Christmas list

I figure, this is my journal, I can be selfish.

Let's just jump right in, shall we.
I'ld like music mostly. Lots of it.

Green Day latest
Snow Patrol
Modest Mouse latest
The Streets latest
Caedmon's Call (anything but LongLineofLeavers)
Train latest
Coldplay latest
Bare Naked Ladies latest holiday album

Other than that, i'm good. I want for nothing. But if anyone feels the need to get me something, please just donate a toy to toys for tots or pick up a gift for someone less fortunate. I really am blessed. And my husband already got me my gift ;)

Of course, a girl can always use more wooly socks.

back to school

me: my winter 3 week class got cancelled so now i have to figure out a class to substitute it with...grrr..

mel: see if finger painting is available.

me: finger painting is actually one of my PCC classes that's tranferring.
i'm looking into Coloring in the Lines 101.

mel: I'm considering going back to school for shoe-tying.

me: that class was cake. even you could ace it.

2 more days

until i can rent a movie. finish the laundry. print out all my vacation photos. get a Christmas tree. finish up my Christmas list. bake homemade cookies. sleep in. rest. read a book. take a trip. go grocery shopping. clean my fridge. clean my bathroom. get a new watch battery.

in 2 days, the semester is over. and i can go back to being adult me, until next semester of course.

i should have never been a drop-out.

Santa's on a diet.

Lastnight, on the way to school, I noticed a rather slender man running in shorts, a t-shirt, and a Santa Hat. It was snowing. He must have been cold. Festive, but cold.

Now that's Holiday dedication.

Scratch that.

Husband just called. Another business trip. Fine. But now I have to reschedule carpet install and dentist appointments. And this wouldn’t be a huge deal, if these exact appointments weren’t already rescheduled. Twice. Sometimes it feels like I get stuck taking charge of everything remotely related to our lives, making phone calls, picking up dry cleaning, scheduling and rescheduling things that need to be done, etc. (and yes I do realize I should just be happy that I even have the capacity to be able to do all these things)

On a happy note, my pulled muscle is in great shape today and I’ll be able to get to the treadmill tonight and yoga class tomorrow. Maybe I’ll start out at a little slower pace this time.

Happiness is chocolate.

A random thought for you: Music is soothing. Even if the beat isn’t. It’s strange. Everything is better with music in the background. Shopping. Driving. Working. Wrapping presents. Baking. Painting the basement, etc.

So anyway, I’ve been happy lately. Maybe it’s Christmas, maybe it’s the balance in my checkbook, maybe it’s my support system of friends, maybe it’s that I’ve put a stop to worrying. It could also be the excessive amounts of hot cocoa. Whatever the reason, I hope this feeling sticks around.

Merry

tim.jpg
Originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

Christmas.

Rain

So listening to the radio this morning, I have the insight on today's weather. Rain. Lots of it. Mostly in the afternoon. I think, 'this is bloody fantastic. Now i can use my new umbrella I won at the Christmas party I was forced to attend a few weeks back.' (Well not really, I actually won a Galileo thermometer thing but I think those are cheasy so I traded it for what I really needed, which was an umbrella). The party was really lame, they didn't even have an open bar. So I stroll in with my golf sized tent of an umbrella that, mind you, always tends to pop open on it's own at the most inopportune times, like when i'm passing through the turnstiles, shaking somebody's hand or trying to order a Big Mac. I did, however, forget to grab mr. mammoth on the way out for lunch. So of course, it started to rain just around the time I was getting back to the parking lot. Being oh so intelligent, I wrapped my scarf around my head and ventured out of the car. As I reached the sidewalk, a pleasantly round man offered me his extra umbrella. Because for some reason, he was doubly prepared. I refused politely because, to be quite honest, scarf head will teach me to forget my bloody umbrella again.

You can breed apples.

I’m really bad at remembering names.

I work well with others. If I like them.

Even though everyone says I’m small, I don’t really feel small. And not in an anorexic 'I’m so fat' kind of way. In an 'I can really conquer the world' kind of way.

Gas is expensive. It took 26 dollars to fill up my Hyundai Elantra. That’s just wrong.

