No Costume Jitters....

Tomorrow is the big night.   Things are beginning to shape up around here.  All the shopping is about done.  Have a friend coming to help me carve pumpkins tonight and food prep is all day tomorrow.  (maybe some later today...we'll see)

Loving how one side of my porch came out....
Still have the Left side to do - it's getting there.   Just can't put the witch out until tomorrow....don't want her stolen!
She's one of my favorite halloween toys!!

 

What's blowing my mind is how expensive this all gets.....  The FOOD is about to wipe me out!  I had to renew my drivers license out of this pay day too... Oh well.... it's only money and we can't take it with us!  May as well enjoy it - right?

My biggest worry.....My COSTUME???  It's just not coming together for me!  Bubble bubble - I'm in trouble.   I really need to figure this out TODAY!!

More to come....post party pics for sure.   It had better be a success....I sure spent enough in the hopes that it would be!  (lots of left over food for me???)

Wish I could invent a cure for 'STUPID'!

Well, I had one of those "everyone jump in front of Pauline while she's driving" mornings on my way to work today.   No matter how fast or how slow I was going, or how little or much space I had between me and the car in front of me - it seemed as if being in front of me was the place to be - and everyone wanted to be there.

HOWEVER, on the interstate, in the passing lane (otherwise known as the 'fast' lane - am I not right?) - I got behind a car doing 50 (speed limit 65!!! - this is the fast lane - jeeze!)  I rode along behind her for a bit until I could move over to go around her - I put on my blinker and as I moved to the right....so did she (no signal, no clue, nothing).   Of course the car that was behind me on my left sped up to fill the gap me and my lovely driving companion in front of me had just made, so I couldn't pull back over to get away from her.

Well as if she wasn't irritating enough just going so far below the speed limit, she had to incessantly tap on her brakes as if she was worried I was going to rear-end her or something.  I kept my distance - just because of her wreckless disregard for drivers around her - looking for a way out from this hell. 

She tapped her brake again as I had begun to accellerate to move over to the left, and I had to slow and missed my chance.  I seriously considered sign language but took a few deep breaths and chanted a mantra.  She was soooo busy watching me in her mirror and tapping her brake, I guess she didn't notice the car on the right that cut over in front of her in the VERY limited space she had between her and the car that had been in front of her....

I saw what was about to happen and made a quick exit to the Left lane from behind her, just as she looked in front of herself instead of in the mirror and proceeded to rear-end the person that just pulled into that space.  I just barely made it past, and really don't know what the repercussions were from her stupidity - but I'd imagine there were more than just the two of them involved - as it was in the middle of morning work commute on an interstate highway.

People who worry about what is behind them more than what's in front of them need to sit in the trundle seat of some antique car in a parade and stay out of the driver's seat.   I hope nobody was hurt due to her stupidity but I have a feeling.....

I think if I could find a cure for stupid - I'd win the nobel peace prize or something.  There's just so much of it out there!!! 

I really feel badly about going on and not going back to see the end result of her games.... I was actually caught up in the traffic flow and couldn't even get over to the right for an exit for several exits and was very nearly at work at that time.   I opted to go on to work as getting there after the fact would probably be next to impossible.  I can't begin to imagine what she's done to this morning's commute.   A lot of people will be late to work this morning - all thanks to someone who can't keep their eyes on the CORRECT part of the road and would rather make the person behind them miserable for their own enjoyment, than to drive appropriately and get on with her life!    We can only hope for karma - Hi Judge - yes license should be suspended - for stupidity.

Whew - another traffic rant!  Oh well - better here than on the road - huh? :)  Drive safe and smart! DON'T be STUPID!  I'm a nurse - but can't fix that!

Design day

TGIF!!  Whew - what a week!  But the great thing is.....Sooooooo much good stuff accomplished at work!  The next two weeks are gonna be killers too - but the end result will be more good stuff!!  Just keeping my home town safe!  Isn't that what it's all about?

Anyyywayy... moving forward.  The work week is over and play time is at hand.  My best friend is coming over tonight to help with the 'design' process and shopping for the Halloween decor.  My intent is to spend a little and do a lot.  (good luck with that huh?) :)

I'm hoping to have a very productive weekend.   Lots of great ideas :)

Stay tuned!

Score!

