After 146 pages, 25,000 words and nearly 11MB, it’s done.
Our marketing group finished the paper last night. Our print shop here at work bound it for us for free, because well, here in the country, people are kind like that. And there’s a matching PowerPoint to go with it. I did that piece. I actually did a little bit of the paper, but the other 3 ladies in my group made that thing happen.
And at 6pm tonight we turn in this behemoth paper and present the PowerPoint. By 7:15, we have our lives back.
And while writing right now sounds like the absolute worse thing to do ever, I am taking time to write this. Because I’m happy it’s done. And I have great ladies on my team. And we’re all coming back next term to get through the capstone course together. We figured if we did well this time, why not go for the repeat?
So when I get home from class tonight, I’ll get on Facebook and check my farm and do all of that. And then tomorrow I’ll come to work and manage all the piles on my desk. I very well may just make a bunch of to-do lists for each project. I know there are lots of little odds and ends I need to accomplish. Tomorrow night will be heavenly. I have some things I need to get done, but I’m not even stressing about it. Saturday we have NOTHING on the agenda. Wow.
This means I’m going to have to do dishes, doesn’t it?
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
nothing special
Just a quick post to say that life is good, today is good and marketing is over on Thursday at 7pm, when our presentation is done.
Sleep and time offer fresh perspectives on things. And that always helps.
That and a clean kitchen.
Sleep and time offer fresh perspectives on things. And that always helps.
That and a clean kitchen.
Friday, November 13, 2009
and one more...
Oh, yeah, there’s one more crisis. The garage door opener broke. Gave up the ghost.
It’s OK. They were broken at our last 2 houses and we didn’t care. People here all ask so when will you have it fixed?
My answer is always in 3 years.
They just don’t get it down here!
It’s OK. They were broken at our last 2 houses and we didn’t care. People here all ask so when will you have it fixed?
My answer is always in 3 years.
They just don’t get it down here!
updates
First of all, I scheduled my apicoectomy for Monday the 23rd at 1pm. I start my day in Chicago and end it in the dentist chair. What fun. I decided to pay for it by not paying any bills this pay period. While this does not make me happy, neither does tooth pain. Somewhere in there, I will make sense of the money situation.
I could schedule the dreaded apcioectomy because next week holds 4 presentations – 2 for work and 2 for class. There’s one more on November 30 and that is all. But all of the ones next week are officially a big deal, so to have them out of the way will be nice.
One crisis solved.
Since I made the executive decision to not do the final case for my marketing class, I have felt a huge burden lift from my shoulders. It was even better when the rough draft of our group project was returned to us last night. We were afraid that we had headed woefully down the wrong path. Instead, we are very much on the right path. Everyone is relieved, assignments have been doled out and now it’s crunch time. We can see the end of this nightmare. We’re the first group to present and we are elated to be done!
Second crisis solved.
I finally was able to talk to my sister on the phone uninterrupted for an hour this week. We’re all caught up and have solved all the world’s problems. She’s Republican. I’m a Democrat. We work well together, just as long as she never has to touch raw turkey.
It was good to talk to Kim about various things. We used to live 4 blocks apart. Now we live 2 hours apart, but through the miracle of the internet, I can still read the local papers and keep up on that stuff. So I still know all about the school board and the latest library news and all of that jazz. While technically not a crisis, it was good for my soul.
So, third crisis solved.
I did rearrange my schedule this week to make it to an H1N1 clinic. I have now received both my regular flu shot and my H1N1. My arm is sore. I got Renee her first round of H1N1 – she still needs another one of those and then a regular one as well. Lucky her. Ted is unprotected. Gotta fix that.
So one crisis sorta solved.
Speaking of sewing, none has happened, but that sounds like a plan tonight. I need to sew for my mental health. Yes, I know my house is cluttered and that this next week will be crazy with school and that people are coming to stay overnight before the big trip to Kansas . I need to sew. Sew be it.
A fifth crisis to be solved.
And a few to-do’s:
Roast some pumpkins and their seeds.
Mail that baby gift!!!
BBM that check.
I lead such an exciting life.
I could schedule the dreaded apcioectomy because next week holds 4 presentations – 2 for work and 2 for class. There’s one more on November 30 and that is all. But all of the ones next week are officially a big deal, so to have them out of the way will be nice.
One crisis solved.
Since I made the executive decision to not do the final case for my marketing class, I have felt a huge burden lift from my shoulders. It was even better when the rough draft of our group project was returned to us last night. We were afraid that we had headed woefully down the wrong path. Instead, we are very much on the right path. Everyone is relieved, assignments have been doled out and now it’s crunch time. We can see the end of this nightmare. We’re the first group to present and we are elated to be done!
Second crisis solved.
I finally was able to talk to my sister on the phone uninterrupted for an hour this week. We’re all caught up and have solved all the world’s problems. She’s Republican. I’m a Democrat. We work well together, just as long as she never has to touch raw turkey.
It was good to talk to Kim about various things. We used to live 4 blocks apart. Now we live 2 hours apart, but through the miracle of the internet, I can still read the local papers and keep up on that stuff. So I still know all about the school board and the latest library news and all of that jazz. While technically not a crisis, it was good for my soul.
So, third crisis solved.
I did rearrange my schedule this week to make it to an H1N1 clinic. I have now received both my regular flu shot and my H1N1. My arm is sore. I got Renee her first round of H1N1 – she still needs another one of those and then a regular one as well. Lucky her. Ted is unprotected. Gotta fix that.
So one crisis sorta solved.
Speaking of sewing, none has happened, but that sounds like a plan tonight. I need to sew for my mental health. Yes, I know my house is cluttered and that this next week will be crazy with school and that people are coming to stay overnight before the big trip to Kansas . I need to sew. Sew be it.
A fifth crisis to be solved.
And a few to-do’s:
Roast some pumpkins and their seeds.
Mail that baby gift!!!
BBM that check.
I lead such an exciting life.
