Day 6: Almost Forgot Already

You've all been missing updates on Huck, haven't you? Not to mention the silly drawings I make of him.

Update #1: This is where he prefers to sleep when the weather gets too chilly. Too chilly for Huck is anything under 65°F. I caught him outside on his chain a few weeks ago, when the weather was still a balmy mid-sixties, shivering in a pathetic ball on the grass. Poor dog was not meant for Wisconsin winters. I'll toughen him up eventually.

Day 5:

That's a dinosaur with an underbite, in case you wondered.

And yes, I'm happy with our country today.

Worth

At my last house on my long day, I told him I had to leave and he ran up to give me a hug. He said, "Awwwww! When are you coming back?"

Yeah, that's pretty great, isn't it?

Sick-Oh

I am sick. I don't know the exact moment that it happened (mostly because I was sleeping), but I know that I woke up with a pretty wicked cough. A cough is a cough, though, and unless it's of the -ing-up-blood variety, I can usually handle myself at work. So in I went this morning.

After work, I went to Green Bay to figure out my size for the bridesmaid's dress I'm scheduled to wear in August. I'm a size bigger on top than on bottom. Thanks, boobs. You really enjoy making things difficult, don't you?

(Although, I talked to Lisa today and asked her to please tell me I wasn't going to be seen as the fat bridesmaid. No, she says, I will be the bridesmaid with boobs. Score. Also, the dress is somehow slimming, making this perhaps the only flattering bridesmaid dress in the history of marriage.)

After lunch (thanks Lisa!) and wandering around the mall some, I started to feel a little off. When I pulled out of my parking spot, I pulled directly into another parking spot to call my supervisor and call in sick to my second house. I drove home, feeling pretty loopy the whole way, and went directly to bed. I am doubtful about tomorrow, but we'll see. It's not like I can afford too many sick days.

More Ducks!

I think I like this one so much because it's so different from the ones I make with the kids myself.

Pizza Pizza

I'm all cranky and down on myself lately. Gah.

When we did this picture a few weeks ago, I was SO PROUD of him for not lining up the toppings in any particular way when he glued them on. It's the little things.

Last

Tonight I have to scan more pictures (Oh, I have more, many many more), because this was the last of the second batch.

Duh

I was just looking through my browser history, hoping to find something interesting to look at (again) to pass the time, and came across the HP website. I had looked there when I was trying to figure out why my scanner wouldn't scan, to no avail.

Turns out they don't expect that you have forgotten to check and make sure that the the cord connecting it to the computer is, well, connected.

Money Talks

The nice lady at the bank today wanted so badly to give me a written copy of my balance that I let her. A few days ago, I was sinking deeply into a dark place involving money and things that need paying (with a friend, because these things are much better with company!) and I think I managed to make myself a budget of sorts. If not a real budget, then a list of things that need to be paid for in the next two weeks and the total of those things. And then a seperate list of the money I have and the difference that lies between and the knowlege that that money is what I can spend or save (hahaha... stop, stop... you're killing me) and... wait. What?

That's a budget, you say?

Well, gee. Nobody ever tells you how much better you feel with a tentative grasp on your finances.

I've got enough money left over after the things I need this payperiod to buy a bike, so that's what I'm going to do. And maybe a basket for said bike.  And a bell.  Or a horn.  You know, whatever will make it the dorkiest/best bike in the tri-county area.

Art

I had a terrible art teacher in high school.

I guess I have a looser definition of art than a lot of people, I tend to think of it only as "beautiful thing someone created". Her definition of art was a little more defined than that, and she wanted us to use specific techniques and materials and conform to her standards of what a thing "should" be or look like. I took a couple of ceramics classes too, and he was the same way. I am very... free-spirited? When it comes to the things I find attractive. And I take it hard when someone doesn't think the thing I think is attractive is attractive.

All of this is a little bit of an explanation about why I'm so nervous about using the pastels and sketchbook I bought last weekend to actually create something. I have a fear that I will be "wasting" the materials on, well, crap.

Even if it's crap, though, it's crap I created. And it might not be beautiful, but it probably won't be ugly, either. I can make pretty things.

Maybe not as amazing as the stuff the kids and I create, but pretty enough to share, maybe. That's putting the horse in front of the carrot, though. First I have to convince myself that it's not a "waste" to use my new art materials.

