I know, I know. I've been BAD. I've been slacking on updating my blog.
Sorry, life has been super hectic lately. Hectic in a good way, but still insanely busy!
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So, May 15th weekend, my Aunt Julie came to visit me. We did the town right! We hit the King Tut exhibit at the Atlanta Civic Center, toured Ikea's Store (quick run through), dined at Six Feet Under with a breathtaking view of the city, and then dashed off to a friend's Birthday party.
Saturday, I woke up slightly hungover (thanks to the late night party) but Aunt Julie (who has a liver of steel thanks to her gin and tonic nightly regimen) gave me a quick hangover cure, and off we went to the MA Home Tour. WOW! Although I was a modern home virgin last year (which makes your first year the best ever and none can top it), this year was still amazing! We saw 2 homes designed by my favorite architects - TaC Studios. If I ever get some serious money going on, I'm going to hire THEM to design a new one (or fix my existing house)! On their website click East, Ashley, or Kendall. The Kendall one is their own home, and it's lovely (was featured in Metropolitan Home Magazine this year also!) The reason I love TaC Studios SO much, is that they design AMAZING homes, but they are "realistic" and "livable" not the fluffy millionaire stuff that is so completely out of reach for the middle-income family. Sure I love walking around someone's 5000 sq foot, fine-art decorated, plush, home, but would I ever really enjoy LIVING there? Seriously. Who cleans it? I would go nuts. I like the smaller sized, realistic homes for myself. But for eye-candy, yes yes yes - go on the MA Tour!
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Other architects were Dencity Designs, BLDGS, Tamara Bickley Design (her own white house was on the tour, and hot damn that was a lovely pad. I would never leave it - there's no need, everything is there!), Lightroom Studios, Carlson & Mosley, and Inman Green Condos.
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Saturday Night we stayed home, and grilled some steaks and fish - chillin' on the porch. Sunday I had to drive Auntie Julie to the airport, and then Matt and I checked out the last 2 homes on the tour that we missed the day before. Amazing. I could just look at those homes all day long.
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Then it was back to the grindstone at work. My boss came in for a visit and he kept us very busy. Although, it was stressful too (As we were making a lot of cut-throat decisions and dealing with some idiotic issues), so I coped with 3 happy hours last week. Sheesh. I'm getting a steel liver now ...
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BTW was happy to see my fave Tequila was featured in the June 2009 issue of Metropolitan Home Magazine: Gran Centenario Rosangel Tequila (Reposado) infused with Hibiscus. I sip this during Happy Hour, it's lovely.
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Matt of Zazen Photo, was at "Get Coffee" on Saturday afternoon, for a "Meet the Artist" during the live musical performance of "Ruff Sacks" - a local band. Very fun.
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Sunday we watched the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, and sipped some celebratory Champagne. Then it was off to the mountains to visit the folks. We had a nice dinner with our folks and some of their new neighbors. It was lovely.
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Monday we finally got to take Sport out to the side stream by the lake. He doesn't "swim" in the deep water, but he will run along the rapids, and rocks as long as he has a place to tough the bottom. It was hilarious watching him run around after a ball in the little rapids (rapids to him, but just a current to us). so funny! We wore him out, let me tell you!
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This morning, after catching up on some sleep, I finally bathed that dirty dog. Poor Sport. He wakes up and it's oops - into the tub. At least now he has all day to sleep and relax while we are at work.
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That's all for now, talk to you all later!

Ode to the Scale

Photo Credit.

Ode to the Scale

Scale?

I am not afraid anymore.

I've got your number old friend.

You've waved your needle

back and forth

up and up some more

But not today.

The buck stops here.

You're going down.

Down slow and gradual

tick those numbers backwards.

Take your pal Cellulite with you,

I'm onto your game.

Count those ticks.

I'm down 6.6 !

UrbanCouture and other extremes

WOW! May I just say, those are some amazingly talented students at Grady High!!!
Albeit this was my first time attending a Fashion Show, but this show outdid every TV version of one that I have ever seen! The music, the lighting, the designs, the models, simply spectacular!
Matt said if we have children they HAVE to go to this school!
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Whirly-ball- well I may now be infertile. I have a bruise the size of a Cadbury Egg on my pelvis where my left ovary is. Ouch!
It was fun though!
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Happy Mother's Day!

-- Post From My iPhone

UrbanCouture Fashion Show

Tonite 8 pm!
Www.seatyourself.biz/gradyhighschool/


-- Post From My iPhone

Laptop

OMG I just bought a laptop. What was I thinking?
The crap they preload on these things is just inconceivable!
oh well.
it runs well, types well, I like it so far. We'll see.
on to Part 2.

UrbanCouture Fashion Show - May 9th at 8pm

Get your Tickets now. Click here

May the Fourth Be With You & Cinco De Mayo

Wow, how did I miss THIS holiday?
I should have been decked out in a white dress and cinnamon-bun-hair.
Happy belated Star Wars Day!
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Also, Happy Cinco De Mayo!
May you all be blessed to enjoy fabulous Margaritas. I myself will be unable to have one, due to the sugar content, but don't worry I have plans for celebrating in other ways! OLE!
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Last night we finished setting up the Zazen Photo exhibit at Get Coffee. Stop by sometime for a peek?
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Zane Lamprey of Three Sheets will be BACK ON THE AIR with new episodes starting Friday May 29th, 11pm ET, on the Fine Living Network. Those of you who still have Comcast will be able to see it on Channel 255 or if you have AT&T U-Verse, it's Channel 456 (if you have the U450, U300, or U200 plan).
FLN is part of HGTV, check your local listings. For those of you unfamiliar with Three Sheets, it's a travel/drinking show about a guy who gets to go to various countries/cities and explore their local watering-holes, bars, pubs, and local liquors. It's actually quite educational in spite of it's hilarity. It used to air on MOJO/HD but then it was cancelled/stopped due to that channel ceasing to exist. Anyhoo, they have found a NEW HOME thanks to all the fans, and off we go again.
BTW - Zane supposedly says his FAVE episode is the one he did in New Zealand, and New Zealand is the one airing on May 29th.
NOTE: Those of you who can't get FLN, never fear Hulu.com to the rescue! Hulu should have it available for viewers 1 day later.
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Grandma is OK! Thank you!

Photo Credit goes to ME - took this with my iPhone.
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Grandma is home from the hospital and resting. So far so good. One of my relatives will be staying with her for a few weeks also.
Thank you all for your prayers!
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Update for Zazen Photo exhibit at Get Coffee:
The May Exhibit was delayed due to reasons outside of our control.
BUT on Cinco De Mayo, you should be able to view the exhibit at Get Coffee!
We are going there tonight to set everything up. We couldn't put Matt Lane's work up until the April Artist's stuff was moved/taken down.
Thank you to everyone to inquired, and my apologies to those who went this weekend and were disappointed not to see the exhibit yet.
NEW DATES of the exhibit are now May 5th - June 5th!

PLEASE PRAY FOR MY GRANDMOTHER!

My Grandmother (My mom's mom) is currently in the hospital. Please pray for steady hands during the surgery(s) and a speedy recovery!

Thank you all in advance!

Shih-Tzu's, Weddings, and White Wine

Every morning as I'm driving into the office, I see a little old lady walking with her dog. The difference is she isnt' "walking the dog" she's either pushing it in a stroller, like it's a baby. Or she's carrying it as she walks. I think it's a Shih-Tzu, but not the teeny version, it's almost the size of a small Westy. Anyway, I started to notice because it was somewhat strange seeing a dog being "walked" but whose feet do not touch the ground. My best guess is that the dog is either old or ailing and she is taking it outside for some air? You can see the very obvious love that the woman and the dog feel for one another. They are affectionate.
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Weddings on the brain again? A girlfriend is getting married in July. She and I hung out last night, and I got all the wedding planning gossip.
and
Also a guy-friend is getting married TODAY - who knew? I didn't know the date until he was already out of town, but that's cool. I'm excited for him. I can't wait until he gets back from his 2 week honeymoon. He's slightly younger than me, but supposedly he's still a virgin. We were at happy-hour last night and lightly joking about how different he will be when he gets back. I bet he comes in with a very glazed look on his face, like he's very well rested. He'll have his shirt slightly unbuttoned, and a bit of some sexy stubble on his face, and when he speaks, his voice will have dropped 2 octaves to a Barry White kind of sound. That's my guess anyway. "How YOU doin?" It's definitely going to be a subtle personality change. Sex does that to you! Love it!!!
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Today my girlfriend from Connecticut arrives. She's visiting for the weekend. She loves the White Wine, and I actually do like White Wine for summertime, but haven't figured out my fave yet (I've been a Red Wine fan for so long). So, I went to Trader Joe's and got about 9 different kinds and varietals. The one I haven't ever tried before is "Bear's Lair Voignier" so we'll see what a "Voigner" tastes like. I prefer the drier white wines, but sometimes they are too sweet for me. We'll see.
Wikipedia says Voignier pairs well with Thai Cuisine and sushi/sashimi. Boy I know how to pick them don't I? AWESOME!
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UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Matt Lane of Zazen Photo is the featured MAY artist at Get Coffee. So stop on by for a sip and peak!
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Zazen Photo's website has been revamped. Check it out!
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UrbanCouture Fashion show is NEXT Saturday May 9th at Grady High School. Get your TICKETS now!
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Still confused about what UrbanCouture is? Check out the article published in The Voyeur of Fashion, Art, and Politics E-zine.
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This weekend is the Kentucky Derby. My Connecticut friend likes to have us all pick a horse and then we root for it to win. I don't know that any actual bets will be made, but it is fun. I picked the horse named "I Want Revenge" for this year. 3 guesses why? ha!
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And last but not least... The Modern Atlanta Home Tour is coming up on May 15-17. My beloved Auntie Julie is flying down to visit us and go on the tour. I CAN'T WAIT!!! If this year was anything like last year, it will ROCK! Tickets are $35 for the whole weekend, and a tour ticket gets you into the Launch Party on Friday night for FREE. Schmooze with the architects and designers, or just get some free munchies and wine, whatever. I'm SO there!

