Unemployed...

Yep, all good things must come to an end! I'm amongst the unemployed. It was a good run, tho! I learned a lot of things...clerical, about me, about Jim's job and just about working...again! I learned some basic Excel tidbits, how to enter new/deactivate old employees, lots about invoicing and Purchase Orders, but what I learned the most...and appreciate the most is understanding of Jim's job. I WITNESSED it...first hand! I've always known how hard he works, but it was mind boggling just how many people depend on him. They go to him for answers, they go to him for advice, they go to him to vent, they go to him for BS, they go to him just to chat, they go to him to tell him something amusing, I mean, he is THE person to go to! When he would be working in Kentucky, he was working in the office trailer I was in. There was an empty office that I could actually have moved in to, but I wanted him to be able to close the door when he needed to...and I was his bull dog! I was amazed at the gall of some people to just go into his office without knocking...well, it didn't take me long to shut people down and say..."NO"! Rude, disrespectful, RUDE RUDE RUDE!!! So, Friday, October 26 was my last day. Now, I'm not going to be able to be that bull dog! I've had other things happening in my life, too. Like, Hailey got married! I will post seperately about that, tho!

The J-O-B

I'm getting to the job part, but I have to explain how the job came to be! So, Summer, 1988 we moved from Texas City, TX to Broken Arrow, OK. Jordan started 1st grade and Hailey went to pre-school at our church. We bought a house, met friends and got involved with soccer with both kids. Life was good and full! January, 1997, Jim was told that they were going to move the office to Conroe, TX. We finished out the school year...Jordan was in 9th grade and Hailey in 6th...and moved to The Woodlands, TX. Jim was working in the office, but traveling a lot...mostly international...Taiwan, India, The Phillipines, Chile, Peru...etc. It was our "normal". When we moved to Texas, we moved back "home". The summer we moved, Jim was in The Phillipines working. I sold a house, moved us (2 kids, 2 dogs, a cat and a fish) to a rent house and continued building a house...not ME, but you know. Jim came home in October so we could close on the house and move in and back to The Phillipines he went! He was gone a lot that year. Our "normal" continued and soon enough Jordan graduated from high school and went to college. Soon after Hailey graduated and went to college, too. We had 2 kids in college at the same time for 3 semesters. May, 2007 Hailey graduated from college, Jordan was getting married in a few months and Jim was offered a job with Welded Construction. It would be a domestic job with no international travel. He accepted the job and so we were back where we started when we got married. We bought another travel trailer and hit the road. First job location was in Wisconsin for about 10 months and then to Louisiana, Missouri for a year. THAT was a great year! I met some really good friends, Jim was getting more intune with Welded and the people and the kids were adults! When the job in Missouri was over we moved to Perrysburg, Ohio so Jim could work in the main office for Welded. He was in charge of the construction business...building pipelines. After about a year, he was named the Vice President of Operations. He travelled to different job sites and I made a new home for us (still in our trailer). After living there for about a year and a half we bought a house and put the trailer in storage. 2011 was a busy year for Jim and also for me...I painted, furnished, and decorated our new (1955) house! We are almost to current time...! I went to Europe in May for 3 weeks this year with my Dad. It was a great trip! When I returned in mid June Jim was busy with a job going on in Kentucky. They got another job about 15 miles away and so Carol (lady that worked in the office with Brad) was moved over there to run the office. I knew Brad was going to need some clerical help, so I offered! First I mentioned it to Jim and he was receptive! THAT surprised me. I thought he would wrinkle his nose...meaning he didn't think it was a good idea! He mentioned it to Brad and told him that he (Jim) had nothing to do with it. So, Brad called and asked if I was serious and BAM...I had a job! I went to Kentuck on July 4 and started working on July 5. I've been working M, T, W, and TH 10 hours a day. It has felt so good to do something that earned $$!! So, here it is almost 4 weeks later and I'm still working! I'm doing clerical work and enjoying it! The running joke is that my boss reports directly to Jim so I'm "sleeping with my boss's boss!" I love saying that! Ha! I still have more Europe pictures to post and will get to them...I'm just too busy working right now!!!

