Introducing My New & Current Passion!

Aren't they just beautiful? These are my latest passion. Paper lanterns. I think about them all the time. Weird, huh? I find myself looking for pictures of them constantly (due to too much time on my hands, I'm sure).
It all started when I was researching wedding ideas on the internet. I saw pictures of these at wedding receptions, and I was hooked! I had never been to a wedding with paper lanterns, and had actually never even entertained the idea. I never knew it was something that was done. But as I dove into the research of these whimsical, romantic things I learned that they are quite popular. I began my quest to find the most inexpensive ones I could find, and bought about 28 of them for my reception in 3 colors. Purple, Lavender and White (I'm planning on buying about 4 more in Mulberry) shhhhh. Now, the ones that I found were considerably lower in price than all the others I found....including wholesale pricing! So where does this guy buy them from so cheap? I've been looking high and low to find a wholesaler to buy in bulk from so that I may sell them as a home based business. I've scoured the internet...even wholesalers in China and Thailand! But this guy has them so much cheaper. So I continue looking.....because this has developed into a dream for me. I really want to sell these things that I love, and bring beauty to people that seek them.
I've already got a "store" name picked out for myself, begun making rough drafts of business cards......I know, I know. Dorky, right? But that's me. It's all part of being a Pisces. It's the dreamer in me. A determined one at that.
I ran across some very inexpensive small paper lanterns....battery operated ones. I bought them. They are the ones pictured in my pic above. I figured I would give selling a little test run, and am currently trying to sell them online. I just wanted to see how well (or not well) they do. I'm crossing my fingers. But, even if they don't do well, I will continue with my research on finding larger colorful ones to sell. I mean, I can't give up on the first try, right?
Well, wish me luck. I'll write an update later on whether or not my lanterns sold.

Drivers Beware!

Is it me, or is anyone else noticing the increase in sitings of police officers parked off to the side, just waiting to pounce on that speeding motorist? I've also seen many motorists already pulled over, obviously getting a ticket from their local law enforcement.
Don't get me wrong....I'm not complaining. I think it's great. Especially around the schools. I'm just wondering, why now? Is it the economy? Are they being sent out to make money for their cities? Is it my imagination? Or is it something even scarier? Are these police officers fabricating for money?
Let me tell you a story. I'll start with some background. My fiance leaves an hour before his shift starts every day. He gets up at 4am whether he starts at 6am or 8am....it really doesn't matter. His work is a 20 minute drive on an average day. I asked him why he leaves an hour early, when work is only 20 minutes away. He says he doesn't like to rush, and wants to cruise into work without being flustered, and he likes to allow for some extra minutes just in case there's an accident or detour. OK...makes sense. So I asked him why he needs to get up at 4am every morning. He basically gave the same reason, doesn't want to rush, and wants to sit and enjoy the morning with his coffee. And he's been like this since I've known him....next month we'll have been together for 8 years.
So, why am I telling you all this and what does this have to do with my blog? Well, a couple of days ago, my fiance was driving to work and got pulled over. He was a block away from his work, and was 30 minutes early from starting his shift. The officer told him he was speeding, and my fiance told him he must be mistaken. Of course, the officer held his course. This was in a 35 mph zone, and the officer told him he was clocked at 59 mph!!!! OK, something else you must know about my fiance: I don't think I've EVER seen him speed! He borders on granny driving. There have been MANY times that we were on a 40 mph street, and I actually have had to tell him to speed up a little! He's never gone over 65 on the freeway, even if it was completely free of cars in front of him. So for this officer to say that he was going 59 in a 35 zone is completely insane! I could see if he said 40....or even 45. But come on, 59??? That's double what he should have been at. And this is a street with dips, bumps and railroad tracks. I know my man, and know that this number is wrong. He had absolutely no reason to speed one block away from his work, 30 minutes before his shift was to start.
So where does that leave us? It leaves me wondering if the economy is so bad that our law enforcement is ready to do whatever it takes to make some money for their quotas. Hmmmm......scary thought.
Well, needless to say, my fiance wants to fight this. Does he have a chance against "the man"?