Monday, November 09, 2009
more plodding
It’s another day in the life. I didn’t get any sewing done this weekend, except for marking up those denim circles. I was just overcome with that tired feeling and I went with it.
I’m having an exceedingly hard time in one of my grad school classes. Last Thursday the prof announced that if a student was satisfied with their grade prior to the final, they did not have to take the final, which is a very large business case. The points in the class are divided 50-50 between individual performance and group performance. Group work brings my grade up and individual work brings my grade way, way down. So I have made the executive decision to end my grade once the last coursework is turned in. If I try the final case, I will no doubt bring my grade down. I don’t know if I will end up with a C or a B, but as long as it’s at least a C, I’m OK. My math has my grade at a very low B.
And so that is my executive decision. Now to finish off my part of the group work, which will be all complete by about 7:30pm on 11/19. (But who’s counting?)
I’m having an exceedingly hard time in one of my grad school classes. Last Thursday the prof announced that if a student was satisfied with their grade prior to the final, they did not have to take the final, which is a very large business case. The points in the class are divided 50-50 between individual performance and group performance. Group work brings my grade up and individual work brings my grade way, way down. So I have made the executive decision to end my grade once the last coursework is turned in. If I try the final case, I will no doubt bring my grade down. I don’t know if I will end up with a C or a B, but as long as it’s at least a C, I’m OK. My math has my grade at a very low B.
And so that is my executive decision. Now to finish off my part of the group work, which will be all complete by about 7:30pm on 11/19. (But who’s counting?)
Sunday, November 08, 2009
general stuff
It’s now the weekend and I am happy to report that I have gotten many wonderful hours of restful sleep because Ted is home. No one can make me feel more relaxed than him. It’s been this way since Day 1. So I’m doing pretty good after 2 nights of 11 hours of sleep each. I then promptly went to breakfast with some friends and that also did this body good.
I’ve figured out with my tooth that if I medicate with over the counter pain medicine BEFORE I start eating for the day, I can cope much better. Once the jaw starts working, it’s not fun until the pain meds kick in. If I can keep this regimen up after the antibiotics cease, then I can buy myself some time.
I also have put up 7 cups of parsnips and turnips for stews this winter. I still have 4 pumpkins to put up. Lucky me.
I have decided that the next step is working on the denim quilt. I went ahead and cut a bunch more circles out this week while Ted was gone. Then while the move Akeelah and the Bee was being rerun on Disney this afternoon (probably the only time that I actually condone watching Disney), I went ahead and put the squares on 50 circles. That will make 2 denim blocks. I need 25 and I think I have 3 done already. Slowly but surely.
For my next quilting project off of my UFO list, I will work on one of my reversible items. I’m not sure which one, but it will be one of them.
As long as the calendar says 2009, I get to pick my UFOs. Once the calendar rolls over, then the random number generator is involved.
I’ve figured out with my tooth that if I medicate with over the counter pain medicine BEFORE I start eating for the day, I can cope much better. Once the jaw starts working, it’s not fun until the pain meds kick in. If I can keep this regimen up after the antibiotics cease, then I can buy myself some time.
I also have put up 7 cups of parsnips and turnips for stews this winter. I still have 4 pumpkins to put up. Lucky me.
I have decided that the next step is working on the denim quilt. I went ahead and cut a bunch more circles out this week while Ted was gone. Then while the move Akeelah and the Bee was being rerun on Disney this afternoon (probably the only time that I actually condone watching Disney), I went ahead and put the squares on 50 circles. That will make 2 denim blocks. I need 25 and I think I have 3 done already. Slowly but surely.
For my next quilting project off of my UFO list, I will work on one of my reversible items. I’m not sure which one, but it will be one of them.
As long as the calendar says 2009, I get to pick my UFOs. Once the calendar rolls over, then the random number generator is involved.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Plodding
Today is yet another day in tooth purgatory. Today my sister told me that her two front teeth (one of the front ones and the one to the side) are definitely dead after the she fell and faceplanted in July on her hardwood kitchen floor. My tooth is giving me a dull ache. I’m on Aleve and antibiotics. Such is life. She and I are singlehandedly putting endodontists’ children through college.
Last night, our local Schlotzsky’s hosted our Brownies troop – all 22 girls and the 4 moms. They really understood how to give a tour and we all made our own pizzas. It was a wonderful way to get dinner, have the troop do some fun activities and for everyone to socialize. Not everyone is willing to take a troop as large as ours, but they did it right.
Ted’s gone on another business trip today, so it’s girl power over at my house. Tonight we have a riveting installment of Market Day pickup and then we are coming home to pork chops in the crock pot. It’s nice to know that one aspect of my life is under control and that is making dinner.
I haven’t done any more quilting since I finished the binding on the curtain panels. (They are neatly folding, waiting in the living room to be hung up.) I have, however, kept my main floor clean, which has brought me much peace in this time of inner tumult.
Maybe I’ll work on my denim quilt. Cutting circles out of jeans may be about my speed for a while.
Last night, our local Schlotzsky’s hosted our Brownies troop – all 22 girls and the 4 moms. They really understood how to give a tour and we all made our own pizzas. It was a wonderful way to get dinner, have the troop do some fun activities and for everyone to socialize. Not everyone is willing to take a troop as large as ours, but they did it right.
Ted’s gone on another business trip today, so it’s girl power over at my house. Tonight we have a riveting installment of Market Day pickup and then we are coming home to pork chops in the crock pot. It’s nice to know that one aspect of my life is under control and that is making dinner.
I haven’t done any more quilting since I finished the binding on the curtain panels. (They are neatly folding, waiting in the living room to be hung up.) I have, however, kept my main floor clean, which has brought me much peace in this time of inner tumult.
Maybe I’ll work on my denim quilt. Cutting circles out of jeans may be about my speed for a while.
Monday, November 02, 2009
God has a sense of humor
“God has a sense of humor, Kathleen!” my co-worker Ann once said. Ann is (I’m assuming here – we’ve lost touch) a loving Christian. She’s also a stealth Christian – no one knows until she reveals it. Many think she’s just this quirky lady in accounts receivable – nice and fun, but quirky. But work with her, especially through adversity (any installation of Oracle Financials counts), and you learn quickly that Ann believes in the power of prayer. And God’s sense of humor. And fantastically airbrushed nails.
