Things Are Progressing, Snow and a Busy Day

I was able to get the Etsy order downloaded on my home computer, but wasn't able to do it on my laptop at all.  Very frustrating, and an unfortunate delay for my customer. I'll be emailing them today to update them and the order will go out on Thursday. Late. GRRRR. I might just do whatever I can at home today in hopes of dropping it by the post office later this afternoon. 

For some reason I couldn't access that order 
on my laptop at all. But, I was able to grab 
it from my older computer at home. Now to 
get that sent out with apologies! 

It's an early start for me today. We got snow starting just as I was pulling in to the driveway last night. I don't think we got a lot, but I need to get the driveway shoveled before heading to the pool, so I can't chat a lot this morning. 

We didn't get a lot of snow last night, but I still need to get 
the driveway cleared off. Hopefully the streets won't be 
too icy. 

Travis sent me the mockup of our postcard that will be sent to 15,000 people in the Twin Cities area. I actually like it quite a bit. It's very eye-catching, bright, brilliant, and very busy. There were a few small changes we requested which will be put into the final, but I'm happy. I was smiling all day thinking about it. At least some things are working correctly. 

It won't take long to get the driveway shoveled, but I'll 
have to get that done before taking the trash and recycling 
bins down to the end of the driveway. 

Of course, one thing works and another doesn't. He wasn't able to get access to one thing that I had sent to him - an important thing. So, I sent him the link once again, and made sure he had all of the permissions required for him to access the material. Hopefully he was able to do that yesterday afternoon - or someone on his team was able to. I'm sure I'll hear from him if access is still restricted. 

With only one day off a week now, I'm SO busy on that 
single day. Oy! 

And ... today is a "day off". Load 1 of 3 is already in the washing machine, and I need to figure out what I want/need to cook today. I don't have my Sundays any more - they've been spent at the shop getting things ready to go. I'll be VERY relieved when all of this is over. I have no idea if I'll make any money on it, but really, it's impossible to actually lose money on this. So, with that said, I'm plugging in pictures and heading to the driveway, snow shovel in hand. Have a great Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

It's Going to be a VERY Busy Day

Just a quick post today at the start of a VERY busy morning. The afternoon will be more relaxed (if you can call three loads of laundry and some cooking relaxing), but the morning is packed solid. I start with my swim, of course. I must hit the water on Wednesdays - LOL. Then I get home, drop off my swim clothes and start the first load of laundry before a VERY quick breakfast and heading off to the wilds of the Northern part of the Twin Cities to see my Endocrinologist. 

I'm heading into the wild of Coon Rapids, MN as soon 
as I've had a quick breakfast (although I might push 
breakfast off until late morning). 

I like this doctor, and I haven't seen him for over a year. Itr's a touch-base appointment, and I have no idea what we'll discuss. I can't tell if the infusions I'm getting (at a VERY expensive rate - it's a damned good thing I have health insurance), anyway ... I can't tell if they're doing me any good or not. I haven't had any scans to let us know whether my bone density has improved or not. Maybe it's just stabilized, I really don't know. I have crap bones ... that I do know. I feel like a skyscraper that's developed rust on its' interior beams. Generally, not a healthy thing. 

My bone density is more like the bottom than 
the healthy bone density of the top. That presents 
some serious issues with mobility and possible 
bone breakage in my future. We're trying everything 
we can to improve the density, thus the infusion 
schedule he's got me on. 

But I'll start today off in the pool, then run home and head off to Coon Rapids (yes ... that's the name of the northern suburb where my doctor is located), and after I see him, I can get started on my day - some shopping, a bit of cooking, and some mundane things like paying bills. I'll chat with Aearwen late this afternoon, then toss some chicken into the oven, and call it a busy day done. 

I don't mind being busy, but I also have to be very 
productive today - no choices. So ... I have to be super 
organized and efficient. I'm not always meeting those 
two criteria - LOL. 

I hope all of you have a great Wednesday. Maybe a bit less hectic than mine, but a good one. I'm going to plug in some photos and call this done for today. Slava Ukraini. 

