Shredding of The List

And on the 6th day, I took a nap. A very long nap and I'm pretty sure I might have, possibly, probably, snored. It was that wonderful of a nap. Don't be hatin', I'll try not to rub it in too much.

When I began this 30 day blog journey I thought it would be enjoyable to begin a blog journey of interesting topics. After yesterday's topic I find myself somewhat disenchanted with the predetermined topics of the "30 day- A Post A Day- Blog Challenge". No idea what I will be writing about for the next 24 days but I'll do my best to keep it interesting.








In about 30 minutes it will be tomorrow. For now, I'm going to get back to continuing that nap I was talking about earlier. Tomorrow is going to be fantastic, the Aquarium is on the list of things to do for us. I can't wait!!

Have a great night y'all!! xoxo

EX-cuse You?

Day 5 ...things I want to say to an Ex? Nothing. If we've remained friends through the years, nothing needs to be said. If we are no longer friends, there is nothing to say.

Stupidest damn blog topic - WTF?!? If there is going to be a 30 day challenge couldn't they, at the very least, make the topics somewhat interesting? FFS.

I'm going to go get a drink.

Ciao y'all....stay tuned for tomorrow's 30 Day Challenge Topic. I'm afraid to see what it will be.

Thank you for stopping by and feel free to leave a comment. xoxo 

Gimme Back My Bullets..... Day 4

Day four of the blog challenge - bullet my day. Since I drove approximately 650 miles today, bullet-ing my day seemed rather, how should I say it? Short.

• 3:17 am, I was awakened by the sound of The Moya retching all over the bedroom floor. Yes, tossing her doggy cookies so to speak. At 3 am, this is not fun for either of us. 
• 3:17:30 am I begin cleaning up puppy vomit.....4 piles of it. I love her so, it's okay.
• 3:20 am kitteh begins licking my face and drooling on me. Gross! I begin to understand how my day is shaping up
• 4:45, last time I looked at the clock before I fell back to sleep
• 5:20, the alarm goes off. I roll over and try to snooze a little longer. to no avail, kitteh is back 
• 6:00 am, walk The Moya
• 6:30 am, make coffee and call my sister let her know I am planning to leave in about 30-40 minutes
• 6:40-8:00 am, wash the dirty dishes in the sink, clean the water fountain for the kittehs, clean the litter box, feed everyone, fold the laundry, put away the laundry, pack an overnight bag for myself and for Moya
• 8:00 - 8:30 am, load the vehicle with our things and everything we are bringing to NC for assorted peeps. 
• 8:31- 8:50 am, shower, get dressed, put on make up, put hair in pony tail
• 8:51- 9:15 am, double check everything, grab my computer, grab Moya and make our way down to the car.
• 9:20 - begin our 9.5 hour trip to NC
• 9:20 am - 6:45 pm drive and sing the songs on my iPod as loudly and as off key as any human can possibly do. LOVE to sing, just not very good at it. The musical talent in the DeGarmo family did not fall on me.
• 6:45 - arrived in Rockingham and enjoyed 3 hours of non stop talking, jewelry ogling, and food with beer and tequila. I lost track of time and hated to leave but I had three little girls waiting up far past their bedtime for me to arrive.
• 10:45 pm, arrived at my sisters in a whirl of noise and activity, kissed the girls, tucked them into bed 
• 11:39pm,  sat down to bullet proof my day. 

This particular blog post seems like a silly chore but, I am following the challenge so, there you have it. My day in bullet point.....sorry to have put you all through this. 

Until I sat down to write this post, here is how my day really went (in my mind)..... some of the words may have been changed to fit my warped brain on a long day of driving. Yes, I do make me laugh.....

• I'm not calling you ghost, just stop haunting me
• ain't no grave gonna hold me down
• happiness hit her like a bullet in the (brain) back
• this ain't a scene
• you really think you're in control
• I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know
• as I wake its kaleidoscopic mind
• make your life madness
• m m m m m m mad mad mad but now I have finally seen the end
• the things that could have been are repressed
• like an apparition, you don't seem real at all
• oh the bee does quickly sting
• my heart's forsaken me, big black horse
• I'm going to Wichita
• through this poisoned nightmare have you set yourself free
• Blame it on my A.D.D. baby

and this particular bullet list could go on, and on, and on, and on.....