UPDATE: He went to court and the cop didn't show.....DISMISSED! YAY!

Do I Miss My Old Job?

How about we reword that question. Do I miss my old job before it was bought out by the new owners? The answer is YES!
I was recently (December 2008) laid off, as were many people nationwide. I was laid off by the new owners (CVI) of my company. I'm not at all bitter about being laid off....well besides the manner in which it was done(our Christmas potluck@11am, 10 people called into conference room @ about 8:45 am, BUH, BYE!) . In fact, I found myself embracing my new situation. But it doesn't take away from the fact that while I worked for CVI, I was miserable. And you know, in the beginning there were many new changes that we all had to get accustomed to, and yes some people fought the changes, some people went along. But all of that was to be expected. The day that I personally became absolutely miserable was the day that a woman by the name of Julie was hired. I was unhappy before that, but when she was hired, my work life was so horrible that my eye actually started TWITCHING! I mean, like WTF? She turned everything upside down and inside out. Her new ideas and strategies only made it more difficult for us to do our jobs properly, and I didn't see anyone benefiting from these ideas. Especially not the customers! Well, I could go on and on with all sorts of negatives about this woman, but I don't want this blog to be about her.
Let's go back to when I worked for this company when it was OCi. I started working for OCi in 2000. Whenever anyone would ask if I liked my job, my response was always, "I LOVE IT!". And I meant it, too. It was like a dream job that I never knew I wanted. It was perfectly suited for me.....custom fit.
I don't ask, "Why, oh why did this have to happen?". I learned long ago never to question the "powers that be". I just go with the flow, and tried very hard to continue with that even when I was miserable there. But for some reason, there was no way around it. I can handle a lot of things, but when someone is making things so chaotic that I can't do my job properly, I get this feeling of helplessness. And I HATE feeling helpless! I am not the helpless type.....not the damsel in distress. I am a fighter....a survivor....in control of my own life. You will never find me blaming my life on anyone or anything from my past. I alone am in the driver's seat of my life.
Well, anyway.....That job I do miss. And if there were a way to turn back the hands of time, I would go back to that job right now. Do I miss working in general......no, not really. I enjoy staying home. I would really like to have a home based business, and I look into that when I get a chance. If I had it my way, I would sell stuff online and make decent profit, donate a few hours to charities (homeless, food banks, etc.), and maybe work somewhere for pay that only needed me about 15 hours a week. Yeah...that's my perfect vision. But like I said, if I could turn back the hands of time, I'd be there in a heartbeat, Lynn!

Shooting For a $3,000 Wedding

Peter and I have been planning our wedding since the start of April of this year (2009), and we knew from the beginning that we did not want to spend a lot of money. Money that we don't have. I lost my job of 8 years just 5 days before Christmas (2008) due to the economy, and am still currently unemployed. Money is just so tight, and to be completely honest, if not for wanting so much for our family to share in the joy of our most special day, we would probably have just run off somewhere by ourselves to get married. But having the people we love there is very important to us. So now we're faced with how to keep from going into debt to accomplish this.
I jumped into researching all sorts of things related to weddings on the internet. I found out that the average wedding in the U.S. is from $15,000 to $25,000! I can't even begin to imagine spending that much! So I picked a doable number......$3,000. This will not include our wardrobe. It will be for everything but. Now whether or not we will meet that is something else. I'm researching everything myself and making a lot of the stuff myself. As you can see on my previous blog, I already bought my dress. I also got my shoes, crinoline, veil, tiara, garter, table covers, table centerpieces, favors, paper for invites, paper for programs, thank you cards, place cards, buffet plates, cake plates, plastic cups (wine, champagne, drink), plastic eating utensils, napkins, balloons, reception decorations, guest book & pen, printed pics for display and frames, wedding banner, pew bows & clips, petals, unity candle & holder, candles, and basically all other table decor. This "unemployed" status is definitely paying off in this way. I've been able to get lots accomplished that I would not have been able to if I were working a full time job.
I don't know exactly how much I've spent so far. I am keeping track, but just haven't added everything up yet. In a future blog I will give my itemized totals. Cross your fingers for me! I already know the most expensive thing will be the food for the reception. I have started investigating that, but will look further into it when the date is a bit closer.
Unfortunately, because of budget and size of hall, we will have to exclude many from the wedding. My immediate family alone (Mom, Dads, Brother, Sister and their families, Daughters and their families) is 19 people. And Peter's family is humongous! So yeah, cutting is inevitable. Our max is about 80 guests.
Well, that's all for now. My shopping time has recently come to a halt, seeing as the only things really left are food and drinks, reception hall, dress alterations, grooms clothes, brides bouquet, DJ, photographer, fresh flowers, cake, disposable cameras (which only have a shelf life of 6-12 months), and security (mandatory for the hall I'm renting). So all of this will come later....closer to the wedding. Time for me to find a job now, huh?

