Spring indeed

Put a new spring in your step. Spring into action. Bounceback like a spring. It is certainly spring time, and there sure seems to be a reason for the season's name. After a long winter, no matter how much fun playing in the snow may have been, there's nothing like the sun's renewing warmth to come back to every March/April. Although we do not hibernate as humans, it's as though everyone is waking up with that renewed energy that was bundled up deep in our skin and minds as we bundled up in fleece and wool. Welcome back energy, I'm ready to feed from you and share with you.

Shine in a new day

Work shoes just don't last. I've had a favorite pair of black heels for far too long and they were almost turning gray (yup, can't wear shoes to work for 3 years...pitty I'll have to go shoe shopping). First time since college, I broke out the Kiwi shoe shine. Today I am very grateful that the Navy taught me to shine shoes. I'm just glad I do it to my own standard and liking now (and to heels rather than blistering uniform shoes).

Inhale the sweet relief

4:30am - 1st alarm rings....if I get up, it's housework, a run, or rushing off to an early workday

5:30 - more popular second alarm

6:40 - last call to get to work

7:00pm - most popular end of work day

8:00 - arrive home after running, groceries, community events

8:01 - start that sweet relief; tonight banana bread, last night Polynesian Pork

Or is this so called "relief" a slow poison cutting into sleep time, scrap time, Justin & Michaela time, losing this booty time....

The lingering aromas, gracious little praises from hungry coworkers, and sense of completion of a small little project tell me this is therapeutic and a habit worth continuing.

But something's gotta give, right!?!? We do not live to work, we only work to live, right?!? I'll take a break tomorrow....plant flowers instead.

Why not George

Yesterday on a drive back from Mt. Hood in Oregon, I received a "Where's George $1 bill" with a bag of Munchies picked up at a back country gas station. When the bill was entered on Where'sGeorge.com, I found it had only travelled a meer 164 miles in almost a year (not quite across the state of WA). Overall, I've noticed most bills on Where's George.com have few entries. It mystifies me that people aren't more intrigued with that funny stamp on some bills directing them to this website.

If one is not puzzling the curiosities we come across on a daily basis, what is on one's mind? Perhaps the smallest things in life are not worth most peoples' time (no matter how short of time that may be). Both sides of taking the time for the smallest things are taking a loss.....which loss is greater? Is there a way to test the greater of the two?

Inspirations from Hollywood

I just finished watching Julie and Julia. This may be one of those movies to add to the collection and pull out every so often for the inspiration and motivation to stick with something. I am in awe of and mystified by some of the perfectly consistent occurrences around me. Being surrounded by engineers makes me feel my life is very inconsistent in the small stuff. Some coworkers park in the same unassigned parking space everyday and drink the same coffee from the same cup everyday and have done so for the last year or more. Sometimes it seems my inability to maintain consistency in these small things is my own bit of rebellion because the bigger picture is kept so structured - meeting deadlines, promises, commitments.

So a movie like Julie and Julia makes me wonder if I'm capable of committing to a small feat like writing in a blog everyday. Or writing to a friend everyday. I think committing to something small for a year would be an interesting challenge that would bring more happiness to life. Thank you Hollywood for the inspiration for a fun challenge.

January Holiday Weekend

It surprises me that not all government offices had off work for Martin Luther King Jr Day. Justin was supposed to work, but fortunately he had training that only lasted half the day. With just another of those hectic weekends, it was nice that he was able to come home and we could have some quality time today. Even with a quiet day off, no time for scrapping (yet). Finally made it out for a run tonight after over a week of hip pains that stopped me from this oh so relaxing activity. Still had to keep it sure to be safe. Chiropractor said I was just over straining myself with rigorous activites, and the hips just needed a rest. Hope rest time's over. I'm ready to get back out there ;-)

Back to the Tape runner :-)

The Holidays really make for a remarkable time of year but also distract from everyday life. I've missed scrapping :-) Since it was an in & out of the scrap room kind of day, thought I'd do a quick and easy page-8x8 for an album for Justin & I. In this album, there's already a page to commemorate Justin's birthday celebration in Seattle from February 2009, but during that trip we came across an unforgettable street performer in Pike's Place Market. He is now the "Rockstar".

This layout is for Challenge #50 on Scrap Whispers. The challenge is to make a layout inspired by the phrase "Stars and Spikes". For me, it turned more into how can I incorporate something to do with Stars and/or Spikes into some photos I have laying around. My printer isn't working quite right with my new computer, so I have to make do with what photos I have around for now. On the positive side, this was the first chance I had to use my new Cropadile Big Bite for the eyelet arrows. The Cropadile is awesome! Other than that, it's a very simplistic layout with paper, stickers, and metallic pen.