A Day in the Life of Alana

Out fo town again!

2008-06-15T09:51:00.002-04:00

Well... I am out of town again... So I'll share some pics.

I'm in Marquette until Wednesday. My step-sister Jessica, got married on Friday.

I have to say, it was prolly the nicest church wedding I've ever been to!

Here's some pics. I'll keep adding to the album.

Marquette, MI June 2008

Free Money - Seriously...

2008-05-23T15:47:00.001-04:00

Okay, it's not a lot, but I did just get a $10 payment!

I just click while I watch tv in the evening :P

More Pics Uploaded

2008-05-14T11:01:00.002-04:00

Click on the pic and you'll see more that we've uploaded.

Spain 2008

Off to Gibraltar!

2008-05-13T10:42:00.002-04:00

Whew! What a day!

We went to Gibraltar this morning. It's a Rock Island... Really, it's a peninsula, that's owned by England. So, in theory, we visited England while in Spain. :)

It was a 2 hour car trip... Not too bad.

We parked just across the boarder and walked in. I was a little sad that they didn't stamp my Passport. We took a bus into town and a friendly gal helped us find the easiest stop. We went to take the cable car up to the top of Gibraltar... But there was a chain across the step saying that they we closed! There were some sales guys there trying to get people to take a minivan tour, for $25 Erous each! (The cable car was only $13 e) We went to find coffee as this was just too frustrating to handle on a non-caffeinated stomach. By the time we finished our coffee and chips (fries) the air lift was up and running. We went to the top, happily caffeinated.

The Barberry Apes we very cool. A little scary. I think they like to bite people's knees.

We walked 2 kilometers down the hill to catch the car halfway down.

That was about all of Gibraltar everyone else could stand, so we caught the bus back to the boarder and hightailed it out.

All in all, it was a fun outing. There were a few other things I would've liked to do, but it was very noisy, hot, busy.... I'm glad I went, but I doubt that I ever would again.

When we got home, I laid down on the bed for a min. and woke up an hour later! lol

We went out to an English pub for dinner and I had fish and chips and mushy peas... mmmm... mushy peas are awesome. David had his fav, Bangers and Mash and English beer.

A quick stop at the internet cafe and off to the house... It's 10:50 pm and I'm in bed... Another day tomorrow!

Lazy Days in Spain

2008-05-12T10:39:00.000-04:00

Not really much to say... The weather was a little cool and rainy.

Saturday, Anna and I went to the Torrox market. Then that evening it was David's birthday dinner, so we all went out for Chinese.

Sunday... We had a lunch over at our villa. Then David helped his brother with hos computer. Rainy day on Sunday.

This morning it was blue skies and calm waters, so we went to the Costa Market this morning and then brought a picnic to the beach and soaked up some sun. I jumped into the sea, but it was almost as cold as Lake Superior, so I didn't stay in long.

This afternoon, we wandered around town while Anna and Pat had a massage and then spent some time at H2O, our fave internet cafe. Now, we're off to an English pub for an English dinner.

Tomorrow we're heading to Gibraltar for the day. That should be fun!

Anyway.... We're off!

Just Uploaded all of my Posts.

2008-05-08T14:01:00.003-04:00

I've actually been blogging on my crappy laptop in bed each night and saving them in txt files. I've just had a little extra time to upload them all!

Today we did some grocery shopping and then went up into Torrox proper to see David's brother's house in town. They live out in the country, but have bought a house in town to fix up. The ride there was terrifying! Thank god I wasn't driving! The road was never built for a car. Now I know why European cars are so tiny. We even had to pull in the side mirrors. It was neat, but dang... I couldn't live here. It's so clausterphobic... Everyone piled on top of and next to each other.

David grilled our dinner early and then Anna and I slipped out to H2O for our internet fix. David stayed home and asked Pat to stay with him. It's like a Girls Night Out! lol. Driving in Spain is not bad in the normal areas. No small town driving for me though!

You can check out all of our pics so far:

Spain 2008

Days are starting to blend together!

2008-05-07T23:59:00.000-04:00

Hmmm...

What did we do today? Everyday seems so full, it's hard to remember. This morning we went into Nerja, and had coffee at the famous Balcon de Europa at our favorite cafe con leche place. Then we ambled around looking for a bookstore. We found one, and it was English, but they only had a tiny selection. Guess what, no sci-fi/fantasy. So... I'm stuck reading an old beat-up copy of Dirk Gentry, again...

We then went and hooked in to the internet for a bit at H2O... My computer is still having issues. Oh well. Used David's again.

