Sleep

(picture: some kind of butt plant that belongs to Leah and Kurt)

I need at least 9 hours and I'm just not getting it. You know you just can't fix everything at once. It's a process. It takes time to implement self improvement. This should be an easy one. I'm TIRED. I start to act like a butt when I don't get enough sleep.

It's not like I have kids or a dog that keep me from getting enough sleep. I am not up studying for finals. I don't usually have to be in the office super early. There are times I can sleep any time of day, sitting in a chair with lights on, noise, activity, etc. So why are there times that I just can't get it to work?

Some of the times it is something as simple as needing to lay in the bed - that would help. Other times I can lay there for hours and wish I had Obama's bat phone so I could give him the solutions to all the worlds problems because at 2:00 a.m. it's pretty obvious what needs to be done. But then when the alarm goes off and it's all back to being very complicated and I got nothing. Nothing but bags and grunts and promises that I will get more sleep tonight, if I will just get in the shower and go...move. Promises Promises.

Listening: Sunsets (Bernard Fanning and Missy Higgins)
Eating: Nothing right now but I do have heartburn
Drinking: Nothing
Wearing: You Guessed it PJ's but I do have a sweatshirt on too
Feeling: So thankful for it being Friday so I can catch up on some sleep
Need: To turn down the heat and get into bed. I think tomorrow will be better
Thinking: My brother should stop picking up trees
Enjoying: PBS and i just downloaded the free app
Wondering: How to keep the battery on my ITOUCH from going down so quick. I think it gets turned on in my purse so I've got figure out how to keep it from happening. That "Touch" feature is kind of sensitive.
Internet Find: http://speakledbirdfarm.com/ I bought some gourd birdhouses from them at the Farmer's Market. I love them. Remind me of my grandmother and her gourds. These are really cool with paint and some beads.

Today

Listening: Pink (Aerosmith) - I heart
Eating: Salad with Pulled Pork (why did they put a bbq place right next door?)
Drinking: Water -boring
Wearing: PJ's (day two and there could be a pattern)
Feeling: Mad. I have been mad since 8:07 a.m. Since I got up early, thought i was running late, rushed to get to a teleconference just to find out it was canceled. If I sleep tonight, I'll get over it.
Weather: I'm officially removing this - I have no interest.
Need: To return some shoes. I don't like to go to stores at night so it'll have to wait for the weekend.
Thinking: Must get sleep
Enjoying: not having a bra on
Wondering: when Bentley will get the hulu that I du need so I can catch up on some of the shows I like and have missed. He doesn't read this thing so it's not passive aggressive - he knows I want it.
Internet Find: http://crownstradin/g.com/product5986/79 - Old Gringo Eden Western Boots

Hello 2011

I'm back. Whew!
Was I on a sabbatical? Traveling around India and Nepal learning a new language? No. It was more like burn out - extra crispy. I will provide an executive summary:

There was stress. There were too many losses of people I love. There were visible projects. There was a fun beach trip. There was heart surgery that was successful and after the surgery there was a dark, cool, hotel room with clean, soft, white sheets and a small container of Ben & Jerry's along with some of the best sleep EVER and in the morning I was greeted by the guy in the picture. There were 4 consecutive weeks of intense travel. Recovery, depression, holiday breaks and a cold.

As for the 2010 word Present. It should have been Survive. The 2011 word is Boundaries. I'm getting more of them so don't be offended if my response to everything is NO. Once I have time to think I may come around depending on what it is but No. See and you doubted this word thing works.

To break myself back into blogging slow I think this is a good start (courtesy of : Hello Again)

Listening: Back to December (Taylor Swift)
Eating: Nothing right now but had Sushi for dinner
Drinking: Water
Wearing: PJ's
Feeling: Tired but it's time for bed so that is good
Weather: Cold
Need: Sleep and face moisturizer
Thinking: Wow I forgot to put it on after washing my face and I think I'm cracking
Enjoying: Laptop my mom gave me
Wondering: When my neighbors below me will move the !@#$ out and hoping the 2,000 lb gorilla with loud wind chimes (me) motivates them. Cough, Cough. See, I'm getting a smoker's cough.
Internet Find: Learn Something New Everyday: http://cargocollective.com/learnsomethingeveryday

You know the hardest thing is to get started. Check.

Are you ready for some football? Or just Superbowl Snacks

I like football ok but I love football food. I found a recipe book that Bentley's brother Bill contributed to so I was following some recipes from it. Even though they are basic things it's good to have a recipe to ensure it turns out good. It's strange that I've eaten a ton of 7 layer dip and at least 2 tons of deviled eggs in my life yet I've never made them. I would say best part was the beans with jalapenos and the ranch dressing packet added to the sour cream. We both hate raw tomatoes so I used green bell peppers instead.

Yep - the finished product was pretty good and we ate and drank beer until our belly's looked like ticks. I was dead after painting so I was really happy about how easy the eggs and dip were. I even found a new use for the melon scooper thingy. Bentley went to Taco Mac and picked up some wings and I found some paper plates. The WHO were awesome. No matter who wins this is looking like a pretty good Superbowl to me. I think I'll go and get some more...

Snow Love

This little girl love snow. She recently received enough to push her to her limit. She called me yesterday 5 times. I didn't hear my phone with all the painting and cleaning and she made it pretty clear on the voicemail that it was unacceptable.

Today we have talked 3 times and at one point she was trying to get me to listen to the show she was watching so we could laugh together.

Yes that is bored. I, on the other hand, am not bored so I was forced to hang up and get back to work.

Butter Cookie to the Rescue...

Painting continues... The hallway looks a lot different now that the dark brown is gone. It is such a dark house due to the lack windows and multitude of trees. We are lovin the new color. We struggled because the previous owners were trying to make the walls look like "leather". I was exhausted from just sanding the walls and even though it helped there is still a bit of "texture". There are still some touch ups to be made but we are happy with the progress.

This hallway makes me think of Alice in Wonderland because you don't know which door is going to take you where. I saw the previews for the Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland and I can't wait to see that in the theater. I think Tim and Johnny Depp are a great team and I love everything they do together.

http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/aliceinwonderland/?cmp=dmov_dpic_aaw_psy_cast_alice%2Bin%2Bwonderland

This is the small back hallway that we use to call the rock climbing hall because there were over 60 screws with wall anchors in that wall alone. I had a vision of the little animals that live in the walls coming out at night and doing their rock climbing and repelling.

I have no idea what they were hanging. But there was a lot of it.

Here is the other light that kind of matches the foyer and it's that neat heavy glass with some lilies in the design. It's hard to tell in the picture but now that the base is painted and its been cleaned we really like it.

I'm dead tire and even my finger nails hurt.

FIRE

I love a good fire. Bentley and I went to a bon fire at Ray's a couple of months ago and it was a nice beginning to the fire season. We got a bunch of fire wood and Bentley has been burnin', burnin', burnin. It's been too wet this year to burn in the burn pile outside, which I'm happy about since it keeps the use of the chainsaw to a minimum. Whew.

When I think of fire and fire places I have different memories come to mind. Sitting in front the fireplace at Gigi's in a little trance while the grown ups got caught up. Bebe looking like a witch doctor with the burn pile shooting flames higher than her stance and her white hair swirling around. The candles my brother and I would light when my parents made spaghetti and the excitement to blow them out. Defrosting a lost pup at my grandma's house one night when it snowed and the pup had ice cubes in his fur. Once we got him cleaned up she let me sleep with him in front of the fire place that night.

When I say we've been burning, you might even be able to see the magazine rack from the bathroom that we threw in there.