Growing iFamily and Samily

My husband's birthday was October 20th and so on October 14th, I set out to get him a birthday gift.  I knew the perfect gift:

The New iPad

Thanks to Best Buy and their 18-month no interest, same-as-cash payment plan, I was super wife this year.  The iPad came to a good home.  It joins a Mac Mini, a Macbook Pro, an iPod Touch, an iPhone 4, and 1 or 2 older, now unused Mac laptops (I think before they called them Macbooks...don't ask me...I'm not an Apple girl...).

He likes it.  :^)

Innocently enough, I thought I would check in on the new Samsung Galaxy S3, seeing as my Samsung Galaxy S1 was acting shady.  What happens next, is more than a coincidence.  Best Buy was having a ONE DAY ONLY sale on JUST THE S3 for HALF OFF.  50% off.  I only paid half price.  How could I say no???  They only had white and blue to pick from, so I went with Blue.


Pebble Blue.

And I slapped a case on it.  The least ridiculous one I could find at the time.

It came to a good Samily, too.  I've got my Samsung laptop, my Galaxy S1/Captivate, and the Impression.

This phone...wow.  I thought I loved my S1, but the S3 fills my heart even moreso.  I have only found one flaw so far...I can't transfer all of my files (read: games) from my S1 to my S3 due to reading incompatabilities.  This bummed me out at first, but I have decided to keep the S1 alive for my games.  ;^)  Other than this one con, I only have pros.

I can take screenshots.

Shot of my screen!  What a concept!

Yes, the iPhone has been on top of this for awhile now and I am so stoked that Android picked it up.  Through this screenshot, you can also see some other fancynesses I tout.  The bottom row is customizable on this one!  I got to put the text message program I use in that row rather than the stock one that sucks.  :^)  It's called GO SMS PRO and allows full customization of your text messages, but also lets you customize some other things on your phone like ringtones and led light colors for text messages - even different colors for certain texters (my husband's texts light up green, for example, so I know it was a text from him even if I missed the phone lighting up to tell me so).  I also brought over an app from S1 called "Elixir" to get as many icons as possible on my homescreen.  The "to-do" list app is called "Task List" that can keep several different lists running and display as a widget on your homescreen.  I always have a "to-do" list going and a "to get" list running.  Very handy to remind you of things you need to do every single time you check your phone and your grocery list is right on your phone...no more leaving it at home when you go to get stuff.  Boom.  Everything else is pretty standard, but I do want to plug SoundHound (the burnt orange stylized "S" on the lighter orange background) for being that "phone-a-friend" several times.  A song comes on the radio and you want to know its title or singer so you can buy it...hit that icon, it listens for a minute, then tells you.  Also a great argument ender.  ;^)  I mean...if you know anybody who argues about stuff like that...Oh, and another necessary app..."Apps Organizer."  It allows you to make folders to put all of your apps into categories so you can find them quicker.  I believe iPhone does this, too, and I learned about this app from my S1, but I thought it was still worth the mention.  And my final plug, I promise, is Cashflow.  It's my checkbook for several different accounts on my phone, so I keep track of the finances much better.  Also, it is only on my phone and doesn't take my financial info onto the Internet.  Oh, I lied.  DROPBOX.  I use this so much that I forgot about how amazing it is.  It is a storage folder on the internet that you can put files into and they are accessible from your phone, all of your home computers, and actually any computer with an internet connection.  It's your digital flash drive with no hardware.

Something I love that you can't get from my homescreen: incognito mode on internet searches.  You can hit a button when you open up your internet browser that means your searches won't be saved.  Your husband can't accidentally stumble upon the birthday present you were researching to buy for him.

Anyway, that's a lot for now, so I'll let that all soak in.  ;^)

So, I Sew Now

I've never been afraid to mend things by hand, and I've seen plenty of sewing machines in action, but I had never actually sewed on one.  Until last weekend (not including all of my practice runs to get tension right...OH THE TENSION ISSUES).  Anyway, I only sew out of necessity.  It's not overly therapeutic for me, even though I am rather proud to see my work after finished.  Alright, done rambling.  Here's what I've done:

10/28/12 - my first attempt by machine.  I had an old undershirt whose elastic was dying at the top, so I bought a new one, but it was too short.  Solution:  SEW THEM TOGETHER!

10/30/12 by hand.  I agreed to be the rock of "rock paper scissors" for Halloween at work and waited until the night before to make the costume.  The uneven edges of my moss bib are actually sewn by hand to a straight edge.  If I had more skills, I could have just cut this all as one piece, but that didn't dawn on me until after I started sewing pieces on.

