Stuff.....& Things.....

Just so I'm not accused of not liking guys with hair .......here are some sexy guys WITH hair....LOTS of it. And again, don't have a photo of Pauli I can add to these....dammit.
****************************************************************************
I gotta get my house organized. I can't find anything.

Okay- here's the deal.........I want to scan a few photos I have so I can put them on discs for my kids. One of their Christmas prezzies. I always like to buy them something nice for Christmas- and then give them something from the heart.......like a couple years ago- I gathered up all their favorite recipes, (like the ones I mentioned in my post a couple back....stuff they LOVE and clamor for that I only make on special occasions), and then I wrote 'em all out and copied them and got one of those little mini photo albums and put all the recipes in it for them........they loved it and every year I have given them a few to add to it. When I'm gone they wont regret not asking for those recipes- they'll already have em. Same thing with these photos I am going to give them- they won't have to fight over who gets what photos- they will have copies of them all already.

Anyway- back to what i was talking about first.....I wanted to do this totally on my own-
Find photos, Scan photos, transfer photos to disc......stuff I usually just ask Paulius to do for me. But Pauli's and Ozzy's posts about them not always wanting to be the "computer guys" kinda hit a nerve with me and I realized that I HAVE become lazy about learning anything new on the computer. I mean, I am married to a computer "specialist", and he can do anything I want done in about a TENTH of the time it will take me to learn how to do it- so I usually take the easy way out and just ask him to do it for me. Of course I usually make his tea, and keep him supplied with food or soda, or beer or whatever he wants while he's doing it- but as I said- I have gotten lazy.
So I found a photo I have wanted scanned for ages to see if I could do it before gathering up all the REST of the hundred and fifty photos.....and I can't find the printer/scanner/fax machine manual. So I CAN'T do it myself til I find it. Dammit.
And this is the kind of thing that happens increasingly more often now. I want to do something, try to do it- and can't find a key element to doing what I want to do.
It's frustrating- because I WANT to do something- I finally have the ENERGY to do something ambitious- and I get smacked down before I even get started.
This is why I like things organized.

Before I got married, I used to keep my food cabinets organized to the point of having all the spices together....having the canned goods together, having all the baking stuff together, all the boxed foods together...etc....and EVERY one of those things were set out in alphabetical order. I could have went blind and been perfectly at home and able to function because everything had a place and I knew EXACTLY where that place was. Not just foods- everything had a place. Blankets. Linens. cleaning supplies, clothes, magazines, books, photos......you name it.

And once again....I have gotten lazy about keeping it up.
And now when I get ready to organize things again- it will take a month to get them they way I want them. And I can see a few arguments between Pauli and I about keeping things up when they get organized. I can't wait to get a new place where he has a separate room for his office so I can just close the door on the desk...but we won't go there again.
As he has told you, it's not that he is messier than me really, it's just that my tolerance level for clutter is about a hundredth of a notch under his tolerance level- so I cave and start clearing up before he does and so it seems like I am always doing the housework- which isn't true- he just does some of it while I'm at work so I never really SEE him doing it. Altho I DO notice when I come home- but he's usually in bed by then so I forget to thank him or comment on it when we wake the next day.

Anyway- I need to get organized again. And I need to not be lazy about learning computer stuff- at least learning how to do some of the minor things like copy my own stuff out on paper- and scan, and transfer photos from the camera chip to photo paper and such.

The sad thing is- when Pauli was over in the UK and the only way we had to communicate was on the net- I could DO all this stuff.....It's how we met- he was my tutor in learning how to do all this stuff on the computer. And all I had to do was get him on ICQ- and ask a question, and he would walk me thru it....and I would write everything down so I could do it next time without having to have help....or without having to have TOO much help.
;-)

Now that he's here tho when he tries to show me how to do something- it's just that- he shows me how to do it visually- and I don't get to write it down. But therein lies the problem as well....I have to have BOTH a visual AND written instructions to be able to do anything like this. I learn by doing- not by watching so much. I like to write it down as I am seeing it done....then JUST watch once- and then try it on my own with a mentor there so I can ask any questions that may arise.......once I do these things I can do ANYTHING and don't usually have to ask again. But if any of these steps are missing...I'm totally and thoroughly LOST.