More and more people are having babies. More and more people are wondering why I’m not.

If I could wrap self-esteem and give it away, I wouldn't have to send Christmas cards.

My hands are veiny. My feet are worse. With such great circulation, you’ld think I would never get cold.

What happened?

Somewhere along the way I grew up. I used to just show up for Thanksgiving dinner, eat my fill, and wait for the parents to stop gabbing so we could get home and take naps. Now, i'm baking pies and packing cars and driving 5 hours to get a homecooked meal. I'm like something out of a bad Martha Stewart magazine. Not that there's such a thing as a good Martha Stewart magazine.

Anyway, Happy Turkey Day. Don't forget to be thankful.

So i learned that...

• Even hot dogs taste better when someone else has made them.
• Politeness is difficult when you’re annoyed.
• It’s nearly impossible to concentrate on poker at 2 in the morning. Unless you’re winning.
• Tacos at midnight are never a good idea.
• Ditto on feta cheese pizza.
• Hot tubs are a necessity.
• Cell phones are evil. They allow people to find you. No matter how hard you’re trying to hide.
• Jasmine tea is much like drinking a boiled down candle. Not that I have ever sipped a liquid candle, but I’m imagining they’re quiet similar.
• If it’s ever a call between a gust of wind fueling a beach chair and your shins, the chair always wins.
• Friends are sometimes you’re most valuable asset.
• Florida really has the best orange juice.
• You always need a vacation to recover from a vacation. It’s a vicious cycle.

Now everyone...

don't go missing me all at once.

Off on a much needed vacation! Be back on the 22nd. Unless of course i decide to become a nudist and live forever in all my glory on St. Martin.

Can it be?

snow_trees.jpg
Originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

Oh so soon. It is. It's here. Winter. I wasn't quiet done with fall yet, but it seems mother nature has a sense of vengeance. I never liked her anyway.

cup o' tea

soothes the soul and warms the heart. But i wonder if it can complete an entire website in a day and a half. No? Crap.

all news, all day, every day

Here's a little update on my life. since I have no interesting stories to tell.

• This weekend we'll be opening a joint checking account. Should be fun trying to secretly spend my paychecks.

• I am currently registering for school, full time, next semester.

• I've been asked by my web design teacher to be her teaching assistant next semester, which is great because it means a 3 credit class with no homework. what could be better? Of course, it also means i'll have to pretend like I know what i'm doing.

• The two people I despise most at work are secretly plotting to make my life miserable here. Little do they know, i don't plan on staying here much longer and thus really have nothing to lose. In other words, they picked the wrong person to mess with.

• I have a work party this evening that i have no interest in attending other than for the free food and drink. Which i guess is reason enough.

• Thursday we leave for Orlando and a 7-day cruise.

• I really need to get to the dentist sometime soon to get my teeth cleaned from all this leftover Halloween candy i've been eating.

So i voted.

Not sure why. I mean, sure, i wanted to make a difference but I live in New York. I wish Lori were here, then we could have a party and we could go back and forth screaming out numbers and fist fighting. Okay, maybe not fist fighting, but still, it would be great fun. And then when Bush wins i could rub it in her face, or just rub her face in the popcorn. Of course, if Kerry wins, i'll never hear the end of this post and i'll rub my own face in the popcorn.

so on friday...

i forget my keys on the chair in my office. Not a big deal, but it's a 5 minute walk from the office to the parking lot. So i turn around, mumble some potty words under my breath and head for the office.

When I finally get there, I walk in on my coworker snooping through my things. The past week I noticed some things rearranged when I came back from lunch on a couple of occasions, but I just chalked it up to my insanity.

Well, now i have proof. And then I find out that the woman who's infatuated with said coworker and willing to do anything for him including his work, is always checking my incoming phone calls...

And who do I have to tell? No one. Because my coworker can do whatever he pleases and nothing is ever said about it.