The Computer Has Its Own Ideas Today - Thus a Minor Formatting Issue

I'm hitting the ground running today, even if it is actually a swimming day. I actually slept until my alarm went off - that's rare these days. A quick meditation of about 45 minutes, changing into my swim gear and making sure my clothes for afterwards are packed, my first load of laundry in the washer and in its' cycle, has all led to a bit of time to sit at the computer and chat for a short time. 

My photo program is being picky today, fortunately I'm 
not so short on time as to not get photos loaded - quickly! 

I have to drop by the shop very early this morning to finish the inventory I was in the process of taking last night when I ran out of time. I have bins on my countertop and just need to finish that one product before I can get to the grocery shop and start my day. Who am I kidding? My day started an hour ago (as I sit here and look at the clock). I can tell it's going to be a very busy one, not just my usual three loads of laundry and cooking dinner. 

It's going to be a very busy day today, starting out 
at the shop where I'm finishing the task I was 
working on when I ran out of time yesterday. 

I've been trying to get my Treo Wellness app renewed. I've been working with their customer service, but the codes they're sending me are not getting received by my phone. I'm quite irked at that - there isn't any reason for my not getting text messages, I get them all day long after I bring my phone back out of "bother me for emergencies only" mode after my morning exercise. I've still got time, I'm not back on the treadmill until Friday, and I proved to myself that I can easily do my fast-walking without the virtual reality, just listening to my latest book, the way I do my laps in the pool. 

Treo Wellness is the app for the virtual reality programs I 
watch on my treadmill. They have a lot more than that too, 
but that's the aspect of their stuff that I use. We're trying 
to get it renewed, but the code they send to my phone 
simply isn't being received. Sometimes electronics simply 
isn't my friend. *sigh* 

So, some of you might be wondering ... "Listening to a book?" Well, I'm a book fiend. I've always been a book fiend. I blame my father for that, and it's a good blame and a big "Thank You". The moment I discovered books (and how to read them), I was entranced and it's a love affair I'll keep until the moment I die. I'll probably be listening to an audio book when I kick the bucket. It would only be reasonable, given that reading is the great joy of my life. 

Books are the mainstay of my life. I don't care if they 
are physical, or on my phone screen, or audio. Books 
are the one necessity of my life along with air and 
a bit of food now and again. 

So, I've got to get moving. It's a trash and recycling day, so I need to get those buckets to the curb before I leave for the gym, and my clock is continuing to click down my "free time". I hope you have a totally fabulous day and that you have a chance to do something today that you truly love. I'll be back tomorrow before my final swimming day of the week. Slava Ukraini.  

An Early Start Today - It's Going to be a VERY Busy Two Weeks

I awakened early, so took a bit more time for my morning meditation. Of course, that means I'm now in a bit of a rush because today is packed - laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning. Next week I don't get any days off at all and I have to make sure I'm caught up enough to have meals for the week ahead between today and Friday. 

I'm not fond of missing my days off, and nobody else is 
either. However, this sale is major, and on our most 
popular product. I think/hope we'll have a strong 
response to the sale, and we'll need all hands on deck. 

Our EVERY SWAROVSKI IS ON SALE sale begins on Tuesday and continues through Saturday next week. That's "all hands on deck" time for all of us. Chickie had asked to have Tuesday off to accompany her Mom to Mayo Clinic for a gastrointestinal MRI. Unfortunately, Tuesday is the first day of the sale, and there's no way we're going to be able to do without three people available. So, no. She can't have the day off, and I don't get my Wednesday and Friday and DH doesn't get his Tuesday or Thursday or Saturday (his days are more fluid than Chickie's and mine are). 

In addition to my three loads of laundry, I need to do some 
grocery shopping and other errands today. It'll be a 
busy, busy day. 

I'm taking full advantage of my Wednesday and my Friday days off this week. I'll have to cook ahead, so Friday will be a kitchen day. Today I'll try to get some errands in and work on framing for at least an hour or two. I also have to get some bills paid, and I think I also need to download my next book into my audio headphones for swimming. I think I'm quite close to the conclusion for my current book. 

