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Wet Wednesday

Just can't beat this working at home, I'll tell ya!  It was rainy and miserable out both yesterday a good part of the day and this morning too.  I was so glad that I did not have to put on work clothes and drive in it!  It wasn't an easy work day for me though because I was doing some work on FHA loans and I haven't dealt with FHA loans in oh about 11 years.   Not exactly my idea of fun. 

I found out yesterday that all the time when I thought if I recruited someone for lia sophia I would get a small % of what they sold/purchased, that in fact I would have to recruit 3 people and would have to have 3 months in a row of $5000 in sales ($1500 of which would have to be my OWN) in order to get dime one from anything they do. Now nothing is impossible, but the fact that I already work a full-time at home underwriting job and another part-time trying to get to full-time pre-underwriting services business, not to mention getting WOOD STOCK open soon, and let's not forget the household chores of meals, dishes, laundry, dogs, etc....yup I don't think I'll try to be recruiting anymore anytime soon. I love the jewelry though so I guess I'll just keep doing catalog and onine parties and that's it.

Here's a picture of my sister and I getting our pictures taken for our hubs. I was flattered that the photographer asked who was older?!  Was he just being polite?  I don't know.  Okay well that's all that's new for now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quick Post

My folks finally have their house sold! Yeah!!!

Hopefully they can move forward with getting here to Texas so that they can be close to two of their children.  I hope they move to our town so it could be convenient for us and them.  They'd like it here as it isn't as built up as some other areas area.

I had a relatively easy day of work which is unusual and no new files from the one other client I have. Not sure what is going on there, but I am enjoying the lull as I don't like working every day AND every night.  Hope that some other underwriting opportunity will come up at home here soon.

Nite

 

 

Friday's Quote

I saw this quote and liked it.  TGIF!  I'll write more later. Brrr...it is only 31 degrees. Did someone plunk me back down in PA overnight?? 

REMEMBER: You don't have to be a victim just to satisfy someone else's need to be a jerk. You have value, worth and POWER. Don't give it away. ROSEMARY SMITH P.W.(POWERFUL WOMAN )

Hump Day

Is that all it is, hump day today? :(

This week is dragging already.  I hated my work today. Just didn't want to bust my butt getting all I am expected to do done and the fact that systems were down part of the morning didn't help.  I don't know when or if I'll hear about any other possibilities. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to start getting my resume out there more.  I just checked and the date I aced my test was the 10th and it is the 22nd...ugh.  And the other work I'm doing is just as bad if not worse.  Nothing seems to ever go smoothly with that! 

Tomorrow is my exercise day too which I get tired of sometimes.  I mean cripes! How many people do you know that have exercised pretty much 3-4 days a week for the last 30 years straight?  It gets old sometimes and even though I feel better afterwards, the night before I think about it and just go ugh!

That Spring Expo I was in was okay.  I got a few orders from it but then I turned around and ordered a few things as well...so did it get me anywhere?  Not really.  I'll be glad when Wood Stock opens. Maybe I can actually sell some things more easily than trying to convince folks at an online party to buy from me.

Maybe this is just a down cycle for me, who knows.  Okay well I'm going to get off this thing and get some sleep.

Diane

 

 

New pic

I decided it was too much of a reminder to have the pic of myself and Misty appear every time I open my Blog so I changed it. This is a recent shot I had taken. I have to get back to work now.

 

Tired

I''m kind of tired to write much of anything tonight.  It started last night when I was watching the local TV news talk about tornado warnings in the area. Stacey and I were talking about the 'safest' place to go in case there was one and since we have no basement as most home around here don't, we were trying to think whether it was between the coat closet under the stairs or the pantry - both of which are in inner walls but also which would be really cramped with the 3 of us and our 3 dogs in there. So instead we just hoped that there would be no tornado and we'd be spared thinking of the emergency safe zone to go to.