Time consuming, yes- but worth it in the end if you want to be free of having to do stuff for me.

*****************************************************************************

Paulius freaked me out a little bit yesterday......He asked me what I thought about the idea of doing a reading for EC4A. I laughed and said I would if he ever wanted me to- but I just hoped everyone could understand me. I have a strong southern accent, mind you. To me I sound like a total hick unless I'm using my professional voice which I suppose I'll have to do if he has me do an episode of EC4A.
Y'all know me- I LOVE to talk.

*********************************************************************************

Speaking of loving things, I LOVE our new weight bench.
I didn't realize how out of shape I had gotten- until I tried to life 40 lbs of weights on the bar.
Nope- not gonna happen.....so I tried 30.....nope...not that either....so I opted out for twenty and the bar which is.....an 8 pound bar I think...anyway. I have worked up to 2 sets of 25 presses so far, and on the leg work I am using 20 also....I'm about to bump those up to 30 tho, it just doesn't seem like much of a workout with only 20. I know that less weigh- more reps is what I want to tone instead of to build muscle- but I think I'm doing too little weight and that will just totally defeat my purpose.
I love watching Paulius work out with the weights as well. I think that's probably the best part of having them.
:-)
I just wanna throw a shout out to Saffy and to Paulius- because SHE inspired me to start working out with the weights (and she hated exercise like that as much as I did- so I figured that if Saffy can do it- so can I!!!!!.and another By-note...Saffy, you look effing FANTASTIC, Girl!!!!)and Paulius gave the the awesomely FUN DVD for the cardio workout.
;-)

He was a bit hesitant about giving it to me- he didn't want to give me the impression that he thought I was fat and needed it- but he knew I have been trying to lose this bit of weight for a while now and had hit a plateau and needed something to kick the loss back into gear. And the DVD he gave me was perfect....something I love doing to make it FUN again.
I'm not the typical female who gets pissed if you try and help me out by doing something sweet like that......the only time I AM typically female about the weight issue is if we're out eating and I decide to treat myself with a tiny slice of cake or a pack of peanut M&Ms or a milkshake and anyone tells me that I don't NEED whatever it is I am getting ready to eat because it will ruin my diet.
EXCUSE ME- my body- my decision- I DESERVE a treat once in a while and BELIEVE me-before I put anything like that in my mouth I think LONG and HARD about how much work it has taken to lose the weight I have already lost- and how much work it will take to keep from gaining any weight back by eating the treat.
I can HANDLE it.
If you wanna do something to help me out- offer to walk with me after dinner...I love to talk and I love company.
*********************************************************************************

Well, I also wanna thank my family who came by last weekend and did all that yard-work for me. The only thing that didn't get done was the fire-pit and that's because I haven't quite decided where exactly I want it- but I promise- by the time cool weather rolls around- The fire-pit will be installed and ready for those cool evenings and nights.

Thank you to:
Eddie and Julie and their boys; T.J.,(7)Christopher(3), Austin(6) and Justin(3).
Frank and Marie and their boys; Devon(6) and Nicholas(1).
(You might laugh- but those boys wanted to be in the thick of the work(play to them) and enjoyed every second of it.....amazed us and made US laugh just watching them have fun with all the limbs and piles of wood chips and piles of grass.)
And Paul for braving the sun and heat to spend time with our brood.

It was a lot of fun....and a lot of work too .....and I appreciate every blade of grass that was mowed, every limb that was cut, and every wood chip that was shoveled and raked into place. But thanks most of all for caring enough to do it for us. I love you all dearly.
*******************************************************************************

I have decided to keep the Ask Miz Claus blog........even if no-one reads it it will be here. I think more than anyone I need it for me.
************************************************************************************






I think that's about all for today.............. Later all!!!