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Friday, April 3, 2015

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Of course they don't have any!

Last night TheGuy and I went shopping for lamps. The plan was to go to Lowe's and look at the sets of lamps that come 4 to a box in the price range $50-100.

We went to the Lowe's nearest our house and we found a lamp set we liked, and it was on clearance for $55 for the set of 4: one nightlight, 2 table lamps, and one floor lamp. It was the right color scheme and we thought it would work.  It wasn't what I had in mind but the price was right and it wasn't ugly. This set even came with shades.

We "liked" the lamps but we weren't "excited" about them. Then we saw THE SHADES. The lamps shades that match my new ottoman: cream colored shades with charcoal gray cursive writing.  These were AWESOME! We tried the shades on the lamp set and they Fit! And it made the lamps look about a million times better! Okay, great! We had a plan. Except that the Lowe's we were at only had one shade and we needed three. The clerk helping us checked and said another Lowe's store 8 miles away had nine of them. Okay, great.

TheGuy and I bought the one shade. We didn't buy the set of lamps because we wanted to see if there were other styles that we might like better. We asked the clerk to check and the Lowe's we were going to had 6 lamp sets so we could get 2 more shades and the lamp set at Lowe's #2. Then we drove to the second Lowe's.

Oh but on the way we drove by a Home Depot- no lamp sets and all ugly shades.

At Lowe's #2 we found our amazing shades that matched the single one we bought a Lowe's #1. We also found the lamp sets. But in the row with the lamp sets, was a really cool lamp, of brushed silver pewter. It was just what I had originally wanted when we started lamp shopping. We had a big discussion. One table lamp with the script shade was going to be equal in price to the whole set of four, but it was REALLY what I wanted. It also didn't have a matching floor lamp. TheGuy and I went back and forth and we decided that it was worth the money to get what we really wanted. If changed our financial plan a little. We had the money to buy 3 shades and the set. With the increase of costs, we had enough money to get 2 lamps and 3 shades. Okay, no worries. We decided we would get three matching shades so they wouldn't get sold out. We also were going to buy two table lamps. We could go online and find a matching floor lamp later.

Only at Lowe's #2, they only had one of the silver table lamps and it was the one that was on display, and they wouldn't sell us that one. The sale's associate at Lowe's #2 checked to see what stores had another one. And.... yes.... you guessed it. Lowe's #1 had 3 in stock.

So, we bought 2 shades, then we drove the 8 miles back to Lowe's #1. Of course, the same guy was working in the lamp department and he chuckled when he saw us again. We have no idea why we didn't see these when we were there earlier; they were on display. So, we bought the other table lamp. Now, we have 2 lamps, and 3 shades. The third shade, if you're keeping track, is going to go on a floor lamp that we don't own yet. We need to find it.

So just a quick trip by Lowe's to look at lamp sets ended up in a 2.5 drive around the city to the big box style hardware stores.

But I gotta tell ya, these are really awesome lamps!

Maggie


Saturday, January 3, 2015

Sickness makes me mean

I have been home sick for 6 days and I'm not kidding, I feel as bad today as I did 6 days ago.

I'm hunting for the silver lining but it's really hard. I keep trying to tell myself it's just a cold and I'll be better and it's not fatal that I have to live with forever. That most of it is over a paid holiday from work so I didn't have to take all my PTO time. At least I have insurance now and went to the doctor rather than "wait it out" or sit for 6 hours at the free clinic in hopes of being seen.

But I'm still really down about being sick and not feeling like I'm getting better.

I went to the doc yesterday and I have an ear infection, an upper respiratory infection, and the Rhino Virus. Not even Mac's jokes about rhinos made me feel better, other than a few giggles. I had meds but still feel icky and gross.

I haven't had the energy or the ability to concentrate on anything, which also sucks. I've been at home for 6 days and I haven't finished a book, written a letter or even watched a movie. I move from chair to couch to bed and feel ick. I really hate this. I stare at TV because it's about all I can handle.

Also, I'm thinking mean thoughts and fixating on stuff in my life that I don't like, and try and second guess every choice I'm making. Should I apply for a job in the town where I went to college and move there on my own, thus ending my relationship with TheGuy? I hate this apartment. I hate everything. I'm pissed at Mac.  I guess the silver lining to this is that I'm keeping the hatefulness inside instead of pissing everyone around me off. Stuff I usually ignore or I'm too busy to really "think" about are all thoughts that have swum to the surface of my brain.

I feel so useless and sick. I hate that I've had some paid time off because of NYE/ NYD and I'm sick. Time off with this job is so very precious and valuable but here I am pissing it away because I'm sick. I hate my job so much that I LIVE for days off, look forward to each and every one of our rare 10 paid holidays but here I am spending this with the Rhino virus.