After that we were going to go to La Parra - a restaurant that was on Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares. It looked like it could be good once Gorden was done with 'em, but when we got there, it was deserted. It looked like the owner might not have listened. So we changed out minds and went to the local English pub-like place and had fish and chips. They were great! And Mushy Peas! David had been raving about mushy peas since we met... They really are as good as he says.

We went to a Pharmacy and got David some cough syrup. I'm hoping we're both going to sleep better tonight!

Tomorrow, more family time. We're having lunch with David's niece, Lisa, and her son, Sua (Soo-ah). He's a doll. He's about 2 years old.

Anyway... Another day in Spain... It's going surprisingly fast. It's almost a week already.

Thank god for wires.

2008-05-06T22:56:00.001-04:00

Tuesday...

So... Today I swam in the Sea. It was chilly! But not too bad. I didn't bring a swimsuit. Since we packed last minute, I couldn't find my suit anywhere in the house... I tore apart my dresser, closet, laundry area, and just couldn't find it. I may have left it in Michigan last fall. So David's mum brought an extra and I am using that until I find another.

During Siesta, we went over to Paul's house (David's sister-in-law's brother... follow?) he runs a company out of his home and has great internet connections. My laptop has been sucking. My wireless barely works and I can't control my home computer with a sucky internet connection. Why do I need to control my home computer, you might ask? Well, my e-store, www.divadata.com, is still up and running and the orders are still coming in! I've made about $200 since arriving in Spain! I love the internet! I have a gal who is taking care of the orders for me while I'm here. But, I need to be able to print out orders for Brit.

So anyway, we went over to Paul's house and downloaded new drivers for my wireless card. Now we're at the Wireless cafe and my fricking wifi stil doesn't work. I'm having to write all my blogs on my computer in notepad and then upload them later.

I think that the only thing that I really get frusterated in Spain about is the lack of technology. I take it for granted that we have such steller connections and wifi... I have a hard time letting some of that go.

Anyway... more to come!

Must ... Have ... Internet ...

2008-05-04T22:52:00.001-04:00

Mmmmmm... Cafe con Leche.

You just can't reproduce it. David and I have tried. It's not a latte, it's not espresso, but it's not just milky coffee. It's a hot, sweet, caffinated cup of heaven.

We tried to go grocery shopping, but it's Sunday, everything's closed.
We went up to David's brother's for lunch. Spanish lunches are huge and take up 4 hours. But it was YUMMY!

After dinner... I mean, lunch... We rested... Then we tried to find internet. Rumor was, that there was internet access within walking distance.

So we found the restaurant... The Anchor (in English anyway) and, wouldn't you know it, the internet's out. The fish and chips that walked by me looked amazing. I guess we'll find out in a few days when the internet is back up. The waiter gave us directions to Casa Maria's, where, he said, we could get dinner and wireless. (After a 4 hour long lunch, I was starving.)

We zoomed around the village in the car looking for it... He had said it was down a dirt road, but we were having a hard time finding the dirt road. Then we came across a sign...

We drove down the goat track. Found the restaurant and NO WIFI! the food wasn't supposed to be good either. So we decided to heck with it! We know where there's WiFi, and good drinks... So off to Nerja and the Cafe H2O.

So... I go to connect and my frickin Wireless card is giving me trouble... But I am drinking the best, sour, peachy, tangy, drink... :)

We'll find more internet where I can update my wireless drivers.

We made it!

2008-05-03T23:50:00.000-04:00

We arrived!

We managed to find our baggage, get our rental car and get out of Malaga. While we were waiting in Madrid, I realized that I had left the usb part of our GPS system in the truck... At the Raleigh Airport. It's been so long since I've driven without a GPS that I was terrified I wouldn't be able to get anywhere. How the heck do people deal with life without technology?

We made it to David's brother's house without any trauma. Once we were on the main highway, we both remembered the way.

Our villa is great! Beautiful bedroom overlooking the sea, just a walk down the road to the beach.

We had a pretty good dinner and then waited up for Anna and Pat, David's sister and mother. It was tough, we were both exhausted. But it was definitely worth it.

Stuck in an airport.. .~sigh

2008-05-02T23:48:00.000-04:00

Wow...

Okay... So.

Thursday night David didn't sleep at all... He was sick and had a really bad sore througt. This means I didn't really sleep at all either.

Friday morning David went to his Microsoft conference. I caught up on a few emails before we left.

