Best of Show

I went to my first dog show. It was not what I expected but I was not sure what to expect. Actually with my week I did not have time to think much about it. The only references I had was the movie "Best of Show" and an episode of "Sex and the City." You know, the one where Charlotte shows here dog that she got as a gift from a dog breeder/show person. Anyway, it was less formal than the New York show but did I have some awesome people watching! The reason I went was to meet the lady I originally contacted to find a Boston Terrier for my own. I was very close to plunking down some cash for a goofy but well mannered Boston. Then I lost my job and here we are. I loved her two dogs that were showing. O'Leary won the adult male class over the number three in the country! He was chosen to compete in the final ring for best of show in his class. There were 17 dogs in the ring. Sadly, O'Leary did not get the big price but it truly is an honorto be in the ring. His owner Connie is a very nice lady. She is going to find me an adult trained Boston with her connections. I hope by the beginning of the year I will be caught up on bills, have some money saved and bought some of the other things I really need but could not afford this year. I really need a new mattress! I want a nice soft mattress like I slept in one time in a wonderful hotel - good times. So that is not a few hundred smacks but a good nice sleep, priceless. I have never been the one to choose the mattress I wanted.

Connie had a friend she drove up with from her kennel club that has an adorable bulldog. Katie is a year old and is well mannered but soooo cute! I could only get one good photo of her. Every time I tried she wanted to slobber on me and get some loving. She did not win her class but has only been in a few shows and is usually showed by a handler. All in all it was an interesting show and wonderful to meet Connie and her dogs. The big show is in Janurary if anyone wants to go with me.

It's about f'ing time!

Boy howdy I have been busy! I am usually doing stuff but this is "pouring" week! Let me start by saying on the way to my parent’s house Wednesday afternoon I got a phone call. I could not pull over fast (and safely) enough to answer (I won’t answer my new hand held if I am driving) the call. I did not recognize the number so I waited semi-patiently for the voice mail. It was the recruiter I had talked to on Monday. She is the Pharm Tech recruiter for the hospital I interviewed for. She is also the same one that “let the cat out of the bag.” She let me know that they had moved forward with the next phase with me – meaning they were checking references etc. Anyway, she offered the job to me with a start date the first of August! I was very excited and could not wait to tell my parents! I have to join a union but will get benefits through the union. Oh, I get paid more than my last position! (Woo Hoo!!) It also made my day altogether more crazy. Nick was coming over to spend the night and go Roller Skating with me but I still had to pick up some needed items at my parents, go to Winco as I was out of milk, bread and other stuff. Once you are offered a job you have 48 hours to take and pass the drug test. I had agreed that morning to "help" t run a Garage sale Friday and Sat with set up on Thursday. Anyway, somehow I managed to get it all done and beat Nick back to my house.

The whole time I skated in Derby Nick did not want to go Roller Skating. He has really changed a lot and grown up! He asked if it was okay for a few friends to meet us there - sure! We had a great time! He and his friends were well mannered. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves and want to go every Wednesday and bring more friends. Nick has a girl that is a friend who has a "hot mom" that is my age who is bi. The "kids" have decided to set us up. She will come on a Wednesday to skate. Sounds like fun. More to say but will part II this to get this part out. I AM EMPLOYED!!!!!

Welcome to my boudoir

Hello and welcome to my boudoir. I am very pleased about how my closet re-do is going. I ended up buying another larger file cabinet on Sunday. I got it at the Thrift store in my hood for $8! It was marked at $12 but it had been there for a bit. I did not want to buy it before as I was sure I would get one (the right size and in working order) for free on CL but I have been trying for some time and nothing. I was so sure the one I got at the garage sale would help out but once I got into the closet and started pulling out stuff I knew it would not do the trick. I needed a bigger cabinet for my bedroom closet. My parents were out in my side of town and so they picked me up in the afternoon, checked it out with me and helped haul it home in the mini van. I am going to use the smaller one I got at the garage sale in the front closet (aka coat closet) to hold bags, school supplies, sporting goods and so forth. The whole goal of this file cab in my bedroom was to get important papers out from multiple boxes under my bed and easy access to them when needed. As of 7:25pm Tuesday I have accomplished that task! I got 3 paper boxes out from under my bed, sorted and made equal to a grocery bag full of recycle, file and shred. It took me about 7 hours of steady work but got the bulk of the job done and I could not be more pleased. I am pleased that both cabinets hold the same size paper (letter vs legal) so when Wil moves out I could probably give him the small one. He will go through his box of papers and add his to the large cab for now. It was a long and by the end annoying task but truly could not be more pleased I got it finished! The only thing I still need to do is go through two drawers of my desk and add to the files. That way my desk can be art, office supplies, sewing supplies and pens. I feel so grown up. In order to make room in my closet I had to change my huge blue "off season storage bin" for the two "smaller skinny under bed storage bins" (thank you Joseph) and let go of things that I really wont fit into again. I let go of a lot of things but one of the bins is full of keepsake items like a "Bazooka Bubble Gum" t-shirt that will not fit me again. I just could not part with the memories it (and others) represented. I don't know what I will ever do with it (them) but I could not part with it.

