It Was a Busy Day and I Was an Idiot

Back to the shop today. Apparently DH pulled out a desk drawer from one of the desks and is unable to actually get the sucker back in, so that'll be a job for me. Also, I need to get the freezer defrosted on the ancient refrigerator that we have in the framing studio. It was in the place when we moved in, and it'll probably be here when we move out. I can't imagine someone wanting to purchase it, but ... if they want it, they can have it. It'll be up to them to get it up the stairs and out the door. The same with our huge safe on the main floor. I got that from the KTCA Public Television Auction at no charge - they were getting rid of it when they were moving to their downtown location and no longer going to hold the auctions. So, we've had it for a long time now. It's not super secure - a simple bike lock is what we've used for decades - but it also doesn't hold a lot of valuable items either - LOL. 

I use a simple combination lock at the gym. My 
valuables - car keys and cell phone are in their 
wall lockers which are keyed, but the rest of my 
stuff is in the gym locker inside the dressing room. 
I try to never carry valuables in any case. Not 
really needed at 5:00 am after all. 

So I guess I'll get dirty and dusty working at the shop today, and Chickie will mostly be on her own. I do have her holiday gift, however. I had hired my "nephew from a different sister" in Oregon to paint two Dungeons & Dragons minis for her characters. Of course, he packed them poorly, and one arrived broken. I glued it back together yesterday and sprayed a protective finish over both of them, so they should be good to go. I'll try to take a photo of both of them today, but right now they're in my backpack and I'm very short on time for the pool. So ... that will have to wait. 

My dear "nephew" apparently understands 
NOTHING about shipping because he didn't 
put any packing materials into the box at all! 
It's a wonder that only one of them broke, 
and lucky that I was able to repair it easily. 

And yesterday I was a complete idiot. It's a good thing that Target is relatively close to where I live. I needed a new set of jeans, so went to Target yesterday morning early. I tried on a couple, and ended up with two size 6 sets, but decided, after trying them on again in the comfort of home, that I'd rather upgrade to the size 8 instead. So while out on afternoon errands, I dropped back by Target and returned the incorrect size. I went to the display for jeans and decided which type I wanted, then picked one from the size 8 pile. It wasn't until I got home that I realized it actually was another size 6. *sigh* I'll try to return these later this week or maybe next Wednesday, and get the size 8 I really want. I don't need to be squeezed into my jeans, I like them to be comfortable,  not constraining. 

I totally messed up with this one. I'll be returning 
it later in the week or next week, and getting the 
right size this time. LOL

So, on that note, I'm off to the pool. I hope you have a great day, we'll see how mine goes. Lots of frayed tempers as we're under deadlines with Travis. Enjoy your Thursday! Slava Ukraini. 

Time - It's Not Really My Friend Today

I'm on time, but I'm running late. Have any of you ever had days like that? I was slightly delayed because I took a bit more time for my morning meditation, but also making the bed up took longer because the blankets were all messed up. Then I got onto the treadmill, about ten minutes later than usual, and thought, "Maybe I'll shorten my workout a bit because I'm running a little late". But, I also chose scenery that would keep me interested and feed my homesickness for the Southwest. I ran through Utah and Arizona this morning, and no, I didn't cut it short at all. 

Apparently rare earth metals have been found in the deserts 
of Utah. This fabulous landscape may become trash as 
developers and mining companies rush to purchase plots 
and start mining. We currently purchase our rare earth 
elements from China. But this large deposit may be the 
saving of our computers and the death of our landscapes. 

I took my usual length of shower, except DH came down while I was in there and I was slightly delayed getting out of the water. I dried off and got dressed, and my pants were fighting me - LOL. I finally got upstairs to make my tea and the teakettle (we have a new one - our old one died a week or so ago) took FOREVER to get the water even simmering. (I suspect we've been filling the new kettle a bit more than necessary. It's a much larger kettle than we used to own). 

DH destroyed our tea kettle when he was dealing with 
ice on the roof a couple of weeks ago. So, he bought 
us a new tea kettle at Wally World - a Mr Coffee 
brand. I like the teakettle, but it holds a LOT more water 
than the old one, and takes much longer to come to a 
boil (or even a simmer). It's going to take a while until 
I determine how much water to have it in for my morning tea. 

Finally I got the kettle simmering enough for tea, made my cuppa and my travel mug, and headed down to write this blog for the day. It's 6:45 am now, and I need to leave no later than 7:30, and I still need to eat my breakfast. So, all of those small delays have made a short post a necessity today. 

They are on their way! My domestic holiday cards are 
being mailed on my way to work today. My internationals 
were mailed last week. I'm a bit late, but not TOO late - LOL. 

