unhealthy.

Ok, here is the rundown of our super-de-duper-unhealthy New Year's Eve Menu as it currently stands *meaning it is in the house and being either eaten at this moment or prepared for consumption.
We figured that since everyone makes an effort to eat healthier in the new year (and I for one plan on losing some weight...we will see how it goes living with a man that has the metabolism of a Triple Crown race horse)...we are going to splurge on good eats this last night of 2009.
Our New Year's Eve Menu:
- Denise's Cheese Dip (think Velveeta queso with sausage, Rotel, brocoli, and cream of chicken soup to make it creamy....oooo...yummy)
-Dunkin' Donuts (seriously...don't you know American runs on Dunkin's?)
- brownies
-pizza
-apples and dip along with other fresh fruit (this is our one saving grace here....)
and finally, but possibly the most important, Stinky Sweet homebrewed Beer.

You are still most welcome to join us and get your grub on to celebrate the coming of 2010!

we're getting close.

It is coming up soon....2010 I mean. A new year full of new possibilities!
I am pretty excited!
What will this new year bring us?
A house or more patient waiting?
New jobs or more patient waiting?
So many possibilities and yet we patiently wait, looking forward to growth and change.
One thing I do know for sure, 2010 will bring us another wonderful year of being together, learning from each other, experiencing change (both good and bad), and just loving each other.
Oh, I am so excited!

Last night brought us hooking up the WiiFit (that is not ours - that we may or may not have "borrowed" from Chad's mom) and giggling ourselves silly over tightrope walking, hoolahooping, yoga, and pushups. Chad and I spend a couple of hours just taking turns, laughing at ourselves and each other and it was wonderful. I am actually pretty sore this morning and I am not sure whether it is from my real yoga class yesterday evening or laughing so hard at trying to do yoga in my living room while balancing on a machine that is telling me I am pretty much horrible at it.

Tomorrow night we have invited some friends over for New Year's Eve festivities...actually, Megan invited a bunch of people over. I invited two people. And I will probably be the one that cleans up the house tonight when I get off work because everyone else is working today and says they will be too busy with errands to do it tomorrow. Oh well...it is our house and I want it to look nice no matter who is coming over. I bought some big chunky candles to add to the small bench on the front porch but I might need one or two more to make it look a little more balanced and I am also searching for a cheap glass dish to put them in so I can actually light them and not have them melt on my new/old bench! Also bought some cheap-o glass plates at Walmart ($1 each!) to put under my glass hurricanes so stay tuned for the Young House inspired table re-do after the Christmas decor comes down.

Anyway, since we have people coming over tomorrow and NO PLANS as of yet, you have any suggestions for party foods that are super easy, really quick, and cheap? I know, lots of rules here on StinkySweet. Chad is chopping some wood today for us to use in our new fire pit but that is as far as we have gotten in the planning process! Kitchen is a mess, living room needs a cleaning overhaul and a major vaccuming...help!

wrapping up.

We are wrapping up our time here in Columbus...Chad and I did not make it to church this morning, instead staying home to clean up our messes all over the house and hopefully get the car packed up before mom and dad get home for some lunch. We have had such a good time here, relaxing, just going where we want, when we want, hanging out with my family. Such a good, sweet, rare time of just being together. I think we are going to try to do Christmas with Chad's family next year so I am trying to soak up all of the little traditions with mine this year.
We built a fire in our new (to us) fire pit last night and had some friends over to make smore's and hang out for a while. It is always nice to see people you rarely get to see, even if only for a few minutes! Mom and Dad headed to bed early but we saw the fire to the end before we made it inside for hot chocolate and bed.
This morning finds us packing and on our way to Atlanta to see Jay for his Holiday Open House and drop off some things my sister forgot when she left here Christmas day. Then we are headed home to do dinner and Christmas with Chad's parents - I think his sister has to work today (bummer!). It will be nice to sleep in our own bed tonight...
Work tomorrow (bummer#2) but having these days off has been won-der-ful.

no help.

