Life immitates art

4 January 2007, 11:09 pm by Giggles
Categories: Life, Random

My camera broke in November. I was able to get a hold of the paper work and get it sent to Canon just a few days before the warranty ran out, which meant they fixed it for free and I just had to pay to ship it there. It also meant I was without my good camera since then. I had access to other cameras, but they just weren’t the same as my good one. It was real rough. They shipped my camera back to me on Tuesday and I’ve been tracking it since then. I had to go to the FedEx place to pick it up since I wasn’t home today to sign for it. I felt incomplete without my camera, and now it was coming back to me. Except it wasn’t my camera. Instead of fixing mine, they replaced it. It’s the same type of camera, but it’s not mine. Now I have to make friends with a whole new camera. But we’ll be friends.

I had a similar experience last Friday when I got my sewing machine back. While sewing SG’s Christmas present two weeks ago, my sewing machine just seized up on me. I’ve had it for four years and probably should’ve taken it in to get cleaned out earlier, but I didn’t. I was able to borrow other machines, but they weren’t mine. It was so wonderful when I was finally able to go get mine from the shop. It’s my baby, my friend, and it’s come home.

My faithful friends were locked away out of sight but now they’re home, and we’ll do wonders. With a sigh they grow warm in my hand. Just think of the splendors we can do together. … rubies …
At last, I am complete again!

Share your thoughts

El Paso Weather

4 January 2007, 9:51 am by Giggles
Categories: Random

I saw this story Tuesday night on the internet. It made me smile.

WINTER WATCH: Snow Adivsory Issued For El Paso

What began as rain early today turned into snow by late morning. By noon time, much of the borderland had received a light dusting.

Tuesday, January 2, 2007 – The National Weather Service issued a snow advisory for El Paso County this afternoon. This means travel conditions on local roadways may become more difficult. Police are advising people to be careful and to be prepared. Some of the situations you have to be ready for are icy roads and limited visibility. As the rain turned to snow this morning, El Paso police say they saw a big jump in the number of accidents. Between 7:00 this morning and 1:00 in the afternoon, 43 accidents were reported, compared to last Tuesday when only 18 were reported within the same timeframe. Police added that snow may create driving conditions that are even more dangerous than rain, so they are advising El Paso drivers to take extra precautions. To help with roadway safety, the El Paso Street Department said they will be monitoring the temperature. If it drops below the 30-degree mark they will be out tonight de-icing roads with salt and sand. Finally, police are advising everyone to stay home and off the roads since drivers will only put each other at risk by driving in such bad conditions.

Story Created: Jan 2, 2007 at 5:25 PM MST
Story Updated: Jan 2, 2007 at 5:48 PM MST

I know all about the winters in El Paso, as well as other places. The comparisons I can make are very interesting. Where I am now, we’ve spent weeks where the high didn’t go above 30. It’s funny to me that El Paso would be worried about the low going below 30. Not that the people where I am now know how to drive any better when the weather gets bad, but their isn’t quite the panic here that there is there.

Share your thoughts

The end of 2006

31 December 2006, 9:07 pm by Giggles
Categories: Life

It feels a bit strange that this year is already over. It was a good year. Looking back I can’t really pin point anything real big or life changing that happened, it was a relatively quiet year. There were no real big events. There were a few big things, but none of them happened in a single moment, but rather they were stretched out over months or even the whole year, so they don’t seem that big when they are that diluted.

I started working on my Masters degree this year, and at this moment I am half way through with a 3.73 GPA. I’ve loved the intellectual challenge it has been and have enjoyed being pushed in new directions I never thought I’d go. I never would have thought that the research into learning theory would interest me so much, and I’m realizing that that is more the direction I want to go with my career/education. So while that might be big, it is something that has been slowly building the whole year.

I bought a car in April and have already put 10,000 miles on it. It’s the first time I’ve ever been in debt. But it doesn’t feel like that big of a thing either.

I still work where I’ve worked since 2002. I still live where I live since 2002, and if I don’t move by May, which I seriously doubt I will, this will be the place I have lived the longest in my entire life. I almost moved this summer, but decided that wasn’t a good idea and looking back I can tell that was the right decision. I’ve met some new people, but those have been things that have taken months as well.

This year has been a kind of slow continuation forward. And it feels like that is about to change, that there are going to be huge major jumps in some direction or another in 2007. And the only thing I can think of is that I should graduate this coming summer. But who knows what else it could be. Something about the coming year feels big.

