28 is a special number

Today is, the 28th of February.
Today is my oldest daughters 28th birthday.
I had her when I was...28! (Now, y'all know how old I am)
So I bought two lotto tickets.
I took OD, MD and OD's friend out to Mexican dinner, then came home and had Rainbow Cake, with Rainbow Sprinkles Frosting. (OD's request)
Here's my birthday card to OD:





Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Claudia needs

Now this can be funny. But after I got a few of my needs on the list, I started seeing a pattern. Damn! A person could get a complex over this stuff. I didn't take the first ten exactly. It wouldn't have made any sense at all...sure; like it does now. But it is funny...


Perhaps Claudia may need medication
Well, yea...medication could help!

Germany needs more than Claudia draped in a flag
This isn't what I need, but it was funny.

Claudia Needs to Get Off Early
Um...okay, depends on how you take that.

Claudia needs shows!
Please, entertain me!

Claudia needs everything
Not everything, I do not need a frontal lobotomy!

claudia has lost her phone in her drunk state, so needs numbers pleeeaseee!
Like the number three...I kind of like that number.

Claudia needs to be outed
Why? Was it something I said?

Claudia needs to go
Again, it depends on how you take this...to the bathroom, or in general? And then again, was it something I said?

Claudia needs all the healing vibes she can get!
Don't we all?

Claudia needs to find out what's really going on
Yes, I would like to know what is really going on!
That was fun...
I ended up taking YD to a doctor appointment today. I had forgotten that I said I would go with her. Then we went to another of her appointments, and then to DMV which was a wasted trip, they wouldn't let her register her friend's truck that he has loaned her. He has to do it himself, since we could be invading his privacy by doing him a favor in exchange for him doing her a favor. Stupid government laws.
More rain on the way...next thing you know, I'll have to mow my lawn! Geez! Will it ever stop???

Rain, rain, rain

As some of you have posted that you are sick of winter and the snow, so am I sick of rain. We need it. But comon! My weather Channel window says rain from now until Kingdom come. And that's a long time!
The tarp is holding up. I love it. The Magical Mexican asked me to tell him when I want to do the repairs, he wants to fix it for me. I was wrong about which Magical Mexican did the repairs...it was actually the dad and not the son, but who ever...they both worked on it and it's still my favorite thing that has happened in a long time. YD speaks two languages, another of her many talents. Her boss has told her that she needs to teach all the Mexicans that work as guides English. It is really a good idea. After all, these guys are guides for people who are riding 1500 pound animals and if something is going wrong, it would be a good idea to be able to tell the people what to do to fix it. In English! She has taught the Magical Mexican dad quite a bit. He did a good job of talking to me the other day, I speak very little Spanish, so I was impressed.
I still have some research to do. My dad wants me to find out what the rest of the roof is made of, (which means I have to get up on the top of an eight foot ladder, to a place where there are way too many cob webs and look into the attic of my house. Um...yech!), then find out what the city code is for roofs (rooves?) here. Then he will probably send my neice's husband and his company over to do what ever needs to be done. He wants to keep it in the family, I think that is only right.
I was going to take pictures of my progress on my latest stitch. It's coming along nicely. For some reason, I put my camera in my purse and left it there about two weeks ago. Um, the battery is dead, dead, dead. No pictures happening today.
I have nothing to really concentrate on today and tomorrow, so I will play it by ear. There are things I should do, but the question is...do I want to do them? We'll see. I am so not motivated at all!
Y'all have a great day!

Some Pictures...yech!