I feel sorry for these people. They live sad little lives in their sad little heads. I just wish they would keep their sad little persons from screwing with me.

in 5 minutes...

punkchic.jpg
Originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

this is what i came up with for Halloween.

art & design

My personal website is up and running. It was, however, an assignment in my web design class, so it's not completely where I want it to be yet. But still, I'ld appreciate any feedback on the overall design of it:

http://www.oswego.edu/~lehnow/lehnow/

muchos gracias.

everyday conversation

mel: ooooh i've only been skiing once. it was fun.

c: i'm a big fan of the hot cocoa.

mel: do you like the face plant? you better learn to.

c: yeah i have no idea what you're talking about.
i hate ski lifts though. i cry like a big baby. it's funny. you'll enjoy that.
mel: your face... in the snow... = face plant.

c: please. i'ld like to see you try.
cause you will most certainly die.
when i hit you in the eye.
with a fly. ball.

mel: you can't rhyme.
neither can me.

c: you suck pie. bye.

mel: thanks skank.

beautiful cycle

Leaves.jpg
Originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

kuntree music makes me cry

The new Rascall Flatts CD is pretty good. The best songs however are two bonus tracks. One is your basic love song. The other is a song that makes me cry every time i hear it. It's about a girl who finds out she has luekemia. She goes through the chemo sessions, and the only thing that gives her the strength is to imagine she's dancing with her true love, wind in her hair, not a care in the world. Well she eventually ends up losing all her hair. She's so upset because she can't think of anyone who will take a girl with no hair to the prom. When her date arrives, he takes off his hat and shows her that he's shaved his head bald for her. And then they dance, like the way she's imagined, and she's not scared anymore. See, you're teary eyed already. It's so good. I'm hoping they'll put this in a finished version on their next CD.

I promise my next post won't be sappy.

from crazy katie

P.S. I'm a knucklebiter.
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagsjdfhajkshfasutpwjalkflahgahlk

3 weeks to go...

Why do I need to learn how to create templates in Word? Word sucks. If you're using Word to creat design pieces, than you deserve them to look like crap. Word sucks.

I leave for Orlando in 3 weeks. I leave for Orlando in 3 weeks. I leave for Orlando in 3 weeks. it's my new mantra. repeat after me...oh wait, you guys will all still be stuck at your desks in 3 weeks. ha. I'll send you pictures or sand or something.

TGIF. I need a beer. wait, i don't drink beer.

rejected?

So i suggest a little late night loving to my husband.

His response: "oh, i'm reeeally tired."
So I reply, "oh ok. then i think i'll have some apple pie."
"you're going to substitute apple pie for sex?"
"yes, and i'm totally ok with that."

i've resorted to caffeine.

Oh sweet pepsi, be my saviour.

a retro frame of mind

weight: find out tonight (most likely 108, unless all that pie has caught up to me), ciggys: again i say yuck, alcohol units: 0

Lots of people walking home in the bloody cold rain. I wish it was 1962, so I could give them all a ride home and not feel as if making a habit of this would most certainly get me chopped up and thrown on the side of the road in a garbage bag. I genuinely feel bad. I wish I could get them out of the cold. Maybe I can toss them my scarf. Maybe they should take the bus. Maybe they like to walk in the bloody cold rain. I don't.

My husband is useless. He has good intentions, really, but he never does what I ask him to. All he had to do was put away his clothes I had left folded for him. That's all, nothing too strenuous. Get home, not done. Shocker. Then he says "Hey, when are you gonna put my clothes away?" and I say, "It's a good thing I have this hideous pain in my side or I would kick your ass."

mixing melodies

There's a million different tunes floating around the warehouse today. And here I sit. Calmly. Listening to my headphones. Unfortunately, it's not enough to drown out the madness of the 8 radios downstairs.

Everyone's so chatty today. It's helping the day go by. That and discovering that three of my friends have blogs just like this one. It's a really nice waste of time. But no matter how hard i've tried today, i've been fairly productive. Amazing.

Off to class tonight. I'm so behind it's laughable. I need to kick it into high-gear tonight. Really need to get the ball rolling on my website. It's hard though, this is "my" site so i'm being really finicky. Designers are definately their worst clients. I need to go with meteocre and just put it up so i can get my grade...

I need to call my Jared. My buddy, my pal Jared. Thanks for lending me the book Jen. I loved it. Read "Granny Torelli Makes Soup". I forget the author but it's a really fun read.

