SLACKER MOM, YES I AM! :o)

Yes, 'tis true. I am a slacker. A busy slacker, though. If that buys me any forgiveness at all.

I sit in front of a computer all day, and the last thing I want to do when I get home is sit in front of the computer. That explains why I'm doing this at work (tsk tsk). That's also why it's short!

Thanks very much to Katie, who spent hours on end going through our pictures on the computer and straightening out the mess. I'm pretty much a techno zero, and Paul is probably a techno negative 1. Her help was very much appreciated. Thanks to her, there is actually a picture on this blog. I'm hoping to post more, if I can remember how.

Yes, I got married last week in Alaska. We had a perfectly wonderful time. It was so much fun to discover a place I never thought I would see. It was absolutely stunning!

That's it for now. I must get back to work, although I am completely alone here today. SOME people get Columbus Day off. No rest for the wicked, I guess. :o)

Slacker Mom. ;)

If my mother isn't going to post here, I will... Congratulations to her on getting married last week.! :) Love, Katiebug

Procrastination

I'm convinced that procrastination is one of mankind's worst enemies. And how do I know this? Personal experience.

I don't generally procrastinate to the point where I'm in real trouble, but I do it for long enough that I have to listen to those voices nagging me. And then I find when I take care of those things, they really weren't that bad to begin with. You'd think after 50 years, I would figure this out. ha

This morning when I woke up, I was just dragging. I didn't want to get up and go to work. I think part of it is the heat. It kind of drains a person--and my office is an oven. Regardless, I vowed to take care of at least two things that I've been putting off. I'm happy to say that I actually did more than two!!! And wow, I feel so much better tonight! I've actually been feeling somewhat depressed and overwhelmed.

The one thing I procrastinate continually is updating my checkbook and paying bills. It is always SOOOO depressing. Maybe it wouldn't be so depressing if I did it more often and didn't have to worry about the unknown. ha

So tonight, after I mowed the lawn (1), I turned on the All-Star Game and worked on my checkbook (2). I paid a couple of outstanding bills (3) and filed some paperwork (4). Earlier in the day I called my insurance company and paid for my cars for the next six months (5). I also called U of U Healthcare regarding an outstanding bill I am questioning (6).

Even though my house is a bit of a mess tonight, I have to feel good about accomplishing the things I did.

Tomorrow..........................I'm going to wash and vacuum my filthy, disgusting car!

So I'm interested..................... What sorts of things do you all procrastinate doing?

My Decision

Thanks to all of you for your input about the damage to my car. I am going to go for the $85.00 dollar fix. Anything else seems absolutely insane.

The Dilemma

So, I have a dilemma.

Last week, a woman hit my parked car in a parking lot. She tried to drive away, but an employee of the grocery store where I was shopping saw the whole thing and chased her down. To make a long story short, she agreed to pay for the damage. She wants to pay for it without involving insurance if it doesn't go over $500.

This woman was not having a good week. She had just moved here from out-of-state. When she got here, she discovered that her apartment was not going to be ready for a couple of weeks. She is staying in a hotel. She also hit me with her 2-week-old car.

The damage to my vehicle is fairly superficial. There are no dents. There is a sort of scratch along the back quarter panel and on the bumper. There are a couple of small chips in the paint, but no bare metal is exposed.

Today, I went to get a couple of bids on the repair work. The first place I went gave me two bids. One of the bids was for doing some buffing and minor touch up for about $85.00. The other bid was for "doing it right." It would entail painting the entire panel and bumper and would be about $505.00. I went to another place and got a comparable bid that came in at $675.00.

Herein lies the dilemma. Do I go with the bid for minor work, or do I go for the brass ring and take her for every dime I can. My car is nearly 8 years old. It has other unrepaired body damage (my fault). My gut tells me to go with the minor work and charge her $85.00.

I made the mistake of mentioning this to my friends here at work. They think I should go with the very highest bid I can get and fix my car, OR NOT. They suggested that I might take the money, not fix my car, and spend it on something else like a vacation.

I WAS UTTERLY APPALLED!!! Isn't that dishonest? They say no, it's not. They claim that this is why we pay for auto insurance. I feel like it would be stealing to take the money and not fix my car.

I will digress here. A number of years ago, I took my kids to the batting cages. I opened the door to my van and the wind tore it right out of my hands. It took the rear view mirror right off the car next to me. I was heartsick. It was a beautiful muscle car, 60's vintage. It was in cherry condition with a gorgeous paint job. I left my name and number on the windshield when I couldn't find the owner. He called later and said he would get back to me. A few days later he called and said he had gone to a junk yard and found the part he needed and repaired it himself. He charged me about $60 to $70 for the part and paint. I was so relieved. I had envisioned hundreds of dollars that I could not afford.

I'm thinking that this might be my chance to "pass it on." Other people think I'm naive and crazy.

So what do you all think??????

I'd like some opinions. Please share.........................

Just trying something........

I am technologically impaired. I have been trying to play around with my template, my post, my profile, etc. I have also been trying to upload pictures from my camera. All to practically no avail.

They say that everything you know, you learn in kindergarten. Well, I didn't learn how to do these things in kindergarten in the early 60's, so I guess I'm in trouble. Pretty much anything I know comes from asking my kids to do it and watching. But I am determined to push on. I am beginning to lose my fear of "playing" with these things, at last.

This blog is merely designed to test my skills, or lack thereof.

