SA October - MEXICO

This month we headed to Mexico with Scrapsahoy
Below are my destination layouts. Check out the site to view all the amazing layouts from the rest of the crew! Truly amazing and rocking the "ship".











Thanks for looking!

Quick update

Fires in San Fernando Valley: ...the last few days have been crazy!!! We had brush fires in Chatsworth, Calabasas, Burbank and in the San Fernando Valley. I left the house this morning to get a cup of coffee at Starbucks and the air just smells like smoke. There are smoke particles and dust on the streets and sidewalks ...
Our house was not in danger but the homes of so many others. One of them was my girlfriends home. The had left for a vacation on Monday and I received their phonecall on Thursday morning that they would come back home as their home was evacuated. I called the guards at their community and throughout the day the evacuation was lifted, just to be put back on one hour later. Luckily this morning it was lifted again and it looks like their community will be fine. What a scare... I can only imagine how they must have felt to get this news on their trips... being away in another country and not knowing what is going on must be nerve wracking to say the least.
I haven't heard any news on the other fires, but I hope and pray that they as well have died down and that everyone can return to their homes. What a scare!!!!

Photofield Trip: We took our first official field trip yesterday evening with the photo class I am taking. It was a bit crazy as we were heading to Brand Library. Brand Library is located on the hillside and while driving there another brush fire started and we were literally heading towards that direction instead of the other way. Since the area was not evacuated, we walked around the library archades and shot pictures of the beautiful architecture, landscape, etc. I still have to take a peak at what I ended up with, but I think I got a few great shoots out of it. We did a Firmware update in class afterwards. I was so glad that our teachers assisted us as I read the instructions online and nearly started to panick.

Today I am off!!! YEAH! So relieved that this week is over... it has been everything but relaxing and calm. I will need to work on some assignments for tomorrows upload and hopefully meet with Margarita later. Ang and Inken are out of town, so our bi-weekly Friday sessions are out of sync :)

Happy Friday everyone!

Goooooo Dodgers

We (Ang, Scott, Daniel, Jer and I) went spontaneously to a Dodger's game yesterday evening. Jer and I used to go quite often about 2 - 3 years ago, but when we moved into our fixer/upper we spent most weekends working on the house and haven't been to a game in a long (TOO long) time. Love being in the stadium... love to people watch, love to bit in a dodgerdog, love to watch the game, just love everything about it! Too bad we started going right at the end of the season! ... but there is always a next year!

Kitchen Update

These are the latest photos of our kitchen. The cabinets are all installed, the moldings are finished. We are waiting for someone to come out and measure the countertop area, waiting for the appliances to be delivered and installed. The final touch will be the baseboards. Looking good - can't wait to start cooking in our new kitchen. And who knows, maybe, but just maybe I will transform into a domestic goddess after all (don't count on it though :)

Our new appliances

Below are the appliances we purchased on Friday evening at Lowe's. All stainless steel. Should take about 10 business days until they are in :)





THANKS MOM & DAD for your more than GENEROUS contribution!!!! We love you!!!!

Ordering completed

Argh, I hate to purchases in masses! Worst, going to the cash register and seeing a lot of zeros behind the purchase.
We just got back from Lowe's and spent a small fortune, but we are the proud owners of
* a new stainless steel Fridge
* a new stove
* a new microwave
* and a new dishwasher
All the appliances are ordered and should be here within the next 10 business days. And we made arrangements to have someone come out to measure our countertops for the granite. I think we spent nearly 2 hours at Lowe's. I am exhausted, tired and at the end leaned towards being grumpy. I hate to spend this much time in a store (unless of course it's shopping for something fun, like scrapping supplies, music, books, cloths). But APPLIANCES, dah!!! Still excited as it's going to look so nice thought but just not the patient kind when it comes to waiting and getting technical information. All done and taken care off - UFZ!!!!! ... ready to move on to the fun things in life :)

Fridays are the best

... it's either payday or I am off!!! So every Friday is a good day :)

I met with my parents in law today for lunch. Paul has his radiation sessions around the corner from where I work, so we all decided to meet up for lunch: Paul, Deborah and I. It was so good to see them and I have to say that he is looking fabulous. I am so darn proud of him, proud because he is working so hard on keeping his body in shape and exercising while going through radiation therapy. He is working so hard on staying strong to fight the cancer. He has more sessions through November and I am praying that the cancer is gone by than and that he is given a clean bill of health. We went to Mrs. Winston and had a wonderful time sitting outside, eating, chatting and just enjoying each others company. Unfortunately we all have so much going on in our lives that we don't get to spend too much time together, but after today, I decided that I miss them way too much and that we just have to get together more often and squeeze it in our busy lifes. We decided to meet up again soon and are trying to do weekly lunches together. Love you guys!!!! Hugs and kisses!!! And I am having serious withdrawals already, so let's meet again soon, ok!

No updated kitchen photos yet (sorry guys!) I will upload more pictures tomorrow after they guy has been here and finished the last moldings. He wasn't able to wrap it up on Wednesday so we all decided that it was best for him to come back tomorrow and to wrap it up!

Jer and I are off to Lowe's tonight to set up an appointment for measuring for the countertop and to finally order the appliances. The garage has been so full with all the cabinets that we aren't even able to park our cars inside.. but since the cabinets are finally in the house and installed we have space to order the appliances and have them ready once the countertop is in. So we are off to some shopping and spending some $$ there tonight.

Had my last appointment for physical therapy yesterday. I can't believe how much better I am feeling... I am back to walking without a can, YEAH, and I am only experiencing slight lower back pain, but the pain no longer goes down my leg. I am waiting to hear from my doctor in re: to the results from the MRI, but he is out till Tuesday. I will need to do a few exercise classes to strenghten my belly muscles (non existing at this time) and to build up some back muscles to prevent or trying to prevent too much pain in the future. So in addition to being out of the house on MOnday and Thursday nights for photo classes, I will have back exercise classes on Wednesday evening starting next week for a few weeks. I am a little exhausted, and feel like I have been running around like crazy lately trying to squeeze everything in my schedule, but I guess sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and get it all done...

Our photoclass was fun. We talked about lighting and were in the studio. Next week we have our first fiedl trip to Brand Park and I am looking forward to it. I am more and more at ease with the camera and althought there is still so much to learn I am feeling like I have gained a lot of knowledge in a little time period. I wish we could rent the studio one night to shot, to do make up and clothing and just have a shot... will need to look into it!
We got some fun pictures from one of the guys at class ... he was paparazzing us last week :) So here we go... ENJOY!







HUGS and PEACE everyone!!!