It is times like these with my stupid tooth that I remind myself that God has a sense of humor. Which always reminds me of Ann, but that’s besides the point. The point is that in times like this, with a recovering sick child, a husband leaving on a business trip, a car that desperately needs an oil change and an ailing tooth, I need to remind myself that God has a sense of humor.
Now if I could only figure it out.
That’s the struggle I’m having now. I get there’s a joke in there somewhere. I just can’t figure it out. I’m pretty clear that some of it, if not all of it, is a huge plot for SILENCE and STILLNESS. My life has gotten too busy. I realize this and have started to say no to things – at least I am not making it worse. However, my body is choosing to revolt against me and force some silence and stillness. If I can’t move, then I must force myself to be silent and still. More than once this weekend (I stayed home sick on Friday) I was so worn that I count not even do any hand binding while watching TV. I just sat and watched The Closer a lot.
Meanwhile, December 10 cannot come quick enough. That evening is when my last final is due. It’s a take home case that we will have like 2 weeks to work on. I’m doing downright horrible in this class – I just don’t get it. This is not helping my mood. My other class makes sense, but we are on a project for which I am not in control, which is fine, but the person in control has lost control. (Ann reference – she’d pull her hair back into a ponytail at this point. If we all had our hair back in ponytails, programmers ran for cover. We meant business.) I cannot plan for this tooth procedure until I can determine when all of my class deliverables are. Once I can determine when everything is due and what I need to do to make them due, I can then think about silence and stillness.
I need to be silent and still. I need it badly. I also need money for my tooth.
So right now I pray. I pray for silence and stillness around me. I pray for wisdom. I pray for plans to be revealed. I pray.
It is times like these with my stupid tooth that I remind myself that God has a sense of humor. Which always reminds me of Ann, but that’s besides the point. The point is that in times like this, with a recovering sick child, a husband leaving on a business trip, a car that desperately needs an oil change and an ailing tooth, I need to remind myself that God has a sense of humor.
Now if I could only figure it out.
That’s the struggle I’m having now. I get there’s a joke in there somewhere. I just can’t figure it out. I’m pretty clear that some of it, if not all of it, is a huge plot for SILENCE and STILLNESS. My life has gotten too busy. I realize this and have started to say no to things – at least I am not making it worse. However, my body is choosing to revolt against me and force some silence and stillness. If I can’t move, then I must force myself to be silent and still. More than once this weekend (I stayed home sick on Friday) I was so worn that I count not even do any hand binding while watching TV. I just sat and watched The Closer a lot.
Meanwhile, December 10 cannot come quick enough. That evening is when my last final is due. It’s a take home case that we will have like 2 weeks to work on. I’m doing downright horrible in this class – I just don’t get it. This is not helping my mood. My other class makes sense, but we are on a project for which I am not in control, which is fine, but the person in control has lost control. (Ann reference – she’d pull her hair back into a ponytail at this point. If we all had our hair back in ponytails, programmers ran for cover. We meant business.) I cannot plan for this tooth procedure until I can determine when all of my class deliverables are. Once I can determine when everything is due and what I need to do to make them due, I can then think about silence and stillness.
I need to be silent and still. I need it badly. I also need money for my tooth.
So right now I pray. I pray for silence and stillness around me. I pray for wisdom. I pray for plans to be revealed. I pray.
More Toothiness
I could just cry. And this time, it’s not from the pain.
I just came back from the dentist. For the record, I really like this dentist. He caters to cowards. Even crazy middle-aged women who are terrified of needles and just want to go to sleep and wake up when it’s all done. See why we get along?
Recently, he did yet another root canal and crown thing. Each one of these is pretty pricey, because I need $1,000 of sedation (seriously – 4 appointments’ worth). I cannot be awake. I seriously can’t. I’ve tried and he’s stopped and rescheduled because I tried and I’m not making it up when I say I can’t. Sedation is my friend. (He told me I was really brave for trying.)
Well, we got through this last root canal and the world was golden! I could eat again! Yippee ki yay! I was so happy!
And then Thursday morning the pain started in an unbelievable way. By Thursday night I was on antibiotics and vicodin.
It is now Monday morning and the pain is not necessarily when I bite, but it’s all over the place. In the upper gums. Feels like the sinuses. Whee. So at this morning’s appointment, he poked and prodded and percussed and asked a lot of questions. Took some x-rays. Asked some more questions. And then he explained things to me.
I need an apicoectomy. The root canal I had is really a misnomer. I had a nerve removal. The roots are just cleaned out; they’re still there. And the roots in some people are porous and those porous pockets can hold a lot of infection. He needs to cut open my gum and snip off the bad root parts. This happens in 3 to 4 % of the population. It’s a genetic mutation.
Hi! Guess who’s a genetic mutant?
While I don’t mind being a genetic mutant, it is expensive. Like ANOTHER $1,300. Um, yeah, where am I gonna find that?
All I want for Christmas is pain-free teeth.
I just came back from the dentist. For the record, I really like this dentist. He caters to cowards. Even crazy middle-aged women who are terrified of needles and just want to go to sleep and wake up when it’s all done. See why we get along?
Recently, he did yet another root canal and crown thing. Each one of these is pretty pricey, because I need $1,000 of sedation (seriously – 4 appointments’ worth). I cannot be awake. I seriously can’t. I’ve tried and he’s stopped and rescheduled because I tried and I’m not making it up when I say I can’t. Sedation is my friend. (He told me I was really brave for trying.)
Well, we got through this last root canal and the world was golden! I could eat again! Yippee ki yay! I was so happy!
And then Thursday morning the pain started in an unbelievable way. By Thursday night I was on antibiotics and vicodin.
