I'm a chicken with no head

It's been a busy week and I'm quite ready for Saturday when I'm not obligated to do ANYTHING. I think I'll catch up on my beauty sleep, run some laundry and cuddle with some kitties. The mister is going to visit his family so I can stretch out in the bed ;)

I'll get going by commenting on how saddened we are still about the passing of Hap. It's really hit us both harder than I imagined it would. He really brought a light to our everyday and there is an obvious presence missing with his absense from the block. We recieved confirmation that they are trying to find a place for Helen to live as she cannot care for herself. I'm not sure what ails her but her memory is far from good. She barely remembers the passing of Hap or spending two hours with officers at her home. I think though that it's somewhat of a blessing in disguise that she doesn't remember all of that so well.

As one can imagine, there's been a few people coming and going at the neighbor's house and one of their visitors leaked over to our house...the daughter of the original owners of our house! We bought our house from the original owners, a fact which I have always LOVED, and have come across so many things that we wonder about the history of. Has our bathroom always been so crowded? When did they add on to the kitchen? How in the world did 4 people live in that house?! Well, this daughter was able to answer so many questions for us! It was quite a treat. She was, however, deathly afraid of the beast as she was mauled by a German Shepard when she was a child. I've never seen a grown adult shudder at the sight and sounds of a dog before.

So today is an exceptionally busy day for me, I just happen to have this one hour this morning to kill time! In an hour and half, I will teach a two hour jewelry crash course to the ESL department (students, faculty and friends!) where I teach...I am SO excited! My jewelry partner has arranged her work schedule so she can help me with the instructions which makes me super happy and the class will be followed with a potluck! I LOVE to teach and I LOVE jewelry so combining these two aspects pretty much makes my day perfect. I've completed a power point complete with a necklace I've been working on and will finish in the class; I've purchased findings and such for them to use; and I've got the car loaded up with goodies for the class to take inspiration from!

Also today I am having my first annual, semi-annual, or tri-annual (not sure yet ;) Ladies' Social Hour! I decided I wanted to have an 'event' at my house that is nothing more than lots of lady who may or may not know each other, hanging out, eating lots and gabbing all night! I've been cleaning the house like a mad woman all week and my back is not so happy with me. I literally scrubbed the kitchen and bathroom from top to bottom which makes the place feel so so nice and I've spent last night cooking up a storm! It was especially nice to get the bathroom feeling so clean after being SO sick in their last week! As for the food preparations, I made a Greek White Bean Dip (reminds me a lot of humus), a fancy salsa, freshly chopped veggies for dipping, fresh grapes off the stems, and baked apples that are deeeeeeeeelish. Today I only lack the construction of an artichoke dip and I am done with food! Oh, I also made these little cheesy sandwich things for the potluck today as well :)

So after the jewelry class, I will run a couple more small errands and head home to dust, clean mirrors and glass, and clean the floors! Following that, I will sit down, put my feet up and have a cold one to celebrate my efforts of the week ;)

Death Boxes

cars are deathboxes to me. here's yet another issue i have. i despise cars. everything about them. i used to LOVE driving around and listening to music. i couldn't wait to turn 16 to be able to drive! i thrived on shifting into gears and racing away from all my worries. now, my worries sit on four wheels in driveways and on roadways. i hate to drive. i hate to be a passenger. i hate that cars are such horrible pollutants. i'm lucky as my husband and i carpool together thus one car stays at home so we're not creating as much toxins as we could be but we are still contributing nonetheless. i miss driving a standard. i miss not being scared of cars.

i also have a few weather issues. my driving issues are intensified HORRIBLY when bad weather is thrown into the mix. it's debilitating honestly. i rode with my father today to a dance lesson to a suburb about 30 minutes from where we are located. it was misty and foggy and i thought my lunch would soon be on my lap from the nerves. not to mention we were on the highway which i don't even care for on sunny days!

my driving and weather issues are about to send me back into therapy. truly.

tonight i am supposed to attend a girls' night ornament exchange in the same aforementioned suburb but after my experience earlier, i called the host, explained the situation and have bowed out. she's been in the car with me during some of my 'moments' and understands. it sucks though, for lack of a better word. it just sucks. i HATE that i let these fears get the best of me. i figure though, it's better for me to stay at home rather than be scared and jumpy and endangering not only myself but other motorists on the roadways. as for being a passenger with someone else, i trust very few people behind the wheel. my father is one of those few and if i was such a wreck with him, i don't believe anyone else will be much better.

it's time for me to live in a city with amazing public transportation; where i need no car; where my weather fears only involve what type of shoes to wear. but for now, i'm here and i must deal.

*sigh*

i wish everyday was fall-like weather. i wish i had a teletranporter. i wish i could fly like i do in my dreams. running start and i'm off.....