I use a set of Shokz Open Swim headphones in the 
swimming pool. Swimming without listening to a book 
is really boring to me. I listen to Sirius for my treadmill 
days - love the music for my fast walks. But in the pool, 
I've found a book is the perfect thing to keep me on 
pace and keep the time moving along swiftly. 

So, I've got my first load of laundry in the washer and I'm looking at a desk full of things that have to be done by the end of the day. I'll need to drop by the shop and pick up a couple of things for my framing tasks this afternoon, and I'll make sure the Swarovski sale e-flyer went out as scheduled. No rest for the wicked or the good today - LOL. Have an excellent Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow morning. Off to the pool! Slava Ukraini. 

It's Just One of Those Days!

I'm just doing a quick "check in" because I'm really tight on time this morning. It's 6:00 am, I've been up for quite a while - morning meditation, 45 minutes on the treadmill, shower and now blog. But I have to go to the shop very early to finalize a huge sale that we're sending out ... probably tomorrow if the payment comes through today. I have to make sure it's ready to go. Plus we got another mail order yesterday - much smaller and easier to handle. That one I need to wrap up and get into the mail on my way to the grocery store this morning. 

It's just one of those days - LOL. Have a 
great one and I'll have a bit more time 
tomorrow (hopefully). 

So ... I'm exercised and showered, and I'm going to eat a quick breakfast and head to the shop. It's just one of those days - LOL. Sometimes they happen and they're usually for really good reasons. Hopefully I'll have more time tomorrow and in the meantime, have an EXCELLENT Friday. Slava Ukraini. 

Agenda? It's Packed!!!

*sigh* - I forgot to put in my retainers for overnight last night, so I've quickly put them in and I'll wear them until noon today. That means I'll be swimming with them - not really a major problem, but annoying nonetheless. It's going to be a VERY busy day today, and the clock is already ticking. As soon as I get finished with the pool and with breakfast, I'll be hitting the ground running. I have two holiday cards that still need to be addressed and mailed, I have holiday gifts to purchase for DH and for my BFF, Sharon, and I MUST drop by the shop FIRST THING to do a quick financial thing that I forgot to do last night. Well ... no rest for the pure or the wicked. 

It's all about balance, and sometimes my balance 
is really crap. Today I'll have to dance through the day - 
lots to do and several places to go. No time to think 
about it, I just have to pirouette through the whole thing. 

I'm thinking about what I'll make for next week's dinners on Friday, and I have a HUGE piece of meat sitting in a wrapper on my side of the refrigerator. DH picked up a prime rib (or something equivalent) yesterday for our holiday dinner. It was on sale this week and we have to take advantage of those things when buying a piece of meat that costs that much. I love making them, but am always a bit nervous about it too - it's a LOT of money for the meat, and I don't want to be the one who overcooks it. Still, I've done this annually for many years. I have to be confident (and check my recipe - LOL). 

Refrigerators have gotten larger and much more 
efficient through the years. Could you manage with 
just this small space? I doubt you could do that 
these days. I need my side of the 'fridge, and DH 
needs a refrigerator of his own! LOL

I will have to take a careful look at my refrigerator, however. What do I have for meals for the remainder of the week until next Wednesday? I think I still have at least one, maybe two stuffed peppers for my dinners (so good!), and if I have refrigerator room, I might make a quick soup for the remainder of the days until after Christmas. I'm grateful that I'm swimming for the next two days. Swimming always calms my mind. But, today is the final day I can shop for Sharon's gift (yes, I'm guilty and still haven't found the "right" thing for you, GF!). I can't spend a lot of time at this, however, it might end up being a gift card. Unimaginative, but honestly, I always appreciate them. They come in very handy when cash is low and something is needed. 