It is now Monday morning and the pain is not necessarily when I bite, but it’s all over the place. In the upper gums. Feels like the sinuses. Whee. So at this morning’s appointment, he poked and prodded and percussed and asked a lot of questions. Took some x-rays. Asked some more questions. And then he explained things to me.
I need an apicoectomy. The root canal I had is really a misnomer. I had a nerve removal. The roots are just cleaned out; they’re still there. And the roots in some people are porous and those porous pockets can hold a lot of infection. He needs to cut open my gum and snip off the bad root parts. This happens in 3 to 4 % of the population. It’s a genetic mutation.
Hi! Guess who’s a genetic mutant?
While I don’t mind being a genetic mutant, it is expensive. Like ANOTHER $1,300. Um, yeah, where am I gonna find that?
All I want for Christmas is pain-free teeth.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Sickness Sucks
Well, it's been fun since my last post.
My tooth pain has been moving around into my gums, but it has also started to subside, as the anitbiotics have kicked in. So that my portion of the weekend.
However, Renee has the worst time of it. By Thursday at 4pm, she had over a 100 degree fever and she had that seal bark of a cough. After many harrowing incidents this weekend, including getting all dressed to head to the ER, her bronchitis has subsided and her fever has broken. Like it or not, she returns to school tomorrow.
Meanwhile, her parents are exhausted. It's been non stop laundry, cleaning and disinfecting. We've also been sleeping a lot - all 3 of us.
On a quilty note, the 2 curtain panels are DONE. 11.02 yards busted from stash! YAY!
My tooth pain has been moving around into my gums, but it has also started to subside, as the anitbiotics have kicked in. So that my portion of the weekend.
However, Renee has the worst time of it. By Thursday at 4pm, she had over a 100 degree fever and she had that seal bark of a cough. After many harrowing incidents this weekend, including getting all dressed to head to the ER, her bronchitis has subsided and her fever has broken. Like it or not, she returns to school tomorrow.
Meanwhile, her parents are exhausted. It's been non stop laundry, cleaning and disinfecting. We've also been sleeping a lot - all 3 of us.
On a quilty note, the 2 curtain panels are DONE. 11.02 yards busted from stash! YAY!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Teeth
I really hate tooth pain. HATE HATE HATE.
I have 5 bad teeth from childhood. Don’t ask about they whys and wherefores – just trust me that I have problems to fix from my childhood regarding my teeth.
Teeth 1 and 2 cost me a small fortune and are fine. They were in the upper left back part of my mouth. $3,000, including 4 sedations. Yes, my childhood dental experiences now require that I have sedation. These teeth were done in 2008.
Tooth 3 was done this autumn. I went in July for my 6 month checkup and we figured out that this was the next one, based on the idea that a pocket of nastiness on the x-ray was on its way to the root. I was not in any pain at this point. This tooth was to cost about $1,700.
So I started the appointments in August. The first one revealed that the pocket of nastiness was really a pocket of raging infection and when they opened the tooth, it all just ran out.
Appointment 2 was finishing the root canal and determining that I had recovered, without antibiotics, from the infection.
Appointment 3 was making the post, molding the perm crown and putting on the temp crown.
Appointment 4 was last week, and it was to put on the new tooth.
And today at 8am, the tooth, which has NO NERVE and thus should have NO PAIN, is KILLING ME. And there is no professional dentist in the office until Monday to help me.
Tylenol ain’t cutting it, people.
UPDATE: The theory is that there is infection in there. An Rx has been called in for both antibiotics and pain relief.
I have 5 bad teeth from childhood. Don’t ask about they whys and wherefores – just trust me that I have problems to fix from my childhood regarding my teeth.
Teeth 1 and 2 cost me a small fortune and are fine. They were in the upper left back part of my mouth. $3,000, including 4 sedations. Yes, my childhood dental experiences now require that I have sedation. These teeth were done in 2008.
Tooth 3 was done this autumn. I went in July for my 6 month checkup and we figured out that this was the next one, based on the idea that a pocket of nastiness on the x-ray was on its way to the root. I was not in any pain at this point. This tooth was to cost about $1,700.
So I started the appointments in August. The first one revealed that the pocket of nastiness was really a pocket of raging infection and when they opened the tooth, it all just ran out.
Appointment 2 was finishing the root canal and determining that I had recovered, without antibiotics, from the infection.
Appointment 3 was making the post, molding the perm crown and putting on the temp crown.
Appointment 4 was last week, and it was to put on the new tooth.
And today at 8am, the tooth, which has NO NERVE and thus should have NO PAIN, is KILLING ME. And there is no professional dentist in the office until Monday to help me.
Tylenol ain’t cutting it, people.
UPDATE: The theory is that there is infection in there. An Rx has been called in for both antibiotics and pain relief.
Lists
Lists, lists, I love lists. So did my mother. And so does my sister. Which means it’s pretty much a learned life skill.
I have a lot of lists, especially for my quilting. Because you see, I love to start quilts and I love when quilts are done, but I do not quite make sure that process always fully happens. I have a lot of unfinished objects. I mean, a lot. Like probably over 100+ if I thought really long and hard about it. Which I don’t do because it will drive me to paralysis.
So of course I went downstairs into my sewing space and tried to make some sense of it recently. This was no easy task, but no sewing was happening because it was driving me nuts. So clearly something had to be done. So I headed down there and cleaned up all of the batting scraps (yes, I save them) that someone small who shall remain nameless had strewn about everywhere. I then put away fabric pieces in their color bins and scraps in the scrap baggie. I made sure the cutting table was clear. I made sure the floor was clear. I made sure the ironing board was clear.
I can now cope.
So I then decided to make a list of UFOs that I really should just finish because hey, I need some space. The UFOs I planned to take on my trip to Patsy’s are still on my stairs, so that is where I started. I also cleaned out a drawer in a cabinet and took a bunch of block sets out of there (no, the drawer is not empty – sad but true). So by the time I was done thinking and writing, I had 24 UFOs to finish. Some are farther than others. The farthest anything is is the sandwiched stage. The worst that anything is is not all the blocks are done. So there’s some piecing in there.
