witchy woman

what a crazy week it's continued to be!  my morning started off early, w/ a trip to the gas station & then mcdonald's for breakfast.  got to work 15 minutes early, and the morning was slow.  i tried to get caught up on some random paperwork.  the phone was quiet.  the email wasn't too crazy.  


trish, marcie, megan & i went to rudy's for lunch.  tasty mexican goodness!  : )   


when i got back, all heck broke loose!!  oh my goodness!  14 phone calls, all kindsa emails - mostly vacation issues, w/ some variety sprinkled in.  but seriously - that is in the span of 5 hours.  crazy, right?  normal number of phone calls used to be btwn 0 & 4.  lately, that number just keeps creeping upwards, tho!  i mean, it's cool - i certainly don't mind calls (phone phobia be darned!)!  i love problem solving, and getting to know ppl, and helping them.  : )  it's just that when i have 2 ppl IMing me while i'm on the phone w/ a 3rd person, those moments can seem a little overwhelming.  especially when i have many things to get done and i know i'm going to be gone on friday.  i was there til nearly 6 again.    have to leave on time tomorrow, because i'm meeting mom for dinner.  sancho's!  more mexican, of course!  : )  


and then... friday... bret's coming by to pick up the key so he can move in on saturday.  


after work, i met him at fireworks & had a cuppa & talked.  we discussed his plans - his plans that include paying rent for the month he's here.  we discussed my expectations, his expectations, his backup plan in case his plan for housing in december falls thru.  both our desires for him not to live here indefinitely!  lol  i feel good about my decision, i feel like i can give him a measure of peace, somewhere consistent to sleep, at least.  and, because we've talked about it FIRST and because i've learned from past experience, i don't think i'll have a problem saying "step up" if he's not or "gotta go" if he ... has to go.


i believe it will be okay.  i believe that the Lord has the situation well under control, and that's all i need to know.  


i didn't get home til 8 something & finally was able to fix dinner & eat something!  lunch had been a looooong time prior!  i got to watch most of criminal minds, but then the computer started to act up (ahem, freeze) and so i haven't watched rocky horror glee yet.  :(  hopefully i'll have time & the computer will be nice tomorrow!  


in the meantime - more buffy, going to catch up w/ a few blogs, and then i am going to dreamland!  the wind has been howling & reminding me of being by the ocean.  oh, ocean, how i miss you!  i hope to someday see you again, and sleep near your crashing waves.  : )  


ttfn!

oh yeah...

i forgot ... i wrote this earlier to share.  : )

So, does over-use of your name annoy anyone else?  I just think it sounds condescending – even when the person doing it doesn’t mean it that way.  Examples and frequent offenders are customer service reps on the phone – whether you’re calling your cable company or the help desk at work.  “Well, Carrie, what I see as the problem…” “Carrie, Carrie, Carrie” every other sentence seriously annoys me.  And when I hear other ppl doing it at work, even though it’s not directed at ME, it seriously annoys me.  Grrr. 

 

Anywhoo, maybe that’s just me, tho.  *laugh* 

 

Today the drive to work was beautiful!  I felt like I was inside a really awesome painting by the most awesome Artist (God).  : )  We finally have gotten rain, after a nearly 20 day dry-spell.  And the rain & the wind are coming in full force – enough to give us a tornado watch last night!!  But this morning, there wasn’t any rain, just CLOUDS – you know my love of clouds.  It was so sweet, they were all blue and dark, but the sun was above them and could be seen shining through in different spots, rays falling down.  The whole drive in, I was wishing I had my camera.  There would be some beautiful shots for sure!  Alas, I didn’t have the camera! 

