Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Wedesday Hodgepodge

It's time for Wednesday Hodgepodge again, head on over to Joyce's blog to see other people's answers.

1. What is something you'll never forget about the age you are right now?
Honestly, I have no idea. I wanna say that this was the worst winter I can remember, but who knows maybe another winter will be worse (I hope not). Maybe the fact we had to shut down the library for two days due to sickness. As far as I know that's never happened. Last Wednesday over 30 people (which is about half the staff) called in sick with stomach problems, so we didn't open. We had people disinfect the common areas and stayed closed on Thursday. The doctors said if you were sick on Wednesday, you weren't allowed to be at work on Thursday. I got sick the weekend before, so avoided this bout. Let's go with that one, if you'd like to know more about that, check out my last post here.
2. What's a household chore you've never done? How have you managed that???
I'm not entirely sure. But if I've never done it, how do I know it's a household chore? In my parents house we had to clean the ceiling fans every spring, I don't have any fans to clean in my apartment.
3. Does nature shape our personalities more than nurture? Explain?
I think more nurture. It's what you see around you that you suck in and push toward your personality. But, there's also the nature part, they've done studies on twins that were adopted out at birth to different families and when reunited years later learned that certain parts of their life and personalities were so similar, you would think they were raised together. So, I really don't know. 
4. Friday (February 28th) is 'Something on a Stick Day'...funny because Zoanna over at A Penchant for Pens recently sent me an idea for a question relating to this topic. What's your favorite food eaten on a stick?
Ah, food on a stick. That's our state fair, a couple years ago they introduced deep fat fried butter on a stick. There are quite a few things on a stick they serve that I wouldn't go near. Right now, I like cake pops.
5. Which of your five senses do you treasure most, and why?
I think it would taste. When I'm sick, and can't taste things it drives me nuts, especially when I know what it should taste like.
I should also say sight. My dad is legally blind, so I see it a lot. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't read, or do my artwork or be able to notice things. 
6. What's the best music, theatre, or sporting venue you've been to? What made it great?
I don't go to a lot. I don't even remember what the last thing I'd been to is. I do remember a few years ago, my friend won tickets to Big and Rich at the State Fair and I got to go with her. I loved it, I remember losing my voice because I knew most of the songs. The company was great. Bought a cool shirt too. That was awhile ago, and I know I've attended more concerts since then, but I still remember that one and not the others.
7. It's the last week of the month...in five words or less bid adieu to your February.
I survived the Plague.
That goes with the answer to No. 1
 8.  Insert your own random thought here.
My parents told me they were listing the house in March, I was informed this on Sunday. I'm in the middle of a couple art swaps, so I'm trying my hardest to get them done, so I can get my artsy stuff off the floor. I'm wondering if shoving things in closets is an acceptable way to move my stuff out of the way. Are people going to be looking in closets and seeing all my stuff. Of course, I also think of my mother's overstuffed craft room and wonder what her solution for that is, you can't just shut the door when people are looking at your house.
Now, if I could get people not to look at the floor, where a lot of my stuff is piled, it would be great. My surfaces that are decorated aren't bad, its the floor I really need to clean. Oh, and my dishes, maybe I could just stuff them in cupboards.
Along those lines, I also need to get back to searching for apartments. I really don't want to move. I have way too much stuff. My mom suggested renting a storage space for some of my stuff. That was kinda funny cause I had just mentioned not having enough money. There is so much bouncing around in my mind because of this, I'm so stressed. I'd like that easy button to push, so I could just wake up and it was all done already. Good luck with that

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Fun stuff

I was getting all excited because it will soon be March, but my mom informed me, they are planning to list the house in March. Now, I'm not so excited.
Awhile ago, I posted I had some big family secret that I couldn't tell anyone. My parents informed me in September that they would be selling their house and moving into a condo. I still can't believe it's true, we've lived in this house for 27 years.
I rent the third floor apartment from them for a reduced price with various stuff around the yard/house that I help out with. That means I have to find a new place as well, and get more money to afford a new apartment. I jumped on the bandwagon in September, looked around for jobs and apartment listings and I told my parents this, and they said I didn't need to do it then, so I quit. I keep reminding myself I need to do this again, but I can't get motivated.
I applied for a couple jobs and one of them I figured would have been an easy one to get into, I didn't get any of them. So, I got frustrated and stopped applying/looking. I guess I need to apply everywhere now. I keep hoping (most likely against hope) that they will hurry up and add the salaried positions they keep promising us at the library and I'll get one of those, but as time goes on, my faith in that keeps falling.
Today, my mother told me they were planning on listing things in March. This is the first time I've heard of it. So, basically I need to start shoving my stuff in boxes and into closets to hide it. I really do need to clean, I have been lazy lately with weather and sickness.