We made it to the Raleigh Airport with plenty of time and hopped on the first plane to Phillidelphia with no problems. We made it to the gate to Madrid just as they were bording. Great! While waiting to leave the gate... the capitain comes on the loudspeaker,

"Hello, this is the capitan. While doing the complete plane check, which is something done after every international flight, our staff noticed a fuel leak."

(WHAT!?!)

"We're just going to check if this is something that can be fixed. Give us about 5 minutes."

(Holy Crap!? Did you NEED to tell me that? Just tell me you have mechanical difficulties! Don't tell me that we might explode!)

"This is your capitan again. It looks like it was just a leaking fuel tank panel. We're just going to unload some of the fuel, replace that panal, refuel and we'll be ready to go. We have an estimated wait time of about 45 minutes."

(Wait! You're jsut going to PATCH UP the fuel tank and send us OVERSEAS!?!)

. . . 10 minuets . . .

"This is the capitain again. For safety reasons, we're going to need you to leave the airplane while we make this adjustment. Please leave everything but your ticket stub onboard."

(Oaky, you want me to leave all my stuff ehre so it can get blown up..??)

. . . 1 hour . . .

Me: "Ummm, Excuse me. With the delay's, by the time we reach Madrid, we're cutting it close to missing our flight to Malaga."

Deak Gal: "We should be underway shortly. You won't miss your flight"

Me: "Can you please change it anyway, Just in case,"

Desk Gal: SIGH "Okay, we can put you on the afternoon flight instead of the morning flight."

Me: "Thanks."

. . . 1 more hour . . .

Loudspeaker at the gate:
"Hello folks. We're going to have to change planes. You're going to have to get back on board, gather your things, and go down to gate 22. But, because we've completely powered down the plane, we have to wait for an airport official to come down and turn on the power. It will be about 15 minutes."

. . . 30 minutes later . . .

Go in to get out things in a surprisingly calm and orderly fashion. Proceed to gate 22.

Loudspeaker at the gate:
"Hello again folks. They're getting the plane from the hanger, stocking it up, moving baggage over, and we should be ready to go shortly."

. . . 1.5 hours later . . .

By the time we left, we were 5 hours late. Thank god I changed flights!

Trip to Spain - Thursday, May 1

2008-05-01T22:41:00.000-04:00

I know I haven't updated this blog in a while. But I didn't want to post about my trip on my "Passion Parties Blog"

Packing for a 2 week trip is hard. Packing for a 2 week trip for 2 computer/techno geeks (one who has ADD!) is REALLY hard. I Think we put more thought and planning into the electronics than into the wardrobe! We put it off until today, and we we're trying to get out of the house by 3.

We got off to a late start. We managed to leave the house by 5:30. Which means, by the time we dropped the dogs off, we left Asheville by 6.

So, it's now 9:30pm and we're still driving. Okay, WE are not driving. HE is driving, I just did my obligatory 1.5 hours.

There;s just something I love about driving with David. After nearly 6 years, I can still look over and be so excited to be sitting next to him. It;s a little shocking really. I never thought I'd last this long in a relationship, not to mention, marriage!

I'm a little tired... David has a Microsoft Conference tomorrow and then we're flying out in the evening! Whoo Hooo! We'll land in Spain at 10am on Saturday! I'm going to do my best to blog and take pics of the whole trip.

I'm still not sure which blog I"ll actually send this to... My personal one... Which hasn't been updated since last summer... Or my Passion blog. Is it right to blab about my personal and family life in a blog that I would like to keep Passion Parties?

We;ll I guess that's the question, isn't it? Is my blog about My life as a Passion Parties consultant... or is it my life and I happen to be a Passion Parties consultant?

I'd love to hear from anyone who actually reads it.. Would you like it to be personal... Or would you rather that I kept it Passion Parties related.... though I don't seem to be very good at keeping it up just based on the business!

Anyway... We're about 6 miles away from our hotel, according to the GPS... So I'll end it for today!

Love of technology and vacations

2007-07-20T21:08:00.000-04:00

I'm writing from our truck.

I love technology! lol

We're on our way to the great wide north... to da UP.

We left this morning and will hopefully be there by tomorrow evening. It's been a great time just hanging with the hubby in the truck driving. We haven't taken out the camper since we moved to NC 2 years ago.

Right now we're in Indianna... It's sunset. It's so nice to actually see the sky. We don't see much real sky in the mountains.

Oh... If you haven't heard, I opened an etsy shop... Check out my newest online venture, my Recovery and Geek Swag Etsy Shop:

http://alana1223.etsy.com

Like I need another project... I can't stand not being busy.

Oil Lamp, Mini Vase, and Perfume Oil Bottle!

