Inspiration Alley

Brought to you by the letter T

as in Travel and Texas.

Yep ... you probably figured it out.  I'm heading back to Texas next week.  I'll be there for Cinco de Mayo, so maybe I'll fit in some fun too.  I really don't mind the traveling part, it's just the boredom part after I get back to the hotel from work.  The workday ends, we eat dinner, and I'm back to my room by 8:30.  This is a problem for a girl who normally doesn't get to bed until 2AM.  I'll have my laptop, but a girl can only surf the net for so long - LOL.

I think I might pack up some stamping stuff - maybe a few sets of acrylic stamps, some cards, and coloring implements.  I think that would be light and easy to pack.  Hmmm, now I'm thinking.

Posting a little early today since it's the end of the month ... and you know what that means for me - work work work and more work.

I'd go to this ...

If only I had the discretionary income.

Authors Stephen King, Tess Gerritsen and John Grisham will be attending a coctail reception in Bangor Maine to raise funds for Maine Congressman Tom Allen.

http://www.tomallen.org/free_details.asp?id=103

This is the first time I've heard of authors participating in a fundraiser like this and I think it is a fantastic idea - alright, so maybe it's been done before but it's new to me.  I know celebrities do fundraisers all the time, but I've never seen where the "common folk" could attend.  I always thought these types of events are usually by invitation only to people with deep pockets.  Anyway, the notice came out in the Stephen King news email.  I love seeing things like this where the fundraising effort is reaching regular people and they have an opportunity to attend events and hear more about a candidate.

If I lived in Maine, I would definately be there. 

Reading

I'm found some of old romance paperbacks by Tami Hoag this weekend when I went to the used bookstore.  Not my normal genre, but interesting.  I find it funny that many of the writers I enjoy started out doing romance - Tess Gerritsen, Tami Hoag, Janet Evanovich, Lisa Gardner, and my new find Julie Garwood.

Well, even though I've put off many fun things lately, I still get to read because of my commute and the car shows.  I've also kept up with the major reality shows especially Big Brother - I think Adam is going to get the votes, but I guess we'll know on Sunday.  This has pretty much been a season of twists and turns where you never knew who was going to come out on top, and this season other than James I really didn't have a favorite to root for - I still don't.  I thought seriously about going to the casting call when it was in Miami earlier in the month, but I figured it would be a waste of time since I'm not wacky, nor a fashion plate.  I do think I'd be able to do it though ahhh, maybe in another life - LOL.

The roofers have already had a delay and they haven't even started yet - imagine that - so tomorrow is supposed to be the big day.  I hope so, I want to get it off and done so it doesn't run into hurricane season.  I'll keep you posted, and I expect that I'll be taking pictures along the way too.

New Author

I found a new author to read.  This is Julie Garwood.  I read her book Killjoy over the weekend and it was great - similar style like what I enjoy - murder/thrillers but with a touch of romance - I'd say most like Iris Johansen or Tami Hoag books.  I dropped by the used bookstore this weekend and picked up several books to read and I expect I'll be heading back again this weekend to find some by Julie Garwood.  Apparently Killjoy is part of a series of books with connecting characters so I want to go back and read the others.

It's been awhile

time always seems to get away from me.

Let's see -- to bring everyone up to date ...

My 53 year old roof is leaking (in several places) so I've been entertaining roofing contractors for bids (and now after everyone has walked on the roof it's leaking even more!).  Finally have made our decision and they should start ripping the roof off either tomorrow or Thursday.

My sister was admitted to the hospital  a little more than a week ago - she was "throwing PVCs" (premature ventricular contractions) on her EKG - she was on the cardiac unit for a couple of days, she's been discharged and has had a stress test and will be going on a holter monitor soon to monitor her heart over a 24 hour period.  She starts cardiac rehab to work on diet and exercise as well.  I still don't know the final diagnosis since my sister is very closed mouth about everything and the family is on a need to know basis - LOL.

My mother had her last dose of chemo last week and called me this morning to say that her CA125 level had dropped.  She still needs to go for testing every month (I think that's the frequency) until it is within normal limits.  I only wish that I could grow up to be half the woman that she is.  Her willpower, faith, determination and general outlook on life continues to amaze me.

My brother passed his EMT class, so now he just needs to sit for the exam.  I know he'll do well.

and finally, I celebrated my 16th Wedding Anniversary on Friday.  It's was kindof funny ... I called my hubby on the intercom at work and said "pick up - I have to tell you something important" = this was close to 4:30PM, when he picked up - I told him "Happy Anniversary" - we both laughed because we both completely forgot.  Now ... before anyone starts making comments and thinking that's just terrible, you'd have to know that the previous owners of the house didn't want to sell to us because we weren't married, so we said we were engaged and used the day we met as the "date".  For the first 5 years together we always celebrated the anniversary of when we met, and still celebrate it 21 years later - so it's not necessarily a bad thing that we sometimes both forget our wedding anniversary.

OK ... so that's all I have for now.  I'm going to try to keep up with posting, and this weekend I'm going to spend some quality time catching up on friends blogs so I can read about the cruise.