Speaking of sickness, did you hear we made the news? Wednesday, I get a call from the library asking how I was feeling, which I thought was odd. Apparently about 30 people called in sick with the norovirus and we didn't have enough to staff the library, so we closed. And the doctor said anyone who was sick on Wednesday wasn't allowed to come in on Thursday, so we were closed then too. I was fine, I got it the weekend before, that was fun. So, I went in to work my hours on Wednesday, Thursday I went in a little early as we were predicted to have blizzard like conditions. Thankfully, those started later than expected, so I got a few hours work in. If you'd like to read more, here are a few links: channel 13, ISU Daily, channel 5. We kinda decided all being together in the same room for our staff training day on President's Day is what did everyone in. They said the virus lives on hart surfaces, so workers came in and scrubbed down all our hard surfaces on Wednesday. It was kinda weird working when no one was there.

Anyways, back to housing stuff. I really don't want to move, I have a lot of stuff. I know I have too much stuff and I keep telling myself not to buy/acquire more, but it doesn't work. I'm going to work really hard on that from now on, hopefully it will stick this time. Not only do I need to be saving money, but I sure don't have room for more stuff. I did pretty well at sorting my snowmen/winter decorations to get rid of, and I told my mother this, and she said something like I don't need to get rid of things. It's so hard to please her, one minute she says one thing and then turns around and says the exact opposite.
I just wish I could get away from my life for a little while. Where's the easy button I can push to just skip all these things and be in a new place getting on with life?

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Valentine's Swaps

****EDIT**** I inadvertantly deleted this post, it was originally posted on February 5th or somewhere in there. My partner has received it and said she loved it. ****EDIT****
I signed up for Borrowed Heaven's Sweetheart Swap, my partner hasn't told me she received it, but according to the USPS website, it was delivered on Monday. She wasn't exactly forthcoming in what she wanted, but she said she loved hearts, so I sent her a box of hearts:
Skittles (she said she liked them), heart hanging decoration, a couple heart ornaments, a heart pillow, heart necklace, heart picture frame, heart candle, heart ice cube tray, and some valentine's day napkins.

I really hope she liked it. I tried to visit local stores as well as the bigger ones to have a nice variety of heart items.

I'm still waiting on my box, but I bet it will be great when it gets here.

I have another box I have to mail out by Saturday, almost done with that. I also have to finish making valentines for my friends, it's a good thing I don't have to mail most of them.

Sweetheart swap

I signed up for a Sweetheart Swap through Meg's blog at Borrowed Heaven, for Valentine's Day.
I received my package a little late, but well worth the wait.
Tami had emailed me saying it was waiting for me, so I went outside, I was expecting a box, and got a little disappointed when I didn't see one on the porch, and then noticed the blob sticking out of my mailbox. It's been very treacherous just making it to my mailbox lately, that I wanted to open it on the porch, obviously, a good a idea not to.
It was wrapped in a paper bag, and inside the bag was a priority mail envelope, here's what I saw when I opened that:
The first thing I saw was that paper rose, and just a bunch of stuff in the envelope, I just had to take a picture of it. If I mailed anything like that, it would rip and pour out in the post office, that's my luck.
And everything after dumping it out on the floor:
I love that everything looked like it was just poured into the envelope, made it so much fun to dump out and look at.
And arranged better:
Now, it's all opened:
some hot chocolate, pumpkin spice chai, chocolate, paper flowers, stickers, paper pads, a cute little phone cozy, and a fuzzy scarf.

Like I said, well worth the wait.