Weight: 108 Ciggys: yuck Alchohol Units: no time for drinking!

apple pie

applepie
Originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

I made a pie. I feel all domesticated. Does it matter that i bought the premade pie crusts? I peeled and cut the apples myself. That's gotta count for something.

dear diary

I'm pretty much behind in every aspect of my life. I go on vacation in one month. When I come back from that I’ll just toss everything and start over. Good plan.

I look good today. Like something that stepped out of a magazine. It makes me happy. It's not every day a woman can choose the perfect outfit, the perfect shoes, get her hair just right and use concealer as well as I have. Most days I look like something that rolled out of bed and tried not nearly hard enough. It's given me a strange confidence. Just this morning I snapped back at my boss. He hung his tail and cowered in the corner for a while. It was great.

On a side note, eating Krispy Kreme donuts is like asking to be a diabetic.

weight: 108 ciggys: 0 alchohol units: none, yet

a peaceful spot

bench
Originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

fantastic

My new friends are cool. They help me through lots of lonely boring late nights. They say things like 'fabulass' and 'you're so awesome, i bow in your presence'.

This weekend was falltastic. Pumpkin patch, apple picking, fall colors, sweater weather. I'm in heaven. We got a couple of pumpkins for carving and some apples for baking. Of course, we needed some instant gratification, so we also bought a warm pie from the stand. Apple pie rocks my world like a clearance sale at Pottery Barn.

While sitting around waiting for our lunch to arrive, my husband looks at me and says 'you miss the ocean, don't you?'. It's amazing that after three years you can still have those moments where you feel like you're still learning about one another.

go ahead

You know you want to.

Wish me a happy birthday.

so i was wondering

this morning, if anyone reads my nonsense? And wouldn't it really be a shame if they didn't? And what if green lights were really orange lights? Would everyone associate orange with go? I need tea. I must ponder.

ack

I can't believe it's already fall. Already October. Already my birthday. As if 26 wasn't hard enough. I feel old. I still look 17, but that's just good genes.

Well, the good news is we get birthdays off at this wretched job of mine. The bad news is the cable guys are coming to install our digital phone service. Between 12 and 5. Just to insure that even if I thought about doing the least littlest exciting thing for my birthday, they would foil my plans.

So my plan is to buy lots of glittery, clingy, too-tight-for-me clothes. I'll wear them for a while, and then when i finally come to my senses and realize that although the better part of the 13 year old female population has larger breasts than me, this in no way entitles me to dress like them. I will then donate everything to a traveling circus. Maybe they'll name a stunt after me.

i knew it

The spiders in my house have finally had their revenge. I always knew they hated the whole monthly sucking up with the vacuum cleaner. So now i'm going to die. Or get really cool superpowers, not sure which. But i'm voting for the second, that way i can quit my job, and climb walls, and save children from buses.

a new favorite song

Wait in line • ‘Till your time
Ticking clock • Everyone stop
Everyone's saying different things to me
Different things to me
Everyone's saying different things to me
Different things to me
Woooohh
Do you believe • In what you see
There doesn't seem to be anybody else who agrees with me
Do you believe • In what you see
Motionless wheel • Nothing is real
Wasting my time • In the waiting line
Do you believe in • What you see

Nine to five • Living lies
Everyday • Stealing time
Everyone's taking everything they can
Everything they can
Everyone's taking everything they can
Everything they can
Woooohh
Do you believe • In what you feel
It doesn't seem to be anybody else who agrees with me
Do you believe • In what you see
Motionless wheel • Nothing is real
Wasting my time • In the waiting line
Do you believe • In what you see
Ah and I’ll shout and I’ll scream
But I’d rather not have seen
And i'll hide away for another day
Do you believe • In what you see
Motionless wheel • Nothing is real
Wasting my time • In the waiting line
Do you believe • In what you see

-Waiting in Line • Zero7

sweet surrender

I give up. I'm exhausted. I know it's only for a couple more months, but I can't even think about all the things I HAVE to do. I mean, who's genius idea was it to allow women in the workplace. Now, we're expected to get out there, make as much money as men, and work 40 hours a week. And then there's laundry...oh sweet laundry, why must thou taunt me so? I think there are wildlife making their homes in our backyard. I haven't even looked out my kitchen window for fear of guilt. Lawnmower? We don't need no steenking lawnmower. And there's the contractors, and the installation guys. The bills...I need to sign up for online bill pay, so i'll stop having to call the 800 number collection agencies and explain that i just forgot to send in my payment...

