Full Saturday

It dawned on me this morning... I have another sewing machine! I've been contemplating trying a "cover stitch" but I had not contemplated trying it on my Bernina. The old machine sews just fine for top stitches so I could set it up next to my serger and hop from machine to machine. Is it normal to wake up and immediately think about sewing? It's in my blood.

When I finish blogging, I won't begin on the cover stitch experiment, I will be heading off to work. I plan to be there until my tummy rumbles or my eyes can't distinguish between the 0's and 1's any more. Our latest project at work is going to kill me. I know it. I called W yesterday to vent and I don't remember everything I told him but I do remember telling him that I had to walk out of there when I did because I just didn't know how to do my job. Mentally, that's a very uncomfortable place for me be. Today is a fresh day so I will go into work and it will be a very different atmosphere without the hustle and bustle and I will put on some soothing Weezer or something and figure it out - TODAY - or tomorrow or the next or whatever. 

The hardest part of IT is... whether it's systems, hardware or software... literally, IT professionals are trying to do something they've never done before with a deadline.

After work I'll stop and grab a cute little tiara for G's best friend and make her a cake since today is her Birthday. She's a special girl and I think she appreciates me as motherly-figure. I need her to trust me in order for her and G to make good decisions together and even when they don't. That way I can lecture her and G together so that she knows my standards too and be able to gauge the severity of the situation. What she doesn't know is that I am strategically using her to help G become a great young lady. aHHHAhahahahaha. What would you do? Sit back and cross your fingers?

This evening will consist of grocery shopping and attaining household supplies. Maybe even a little bathroom scrubbing and what-not. If I can complete most of what I've mentioned here today then I can certainly spend my Sunday on the cover stitch bit. I've got to try.

High School Anxiety

G had open house at school last night. We visited each one of her classes for about 8 min each. Then then bell would ring to move on to the next period. I followed her to the next class, took notes, moved on to the next and the next and finally I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't figure out which side of the campus we were on. The end of the 6th period finished by 8:10 pm - Marketing Essentials. When we left the classroom, it was as if the set of double doors to the left of the hall of dumped us out into the parking lot like a water slide at a water park with twists and turns inside that small tunnel - moving at light speeds. It was such a relief to get my bearings. I actually thought we were on the 2nd floor. It was scary to reminisce about high school and when I attended that campus. It's really changed since then of course.  

I have to give G a lot of credit. She seems to have a handle on things. She likes a couple of her teachers a lot and one of them happens to be teaching her most challenging course of Algebra II. I would like to get involved in her theater and marketing class because it seems as though those two courses will offer extra curricular activities and participation if she wants it. I think it would be good if she were involved in some sort of school activity. We'll see.

The moral of the story is, I juggle many tasks at work and at home daily. The difference between that and going back to high school is that I can dictate some of those tasks to others.  It doesn't matter how they get completed as long as they are completed. Managing and completing a set of tasks for 6 high school classes and any extra curricular activities - when you are the only person allowed to accomplish them - seems isolating and overwhelming. I will try to help her alleviate these feelings - if she shares them - by attempting to help her manage the tasks but I'm not great at that either so I don't know if I can provide any assistance at all. We shall see.

The Morning News

A news paper sales rep talked me into buying the Orlando Sentinel. It was 5 weeks worth of news paper for $15 and he gave me a $10 gift card to the craft store. It sounded like a great deal - the only problem is I don't need to know the stuff going on in that paper. I'm finding myself reading about things I'm usually in denial about and it's one more thing I'm starting to worrying about now. I normally call W and ask him about stuff if I need to know. Ignorance is bliss.

New Blogs about Patterns

I found a couple new blogs to read this morning. You may like them as well.

Skinny Bitch Curvy Chick Patterns - "Skinny bitches are considered any one under 5 feet 4 inches with a shorter torso and legs, and sometimes shorter arms."

Va-Voom Vintage Patterns

I'm not too happy with the title the first Blog gives my build but I do struggle with altering patterns so - tell me more and call me what ever you want.

Adding one more... This gal sounds like we could be best friends.
Bored and Crafty

Studio Discussions

I've been asking around - or more like poking - to see if people would be interested in a local crafting studio. The conversations start to flow instantly. "I have a sewing machine in my garage but I don't know how to use it..." and "I started a class at ___ but I didn't stick with it because I didn't know any else doing it." So many people have interesting ideas to offer. I'm taking notes ladies so keep 'em coming. I even ran into one of E's teachers from a few years ago at a local Farmers Market and she was ecstatic about the whole studio idea.

I reached out to my gal A and told her to start gearing up because W gave me the green light. A is my go-to crafting engineer. She is me but in so many different areas than I have dabbled. Her sense of "design" exceeds mine and her ability to research the proper techniques are far superior. A and I have had lengthy discussions about how our craftiness would make us money someday. We are dreamers and both ADHD (we also share a love for coffee) so I have no doubt about the creative synergy we could put into the studio. What's concerning me is that I think we need a balance of craftiness and business. The studio won't last long on prayers. We have to consider prices and putting generosity aside and be sure that the studio is thriving. We will have to consider marketing and paying quarterly taxes. Insurance and what-not. It all sounds great but we also know of the hard work ahead.

Regardless of the "work" our glorified hobby will eventually generate income to survive on it's own. And if it doesn't, I will have so many new handmade crafts/skills to last me a while.