Amazing, amazing

.... this guy is amazing!!! Installation Day #3. The cabinets are in and our installer is working on the moldings... It looks sooooooooooo cool and this guy is working so hard!!! I am major, major impressed! To be honest, I feel a little bad for this guy. He is all by himself and each time I peak in there he has this smile on his face and sweating and working, working, working! Wow! I don't think I would be nearly in such a good mood if I had been working this hard for the 3rd day in a row... so all I can say is "Hats up" ... This guy deserves a major pad on the back!!! Pictures of cabinets with moldings to follow tomorrow!

Thanks Tasha

... for brightening my evening with your phonecall!!! Soooo good to chat with you. I missed you girlie!!!! Can't wait to start our Wednesday evening route again! Hugs my friend! Syb

Kitchen Installation - Day 2

Yesterday was our Kitchen Installation Day #2. We only have one guy working and he is literally working his butt off! The kitchen already has transformed so much.... Love the look of the amaretto glazed cabinets and the warm feel to the kitchen. Today he has to install a few more cabinets and doors and do the moldings. I hope that he brings a helper today so they can finish it up today as Jer already took 1 day off and I am on my 2nd vacation day. Since I have physical therapy tomorrow afternoon I can not take another day off, so hopefully they can finish it up today. It's going to look so cool once the appliances, sinks and the granite countertop is in.. I can hardly wait!
* No more having an extra shelve unit in our kitchen for our pots and pans since the cabinets are from the 1950's and simply disgusting to put stuff in.
* No more not wanting to use the kitchen

* Can't wait to unpack all our supplies and appliances and start cooking in this room
* Can't wait to have friends come over and actually prepare food together in here...

What a transformation from 1950's style to today! Amazing. More updated photos tomorrow.. it should be looking completely different with the moldings and all installed cabinets, but still a little naked since the countertops are missing. It's getting so hard to be patient... I just want to see it all done NOW!!! LOL.

Update

KITCHEN: 2nd day of installation. The kitchen looks like it's half dressed :) It's taking form though and I love it! I can't wait to see the final stage and am so flipping excited that things are finally moving. Being without a kitchen for nearly 7 months has not been easy, but looking at it now, it's so worth it... Unfortunately it started raining today. Of all the days, it had to rain today {and we don't have too much rain in September in California}... yes, the kitchen is haunted, but we will get there... I will post photos tomorrow when all the cabinets are in. On Saturday we have to go back to Lowe's to order appliances and to order our granite countertop. Someone will have to come out and measure the countertop dimensions so the granite can be cut to size. Should take about 2 weeks (that's at least what we have been told). I think we might look at a finished kitchen by the middle of October.
PHOTOCLASS: really love the class I am taking right now. I feel like I have already learned a ton and it's only the beginning. Well, not hard to teach a "point-and-shot girl something" as there are so many possibilities out there. Our 2nd assignment is Panning. You move the camera with your moving subject and press the shutter while moving the camera with the subject. This should give you a clear image of your subject but blurr the background and show movement/speed. Ang, Margarita and I are thinking of meeting on Saturday and trying the panning with someone on a swing set. If someone reads this (not that actually someone reads my rambling) and you have other ideas, please leave me a comment.

Trip to the Park

Went to the park today for our first photo assignment. "Taking pictures of ourdoor animals". Too bad our cats are strictly indoor... they would have made such great models...





The ducks really were not my favorite subject, but I didn't want to go to the zoo just to shot animals... esp. not without Jeremy and he had to finish a bunch of homework, mow the lawn and paint the window moldings. Poor guy! Tomorrow is the day.. I can't wait to get home and see the first set of cabinets installed. On Tuesday I took off to be at home for the second part of the installation. Next weekend we will have to order the countertop and the appliances... So excited.

Yesterday...

Margarita, Inken and Ang


The girls


Our creative mess! - who scrapbooks tidy??

Just a few shots from yesterday! We had a blast! Unfortunately the day went by way too quick! I hate that... you are waiting literally 2 weeks for something and than it passes so quickly that you feel like all you did was spent a few hours together when in fact you spend the entire day together! Must be the great company... spending time with these girls never gets boring!

Getting ready for an exciting day with the girls

... I am so excited... feeling like a kid in the candy store. I sooo love these every other Fridays off that I get to spend with my friends. A whole day... starting in the morning at around 10 a.m. and we usually hang out till late at night. Chatting, shopping, scrapping, laughing, just plain old fun! The best therapy :) I feel so refresh, rejuvenated after an entire day with these girls (Inken, Ang and Margarita) that I am counting from one Friday to the next Friday off... but TODAY is one of the Fridays off and I am just waiting for Inken to get here... than we are off to a little scrapbook shopping and getting creative in the afternoon! Can't wait! It's simple the BEST!!!

... nothing new.. just rambling

* played with my camera and I am just amazed... amazed what this machine can do... amazed at how much you actually can do with it if you take the time to figure it out and play instead of using the "dummy bottom" as our photo teacher calls it. I guess I have been in the dark for too long and now I feel like I am seeing a little light and can't wait for it to shine brighter and brighter with each day of playing and experiencing. Just somehow wondering why it has taken me so long to look deeper into something that I have done all my life... taking photos. Why has it taken 32 years to wanting to do more than just press that bottom and capture the moment. Why haven't I wanted to capture the moment more with the creativity a camera can give me---> I guess beating myself up at this point will not change the fact that it has taken me this long... so I am just looking ahead and I am so grateful that I am finally having an eye opening and finally wanting to put my heart and soul into these pictures I take instead of just snapping them... KWIM? It's just so amazing and I know I am repeating myself but I am so geeked with the artistic and creative freedom and all that is out there...
* I so need to get a car wash... I am putting it in black and white and hope that makes me stop and rush this dirty thing with four wheels through a complete makeover = car wash! The day just always seems so short and I never seem to be able to squeeze everything in it... wish we had 48 hours instead of 24, but not even sure I would get everything done than.
* Another photo class tomorrow night! Yeah! Can't wait!
* One more day at work and than a full day off to play, relax and have fun!
* Back is acting up again... when will this finally stop?? I am so tired of it! I wish I could just order a new "back"!
* I want to go on a vacation... anywhere! I really dont care at this time where exactly we would go, I just feel the need to get away for a few days, to spend time with Jeremy. Thinking of planning a little weekend getaway.
* Still hoping for that trip to Germany this winter... For some reason I am having serious doubts that it's going to happen. Jeremy can not get off during xmas and that's really the time I would want to go to spend with my family. Just thinking of going home for the holidays makes me emotional - seeing my nieces under that xmas tree opening up presents, hugging mom and dad, spending time together on xmas eve and day, going to xmas markets and maybe smelling and seeing snow... awwww... and the xmas smells in the city. Closing my eyes and I can picture it right in front of me... Gluehwein, cinnamon stars, xmas cookies, - a cold winter season - something to actually put me in the mood for xmas. As much as I love California, I am always getting homesick around xmas. There is nothing like xmas at home. How could you possibly get into the xmas flair while wearing a skirt and a t-shirt?
* a little roughie toughie day at work... nothing serious! Just one of those days when you feel beat when you get home!
* grateful for all we have! Counting my blessings!!!