And on top of all that, there's school. And a new season of the Apprentice. And it's campaign year, which means my husband is just a figment of my imagination. But if he Happens to be home for a day, I spend most of it alone in the office doing homework, who's stupid idea was going back to college?

I give up. I'm tired. I need sleep. I have bags under my eyes that could trip a rhino. Just 7 hours and one useless meeting to go. And then sweet surrender. My bed, my flannel PJs, my sanity. But wait, who's gonna mow the lawn?

always something...

bastard
Originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

...interesting to see in New York City.

will power

So I'm back from New York City. Ready to crash. Desperately waiting for 4:45 when I jump in my car, turn up the radio and head north for class. Oh wait...crap. Well, with any luck i'll get in bed tonight before 11. Will only turn on computer to upload NYC pictures. Will not sign onto IM. Will not stay up into the wee hours talking to people who amuse me. Will get to bed, will get good sleep and will wear my flanel ferocious tiger PJ pants again.

Will wake up on time tomorrow morning, if i follow these simple rules.

sushi rocks my world

So I'm all packed for New York City. Rearing to go. Desperately waiting for 4:45 when I jump in my car, turn up the radio and head south. And although I'll get to see my cousin, my husband who has been gone all week, and Kitty, i'm really looking forward to the sushi. Jen and I have developed a tradition of sushi restaurants and green tea every time we get together. Lucky for us, there's a great place right up the street from her apartment. Living in Upstate NY, you tend to get more barbeque rib joints then upscale sushi restaurants, so this is absolutely a necessity for me. Last time we tried eel. Maybe this time we'll be courageous enough to try octopus...

a harsh, yet necessary stand...

Yes. I'm supposed to be doing homework, watching ER and then hopping into my soft warm bed for some sweet sleep, but i feel convicted to talk to you about something very important to me. It's something i've been noticing more and more everywhere I go. I can't escape it. I can't ignore it. And my gosh, I can't even fix it. It's what's known as the Mullet. Now, i'm not sure there was ever a time when mullets where popular. I don't remember seeing any of the cool guys in high school strutting their stuff down the halls with their hair flowing like an ungroomed dog's tail in the back. It's decieving, yes. From the front, a person sporting a mullet, looks very much, well, normal. but then they turn their head ever so slightly, and BAM! MULLET! It taunts me. It screams, "please cut me before i turn into a braid or worse, a dreadlock". There are those things every person can see fit to forgive even time after time. But mullets. Mullets have no place in society, no place in fashion, and any hairstylist who sees fit to create a mullet should have their beauty license revoked. This needs to end.

Please, cut your local mullet today.

solitude

solitude
Originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

pardon our appearance.

I'm in the midst of prettying up the place a bit.

yoga to face facts.

I'm giving up the dream, the yoga dream. For about a year now i've made (little) effort to get started in the mornings with yoga and a healthy breakfast. This morning i hit the snooze button three times, jumped in the shower, rushed around my house, and grabbed a chocolate chip muffin at work (which really made my day so who cares). But you see, this is pretty much what happens every morning. Except minus the chocolate chip muffin, they only have those in the vending machine every once in a while. I'm just not a morning person. I need to accept this and move on.

Maybe i could try yoga at night?

the bad news is...

I completely stepped head-first "through" my closed sliding glass door tonight nearly breaking my own nose.

the good news is...I did a REALLY good job cleaning the windows today.

lemon tea and a blueberry turnover

pattiserie
Originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

Nothing beats a quaint little bakery on a chilly autumn morning.