11/1/12 by machine.  My husband and I somehow manage to wear holes into sheets where our feet go.  The grey set was our newest set to fall victim to us and I had kept our green sheet that previously got "holed."  Solution?  SEW THEM TOGETHER!  Probably a dumb a idea in general because of all of the trouble this was to get lined up and it still looks poor.  Definitely a dumb idea for your second sewing machine project ever.



11/10/12 by machine.  The left one is a longtime favorite nightgown that I've had that is getting very tattered.  The right one was created from it!  I had help...quite a bit of help...

12/9/12 by machine and embezzlements by hand.  I cut the fabric by eye (no pattern) and sewed the sides, bottom of the "toe," and the white to the top.  I then safety-pinned the stocking to the sweater so it would be a sweater.  The toe is stuffed with scrap fabric, the name is beads with a couple of jingle bells sewn by hand.  Well, then the bells were safety-pinned.  The ribbon was safety-pinned only because I added it after I put my machine away (and after I started the beads and that made me ready to finish the project ASAP).  UPDATE:  The ribbon is now sewn!  You may all sleep more sound tonight.

12/26/12 by machine.  Needed new pj pants after my only 2 pair(s?) ripped down the middle.

12/30/12 by machine.

4/6/13 by machine.  My first major adjustment to a store-bought shirt.

 

4/6/13 by machine.  Found a generic "how to" online and tweaked it.  More info here.

 

Getting asked on a date...at Wal*Mart

Excuse me if this post bores you, pretty people, but I literally don't remember the last time I was blatantly hit on, so I was very surprised by the going ons of Friday night.
Let me take this chance to talk about yesterday in general - it was an odd day.  I will asterick off the general day stuff.  If you just wanna read about me getting hit on, skip to the bottom.

*****
I was talking to a previous member of my group that is now debunct and another previous grouper came up.  We'll call the 1st person Beth and the second Ann...just for fun.  I believe Ann is from Wisconsin and is pretty much the epitome of every stereotype you can think of about Wisconsinites.  Wisconsoners.  Dwellers of Wisconsin.  Whatever.  Beth was talking about rap of some sort and it reminded Ann of a story.  Let's stop right there and dip our toe in the "descriptive" pool for a second.  All 3 of us are white girls.  Very white girls.  Beth does seem to enjoy some rap, but Ann and I look like we couldn't pick Snoop Lion out of a lineup.  I think I could, though.  Not sure about Ann.  Alright, Ann's story, in full Wisconsin accent:

"I woke up really early the other morning, at like 4am and couldn't go back to sleep, so I turned the TV on...and it would up on MTV." (Pause for us to think about her watching MTV and laugh.  We did.)  "So this video was on and it was something like, 'B*tches bad, hos better, ladies good.'  It was like a positive message video and it was shot like a silent film.  It was actually pretty cool!" (Another pause for us to think about Ann bobbing her head along to that chorus and for us to laugh.  We did.)  "And then at the end it said it was dedicated to Paul Reubens who played Blackface."  I furrow my brow and ask, "Who?" as I did not know Paul Reubens had ever painted his face black for a film.  "Paul Reubens...wait..." All 3 of us at the same time: "That's Pee Wee!"  Lots of laughs, tears even.  Anyway, she went back to her office, googled it, sent us the link and declared "Paul Robeson!  I was close"

Very.

 

Close.

After that whole fiasco, I dipped into a sad phase.  I was out of things I could do under the ending contract, and hadn't been trained in the new contract yet.  However, things picked up and I was invited to hang out by 3 different groups...a first group that made plans with me the night before, a second group that texted me during the day, and the last group was my boss' boss asking if I wanted to go have drinks at On the Border after work with a couple of other people from the ending contract.  Anyway, it made me feel special.  So, onto the whole point of the post...
*****
 I got home from work and was tired, but needed to go to Wal-Mart for some stuff.  I decided to take a nap and then go about 11pm.  Jon was close to getting off work and after not being able to get ahold of him to see if he wanted to join me, I headed to Wal-Mart alone.  (For the record, he had misplaced his phone and was freaking out thinking he lost it altogether.)  I got a shopping cart from one of the outside cart returns and was one more aisle away from going in when a truck pulls up to my right (My wedding ring was/is on my left hand, so I'm going to assume that he didn't see it...). 

"Will you be my friend?" was inquired to me by a upper 30's-lower 40's looking redneck kind of man.  Thinking he just needed directions or something I smiled and said, "What do you need?"  "Well...a friend.  Will you be my friend?"  Thinking this was some drunk escapade or someone really not playing with a full deck, I said yes.  Then he asked if I might want to go on a date sometime.  I then told him I was married and got this surprise response:  "You are cute." (I thanked him.) "You are SO CUTE." as he drove away.  (I thanked him the second time, too.)  Add in the fact that I saw a person dressed in a halloween outfit from head to toe as I walked in and I was pretty freaked out.  Then I realized that I didn't know if creep-o was parking to come shop or if he was leaving.  Once I was safely tucked away in the bread aisle, I texted my husband to beg him to come to Wal-Mart.  He found his phone, saw the 2 texts, the missed call, and called me back.  He came to save the day.

I have no idea what the guy was doing.  I don't feel very hit-on-able, so I almost feel like he was trying to compliment me or something.  I was not dressed up.  I pretty much dress down to go to Wal-Mart, partly for this very reason.  I had napped in my clothes and makeup, didn't re-brush my hair, and probably still had drool caked on my face.  I have a hard time believing that people go to Wal-Mart to ask other people out on dates.  Needlesstosay, I shall not be going back to that Wal-Mart unescorted at night again.  Especially so close to Halloween.

A HEALTH Update?

I don't want to jinx anything, but I think I might be getting healthier by going into the Danger Zone (What?  You don't know what that is?  It's where I go every night when I put my flight mask on...AKA CPAP machine...).  It was a gradual change and there are still some nights when I want to rip the mask off and throw it against the wall, but I'm getting more energy.  And I'm keeping wild hours because of my husband's recent work schedule, so I don't think I'm getting MORE sleep, I think I'm getting BETTER sleep.  I have to sleep with the mask on for 4 hours each night (It knows if you are wearing it or just have it sitting on the bed).  Some nights I literally count down until I can take it off.  Other nights, I wear it all night.  The horrible, "rip-it-off" nights are getting fewer and further between.  Tuesday, I took the day off from work and I mowed our entire yard - front and back - after weeks of growth and I've never tackled both sections before.  Granted, I was beyond sore after that (reminded me of my factory days when standing for a shower after my shift was some sore of cruel punishment), but I did it (mowing and the showers).  And I edged around most of the front yard today, which only took about 20 minutes tops - another feather in my cap since it's something I'd never done.  Then the battery died and my company arrived.  I hope to finish tomorrow unless it rains. 

Also, I think my overall mood is better.  I mean, I'm probably not the best judge of that, but I don't feel so bat**** crazy anymore, which seemed to be happening more and more as I got older.  I feel normal.  I feel tired sometimes, but I'm not nodding off at work.  I feel sad at times, but not the deep dark abyss I've traveled to once or 5,000 times.  I feel happy, but not run outside and jog the block once or 5,000 times ecstatic.  My contract ended at my job and I'm not in freak out mode.  Know that I was always told that I had a spot waiting for me, so I never had to worry about not having a job, but that's still some pretty scary stuff.  I guess I'm just trudging through the emotional toll it is/will take on me.  I was in no way prepared to say goodbye to this small group that gave me a shot 8 months ago.  I hadn't realized that we were so close - that we were actually friends and enjoyed each other.  We lost one of our 7 to another company and time will tell how many more.  I'm just switching to another contract, but that means another building, another desk, different people.  Transitions.  But I'm game.  I'm trying my best to wrap up the contract we lost so I can move full speed ahead into my new contract.

I'm better?

The post I've been putting off for too long - tattoos

I wasn't sure how I wanted to go about this, but I have decided to share my designing phase with you.  Behold, I want 3 tattoos:

The logo for Kubota here on my left foot

Still mostly visible in heels

And then 2 acorns, one on the second toe on my left foot and the other close to my small toes on my right foot.

Not sure of exact positioning on toe.  Maybe closer to the nail.

Now, I know that I'm often a fountain of information in most of my posts, but I would rather keep their meanings rather hush hush at the moment.  Just know that, yes, they do hold special reasoning in my heart and honestly, one of them has an added bonus of being hilarious.  I had been wanting a tattoo for awhile, but I couldn't decide on what I wanted and then due to some serious down time at work, I had somewhat of an epiphany.  Anyway, just throwing that out there.  Just keeping you in touch with the life and times of Tabitha.