Clearly, based on where things are, I like to piece lots and not so much on that other stuff. But things must get done. So this is my goal – get through those 24 in 2010. I’ve seen one blogger who just uses a random number generator to pull out the number of the one she’s working on that month. I plan to do that for 1 UFO and pick the other one. I gotta have some say or I’ll lose it!
So here I am, going happily along working on my UFO’s because anything I can get down before 2010 will make me feel all accomplished, and it hits me.
My SIL has moved and she doesn’t have a quilt. (Her kids do.) OK, can I get that done by 12/13? Yes, I can, through the miracle of Bonnie Hunter. Judy Laquidara over at Patchwork Times is going to do a quilt in an hour quilt that is to DIE for. Can I do that too? Sure, why not? Who will I make it for? Oh, some friends have a child that is in her big girl bed now – she can use it. (Today the parents confessed to me that the moment the baby quilt was too small for the child they stole it and hung it as art in their bedroom. Cracks me up!)
OMG, I’m just hopeless! I’m trying to get rid of 2 dozen UFOs and all I can think about is making 2 more quilts!
I have a lot of lists, especially for my quilting. Because you see, I love to start quilts and I love when quilts are done, but I do not quite make sure that process always fully happens. I have a lot of unfinished objects. I mean, a lot. Like probably over 100+ if I thought really long and hard about it. Which I don’t do because it will drive me to paralysis.
So of course I went downstairs into my sewing space and tried to make some sense of it recently. This was no easy task, but no sewing was happening because it was driving me nuts. So clearly something had to be done. So I headed down there and cleaned up all of the batting scraps (yes, I save them) that someone small who shall remain nameless had strewn about everywhere. I then put away fabric pieces in their color bins and scraps in the scrap baggie. I made sure the cutting table was clear. I made sure the floor was clear. I made sure the ironing board was clear.
I can now cope.
So I then decided to make a list of UFOs that I really should just finish because hey, I need some space. The UFOs I planned to take on my trip to Patsy’s are still on my stairs, so that is where I started. I also cleaned out a drawer in a cabinet and took a bunch of block sets out of there (no, the drawer is not empty – sad but true). So by the time I was done thinking and writing, I had 24 UFOs to finish. Some are farther than others. The farthest anything is is the sandwiched stage. The worst that anything is is not all the blocks are done. So there’s some piecing in there.
Clearly, based on where things are, I like to piece lots and not so much on that other stuff. But things must get done. So this is my goal – get through those 24 in 2010. I’ve seen one blogger who just uses a random number generator to pull out the number of the one she’s working on that month. I plan to do that for 1 UFO and pick the other one. I gotta have some say or I’ll lose it!
So here I am, going happily along working on my UFO’s because anything I can get down before 2010 will make me feel all accomplished, and it hits me.
My SIL has moved and she doesn’t have a quilt. (Her kids do.) OK, can I get that done by 12/13? Yes, I can, through the miracle of Bonnie Hunter. Judy Laquidara over at Patchwork Times is going to do a quilt in an hour quilt that is to DIE for. Can I do that too? Sure, why not? Who will I make it for? Oh, some friends have a child that is in her big girl bed now – she can use it. (Today the parents confessed to me that the moment the baby quilt was too small for the child they stole it and hung it as art in their bedroom. Cracks me up!)
OMG, I’m just hopeless! I’m trying to get rid of 2 dozen UFOs and all I can think about is making 2 more quilts!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Tami is the Crazy Dog Lady
My co-worker Tami is the crazy dog lady. I just want to let you all know that.
The city of Peoria is having budget issues (OK, what city isn’t? Oh, yes, Bloomington , who found $4 million lying around. I want their problem.), and Peoria is threatening to close PAWS, the no-kill animal shelter.
Which prompted Tami to announce that she must single-handedly must save them all.
Tami is the crazy dog lady. Just sayin.
The city of Peoria is having budget issues (OK, what city isn’t? Oh, yes, Bloomington , who found $4 million lying around. I want their problem.), and Peoria is threatening to close PAWS, the no-kill animal shelter.
Which prompted Tami to announce that she must single-handedly must save them all.
Tami is the crazy dog lady. Just sayin.
Monday, October 12, 2009
I don't wanna play today
I think that was the motto for the weekend. I really just didn’t want to participate in anything. But of course, sometimes one just must participate. So I did.
I slept for 11 hours both weekend nights. That was really super nice. It also made it incredibly difficult to get up this morning, especially since Ted and Renee were sleeping in, as she has the day off. (Don’t feel sorry for them – they’re getting flu shots today.) But I managed to get myself to work today, so all is not lost.
I was able to meet one friend for homework on Saturday morning and then attend a child’s birthday party where parents were invited. I also made it to group work on Sunday, although I did not do anything. No fear – neither had anyone else. MKT 430 is the most overwhelming class known to man. I’m pretty sure of this fact, so go with me on it.
Today holds 2 meetings, but it also holds finishing chapter 8, writing up a log for chapter 8, and writing 2 ad-hoc memos. Plus reading 2 more chapters, and starting research. And class. Let’s not forget about class tonight.
I slept for 11 hours both weekend nights. That was really super nice. It also made it incredibly difficult to get up this morning, especially since Ted and Renee were sleeping in, as she has the day off. (Don’t feel sorry for them – they’re getting flu shots today.) But I managed to get myself to work today, so all is not lost.
I was able to meet one friend for homework on Saturday morning and then attend a child’s birthday party where parents were invited. I also made it to group work on Sunday, although I did not do anything. No fear – neither had anyone else. MKT 430 is the most overwhelming class known to man. I’m pretty sure of this fact, so go with me on it.
Today holds 2 meetings, but it also holds finishing chapter 8, writing up a log for chapter 8, and writing 2 ad-hoc memos. Plus reading 2 more chapters, and starting research. And class. Let’s not forget about class tonight.
Friday, October 09, 2009
Less Worse
Another week has past and this one can best be described as the Week from Heck, which is a slight upgrade from last week.