Thanks for reading, and sorry it is dated a day late but I did begin this on Day 4 *big smiles and a wink*

xoxo

Be True

Day two of the 30 Day Challenge - Missy is to blame, she was doing this and I thought to myself, "Self...WTF are you waiting for? You keep saying you want to get back to blogging, here's your kick start!"

Today, the challenge is to talk about something I feel strongly about. Hmmmm, where to begin?
The things that are important to me run a very broad and diverse path. My family, my friends, our military, my country, and my future. All of these things rank in the top for me and all of these things require the same thing from me, simply to be the best person I can possibly be.

Yes, I have said this before, and I shall go right on saying it because every day is a reminder of what needs repairing, what needs boosting, what needs my attention, and what needs my love. My life is far from perfect. Just like most people, I face challenges along the way that I have sometimes thought would get the best of me. They haven't. Nothing, and no one, can ever get the best of anyone unless we give them that power. Empower yourself, you'll be happy when you do.

So what is important to me? Holding my head up (even though some days I fail at this), being honest (with myself and others), caring about myself as much as I care about others, and loving without conditions and without judgement (this can be tough). Ultimately, my words have not changed for years and my belief has not faltered. If everyone worked everyday at being the best person they could possibly be, the world would be a much better place and the world could understand true forgiveness and grace. I'm working on being a more graceful person and any help I can get along the way is greatly appreciated.

In closing, now that I've told you what is important to me, would you tell me what is important to you?

20 Random Facts .... About Me (Because I knew you were dying to know)

 

1) People who butcher the English language drive me nuts.















  2) I was once a photojournalist and it is still the best job I ever had- I still love photography but only if it's at my leisure

  3) I cherish my friends

  4) If I say, "I love you." I mean it.

  5) I LOVE LOVE LOVE my ink.

  6) Roller coasters are AWESOME

  7)  Ramen - I can prepare it a hundred different ways. My favorite is simple, with nothing added except the flavour packet. Yummmmm

  8) I'm allergic to apples - WTF?!?















  9) I enjoy laughing....a LOT

10) I trust everyone, until they prove they cannot be trusted. Then, even if I like the person, I probably don't trust them

11) I have lived in Ethiopia  & Germany

12) Fast cars get my heart going. Think of Homer and how he feels about beer, that is how I feel about fast cars.

13) I have lived in 8 of the continental United States.

14) Raspberry is my favorite fruit flavor... or is it Mango, I can never make up my mind

15) I don't believe in regret. I think regrets are a waste of time and energy. Life's experiences have helped to make me who I am, the good and the not so good. How can I regret that?

16) Red is my favorite colour. It isn't the only colour I like but it is the one I always return to.

17) If you fuck with someone I love, I will make your life miserable. I will make you wish you had never met me.  Seriously.











18) Pretty sure I have A.D.D. It takes me 45 minutes to unload the dishwasher because when I start putting dishes away, I find other things that need doing as well.........

19) I have had a multitude of careers in my lifetime and enjoyed them all, I still don't know what I want to be but isn't life supposed to be full of adventure?




20) I have a recurring dream about alligators. I've had this dream since I was a little girl and the dreams change
a little from dream to dream but the alligators are there, and I'm usually naked. I look hot in my dream though so it's all good.

Live Your Story!

"I hope you will go out and let stories happen to you, and that you will work them, water them with your blood and tears and your laughter till they bloom, till you yourself burst into bloom." Clarissa Pinkola Estes

I will stand there, smiling, with my feet planted firmly on the earth, arms stretched open wide, and my head thrust back, feeling the joy of life as it washes over me.

Any pain I feel, will be life reminding me that sometimes, what my heart desires is not what is meant to be.

