six is my favorite number

I took six pictures in Cali. Yep, six.

Two of Oscar. Four of the tables before anyone got there (actually it was still in the day when Julianne and I were setting up). I didn't get any in the evening when the candles were lit. I didn't get any of my parents or my cousin or my mom's best friend. I didn't get any of Julianne or David. I did get one of Kev, but that was because Oscar was sitting in his lap.

I'm tired. I'm glad I have off today. Kev ended up calling in because he just doesn't feel great. He wasn't feeling great the entire weekend. We did have a wonderful time visiting with everyone. Thankfully we did get some quiet time with Julianne and David. Granted that time was almost always in the car, but at least we got to just be with them.

The cats were spoiled rotten. Shannon and Kiley left us with a fabulous Jack-O-Lantern waiting on our porch (pictures will be taken and shared). Josie was happy to see us, although I suspect she had a blast with Diana and Lawrence. We are all happy to be home.

Here are just a few of the photos I took...really, a few of the few.

headin' back to cali

We head out tomorrow morning. It's going to be a whirlwind weekend for us.

Friday:
bake muffins, meet David's family, eat dinner

Saturday:
wake early, make tartlets, host shower, clean up, hopefully get some time to go to a yarn shop with David's mother, get ready for reception, go to reception.

Sunday:
nothing but visit with family. leave at 7:00 pm

Even though it doesn't seem like a lot, it really is. There will be running around and setting things up for the party and helping calm my sister's nerves.

Have a great weekend everyone. We're off now to take Josie to Camp Goodtimes!

camp goodtimes

Josie has no clue what is in store for her this weekend. I know she will be taken to new places, hiked with and loved on. She will miss us for a while, but our hopes are she has such a good time and she is such a good girl that Diana and Lawrence will beg to watch her again in November!

Things are slow today. When things are slow, time stands still. It's no biggie, except I have better things to do with my time than stare out the window at work. I could be getting things ready to pack. I could be giving myself a mani and a pedi. I could be lamenting the fact that even though the boots shipped, they shipped out yesterday from Jersey. I could be drinking some wine while doing all of those things. Although that would mean I'd have to have some wine at home...wait, we do!!! We'll have to see what kind of mood I'm in when I get home tonight.

The back room is picked up. The note has been written to my coworkers. I am ready to get the hell out of here. But the clock only reads 4:40pm. An hour and twenty to go.

Maybe I'll continue brainstorming on marketing ideas for increasing foot traffic at two of our locations. I'm thinking some kind of benefit thing, buy a pair of clogs, we'll donate $5.00 to a non profit animal rescue (I'm thinking of the place where we got Josie from). Ideas, they are filtering through my brain.

everybody loves a list

1. mani and pedi

2. pack clothing

3. finalize exactly what knitting i am taking

4. write note for shannon and kiley about the cats

5. write note for diana and lawrence about the dog

6. pick up house (nobody likes coming home to clutter)

7. take copious amounts of benadryl to rid my body of the snot

8. get toiletries ready

9. pray boots make it here in time

10. cry because i know they won't

11. write post about not being around this weekend because we're heading to los angeles to celebrate my sister's nuptuals

12. buy wedding gift

13. blow nose

14. prepare for everything

aaahhhhh-chooooooo

All day yesterday I was sneezing. I dropped Kev at work and Jill and I were going to return some mis-sized pants to the Rack. Everytime we'd get out of the car and go into a store, sneezes. Runny nose was also around.

I am not sure why my allergy gnomes decided yesterday was the day to attack...at least I wasn't sure until Jill noticed something very important. The car, it was COVERED. IN. POLLEN! WTF?!?

So, I was drippy and sneezy and unhappy for the entire day because the car needs to be washed. I asked Kev to do that sometime this week on his way home so that when we go to the aiport on Friday morning I am not having to get into the car of sneeze again. That'd make for a lousy trip on a plane for anyone. Snot on a plane. Now that is a movie title!

if you want

To see feathers and fans, check here. If you are my sister, DON'T LOOK!

The image of her is just as she blocks. I plan on getting pretty and artistic shots of both hers and his scarves that are done and post it there.