Valentine's Day Box Swap

I signed up for a Valentine's Box Swap through the Domestic Princess. I received my box on Valentine's Day. I did open it that day, but since I was kinda sick all weekend, I'm just now getting these pictures up. I hope the pictures aren't too dark, I opened this at night because like I said, I was sick, and decided I wanted to open it that day. Here's what I saw when I opened the box:
And underneath that, a pile of red shredded paper:
And what was actually in the box:
One pack of canvas pieces and one pack of paper pieces to play with, some washi tape, Dove dark chocolate, Peanut butter M&M's and some Eos tangerine lip gloss
And here's what was in the paper pieces pack:


And the canvas pack:


These are picture frames. I haven't come up with a cool thing to use them for yet, but I will.

Thank you, Ashley.

And here's what I sent my partner:
She said she liked owls, sea salt and dark chocolate, teal, yellow, and grey, she liked to scrapbook and that she used buttons in her scrapbooks.
So, I sent her a couple owls, a Lindt dark chocolate, sea salt, caramel bar, some buttons, chipboard tags, journaling spots, punches, some teal washi tape and a Valentine's candle. There's also a box of chocolates in yellow.
I hope she liked what I sent her.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Some days I hate my body

This is going to be a pretty depressing post, just warning you up front.
I was going to tell you all why I hate Valentine's Day so much, and then I got sick last night and it's totally not helping. Last night I went to bed with a gurgling/upset stomach. I figured maybe if I went to bed it would go away, right? Not so much. Without going into details, I will just say I was up probably every hour getting rid of all the sustenance I consumed yesterday. Today, my stomach is still gurgling, and my body aches. I don't know what I got, I'm guessing a massive bout of food poisoning, but I'm planning on doing nothing today. There might be a trip to the grocery store for 7Up and saltines. I'm kinda scared to eat anything on the chance it will come back up.
When I was younger, I didn't mind Valentine's Day, we always had to trade at school and everyone got one, as I got older, my parents would get me stuff. Then I got a boyfriend, the first year was the best, neither of us had much money. He bought me a cute frog card, and a ring. I loved it, unfortunately he got a better job after that and would spend lavish amounts of money on things I didn't need. I always got 5 or so stuffed frogs, mostly those 3 feet tall ones.
The year he broke up with me, he stopped talking to me in January. I kept hoping there was some reason, and he would finally call me up. I figured, oh he'll do something cool for Valentine's Day. And then it came and nothing, that's when I knew for sure. How much of an ass can someone be to not talk to their girlfriend for 3 months and skip Valentine's Day and then break up (officially) with them in a text message?
That year, I also signed up for 2 or 3 swaps because I kinda knew we were broken up, they totally made my day. So, it's been kind of a tradition to do that every year. I have since learned my 'secret' partner did mail hers last Saturday and the post office said it would be here yesterday, so we can blame them for that. The other one, it looks like I'll have to wait until next week to receive.
I'm over it, it's been 2 or 3 years since that happened. After Valentine's Day, I went shopping for a stuffed animal to ease my pain, and vowed I wouldn't stop myself from buying things I wanted anymore. That's why I love the chocolate that comes out for Valentine's Day. I won't buy the $20 and above hearts, but I will splurge on the cheaper ones. But, I still hate St. V's Day

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Ugh

So, I'm thinking I should stop doing swaps where I buy things for other people.
I still haven't received either of my Valentine's Day swaps yet. I know it's not Valentine's Day until tomorrow, but I'm not sure I'll receive them. One of them was supposed to be mailed on the 2nd, and last I heard (last Tuesday) she hadn't mailed it yet. The hostess said she emailed her asking for a tracking number and when she mailed it, but I haven't heard anything from her either.
I received the late swap today, and I have to say, it was a great package.
My word for 2014 is patience, and I'm trying to work on it, really, I just have a hard time waiting for things.