These are from the inside of the garage. The garage door is to the left. The blue that you see is the tarp that the Magical Mexican put up for me. (You know I always thought my garage was cold before. Tarps do not keep the outside tempuratures out.)
The water that poured into the garage Sunday morning has dried up and it's a little more back to normal, I know that is temporary, cause when the roof gets repaired or replaced I know that it is going to be a big mess. But with big messes comes big clean ups, I am hoping that it'll get me motivated on re-organizing too. I think you might already know that I am not good at sticking with a project, cause there is always a bigger and better project waiting for me to not finish!
Speaking of not finishing...My craft room project has been put on hold and yet again. I am never going to get my room! (Yes, I am whining here) Because we got copious amounts of rain in a very short period of time, Mother Nature decided that along with the new skylights in the garage I should have a pool in my backyard! YAY! for Mother Nature. Mind you, this is not a heated pool, in fact it's kind of a gross pool. My water loving dogs won't even go out there now! I wouldn't give a rats ass about water standing in the back yard, but MD's room is detached from the house and has become an island unto it's own. MD came out of her room to come in and get ready for work yeseterday and found that she was ankle deep in the backyard turned pool. I told her, until these storms are gone and over with, you might want to move your belongings into the main house and use my craft room. It took her about a half an hour to bring in her most prized possessions, and some stuff she would need for work. I can't wait for our Indidan Summer that I usually hate, it will dry this mess out so well!
On a more fun note. The friend who I joined for dinner Sunday night was off work yesterday for the holiday. She and I have different days off, so we don't get to spend a lot of time together. Since I am off on Mondays and she had the holiday, we planned on doing something. Her daughter is getting married in August, so they spend all their spare time shopping for things for that day. They are making everything themslves, so Michael's and Joann's are getting the benefit of their wedding dollars. I couldn't think of a better way to spend the day with my friend! We went and had lunch first, and then hit Michael's. I like to look at stuff at Michael's but I rarely buy from there. So I had fun giving my opinion on things that they were picking up and adding my two cents worth on ideas they had. She says that I helped out on a lot of things, I hope that is true. When we got to Joann's I didn't see her again, til we left. I am so addicted to things Joann's. Plus, there was this super fantastic sale going on and I ran around in a frenzy to see what would come home with me. Oh my! I'm happy to say I didn't spend an awful lot, but I did spend. I bought fifteen fat quarters (which to explain to non quilter/crafters is literally a quarter yard of fabric that can be used for an enormous amount of crafty/quilty fun. They bundle them up and a person can get lots and lots of color going on for a small amount of money.) The fat quarters are usually $1.49 each, I got them for $.90! YAY! Then I found some nice material suitable for quilt backing. It was marked down from $7.98/yard, to $3.00 a yard. The there was 50% off and I had a coupon for 10% off of everything. The material ended up being $1.35 a yard! Another YAY! for me! I also got some quilt batting at 50% plus another 10% off. I wish I had more time, but then I would need to build another room on the house to store all this stuff!
The TV is warning us of nasty thunder storms approaching. I'm going to have to get off the computer. Oh boy! I just can't wait for the next exciting chapter of stormy Northern California! Anyone want to venture on what part of the roof is going next?
Wish me luck...ya'll have a great one!

No electricity! Now with Updates!

It was totally black when I woke up this morning. My alarm went off, because I have battery back up. If the alarm doesn't work, the dog always manages to wake me up. No lights.
So I went about my business getting ready for work wondering what I was going to do for four hours til I was supposed to leave.
I got dressed, brushed my teeth, started to make coffee the old fashioned way. The electricity came back on.
I came into the front room and found that since my little dog (the little princess, she says with a snarl) decided that going outside was below her and she had an accident in the front room. (GRRR!) I cleaned that up, and then swept the floor, because even in low light I could see it needed it. (Could not see it last night with the lights on, I think that is called selective sight)
When I went to take the garbage out to the garage I had the MOST horrible sight! The winds had lifted a good portion of the garage roof and blew it away! Damn! These kinds of things don't happen to me! It always happens to other people and I look at their (gone) roofs and say to myself, poor people, I am glad that's not my house! Now they will be saying that as they drive by my place.
YD called me to see if I was going to drop money by her work today. (She sold one of her trucks and I collected the money for her. Her roof is leaking too, so I told her I would pick up a tarp for her when I get mine. I told her what had happened. She said that she would bring Cheppe (one of her co-workers) to the house and he could put the tarp on for me. I offered $50 for him to do that. She told me he would do it for free, but that the $50 would be great incentive. According to YD, Cheppe is a "Magical Mexican". Well, that is what I need right now.
The water is coming into my garage right over a couch that my grandpa made and my brand new lawn mower that my girlfriend gave me. I moved everything, but they are wet now. That'll be another repair or two. (The couch was already tarped, to keep dust off of it and it's all wood so no upholstery is involved)
Well, got to get to work. I am thinking my heart won't be in it today and every time I hear a gust of wind I will flinch!
Have a good one!

