Wednesday, January 25, 2006

I’m leaving town!

Tomorrow morning E and I are going to get into the car and head for Jackson Hole, more specifically, Grand Teton National Park. I am so excited! I can’t wait to eat out, explore Jackson, sleep in, and snowshoe all over the park.

Damn I’m excited. Hopefully the weather will be okay.

So, update time- I closed the first of the million dollar clients, so that will be great for my bank account. The second will hopefully close next week or the week after. My current clients are busier than ever too, which is always good.

I’m trying to be more responsible with my money, and am going to start investing it. I have a large sum saved in my bank account and am hoping to get 6% instead of the measly 1.5% I’m getting now. I’m also going to put $350 away each month, eighty percent of that will go into a short term investment where I can pull in out for a down payment for a house, and twenty percent will go into a retirement account. I’m impressed with my own responsibleness (but I don’t think that’s a word).

Till another day, bye!

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Money Honey!

I’m feeling a little better today; this week’s been pretty terrible. This cold has really stuck around, and each day I feel worse instead of better, but I think its finally going away (I’m crossing my fingers!)

One major thing that’s going on is the company I work for is trying to close their first two one million dollar accounts, which means I’ve been working my ass off. Yep, that’s right; two different companies that have a million dollars to spend on advertising think we’re smart, go figure.

So, instead of taking work off and focusing on getting well, I’ve been busy with these accounts. The good news? They will both be my accounts, therefore that means commission. Cha ching!

Monday, January 16, 2006

I'm not doing so hot

First off, it's Martin Luther King Day, and I don’t have the day off. Many of my clients and vendors are relaxing in bed or going out to breakfast, and I’m here at work, sick as a dog. I have a cold. It’s one of those terrible ones where you can’t breath, your nose hurts from how much it’s been wiped, your throat hurts terribly, and your inner ears itch. Damn I hate colds.

Because of this cold, I didn’t sleep well at all last night. I woke up to shift, to blow my nose, to rearrange my pillow, and to sneeze. I was too cold, then too hot, it was a shitty night.

Plus, to top it all of (and the worst of all) my parent’s marriage is not doing well. It’s been on the rocks for awhile, but in the last month its beginning to crash and burn. I don’t want to go into it here, but I am worried. As a kid, I always thought my parent’s marriage would be one that would last… Who knows? I feel so bad for both my mom and my dad. I hope things improve.

So, as you can see, I’m not doing so hot. I hope the end of the week is better than the beginning.

Grrrr…

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

dolls dolls dolls

I’m a doll lover. There is nothing more to it than that. I never was fond of Barbie, too much hair, make-up, and boobs. When I was tiny I loved my baby dolls, there was Big Baby, Soft Baby, and Little Baby. Then I got my first Corolle doll Maryelle. I followed with three more Corolle dolls that were each loved with great intensity.

When I was ten I wanted an American Girl doll. This doll was the pinnacle of girlhood in my mind, but cost a whopping $82.00, which is a lot when you’re ten. I saved and saved, and finally had enough to get the doll of my dreams - Molly. I’m not sure why the WWII era doll appealed, I looked a lot more like Samantha, and liked Kirsten’s time period most of all, however Molly stole my heart.

As I got older I’ve wondered how she did it. I think it might have been because Molly looks like my grandma, hair color, eye color, glasses, everything. And, my grandma grew up during the same time, and was almost Molly’s age when WWII was in progress.

Molly was (and still is) well loved. She went everywhere with me for almost four years. I think I was the only girl in my junior high that played with dolls, but didn’t care. Then when I was 13, I got Addy. She was the brand new black American Girl doll, a first for American Girl. Addy became Molly’s adopted sister and joined us on our adventures.

Soon I grew out of dolls and started high school. Molly and Addy stayed on my shelves for those years and when I left for college they stayed home. I was finally “too old for dolls.”

But then American Girl did something I wasn’t expecting, they released their first short haired, freckled, Jewish girl! She was the first in a new line of “Girl of the Year” dolls. I had to have her, and I’d name her Rachel. After only a few years of being doll-free, I began to tote around another doll. Molly and Addy weren’t forgotten; they just had a new “sister.” Rachel was my companion through college, and E was very good about always having a doll in tow.

Then this Christmas I fell hard again, my doll obsession grew stronger and I wanted another doll. I knew I didn’t need one; my three dolls were more than enough for one girl. But after I received some Christmas money, I fell into the doll trap again.

Last week I got Violet, my first “American Girl of Today.” Violet will be my travel doll, I’ll send her to other doll lovers all over the world, and she will get to see things I hope to one day see too. Her travel accessories are ready (made by me!) and she already has a list of interested hosts.

At the end of February Violet will leave my side and visit her first location, Victoria Canada. I can’t wait.

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Travel Bug

Each year when the winter months slow down I catch the travel bug. This year I've been thinking about traveling more than usual. As E and I plan our honeymoon we've talked a lot about where we want to go one day. The list is long, but I have a few top locations I'd like to seen soon, so here they are:

1. Italy- I fell in love with Italy long ago, and have always dreamed of going there on my honeymoon. The food, art, and architecture all call to me.

2. Thailand- Thailand is suppost to be spectacular. I have a friend that has traveled and lived all over the Far East, and she says the Thailand is the most wonderful. I want to experience the people, the food, the sea, and the jungles.

3. Norway- Oslo. Fishing Towns. Fjords. What else is there to say?

4. Alaska- I think about Alaska and get the chills, not only because it’s cold, but because of the rare beauty is holds. I want to see the National Parks, the wildlife, the glaciers, the whales, and all the things that make Alaska wonderful.

5. China- China is changing. The people are pulling out of poverty, the Yangze River is damed, and the cities are bigger than ever. I want to see it all. I want to walk along the great wall, see Hong Kong, and travel to farming towns that are stuck in the past.

6. Galapagos Islands- I want to go and learn everything there is to know about these islands. And if we stop off in Machu Picchu on the way home, that would be good too!

7. Canada- Canada is a huge country, so to say it is one travel destination it is silly, but I want to visit many areas. Quebec, Victoria, Banff, Hudson Bay (to see the polar bears) and Prince Edward Island are all on my list.

8. Virgin Island National Park- I’m a national park junkie (I’ve even getting married in one) and this one appeals just because of how different it is. I want to stay on the beach in a little cabin and eat mangos all day!

9. Costa Rica- I want to travel through the tree tops on a zip cord. I want to see sloths, sea turtles, and the poison-dart frogs .

10. Switzerland- Hiking through the Swiss Alps, visiting small mountain towns, and eating wonderful foods sounds like a dream come true.

Monday, January 02, 2006

We painted our kitchen

I had another nice long weekend, and I've been wanting to paint my kitchen and dining room a beautiful gold color I've had my heart set on. Here are some before and after pictures. It actually went very easily, and we were done in a day and a half!



Before


After



Before


After



Before


After
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