First, as always, this is subject to my ever changing whims and the tendency of designers to release beautiful new "must have" designs just when I think I've got enough to work on....
So...next year's plans.
Really rather simple. I want to finish some of my larger TW pieces and refrain from starting any new "big" pieces. I classify "big" as anything that takes more than 50 hours of work.
The TW's that I feel have the best chance of getting finished: Storyteller, Dragon Ride, Noah's Ark and if I'm very very industrious, Stroke of Midnight.
With this in mind, as of tomorrow, January 1st, Storyteller becomes my focus piece and will get more hours than any other WIP in the pile. I'll work on him in 10-hr chunks alternating him with a few other WIPs, specifically the various Chatelaine Mysteries (Christmas Mystery, Mystery VI and the newly started Quilt Mystery), a Silver Lining or two (Edith Wolford and Peace) and some other odds and ends of WIPs (You can see the full list here).
Am I going to work in a specific order? Nope. Am I going to work on *everything* before going back to work on a piece again? Probably not. I'm going to take it a month at a time to start. January is going to be hectic with moving, so I'm not going to put too many restrictions on what little stitching time I'm going to have....that's a recipe for disaster! February will be the annual Cloisonné Ornament SAL (Apples for Fiona), but that'll count as a small piece ;)
So, there it is....my plans for next year....as of today ;)
Happy New Year to you and yours! I'll see you all next year......
12/31/2003
12/30/2003
Still With Me?
I realized as I went trolling thru various blogs that while I have been horribly remiss about posting (bad Annette! bad!), I'm not the only one that's been overwhelmed by the month of December.
I forgive myself and pledge to make a better effort to what's left of my faithful readers....
...as for the rest of you falling behind..you're on your own!
So...let's recap, shall we?
For the last 3 weeks, I managed to finish 2 books (Ceremony in Death and Witness in Death by JD Robb).
While I didn't finish any stitching, I did start 3 pieces (Witch Way by Just Nan, Mystery VI and Christmas Mystery, both by Chatelaine). This sets up 2004 to be a "TW Year" and puts me in pretty good stead for not starting any new "large" projects, working on all the current ones while adding the odd small piece here and there. And yes, that includes starting TW's new 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments due out late February. Individually they are "small" projects, right?
What? Did I hear you asking about Chatelaine's Taj Mahal Garden? Shh...It's already whispering to me and I've successfully ignored it's pleas for now :lol
There is one more large piece that I might sneak in late tomorrow night...but we'll have to see.
Tomorrow - a discussion on the stitching plans for 2004 :)
I forgive myself and pledge to make a better effort to what's left of my faithful readers....
...as for the rest of you falling behind..you're on your own!
So...let's recap, shall we?
For the last 3 weeks, I managed to finish 2 books (Ceremony in Death and Witness in Death by JD Robb).
While I didn't finish any stitching, I did start 3 pieces (Witch Way by Just Nan, Mystery VI and Christmas Mystery, both by Chatelaine). This sets up 2004 to be a "TW Year" and puts me in pretty good stead for not starting any new "large" projects, working on all the current ones while adding the odd small piece here and there. And yes, that includes starting TW's new 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments due out late February. Individually they are "small" projects, right?
What? Did I hear you asking about Chatelaine's Taj Mahal Garden? Shh...It's already whispering to me and I've successfully ignored it's pleas for now :lol
There is one more large piece that I might sneak in late tomorrow night...but we'll have to see.
Tomorrow - a discussion on the stitching plans for 2004 :)
12/10/2003
Is it Friday yet?
I know, it's only Wednesday, but a girl can hope......
First, the very best thing of the day - a package from my Secret Stitcher with supplies to learn bead crochet and the absolute *coolest* bead storage containers! If you happen to read this, dear, you truly made my day :)
Reading update:
Finished "The Invisible Ring" by Anne Bishop. I can't believe it took me this long to find this author! Loved it (not as much as her Black Jewels Trilogy, but enough).
Started "Kushiel's Avatar" by Jacqueline Carey. Another recent discovery that I'm really enjoying.
Stitching update:
Did I mention I finished my Anne Bishop book?
