The LAST Painting Makover Project!!

Well, it's official - the era of painting in my house is OVER! Maggie and I can have our house back and our weekends free to do fun things (like go to museums for me and go to the dog park for Maggie). The days of headaches from paint fumes are done and Maggie hopefully will cease to have paint on her tail or ears from being too curious....YES!

The last painting project was not done by me, but rather by Stan, the bass player in my co-worker's band. He does these side jobs in addition to playing music on the weekends (and I can definitely tell that he's a musician who lived in the 6o's and 70's because he calls me 'babe' or 'sweetheart' which I hate, and calls other musicians 'cats').

Stan painted the whole upstairs common area/hallway, the main stairwell, and then the downstairs entryway/living room. It seemed to take FOREVER (about a week), but I'm so happy with it! I don't know how I handled looking at ALL WHITE WALLS for a year in this house, now that every single wall is covered in color now (except for the tiny laundry room - and I'm not messing with that).

Here are the BEFORE pictures:

Here are some IN PROGRESS pictures:

I just love the "scaffolding" system - a skinny wood plank between 2 ladders in the staircase.....safe, real safe......

Hanging out 'on the plank'....

Maggie, working as the Supervisor/General Contractor.....

Maggie, "injured" on the job - and paint on the fur to prove it!

And here are the AFTER pictures!

I took these pictures at all different times of day, so the lighting is vastly different for each one...I promise - it's all the same color (Sherwin Williams "Quiver Tan"). Woo hoo - it's all DONE!!!!

Bedroom Makeover

Over Memorial Day weekend, I painted the LAST ROOM in my house - my master bedroom! This is room #7 that I painted all by myself and I'm thrilled that FINALLY all of the rooms are done! There were 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and the kitchen. Whew!

This whole past week (and up until 10:30pm on Memorial Day) I have had painters in my house, painting the stairwell between the first floor and second floor, as well as the super high walls in the loft upstairs and then the downstairs living room (some of that I could've done myself, but since all of those common areas blend together, I wanted it to look uniform in technique and paint application). All of my furniture has been piled in the center of rooms with tarps over it, so it's been driving me crazy! Anyway, the pics of all of that will post tomorrow....

As for the bedroom, the color is "Moss Point #4" and is a darker shade of the "Guacamole" that is in the master bathroom. These green colors really look VASTLY different in different light - more than any other colors in my house. You just never know what it's going to look like from one hour to the next! But I think the green looks good with the really dark wood of my bedroom furniture.....however, I might have to get a different duvet cover or else my bedroom is going to look Christmas-y year round.....hmmmm.....

Here is a BEFORE picture:

And here are the AFTER pictures:

Any ideas of comforter colors???

Dynamic Church 2009

About a week ago, the company I work for put on their annual conference in Frisco, TX for 3 days. Since we make church management software, this was a user conference attended by churches that are on our software and want to get better at it and learn new techniques and what features are going to be released in the coming year (basically a LOT of 'techy talk').

It was held at the Frisco Conference Center/Embassy Suites, which is about 45 miles north of my house (yucky drive through lots of trafficky areas). So at the last minute, I got a call from Tammy in HR and she said that she had an extra hotel room if I wanted it. I had to figure out how to get Maggie to Mayce's and then up to Frisco in a matter of a few hours, but I did it. Man, was it nice not to have to drive back and forth from Frisco to Arlington and vice versa!

The hotel was really nice and had a beautiful view in the center courtyard (I just love staying in pretty hotels)......Here's a shot after one of the lunches - people chatting before going back into their sessions:

Here's my friend/co-worker Judy and I, at our registration table for Hands-On Training Labs:

And the highlight of the whole conference for me: I saw a waffle shaped like the state of Texas!

It was a great conference and everyone did a nice job - but I was glad to be back home with my Maggie!

The 5 Friends You NEED On EARTH

I saw this article on MSN about a week ago and I thought it was SO true! I had never itemized out friend-types before, but it was a fun read, so I'm sharing it. I need to take an inventory and make sure I have at least one friend from each type!

Five Friends Every Woman Should Have

If you can find even one friend who embodies any of the sought-after characteristics that follow, consider yourself fortunate! Here, five friends no woman should be without.
By Michelle Burford from "O, The Oprah Magazine"


"Friends are the family we choose for ourselves," writer Edna Buchanan once said. I consider the "family" I've gathered — with five kinds of pals I count on for completely different things — among the wisest choices I've made. If you can find even one who embodies any of the characteristics that follow, you can consider yourself fortunate.


1. The Uplifter - This woman's favorite word: "Yes." You could tell her you're trading your six-figure income for a career in offtrack betting, and she'd barely pause before yelping "Go for it!" Don't you need someone who looks past the love handles to notice the extraordinarily gorgeous you?

2. The Travel Buddy - When the hotel in St. Lucia is a bust, one characteristic becomes all-important: flexibility. This agreeable companion need not be the girl you traded pinkie swears with on the playground; it's enough that she's comfortable with quiet (between gabfests) and is a teensy bit mischievous (as in tequila after midnight).