Chapter Two:
Y.D. and the Magical Mexican
I'm going to start calling the dude Magic! I love him, even though he's old enough to be my son. He was up there for an hour and a half and when I came home the draining garage is almost dry...already. He did a fantastic job of closing up that hole. It's temporary, but now I have time to get a more permanent solution to the gaping hole in my garage roof. I have to call my dad and find out about insurance or does he want to go with a quicker cheaper fix. I am thinking if I have to have the insurance pay, better to let more damage get done and go for broke. If the whole roof is built the same as what the garage roof is, then there is no need for them to come in and fix that part, because the city will make us get a whole new roof.
As I looked at the damage this morning I noticed that there is NO plywood under shingles. There are just wood shingles and then composite shingles on top of those. I so hope the whole house is not like that. City ordinance is...3/4" plywood, tar paper, and composites or tile or what ever new and improved roofing finish there is.
I had a couple of contractors at work tell me to call them, they'll give me a break. (Of course, they are all chomping at the bit for work. And I don't want to call one over the other, makes for bad air at work.) So, I'll have to defer to dear old dad for this one and tell them that the "landlord" made the decision. There is one I would like to call, cause I have heard rumors about his great work and customer service, but...
I have a dinner date with my MD tonight for her girlfriends' birthday party. I don't really want to go. I'd rather sit and wallow in my crap, but I know it'll be good for me to get out, and I don't get to spend enough time with this family. We have all been good friends since the girls and I moved here. I ate comfort food today, and I will eat fun food tonight, my diet be damned!
See you all tomorrow.

Jury Duty

Well...I got the letter from the court system about a month or so ago.

JURY SUMMONS
You are hereby ordered to report for jury duty

Yeh...eh.
We get the information where, when, how, what. Then a number to call the night before to see if they really do want you to come in. Or you can go online. And since I don't like phones much, I go online. I read, "You have been placed on phone standby." Did I say I don't like phones much? So today, I must CALL in between 11:15 AM and 11:45 AM. At which time they may tell me forget it, enjoy the rest of your meager day off, or hurry, hurry! You must be here in fifteen minutes or two hours, or call us back after 6PM for an update on your future life.
I love (NOT) hanging around for other people. Besides due to my last years bout with a certain YD I think I have had enough of judges, prosecuting attorneys and the musty smells of old courtrooms. And herds of people. I think I will be taking my Ativan in the near future.
Two years ago I had jury duty and made it all the way to the jury box after I had told the judge that $15 a day was not going to pay any of my bills and he told me to try to make it work. Um, how can a person be objective about another person's life when all you can think about is how you are going to buy gas, pay for electricity, water and groceries? I literally cried when he turned two women loose after they cried the same hardships that I claimed! He let me go, after I cried. I know it is our civic duty to go and listen to the facts and make a judgement. I can't just sit there, I have things to do! I can't remember details after a day or two, I don't think I would make the proper choice. Besides I have this thought that even though, "A person is innocent until proven guilty" they must be there for a reason...and then there was last year when my YD was picked up because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time and they just wanted answers from her that she didn't have and they held her until they realized they were wrong. I hate the courts, there are only about two judges that I like over there (and there are hundreds) and there is a particular district Attorney that reeks of plastic. (I nicknamed him the Ken doll and he does not like me)
So...what are your legal systems like? How do you get called to duty? Do they make you set yourself aside and wait by the phone? I'm sure each state and county have their own little quirks.