Diana Taylor

The Freedom To Run

Getting lost in our thoughts and ideas of what we expect from ourselves, from others, (from life) can cause us to doubt ourselves. Don't doubt yourself, feel content in the knowledge that you are preparing yourself for the next step in realizing your true potential in this life.

“we all begin the process before we are ready, before we are strong enough, before we know enough; we begin a dialogue with thoughts and feelings that both tickle and thunder within us. We respond before we know how to speak the language, before we know all the answers, and before we know exactly to whom we are speaking.”
― Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype

The Inferno

Some days, I really should stay home. Not so much to make myself feel better or because I'm not up for the day. It's more for other people's protection. There are days in which I think I need to protect others from me and my impatience. Yesterday, I nearly took some one's head off and they did nothing whatsoever to deserve it. Of course, I apologized almost instantly. They were faultless in my lashing out.

My hormones are going NUTS these days and I never know if I'm going to have a good day or a day filled with near heat stroke flashes of inferno-like body temps. It feels like my brain is going to explode. It passes almost as quickly as it arrives but man, if anyone tries to talk to me, or reason with me, during one of my near Spontaneous Human Combustion moments look out!!!

This shit sucks. Still, I recognize when these days are about to occur but I try to move forward anyway. For me, there are moments that staying civil is nearly impossible. It is like I'm watching someone else living in my body! I can sense what is about to happen but I am powerless to stop it. WTF?! Thankfully, the crazy bitch moments are not frequent and I can usually get them under control but it sure would be nice if I could lasso them in before the ugly is rearing it's spiny head.


So, if you happen to pass me on the street or bump into me in the store and my eyes look glazed, and my skin is moist with tiny droplets of sweat, run. Run away as fast as you can, you don't want to get caught up in my fury and end up like the people in Firestarter after Drew Barrymore finished frying them to death. Although, I will apologize after, if you're still breathing.


Love ya. Mean it.

Peace

Things always seem to be crazy don't they? Does anyone ever really have any down times these days? We wish for it and we say we want it but our actions always seem to tell a different story. You know what I mean. You are enjoying a wonderful quiet evening at home. You haven't had one in months. It is a luxury that seems too precious to let pass. Then, the phone rings. You tell yourself not to answer it. To just sit where you are in your solace and relax without any of the outside world interrupting. Instead, you look at the caller ID. Crap. You know that if it weren't important, this person wouldn't be calling to begin with....what do you do?

Open Up My Head and Let me Out

I am sure someone out there knows what I am talking about. I am pooped. Exhausted. Slam Tired. When does it end?

This year has been a crazy year for me. Not a bad year, just tons going on. The bad...well, it could be worse and it's not. The good has far outweighed any bad. I just feel as though I haven't had any real down time. Time to sit in quietude and let my thoughts gather a little dust. You know the dust. That dust that I am supposed to be wiping off of the TV and it's cabinet. The dust that covers the bathtubs in both guest rooms. The dust that accumulates everywhere you tend to look. When the hell does dust show up any way? Who opened the door and invited it in? Wasn't me. Hell no, I would have slammed the door square in it's face, no hesitation, no remorse. Unless of course it wanted to find refuge in my brain for 10 days...

I have filled my brain with quite a number of literary works this past year. Branched out with a couple of new authors. Totally dig it when I find a new author that I like. Call me a bit of a snob about reading a good yarn. When reading a story, I like a nice tight, cohesive story. No "whoops" allowed. I mean, come on, don't try to slip crap in the story that you(the author) have already discredited in a previous chapter. What the hell? Am I stoopid too? Tired and stoopid, that's me. Yes, I know stupid is spelled incorrectly, just trying to drive home a point.

Okay - I'm done D.U.N. done. No more moaning. Good books, love them I can usually devour 2 or 3 a week. Anyone have some interesting fodder for the brain to recommend? I am currently not reading any self help or DIY books. Hold those recommendations for later times. Historical reference style books, also off the list. Give me witty, cleverly written, "this has absolutely no societal connotations whatsoever". Show me some good dark mystery or sci-fi or scary stuff or mind benders. I have read everything out there by S.King, D. Koontz, A.Rice, N.Demille, T.Clancy, Grisham, Chrichton, and many others. Show me someone new who has the ability to spin a good yarn.

