tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35159469233610648532024-03-05T04:59:19.257-08:00First Time AdventuresAdvise, mistakes, and observations from a first time single mom.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.comBlogger116125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-76097582271337935862012-12-01T19:20:00.000-08:002012-12-01T19:20:18.952-08:00Polar Express recap (Pic Heavy)<br />
On Nov. 29 I took my Hail, Raph, Amber, and Brooklyn to ride the Polar Express train at Mt. Hood Railroad. For the price of the tickets, it wasn't really that fantastic. It was overall a fun experience but not something that I would repeat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQNHR-dP68R3KHJZoDLFbcrzT1LkH-8a8DHKkh5Yd1RhaZtphHI0TCvGao-I1SuTjqntllU7nBQKOJ6aTqniCvG5z7-sUMlJbqTfIu8LjPJEQigS8yiEeMUj30nML76SzCkLw7TGRHw1S0/s1600/65297_387575937988559_1737811240_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQNHR-dP68R3KHJZoDLFbcrzT1LkH-8a8DHKkh5Yd1RhaZtphHI0TCvGao-I1SuTjqntllU7nBQKOJ6aTqniCvG5z7-sUMlJbqTfIu8LjPJEQigS8yiEeMUj30nML76SzCkLw7TGRHw1S0/s320/65297_387575937988559_1737811240_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The train ride itself was very short. A total of 45 minutes from start to finish, the train went straight forward then backed up to the depot. The dancing chefs in the movie all seemed to be wisened old cooks singing, dancing, and serving up some creamy, delicious hot chocolate, instead they were mostly teenagers in stained uniforms. The hot chocolate that was served to guests was lukewarm and far from creamy as it was made with water.<br />
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The train was decorated nicely and smelled of Christmas with its fresh garlands, bells, red velvet bows and lights. The lights inside were rather bright, however, so it was nearly impossible to see outside when we pulled up to the "North Pole" where the toy factory, Santa's house, and the caribou supposedly were. Hobo Jo, the hobo that lives on top of the Polar express was funny and engaging with the kids attempting to get them to trade him cookies for odds and ends that a vagabond would have. </div>
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The best part of the whole tour was Santa. His elves were cute and dressed appropriately although some where rather tall. His suit was a nice red and had no odd smells like some mall Santas do. His beard was real which is always a nice surprise over the overly fake snow white beard that is common. Santa was very cheery and nice and didn't attempt to make my scared two-year-old sit on his lap but instead simply gave him his "magic" sleigh bell, pat him on the back, tell him "Merry Christmas" and walked away. As a mom, that is always greatly appreciated.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHiIbSD-QmswaZCGBgyUuvmG9T2Vw8BygeEAAz024L1qWT81Moc93E3pi2UmUhO06v4PiSjJWHGXTLEHOSaIKBVfOnEgOIVThi3yULvqQ2U6PwOgwEoW38QpJqrK6xWIZV7Skq_8Nysi__/s1600/brooklyn+and+Santa.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHiIbSD-QmswaZCGBgyUuvmG9T2Vw8BygeEAAz024L1qWT81Moc93E3pi2UmUhO06v4PiSjJWHGXTLEHOSaIKBVfOnEgOIVThi3yULvqQ2U6PwOgwEoW38QpJqrK6xWIZV7Skq_8Nysi__/s320/brooklyn+and+Santa.jpeg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsC-GhW_tzz2J61Nt5yuXpKdMqPPQWgrWne6hEqrVrHIWzrPxCx_yHbUgDTqVKoWnVVmEnsTSZJtkbs0jUjjbDGuf8Ppv_YQITcmvrUi8rKqqk43Fd_7lyXVLJyISTZln0Ljv85MSfP6w6/s1600/elf.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsC-GhW_tzz2J61Nt5yuXpKdMqPPQWgrWne6hEqrVrHIWzrPxCx_yHbUgDTqVKoWnVVmEnsTSZJtkbs0jUjjbDGuf8Ppv_YQITcmvrUi8rKqqk43Fd_7lyXVLJyISTZln0Ljv85MSfP6w6/s320/elf.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The souvenir station wasn't that expensive overall. I purchased my son a color book with the Polar Express for $1 and a giant coffee mug that holds 1/3 of the pot in each cup for only $10. It's the best coffee mug any caffeine needing parent can have.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyehsjw1e2LU63tmwjrKVXw7hjWYv8dz0Pwl4u3hxPmWZkF4R_Ggwcj7GkjhRGby4Ci6zoil-jO476MUQYuSLkTNh734QktQnKLZ05mXW1X2IfajmqHQdQxwQFsS6h62XdhhNpXkd_Ma1q/s1600/30942_387575861321900_1282344319_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyehsjw1e2LU63tmwjrKVXw7hjWYv8dz0Pwl4u3hxPmWZkF4R_Ggwcj7GkjhRGby4Ci6zoil-jO476MUQYuSLkTNh734QktQnKLZ05mXW1X2IfajmqHQdQxwQFsS6h62XdhhNpXkd_Ma1q/s320/30942_387575861321900_1282344319_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhoUYjKnUW4tQEHERopN-AzAGXxFqfw76Mq3ruzwG3xtGylMqMfuqStmCKa64CRzmbUGwgkPjao5KznrchAuprupJOMoOlleuGQaUXb1ePkOPNCwlTJxhgfa0ob59zT21MIjrGW5nx1RHD/s1600/46199_387575754655244_1840712464_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhoUYjKnUW4tQEHERopN-AzAGXxFqfw76Mq3ruzwG3xtGylMqMfuqStmCKa64CRzmbUGwgkPjao5KznrchAuprupJOMoOlleuGQaUXb1ePkOPNCwlTJxhgfa0ob59zT21MIjrGW5nx1RHD/s320/46199_387575754655244_1840712464_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSBQ6EGSEi6SvUBGjhfVYzRxgucxlWDJWPDl7o7ezGQRpMCpESnXcKO0nh7PlR8wNQDGFdruRUzOtmaUqIIbHe5l7OBAg19xTeonNALMNaSxfgzIDxDdwMIgbQQsTvR7mCgvGaKLhCfvM/s1600/395125_387575817988571_1957937301_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSBQ6EGSEi6SvUBGjhfVYzRxgucxlWDJWPDl7o7ezGQRpMCpESnXcKO0nh7PlR8wNQDGFdruRUzOtmaUqIIbHe5l7OBAg19xTeonNALMNaSxfgzIDxDdwMIgbQQsTvR7mCgvGaKLhCfvM/s320/395125_387575817988571_1957937301_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Overall, the experience was fun, but not something that I would pay to do again. The price of the tickets were not worth a two hour drive to sit on a train for a 45 minutes.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-35251593670928418512012-11-05T19:32:00.000-08:002012-11-05T19:32:05.858-08:00Polar Express is coming to Mt. Hood Railroads in Portland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFMIsWhsky6Z7mV6VmIRESeKmHDZfg27VGPhIkTace2cZAtPtQrkoJOLWjqrCXmpp-4_8dtYBk3ZA1lOh5WwrHw6fTAAJcdKMwyYl0o1OLPkm6pedRSTGKEa3aPz1eUbnHVVi421CjZzX/s1600/polarexpress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFMIsWhsky6Z7mV6VmIRESeKmHDZfg27VGPhIkTace2cZAtPtQrkoJOLWjqrCXmpp-4_8dtYBk3ZA1lOh5WwrHw6fTAAJcdKMwyYl0o1OLPkm6pedRSTGKEa3aPz1eUbnHVVi421CjZzX/s320/polarexpress.