Today - our first rainy day in quite a while.....only a couple weeks until Halloween - and fall finally arrived.  Awesome!  The cool weather will offset the heat of wearing costumes and having lots of people in a small space.   This is a very good thing.

Watching 'halloween wars' on the cooking channel and seeing the creativity of pumpkin carvers, cake decorators and sugar artists has me really jazzed.   Tomorrow is Friday - the end of the week - after work - I shop for the tools to start building my own halloween creations.   Ghosts, witches, window silhouettes, special lighting effects, it's all gotta be right.   I have so many ideas in my head and so little time (and money).  

I can hardly wait for the final outcome - it's gotta be good.
Stay tuned!

Oh and by the way - the coast guard flew over hundreds of pounds of marijuana off the shore of mission beach (bicycle distance from me)this evening  - so some poor SOB - wrecked their boat off shore or something spilling their goodies - and the end result - DEA scores!  LOL 

Trick or Treat!!

My Favorite time of year

I grew up believing Christmas is a holiday where you try to fit as many wrapped boxes under a tree in your livingroom as you possibly could - whether you could afford it or not.......That Thanksgiving you put enough food on the table to feed a small country......and Halloween you went out and collected all the free candy you could - so you would be able to destroy your teeth at an early age.

Things have changed since I've become an adult.   Yes - I still catch myself with the Christmas and Thanksgiving traditions.   It's sort of absurd - but just bad habits I guess.  (sort of like having to clean your plate - even if you were full 1/2 hour ago) Thanks Mom!

But Halloween has been taken to a whole new level!!  It has become my absolute favorite holiday.  Who doesn't like dressing up and pretending?  Playing with makeup?  Being something you've always wanted to be?  Behaving badly and not getting in trouble?  Eating all sorts of junk food that is named after something gross and disgusting? 

And DECORATING!!!   OHHHHH the DECORATING!   When I die - what my boys will inherit - would probably fill a haunted house!  ;)  Below grim reaper showing the way....

 Some great costumes

 more costumes

 webs everywhere

 silliness before the party

It can only get better and better right?   Can't wait for this years party..... getting a LOT of RSVPs and my neighbors are even getting in on the deocrating fun outside.   Halloween at work was fun too.   I know I have lots of pictures - 'tis the season...... more to come.....

BOO to YOU!!

Warm Fuzzies

It's funny.   The silly little things that make us feel good or bad, happy or sad.  (Gee - are those words to a song?)

Sitting at my computer - pinning away on pinterest (my newest favorite obsession - I get those a lot) - I can see the hummingbird feeder out the front window.   The birds are out there just buzzing each other and yelling with their raspy little chirps - claiming territory - and grabbing a quick sneak sip in between the battles.   I could sit for hours and watch them - they're so amazing.... small, fast, beautiful, and comical. 

I also heard the sound of a lawn mower off in the distance.   Many people can tune out noises.  I often envied them - when I had to run to check every alarm in the ICU or ER - and they'd sit and do what they were doing - never even hearing them.   Because I CAN hear EVERY little thing around me - the irritating repetitious noises can really get to me quickly - so I'm generally off to go fix them (the dripping faucet, the wind rattling the blinds, the alarm on the microwave.....) - but there are sounds that bring back old memories - sounds like a lawn mower.   That is a sound that for some reason does not bother me - but instead soothes my soul.

Some of my favorite sounds:

• Ocean waves
• Train whistles
• Boat horns
• Meadowlarks
• Wind in Pines
• Trickling water
• Babies laughing
• Stringed instruments
• Rain
• Seagull Calls
• Owls
• Xylophones
• Windchimes
• Singing in Harmony
• Flute
• Steel Drums

There are probably a jillion more things - but these are just off the top of my head.
Other things that make me feel good and bring back memories...... Smells..... Mmmm yes

Some of my favorite fragrances:

• Lily of the Valley - My  FAVORITE
• Lilac - a close second
• Bread baking - reminds me of grandma
• Barbecue - mouthwatering
• Bacon - can't ever have too much
• Cucumber  - so refreshing
• Tabu - my favorite perfume - (not made)
• The air after it rains
• Freshly mown grass
• Freshly dug dirt
• The Ocean
• Babies
• Eucalyptus
• Pine forest
• New Leather
• New Cars

Just thinking about all these things makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.    Hope you do too!