This photo has absolutely NOTHING to do with my post - It's just a freakin' awesome shot. Go here to see more of Todd Gustafson's work.

Particpate or Observe?

Which are you? Do you participate in life or do you tend to observe life? I have always considered myself the type who participates. I don't do well sitting on the sidelines and observing. Lately though, I am not so sure I can say I am participating. In anything. I am not having a pity party or sitting around feeling sorry for myself. Not at all. I just don't have the push or the drive to do anything that involves having to interact.

Most of you know, there have been a lot of changes here at The House of Bigun. My company has closed. I have found a job with another Design Firm. It's a good company with a good reputation and it's weathering the economic slump. I work with great people and the owner is a jewel. Truly. So, what's my problem?

Bigun is pushing to get his Installation Co. up and running. He is so far past wanting to do lawn care now. Who can blame him? Not me.

I have been hanging out in facebook a lot lately. Playing a game, Space Raiders. Actually, it's more than just a game. It's a habit forming addiction. I can't help it. Me. The non - video/computer game player. It's not even as though it has any virtual reality to it. When Bigun first "recruited" me, I thought it was utterly stupid. So stupid in fact I was slightly insulted that he thought I would be even remotely interested in it. Humpff! I guess the joke is on me. I can't pull myself away from it. Well, it is waning a little. The developers of SR have now come out with a bolder, fresher game called Clan Wars. It's cool. Just not the same.

So, I am making my way back to being a participator, I am. I don't make a very good observer. Where's my kayak......?

BTW -Which are you?

I saw this on a friend's blog - OMG!!!! LOVE her!!

What's in Your UBK?

As if I didn't have enough to do. You know, Blog (which in all honesty I haven't been doing much of lately), email, close up my business, look for a new job, try to catch everyone up on these major life changes (my friends all want to know everything that is new with me. ie:friend)try to keep some semblance of a neat home (Not happening right now), empty the contents of my studio, find someone to rent the space so I don't get sued by the owner, list crap on eBay, attend Tri's still try to have a normal life AND Bigun wants me to list myself on Facebook. I told him I didn't want to. I am honestly too busy for it. I check in on his occasionally to catch up on everyone. So, I told him "No Thanks". He said, "Okay, I'll put you on there." So, I figured I better jump on it before he could. Bastard. So, I'm on Facebook now. No promises on constant communication. No promises on all of the good Karma stuff, or sending mixed cocktails. But, I am there. So there you have it Bigun. Now, go send out your good karma stuff.

On another front,

There I was, standing in line at the the local Chinese Restaurant. My friend, lets call her DAWN, is busy chatting about things. Life, the weather, what she's going to eat...I'm drifting. Listening to all of the other conversations going on around me and yet still being attentive and fully aware of Dawn. She was telling me about her son, her future trip to Egypt this summer, life in general. Finally, it's my turn to order lunch. I finish ordering and walk over to the chairs at the front of the restaurant and wait for my "to go" order. As I am walking to the chairs by the door i overhear a fellow talking with two others. he says..."No, really, it's totally an American dish. If you go to China and order it, they won't know what you are talking about." I laugh to myself and i think, he is talking about Egg Foo Young. Dawn joins me a moment later. I turn to her and say "Guess what?" you know what her reply is..."What?"

So, I point at the fellow I overheard talking and said "He has a UBK too!!" Dawn starts laughing and asks me how is it that I know he too has a UBK. Before I continue on let me explain what a UBK is for those of you who haven't heard me use this term before. The UBK stands for a Useless Bank of Knowledge. Mine, it's full of all sorts of things. For example, the Egg Foo Young thing. BTW, DAWN is the same girl who barely escaped death at the hands of a serial killer rapist. Actually, she barely escaped death by TriSherpa Di to be more accurate. That is another story though. Getting back to the UBK...