Three Sheets

Follow Zane on Twitter so he can WIN!
http://twitter.com/zanelamprey

This message was approved by ME.

:-D

Invented a new drink

The Cowardly Russian
In a blender put in
3 cups ice
1 cup creme de banana
1 cup kahlua
Half cup half-n-half
Blend
Pour
Drink
Repeat as often as needed.

Recommend drinking while suntanning and listening to Reggae


-- Post From My iPhone

A Photographer's Wife

Being a Photographer's Wife - there are some perks:
1) Free Photography
2) Frequent Modeling opportunities
3) Meeting some unique and amazing people along the way
4) Getting to play the verbal "Editor/Consultant" to everything (newsletter, photos, web design, lighting, etc)
5) Filling in as the "voice activated light-stand" every so often.
6) Suddenly knowing WAY more than you ever really wanted to know about Photography, but appreciating the art anyway.
7) Inadvertantly becoming the Business Manager, Search Engine Optimizing Advisor, Accountant, Office Manager, Sounding board, Assistant, Marketing Director, and Cheerleading Squad for the business.
8) Watching hubby's skill sharpen and "develop" (yes that was a pun) over time.
9) Learning to always "be in makeup" since you never know when he'll need to do a test shot. How often do I hear "Honey, can I borrow you for 5 minutes?"
10) Social/Business Networking everywhere (come on, everybody needs a photographer, and I have the perfect business card right here in my purse).
11) Getting to frame, mat, and bag the finished product(s).
12) Being a part of an amazing team.
13) Living in the presence of Genius.

What to do, what to do?

What do you do when the slacker gets their way?
What do you do when what is wrong is rewarded?
What do you do when what is right continues to be argued against?
What do you do when everything that is ethical and logical is turned upside down?
What do you do when the bad one never has to pay for their sins? And the good ones always have to clean up the mess?
What do you do when it takes 1.5 yrs for one right thing to be finally put into place? And then it's done half-*ssed instead of correctly?
What do you do when there should be more than enough evidence of what is wrong, and it should be fixed, but nobody f'n does anything about it?
Just because someone preens for the masses, hogs the limelight, and sweet-talks you with lies, doesn't mean they are the one you should listen to. Yet everybody seems to like it.
Can't they see who is working the hardest and who is finding every way not to work at all?
Can't they see through the smoke and mirrors?
Can't they see what it is costing the rest of us?
Can't they see how fed up we are?
Can't they see how this is poisening us?
I wish I could walk away.
I wish I didn't care so much.
I wish I was not even IN this situation.
but
I have absolutely HAD it.
I'm fed up.
I'm done.
This is the last straw.

Easter Weekend and Recipe for Teriyaki Sauce

Saturday Night was a nice reunion with our dear White Russian, who had returned from Vegas for a brief break. We dined on Fried Rice and Teriyaki Chicken. This brings me to my recipe for the day.
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How to make Teriyaki Sauce with what's in the kitchen:
Ingredients needed: Soy Sauce, Ground Ginger (from the spice rack), Syrup or Sugar or whatever sweetener you usually cook with if you are low-carb dieting, Sesame Oil or Sesame Seeds.
In Skillet, pour some soy sauce (I used about 2 cups), squeeze in 1/3 cup of Syrup (I used Aunt Jemima's Lite), shake a good tablespoon of ground ginger over this mixture, and a dash of Sesame Oil. Heat to a light simmer, stirring frequently to get the ginger to mix in all the way. Voila! You can add more of a specific ingredient to taste (say if you like it more salty then add more soy, etc).
CAUTION: Soy Sauce has wheat gluten in it, so if you are trying to eat gluten free, then you need to buy specifically labled "gluten-free soy sauce" - I know they don't tell you that up front.
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After dinner, we hung out talking and drinking and just having a good ole time. Matt lit a fire in the fireplace, and it was just a relaxing evening. My sinuses had been acting up that morning, but by the evening time, I was feeling just perfect. I even had a cuban seed cigar. oh yes I would pay for it later, I thought.
But no.
Just before bedtime, I took my generic Zyrtec-D, and drank an "Urban Detox" which is specially formulated to benefit sinus and lung functions.
And guess what?
Function: Urban Detox Drink really works, or the Zyrtec helps it work better, whatever. Anyway I'm sold!
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Easter Sunday was just gorgeous! Sunny with a light breeze, and highs in the 70s. We did a Goldberg's Bagel run, and hung out on the porch/deck almost all day long. Matt and I had the leftover chinese food for lunch, and then for dinner we grilled out. Burgers/Spicy Sausage and sides of broccoli, corn, and potato-au-gratin puffs.
We wound down the evening with a movie "YES man" - Jim Carey. Hysterical! I highly recommend it. We were laughing so hard, I even woke up laughing about it. Great movie!
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Monday's weather is a bit odd. It's raining sideways, it's cold (50s), branches/leaves/debris all over the road, some of the traffic lights are out, but I came to work anyway.

Recipe for Tomato Soup

I'm into this new thing where I literally just throw shit from my cupboards into a dish, and make something.
so today is Tomato Soup.

Ingredients:
Dried Nori
Worcestershire Sauce
2 small cans of V8
2 small packets of Veggie Broth Mix
1 canned chicken thing from Trader Joes
Some frozen Mixed Veggies (Kroger brand)
the last bit of Organic Ketchup in the bottle.
basil - from my spice shelf.

Pour V8 into saucepan, add Veggie Broth Packets, squirt out last remains of the ketchup bottle. Add water to the ketchup bottle (1/3 full), put lid back on, shake hard, then empty that into the saucepan too. This does 2 things, lets you get out more ketchup, and cleans out the ketchup bottle so I can recycle it. ha!
Add couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce.
sprinkle a generous bit of basil on top
Add canned chicken (don't bother draining it, we need the liquid and that liquid in the can is already chicken flavored).
Cut up the Nori into small strips/bits, and sprinkle on top. I only used 1 full sheet from the pack I have in the cupboard.
Add some frozen mixed veggies - no more than 1 cup.
bring to boil.
after it boils for a bit (lets the flavors meld together).
turn off heat and let sit in pan covered, until it cools enough to taste.

I'm debating about adding some cream to this soup for better flavor, but so far I like it as is.

Matt's going to make some panini-cheese sammiches on our George Foreman grill to go with the soup.

Voila! Easy!

*Add the cream, it totally makes the soup PERFECT.

Just another Saturday

Here we are at "Get Coffee", taking in the day over paninis and coffee. I am super excited to see that Durenda is now carrying Bionade, a new organic drink that I discovered at Studio 1 five 0's opening. Matt's trying the Elderberry flavor. Mmmm.

I also found another beverage at Whole Foods called Urban Detox, which supposedly helps u clean your body of toxins and helps your sinuses! Check it out www.functiondrinks.com

My sinuses are going crazy this spring so I will take all the help I can get!

Ttyl!


-- Post From My iPhone

Thank God It's Easter!

Seriously, if it weren't for the lovely admin in our building, who keeps the candy dish full of Dove Dark Chocolate Eggs, I think I would go batty.
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Quote for the day:
"People think it must be fun to be a super genius , but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world" - Calvin, from Calvin and Hobbes.
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On a lighter note ...
Matt took me to "Trois" for our 3 year anniversary. Wow it is super nice and classy. We arrived early, so we went to the bar for a glass of Malbec and Tempranillo respectively. Guess who had the Malbec? Yes, that was me.
Then we went upstairs for dinner.
We dined on lump crab fritter, olive bread, small complimentary appetizer of beets/goat cheese/vinagraitte (spl?), and then for the main entre I had the Scottish Salmon (how could I not with a name like that?), with bacon wrapped white asparagus, and Matt had the seared Scallops with Vichy Carrots, and a side of whipped potatoes that were to die for. Dessert was some sort of complimentary chocolate brownie thing with "white chocolate foam". They even wrote "Happy Anniversary" in chocolate syrup on the plate. Too funny!
With dessert, we drank some French Press gourmet coffee called "Brazillian Cerrado" - also AMAZING, and then they brought out some complimentary Rose wine and a small flat piece of chocolae. I was just in HEAVEN.
The olive bread was unique to me, I was very very happy with that. Too bad I'm trying to give up wheat gluten now, but I had some anyway. DELISH!
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So here is the dilemma. On our 1 yr anniversary he took me to "ONE Midtown Kitchen" and then on our 2 yr anniversary he took me to "TWO Urban Licks".
You just read about "TROIS" for the 3 yr. So what will we do for year 4?
Please post your ideas under the comments section if you have any. THANK YOU!

Happy 3 yr Anniversary!

Happy
3 yr
Anniversary!

The Hair Lounge

The Hair Lounge has a new website! Check it out!
The photography on the site of the actual salon, is work from Matthew Lane of Zazen Photo.
Website was designed by my dear friend Alex!
Enjoy!

Signs that it's going to be a good day

Signs that it's going to be a good day today:

1) Wake up to the alarm in a groggy haze, having no idea what day it is or where I am - that's a dead sleep I tell ya! So I know I slept very well.