Headed to bed after that and one of our furkids, the smallest but with the longest legs, was stretched out sideways on the bed and left me little room to get comfy. I slept maybe a little off and on until one of the other ones was really spooked by the storm which had some pretty loud rolling thunder going on. I ended up pulling her up on the bed with us - big mistake!  She scratched me in several places mostly because she was scared, then went over to bother hub on his side of the bed and got us both rather frustrated in our attempts to calm her down.  I went downstairs to lay on the couch next to her but hub came down shortly after so I could sleep since I was the one who had to work today.

Full work load today then followed by a grueling file to work on for one of my clients. I'd rather have let my entire focus dwell on the latest episode of the Apprentice instead. Finally got done but it is after 10:00 and I'm tired like I started out saying.

It would be so wonderful for the store to do well. I try not to put too much dependence on that happening but it is nice to daydream or perhaps I should say nightdream about it when I have days like this that seem to be nothing but work, work, work!

Here's to a better night's sleep!

Soggy Sunday

My oldest daughter came home for a short visit Thursday until Friday evening. It was really nice to see her again. She seems to be content with her college life and I'm glad.  She adjusted a lot better than I did when I went away to college - although I wasn't nearly as close as she is to home.  If she really wanted to, she could come home every weekend.  I only got home some holidays and for the summer and it was either a very long drive (12-14 hrs) or a plane ride to get there. 

But she'd probably be okay no matter where she is.  She is a very independent spirit. Thanks for visiting Danielle as I know you'll be reading this!

Today is a rainy day as it has been all weekend. Ick!  Took Stacey and her boyfriend to see a movie last night and a million other people had the same idea. It was the most crowded I've ever seen it. I let the kids out to get the tickets for me but they were still in line by the time I got to them .At least they were closer to the window than they would have been if I made them walk from where I parked.

They saw She's the Man and I stayed and saw Eight Below.  It was really touching to me, since I love dogs so much and since Misty recently went to the rainbow bridge.   I cried. It was good though.  The dogs were incredible actor pups!

The kids seemed to have enjoyed their movie as well.  Luckily it wasn't too rainy during the drive to and from the theater.  The roads here are more slippery when it rains than back East - probably because it doesn't rain as often. 

Molly was absolutely hyper this morning. She is definitely more of a work dog metabolism! I felt bad for her and played fetch the ball with her this morning for nearly a half hour outside (thankfully it wasn't raining right then). It was almost as if nature was holding off for us so she could play because it has been a pretty steady downpour since then.

Updated plans on Wood Stock is to open on Apri 1st.  We are waiting for the custom made counter to be finished and a few other artisans are completing some pieces to put into the store.  We had hoped things would move faster but of course they never do.  And so the 20th when we wanted to open is tomorrow already and we aren't ready.  Still excited though and hopefully everything will go well.

No word yet on any new job prospects.  I passed the underwriting test with flying colors but no news yet. Some days I'm fine with my job when I don't have to deal with management much, but most of the time I still get a knot in the back of my neck by the end of my work day...which disappears during the weekend -so it MUST be work related.

I probably should clean today but I really hate cleaning so I think I'll just do laundry and do some lightweight cleaning (bathroom sinks) a little dusting, that sort of thing.  It is a good day to watch movies and veg out. Oh, I do have to do the grocery shopping sometime today and I'm still sitting here in my smelly work out clothes. Ain't life grand? :)

If anything worth writing about happens today I'll post again.

Oh, I'm still in the expo too
http://www.theexpoconnection.com/SpringFling06/expo/ 

 

Come to the Spring Fling

Come check me out at the Expo Connection Spring Fling

I'll be featured today March 16th at 11:00 AM EST, March 17th at 9:30 PM EST, March 18th at 3:00 PM and other times through March 22nd!  It is really a fun time for those who have never attended an online event.

 

Terrible Tuesday

Not really a terrible day. Just thought it made a good title.  Okay well we had a meeting today at work about how work was going, etc., and I don't know if anything will improve, but we all got to vent.  I did tell another gal that does the same work I do this morning that I was looking for another job.  Don't know if that prompted the meeting but did seem a bit strange that suddenly we were going to be having a meeting.