DAWN and I have been friends for about 6 years. She always laughs at me and my little bits of trivia. I am a trivia junkie. It comes naturally. I don't work at remembering little tidbits of information. I read it somewhere, or I hear it and it just sticks. You know how some people remember Historical Dates or every one's birthdays or sports stats. I remember minutia. Stuff that the average person doesn't really care about knowing but find it somewhat interesting none the less.

Allow me to give you an example.... not only is EggFooYung an American dish, so is General Tso's chicken and Chop Suey. True. Sorry. They came about when the Chinese who immigrated to the US started creating dishes using the local fare. Hence, if you go to China, don't expect to see these dishes offered on the menu.

What is a Bobeche? It's that curved round glass(or metal) disc with a hole in the center that fits over a candle to catch the wax drippings.

Did you know that baby venomous snakes are far more deadly than adults? It is true. Want to know why? Because an adult strikes and removes it's fangs after one injection of venom. It may strike again, but that's something different. Baby snakes strike and their fangs are so small often times they cannot remove them from the victim. This means they continuously inject venom, over and over again. When that happens, it usually means, D.E.D. Dead.

The Osprey is a bird of prey that plunges into the water to capture fish. Ospreys are large birds, black-brown on top and white below. Sometimes people confuse them with Bald Eagles. Ospreys feed primarily on fresh panfish. They search for fish while flying 30-100 feet above the water. If they spot prey, they hover, then plummet down, plunging into the water feet first. Strong, curved talons and specialized spines on the bottoms of their feet help them hold onto the slippery fish. If they catch the fish, they quickly take off, juggling it in their feet until its head is facing forward into the wind. Then they fly to a perch to eat it. Ospreys can’t swim and have been known to drown, especially if they get their talons stuck in too large a fish and can’t take off. They can't take off because their talons "lock" into the fish and they cannot remove the locking talons to free themselves. The spiked talons either get ripped out or the bird drowns.

Hey Jude -When John Lennon left his wife, Cynthia, for Yoko in 1968 Paul McCartney didn't let that stop him from visiting Cynthia and Lennon's son Julian. Paul has maintained a great friendship throughout his life with Cynthia and her son Julian. One morning as he was driving out to see Cynthia and Julian, Paul began humming a tune and singing "Hey Julian..." Later the song became Hey Jules and eventually turned into Hey Jude. The song has always been about and for Julian Lennon.

Trivia aside, I also know the lyrics to more songs than I can remember. I know, sounds like an oxymoron. Truth is, I hear songs that I haven't heard in years. In fact I have forgotten the songs even existed. They come on the radio and I can remember the lyrics, from 10, 15, sometimes 20 years ago. That show with Wayne Brady -Don't Forget The Lyrics, well, I could rock it.
I remember stuff. I can't remember what I ate for breakfast, or what might have been said to me 5 minutes ago, but I remember Stuff. Hence, my brain being coined the UBK.
What's in your UBK?

I Want Truffles

"Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get." Where did I hear that? Right. Well, Forest's Mom was right. And let me tell you, right now, I must have the cheapest, crappiest box of chocolates out there because they pretty much suck. I am over it. I am pitching out the rest of this crappy chocolate and I am headed straight for the truffle counter! Give me dark chocolate filled with raspberries. Give me creamy chocolate with a dark fudge center and while you are at it, roll that son of a bitch in some bitter sweet chocolate powder. 'Cause that's how I play it. I want to choose what I'm going to get, I am tired of it being handed over to me with out any say so on my part. Dammit. Life, you can keep the crappy stuff, give me the good stuff. And that's all I got to say 'bout that.

Okay, so maybe I have a little more to say. Can you say cathartic? I am already feeling that way and I am just getting started. My posts have been few and far between lately. My plates have been full and instead of saying enough, I have just been taking it. So, it's time for a change.

