pictures from yesterday's walk around the neighborhood. It was fun playing photographer with my new camera.

This dead tree has been around for years. I love it

Peeps in the pond

A resting spot

'Our' dismal swamp

Heavy with pinecones

Hammock holder

Emily's old under-the-deck swings

Fire ring

View from the backyard

The weeds that are taking over my lawn

The last of the lilies

Why I'll plant lots of Lantana next year


At the end of my walk

There's squirrels living on my roof but that's another story

I should be getting ready for the aquatic center instead of sitting on my couch. Sometimes I get stuck here and that's why it's not a good thing to sit down. Still, I'll be able to get this out at lightning speed when I'm done, cause that's what caffeine does to me. Emily brought a bag of coffee beans back from her trip to Costa Rica and the coffee is powerful!

I love new stuff, and I'm on a roll. C.A. from Little Dynamite sent me a link to LadyBirdLand's etsy shop 'cause there was something there she knew I'd love. I loved everything! Check out her wonderful art and see if you can guess what I bought. Nah, I'll tell you. It's the print of "This Above All To Thy iphone Be True." It spoke to me, and I had to have it and I'll be hanging it up on a newly empty spot on my kitchen wall.

On that note, I'm signing off. I was going to post pictures, but I'll bring my laptop with me on my travels, and I'm sure I'll find a happy place to post from.

Till then...

Sunday, Sunday

It's been a longshortday. I want more of it, but alas, all days are short to me. I'm going to make an early night of it and get into bed with my book. Perhaps this will be the day I finish it or perhaps not. It's been a good day. A beautiful one. The clearest bright blue sky and most brilliant sun. High of 61 and breezy. I took a long walk and shot dozens of pictures with my new camera. I'll upload them tomorrow. I was feeling just fine till about an hour ago, then I got that pre-cold feeling. You know, you feel it in your neck, by your glands? And the headache? I'm going to take some Airborne (sp?) and maybe use my netti pot to try to nip it early. I'll write a real post tomorrow, but just wanted to post a little hello for now. All's quiet on the homefront, and for that I'm thankful. 'Night!

Change of heart, or something like that

Today was SO much better. A great mix of clients. I had a cancellation during the slot that a color client was processing, which means no money but I needed the down time. My color client had an hour booking for her haircut. We knew beforehand she was going into a totally new cut and I wanted the extra time. She had pictures of an old haircut, and the transformation into her new look was just fantastic. We were both thrilled. The day sped by, and though I got out late, it was OK. I headed to Borders, where the barista knows my drink of choice. I sat with an iPhone magazine, checking out apps. I looked up the recommended ones on my phone. Browsed my 'social networking' sites, checked e-mail, etc... Happy. I left there hungry, thinking I'd go over to my Saturday night haunts, but on the way made a decision to go to Savage Mills to check out my favorite stamping store. I ran into a neighbor there and we gabbed for a while. I decided to go to Ram's Head Tavern to get their Fish Tacos to go. Thought I'd bring them to Starbucks and eat while hanging out. The bartender asked if I liked Bloody Marys, that he made two spicy ones instead of mild, and they'd be free. I knew I had an empty stomach, so decided I'd eat at the bar and have a drink. I called Happyone to tell her about a stamping class, and the next thing I knew, she was sitting next to me at the bar. She had a Guiness and we had a visit. I made it through half of the second Bloody Mary but thought that was enough since I had to drive. And drive I did, right over to the Starbucks where I'm at right now. I'm lucky, I guess, that I'm alright with doing things by myself. I'd rather be blogging remotely than while sitting on my sofa. Right now it's just me and the two Starbucks employees. Cozy.

I want to do it all.