2007-06-06T16:22:00.000-04:00

This is the first thing I've made that went from my imagination to the kiln!
It's the first time I've designed something :)
~I'm sure that oil lamps have been made before, but this one's mine!

And here's a little Perfume Oil Bottle I made. It's tiny! :)

I made this little bud vase a while ago, but it was on the back of the shelf and I just found it.

Here's the two of them together!

Sorry about the crappy pics. I'm using my phone's camera.

Thanks for looking!

A New Post! More Glass! Yay!

2007-05-26T14:01:00.000-04:00

So, I finally made it back into the studio!

Scott had it shut down for a few months... and then i was sort of a chicken to go in.

I'm glad I did!

Here's a pic of something I made a while ago, just forgot to post it!

It's about 7 inches in diameter at the lip.

And here's from the last time I blew....

My First Humming Bird Feeder!

I also made a really cool oil lamp, but I have to grind the bottom and didn't have time today!

I successfully made my first wavy bowl (though small) and a small perfume bottle. Pics next time!

Oh, here's another little crafty thing I've been making:

Pin-Up Girl Magnets :)

I like 'em!

This is my favorite article that I've read online so far...

2007-03-09T14:56:00.000-05:00

Please don't hate me if you own a Mac...

I hate Macs

Charlie Brooker

Monday February 5, 2007
The Guardian

Unless you have been walking around with your eyes closed, and your head encased in a block of concrete, with a blindfold tied round it, in the dark - unless you have been doing that, you surely can't have failed to notice the current Apple Macintosh campaign starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb, which has taken over magazines, newspapers and the internet in a series of brutal coordinated attacks aimed at causing massive loss of resistance. While I don't have anything against shameless promotion per se (after all, within these very brackets I'm promoting my own BBC4 show, which starts tonight at 10pm), there is something infuriating about this particular blitz. In the ads, Webb plays a Mac while Mitchell adopts the mantle of a PC. We know this because they say so right at the start of the ad.

"Hello, I'm a Mac," says Webb.

"And I'm a PC," adds Mitchell.

They then perform a small comic vignette aimed at highlighting the differences between the two computers. So in one, the PC has a "nasty virus" that makes him sneeze like a plague victim; in another, he keeps freezing up and having to reboot. This is a subtle way of saying PCs are unreliable. Mitchell, incidentally, is wearing a nerdy, conservative suit throughout, while Webb is dressed in laid-back contemporary casual wear. This is a subtle way of saying Macs are cool.

The ads are adapted from a near-identical American campaign - the only difference is the use of Mitchell and Webb. They are a logical choice in one sense (everyone likes them), but a curious choice in another, since they are best known for the television series Peep Show - probably the best sitcom of the past five years - in which Mitchell plays a repressed, neurotic underdog, and Webb plays a selfish, self-regarding poseur. So when you see the ads, you think, "PCs are a bit rubbish yet ultimately lovable, whereas Macs are just smug, preening tossers." In other words, it is a devastatingly accurate campaign.

I hate Macs. I have always hated Macs. I hate people who use Macs. I even hate people who don't use Macs but sometimes wish they did. Macs are glorified Fisher-Price activity centres for adults; computers for scaredy cats too nervous to learn how proper computers work; computers for people who earnestly believe in feng shui.

PCs are the ramshackle computers of the people. You can build your own from scratch, then customise it into oblivion. Sometimes you have to slap it to make it work properly, just like the Tardis (Doctor Who, incidentally, would definitely use a PC). PCs have charm; Macs ooze pretension. When I sit down to use a Mac, the first thing I think is, "I hate Macs", and then I think, "Why has this rubbish aspirational ornament only got one mouse button?" Losing that second mouse button feels like losing a limb. If the ads were really honest, Webb would be standing there with one arm, struggling to open a packet of peanuts while Mitchell effortlessly tore his apart with both hands. But then, if the ads were really honest, Webb would be dressed in unbelievably po-faced avant-garde clothing with a gigantic glowing apple on his back. And instead of conducting a proper conversation, he would be repeatedly congratulating himself for looking so cool, and banging on about how he was going to use his new laptop to write a novel, without ever getting round to doing it, like a mediocre idiot.

Cue 10 years of nasal bleating from Mac-likers who profess to like Macs not because they are fashionable, but because "they are just better". Mac owners often sneer that kind of defence back at you when you mock their silly, posturing contraptions, because in doing so, you have inadvertently put your finger on the dark fear haunting their feeble, quivering soul - that in some sense, they are a superficial semi-person assembled from packaging; an infinitely sad, second-rate replicant who doesn't really know what they are doing here, but feels vaguely significant and creative each time they gaze at their sleek designer machine. And the more deftly constructed and wittily argued their defence, the more terrified and wounded they secretly are.