We took the Walmart Challenge

Yesterday was grocery-gettin'-day. I've kept my last receipt from Publix and have been planning to enter all the items from the receipt into a spreadsheet matrix. Down the left side of the matrix will be all the items that I buy over and over again. The next column will be the prices of Publix and the next column will be Targets prices (they won't all the items that Publix has) and the next column will be WinnDixie. I, of course have not gotten around to creating this spreadsheet yet, but the master plan is A) to compare the prices and B) to use the list to create a specific shopping list to take to the store with little effort.

Notice that Walmart is not a store that I frequent. I gave up on it many many years ago when every time I went into one I wanted to fight someone. The associates are always standing around chatting or taking up too much space in the isles with their put-backs and re-stocking at the most inconvenient times. The patrons are inconsiderate and their are always too many people at in the checkout lines.I honestly have only gone to Walmart on average, 1 to 2 times a year for at least 10 years for miscellaneous things like a bike tire tube on Sunday because the bike shop was closed. That sort of thing.

So I had a wild hair yesterday ,or is it hare, either way, to stop in and see how much we spend and the shopping experience vs. the other stores mentioned.

It was a mad house as usual. So many cars, so many people in the parking lot. People almost blocking the front door because they were waiting for the Red Box next to it. People trying to finish their cigarette before entering the store while the smoke wafts inside. Lets take you inside. I didn't know which way to turn. There weren't any clear paths to take. All I could think was save yourself. I took only 2 kids with me G and B and we only picked out a few necessities to limit the amount of time spent in the store. In this respect, we did save a lot of money! G mentioned at one point, "This is a great place to either survive a Zombie Apocalypse or to start one."

We dodged, we bobbed, we weaved through the crowds and at some point I decided that I had enough items to get by so started the check out venture. OMG! The lines were so long. Many lanes were closed and the lines jutted out into the isles that prevented me from getting to the other side of the store to get a few toiletries but I just had to cut my loses. We waited in line for 25 min. and we walked out of the store to empty out into the parking lots sea of cars and walked for days to unload the cart.

I didn't get into a fight this time but I thought it was very rude that the cashier decided to close her register and told a very elderly man BEHIND me that she could not take him. He had two items!!! He waited for soooo long! I would have made a scene if it were me. I almost piped up to allow him to go in front of me because he was so old and gentle and that's what us Targeters would have done but I just spent 25 min., in counting in line, and I was not about to let some old man skip me and possibly make me have to go to another line. My ice cream was already soup!

When it was all said and done, I do not even have to add up the dollars. It does not matter. The experience was a flop and I spent too much precious time trying get the shopping deed done. I can usually leave my drive way, shop, check out and be back home within 50 min. at any of the stores I usually patronize. I spent over an hour in the Walmart for half the items needed. Then it took me at least 15 minutes to drive home because of the construction and the congestion that always seems to surround those stores.

I miss you Target! I didn't get to see you this past weekend but I will stop by sometime this week. Publix, I will not take you for granted ever again. Do not ever lower your prices to a prostitutional level. Thank you for being clean and small and most importantly, thank you for being close to home.

First Annual IT Appreciation Dinner Party

W and I had the pleasure of visiting the home of D & S last night (D is the VP of Operations for the company I work for and S is his Wife). The two of them invited our company's entire IT Team, both Development and Systems. My Boss was there and the other VP of Underwriting as well and all of our significant others.

D and S have such a beautiful place with so much space that 26 people sat comfortably at one long table in the foyer/formal dinning area. It was so lovely. I aspire to host that way someday. The food was fabulous, the details of the table, the friends. Just lovely. Meeting the other halves of my co-workers was really a treat too. I learn so much about my co-workers by how they interact with their spouses and who they go to work for day in and day out.

W on the other hand, well, he had a good time but there was an issue with the food. I did not ask the hostess of course to prepare anything without meat so W pushed the food around a bit as he would normally do but the only catch was he sat next to the hostess, S. She kept asking him if everything was OK. He smiled and was very polite. He even took several bites. He was trapped. It was either go to "Make A Scene Town" or eat it. I felt terrible for him but he survived.

We laughed, we shared tales, we ate. I had quite the lovely evening. I prepared a small jar of peach preserves with a hand written tag to present to the hostess but I feel that I should present another small gesture to her since the dinner was in honor of me and my team. Will a thank you card suffice or should I do something "extra" for S? Any suggestions?

Thank you for weekends

As the week grew older my stress level rose higher. I couldn't sleep last night because of work stuff. I actually just logged off and told myself to STOP working just now because its Saturday damn it!

Some days humble you. I had a third-party team of web-designers and my clients' VP of Marketing, show my development team up yesterday because they are the client and we do not contest what they say. We have to say 'yes' while they say, "I told you so." Its painful to be the team leader and have to take it like that. I'm trying to reflect and see where I could have done something different to maintain control. I think we just had two very different expectations on either side that should have been clarified in the beginning. I cannot allow myself to be so consumed by any 1 task that it may impair my view of other tasks. I HAVE to keep juggling projects. On one hand, my ADHD like symptoms are a curse and on the other hand, they are a blessing.

My take away is, to identify red flags and act on them immediately. I cannot trust that we will figure things out later when we are not busy. Lesson learned but problem not solved.

