Here I am

It's been a while since I've been here!  Several holidays have passed, days, weeks.... months even!  You would think that my life has been so exciting and full that I have not had time to *blog*.  Well, that's not really the case.  I've just been lazy!  Well, that and I have been a little busy, and even sick, but not since November or when ever the last time I posted.... mostly just lazy! 

Work is busy busy busy right now.  we have our big spring show starting tomorrow, so I've been scrambling to get all the stuff ready to go.... almost there!

DH and I did our first spring BBQ this past Sunday.... so, now I'm ready for spring/summer entertaining!

We might try to do some work on the boat this weekend, but it's hard to work on a boat in the spring.  Especially when the goal is to work on the boat when there won't be any chances of rain! 

So, that's really all.  Just beginning to peek our heads out from under the rock we've been under for the winter!

I really have not been good about blogging lately, and I am sorry!  It's been too cold or too rainy to work on the boat!  It's fall, and I tend to nest in the fall and winter months.  The husband and I are gearing up for our first Thanksgiving dinner party next week.....  Things would be much more calm around the house if the d@mn dining room table and chairs we ordered 8 weeks ago would just come in already.  The estimated delivery date is actually today...... how nice it would be to get that phone call today!  We will be setting up 3 formal tables for Thanksgiving...... 16 people total, and we are doing all of the cooking, except for deserts.  We've never done this before, so flying by the seats of our pants here!

I have 2 homes to decorate for Christmas this weekend.  I keep kicking myself for scheduling that for this weekend, but it was this weekend, or the weekend following Thanksgiving...... and that is MY weekend!  Not excited really about the decorating this weekend.  I don't know what the lady already has, and she has already bought what she's going to buy, and I just have to work with it.... and I've really only met her twice!  But she is the mother of a friend, and I need to keep this friend on the *good contact to have* list!

I'll try to be good, and update more regularly.....

I apologize for not being a regular posting queen.  There's not much going on in the hangin'in home, and what is going on is X rated..... just kidding!   Lots of puppy love with Gigi.  She graduates from puppy kindergarten tonight, and she has to wear her Halloween costume.  I will take pictures.  I don't think I've posted any Gigi pictures here.  The cats still keep us completely entertained.  Kohl is huge, long haired and grey...... pretty boy, and chirps instead of purrs.  I went into the office the other night and as I was walking out, I noticed two gray furry feet sticking out from under an antique bookcase (which is kind of low to the ground)  He sleeps on his back..... I have no idea how he could have been comfortable!

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The other 2 kitties have not been photographed doing anything cute recently! 

We have to redo some of our Halloween outdoor decor.  Hopefully we will get to that this weekend!  Waiting on Dining Room furniture, still!  Planning Thanksgiving menu.....

See, I told ya!  I got nuthin'!

When faced with creating our family through alternative methods..... I just get completely overwhelmed.  I don't know where to start.  For example, let's start with adoption.  Domestic or international?  If international, which agency?  What should my requirements be from an agency?  After an agency is picked, which country?  How do you go about gently informing your close minded bigoted family members (not all of them fall into this category) that their intolerance is not appreciated, especially if it rears it's ugly head in front of my child, or if my child's cousins repeat things they have heard at home?  If domestic, do you use an agency, or do you go through an adoption attorney..... list your profile on the web?  If you use an agency, how do you choose?  If you use an attorney, how do you choose?  How do you wrap your brain around the fact that the agency fees for a white child are much more expensive than the fees for a child of mixed race, and even less for a child of color?  (This is based on my limited information gathering on 2 specific agencies in my city)  Then, there are the hoops to jump through with social workers, government agencies (in 2 countries if adopting internationally).  Then after all of the mountains of paperwork are finally in order..... you  wait.

Where do you start with all of this?  Do you just jump in and see if you can swim?  Do you assume the water is fine and go for it, because right now, I'm still standing on the bank with my big toe in the water.....

My most favorite work day of the week!  I don't have big plans for the weekend, and there's not much going on in my world.  I have to go take a look at a huge arch at a local florist I worked for.  A friend of mine saw it this week, and I have to attempt to duplicate it for her.  I don't like stepping foot in this florist shop..... I despise the owner, and I think it is horrid to spend money there, and further his business..... but I don't mind duplicating their work!  So, I will go and investigate this arch done with silk flowers and come up with a plan to install one similar for my friend!

I have 4 houses, other than my own, to decorate for Christmas.  2 of them I have to do the weekend before Thanksgiving.  Then I will be hosting Thanksgiving for my family as well as my husband's family.  The weekend after Thanksgiving is MY weekend to get my house done... and it will probably take longer than that weekend! Then my friend with the arch is on the *schedule*.  She's in a new house, so she has no idea what she wants to do this year!  The 4th person is on the list, but she's not on the *schedule*.  I've never charged people to decorate.  I don't even know where to begin!  When I worked for the florist, they had labor tiers..... the head designer billed $75 per hour, the other designers billed $50 per hour, and the *muscle* billed $35 per hour... so a team of 4 or five, which was typical charged $195 - $230 per hour just for labor.  Multiply that by 2 8 hour days, and you've got *good money*!!!  But, my friends don't have that kind of money, and I could never charge that anyway!

My husband and I are already planning our outdoor halloween decorations.  There are lots of children in our neighborhood, but I'm not sure how many actually go trick or treating!  We have a fog machine and some of those flaming cauldrons.  We have tombstones, rats and bones!  I've got spider web, spiders and flies.  I see schemes in my head, but I'm not sure how they will turn out..... I really want to put spotlight gels over my landscape lighting to give it that eerie red or purple glow.... and I want to put blacklight bulbs in the fixtures.  I think it would be cool to put milk and food coloring in the fountain to make it murky green.  It's a bubbler in a pot.... so it might look cool in the fog!  I have some of that dripping blood stuff you put on your windows.......  lot's of ideas, but not sure on the execution!