7 Random Things About Me

I got tagged by Jackie

I've been tagged by Jackie and I now have to list 7 random facts about myself... Here's how it works:

• Link to the person that tagged you and leave a comment on their blog, so that their readers can visit yours.
• Post the rules on your blog.
• Share 7 Random facts about yourself on your blog
• Tag 7 random people at the bottom of your post, linking to their blog. Let each person know by leaving a comment on their blog.
  
  OK, well here are 7 completely useless facts about me:
• 1.  I wear Kino Sandals almost every day - even most days in Winter (the joys of living in FLA)
• 2.  I love Reality TV everything except the song, dance, and date shows [I watch or have watched when they were on ... Big Brother, Survivor, Amazing Race, Celebrity Fit Club (Boot Camp this time), Hells Kitchen, Apprentice, Biggest Loser, Celebrity Rehab w/Dr. Drew (over), the First 48, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, High School Reunion, Keeping Up w/the Kardashians, Little People/Big World, Millionaire Matchmaker, Oprah's Big Give, Rock of Love (OK so I broke my date show rule), Most Talented Kid in America, Surreal Life (over), Top Chef (even though I don't cook), 8th and Ocean (over), Bullrun (over), the Cut (over), the Next Food Network Star (over), Dice Undisputed (over), Dirty Jobs, Hogan Knows Best (over), Kid Nation (over), and Jon and Kate plus 8 to name a few LOL]
• 3. I don't like emery boards - the texture or the sound but I do put on my big girl panties and use them when I'm distressing something for scrapping - as they say "man up" (what would be the female equivalent to that phrase - if you have a good one let me know)
• 4. I am a blog addict - not necessarily the posting part, but I love to read about peoples lives (whether I know them or not) - sort of goes along with my Reality TV obsession.
• 5.  I've been to Judge Reinhold's (Fast Times @ Ridgemont High, Beverly Hills Cop, The Santa Clause) house and he served me Limeade in his kitchen - I didn't get a picture because I was under strict orders (from hubby and his friend) not to embarrass them - hindsight being 20/20 I should have anyway.
• 6.  At one point in my life I wanted to be a pro bowler and was bowling 6 days a week then I fell in love and that was all she wrote.
• 7.  I haven't been to Disney World (or Universal for that matter) in well over 20 years. (CKU at the Coronado doesn't count because we didn't go to the theme parks.

Just so you know ... I don't watch TV all that much - TiVo records it all for me and I play through the shows while I'm scrapping, checking email, doing laundry, etc.  I'm not a couch potato, and pretty much watch late at night and on weekends when I'm home -- I just wanted to clarify because when I reread what I wrote it sounds like I am glued to the TV.

OK ... as far as tagging goes -- if you haven't done this meme and you are reading this, then consider yourself tagged!

Challenge Blog

Don't forget the first challenge of the month will be posted at midnight on the Outlaw Paper Artist Challenge Blog - I hope everyone plays along.  And just so you know ... even though I know what the challenge will be, I haven't even started on my own yet (total procrastinator here) so we're all on the same page.

Although the challenge won't be up until tonight ends, you can skip over to the blog and see the general format.  There will be challenges posted every Saturday. 

Please come out and play with me.

Scrappers Regret

Yes ... the ol' Scrapper's Regret has got a strong hold on me.

Many of my friends are on a Hilltop Cruise to Jamaica, and I soooo very much wanted to go to.  But since it was the end of the month, quarter, and year at work, I was not able to get the time off.  It didn't hit me too much until Tuesday, when things in my life slowed down and with each passing day, I really wish I had pushed the issue and went along.

My husband absolutely hates cruises, so going with the Hilltop Crew is the only way I get to go.  I'm missing hanging with my friends, taking the fabulous classes, and the great cruise food and drink. 

Oh well ... they'll be home soon (today I think) and I'll be able to live vicariously through them.  In the mean time, I'm planning for the next major Hilltop Weekend which will be Sebring in August.  I can't wait.

This past weekend

we went to two car events.  It felt weird because it had been 3 weekends without attending anything.  The first weekend they were rained out, the second and third we were both sick, so this weekend we had some fun and got out amoungst our car friends.

Saturday we did the Downtown Miami car show.  The close a portion of Flagler Street and the cars park in the middle of the road.  It's right in front of the Guzman Hall and the Seybold building if you know the area.  Our car is the first one (teal) in the picture it's a 1963 Corvair.

After that show, we headed west on Tamiami Trail to the Pit BBQ.  This used to be in the boonies, along way from any civilization.  Now houses has been built and it doesn't seem as far away.  It's just a little east of the Casino.  Now ... the pit used to be fantastic BBQ, but it is under new ownership and still good food but it's just not the same.  As for the rustic nature of the restaurant itself, that's still the same.  The wagon in the picture belongs to a friend of ours.  We were still in the Corvair from this morning.  This was the first cruise in at the Pit and about 40 cars came out.  It's going to continue on the 3rd Saturday of each month, so we'll probably be back again next month.

Signs, Signs, everywhere are signs ...

My friend in the accounting office had this sign up for the first of the month.  We're closing our fiscal year here and every time I see it, it makes me laugh.  I have "I'm On Fire" by Bruce Springsteen loaded on my computer and I play it everytime she walks into my office.  Still making me laugh every time I walk by.