Nothing much going on with me other than cleaning. I'm still cleaning up junk around here. But I'm making headway with it. I shredded papers and filled 1 1/2 small kitchen-sized garbage bags with shredded paper. The dining room WAS clean up until today, now I have piles of paper sitting around. Once I get everything cleaned again, I'll take a picture of the room with the new floor and paint.
Over a million iPhones have been sold. Have you: bought one, considered it, or decided it's not for you?
I would love an iPhone! We already have AT&T cell service. Mike is interested in getting an iPhone, because he says it has everything he needs to help him be organized at work. We think we'd buy one and share it. All I can use a phone for is text messaging. The price would be the deciding factor in buying two of them. If we buy the iPhone it won't be until the price drops to about the $60-$100 range, if it ever does. If the price doesn't drop, we won't buy.
This is me...what can I say.
Your Psyche is Yellow
You are rational and logical, and you can help almost anyone think clearly.
Optimistic and bright, you also have a secret side that's a little darker.
When you are too yellow: You will do anything to get your way, and no one will be the wiser
When you don't have enough yellow: you lack confidence, drive, and humor
My mind's all over the place today. It doesn't seem to want to settle on any one thing. And, I'm procrastinating badly today. I'm thinking about putting away more stuff that's been sitting around here since last week. I put some things away and stopped. I've got a roast in the oven and have to think about what side dishes to make for dinner. I moved the computer desk back to its original position, something Mike said he and Brian would do, but I couldn't wait. So I don't know if Mike will be irritated with me for moving the desk. Mike doesn't want the Pergo floor scratched (even though he already has scratched it, big time). I don't think I scratched the floor, it looks good.
I did finish setting up the computer desk. Everything is back the way it was a week and a half ago.
I'm also thinking how I should already have all our bills for this two week period figured out and paid online. Haven't done that, of course. I've also got this on my mind. I want really badly to buy this to update my Mac's OS, but don't know if we can buy Leopard this month. We have to pay off the bill for my dental work next week, so we have to put money aside for that. (Sometimes I hate being responsible, don't you?)
I'm also thinking about how I should be working on Ethel's quilt. I'm so very behind on that. I want it finished by the time's she visits, because I don't sew well under pressure. If someone's pushing me or I know I don't have much time I make mistakes.
I won't get to everything of course, so I should take care of the bills and the dinner.
I'm not sure there will be enough space to hold fabric along the side of the sewing machine and there's not enough storage space. Mike wants to put things underneath, along the back, on the floor. I don't want clutter crammed underneath. I think I'll give this about a month as a trial, and if I don't like it, I'll have to find something else for sewing.
Today is Brian's 22nd birthday. Happy Birthday, Brian!
Last night I went to my final sewing class. I was the only one in class and I had fun learning how to use my sewing machine for embroidery. The photos below are the designs my sewing machine stitched out. These designs are stored in my sewing machine's memory. (Yes, it is part computer).
My least favorite color is Orange, but the manager (Karen) of the Viking store chose Orange, so I went along with that. I don't have anything to stitch these designs onto, so I think I'll cut the fabrics smaller and frame and hang them somewhere. I didn't get a lot of time with Karen, as she was interrupted every few minutes by customers. While I was there, she sold the newest top-of-the-line sewing/embroidery machine and the software program (eight programs in all) to a lady for $10,000. Yes, that is what Viking charges for this machine and software, bundled together. I have to admit, the machine, though WAY overpriced, is a seamstress's dream. I think Karen and a lady who was working with her were jealous of the customer. I know *I* can only dream of this machine and the software. Sigh...maybe if I hit the Michigan lottery, hmmm?
This customer said she has been sewing for years and sells some of what she sews, so maybe she has a home business and that's justification for buying the machine. But $10,000??? Yikes! I can think of better things to do with that kind of money. For instance, we could have a garage built and put up a vinyl privacy fence for that much! I think that sale blew everyone's mind. I know Karen was really excited; she gets commission from the sale. The rest of the night was sort of crazy: Karen sold one other sewing machine, had people come in to look at sergers, sold some embroidery design CDs, and--two men stopped by to look at the same $10,000 machine she sold earlier, asking about sales for Christmas! She apologized to me for the lack of class time, but I actually enjoyed seeing the customers looking at everything. They even stopped to watch my machine stitching out the designs.
All I have to do is put a hoop in the machine, thread the needle and push a button. The machine does the rest. It stops and lets me know to change the colors and then it stitches until the design is finished. It is really cool to watch. If I can figure out how to do it, one of these days I'll post a video of my machine stitching.