I have to admit, though, that part of my hesitation is simply because I am enjoying the anticipation so much. Though I was never particularly good at art, I certainly did always love pastels.

Mmm, the schmeariness of them.

Elephant

One time a few months ago at work, I was going through the list of animals what make noises and asking, "What does a _______ say?" when I accidentally asked what an elephant says. Of course I had to follow through, although I pity the elephant that sounds like the noise I made.

When I was at their house last week, Steve asked his little boy what sound a rabbit makes. When he got a confused look on his face, Steve said, "Buck buck bock," ala the Cadbury bunny. You know, I'm easily amused sometimes.

So I need new shoes. I'm leaning towards getting Crocs again, because I know they fit and they are comfortable and I've actually worn this pair out, which says to me I like them. Plus they come in awesome fun colors.

Awesome fun colors which make most people want to gag, I think. Oh well.

Shoes

You know those people who can look at your footprints and tell you that the reason why your back is about to cave in on itself from pain is because when you walk, you put too much pressure on the outside of your heel and the inside of the ball of your foot and if you only walked properly you could be a perfect specimen of human and live until a hundred and twenty?

My old crocs are so worn that I can to that analysis myself, thank you.

In summary: I need new shoes. And I'm really happy that I can wear attrociously colored shoes at my current job. Blaze orange, here I come!

Happy Monday!

Tomorrow is a long day.

I think I'm going to call it a night a little early.

Last night at the bar, the DJ played a song that one of the middle-aged ladies with poofy bangs and mom jeans really liked. I know because after the DJ stopped playing, she found it on the jukebox and played it seven times in a row.

What song was it? This song. I shit you not.

Have a good week!

(eta: The song is "Low" by some hip hop dude. In case you have a sluggish connection or they take down the video in the future.)

Duck!

I sent off my request to Rachel for pictures of us today with little Owen, hopefully I will have one or two to share when she gets back to me. If my brother were here, I would hit up his camera, but he is not. I am home alone.

Something has been bothering me lately. Lack of people to talk to.

Oh, good news - I think the 18 month old size (the size I'm knitting) will fit Owen really well as next fall rolls around. Unless he starts growing bigger the bigger he gets. Would that be exponentially? Unless that happens, I think we're safe. (Although I'm going to try not to wait until his birthday to finish it. I can do this before September, folks.)

That picture up there? That's the last installment of the first bunch of pictures. I've got more sitting on my desk, waiting to be photographed (or, you know, scanned... should I ever figure out how to work that blasted machine), so I'll be sharing more. Although I'm not sure anyone else finds them interesting. Do you? Find them interesting? Not that it matters much, because I'm going to keep posting them.

Somehow on Friday, I ended up scratching the corner of my mouth.  How?  I never remember the ways I get hurt.  Such a terrible memory.

No One...

...better ask me what this one's supposed to be.

I Only Write About Work

As usual, for the first hour or so after getting home, I can't pry the Linus off of me. He's like the Little Engine that Could of jumping into my lap. Well, sort of.

I sent some text messages from work to various people. I thought I'd share them:

"We're singing Rascal Flatts today. Therapy is fun."

"I ask: What happened to your nose? Answer: It got zits on it."

"My job sometimes feels less like a job, more like the most absurd babysitting gig ever."

What Does a Dinosaur Say?

I have a feeling it's "Raaaarrr!"

It's a Fish

Dad was confused by this one, so I labeled it right away for you guys.

Tons of Stuff

Do you want to play the cutest little internet games you've ever seen?

Oh, go on. You know you want to.

-

I have to share this because, well, it's kind of amusing. Before Valentine's Day, Michelle and I and her children went to the store to shop for supplies.

On the way back to drop me off at my house, Bean asked me if I had a new house, and I said, "Yes, I live with Aunt Mary now."

Hannah took this moment to pipe up from the backseat, "You had to move because you couldn't AFFORD it anymore, right?"

Sigh. As my friend said, "Thanks for the salt, kiddo."

-

I am still working on the sweater for my little nephew. I'm finished with the lace panel on the front, and now I'm onto the back portion. Then it's on to the other front panel and then the sleeves. And then done! Hopefully before he grows too big for it.

Knitting is stressful.

-

I have some pictures of the art projects I've been doing at work with the kids I work with, and I want to share them with you, because I think they are amazing. They make me really happy.

This picture was made using the watercolor pencils I got for work. I drew the phone and colored it in, and then he used his fingers to "paint" with water.