Fun at El Dorado Park in Long Beach

It was a good time at El Dorado Park in Long Beach. We met up with Yvette, Efren and Alayla. The first thing we did was get on the little train ride they have there. Short ride, but the nice cool breeze felt really good.
We walked around the lake...well, half of one of the many lakes they have there. We stopped and played on the kiddie playgrounds, climbed trees and messed with the wildlife. Alayla even ran into one of her little friends she goes to daycare with.
After walking around for a few hours we got on the paddle boats/aqua bikes. Now that was really fun! It was a perfect day for it.
That park has got to be the biggest park I've ever come across! We only saw about an eighth of the place. I'd like to go back and check out the nature trail they have there.
Yes, I definitely must go back someday.

Don't Leave Your Dog In The Car

I don't get how anyone can leave their dog in the car, windows barely cracked, on even a mildly warm day. How? Do they not know that
dogs are covered with fur and overheat very easily?
People that treat their dogs abusively, and yes this IS abusively, do NOT deserve to have a dog.
People really need to understand that having a dog has much responsibility that goes along with it. They need attention, love, to be fed and bathed, brushed, taken for walks, along with many other things.
Dog is man's best friend for goodness sake!

When Crystal Meth Hits Home

Hopefully you'll never know anyone close to you who will get involved in this horrible drug. Unfortunately, chances are that you will.
It's a heartbreaking thing to watch someone who is so beautiful, so vivacious, and with so much promise
deteriorate into a person you no longer recognize. Your heart bleeds as your mind wonders how something like this could happen. The person that stands before you now was once ahead in their class, intellectually beyond their years, and seemingly sane and quite rational. So what happened? This thing known as meth has had such devastating effects on so many people both young and old alike. It grabs ahold of them and doesn't let go.
I've had several people quite close to me get involved with this drug. Some have cleaned up and gone back, and some just never stop. I'm hoping as time passes that one in particular never goes back, and the other stops now before it's too late.
So to all out there who have had a loved one involved in meth, my prayers are with you and your loved one.

Pics from: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/photos/gallery.ssf?cgi-bin/view_gallery.cgi/olive/view_gallery.ata?g_id=2927

DMV Madhouse

I thought because I had an appointment at the DMV, it would be an easy in/out. Boy was I wrong! First of all, it took about 10 minutes just to find a parking spot. There was a caravan of about 6 cars in every single row waiting for a spot. I have never seen it like that.
I was late, but they didn't even check my name or anything. What's really weird is I was able to pass all the people waiting in line outside, get a number and get helped without them EVER checking to see if I had an appointment!
Hmmmm.....well now I know. Next time I won't have to wait 2 WEEKS to get an appointment time. They'll never know the difference.
Well, that was my exciting day. And it wasn't even for me. I went for my daughter because she lives in Arizona and didn't want to send this payment in the mail. ha!