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">All Aboard! The Polar Express comes to life this holiday season as the </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mount Hood Railroad rolls out of the station bound for the "North Pole!" Come early and climb aboard with your family to cozy-up and enjoy our festively-decorated vintage train cars. Dancing chefs deliver hot chocolate and a cookie to each guest to savor while music from the Polar Express movie plays en route to the North Pole. Make sure to have your tickets handy, because your conductor will be by shortly to punch each child's ticket. Before arriving at the North Pole, the iconic book, The Polar Express is read as your Chef turns the pages to share the beautiful illustrations in the original book. With the station far away, The Polar Express magically arrives at the outskirts of Santa's North Pole village, where Santa Claus himself and his elves joyously welcome the train! As you stay comfortably settled and warm in your seat, Santa and his helper elf board the train! During the return trip, Santa will greet each child with his signature holiday spirit and the first gift of Christmas: a bell cut from his sleigh. It is said that only children and those who still believe can actually hear the bell ring. Join in the singing as your Chef or Conductor lead Christmas caroling on the 30-minute return trip. For those wanting the magic to last or to do a little Christmas shopping, visit our gift shop in the station for special Polar Express gifts and merchandise. Oh, one last thing, children are encouraged to wear their PJ's; adults who still believe have been known to wear them, too! So, are you coming? All Aboard!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=54qaBMUF1TI" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr></wbr>feature=player_embedded&v=<wbr></wbr>54qaBMUF1TI</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com0Mt Hood Railroad, OR, USA45.6133896 -121.564576245.435681599999995 -121.8804332 45.7910976 -121.24871920000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-23853218208209860732012-05-03T07:28:00.002-07:002012-07-17T13:51:56.259-07:00Adios Portland!Well, things are about to get crazy here. I probably won't be around near as much as I usually am. Our little family is going to make a big change-- and I think that it will be for the better. We are going to be moving to New Orleans in September. Raph has accepted a position working on the oil rigs down there and we are all moving. I think this is going to be the fresh start that our little family has needed for a long time. Not only are there job opportunities down there that we simply don't have in Portland, but educational opportunities for Hail and a cheaper lifestyle. Everything is incredibly cheap down there. We have found beautiful houses that are hundreds of square feet larger than the apartment we rent for the same price. Absolutely crazy. Wish us luck! it will be a journey.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-46424596543804611162012-04-29T07:39:00.000-07:002012-04-29T07:39:33.993-07:0050 Book Challenge- Book 14- Water for ElephantsFor those that haven't read this book, you need to. I thought this book was absolutely amazing. After Jacob's parents are killed in a car accident, he finds out that his dad's veterinary practice he has been going to school to join is so broke that the bank owns it and the house. Left with nothing, Jacob joins the Benzini Brother's Most Spectacular Show in the World circus train and begins traveling the country.<br />
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At first, nobody is sure of his place until they find out that he has vet experience. His first job is to kill one of the show horses that has gone lame. From there, he treats the lion with no teeth, Bobo the chimp, and then a bull elephant is purchased when another circus collapses. Everyone thinks that Rosie, the elephant is stupid until they find out that she only speaks Polish.<br />
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There is a tangled love affair between the vet, the lead performer, and the equestrian director, also her husband. There are midgets, rowdy old men, cooch girls, and a handful of other characters that are brilliant in their telling.<br />
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I loved this story, throughout the entire read, I could easily picture myself traveling on the train, in the menagerie, or eating in the grease tent. This is a fantastic tale about love, compassion, and being free. It is a fairly quick read but it will leave you wanting more. After looking it up, most of the details are based in truth and really did happen on a traveling circus in America. I won't tell you the details, but it is some fascinating stuff.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-35160281974755141032012-04-16T09:07:00.000-07:002012-04-16T09:07:37.515-07:0050 book challenge-Book 13- The Invisible RingThis is the 13th book I have read for my challenge, and it is also the 4th Anne Bishop book that I have read. It is the 4th book of the Black Jewels series and I have to say, this has been my least favorite. It took me FOREVER to get through because none of the characters are the same, it was difficult to get into because it is actually a prequel that should have been the first book. The book is called the Invisible Ring and doesn't have much to do with a ring at all. <br />
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While the plot of the story was decent,it took forever to get to. It started as a story of a journey to buy slaves, then you find out that the person purchasing the slaves isn't whom she is supposed to be, and they have a spy amongst them. Unfortunately, the story isn't as exciting as I just made it sound. I hope that the next book is going to be much better. I feel that had this story started as the first in the series as I feel that it should have been, the story would have flowed better. There are suck rich characters in the main series that I missed them throughout the whole series.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-66509119300249204652012-04-06T08:03:00.001-07:002012-04-06T08:03:50.483-07:00IrritatedMy dentist appointment went better than expected yesterday. I was hoping to get some of the dental work done that I need but they simply just did x-rays to tell me what is wrong with my teeth. I nearly laughed when they said I need braces. There is no way that I can afford that!For 10 years of not having any dental insurance, I feel that I fared pretty well. I have 13 cavities, which I expected, and I have to have one tooth (a wisdom tooth) removed because it is pushing against the rest of my lower teeth. The only problem with this is that they are going to have to take a piece of my jaw with it. Also, I have to have a deep cleaning which will be done in 4 parts because they have to numb me to scrape the calcium deposits from under my gums that are starting to solidify and swelling my gums. Overall, it's going to be 9 visits in total to have all the work done that I need. And unfortunately, the first appointment that I could get to get the work started isn't until the 20th. <br>
Grandma's funeral is irritating me. There was a private burial for her yesterday that not even the entire family was invited to. Then her memorial service is Saturday which everyone is invited to. Why would you hold a burial and only allow a handful of people to attend, and not even the whole family? People have made this far more difficult than it needed to be. <br>
