As another weekend draws to a close....

What a nice weekend we've had! Saturday my friend Shara and I scrapped all day until our backs ached. I loved that. I got 5 layouts done at the crop and then came home and did 3 more. Then today, I did 2 more! Feels so good!

I have opened my mouth and inserted my foot this week and have tried to back peddle for several days now. I suggested that maybe Sienna needed a fresh start with fresh faces, namely Chanel and her friends. I just wish Sienna could find some decent people to hang out with and maybe some college boys to date. I've been somewhat disappointed in her choices of men and I just want her to find someone who is good to her and who has a bright future. Chanel is moving back to Cookeville for a while so she can finish up her Master's and well, Chanel knows everybody and her friends are nice and it would be a neat opportunity for Sienna. All that said....Sienna has a pretty good paying job with health insurance, I'm afraid she wouldn't find that there; traditionally, Chanel and Sienna just really don't get along very well, so it might be hard for them to live together; if she does move, Leeann loses a babysitter; if she does move, I will be here without either one of my girls and I will worry twice as much because I won't be able to see what's going on with them... Not liking the idea so much now. I just wish I would think twice before blurting out bright ideas.

16 more days til Chanel comes home.

Have a happy day tomorrow!

Insomnia can be a wonderful thing

I'm not sleeping again tonight. It could be sign of an upcoming mood cycle but it just may be that I am working out almost daily and don't need as much sleep. Time will tell. I can sure get a lot done in the middle of the night.

I did join Curves last week and between going there and my new Wii Fit, I have worked out 5 out of 7 days and I have lost only one pound. But I do love Curves. I love it mostly because its just a 30 minute workout which means on a good day at work I can work out and be home by 6. When I was doing water aerobics, I would have to wait til 6 to start the class and I usually wouldn't get home until 7:15 and 7:30. So this is much better. I have several workout buddies, Christy, Sienna and Leeann so we will all keep each other motivated to keep going.

Chanel will be home in 3 1/2 weeks. I will be happy to have her home. I've really missed her. She is having a great time but she is ready to come home as well. It's been interesting to hear her stories. I am especially curious about European's thoughts about the US and it seems that they talk about it all the time. George Bush is definately not liked over there and they are definitely hoping we Americans will be smarter about who we elect this time around. I am hoping so as well.

Have a great day tomorrow!
Sweet dreams.

Sisiversary

We just returned from Sisiversary 2008 and we absolutely had a blast. I mean, scrapbooking for a whole day and a half with my best friend, who can beat it? We totally pooped out on Friday night though. It was the weirdest thing. One minute, we are just scrapping away, jabbering, learning new techniques and the next minute I am zoned. I know the TA who was trying to help me learn to do a crochet knot totally thought I flaked out on her. She kept teaching me to do it over and over and finally I just took the thing from her and set it down. But I'm not the only one, Leeann was having just as hard a time as I was. It had just been a long day and we were tired. So we left and were back in our room by 10. They were going downstairs until 1:30am though. I just can't go like the energizer bunny anymore.

Saturday, we woke up very early because Leeann had set her alarm for eastern time and Nashville is in central time, so yeah, we were early risers. But we had time to have a nice leisurely breakfast in the hotel dining room and it was so good. We took 3 classes and cropped some on Saturday. The classes were awesome. Its hard to really explain them and if you're not a scrapbooker, you wouldn't understand just how special the classes were so when I am done with the projects, I'll have to post pictures of them. I was trying to explain 2 of the classes to Rick when I got home and he was like -Oh, yeeaahh, uh-huh, mmmmm, nice. And I was like: you totally don't get it do you? and he was like: um, no. lol. And now I'm like: why am I talking like a teenager with "like" and "totally" ? :) I have no idea. We got lots of neat products and Saturday night I just had to spread them all out on the queen size bed and just touch them all again! It just gives me goosebumps to see all the loot!

