Another heat wave

It has been hot the past 2 days. I'm chuckling because I can hear several of you muttering "you don't remember what hot IS!" Whatever.

On Saturday, Carol, Tami and I went to Olympia, WA to Shipwreck Beads. OMIGOSH This place is as big as 2 large Safeways and they fill only part of it right now. The store is nothing but beads, charms and fittings for jewelry. We met my sister Lynne there. She makes her own jewelry and was going to show Carol how to get started. Carol wants to make some bracelets for Christmas. She ended up making the cutest bracelet for her granddaughter with earrings to match. I think we've got her hooked on a new hobby.

Tami doesn't like crafting that much but she thought she'd check it out and she had an idea in mind for a gift. We had to remember the 23rd Psalm to be sure to pick out the right color beads, but without my bracelet I couldn't remember all of it! We were laughing so much (and probably so loud) that a store employee said "you girls are having too much fun!" We asked if she knew the 23rd Psalm and she started quoting some off-the-wall poem which sent us off in another gale of laughter. She then offered to look it up for us on the internet! How nice was that.

Tami and Lynne are really two of a kind. They have the same sense of humor and way of talking. They're not trying to be funny, they just are. My sides were sore from laughing so much. We stayed in that store for SIX hours!! Tami would never have believed that she would be in a bead store for 6 hours without grousing about it. In fact, she was the reason we were among the last ones to walk out the door. She had a brainstorm the last 1/2 hour they were open and had to run around the store as fast as she could to gather the beads and fittings she wanted.

I had to work on Sunday. Donna is still here from the Austin ServicePoint to help us through the CTI migration and train us on the on-call process. We had to work on Sunday to finish validation of the production environment for the classes that were starting on Monday. They start live calls on Thursday and everything has to be working properly. Imagine that!

I had a bit of a shock on payday when I got my check. They finally got me switched over to the OR taxes, but payroll took all my back taxes (since April 16) out in one check! 75% of my check went to taxes. WHAT! I went into HR yesterday and asked if there was anything they could do to make it a bit easier to swallow. They're going to see if they can get payroll to reimburse me some of it and take it out in two payments. Fortunately, Cal fronted me some money from savings or I'd be up a creek without a paddle. Jiminy Chrismas!

Some have been asking about my vacation plans. Here's the deal. Eric is having his Chiari malformation reshaped (?) on October 23 in Colorado. They're hoping he can fly home on the 29th. I am going to drive to their house on the 29th (maybe leave the 28th, spend the night halfway home and finish up the morning of the 29th) so Stacey's sister can leave. I'll stay there through Nov 7th to help them maintain a normal household ... meaning someone may be high maintenance besides the two kids. :) Chances are I won't make it to Dublin this trip. If I do, it will be only on the Saturday, but I'll most likely drive home on Saturday so I can rest up before getting back to work. It's a long drive. If he can't fly home, I'll be flying to Colorado for the week.

Cal's scheduling his eye surgery for October 13. Thankfully, Eric has offered to stay with him and work from our house for a few days so I don't have to figure out a way to get home for a couple of days just before Eric's surgery. Gotta love these people who can work virtual.

We've been really busy this past week and it looks like next week won't get any lighter. Lynda, I promise I'll call first chance I get, but I've just not had any opportunity to do that!! By the time I get home, we run an errand or two, eat and I hit the bed. After taking my frustration out on the bed, I climb in and go to sleep. Just kidding!!

Pat Winnie told me she got 50 books at the Dublin Library book sale. Wowza! What a deal. Monday was bag day, buy a bag for $4 and fill it. I really miss that sale. Some people would argue that I don't need any more books, but you can never have too many. Trust me.

Alright, you guys (or as Peggy or Donna would say, y'all), behave yourselves, stay out of trouble and stay tuned until next time!