J-O-B

Yep, I'm working. Believe it. Me, who hasn't had a full time job since January 1980! Jim and I got married December 8, 1979 and I was working for a title company. His job kept him traveling for extended periods at a time, so I quit work in January, 1980 to travel with him. The first couple of years he worked in south Louisiana, St. Louis, Vicksburg, MS, but mostly south Louisiana. We loved it. We were close to my family in Louisiana and close to CAJUN food! We bought a house in Texas City, TX and traveled. We stayed in hotels...really, it was Motels!, or rented apartments. Life was good. We eventually bought a travel trailer to call home while we were away on the road. We met some really great people and still have many of those friends all these years later. In June, 1981 we went to Marshall, MN for a mainline (pipeline) job. (He had been working for the directional crossing division for a good while). Mid summer I was pregnant, but had a miscarriage at 3 months. Jim was so upset about it, but I was not. Not that I hadn't wanted the baby, I just knew that God was taking care of a situation that was not meant to be. Found myself pregnant a few months later and Jordan was born in August, 1982. HE WILL BE THIRTY IN A FEW SHORT WEEKS! We continued life on the road and then back to home base in TC, TX between jobs. Jim had a job to go to in Virginia in June, 1984. I was pregnant when we left home heading to Big Stone Gap, Virginia. We lived there for a couple of months and then the job moved to another location, so we moved to Pound, Virginia. We lived in a holler! Coal trucks, hillbillies, mountains...we actually lived in the county that Coal Miner's Daughter was filmed in. It was very interesting to live amongst people that I really had never been around. I mean, it's not that often that the sheriff pulls up, opens his trunk and gives you a gallon of moonshine! True story! We headed back to Texas mid-fall. Jim went on a few short jobs and Jordan and I stayed home. Hailey was born in February, 1985. We left when she was a week old to go to Jim's job in Longview, TX. Life continued like that for several more years. When Jordan started kindergarten, we decided that I would stay home so he could go to school like normal kids. Jim's Dad was a pipeline welder (he worked on the Alaskan pipeline in the mid '70's). Jim and his brothers had gone to different schools all over the country and he did not want our kids doing that. So, he started looking for a job where we lived so that we would ALL be home. During Jordan's kindergarten year he had several interviews with some local companies, but was told he was overqualified. In the spring of 1988 the company he worked for offered him a job in their main office...in Tulsa, OK. So, we packed up and moved to Oklahoma! ...to be continued...

Holy shite...

I've been MIA. Well, not really, but blog MIA anyway! I went to Texas for 3 weeks. The night before I left, Jim and I went to see Bruce Springsteen in Detroit. Holy moly. What a freakin' awesome concert! He played non-stop for THREE HOURS!!! Definitely one of my top 2...the other is when I went to see ZZTop at the Pavilion in The Woodlands. Friends, family, rain, thunder and ZZTOP made for an unforgettable night!!! When I go to Texas there is always a list of things to do and a list of things to eat and a list of places to eat! I got my hair cut and colored, had the exterminators spray, got to babysit Bo...twice, went to the art show on the waterway in TW, went to a wedding reception, to the doctor for blood work, visited with friends, went to visit my Mom and older sister, played with the dogs and cat, took the dogs to the vet, pressure washed the driveway, and I'm sure there are other things that I cannot think of now. Ate at Corkscrew BBQ 3X...twice w/ Jordan and once with Hailey and Donnie, ate at Olive Oil with Donnie, Rico's with Hailey, Jax with Hailey and once with Jordan, Willie's with Hailey for shrimp, Goose's Acre with Hailey, Kim and Marty, cooked some vegan meals, and a few others thrown in there! I always get my "eat on" when in Texas...actually, I get my "eat on" most anyplace I go! Jim and I are still mostly eating vegan, but I splurge and have cheese and a little meat. Spring is REALLY in Ohio now! Although, I did turn the heat on one morning last week just to get the nip out of the air. Jim and I did yard work this weekend. Replaced a dogwood tree that I got for Mother's Day last year, planted a few things in the veggie garden, planted shasta daisies, mowed...need to trim a few trees still. Next week I'm going on a trip. My Dad and I fly to London on the 24th and stay 2 days. Then we go to Harwich and get on Jewel of the Seas for a 12 day Baltic cruise. This has been a tough trip to plan. I'm just not that familiar with Europe, so I've had to do some research and am still not through. We will tour St. Petersburg Russia for 2 days. I've wanted to go to Russia since studying it in 5th grade! After the cruise, we go back to London for 4 more days. My Dad has had a few health issues this year, so I'm hoping and praying for a healthy trip! I will be doing a full report after I return, but in the meantime, you can probably see updates on Facebook. I've not posted any pictures of my great-nephew, Bo, so will post a few to see how much cuteness runs in our family!