Been incredibly busy, still. Class is going well, but there's still all this looming college stuff to get worked out, transfer credits, financial aid, class schedules...oi. My web class is amazingly fun. It's three hours long two nights a week but it goes by so fast. It's still pretty strange to be back in school, all these 18-19 year olds sitting around me. I feel so old. Not to mention in a few weeks i'll be Another year older. I'm trying to have a good attitude about it this year, celebrate my womanhood, grow into my skin...but that's all crap. I'll most likely end up crying all day or drowning my sorrows in a vat of dark chocolate. And that's if it goes well.

There's a possibility i'll be going to NYCity next weekend. I hope it works out. I haven't seen my cousin's new apartment yet and even though i spent half a day (which is more time than i've spent with everyone else in the past year) with her in RI a couple weeks ago, it just never seems like enough time. Plus i'ld really like to see China Town and maybe hit the other side of Central Park. I'll cross my fingers for now. Oh wait, must type...

fall is near...

Sketch
Originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

...and almost here. Very exciting. The leaves are slowly turning colors. Some have already made their way unwillingly to the ground. The night air is getting cooler and cooler and the need for AC is a thing of the past. Soon we'll be pulling on sweaters and picking apples and carving pumpkins...i love fall.

dumb

Girls are dumb. And take it from me. I'm a girl.

We get these attitudes. We're caddy. We gossip. We judge. We trick and test. We lie. We over-analize everything. We PMS. We stress. We get nasty tones. We have cat fights. We're needy. We can't just come out and say something, we have to say it in code. We hold grudges. We're snotty. We're annoying.

Girls are dumb. Thats why all my really great friends are boys.

chill in the air

Well in true fall fashion, I'll post my ode to sweaters here. I haven't had time to write so I hope this previously written stuff is enough to keep some of you interested in my site...

"Too Many Sweaters"

I have 36. According to my husband. He counts everything. I have three tubes of mascara (two of which are bad and I’m just too lazy to throw away), about a million pairs of shoes (37 to be exact), 2 curling irons, 5 pair of jeans, 178 Cds, 23 frames around the house (and that’s not counting the ones I have in boxes) and 36 sweaters. And did I mention that it drives him crazy?

"Honey, what do you think of this one?"
"You have 36 sweaters at home, you don’t need another one."
"Yes, but I don’t have one like this…I need something to go with.."
"No. No. No. You have enough sweaters."

The but-we-live-in-New-England excuse only got me up to sweater number 23. I used to try to explain to him the order of sweaters, the necessary cardigans, work sweaters, warm sweaters, three quarter length sweaters…but then he stopped trying to listen. He thinks I’m crazy. Heck, I think I’m crazy. But we’ve all got our little crazies preprogrammed somewhere deep inside us. Mine just happens to be 95% silk, 5% cotton.

sand in the cell phone

JenCell
Originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

catching waves in rhode island

CatchingWaves
Originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

watch me crash

If I could spend my life as an ocean, I would.

Bees are bad

Well, yesterday was an interesting day. At first, not all was well, and i had to take some time off of work. $175 dollars, one bee man, and one bee suit later, the buggers are no longer invading my laundry room. He killed em dead, or at least they all will be in 10 to 14 days. After this fiasco i decided to take my husband up on his offer to stay at his hotel for the night. He was working, and spouses are encouraged to feel free to use the hotel rooms. Since, if we didn't we would hardly see them. So after an hour of putzing around the house, packing, painting my toenails, spilling red polish all over the bathroom (oi), and changing 3 times, i'm ready.

So I grab my things, jumped in the car and head for Skaneatles, a ritzy little lake town about 45 minutes away where houses go for rediculouly rediculous amounts of money. Crap, no gas. Stop at the gas station, fill 'er up. Crap, i forgot my pills, no biggy, just take it tomorrow. No, i forgot my makeup bag, that's it, back home. Run in, run out, and now i'm on my way. I think. Yes, yes, i have everything. Or do i?

