Moving On

One of my associates will be finishing her degree in social work. She has been working with teenagers at one of the houses in the city. She mentioned that she does not want to come into the floral shop anymore, because the job is not related to her social work field. She will be cutting her days back next month and leaving in Aug. My online friend has a new friend with whom he can share a meal and a good time. We have been writing parallel for quite some time anyway. So I suppose, even if it's painful, that I will not be writing to him much longer. We were going to co author a book, but that never happened. A disappointment to be sure. So while my coworker and online friend are trying new adventures, I am stuck in the same old rut with nothing to look forward to.

Upping the ante

My sister and I have been doing circuit training--level 1 of Jillian Michael's program. My sister printed out level 2! So now instead of 10 minutes of aerobics, I have 15 minutes. So today I have 30 minutes of circuit training, 30 minutes of sparring class and and hour of HKD. And tonight we warm up in HKD with running.

Weaving

My beautiful cardboard loom and my maize and blue scarf. I weave 12 rows of blue and 10 rows of yellow and repeat.

So Relaxing

I read the book "The Tooth of Time" by Sue Henry. Some of the characters in the book are weavers. I researched table top looms and weaving for children. If I ever want to know something in a hurry, I check out "how tos" for children. The information is quick, insightful, easy to understand. Knowing how I am with new projects, ie rocket building, guitar playing, candle making, I decided to make a simple loom out of cardboard. Now the floral shop has lots of cardboard. I made a loom 5 feet long, and notched the narrow ends every 1/4 inch. I then headed off to the Thrift Shop. You know what they say, "One person's junk is another's treasure." I chuckled when I brought home skeins of yarn for $10.61. I am making a scarf, and in season could buy 3 scarves for $5. I had no preconceived idea of the color of the scarf--but since I found 4 skeins of yellow, I thought, maize and blue. I say to myself "another 5 rows" and when those are finished, "5 more rows"...

Thinking outside the box

I have been struggling with cooling problems in the Sebring for several months. A new radiator helped it along until the end of May. The shop installed a fan, but unfortunately a short test drive told me there was more to the story. The mechanics figured it was gasket problems, that the extreme heat had warped the gaskets, so it was in for a couple weeks while those were replaced. Got the car back and a short test drive told me there was more to the story. (sorry for the repetition). Took it back to the shop. The mechanics discovered that one of the jerry-rigged o rings was allowing the coolant to leak, and consequently the car was overheating. They ordered 2 factory o rings that will be in tomorrow. There may be more, the rest of the story. Stay tuned.

My mouth has been watering

For the past couple weeks, I have been yearning for cajun shrimp. I found a very simple recipe online--shrimp, garlic, oregano, thyme, cayenne, paprika. I mixed the spices together in a baggie and coated the shrimp. Then cooked in butter. I served the shrimp with wild rice pilaf, strawberries, and crisp tender zucchini and carrots. A colorful and tasty meal. I am wondering if I can intensify the spicy flavor by drying the shrimp. A fun and different meal.

Coming up roses

Things are coming along well for a work colleague. Her pregnancy is progressing normally even though she has gestational diabetes. She and her husband are closing on a house tomorrow. More space is needed with a new baby soon to join the family. Her daughter got into a charter school She told me today that she is nervous... nervous about losing her pay check, worried that with the new house payment her financial situation will be more precarious then it was with her daughter. She will look back at these days as the happiest in her life--a time of new adventures. For me, it is the same old daily routine.

Jillian Michaels "The Toughest Trainer"

My goal is to lose 24 pounds. I am eating fruit, veggies, lean meat and some grains, and following Jillian Michael's circuit training. On Monday and Wednesday, my sister and I plow through the circuit training before my martial arts class. The M/W routine includes 15 different exercises, repeated 3 times, lasting for either a dozen repetitions or a minute. The DVD varies a bit. Today I did 6 circuits with a bunch of exercises, repeating each circuit twice. It's hard for me to jump rope or do jumping jacks. It will be well worth it if I don't have to lug so much weight around.

Happy Father's Day

Wishing my father a very happy Dad's day. I thank my father for his wise advice, sense of humor,fairness, work ethic, generosity, helping hands and his appreciation of nature. I'm thankful that he has been part of my life for 58 years. Sending him much love on this father's day.