Spring is in the air...but, winter ain't through!

Trees and shrubs and flowers have bloomed in Ohio much sooner than last year...about 5 weeks early! Our red bud tree has been gorgeous for 2 weeks already! The crab apple buds are lightly closed and will be bursting open any minute! Beautiful trees!

A big thing here is the annual run of the walleye (fish) in the Maumee River. Evidently, this is a BIG deal! Like, people from all over the USA come here in March to catch them! It is the end of the run for this year. Unfortunately, I never was able to get any photos. Today, while I was out, I came back home along the river and got a few pics of them. I expect the end of this weekend will be the end of the "season". They wade to catch these or use boats.

And...my favorite flower...the dogwood! I don't see many dogwood trees up here like in East Texas, so I was delighted to find one on my journey today. I broke off 2 flowers and brought home to take a few close up pictures of them. I couldn't find the right black background without having shadows coming from the overhead light or through the window...so...the black background I used...my bra! Yep, they are inside the cup of my bra! Haha! I know Hailey is proud. And, Carolyn K, don't be too embarrassed for me!


With all of the spring-ness in the air, it will be below freezing for several nights! Two weeks ago it was 84!

What a poking I got today!

Doc asked me how my cravings were going and I told her they were better, but not as good as I'd hoped...so...much poking I got! Both sides of ankles, top of feet, inside elbow, under boobs, back, shins...that's all I can remember right now! So, I'm hoping for a better week of non-craving! Still working on getting that water consumption up. Drinking more, but not as much as she wants me to.

Some of my spring buddies.


Spring in Ohio!

In all its' Glory!

That bathroom remodel we've been working on...it's almost finished...still need a tp holder and a piece of art for the wall on the right. Here's where we started...

And, here's where we are now!

I have looking for just the "right" thing to go over the dresser. I saw this at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago, but had something else in mind. Yesterday I was there and looked at it again and while browsing through the store, I realized it IS the perfect piece...and I'm happy about that decision! You will also see one of the towel holders I made from an old porcelain door knob.

Got poked again today...hahah

Jim says it sounds bad when I say that! 'acupuncture was some repeat locations and new ones. Stomach, back, and back of hands were repeats and new places were the inside of my elbows (that one was kind freaky but no pain...just pressure)...and she did one below and just behind my ears. Again, no pain, just pressure. We always start out with small talk...how was your week, what are you reading, etc. I told her it was a good week as far as projects go, but as far as food goes...not so good! She says I still need to be drinking more water...I try, I really try, but I've never drank much water. It's not that I drink sodas or tea or punch or lemonade or...I just don't drink much of anything!!! Never have, so it is a challenge to just remember to drink! She wants my pulses to get better(?), faster(?) don't remember, but they aren't like she wants them. So, I AM GONNA DRINK MORE WATER THIS WEEK!!!

Jim comes home tomorrow, so I've been trying to get stuff finished up around here. There is a home and garden show this weekend that I want to go to, so hopefully we'll get there and get some kitchen ideas!

Projects...

Jim was out of town this week and will still be gone this next week, soooo, I've been working on projects. I've just about finished the details on the remodeled bathroom. I had some old door knobs that I wanted to use for towel racks. I bought some wood, painted it, distressed it, sealed it and it was ready for the knobs. Well, that was a small challenge. We bought some 2 part epoxy to fill the holes with, but that failed 2 times. Hobby Lobby had a 2 part steel epoxy that said it could be drilled. BINGO, that is exactly what I was looking for. I mixed it up yesterday and crammed it down in the knob holes...oh, but first, I put tape around the knob so the epoxy wouldn't seep out the side hole. The original plan was to let the epoxy harden and then drill a hole in it for the hanger bolt. Well, this stuff is serious! It was hardening up fast enough that I was able to just go ahead and put the hanger bolt in before it had completely hardened. BAM! I let it sit over night and got back to it today. I drilled a hole in the wood and screwed the knobs in. The screw part was a little too long, so now I need to trim it off the back where it poked through. No big deal, tho.