The two swaps I signed up for Christmas were late as well. I didn't receive one until some time in January, the postmark said it was mailed December 30th, this one was supposed to be mailed the week before Christmas.
I really like picking things out for my partners and mailing them, but I feel I keep getting the short end of the stick with late swaps. Part of the reason I sign up for these things is so I can get something cool in the mail (which I do, it's just later than I'm supposed to receive it)

I guess I'm just frustrated. Tomorrow's Valentine's Day and I haven't gotten anything from anybody, not even the people here I've sent Valentine's to.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Wednesday Hodgepoge

Wow, I almost forgot to do this. I was reading my blogs on a different computer and I told myself I'd do it later, and now it's later. Head over to Joyce's blog to see what other people said.

1.What makes love last?
Work, definitely work. You can't just expect to skate through and keep doing things like always, you have to work at it.
2. The Beatles made their US debut fifty years ago this week. Are you a fan? If so, what's your favorite Beatles tune?
That's totally before my time, but I like Yellow Submarine.
3. Valentine's Day-your thoughts? Do you celebrate in any way? Do anything special for the people you love? Expect anything special from the people who love you?
I don't particularly like Valentine's Day, mostly because I'm single. Also, when my ex broke up with me, I figured it out on Valentines Day, but the best chocolate comes out for Valentine's Day, so I love that aspect of it. I mostly just buy myself chocolate. I have made some valentines in the years past and mailed them off to friends, this year I made more. My friends and I are going out to eat because we are single, and I thought it'd be fun to do. They're also getting valentines and chocolate from me. I also have done some Valentine's Day swaps in the past and have done a few more this year, mostly because I'm single and I don't have anyone to buy me something neat, I think it's fun to buy stuff someone else will like. Other than my two swaps coming my way, I don't expect anything
4. Steak or burger...you have to choose. Now that that's settled, how do you like it?
Totally depends on the restaurant and who's paying. If I'm paying, probably, burger with cheese, medium. But, I love steak at Applebee's with loaded mashed potatoes or Red Lobster with the lobster tail, or Texas Roadhouse with their rolls, always medium well.
5. The Hodgepodge lands on the birthdate (February 12th) of Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States of America. Lincoln is quoted as saying, 'Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test his character give him power.'  Do you agree? Why or why not?
Interesting quote. I agree, most people's true character comes out when you give them power. You can always tell what's really in their heart.
6. Honest Abe's image is featured on the US penny (1 cent coin) so I'm wondering...what do you do with your pennies (or your country's equivalent)?  It's been suggested the US stop making the penny, and two bills have been introduced proposing just that, but neither were approved. What say you?
I save all my change in a piggy bank, when it gets filled up, I cash it in. That's kinda funny, because didn't they just change the back of the penny, we no longer have the Lincoln Memorial, we have to see the shield instead. 
I love collecting the wheat back pennies, I have a few steel ones (no, not the ones that are worth a ton), I even have one that's over 100 years old. Very cool, someone used it to pay a fine at the library, and I had to have it (it wasn't 100 then, just a few months shy).
 7.  Do you think pop culture deserves serious study?
That requires more thought than I'm going into tonight, so no.
8. Insert your own random thought here.
And I'm complaining about the weather again. I'm getting used to the cold part, what I wish would go away is the ice. It seems every path from my door to the sidewalk is covered in ice. I can go right, and hope not to slip on the very smooth ice, go left and try to avoid the ice on the driveway, and the bottom of the steps and on the top of the steps on the other side (that's only if I want to pick up my mail, which is on the porch). Most of the time, I choose to walk through the snow to avoid slipping on ice, but there's also ice on the public sidewalks. We keep getting snow, sun on those days, so the snow melts off the roof and then flows out the downspout and on to the sidewalks or driveway, and since the ground is frozen, it can't go anywhere. I can't even do anything about the ice on the south steps, because the steps are wood, so I can't pick at it with the ice scraper, plus I can't throw ice melt on it.
But, hey, it's warming up soon, I will have two boxes of exciting swap stuff, and supper with friends at the end of the week. I'm looking forward to that.

Saturday, February 08, 2014

Shopping Trip

Monday, I headed to Target, Walmart and Dollar Tree to find some stuff for a swap I'm in and I had a coupon for chocolate. I was planning to go on Tuesday, but the forecast was snow all day, I did not want to walk around in that. Plus, Monday was kinda nice.
My coupon for chocolate was at Target and that's all I bought:
 Ghiradelli, Russell Stover and Merci. The Russell Stover is gone, it was a very disappointing package. It was labeled as the Private collection and there were pictures of 3 of the things that were inside with names, so I thought maybe, they'd tell me inside what everything was, no such luck. I shouldn't expect that much from them. I had a coupon for $1.50 off a package of the Merci, they're way cheaper at Target than HyVee.