2) As I pull out of the garage and start up the driveway to go to the gym - the music on my radio grooves into a new beat. It's like having my own personal life-soundtrack!

3) Putting the iPhone on shuffle and nothing but upbeat/high energy tunes come on to get me through my work out.

4) No sign of tread-climber girl.

5) Remembering today is PAY DAY!

6) Good hair day - well I think so anyway. who cares what you think? hee hee.

7) Big cup of New Mexico Pinon Coffee with cream - to enjoy all morning long as I work.

Weekend Update - put on your fancy shoes and GO!

Not sure what to do this weekend? Check out these 2 amazing options!
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1) Urban Couture Fashion Show/Benefit tonight at Studio 1*Five*0. Friend of ours is a photographer who owns the studio & rents out the space (he also just recently photographed the Indigo Girls. WOW famous client alert!). Another friend is a fashion guru and teacher at local Grady High School. They are the only HS in the nation (that I know of) who has their own Fashion Design classes. Tonight's fashion show features HS students designs from this year. Very cool. In the News: http://projects.ajc.com/gallery/view/living/urbancouture0507/ -I will be covering the event as a journalist on behalf of my friend Dreama's non-profit art magazine - The Voyeur of Fashion Art & Politics.
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2)· Celtic Fling at Get Coffee sponsored in part by Zazen Photo - attending this tomorrow evening. Get Coffee is our local coffee shop in Chamblee, GA. My husband has several framed photos on display there, and he will be their featured artist in May. Get Coffee partnered with the Chamblee Arts Alliance to host a Celtic Fling this Saturday night. They were looking for sponsors, and as part of the sponsor pkg you get a free membership to the alliance. My husband's photography biz "Zazen Photo" is now one of the sponsors for the Celtic Fling. There should be dancers, live music from Keltic Kudzu, an Irish photographer will have her work showing, and of course there will be alcohol. It's a sort of belated-artsy-StPatricksDay-thing-a-ma-jig.
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Get off your heiney and come over to one of these FAB events! SEE YOU THERE!
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Oh yeah, and I got an iPhone. that's right. so Pbbbbbt! to "Big Brother." Take THAT you Nazi's!

TWITTER for education!!

Follow TFerriss on Twitter for a worthy cause- http://bit.ly/18kbaN

I'm such an Oenophile

Last night at our monthly Ladies Wine Club gathering, we had a sommelier (Stephen Satterfield) giving a presentation. We sampled 5 wines from his non-profit organization. These wines (and more) will be auctioned off at Atlanta History Center -http://isawfoundation.com/blog/ and later at the High Museum this month. I would love to go, but we are already obligated to go to another function both evenings (bummer).
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If you are a oenophile (wine lover) like me, I thought you might want to know about these AWESOME wines. The wines are supposedly available at Ansley Kroger, and Whole Foods here in Atlanta.
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One of the most interesting wines we sampled was: Seven Sisters: Bukettraube (Odelia)
I had NEVER had this varietal before, and let me tell you it was amazing!
Seven Sisters Wine info: http://www.africanrootswines.com/
Link to the non-profit Organization: http://www.isawfoundation.org/
That's all for now, gotta run.

Stimulating thoughts

Wow it has been a long time.
Well the economy sux, and since they (aka Corporate America) are laying people off (or firing them) right and left, that leaves the REST of us a TON of work to do.
ahem.
And of course employee morale is in the toilet, since everyone is paranoid they may be next.
So, the stimulus plan basically just stimulated my work load at the moment. I'm still hopeful though. Maybe things will get better someday??? PLEASE?
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Photos from the family vacation here.
Historical family photos here. Betcha didn't know my Grandpa went to OSU? oh yeah. We are Buckeye's by blood.
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Updates to Treadclimber girl story:
Well, the YMCA removed the Treadclimbers and replaced them with newer treadmill models. Since then, I have seen neither hair nor hide of the Tread Climber Beeotch. Woo hoo!
I know, an anti-climatic ending to the story. Oh well. that's life.
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Zazen Photo is helping sponsor the Chamblee Arts Alliance Celtic Fling at Get Coffee. Go to their website for details. Tickets are only $5, and the event is on March 28th from 7:30-10 or 11p (I forget how late). WOO HOO! Music by Keltic Kudzu.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Photo Credit-Matthew Lane of Zazen Photo. Model is Eric Packham.
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HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!
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Irony- I haven't been back to the YMCA since my victory over Tread-Climber girl. BUT every day my co-workers are asking me for updates. They said I'm anti-climatic and have "let them down" because they look forward to the stories.
hmm.
well on the upside I HAVE been working out. I was just a little bit hungover from Wine Club so Thursday AM I did Yoga and guzzled a huge bottle of water. Thursday PM I walked my dog for 2.5 miles. Friday AM (today) I did a different Yoga DVD until my legs wobbled, and if I have time tonight I'll do the 2.5 mile walk again. I can work out without having to see Tread-climber girl every day. But maybe it makes for more interesting Blog entries if I DO. LOL.

Happy Birthday Sara!

Happy Birthday to my cousin Sara. She also has a blog on blogger.

Victorious!

Today is just a DAMN good day!
1) Yesterday was my beloved Aunt Julie's Birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNTIE JULES! And I get to see her next week!
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2) Zazen Photo's first newsletter went out. If you didn't get the email, click HERE to sign up for the mailing list.
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3) Today's can of Dole Tropical Fruit has more red papaya than anything else, my FAVE!
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4) I'm having a good hair day.
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5) It's Antoinette's Birthday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANTOINETTE!!!
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6) Age of Aquarius Party photos - check out Matt on the floor. he was feeling Goo-ood!
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7) Tonight is Wine Club - I'm hosting and we're doing "Organic RED wines with No Sulfites Added" - mmm delish!
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8)And (as my facebook status so aptly puts it) - Abbie is secretly and wickedly pleased about getting to the Arc-Trainer machine at 5:30am BEFORE tread-climber girl tried to hog it. har har har.
Let me explain #8.
This week, I've been to the YMCA every morning without fail. I was a little late on Monday and Tuesday, so Tread-Climber girl was already there hogging her favorite machine BOTH days and for 45mins on Tuesday (beeotch). So, I did weights on Monday, and Bike on Tuesday. BUT TODAY I get there a full 10 mins early. I mean the doors had not even OPENED yet, as I was parking my car. But she was there, in line, at the door, and as I crossed the parking lot to the entrance, they let her in. "NOOOOO!" I thought. "NOOOO she's going to beat me to the machine." I tried to remain calm, and told myself - "so what? let's just get one of the other machines instead. You are stronger than her. Your weakness is not that stupid Tread-Climber thing." and so, I rather apathetically watched her beat me down the stairs, beat me to the Tread-Climber machine (and she fiddled with it for a long time, even crawling on her knees to the front of the machine near the wall. I assumed she was plugging it in?), and I absent-mindedly put my waterbottle into the cup holder on the Arc-Trainer, and then went to put my jacket in the cubby-storage unit. As I walked back to the Arc-Trainer, WHAM I almost ran into her. She had been over near my Arc-Trainer machine but had seen my water bottle (holding my place). I guess the tread-climber wasn't working and she was trying for her 2nd favorite machine now? I wasn't sure, but I just climbed up on there and started doing my 30 mins of cardio. And I thought quietly to myself "30 minutes, and that was the rules. not 45 mins Missie!" There are only 2 Arc Trainer machines at the YMCA with arm-movement. The other 3 have the part where your feet/legs swing but the arm-part is stationary. The machine I was on was the "total body" arc trainer. Hmmm . . . I was on one, and another older lady was on the other one. incidently, there were 2 other available Arc-Trainers (minus the arm movement).
As I started my workout, I couldn't help but notice that Tread-Climber girl was hovering around the area. Even though the Arc-Trainers are in a DIFFERENT ROOM than her Tread-Climber. She wanted my machine BAD. I could taste it.
Why couldn't she use one of the 10 available treadmills, or upright bikes, or encumbent bikes, or stair climber machines, or the other Arc Trainers? There were A LOT of other options. No, she wanted her Tread-climber or the Total Body Arc-Trainer and that was it. Spoiled little thing isn't she? I tried to be gracious, and not smirk to myself, but I was secretly pleased.
Then I watched as she wrote her name on the marker board on the waiting list. Karen. Hmm, so my nemesis has a name now. Damn.
I finished my 30 minutes. The most self-satisfying 30 mins of cardio yet. And then I politely got off the machine, cleaned it, and went home to shower in my new master bathroom.
I AM stronger than she is. I'm versatile. I can work out on ANY cardio machine. I do not restrict myself to just the Tread-Climber or Arc-Trainer. And I'm going to have a more-rounded workout week for it too. har har har.

Photo credit goes to Ebay - Cybex Arc Trainer and Bowflex Treadclimber TC6000* btw, the one at my YMCA is NOT a bowflex, but heck if I can remember what it is.

Cry me a shower

Click for Before and After Photos

The Master Bath is finished. The bill has been paid. I'm now officially broke. Lessons learned? I do better with managing the project if I have time to plan. This "involuntary remodel" was forced upon us due to the leak and impending roommate. So, I did not have the adequate time to plan and figure out how to cut costs. Thus, this project got a little out of my control and I'm not too happy with the final figure. The total cost of the tile alone was 3 times what I had estimated when we first measured. I'm still fuzzy on how that happened, but he had receipts to prove it. However, Tile Guy did a GREAT job, we are happy with the results, and Matt LOVES the new shower door. So, ok we had to fork over some extra cash, the end result is worth it right? right? I'm waiting for this to sink into my disbelieving head.
Things I wish I had done earlier on:
-Measured for the difference in the vanity height.
-price-checked cabinetry for the vanity with Ikea. I did check Home Depot/Lowes, but I forgot about Ikea. damn.
-price-checked the granite versus Corian, etc.
-asked the workers to just un-hinge and remove the door to the bathroom so it wouldn't have been scratched up so damn much.
-perhaps I should have just bought the tile myself up front instead of letting them do it?
-I wish we could have kept the old shower door - just in case, we maybe could have used it instead of spending money for a new one?
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ok enough analyzing. it's all done as my hubby says. I have to just let it go and live with it. I do have a new bathroom to enjoy after all.
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counting down the days to the "Age of Aquarius" party.