First, the very best thing of the day - a package from my Secret Stitcher with supplies to learn bead crochet and the absolute *coolest* bead storage containers! If you happen to read this, dear, you truly made my day :)
Reading update:
Finished "The Invisible Ring" by Anne Bishop. I can't believe it took me this long to find this author! Loved it (not as much as her Black Jewels Trilogy, but enough).
Started "Kushiel's Avatar" by Jacqueline Carey. Another recent discovery that I'm really enjoying.
Stitching update:
Did I mention I finished my Anne Bishop book?
12/08/2003
Weekend Learnings
I learned two things on Sunday:
1 - The "Green Bean Curse" is still strong in me.
2 - Rainbow Gallery's Gold Rush 18 makes great ornament hangers.
Green Bean Curse
You must understand, I really dislike green beans. I was forced to eat them as a child (along with meatloaf...another yuck for me) and as soon as I came "of age" swore off them. I've found I can tolerate fresh, raw green beans in salads, but otherwise I won't touch them.
My husband, on the other hand, *loves* them and it's one of the few vegetables he will eat. Such is the irony of marriage....
As a good wife, I occasionally will purchase fresh beans to cook. About once every third time I manage to do this without either a minor scorch or serious burn on the stove. See, he likes them cooked "to death" and based on my mother's and grandmother's method of stovetop cooking, this requires careful monitoring of the water level in the pan on the stove. Invariably I get distracted (the things cook for an hour, after all) and 30% of the time I scorch them, catching them *just* in the nick of time to save the batch, 30% of the time I get it right and the remaining 40% I burn them and we eat out. That was Sunday - we ate out. The curse is strong in me still.....
Gold Rush 18 = Easy Ornament Hangers
On Sunday we put up our Christmas tree. Every year my mother-in-law sends a pair of ornaments to the kids to hang on the tree, usually of the Hallmark variety. Every year I put the new ornaments away for the next year. Every year I dig thru my ornament tin to find hangers for the new ornaments that will fit the tiny little screw eyes on the top of the ornament. This year I had a brain storm.....gold braid! I'm a stitcher after all, I've got *tons* of the stuff! A quick dive into my stash turned up the referenced RG Gold Rush. Use about a 3-4" length to get a loop long enough for the tree ;)
1 - The "Green Bean Curse" is still strong in me.
2 - Rainbow Gallery's Gold Rush 18 makes great ornament hangers.
Green Bean Curse
You must understand, I really dislike green beans. I was forced to eat them as a child (along with meatloaf...another yuck for me) and as soon as I came "of age" swore off them. I've found I can tolerate fresh, raw green beans in salads, but otherwise I won't touch them.
My husband, on the other hand, *loves* them and it's one of the few vegetables he will eat. Such is the irony of marriage....
As a good wife, I occasionally will purchase fresh beans to cook. About once every third time I manage to do this without either a minor scorch or serious burn on the stove. See, he likes them cooked "to death" and based on my mother's and grandmother's method of stovetop cooking, this requires careful monitoring of the water level in the pan on the stove. Invariably I get distracted (the things cook for an hour, after all) and 30% of the time I scorch them, catching them *just* in the nick of time to save the batch, 30% of the time I get it right and the remaining 40% I burn them and we eat out. That was Sunday - we ate out. The curse is strong in me still.....
Gold Rush 18 = Easy Ornament Hangers
On Sunday we put up our Christmas tree. Every year my mother-in-law sends a pair of ornaments to the kids to hang on the tree, usually of the Hallmark variety. Every year I put the new ornaments away for the next year. Every year I dig thru my ornament tin to find hangers for the new ornaments that will fit the tiny little screw eyes on the top of the ornament. This year I had a brain storm.....gold braid! I'm a stitcher after all, I've got *tons* of the stuff! A quick dive into my stash turned up the referenced RG Gold Rush. Use about a 3-4" length to get a loop long enough for the tree ;)
12/05/2003
Where did the afternoon go?
Today I had lunch plans with one of my Software Account Managers. She takes me to lunch quarterly and we discuss what's expected for the next few months for one of the applications I'm responsible for. Next year is easy. Our budget is small so if she wants to make any kind of sale, she's going to have to get creative on the licensing LOL.