I'm feeling ugly inside and out right now. If I had the money I'd check into a hotel, alone, for the rest of the weekend.

I just want to feel better.... But from reading what I have written here, I think  I have things that need to be better that a z-pak won't cure.

Maggie

Thursday, January 1, 2015

The road to Hell is paved with...

I had every intention of blogging at least once a week. I started out strong and was rejuvenated and then I became overwhelmed with "life" and went back to not blogging. Ugh!

I'd like to say it was because we were rolling into holiday season but in all honesty, I just got behind, tired and busy with other things and every day I thought "I'll blog today" and then today came and went without a post.

One thing I hate is that I have the urge to blog when I can't. I feel the muse at weird times, like when driving or on a conference call, and it's impossible to blog then. By the end of the day, after a 1 hour commute, dinner, laundry, all I want to do is nothing. I also still say the back that I start at 2 huge computer monitors for 9-10 hours a day plays a part into my inability to have drive to blog.

BUT... things have been busy here. November was Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping, as well at book club, taking the dog to the groomer, and a haircut for myself. It sounds silly to say but everything in a "big" city takes longer. For example, it took me 30 minutes to drive to book club. My hair dressed it 45 minutes from my office and an hour from home. Add in traffic to that equation... heck, it takes me about 20 minutes to drive TO the grocery store.

December was all sorts of crazy, but crazy in a good way. More Christmas shopping of course. Several trips "back home" for the actual holiday celebration AND for other seasonal commitments. We also took a few days off to go on a free vacation for TheGuy's birthday. I also gave him a surprise party, which took some planning and time. One week we had something every single night: symphony tickets, my company Christmas party, a hair appointment, a city wide bazaar with over 150 vendors, TheGuy's company Christmas party, and meeting my dad half way so he can take my dog to dog sit so we could go on vacation. Whew!

Oh... and. I'm sick. I got the mother of all flus on Monday. I went to work and by the end of the day I was running a fever and felt like crap. I stayed at home Tues and NYE, with a fever and lots of snot, aches, coughing and just a general crud. Today is the first day I've felt human all week long. And I'm still half way through my second jumbo box of tissues, have 5 cough drops left, and almost completed an entire box of meds. And I'm still sneezing and snotting. YES, so gross.

NYE, rather than going to the big party we were invited to, was spend watching GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY and eating junk food, then watching the ball drop, all while drinking hot tea, blowing my nose, coughing, and sneezing. What a "great" way to ring in the New Year, right? It's the year of the sheep... I wanted to make a joke about sheep and sickness, or a pun, and I'm too sick to come up with anything. That' so baaaaaaaaah-ad I feel. (feeble attempt, I know).

I guess today would be the perfect time to make a blogging resolution. But I'm not. Because... well... we know why.

Happy New Year and I hope you're all happy and healthy (and had a great Thanksgiving- if you celebrate it- and a great December holiday, if you celebrate anything!).

To be continued...
Maggie

Monday, November 3, 2014

How do you pimp your ride?

I've been trying to figure out how I want to make Scout my own. Right now, she's very non-descript. She could be almost any blue Chevy Sonic. I have a scraper and an umbrella in the window. I have Giles's vet records in the back seat pocket. I have a USB cord in the mini glove box. I have an apartment building permission parking tag hanging from my rear-view mirror,  but it's very small. My sunglasses are in the console. And I have a magnet bumper sticker that reads "My Greyhound is faster than your honor's student." There is nothing else I have that is significantly expressive of who I am.

(An aside-- also, if you look in my car or the trunk, there is no trash, no paper bits, no cups, nothing. It's spotless and trash-free.)

I don't want to do anything until I feel like it just says "me." I look around at other folk's cars and think "uhhhh no" I don't want that. People put all sorts of bumper stickers on the cars. I saw a car with a giant pink fuzzy mustache on the front bumper. Some hubcaps are pretty fancy in color or every spin. Some people jack their cars up or they bounce or have a glowing light under it. People hang all sorts of crap from their rear-view mirrors or put something on their antennas. Also to be notes are fuzzy steering wheel covers, fuzzy seat covers, and fuzzy dashboard covers. Uhhh- no to all that is fuzzy.

But there is also a part of me that says I should come up with something because I want to be able to find my car in a parking lot. The other day I was at Panera Bread and when I left I tried to get in a car that wasn't mine. I NEED something that, perhaps, makes it stand out a bit to me? Not sure what that would be.

Do you pimp your car? And if so, how? Suggestions welcome.

Maggie

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Where am I going? Where have I been?

I'm very thankful that Scout came with a trial subscription to OnStar because I get lost all the time in the city. I have zero sense of direction to start with and then to have a new city... well, I get lost. Often.

I know basics like certain landmarks are on X side of town. The pyramids are on the west side, a certain mall is on the north. I live on the east side. That helps. A little bit.