My mom has sold her house and will be moving to Minnesota in a few short weeks. Sunday, we will be saying our goodbyes. I fell like I am having a personal funeral myself. While my mother and I may never have been super close, besides my sister and brother, she is the only family that I have left. My sister will be following her because she is attached to the hip of my mother. My little brother and I have never been close; he is 7 years younger than I am and he is autistic, so his needs have always seemingly distanced us because of the education he needed, and health problems. We are going Easter to clear out what we want from her house and hopefully have a decent visit. I feel so overwhelmed with the whole situation that, frankly, I want to curl up under a blanket and stay there until it's over. I don't like the helpless/hopeless alone feeling I have. while I really am not alone-- I have Hail and Raph (whom, since we are not married could leave whenever he chooses)I still feel it. Not to mention, I have a million things going on this month which has prompted me to be in high gear consistently, but not really have any time to do anything or feel anything I'm consistently on "go" mode.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-37215914576170353202012-04-05T07:21:00.000-07:002012-04-05T07:21:22.328-07:00Dreading this dayToday is the dreaded dentist. I am not looking forward to this at all. I am scared of the dentist and have been since I was a little girl. When I was 8 the dentist tried to remove my double Eye teeth and I wouldn't let him because he wasn't clear as to what he was planning on doing. Then the last time I had dental insurance, I was 15 years ago, and I found out I was allergic to Novocaine. I had to have 4 cavities filled with no medicinal help to ease the pain. I will never do that again. I am told that they do things differently now,and I hope that is true because the drilling was always something I liked least of all. That movie, The Dentist, from the mid 80s early 90s scared the crap out of me.
I know that I have cavities that need to be filled and more than likely 1-2 teeth that need to be pulled. If they don't do some of the work today, then I can't honestly say the likeliness of my going back to get it does is very high. I also am not looking forward to the lecture I know I will receive. I know I shouldn't drink dark soda, and coffee but I am addicted to them. I quit smoking so I don't need that lecture but I do not floss nearly as often as I should and I haven't had insurance in so long that I am sure my teeth aren't that great. I AM RIDDLED WITH ANXIETY!!!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-26347662721008324472012-04-04T10:53:00.001-07:002012-04-04T10:53:54.282-07:00Happy DanceThe last couple of weeks I have been crocheting my little heart away. I have finally reached the big payout that I have always been hoping for. I don't want to hold my breath in case things don't pan out, but I was just offered the deal of a life time. A children's book author contacted me and asked if I could crochet a hat sample of his character. He is going to pay me $40 for the sample and if he likes it, he wants to make a contract to make 300 more to sell along with his book. I may be Hiring crocheters soon, I don't know. I will get my full price that I request and he will simply sell them for a little more. I AM EXCITED!!!! This is a deal of a life time to have my work accompany a book. I'm on Cloud 9 right now! <br>
The author was shown a picture of my son wearing his Elmo hat that I finished a short while ago and thought it would be perfect and similar to the one he is wanting. I will make the hat look like anything he wants for this chance of a lifetime. This is the picture he was shown, and the Elmo hat I made my son-- don't mind the messy face, he was eating goldfish :)
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12AX496FOpTey2941yS6Um6Nw4CXV1KeJKrDfe7pMURl5We_RFKC0yyp8GL43W8tuEtVQfatsrkg7BcptdHYSx7yFQio-_5UuJgI6TlO21i4SRrQGfHSBFpfkQx7bj5W54LRhUYDT_jrd/s1600/Elmo+Hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12AX496FOpTey2941yS6Um6Nw4CXV1KeJKrDfe7pMURl5We_RFKC0yyp8GL43W8tuEtVQfatsrkg7BcptdHYSx7yFQio-_5UuJgI6TlO21i4SRrQGfHSBFpfkQx7bj5W54LRhUYDT_jrd/s320/Elmo+Hat.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-69696834654113188392012-04-03T07:26:00.000-07:002012-07-17T13:53:18.085-07:00I met myself yesterdayI have always known that there was another Nicole Ramage somewhere in Portland. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever think that I would meet her, until yesterday. I was in my literature class and we were asked to interview our table mate and share something interesting about them so that our instructor would be able to remember all 36 of us. It turns out that my table mate, of all the people in the world was also named Nicole Ramage, she was also 26, and had a sun that is 1.5 years old. I was blown away. We didn't look anything alike but apparently, we are doppelgangers nonetheless. <br />
This whole week, as well as next week is over flowing with a million things I need to get done. Today it is work and grocery shopping. I really want some food in my house so that is going to be my number one mission for the day. I also really need to get some work done so that I can have money to do what I like and pay the bills. Surprisingly my page views have been phenomenal for not having worked in 3 days. I really need to get print some coloring pages for my boys to put in their Easter baskets. I helped my sister out this year with picking up Easter for my nephews. I would feel bad if they got nothing-- especially knowing the reason is because someone stole one of their cars and they paid a lot of money to have it repaired-- money that would have gone to their Easter baskets and paying rent. Luckily for them, they don't have to worry about late rent and things like that because their landlord is my sister's brother in law. Their apartment is a complete shit hole and he does nothing to care for the property or the place but they don't seem to mind. <br />
I don't know if my sister is going to be able to bring up the boys to do Easter eggs this year, or where we would do them since I don't have a table of any kind and I'm debating on whether I want to do eggs with Hail this year if they don't come. We don't eat that many hard boiled eggs and he hates eggs and won't even touch them. While egg coloring is fun, it seems like a waste if they won't be eaten afterwards. That, and I think he might be a bit too young to really enjoy it. Who knows. I have a few more days to decide on that one. My biggest concern, worry for this week is going to do the damn dentist. I am going to be terrified and worry over it until it's done and over with. I am allergic to Novocaine so if I have to have any work done they will have to gas me or something. I'm not sure. I just know that I will need a lot of work done and I'm not sure how long it's going to take but I want to get it done. My teeth haven't been hurting so I don't imagine that I have any that are completely rotted, but I know I have a lot of cavities-- after all, I am a baker. I drink far too much caffeine and I don't floss a million times a day. <br />