Thanks to my influence, said Account Manager has recently taken up needlepoint again (the real kind with painted canvases and everything). Our lunch was extended to visit a local shop. She was *supposed* to be picking out a Christmas Stocking for her nephew to work, but she'd gotten a little excited and actually went in last weekend and bought it already..LOL. So instead, we looked at her progress and I suggested a couple tips and tools to make things easier for her. As for me, I found remaining braids and beads for Autumn Queen...
In my opinion, this was a great way to spend an afternoon off. Next stop was home where I could take the energy from the shop and actually stitch on something for me. Did I get to do that? Ummm...no. I checked email and found our recent visitor on the TWBB had been stirring more trouble. I spent the remainder of the afternoon tracking down who was responsible...and I did find them. Technology is an amazing thing.
The question remains, though... why would someone put that much time and energy into disrupting the relative peace of the BB? I simply don't understand the motivation. We post guidelines that the majority of the membership has had input into. We understand that as the membership changes, the guidelines will be reviewed and revised to reflect logical progressions and changes. Why harp on issues that were resolved months ago?
Ah well, all will be resolved soon....here's hoping we can all look forward to a few more months of peace for our community. Right now I'm just off to stitch a bit since I lost my afternoon! Oh Mr. Depp...I'm ready for you now....."Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a pirate's life for me...."
Thanks to my influence, said Account Manager has recently taken up needlepoint again (the real kind with painted canvases and everything). Our lunch was extended to visit a local shop. She was *supposed* to be picking out a Christmas Stocking for her nephew to work, but she'd gotten a little excited and actually went in last weekend and bought it already..LOL. So instead, we looked at her progress and I suggested a couple tips and tools to make things easier for her. As for me, I found remaining braids and beads for Autumn Queen...
In my opinion, this was a great way to spend an afternoon off. Next stop was home where I could take the energy from the shop and actually stitch on something for me. Did I get to do that? Ummm...no. I checked email and found our recent visitor on the TWBB had been stirring more trouble. I spent the remainder of the afternoon tracking down who was responsible...and I did find them. Technology is an amazing thing.
The question remains, though... why would someone put that much time and energy into disrupting the relative peace of the BB? I simply don't understand the motivation. We post guidelines that the majority of the membership has had input into. We understand that as the membership changes, the guidelines will be reviewed and revised to reflect logical progressions and changes. Why harp on issues that were resolved months ago?
Ah well, all will be resolved soon....here's hoping we can all look forward to a few more months of peace for our community. Right now I'm just off to stitch a bit since I lost my afternoon! Oh Mr. Depp...I'm ready for you now....."Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a pirate's life for me...."
12/03/2003
A Stitching and Reading entry...
First, how about my first WIP pic for my new Mirabilia? DH chose Autumn Queen as the next in the series and here she is at 10 hours:
Not bad...still need to pick up a couple braid colors which I'll do at the LNS on Friday. One of my software account managers needlepoints, so we're going stash shopping...LOL. Must combine business and pleasure whenever possible...
Next, I finished my second reading of Queen of Darkness by Anne Bishop. I love this series! Can't believe it took me this long to find it! I wonder what other gems are waiting to be uncovered? Of course, if it weren't for the TWBB Readers BB I'd still not have discovered Daemon, Lucivar and Saetan....thank you!
Some may know that I'm one of the administrators on the TWBB. This week has seen a bit of "off-board" residuals from last week's political hubbub. I take my responsibility of admin quite seriously when it comes to maintaining a level of harmony and maturity on the BB. I expect our members to conduct themselves as adults and not indulge in petty tricks or play hurtful games. The members aren't used to having "active" admins and I sincerely hope that they never know about some of the "behind the scenes" communications that I've had to handle recently....not pleasant but sadly, not all-together unexpected.
Am I sorry I took on the job? Absolutely not. I'm here for the long run :)
Not bad...still need to pick up a couple braid colors which I'll do at the LNS on Friday. One of my software account managers needlepoints, so we're going stash shopping...LOL. Must combine business and pleasure whenever possible...
Next, I finished my second reading of Queen of Darkness by Anne Bishop. I love this series! Can't believe it took me this long to find it! I wonder what other gems are waiting to be uncovered? Of course, if it weren't for the TWBB Readers BB I'd still not have discovered Daemon, Lucivar and Saetan....thank you!