I just sent my vision of completing the impossible to my team. We are at the beginning of a very important project with very strict deadlines and we have been waiting for a third party design team to hand the project off to our integration team. It turns out, all we will get from the design team are some pretty Photoshop pictures of a website and a document, that we didn't know existed until yesterday, that tells us what the site should do. They said, "Why did you think you would get anything else?" They also said that the 72 page functional document has been available for 2 weeks and we should have dug it up. Oh I don't know why I'm panicking... they used up 7 weeks of our 12 week total time to write a fully functional web based application. No need for alarm.

My Development Team is very talented and so understanding of the situation. They are willing to pull together Monday morning. Some of them are reviewing the documentation this weekend to get started. I'm going to attempt to relax this weekend and trust that we can complete most, if not all, of the impossible because I don't always have to lead as a leader. Sometimes the team leads.

Today is a great day

I wanted to brag on my husband a bit. He is one of the more responsible and hardworking men of the species. He is such a caring parent and maintains focus on our children's education consistently. He is easily consumed with play and activities with our children. He is eager to help even when he is not needed but it is nice to have the offers. He makes great breakfast for dinner and there is a unanimous vote of best all time dish - his German Pancakes. Now I never knew of the German Pancake until I met him so I am convinced it is a westerner thing. 

I find him exceptionally handsome, strong, extremely intelligent and never awkward. He's great! He is the love I waited so long for and I treasure his reciprocated feelings for me. Happy ANN W. 

Deathly Lunch Hour

Yesterday I almost died 3 times during my hour lunch break. I went home to eat, as I do frequently. Its a 10 minute drive. As I heading back to work, I found G walking home from school and I asked her if she wanted to drive herself to the house. She had to take the long way around the block because turning around would have been too difficult. During the 3 block distance she almost clipped a neighbor bringing in his garbage can, sat at a dead stop at a 4 way stop intersection while 9 people went through, and lastly, took a left hand turn onto our street at 25 miles per hour. My heart was in my throat! I was so scared and all she could say was, "What?"

Near death experience #2 happened a few minutes later while I was discussing #1 on the phone with W and safely in control behind the wheel on my way back to work. A rescue truck nearly slammed into me rushing into backed-up traffic because there happened to be lane closure up ahead. I was forced to get into the closed lane and pull off the street into a Circle K. Now there was no way to get back into traffic! I had to abruptly hang up on W so now he thinks I've wrecked or something and my lunch hour has turned into 1 hr and 45 min.

#1 wasn't nearly as exciting but it could easily cause heart failure or aggressive behavior which was what I was just getting into on the phone with W and how frustrated I was about it and then G scared me so bad.

I received a phone call from a girl at the orthodontist earlier in the lunch hour and she proceeded to tell me that I was responsible for the $1000 that the insurance co. promised to pay on both kids treatments and that they would just tack it on to the end of the payments of G's account. For some reason the insurance co. made me pay their portion to the orthodontist at the time of the down payment and then they promised reimbursement. Now wait a second. Why am I paying for an extra dental package that "includes" orthodontics if they will not pay on a claim? She said the Ins. Co. told her that I changed my plan as of 7/1/2013 to include a 12 month waiting period. Meaning they won't pay for orthodontics until I've had my plan for over a year. I have 2 kids in braces. Why would I "change my plan" to include this. I called the customer service line and the dude told me that if didn't have the plan last year then I would be subject to a 12 month waiting period. I explained that I have two kids in treatment and the estimates were approved before the 7/1/2013 "change". THEY ALREADY APPROVED B's CLAIM. They wrote 2 checks to me.

I actually am the only person who wasn't on the plan last year because the broker forgot to sign me up and all year long I paid for the dental plan. I obviously didn't try to use the plan until late in the year because the dentist I wanted to go to did not accept the insurance therefore I bought a separate discounted plan. I tried to use the co. group insurance (discount plan not insurance) in October of last year when E hurt herself at school and needed stitches in her lip and her teeth were turning gray. That's when I discovered I didn't have coverage. My boss refunded me the entire years dollars spent but I didn't have coverage. The 12 month waiting period did not apply to our group coverage when the company changed plans in 1/1/2013 but it does apply to me! I read through my policy and all I could find was "may be subject to 12 month waiting period".

I'm so sick about this whole thing. Dealing with insurance is the worst. It causes more pain and anguish than anything else. I would have rather been responsible for the extra $2 k up front then be promised and denied. I probably would have edged around discounts for paying cash or shopped around a little longer to find cheaper treatment or Groupons or something!

The Elite Crafters Club

While getting ready for work yesterday, I decided to play a game, as I sometimes do with clothing. I might wear a "themed" getup or I could potentially "feel" like a certain person in another outfit. I might even just wear one eccentric accessory that screams "please ask me about this". I've been doing this since high school. One more not-so-important fact is, I will not wear the same thing in the same way twice. And I never forget the way I wore the article or what I matched/accessorized it with.

I've confessed my narcissistic mind games about clothing so here's the story...

After picking out a white peplum top and dark skinny jeans that were cutoff and rolled to mid-calf, I spotted a silly necklace that would be fun. It consisted of a tapered felt strip that hangs just below the neck - choker style - decorated with pale-colored satin flowers. The felt had two pieces of chain on either end to clasp around the back of the neck.