Progress, Confession and a Weigh-in

First off, my progress. I have been working on my cross stitch progress a little almost every night. It's been a little hard some nights to sit down and relax, so there were some evenings I said to heck with it. I am tired when I come home from work and my eyes just ain't havin' it.
On to the confession part...quickly, so I don't lose my nerve. You'll have to send me to my room. The reason for some (a lot) of my progress is that I broke into the box of OTT light and set it up. I know, I know, I said I wouldn't but how could I let that box of OTT sit in my room waiting to be used? It was crying out to me! I set it up in the front room, so I wouldn't get paint splatters on it. This light is the bestest! I don't think I could have gotten through the center design on my stitch without that 3X magnifyer! That is some tiny stitching. I just have to finish the corner in red and then move on to my next page of stitch patterns. (Oh...that's progress, not confession...oh well!)
Then comes the weigh-in. I found a little bit of Claudia. .2 pounds to be exact. I knew I was being bad all week. Don't know why I couldn't get with the program. But hopefully starting today I will get back on "track" and track what I am eating. I did get myself in the habit of the daily vitamin, I hate taking any kind of pills. Now I just have to force the water down myself, I am sure that will help. Plus, I have been wanting to visit with each of my daughters and that usually happens over a meal of some sort, so that didn't help this week, when we each felt the need to make some one on one contact. Yesterday, I left work early cause the sinuses were battling, and I went and kidnapped YD at her work and we went out to lunch. It was nice, cause we haven't done that in a while. Earlier this week OD and I went to our favorite Chinese restaurant to celebrate their Lunar New Year. I think they expect us to come in at least on that one day. If it's been a while since we've gone there, the waitress always makes a comment about it. It's nice to be missed, at least I feel we've made a positive mark on someone's life. MD made some pizzas last night for her dinner and she shared with me. That is all the one on one she and I can muster. I love that girl, but we are not the best of friends. If we spend any time together at all, we butt heads. At least we are not doing major battle at this time!
I am going out later today, after I get my laundry done, to see if I can find an outfit befitting jury duty. I have nothing to wear! I have nothing but worn out work clothes and I think the judge would not like me walking into his court room with holey T-shirts and stained jeans. They are fine for work (we wear aprons anyway). I also want to get drum covers for the Rock Band drums, I hate the way they sound with out the covers.
I guess with my making over of the back room MD got to thinking she wanted to do her room. This involves some tearing out of major stuff. I told her I didn't care what she does as long as it doesn't involve me much (except in how to use tools) She understands that I have my own project going on and I so dislike being pulled from that when I am in the groove of it. I am encouraging her to go forth, because once she gets some space going on in there, she will take my old TV from the front room which has been taking up front room space. Then I will put her even smaller TV and use it in my craft room. Things are moving along!

I splurged!

Now that I write that word it sounds funny...but I did, I splurged.
I FINALLY got my truck smog and registration all settled. This has been the longest time to get things arranged evah! I came home from work today thinking I will call the Automobile Association I belong to and see if our DMV there is open today. (Our lovely governator decided to save money he would have all state offices close every other Friday and wouldn't you know he would start on the Friday I needed to be in one of those offices!)Anyway...backtrack here. I called, it took me 17 and a half minutes to get through to...nothing! I figured oh hell, I have a half an hour to drive up there before they would close anyway, I'll just waste my gas and go see for myself.
I got there five minutes before they would normally close. And YAY! for me, they were open today and I had five minutes to spare. WOOHOO! (The automobile Association has a contract witht he DMV and the contract says they stay open when the Automobile Association offices are open so yay...membership has it's priviledges. I pay a lot for that, but the association also pays for towing my car, bringing me gas, and/or getting me in my locked up car if I am so inclined to lock myself out. Plus, they will post bail if I am ever arrested in another state (?) but not California...go figure.
I am so getting off track here! Geez!
So, but, anyway. I got my tags for my truck. I had to get the muffler and tailpipe replaced cause they leaked therefore causing me not to get the smog test done and after I had those things replaced I took the truck to a smog test station to have her tested. She passed! YAY! for me. Hence the trip to get the tags. Got 'em! all done for a year. I don't have to be smogged for two years so that is a good thing and I probably won't have this truck then, cause I learned some expensive things about my truck on this journey. Another blog story another day.
So...I felt good about things. I had beat the system and yet another time. YAY! for me.
I went to Joann's Fabrics to celebrate. (Lots less calories than cake) I sauntered through the aisles, cause I had no where to be at any particular time. (I love having grown children and no husband) I picked up some fat quarters to start another quilt when I get the quilt of the century finished. (If ever) I looked through books to get some ideas on how I want this quilt to be. I looked at yarn, I looked at bags (I have too many) I looked at embroidery threads, and bought some. I picked up some replacement knitting needles, because I forgot who I was one day and used a knitting needle to align something and misaligned my poor needle. (I would never have done this if I had been in my right mind) And then I sauntered over to the OTT lights. BIG MISTAKE! Do you know what an OTT light is? An OTT light is EXPENSIVE. An OTT light is fantastic for small hand work, it is great for matching colors, it is the most greatest thing for failing eyesight when all you want to do is create. Um yea, so I kinda sorta bought one. A floor lamp, with a bendy neck so I can position the thing exactly right just where I want it, and it has a 3X magnifier on it...oh yea! There's my splurge!
You know what this means don't you? It means I really have to finish up my craft room, cause I ain't taking that thing out of the box until the room is done. I mean it. You can send me to my other room if I tell you I peaked.
It's not going to happen this weekend. I have one day off. I pulled jury duty on my second day off. So I will only get my laundry done and maybe a little stitching. Or reading. Naw, I'll save that for jury duty.
You all have a great one!