Some may know that I'm one of the administrators on the TWBB. This week has seen a bit of "off-board" residuals from last week's political hubbub. I take my responsibility of admin quite seriously when it comes to maintaining a level of harmony and maturity on the BB. I expect our members to conduct themselves as adults and not indulge in petty tricks or play hurtful games. The members aren't used to having "active" admins and I sincerely hope that they never know about some of the "behind the scenes" communications that I've had to handle recently....not pleasant but sadly, not all-together unexpected.
Am I sorry I took on the job? Absolutely not. I'm here for the long run :)
12/01/2003
Testing the nerd limits....
So, I wonder what the limits of nerdiness really are? I think my darling audiophile husband and I have pushed the envelope after this past weekend's adventure.
It started really on Friday. After we had shared a quiet dinner for two to celebrate our sixth anniversary, He suggested we stop by the local electronics store to visit our TV. Yes, visit our TV...see, we're moving in January to a new house with a much larger living room. This practically demanded a larger tv and we'd been looking at some rather nice plasma models for a few months. In September the price looked pretty darned good so we processed the purchase....though arranging for later delivery. So we visited our tv....
...and found the price dropped to below what we paid.
Well! A few minutes chat with our salesman and he was off to "adjust" our sale price :D as we had not taken delivery! Woohoo!
Nerd item #2 was on Sunday. Husband decided to put a new alarm in his 1990 Jeep Wrangler as its currently living outside while we fill the garage with packed boxes (slowly, but surely). Audio/Security store also sells Satellite radio. Husband has been eyeing this for a few weeks........
Both Jeeps now are equipped with satellite radio and brand new Kenwood stereos that play the radio, CD's and MP3s. Ah yes.....I love my new stereo!
It started really on Friday. After we had shared a quiet dinner for two to celebrate our sixth anniversary, He suggested we stop by the local electronics store to visit our TV. Yes, visit our TV...see, we're moving in January to a new house with a much larger living room. This practically demanded a larger tv and we'd been looking at some rather nice plasma models for a few months. In September the price looked pretty darned good so we processed the purchase....though arranging for later delivery. So we visited our tv....
...and found the price dropped to below what we paid.
Well! A few minutes chat with our salesman and he was off to "adjust" our sale price :D as we had not taken delivery! Woohoo!
Nerd item #2 was on Sunday. Husband decided to put a new alarm in his 1990 Jeep Wrangler as its currently living outside while we fill the garage with packed boxes (slowly, but surely). Audio/Security store also sells Satellite radio. Husband has been eyeing this for a few weeks........
Both Jeeps now are equipped with satellite radio and brand new Kenwood stereos that play the radio, CD's and MP3s. Ah yes.....I love my new stereo!
11/27/2003
She's done!
Just a quick post with my completed Winter Queen:
Happy Thanksgiving to all and I promise more interesting blog entries later this weekend! LOL
Happy Thanksgiving to all and I promise more interesting blog entries later this weekend! LOL
11/20/2003
As promised...
Here's the latest pic of Mirabilia's Winter Queen
**removed due to completed pic above!
I'm guessing another 25-30 hours to finish the blob of regular stitching on the left there and finish the wisper and few beads in her ermine (already finished all the beading on her arms and bodice....).
**removed due to completed pic above!
I'm guessing another 25-30 hours to finish the blob of regular stitching on the left there and finish the wisper and few beads in her ermine (already finished all the beading on her arms and bodice....).
Yes, I read!
I've added info (at least I hope I've added info...) over to the right about the books I'm reading.
I have a "Home" Book which usually gets time before bed or occasionally on a weekend afternoon and a "Bus" Book that I carry back and forth to work. I'm not going to spend 1.5 hours each day on the bus and not have a book!
I have a "Home" Book which usually gets time before bed or occasionally on a weekend afternoon and a "Bus" Book that I carry back and forth to work. I'm not going to spend 1.5 hours each day on the bus and not have a book!
Nooooo!!!!
Note for any Oz readers - huge Survivor spoiler!
My daughter and I are fans of Survivor.
The current Survivor series has a pirate theme - making it even more fun to watch each Thursday evening.
Except tonight.
Our favorite Survivor...was voted OFF!