I put this necklace on and decided, this is the craft we will make first. My second thought was, since I don't have a studio yet, I will have to invite crafters to my place, but I have limited space. My mind game rule was this: those that notice and comment on the necklace are "in".

The girl who sits in the front desk is a baker by trade and working on orchestrating classes for breast-feeding and post-natal "family" building dynamics, not just mom and baby but mom and daddy, then baby. She spotted the silly item straight-away. We talked about my hopes to open a studio and her hopes to start her groups. I hinted to "craft-night" and she said she was in.

Two more ladies commented before I hit the break room to grab a cup of coffee. Two, three... As the day went on, I chatted with my "Yang" - the chick I made the snakeskin blazer for - we've been through a lot together. I'll share our Hot-Lanta adventures on another day. I told Yang about the Elite crafters that I'm secretly picking out. She laughed but I was serious. While we joked about it, another woman walked by just then and said, "I really like that necklace". I looked at Yang and quietly mouthed the words, "She's in." Yang knew I was serious. Five, six...

The first rule of the Elite Crafters Club is, we don't talk about Craft Club.

I've counted 7 people so far but I didn't make it all the way around the office. Anyway, it doesn't matter. I'm out of chairs. Sorry!

I can't stop thinking about a studio

I'm stuck in a mode between reality and possibility. On one hand it sound perfectly logical to open a studio. It will generate income with a little love and a lot of planning. On the other hand, the business side of this idea scares me to death. Investing, risk, marketing, demographics, time and lots of time.

I found a gal on Craigslist.com who is looking to lease a booth in her resale store. I've been contemplating how it would look and where my craft tables would go. I don't know if the owner of the store understands the scope of the business I want to conduct. It will be noisy sometimes and chatty. I've only corresponded with her by email so far but I think I will pop in there at lunchtime to assess. I think it may even be too far from the trendy parts of town and colleges. Setting something up near those areas would be ideal.

I've been looking at web sites for crafting booths/studios where casual crafts can be conducted and sales but I haven't found any yet. I'm trying to visualize an area that would be big enough to have a couple of tables for crafting sessions and another area for displaying mine and others art/crafts for sale. Displaying arts/crafts in a booth at someone else's store would need a full time attendant but just hosting craft sessions seems incomplete. Since I cannot quit my day job then I will need A) another person or B) lease my own building and have my own hours. Option B is obviously the option with more risk and option A means having to pay someone or partnering with someone (yuck).

I have plenty of time to keep brainstorming this business venture. Any ideas of functioning studios like what I've described would be helpful. I haven't exactly found a shop in my area yet like what I want to conduct which is good but it is also harder to muster up the guts to jump into something that I've never actually seen in action. Leave your ideas in the comments of this blog if you want to help.

Playtime is Over

It's always tough to get back into the groove of work after a week off. I think this time, it's extra tough. I'm up on time and I've got to get the kids ready for school. Most of them get themselves ready. All but one actually.

Ugggh. I'm really serious about this. I'm totally bummed and this is not like me. Anyway, I'm off to brew a pot of coffee and try my best to make this day count.

A Little Spurt of Creativity

If you are friends with me on Facebook or follow me on Instagram, then you must have seen a few of my posts over the last couple of days. I've been posting pictures of easy wire wrapping jewelry and last night I designed a shirt. This morning I'll be finishing a snake-print jacket that I started a while back (1 year) for a gal at work. I won't fit me and I cheated when I sewed the pieces together so I am unable to alter it without ruining it. 

All this flow of creativity will probably come to a halt when I go back to work. I finally broke free from the grind mid last week and that's when the creativity started. Actually, one of G's friends texted her on Thursday asking her to see if I could alter her cheer leading skirt because someone already tried and messed it up. She needed it for their first pep-rally on Friday. I was nervous to touch it because I knew it had to be done right but I told her I would take look. This is when the creativity started to flow.

When she brought it that night, I ended up having to take all the first-attempt stitches out because she was right, someone really did a botched job on it. There was one catch to the alteration, it was a rental and we couldn't cut the fabric. This was actually a relief because no matter what I did at this point we would have that as a handicap. Therefore, the expectation of quality was low. I took the skirt "in" on each side about a half inch and curved the seam so that the skirt would "hug". Then instead of trying to hem the skirt to make it shorter, I encouraged her to fold the top band down since her cheer shirt would cover the top 2 inches of skirt. 

She tried the skirt on once I had all the initial stitches in and said, "I actually LOVE IT". First of all, teenage girls are dramatic, but it did look good. I told her mom that G could bring the skirt to school tomorrow so that I could finish up the make-shift seams inside. I wanted to secure all the fabric that we took in now that we had the fit right. They insisted that it was finished and that they imposed on our family enough. I hadn't even thought of this. I was just doing what I love to do! She handed me $25 and thanked me immensely especially since it was such short notice. 

The next day, I made sale number two. I posted a pic of a quick wire wrap ring that I threw together on Facebook and a girlfriend of mine claimed it. She also asked me for another. I met her for lunch on Friday and made the sale. One problem was lunch cost $34 with E and G. I was upside down in the sale but it didn't matter. I actually sold some goods. 