Never thought this day would come...

BUT it's finally happening -------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------> our kitchen will be installed on 9/19 and 9/20!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am still in shock! Finally light at the end of the tunnel, and trust me the tunnel has been long, to be exact 7 months long! Since our hot water heater exploded in February we have literally not been able to use our kitchen. First we had all sorts of environmental companies at our house to do the "clean up" work, but the water was just not going anywhere and the kitchen was soaked too long in order to "rescue" anything. So we took the opportunity and decided instead of ripping out the floor and replacing it and having the cabinets replaced that were damaged to take the big step and do the complete remodel. This was not planned for 1 or 2 more years, so it was a little intimidating and scary to think of the associated cost and the planning. Once the floor was ripped out we were not able to longer go in the kitchen at all... Than we started to get bids for the remodel... what a process... and than one nice day in May the work began... and as always dragged on. I think they told us 2 weeks to prepp the kitchen.... but it took much longer.
Once the kitchen was prepped we had Lowe's over to measure the kitchen and we ordered the cabinets. But of course, nothing ever goes according to plan, right. So we had 3 damaged cabinets in our first delivery and had to wait for another 4 weeks total for delivery, and inspection. A long and rocky road! And now we will have our cabinets installed in 1 1/2 weeks. I am so excited, thrilled, in complete shock to say the least. For some reason I am almost scared... scared to have my hopes up and than get them crushed again, KWIM? Once the cabinets are installed we can get our washer and dryer in and ADIOS to the laundry mate! (even though I only went 3 times... DH was my HERO and took the trip every Sunday by himself while I talked to my family in Germany). What a guy!!!!! Just gotta love this man!
Once the cabinets are in, we will have to go back to Lowes and set up a measuring date for the granite countertops... and once they are measured the ordering should take 1 - 2 weeks. OK, let's say WORST case scenario... we will have a kitchen in 4 - 5 weeks! No more eating out, no more running to Starbucks for every single cup of coffee, no more wondering... ok what are you in the mood to eat today! AND I am everything but a homemaker, so definitely everything but a cook! BUT I am craving the simple things... the soups, mac and cheese, heating up water and having a dishwasher again and finally having our fridge back in the house and no longer outside on the patio! Our poor neighbors must have thought their little part when we were jumping out on the patio in our PJ's to grab a coke in the evening... LOL! Finally back to normal life! I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!! Pictures on the kitchen in progress will follow....

3 more days :) and camera update

Yeap, I knew this was going to happen... no scrapping fever on the weekend but as soon as Monday rolls around I am dreaming in scrapbook supplies... Can't wait for Friday when the girls (Inken, Ang, Margarita and I) will get together to scrapbook, take some pictures and just have fun. I am so craving this day to be here... I am in desperate need of some "girl/fun" therapy. I love having every other Friday off and getting together with my friends to shop, scrapbook, take pics. It's simply the best. --->Keeps me *SANE*

I had my first Monday photo class. I think taking the two classes combined (Monday and Thursday evenings from 6 - 9 p.m.) will really open my eyes to the photo world. We got our first shoting assignment and I can't wait to get out to the park and take some pictures. I had a blast playing around with my new lense (28 - 135 mm) this past weekend and now that I am actually learning how to use all the settings on my camera I am sure a whole new world will be opening up! It's exciting... I finally feel like I am no longer reading chinese when I look at my manual or my photo books but start to understand and grasp the concept. Now I think its practise, practise, practise, that will hopefully one day bring the perfection! Looking forward to the Thursday class... love that it's perfect timing since I am off every other Friday, so I don't have to worry about getting home late and than having to get up at 5 a.m. in order to start work at 6 a.m. It feels so much better to know that I can enjoy the class and sleep in the following day :)

Not in the scrapping mood????

What's wrong with me? Am I sick? Today is a day to veg and relax and I thought I could throw a little scrapping time in. Oh how I hate it when I have time and absolutely NO desire to scrapbook. I just know that as soon as I am at work tomorrow I am hoping to be home and have unlimited time to dig through my supplies and photos. So why can I not use my time right now? Why am I in this funky mood of moving from the coach to the PC, in between picking up a book and trying to read. Multitasking? Trying to squeeze all these things I want to do during the week into one day I actually have the time to do it? ... and than feeling guilty for wasting my time instead of cleaning the house, or doing something productive! ... so many things on my mind... so many things on my to do list... My mind is racing... from one thing to the next. I feel like as soon as I started something I feel guilty and move on to the next thing just to know that I don't want to do that either! Yikes, how I hate to not be able to make up my mind when I have a few hours to myself. Completely and totally SUCKS!!!!!

iPod Nano

Oh my word... just when I thought I had made up my mind about what iPod I wanted, Apple came out with something else. GREAT! I really thought I had it all figured out besides the money part, they came out with this little cutie:




The iPod Nano that stores 1,000 songs and is light as a feather. So darn cute! Now if I only knew if the iPod photo is really that great for storing my photos and for storing my music?? Why can decisions never be easy?? Back to reading reviews and figuring this thing out...

Advantages for the iPod photo:
* I can store my photos and if my 1 GB card is full I can download them and keep shooting
* It's cheaper to purchase the iPod photo versus buying an iPod and one or two more 1GB cards

Disadvantage:
* I will always need to take the iPod with me

Big question mark at this time:
* How good is the storage capacity on the iPod photo really???? ... back to reading more about it and trying to figure this out....

Model Cat

When I see our Tigger like this, my heart mealts away... all of a sudden I forget the times when he is driving Jer and I crazy. See, Tigger always needs to be the center of attention. If he is not in the same room as we are (and the doors are closed between us) he will use his little paws and "knock" on the door. First slow.. than faster and finally he will meow and the door starts shacking. If that doesn't help he will go to the extreme of running towards the door and throwing his whole body against the door. The first time we heard the load "BANG" we couldn't believe it. But than we saw him in full action...
But how can you resist this little guy... just got this shoot of him, isn't he too darn cute???

LA County Fair

Jer and I went to the LA County Fair today. It's our yearly tradition... since 1999 we have gone almost every year {I think we missed one year since we went to Germany in 2002}. We had such a blast. The first thing we did was check out the garden/flower exhibit. That's always one of my favorites! Below are a few pics...