They voted off Rupert! The man single-handedly supplying the tribe with fish for the last 27 days! The single most interesting character on the whole show!
We are hoping he returns for the next Survivor series - which will be made up of Survivors from previous series....we are hoping....
Otherwise all is well :) A lovely package of Delica beads from Fire Mountain Gems arrived today and I have promised myself some beading once Winter Queen is complete....soon....soon....
Finished my eBusiness class last night (I'll have an "A") and next week starts the countdown...30 weeks left. I'll be finishing in JUNE!
My daughter and I are fans of Survivor.
The current Survivor series has a pirate theme - making it even more fun to watch each Thursday evening.
Except tonight.
Our favorite Survivor...was
They voted off Rupert! The man single-handedly supplying the tribe with fish for the last 27 days! The single most interesting character on the whole show!
We are hoping he returns for the next Survivor series - which will be made up of Survivors from previous series....we are hoping....
Otherwise all is well :) A lovely package of Delica beads from Fire Mountain Gems arrived today and I have promised myself some beading once Winter Queen is complete....soon....soon....
Finished my eBusiness class last night (I'll have an "A") and next week starts the countdown...30 weeks left. I'll be finishing in JUNE!
11/18/2003
Such a small world....
About a week ago I received an email from a lovely lady in France.
Seems she was searching online for information on Victoria Sampler's Heirloom Wedding Sampler and stumbled across my website! She was ever-so-complimentary about my version (you can see it here) and asked if I would be willing to trade the chart as she was having a hard time locating it.
Trade? For something direct from France? Heck ya!
So we've been emailing back and forth about family and stitching and we've found a few common interests ;) Stitching, quilting, family - amazing but yet not surprising at all :)
When I went to pull my copy of HWS out of my stash on Sunday, it was not to be found. No matter! I headed to a local shop to pick up a fresh copy to send off. Her bold request will be rewarded not only with a brand new chart, but also the accompanying accessory pack found in the clearance basket for about $20 :) (The rest of my purchases to come in a minute...I had a GOOD day!). She's quite happy and on the prowl for some French stitching magazines for me. No, I don't read French.....do I need to? LOL
As for the rest of my purchases today:
Lavendar Wings "All Hallows Eve" - $2.75
TW's The Minstrel - $6 (I know I have it, but I couldn't abandon it for that price! I've already traded it on the TWBB ;))
JustNan's Witch Way (with charms!) - $8
VS Sweet Pea Gazebo (with Accessory pack) $20
JN Icy Hill (with charm) - $5
Val's Stuff Fright Night - $3
Cricket Collection - A House in the Wood - $1
Also picked up 2 skeins of Silk 'n Colors for a wedding sampler (Midnight Cobalt and Stormy Skies) and 2 metallics for the sampler (Coworker is getting married next May - I like to start early LOL). The sampler is by Laura at Enchanting Lair and I can't find a pic online anywhere!
So after all the turmoil of the last week, today went a loooong way to restoring my good humor and good thoughts :) A bit of shopping, a new friend overseas...what more can one ask from the world, large or small?
Seems she was searching online for information on Victoria Sampler's Heirloom Wedding Sampler and stumbled across my website! She was ever-so-complimentary about my version (you can see it here) and asked if I would be willing to trade the chart as she was having a hard time locating it.
Trade? For something direct from France? Heck ya!
So we've been emailing back and forth about family and stitching and we've found a few common interests ;) Stitching, quilting, family - amazing but yet not surprising at all :)
When I went to pull my copy of HWS out of my stash on Sunday, it was not to be found. No matter! I headed to a local shop to pick up a fresh copy to send off. Her bold request will be rewarded not only with a brand new chart, but also the accompanying accessory pack found in the clearance basket for about $20 :) (The rest of my purchases to come in a minute...I had a GOOD day!). She's quite happy and on the prowl for some French stitching magazines for me. No, I don't read French.....do I need to? LOL
As for the rest of my purchases today:
Lavendar Wings "All Hallows Eve" - $2.75
TW's The Minstrel - $6 (I know I have it, but I couldn't abandon it for that price! I've already traded it on the TWBB ;))
JustNan's Witch Way (with charms!) - $8
VS Sweet Pea Gazebo (with Accessory pack) $20
JN Icy Hill (with charm) - $5
Val's Stuff Fright Night - $3
Cricket Collection - A House in the Wood - $1
Also picked up 2 skeins of Silk 'n Colors for a wedding sampler (Midnight Cobalt and Stormy Skies) and 2 metallics for the sampler (Coworker is getting married next May - I like to start early LOL). The sampler is by Laura at Enchanting Lair and I can't find a pic online anywhere!