I love Leeann, she is like my favorite and time with her is precious. We can just talk about anything and believe me, we do. She totally cracks me up sometimes. She has this thing for Chik-Fil-a cups. And Chik fil a ice. We went through drive through a couple of times just to get a cup of ice. She'd be like:" I hate to ask you this, but can we go get some ice at Chik fil a? " Or:" Could you do me just one more favor before we go back to the room? " And off we'd go to get some ice. So cute.

Saturday night we were on our way back from dinner and we were talking about the number cards we chose in one of our classes. She chose the number 8 which, I learned, is Leeann's favorite number. Apparently, she loves the number 8 and the letter W so much that she doodles them all the time. She's like: (in a singsong voice) " I just love the number 8, I love to write it over and over. And W's. I love to write the words, whatever, why..." OMG. Cracked me up! I haven't laughed so hard since....well, since the last time we spent a significant amount of time together. I mean, seriously? lol. Love that girl.

Friday before we left town, we went to Curves. There is this study going on where we pay $30 for 30 days of use of the gym. They measured and weighed us. ugh. But it had to be done. We had to sign a contract that we would work out 3 days a week. So, that's going to be my fitness plan for the next month. I'm hoping I can get myself back on track and get some more weight off.

Have a good Sunday. Happy Father's day!

I want my mommy!

I know this is what my girls were shouting in their heads today. I even thought it myself once today. Sienna called me this morning as I was headed out to work. She had fallen down the stairs and was injured. So, I called in sick to work and headed over there. Mom to the rescue! Poor girl is pretty banged up. She was half asleep and went out to her car in flip flops, (of course) and slipped on the wet stairs. She fell down 8 stairs. As Rick said, "damn those flip flops!" She's been having back problems and now she is really stoved up. She couldn't even sit up this morning. But I think she will be okay.

Chanel called me this afternoon sobbing. "Mom, okay, this is an emergency. I'm trying not to cry." My heart started racing and thoughts of all kinds of things were running through my head. You all know Chanel and know that she has decreased inhibitions and there is no telling what kind of mess she had gotten herself into. Is she in jail? has she been in an accident? all kinds of things going through my mind. But apparently, the ATM machine took her debit card. And of course, being Chanel, she gets right down to her last penny, (or pound in this instance), before she gets more money out. So, she is in London with no money and she is sobbing hysterically. I spent the next hour trying to get money wired to her. OMG. What a nightmare. I tried to do it online and I couldn't get the site to work right. Then I tried to call and had to go through all these prompts giving all my information, then a real person comes on the line and I have to go through all of the exact same information again. Then he tells me my credit card company denied the $ transfer. Damn Chase. So, I want to use my other credit card and I have to give him all the demographic information AGAIN only this time with a different credit card number. And then he tells me no. I have to call Citibank and get approval from them and call western union back. But that he would go ahead and give me the MTA number, so I would just have to call him back and let him know its been approved by Citibank. SO, I call Citibank. I have to go through all the demographic information on the automated thing and THEN I get a real person on the phone and have to give her all the demo. info again. I swear I had to repeat the last 4 of my social at least 12 times today. So, she says, "Okay, I have all the information I need, I will just need to call you back at the phone number you gave me for validation." So, I waited and waited for 15 mins. She didn't call, so I called the customer service number again. AND had to go through all the prompts again, putting in all the #s and information, Until finally! I am able to talk to a real person again and guess what? It was a different person and I had to go through all the demographic information with her. AAAAaarrrggghh.! In the meantime, Chanel is frantic because the Western Union place is closing and she needs to be able to pay for a place to sleep tonight and she keeps calling me over and over. 6 times she called while i was trying to talk to the Citibank person. So finally, its all approved and I call back the Western Union people and guess what? I have to go through putting in all the numbers for the prompts again. Then I finally talk to the guy, The Same Guy, and I have to do it all again for him. The same shit, again. I am so over it, and I tell the guy I am over it and he begs me to be patient but I CAN"T! Dammit, I just want to send my daughter, who is in distress, some money! So finally, it all goes through. Chanel is thankful of course, but she says it will be 2 weeks before she gets her new card and I am thinking, Dang, I'm going to have to go through this all again and send her more money. *sigh*.. It should be easier the second time around because this time, I am going to call the credit card company before I call Western Union.