At Walmart, I picked up another package of chocolate: Lindt dark chocolate and strawberry truffles, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shirt (which for some reason, I was thinking I needed an XL men's size, sometimes I don't know what's going through my head), and some steampunk heart stickers. I keep meaning to make something steampunk-y, but I'm not entirely sure what steampunk is.
At Dollar Tree, I picked up some foam hearts to make valentines with, some flowers for a spring swap I'm in, some patterned hearts (that I completely forgot about), and a dancing devil for a friend.

I did succeed in buying some stuff for my valentine's partner, you'll see those later. I also succeeded in spending way too much money, surprise.

Friday, February 07, 2014

Stuff

So, I got my package together and it's ready to mail out, except I have to make the card. I look at my email to address the envelope and realize my partner lives in Canada. Funny, because right above her address it says: Address *To keep shipping cost fair US residents only*. Now, I feel bad because I took all this time to get stuff for my partner, make up a package I hope she'll like and part of the reason I signed up for this swap is because it was for US residents only. I can't afford to send to Canada. Technically, I shouldn't feel bad because not only did my partner not read the directions, the hostess didn't notice that her address was in Canada either.
I emailed the hostess, but I don't know what to do. I can afford $20 to mail across the US, but not $40 or so to go to Canada. I wonder if maybe I can ask my partner to pay for some of it, but that seems rude too.

I also found out today, my other Valentine's swap partner hasn't mailed my package yet, the one that was supposed to be mailed by last Saturday. There's nothing I can do, I did ask that when she mailed it, she make sure it would be here by Valentine's Day. She said she was planning on it. I'll probably be so busy in-between, I won't notice, but I feel like this happens to me a lot. The last bigger swap (as in medium priority mail box), my partner mailed late too. Of course, she also got rather annoyed when I asked she mail it two day priority, because by the time she informed me she hadn't mailed it, it was after I was supposed to receive it. I'm also a little bothered she hasn't posted about it on her blog yet, but what can you do.
I always try to uphold my end of the swap: get goodies my partner would like, spend as much as we're supposed to, and mail on time. That's all I can really do I guess.

I was wrapping the gifts for this swap, and then I ran out of tape, so some of them have blue tape on them. They're not the prettiest to look at, but I think one of the fun things about a swap is to have to unwrap each gift, it makes the suspense last longer. Plus, I always seem to have tons of tissue paper to use.

I posted on Facebook about making valentines for my friends. Bad idea, cause I have been having the hardest time getting inspired to make them. I had Sunday off, and I totally planned to start on them, and then I got distracted and sat down in front of the TV, and promptly fell asleep. Of course, I also ran out of/lost the rest of my glue sticks, so that's why I was distracted.
Last night, I sat down with my music and all my supplies on the floor, and then decided I'd post about the Valentine swaps I had received already, and then got distracted by something else on the computer, and suddenly it was 10PM.
Today, I have most of the day off, I do have to be at work at 5, but that's plenty of time right? I bought some colored cards yesterday at Jo Ann's and some heart ribbon for the cards. I thought of just cutting the cards in half and making a half card/tag and just writing on the backs of them. I have about 8 done. I'm not exactly sure how many I need, so maybe I could stop?

I'm also supposed to make a chocolate bread pudding for a thing tomorrow night, or at least that was the plan. Then I realized it will be cold when we eat it, I don't know if it will be as good cold. There's no possibility of warming it up, and I will be going right from work, so I can't really do anything about it. I don't know what to do.

I'll probably end up sending that package and eating the extra costs, it's too late to do anything else. I just wish people would pay attention to the rules. And I'll probably end up just making the bread pudding, I don't really have time to find another recipe, buy ingredients and make it. I have to make it tomorrow morning after mailing the package and then run off to work.
What's up in your neck of the woods?