Today will be a bit of crazy busy. *sigh* It's just the 
way things are going to be until the end of the year. *sigh*

So, I'm off. As you can tell, there's a LOT on my agenda right now. I just have to focus, focus, focus. Oh! And I got the phones at the shop working properly now, so that we can pick up calls for the other line from either phone. It required a bit of intervention from the phone company, but was quick and easy. I thought I had arranged for that set-up earlier, but I actually hadn't. I think I'm going to like the new phones, and their customer care department people are awesome. So ... one step at a time - LOL. Have an excellent Wednesday and Slava Ukraini! I'll be back tomorrow. 

It's a Super Busy Day Off Today

It's a short post today because it's a VERY busy one. I start out at the swimming pool, of course, my normal routine for a Wednesday. Then it goes all squirrely - a 9:00 am appointment at the clinic for some bloodwork (no breakfast for me until lunch - LOL), followed by grocery shopping. In the day at some point, going to my tailor with Jim's four new pairs of pants and a set of old ones. I need her to shorten the new pants to the inner leg length of the old set. I simply don't have the time to deal with this, and she and her hubby do a great job. 

Kim's Tailors is run by Mr and Mrs Kim. They're a bit 
unusual. They don't accept credit cards, only cash or 
checks. They're one of the few places I actually hand-write 
a check for. 

There's going to be some grocery shopping, and of course it's also trash collection day and recycling collection day too, so lots of buckets to take to the curb. I'm grateful that it's not raining or snowing, that would be the cap to my morning - LOL. 

I usually put the buckets at the curb as I leave for the 
gym in the morning. It might be dark, but I can see 
enough to get them in the proper spot. I'll check the 
yard waste bucket when I get home. No light in the 
backyard to see at 4:30 am. 

LJ Idol is temporarily suspended while the hurricane hits Florida. I'm not sure if our Guru evacuated, but he most certainly was impacted. I'm grateful for those votes I have received after my last plea, I feel slightly more comfortable now. But comfort doesn't mean anything in Idol when you're near the bottom in vote count. Still, the comments on my latest entry have been very positive and I'm gratified by the responses I've received. 

Our Guru for LJ Idol lives in Florida and is getting 
a direct impact from Hurricane Milton. Everything 
has been put on hold while he evacuated, and whether 
this week's contest will be wrapped up, or simply 
called a draw and we'll move on to the next, is still 
in the air. I just hope he and his family are safe. 

So, I'm off to the pool. I might as well get this day going so that I can collapse tonight and get a good night's sleep. Have an excellent Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Stay safe, be kind, and help others. Slava Ukraini. 

A Mystery at the Pool and a Lovely Dinner

It's a "day off" today. It's 3:53 am and I've already done my morning meditation, put a load of laundry into the washer, and gathered my swim gear, placing it before the exit door to the garage. It's a garbage day, so I'll be putting the garbage bin at the curb as I leave for the gym in 20 minutes or so. Just enough time to get my blog written and posted. Yeah - a rather typical Wednesday morning. My other mornings are quite similar on swim days, except for the laundry and trash can episodes.  No rest - for the wicked or the good. Time marches onward and we have no choice but to join in the parade. 

I'm joining the parade because time marches onward and 
we all have no choice but to follow along in its' wake. 

My long-time friend Rosemary was missing from swimming yesterday, She's as regular as clockwork - never misses. But her back has really been bothering her and I wonder if it was hurting so much that she decided to give it a rest. I swam in her lane yesterday so that it wouldn't be lonely - LOL. I'll have to check my phone. If I have a number for her and if she's still absent today, I'll probably try to phone her and make sure she's OK. Usually if she's leaving to spend a few days with family, she lets us know.

Rosemary and I aren't "best" friends, but we're friends and 
have been swim mates for more than a decade. Still, I don't 
have her phone number. I'll have to ask the lifeguard if she 
has her number if she's MIA again today. I know her back 
has been hurting her, so she may be taking a quick medical 
absence, but she's usually as regular as clockwork. 