You get a real post this time, with no help writing it, or adding to it (whether in numbers or in words.)
In all honesty, Chad is gone for the evening, spending some time with friends here in town and I am hoping for a visit with my best friend before she has to have other engagements for the evening so we are apart for a while tonight. After having a food hangover for the day, I sat down a little while ago to admire the loot but more to be thankful for all our blessings. All my family together in one house (even if just for one night!), laughter, good food, hanging out, and an early morning of blessing sharing. My sister and F had to leave early this afternoon to go spend some time with F's family and Chad and I get our second round of Christmas Sunday some time. We will stay in Columbus until tomorrow afternoon atleast but are thinking about making our trip back home tomorrow night - there might be someone sleeping in our bed though...we need to see if we should extend our stay here until Sunday. You know how you never sleep as good when you aren't in your own bed so though we love being here with my family (our family!), nothing is as good as being back in our house.
Chad and I both got more gifts than we needed or deserved...his family has a tradition of "making a list" so people get you things you actually want or need but my family is all about surprises. Both ways are fun - I know most of the things I am getting from his family but they are things I asked for so I am super excited. And the things we got from my family were all pretty much surprises so that is always fun too...my mom got me something super cool that I mentioned here a really long time ago...if you remember this post I talked about wanting this awesome wall decor thing and I had since completely forgotten about it (with the exception of the image being saved on my desktop for me to refer to about once a week when I dream of having a home of our own). Well, I got that for Christmas from my mom. My sister suggested it and mom and dad got it for us. I am so super excited but I am not going to put it on the wall until we have a place of our own. Now all we need is a house with empty walls!!
Blessings pouring out and more to come....Merry Christmas!

so early.

Chad and I arrived in Columbus around 10 last night...after a fairly non-eventful 4 hour drive in the rain. We continued the Sanders tradition of opening one gift on Christmas Eve (which always used to be your Christmas PJ's but now is the present of your choice63650++5566985

Ch5ad565 is standing b5y56....typing58 things on the num57ber57 57pad on the right 57side of t57he keyboard. This 9is5+25
0
2+0202++++52220+206+20+020252022+
is his own way of saying Merry Christmas

So we opened a present and got to bed about 11 last night...

And my sister got us up at 7:10 this morning.

I am sitting here typing with new overalls, mocassins from Chad, and earrings from my sister. Awesome. I will share pictures later...now we are about to eat some breakfast and take naps (which my sister has already started on!)

MIA.

Sorry I've been missing for a few days, not that anyone was all that bothered by it! We have been a little busy around here, trying to get some things done for Christmas and finishing up house work for the week. Today is Chad's last day of work until next Monday (oh the jealousy!) so i am leaving him a list of things to help me out with while he is off tomorrow and I am trudging away at HL.
But for this morning, since I don't go in until 1pm today, I need to:
-clean out my car so Chad can change the oil, check tires, do whatever he wants to it - so we can drive it to Cols. this weekend
-clean up my Christmas crafts table/dining room table (it has literally not been cleaned off since I decorated it 3 weeks ago. I'm embarrassed.)
-do 3 loads of laundry so I can pack for Cols. tonight (we are leaving straight from HL tomorrow when I get off work)
-make one more Christmas present - some earrings for a girl at work (I guess I should do this before I clean off the craft table

Oh dear, I am going to quit blogging and get started or I will never finish.

love poems.

I hesitate to talk about this, for a few more days atleast, but it is making such a big impression on my currently that I feel like I must discuss. I only hesitate now because someone I love is getting a copy of this much-loved-by-me book for Christmas and I don't want to ruin the surprise. I just won't tell you who is getting it...they will know in a few days anyway.

The book is "Rilke's Book of Hours: Love Poems to God". I discovered some quotations from it when I was in India the last time but I didn't have a full copy of my own until recently. And I have loved it so dearly that I bought a copy for someone else who I think will love it just as much. The copy that I have (and this Christmas copy as well) is written in the original German and also translated to English (which is great, since I can't read, speak, or understand the first word of German and would obviously get nothing from reading the book!). It is a collection of poems, prayers to God from a human's mind and perspective. One of the most beautiful things about this is the way that the author (Ranier Rilke...I believe) chooses to portray our relationship with our creator...as Christians, we know that God technically does not need us humans. He chose to create us and now we give Him a reason to tenderly look at the world...we are His tender reason. These poems are beautiful...