3. The Truth Teller - Intent is what separates the constructive from the abusive. Once you've established that the hard news is spoken in love (not in jealousy or malice), you'd be smart to seek out this woman's perspective.


4. The Girl Who Just Wants to Have Fun - One Saturday a pal and I — and yes, we're both over age 12 — pored over every glitter lip gloss in a drugstore aisle for an entire 45 minutes. Forget the crisis download (for that, see the Uplifter); this partnership is about spontaneous good times.


5. The Unlikely Friend - "Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive," Anaïs Nin wrote. My friends — some twice my age, others half, some rich, others homeless, some black like me, others Korean, Mexican, Caucasian — have added richness to my life that only variety can bring.

A Hero In Pink Boxers

It's only fitting to honor our military heros, veterans and fallen soldiers on this Memorial Day 2009. I loved this story when I saw it a few days ago - nothing like true DEDICATION to his job, mission and country! KUDOS!

U.S. defense chief lauds soldier in pink boxers


Thu May 21, 8:05 pm ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday praised an Army soldier in eastern Afghanistan who drew media attention this month after rushing to defend his post from attack while wearing pink boxer shorts and flip-flops.

In fact, Gates said he wants to meet the soldier and shake his hand the next time he visits Afghanistan.

"Any soldier who goes into battle against the Taliban in pink boxers and flip-flops has a special kind of courage," Gates said in remarks prepared for a speech in New York.

"I can only wonder about the impact on the Taliban. Just imagine seeing that: a guy in pink boxers and flip-flops has you in his cross-hairs. What an incredible innovation in psychological warfare," he said.

Army Specialist Zachary Boyd, 19, of Fort Worth, Texas, rushed from his sleeping quarters on May 11 to join fellow platoon members at a base in Afghanistan's Kunar Province after the unit came under fire from Taliban positions.

A news photographer was on hand to record the image of Boyd standing at a makeshift rampart in helmet, body armor, red T-shirt and boxers emblazoned with the message: "I love NY."

When the image wound up on the front page of the New York Times, Boyd told his parents he might lose his job if President Barack Obama saw him out of uniform.

"I can assure you that Specialist Boyd's job is very safe indeed," Gates said in the speech.

The U.S. defense chief was scheduled to deliver the speech at New York's annual Salute to Freedom dinner in Manhattan.

(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Will Dunham)

Personality Doubt

Is it possible for your personality to change over time? I think so. Lately, I have been thinking a lot about who I am and what I am. I think my personality has ALWAYS been one of logical, rational thinking, organization, etc. However, I am also a very emotional person - things affect me deeply, both good and bad. I see the world in a fairly black and white way, even though there are billions of gray areas (which leads to confusion and frustration for me). I see the world with a set of rules and when people ignore the rules or don't follow them, I get discouraged and lose faith in people in general. It is just not fair that some people follow the rules and then ultimately have to pay for the people who don't. And I know, "Life's not fair" - I heard it a million times from my Mom growing up. But it is very hard for me to let things go when I think there is injustice!

Also, I feel like I am becoming more of an introvert as my life progresses. I am alone most of the time (since I live alone and I am somewhat isolated at work) and that has taken its toll on me over the years since my divorce. I don't know if it's a bad thing or just an observation? Also, in the past 5 years I have 'started over' by myself in a new state twice, so you do a lot by yourself (shopping, going out to eat, movies, projects, etc.) during those transitions. I have gotten used to it, but I thought I was just 'enduring' those alone times. Now that I have made friends and am around people more.......it kind of freaks me out sometimes! It's almost like I have a very hard time integrating back into the 'land of the living' around people! WHAT?! I can't figure out if I just prefer to spend a lot of time alone now, or if it's just that I'm so used to it and now I'm trying to change back into being around people more and it's a hard transition??

I have found that now when I'm in crowds or just a large group with church, etc., I feel uncomfortable - like it's too chaotic and I get lost in the crowd and don't feel connected. I tend to seek out one-on-one time with people or small groups where everyone gets a chance to talk and learn about each other. It seem that in big groups, you have a couple people who just kind of take over the talking and 'entertain' the crowd. I find myself very annoyed when I'm around somebody who has this insatiable need to have all the attention - they totally monopolized the conversation and draw attention back to themselves over and over like a 3-year-old showing off. That just sends me up a wall these days. They will drone on and on about their kids or some other topic of their choosing and they don't ever stop and ask about anyone else. I sit there in the group thinking "Am I the only person here that thinks that that's ANNOYING and childish? I gotta get OUT of here!"