It's mid-December, my international holiday cards were mailed last week, and my domestic cards are going out today. I hope you have a wonderful Monday, and that your day isn't quite as rushed as mine is already trending. I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully with a post that has a bit more "meat" in it - LOL. Slava Ukraini. 

Running Late

I'm running really late today, and have a bunch of things I need to do. I actually slept in until my alarm went off - a rarity. Four am should be plenty of time, but it really wasn't today. So, I'm just cutting this off here and hitting the ground running. I'll be back tomorrow with a longer post. Have an excellent day! Slava Ukraini. 

I'm Running Late. Have to Get Moving

My cupboards are no longer bare - or at least my refrigerator is once again stocked with my cooked fruit for breakfast. I'm quite pleased about that because I was completely OUT! A rare occasion. But yesterday I picked up more pears and added apples and blueberries and nectarines to the mix. It's going to be wonderfully tasty and I'm already looking forward to my first portion after my morning swim. 

Properly speaking, my fruit is roasted, not baked, 
and yesterday I used pears, apples, nectarines and 
added some blueberries into the mix (the photo is 
NOT what I cooked, but it's similar). I add chopped 
nuts to the mix as well. It's a perfect breakfast meal 
for me. 

Aearwen and I had a lovely chat yesterday afternoon to cap off my day. All in all, it was a perfect day, and I don't get those often. Everything clicked into place, no electronics had hissy-fits, no unexpected errands cropped up, and everything worked like clockwork. My days aren't usually like that, so I was quite pleased. 

Yesterday was almost perfect. Not quite, but closer than 
it's been in months. I'll take it! 

The outdoor pool opens tomorrow, and it's been COLD outside. Now, it's not a Minnesota winter cold - not subzero with blizzard conditions (thank goodness!), but it's been in the mid 40's in the mornings and that's cold for running in and out of the outdoor pool. I'm glad I don't swim outdoors until next Tuesday, although I don't think we're getting any big warm-up before then either *sigh*. I like swimming in the outdoor pool - seeing the sun rise while swimming, and having that Olympic length are both serious plusses. But I really HATE the run out and back again until summer temperatures really take hold. Summer temps are NOT here yet. 

The YMCA outdoor pool opens over the weekend. I'll be 
swimming outdoors, welcoming the sunrise for the next 
few months. I enjoy the outdoor pool, but it's a cold run 
to and from the building. 

I guess I don't have much to say today - LOL - and I'm also running low on time, so I'll just wish all of you a wonderful Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow. Be kind, listen to others, pet your non-human companions, and celebrate another day of life. Slava Ukraini. 

LJ Idol and Garlands and ... I'm Running Late!

It's a swimming day and I have 15 minutes to get today's blog post up and running. Ooof! LOL But I actually slept until my alarm went off - a rarity - so no regrets. And isn't that how life should be lived whenever possible? A life of no regrets. Yet, I'm quite sure each one of you, my readers, have experienced a regret or two in your own lives. Paths that were offered to you that you didn't take. Choices where you might have made the poorer decision. But then again ... how would you actually know? The future is still an unknown in that imaginary other life, and life still continues to require you to live it. 

We're down to the final eight, but one person had to pull 
out yesterday because life got in the way. So, we have seven 
of us, and one of us will be eliminated. If you are kind enough 
to vote for me, I won't be eliminated, and will be able to more 
into the top six! I'm rather astounded, and very grateful. 

I'm doing well with votes for LJ Idol, but if you haven't voted for my story, I'd REALLY appreciate your vote. (Links in yesterday's post.) We're down to the final seven. One more person will be eliminated (one contestant bowed out due to life getting in the way - it happens). I like my "fairy" story and I hope that you do also, and that if you read it and like it, you'll take that extra step and vote for it. 

I bought three 50' lengths of this garland 
from Amazon. The last garland I had been 
using had been purchased from Frank's 
Nursery and Crafts (they closed all of their 
stores in the early 2000's). I'd been using them 
for many years, but they were getting a bit 
threadworn and falling apart. 

I'll be stapling foil garlands around the store today - time to Xmas the place up a bit. I bought new garlands because (1) the old garlands I had been using for 20 years or more had been in such bad shape that they were ridiculous, so I tossed them out at the end of last year, and (2) I'm hoping that the new garlands won't shed all over everything. We would find bits of tinsel in nooks and cracks for months after the old garlands were pulled and put away. The new ones shouldn't be quite as "sheddy" (is that even a word? - LOL). 

I'm running a little late today. Have to get 
going. 

So, I'm off and running. Today's blog is short because I'm running really late. I hope you have a totally fabulous Tuesday and I plan on being back here with all of you tomorrow. Be kind, spread love, and Slava Ukraini. 