I arrive at the Inn and call my husband. "Are you done?" "No, she's decided to sit and have dinner." "ok, what should i do, hang out in the room." "yeah, no problem, i'll register and get you the key." 'She' being Hillary Clinton. One of her staff decided i should come down and hang around, say hi and maybe have a drink or a bite to eat. Well, i do neither, i'm wearing my retainer for good measure and now i feel like a dork. I thought i would be popping in, running up to a room and spreading out on a clean white comforter, maybe even running a bath. But no, i'm meeting the former First Lady of the United States. Interesting. Thank God i did my toenails. She sat around and drank beer and chatted with her "people" while i stood there talking to some staffers that i had spent time with before. I pretty much felt like that awkward girl who used to stand by the wall while all the popular girls wiggled and sang to the latest Mariah Carrie tune. All i wanted to do was go upstairs, rip off my skirt and fabulous Limited top and sink into warm bubbly bliss. Eventually I did, and to be completely honest, it was the highlight of my night. So all in all, the day ended on a relaxingly high note, not an opera high note, more of an Enya high note. Thank God for oversized whirlpool tubs.

thoughts of inviting calm

If i could live eternally in one day it would be a day in October. Preferably the 5th, that way i always have my birthday to look forward to, but never really get any older..The surrounding scenery a golden warm mix of yellows and reds, the wind bringing it's cool serenity and the warmth of wool huddled close to my neck. I stand in the middle of a field and breath in the crisp fall air until it all becomes too cool to stand. I grab my scarf and my sketchbook and head indoors, make tea, sit in my green oversized chair... Sometimes i wonder what life would be like, curled up in my favorite green chair, drinking mint tea, listening to the world and reading an interesting book. I suppose it would be perfect. Uneventful, but perfect. I guess you scream for days like this when you can't escape stress. Stress makes you wish for peace. It makes you create lovely situations in your head. And then it makes you eat lots of chocolate.

rain rain go away....

tappetytap
Originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

It's been the norm around here for a while. With weather like this, why can't we just live in London?

courtney's art

GirlsPics1
Originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

I think this is me. Cause i fly, and wear pink dresses. And i stick my tongue out a lot too. And i have hardly any hair.

audrey's art

GirlsPic2
Originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

I got these works of art in the mail yesterday. Artistic skills seem to run in the family.

a day in my life

7:30 wake up very late
7:50 leave for work
8:15 late for work
1:00-1:30 go get birthday card for friend (also picked up more NUMI mint tea, fantastic), make lunch & dinner, eat lunch/pack dinner, late getting back to work
4:45 leave work
5:45 arrive in College town
5:45-6:30 pick up textbooks from bookstore, pick up information packet for internship which needs to be completed and submitted in two weeks time (paperwork, not internship)
6:30-9:25 web design class
9:25-10:25 drive home
10:25 eat bowl of cereal
11:00 "not tonight Jack, going to sleep."

i've never been one for good-timing

Today is the first day of classes for fall semester. So in very Cheri-esque fashion, i didn't set my alarm right. Fortunately for me, i woke up in time to shower and show up at work only ten minutes late...note to self: never "check" alarm while half-asleep, no matter how convinced you are it's a good idea.

So i went to a job interview over the weekend. If i do get offered the job and accept it this will definately change my plans for next semester. I was planning to quit work and attend school full time, stress-free. Finish up and get back into a career that i might actually enjoy. This job however, is an opportunity that i would be hard-pressed to decline. And just when i stopped searching..why does it never work out as i plan? It's fine really, it's a nice unorganized life, but it does make things harder than they have to be. But change is good, as is 2 weeks vacation and one week of sick days.

why i love my friends...

"...you would look funny pregnant."
"Like an impregnated bean"
"She will look like a hat! Or a snake that swallowed an elephant!"

Santa and I go way back...

I had a great day yesterday. It was like Christmas, only without the guilt, stress, hot cocoa and long lines. I had previously planned on a horrific day, my one major priority: convincing Verizon to fork over a new phone since mine hasn't worked right since the day i bought it. So already, i'm thinking, today will suck. But on the contrary! I dropped my phone off in the morning and was fairly stern about wanting a new one. They informed me I would have to pick up a new phone in the aftrenoon, since that's when the shipment was scheduled to arrive. Fine, not looking forward to the after-work customer service line, but fine. So i strut in, sit around for about 45 minutes, and end up leaving with a newer model phone, all the cool gadgets including color screen, and no customer-from-hell karma. Not too bad, overall everything went smoothly and i was pleased with Verizon once again.