This is the one that was written on pink construction paper, lovingly folded in my Bible for 3 months in India, read virtually every day, and now resides (pink paper and all) on the side of the mirror in my closet for me to see every day:

"You who know, and whose vast knowing
is born of poverty, abundance of poverty -
make it so the poor are no longer
despised and thrown away.
Look at them standing about -
like wildflowers, which have nowhere else to grow." - III, 19

And this is one of my new favorites (among many):
"Extinguish my eyes, I'll go on seeing you.
Seal my ears, I'll go on hearing you.
And without feet I can make my way to you,
without a mouth I can swear your name.

Break off my arms, I'll take hold of you
with my heart as with a hand.
Stop my heart, and my brain will start to beat.
And if you consume my brain with fire,
I'll feel you burn in every drop of my blood." II, 7

So, love poems to God.
I will share more as I find favorites and whisper them in my own heart for a while.

another wet sunday.

Today we are having another wet day off...rainy and cold.
Megan's friends are still here...been here since Thursday. We have already gotten our annual reprimand from the home owner's association for having cars parked on the street I think we are doing OK. Apparently the folks across the street can't make it out of their driveway around a car parked on the far side of the three lane wide street....oh yes.
We are making breakfast for all...bacon and pancakes...wanna come over?

much to do.

Mom was here all day yesterday, heading back to Atl. to see my sister this morning. We didn't do nearly everything that we planned on getting done but it was so nice just to hang out with her all day. We ran a ton of errands, finishing up Christmas stuff, talking, laughing, hanging out. I can't wait to be home next week and spend some time with my whole family!
Headed to the HL today...Chad is going to run errands and finish up his shopping while I am at work. I am so thankful for a day off yesterday...I really needed that one, especially one with my mom. It is really awesome how much our relationship has changed and improved over the past year since I moved away. I hate it that I don't live in the same city as my parents and I'm not able to spend more time with them, just hanging out. But I am thankful that they are so awesome and I enjoy their company so much!

rainy day off.

Today is my day off this week. And it is pouring rain.
The cold, terrible, stay-inside-in-your-pajamas-all-day kind of rain.
Too bad Mom is coming and we have 1,001 things to do...
errands to run, last minute Christmas gifts to buy/finish (and one is for mom so she has to wait in the car and pretend she doesn't know where we are!), lunch with Jay downtown, laundry to fold (whenever she comes, I always save her my laundry!), Christmas cards to design/print/finish/mail...oh dear. I might have overbooked us for today.
I am off to try to design a card in Photoshop because the ones I was going to make did not work out quite like I had planned in my mind...waiting for mom to come.

as i promised.

As I promised, pictures of the Christmas cookies...

which I decorated for 4 hours on Sunday.

And then promptly gave them all away!

a prayer.

We are having a hard time seeing and feeling the Christmas spirit around here...the true reason for our life and breath and remembering a baby in a manger....celebrating an advent season.
Or maybe it is just me....not finding the joy in the season.
I breathe a prayer all day...a prayer for thankfulness and whisper a pleading heart.
Unpacking boxes all day today - putting out more things for people to buy and forget the Child.
I breathe a prayer to help me remember to celebrate the Truth this Christmas, a truth having nothing to do with the gifts we have purchased (or not purchased yet), a truth that doesn't need a tree or ornaments or lights.
I whisper a prayer of thanks and a request to use me up so nothing is left.

looking forward.