While she and I chatted during lunch I told her that my dream is to open a studio. I do not want to have a store to sell what I make because then the pressure to create would be too great and I wouldn't keep up with it. I want to have a comfy area in my studio for crochet/knitting. Another area for sewing and serging and then yet another for jewelry making. I've contemplated painting and pottery but I think to start the above will suffice. My girlfriend expressed an interest in operating a children's craft-time throughout the week. This gave me another idea. I could "rent out" the studio for a minimal cost to others who want to teach their craft. They could collect on the actual cost of the activity and we all get paid to do what we love. I'm thinking during the day, I could open the studio for walk-ins and members to casually craft and chill. They could use the equipment supplied by the studio and also buy knick-knacks. I can sell a few of my things and other local artists items. Then in the evening, I will host parties/classes. That way the studio can generate income and be used 24-7. 

I'll be looking for space for lease today while I day dream about my studio and finish the jacket I started a year ago. Then it's back to work tomorrow. 

The Barn

I spontaneously decided to go out with friends last night to a joint called "The Barn". A real classy place. I arrived a bit earlier than my friends and apparently this is too early according to most "Barners". There were people there having a dancing class. 2 step to be more precise. This was cool to watch. I envy those that have confidence to dance with strangers in a group setting.

Anyway, 20 min. of this and I see 2 of my friends at the bar. One of them was celebrating her Birthday so she was planning for several people she knew, and I didn't know, to show up. I bought them each a beer and myself a club soda with lime (my fave). We spent a few minutes catching up until the dancing class was over and the clubs music started. A couple more friends arrived and things were good for a bit. An hour to be exact.

After about an hour, the Birthday girl starts with the shots. Everyone in her group is catching wind of this generous Birthday offer and proceeds to get her more shots. I was pretty sure things were about to get ugly.

Before they do, I would like to describe the atmosphere at the "Barn". You know, from my perspective...

Old, young, middle-aged (like me), married, single, really old and the crew. Country-western bars are fun because people will just start dancing where ever they are or RUN out to the dance floor to join the line. Now I don't dance. I do not have the confidence. I used to but I lost it somewhere.

Anyway, one dude, probably my age, was clearly a dancing fool.  I noticed he was in the dance class from earlier and was happily twirling around the dance floor with women 3 times his age. He was very tall and fit but he was not choosy when it came to asking a girl to dance once the club started jamming. All kinds of girls tall, short, heavy, thin, heels, sneakers, dresses, jeans, young, old, it didn't matter. It was hilarious to watch him lead the these women around the dance floor in a 2 step as they ALL clambered to just stay up on their feet. I thought the women in stilettos was truly going to break her ankle.

So after 30 mins of watching this he comes over to our table - points at me - and says, "Alright, you. Let's go." I was shocked. He was drill-sergeant demanding. I came to and politely said no thanks and he grabbed one of the other girls at our table.  LOL, that's never happened to me before.

One other sight I wanted to point out was the elderly. There were many 75+ers. They were there because they too were dancin' fools. Line dancing and two-steppin' away. A couple had obvious bad hips but they were working through it. Its only one night a week and you YOLO. I'd never seen anything like that before either. Two "firsts" seemed like a successful night.

Then there was my Birthday Girl. Starting to slur and bouncing around the table trying to entice her friends to mingle by re-introducing us and pointing out things we had in common. I was content the way things were but now we were at the two hour mark and things were going down and it was my time to bow out gracefully.

I had a good time and I'm glad I went but I love staying at home with my family soooo much better.

Planning MY Back-To-School

I'm searching the catalog at Seminole State College to find the one class I want to take first. I have an idea of what I'm looking for but I'll have to call the Admissions dept. to make sure my transcripts were received. It will also serve me well to talk to a counselor. At this point, I am not degree seeking. I'm interested in management and updating/fine-tuning technical skills. So I believe Credited Certificates are what I'm looking for to couple with my technical degree. 

In a nutshell, I really like working with clients the way an analyst does. This involves gathering business requirements, building relationships and setting expectations. I also like to be part of the project/resource management, technical writing, engineering (rolling up my sleeves and developing a quality product), delivery, and maintenance of software products. This is actually the cradle-to-grave process of software development which is what I've been doing for the last 3 1/2 years and coding for several years before that. But this is not enough, I want to be FABULOUS at in the areas already mentioned in addition to learning more about management. 

I'm currently managing 6 members of an IT team - 7 if you count me, and I'm kind of a "as long as you're busy then everything is OK" manager. I want to be able to give more direction in a timely manner. More hands-on and professional in delivery of direction. I need to be pro-active in identifying weak areas before the "S" hits the fan. And as everyone knows, this does happen. When it does, IT is not your friend. I need to know how to handle individual team members crisis', whether it be work related or personal. Unfortunately, I'm afraid some of these skills are only gained by experience.  For the ones that aren't, I'm going to study them.

Don't get me wrong, I will eventually earn a degree. ADHD afflicted persons have to set small goals, lots of them, and pick them off as quickly as possible or they will lose momentum. Hence the reason I MUST speak to a counselor to make sure the C.C. program is inline with courses needed to earn a degree. If I line up 2 or 3 of these programs then they should = 1 B.S. with my existing A.S credits. 

I realize now that I will be the student that "gets it" in the courses I plan to take. I remember back when I first started studying object oriented programming and I found it to be very abstract in concept. Others seemed to take to it like ducks to water and I was very concerned that I was never going to make it. Those students were already working in the field and looking to hone their skills. I'm not speculating on this. They said so. Now that student could be me. I'm hoping to learn but not struggle through courses. There's only 1 problem with this plan...