I have had some serious stuff in the office to sort and file, so I have sorted it, but still have piles on the floor. Will get them filed away this week.

I've had some electrical work that I wanted done. Jim is a jack-of-all-trades, but he just doesn't have the time to tackle it all. I had an electrician come install a light in the dining room, move the fan/light to the office from the kitchen, install new light in kitchen, move the fan/light from our room to the spare room, install a new fan in our room and hang a night light on the wall on my side of the bed. Bam! Done!!

Today's project was to tea stain bed skirts. I've been looking for bed skirts for both beds but, can't find what I want. I found exactly IT online and ordered one for each bed. I washed the bed skirts first. Then, I put hot water in the washer and 15 tea bags, closed the lid and let it steep. After about an hour of steeping, I put the spare room bed skirt in there, pushed it all down into the tea water, closed the lid and let it soak. I took it out after a couple of hours and then spun the water out. I dried it and started the steeping process for our bed skirt. It has been dying for about 3 hours and I will take it out soon. They came out exactly what I wanted! I didn't iron the one for the spare bedroom to give it a different look from the one for our bed. I will have to wait for Jim to get home to help me put ours on.

It snowed a few days ago. This has been a really great winter as far as the weather is concerned. Well, that is unless you want ice and mass quantities of snow! Last year the snow stayed ALL WINTER LONG!!! This winter we've had 4-5 snowfalls, but it has all melted within a day or two. Here is a picture of the snow when the sun came out!

Sunny California

Jim had a business trip to California last week. It was the same function when we went to Maui last year. Carlasbad, CA is where we stayed. Flew in to San Diego on Tuesday last week and left Saturday morning. On Wednesday, we did something that was totally awesome! Rode in a hot air balloon for about 90 minutes! I didn't realize that there are vineyards in SoCal! We left the hotel about 5:15 am and drove to Temecula to a vineyard where we were picked up and taken to the right spot to lift off. The right spot is dependent on the wind. After finding where to lift off from, they let a helium balloon go to see how it is lifted and carried by the wind. It takes about 30 minutes to unload the basket, hook up the balloon and fill it with...hot air!!! Here are a few pics of the trip.





Carlsbad Beach

Formal night

Another day of needling

Today I went back for my 3rd session of acupuncture. It was an intense session since I will miss next week. She always checks my pulse on both hands, first, and sometimes several times before doing anything else. Today she started out with the Mugwort (yes, that's what it is, I asked today) on each forearm. Then she did my middle fingers near the cuticle followed by my stomach and then my back. The last thing she "burned and needled" was the palm of my hand. I was sweating thinking "damn, she's gonna stick a frickin' needle in the palm of my hand"!! This type of acupuncture is different from the previous type that I had. These needles are STUCK in until I either feel slight (not bad at all) pain or pressure. Sometimes I don't feel anything and she stays in there until I react. I found this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJY5kx-s_rc


It shows how they put the Mugwort on (first she puts some chapstick on me...I think that is just so the Mugwort will stick to my skin). Then she lights it with an incense stick. It doesn't have a flame, rather it smolders. When it gets close to smoldering next to my skin, she pinches it off and goes to the exact opposite side and repeats this. This is done in about 12 places on my back, 6-8 on my stomach, one on my middle fingers, palm of my hands, and forearm.

Since my last session a week ago, I have not wanted chocolate or to snack! Weird! Strange! Just an experience for me that is rare...and I love it!

Jim and I are going to California next week for the annual PLCA conference. (last year we were in Maui!!) Jim needs some R&R and I hope he is able to get it!!

The remodeling of the bathroom continues...

Actually, all the remodeling is done. Now, I'm fine-tuning stuff...decorating. I bought a dresser at the local antique mall to put in there for storage. It was a really bad turquoisey blue and I wanted it black. I consulted with a friend that does lots of furniture painting and have read lots of blog entries. Jim was such a sweetheart and sanded it for me in the cold-ass 25 degree garage yesterday. I brought it all into the house to warm up and painted the drawer fronts yesterday. Today I painted the dresser. All of this painting was done in the middle of our small kitchen. The lighting is better in there, so that is where it got done...and it is still there. Tomorrow or the next day I will put the topcoat on it, but first I have to decide if I'm going to distress it or not...I think I am. Pictures to follow.