Sure, there are some things in this life you are powerless to do anything about. My dad and his many health issues. His insistence that he knows better than his Doc who diagnosed him with Diabetes. Hello, you have diabetes, you take your medication. Am I right? Well, I can't do anything about the choices my Dad is making but life insists that I still have to deal with the consequences. He just came out of spinal surgery May 20th. I was there, in NC ,for his surgery. I stayed for a week. Discovered that he has not been taking his medication for almost a year. His going blind has no correlation to his diabetes and it going untreated. No, of course not. His relentless pain cannot be solved by physical therapy, just ask him, he'll tell you. His poor circulation and bad ticker don't benefit from exercise. Again, ask him, he'll give you, me and anyone who'll listen an earful. I am tired. The love I have for my Dad is true and it's deep, but he doesn't hear anything I have to say. I am helpless to help him. I am too tired now to keep trying.

The day after I got home from North Carolina I learned that a friend of ours had died. He left 3 young boys and a loving, adoring wife behind. Yes, he left them. He was a good man, someone I admired and respected. Tom suffered from incredible pain left over from a Pro Football career. To help with the pain he took pain killers. They just never seemed to help him though. Each and every day for him wasn't about whether or not he would be in pain but rather it was about what degree of pain could he manage. Most days, the pain won out and he succumbed. Finally, in the end, he has found relief. We attended his funeral last Friday.

The day before the funeral my business partner and I agreed to a divorce. My company is closing. All of the hard work I put into building it is gone. It's done. Over. The doors will close permanently at the end of this month. In the mean time I am watching everything go out the door to be pedaled away for pennies on the dollar. I am heartbroken. I am lost. I am sad. I am tired.

There are a couple of options open to me. I know there are. One seems really great, but it is still not an absolute. One possibility may take me out to Momo's neighborhood...still, nothing solid. Things in my life are headed for definite change. HUGE change. Hope I can make my car payment in the mean time.

So, as for the frigging box of chocolates, I am done with it. My stance is like I said earlier, front and center at the truffle line, choosing what comes next. Maybe I'll have some lovely choclates filled with rum...

EDIT: BTW - I AM an ENTJ!!! Dammit.

I Think Too Much

When does good sense stop being good sense and become wishful thinking? How do you decide when to ignore your intuition and move forward with what seems to be the facts? BTW, the facts contradict your gut feeling. Are you really as savvy with the ways of the world as you thought - or are you just wishing on a pipe dream? The world around you and everyone in it, are telling you the very opposite of what you believe. What you believe, with every fiber of your being. So there you are. Back where you started. Your gut feeling, fact or fiction? Are my rose colored glasses getting in the way of the stark non -technicolour of real life?

Who knew this was me?

Meet My Neighbors

This one is an odd bird, he kind of hangs out with a different group.

The strong but silent one...mostly

Sneaky bastard. He's the one who creeps through your yard when he thinks no one is looking...you know the type









There he is again, all smiles, like nothing is going on.










You know those neighbors who "see" everything? Yep, we have one too.








The big Teddy Bear












The recluse

The HOA Architectural Committee is headed up by this guy

This is the couple everyone is jealous of, you know, both tall, both thin, ultra sexy. The couple we all love to hate and hate to love.

Our local chatty Cathy - well, in this case, Vern

He always wins the lawn competition.

seems quiet enough, but everyone is always trying to figure out just how he lost his "ear"

The twins do everything together. They dress alike, they always have the same cocktail.

just passing through actually

Every day she walks her kids to the bus stop

Those are my neighbors. If you ever come to Florida we'll go get to know them and we'll enjoy a beer or two courtesy of my other neighbor Anheiser. Just call and book a room at The Bigun B&B. See you soon!

Still Breathing

I received this in an email today...funny stuff. Lil' Clyde cracks me up.

I saw this online the other day...ads from the 50's/ 60's...

Yep...
shoepants. Anyone? You can actually order these, today.

When was the last time YOU forgot to use Chase Sanborn Coffee? Ladies, step up or be punished... er...I mean SPANKED

Oh yes they did!!