Right now, I must decide if I am going to wear it once to give it great energy before giving it away. I really want to!!! Plus, the kids at the coffee shop (workers and regulars) will oooh and ahhh over it and be excited to see her done. Okay, I'm wearing it!

Make it a great weekend everyone!

just call me mrs. v.p.

So this morning Ahmed and I are speaking. We're talking of the differences between me and Chas at work. What he will take care of and what I will over-see. He hemmed and hawed and finally spit out that he'd like us to have titles for our new jobs.

Chas will be the Operations Manager (a title I'd approached Ahmed about earlier when the job shift happened). I will be the V.P. of Marketing. Hmmm, I like.

Tonight I am going to stay late and rearrange the downtown store to increase flow through the store. I am not telling Ahmed that I am doing this until it is done and he comes in and asks "when did you do this?" cuz I know he will.

Kev's meeting me here and we'll have pizza next door before we head home for a quiet night. I'm pretty excited. And I've not been able to wipe this smile off my face all day.

but must knit

I want to post here, really I do. I want to say amazing things. I want to share what's going on here. And in these last words I do share...I must knit. November is not far away at all! ;)

just cuz

I read this at Crazy Aunt Purl and decided it was time...

four jobs i've had:
1. rehabilitated a horse so he could be used in riding lessons
2. sold draperies
3. worked in a bowling alley
4. manage operations in a local shoe store chain (that'd be now)

four movies i can watch over and over:
1. Overboard
2. Harry Potter(s)- any of them
3. Breakfast Club
4. Sweet Home Alabama

four places i have lived:
1. fort gordon, ga
2. leavenworth, ks
3. lawrence, ks
4. portland, or (and yes, i've only ever lived in four)

four television shows i love to watch:
1. What Not to Wear
2. Design Remix- or is it Find and Design?
3. Grey's Anatomy
4. Biggest Loser

four places i've been on vacation:
1. Germany
2. Hawaii (getting ready for the second time next month)
3. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
4. Fayetteville, Arkansas

four of my favorite dishes:
1. Beef stew (what's for dinner tonight?)
2. Cobb Salad
3. Pizza
4. Bagels in the morning

four websites i visit daily:
1. Plaza Jen's
2. Yarn Harlot
3. Left Handed Catastrophe
4. Knit Meister

four bloggers i am tagging:
nobody...if you want to do it, go for it.

on turning 34

Yesterday was my birthday. Kev and I had a party. It was rowdy. Everyone got home safely.

I have realized, looking back to last night, that I think I'm to the point where rowdy isn't me anymore. I love quiet evenings with friends sharing stories, playing games, drinking wine. I enjoy the soft music in the background. Not being the party, just enhancing it. I'm happy when friends come together and share the experience of simply being.

So I am one year older and many years wiser this morning. Even though the party was not quite what I'd hoped for, or expected, it did show me a thing or two. I appreciate all Kev did, because I simply invited a few people. He made the food, cleaned the house, etc. However, I won't ask him to take it all on again. We are a team. We work well as a team.

another week passes

I swear time gets away from me. It's crazy. Training has been going well. Knitting has been going (I'd love to say well, but there is one yarn that eludes me as to what pattern it wants me to use- I've figured it out, but now have to wait until one of the others is off its needles so I can use them).

Work is work. We are really thinking that by next month, the two are going to be ready. I've told them both we'd like it to be so. I think it may just work. For a while I might stick to T-Sat and just go in for part of the day Sat instead of the full day like normal. It should be great.

Okay, bus time is nearing and I must make sure things are ready.

Happy Birthday to all others who have birthdays on this very day! ;)

helpers in all shapes and sizes

I went and got my hair cut yesterday. Realizing I was that much closer to the yarn shop, I zipped over to get another ball of the kidsoft silk mohair. I had just about run out and was at the halfway mark of feathers and fans. I swear, it knits quickly, but seems to be taking forever.

While there, I found some new yarn for one of the other scarves. I decided I don't like Cascade all that much. At least not the superwash. I think it feels cheap. I know, I know. Yarn snob? Actually I am going to use it, but not for the scarf. I am thinking a blanket for a good friend's baby (he's due to join us in January). I am thinking of pairing it with the Lanette I made the sleeves with (which reminds me, I must post them soon).