This week’s events:
Good:
Ted comes home today!
Got my last round robin out the door – no more deadline sewing
Got an 87% on the midterm from last week
Ted has amazing friends who helped him when the car broke down
I had to bank by mail to my other account and everything made it and I didn’t get overdrawn
We had a food day for my birthday here at work
My friends came over for study group and brought food (it was during the labyrinthitis)
Bad:
Ted’s car broke down on the way to his conference - $400
I had my marketing midterm, which was 5 essays and 4,000 words
I experienced a not so fun bout of labyrinthitis
I am still really tired
I had stupid people forget their Market Day
For the next 2 weeks, there are some seriously intense projects due for my marketing class. Then we have 4 weeks until anything else is due in that class. So we are just trying to cope. I have no idea what is going on in the other class; I’m waiting for the project manager to tell me the next steps. Any time now buddy would be helpful.
Meanwhile, my sewing area is a disaster. I have not quite figured out how to attack it. I have to quilt 2 panels (one’s started) that will become my winter curtains for my sliding glass doors. I’m thinking of just concentrating on that because the need is coming. I want to get them hung when the clocks change.
Sleeping also sounds like a plan…..
Friday, October 02, 2009
Yes, It Got Worse
OK, for the record, my life just got worse.
In a week that could be described as the Week from Hell by a Thousand Little Slights, it has officially just gotten worse. Let us list the slights, shall we?
It was my birthday and everyone at work forgot
The food day this week was for a wedding
I had a 100 degree fever for 2 days, one of them being my birthday and I had to work
I had a midterm
The midterm had questions with ‘for option d – a and b are correct and option e – all are correct’
My dog died (seriously - she was put down on Wednesday)
I’m out of PTO
I have a Brownie mom who refuses to volunteer
I am exhausted
I got a C on my marketing case
And lastly, the icing on the cake…
The MBA program has gotten rid of the one class I wanted to take – Accountants as ITS Professionals. Totally up my alley. Totally me. Totally justifies my degree to my job. Well, now it’s gone.
And so I have to take another semester to find another elective that will not kill me, like let’s say derivatives or financial planning or international marketing.
Revised graduation date is 05/11. I will still be 40.
There are 2 good things that came out of this process of reviewing the MBA tentative 4 year class schedule. One is that since I really had to review every elective available to determine my options, I have found a class that I think will be meaningful. The other is that my last year will be 1 class at a time, which is a significantly less stressful load.
Excuse me while I go assume the fetal position now.
In a week that could be described as the Week from Hell by a Thousand Little Slights, it has officially just gotten worse. Let us list the slights, shall we?
It was my birthday and everyone at work forgot
The food day this week was for a wedding
I had a 100 degree fever for 2 days, one of them being my birthday and I had to work
I had a midterm
The midterm had questions with ‘for option d – a and b are correct and option e – all are correct’
My dog died (seriously - she was put down on Wednesday)
I’m out of PTO
I have a Brownie mom who refuses to volunteer
I am exhausted
I got a C on my marketing case
And lastly, the icing on the cake…
The MBA program has gotten rid of the one class I wanted to take – Accountants as ITS Professionals. Totally up my alley. Totally me. Totally justifies my degree to my job. Well, now it’s gone.
And so I have to take another semester to find another elective that will not kill me, like let’s say derivatives or financial planning or international marketing.
Revised graduation date is 05/11. I will still be 40.
There are 2 good things that came out of this process of reviewing the MBA tentative 4 year class schedule. One is that since I really had to review every elective available to determine my options, I have found a class that I think will be meaningful. The other is that my last year will be 1 class at a time, which is a significantly less stressful load.
Excuse me while I go assume the fetal position now.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Oh Thank God
I just got home from class, which means that this post was all ready to be a melancholy one about how I got a C on my individual case and I'm all blue.
Then I check my email here at home. And now this is a drastically different post.
The Chicago Tribune sent me an alert that indicated that an arrest had been made in the slayings of 5 family members here in central IL. This story has gripped this area of IL for the past 2 weeks.
Ever read "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote? Well, if you haven't go google a synopsis of it. I'll wait.
The murders that happened here in a very small town of only a few hundred people rocked us to the core. How could 5 members of a family, 2 parents and 3 kids, be so brutally, violently, horribly murdered? How, in our safe little hamlet, where corn grows and the church only holds 80 people? Where the extended members of the family live on the same block? Why this house, why this family? It has been so shocking, we were advised to lock our doors, which in rural central IL is quite the statement. When we heard of it, "In Cold Blood" were the first words out of our mouths.
Well, it appears that the killer is the son-in-law of the dad in the family. It's a blended family - he's got kids and she's got kids and they have kids together. Well, his oldest child was/is married to this killer. Police have not confirmed it, but that is what the local townsfolk are indicating.
We can all rest a bit easier.
Also, there was one lone survivor. The couple's 3 year old daughter has pulled through. She has been under police guard at a major children's hospital in the area since this happened. She has lost nearly everyone, but we are all pulling for her.
Then I check my email here at home. And now this is a drastically different post.
The Chicago Tribune sent me an alert that indicated that an arrest had been made in the slayings of 5 family members here in central IL. This story has gripped this area of IL for the past 2 weeks.
Ever read "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote? Well, if you haven't go google a synopsis of it. I'll wait.
The murders that happened here in a very small town of only a few hundred people rocked us to the core. How could 5 members of a family, 2 parents and 3 kids, be so brutally, violently, horribly murdered? How, in our safe little hamlet, where corn grows and the church only holds 80 people? Where the extended members of the family live on the same block? Why this house, why this family? It has been so shocking, we were advised to lock our doors, which in rural central IL is quite the statement. When we heard of it, "In Cold Blood" were the first words out of our mouths.
Well, it appears that the killer is the son-in-law of the dad in the family. It's a blended family - he's got kids and she's got kids and they have kids together. Well, his oldest child was/is married to this killer. Police have not confirmed it, but that is what the local townsfolk are indicating.
We can all rest a bit easier.