The other two twists of events are these. Nick is now living with my ex and his wife but they are both out of town Wednesday (separately) so he (my ex) begging me (his words "I will owe you" really? May I just say no Fuck and Duh!) to have Nick stay with me while they are gone over night. They don't even give him a house key yet. "He has to earn trust" since agreeing to this I have been asked by t to have a garage sale this Friday and Saturday at her place. Set up is while Master t naps Thursday afternoon. I will see if Nick can help since Wil has extra hours this week at work and the next couple of weeks. I wont really know what is going on til he gets here. He wanted to have one of his homeless teen friends to come for dinner (the four days he was here we did but) he wanted to do a pizza and movie night so maybe that will work out. That boy came here and did laundry and a shower but he left some heavy clothing stuff to dry and left it here. I could not have him stay here since Nick was here. He couch surfs like Nick did. He used my home phone to call several people around 10:30pm to find that nights couch. I felt bad about it but cant give anymore than I have right now. I am still "saving" from unemployment payment every week for paying rent. I will go right up to the end of the month to make rent. Paying DMV for my car registration last month through me off. I need a f'ing job! Come on!

Just got a phone call from Nick. He was hoping I was going to my usual Skate night tomorrow cause he wanted to go skate with me! He even told some of his X-Games style skate board buddies to go too. He said his awesome Roller Derby Mommy would school them then teach them well. WOW! Is my baby finally growing up and getting it together? He is registering with an alternative school for the fall to finish high school. That is why he is staying with his dad. I could not have him for many reasons but the biggest is lack of space and he and Wil don't get along when they are living together. I am speechless for the moment.

Do you feel fortunate?

My fortune cookie from Ling Garden
"The rainbow's treasures will soon belong to you." The mind boggles . . . . . Seriously my mind went from a "G" rating to "XXX". Please if there is a god make it twins!

Do you feel lucky pt II-let it ride

My luck seems to holding if not getting better! I felt like the interview went well Friday. It is an on call position but the benefits are through the union I would have to join. If I get the job I would be in the "system" and able to apply for positions internally. It would give me a leg up and hopefully get me a job at the hospital in my neighborhood. The other hospital is only 2ish miles away so I could walk/bike/MAX/trolley or take the shuttle that runs for employees between the two and stops in the parking lot next to my old apartment a block away. Keep your fingers crossed. They are interviewing a few more and will get back to me next week.

After the Highland Games my dad and I hit a garage sale on the way home. I found a two drawer file cabinet for $5 but talked him down to $3. It has the rails for hanging folders so I can finally get organized! It is about the size of a nightstand (18 inches deep) so it will fit right where I want it to in my closet. I really was hoping for a vertical or a taller cabinet but it's a start. It will get papers out from under my bed and easier to get to and find!