Afterwards we went to pretty much all the exhibits. Each year we are almost sucked into buying this awesome blender that makes icecream and warm soups... This year again we were spending about 30 min. in front of the stand and trying all the little samples. If that darn thing wasn't so expensive!
We had lunch and went through some of the art exhibits. By that time our feet were hurting. Although we usually check out the cattle and sometimes the horseraces, we were too tired and left at around 4:30 p.m. Next time I need to remember to wear sneakers instead of sandals...

Getting to know my baby

Yeap, it's true. I have been the proud owner of the Canon 20D for a few months. Figuring the expense associated with the camera, it's time to get a little more familiar with my baby:


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So thankfully, with Ang kicking me in the butt, I am signed up for a photo class. The class is every Thursday and we are thinking about taking the Monday class as well. So hopefully, my baby and I will bond a little more and I am going to be able to fully understand most of the features this camera has to offer. As low as my excitement was at the beginning (what, every Thursday evening from 6 - 9 p.m.?), the more I am excited minute by minute.
Yesterday was interesting although I felt a bit overwhelmed, but I am sure I can figure it all out. I started digging out "The manual of Photography" by John Hedgecoe and read during lunchtime. So much to learn, interesting, intimidating, exciting, and overwhelming... all at once. Some of it sounds like a foreign language to me, with other stuff I am familiar and I feel pretty comfortable... Can't wait to learn, to grow and to finally use this baby's full potential. {or should I say - use MY full capabilities, since it really is me not being able to use all the features}.
Isn't there a saying.. the most expensive camera still doesn't take good pictures unless you know how to use it.
I know it will take time, but I vow to learn the in's and out's and to finally feel comfortable using manual feature!!!

HARD work pays off...

YES ITS TRUE!!! Hard work pays off. Per our MOU/contract, our bargaining union gets a bonus once a year based on performance. By performance they mean "going above and beyond" your regular job duties. Well since I am doing financial and budgeting work day in day out, it is pretty hard to be creative and come up with something new, but I had several ideas and projects I took care of the past year and I got my bonus today!!!! I am so flipping excited. My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I looked at my paycheck! So sweet!!! Planning my trip to the camera store tonight to get that Canon 28-135 mm IS lense I have been having my eyes on forever!! ... and who knows.. maybe Jer and I can finally take that trip to Hawai we have been dreaming of! With all the crazy house remodeling and renovations most of our $$ has gone to new cabinets, countertops and when Jer returned to school recently we knew that we had to go back on a budget. So this is a nice little/big extra that feels like chocolate to my soul. ... walking on cloud 9 even if its just for a few days {{so freaking excited }}

Finally home!

As much as I love holiday weekends as much do I hate to hear that alarm go off on the day afterwards. So no difference this morning when the alarm went off at 4:50 a.m. I was successful in snoozing it a few times and all I wanted to do was to roll over, turn it completely off and go back to sleep. So no surprise the day dragged on and on and on... Not that I don't like my job, but I was still in this complete "day off mode". Each hour seemed like 2 hours and although I got a lot accomplished today, I am just sooo glad to be home NOW. Finally - after fighting traffic with hundreds of other people on the 405.
And the worst part... no more holiday weekends until November. :(

Thank You Jen

Thanks to Jen my header finally got an identity!!! Thank you my dear!!! YOU TRULY ROCK!!!!!!! Will be playing around a little more to get the image straight and re-sized, but so happy to finally have an image other than the template on here! THANK YOU JEN - you are my PC's and my lifesaver!!!

Stung by a bee ...

Jer and I were invited by Ang's family to spend Sunday with them at the beach. We got directions from map quest and ended up taking this tiny little windy road over the mountain (CA 23). It felt like we were everywhere but LA. Countryside, mountains, a tiny little road... we ended up in Malibu and headed to Sycamoure Beach. Ang's family had the BBQ going and we made it just in time for lunch. Afterwards we vegged in our beach chairs and chit chatted. The sun was bright so we decided to leave the cameras in the car until the late afternoon... Well, the picture perfect moment passed the moment I was stung by a bee. I had some punch and didn't look inside the cup before taking a sip. BIG MISTAKE. I felt something in my mouth and spit it out right away but in a few split seconds in between the bee stung me right in the middle of my upper lip. We were able to get everything out of my lip but it started swelling up pretty much immediately. Luckily we had ice on hand, so the swelling was controlled to a certain extend... I had to think of the movie Hitch where Will Smith kept saying "oh its not so bad" and than looking in the mirror at the drugstore and screaming". The moment I looked into the mirror, my upper lip seemed to have tripled in size. ... not to sound cynical, but it looked like I got too much botox for free ;)

How to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina

Donate Cash for Hurricane Katrina (from fema.gov website)

American Red Cross
1-800-HELP NOW (435-7669) English,
1-800-257-7575 Spanish;

America’s Second Harvest
1-800-344-8070

Operation Blessing
1-800-436-6348

I am still in complete shock just thinking of what has happened to all the Hurricane Katrina victims. Please take a minute and help... every little thing can make a big difference.
Below is a link to the MSN news website with a slide show of the devastation!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9133972/

MRI

So today was the day for my MRI! It seems like the approval process has taken forever, but nevertheless they finally did it. I am curious to find out if it reveals as to why I am still having these recurrent back pains and problems. I know I have a curved spin and that has contributed to the problems I had in the past. However, the back problems I currenty have are so much worse than the pains I had in the past.

To be honest, I was freaking out... I am a claustrophobic and thinking of being unable to move and being confined to a small space made me panick all day. I was hoping and praying that I would be fortunate enought to have an open MRI, but things don't always happen the way you want. So the minute I walked in I knew I was in for a "treat". The closed MRI was standing there like a big enemy and if my eyes weren't covered, I think I would have lost it. So I was laying there for 15 min. hoping and praying that the eye cover wouldn't move, that I wouldn't try to reach up to it by reflect and just hoping that time would pass. The MRI itself was no big deal... but just being confined to this small place... wondering in my thoughts to the beach, to the land of scrapping... and than it was all over. Thankfully I didn't move and I was finally able to stretch my arms and legs again!

Come travel with me to Rio De Janeiro

Rio De Janeiro

This month the Scrapsahoy Crew travelled to Rio De Janeiro. Come and check out the amazing work of these talented girls I work with! I was blown away this morning when I checked out the gallery! The link above brings you right to the Rio De Janeiro Destination Gallery. The link below brings you to my gallery. ENJOY!

My Gallery

Thanks for looking! Syb

Glen Ivy Hot Springs

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Oh My Words!!!! IT WAS AMAZING!!!!! Taking off work for one day to pamper myself was so wonderful, but the highlight was definitely to spend the day with Inken, Ang and Margarita. We had a blast! We left Porter Ranch in the late morning and arrived around 11:30 at the Glen Ivy. The weather was brilliant... we enjoyed the pool, spa, mineral baths and it simply felt so good to just relax and recuperate! Definitely a trip we have to take again soon! A full body and soul treatment!