Anyway, about that helper. He is just making sure it's soft and comfortable?

Okay, I'm off to work more on the f & f and do some laundry that didn't get finished yesterday (yes, while I was away my dear husband actually worked on the laundry!!!).

knit on. (this was supposed to be posted there instead of here....oh well)

wow, where do they hide the cameras?

Find your own pose!

the time is 6:30

Simon has started his song and dance. Nice because he has started an hour later than normal. I do not stir, nor do I let him know I am awakened by his antics. A while later, Kev gets up and feeds everyone. A small smile passes my lips. Ahhhh, to sleep in a bit. Normally, Kev will get up and feed everyone then come back to bed to sleep in too, but not this am. I hear him getting dressed. I squint open my eyes and look at him. He announces he is taking Josie to Angel's Rest.

I have two feelings rush through me and I'm conflicted. I long to get up and throw on my hiking togs to join them, yet I am a bit excited about the morning by myself with the cats, the laundry and my knitting. I tell him to remember I have a hair appointment at noon and the two of them are off. Josie didn't even know anything was happening. She had no time to get herself worked up and barking.

So I sit here sipping my latte with my feet up on the coffee table writing. Soon I will put on some music and continue down the knitted path I have started for myself. I only have a month and two weeks to finish three projects. I can do it, easily.

can't think straight

I have been training people this week. This means a couple of things. 1. My brain is now Jell-o like in constistancy and 2. I lost a lot of time where I could be blogging because I have to set a good example. Okay, the second isn't 100% true because I really only blog at work when I have everything done and that's usually never, or the end of the day whichever comes first.

I had so many things to write about this week. Did I write anything down? No. Do I currently remember anything I thought I would? No.

DO I feel guilty for not updating this all week? Not a chance. Heh, I have a life outside of blogging kids. Although what that life consisted of this week is a blur.

I do know we went out on Wendesday night to see Guster and our friend Bob was in town. We all had a fabulous time and Kev, he was the first to say "you guys ready to go?" I get to hold that over him for a little while. You see, when I surprised him by saying I wanted to join him for the show his response was, "Just make sure you don't want to leave halfway through." Now, the band was halfway through the encore when Kev suggested we leave because they'd played all the songs he'd wanted to hear (same here). But I could have totally stayed until the bitter end. AND I had to get up for yoga in the morning before heading to the office to finish the organizing of the boxes of shoes and clogs (meaning I climbed stairs carrying my weight in shoes many times that day which resulted in my legs hurting still to this day...thankfully I did practice yoga prior to doing all that which I am sure helped me not be in more pain had I not).

Okay, must go figure out dinner. We're feeling like Chinese tonight and maybe we'll get lucky and find a really great place in our hood.


peace out.

we'd like to offer you the job

On Friday Ahmed and I interviewed two people who were looking for part time gigs. One is a friend through a friend and the other is a guy who, for the past two and a half years, has been popping in to see if we are hiring anyone. We'd interviewed him when he first applied, but we were looking for full time and he for part time. Not this time, baby! He's on board!!! I'm really pretty happy about both people. Melissa has great energy and Drew is very much a people person. I think the two will be great!

This means, of course, I must train people. Not my favorite thing to do, but I can do it. This morning, Drew comes in for his first round. We'll go over the different brands of comfort shoes we carry and general policies and procedures. Damn, I wish I had the handbook done...it's started at least.

Had a lovely, but quick, weekend. Got to spend time with Jill yesterday. I walked over to her house (a good 40 blocks) and then she and I proceeded to go on another walk around their neighborhood to look for houses that are for sale. Found one, but does anyone have $300,000 they could loan me?

Okay, going to finish my reheated french press coffee and put on my face for the day.

just married!

I woke up to find that I had A. missed a call from my sister last night right after their ceremony and B. received a photo of them just after they "I do'd" on my phone.

She's positively glowing. They both are, really. I'm thrilled and honored she'd want to speak with me right after they got married. And I'm sad that I wasn't around my phone when she called. I sent a text message to the new Mrs. G to call me when she had a chance.