Moon Walk

I have returned from my short sojourn to the regions south of my reality. And yes, it's always good to come home and find things in order and everyone intact. But I always suffer from mild melancholy when I come home from vacation, whether it be long or short. I find myself wanting to plan another one. ha

I was so relieved to finally get out of town. I came close to not going at the last minute because of family illness and because my car was hit in a parking lot the night before I was to leave. But I was firmly told that I was to go--and of course I always do what I'm told. haha

What a fabulous time we had. I went with three ladies from work. We got along famously and had a very relaxing weekend. We did a little hiking, a fair amount of eating good food, and plenty of sleeping.

The highlight of the trip was the Moonlight Hike. This is something I've wanted to do for a number of years. It's always nice when you have a wish granted, and this weekend I did. Thanks, Sherry, for sharing my enthusiasm and helping this wish come true.

There was a full moon over the weekend. We waited in line for 2 hours early on Saturday morning to be sure we got a spot on this park sponsored hike. We met at 9 pm just after the sun set. The ranger warned us there was a bear in the area, then directed our gaze at the sky at exactly 9:11 pm. We saw a bright flash--a satellite that was passing through the area. She then pointed out Jupiter, Venus and Saturn as they appeared in the darkening sky. By the way, Venus and Saturn were more closely aligned that night than they will be again for many years to come. After the hike we were able to see Jupiter and her four moons, and our own moon, through telescopes the rangers provided.

As we proceeded down the trail, we watched a gigantic orange moon rise out of the horizon. It appeared to be on fire. She explained that it looks that way because the atmosphere is thicker right at the horizon level. As the moon rises it becomes whiter and whiter. We stopped every little while and received lessons on how to locate Polaris (the North Star), how to determine where we are (both latitude and longitude), a history lesson in navigation, and the myths associated with constellations we saw in the sky. The moon was very bright, and we were able to see the trail well enough not to topple over the edge of the trail into oblivion.

The moonlight cast such eerie and beautiful shadows across the jagged landscape. The weather was perfect, and it wasn't too cold. The ranger had us go right up to the Ponderosa pines that were scattered all over the area. Did you know that after these pines are exposed to the hot sun, they smell like vanilla? You walk up and put your nose right on the tree, and sure enough, they smell like sugar cookies baking in the oven. It was amazing.

The ranger finally led us off the hiking trail and onto a horse trail. We sat at the top of a large, fairly barren rise that looked just like a moonscape. We were able to stay as long as we wanted to bask in the light of the almost full moon and enjoy the sounds, sights and smells of the canyon at night. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life!

I have rambled on way too long, but I had to put this in writing before I forgot everything. I would highly recommend this activity to everyone. It was a fabulous experience.

So, back to work...................

Vacating Soon

Vacation. Notice that the root word is vacate. Which is what I'd like to do right about now.

I can always tell when a break is needed. I went to a staff meeting this morning which was supposed to be short (but wasn't). We were to address the events of the last few days and how they will affect our program in the next few days. I must say that I work with some of THE most negative and judgmental people. By the time I left, I was angry and upset. I usually let these things roll off my back--but today was different. Hence, I can tell I need a vacation.

Actually, my timing is pretty good. I am leaving on Friday to go to Bryce Canyon with some "work" friends for a couple of days. We are planning to participate in the Moonlight Hike, a park sponsored program which occurs during the full moon. This is something I've wanted to do for many years. I'll be able to check one more thing off my list.

I'm looking forward to a weekend of nature, fun, laughter, hiking, food, and good company. What more could one ask for? I always feel an actual physical change when I'm able to enjoy the beautiful outdoors on a real personal level. I can feel the stress roll off of me in waves. I can get some of that same change just digging in the dirt (I'm sure my sister can attest to this phenomenon).

So, now I struggle to put my anger away and look forward to "vacating" the premises. Maybe I'll even have some pictures to share upon my return. My dear daughter will have to tutor me in the procedure to do this!

On a different subject........ You think you know the people in your family and close friends. But then you read their blogs, and there is so much more than you ever knew. I must say that this whole experience is proving to be enlightening and absolutely delightful. Keep the blogs coming.....

Temporary Farewells

My dear sister has been visiting the past few days from afar. What a treat it has been for me to spend some time with her! We often go weeks without communicating, which is really inexcusable with all of the electronic communication devices we both own. Our communication may be sparse, but when we see each other the days, weeks and even months just dissolve. We talk, laugh and giggle like kids. Hmmmmm. I don't remember doing that when we were kids. The years have been very kind to our relationship. In fact, time has been kind to my relationship with all of my family members, and I feel very lucky to be able to say that. Not everyone can.

She and her adorable daughter are leaving to return to the warmer regions of the southwest. I will miss her, as I have for the last 17 years. But happily, she will be returning in less than two months for a "planned vacation." I look forward to renewing that relationship once again and being able to spend a little more time with her.

So I bid them a temporary farewell. Safe journey. See you soon.

The first time......

This is the first time I've attempted to do this sort of thing. It's not something I'm particularly "into" or comfortable with. My main goal is being able to comment on other blogs--especially my Bug's. Her blogs are so creative and insightful. Since I don't get to see her or talk with her as often as I would like, this will be a way to have an ongoing dialog about things that are important to us.

Anyone who really knows me is aware that I do not enjoy being the center of attention, or even being slightly noticed. So this is way out of my comfort zone. But I decided that it's always good to step out of the zone every now and then to try something new.

So here I am................. For the first time.........................