So sweet!!!!

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This definitely made my day today after my frustration with the whole bathing suite shopping!!!! I got home and got a box with all the new Chatterbox paper!!! Definitely brightened my mood in an instance. Now I am sitting here like a little kid in the candy store and soaking it all in... wishing I had some time to dig right in and use these amazing papers! Thankfully I have Friday off and can devote my whole day to these lovely Chatterbox papers :)

What could be more frustrating than bathing suite shopping????

ARGH!!!! I think shopping for a bathing suite is on my list of most frustrating things/or things I hate to do right now! Unless you are a tiny size 2 - 6 it's just no fun!!! Either the stupid darn thing is too small on the bottom or the the better part of the boobs are "becoming" independent! So I figured getting a new little {or big} something for our spa trip tomorrow is just not worth my money but I just have to stick with the good old, well tried item I had for a while now! Or should I admit that I simply was not able to find something where I could squeeze myself in?? Probably didn't help running around like crazy one day before your trip, not to mention that the section for bathing suites has significantly decreased as fall fashion is moving in and either the bottom part or the top part is missing, not to mention that bathing suites are either non existing or just simply ugly. Yes, I am frustrated right now... Good motivation to start that long overdue diet!
Just thinking what is on my list of worst/more frustrating things than shopping for a bathing suite... hmmm, the only thing I can think of is contractors and quite frankly they don't see to be so bad after all anymore.

Only 2 more days

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Only two more days and the pampering begins. So can't wait to head to the Glen Ivy Hot Springs with Inken, Ang and Margarita on Tuesday. We are taking Inken as a belated birthday present and I am sure we will have a day filled with pampering, laughers and a blast! Haven't decided if I want to take a camera. Maybe I stop by Target and pick up one of those throw away point and shot ones. I just dont want to let this day pass by without taking a few cute little pics of us getting pampered. My body is in dire need of some relaxation, pampering and soaking in a thermal bath...

Just got DONE!!!

I just got done with my layouts for Scraps Ahoy!! This month was amazing! The product we received was AWESOME and the colors for this months destination simply rock!!! Will be uploading or linking on the First! So if you have time, stop by or go to SA to check it out! Can't wait to see what everyone else came up with, but I am sure the gallery is going to be pure eye candy!!!!!

A long evening of scrapping

Inken and I met up yesterday late afternoon at Scrapbook Safari. We finally got the new Heidi Swapp book "Love your Handwriting" {sooo cute} and went for coffee at Barnes & Nobles afterwards. After some girlie chatter and looking at our new books we went over to Inken's place to scrapbook. I got 2 layouts done. For some reason I had no scrapping bug yesterday evening and didn't feel any creative juices flowing, but we had fun nevertheless. Ang and Margarita stopped by around 11:30 p.m. and we gathered until 2:30 a.m.
Jeremy had his first day of class today, so when he got up at 7:50 a.m. I felt completely "next" to me. My sweetie got my XXL out of my car this morning and after a quick run for Starbucks I had my eyebrows done. Finally! What a difference it makes. Definitely feel more like a woman than a little hairy monkey :)

I can't believe it is happening!

Oh MY GOD!!! I can't believe it is happening, but YES, we will get our second load of cabinets this Friday. I am so flipping excited, I can't even describe it. Hoping and praying that the last 3 cabinets are undamaged and don't need to get returned {AGAIN}. If they are in good condition I think we might shot for an installation date sometime next week or the week after!!!!! Keeping my fingers crossed. It's finally coming along {maybe I shouldn't say that so loud, you never know... this kitchen has been haunted for some time, so just hoping, hoping, hoping!!!!}

Another session of PT

and today I am hurting. No more laying comfortable on the table and having the machine try to pull my muscle while having my back get warm and cozy... today it was ultrasound on the painful area, than a pretty intense massage that almost made me jump of the table and some stretching exercises. I was prescribed two more sessions in addition to the one I have scheduled on Friday. Yikes, I am so tired of this muscle that is paining me. I want to be able to function like a normal person. Got "yelled" at for no longer using the cane. Thats what you get when YOU decide it's time to throw that cane out and walk like a normal being ;) So back to making a friendly relationship with the cane and hoping that that muscle finally is on the same page as my mind.
Can you tell I am impatient? Oophs, I guess something else to add to the list of things I want to do... BE MORE PATIENT!!!! I guess the cane looks much better than a wheelchair, huh?

Things I want to do ...

* go back home to Germany {gosh, has it really been 2 1/2 years already??}
* squeeze my nieces and give them big smootches
* walk in my kitchen and start baking (can't wait for xmas to come - by then it is done and I am going to make all sorts of yummie xmas cookies)
* take that trip to Hawai with Jer {the trip we have dreaming of for years}
* be less critical towards myself {I see so many flaws and faults and I want to no longer see the glass half empty but half full}
* use my camera more often and be adventurous with the settings
* become more healthy!
* start swimming {talked to my physical therapist today and it seems the perfect sport for me to not harm my back and still do something for my body and mind}
* use all the color in the world on everything I create
* be grateful for each day, for health and for life
* tell my family and friends how much they really mean to me
* become more organized
* simply enjoy!!! No questions asked, no guilty feelings - simply enjoy!
* count my blessings each day
* make a list of all the positive that happens to me on a daily basis
* find a way to relax {I have the hardest time and feel that my body is tense so often; definitely something I want and need to change - a destresser so to say

Just a few poems I found that touched me today..

If there is light in the soul,
There will be beauty in the person.
If there is beauty in the person,
There will be harmony in the house.
If there is harmony in the house,
There will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,
There will be peace in the world.

Chinese Proverb
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"This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind...let it be something good."

Author Unknown

Words are very powerful

Words are very powerful!
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Have your facts straight and DONT intentionally hurt someone. {Unfortunately this advise comes to late for some}. Words are powerful so think before you speak! .... and don't forget, what goes around comes around!!! [ENOUGH SAID]

Our Saturday Adventure!!

Inken, Ang, Bucket, Yez and I took a trip downtown to the Garment District! Although it was unbelievable hot {Yikes, someone please turn down the thermometer} it was a fun adventure. Lots of ribbon, lots of colors, lots of dots, lots of fun! Yummie mangos, walking on the cane, crazy parking, getting lost, digging through fabric and ribbon spools, chatting and just enjoying each others company and soaking the whole thing in...


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Afterwards, Inken, Ang and I headed to the Container Store in Pasadena. I got this cool little storage thing for my ribbon. It looks funny but works really well. I can just pull on a string, cut it and la voila! Loving it!!!