This was an email I received from J-Wimm- stunning...(be sure to click on it for better reading)

So, you now know I haven't been up to much. Right after my Jan 20th post I left for North Carolina for a week. Came home with a viscious strain of bronchitis. Kicked my butt and had me in bed for 2 weeks. Except for Bigun's Gasparilla Marathon, I got out of bed for that. His mom and her hubby were in for a long weekend as Mama Bigun raced the half marathon. They left on Tuesday and then my friend Lisa and her husband arrived late Thursday night. Crazy, crazy schedule. Bigun had other priorities, you know, like blogging and podcasting. That meant I was picking up the slack. Yep, I went there...lol
I've missed you guys, I am hoping to get back to my old blogging self. I have been lurking and catching up on your posts as often as I can.
Thanks for stopping back in. Post with you soon!!
Di

p.s. I finished The Pillars of The Earth and thoroughly enjoyed it. Rumor has it, Iron Jenny just cracked the spine on her copy....

No One Ever Died Over a Sofa

Until this past Wednesday.

"No one ever died over a sofa." That's what I say to my clients when they become irrationally upset over the time it takes to complete the design of their home. Unless you have born witness to the 2 women strangling each other in the furniture store over the very last CLEARANCE sofa (in red), what I say is pretty accurate. I mean, come on, in the scheme of all things real and every day, is a sofa that big of a deal? No. Lets be realistic here.

You know, the sofa doesn't translate into the literal sofa - well, sometimes it does- I use it to translate into all things for the home. Most of you know what I do for a living, I am a professional Home Interior Specialist. I come in, listen long and hard and then translate all of the information given to me by the client into a stunning, yet functional Home Design. PHEW!!! That was a lot of words!! Oftentimes this includes remodels and new construction. Right now I am working on a home that is a million plus home out in the country. It sits on a ranch. The family breeds some of the most sought after cattle in the country. Seriously. Super nice people too. Until the house came along. What is it about building a home that turns us all into deranged, border line axe murderers?

This couple I am referring to, awesome couple. I see the wife several times a week and talk to her several times a day. Every day. Starting at about 8 am every morning. Let me start closer to the beginning...

When I was brought on board the house was completely enclosed and all of the studs were in place. The flooring was already chosen as was the cabinetry to be installed in the kitchen. There were some pretty crazy ideas that were going to be put into effect. Ideas that caused me to raise an eyebrow and respond "Oh." What else can one say in such a circumstance? Yes, they were hiring me to help them create a beautiful home and given my druthers, I rather they NOT be doing some of the things they were planning. But, they didn't hire me to dash their dreams into cinder. So. You take these slightly insane ideas and as a Designer you find a way to actually make them good, solid, beautiful ideas. A for effort here?

The wife and I have hit it off immediately. We are on the same page so to speak. All of the time. We were commanded with the interior and the husband was going to take care of the structural decisions. Right. The wife and I have been thwarted by the husband at every turn. After things have been ordered. Custom things. Things that cannot be sent back. Things that have been made for them, exclusively. Thing is, I don't discover the thwarting until I arrive at the home and find NOTHING is where it should be and decisions on design were made without my knowledge. You see, if you change one thing, most often, nothing else works. A great design is defined by it's flow. It's ability to fit together like a puzzle. Well, throw one piece of the puzzle in the trash, you are screwed. SCREWED. Did I say that loudly enough?

So, I arrive out to the house this past Wednesday. The Hubby is there. As he is at the start of every day. It's fine, I don't dislike him, really. I get the fact that this is their dream home and he wants it to be perfect. So he says. He says perfect then does something that indicates it isn't about perfection but about speed. How fast can we get this house done? This house was started in January of this year. The builder projected 12 months for completion. In Florida, that is about right. If you want it done right. Keep in mind, this house is on undeveloped property and there were a lot of initials that needed to be done before they started laying the foundation, etc. I think the foundation went in early February. Any way, moving along.

I had specified a certain cap for the shower wall in the Master Bath. You know, the stone/ tile/ cap that the shower glass sits on. Well, this is about chest high and I wanted the same onyx to be used there that were are using for the counter tops. Beautiful, great tie in. Well, Hubby doesn't want to wait 2 weeks for that to happen. 2 weeks. In a Million plus home. 2 weeks. Keep in mind, this sounds trivial to most of you, I'm sure. However, if you are building a home of this stature, wouldn't you want even the small details to be perfect? Well, this is not a BIG detail but it isn't small either. It would tie the bathroom all together. It is that single missing puzzle piece that completes the puzzle. I walk in and he is having the tile guy put the same stone that is on the floor onto the cap. Because that would get it done right then. Instead of in 2 weeks.