And the Darwin Award goes to . . .

With all the Shower drama and my sister's hospitalization drama, I forgot to mention a few hilarities that happened over the weekend.
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So you know how we have a roommate now? Well, it had been less than one week since he started parking in the driveway in his RED car, and on Thursday morning last week I was backing out of the garage, humming a tune, and apparently stuck in my own bubble world, because BAM I backed right into the RED car.
I didn't look in the rear-view mirror (or if I did I wasn't really thinking about what I saw) I guess.
What made it even more hilarious, was that the car alarm started going off. Matt ran outside and turned it off, but the whole time this was happening (right below the roommate's bedroom windows), he never woke up. I seriously wonder if he'd ever notice if we hadn't confessed. He sleeps like the dead. Well that's a good thing though. I'm a pretty noisy morning person.
I felt terrible, but on the upside, the scratch already buffs out of my car's bumper when I rub it with my coat sleeve. His car may need some work, but it's only the plastic bumper not the light or the metal frame of the car. We are okay.
After I started driving to work, I started cracking up. I was positively giddy, it was SO funny to me. I mean what an idiot I am, but I kept laughing.
I called roomie later that day to apologize and HE started laughing. He said "just don't do it again ok?" - yeah I will do my best.
after which I promptly made myself a sign in BIG ORANGE LETTERS saying "DON'T HIT HIS CAR" and hung it right infront of my car in the garage.
I haven't hit his car again. Yet.
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Shower updates:
Rather than move the outlet and the mirror, I finally came up with the bright idea to ask Tile Guy if we could just get a 2.5inch granite backsplash INSTEAD of the standard 4 inches. YAY! now no need to repaint (well if you can live with the wall scratches and grout stains). I can deal for a bit.
Oh yeah, the Master Bath is DONE! The sink faucet was installed yesterday finally. I moved my pretty towels and wall hangings back in. BUT we haven't paid the guy yet (he is still compiling receipts). I'm dreading the final total. But on the upside, I could use my own shower, sink, and even TOILET this morning! woo hoo! nothing like christening a pristine new white extended bowl toilet. right?
I'll let you know if I have any money left after I get the bill. HA!
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I watched the Superbowl at an Australian guy's house. His name is Dave Chappell. But no it's pronounced Chapel, like "going to the chapel." He is a right funny dude. We had a good time. He was a friend of the roommate's girlfriend's best friend's boyfriend. Like always, Matt and I showed up ON TIME, but we were the first guests to arrive. So we were like "Are you Dave" and "thanks for inviting us" etc. can you say Awkward? Thankfully I have no fear of such social situations, so we were fast friends in no time. Everyone else showed up after I'd already downed 1 glass of wine. HA! Oh yes, I made an exception that I could drink on weekends and when I was uber-stressed out (ie: during Jamie's debacle), so I guess I sort of lost my resolution to not drink until Saturday. Sigh. At least I stuck to a limit of 1 glass of wine per evening per location?
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In my old age, I've discovered something. I'm a super-beeotch during my PMS week. I'm still a residual super-beeotch the week of, but I'm absolutely happy/giddy and everything is hilarious to me the week after. WTF? hormones are grand aren't they? I'm going to keep an eye on myself next month to see if this holds true. I know the beeotch part does. Matt lets me know. he's super nice about how he lets me know, but he tells me. What a great hubby!

Photo Credit

Jamie finally found out what was "REALLY" going on. This hospital is a crock - St. Petersburg General Hospital - NEVER GO THERE!
Anyway, when she was admitted Saturday night, they did a CT Scan and ultrasound, etc. They saw the fluid sac, ran some bloodwork, etc. Then they put her in a room and put her on Demoral and the anti-nausea drug, and then were pumping her with Antibiotics every 6 hrs.
Whenever she would see one of the doctors (they would come in and out) they kept giving her a different story, but always about the sac of fluid being the issue.
Finally, the doc they "assigned" to her shows up on Monday and he tells her she can go home Tuesday. She's like can you PLEASE tell me what is wrong with me?
He was very upset when he learned that the other doctors and nurses never told her. She has ECOLI and a UTI. That was it. Thus the antibiotics. The sac is there yes, but it small and not an issue. Same thing with the cysts. He says the cysts are normal, etc.
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She gets out today, they are going to prescribe her some pain meds and antibiotics and if she doesn't feel better in a week she's supposed to go back to get checked out.
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I guess the big confusion was that whenever you check into this particular hospital, they assign you a Primary Care Physician, and the one she was assigned was on vacation all weekend and didn't know to see her until Monday. In the meantime the other people would come in and see her chart and I guess they were ad-libbing what they thought the issue was. Bunch a crap. That hospital just might get a nasty letter from me.

Pray for Jamie

My sister Jamie is in the Hospital. Two nights now. They don't know exactly what to do for her. Seems there is some sort of fluid sac or abscess near her right Appendix/Ovary area causing severe pain and cramping. She is on pain meds and other drugs right now to alleviate the discomfort, but they are still trying to diagnose what it is and how to fix it. She may need surgery.
She's seen 3 nurses and 2 doctors today and waiting on an OB/GYN to show up and take a look.
I sent flowers and prayed my butt off.
What else can I do?

The Voyeur Mag - the new issue is HERE!

Photo Credit goes to Matthew Lane of Zazen Photo.

Getting Down to Business - http://www.thevoyeurmag.com/
Find out what happens when Dreama let's Joel take over the magazine for this issue!
Featuring NEW photos from Zazen Photo too!

Party Planning mode

Photo Credit

We've got a slew of Aquarian Birthdays coming up. Thus I'm in party planning mode. My dear hubby turns 35, and several friends are also celebrating too!

Maybe I'm a nut, but one of my FAVE party munchies is chips and hummus or chips and salsa, or chips and dip. I'm a chip-a-holic I think. Trader Joes actually sells HEMP chips with Sesame seeds. I think these are delicious. No mind altering side-effects, but perhaps perfect for an Aquarian bash.

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Wine Club - I'm hosting February. Which means I get to PICK the wine. I picked Organic Red Wines with No Sulfites Added. I know I'm becoming a total healthy food freak. Oh well, I just FEEL better when I eat and drink GOOD stuff! GO ORGANIC!

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Did anybody see the "racy commercial" that PETA wanted to air for the Superbowl and then NBC said no way? It was a "steamy vegetable" commercial and it says something to the effect of "studies show Vegetarians have better sex" and then it says "GO VEG" - but you know what? I think I might agree. I have a long-time girlfriend who is vegetarian, and she's always talking about how fab her sex life is. I'm sure there's some connection. If your tummy and body are healthy, then the rest follows right? Not saying everybody has to be a VEG but still it's not a horrible idea considering all the preservatives, hormones, etc that goes into our meat. Anyway it was a spiffy commercial from what I saw. Much tamer than that stupid Paris Hilton Carwash thing . . . I'm so-o-o-o over that bimbo.

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I've been reading up on Sulfites, and guess what? They can cause Asthma. I am not sure, but perhaps that is why I've been having the asthma lately? Either that or it was that stupid cold getting into my chest. Who knows? We will see when the antibiotic runs its course.

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I cannot BELIEVE January is almost over. I'm like WHERE did the time go? whew!

Weekend Update

Photo Credit goes to Zazen Photo.

Glasses?
Ok ok, yes I got glasses. No I don't really quote "need" them, I still have 20/20 vision, but my doc says it may help me with looking far off into the distance. Aka - good for driving or watching TV, but not "needed". Well my job has me staring intently at miniscule text on my screen and meticulously checking it for required results, so I've sort of started wearing my glasses every day to work, and then taking them off when I get home.
I've never had glasses before, so it's really weird to me. I feel like I'm wearing sunglasses indoors, and I have to remind myself that "hello, yes if you are staring at something or someone, now people can SEE your eyeballs thru the lenses, so don't be so obvious." When I'd be in sunglasses I always felt sort of incognito and nobody could see what I was looking at. HA! This is totally different. Fun, but different.
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Matt says to me the other day "you're like my own little Sarah Palin" and he wanted me to put the glasses on, make my fingers into little guns, and say "pew pew" and wink - like the Tina Fey impression of SP. So I did it once to amuse him, but told him to stop calling me SP. LOL. I'd rather say I look like Liz Lemmon (from 30 Rock, aka Tina Fey)-thank-u-very-much.
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Weekend Happenings
Let's see, we did updated headshot photos (will post them later today hopefully - courtesy of Zazen Photo), installed 2 mirrors, a make-up counter, a privacy curtain, and rearranged the basement (aka Studio) for models use - cleaned out the pantry and laundry room, went to Twisted Taco for free food and drinks (pure luck it was opening night), went to Get Coffee twice (love love love their breakfast veggie burrito), watched "The Aviator" finally, saw a new Family Guy episode, put better "feet" on the coffee table for ease of moving it around, vacuumed, cleaned house, etc. Cooked up some Noodles in white clam sauce, I can't remember anymore. it was fun!
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Oh yes and our roommate is finally moved in. Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet! So far so good.
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No new Master Bath updates, but if this weekend is any indication, we are off to a great start as far as the residual productive aura permeating my house right now - GO GO GO!
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Treadclimber was available for use this AM. Oh you betta believe I got my butt moving on that!
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Rubber Duckies - Per Warren's challenge, I DID find some "Biker duckies" and now we have Valentine Day Ducks on display here in the office, and all the Biker Dudes got Biker Ducks. Thank you Oriental Trading Company!
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My new fave snack - Lara Bar! All natural (for shizzle - really really REAL all natural ingredients), healthy, and satisfying. Gotta love it!
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Decided to give up alcohol until the Age of Aquarius Party. It can't hurt, and maybe I'll drop some pounds? we'll see. Hot Tea is my new evening bliss.

Pardon me, as I type and gripe

The sewing circle ladies get "Stitch and B*tch" so I guess I get "type and gripe" lol!
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Bathroom updates: I call this the "involuntary Master Bath remodel" because we didn't save up and plan for this, it was sort of a SURPRISE emergency remodel. ha!
We were told the bathroom could be done in roughly 8 DAYS, give or take some time. Ok fine. We are now in WEEK 3 going on WEEK 4.
Disclaimer - I'm venting. our Tile guy is a fine hard worker, and everything looks AWESOME, and some of the things I'm about to beeotch about are not his fault, just me typing it up. so keep that in mind.
Tile - I thought it was a good sign, when the very day we shopped for the tile, that we ran into our Tile Guy AT the store! So we showed him what we wanted, and since they had an abundance of that kind of tile there, it seemed to be perfect. Of course not the case.
By the time he actually goes to GET the tile, they are sold out. So he ends up going to 4 different stores to finally buy the correct style of tile, and the amount we need. Delays, delays.
The Subfloor - As they predicted, the shower pan WAS leaking, and also the part where the drain connects to the pipes, and all of that jazz. The beams were literally hanging loosely, so he was able to fix that. Also, the subfloor was only 1/2" thick, and the industry standard is 3/4"thick, so he put in new subfloor for us. thank goodness! What a crazy house we live in!
The baseboards - Originally, they had put 6-8inches of tile as the "baseboard" in the bathroom, so after Tile Guy had ripped that out, we had a good 5 inches of space from the newly tiled floor to the line of the paint on the wall. I really really do NOT want to have to repaint that bathroom. Why? the housemate we had before Matt & I got married, had painted the bathroom a custom/textured paint color. Unfortunately, he had received the can of paint as a gift from a friend, and the can of paint was discounted as it was a custom color. I tried to match it once, and HD cannot match this color. I'm telling you it is a nightmare. Because it's Sandstone texture, you cannot just paint over it, because it's literally sandy paint on the wall. To remove it, you'd have to sandblast the wall, or have someone respackle/sand/respackle/sand the walls and then primer/paint them. It will be a gi-nor-mous pain in the *ss. Tile Guy wanted to know if we wanted wood baseboards, or tile, or beadboard with chair rail, or whatever. I said just tile it to the line, that way the bathroom looks the same as the other bathroom in the hallway. I am not repainting that room. no way jose!
Granite Counters - Tile Guy gives us some samples to choose from. He neglects to say that these options have different pricing than the quote he wrote up for us. We pick the black/brown option. THEN we find out it will cost us more. Too bad, we like that one, that's what we want. I prefer to know the price UP FRONT - feedback for next time. Thankfully, the supplier of this can get it in 3-4 days. that is MUCH faster than the Corian in the Kitchen project.
Vanity - Tile Guy shows us a brochure with sample door styles and wood stain colors. We settle for a Vanity with 2 doors and 2 drawers in a chestnut brown with the "lexington style" door. Oh, guess what that style of Vanity costs more. of course it does. We find out 1 week later, that the manufacturer doesn't have the "lexington style" door anymore, so we change it to another style choice - same price this time, I asked. 2 weeks after the original selection, Worley's driving our Vanity back to the house, and he finds out that the manufacturer SCREWED UP THE ORDER, so the Vanity he actually has is in the right door style and color, but it only has 2 doors, no drawers. He calls to let me know. Ok fine, so now what do I do? He says they can get the right vanity in 3-4 days more time. I said fine. Then the NEXT day he finds out the right vanity will be an 8-12 week wait, but they have the same vanity style we want in another color and he can get it on Monday. What color? he says (and I sh*t you not) "carbonite" - I'm thinking this is a variation of black or grey and that is not at all what we want. I ask him what color is that (since we are on the phone), he points me to their website and I see that it's really CABERNET (not "carbonite") - yes Worley that is fine, get the Cabernet Vanity with 2 drawers, 2 doors, same door style, and size, yes that is fine. Now here's the other catch. Once the vanity is installed, then they order the Granite. You can't order the Granite until the Vanity is installed. arggggggg!
Grout - Tile Guy gives us a huge sample selection to choose from. After much deliberation, we pick "Quarry Red" and leave it at that. Tile Guy calls and says "I may not be able to find this color" so I'm like "then why did you tell us to pick from this list?" I mean come on dude, start out with telling me UP FRONT what my options are. If "Quarry Red" was such a big pain, then don't offer me that, offer me the other options. I would just as easily go with BROWN or GREY. I don't care. I just want a color that won't be white, and that won't show dirt as easily. That's it. I'm not that picky. Thankfully, he was able to get the "quarry red" and that was the end of it. sheesh!
The Outlet - On the wall, just above the backsplash of our old vanity, there is an electrical outlet with 2 plugs. Now, when they designed the old bathroom, they had installed the vanity and THEN put down the tile, so the toe-kick was only 3 inches high instead of your average 4 inches high. Everybody said it was better to tile the entire bathroom, then put the vanity on top the tile to have the correct toe kick heighth, etc. So I'm like fine that's fine. Well NOW he says that with the new vanity being higher, and then the granite backsplash being 4 inches (standard), the outlet will need to be moved up higher on the wall. OK fine - can you do that? yes, ok then do it. I'm seriously irritated WHY did someone not measure this and tell me this the first day? Oh yes, and since I really don't want to have to repaint the bathroom, can you please make sure the outlet is right up to the backsplash? Good news he said he would do that for me.
The Toilets - We decided, since we were getting a low-flow toilet for the Master bath, we may as well replace the one in the hall bath too (toilets aren't too awfully expensive), so we asked if the Tile Guy would mind putting in a 2nd toilet, we would gladly pay for the expense, since the other toilet wasn't a low-flow and he'd already be doing the Master Bath toilet. We told him we wanted the same toilet we had in our 1/2bath downstairs. it's an American Standard, and last time I shopped at Home Depot it came in 2 pieces and was around $100. Tile Guy calls and wants to know what toilet we want, I keep trying to explain it to him, but no luck, so I said nevermind, Matt and I will go shopping and bring home the toilets we need, is that ok? he says yes. So, one fine evening, Matt and I go to Home Depot. Well the American Standard Cadet style is now $150. blah. So we settle on an Eljer with elongated bowl, and buy 2 of those with 2 toilet seats. I think I hurt my arms carrying 2 full toilets into the house. ouch!!! Tile Guy installs the toilets, but not the seats we bought. Ok, I guess I can do that part myself. And I don't charge myself for the option. hee hee.
The Threshold to the bathroom - The entry from the bedroom to the bathroom goes from hardwoods to tile. Well, one of the 2 rooms isn't level - apparently. So after much debate about what to do (Tile Guy has all questions), I ask if he can just use a piece of the scraps we have in the garage. I had saved all the hardwood and thresholds, reducers, risers, bullnose, etc from the kitchen project, so I have that stuff. He kept saying it wouldn't be level, etc etc. I said fine, shim it up underneath? Just make it look good. He can do that. Thankfully this worked out very well.
Shower Door - Ah yes. Our old shower door was a bypass/glass/steel framed with 2 towel bars. This was thrown away when the bathroom was demolished. In hindsight, I wish we had kept it around. The shower space was around 54". Too short for a tub (standard size would be 60" or 5 feet for a tub/shower combo). After the tile was installed, the opening for the shower door is a mere 51.5 inches. Well guess what? Home Depot/Lowes only carries shower doors for small openings up to 48" or larger openings from 54"-57". So we are S.O.L. buying a "standard sized" shower door. We could always just hang up a curtain rod and curtain, I said? But Matt wants a shower door, and it's better for resale value I guess.
ok.
so now what? Tile Guy still seemed to think we could get HD or Lowes to find us a door in stock. I called everywhere. They can only get one in that size if I custom order it and it takes 4-6 weeks. yeah no thanks!
I finally got smart and started internet researching local shower door companies here in town. I found about 10. I called the first 3 on my list and 1 of them had what I wanted. They are going to install me a bypass/clear glass/brushed nickel/frameless shower door for a mere $580. yes that was the CHEAPEST one I could find, and he can get it to us in 4 days. So come Tuesday or Weds. we will have a shower door.
I really really hope this bathroom will be worth it!
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To further complicate matters, our friend Alex, re-started roommate discussions. After agreeing on everything, and working out the best timeframe for his move-in date (scheduling around his vacation, our vacation, and the big "Age of Aquarius" party), he is moving in THIS SATURDAY.
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ok but the Master Shower isn't done. I guess that means we share a bathroom for a while. I'm just very glad we have A bathroom we can use.
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I'm doing my best to stay calm during the maelstrom that seems to be my life. I'm focusing on the POSITIVES. Extra income with a roommate, more security with a roommate (we all work different hours, so it would be damn near impossible for a burglar to case our house, as nobody can tell when someone will or won't be home), a new bathroom for us to enjoy, added resale value to the house, and I was finally motivated to clean out some old boxes and consolidate/throw away bathroom items when I had to clean for the roommate's arrival, and for the bathroom remodel.
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All in all, things are getting simpler in the near future.
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Oh yes, and Tread Climber girl was back the other day - for one day. Then I didn't see her again all week this week. hmm. Maybe she had a change of heart and decided to share? I actually saw a brunette using the treadclimber once this week. YAY!
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Health: My sinus/throat/ear infection is gone, but now I have been struggling with mild asthma. So, finally I went to the Doctor today. He gave me a shot, a nebulizer treatment, a steroid inhaler to use, an antibiotic (stronger one not the Zpak), and encourages me to finish the bottle of Mucinex with guaifenisan that I'm on. He actually shook his head when he read the supplements I was on, but I reminded him that normally I have 4 sinus infections a year, but this last year, I only had this ONE in December. I'm doing pretty good if you think about it. He never said NOT to take them, just that he thought I didn't need them. HA! Doc's never tell you to take supplements, the only prescribe drugs, drugs, drugs. It's the age old debate. I only go for the drugs if I can't keep healthy with the supplements. Again - 4 sinus infections yearly, down to 1 this year? I'm pretty damn happy with myself.
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Great Minds

Ok, so as you know - yesterday was the 5 yr anniversary of the date Matt & I first kissed. awww! ok, well to SURPRISE him, I signed up for Netflicks and had requested some movies I knew we wanted to see. He'd been talking about getting Netflicks versus Comcast On Demand for several days so I figured it would be a nice gift.
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After dinner, I'm checking my blackberry email and it's telling me which movies have shipped. Incidently, Matt's also checking his iPhone email at the same time. And I go "I have a surprise for you but it won't arrive until tomorrow" and he goes "really, because I have a surprise for you too, and it wont' arrive until tomorrow." and I go "did you get Netflicks?" and he is like "oh no you did too?"
I busted up laughing. We must have laughed for 15 mins straight - I got asthma from it. LOL. We got the SAME surprise for each other. Go figure. Well on the upside, we ordered different movies.
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Great minds think alike.
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oh yeah - and I got to the YMCA before TREADCLIMBER girl again! BURN BABY BURN those 400 calories. yeah!!

Invasion of the Birds

Photo Credit

I return home, open the door from the garage to the house - and a damn bird is flying around inside banging into one of my bay windows in the breakfast nook/kitchen. I'm thinking WTF? The poor thing is trying to get outside.

I propped the door open so the bird would hopefully fly into the garage and outside, but no such luck. I must have scared it, because it flew into my kitchen and living room. It was a smart little booger, because he must have banged on every window I have trying to get out. I opened all the outside doors on the first floor trying to give him a way out, and finally he flies past me into the screen porch. Now that all the heat in my house has gone outside into the winter air, I run around and close all my outside doors. The bird was still stuck in the screen porch for a good 30 mins until he finally figured out that I had left the screenporch door open so he could get out to the deck. poor thing.

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So how did he get in? I go upstairs, and figure out that the Tile Guy had opened 2 of my windows upstairs to cool off (he gets hot working in that small bathroom), but he hadn't pulled the screens down. ok Problem found and solved. Next I promptly free Sport from his room to take him for a walk (we have him locked up in a spare room so he doesn't get underfoot when the tile guy is there). I could have sworn all my other doors were shut upstairs, but somehow I must have opened the office door too. So I go take Sport for a walk, and then the tile guy returns. He had stepped out to get some more supplies from Lowe's or Home Depot, etc. I joked with him about the bird, and he laughs with me but also apologizes for leaving the windows open.

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I'm getting ready to make dinner, but I have to logon to my work laptop. I go upstairs to grab the power cord, and as I'm coming out of the office, I see ANOTHER BIRD in Sport's room. AHH! So I quickly shut the door. I'm thinking - damn is there some kind of hole in the room? are there birds getting in from the attic? how many birds are in the house? damn damn damn!

I didn't want Sport to try to catch it (he loves birds and especially ducks/geese) - so I locked him in the office, and then I go get the Tile guy to tell him there's a 2nd bird in the house. I'm laughing at this point, but still too scared (scared that the bird will peck me) to go into Sport's room and open the window. The Tile guy, goes to check things out. He's in the room for 2 mins, and promptly comes out with the bird caught in between his hands. He gently walks down the stairs and lets the bird free outside. I'm like HOW did he catch the damn thing? Oh well.

We have a good laugh, and then I go on with my evening.

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It wasn't until this morning, that Matt & I see all the BIRD POOP all over the office desk, Matt's sweater, Sport's room walls, the floor. Blah!

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I hope we don't get bird flu (flew).

ok bad joke.

Chronicles of the Treadclimber-girl

Five years ago today - I kissed my hubby for the first time. We are celebrating with a nice steak dinner and some Luigi Bosca Malbec. Mmm.

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Well 2009 is coming in with a bang.

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The Master Shower project is going strong. Our tile guy has gutted the bathroom, put up sheetrock, and yesterday he finished the shower pan. Today he's supposedly going to start putting up tile. I can hardly wait. By Friday we may have a new bathroom already? I can't wait! I'm sure Sport will be glad when he finally isn't cooped up in the Zen room all day long too!

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New Year's Resolutions are being met so far too. Even though I was fighting a nasty sinus/throat/ear infection last week, I still managed to do at least 30 mins of yoga or pilates daily (including Saturday). I also stuck to my fruits/veggies diet (at least for breakfast/lunch), and it wasn't until Saturday that I got a little off track. However, it WAS Matt's Mom's birthday lunch at Red Lobster, and I DID skip breakfast, so it wasn't a total loss of a day.

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Remember how I have a YMCA membership? Well, they have this machine called a "Treadwalker" there. There are 2 Treadwalkers at my Y, but only ONE of them is working (and up until recently it was out of service as well - but they fixed it in December finally). WELL, anyhoo. Every day I go to the YMCA, the SAME strawberry-blonde-petite-girl is on the Treadwalker. She must get up at the crack of dawn, or sleep on top the machine, because she is ALWAYS there. I tried for 3 days in December to get to the YMCA before it opens at 5:30am, and get inside JUST as they open the doors, and she STILL manages to hog the machine. I just wanted to TRY the damn thing. She never uses any of the other cardio machines (that I have seen), and she doesn't GET OFF of it after 30 mins (even though there are signs posted everywhere to please share the equipment and only use for 30 mins or less). Beeotch.

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There's 2 ROOMS full of Treadmills, elipticals, rowing machines, 2 kinds of bikes, etc. But only 1 treadwalker, and she acts like it's HERS.

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Come on, doesn't she know you aren't supposed to do the same workout every day, you have to mix it up for best results?

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I would say something to her, but she always had headphones on, and she never seems to talk to anybody. So, I asked the front desk lady about it. She said the "Treadwalker-Girl" will move if you ask her, but yes they have talked to her about it. Blah blah blah.

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so then it was Christmas Vacation, and then I was sick, so I haven't been to the YMCA in a long time.

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FFWD to Monday!

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I get up, go to the YMCA. I'm 10 mins early. I'm thinking of the treadwalker-girl. I'm thinking, ok-self-you may not get to use the machine, it's not the end of the world. You are the bigger person, although it's worth a shot. BUT lo-and-behold. I arrived to an empty tread-climber! it's mine for Monday! YESssssssss!

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After realizing that this machine enabled me to LITERALLY burn 400 calories in exactly 30 mins, just by walking at 3.0 setting . . . I can finally understand why she hogs it. This thing helped me burn more calories than all the other machines could have. I can't jog - I get asthma. but I usually walk at an incline, or do the eliptical as fast as I can muster without risking asthma. But this Treadclimber really really works. It's like walking up and down stairs for 30 minutes without all the lunging. And since the tracks on the climber are spread out a bit (not like on a treadmill where your legs are still together) - it works the INSIDE of your thighs too. HOT DAMN!

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However, I am not a greedy person. Tuesdays & Thursdays I am doing weights, so I didn't even TRY to get to the Treadclimber today (being a Tuesday). I just did my weights and tried not to look over at that machine, but imagine my very minor-disappointment that Treadclimber-girl wasn't there today either. I could have had the machine again today after all. But that's okay. Someone else now has a chance to use it. And it's my weights day, so whatever.

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Although, I am secretly proud. As I got off the TreadClimber Monday morning (after the maximum 30 minutes), I heard someone say "Thank you." Yes, that's right. I used a machine that nobody's been able to use in many a morning. But I SHARED. I got off after 30 mins, and freed it up for the public. I didn't hog it. I worked my inner thighs and burned 400 calories, but I did it the RIGHT way. And I was thanked for it. Damn that felt good.

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Walked the dog for 2 miles yesterday too, and Matt & I did Wii Fit for 30 credits each. Not minutes, credits. For those of you who know the Wii Fit, that means it could have taken 1 hr to get those 30 credits. But we did it. I kinda did 3 workouts on Monday. Do I get extra credit?

New Year's Resolutions?

Photo Credit - me from my Bbry camera/phone

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My goals for 2009:

1) More moments like THIS!

2) Eat healthier (I am considering becoming a Pesca-tarian - aka: vegetarian who eats fish/seafood, but no other meat).

3) Get into shape, fit into my "skinny jeans" so to speak.

4) Pay off Master Bathroom Remodel

5) Pay off as much other debt as possible (Car, school loan, credit card, etc)

6) Walk the Dog more often

7) Get www.zazenphoto.com's Marketing Plan fired up and going.

8) Meditate more often, stay CALM as much as I can.

9) Get rid of more crap (clean house)

10) Simplify my life.

Drugged up and reving my engines

RECAP of HOLIDAYS:
Matt's mom, stepdad, sister, and her hubby came over) on Christmas Day we had Honey Baked Ham, Mashed potatoes, spinach souffle, sweet potatoes, toffee ( I made it), pasta salad, apple pie, and appetizers (little things I had for wine club). we slept very well that night. LOL.
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Brad (Matt's stepdad) put in our new front door and sidelights on Christmas Eve. Then he came back on Christmas day for dinner, and then on the 26th he came over to paint the door. Matt's mom came over the 26th also, and we watched "PS I love you" since I hadn't seen it yet. She's Irish so she was really lovin' the Irish guy who played the lead Gerard Butler from 300. ooh yummy. HE IS HOT! Love that accent.
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I went to St. Pete, Florida for a few days to see my Sister Jamie and her family. Hint - NEVER travel on the Sunday after Christmas. Talk about TRAFFIC all the way down to Florida it was insane! Every Gas station, every restaurant, just busy and packed. IT took me 9 hrs to drive a 7.5 hr trip. Blah! but I made it. I finally got there about 8:30pm. The weather was VERY humid and hot. IT was high of 75-80 degrees the day after I arrived. I was wishing I had packed sandals, but it was okay. lovely sunshine. It had been raining in ATL so it was a nice change.
Jamie - She seems happy but she is frustrated with her hubby (I don't blame her), and money has been tight. I stocked her grocery cupboards, and got baby Michael a Dora/Diego training potty and pull-up pants (he is 2 now so he will be training for potty soon). He still isn't really talking that much, but he makes babbly noises like he's trying to talk to us. He is in his terrible twos so he did throw a few screaming tantrums. One day we got screamed out of the restaurant I took her to. Oh well. But the one very very good thing, is that I set her up with a new phone . It's an AT&T Go Phone (prepay so she doesn't have to use credit), and it's in Her name. Also this way the family and I can replenish her minutes online if necessary, so she won't be stuck without any human adult contact. Thank goodness!
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Other good news - Jamie just got hired as the Apartment Manager of her complex, so her rent will be 50% off. YAY! Praise the Lord! I was praying for her, and it seems things are working out better now. Now they just need medical benefits someday. I have been encouraging her to see if she can work at one of the 3 Starbucks places within walking distance of her apartment (since her hubby has the car all the time for his landscaping business - no luck with driving). Starbucks will do full benefits even if you only work 20 hrs/week. She could maybe do a couple evenings and weekend mornings to make her hours, and then there would be no need for her to worry about daycare expenses. I hope this plan works out. But we'll see how it goes.
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Then I drove home the night before NY Eve.
Matt & I rang in the new year at Solstice Café. It was delicious! I had the Sweet Potato Soup, the Wilted Spinach salad & Fennel salad, egg plant entre, and the beets appetizer (I know I am weird I love beets, but Matt can't stand them). anyway it was really yummy. It was warm here for a little bit (65-70 Christmas day and beyond), but then it was 20 degrees on NY Eve night.
New Year's Eve Photos - Tom's and Matt's
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BACK TO REALITY:
I think I am coming back down with the sinus infection I had over Christmas week (and previously around Dec 4th), but I am resting and taking it easy. damn sinus infection. I can't smell anything. Got Antibiotics finally on Monday at the Doctor, but the decongestants make me feel like a zombie!
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TODAY our Tile Guy is starting on the Master Bathroom. I forget if I told you or not, but the shower is leaking into the foyer, and we have not been able to fix it. The fear is that the subfloor is damaged and rotting. Long story short we are basically redoing the entire bathroom. We needed a low-flow toilet anyway and the floor isn't level, etc etc. . . so here we go. I am not happy about how much it costs to do, but we will pay it off with tax refunds and just delay some of our other things for now. Oh well. I am excited for getting a new bathroom though! Yesterday I cleaned it out, so our tile guy can have at it when he gets here. I'm so ready for this to be DONE!
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Oh yes we had a visit from my cousin Tara and her new hubby and her 9 yr old son on the 26th. It was short notice but since they were welcome to stay at our house they didn't have to worry about getting a hotel. They were driving back from Virginia for the holiday and when she said she could potentially come by Atlanta, I told her to come on. We went out for Mexican and played a lot of the Wii games. It was nice visiting with her. She got married in October this year. Her new man is VERY sweet and good looking. They make a lovely couple. She is 1 of 3 cousins who are just a little older than me. Everyone else is younger. It is nice to have relatives close to my age. I usually feel old when the younger folks come over. LOL.
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My parents are flying down to Tennessee to visit Grandpa in February around Valentine's Day. So Matt & I will meet them up there for a little vacation that month. Grandpa went to Memphis to the Peabody hotel for brunch on Christmas Day. He feasted like a king, let me tell you. He was going on and on about the caviar and the shrimp, etc. I love him so! He is hilarious.
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Matt's mom's birthday is next weekend, so we are going up to their house to celebrate next Saturday. She wants to go to Red Lobster. I need to go on a diet. LOL.
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Matt gave me the Sex & The City Movie for Christmas and he even watched it with me again. He is so sweet! I am a very lucky lady to have such a wonderful husband.
We have been experimenting with different chili dishes the last 2 days. I'm trying to gradually use up the Green Chilies Matt's Auntie sent us last Christmas (she had overnighted them from New Mexico, and the last container had been in my freezer for 1 yr - yes potent). So we are very slowly using it up. So far it is DELISH!!! I took lotsa Beano don't worry. LOL. I kicked his butt at Scrabble earlier last week. Friday last week, we got to Mina and Chris's to say farewell to her family who visted of the holidays. Ian is already 1 yr old can you believe it ?
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Ok that is all the ramblings I have for now.
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May your new year be even more fabulous than last year!

Happy New Year!

Photo Credit goes to Tom Lawrence (friend who was at NY Eve with us).
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Well I'm sick as a dog. The wretched sinus infection/cold/sniffly mess that I had the days prior to Christmas, and suddenly went away after Christmas, has RETURNED New Year's Day. Blah! On the upside I'm already off work so no need to skip days, but I WAS hoping to really enjoy my vacation as opposed to sneeze and sleep through it. oh well.
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We had a great time at our New Year's Eve Party at Solstice Cafe in Grant Park. It is such a lovely restaurant. I really enjoyed the food and time with friends. Our party was 25 people. I think that is a record!
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Well, our tile/shower/guy starts work on Monday or Tuesday, so the new bathroom will be under way soon.
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I also went in Friday to open my H.S.A. account (without an IRS issue), only now I may need to go to the Dr. to fix this wretched sinus issue. I am hoping to cure it without having to get an antibiotic. When the Neti-Pot won't drain though, that means it's bad. I'm going to finish out my 3-days of Afrin nosespray, and then if it's still here I'll go see the Doctor.
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Well I hope everyone else is having a great start to 2009 and stays healthy!

Drip Drip Drop Master Shower Reprise

Photo Credit

Well the shower started leaking again. Phooey!
The Tile/Guy came by last night to give Matt a definite quote, and when it was all said and done . . .Guess what?
I get a NEW MASTER BATHROOM, YAY!
however, I have to help pay for it. Bummer-roo-noo!

If only it looked as great as this photo when it was all done right? ha!

You can take your HSA and stick it where the sun don't shine!

1) I have been strongly encouraged to open an H.S.A. account and enter the account number into the company benefits site before Friday December 19th. H.S.A. accounts with different banks/credit unions have different monthly fees/interest rates, etc.
After much evaluation and research, I decided on 3 different Credit Unions that I liked, and I started calling them. All of these Credit Unions had H.S.A. accounts with NO monthly fee (it was free) which is why I chose them. I refuse to pay a monthly fee just to have an account opened (thanks a lot BofA - $4.50/month? no thanks.). The first one (based in California) wouldn't let me join as a member, so scratch that one. The 2nd one was based in New Jersey - same thing. The last one was local to Atlanta, so I called them. They said they could open an H.S.A. for me, but I could not have a zero balance, and I'd need to deposit funds to open it. However, I'd be penalized by the I.R.S.
Why?
2) I am not "eligible" to make H.S.A. contributions (aka Deposits) until January 1st, 2009. Because our HDHP plan won't start until then.
3) Most (not all, but most) of the banks/Credit Unions I called, won't LET you open an H.S.A. with a zero balance. You have to put money into the account.
4) There are I.R.S. penalties for depositing money into an H.S.A. before you are eligible.
5) Nobody (My own HR dept or the Benefits dept. etc) could explain to me what these mysterious penalties were, so I actually called the I.R.S. today. http://www.irs.gov/help/article/0,,id=96730,00.html
6) According to the I.R.S. any money you put into your H.S.A. before eligible (ie: before Jan 1, 2009) will be penalized a 6% excise tax.
In my example that would mean I had to deposit $50 to open the H.S.A. and then that would be taxed 6% by the I.R.S.
The Bank/Credit Union has to send you (and the IRS) an 8889 form at the end of each year for H.S.A. accounts. This will have to be filed along with your normal 1040 form whenever you file your taxes prior to Apr. 15, 2009.
However, according to the I.R.S. lady, if you withdraw the ineligible money (and any interest it earned in the H.S.A.) before Apr. 15, 2009, you won't have to pay the 6% excise tax. However, you will need to file the 8889 form and show that you withdrew the money back out. She mentioned a 5498 form also, but I was getting really lost at that point. I was so fed up.
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The other option is that you can wait until Jan. 2nd, 2009 (the first business day of the yr), and open the H.S.A. then. However, as the Corporate email stated "You must enter your HSA bank information by Friday, December 19, 2008 for HSA contributions to start in January of 2009. If you provide your HSA bank information after that date, your HSA contributions will begin as soon as administratively possible."
Which isn't a bad thing, unless you somehow need to use H.S.A. funds for medical reasons prior to the "Administratively possible' date.
You CAN deposit your own after-tax dollars into your H.S.A. at any time after eligibility (provided your contributions for the year are within the guidelines outlined for H.S.A. accts), and then you would claim this money as a deduction when you file your 2009 taxes. It isn't penalized, but you just need to claim it so you aren't taxed on that money.
Clear as mud?
yes I let me just tell you how much I LOVE this new insurance plan (insert sarcasm here).

Have yourself a Merry Little . . .

Photo Credit goes to Matthew Lane of Zazen Photo.

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Ah, as the month draws on and Christmas draws nearer, suddenly the weather seems to be getting WARMER! WTF? Where's the snow? and mistletoe?

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Anyhoo, everything is peachy keen at the moment. Let's hope it stays that way.

I have my HoneyBaked Ham ordered, and the house is ready for Christmas. Ahh the holidays are here!

Makin' Pad Thai from whatever I can find in my kitchen without going to the store . . .

Sauce: 2 heaping tablespoons of Reduced Fat Creamy Jif Peanut Butter, 30-40 dashes of Tabasco Sauce, 1/4 cup Light Soy Sauce, a few shakes of Garlic Powder, 2 sweet & Lo packets. Stir over low heat until saucy. Add 1 can of chicken, some basil, and frozen chopped spinach. Continue stirring until mixed well.

Noodles: Quinoa Spaghetti noodles - Il Denti!

After Sauce is done and Noodles cooked/firm - drain noodles but keep them in the pan, turn heat on low. Add a bit of liquid Egg Whites, stir until eggs whites cook, add sauce and toss with noodles until consistency is what you want.

Dash of Lemon Juice (I couldn't find lime), and sprinkle chopped nuts on top (all I had was the leftover chopped almonds from the Baklava.

Serve warm, with plenty of water to douse your tastebuds with when the spice sets in.

In hindsight, I would have made more noodles or 1/2'd the sauce recipe - I made enough for an entire 2nd batch. IF I had done this, I'd have made 6-8 full servings.

Enjoy - Love always Abbie the madcap cook!

Drip Drip Drop little Master Shower . . .

Photo Credit goes to ME! lol.
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My company hosted a "Craft fair" this Wednesday and we were selling Matt's Prints there from Zazen Photo. It was our first "show" so to speak, and it went pretty well. We only sold 1 item, but we made lots of contacts. I am glad for the experience though, now I will know what to do at a Gallery if we do a show at one.
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I have been sick a little this week too (drainage and sniffles and sneezing) but I started to feel like it was a sinus infection (bad for me) so I started doing my nosespray and Mucinex stuff, and it's getting gradually better. I am perkier today than I have felt in a while - but still very tired.
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Our Master Shower is leaking - and the repair guy says it will be $5000-10,000 to fix it (because all the tile has to come out, and the way they did the damn bathroom that means the ENTIRE shower and floor will have to be replaced). We were about to tell him to START as we thought the roommate was moving in in January, but now he may not (his work just layed off 15% of their people, and he is skittish - even though he has his job still). We are waiting for the potential roommate to make up his mind first. blah!
Then Matt thought he FIXED the shower, and it was NOT leaking for a few days, but then this morning it started to leak again. I'm like DAMN IT!
so we will see. For now, if the Roommate doesn't move in, we can just NOT use the shower in the Master bath. But eventually we will need to fix it. Maybe after the Tax Returns? I am not sure. Money money money - I need more! LOL.

lesson learned

Don't try to talk on the phone and open a bottle of wine with a corkscrew - at the same time. Just trust me on this one.
I got paged from work, I made a phone call, and while I was holding the phone between my shoulder/neck/ear - I was trying to open a bottle of wine with a corkscrew.
something went very wrong, and suddenly the top of the corkscrew totally rams into the cartelidge (spl??) of my nose. My nose promptly starts to bleed.
Thank God I didn't break it. wine is painful!
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no bruising, but Rudolph would have been proud for a few minutes.

Bad Girl

Photo Credit
Today is my friend Holly's birthday (well and Nikki's too, but she's in the land of the mountains)! Per Holly's request we are headed to Dantanna's for dinner/cocktails before we head on to a Fashion Designer party to benefit Ronald McDonald House.
Since we'll be at one of the hottest Cigar Bar's in town, I figured I bring along a little somethin' I've been saving since my 30th birthday party. A gift from my pal Tom - my 1926 40th Anniversary edition Padron Torpedo. Ooooh yes. If the girl's gotta be bad, she's gonna be really really bad.

Multi-tasker Extraordinaire!

Photo Credit We had 2 thanksgivings - sort of. Matt's sister's hubby's family (say that one 3 times fast) - wanted to go to Golden Corral for the big lunch, but I vetoed that, and then they decided on Cracker Barrell. What we didn't know is that they don’t take reservations. So, everybody has to be there, in line, when they open at 11am. Then they put you on a list. But wait - they won't "activate" your party until all the people in your party are there. Then once you are "activated" you get put in the official "waiting list" until they can seat you. We had 12 people in our party. Thankfully, we were seated around 12noon, and it was a nice day high of 65, so it wasn't terrible to be waiting outside. The service was great, the food was great, and I was full. mmm.
I thought perhaps we'd go back to Rachel's house, or to Matt's mother's house afterwards, but we all just hugged and then went home. I had made a pan of Baklava for them, since Brad (Matt's stepdad) loves it so much. They took the pan home with them. - So then we went home, walked the dog, finished framing photos (we had taken a photo a long time ago of Erika and her Dad together, so we framed one for each of them). Then we drove over to feed Chris & Mina's fish and cats (since they were outta town). The third/last pan of Baklava went with us to Erika's house for the big meal. We were told to arrive around 4:30pm. I was not sure what the dress code was, so I wore heeled boots, jeans, and a nice sweater, and styled my hair pretty . Turns out that was fine. - They had 3 ovens in their kitchen (huge house) - turkey, asparagus, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, 2 gravy boats, dry stuffing, wet stuffing, macaroni and cheese, baklava, homemade zucchini bread, pumpkin bread, cranberry sauce, I cannot remember what else.
Lots of red wine and a drink called the "old fashioned" - I guess it's their signature drink or something. Everybody loved the Baklava of course, and all the guests helped clean up the dishes and I helped put away the leftovers into tupperware containers. Then we played SCRABBLE down in the gameroom/bar area. Nice. Erika's stepmom is a stupendous Scrabble player. Then we went home to bed around 11pm. I was TIRED. and full.
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Friday I worked from home - and put up the tree and Christmas decorations. I couldn't put up my ornaments yet, as I needed to buy new lights for the tree. Matt had to go IN to work, but he came home for a bit for lunch. we fed the cats and fish again, Then later that night it was the Castleberry Hill Art Stroll, so we went downtown. he treated me to a nice SUSHI dinner, and then we strolled around the art galleries. We stumbled across some new places we hadnt' been - Star (a bar/jazz club/etc), and the Besherat Gallery. Mon Dieu it was breathtaking. Everything in that gallery was just beautiful!!! The gallery ITSELF was a work of art, complete with plexiglass stairs, and gorgeous railings, lighting fixtures, etc. I was blown away. THIS is my new favorite gallery in town now! Then we closed out the evening at No Mas for some chips/salsa and I had a diet coke so I could sober up to drive us home. Whew! Free wine at gallery's is/are nice, but DAMN it can hit you like a ton of bricks. Matt had a margarita and got the free bracelet with it. It's a wooden bracelet with saints on it. Very cool. then home to bed.
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Saturday, we went to Lowe's to price out a new front door (it was way way way too expensive, but good to get an idea), and then we bought christmas lights for the tree and porch. We are going to string icicle lights along the porch again, but that's it. I don't usually do outside lights - too much work. Saturday afternoon, we fed the cats and fish again and then drove to IKEA to pick up my closet (I'm getting the PAX Birkeland - if you want to look it up). Long story why. Basically, we are getting a roommate for the "Zen room" and because of this, I need to get all my clothes OUT of the roommate closet and into a new place. So, we installed this white 78" closet along the wall (between the bathroom and the green guest room). I also got the nifty slide-able shoe racks, so now all my shoes have a new home! woo hoo! Our friend Jeff has a truck, so he was helping us bring all the boxes home. We took him out to a local pizza place (Vintage Pizza) as a thank you for driving us and unloading my boxes from IKEA. Then our new roommate prospect came over to hang out. he's super nice. Anyway, we ended up watching Star Trek : Nemesis Movie on TV - one I had not seen before. I cooked up some kung pao chicken also. It was a nice evening.
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Sunday I started working on the closet and by Monday night it was all done.
Monday I finished addressing/stamping the Christmas Cards on my lunch break and mailed those out. Also mailed all the pkgs I had wrapped up for Christmas gifts. I think that is all done except for maybe 2 gifts?
Now it's time to get ready for the Craft Fair! We are having a work Craft Fair in the Activity Center next week. I am going to be selling some of Matt's prints in 5x7 and 8x10 sizes, and also some larger pieces for $150-$300. 10% of the proceeds go to charity. I cannot wait to see people's reactions. Good practice for the business and maybe we will make some $ too?
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I'm going to Stretch class tonight, cannot wait. WHEW! Now I am tired. talk to you soon!