Also, there was one lone survivor. The couple's 3 year old daughter has pulled through. She has been under police guard at a major children's hospital in the area since this happened. She has lost nearly everyone, but we are all pulling for her.
Friday, September 25, 2009
We Closed the Place...
Oh, my, it has been quite I while since I updated this blog of mine. Sorry about that.
Yesterday, Team Girl Power (which is what I call the 4 of us ladies who are trudging our way through grad school and doing absolutely every group project together that we possibly can) delivered an absolutely riveting hour long presentation on the marketing qualms of Amazon.com and their cloud computing offering. If you don’t know what cloud computing is, that’s OK. Neither did one of the group members and half of the class we presented to.
We were so good, class was declared over. We rock! And then went out for dinner.
Anyway, that whole few paragraphs were to point out that I’ve been super-busy with my marketing class. The class has been described as a tidal wave each week. But it’s interesting (however, I have zero retention of the subject whatsoever) class, with a good prof who is actually a band Dad and knows a co-worker of mine who is a band Mom for the same high school band.
But on to quilty things. I did in fact complete Ute’s round robin and I dropped it off at Julie K’s house. I only have 2 more quilty deadlines – something for the 4th Annual Taste of Brookfield @ Your Library and Julie G’s round robin.
The Taste item is an Advent calendar. 12 blocks are completed. 12 are halfway completed. Then they need to be set, sandwiched, quilted and bound. Considering the entire quilt is 2 feet by 3 feet, I hope to complete everything but the handstitching of the binding tonight. I’ll do the handstitching on the way down to St. Louis to enjoy the Rams-Packers game.
Julie’s RR will require some math. Let’s just leave it at that. But I have all the components and I plan to do this quilt in the next 7 days. If I put my nose to the grindstone, it is do-able.
Except I have my MIL and her other 2 grandchildren coming down Saturday night and staying Sunday so Ted and I can go to the Ram-Packers game. Which means I need to clean my house. Not because my MIL is one of these white glove people – heavens no. Not in the least. It’s because since she’s been retired, she’s retired from domestic duty. I have to have all meals prepared and in Tupperwares for heat and eat purposes. DD has volunteered to show Grandma how things are done.
But most importantly, the other 2 grandchildren that will invade my home are coming. They don’t do anything wrong, as much as I know where my shit is and if they so much as breathe on it, I get cranky. And it’s not them. This goes from my side of the family as well, who not only breathe on it, but also make snarky comments about it.
So for my mental health, I have to clean. Boo.
Yesterday, Team Girl Power (which is what I call the 4 of us ladies who are trudging our way through grad school and doing absolutely every group project together that we possibly can) delivered an absolutely riveting hour long presentation on the marketing qualms of Amazon.com and their cloud computing offering. If you don’t know what cloud computing is, that’s OK. Neither did one of the group members and half of the class we presented to.
We were so good, class was declared over. We rock! And then went out for dinner.
Anyway, that whole few paragraphs were to point out that I’ve been super-busy with my marketing class. The class has been described as a tidal wave each week. But it’s interesting (however, I have zero retention of the subject whatsoever) class, with a good prof who is actually a band Dad and knows a co-worker of mine who is a band Mom for the same high school band.
But on to quilty things. I did in fact complete Ute’s round robin and I dropped it off at Julie K’s house. I only have 2 more quilty deadlines – something for the 4th Annual Taste of Brookfield @ Your Library and Julie G’s round robin.
The Taste item is an Advent calendar. 12 blocks are completed. 12 are halfway completed. Then they need to be set, sandwiched, quilted and bound. Considering the entire quilt is 2 feet by 3 feet, I hope to complete everything but the handstitching of the binding tonight. I’ll do the handstitching on the way down to St. Louis to enjoy the Rams-Packers game.
Julie’s RR will require some math. Let’s just leave it at that. But I have all the components and I plan to do this quilt in the next 7 days. If I put my nose to the grindstone, it is do-able.
Except I have my MIL and her other 2 grandchildren coming down Saturday night and staying Sunday so Ted and I can go to the Ram-Packers game. Which means I need to clean my house. Not because my MIL is one of these white glove people – heavens no. Not in the least. It’s because since she’s been retired, she’s retired from domestic duty. I have to have all meals prepared and in Tupperwares for heat and eat purposes. DD has volunteered to show Grandma how things are done.
But most importantly, the other 2 grandchildren that will invade my home are coming. They don’t do anything wrong, as much as I know where my shit is and if they so much as breathe on it, I get cranky. And it’s not them. This goes from my side of the family as well, who not only breathe on it, but also make snarky comments about it.
So for my mental health, I have to clean. Boo.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
weekend update
Now it’s time to get down to business.
Labor Day weekend is over. It was nice that it was so late this year; it’s a shorter time until my birthday and another week of the school term got accomplished (my term, not hers – she’s on her own). We stayed in all weekend and, more importantly, ate in all weekend. I‘m pretty sure we singlehandedly accomplished the goal of 9 meatless meals after having eggplant parmesan 2 weekends in a row.
I did get some things done, like homework and quilting. I did not get the one cleaning thing down that qualifies as the Item that Makes You Nuts. I was planning on doing it while my MIL swung through on her way back from KS, but that return has been delayed because Grandma Mary wanted Karen to go to the banks, etc with her today. So my MIL will be swinging through on a different day in the next week. Since I have class on Thursday, I may or may not see her.
So now I have to get this annoying task done. I hope to spend 15 minutes on it tonight. I just have to do it; it’s making me crazy. Ted and I made a deal that we would both try to get an Item that Makes You Nuts done before Thanksgiving. This task is a small part of mine.
Sewing-wise, my foot pedal has died. A sad day indeed.
I did get the Christmas potholders done and also one of the RR’s. Another goal for tonight is to get those things ready for the post office. I have 1 more RR to do and a Miche shell for a friend and the donation for the Friends of the Brookfield Public Library’s 4th Annual Taste of Brookfield @ Your Library. I was going to make a large quilt, but switched to a small wallhanging. Less pressure.