I feel like it is much like beating a dead horse since I've been complaining since December, but either way I'm still looking for that at home underwriting job.  I did change around my abcmortgage.net website so as to de-emphasize the consumer help and emphasize the broker/loan officer help.  There are some folks out there who could really use my help putting a loan together!!!  Hopefully some others will start considering my services.  I have the one client so far but that is only a few files a month - hardly enough to 'quit my day job' for.

American Idol was only good for the 2nd half tonight in my opinion.  I voted for my guy Taylor Hicks!  And if he changes his hair color, that's it !  I'm not voting for him anymore...well maybe I will. I just love how much he loves doing what I love to do (sing).  I just do it for my enjoyment only at this point in my life, but it still gives me a small thrill when I think I sound pretty good < haven't sung that much lately, bad girl >  I would sing while I work but it would be way too distracting!!  I wouldn't be concentrating like I need to, to do my job.

My youngest daughter has off this week and seems a little bored.  She and I did go out to lunch yesterday at a local restaurant so that was nice to get out for a few.  I can't do a whole lot though, like spend a whole day doing something since I'm still working this week.  Luckily my oldest is coming home from college on Thursday to spend a day or two so that will be nice for Stacey.

We are toying with the idea of getting another sheltie that is around Molly's age.  She is just so full of energy and really enjoyed running around with Misty so much.  We probably will have to just find one in the paper because it is doubtful about going the route we have before. So it may take a while to find one that is not a puppy.  I just don't want to go through all the house training and chewing of everything in site stage. 

Well on that note I'm hitting the sack.

 

 

 

Sunday night blah

Sunday night is here all too soon. Tomorrow starts another work week, another deadline to get loans done, another day that I can steal a few minutes outside to escape it all and drink in nature.

Well daughter #1 got more ear piercings. I don't really understand the desire behind it but she is old enough to make her own choices about such things, damn it.  I think I know why parents start to look older as their kids get into their mid to late teens - they age us!  Much as I hate to admit it, it is true.  It is hard not to worry about the path they are taking and I pray that he (God) is watching over them, especially while they are not under my roof where I can still keep a watchful, protective eye on them. 

Stacey (daugther #2) and I went back to the local Nursery where the old codger wasn't in quite as good a mood as he was yesterday - almost seemed annoyed that he had to stop watering the flowers.  But I insisted on asking him if there were any flowers that deer tended to NOT eat and he steered me to a few different kinds and we got some and also some hard bark mulch.  We didn't really get enough flowers and Stacey agreed that we need to get a few more.  I just wanted to at least get it pretty well done before we open the store and I will have even less time on the weekends for such things.

Got our taxes done, except the local one for PA.  After this year there is only the federal to worry about. Woo hoo! Another reason I love Texas. NO state or local taxes to pay.

I'm going to hit the sack now.

BLog for Yesterday

I meant to write in this yesterday but forgot.  It was a pretty nice day. Like summer outside and so Stacey and I went to a local Nursery and looked at some flowers for putting in pots at the storefront entrance and also out front of our house.  We didn't buy any yet but the man who appears to be the owner of it was a nice old man who was helpful in telling me what flowers would go nicely based on the how our store faced (the sun).  He asked our names too which I thought added a nice touch.  I'm going to try that technique on folks who come to the store - trying to personalize things more so as to create a friendly atmosphere for folks to come BACK and visit.

Later on we went to Home Depot because the wood trim lining of the front flower beds is pretty well leaning over and rotted.  We picked up some pretty red brick trim some of it curved which fit together like puzzle pieces and then came home and cleared out the area and rotted wood and replaced the outline with the bricks. I think it looks very nice! Now we just need to get flowers in there.  Whatever flowers we do get, I'll probably have to buy liquid fence for because the deer eat everything it seems! Even though I like the old man at the local nursery, there was a much larger selection of decorative pots at Home Depot so I think I am getting the pots there at the very least.  I do plan to buy some flowers from him though to support one of my local business owners whom I know can't otherwise compete with the likes of Home Depot. 