It was a .... day. I can't even spell the word I want to use, so I won't. It was a hard day, mentally and physically. I ran behind most of the day, so even going to the bathroom was out of the question. And I was hungry. And there was always someone waiting for me. I had my 30 minute lunch break, and I think 8 minutes one time while a color was processing. And it was a completely bad day psyche-wise because of daughter and ex-husband stuff. Frustrating. I wish I could write about it but I can't. My new camera came today, and one of the receptionists took the battery out and I charged it up, but I haven't had time to look at it. And I want to. And I want to play with my phone. I want to put in all my contacts and work on the calendar and add all the cool apps. And I want to put on my music. And write something on Twitter. And on Facebook. But I don't have time. I want to read all your blogs. And write my own. I want to read my book. I want to cry, really. Sorry, it's just been a day. And it's time for sleep. Sigh. The End.

Not a title day

I spent hours last night catching up on blogs. Wish I could have done it in person with you. Really talked face to face. If I didn't feel like you were my real friends, I wouldn't invest my time here. I think you feel the same.

I'm only going to be a little whine-y this morning. It wasn't my intent. Most of my clients know all about my life. I talk for a living. Oh, and do hair too. When they ask how things are at home, I say it depends on the day or on the moment. Things can go from really great to horrible in about 10 seconds. Not just for me, but for everyone. For the most part things are OK here. Except for when they're not. And when you know you're going to have to enforce the rules you've set down, and know what the resulting atmosphere will be, it leaves you feeling very anxious. But, that's life, and you deal. Do you hear yourself Cheryl? You deal. So....I'm off to the pool. I'm nervous because I'm still really sore from painting. I have a bruise on the inside of my leg on the side of my shin that's about 3" in diameter and it hurts. And my shoulders! And fingers! But I'm going to take it easy at the pool. Swim half of what I usually do. Walk a few laps in the walking lane. Spend 10 minutes in the hot tub. Stand under the waterfall. Breath in the chlorine smell that gives me a rush. De-stress. Don't get the impression that things are horrible here...they're not. It was just a bad morning, but it will pass. I have the ability to let things go, thank goodness.

My plans for the day? Swim center. Maybe stop by my sister's office to see if she'll give me a flu shot. Plus the reps are there on Thursdays with lunch. She said I have to come over when I'm at the pool because she's about 5 minutes away. I hope to go to the Apple store for a tutorial. Maybe hook up with Bonnie? Em has her last game at 5:00 and I'll be there for that. Maybe squeeze in a meeting with her dad in-between? So, I'll be like Mo, on the go.

Be well friends...

I'm a bad blogger

Too many things going on. Not enough time. I'll write a real post soon and read yours too. Promise.

Excitement interuptus

It's been one busy day. I got an early start and headed out to the Panera's by my folks for breakfast and Internet time. Unfortunately the service was down, but that was OK. I took my mom on my errands with me. She stayed in the car reading my People magazine while I ran around. She was happy, I was happy. I must have gone into 7 stores. In and out. I dropped her off afterward and headed to Office Depot. For some reason they sent me a gift card for $60 more than the replacement cost of my old camera. I'm not complaining. I had to order my new camera online. I bought another $40 replacement warranty. Duh. I can't wait to get the new camera. New toy! It's a Canon sd870IS. It got the best reviews on cnet.com. I decided that today would be the day I'd finally buy the iPhone. I've been contemplating it forever. You probably remember that. I found I could cancel my AT&T cell plan, join my parents plan, and have my fee, including the data plan for the iPhone, be the same as what I was already paying. If I bought the iPhone on my own plan it would be an additional $35 per month. So, I did it. Bought the phone. Was told it would take about an hour to activate. It's been about 5 1/2 hours and still no service. Can I say WAH? Wah, wah. I spoke to AT&T and they apologized, saying it was just taking longer than expected to activate. If it's not working in the morning I have to go back to the store and perhaps get a new phone. Excitement interuptus.

Emily called in the afternoon to inform me we were hosting the team dinner. No time to cook; no notice. So, I spent a fortune on pizza for 15. I guess the girls are real hungry after practice. This is the last week of field hockey. Two more games playing the number 3 and number 2 teams in the county. The season went by way too fast. Emily wants to do indoor winter field hockey, and I'm all for that.