I also worked on some other sewing items that I have broken down into manageable tasks. My goal is to get through the list once a week and over time, many things will get done. I love to piece, but once there are blocks, the process massively slows down. So I’m trying to break the backlog by breaking into tiny pieces.
Here’s my current list:
A small project – Miche shell, the wallhanging and potholders are on this list
1 denim square – using the fake cathedral windows pattern for denim circles, I’m committed (I need to be committed after this one) to a 5 by 5 square each week
Quilt 1 column on my curtain panels
A Round Robin or Swap – only one RR left
Pre-sash 6 blue blocks
So far for this week, I have completed a small projects (the Xmas potholders), did a denim square, and did a RR. I need to pre-sash some blue blocks and quilt a column. I continue to work on the wallhanging because it has a lot of small parts and appliqué and a little each day really does add up. I also hope to start part of the next RR, because it also has a lot of little parts.
Oh, and I should really do some homework. Details. I only have a 14 page case analysis on Intel due next week. Yawn.
Friday, September 04, 2009
Hope
OK, those Gutsy Gals over at (in)courage are asking for posts about Hope. So here goes.
Hope to me is a lot of things. It is having a president from my home county (much less from my state!) who is all about courage and hope. It is interesting to hear how the Kennedy family viewed Obama as having the same effect as JFK did 50 years ago. It is wonderful to hear people who took a moment from their lives in November and/or January and blogged about how they again felt hope.
(But you did not come here to read about how I am a bleeding heart pinko Cook County Democrat who does politics via the Chicago Way. I digress. Sorry.)
Hope for me is blonde. And eight-and-a-half. And in third grade. Yes, this is my child.
Bereaved parents walk among you. We do not have a mark on our foreheads indicating that we are bereaved parents; we usually never even mention this fact. But we all carry this fact in our hearts and souls – the fact that bad things happen to little children.
I myself have been pregnant 4 times. I have suffered one medically uneventful miscarriage, one adverse diagnosis pregnancy with fetal surgery, 6 amnios and a delivery at 29 weeks. He lived 35 minutes. My third pregnancy resulted in my daughter that I mention above. My fourth pregnancy ended in a miscarriage that nearly cost me my life. I was never so happy to turn 32 in my life (it happened the week before).
That above paragraph is something I can recite emotionless to anyone who asks. It’s the medical version; the cliff notes. I can elaborate, usually without incident, when asked. Other times, not so much. People tell me that I really have it together on this topic. I have it no more or less together than anyone else; but I do have hope.
I am lucky. One of my kids made it so I can be with her. She is hope personified, in Polly Pockets and Pokemon, in chocolate and Hannah Montana. She reminds me and my husband daily why we bother with this journey called life. She reminds us that our proper perspective is not on promotions or paychecks, it’s on learning multiplication tables and the names of all the presidents, not just the two (technically, four, I know, but work with me on this) from Illinois. She reminds us to enjoy life in all of its facets and not just on those we enjoy or are comfortable with. Without this kid, I would never be a Brownies leader or the Market Day mom for the school. I certainly would not know what a zhu zhu pet is or find it a very funny toy that is hypoallergenic!
So, Hope, thy name is Renee. Which means reborn. Which is what we were after she arrived, after so much heartache and pain.
Errata: For the courage post, I wrote about my collegiate parking pass. It was not red this year, nor was it shaped like the state of Illinois. This year it’s green and a boring rectangle. (They said they needed the rectangle to put the swipe stripe on a flat edge. Hello? Illinois’ border with Indiana is also a flat edge for a while. Get creative, people!)
Hope to me is a lot of things. It is having a president from my home county (much less from my state!) who is all about courage and hope. It is interesting to hear how the Kennedy family viewed Obama as having the same effect as JFK did 50 years ago. It is wonderful to hear people who took a moment from their lives in November and/or January and blogged about how they again felt hope.
(But you did not come here to read about how I am a bleeding heart pinko Cook County Democrat who does politics via the Chicago Way. I digress. Sorry.)
Hope for me is blonde. And eight-and-a-half. And in third grade. Yes, this is my child.
Bereaved parents walk among you. We do not have a mark on our foreheads indicating that we are bereaved parents; we usually never even mention this fact. But we all carry this fact in our hearts and souls – the fact that bad things happen to little children.
I myself have been pregnant 4 times. I have suffered one medically uneventful miscarriage, one adverse diagnosis pregnancy with fetal surgery, 6 amnios and a delivery at 29 weeks. He lived 35 minutes. My third pregnancy resulted in my daughter that I mention above. My fourth pregnancy ended in a miscarriage that nearly cost me my life. I was never so happy to turn 32 in my life (it happened the week before).
That above paragraph is something I can recite emotionless to anyone who asks. It’s the medical version; the cliff notes. I can elaborate, usually without incident, when asked. Other times, not so much. People tell me that I really have it together on this topic. I have it no more or less together than anyone else; but I do have hope.
I am lucky. One of my kids made it so I can be with her. She is hope personified, in Polly Pockets and Pokemon, in chocolate and Hannah Montana. She reminds me and my husband daily why we bother with this journey called life. She reminds us that our proper perspective is not on promotions or paychecks, it’s on learning multiplication tables and the names of all the presidents, not just the two (technically, four, I know, but work with me on this) from Illinois. She reminds us to enjoy life in all of its facets and not just on those we enjoy or are comfortable with. Without this kid, I would never be a Brownies leader or the Market Day mom for the school. I certainly would not know what a zhu zhu pet is or find it a very funny toy that is hypoallergenic!
So, Hope, thy name is Renee. Which means reborn. Which is what we were after she arrived, after so much heartache and pain.
Errata: For the courage post, I wrote about my collegiate parking pass. It was not red this year, nor was it shaped like the state of Illinois. This year it’s green and a boring rectangle. (They said they needed the rectangle to put the swipe stripe on a flat edge. Hello? Illinois’ border with Indiana is also a flat edge for a while. Get creative, people!)
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