I finally cleaned out my filing cabinet yesterday too. Man, that was long over due. I had stuff in there from 2005 that I had just been packing around. I also had ex-husband's stuff in there that I no longer see fit to keep. I felt a huge pressure lift when I saw it go in the garbage-- all of it, including the old printer that apparently won't work now cuz I can't get ink for it. It's no matter, the new one that I got is also an HP so it streams with my laptop. It also is very fast and efficient, unlike the last one. Speaking of computers, I need to find a new fan for mine. It seems to be going out and it sounds like a tiny helicopter spinning around in there. I have no idea how to fix something like and whether or not it would be easy but it needs to be done. That is an annoying noise. It has been doing it far less than it was before, but I still don't like to listen to it while I work.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-85663191341390572932012-04-02T19:03:00.001-07:002012-04-02T19:03:59.977-07:00First day of the quarterToday is the first day of the quarter. It has been an overwhelming day too. I finally got a printer that works. I was going to simply buy ink for the printer but I found that that wasn't possible as they discontinued the kind that I need. Go figure. I had no other choice but to get a new printer. Admittedly, when I got home, I went a little print happy. Hail wanted to see what it did so I printed him a coloring page with Elmo. Then I printed off all the patterns I had found online that I wanted to try. That was satisfying--- not having to write them all down by hand. All of my classes seem to be decent so far; however, I failed to see when I made my schedule that an English class and a writing course were going to equal a LOT OF HOMEWORK. By Wednesday alone, I have nearly 100 pages to read, and I have a paper to write and a discussion post to do. <br>
I found out that Hail's sperm donor is in jail. I don't have any idea what I saw in him. He never treated me that great and I divorced within two years. He was already waiting on 4 felonies, and now, he's in jail for domestic violence and harassment. Good Grief!It's not my problem now. I am debating whether I should terminate his visitation as he has technically abandoned Hail since that's the way in Washington. Also, I refuse to take him to jail EVER to see his father. It's such a hard decision. Ultimately, I feel that the best for Hail would be to not allow his father to see him as his current charges are stories I know all to well. <br>
I haven't done any work today as I have been all kinds of busy trying to get things figured out. It's gonna keep me busy these 3 classes. And to keep up with work as well, and be able to do my crafty stuff I want, I am really going to push myself to get it done. My schedule is so full this week, I have something going on every day for nearly the next two weeks. The most dreaded thing on my list is the dentist... I AM TERRIFIED OF THE DENTIST. I haven't had dental insurance since I was 15- over 11 years ago and just from looking in my own mouth, I can tell you that at minimum, I have a ton of cavities to take care of. On top of that, I am pretty sure I have at least 2 teeth that need to be removed, possibly one root canal, and in general, I don't want to listen to the lecture that I know I'm going to receive. <br>
I really think, as it is so late that I need to take the rest of the day off, regroup and pick it up tomorrow when I don't have school. I can do this, I will do this, and I will do it well, no matter how difficult it becomes.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-26769009263763978512012-04-01T08:09:00.001-07:002012-04-01T08:09:26.621-07:00Say a little prayerWell, it has been a long hard road, but Raph's grandma passed on last night. Please say a prayer for their family. I find the whole ordeal to be quite unnecessary in many aspects. She was being cared for by his aunt-- she lived in their home. When she felt that it was getting to be too much she simply stopped giving her proper care. She paid no mind to the fact that she needed a low sodium diet, which caused fluid to build up in her lungs. She wasn't eating because she knew it was going to make her sick and because she wasn't eating she was becoming delusional and wasn't sleeping. Each time this would happen, she would be placed in hospice for a week at a time where they were release her once she was doing better. <br>
The doctors would say,"well there isn't anything we can do," instead of trying to put her on an IV and give her nourishment that way. They wanted to turn off her pace maker and let her go when her heart would stop. The woman had the worst care. Unfortunately, Raph and I couldn't care for her with a 1.5 years old and living on the 3rd story, she'd never make it up and down the stairs, she could barely walk as it was she was so frail. The overall care and treatment that she received makes me want to hurt somebody, honestly. I feel she suffered far more than was necessary. Raph's sister and mom couldn't care for as they care for their ailing grandpa who lives with them. His sisters are still in high school and his mom works 12 hour shifts. The care she needed round the clock and she wasn't getting it. She should have been put in a nursing home instead of a hospice. Had she have gotten the care she needed, she would have lived longer.<br>
I am really surprised that Raph isn't grieving the way I would have thought. His grandma and he were really close when he was younger. Until the last couple of years he saw her daily and would go to church with her every Sunday. His theory is that there is no use getting upset about people passing on because it happens every day. While I do agree and find this to be true, I know when my grandpa died, I bawled like a baby for days. He didn't see his grandma in her final hours, but he did shed a few tears when he got the call. Then went back to playing video games and killing zombies. I suppose that we all grieve differently, and it's an important thing tool to have. <br>
For today, my prayers go out to the Whitfield family and those that knew Emma Whitfield.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-49294487810970706402012-03-30T07:39:00.000-07:002012-03-30T13:21:10.062-07:00Life updateLately, it seems that everything has been a little crazy surrounding my business ventures as well as work in general. I have changed my schedule around, work wise, so that I can spend my weekends doing something fun without being overwhelmed. This gives me time to hang out with my kiddo and perhaps do something fun, crochet, and work on other fun projects as well as spend time with my Raph. We have been doing good, although this spring weather has really put a damper on being able to go out and do anything.