I got Rick to call Chase when he got home because I was pissed that they wouldn't let me use them for the money transfer. Their answer was that it seemed like an unusual event so they blocked any usage until they could talk to us. I'm all for fraud prevention and stuff, but when I want to use my card, I want to use my card. It makes me mad.

So, thanks for letting me rant. I needed that!

Finally some validation of what I've been saying all along! :)

Tom Musbach, Yahoo! HotJobs
The slowdown in the U.S. economy is threatening a necessity for workers: vacations.
According to the annual Yahoo! HotJobs vacation survey, 51% of respondents said they plan to skip taking a vacation this year, opting to save money instead.
Not a Frivolous Matter
"Vacations are usually the first thing to go when people feel job or economic pressure," says Joe Robinson, a trainer in work-life balance and author of "Work to Live." He continues, "We're programmed to believe that free time is worthless, a frill to shove aside, but vacations are as important as watching your cholesterol or getting exercise."
Skipping a vacation can also be bad for your employer.
Milo and Thuy Sindell, founders of Hit the Ground Running and authors of "Job Spa," say, "You are not helpful to the company and your coworkers when you are not operating at full capacity. Vacations help you to get rejuvenated to come back to work at full capacity."
Make It Work With Less
For those tempted to skip vacation this year due to financial worries, experts recommend the following tips:
Remind yourself: Vacation is not a luxury. "You owe it to yourself, your family, and your company to take care of yourself by stepping out of the office for at least a few days at a time," says Liz Bywater, president of the Bywater Consulting Group, which helps improve organizational performance.
Put aside some funds each week. "Even $50 a week [or less] can add up and make your trip happen," says Robinson.
Plan leisure activities near home. "Stay at home and read, garden, hike, jog, bike, or whatever you like to do but never have enough time for during the weekends," say the Sindells. "Or be a tourist in your own city."
Try home-swapping. You can swap with someone you know in another city, or use an online service, such as homexchange.com or even vrbo.com (Vacation Rentals by Owner). "It can have the look and feel of a vacation at a much more affordable housing cost than paying for hotel or resort lodging," says Michael Haubrich, president of Financial Service Group and an expert in financial planning for career issues.
Keep the itinerary simple. Travel columnist Donald D. Groff recommends selecting a destination within 200 miles (a three-hour drive) from your home. If you're traveling by plane, fly nonstop whenever possible. "The sooner you get to your destination, the sooner your relaxation begins," Groff says.
Stress-Busting Strategies
The economic downturn is also adding to workers' stress levels. Nearly a third of the respondents (31%) are worried by how the economy is affecting their workplaces, and 34% said they feel pressure to improve their performance for fear of being laid off.
With 55% of respondents admitted to being "burned out" by work, stress and fatigue add another threat to vacations. Experts say you can prevent the threat in the following ways:
Start small. "Start with an afternoon off to do something you really enjoy, even if it's just a walk at the beach or a visit to a farmer's market," says Beth A. Levin, author of "Making a Richer, More Fulfilling Life a Reality."
If planning is a burden, don't. "Instead of planning a vacation, just take time off to be at home and figure it out each day as you go," the Sindells suggest.
Enlist back-up support. Ask a trusted coworker to back you up while you're away and offer to return the favor, Bywater suggests. "It's much easier to relax when you know someone's got you covered."
Choose according to what you need. You may need a peaceful retreat from stress, or you may benefit from something more active and exciting. "Avoid the kind of vacation that will leave you even more exhausted than before," she adds.
Give yourself a deadline. "Stop thinking about it and just do it," says Bywater. "Think of it as 'doctor's orders.'"