Aside from crowing about sartorial differences, the adverts also make a big deal about PCs being associated with "work stuff" (Boo! Offices! Boo!), as opposed to Macs, which are apparently better at "fun stuff". How insecure is that? And how inaccurate? Better at "fun stuff", my arse. The only way to have fun with a Mac is to poke its insufferable owner in the eye. For proof, stroll into any decent games shop and cast your eye over the exhaustive range of cutting-edge computer games available exclusively for the PC, then compare that with the sort of rubbish you get on the Mac. Myst, the most pompous and boring videogame of all time, a plodding, dismal "adventure" in which you wandered around solving tedious puzzles in a rubbish magic kingdom apparently modelled on pretentious album covers, originated on the Mac in 1993. That same year, the first shoot-'em-up game, Doom, was released on the PC. This tells you all you will ever need to know about the Mac's relationship with "fun".

Ultimately the campaign's biggest flaw is that it perpetuates the notion that consumers somehow "define themselves" with the technology they choose. If you truly believe you need to pick a mobile phone that "says something" about your personality, don't bother. You don't have a personality. A mental illness, maybe - but not a personality. Of course, that hasn't stopped me slagging off Mac owners, with a series of sweeping generalisations, for the past 900 words, but that is what the ads do to PCs. Besides, that's what we PC owners are like - unreliable, idiosyncratic and gleefully unfair. And if you'll excuse me now, I feel an unexpected crash coming.

Even more glass... newer stuff...

2007-01-05T15:38:00.000-05:00

Okay, it looks like that post went alright.

let's try the second slideshow:

More glass...

2007-01-05T15:01:00.000-05:00

Here are a bunch of pics of glass that I haven't shown yet...

Some of it is from the beginning. Stuff that I had to grind.
(I just learned how)

I tried slideshows, just didn't work out right... so I'm trying two different posts of slideshows...

Here's the older stuff:

Learning to make stuff...

2006-12-12T19:53:00.000-05:00

So, I still can't open up a stupid bowl or dish... But I have gotten better at a different type of ornament.

Here is my very first "icicle ornament." It's going to my 2 year old neice for her yearly ornament Xmas present.

And here is the second one I ever made:

This one is on it's way to England, for my mother in law for XMas.

The background is a framed UP leaf :) I have a set of them that I made last fall when I went home. It was a convenient place to stick a suction cup. It is also a good, clear background. :)

Anyway... I went again last night and picked up 2 ornaments I made last week...
(those other two are from two weeks ago!) I'll get a couple of pics of those tomorrow. They're the same style, just a little bigger and better. I tried to make a dish, but ended up just making a paperweight with it. I had a bubble in between the clear and color, which made it really thin on one side.

I'm going to learn to grind Wednesday I think. I have 3 things that need grinding. (flat-ening the bottom)

Hmmm... what else?

Not a heck of a lot really. We're pretty busy this week.

I don't have a single party scheduled for this month, but I do have 5 parties scheduled for Jan/Feb.

I think I'm going to turn my 10 gallon tank into a frog house and get a tree frog. There's a betta in there now, but he's going into a betta barracks that I made as soon as I get the lid in the mail. Hmmm...

I've started doing a "Girl's Night" thing. It's the first time in my life that I am activally, on-purpose, hanging out with girls. It's a little strange, but I'm starting to like it. It's nice to meet people outside of the "AEG" world. I still feel like a gangly, nerdy, uninteresting person, but I think I'm pretty good at faking it. :) At least, I hope I am! lol.

Alright, enough tonight. more tomorrow...

Oh, Just in case...

2006-12-02T21:31:00.000-05:00

You thought you might want to get me something for my birthday or christmas... here's a link:

ThinkGeek

;)

Finally...

2006-12-02T20:05:00.000-05:00

After a month of not going to the studio, I finally went Wednesday night.

I did really well I think. I made 2 ornaments that turned out great. I'll have pics on Monday. And I attempted another small bowl shape... didn't work so well. maybe next time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On another note... I've been struggling a little with depression again. I've started taking the magnesium and B complex that seemed to help before. I'm not sure why I get like this, maybe it's the weather, maybe it's the time of year, maybe I'm just nuts. But it's frustrating. I've been going for a walk every day in the morning. That seemed to help for a little while, but not so much now. It's dumb really... I have no real reason for it. Life's good, work's good, Passion Parties are starting to pick up, heck, I’ve even started to finally make a few friends! I just get stuck sometimes.

