But Wait! There's More (trademark)

Ronco owns the phrase.

I started redoing a wall in my house. I've never done a house project before. This is my second house, but I never even repainted a wall in the old one. I thought this would be a 2-day job and I would have pretty much instant results by the end of the weekend.

Nope.

The outdated striped wallpaper came off in 5 minutes. No kidding. Vinyl. Was even therapeutic.

But wait, there's more.

There was an underlayer of paper. Not paste. Almost a primer paper. Score, wet, peel. Score, wet, peel. Was feeling pretty good about it. Would be some work but the masonite was there and then I could get on with the change.

But wait, there's more.

Then we found the original wallpaper. What we thought was masonite was a brass look wallpaper with gold metallic polka dots the size of, well, 60's polka dots. Bigger than silver dollars.

I no longer have tan striped vinyl wallpaper, I have a metallic finish VINTAGE polka dot wall papered hallway. And that paper doesn't want to budge.

Why couldn't I have just picked a wall to paint?

Biscuits and Gravy

I did it! I made sausage gravy that tasted perfect. Robert like even. My roommate had me make it this morning and it was wonderful! I'm so proud. Come visit. I'll make breakfast. :)

I'm So Smarter

What a fabulous weekend.

I learned how to change a power outlet (go me!).

I started removing wallpaper today - another project in the works. This could take until summer :)

I walked 5 miles. We went to friends' to see their snowpeople.

I finally managed, though not very adeptly, how to thread needle with a loop. And I finished the first panel on my quilt - 23 squares down. Only 18 more sets across to go.

Tomorrow I learn how to make the sausage gravy.

Blog Blog Blog

So much for puttering today. I've managed a little throughout the day. Mostly I blogged. I used to keep journals. Now I find writing by hand to be tedius. I blogged and blogged and blogged. But it won't show here - way too much information for my gentle readers (ha ha Miss Manners I'm not!).

A couple of people have asked what I've been up to the last couple of days - sweet. I was able to peel off a list of things. At the risk of not fulfilling my idea for tomorrow I'm not going to blog it tonight. Let's see what delights I can post tomorrow. Apparently today I had too much time on my hands - time to get cracking with something tangible.

Bon soir!

Puttering

My mother used to say she was just "puttering" around. When she said that she would be working on this and that and that and this. That's my weekend.

I was supposed to be working in Vegas this weekend, meaning that New Years Eve was going to be in Party City. That trip got postponed. Then I took the day off today in anticipation of a weekend getaway with Sweet Stuff. That didn't pan out, so I decided to give in to fate and push around the let-down with puttering.

I ate leftovers and watched dance movie with my roommate last night (Her trip to Colorado was postponed due to the lovely 2nd storm). She knitted and I worked on ironing quilt squares (yawn). OK, the nice thing about that is, if I can get a hundred ironed and a few hundred cut this weekend, I don't have to do that tedius part of the quilting for awhile. (Remember, I started with the one of the most difficult patterns known to quilterkind).

I went to bed early and got up late. I checked worked email - really intense stuff: an e-card from a co-worker and another work calling in occupied with a myriad of family illnesses to tend to (yeah right). I just called in "off".

Today's puttering list consists of little things to amuse myself. If I'm so inclined later I'll add blogging to the putter patter and give an update. If not....well - who knows what I'll be up to today!

Ramping up to 2007

Well, 2006 has been a fabulous year. It started with a promotion and ended with a wonderful sweetheart who keeps me supplied with roses.

In between were trips to Pittsburgh, Savannah, Las Vegas (many), Dayton, LA, Vail, St. Augustine, Denver, Seattle, Coon Rapids (no kidding), and Paris. My daughter graduated and moved out of state. I hiked every weekend throughout the spring and summer and summited Mt. Timpanogos. I had a long 4th of July weekend hiking with my oldest and attending my favorite 4th of July party. Two new grandsons entered the world. I started a quilt. Two of my beloved kitties died this year - their presence is sorely missed. I attended a Barry Manilow concert on my birthday, in Vegas, with my oldest and a most fabulous Air Supply concert in May.

And of course I had my normal wacky Teri experiences along the way... moose sightings, my car not running and ending up with no fixes, a car wash and a working radio, feeding pigeons that were sitting on my arm in the Tulleries, a by-chance meeting at Starbucks with the new Newspaper Publisher for our local paper (with whom I've crossed career and association paths over the years without even knowing him) .