 

****

TTFN!  : ) 

Love Bites

Everyone knows i love vampires, right?  if there's anyone reading this who was previously unaware, let me just make it perfectly clear... 


i *heart* vampires!!!!!  : )  <3 <3 <3  


there we go.  now, this is not to say that i love all things vampiric, of course.  take the Twilight series, for instance.  i am firmly planted on team jacob.  firm.ly.  i simply like the character of jacob better than the character of edward.  storyline wise, i didn't "root" for a jacob/bella pairing.  almost from the beginning i sensed jacob was more like family than romance for bella.  still, i like his character better than edward.  this is not to say i DISlike edward.  ya know.  lol  


i read many (M A N Y) vampire books while in jr. high & HS & college.  i was constantly on the lookout for them!  i can't tell you what my first vampire book was.  well, i could if i wanted to check my notes, but i don't feel like combing through them right now.  : )  The Vampire Diaries by LJ Smith might have been.  i don't think it was dracula, tho i have read it.  i didn't really like it all that much, though, so i don't think it would be the story to inspire me to read more vampire novels.  actually... if i remember correctly, i think i read it for two reasons - it was a classic and i figured it woulf freak out at least one teacher.  (it did - DARIN!  hahahaha!)  


one of my favorite stories, tho, was called Love Bites, by Margaret St. George.  i read it during my senior class trip to dauphin island, AL.  i read 4 or 5 books during that trip, actually.  that was during the period of time when i could read 4 or 5 books in a week.  *sigh*  i miss those days.  : )  anyway, so this book!  i read it, i LOVED the way it portrayed the vampire community.  i'm not so much into "traditional" vampires, w/ the black cape & pasty faces & whatnot.  (altho, this little cutie would make me rethink that...)

but this story - about a vampire DJ and his "squire"... it's delicious and non-traditional and i just liked it a lot.  : )  


of course, after i read this book, i lent it - as i loved to do, lend books! - to my friend kimmie.  sometimes i get these premonitions... and i had a feeling that i wasn't going to see that copy again.  but i lent it anyway.  well... you guessed it!  we graduated, i moved to storm lake, kimmie moved to chicago, and i haven't seen her (or my book, LOL) since.  and of course it's now out of print... but, tonight, on amazon, i found it!  

color me a happy carrie!  after a restock of my paypal account, this puppy will be on its way to my doorstep!  woot!  : )  


today was tiring but not bad.  a little annoying at the end of the day, but that can't be helped.  sometimes ppl think they know what's going on, and they don't, but you can't tell them that w/o causing bigger issues, so it's just as well to smile & nod & try not to let it get to you.  ya know?  sure, YOU know.  LOL  


bret texted me ... he needs a place to stay for november.  do i let him stay here?  i have the room.  he has money, or, well he can at least buy groceries.  however, from my whole holly experience, i realllllllly am leery.  *sigh*  but 2/3 of my living w/ other ppl experiences have been good and have not resulted in lost friendships, so... do i go for 3/4??  *laugh*  what's everyone think?  


i got to see mi mama tonight rather unexpectedly.  she was bringing me a present.  : )  she mentioned clothes shopping in chicago.  have i mentioned how much i dislike "clothes" shopping?  or, w/ mom or jan, rather.  i mean - they have this idea of how they want me to dress.  it's not a bad thing, i'm not saying that at all.  it's just not ... me.  i have my own style, and i choose the clothes i do for a reason - comfort.  *laugh*  i like to be able to pick things out and NOT try them on, and most of the time the things i like the best come from the men's department at kmart or target or WM.  : )  i have wide shoulders, and girl tops are too constricting - and no matter how 'pretty' a top is, if it's not comfortable, i won't wear it and it's not worth the money!  now, for skirts, it doesn't matter where i get them from, as long as they're long & flowy.  : )  anywhoo!  i do want to go to woodfield or somewhere like that, and they have some good stores.  as long as mom doesn't try to make me try stuff on... : )  


oh!  i made a really grand pasta w/ cinnamon.  mmmm!  will definitely be making it again.  


and... more buffy.  : ) 


ttfn!  

plaid

i love plaid.  if i were scottish, i would want this to be my family plaid.  i think it's called a scottish black watch plaid?  idk if that's the official name ... lol  when i was in college, i had a piece of fabric draped over my desk.  it made me happy to look at every day!  i would love to have shoes in this pattern, and a purse... 