Did any of you ever watch Ally McBeal? She used to imagine these crazy hysterical images of her life and the audience was privy to the imagery. For example, once she was being "dumped" by a guy - the image was her in a huge Dumpster being dumped into the back of a dump truck. Hysterical. Another time she saw this really HAWT guy. The imagery was her with a 3 foot tongue lolling out of her mouth like a dog panting. Pretty funny. Well, imagine me looking at this Hubby who is building the house. I drop all of my files, my tape measure, my phone, everything. I run and leap on his chest like a large jungle cat, knocking him to the floor. Instead of ripping out his jugular I begin to furiously shake him as his head repeatedly hits the stone floor underneath him. I snarl and growl and yell through clenched teeth, "This is a Million dollar plus home!!! Wait for the F'ing onyx cap!!!!" Instead, I kept my cool - okay, maybe my eyes rolled back into my head momentarily- I tell him it is his call and I leave. This is only one example of a string of these sort of decisions being made by Hubby. The house is looking like a HUGE Million Dollar hodge podge. They hired me to do a job, but won't allow me to do my job. Now, I am no meek and mild mannered person. I am pretty straight forward with everyone. Including this guy. He doesn't hear. He says okay, then does what he wants to do regardless. AAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!

Okay, so, now you know where I have been for months and months. Why (in addition to family issues) I have no energy left for blogging. I am exhausted.

Please forgive me. I know I have been away and when I finally do surface, I rant on and on about work. Sorry.

Oh. Hubby is still alive and the wife and I, we're good. I feel for her. She has to deal with him every day. I deal with him only a couple of times a week. Count my blessings right? By the way, I do still like the guy, he is a good guy. I just think he is suffering from Buildingahousedon'tknowwhatthefuckiamdoingitis.

No- I haven't been at WalMart - they kicked me out...

Sorry Everyone,
I know I have been away from The Land of Blog for a while now. Life has been busy here though. Although it was tempting, I have NOT been at WalMart these past weeks. They quit trying to clean my windshield after the first attempt and found I was penniless....
I have been super busy at work and with other things. With our trip to Chicago coming up I have been trying to get as much done for work as I could before leaving.
In the mean time, let me show you a few of the things I have been busy with...

Boo came over for a visit...tickling Kitty was at the top of her list of things to do at our house...Brisco loved chasing her around.

My niece Alex and Mom Lisa were here from NC for a quick visit.....

There was a going away party for our friend Becky (2nd from the left) She has moved to Dallas.

Green Eyed Lady and I shared a date with this guy. Man oh man oh man oh man oh man oh! sorry, Oh man. Chris Isaak Hubba Hubba. If any of you haven't seen him in concert - I highly recommend it. This isn't a show just for women either. Isaak gave the best Concert I have been to, after The Tubes. (yes, I said it, The Tubes).

Go see Chris Isaak in concert if you ever get the chance. EDIT: I must clarify here, Isaak is second only to The Tubes. Tubes still hold #1 spot, then Isaak, then McCartney, then Bowie. Yupper. That's it. (the links will take you to 2 different sites for The Tubes) here's a pic. or two....

I have patiently been waiting for this......

(click on the pictures and they'll enlarge)

To become this.

In between all of this I have also managed to remake and hang drapes for a client, close a nice sized sale on a large project that consumes all of my days and nights, open 2 new large projects, shoot engagement photos for a young couple, get in one 15 mile ride ( I know - shabby) read the new Harry Potter book, devoured Son of a Witch and started 2 other books. It's my only defense against the Insomnia. We leave for Chicago Thursday morning. Tomorrow I'll try to get what I can finished at work. Cross your fingers. Hopefully, I'll come back more relaxed. lol

Right now, I have to go polish my cowbells. I don't want Big Mike and J-Wim to have a bad first impression. ;)

p.s. - I sure have missed you guys.