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After the container store we headed over to Burbank and than to the Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks where I got some of the new Scenic Route Paper. OHHHH so yummie!!! I am in love with it!!!!


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We got back to my place at around 6 p.m. And this is what I found when I got home:


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SOOO many cool goodies to play with! Luckily Inken and I were going to scrapbook anyways, so I was able to play with the goodies (Hoorah) right away. We stayed up until 2 a.m. {silly girls}.
What a wonderful and unforgettable day!!! Thanks girls! I had such a blast!!!

Happiness

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This is the chinese symbol for happiness. I have been playing with the idea of getting a little tattoo on the top of my foot - preferable an Asian symbol meaning happiness. I don't want color, so just imagine the actual symbol without the red around it.
Last week when Inken and I went to the Moonlighter she showed me an add where someone had an Asian tattoo on the top of her foot and it looked so darn cute! Than my coworker came in the office with Asian symbols on her arm... soooo cool. I have been wanting an Asian tattoo for nearly 4 years now, but was thinking of other spots on my body than the foot until I saw it. I am not a big tattoo fan, but love one or two simple black symbols or patterns. Not the dragons and colors you usually see, but a little simple something. Little, because heck, I am the biggest chicken in the world. So we will see if I do it or not... so tempted. I can picture it each time I look down on my right foot. And the symbol "happiness" - something you always want to be reminded of that that is one of the most important things in your life. If you are happy you don't worry, you are satisfied with where you stand in life, you are surrounded by people you love and care for and you strive for peace, and joy in your life. So to me this "potential" tattoo would have a significant meaning and would remind me of what I am really looking for in life... not fame, not money, not succes, but simply happiness around and within me. If you are happy, everything else you want follows and falls into place! I will keep you posted ;)

My baby is going back to school

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I am so darn proud and so excited. Jer and I went to the University of Phoenix today and signed him up. He is taking classes for IT and should have a Bachelor's degree in less than 3 years!!! Did I mention how excited, thrilled and happy I am for him??? All the paperwork for financial aid and the VA bill have been filled out and submitted and his first classes start next Saturday at the campus in Woodland Hills. The first 6 months he will be going once a month on a Saturday to the campus all other classes are online. Once he gets to his core studies, he will need to go to campus during the week in the evening. I know everyone says that about their hubbies, but Jer is extremely intelligent and I am so happy to see him going back to school and utilizing his skills and potentials. So babe, BEST OF LUCK on your new adventures. You know that I am 110% behind you!!! I am so darn PROUD of you! I know you will do GREAT!!!

How much more do we really have to pay for gas?

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OMG, I found this cartoon on the internet today and had to laugh so hard! I feel like I am standing in front of the pump and feel like crinching! Gas prices have climped up to be around $2.75/gallon!!! I remember the good old times when it was about half of that....

3 layouts from the moonlighter

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Went to Scrapbook Safari for the Moonlighter (6 p.m. - 2 a.m.) with Inken. Above are 3 of the 7 pages I did :) Loving that 8x8 size!!!! Can't get enought! I think I haven't scrapped a 12x12 layout in -hmmm- something like 4 months :)
Was a great evening {even with backpain}! Lots of laughers with Inken and 8 hours of scrapping! Just what my little heart desired!

Thought for the day

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So take a minute AND SMILE!!!

And you thought only you were addicted to coffee

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Glass Sky

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I have been having an eye on this little "baby" since Jane posted for us! Isn't this neckless absolutely gorgeous?

Looking forward to Saturday!

I am so looking forward to Saturday. I will be meeting with Yez, Inken and Ang to go downtown. It will be interesting: Ribbon hunting with a cane LOL! I can hardly wait! So excited!!!!! Just 2 more days....

Big Brother

Ok, so what is all that about??? I nearly choked yesterday when they put up Kasar! What the heck? I know this is a game and things change on a daily basis, but hey, swearing on your life??? Yikes! So not cool! And I hope that that chickie who put Kasar up is out of the door next!!! Just my 3 cents!
Awe, feeling much better now ;)

I am officially brain dead!

Yes, you read right, I am officially brain dead! LOL!
I had an appointment for physical therapy today at 2:45 p.m. and completely messed it up. I must have looked at my next appointment next week that is at 1 p.m. So thinking my appointment was at 1 pm I left the office at noon in order to drive to Panorama City to go to Physical Therapy. I was waiting and waiting and waiting until I learned that my appointment in fact was at 2:45 p.m. Yikes. My boss probably thinks I am a complete morron and was wondering why I left over 3 hours before the appointment. Well, lesson learned after sitting there for nearly 2 hours waiting for therapy... check and doublecheck date and time! And just to make sure... check again! Still feeling bad.. and in for a major apology tomorrow!

So Addicted to Alias

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I am sooo addicted to Alias! I didn't watch the first four seasons on TV but this past weekend Jer and I rented the first season on DVD from Blockbuster and we couldn't stop watching it. It's addictive... similar to 24. However, I know I can not watch it on TV and have to wait for one week to see what is happening... so watching it on DVD is perfect... we can browse through the entire season without stopping and without having the excitment kill us!

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Little Syb :)

Yes, this is me in Italy on a family vacation about 30 years ago. The title of the layout is "Ice" and there is a story to it.
I have been told over and over again that I was a handful when I was little. Apparently I was throwing a fit every night at the hotel restaurant. {Shame on me}. Each time the first ice cream passed by our table I would start screaming and throwing my dishes on the floor. At the beginning I was successful and the first ice delivered was right to our table! However, after a few days my parents and the restaurant had decided to give me metal dishes {unbreakable} instead. I guess they all got smarter and I learned that throwing a fit doesn't always pay off!


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Let's talk friendship ...

What is a friend??? Below are my definition of friendship versus acquaintances ...

A FRIEND is someone you trust completely. Someone who stands on your side through thick and thin, who supports you and whom you support. Whom you can lean on and give a shoulder to lean on. Someone who walks beside you, not in front of you and not behind you, someone who knows you inside and out and still loves you for who you are, someone you can be "the true you". I know my definition of friendship is "high" that's why I probably can count my true friends on one hand. However, if you find that person, that special person you want to share your life and thoughts with and who is willing to do the same, you are truly lucky, KWIM?

Acquaintance are people you know either well or sometimes not so well and you get along with. People you like to spend time with, people you can laugh with but at the end of the day when you get home you know deep down that they are only there to go a little of the way with you, just a bit of the road.

Don't take me wrong... acquaintance can enrich your life in an amazing way. They can show you things you didn't know, make you understand and see something in other lights and perspectives, and have an impact for a short or longer time in your life. But the difference between a true friend and an acquaintance is not only the length of time you walk together but the intensity and meaning they leave on you and your life.