or, possibly... one of these: 

link

blues & greens, love em!  : )  


but it doesn't have to be that one for me to love it.  i just love the pattern of plaid.  my friend nicki's favorite color is plaid.  which i share to say that i am not alone in my love of plaid!  it's not just for highlanders & farm folk.  or grung rockers.  *laugh*  actually, i think i saw a commercial the other day for ... target?... featuring some new plaids.  and while i was looking for images of that, i found this instead: 

pretty!

anyway, idk what made me think of plaid tonight, but i have a hankerin to shop for some plaid!  


but for now, as usual - BED!  : )   one more episode of Buffy first, tho.  heh.


goodnight & ttfn!

monday is as monday does

oh my heck.  oh my heck!  i'm so grateful for this weekend's break, because today was a kicker!  soooo busy, and soooo short!  had a 2 1/2 hour meeting offsite at the end of the day.  i totally forgot about it, too, until after lunch, which means that the last hour or so went TOO fast.  lol  the meeting was at least fun.  : )  


prior to that, i had to wear multiple hats... most days i can do things one at a time at least enough to get something done, ya know?  today i got a lot accomplished, but nothing DONE, really.  just a lot of email & phone calls & questions to answer & ... *laugh*  it was a good day, tho.  i didn't go back in after my meeting because it was over at 5, so i'm sure tomorrow will be all kindsa busy, too.  woot!  


i had to run some errands before coming home, but i did make it here by 6,.  had some leftover mac & cheese for dinner.  noticed the neighbor's back door was open, so i went to let them know, and ended up scaring the bleep out of them.  LOL  whoops!  i knocked on the door & heard "oh s&*!"  lol  


anywhoo!  computer didn't want me to watch NCIS tonight, so i popped in Buffy.  : )  i'll catch up on all the shows i'm missing eventually!  i did get to talk to my cousin dawn tonight, which was nice.  she was looking for a book for bub, but i didn't have it.  i know, shocker, a book i don't have.  but it wasn't really my kinda book.  the secret life of bees.  i hear it's good.  and i heard it was made into a good movie.  still, no thanks!  


ummm!  i'm sure there was something else, but of course i'm watching buffy and getting mildly distracted.  heh.  hope your monday was not mundane!  ttfn.  : ) 


p.s.
postcard from finland!  

leyton slept really well, and got up a little after 8.  "Aunt Carrie, it's time to get up."  heehee.  i lazed about til 8:30 or so & then we got up, got him dressed, put on some thomas & got myself dressed... called mom & she picked us up for breakfast.  : )  


we went to IHOP, which ... was not as tastey as usual.  :(  well, the eggs & sausage & coffee were good, but i had a waffle instead of pancakes or toast (stupid shrek line, "I'm makin' waffles!" kept going thru my head & gave me a craving!), and their waffle was not as good as the one i had on the way to dubuque at grandma's kitchen!  *laugh*  it's just not worth it to me unless it's DELICIOUS, ya know?  


it was nice to have gramma/leyton meal time again, tho.  we came back to my house after breakfast & played & looked at thomas pictures again for awhile.  then it was time to take him home.  *sniffle*  and, oops!  he was covered in cat hair, and i totally forgot that jen's allergic.  we had to change his shirt out when we got there.  d'oh!  next time i'll have to remember to lint roll him down before we head for home.  


now, this afternoon stretches out before me... i'm going to attempt to hulu a bit, and if that doesn't work, more buffy season 2!  it's good to at least have options... *laugh*  i've sooooo missed my hulu, tho, i am really praying i get to watch hell's kitchen, the apprentice, and caprica.  i have so many other shows to watch, as well, but those are the ones i'm currently "craving."  : )  


oh!  and, at the chef's table for the red team - nancy graham from GH!!!!  so cool!  : )  


so, what's your weekend been like?  i'm so grateful for this time because i truly do feel recharged for the week ahead.  it helps that CHICAGO is coming up as well.. 