New deck

Making progress on the new deck

About Karma

On Thursday, I entered the store and tried to turn off the alarm. Couldn't seem to turn it off, so eventually it began to beat rapidly and I got a call from security. Later I realized that I couldn't turn it off because of user error. I was pressing the on button. A bit rattled from that occurrence, I was waiting on a customer. She told me that she had an arrangement to pick up. I looked and couldn't find it. We sent her off and told her we would deliver it in a few minutes. Another worker went into the cooler and found it immediately. I asked for help setting up a new account and my helper accidently deleted all the customer information. I tried to help the course of true love by finding someone in a huge mile long complex. Our delivery manager told me the incorrect lobby (lobby G, there is no G, it was F). I was happy to leave, assuming that I would take all my bad karma with me. Not to be however. The mercury system went down, customers arrived early for a balloon pick up and the balloons weren't ready, the new person on the block took a fruit basket order late in the day, one of the sales associates gave cash back which is a no-no. The bad karma was not all about me.

The leg stretcher

I tried to figure out how the leg stretcher worked but was stumped. My 16 year old daughter took a look and knew how it worked in 2 minutes. I can now stretch to 110 or 120 degrees. Can't lean forward much, but perhaps that will come with practice. I still am working on flexibility on the butterfly stretch. If I'm conscientious, that will improve also. I circuit train tonight with my sister and a friend. I like the weight training and some of the aerobic, do not care for jumping jacks and jump roping. Seems hard on my knees. After circuit training, I have sparring drills and HKD.

A Matter of Disposition?

I read a little saying that one's happiness is related more to their disposition than his or her life circumstances. And I guess that is true. One can be like Pollyanna and look at life through a "cup half full" philosophy. That's not to say, however, that life's disappointments and failures to secure dreams can't throw a person for a real loop. I would have liked to be a career woman, and now at my age, it's essentially too late. I hoped that I might be offered a partnership in the store when one of the owners decided to move on. More recently, I desired to take a mini vacation a scant 12 miles away, when the car overheated and I had to cancel the trip. I find myself in the same circumstances and the usual routine. I suppose one can make some excitement by changing themselves or pursuing a new interest. In my case that might be circuit training or eating healthfully. Sounds as exciting as yesterday's mashed potatoes.

How to fix a head gasket in 32 easy steps

No, don't worry, I am not attempting this at home. Besides in V-8s there are 2 head gaskets and both must be replaced at the same time. The car shop will handle this although I find it irresponsible that the shop didn't check this out the first time it was in. I'll just sit back and read.

Portable Leg Stretcher

At my age, I need to work on flexibility every day. Flexibility reduces the threat of injury and makes my kicks higher. I have specifically been working on butterfly stretches and leg straddles. I purchased a portable leg stretcher. Should be here in a few days.

Finally, a day off!

Today is my day to relax, regroup and gather energy. No specific plans. I did drive the car to the shop to make sure it does not need coolant or a new thermostat, that everything is copacetic. I am doing computer work, will read, perhaps stretch and work on hapkido. Later we will go to Home Depot and order the wood for the deck.

Rose buds!

Tomato Plant After Pruning

The tomato plant on the left suffered from leaf browning, curling and dying. I removed the browning from the leaves, and it appears to be growing. Both plants have 5 blossoms.

Appears to be Successful

I thoroughly checked over the 2 tomato plants that I bought from the nursery. I planted them and then noticed that one of the plants was struggling. The leaves were browning, curling and dying. Could the plant have picked up a disease from the soil? Or was it diseased to begin with? I decided that I would cut the browning parts off the leaves. It might kill the plant, but then the tomato plant was going to die anyway if I did nothing. For now the surgery is successful. The leaves are healthy and both plants have blossoms. This is not to say however that the plants are not targets for insects, hail, high winds and other disasters.

1996 Chrysler Sebring Convertible

My son tells me that 1996 was the first year that Chrysler made the Sebring Convertible.

A Fine Day

The skies are blue, the temperature moderate, although it will get hot and humid. It is a perfect day to eat strawberries and carrots. A wonderful day to drive with the top down in the car. A fine day to wash the cars or work outside. A good day to work at the flower shop and help the customers make someone happy. A day for my parents to hitch the trailer to the truck and drive to a park about an hour away. A special day to email an online friend altho said friend never writes back. It is a finest kind day!

People

I am a people watcher. I can observe people for hours. At work, I thrive on the interaction with the customers, helping them celebrate the day, a graduation, the birth of a baby, a birthday, an anniversary. I enjoy listening to them tell their story. The gentleman who came in today who had surgery to place a shunt for hydroencephaly, but was given the go ahead to enjoy his granddaughter's graduation party. The father who came in to buy a small bouquet to give to his 7 year old daughter after her ballet recital. The man who came in to pick up corsages for a daddy daughter dance. He was stepping in for a friend's daughter whose daddy died last year. And the people I work with are fascinating. I work with a writer who has 9 novel ideas floating around in her head.