Anyway. It'll pass. I'll get over it. I always do.

I'm slacking at my blog...

2006-11-08T08:26:00.000-05:00

So, this past month I've been BUSY!

We went to the coast with two other couples. All in all, it didn't turn out all that bad. We met a great couple, flew a stunt kite, learned how to boogy board, and at well. I was way to cranky at the beginning of the week.

After that, we came home for a week. I did a little glassblowing. I'm venturing into opening vessels... i made a small bowl and a small perfume bottle! The bottom has to be ground down so they sit flat, but i think they turned out... well... they're at least recognizable as what they are :)

Hmmm... On the 25th of October, I went home to Michigan. There was snow on the ground when we landed. Yuck. It snowed and melted a few times. I sppent a ton of time with my neice who turned 2 while I was there. I'll post pics later... I'm on my laptop, the pics are on the desktop.

Last weekend we went to Greensboro. We stayed with Rob and Sarra (the cool couple from the coast) and I had a Passion Party out there. I had a $1200 party!!!! That means I took home about $450 for one night!!! That's definately the best party I've had yet. It was a lot of fun, and I felt the most confident I've felt yet!

This week I have a LOT of computer work to catch up on. We're going to see a great band tonight, The Asylum Street Spankers at the Grey Eagle in Asheville.

I have a party Saturday night, hopefully it's as great as last weekend's party!

Whew! That was a long one! I'll try to get to some picture posting today...

Thanks for tuning in!

Vacation?

2006-10-11T20:40:00.000-04:00

Vacationing with friends. It's a strange thing. Vacationing with people you sorta know and another couple you've just met, seems like it's even stranger. I don't know if I reccomend it.

Another Glassblowing night last night...

2006-10-03T12:44:00.000-04:00

Okay... I haven't posted in a while...

I went to Nashville, TN two weekends ago (Sept 22nd - 25th) to visit a couple of friends. I had an awesome time! We didn't do a whole lot, but it was nice to hang out with 'em!

I managed to get back in time Monday to go to my glass session. One out of four balls I tried made it:

I have also been working on flameworking at home... making beads! These are in order that I made them, left to right with the newest on the right:

And last night, at glassblowing, I made 2 balls that lived... almost all by myself... :)

And I made my first bowl! That was way fun! After you get the ball on the end of the pipe, you then have to get a small bit of glass on the pontil, marver it out and then attach it to the end of the ball (where it's the roundest, in the middle). Then you break the ball off of the pipe, so you have an open round-ish vessel. You have to heat that up and open it up and shape it. It was super hard but really fun! I had a LOT of help!

Anyway... thanks for tuning in!

Check 'em out!

2006-09-08T18:28:00.000-04:00

I got my ornaments back today! They're not the prettiest things in the world, but I made 'em!

I did the blue one first. It's not quite round :)

The orange one was definately done with some help!

Sorry about the light quality on the photos... it's a dreary, rainy day here...

Freebie ScrapBook Kit!

2006-09-05T15:35:00.000-04:00

I made this kit for a kit swap on ScrapBook-Bytes and since it's been a week, I thought I'd share it!

Here's the Link: Autumn Celebration

Another Monday night learning about glass :)

2006-09-05T08:50:00.000-04:00

Last night was even better than last week!

I actually tried to blow the glass last night! The first one I blew up. I blew WAY to hard. It's so easy to blow, like blowing a bubble in bubble gum. If it gets harder, the glass is too cold and it's time to reheat! It took only three tries before I had a globe ornament that actually lived! :)

The second one deflated horribly and instead of trashing it, Scott showed me how to make a paper weight. We melted it down, pulled and twisted the glass to form a cool shape, added frit (small bits of colored glass) and then gathered more clear over it. It was a little funny shaped. I gathered the glass too high and missed some at the bottom, but Scott helped shape it into something presentable! :)

The last one, I did almost on my own :) It was a orange globe with yellow and red frit. I can't wait to see how they turned out.

David set up a lampworking table yesterday at home! So that we can both use the lampworking kit I gave to him for his birthday, several years ago. I'm excited to work on that during the week in between bouts of glassblowing.

I'll take some pics of what I made and post them after next Monday...

What else.... hmm... not a whole lot. It's been raining, and not so warm. David loves that its getting cooler, I'm sad about it. I can't believe that summer is over already. I have no idea where the last 6 or 7 months have gone.