Visit With Margaret for Mother's Day

We've traveled to visit you
In this place where you lay.
To tell you we miss you
And to be with you for Mother's Day.

Memories flood through us
As we gaze on your stone.
We bask in the sunlight
And know we're not alone.

Your spirit is with us
Wherever we are
Distance can't take that
No matter how far.

We love you MOM

Pre-Mother's Day Luncheon

We had a great time at our "mother's" get together at Hometown Buffet. The only mother missing was Sunshine's mom, Yvonne (my daughter). She's living in Arizona now, so we miss her often at our family get togethers.
The food was pretty good. We got there a little after 11:00, so had our choice of breakfast or lunch. I opted for lunch, and had chicken and enchiladas for my main dish. For dessert I did my usual.....brownie pieces on the bottom with vanilla ice cream, sprinkled with oreo cookie crumbs. Mmmmmmmmmm. Yes, I really pigged out. Didn't need to eat dinner after that! (Of course, I didn't list all the things I ate in between!)
This is our third year meeting the day before Mother's Day(non-consecutively). I believe this is going to become a new ritual for us and it actually works out really great for everyone.
Happy Mother's Day!

Bittersweet Mother's Day.........

Tomorrow is Mother's Day and that day can be a very sad time for many. I'm very fortunate that my mother is around for me to be able to celebrate this day with. My fiance on the other hand is not so lucky. This will be his first Mother's day without his mom. I know it's going to be very tough for him.....
Last year for Mother's Day, we got our two moms together at our house for a barbecue. It was the first (and only time) they had met. Peter's mom had just been diagnosed with cancer a few months before and was going through aggressive radiation and chemo. We lost her in August 2009.
We miss her so much, and that missing just escalates to new heights on days like these.
We love you Margaret, and we know that you are still with us in spirit and memory.

Wedding Dress From Ebay?

OK......So we had finally decided to set the date and get hitched after 8 years of loving each other. I was so excited and immediately started looking around for a dress. Because of the economy and seeing that I had just gotten laid off in December, I knew it would have to be a great bargain dress. As I began to scour the internet, I saw that dresses were not very cheap. Then I had a light bulb go off in my head. Ebay! The place I had gotten so many bargains from in the past....why not a wedding dress?
I found a beautiful ballerina-style dress from a store in China. I breezed through the feedback of this seller, and everything seemed to be ok. So for $68, free shipping and a beautiful custom made dress (replica, of course), I thought, what the heck? After all, through Paypal I had full purchase price protection. Definitely worth the gamble at such a bargain price. Besides, I had heard that many bridal dresses come from China anyway, so it seemed plausible that this offer wasn't THAT good to be true. It made sense to me. So I did it!
3 weeks later, I wrote the seller asking if my dress would be shipping out by May 31st, which was the timeline he had given for making and shipping the dress. I never received a response. I went back to his feedback....which I had been doing in between time anyway, and saw a recent negative feedback for him. Hmmmmm...I thought. I watched daily as the negative feedbacks rolled in. One after another. I wrote him again, telling him my concerns because of his non-response and negative feedbacks. Still no email.
I finally filed a claim through Paypal and am currently waiting to see where that goes. Lesson learned. I actually learned a lot about the whole feedback thing. Did you know that with some sort of program, they can actually put up FAKE feedback? I always do a lot of researching on the internet, and learned SO much on this subject. There are ways to tell that's it's fake, but that's a whole other blog!
After all this chaos I decided to look for a dress the conventional way. I got in my car and drove my butt to David's Bridal where the staff was more than helpful. After trying on eight dresses, number nine was "the one". I absolutely LOVE it! I have a little over a year to lose a few pounds so that the dress can look like it should on me. lol
Thus far, for my wedding attire, I've purchased my dress(David's), my veil(ebay), my petticoat(ebay), my tiara(ebay) and my shoes. I still need jewelry and I'm still contemplating on gloves(but probably not) and putting some straps or sheer 3/4 sleeves on dress.