I was kind of hoping that I would GAIN more patience as I went through different things in my life, but it just hasn't happened. I hate to admit it, but I think I'm growing more IMpatient over time. I don't like that about myself, but it feels like a steamroller that cannot be stopped! Agh! I know that people change over time and that is affected by their age, lifestyle, life circumstances, friends, etc. I am just worried that if I don't get back into "people" mode, I'll be living with a wiener dog on a remote island pretty soon! It's just weird to me how some people in my life seem not to have really changed over many years' time and I feel like I've been on a roller coaster ride and am very different from the person I was in college (and a lot of that change was for the good - I've learned SO MUCH in my 20's!).

Thoughts on this anyone???

Clear Conscience

Last week I made the trek up to Flower Mound to go to the JC Penney Outlet Store after work (it's a 40-mile trek, but my work is halfway there, so I always try to go after work) to look for a new vacuum and some cute summer shirts (since summer starts in like April here).

Things are SO inexpensive there and I just love it! I found some fabulous new towels for my guest bathroom (now that it's blue/yellow), a great new RED vacuum, and a bunch of shirts and 2 pairs of jeans. OK, that's a lot of stuff.

Well, when the cashier was scanning all of the items, he missed a shirt that was in the pile (I had folded them and stacked them while I was waiting in line - to save time). Well, I guess 2 of the shirts looked similar and he grabbed both of them, not seeing that it was 2 shirts. So after he did that, he finished all of the rest of the scanning and told me my total. This whole time, the 2 little voices on my shoulders (the one with a halo and the one with horns) were screaming at each other (just let it go - it's was his fault that he missed that shirt!........be honest - tell him he made a mistake and missed scanning that other shirt!).

Well, ladies and gentlemen......honesty prevailed. Right before he told me my total, I informed him that he missed a shirt and that it didn't get scanned (it was $9.99). He thanked me for telling him and he scanned it, I paid for my stuff and dragged it out to my car. I would have loved to save $9.99 (plus tax - there's tax on clothes here! YUCK! I miss Minnesota!), but I kept thinking that every time I wore that particular shirt, I would've remembered that I knowingly had 'stolen' it by not informing the cashier about his mistake.

YAY - I made the right choice and my conscience prevailed!

Rescuing the Reckless?

A couple Fridays ago, I watched the show 20/20 with John Stossel and Elizabeth Vargas and I found myself thrilled with the media - a rare occasion! The theme for the hour-long show was "You Can't Even Talk About It" and it was basically discussing about 5-6 topics that are 'taboo' to talk about in our politically correct country. It was AWESOME for the mainstream media to broach the subjects that a lot of Americans are thinking about, but are too afraid to openly discuss because it 'sounds bad.'

I won't bore you with the entire list of things they talked about on the show (but you can take a look at them yourself at http://abcnews.go.com/2020), but one of them struck me and I wanted to jump up off the couch and yell "HELL YEAH!" (Iris - Extreme Lauri was out in FULL FORCE while I watched this show)

Basically, the story goes like this: Local 911 emergency services (ambulances, dispatchers, paramedics, EMTs, police, rescue equipment, helicopters, etc.) are supported by tax dollars from the residents in a particular community, city, state, etc. They are services that you pay for (usually most people are happy to pay for them so that they are available when/if they are needed) in order to have a safe, ready community to live in. Right?

Well, the story on 20/20 was in a Utah/Colorado mountainous area with deep rivers (the Colorado River, I think?). Anyway, this is a fairly unpopulated area as far as permanent, tax-paying residents go........however, there are MANY thrill-seeking rock-climbing, hang gliding and whitewater rafting enthusiasts that flock to that area to practice their daredevil skills (or lack thereof). What ends up happening is that these enthusiasts don't know what they're doing and then they get themselves in very precarious situations, requiring medical rescues. Some of them are very complicated, difficult and require a LOT of man hours and expensive equipment.

The problem is: the local taxpayers in these areas are tired of paying high taxes for emergency services in their area in order to support the idiocy of these thrill-seekers (who get rescued for free, then run home and think up their next trick). So some communities are starting to charge the victims for their rescue costs.

One guy that they followed (a true idiot, if you watched the show) had to be rescued because he was hiking and rockclimbing IN FLIP-FLOPS and had an accident and had to be rescued. The authorities in that area sent that guy a bill for $2,000 (even though we all know that it probably cost about ten times that for the helicopters, man hours and equipment to rescue him). The guy still hasn't paid the bill and has even been out there more times doing the same stupid stuff!

On a less dramatic scale, I heard on the radio a couple weeks ago that even in Dallas, they are starting to charge for emergency services if you are in need of them in Dallas, but aren't a resident of the city! And that's not just for reckless crazy stunts - that's for regular car accidents and typical city stuff! Now I think that's getting a little ridiculous - and it's probably bad for business/tourism and going downtown for entertainment. What if someone runs a red light in the city of Dallas and totals my car and injures me? Because I'm not a resident of the actual city of Dallas, then I have to pay a huge ambulance bill, even though the accident wasn't even my fault and I just happened to be in a different city than the one that I pay my emergency services taxes to?? WHAT?!

What are your thoughts on this subject???