*****
Mike and I talked last night about his family's upcoming visit. I feel less like a horrible person and not as stressed out about cleaning, etc. Mike will help me with cleaning and he suggested some cheap meals we can make for everyone (a big pot of spaghetti and meat sauce, for instance). He said we have time to plan a menu, but he agreed that we will have to foot the cost of feeding everyone. And, he agreed wholeheartedly that he'd *rather not* have children here. I asked him to ask his sister Ethel if she knew whether Jen's girls are coming with them. He said she probably doesn't know, but if I continue to gently push him about it, he probably will call and ask. Mike said not to worry, the house will be in fine shape by the time everyone arrives. I don't know why I felt so bad worrying about everything. I know from experience that Mike and I think so much alike, it's like we're one person. And, I can tell him anything and he doesn't flinch. I thought he'd think I was a bitch for not wanting kids here, but he agrees with me, and is hoping it's going to be adults only here. We'd have so much more fun that way.
I just got an email from DonorsChoose.org. letting me know that two of the school challenges I chose for the Blogger Challenge have been 100% funded. I am really excited that the students in one school who were listed in the 'Give The Gift of Literacy' challenge and needed new reading aids will now have an easier time learning how to read. Also, the teacher who wanted to get her students interested in photography through 'A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words' now can get the camera and other items she needs so her students can have fun taking photos and writing about them in class.
I don't know everyone who donated all the money for both these projects, but I want to thank Michelle and anyone else in my neighborhood who donated. There's a list of donors on the challenge pages I chose, but I know not everyone's name is listed, as that's the choice of the donors. Also, both the challenges needed well over $400 a piece to meet their goals last week, when I checked the website. So, I'm thinking there were some people who donated large amounts of money for these two projects. Whatever the case, I'm glad the students will get the things they need.
The third challenge I picked was 'White Boards'. It's about getting white boards into a classroom where many of the students are visually impaired. Their parents can't afford glasses for whatever reason, so the teacher wants to use white boards for math problems. The blackboard in her room is badly worn, and evidently the school can't replace it, so she's asking for funds for white boards. The challenge is 14% funded and needs $684 to reach the goal.
I had hoped to donate again before the end of the Blogger Challenge, which runs to Oct 31st. I can't donate again, and I don't expect my neighborhood to donate, but I'm hoping other readers on Vox read this and decide to help.
If you want to donate to my challenge, here you go! White Boards.
Once the second wall is done, we can arrange half the room the way we want it and paint the last wall behind my computer. I still haven't sorted through the stuff we have, to determine what we'll keep and where everything will go. Most of the stuff will likely end up in the basement.
Well, our Pergo floor is done. The dining room is much improved by this new floor. We've discovered the room is warmer and the room smells a lot better too. Funny how homes get a certain odor to them, and most of the time, homeowners get used to odors and they can't figure out where the odor's source is. We didn't even suspect our dining room made the house smell, so that was quite a surprise.
I had hopes that we would have this room finished by today; that by now I would have gone through all the stuff that was in the room and thrown out junk, organized, etc. But as usual, Mike had other plans. He took one look at the walls, especially the one in the photo, and decided the dining room needs to be painted.
Oooookay...
So off we go to Lowe's. Mike picks out the color of the paint, which is a very, very light yellow, almost an off white. It's not my favorite color, but whatever. I was just so tired and wanting to get the work done, I agreed to the color. We are just painting below the wallpaper, which is about three feet from the floor. Gouges in the wall have to be spackled first, then sanded. That's where we are now...waiting for the spackle to dry so it can be sanded. We tried to sand the wall earlier today, but we didn't wait long enough, the spackle was still wet. I covered some spots on the wall by photo manipulation, as the wall really is in bad shape.
Tomorrow, while Mike is at work, I will be painting at least two walls. (Which I don't mind doing.) The wall behind my computer will be last. (Because the desk is real wood and is very heavy, Mike will need Brian to help him move it). I expect that wall won't be painted until Wednesday. So it will be Thursday or maybe even Friday before the mess is removed from the living room and the dining room is back to normal. I can't blame Mike for wanting to paint the room, it does look bad. I've been thinking I should get Mike to wash the wallpaper, as I can't get up on a ladder.
Mike talked me into keeping the corner piece of my desk (not in photo). I don't want to keep it, but he said to see if it would work out as a small sewing desk, just someplace to sit and sew, not for storing junk. I agreed to a month-long trial. But, if that corner piece (which I think looks weird) ends up being a junk collection spot, it goes in the trash. After the dining room is back to normal, I'll post a photo of that desk piece so you can see for yourself.
I've been really tired these past two days, and it looks like I'm in for a tiring week. But I think in the end, being tired will be worth it.