Today is freight day at HL. Joy.
And the worst part is that this is no regular freight day...not only do we have an entire day's worth of framing to finish that is due tomorrow (after already doing an entire regular day's worth of framing yesterday that is due tomorrow - the joy of being double booked for Christmas) but we also have our biggest freight order of the year. Seriously. Apparently people give photo frames for Christmas much more than I realized. I placed my biggest order in photo frames and B (my dept. manager) placed a huge order back in the actual framing dept so we will have an absolute ton of stuff to unpack and put out today along with our regular framing. I think I am tired already.
Oh, and did I mention that I have to go in early and still stay to close (probably about 10pm)?
Ok, enough complaining...I am counting down the days until Chad and I get to go to Columbus. I desperately wish I got a whole week off to spend with my family (you are so lucky Dani!!) but next Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will have to do. Chad and I will be driving down late Thursday night when I get off work, arriving in Columbus probably around 10 or 11. And frankly, if my sister keeps with our crazy traditions and gets us up early on Christmas morning she might get a black eye for Christmas (hi sis! I love you!).
My sis-in-law M has 6 friends coming to stay with us this weekend and if I didn't have to work I am pretty sure that Chad and I would leave home (mostly just because it would free up another bed!). I am trying to clean up this morning before I leave work because I will get in so late tonight and have to go in early tomorrow so I won't have as much of a chance to clean up our mess before they get here. I also have to make a couple of stops this morning before work to get some last Christmas presents before the money and time is completely gone!

new.

It is Monday night (late!) and I am feeling like a new person, though an admittedly tired one. Most of the gross stuff going on in my head has moved to my throat and chest so aside from the constant plague-like coughing, I am feeling much better! Hopefully this is a knock-it-out in a week and a half deal. I've been drinking lots of OJ, taking my meds, and getting plenty of water the rest of the day so here's hoping it won't last much longer.
I spent about 4 hours (no, literally 4 hours) making decorated sugar cookies yesterday. When I turn on my computer tomorrow I will share pictures. They are a little um...ugly...in their own cute sorta way and after about 2 hours of decorating I was running a little low on ideas. They do taste pretty decent so that makes up for their attractiveness. I also made my famous toffee tonight and Chad made a batch of chocolate fudge yesterday and a batch of peanut butter fudge today. In an effort to get brownie points - I mean be nice - and get rid of some of the Christmas sweets, I am going to take some to the managers at my store. I will hopefully bag some up and get it to work Wednesday since everyone needs a little sweet pick-me-up on freight day.
I am off work on Friday this week and hopefully my mom will be able to come up and hang out for the day, helping me to finish up some Christmas projects (that have been far too long going). Or maybe we will just hang out all day and do nothing. Either would be ok! I just look forward to a day off from HL to get things done around the house.

awesome.

I am still sick...feeling like I have more energy but still feeling like crap.
The coughing has started now too...the dry tickle that won't stop and the nice cough that means you are supposed to be coughing something up but it isn't happening so you just cough, and cough, and cough...ugh.
Sorry to be graphic. This is just my life right now!
I went to work yesterday and spent the whole day trying to tell people that I wasn't contagious...I just sound like a frog. The doc said I could go if I felt up to it and we are far too busy for me to miss another day of work so I went. I was exhausted when I got home last night and I have to open this morning. I hated getting out of my warm bed...it is in the 20's here! So the roads are icy meaning I am going to give myself a little extra time to get to work. I drive down two hilly/curvy roads that are constantly wet because of bad drainage so I always make a mental note to slow down and give myself plenty of time to get there. I noticed yesterday that they actually salted a couple of places on one road so that is telling you something about how cold it is here. Crazy! It isn't even officially winter yet!
I saw Emily at HL yesterday and it was so nice to see a friendly face when I didn't feel great! We talked about fun Christmas craft projects...her family is trying to do the handmade thing too which I fully support! Fun....! I am jealous!
My parents arrived back home in Cols. after a week in Gaitlinburg with my in-laws. I think they had a blast. I talked to mom a couple of times when I didn't feel good and they were always doing something fun. I think they really enjoyed being away for a few days...just being someplace new and different always gives you a new perspective. It was so nice of the in-laws to offer and I know my parents had a good time hanging out with them. It is the most time they have ever spent together - a good chance to get to know each other better since they have family in common now!
Enough for now...I could sit here under a blanket all morning but I would be late for work.
Making my lunch...bundling up...and headed out!

save your strength.

I am still home sick today...after a visit to the doc this morning, I learned that I will probably not die, though I might feel like it today. No ear infections like I thought it might be...just lots of pressure built up in there. She wrote me a prescription for antibiotics but told me not to fill it until atleast tomorrow or Friday if a) I felt worse or b) had a fever (which I do not currently have, though I have taken so much Tylenol in the past two days you wouldn't know it if I did!). So, I am waiting it out, taking the Sudafed every 5 hours on the dot (it said 4 to 6 so I am meeting that one in the middle).