So after all the turmoil of the last week, today went a loooong way to restoring my good humor and good thoughts :) A bit of shopping, a new friend overseas...what more can one ask from the world, large or small?
11/17/2003
The whirlwind winds down...
I can honestly say I never want to repeat the last 3 weeks of my life ever again. Way too much going on compounded with too much stress and tension and worry.
Vegas trip was a nice diversion and as expected, I managed a half-dozen afghan squares (I'm up to 19 total! Might finish all 63 in my lifetime....). No other stitching to speak of and not even a hint of shopping for books or stash!
I did receive 2 ordered books in the mail when I got home: Jacqueline Carrey's Kushiel's Avatar (love this series) and Paolini's Eragon. I finished JD Robb's Ceremony in Death over the weekend....what to start next...hmmm....
So, now that we're headed into the holiday season, I'm looking forward to long holiday weekends, Christmas shopping and baking and crisp cool mornings. I'm still on track to finish Mirabilia's Winter Queen before year end (I know, I owe you all a new pic....later today!) and start "pruning" my WIPs next year. It's time to finish some of these projects!
Oh...one more thing...I also moved my website over to my new domain Annette's Acre. There will be a full redesign in the next weeks, but for now I've just done a bit of updating and added new designer pages. Take a peek and let me know what you think!
Vegas trip was a nice diversion and as expected, I managed a half-dozen afghan squares (I'm up to 19 total! Might finish all 63 in my lifetime....). No other stitching to speak of and not even a hint of shopping for books or stash!
I did receive 2 ordered books in the mail when I got home: Jacqueline Carrey's Kushiel's Avatar (love this series) and Paolini's Eragon. I finished JD Robb's Ceremony in Death over the weekend....what to start next...hmmm....
So, now that we're headed into the holiday season, I'm looking forward to long holiday weekends, Christmas shopping and baking and crisp cool mornings. I'm still on track to finish Mirabilia's Winter Queen before year end (I know, I owe you all a new pic....later today!) and start "pruning" my WIPs next year. It's time to finish some of these projects!
Oh...one more thing...I also moved my website over to my new domain Annette's Acre. There will be a full redesign in the next weeks, but for now I've just done a bit of updating and added new designer pages. Take a peek and let me know what you think!
11/07/2003
I'm off for a few days....
Bright and early tomorrow morning I'm off to Las Vegas! Husband, kids and in-laws and I are all piling into a rented minivan for the drive up to Sin City. We'll be staying at Excalibur for 3 nights and just taking it easy...
The last trip was work-related, so this time I'm looking to have some fun and see some sights and shop, shop, shop.
I did finish one ornament last night for the TWBB Ornament Exchange, but won't post a picture until the recipient sees it first ;) I'll have another one done tonight and my measly pair is all I could manage this year (ok, so 2 is my usual number).
I probably won't be stitching much (hate stitching in the car), but will be working on my afghan (made up of 60+ squares of different stitches) instead. *SO* much easier to handle....
Until Wednesday!
The last trip was work-related, so this time I'm looking to have some fun and see some sights and shop, shop, shop.
I did finish one ornament last night for the TWBB Ornament Exchange, but won't post a picture until the recipient sees it first ;) I'll have another one done tonight and my measly pair is all I could manage this year (ok, so 2 is my usual number).
I probably won't be stitching much (hate stitching in the car), but will be working on my afghan (made up of 60+ squares of different stitches) instead. *SO* much easier to handle....
Until Wednesday!
11/05/2003
I'm such a geek!
As of this afternoon, I'm the proud owner of an online domain!
Soon, you'll see the debut of my new home page at www.annettesacre.com (no, there's nothing there right now....let me at least get rid of my company! LOL)
I'm so excited! I'm so freakin' geeky! LOLOL!