So today I want to say thank you to my "real" as real can be friends! Thank you for sharing your life and thoughts with me and for making me complete. Life without you wouldn't be the same!

Rolodex Swap with the amazing SA Crew

A little while ago the crew at ScrapsAhoy decided to do a rolodex swap. What a fun idea and how cool to have a rolodex card from each crew member with contact information. I can hardly wait to get them in the mail and put them on my rolodex. But before, these babies need to be mailed out....


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So here they are ... all lined up nice and neat. I went back and forth with the design several times and finally ended up with these. I stitched two cards together and put the contact information on a tag inside. 28 pink Prisma flowers... wohoo! Just gotta love them!!! I can't wait to see all the amazing cards all the other crew members come up with. We had a few sneak previews and they were amazing!!!!

We are ready...

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This is what our kitchen currently looks like... most of the cabinets are unpacked and have been inspected. Aren't they awesome. I am still holding my breath each time I look at them. The color is just perfect and I am so glad that in the last minute we changed our mind and went from Toasted Almond to Amaretto. 3 cabinets were damaged during transit/delivery. So we are back in the waiting game. They should be here in about 4 weeks. I can't hardly wait to see them all set up and installed and I can't hardly wait to put all our goodies in those cool cabinets. To set up a kitchen again, to work in it, to cook and to have the heart of the house back.
Waiting patiently..... we will get there!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Can you hear me scream????????????????
OK, I had this feeling but thought that after this kitchen had been dragging on since February that the luck at one point had to be on our side. Think again! The cabinets are in and today the installer came to unpack them and inspect them. I was hoping, praying that all the cabinets are in good condition that we could have them installed next week, but NO!!!! There were a total of 3 cabinets that need to be reordered and we are looking at another waiting period of 4 weeks. Another 4 weeks. Thank another week for installation to be set up and than other 2 weeks for the granite and installation. I was soooo hoping and praying that we would finally have a kitchen again by the end of this month, but luck is not on our side.
Honestly, I don't even know what a kitchen looks like anymore and I seriously wonder how we survived this long. At the beginning it was not so bad and kinda fun to go out and eat, but slowly but surely it's getting to the point where I dont want to wait anymore. I think I have been patient enough but I guess someone wants to test my patience a little longer.
On another more happier note... the cabinets look amazing. I will post a picture tomorrow... I am off to meet Inken for an evening/night full of scrapping and fun!

Happy Hour

What a day... first I was stuck on the 405 this morning from 5:40 a.m. - 7:15 a.m. Yikes. It was crazy... nothing was moving and people actually ended up driving down the off ramp to get on Sepulveda {which wasn't moving either}.
After work I went to Happy Hour with my Boss and two of my coworkers. Chatting, some drinks and some little snacks. Yummy... the day was saved after all...

Tomorrow I am going to meet with Inken after work at Scrapbook Safari for the moonlighter. Uninterrupted time to scrapbook from 6 p.m. - 2 a.m. Time for a quick stop to Barnes & Nobles with coffee and than time to scrap and chat!!! So looking forward to this one. Now I just need to figure out a way to pack light as I am still walking on my cane. No XXL and plano... just one little bag. That is going to be a big challenge!

Had another session of physical therapy yesterday and was back on the machine that feels like heaven. You are in a room all by yourself, lay on this bed with your legs in a 90% angle. You get these heating pads under your back and this belt around your waste. The belt is attached to this stretching machine at the end of the bed and it pulls... to relieve the pressure. Well once you are on this machine, they dimm the lights and the heating pads make you get all tired... 25 min. later I couldn't really tell if I was dozzing off or not... but based on what Boo (the physical therapist) told me about 90% of people fall asleep :)

Only 3 more minutes till Big Brother... seriously hoping that Kasar got voted back in! If Eric is coming back I will be boycotting the show :)
So much adventure from my little world!
Have a Happy Friday and be good!

Awe... photos from home!

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Awe... photos from home!! I couldn't imagine anything better than coming come and finding a new CD Rom with photos of my nieces, my parents and my family! It's simply the best... opening the package with excitement. Putting the CD Rom in the PC and turning on the slide show... just sitting there, staring in amazement, feeling like I am part of a world that is xxx miles away, part of a life that I can only participate in by phone, during trips home, and through these presents that mean the world to me! Little faces covering my screen, big smiles, grins and always those cute little faces staring right back at me. As much as I love the technology, I wish I could just reach in and squeeze them, hug them and kiss them and tell them how adorable they are... I don't know when we will see each other again in real life, I hope that Jer and I are able to come to Germany to spend some time with you really soon, but till than, know that I love you and that its the best present and the biggest joy to see those cute little faces and smiles on my PC. Thanks Mom for taking the spot behind the camera and for letting me experience a glimpse of home!!!! Love you guys and miss you incredible!!!

Shopaholic ties the knots

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If you have some time to veg and read... get the "Shopaholic ties the knots by Sophie Kinsella. Hilarious...

Thank Heaven... only 20%

You Are 20% Weird

Not enough to scare other people... But sometimes you scare yourself.

How Weird Are You?

You know you are addicted to the internet when...

OMG, I couldn't stop laughing... hilarious!

You Know You're Addicted to Internet When...