When we got home I changed into shorts since the clouds had lessened and went on a walk about. I was hoping to find hanging file folders for my cabinet to get the organizing started! I hit the thrift store first. No luck on files but got a IKEA plastic magazine holder for $1. I need that for some of my knitting mags I have. Score! Next I browsed the Goodwill. There were legal sized file folders but my cabinet is letter sized. In my searching I found a unopened Miller Paint plastic drop cloth. It was marked $2.99 but it was the half off ticket color that week. When I paint my bedroom I don't have enough drop cloths to put down so again - SCORE! Since I want to get this file project started I went to the Office Depot in my hood to get the files. I thought they would cost so much more than what they were . . . Score! I got 25 hanging folders in a rainbow of colors and 8 regular folders for a total of $14.99. More than I wanted to spend but I got the file cabinet for so little so it balances out. After walking next door to the Safeway to get Italian sausage and mushrooms to make dinner I headed for home. I was feeling fortunate for my treasures and the pleasant day. I enjoy walking my neighborhood and finding new things, bargains and being able to walk close to home and find what I am looking for! There was a sign for $1 books so I followed the arrows. I felt I really got lucky! I love to read and finding a book by an author I like that I haven't read is great. Finding all of that but if the book is inexpensive and old hardback - priceless. That is what happened. I got 2 history books on San Francisco and Portland for my dad (a thank you for the day), a Steinbeck for myself and a cook book that I have looked at since childhood in my moms kitchen. Just seeing the cover is like a hug from childhood. As I cashed out with the store owner I told him of my excitement of the Steinbeck and how he is one of my favorite authors since high school. He told me if I liked Steinbeck I would like Willa Cather - his favorite author. He had already run my card. He had 3 of her books but I only had my change from the file cabinet. He picked up 2 of the books and told me I would enjoy them and no charge. He owned these books and wanted someone to have them that would appreciate them.That was very nice of him. I really felt satisfied with my purchases and gifts. I love old books!

All in all I had a great day, feel that I spent wisely and got more that my money could have bought me. The sun is shining in this Diva's world. I will enjoy basking in the light and hoping by letting it ride I will win big time.

I have a kick ass clan!

Today was a good day. My dad and I went to the Portland Highland Games. I have Scottish in my blood as well as Irish not to mention Swedish, Dutch and Norwegian. I also have Canadian Indian in me too. I am your general mutt. Anyway, my dad and I made a day of the Highland Games. We enjoyed the dancing, the bag pipes, athletics, clan pride and good weather after morning rain. I really enjoy my clans symbol. A woman with
a sword in one hand holding a mans head in the other. Seems like me.

The second photo is my new want. It is a utility kilt. The gal that took this photo for me was my body type and had on a UK made out of denim. I love it for multiple reasons but it goes with my shoes! I really miss wearing skirts. The pants around the ankle are because they were a tent next to the track and had no dressing room or mirror. An awesome kilt with wonderful pockets and pleats for a price of $200ish I would wear it a lot but seems way out of my price range especially now. A girl can dream . . . I don't enjoy changing my style to accommodate my foot wear but the pain is not worth it. If it would pass for scrubs I would totally stock up!

Do you feel lucky?

I got lucky yesterday in a couple of ways. I know what you are thinking and I wish it were that kind of lucky too, but no. Here is the story. I was on the computer job hunting and checking CL free section for the vertical file cabinet I want. There were a few tall ones but they are about 3-5 inches too deep to fit in my bedroom closet. What I did find was 2 free standing Snoopy in Santa Suits that light up for outdoor use. They are new from a sales rep but no box. They are huge! (The plain Snoopy in photo could not come with me but 2 of the Santa Snoopy) For those who have forgotten or don't know I have a Snoopy collection that I started as a kid. I had them displayed in my first "single" apartment but have had no room to display since. My next place Snoopy is busting out of the box! Anyway, my luck did not stop there. I texted t that I could come over to pick up all the pretties she had made for me if it worked for her. It did work and I did! It really was like Christmas in July. I got 2 more necklaces and 3 pairs of earrings! I left home at a little after 1pm. I came back a bit after 4pm and hoped to better my last parking spot (on 19th near K) that Ethyl MeRM had stayed in for 4 days. I scored with a spot across from the front door of my building! That was handy since I had to haul the twin Snoopy in the building. They are built sturdy.

Today I had to head over to my parents house in the morning. I wanted a second opinion on my outfit for my interview I have tomorrow. The suit we got in February would not be suitable in July and for an on call position. I needed dressy casual. I reluctantly gave up my parking spot dreading coming back around noon. It is a bad time to find a spot in my 'hood that is not a two hour. The building a half a block away is being gutted and turning into smaller spaces for retail so half of the street is no parking while most of what is left is 2 hour. So I got back in the 'hood at 12:15 and started looking. I came up to the stop in front of Nells and was surprised to see the parking spot I vacated was free! SWEET!

I feel my luck is turning. Maybe it is all of the nice folks sending good vibes my way or just the luck of a Diva. I hope to get the on call position because once you have a job you can get another job. Here is hoping.