Soon, you'll see the debut of my new home page at www.annettesacre.com (no, there's nothing there right now....let me at least get rid of my company! LOL)
I'm so excited! I'm so freakin' geeky! LOLOL!
11/04/2003
Ah, the sweet satisfaction of success....
Given the last few days, it's nice to do something right on the first try!
I apologize for the delay in posting - life has just been so hectic that I'm just treading water on a day-to-day basis.
I have company and we had a busy weekend running around Saturday and spending Sunday at the Nascar race. That was a 10 hour adventure and it took at least that long for my hearing to return to normal. Note to self: Next time: earplugs. I did buy a cool straw hat while I was there to keep the glare out of my eyes, but I never did buy the earrings that I'd hoped to find....ah well.
This week is still busy as I try to get as much accomplished before my short vacation this weekend to Las Vegas! This is my second trip to Vegas this year....heck, this is my second trip in my entire lifetime! This time we're staying at Excalibur and I hope to see far more than last time, when the family had fun and I was working most of the time....not this time!
I apologize for the delay in posting - life has just been so hectic that I'm just treading water on a day-to-day basis.
I have company and we had a busy weekend running around Saturday and spending Sunday at the
This week is still busy as I try to get as much accomplished before my short vacation this weekend to Las Vegas! This is my second trip to Vegas this year....heck, this is my second trip in my entire lifetime! This time we're staying at Excalibur and I hope to see far more than last time, when the family had fun and I was working most of the time....not this time!
Cross your fingers..
I'm trying to add comments to my little online world here...let's hope I've managed to do it correctly!
10/31/2003
Happy Halloween :)
Nothing like following a dreadfully depressing day with a holiday, eh?
My children love Halloween, like most children. Daughter is 13 and I don't see any time in the future where she won't want to dress up and go out for Halloween. This year, her father supplied her with a pirate costume as she was headed over there for the weekend.
My son, however, was determined to dress up as a ghost (he's 5). I'm the kind of parent that prefers homemade costumes rather than something "off the rack" and the more creative the better! For Z's costume we used one of my long-sleeved white t-shirts and I used white and black makeup for his face. I also "spiked" his blonde hair and he was looking pretty ghost-like!
Yes, I have pictures, unfortunately my ISP is having some issues uploading them tonight....
I will probably be short on entries for the next couple of weeks with my in-laws coming in tomorrow. Might sneak a few in during the day, just to keep a few updates in! I'd hate to lose you all because I'm not updating :)
Happy Halloween, Samhain, All Hallows, whatever you celebrate...I'm off to clean a bit more for company!
My children love Halloween, like most children. Daughter is 13 and I don't see any time in the future where she won't want to dress up and go out for Halloween. This year, her father supplied her with a pirate costume as she was headed over there for the weekend.
My son, however, was determined to dress up as a ghost (he's 5). I'm the kind of parent that prefers homemade costumes rather than something "off the rack" and the more creative the better! For Z's costume we used one of my long-sleeved white t-shirts and I used white and black makeup for his face. I also "spiked" his blonde hair and he was looking pretty ghost-like!
Yes, I have pictures, unfortunately my ISP is having some issues uploading them tonight....
I will probably be short on entries for the next couple of weeks with my in-laws coming in tomorrow. Might sneak a few in during the day, just to keep a few updates in! I'd hate to lose you all because I'm not updating :)
Happy Halloween, Samhain, All Hallows, whatever you celebrate...I'm off to clean a bit more for company!
10/30/2003
Surviving...
Today was layoff day.
I have to say it was far worse than I expected. Sitting dutifully in my cube attempting to focus on work-related tasks and hearing names whispered in the hallway as those chosen were able to communicate *very* briefly to their coworkers their name as they were led out the door...
My group was hit with a 15% reduction, 3 people total. One name we all knew (and so did she as she elected to call in "sick" today rather than face the music...arrgh). The other two were a bit of a surprise - they will be missed.
Outside my group the losses were far deeper. My favorite project manager and former boss - gone. My favorite server support person - gone. The co-worker I was planning an outing with tomorrow - gone. Another former co-worker with two young children - gone. So many gone and the list we managed to put together is less than half the numbers we were hearing. I'm sure a trip thru the employee phonebook tomorrow will find more holes.
How appropriate that "Survivor" is on television tonight...