Thanks for the suggestions on my cocoa/green corner. I'll let you know what I decide. For now, I'm resting.

Ginnie...I'm reading Still Life with Chickens. What a great little book. I'm ready to call it a night and get in bed and read. I'll catch up with you guys soon. Till then...

I....can't.....move.....

The painting is over. My friend and co-worker Joyce came over today to help me, which was so nice! I saw her online on facebook and started a chat, then called her. I was moaning and complaining and she offered to come over, and I said YES! I had already put the first coat on the kitchen. She did the hallway, and we did the bathroom together. After she left I got a second coat on the kitchen. Almost everything is put back into place. And, my initial feeling is I don't know that I'm loving it. Maybe if the family room were green too? Hmmm. It butts against a cocoa wall. Green and cocoa are quite a contrast. The bathroom is very green. Em loves it, which matters to me. I'm going to have to get used to it because I'm not painting again for a very long time. Except for the trim, which has to be done. I'll re-stamp the bathroom like it was before. I really liked that.

Before and after. That refrigerator needs to be cleaned off!


This is what I mean about the cocoa wall and the green one. Yow! What am I gonna do?

I'm not going to do anything. I have other fish to fry. Or something like that.
How was your weekend?

Going slow but looking great!

Willing, but not without complaints

My shoulder is so sore, but like it or not, it's going to be sorer very soon. I don't know why last Wednesday's swim caused me so much pain, but it did. Then all the stuff I did to prep for the painting...I used my right hand and arm for everything and my shoulder is killing me. But...I'm painting anyway. In a few minutes. I'll pay the price later.

So, while I'm procrastinating, I'll put up a few Homecoming pics. Then I'm really getting started. Soon I'll be posting pictures of my new green rooms.

Just thought I'd leave a title. 'Cause I can.

I spent some time this morning working on titles for this post. Not that my template allows titles. What's up with that anyway? I hate looking at my post in Reader and seeing "no title". I want a title. I have titles in mind.

Now I forgot the titles I was thinking about. Cause that was a long time ago. I woke up early and went to work on taping. I got the whole kitchen taped yesterday before work. It took forever to tape the hallway and the bathroom. When it was completed I realized I'd be a fool to paint today. My shoulder is so sore from swimming and from taping. So, as much as I wanted to work, I'm walking away from it all until Sunday. No swimming either. I way overdid it on Wednesday and I'm still paying the price.

A work in progress


See the cabinet door peeking out? I took it off cause I'm so anal.




I wish I weren't so driven to do a perfect job. That I could paint without taping. Without sanding and caulking. Without making it into such a big deal. I'm driving myself crazy. I just called my painter friend to ask if I really had to wait 8 hours for the first coat to dry like the paint can says. Woohoo, I don't. And I can leave the same tape on. Yeah! I usually retape. I know, I know. He said he'd hire me part time. Ha ha. Not on your life. And after all this, am I sure I'm going to love the color? Um, no. But I'm keeping it no matter what.

We're going to the relatives in a little while to celebrate Yom Kipper. They're all fasting, I'm eating Trader Joe's dark chocolate. Yeah, I know.

PS...I have a title, and this is it.

Thanks to Fiwa, I now have a title field. I'm going to be title-ing all over the place!

I don't think I can swim before work. It exhausted me for the rest of the day. Every muscle in my body is sore. My chin is sore, my neck, my butt, my hands, my arms, etc... They say swimming uses all your muscles. That and an 8 hour day just didn't work out. It's before 9, and I'm going to bed. Hopefully I'll sleep.

Catch up with ya'll later.

I feel like I shouldn't write since I'm so far behind on reading blogs. So, I'll just write a little.