It's nice, when you're older, to have friends around you who will actually notice your absence and care about your well-being. It's one of the reasons I post six days a week online - so that if I keel over, people might turn a random thought towards me and remember me. It's the only way to achieve immortality - through the memories of others. I have little to leave behind me except a messy house and more than 400 posts. It's not much of a legacy, but it's mine - LOL. (I could probably do without the "messy" part of the messy house.) 

No day off on Friday this week, so I have to be sure 
I get everything I need done today. It's bound to be a 
busy day, therefore. Lots to do! 

I don't get my Friday off this week - Chickie and Chickie Mama are driving to Iowa to visit a relative from the East Coast who's grandchild is graduating from an Iowa college. Although Chickie Mama could make the drive solo, it's only two to three hours away, Chickie was more comfortable doing the driving for her. No problem - she's entitled to some vacation time. So I'll have to work on Friday. That crams all of my errands and cooking into today. Serious scheduling issues, but I'll manage. 

My sashimi was tuna and salmon - quite lovely. With fresh 
ginger and hot paste - it was a delightful dinner, and very 
thoughtful of DH to get for me. 

Finally, DH surprised me last night by having purchased sashimi for my dinner. Yippee! I adore sashimi, and it was a lovely treat. It was a late birthday dinner since we were too occupied over the weekend with all of the new plants. I was quite pleased and it was a delightful dinner. Now I've got to get going. The pool isn't waiting on me, and I have to put the trash at the curb for today's pickup. It's going to be a busy, busy day. Have a good one, and be kind. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל. 

Busy, Busy, Busy - It's Quite the Early Morning Ahead

Today starts off with a bang - a quick swim, change of clothing, and off to the doctor's for my annual "wellness" check at 7:30 am. I won't be able to eat breakfast, no time, but I'll grab a baked pears and nuts container for the shop. I'll just have to eat closer to noon than early since I also want to get as many holiday cards worked on as possible. 

Today's schedule is tight and very messed up, but I will 
at least get to the shop in time to work on some holiday 
cards. I'll finalize my mailing list tomorrow, and print out 
the envelopes while working on DH's website stuff. 

Yesterday was a day of errands and cooking. I had four things on my cooking agenda, thinking I'd end up having to push one or two over to Friday. But I actually managed to get all four completed yesterday, so I'm going to devote Friday to DH's website issues instead. I guess that's a win, although it will make for a frustrating Friday as well. 

I really hate that Coach was fired. He actually was/is a 
good coach, just easier to deal with on the chopping block. 
I'm not sure it was the right decision, but it certainly
wasn't my say, so we'll live with the new future on ice. 

So, today I actually slept until my alarm went off, and I refused to minimize my daily meditation at all, so this post is short and quick. We've got a hockey game to watch tonight, and hopefully the major changes that the Front Office did earlier this week (firing the Coach and the Assistant Coach) will actually have an effect. All I know is I'll miss Coach - he was the easiest change the Front Office could make, but he was also a sacrificial lamb. Still, we won the game on Tuesday night after he was fired, so maybe ... maybe ... we can actually win two in a row after tonight. Not holding my breath. The skaters aren't playing as a team, they're not jelling at all. And the season is pretty well trashed at this point. It doesn't change my being a fan - fans stick with their teams through good times and bad. But it makes it harder to be a fan - especially a positive one - LOL. 

Today is a bit of crazy busy first thing in the morning. I think 
I'll really need my swimming time just for a little peace 
and quiet before jumping into my day with both feet. 

On that note and with today's busy, busy schedule, I'm off to the pool. I'm going to really need a good swim today - no question! Have an excellent Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

Today's Schedule is Hit or Miss - I'm Hoping for More Hit than Miss

I found myself chasing my own tail with DH's website yesterday. Tasks I had easily accomplished on Wednesday just weren't working on Thursday. I'll set up again today and give it another go, but I also know I'll be interrupted today and have to run into the shop quickly, so my schedule is a mess anyway. 