ttfn!

feeling better minute by minute...

slept til 11 today.  oh, glorious sleeping in!  the weather cooperated by finally breaking into a rain.  : )  


headed over to juli's about 11:40, stopping to get her a mt dew & myself a diet pepsi along the way.  i just hung out at her house for about 4 1/2 hours, chatting w/ my friend as opposed to being auntie carrie.  i mean, for the most part when i am over there, it's to play w/ the kids.  juli & john & i only get to really TALK for 1/2 an hour or so.  but today, i was BFF first and aunt second.  and the kids were fine!  sarah had a friend over, so they played polly pocket & watched tinkerbell.  andrew watched blue's clues & played w/ his cars.  juli & i (and john when he was home briefly for lunch) just chatted away.  it was VERY NICE!  she made brats for lunch, w/ carrots & apple slices.  mmm!  i always forget how much i love carrots until i have them.  *laugh*  


we watched some of the sarah jane adventures (apparently this is kinda a spin off of doctor who) which is very british and strange sci fi.  i like it!  : )  andrew & i played w/ a balloon for awhile.  sarah joined in for a few minutes, as well, after her friend had to go home.  oh!  i just realized i forgot the instant potatoes i was going to take home w/ me.  bummer!  


anywhoo, we also had some popcorn & then it was time for me to go.  i tried to watch some Outsourced when i got home, but computer's still being goofy.  but then phil called to see if i wanted to pick leyton up early, so i headed over there.  i'd asked phil to ask leyton earlier if he wanted to go to WM w/ me, and he did, so that's where we headed right away.  i had to get some TP & cottage cheese & milk.  i let him talk me into getting some yogurt & cheese shaped like mickey mouse, too.  (i don't really mind the yogurt - he ate two of them!  but the mickey mouse cheese?  well, it was only $2, but still!!  oye!)


we actually saw jen & phil while we were there because they needed a couple things before the fights.  i have mixed feelings about them hanging out, but don't want to go into all of that here.  am just going to count it as a good thing for right now.  !!?!?


leyton did so well in the store, riding in the cart & organizing the groceries around him.  lol  i let him ride one of the bikes up & down the aisle a couple times, which was cute (darn absence of my purse camera still!!).  we got back here a couple hours later & watched Shrek & Labyrinth (LOVE), looked up Thomas stuff online, ate dinner (jen said he hadn't eaten since breakfast, hadn't been interested in lunch, so he ate really well - two pieces of pizza, 2 things of yogurt, 1/2 a jell-o, some animal crackers and a root beer!), jumped on the couch, played w/ legos... : )  


and finally got him to go to bed (WITHOUT making me go to bed, too, miracle!) at 11.  honestly, i didn't try before 11, because i figure he can sleep til whenever tomorrow.  i'm hoping for at least 8... lol  we're going to meet mom for breakfast, since jen apparently has plans for him in the afternoon.  


anyway, i'm happy to spend this time w/ him, and we had fun & yay!  : )  

i'm so glad i opted for a big, squishy couch back in 1997?, when i bought this!  my main criteria was that it matched Tooncis, and honestly it didn't get very much use in the first apartment!  my tv was in my bedroom, and the only time i was in the livingroom was to walk thru it & get to the kitchen... LOL but it has served me very well.  it's been w/ me for a very long time!  and it's still comfy, and squishy enough for my nieces & nephews to jump on!  : )  


(sorry the pictures are kinda out of order.  blogger's being a brat & not letting me arrange them the proper way!)


oh!  we also played "try to catch me."  this is not a game where i have to chase after the boy, which is good... lol  he likes it when i "catch" him running.  : )   really it's no wonder he went to sleep fairly well...!  i kinda exhausted him by letting him run all over the place!!  ; )  

 prior to the game, he was drawing w/ the cute multicolored pens we got at WM.  

have a great night!  i guess i should go to bed soonish.  : ) ttfn!