I've always had a certain issue with direction. When Mac was small and we'd go somewhere new and get lost, instead of getting upset and freaking him out, I would tell him it was an "adventure", a chance to see something new and unexpected. To this day, if he's with me in the car and I get lost, he asks, generally with a smirk, if we're going on an "adventure". I generally reply, with forced cheerfulness, yes. Then he pulls out his smart phone and GPS's us in the right direction. (I have a smartphone with GPS as well but I'm usually driving and it would involve pulling over to figure out the directions and such).

Overall I don't often mind being lost but if if being lost is going to make me late for an appointment or meeting, then I'm irritated and OnStar can come to the rescue with just a push of a button and uttering the words, "I'm lost. Could you give me directions, please?" I sometimes get a little freaked out if I'm lost and there is a LOT of traffic. I hate "big city" traffic and it must raise my blood pressure to be bumper to bumper and unsure if I'm headed in the right direction.

I get the most lost downtown, which I know doesn't make a lot of sense, but it seems that's the way I'm wired. There a market I go to at least one time a week all winter long and I still get lost when I leave. I'm ridiculous in that sense. Yes, I sometimes get lost coming home from places I've been before. Ugh! I KNOW!  And do I even need to go into details about how many times I get on the interstates that makes a circle around the city and I'm going the wrong directions? If I want to go north, and my options at that exit are west and south, which way to do I go? I always go the wrong way.

Once I decided to print directions on a piece of paper, only because I needed those directions ASAP and didn't have time to make the OnStar connection and wait for the download.  I knew when I left the office I had no idea at all where I was going so I figured paper would work. It was fine except for being in the wrong lane to make my left turn and had to go around the block and then there was a one way street and then a round about and... yeah, I asked OnStar for help...

TheGuy doesn't always help. He thinks in guy format as far as directions do. If we're going to eat at a burger joint we both like, he'll go there one way and then take us home a different way so I can see all of my options to get there. I've barely remembered 3streets to get there let alone a whole new way. I want some repetition to ingrain it in my cerebral cortex before giving me some options. I wouldn't say I'm a creature of habit but as far as going somewhere to not get lost, I certainly am. I figure out one way to get there and I go that path over and over again, which doesn't always make sense or isn't always the shortest/quickest way, but it's the WAY I know without getting lost!

And when there's construction or if the city has closed off streets I know and use often for some reason (a marathon, a parade, a festival), then I'm screwed. I'm usually stuck in traffic with a million other cars who didn't know THAT road was closed and we're all being forced left onto a one way street I've never seen before. And neither have the other half of the people so we're going slow and brake slamming. The other half who know where there's going are horn honking and yelling, and driving around me like idiots which don't help matters. Oh, the joy of being lost and thank you OnStar for letting me just tap, tap, tap a button to easy directions!

What would help me most is if I invested in a paper map and could get a visual, overall view of the city. I want to highlight/circle places I often go and home and the office and then I could see the big picture of how it ties everything together. I'm a big picture type of person and it helps when I can see the whole and not just a piece.

Getting lost has taken me on some cool finds. I found 2 different coffee shops that I didn't know existed, a cupcakery, and a vintage clothing shop. I found some beautiful homes that were lovely to drive by, and I actually discovered a more direct route for me to get to the art museum from my house... all because I got lost.

I suffer from wanderlust and my feet are itchy right now so getting lost does feed that part of my soul. But, overall, getting lost just ticks me off... but not too badly because I do have the magic OnStar button. At least for 2 more months. After that... back to having "adventures"!

Maggie


Friday, October 31, 2014

Mother Nature dressed as Elsa

It's snowing on Halloween. It's like living in the Wild West again! Right now, if this snow fall keeps up, there should be at least 1 inch (or more) on the ground tomorrow.

I like snow and winter and all but I wasn't sure I was ready for snow today.

And speaking of Halloween, my particular apartment building doesn't get any trick or treaters. It's not a weather thing; no kids come here. I would've thought the kids who live here in our complex would've gone to every door in the place and we have about a million kids who live around here now but not a single trick or treater.

It was a quiet night. I sat curled in the rocking chair and drank my spiked apple cider and a bowl of popcorn, watching a movie. Now, I'm eating chocolate and blogging- and watching another movie. (And no we didn't watch Halloween type of movies but I wanted to see PRACTICAL MAGIC. ) It doesn't seem like Halloween with no trick-or-treaters so it wasn't imperative to see a Halloween style flick. I WAS going to on a walking haunted tour but in the cold rain turn sleet turn snow, I decided staying at home in my jammies with an adult beverage and snot snackies would be much more fun!

I didn't even wear a costume today since I worked from home.

Hope you all had a more exciting day than I and that it was Spook-tacular!

Happy All Hallow's Eve!

Maggie