All the changes with work and now my blogger interface have gotten me all kinds of fuzzled. Yes, I made that up. Work is becoming more of a popularity contest than journalism. Apparently, it is the industry standard to earn barges such as "Read 5 articles," "wrote 5 articles," "logged on." Woopty Do! If you were doing your job, all those things apply anyway. Eventually, all these things are going to mean something, so I simply have to go with the flow whether I like it or not. My page views are doing phenomenal and I will have a great pay check this upcoming payday. I started using twitter this month to promote my work and now I'm being followed by Rachel Ray, Food Network, Martha Stewart, and Parenting Magazine. These are huge successes to me as they have millions of readers and my work is being shared with all those millions.
I am nearly done with my first character hat. Hail will love it because it's Elmo, or Memo as he calls him. I posted the question on my FaceBook as to how much someone would be willing to pay for a hat such as this and I only got one response. I feel that I may have to do some research and find out how much others similar to it are selling for. I was thinking of selling the fuzzy ones (like this Elmo Hat) for $20 because the yarn is expensive and I can't guarantee that I will always be able to get it on sale like I did this time. So I had to estimate the cost at full price. With that being said it cost me $7.75 just to make the toddler size hat. Most all other hats are not going to be that expensive because they are not made with furry, expensive yarn. Obviously I want my price to reflect that I am not a factory and I made this from hand.
I made a dentist appointment for myself and Hail. I am terrified. I haven't had dental insurance in over 10 years and I know I need work done. the extent of the work is what scares me. Ever since I was a kid, I have been scared of the dentist. When I was 12 and had to have my double canine teeth pulled, those fears were justified when I found out I was allergic to the Novocaine. NOT FUN. This will be Hail's first dentist visit and I hope that it goes well. I have a few concerns that I am hoping I will be able to be relieved of or have fixed at an early age so it doesn't become a problem. It seems, but I can't say for sure because I'm not a dentist, that Hail has a narrow upper jar like my brother and his father have. Both had to have their jaw widened and I know it was significantly more painful as adults. If possible, I would like to have it done sooner so that his teeth grow normally instead of needing to pull those and get braces too. All things I know I can't afford.
School starts up again on Monday and I am excited yet not about my classes for this quarter. Classes start at 8 in the morning so Raph will have Hail until nearly 3PM Monday and Wednesday. I have almost three hours between two of my classes, but can't go home to hang out because by the time I got there, it would be time to come back to school which is simply senseless. I am taking an Intro to Fiction course, Writing 121 and a basic sociology course. I know I am going to have a lot of papers to write, so work may be limited, which is also going to severely limit my pay.I know that I will somehow be able to make it work, I am just not happy over the prospect of limiting my funds, as most people are not fans of.
I'm still working on my book challenge, although the book I am reading now seems to be dragging on. It is part of a series and like most series in recent years, I read the first three books, then the fourth one is a prequel. Shouldn't that technically be the first book? I don't need back story now after I've already slogged through 3 books and figured it out just fine on my own. Most all my favorite characters are missing that I was hoping would be in those installment. Such is life I guess. I will have to punch through it and move on.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-73587413671275605072012-03-28T07:11:00.003-07:002012-03-28T07:31:41.950-07:00Ole' Ball and SkeinYesterday, I got to go yarn shopping and it was the most fantastic retail therapy I have had in a long time. I spent $110 on yarn. Yep, the old ball and skein. I absolutely love my local Joann store. That was the first time that I have ever walked into a store and found everything I wanted, and then some. It was so well stocked, even their sale items were fully stocked. I bought about 8 Caron one pound skeins, 4 Fun Fur, 7 Vanna White, and 25-ish super saver size of Red Heart. I use those colors more than anything and it seemed logical that I would need more of them. Most of the yarn I purchased was Red Heart-- not my favorite, but for money saving purposes, and because they have awesome colors, it was the smartest choice. I was surprised that I saved over $12 on my purchase, especially since I had no coupons, discounts or anything else. Most of what I purchased wasn't even on sale.
I found some of the prettiest variegated colors that are perfect for quick hats and scarves, because Lord knows we still need them here in Portland. Like always, I left telling myself that I was absolutely, under no circumstances, not get something for Hail, but he ended up getting a small thing of diapers (lol, not from Joann's) and a couple of sweet Elmo and Cookie Monster bibs that actually cover his clothing.