Then i head off to Target to pick up a planner so my obsessive-compulsive self can stop stressing over not being able to plan my life out in September. Check it out, school supplies are on sale. So all the "cool" supplies i had been oogling are fairly cheap, and i decide to grab some junk, proud of myself for holding out those few weeks back. Also have to buy myself a pair of shoes for 3 bucks. Pink flip-flops with beading, casual dressy, can't go wrong.

Now i'm home and although the husband won't be here for dinner, i decide to make baked ziti. What the heck, throw in the whole bag. That's a lot of ziti. Looks like it's pasta for the rest of the week/weekend.

So by the end of the day, i had a brand new snazzy phone, pink shoes, a life in September, mini gel pens, dinner for three days, and a box of goodies from my best friend Daniel. And i don't have to return or fake-like any of it. It's almost better than Christmas.

boredom sets in..

flower
Originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

Playing with Photoshop this morning when i should be doing work. I'm not really faced with many creative projects at my current job, so i have to stretch my mouse every once in a while. I can't wait to start my web design class on Monday. Then i can give this thing a whole new personalized look. Until then i'm just another one of the cattle...

when pumpkins were cool

pumpkin
Originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

It's been an uneventful day, so i was scanning through some photo files...

Feast your eyes on the coolness that is me. I still love candy about that much. And striped tights. And dressing up like a pumpkin, er..just kidding?

a mello sort of mindset...

I'm feeling very much at ease now that my husband is back home. Someone to eat dinner with, watch movies with and generally just keep the house not so empty. Work has been slow for a week or so, school starts up again next Monday, planning a trip to Newport, and no immediate problems on the horizon anywhere...i feel as if i'm floating on a calm sea. I feel like i should be doing yoga, or drinking Zen tea or playing with my rock garden. Maybe i'll just sit here and finish my muffin.

woe is me

I have just used my last bag of NUMI Simply Mint Moroccan Herbal Teasan Certified Organic Tea.

give me the blues

lastnight was really fantastic. went to see "blues traveler" play in a small club venue. very packed, very hot, very loud and absolutely phenominal. got some pics but not sure if any are post worthy, i'll check them out tonight. fascinatingly good-looking base player. actually, quiet yummy. the band was awesome, the crowd went crazy with popper's rendition of "devil went down to Georgia"...definately will see them again if they come this way. quiet tired this morning however, but the tea and donuts are helping...

"this is bridget jones singing off, with well -let's face it- a bit of a crush actually."

this is me

this is me
Originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

snooze away, love

lastnight was some of the best sleep i've had in days. i woke up, sat straight up in bed and said.."great". then i hit the snooze three times and got up late. not much has happened yet today, so i'll just tell you all about my breakfast. breakfast is an apple cinnamon muffin and peppermint tea. i was pissed however to find they were out of chocolate chip muffins. that's like giving an addict crack for a week and then taking it away and giving him weed. cole was right, this journal is total crap.

how does my garden grow

floral shot
Originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

really think i am a photo genius sometimes. okay, not really, i just bought a really great digital camera. these are the only things left in my garden that i didn't destroy with neglect this summer...

smooth as a baby

i just got home from a trip to the spa. tonight i met with Kelly and she made my legs all nice and smooth for when my husband comes home. they scream "touch me". well, tomorrow they will scream "touch me", tonight they just scream. i showed Fred and to tell you the truth, i don't think he likes me much anymore.

lasagna pie

lastnight my friend heather cooked dinner for me and then i so sneakily talked her into dessert at Friendly's. i love reeses pieces sundaes. then it was home to laundry and my plants. i fed them tonight, they we're more than enthused about the whole thing. Fred, the leader, he speaks French but i'm pretty sure he said something along the lines of "you're the awesomest and i love your hairy legs."

internet hogs

everyone else has an on-line journal, so i figured it was about time i broke down and got my own. no one is likely to read this, especially since i don't read anyone elses. i just thought it would be interesting to try. if anyone hates it please don't hesitate to tell me, of course you don't expect me to care. so here's to insanity and the world wide web...