Anyway... I guess that's all for now!

My glass blowing experience!

2006-08-29T15:19:00.000-04:00

This is a Marver. Where you roll and attach the freshly gathered glass to the pontil. (the metal rod) This is about as far as I got last night!

lol.

So, after being rescheduled last week. I finally got my chance at trying glass.

Scott showed me how to gather the molten glass from the 2400 degree furnace, and then I tried. TRIED. Key word. lol. What he didn't mention was hot frickin' HOT it is. WOAH! I know, logically, it's hot, but experiencing it was way different. First, I held the pontil too low and scorched my hands from the heat, then, even with the sunglass on, I couldn't see the level of glass. I didn't even manage to gather any glass!

The second try, I did only slightly better. Again, I held the pontil wrong, too low and didn't rest it on the edge... and just stuck it in the glass and came out. I did manage to gather a little... where i tried to marver it (roll it onto the metal rod, neatly) and just flattened it!

By the 10th or 20th try I was able to gather some glass, roll it out, reheat it in the glory hole (the other burner) then sit down with it and start to shape it a little. Not one thing did I actually make. I was trying to make a simple perfume bottle stopper. nope. nada. Maybe by next time I will be able to.

Glass is sooo fascinating. It goes from very liquid, just like 2000 degree honey :) to thick taffy, to glass... There's not a lot of room for actually working it. There's a definite temperature range where it's workable. You can heat it up again, but only so many times, it gets more stiff the more you reheat it.

Anyway... I loved it. I wasn't as good as I had hoped I'd be, but I wasn't as bad as I was afraid I would be!

I can't wait until next week!

Future Glassblower???

2006-08-21T15:24:00.000-04:00

So, I've been interested in working with glass for years now, but haven't had the guts to get into it. When David expressed an interest in glass work a few years ago, I immediately went and got him a complete starter kit for his birthday. he still hasn't touched it.

David took me to his friend’s glass blowing studio this past Sunday. I think he was interested in learning. We walked in and he instantly broke into a sweat. I was instantly, finally, warm enough! Watching Scott work was amazing. i loved it! i asked him about a thousand questions and he patiently answered them all. He then suggested he would take on an apprentice! I can't wait! I’m heading over there tonight for my first evening! woo hoo!!!!!

Good-Bye WayneCo.

2006-08-15T17:44:00.000-04:00

So, we've left Wayne-Co. I was sad driving up to SLC. I really enjoyed hangin out with my favorite cowboy poet, RAY.

It was wonderful in the big skies and wide open spaces. I forgot how much I enjoyed the dry, the sage smells, the people. We met some great people... and got a chance to see some old friends.

I had a great time. Now we're in SLC, getting to see a couple of our other friends.

River Rafting in the Desert?!?!?!

2006-08-12T16:29:00.000-04:00

So. I live in Asheville, NC. Some of the best rafting in the country. (or so i'm told) and it takes me comming out to Utah to get in a boat!

We just went on a smallish river with two 2-person duckies. I loved it! I had a blast!

Going to a party tonight, it will be nice to see people again.

abyway...

Here in Utah

2006-08-10T17:20:00.000-04:00

So... here I am. In Fremont, UT. It's quite, dry, and beautiful. I'm surprised how much i like it. Not really enough to ever live here again, but it is a great place.

Last week, I switched our cell phone company before we came. Our friend Rick came out here and had service with Verizon, so i paid the early disconnect fee and switched us. Now that we're here... NO SERVICE!!! I checked with verizon, to get phones similar to Rick's, but it didn't work. Wayne Co. is just to rural.

Sigh. At least i still have the internet.

Taking a Trip

2006-08-08T23:12:00.000-04:00

We're heading to Utah tomorrow for a week. It's sort of a vacation. "A vacation under sad circumstance." is what David has called it.

One of my best friends passed away unexpectedly last month. She was only 68, her husband is 79. We thought we'd see her again, that we'd get to do things and hang out, kid around and tease each other. Go on a trip to Mexico together. Pry her secret recipes out of her, wince as she beat me at arm wrestling for the millionth time.... Anyway....

Who knows? you never know what's going to happen. Not from one day to the next. in recovery, it's drilled into you to live one day at a time. but it's so easy to forget and start to take things for granted.

so... i haven't thought about going to Utah until i had to pack today. i couldn't think about it. i still can't. i know i'm not dealing with my grief. i don't think i know how. not with this. it's the same devastation as if it were my mother or sister. even now, sitting here writing, i am numb. logical. unfeeling/unthinking. i can't imagine going to wayne co. and not hanging with lu. staying with ray in a huge empty house... well. maybe for a week, it won't be so empty.

we're going because we're not taking things for granted. we're going to visit with ray, tell him we love him (he walked me down the aisle at his house for my wedding-my folks were 2,ooo miles away) and maybe i'll start to feel a little bit. maybe i'll grieve, maybe i'll cry. but no more taking for granted.