I got a lot of paperwork done this morning. It takes up a lot of time, you know? I went to the counselor in the afternoon with my ex. It was really great! Productive. She's a perfect fit. I caulked when I got home, then did some gardening clean up. Had a solitary shrimp dinner while Em was at a team dinner. And here I am. I've been doing Facebook stuff. Laundry. The DVR is filling up with shows I don't watch. Blogs are not being read. Neither are the newspapers. Ladeda.

I'm going to the pool before work tomorrow. I'm excited!

Later...

So, I decided to start my day off at the pool. I got there at 8:15, fifteen minutes after it opened, and there were a lot of cars in the parking lot. I worried that it was crowded. One of the pools was alive with activity. Turns out it was a swim team. The other pool was open and I had a lane to myself for all but the last 7 laps. I really don't like to share. I mostly do the breast stroke, and it takes up a lot of space. I stood under the waterfall in the rec pool when I was done, with the water massaging my neck, back and shoulders. Nice! I did my stretches in the hot tub. Nice again. When I left the center, I drove to a Starbucks and had a bagel while drinking my latte and reading my newspaper. It was a beautiful morning and I sat at an outside table, feeling totally refreshed. I went to the paint store on my way home, and bought my paint. I'm committed. Emily called and wanted breakfast from Dunkin Donuts: a mango frozen drink, apple fritter and a sausage, egg and cheese croissant. She ate it all, somehow. It was her birthday breakfast. We hung out for a while, then she went to a friends house. I got busy on my house.

Why oh why did I start this painting job? I bought the sample can of paint because I liked it in a friend's house. I didn't even have a part of the house I wanted painted. Then I painted the foyer, and one thing led to another, and now I'm knee deep in a big project. Just because I bought the sample. So today I took down everything from above my cabinets. And from the counters. And took off all the switch and outlet covers. And did the drywall mud. And sanded. And put on more mud. And scraped up old caulking. And wiped down walls. And sanded more. And vacuumed walls. In the kitchen. In the foyer. In the powder room. Tomorrow I'll caulk. And start the taping. And I'll replace all the switches and outlets with new white ones. Which will mean I'll have to turn off the electricity. Why oh why did I start this painting job?

In other news, I think it was a pretty good birthday for Emily. Her big gift from me was a new hockey stick. I bought her flowers and a reed diffuser from Pier 1. This picture is her traditional birthday pose. As much as she complains about it, she still puts on her crown for me. I have pictures of her wearing one from every single birthday.

It's been a day. High stress, low stress, no stress. The first two stresses took turns for a while. I'm in the latter stage now. At Paneras.

I wrote a blog post in my head on my drive home from work. Let's see if I can recreate it...
Jelly beans are better than cigarettes
I used to be a smoker. Big time smoker. Upon waking, it was my first thought and I lit up immediately, even if I woke in the middle of the night. The last thing I did before going to bed was smoke. I'd excuse myself from my clients in the middle of a haircut, saying I had to use the bathroom, and I'd smoke. I hid smoking from non-smoking boyfriends. Made up errands and reasons I had to absent myself. Cigarettes ruled. I tried to quit a few times, but just the thought of quitting made me need a cigarette that much more. Many moons ago, I was able to quit. I quit for 2 years. One day I got in a bad fight with my then boyfriend. I was so mad and frustrated and I said to myself, 'That's it! I'm buying a pack of cigarettes.' I smoked a pack of cigarettes on that first day as if I had never quit. I loved smoking. Loved the dizzying feel of that first drag. But I hated that I smoked, that this nasty habit had it's hooks in me. I hid my habit from many; I was ashamed. But that didn't stop me. Then I got married to a non-smoker, and shortly thereafter wanted to get pregnant. But I wasn't allowed to. Not till I quit smoking. I made up my mind, and bought the patch, and did it. The patch helped...it was a crutch that segued me from one side to the other, but it was definitely mind over matter. Quitting smoking is one of the things I'm most proud of because it was the hardest thing I've ever done. When I quit I said to myself, if I ever found out I had an incurable disease the first thing I'd do was start smoking, because it wouldn't matter. I never thought I'd see the day that I didn't crave a cigarette, but it happened. I wouldn't smoke again for anything. Which brings me to the jelly beans. Today was a really bad day with my teen. I was in a rage in my head. So I did it. I bought jelly beans. I had promised myself no more. I was so proud of myself the other day when I went to Walmart. I was salivating at the thought of being so close to my 1 pound bag of jellys, and it took every bit of willpower not to buy them. Then came this afternoon. I was so mad and frustrated and I said to myself, 'That's it! I'm buying a pack of Jelly Bellys.' And I did. Jelly beans are much better than cigarettes, but I promise, I'm not going back to a pack a day.