Wrapping Up the Week

I'm running late today - still trying to figure out the best new schedule that builds 45-60 minutes on the treadmill into my early mornings and still allows for everything else. Today I almost forgot to write my blog which hasn't happened for years and years. Shame on me! But, I remembered before I left the house, which makes me happy. I don't enjoy posting my blog from the laptop. 

I'm still trying to get used to the new schedule of 
putting the treadmill into my "off" days. I love 
the machine, though. It's pretty darned awesome. 

It's finally Saturday and the end of a busy, busy week. I have some on-line shopping to get done when I get to the shop, and there's a vendor claiming they didn't get paid for last month (I checked my on-line bank statement and I did, indeed, pay). I'll have to write down the particulars and phone them on Monday. 

Let's wrap the week up on a high note. 

I'm really hoping for a relaxing Sunday, and have no faith that I actually will get it. Still, I can hope. Sundays are my non-exercise days, so I'll be able to sleep in and enjoy. Monday will be back on the treadmill with my usual swimming days of Tuesday through Thursday before returning to the treadmill for Friday and Saturday. But here it is, 7:17 am, and I've already done more than 7500 steps. I figured out that my wrist watch (which counts my steps because of arm motion) wasn't getting much data because I was holding on to the side sensors for heart rate. So, I moved my watch from my wrist to my ankle today. MUCH more successful. It's still a learning platform, but I'm feeling much more confident. 

I'm really liking the new treadmill, although it's still a 
basic bore. I need to work on how to make it a more 
interesting exercise. I use audio books for my swimming, 
and I may have to do that as well for the treadmill. 

So, I'm going to wrap this up and get going. I hope all of you have a fabulous and safe weekend and I'll be back next week. I'll try to take photos of our spectacular autumn colors on Wednesday to share with all of you late in the week. Be kind and have a great weekend. Slava Ukraini. 

Running Late - Running Thoughts - Fencepost Day (Unless the Rain Interferes)

Hello one and all. I was awakened at 1:15 am by a massive rain - water pouring down from the sky, flashes of lightning, and a minor apocalypse. I guess DH might have awakened enough to check the gutters and downspouts to make sure they weren't clogged by autumn's leaves, but I merely turned back around and went back to sleep. I live in hope and faith, I guess - LOL. But when I awakened when my alarm went off at 3:00 am this morning, DH was awake and playing LOTRO in the computer room. 

I've gotten back into playing LOTRO. We'll see how long 
that lasts, although I'm playing on my laptop this time, so 
I can get a quick 15-30 minutes in at the shop before I 
open in the mornings. And I'm playing new characters - a 
Rune Keeper (love it!) and ... well, I forget what type 
of character my second new elf is. 

Still, I'm running a bit late for a swimming day, so today's post will be short. I'm almost done with the sheets for our Swarovski sale. I think the way I've figured it out will work, and that's key. I'll be attaching sheets to a clear cover sheet that can be marked and re-marked with chalk markers. I'll have to run a test run or two to make sure my vision will be functional, but I think it's the best shot we'll have at being efficient while trying to make a major dent in our largest department. 

I've refined my master lists, and gone through and entered 
all of the items I'm planning to have available for this 
first Swarovski sale. It's such a huge department, I have to 
put it into two different sales. I think I'm almost at the point 
of holding this sale within the next two weeks. 

Yesterday was rather run - nice people, and a pickup for a repair I did last month. She was very happy with her two necklaces and one bracelet, although the bracelet might be coming back to me for one more re-do. She like asymmetrical patterning, and I made it rather balanced. So she'll wear it for a week and if she doesn't like the pattern, she'll come in and I'll re-do it at no charge. 

She didn't tell me that she wanted it restrung 
in an asymmetric fashion, so I made it quite 
symmetrical, because that's what most people 
prefer. I told her to wear it for a week, and if  
she wanted it restrung, I'd do it at N/C. 

I had fun with my customers yesterday, though. Everyone seemed to come one on top of the other in the mid-afternoon, and I was also trying to get a mail order together to be shipped today. I didn't get all of the mail order completed, but it will go out today - just maybe tonight on my way home instead of on my way to the shop this morning. Timing - slightly later but still within parameters for a late afternoon order. 

I'm running a little late today, do have to get 
going to the swimming pool. Have an excellent day! 

So, I'm off to the pool. I hope Rosemary will be there today. I haven't heard back from her after last week's phone message, but I'm hopeful that her back is feeling better today. Today is Fence Post setting day (except it might be raining for most of the day, which may postpone the concrete work). Hopefully I'll come home to a VERY open back yard and setting concrete fittings for the upcoming posts in our second appointment. I REALLY want my fence back! Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow for my "day off". Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.