Painting Day 2

So OD and I took my truck down to Half Moon Bay (where I work and where the mechanic is) to drop it off to see if he could find out what's going on with the exhaust leak. That was at 8:15 this morning. We took our time getting home, we stopped by YD's ranch to say hi. She had called me earlier cause when I drive by the ranch I always honk...just to let my presence be known and she wanted to know where I was going in town on my day off.
Then we stopped by a warehouse to stores in town called "Twice As Nice (at half the price)" It used to be a great place to get odds and ends cheap, but it seems that the times have caught up with them too and their prices are almost as bad as everywhere else. A lot of what they have is junk and not worth the reduced price even. But I bought some mustard and dish soap because they still were a little cheaper and I needed them.
When we got home I made a tuna pasta salad for OD and I. It's almost 2:30 and I haven't heard fromt he mechanic yet. I guess I am to be carless for a couple of days! EEK!
After we ate I walked in circles for a bit until I decided that I would get to painting again. I only got a half a wall done today. I did the south wall in that room, which has a window in it. And a big hole where someone had a little anger attack and threw a large appliance. Out of that lemon I am making lemonade...I am making some little curio built in shelves for my little critter statues that I have been collecting for years. They will finally have a new home!
The weather here is absolutely gorgeous today. It is mild temps and a slight breeze. Tonight sometime late the weather people are promising rain. Please, don't let them be kidding with us! We really need the rain!
So here is a progress picture of the room...It's really hard to see, but there is a difference in color between the two walls. The wall on the right is a few tones lighter than the left wall. I like them both so far. This will probably be a room I like much better in the daylight, at night the colors take on a deeper hue and I'm not so sure I like that. We'll see when I get my craft lighting on in there, it may be good day or night! Who knows?

Did it Again!

I lost another 1.3 pounds this week. And it was my worst week eating ever! I know I'm still losing because I am totally conscious of what is going in my mouth and how many points I am consuming. I really, really need to start getting myself in the habit of eating RIGHT!!!
In other stupid news...I got a ticket for running a red light the other night. It was a matter of the light turned yellow and I argued with myself about whether I should apply the brakes hard and fast or just go through it. Just go through it won out and there was a cop sitting at the light which was about to turn green for him. So naturally he pulled me over. (I'm a dumbass) After he wrote out my ticket and had me sign it, I asked very politely if he would mind signing off my fix it ticket I got the week before. He laughed and said, "Sure, while I'm here, might as well." Nice guy.
YD has got a major portion of her belongings moved into her new digs. She's happy, I'm happy. I hope she doesn't go shooting herself in the foot again. She seems to go along just fine and working hard, then she forgets that there are rules out there in real world, and blows it. She never really does anything that is against the law, she just does stupid things and gets into trouble. Right now she is paying big time for being in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people around. But she is not here with her one sister who tries to screw anyone over that she can.
Speaking of MD. I finally put my foot down and said no and meant it and kept saying no. She tried black mailing me..."Fine, If you don't sign this paper (and perjure yourself) I'll just end up in jail and I'll lose my job and then you will be all in hot water cause you'll have to drive all the way down there to visit me and you won't have anytime to yourself...on and on..." I just said, "Who told you I'd be visiting you?" I would not sign her paper and perjure myself. I told her she had to just tell her P.O. the truth and maybe things would go well for her. It all turned out okay and now she knows I am no longer a patsy. Ha! Ha!
I got some free paint from work yesterday. We recycle paint for the community. Someone brought by some attractive, fairly bright colors. They aren't the exact colors I would have chosen for my sewing/craft room. But they are cheery colors and that is what I wanted. I painted most of one wall this morning. It's a deep peachy/apricot color. I have a lighter tone of that , yellow and a light turquiose too. I am doing a wall in each color and then timming it all (door, window and closet mouldings in a chocolate brown to tie it all together. If I don't like it, I also have a full gallon of white to erase everything. The only thing I have to lose is time, no biggy!Here's the partially painted wall: