Do you ever feel like your head weighs twice as much as it should. Or like gravity has been turned up and your entire body is being pulled closer to the ground? That, combined with a sharp pain between the eyes and an inability to breathe through your nose make for a great day! :o)~ And don't forget to throw in a few sneezes for good measure - they really help the pressure inside your head!

The good news is that Doug and I are meeting with a CPA at 3 o'clock. While it might not be exciting, it really is good because our finances get more complicated all the time and especially now that I have a business and tax season is coming - we're gonna need some help! We're meeting with one guy today and another one on Tuesday. I guess we'll just pick between the two of them. Unless they both creep us out or something, then we'll keep looking.

I'm pleased to report that I'm feeling better today. I've still been resting all morning, but I think I'll be up and around and productive again this afternoon! WooHoo! Cordelia, however, says that she wishes I were still sick because I'm not paying nearly enough attention to her today!

This morning I finished my BSF study for the week. It was on the book of Hosea - he's one of those confusing prophets. This one was easier to understand than Amos, but more difficult than Joel. Anyway, it's good to have some in-depth study of the Old Testament occasionally. People, myself included, don't give it enough credit. There's more to it than judgement and boring stories. On every page there are evidences of God's love and mercy. Good stuff...

Does anyone else find it annoying to have to go to the bank to deposit checks? I know this is a pitifully lazy complaint, but it's the only thing I ever have to go to the bank for anymore. :oI~

Well, the best way to describe how I feel today is, "bleck!" I've been sick for the past couple of days. Pretty sure it's "just" allergies, but that's still not fun.

My new favorite comic strip is "Get Fuzzy" by Darby Conley. If you've never heard of it (it's carried in the dallas paper, but not austin), check out www.comics.com. This actually takes you to the comics.com page, but you can select "Get Fuzzy" from the "Select a Feature" dropdown menu. It's a really funny strip!

Have any of you every tried to kill vincas (periwinkles)? I planted some several months ago and spent all summer trying to keep them alive. They're supposedly really hardy and everything, but they were pitiful, shrively little things. So, sometime in the fall, I stopped watering them and started waiting for them to die. We're going to till and work on that part of the yard anyway. Well, now the silly things won't die! They haven't been watered by me in months and they've been through several unprotected freezes and they're still going! Until this last freeze, they looked better than they did when I was trying to keep them alive! What's up with that!?!

I'm *so* tired today. I have no real reason - I'm just always tired! I decided at some point along the way that it's allergy related. I can never breathe well, so I don't sleep very soundly. That's my theory anyway - there doesn't seem to be anything else wrong with me!

I took Cordelia to the vet yesterday for her yearly exam and booster shots (no, this wasn't punishment for knocking over the tree). She was a good girl, although she put up a fight when I put her in the carrier and it took two of us to get her back out of it. And then we had to get creative to get her back in there the second time. But other than that, the vet said she's beautiful and healthy. She also said that she'd like us to start brushing the kitties' teeth and that Cordy's food should be rationed so she doesn't gain any weight. The tooth brushing thing should be fun - they really don't appreciate it when people start messing with their mouths!

Woah - it's been almost a week since I posted! How am I supposed to keep my loyal readers this way?!? So, one of my kitties (cordelia) was *very* naughty this morning! Both of them have been temporarily kicked out of our room because that's where the Christmas tree is and they can't keep their paws (or teeth) off of it. This morning, I pulled the door shut behind me as I came out for breakfast, but apparently it didn't shut all the way.

While we were eating we heard this weird tinkling noise and Doug got up to investigate. We couldn't see what she had done, but we knew it was Cordelia because she was doing the, "It wasn't me!" routine. So we formulated a couple of theories and went back to eating. When we came into the bedroom a little while later, we found the Christmas tree on its side! A couple of the more fragile ornaments broke too! Naughty girl!

So, we have this weird little squirrel who lives in our backyard whom I have named Squirrel Beans. (S)He used to come and eat out of our bird feeder, but would fling birdseed everywhere because (s)he was only interested in the sunflower seeds. So, to take attention away from the bird feeder I started putting corn out for him/her. (let's just assume it's a boy from now on) I put a nail halfway into the porch railing and stuck the corn cob on that. He's been coming and binging on corn periodically since then. Well, today he got cheeky! I spotted him out there this morning and then I just noticed that the whole corn cob is gone along with the nail! What's up with that!?!

I just injured myself in a new and unusual way. I was at the grocery store, in the frozen section, and I needed something that was halfway back on the top shelf. In reaching up to get it, I had to let my arm touch the shelf and I burned myself on the freezer shelf! I didn't even know you could burn yourself on cold things! Anyway... had to put that one down for posterity...

Details details details! So many details! I'm planning a launch party (which will be the most awesome ever). I'm trying to get my business advertised and get some clients (my business being pet sitting). I'm doing other things too, but there are so many details floating around in my brain that I can't remember what they are! I only get stressed out if I try to think about it all at once though. :)

But, as Charles Stanley says in Finding Peace, "By the grace of God and with the help of God, I can do this. The Lord is my sufficiency. He is living inside me, and He will make me adequate for whatever task He calls me to accomplish. He will give me the insights, knowledge, direction, strength, energy, vitality, focus, associations, contacts, and all other things that are necessary!"

Well, the painting of the bathroom is complete. There are still some things that need to be done, like cleaning and putting some of the hardware back in, but it is done enough that we can use it again. WooHoo! I feel like I spent the whole last week inside that bathroom! :o)~

I'm finding it quite hard to get back into the swing of things this week. It's mostly the getting up in the morning that I'm having trouble with. I was able to sleep in as much as I wanted for two solid weeks and it's not easy to pull out of that habit! I'm making a committment as of today though - I will get up to have breakfast with Doug and I will not go back to bed after he leaves! Please feel free to ask me if I'm sticking to that.

10 Things I've learned in the past Week:

1. Scraping that popcorn Stuff off of Ceilings is Fun.

2. It is better to set Fire to your House than to try and remove Wallpaper from your Walls.

3. Joint Compound takes far too long to dry.

4. Power Sanders are your Friend.

5. Texture painting is not for Perfectionists.

6. It is worth the extra Time to put another Coat of Primer on top of your wall Texture, even if it's a very thin Texture and you put Primer underneath It.

7. There's no such Thing as a Paint that only needs one coat.

8. Getting Chalk in your Eye from using a Chalkline *hurts*!

9. Removing Tape from latex Paint is an infuriating and evil Task.

10. Touch-up Work with a little Paintbrush is a good Job for a Perfectionist!