Finding time to craft.

Cutting Through a Table is Difficult

W came home yesterday and found a project in the driveway. When he came inside, he questioned me..."What were you doing?"
Me - "Nothing."
W - "Why did you cut your craft table in half?"
Me - "Okay." *big sigh* "I need an angled table to fit in the corner of the craft room."
W - "How did you do it? I mean, how did you think you would get the angles? Did you measure?"
Me - "Of course. I used the Pythagorean Theorem."
He shrugged, nodded his head in approval, then offered to bring the butchered pieces inside before the rain fell. I explained that my math was incorrect and that I tried to improvise with instincts. In addition to my rusty trig, the jigsaw's battery kept dying so I used a handsaw as well. I put the battery on the charger yesterday so I know it will be ready to go today in order to finish the project. I will still have to put the pieces together, sand and paint.

On another note, E wants to go to the park today. I told her to wait for the sun to come up, then we'll go. I suppose I'll have to plan something for this morning; outdoors. Maybe a splash pad or the Zoo. Oh the zoo sounds exhausting (remembering the Sea World incident of Day 1 Va-Ca).

We'll find something to do I'm sure. For now, I'll try to find some inspiration to create this morning. I have already read two inspiring blogs before sitting down to write. The only two I have listed under "Inspirations" on the right of this page. One of which was added this morning. If you know of any good blogs that get the juices going, then by all means, leave them in the comments of this blog. Thanks!

I'm trying to be a morning person

Actually I am already a morning person. I am trying to be an early morning person. G's new schedule involves get up at 6 for school. I thought I could be supportive of her if I were to get up too. She shouldn't be the only one up and moving around at that time. It wouldn't be fair. She's always been a prompt child. I also spotted a local women's fitness center yesterday that I thought would be cool to find out what programs are available. I'm not considerably active, although I like the idea of being active. I enjoy sports - watching - playing with the kids, swimming, walking, skating (roller) to name a few, but I do not do any of these things long enough to say it's exercise. I'm thinking I'm ready to turn a new leaf. You know, at my age, it is essential to stay healthy. I'm feeling like I need to get up earlier - who needs 8 full hours of rest anyway - do some movements to get the blood going, then blog. I'm NOT saying I'm planning a strict regimen, that's crazy. I'm just saying I'm willing to try a different routine. I'm NOT trying to lose weight either - in case you were worried. I'm trying to reverse the "programmers atrophy" (that's what I call it) and slim down my insides. You see, I'm a fat woman in a skinny body. I eat what ever I feel like eating and at anytime with zero regard to how much fat/cholesterol may be in it. Honestly, I don't eat much, surprised? I wait until lunch to have my first meal of the day. I've been occasionally having yogurt or cream of wheat for breakfast to change this behavior but it just speeds up my metabolism so that I'm REALLY hungry by 11:00 am and this is when I'm in a conference call or submerged in code that I cannot stop what I'm doing to eat or snack. I usually take a lunch sometime between 12 and 1 pm. WARNING: If I wait until 2 then it is really hard to reverse the effects of the drop in sugars. I'll feel gross and sluggish so I know my breaking point. I'll usually have a sandwich or salad for lunch and sometimes eat out with friends and then make a well rounded meal for dinner including carbs, proteins, vegetables and dairy. I'm writing all this because A) I'm confessing my unhealthy lifestyle and B) if you write it then it is a goal. I've been unsuccessful at this point to begin eating breakfast and exercising regularly. I've tried different approaches at being healthy, such as W's approach which is running at night, but this didn't work for me because I don't like running and I'm a morning person. I'm not one to give up so I think this new schedule is the natural course for me to take. I have been known to tune-in to the subconscious and ride the wave all the way in. I hear you subconscious! Loud and clear. My hypotheses is, if I am active in the morning then I will be hungry for breakfast. This could solve two of my age old internal battles. So 6 am it is. I owe it all to Back-To-School. Wow, I really get off schedule when school is out for summer.

The Beginning of Day 2 of Va-Ca

Coffee made.1 kid dropped off at school. Another is working on her hair-this is a major feat these days- and child #4 is content eating a granola bar in front of Disney Junior. I felt a push to get the blog going in order to be finished in time for an 8:45 Webex this morning regarding a workers comp renewal module. After that, the day is mine. Well except for the 3 baskets of laundry that need to be folded-haunting my peripheral. Aaaand there's that 3:30 appointment at the DMV for G to get her Learners License. I guess she'll be driving herself to school. We were contemplating getting the ding repaired on the van door but I think I'll wait if G is going to start driving.

Day 1 of Va-Ca

So this is day 1 of my week off from work and as most know E is at home with me this week. I worked on a Crystal Report this morning because I procrastinated all weekend and then I swept the whole house. Around 9:35 am, E says, "Can we go to Sea World?"