My schedule for today is totally messed up, which 
isn't creating much joy for me right now. I need to 
be semi-available at quick notice to run to the 
shop, and it's hard to do Ogre Juice and bake 
some chicken thighs when I need to drop 
everything on a phone call. *sigh*

I have an out-of-town customer who used to live in our area and be a regular shopper. "B" moved to California, and is traveling through on business. She placed a "pick-up" order with us on Wednesday and Chickie and I worked on it yesterday, getting it put together and ready to go. It's a LOT of beads, and I know she'll be picking out others while she's in the shop. "B"'s still got her tax ID number on file with us, and she'll qualify for a quantity discount. She's hoping for an additional discount, but I'm not sure I can go that far. Chickie will call me when "B" arrives in the shop, and I'll put aside whatever I'm working on and head over to assist and to ring her out. We'll see where things go from there, but her main order is packed and ready to be sold. 

I'm pretty good with time management, but sometimes 
things just don't work out well. Not knowing when "B" 
will show up at the shop is really messing with my 
schedule today. 

One of our last customers of the day was obnoxious and I know stole a spool of thread from us, and there wasn't really anything I could do about it, although we certainly called her on it. The customer expressed an interest in seed beads, and seriously stripped our sample boards. We called a halt to the random sweep and gather after one bucket had been filled, and Chickie discussed needles and threads with her while I finished up with another customer, a sweet, elderly woman buying a few things to fix some jewelry she had broken. 

She didn't steal the big spools, but the small one "somehow" 
found it's way into the front pocket of her cut-off jeans. 
We could see it, the empty baggie was on the counter, 
and we called her on it, but she huffed and puffed and I 
wasn't in the mood to lock her in and call the cops on 
a $5 theft, so I let it ride ... this time. I know her now. 
This won't happen again. 

Although Chickie and I could quite clearly see the outline of the spool of thread in her cut-off's pocket, she claimed it was a roll of coins. We know it was BS, but it wasn't worth the effort. I'll remember her - if she hadn't made such a big fuss and mess, we would have caught her earlier. I didn't want to get into a fight for a spool of thread that costs less than $5, so I let it ride ... THIS time. *sigh* Most of our customers are fantastic people, but there are exceptions to that, unfortunately. 

My life would be easier if I didn't have to develop DH's 
website in between the other things on my plate, but I 
do. Yesterday I was cruising along, and it was going well, 
but I had to help a customer and what I was working on 
disappeared. I couldn't bring it back, and couldn't find 
the graphic I had been working on, so I called it quits for 
the day. I'll tackle it again today. *sigh*

Still, it was a good day, and I have hopes that my issues with the website design will be resolved today. I'll find out in a few hours. I have a lot to do, and running to the shop to help "B" is also going to cut into my day. What a mess. I have things I have to roast in the oven, and I don't dare start that until I'm finished with "B". I hope she comes in quite early - I'd like to get her out of the way so that I can actually accomplish what I need to today. On that note, I'm out of here. Have an excellent Friday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Busy Schedules and Website Assistance - Now To Get Things Done!

I actually slept until my 3:00 am alarm today, so it will be a shorter post before I leave for the swimming pool. Aearwen and I had a truncated phone call yesterday - her schedule and mine meshed, however, because I was on the phone with technical service for DH's website until just after she and I would have started our weekly conversation on a normal schedule. I feel a bit more confident in what I'm doing for the website now, and I have a few questions for DH, which I couldn't ask last night for a variety of reasons. However, I told him that I would (hopefully) be working on the website at the shop today, and that he should keep his phone with him in case I had questions for him. 

I'm a person of routine. I set up schedules for myself all 
the time, because a schedule ensures that I actually get 
everything done that I need to do. Yesterday's schedule 
was a bit messed up, but I still got some housecleaning 
done, and four loads of laundry, and an almost hour 
with tech services on the phone re the web site, and 
my phone call with Aearwen, so I at least got things 
done - LOL. 

I harvested and cut up his banana peppers yesterday. We want to pickle those, and that had been my intention, but I didn't have a mason jar available. So, I'll write him a note and see if he can scrounge one up for his peppers. We have them - but they're used. I have rows of filled jars with natural dyes for use on wool and cloth, and he has some in his workshop, but I don't know of any empty ones available. I'll leave him a reminder note to take a look. 