Yay! Just drove home!!!

2006-07-28T16:51:00.000-04:00

I just drove home a brand new Scion xB!!!

I've never had a car that was new, not 7 MILES new!!! It's sooo cool!

Okay, I admit. I hated boxy cars. I couldn't stand the element, I couldn't stand the xB. But after driving one, with my 6'2" husband, feeling like I was still in a suburban, I LOVE IT!!!!

Here's David in the car :)

Here's me in the car :)

and here's one more, a view of the front!

I'm going to try to make a mini-kit to go with the up and comming car pics I know will happen!!!

Waiting..... (plus Freebie!)

2006-07-27T15:11:00.000-04:00

So... i'm waiting for the phone to ring to finalize the car loan. Then we can go pick up our new Scion xB! I'm so excited!

For those who don't know me well... When we moved to NC last year, I sold my car to make moving easier. I have never, since I was 16, been without my own transportation. It was hell for the first couple of months. Then I got a scooter. I adore my scooter... It's a 49cc Kymco People. And... coming from Upper Michigan, I rode my scooter all winter long... snow, rain, cold, etc... It wasn't too bad and we live near downtown, so everything is close enough. But it's been a year with only a scooter and a HUGE suburban. 2 Vehicles is going to be GREAT!

While I’m waiting, I’m rebuilding our business computer which had some hardware issues. While waiting for the phone to ring and waiting for the install, I’m playing on my computer… makin stuff. Sooooo… you get a FREEBIE!

I also just bought a ticket home in October! Yay! I have a niece who will be 2 on the 26th. (Any layouts of a child are probably my cutie pie of a niece!) I didn’t make it home this summer, so I can’t wait to see her.

Anyway… time to go click update on the rebuild!

Thanks for visiting!

Tuesday... Thoughts... Buying a Car???

2006-07-25T19:13:00.000-04:00

So... I went out and test drove 4 different cars.

PT Cruiser... I was sorely disappointed.
A Matrix… Not too bad, but pricy and not so comfortable.
Scion xA…. LOVE IT! LOVE IT! LOVE IT!
Scion xB… Like it a lot, way more room than the xA, but not as much zip.

I’m bringing DH tomorrow am to the dealers to take the Scions out for a drive. Yeah!

Life in Asheville feels better. I’ve been getting out and doing things in the community. Walking down town and finally recognizing people is nice. We may go do some volunteer work on Saturday. That will be great.

In the graphic world… I was learning to make glittery elements and made a little set!

You can download it HERE!

I’m still not so great at journaling/blogging, but I’m working on it!

Friday!

2006-07-21T12:17:00.000-04:00

Glad it's Friday!

It's been a long week. I haven't done much in the way of accomplishing anything.

Frusterating.

It feels like ADD is back and better than ever. My brain has been the cloudiest it's ever been. I hate taking meds, so I just try to "manage." My managing skills were not up to par this week!

Maybe I'll make some DigiScrapping stuff with my ADD brain today.

Launching the Blog Freebies!

2006-07-19T14:47:00.000-04:00

Okay, to celebrate me actually opening a real blog, I have two freebies!

The first is a set of two .png files, with feminine words and symbols.

Download that set HERE.

The second is a set of photo corners I made for a layout I did. I liked the style so much, I made several different colors.

Download those HERE.

Thanks for helping me launch my blog!

My first "real" post

2006-07-18T19:34:00.000-04:00

Here is my new blog.

This is the 3rd one now. I have my myspace.com account (yes, I finally sold out.) I have one that i don't give out to anyone, it tends to be my venting site. And now this one.

Hopefully I will use this for practice for digital scrapbooking and to post some of my creations.

I suck at blogging. Oh yeah, I also have an old xanga.com account that I update about once every 6 months.

I've never been good at journaling. I've done a lot of it throughout my life, but it tends to be when i'm in a bad space. I have very little written record of good times or "happy thoughts." Though, growing up, I definately has less of those to even write about.

Anyway, we'll see what this turns into, see if i can learn to write positively and maybe post some digital scrapbooking layouts.

2006-07-18T09:00:00.000-04:00

Wow!
I forgot I even had a blogger account!