2007 holds my trip to Spain that I've been dreaming and planning for the last few years.
2008 already holds plans for two trips to France and a fabulous HUGE family reunion.

I really love my life and all the nutty and truly wonderful things that happen. Bring 2007 on - I'm ready!

Christmas 2006

I never got the tree up.

I only got half my gifts purchased and only one of them sent.

Half of the guests couldn't make it.

I didn't stress out.

I did have my daughter and grandson home.

My grandson picked out wonderful clothing for me.

I did have my Paul and we had a memorable first Christmas.

I did dinner and a movie with a friend on Christmas day.

I had a wonderful December trip to Paris and experienced a French Noel.

I have more dids than did nots. I'm left with some wonderful warm cherishable memories.

Thank you all!

Roses

Since the day after my sweetie asked me to go out, I haven't gone a day without roses in my house. Barely after the last stem gives up, I have a fresh bouquet. The gesture makes me feel so special. What is sweeter than that?

Chance Encounter Deux

I think it was BB (before blogging) that I, by chance, ran into a former employee, in Times Square. The chances of being in the same place (Times Square of all places), at the same time and recognizing each other was astronomical.

Fast forward to today.

Starbucks.

Suited man in line in front of me while ordering coffee. "Hi." Response: "Hi." Waiting for coffee. "Hi" again. OK this guys wants conversation. "Ready for Christmas?". "Not really." Laugh, "Me neither." He proceeded to tell me he was heading up to the NW. Now that incites conversation for me. Seattle? Oregon? Etc. I said I'd lived there for 13 years. He rattled off familiar Seattle suburbs to me. Then he asked what brought me here. "Work". "What do you do?". I responded with my usual generic-ism: a software company in....and I named the town, which I normally do not, but being in the same county, it made sense. He said he knew the company.

I work for such a niche software company that for someone to know it, you have to be in the newspaper industry. He was just hired as publisher of one our local newspapers. Knowing that, I told him some of my newspaper genealogy. He worked for the NW paper corp that I had. And he had just come from a corporation that my company had just taken live.

He later updated me about two former co-workers from Seattle.

How cool is that?

Such a small world.

Christmas Is Nearing

I'm not sure that vacationing in December was the best idea I've come up with. I've done it before and netted the same result (not the point of my previous missive - however applicable). I lose a week of sanity later.

I don't have all my gifts purchased and the tree isn't up yet. I know my family loves me (hint hint) and that January presents will be received with joy too. Hey - I won't have to compete with the rest of the family on gifts.

Tonight, finally, the tree goes up.

French Wine

I've never had French wine for having "French wine". I will from now on. The three bottles I brought back from Paris are gone now. I did well in my selection. One was consumed with my friends at home, another for another significant moment and last night at a friend's party where the closest of my "buds" were gathered. It was the perfect finish to the wine, the holidays, and the year. The wines, the memories and the trip, I'm sure elevated enhanced each other. What a lucky person I am to have all these experiences and friends.

If you....

If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got.

How hard is this statement to understand?

Apparently it just beyond grasp for 99.99% of the world, including myself.

Jesse

While I was in Paris, my oldest step-daughter had her baby. He was born December 3, but wasn't due until Mid-February. She had some pregnancy related complications. He's up to two pounds now, but such a tiny, tiny thing. He's a fighter - glad to be a part of this big, big world.

Here he is at 10 days old.

Snow!

We got our first hugely SIGNIFICANT snowfall since I moved into this house. We've had snows, but they are hard to watch at night due to the area's lighting. Today, a Sunday, it snowed and snowed and snowed. I shoveled and shoveled and shoveled (love to do that). It is so beautiful!

I miss my daughter and grandson terribly today. Today is the type of day where we talked and played and watched movies and always had fun together as a family. Of all the people hanging around my house these days I couldn't get anyone to go sledding with me. So I went by myself.

I still have so much to do before Christmas. Almost every night is busy. I'm glad I went to Paris, but either I need to bag nice nice or just pull some late nights to get it done. Hard for me to bag nice nice. I like nice nice.

Sorry folks - this was supposed to be an upbeat post that turned gloomy. Hugs to everyone.

Paris

Paris was fabulous! My blogging died...I think with a too big word. Check back periodically - I'll get it updated with pictures and the stories. Boy do we have stories.

I'm adjusting to life with BF. I think I kinda like it.

More as I have time.

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