I am a person who thrives under schedules. I like to know 
what to expect, and I'm focused on schedule because I 
always have bunches of things to get done at any time. 
Being a bit ahead of the game is novel, and won't last 
long, I'm sure. 

The website is both easier and more complicated than I had thought, and going through things with the design pro was extremely helpful. He was totally upbeat and happy and a joy to work with. He sounded like someone who really enjoyed his job - a rarity in this day and age it seems. Because so much of the website is drag and drop, and I've never used that feature before, I needed to be walked through that. I also needed to find out where to get X Y or Z and how to do A B and C. He walked me through all of that and I think this will actually work quite well. I'm going to give it my best shot, in any case. 

Although I've never used Network Solutions 
before, I'm finding it quite easy to get into, and 
I think it will start to work more and more easily 
as I work on getting DH's website set up. I'll try 
to get some work done on it today, if I'm not 
too busy with customers. 

I didn't get any beading done, however. I tried to block out an hour to work on another panel, but it just didn't happen. Still, it was a day off where I did get a lot accomplished, so it was worth it. I'll try to get one done at the shop today - early, before I open, of course. Have an excellent Thursday, I'm off to the pool to work off some of this pent-up energy. Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

I'll Be A Very Busy Beaver Today

Today is the usual hectic "day off". I need to make sure to put aside some time to contact the website server/construction program for DH's business website. We get one hour of no-charge assistance with the website, but it has to be taken within 14 days of signing up with the service. We're reaching that deadline, and I have specific questions, so I'll be contacting them today. Of course, that's among other things such as laundry, housecleaning, grocery shopping, computer work and talking with Aearwen (maybe - that'll depend on HER schedule since this is her final week to complete her move to the new house). 

I'm going to be a very busy beaver today. In addition to 
normal things, I also have to drop some stuff off at the 
shop for Chickie, and drop off a store deposit at the bank. 
The bank is WAY south of us, but I'll drop by my co-op 
on my way home from there. It'll all work out. 

In addition to everything else on my agenda, I also get to contact Xcel energy to obtain a copy of the store's invoice. I was shredding items last night before I left the shop, and the envelope containing the payment accidentally fell into the shredder. I immediately turned it off, but it was too late to save it intact. So I need a copy and I'll have to process a new check. *sigh* So stupid, but accidents happen. I've never accessed our invoices online before, however, so need a bit of guidance from Customer Service. 

I've never set up our account to be accessible 
via computer, so I'll need to speak to Customer 
Service about that to download a copy of 
my invoice. 

I'm also at the upper range of acceptable weight for my personal happiness, so I need to focus on eating properly with WildFit choices for the next week or two. The State Fair is coming up and I have NO intention of going into that celebration of food and drink on the high side of my weight. Time to buckle down a bit, concentrate on what I'm putting into my mouth, and working for a bit of weight release instead of just weight stability. I've got the stability nailed - a five pound range that I'm very comfortable with. But, when I'm at the upper end of that range, I need to drop back down again, and I have too much going on this month to slack on this. 

It's also a Wednesday, so I'll be calling Aearwen late 
this afternoon (or she'll be calling me). We might not 
get our full hour of weekly chat, but we'll try. I love 
hearing from her, and she needs to think about 
something other than looming deadlines - LOL. 

So my day will be very full today - lots of house stuff, although the housecleaning aspect will mostly be pushed to Friday. I do have grocery shopping to do today, that will take a good part of my morning since I want to get to the co-op as well as my local grocery store. I need chicken for tonight's dinner, but I'll ski'p anything for my lunch since I have an Ogre Juice from earlier in the week to eat instead. I also HAVE to get some work done on DH's website and I'd like to do at least one beadwork panel. Busy, busy, busy - that'll be my day today. I hope all of you have a wonderful Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

When I Run Late, I REALLY Run Late! LOL

I'm super late getting this posted today because we got a LOT of snowfall overnight and I had a 9:00 am orthodontist appointment. So I shoveled the 3-4 inches that was on my driveway (I have a really long, wide drive-enough for two cars abreast, six to eight cars in total length. So ... I shoveled, and then told DH that I had shoveled but it was already coming back down like crazy and I had to leave. I put the garbage and recycling bins out at the curb and headed north. (As it turned out, the garbage company called all of their customers and told them they were suspending all pickups for the day for the safety of their drivers and customers. So, I'll put the bins back out at the curb again tomorrow morning). 

My trash hauler does both trash and 
recycling, although they have separate 
trucks for each. Still, I needed to put 
two bins at the curb so, needed to clear 
the driveway and space for the bins. 

Apparently DH didn't hear me well, so when he was ready to leave for work, he realized that the driveway needed to be cleared again. He pulled out the snow blower and took care of it before he left (obviously it didn't take him an hour, probably more like 20 minutes). 

I'll be wearing the orthodontic rubber bands twenty hours 
a day for quite a long time. I suspect my teeth will be sore 
with this, but I'll manage. 

At the orthodontist, he put the rest of my grillwork into place. I get to start wearing rubber bands 20 hours a day beginning on Friday. He wants the glue to really set before that tension starts. So my teeth are a little sore today, and I might be using the Tylenol that I haven't used yet. My next appointment is March 1st, so I guess I'm doing OK so far. 

Sorry I didn't post first thing this morning, but time ran away 
from me until late this afternoon. 

So, it was a REALLY busy morning which led into a REALLY busy afternoon and I didn't have a chance to post my blog until now. Those of you who wake up with my blog ... I apologize - LOL. I didn't even get to the pool today because of the snow. I'll go Thursday and Friday instead. Hope you've been having an excellent day and I'll try to be more on time tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Today Will Be A Busy, Busy Day - A Quilt Catastrophe

My old quilt is self-destructing - the fabric is ripping up in the back third of the blanket from old age, I suspect. That's a shame because it is a hand-quilted piece that has some serious age - a family thing. However, I'm not one to wallow in tradition. It's dying and it needs replacement ASAP. Time to hit Amazon for an inexpensive replacement. I'll also check Kohl's since they're local and close and tolerable for white goods. I can limp along with a blanket until I get a new quilt, but I really prefer a quilt for sleeping. 

I'm thinking about ordering this quilt from JC Pennys. It's 
a great color that would work in well with the living 
room, and I rather like it. I'll think about it for the day. 

So, I'm rushing this post. It's a swimming day and I'm running slightly late because I slept until my alarm went off. It's also a trash day - the buckets for trash and recycling need to be curbside before I leave for my daily errands today. Usually I put them out as I'm heading for the gym. I expect today to be no exception to that schedule. 

I'd really like to meet a few of my long-time 
on-line friends some day. With the reunion 
being held so close to Shirebound, I was 
hoping to swing by her place for a quick 
visit and then continue on to see another 
long-tine friend in Pennsylvania. GRRR - this 
whole family reunion snafu has me quite upset. 

Thanks to Shirebound for a lovely, wintery holiday card. *Hugs* of course go out to both you and Pippin, the Wonder Dog. With this snafu that is turning into the family reunion, and the time schedule that seems to be pushing on me for it, we might not get to meet later this year. That would be a tragedy for me, but you moved from one coast to the other, and I'm here, in the midsection of the country. It's rather like getting from Scandinavia to Italy for an easy visit between friends. *sigh* I'm still going to try and get out and see you at some point. It's a necessary thing! 

Today is going to be a very busy day. I'd better 
start going right now! 

So, with a load of laundry already in the wash and a million things to do today, I'm logging off and starting my day. It's going to be a crazy one, guaranteed, and my head's a bit in a swirl trying to figure out the best schedule that will allow me to get everything done. The only thing I guarantee is that I need gasoline, and that's FIRST on my agenda. In fact, I may even buy it before I return home after my swim. Have an excellent Wednesday and I'll be back, hopefully a bit less rushed, tomorrow. Slava Ukraini.