Share your thoughts

I’m out of shape

29 December 2006, 10:48 pm by Giggles
Categories: Exercise, Health

I know I might not look it to some people, but I’m out of shape. I went for a one mile jog this afternoon, I just felt like getting out and running. I made it the whole way, but I don’t know how much further I could go. I think I’ll go do that again. Apparently I need it. I need to start working seriously on my flexibility again too. I’m eating better though. I made some chicken and vegetable soup that I’m really enjoying eating. I’m still working through Christmas cookies and crackers and cheese, but it’s not something I’m really craving right now. that could change at any time though.

Share your thoughts

Of all the stupid …

22 December 2006, 11:12 am by Giggles
Categories: Questions

It is no secret that I hate flying. And it’s not the flying part that bugs me, I’m not afraid of flying. It’s the airlines that I hate. But I would never go so far as this guy.

In an AOL article titled “Snow, Fog Strand Thousands of Holiday Travelers,” about the weather delays in Denver canceling hundreds of flights because of 2 feet of snow that have fallen there, closing the airport, the schools, the stores, the interstate – one guy had this to say: “‘This isn’t an act of God,’ Helmer said. ‘It was mismanagement by United.'”

Now how in the world is United to be blamed for all that snow resulting in him having to sleep in an airport? I can understand not wanting to sleep in an airport, but come on, that’s just stupid.

Share your thoughts

I am not meant to fly

20 December 2006, 10:44 am by Giggles
Categories: Family, Life, Venting

Man was not created with wings, thus, he was not meant to fly. I hate flying. I don’t like airports. I don’t like airplanes. I don’t like airline employees. I do not like to fly. And it’s not that I’m afraid of flying. I’m not worried about crashing or anything like that. I just don’t like everything else associated with flying.

I do not like checking my luggage. I do not like packing to fly even. I do not like hauling a carry-on all over tarnation in the airport. Bathroom stalls in airports were not created for people who travel alone and have to keep their luggage with them at all times. Those stalls are not big enough.

I really do not like having to travel on someone else’s schedule. I’ve been stressed since yesterday about being on time for my flight tonight. That is two whole days of stress about getting to the airport. That’s insane.

I’ve had a bad knee for almost 11 years now, and there is never enough leg room for my leg to stretch out and it hurts most of the flight. It’s going to be especially bad this year because I think I was sewing too much or something and my knee already bothers me.

I don’t like having to sit on a plane with so many other people. On a flight early this year I thought I was going to throw up, not from the turbulence, but because someone near me was chewing gum and someone else was wearing too much perfume and the smells were making me sick.

I love to travel. I love going to new places. I love getting away for a few days. I just wish I didn’t have to fly there. Taking a bus isn’t fun either, but that’s a whole other story. I’d much rather drive. So if I do fly somewhere, it’s because that place or those people meant a lot to me. Just keep that in mind.

Share your thoughts

Life is good

16 December 2006, 2:22 pm by Giggles
Categories: Education, Happy Things, Life, Quilting/Sewing/Knitting/Crafting

I’m not sure exactly what it is right now, but my life feels real good. It could be any number of things.

It could be that I am finally finished with this semester and I passed the one class I was real iffy on. It feels real good to have turned in that last paper and know that it was good enough. As soon as I have the grades for my other three classes I will officially be half way through my Masters degree.

It could be that I have been washing my dishes before bed for almost three weeks now, and because my kitchen is cleaner, I’m eating better because I’m actually willing to go into my kitchen to fix something to eat. Eating better is a strange side effect for washing dishes, but I’ll take what I can get.

It could be that I had my annual Christmas party last night and filled my house with friends who are special to me and mean a lot in my life. I only have 10 chairs, but we counted a total of 17 people who came. And now I get to eat the leftovers from the vegetable tray and the potato chips for the next few days. I love little tomatoes. And to cover my fabric bookcase for the party, I now have a real cute fireplace that makes me smile every time I look at it. It turned out real well. And now I have a place to hang my stocking. I still need to finish the flames and the logs, but for right now I can put candles “in” it.

It could be how well I slept last night knowing that all the stress from the semester is over and my party went well and the only thing I have to worry about now is getting Christmas presents finished. And I had help this week getting some of those presents cut out, which was a fun night.

It could be the beautiful snow that fell last night. I loved the feeling yesterday when you could tell the storm was coming. It just felt different. The temperature was dropping pretty quickly, but I was still okay with just my sweatshirt when I went out and ran my errands. There was hardly any wind at all and you could tell it was the calm before the storm. The sky was beautiful with clouds and there was the smell of an approaching storm in the air. And now there is several inches of snow on the ground and I bought a new sled yesterday.

Whatever it is, I’m feeling very at peace with everything right now. I like it.

1 Shared thought