After my Dr.'s visit, I saved my strength for two things:
1. dropping off Dani's goodies at the Post Office (so excited!)
and
2. Iced Green Tea from Panera Bread. (I think I might just be healed...for 5 minutes. Go. Get. Some. Now.)

I am currently about to undertake Christmas gift wrapping while I am the only person home so they won't see their presents. But really I want to put them under the tree to weigh down the tree skirt from the cat dragging it across the room. I do have a secret motive on this one. The last of today's strength will get used on this one so pray I make more for tomorrow...I have to go back to work Friday and Saturday and I am really dreading it....feeling crappy and Hobby Lobby do not mix well.

be still my heart too!

One of the blogs I read (ok, daily...don't tell!) is MckMama's blog and she is one of the 5 lucky bloggers that has been given a HP TouchSmart computer to review and one to give-a-way!
I also saw the giveaway on other blogs but for this one, if you reblog about it, and comment that you blogged about it, you get an extra entry in the contest.
And we all know I need a new computer...with my spacebarthatonlyworkshalfthetime, and the "h" key that is a bit fussy as well...a new touch screen computer would be a-ma-zing.
So, check it out, but don't enter
You will hurt my chances to win! :)

but wait...

There's more!

I did finish Dani's handmade Christmas gifts last night! Maybe I will venture out of the house and get those in the mail today.
Maybe.
Or maybe tomorrow when I don't feel like I am going to die. :)

But all those other things I was going to do yesterday?
I didn't.
Came home, took meds, ate, and watched NCIS (which was disappointingly reruns when I swear the commercial said they would be new episodes!)

dump truck.

There is a saying in my family, when you don't feel well, that you feel like you "got run over by a dump truck".
Well, that is today in our house. I called in sick to work for the first time since I have worked at HL. I had to leave work once but I have never called in sick. I hate being sick and I really hate not being at work when I am supposed to be there. My right ear/jaw has been bothering me for a couple of days but I literally thought that I just bit down on something hard and it would go away. Then yesterday, I started to feel worse and worse as the day went on. My throat hurts major bad and both of my ears ache so much it is giving me a migraine. Ugh.
Yes, I have an appt. at the Dr. and I am dreading them putting me on antibiotics...it just wipes out the good stuff along with the bad and that sucks too! I would like to just take Sudafed for a couple of days and knock out all the draining but I am at the point where it is giving me a migraine so it is time to just let the Dr. do his thing.
I am supposed to be off work tomorrow so that is good news anyway...gives me two days to do nothing, drink hot tea, and get to feeling better before I have to jump into the Christmas fray again.
So I came downstairs, after getting up super late (and it was awesome!)...I am going to find some food that is nice to my throat and spend the rest of the day watching movies in my pajamas and wrapping presents.
Any movie suggestions?

prepare.

Today=
- Work at HL (long day ahead because we are so far behind!)
- Yoga at the YMCA
- Make dinner
- Make Dani's Christmas gifts
- Watch NCIS
- Start on edible Christmas gifts
- Fold 2 loads of laundry
- Clean up craft area
- Work on Christmas cards

oh christmas tree.

I am sitting here, looking at our Christmas tree, enjoying the night...
I had to work late, until close when I was only scheduled until 7 because one of the other girls called in sick. Sorta a bad day to be sick; we were already behind when we started but got farther and farther behind all day because we were so busy.
Hopefully we will get caught up tomorrow since we don't schedule much for Wednesdays because of out freight.

I got a text the other day from Dani and she wants me to make her a few things to give for Christmas presents...I was super excited. I won't tell you what I am making because frankly I don't think the receivers read my blog but I don't want to ruin the surprise, just in case. But mostly I was so thrilled that she wanted me to make something for her...that my talent can be used somehow! And it is pretty much my first official paid order so that is pretty cool too. A couple of people have encouraged me to open an Etsy shop of handmade things but I don't know if I could handle the pressure. I am scared I would mess something up and then no one would want to buy things from me! I guess I could also only sell things that are already finished because the idea of taking custom orders terrifies me! What if they hated it?!? So anyway, I will make those in the next couple of nights (maybe while watching NCIS again tomorrow night? Commercial breaks seem to be a good craft time!)...fun! I am glad to be helping with a handmade Christmas gift...I fully support that!