Left knee

About 3 1/2 years ago I finally decided to get my left knee looked at. It had really been bothering me for several years and it was finally time! I was sure that I would need surgery on it and then it would be perfect. So, I went to the orthopedic doctor who ordered xrays and an MRI on my knee. Got those done and waited to see what the results were. Well, it was good ol' arthritis! He said he could give me a cortisone shot and that would make it feel better. Ok, I was reluctant, but thought 'what the heck'. The shot made my knee feel fantastic...for about 3 weeks! So, it just so happened that Jim was going to be working in Missouri for about a year and there was a chiropractor in town that also did acupuncture. I decided to give that a try. THAT NIGHT AFTER MY FIRST VISIT I COULD SQUAT! Now, I'm sure that might not sound like a big deal, but believe me, it was! I continued to get acupuncture for about 9 months and it was wonderful. Fast forward to now living (part time for me) in Ohio. I have had a little problem with my knee, but nothing like prior to the initial acupuncture treatment. While I was home in Texas for Christmas, I really thought about needing to lose weight. I don't have a lot of discipline, so I knew it would need to be something kinda drastic...so I decided to have acupuncture. I have a friend that had lost weight from it before, so I was encouraged. Also, my results while in Missouri had been fantastic.

I found a doctor that does acupuncture in Toledo and made an appointment. The first appointment was to last 2-3 hours. I went for that first appointment on February 3. She didn't have me fill out all the normal patient info, instead she just talked and asked me questions for about an hour. Afterwards, I was ready for my first treatment. I soon discovered that there are many different kinds of acupuncture and what she does was different than what the doctor in Missouri does.

She does what is called 5 Element Acupuncture. I was undressed except for my panties and a hospital gown. She put needles in my back and I laid on my side for 30+ minutes. After that she put some needles in my arms and chest. I was now ready to lose weight! That night Jim asked me how I felt and I said "I feel like I own the world". I had that much positivity in me! I felt wonderful and wanted more of it!!

I went back the next week and she started out doing something that seemed so totally strange! She had a lit incense stick (?) and told me that she was going to hold it over my acupuncture points at my cuticles and I was to let her know when it got hot. It was not going to be touching my skin, but would get hot. She told me that she would be counting and to just say "hot" and she would move it away. She started on my pinkie and went through all of my fingers and did my pinkies again. Next she moved to do it at my toes. She went through the same thing on all of my toes and did my big toes and baby toes twice. I asked her what she was going and she said she was getting me in balance with my meridians. Ok.

Next she put little mounds of Chinese Mugwort (I think...gotta ask again) on my back and lit them with the incense stick. When they got hot, she would pinch off the herb and then put a needle where it had been. She did this up and down my back in about 12 different places. Next she put needles in my arm (w/o the mugwort).

The day afterwards I was in Costco with a friend and there was a lady giving samples of different chocolates. Of course, me being the chocolate lover I was going to get me a taste. I got a half of a caramel dipped in milk chocolate and sprinkled with salt...simply divine! Like a party in my mouth...normally!!! Well, I was so surprised when I didn't want anymore. I mean, you couldn't have forced it into my mouth!! Usually, I would have easily been able to eat 3, 4 or more of those! I was really excited to realized that I DID NOT WANT CHOCOLATE!!! That is such a new experience for me! All weekend I have not wanted anything sweet, not a Dr Pepper, not a cookie, nothing! I am so excited because I know this will enable me to lose weight! BTW, I've lost 5 pounds since January 30!

Here is a link of the acupuncture she does...

http://www.5-elementacupuncture.com/pages/about.html

I will report back about my results!

What a hoot!

Hailey has been hearing an owl in the backyard for several years. Well, our next door neighbor, Steve, came frantically knocking at our front door last Friday night. It seems the owl had been in his backyard and he saw it fly over to our yard. Yep, we found him/her...perched up in one of the pine trees. I hurriedly (is that how you spell that?) got my camera to get up close and personal with Mr. Barn Owl! It was so awesome. I believe it was the first time I've ever seen an owl in the wild!

Happy New Year!

I'm gonna blog more in 2012!