It seems to never fail, every time Hail and I go to Wal-Mart together, he poops. I always change him right before we leave and he still poops. There is something about the place that must make him feel at home. I usually keep a couple diapers in the car but had none left so I had to get a small pack to keep in there. Really, it wasn't a bad price-- $5.27 for 30 diapers. It is a "trial" pack but is perfect for the car. Really, what I need to do is make a little box or bag that I can keep in there that contains nothing but extra clothes, diapers, wipes, and a couple of snacks. That way I will always be prepared no matter what event is going on or where we are. Here's the new stash :)
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioXOHKY9-zx1H2TQKg4D6QeZ1uj8CAcvgEWZQETIxyQiu5esMLM439bjk2yXP6MePZFrS6s68m1JK7nKScFveCQQ075VPieRJ4kOwsjD4Uej1X4WDUu5MBzaa8Q6nwhCkDNz4DoDuiFV2c/s1600/yarn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioXOHKY9-zx1H2TQKg4D6QeZ1uj8CAcvgEWZQETIxyQiu5esMLM439bjk2yXP6MePZFrS6s68m1JK7nKScFveCQQ075VPieRJ4kOwsjD4Uej1X4WDUu5MBzaa8Q6nwhCkDNz4DoDuiFV2c/s320/yarn.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-38059084456188963312012-03-27T06:24:00.000-07:002012-03-27T06:24:58.801-07:00I hate my neighborsYesterday, Hail and Raph went and rode around on the max train for awhile so that I could clean up the house. I spent 4 hours extensively cleaning everything in my house, I even scrubbed out my bathtub, one chore I can't stand. I fished out cars from under the fridge, and I took out all the garbage and recycling that I found throughout the house. Surprisingly, when you go on a cleaning frenzy, more garbage comes around that you thought was in your house. <br />
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When I went to carry out the garbage, I found that someone had threw up on the landing between mine and the neighbor's house. I live on the third story, it is highly unlikely that a bum or some random person would be up on my level unless they were visiting me or the neighbor since they are the only two condos up here. There is also a bunch of garbage in front of the neighbor's house-- phone books, food wrappers, the tobacco from cigars, and someone wrote, in bright red, on the building. It is some sort of graffiti that I can't read but it's offensive and I don't care to look at it every time I look out my front door. I have contacted the HOA and my complaints have gone unheard. I am beyond frustrated and I really don't know what to do about it any longer.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-38742418698678747892012-03-26T06:36:00.000-07:002012-03-30T13:21:57.632-07:00Getting CraftyYesterday I decided to make the executive decision that I am no longer going to work on weekends any more. While I love my job and the topics I write about, I feel that I spend far too much time working and not enough time doing anything else. My two channels that do exceptionally well are crafts and food. While my family eats a home-cooked meal at least twice a day, I feel as if I am not getting to do enough "testing" and playing around with my crafts and food as I would like. The thing that I really miss is getting to crochet and work on my clay jewelry. <br />
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I used to have a booming business on Etsy selling my handmade items, them the arthritis set in in my wrists. For a long while I had to stop production and stop crocheting because it was too much to handle after a couple of rows. Now, I feel that I am at a point that I can manage with some Excedrin before and my wrist braces, if needed. I really want to make more hats and scarves, seeing as how, in this crappy weather they may be needed all throughout the summer months. <br />
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Yesterday, I spent my day on a pattern hunt and found exactly what I was looking for-- I was so excited, I sat down, copied the patterns all down on paper (because I still don't have any ink) and went digging in my box of colors. Unfortunately, I found that I didn't have all the colors of yarn I needed to make a single project. That was a huge bummer. Raph and I talked about it yesterday, because he knows that this is something I really wanna do and I know could make me great money, and we have decided that when we get our Oregon State taxes back, I get to spend $100 on yarn. YAY HAPPY DANCE!!!! I plan on buying one of every color I can get my hands on. I have a wide array of projects I wanna do, so I was thinking the one pounder yarn skeins would be awesome, but it's too bad they don't make them in every color. :(Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-11267192069915206962012-03-25T07:40:00.000-07:002012-03-25T07:40:27.150-07:00Have a case of the SundaysYes, you heard that right. A case of the Sundays. I think I need to quit working on weekends so that I have a time to regroup for the week. I am all caught up on my work and only have 4 articles to do this morning but I still feel rather lazy and would prefer to hang out with my little man and watch Doc McStuffins. We like to color and I also need to organize my week for spring break and what my plan of attack is going to be. <br />
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I have found that Pintrest, after all my complaining about it, has become my favorite time waster ever. I have also found it to be very useful as well. I have found several projects to do for my column which kind of makes it worth poking around. They have so many food and craft projects that I won't run out of ideas for a long while. I could literally spend hours and hours on there looking for new ideas. <br />
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On a second note, I have been trying to talk myself out of getting some plants for the back deck when I get money for school. I want something bright and colorful to cover up my view of the hoarder house. The bad thing about getting some plants is that I kill them. I have no growing prowess at all. I killed a tomato plant that I received for mother's day last year. I also killed all my herbs that I had growing last spring. Each year, my grandma gives me a fuchsia for my deck-- last spring, I killed that too. The only plant that I ever remember keeping alive is a bamboo shoot that I got for my 16th birthday. I kept it alive for 2 years until I went off to college and gave it to my brother to care for. It died then.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-49338569664565483502012-03-24T10:45:00.000-07:002012-03-24T10:45:24.032-07:00Bummin'Today I completely have no motivation to do any work. While it it is officially the start of my spring break, a time that I really need to sit down and work AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, I chose to do some spring cleaning instead. I cleaned out my sons toy box and man, had I have known before I started buying him toys that garbage would be more exciting I would have saved my recycling. In his toy box was a huge stockpile of straws, empty containers, pieces of paper and strings. <br />