By the way, my digits are no longer dingy. Thanks for asking.
And yes, it is hilarious now.
And yes, people at work joke about it constantly.
And yes, the jokes will probably be getting old soon.
Maybe right about....now.

My Christmas plans for folks at work:
Cookies for the general public I think.
Pecan Clusters (the kind with caramel and chocolate...yummy!) for the managers
and maybe Paula's Famous Toffee!
Who doesn't like cookies, pecans, and toffee?!?
I bought all the ingredients at BiLo yesterday. Another handmade Christmas idea!

finally. almost.

Finally, a small sampling of the Christmas decor...

some of this you will have seen last year,

some is new.

There is still some to be done but I will show you that as it happens.

I got these vases last year at HL for like 90% off...something like $2 each.

I was going to use them at Valentine's day, but honestly,

who decorates for V-Day?

So Christmas it is!

This is the tree - with lights, sans ornaments.

I have since put the ornaments up but didn't decorate the bottom foot or so of the tree...for fear they would come to an untimely demise.

You'll notice that the bottom half of the tree has different lights - I decided that since I had to buy lights, I would go ahead and splurge on the LED variety.

Cooler to the touch, costs less in electricity over the long run, and best of all? A 5 year warranty and a "stay lit" bonus (if one goes out, the rest stay lit!).

The greenery on the stairs.

Last year's stocking - an inexpensive reuse.

And a dog keeping guard.

This year's front porch! It is still missing a few things but handmade pillows and a greenery bunch made from leftovers from our tree (Free!) make it a fun and cheap decor! You will probably see this one again in our Christmas card pictures (to be taken today....if I have a good hair day. We all know it isn't happening if my hair is lookin' a mess like usual!)

And last, this is a newby.

A silver vase found in the house,

extra faux-greenery, and shatterproof Christmas ornaments.

Candles from last Thanksgiving, repainted (remember those!?), and the bottom half of one of my mom's paintings. She is awesome!

this just in...

Makin' tracks!

(All over the neighbor's yards...)

This is happening at our house, right this very minute!

We woke up to snow!

The forecast called for it but I always doubt until I see it...

it is beautiful!

My roses were making a last stand.

Snow won.

I stole this from Dani but it seemed perfect for out backyard table!
Thanks for the idea!
Since this might be the only snow we get this winter, I thought I should go ahead and get started.



The red and white...wearing their Christmas colors!

sad discovery.

I had great intentions.
Getting the tree completely decorated tonight and the swag made from the extra tree branches for the front porch.
Half my lights don't work. They worked when I put them up last year.
What happened attic light monster? Why did you kill my christmas lights?
Now I can't finish.
And I am totally bummed out.
Oh well...tomorrow!

personal.

I have an embarrassing confession.
Yes, more embarrassing than having an entire can of spray paint on your body somewhere (cause that wasn't embarrassing at all...cough, cough).
I have had this really crazy personal goal of getting a blog hit from all 8 continents (ok, are there 8? Embarrassed, again. )
If so, I will forgive Antarctica and go for 7.
At the moment, I am at six.
I need Africa (yes, more than Africa needs me but not for this particular goal.)
Name that reference!
After a visit from Brazil sometime in the past few days (thankfully, I do not check Google Analytics every day any more so I missed it when it happened), I have all the other continents except for Africa and Antarctica (whom I am giving permission not to participate in this round).
So, if you know someone who happens to be in Africa (or in the cold Arctic doing cool research or dog sledding or something), and you wanted to encourage them to hit me up here, please do.
You have no idea what kind of dancing and hip-hip-hooray-ing would happen in our house.
I might even embarrass myself further by taping it and showing you.
No pride here folks.

Still dingy Digits, signing off for the night.

in da' house.

The Christmas tree is in da' house.
Naked but here.
We are giving the animals (mainly the cat) a chance to get used to it before we put breakable ornaments on it....hopefully that will happen tomorrow. And maybe I will get the wreath decorated and put up tomorrow.
And the rest of the ornaments on the banister.