We are waiting on supplies for the boat..... if we get them today or tomorrow, we might wok on the boat some this weekend as well!

The quickest way to make AF show up is to actually BUY the pee tests.  You can't just think about buying them, or threaten to buy them...... money must change hands!  AF is sure to show up before you even get the little f*ckers into the house!
That's just my take on things.  Hello AF AND a 4 day weekend.

We worked on the boat or boat related projects most of the weekend.  We took off the teak so we could clean and oil it with out the hassle of the attaching screws leaving permenant marks on our arms and hands!

We actually opened the nasty sail bags and took out the foul (and I do mean foul) sails inside them.  I almost cried they were in such poor looking shape.  The fabric was good, the stitching is fine..... but stained to hell.  Water stained, rust stained, mildew stained.....  I wish I had taken a picture.  I found out that bleach is a no-no to sails, and for severly stained sails, it is best to send them off, pay a huge sum of money, and hope they come back to you clean, but no guarantees.  Well, not having a huge sum of money to waste on no guarantee, I decided that the cost to have them cleaned is comparable to almost new sails.  Figuring I had nothing much to lose, I got a huge plastic tub, and a huge tub of oxyclean (generic actually..... for $1.98).  I used 12 or so scoops and filled it with water and sail.  I let is simmer overnight, and the next morning I was absolutely disgusted by the murky water in the tub...... but murky water in the tub means something came off the sail..... right?  RIGHT!  We pulled it out of the tub and put it on the driveway to sun bleach and dry.  The sail looks amazing..... I can not believe that nasty stinky stained sail came out so clean.  I did it again the next night with the other sail..... I can honestly say that $12 is some of the most wellspent dollars I've ever had.  With the remainder of the oxyclean (generic), I soaked the actual black sail bag and rudder cover, hoping I would be able use them as well..... and that was successful too!

We worked a collective 22 hours this past weekend pumping out standing water and scrubbing the boat..... it's initial first cleaning!  The difference is dramatic!  I think she's going to shape up to be a fine boat!

So here is the sailboat that has been sitting under a tree in my in-law's driveway for the past 7 years!  I keep telling myself that if I keep tackleing seemingly immpossible projects successfully, then making a baby will eventually happen too.

• We had a nice weekend.  It was hot, but August usually is in the south!  We went out to the marina...... met Jolly Roger himself.  We talked to him about leasing a slip for the sailboat.... when that time comes!  The cost is not what I would consider expensive ($950 yr).... but I guess that is relative.  I'm not too crazy about the docks.  The dock is narrow between boats..... 2 adults would have a hard time walking side by side.  It just made me feel a little claustrophobic.  We talked about sailing lessons.  $500 for both of us to take a weekend course that is approved by the ASA.  We would have to pass an exam at the end of the weekend.  We might have to look at some other options...... I'm thinking I'm going to need more than 2 afternoons on the water!  Then we researched the local sailing club.  It's entrance is to the right of the marina we looked at, behind gated security!  You have to fill out an application, and membership is $135 per year, plus $35 per month if you own a boat (cheaper if you don't).  That comes to $555 yr.  From all the literature we read, it appears that the $35 per month is to harbor you boat there.  We could not find anymore slip fees etc. listed.  The online pictures show docks in much better condition, and wider.  The sailing club also has a lift that we would need to get our boat in the water (deep keel)..... so even if we docked at the marina, they would have to use the lift at the sailing club!  Docking at the sailing club would likely keep us motivated to use the boat, since they have regatta's every weekend!  We also took pictures of our ship wreck boat, which I will post here!

• This weekend was my Father's birthday, last weekend was my baby sister's 30th birthday!  All family members were quite well behaved!  

• I need a vacation!  I need some quiet time to myself. 

Busy weekend!  If you read my hubbies blog, then you already know what my titles refers to!  His family used to sail almost every weekend when he was younger.  There is a large lake 10 minutes away that caters to the sailing community.  It is the main water reservoir for the city, as well as surrounding cities, and there was no motor boating allowed...... only sailboats.  They got the boat in LA...... made a family vacation of picking it up.  They sailed for years.....   Life started getting in the way, the docking fees were going up, so they brought the boat home, and it has sat in the driveway for years (many, many years).  We inherited this boat over the weekend!  It's in really good condition, structurally.  Ropes and rigging hardware will need to be replaced, as well as the interior cushions needing replaced..... the wisteria vine that has taken up residence will have to be hacked back!  It sleeps 4 adults comfortably (I am told!).  The first thing to be done is a bug bombing of the interior..... I saw lots of creepy crawlies..... then a good power washing!  MIL swore that the sails had been stored inside the house..... but we suspect that the main sail is still inside the boat..... We'll be able to tell more after the initial (buggy) bomb strike has been assessed!

I don't know the first thing about sailing.  NOTHING!  But, I'll learn because it's shameful to have the boat sitting at their house...... while all the rope turns into compost!

It's a 23' Merit Sailboat.  She has no name..... but I want to name her.  I used to drive a '94 mustang convertible before I got my POS Honda I drive now. (You are wondering where this is going, I know!)  Anyway, I had vanity plates that read.....  WNDBLWN.  I was really referencing my hair with that tag, but I think Wind Blown is a great name for a sailboat.  What do you think?