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I got all my things ready for school so that when I starts again, all I have to do is grab my backpack and go since everything is already inside. My laundry is folded now, my dishes are clean and I was thinking of vacuuming but I can't do that until Hail is asleep. He's terrified of the vacuum. <br />
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Last night, I made spaghetti for dinner knowing full well that Hail wasn't going to eat it. His pediatrician keeps telling me that I need to continue to give him things to try, but I have had about 20 failed attempts with sketti until last night. He didn't eat the meat but he did soak up as much sauce as he could and ate all the noodles. This is the face that I ended up with when he was close to done. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40COv4CYZ-W1NZ8_Z-Vc4ZarDapJbZgVPaUXpIPKbKdYwyCEAJuogxaYCJrGkZmoXqv5cB0AVQyeUNbe_37h2ecyDzT9RDgQJacdkmZz_pyMh5BqUe7sfYYTyXGpzOI0mYf2ClwnfapWs/s1600/DSCN0187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40COv4CYZ-W1NZ8_Z-Vc4ZarDapJbZgVPaUXpIPKbKdYwyCEAJuogxaYCJrGkZmoXqv5cB0AVQyeUNbe_37h2ecyDzT9RDgQJacdkmZz_pyMh5BqUe7sfYYTyXGpzOI0mYf2ClwnfapWs/s320/DSCN0187.JPG" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-11530464280151089782012-03-23T06:42:00.000-07:002012-03-23T06:42:19.793-07:0050 Book challenge- Book 12- CupcakeI can't believe I have been doing as well as I have on this book challenge. I love to read but I'm not a strong reader. Currently I am actively reading book 13 which seems super hard to believe in the end of March. <br />
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Book 12 for me was called Cupcake by Mariah Jones. This was a Kindle edition book I purchased for $0.99. I was intrigued by the title as I love cupcakes. I also really liked that the story was set in Portland, my hometown. Sadly, I quickly came to find that there was no landmark to make the story based in Portland at all. <br />
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In the beginning, I was able to easily resonate and become akin to the story as it was about an overweight female living in Portland who was perpetually on a diet to lose weight. Darcy Miller is the owner of Cupcake, a bakery. In a near robbery of her store, she gets shot because she is wearing uncomfortable underwear, the hot guy who opens up an art shop right next to her shop asks her out on a date, and she embarrasses herself at a health club in a way that only a big girl can do.<br />
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While she likes the guy that asked her out, she feels uncomfortable with him because of their size differences. Then her ex-priest ex-boyfriend comes back to town to proclaim his undying love to her. Who will Darcy choose? Will she lose the weight she so desperately wants to be rid of? Read the story to find out.<br />
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I liked this book because the story was interesting and easy to follow. I really hates that most of the story did not have any in-depth details to really pull me in. The formatting was a little off and chapters would often start at the bottom or middle of the page. The editing didn't seem to be very thorough as there was several words not capitalized that should have been, missing quotes and other issues that were a little off, making the story a little challenging to read. Overall, I give this story a B- more for grammatical issues than a story line.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-68917264842442138352012-03-22T06:24:00.000-07:002012-03-22T06:24:13.080-07:00Motivate meLately I have had no motivation for anything. Yesterday I tried to sit down and do some work. I got one article done before I decided that I wanted to test some recipes then make dinner. Because I have been procrastinating at work, I now have 14 articles I need to do which will more than likely not all be getting done today because there is no possible way for me to humanly do that. <br />
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I really want that Dragon Naturally Speaking program that will allow me to talk through my article instead of having to write them down. That is part of what trips me up and slows me down. Not only do I not type as fast as my brain thinks of the stuff, but I would much rather be playing with Hail, something I don't get to do when I have to work. I get up early to work before him, but by the time I'm done checking emails and writing my blog post, he's up and I haven't done any work yet. If I wait until he goes to bed, then I have another 2 hours to work before I start getting tired and need to go to bed. Because of school, I miss nap time to work. Although, he has started telling me that he doesn't need a nap. Then, this happens:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MfkVnk1el-KIM6UOJhzxiZdJTGbjexayNTrseZ0ftv7c1XmuTW4OD6IhmtexqEaC9bJ3VXvTPh8xO1HExLuL1h49jZc4PBFpRRYJ6NFOtSb_hQx4uY1roqKyQDIU_XC6W-i2DWJx6MBF/s1600/DSCN0183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MfkVnk1el-KIM6UOJhzxiZdJTGbjexayNTrseZ0ftv7c1XmuTW4OD6IhmtexqEaC9bJ3VXvTPh8xO1HExLuL1h49jZc4PBFpRRYJ6NFOtSb_hQx4uY1roqKyQDIU_XC6W-i2DWJx6MBF/s320/DSCN0183.JPG" /></a></div><br />
It's cute but exhausting. I really need a job that will pay me all day to do nothing. I thought about going into child care so that I could play with my son all day but that would require me to hang out with other people's children all day and I have found since becoming a mom that I don't like a lot of other people's children. They aren't mine, they don't listen well and I can't really discipline them so I just have to deal with bad behavior. No thank you.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-15931493793250650812012-03-21T07:25:00.000-07:002012-03-21T07:25:14.777-07:00I love EasterI have always loved Easter. I'm not one of those super religious people that insists on church and christenings and things like that on Easter. Our family has always done Easter baskets, the cute bunnies, chicks, and ducks, have fun with eggs and that sort of thing. Yesterday while I was out and about, I stopped at Wal-Mart, something I should have learned a long time ago that I shouldn't be allowed to do, and picked up a few things for Hail's Easter basket. <br />
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Last year, he was too young to really care about Easter, but this year, now that he is a little bigger, kind of understands gift giving and can have a little candy, we are going all out. I found a super cute shirt that I couldn't resist picking up since he is growing like a weed and I can't keep clothes on him. Of course, a new Hot Wheel car was necessary since he is a little boy and there is nothing cooler than cars. And I picked up two movies from the $5 bin. I love that $5 bin, there are so many great movies in it that I have seen a million times over but would gladly watch a million more. He will be getting Thomas the Train and a Sesame Street count with me movie. I still have a few more things I have to pick up such as a basket and a few filler items. But then his basket is finished.<br />