But literally, as I sit here and type, the cat is running circles around the tree and jumping up and down. And meowing loudly.
I am mildly concerned.

I will keep decorating and hopefully, maybe, someday, post pictures when we get finished.
All my love,
Dingy Hands Paula (yes, they are still a little brown...sparkly rings, dingy digits)

well ok.

Ok, it is funny now.
Now that my rings are cleaned and I am in the possession of new shoes (with plans to go buy pants tomorrow).
All is well in the world.
Mostly. You know, minus the world peace thing.

brown.

Yesterday was a - shall we call it...not so great - day at HobLob.

But we will start with the good stuff...I actually cashed in a gift certificate from last year's birthday for a 30-minute massage at this neat little place down in St. Elmo. I have never had a professional massage before and it was lovely. I was a little nervous - you know, stripping down in front of a stranger but she was really awesome about it. She said you leave on what ever clothes you want and then you cover up before she comes back in the room. She explained everything and worked a lot on my lower back and neck, problem spots for me! It was nice! I think I might treat myself another day but probably when I don't have to go put out frieght that day!

So, I got to work, started putting away freight and about 4:30 a customer came into the framing dept. asking about paint. She was trying to paint the frame on a gold mirror a nice shade of dark brown and wanted to know what the best kind of paint would be. It was a little matte and smooth but since the Art Supply guy was already gone for the day, I told her I would help her. I took her over to the crafts dept. and was showing her the paints and she picked up can of spray paint and it dropped on the floor. The lid and spray top broke off and it started spraying everywhere.. And by everywhere I mean all over ME, my pants, my shoes, the floor, the products on the other side of the aisle...everywhere. So, I grabbed the lid (now broken) and covered the unstoppable spray and started hightailing it to the breakroom (2 aisles away) where I know there is a giant trashcan. For some reason (which I later discovered and it was senseless), the breakroom door is locked. At this point, my hands are competely brown and paint is running down my arm. I have to go all the way around 4 more aisles and into the stockroom to find a trashcan...leaving a dripping trail of oil based spray paint for like 60 feet.

Ugh.

So...It's cool. I'm fine. I know it isn't my fault and we can clean but...I realize my pants and shoes are ruined.

Totally ok.

I realize there is paint for around 60 feet through the store that, as it is drying, is starting to look more and more like blood.

Totally ok.

I realize that there is paint in my antique engagement ring and in the ring I had designed made out of my grandmother's diamonds.

Really, really not ok.

I totally burst into tears in the stockroom.

Of course, everyone had a solution. "You should have taken off your vest and covered the can!"

Oh...the vest that is tied on my body in two places? That vest? Fabulous idea! Why didn't I think of that?!?

You could have just let it spray out? Oh...really? And cover and entire aisle and 10 customers in brown paint? No thanks.

As I am standing in the breakroom, using paint thinner on my hands, I hear over the walkie talkies that a mom who's child was "involved in the spray paint incident" wanted her entire outfit replaced and I am standing there with brown paint all over my shoes and pants, I nearly cursed someone.

So, I went home on my lunch break to change clothes. I called Chad and asked him to make me something to eat since my lunch was still in the fridge at HobLob...I got all the way to our road when I realized that my jeans and shoes from changing for yoga the day before were in my backseat all along. I could have just changed at work.

Awesome.

As it turns out, after I got back to work, the store manager (who I thought was mad at me) came back and told me to go get my rings professionally cleaned, by a new pair of pants and shoes and bring him the bill. He said that if it had been my fault and I was just being careless then it would be my problem but since I was trying to help a customer and stop a mess from being any worse, then the store would pay for those things. I guess I like Hobby Lobby after all.

Even though my hands just look really dirty now.

uh oh.

I got an an-non-i-mus comment on my last post that said I should return the Pioneer Woman Cookbook.
Not good...I can't.
I bought it on Amazon.com.
But I can give it to someone else!
So, if you are reading this, and you get a Pioneer Woman Cooks! book for Christmas, please know, you were supposed to get it all along.
It is just how things work!