I'd like to say, The End, but there's one more thing. Around this time, fifteen years ago, I was 3 hours into an 8 hour labor that started with my water breaking in Walmart. Of all places. Emily was born on October 5th, 1993. I quit smoking 16 years ago. Amazing. I hope my story of quitting might be an inspiration. You can do it. You know you want to. It's hard, but not impossible. And if I had just a little more willpower, I'd throw away the box of jelly beans sitting in my purse. I've really had enough.

The End

So, it's Saturday morning, and I'm at work, waiting for my first client. For some reason I woke up at 3:49 and couldn't get back to sleep. I got out of bed an hour later and layed down a second coat of paint of the lighter color on the walls. I'm still undecided. Frustrating. I'll see what it looks like in the daylight, if I do see some daylight at home. I have my stuff to go to the pool after work. After Borders. We'll see what unfolds.

For now, it's time to get busy. Happy Saturday!

I guess I'm going green
I spoke to my painter friend today. I told him I placed swatches of the foyer color around the kitchen and decided I really liked it. He convinced me to wait till night to see the color in artificial light before buying the paint. I went back to the paint store and bought two new paint colors and painted swatches all over my kitchen, foyer and bathroom. Guess what? I like the original color best. I told Emily we can't have the team dinner here on Monday because the walls are a patchwork of color. I guess I'm painting. In my spare time. That part is a joke. Actually, there's not a lot of wall space. What's going to take all the time is the taping. Lots and lots of taping.




My swim was invigorating. Just the smell of the chlorine wafting out the front door on my way in was exciting. I swam 42 laps.

The girls put out a good effort, but lost tonight's game 1-0, again. Our team has a rowdy group of parents cheering on the squad. I think we embarrass them.

If you know me, you know I research every new electronic product I buy. I drive myself nuts, and its not a reputation I'm proud of. My nephew did all the research for the last camera I bought, and it was the best. I've decided to stay with a Canon, for many reasons. They're great cameras, and the fact that Emily has one means duplicate chargers and cables. One set kept upstairs and the other down. I'm pretty sure I've decided on the SD880. It's release date is tomorrow. I have to wait for my gift card to come in the mail, but Emily is letting me use her camera while I wait to buy mine.

Yesterday was another nasty weather day for a game. Cool and rainy. The field was soaked from a downpour right before the start. The girls were sliding and falling and flipping in the air. A star player on the opposing team took 6 of our girls out with injuries. The refs gave her one warning towards the end of the game and only pulled her out in the last 5 minutes. We were so mad they let her stay in so long with no penalties. The opponents played a much better game than us, but only won 1-0. Today is an away game, with a neighboring high school. They're good. I hope our girls are better.

I'm ready to get ready for the pool. I haven't been there in a week and I know I'm gonna be hurting. Things just got in the way so I'll pay the price. I've kept up with my walking.

Incognito walker

I plan to go to Duron and buy paint to put a second coat on my foyer and paint the adjoining powder room. Like I said before, I don't love the color, but Emily does, and anything is better than what it was. I'll run just a few errands while I'm out. That's the plan so far.