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We are going to be making Jello eggs this year since nobody really eats hard boiled eggs in our house and they end up going bad. Jello eggs are easy, and they make an awesome sugar free snack. I also wrote this great tutorial about dying Easter eggs with Kool-Aid. I don't know why I never thought of that before. I would much prefer fruity smells to vinegar in the kitchen! Here's the <a href="http://www.examiner.com/crafting-in-portland/kood-aid-easter-egg-dye-at-home">tutorial</a> for anyone that wants to try it at home.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-45490983330923664652012-03-20T06:36:00.000-07:002012-03-20T06:36:04.015-07:00Getting up early is so hard to doWhen I was younger, I had absolutely no qualms of getting up at 6 in the morning for school, 5 was even acceptable as long as I had gone to bed before 11. Now, I can't do it to save my life. I set the alarm, I wake up to turn it off but for some reason I have every excuse in the world as to why I can't get up then. This mornings excuse I told myself as I dragged myself out of bed is that it's cold in the living room and Raph was snoring all night so I couldn't possibly get up because I didn't sleep well. Not sleeping well is always the excuse I use. Admittedly, most nights I don't sleep well. I wake up to most every noise, it takes me forever to get to sleep and then when I do I have insomnia and I'm wide awake for hours in the middle of the night. <br />
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When I wake up, aside from getting up to use the bathroom, I don't get up and do productive things because I know if I were to get up I will fall back to sleep for a long time and I can't afford to do that since Hail will be up at 8 in the morning. For some reason my child likes to be up early in the morning and not stay up at night. I don't know where he got that from as I am not a morning person and it stays relatively dark here in his room until about 8:30 9 in the morning. <br />
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Hopefully, this new Silver Spur cowboy coffee I bought will do the trick. It is STRONG. Seriously, as much coffee as I am used to drinking, I haven't even finished my first cup and it feels like I've been kicked in the teeth by a horse. I think one cup will be fine for now. I do love coffee though. Such a delicious invention....Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-62487115951771960252012-03-19T07:12:00.000-07:002012-03-19T07:12:42.278-07:0050 Book challenge- Book 11- English Tea MurderAdmittedly, I have a problem. Once I start reading a book series, I can't stop until there is no more. Leslie Meier's newest book is not an exception to that rule. Admittedly, I should have read this one before chocolate covered murder because it precedes that one, but the story panned out just fine. In this novel, report Lucy Stone goes to England on a once in a lifetime vacation with her friends. While on the plan, the tour guide dies of an asthma attack, but Lucy isn't convinced that it is simply allergies. Her own daughter has asthma so she knows about it and something with the account doesn't sit right with her. Throughout the trip, the other members of their group act oddly; her friend is pushed into a busy London street, a girl jumps off a bridge into the icy, dangerous pier, and it appears that the whole group, excluding herself and her friends, have conspired to kill a man because of a crime that he committed years before and paid his debt in prison for!<br />
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The plot thickens when the group returns home and Lucy finds out that the replacement tour guide was engaging in inappropriate conduct with one of the students and now she is pregnant! Will this one end in murder too??? Read this fantastic story to find out.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-62639137587245886512012-03-16T07:12:00.000-07:002012-03-16T07:12:44.267-07:00I Wish I had Some InkI really don't know how I have lived as long as I have without ink in my printer. I have a nice Canon color printer sitting in my office area, one I can't use because I have no ink for it. I don't know if the price of ink has skyrocketed, or they have discontinued my printer, but I can't find ink for it anywhere. The one time that I did, it was way too expensive to justify purchasing. <br />
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I have seen coupons on line, coloring pages my son would love, and I would love to print off a copy of my taxes for my own records. I could do so at the library, but it would cost me $0.10 a page and that is only if what you are printing is approved by the librarian. I'm nearly positive she wouldn't allow me to print coloring pages and coupons on their printers. Also, you are only allowed to have a total of 10 copies of anything per day. Because I now live in Oregon which has a separate state tax, I would have to print my taxes over 3 days to print off one full copy!<br />
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I think it is time to buy a new printer when my financial aid comes in for school. One that is smaller and has cheaper, more widely available ink. In most cases, I believe you can still get a cartridge of ink with your new printer...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-28922222609954719622012-03-15T08:43:00.000-07:002012-03-15T08:43:55.145-07:00Time for carnival!You know the old saying, "rain, rain, go away, come again some other day?" Well, this weekend would be a perfect time for that. This weekend we are have a carnival down the street that we would love to take Hail to. We are still planning on going even if it rains, because that's what it does here in Portland, but it would be nicer if it wasn't pouring. <br />
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When Raph took him past the carnival on the bus he showed a huge interest in getting to ride some of the rides, and perhaps win a few stuffed animals. It's a small carnival and I know we wouldn't be there long but it definitely would get us out of the house, something that we could all benefit from.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3515946923361064853.post-90621750937663463012012-03-14T07:52:00.000-07:002012-03-14T07:52:15.193-07:00How 'bout this weather?Portland has had the strangest weather lately. Last week, it slushed on us off and on all throughout the week. Thursday and Friday it was in the mid to high 60s. It was so nice out that I wore a tank top to the park! Sunday comes along and it's cloudy and cool, but nothing too noticeable. I start to think, "Spring is finally on its way!" Monday is raining and super windy. Living close to the gorge we get a lot of wind- so nothing unusual. Tuesday comes and IT IS SNOWING!!!!! This morning, it's back to being overcast and rainy again. <br />
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A friend told me a weather related funny the other day that seems applicable here: <br />
"Mother Nature is on her period."<br />
"Someone hand her some Midol."Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03496354205963402127noreply@blogger.com1