I have to say it was far worse than I expected. Sitting dutifully in my cube attempting to focus on work-related tasks and hearing names whispered in the hallway as those chosen were able to communicate *very* briefly to their coworkers their name as they were led out the door...
My group was hit with a 15% reduction, 3 people total. One name we all knew (and so did she as she elected to call in "sick" today rather than face the music...arrgh). The other two were a bit of a surprise - they will be missed.
Outside my group the losses were far deeper. My favorite project manager and former boss - gone. My favorite server support person - gone. The co-worker I was planning an outing with tomorrow - gone. Another former co-worker with two young children - gone. So many gone and the list we managed to put together is less than half the numbers we were hearing. I'm sure a trip thru the employee phonebook tomorrow will find more holes.
How appropriate that "Survivor" is on television tonight...
10/28/2003
Just a tad late...
I know, it's been a few days....life just gets in the way sometimes.
As you may have gathered, I'm kind of a busy person. I have lots going on in my life (work, family, school, hobbies) and while 90% of the time I can juggle madly and keep everything on a fairly even keel, there are times when it just starts to feel overwhelming.....
This is one of those times.
The class change a couple weeks ago has worked out far better than I could have dreamed. Having a less-demanding instructor and the opportunity to pick a project that we, as a group, can have some fun with has made a *tremendous* difference. I can honestly say that school is not part of the stress right now.
Work is on a downhill slide - I know we'll hit bottom on Thursday and Friday but that certainly isn't making things easier on the way down! The looming threat of layoff has permeated across all IS groups and even a casual mention of "what might be" results in a wasted hour of speculation.....it's getting more difficult to avoid those conversations....
Friday, we'll be in "aftermath" mode trying to figure out exactly who's been given the heave ho without benefit of turnover. To celebrate our continuing employment, a co-worker and I have planned a road trip to a Phoenix LNS that's closing. Hey, it's payday and we can celebrate having money to spend!
The other big stressor right now? My in-laws are coming to visit on Saturday. They will be here for 2 weeks. Please know that I absolutely adore my in-laws but I know after about 10 days I'm going to be ready for them to leave and have my house back.... Happily we have a quick trip to Las Vegas planned in the middle, so a break will be had :)
Of course we have the move coming up...and packing...and we should finally get the house up for sale soon....so that's more balls to juggle....
So I'm feeling stretched a bit thin right now...and I don't see much relief until late in November (given the house selling soon) and no serious relief until after we move in December.....ah well, "may you live in interesting times" is a curse and a blessing and I'll survive these times like I have all the others.....
As you may have gathered, I'm kind of a busy person. I have lots going on in my life (work, family, school, hobbies) and while 90% of the time I can juggle madly and keep everything on a fairly even keel, there are times when it just starts to feel overwhelming.....
This is one of those times.
The class change a couple weeks ago has worked out far better than I could have dreamed. Having a less-demanding instructor and the opportunity to pick a project that we, as a group, can have some fun with has made a *tremendous* difference. I can honestly say that school is not part of the stress right now.
Work is on a downhill slide - I know we'll hit bottom on Thursday and Friday but that certainly isn't making things easier on the way down! The looming threat of layoff has permeated across all IS groups and even a casual mention of "what might be" results in a wasted hour of speculation.....it's getting more difficult to avoid those conversations....
Friday, we'll be in "aftermath" mode trying to figure out exactly who's been given the heave ho without benefit of turnover. To celebrate our continuing employment, a co-worker and I have planned a road trip to a Phoenix LNS that's closing. Hey, it's payday and we can celebrate having money to spend!
The other big stressor right now? My in-laws are coming to visit on Saturday. They will be here for 2 weeks. Please know that I absolutely adore my in-laws but I know after about 10 days I'm going to be ready for them to leave and have my house back.... Happily we have a quick trip to Las Vegas planned in the middle, so a break will be had :)
Of course we have the move coming up...and packing...and we should finally get the house up for sale soon....so that's more balls to juggle....
So I'm feeling stretched a bit thin right now...and I don't see much relief until late in November (given the house selling soon) and no serious relief until after we move in December.....ah well, "may you live in interesting times" is a curse and a blessing and I'll survive these times like I have all the others.....
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