So we are wandering around Sea World by 10:50 am and having lunch in Antarctica at 11:45. We skipped the penguin exhibit again even though the wait time is down to 1 hour because that is still too long to stand in this HOT weather with a small child. Instead we headed over to a gift shop, hit the Shamu  Express, played a ball toss - won two stuffed octopus's, climbed up the side of a pirate ship in flip flops and cooled off in the splash pad by 1. It took another 20 min. to get to the parking lot and 10 minutes to find the car because I didn't bother to look at the isle number when we climbed out at 11:00. It took nearly 30 minutes to get off the interstate and arrived safely back at home by 2:00 pm. I am so hot and tired that this has not been a relaxing day at all. Carrying an almost 4 y/o around Sea World is hard work. Tomorrow I will not be taking any requests.

The cure for bloggers block

I realize now that I need a plan of attack for successful blogging. It's difficult to get the "juices" flowing on demand. I image this is a small scale of what real writers experience. I've got to get into the mooood and I've got to figure out exactly how to do it fast in order to reach my blogging goal.

First, I have to make coffee.
Next, I have to be free of distractions and something significant will have to have happened within the last few minutes to have a topic. More realistically, I think I'm going to have to use the small notepad that I already carry around in my purse for ideas. This can eliminate the guess work of topics. It has not been used for that purpose yet. E used it to entertainment herself at a pizza shop once. So Since I do not have a list yet then I'm going to have to squeeze one out.
I'm also discovering that writing requires the same train of thought that computer programming requires. Its actually a lot like computer programming.

Let me explain.

When I first sit down I've got nothing. A complete blank. Then after a minute or so of reading the surrounding code or previous blogs the brain gets in gear. I start typing words similar to .NET variables that I know I will use later so I'll go ahead and initialize them now. Then I'll begin to see a clear path where sentences are flowing and I will have to make a decision of whether this is good enough for a start or if I need to take an alternate path so I'll have to trust my instincts. I may hit a brief road block but I can cut that sentence/piece of code out and move it around until it makes sense. Ahhhhh, now that I have a substantial block of logic, er, text, I'll do a quick proof read. Programming requires frequent...

OK, this is a great example of how detrimental interruptions are. E just asked me to see her princess she made on an IPHONE app and I'm having trouble getting back into the groove. B has just walked over to ask me what I'm doing and is literally standing over my shoulder reading this blog.

...Back to my comparison (while I attempt to block out the B and E conversion behind me), I was starting to describe the debugging process. Proof reading is the debug of writing. I have to read and re-read every line/sentence and dig into them to determine what it can be interpreted as. Then, I will tweak here and there until all the initial bugs are out and the work flows smoothly. As with any piece of code, there WILL be bugs. My writing will NOT be pristine because my mind easily over looks syntax, er, diction since I already know what the text should read. I'll go back and edit as needed but for the most part, I am satisfied and then publish.

Potty Training Observations... But I'm no Doctor

I had a wonderful idea last night before turning out the lights, as I sometimes do, and it is rather annoying and inconvenient since this sort of thing delays the falling-asleep process. However, it occurred to me that 2 friends of mine subtly (that's a weird word) asked for advise on potty training recently. They both have 3 year old boys and are struggling to motivate their children to take the initiative. One of the moms mentioned she even bought undies in England on a business trip that were AWESOME and that Europe has the best underwear. A light bulb flipped on last night when I realized that I could make AWESOME underwear too! Why not?! I love to sew, especially small projects, and I am a huge advocate for early potty training. This statement is a great 'Segway' into this mornings findings while researching patterns and what makes European panties so AWESOME.

I came across an article of interest. This article was plugged on a huge parenting website with a really big marketing name but I will not use this brand to get exposure. It lead me to the site of the published book with comments and opinions of a urologist suggesting that early potty training is dangerous. I did not disagree with all the content within the article and I actually found the theories within the article  enlightening. While the supporting information posted on the book's website were spot on when considering this Doctor's theory, I did not find any correlation and scientifically proven case studies that convinced me in anyway that early potty training is "dangerous".

I am a mother of three girls biologically and one man-child (not mine biologically) so I believe I have some credibility when voicing my opinion on potty training and all three of my biological children were completely independent when it came to recognizing their bodily functions by 26 months of age. Furthermore, E was sitting on the child sized potty as soon as she could walk which was around 9 months. This was completely experimental for me after I purchased a small inspiring book from a used book store for a dollar on early potty training. None of my children experienced UTI's or other dysfunctions as the article I read this morning suggests to be high risk among early trainers. The article also suggests that disposable diapers are a better solution to avoiding bathroom dysfunctions because a toddler is apt to "holding" their excrement because they are busy beings or are too afraid/shy to ask for help while in school/daycare. Keep in mind that what you are reading is strictly my opinion when I suggest that even if a child is pushed into toilet training or they demonstrate motivation on their own at any age, they MUST be monitored! My children could not complete all the tasks correctly as toddlers or preschoolers when taking a trip to the restroom. It is extremely important for a parent to be conscious of their child's functions whether it is timing their urges, taking note of their last trip to the bathroom or helping with hygiene. If a child is in school it is extremely important to ask the caregivers about the child. If the caregiver does not have detailed information then they may not be paying attention. Suggesting that parents keep their children in chemically infuse plastic wrappings (disposable diapers), is enabling parents and caregivers to not pay attention. It is dismissing responsible adults from the responsibility of teaching their child proper bathroom habits. Even if a child does not catch on quickly when beginning toilet training, a parent is not dismissed from the responsibly of persistence and consistency. Just because a toddler knows how to feed himself, a responsible parent will not allow them to monitor their own diets or more realistically, their hunger/thirst urges. Today, I'm sure to tell all my children when it is time to eat, drink, and snack even though they are well past "training". Alarmingly enough, the article talked a lot about constipation and the root reason being a child's delay to address their urges but it did not mention one iota of information on proper diet and whether the children in the case studies consumed vegetables/fruits with fiber, plenty of water etc. Constipation and diet are directly correlated last time I checked with all doctors.