You kiss you girlfriend's home page. Your bookmarks list takes 15 minutes to scroll from top to bottom. Your eyeglasses have a web site burned into them. You find yourself brainstorming for new subjects to Google. You refuse to go to a vacation spot with no electricity and no phone lines. You finally do take that vacation, but only after buying a cellular modem and a laptop. You spend half of the plane trip with your laptop on your lap.... and your kid in the overhead compartment. Your dreams are in HTML. You find yourself typing "com" after every period when using a word processor. You turn your computer off and get this awful epmty feeling, like you just pulled the plug of your loved one. You refer to going to the bathroom as downloading. You start introducing yourself as "Jim at I-I-Net dot net dot au" Your heart races faster and beats irredgularly each time you see a new WWW site address printed on the TV, even though you've never had heart problems before. You step out of the room and realize that your roomates have moved and you don't have any idea when it happened. You turn up the volume read loud when leaving the room so you can hear if anyone IM's you. You wife drapes a blond wig over the monitor to remind you of what she looks like. All of your friends have an @ in their names. Looking at a pageful of someone else's links, you notice that you've been to all of them. Your dog has its own webpage. You believe nothing looks sexier than a man in boxer shorts illuminated by a 17" LCD Flat-Panel Monitor. You check your mail. It says "no new messages." So you check it again. You code your homework in HTML and give your intsructor the URL. You don't know what sex your three of your closeset friends are, because they have nuetral screennames and you never bothered to ask. You name your children Google, Friendster and Blogger You miss more than five meals a week downloading the latest MP3's off Kazaa Lite. You start looking for hot HTML addresses in public restrooms. You wake up at 3 a.m. to go to the bathroom and stop and check your e-mail on the way back. Your virtual girlfriend finds a new sweetheart with a larger bandwidth. You buy a Captain Kirk Chair with a built in keyboard and mouse. Your wife makes a new rule: "The computer can not come to bed" The last hottie you picked up was only a jpeg. You put a pillow case over your laptop so your lover doesn't see it while youre pretending to catch your breath. You ask a plumber how much it would cost you to replace the chair in front of your computer with a toilet. You forget what year it is. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. You ask a doctor to implant a terrabyte in your brain. Your sweetie says communication is important in a marriage...so you buy another computer and network them together so that you can IM each other anytime. As your car crashes through the guardrail on a mountain road, your first instinct is to search for the "back" button. All of your friends have an @ in their names. You start using smileys in your snail mail You bring a bag lunch to the computer. You have withdrawals if you are away from the computer for more than a few hours. You take a speed reading course to keep up with the scrolling. You type faster than you think. You double click your TV remote. You can now type over 70 WPM. You check your e-mail and forget you have real mail. You go into withdrawals during dinner. You rank your friends by the amount of bandwith they have. You have "Googled" all your friends to try to find out anything interesteing that they are not telling you and you can use against them later. You message someone via IM when they are less than 20 feet away. The sound of the keys clicking turns you on. You have more browsers than friends in the real world. You actually say I-M-O and A-T-M to real friends rather than 'in my opinion' and 'at the moment'. And they give you strange looks. You run four chat programs all at once... Yahoo Messenger, ICQ, AIM and MSN You sign off and your screen says you were on for 3 days and 45 minutes. You purchase a vanity car license plate with your screen name on it. You say "he he he he" or "heh heh heh" instead of laughing. You talk on the phone with the same person you are sending an instant message to. You get up in the morning and go online before getting your coffee. Your teacher or boss recommends a drug test for the blood shot eyes. The letters have come off your keyboard from excessive use. You order pizza online - because you can't be bothered to call. You say "SCROLL UP" when someone asks what it was you said. You look at an annoying person off line and wish that you had your ignore button handy. You enter a room and get greeted by 25 people with {{{hugs}}} and ** kisses**. You're on the phone and say BRB. The last movie you've seen was on your Quicktime player. You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends who are addicted to the internet.

Get Your Own Addicted Meme Here



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Blogthings

What my birthday stands for per blogthings

Your Birthdate: November 30

Your birthday on the 30th day of the month shows individual self-expression is necessary for your happiness. You tend to have a good way of expressing yourself with words, certainly in a manner that is clear and understandable. You have a good chance of success in fields requiring skill with words. You can be very dramatic in your presentation and you may be a good actor or a natural mimic. You have a vivid imagination that can assist you in becoming a good writer or story-teller. Strong in your opinions, you always tend to think you are on the right side of an issue. There may be a tendency to scatter your energies and have a lot of loose ends in your work. You may have significant artistic talent and be very creative.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

My work for SA this month

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This month has been so much fun. This months destination was Holland:
Colors: Red, blue, green, yellow, orange
Theme: Document your childhood memories
Product pick: flowers
And papers sponsored by Paperwerx!
TFL, Syb

Something that really touched me!

I keep meaning to post this on my blog for some time now. I received this from my friend Natasha Roe a few weeks ago. When I opened the package I was in awes and ohs and I am still touched each time I look at it and think of Tash! This "baby" has a very special spot in my sb room and each time I look at it I am reminded of you Tash! So thank you again from the bottom of my heart for your wonderful, truly amazing present to me! You are such an amazing artist but most important you are a truly amazing person and a wonderful friend! THANK YOU my dear! Love ya, Syb


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This one is for you Assi :) For the special occasion

I thought you could use this one today - as a little celebration to the special occasion {you know what I mean} - So enjoy!!! Love you tons girl! HUGS, Syb

{Sorry had to remove the song to put a new song up}But it's still a "Beautiful Day"

And yes, I agree... Bono is sexy! But you got first dip ROFL!

7 years and counting...

7 years... WOW! Sometimes it feels like yesterday that we walked down the isle and got married and othertimes it feels like I have known "you" forever!
DH and I had our 7 year anniversary yesterday! It's amazing to think back of the day we got married and of the past 7 years.

* The happy moments we shared and the sad moments that made us stronger
* The things we learned from each other
* How our support for each other has grown
* To know that although we have argues, they are usually about "silly", unimportant stuff in the big scoop of work
* To always know, no matter what, that I can lean on you and shed those tears if I need to
* We have survived some major remodeling projects {and yes, some of them were stressful and hard on our relationship}but we made it through
* I know that no matter what I do, you are always there to support me or to give me your honest opinion and visa versa
* Two stubborn people -who would have thought that we can manage 7 years! That just shows its for eternity!
* Grateful for every day that you are with me and you share your life with me! Your thoughts, your dreams,...
....
Wondering what the future may hold!
* I am hoping for more traveling! I really want to visit all these places we have talked about with you, share the moments and than the memories with no other!
* Wondering if our family will "expand" one day. We are still going back and forth... I think after 7 years it's fear that holds us back? We will see what the future brings?
* Hoping to always have open conversations
* So thrilled for you that you want to go back to school. You know you have 110% support from me!
* more home remodeling and possible stressful situations :)
* Hopefully a long time together for you and I to share our love, our commitment and our dreams! I couldn't imagine anything better than growing old with you!

Awwww.... I am feeling the love...

THANK YOU ALL FOR your wonderful emails, comments and concerns about my back!!!! I am feeling the love (feels like a gigantic hug and it feels so good) so THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM of my HEART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That in itself already make me feel so much better!!!! Thank YOU!!! {...said the old hunched over white haired witch from Hansel & Gretel alas Syb LOL}

I am dreaming of one of these right now.... {from the backstore}
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Doesn't it look just so "Yummy"??? Oh I would just die for one right now... well to me it looks like pure back heaven right now.

10 more minutes until the big finale for "Hells Kitchen". I am a sucker for those reality shows. Sad to see that Elsie is gone as I was keeping my fingers crossed for her but hoping highly for Ralph to get the key for his restaurant tonight!!! We'll see....

So who is watching Big Brother?? ... as I said, I am a sucker for TV right now! {thanks to my back I am updated on all the shows I haven't watched in ages} Just gotta see the good side of it, huh? Kinda hoping that Chanelle and Kasar (spelling, forgive me I am high on pain meds :) are making it to the end!!!

... more tomorrow with the final plans for the kitchen! Of course, the min. before we ordered I changed the cabinet color! If we are lucky, we should be getting a call from the installers any day now!!!!!