We were out at the store and it is shaping up nicely.  I put out some more of my Lavender Love goodies while hub talked to a man that makes really nice things out of wood.  He has even heard from a woman who does the same type of work he does.  She emailed him some samples of what she has done and they are pretty nice.  She splashes some color in it.  

Last night Stacey helped me go through a recent sample order I received of lia sophia.  It really is beautiful jewelry!  Every piece looks gorgeous!

Well on to make my Sunday a great day!

 

 

 

 

 

TGIF

I was just loving the weather today!  It got up to the mid 80's!  Spring has sprung in Texas!  But the funny part is...seemed to have skipped winter.  Fine by me.  I endured enough back breaking snow shoveling, car sliding, skidding, tires spinning but not moving  S N O W for one lifetime!

Tomorrow I get to go to our store and see how it is shaping up. Hub went almost every day this week and he is really getting excited about its upcoming opening.  I'm getting excited too!  Will be interesting, we'll get to meet a lot of new people, and oh, would be nice to turn a profit too!

Got the test results of my underwriting test back  93% - not bad!  Now we'll see if that presents me with any better opportunities.  I probably won't hear anything for at least a few weeks.  But fingers are crossed.

Next week is spring break for both my girls. Hopefully my oldest will get to come home for at least a few days from college.  We miss her around here, even when she DOES sleep in until afternoon.

Well I'm tired so going to end this here. 

 

 

 

Back to Blogging

Someone very dear to me told me I need to get writing again! :)

There wasn't a real reason for me not to write other than I was sort of in a funk after Misty died.  But she's still lovin' me I know. 

Let's see, the storefront is moving along nicely.  We're hoping to open it up by the 20th or so. Hub has been getting some phone calls from other wood artists in response to an ad he put in the local paper.  He's interested in getting some other artists to 'rent' some space from him like a wall or a table so that it can go toward the rent we have to pay monthly for the store.  It is pretty exciting that we'll soon be in biz for ourselves! Hub is tickled too that he will finally be able to display HIS fine work the way he wants, where he wants and earn ALL the income from it.  He is working on getting some end tables that he can wood burn on. He's going to do a few to put in the store finished and then let folks have the option of putting what they'd like on 'raw' ones.  I think that is a great idea as so many people want what THEY would want on them.

It is definitely getting nicer here already and so what a mild winter it was! :) Although last night we had a really bad thunder storm and the dogs were pretty upset for a while.  I don't like them either.  I'm always worried that lightning is going to strike the house or something.  I turned off the computer in our bedroom but not the other ones.  Well one of ours needs help.  It has a system 32 error. Looking for the initial setup disk and haven't been able to find it.  Hub sort of unplugged it when he got mad and I don't know if that is what did it, but it sure didn't help.  The neighbor boy across the street thinks he can fix it but I'm not going to wait real long before calling Dell and seeing if there is something they can do.

Yesterday I took the day off from my regular job so I could study up and take an underwriting test for a company that may have an opeining. Don't know when or where though, so if it isn't at home I'll keep doing what I am doing.  I like  being at home and like that I will be able to go to the shop if hub needs me there sometime.   So...here's hoping I can get something I really like back to basic underwriting.

I sat on the 2nd floor balcony yesterday and played my guitar too!  That had been a long time!  I forget how much I love it and love singing until I actually 'do' it.  I get so bogged down with all the things I need to do, should do or whatever.  I used to sing in the car all the time when I used to commute and I don't have to drive much at all these days which I'm grateful for , except I miss the singing. :(   I'll just have to take more breaks to play my guitar.  I'm trying to memorize some songs and every time I get some memorized, months go by again before I play again.  I need to get my act together.

I'm watching the elimination show of American Idol and I actually did vote last night! I like Taylor!  (The salt & pepper haired guy).  I just like how he loves what he is doing and he has a unique style and doesn't care what anyone thinks about his Joe Cocker antics.  :)

Okay. I'm ending this for now. Be back tomorrow.

http://www.dianestjames.com