I am a firm believer in consistency even if it is inconvenient. Teaching a child to not give up after an accident is setting a great foundation for independence and confidence. Which is why I feel stronger about early potty training after reading this mornings article. I think cloth diapers are a useful tool for early potty training and provide toddlers motivation to taking the next steps of recognizing their urges. Underpants are a useful tool in conditioning a child of any age to respond to their bodily functions as apposed to ignoring them while disposable diapers whisk moisture away and enable parents to avoid necessary attention to fundamentals. I think making AWESOME underwear will support my beliefs on the potty training topic and encourage the process of potty training consistency by making it fun for parents too. My first prototypes will consist of several sizes and not starting at 3T/4T like most major underwear manufacturers. E was so tiny at 1 year, and still is, that we could not find underwear in her size for running around the house during her early potty training days. I plan to address this issue for encouraged parents and motivated children when taking early potty training head on. I mean no disrespect to my two friends when voicing my opinions and I think the only advice I have to offer them at this point is to be consistent and don't be afraid to clean up a mess.

As with other bright ideas I have just before bed, I tend to start out full-steam but my excuses of raising 4 kids and working 50 hours a week usually get the better of me. Please feel free to inquire about my progress on the topic as a weird form of guilt/support.

Things to do next week

Starting next week, G and B will be back at school and E will stay at home with me. Her school is closed in order to prepare for the following week to start the school year which is also the same as G's school. G's mom just moved and he will be at a new school this year, just so you know. 4 kids in four different schools. Again. We had a good run for 2 years. B and E were in the same school one year and then B and G were together last year. You want to know what's the hardest thing about having 4 kids? Keeping up with their studies. Oh, and giving each of them undivided attention. They all have something they want to say (side note). 

So next week, while 2 of them are back at school, I'll be at home with the week off from work and will try my best to unwind and run out of things to do. My goal is to be bored. If I'm bored then that means I will be relaxed. If I'm relaxed then that means that my vacation time was time spent well. I foresee me switching gears to stay-at-home-mom mode. 5 days completely transformed from worrying about making software enhancement deadlines, conference calls, emails, and system upgrades to a whole week of mopping, organizing, scrubbing etc. Throw a small demanding child in there and viola, the week is gone. This all sounds familiar. I think I've spent my vacation time this way before...

Horn on the Cob

E was deep in thought at breakfast yesterday and as I walked past she says,

"how about horn on the cob?" And I pondered that all day. I imagined a short horn, not sharp, but very wide at the base, jutting out from one end of the cob only. You know, like a uni-cow or something. I ultimately decided, as I sat in the orthodontist's office yesterday for 1 hour and 45 min., that it would be really hard for G and B to eat that with braces but it would provide a handy grip instead of the silly little plastic corn-looking do-hickys with prongs.

I needed some time

It's blogging time again. I don't know how many people will even notice the new post but it doesn't matter, it's for me anyway. I've been wanting to write for a while but didn't have a topic so after reviewing this blog I started some time ago, I've decided to practice my writing here while I decide on what else I want to blog about. Make sense?

The kids are great! G: 15, G: 12, B: 12, E: 3 1/2. They are so big now and still crazy.
G is about to start high school (removed school name here) in 1 week and she is a little nervous but so ready. She planning to study theater, marketing, and has been placed in algebra II with upper class men and I am so proud.

G has been taking bass lessons with a really strange teacher, we'll call him Greg (this is his real name). I find it really hard to follow what he says because he jumps around so much and speaks so fast,
 however, he is very entertaining. G is very interested in the making/production of music which we've known since he was little due to his astounding beat boxing skills and drumming.

B is has gone through a couple instruments that she has lost interest in, violin, electric guitar, I'm not sure how find something she will stick with. I guess it doesn't matter. Anything extra curricular is good I suppose. She's really interested in the "Scene" look and Anime. I don't think its a faze. She's a little dark at times, but happy.

E is rounding 4 and I can't sum her up in a paragraph because I'm always trying to savor the moments because she's the last. She is very interesting though. Yesterday Wayland found her in the "Sunshine Corner" (time-out) at pick up time. He brought her home and said, "Should you tell your mom about Sunshine Corner?" She so said no and thought nothing else of it. I came around the corner and asked her about it some more.
She said, "You know about it?"
I said, "well yeah!"
She says, "Don't tell anyone, OK?"
I said, "Well, what did you do?"
"I said, what the hell." she says.
So then Grammy comes over last night and chaos is in the air just before bed of course. She's browsing the internet trying to show me her fav blog House of Tourquoise  because she saw roman shades like mine. G and G were jumping around teasing each other. W was washing dishes (which he hates more than anything in the whole world). B was trying to stuff a pillow she just made and I'm trying to clean up and of course you hear E bust out with, "What the hell!" Which was exactly what i was thinking and W yells over the commotion, "E if you cuss again you'll lose a toy. DO NOT CUSS!" I laughed silently and hysterically.