All week, I count down to Friday afternoon. Friday afternoons are the adult version of the last day of school for kids. Friday comes, and I have a list of things that need done over the weekend.

When the list includes housework related items, 90% of the time they don't get done.

Such was the case this past weekend. Simple things like replace the shower curtain, buy birdseed, take out the freakin' air conditioner (hello, it's November) were ignored. Again. The house is filthy, and there's a wholesale jewelry order to fill. The yard needs cleaned up for winter. The summer stuff on the porch needs put away, replaced by the snow shovel and ice melt. Oh wait, the ice melt and snow shovel never got removed last year. (We must have been busy)

Nice.

Saturday we visited two local farmer's markets, and came home in time to catch the Penn State/Nebraska game.

We watched the game, I shed a tear or three (yay premenopause!) and that was that. The Former Chef had asked if we wanted to meet in Ship for beers and laughs, and was actually going to show up for a change. We trucked down there and waited on her for an hour, and she showed up with her new work buddy (I guess the moaning about 'forced socializing' does not apply to this one) and we spent several hours there eating, drinking and generally being that loud table full of people who should be avoided.

Sunday came, and the list was still unlined. I suggested we go to the Pa Guild of Craftsmen show in Lancaster. Hunny wasn't wild about the idea, but it was better than mowing the grass. Off we went. I'm a Guild member so it didn't cost me 9 bucks to get in, but Hunny isn't and he was less than pleased about having to pay to look at FINE CRAFT. I figured this little exercise would take about 3 hours all told, and we'd have plenty of time for the list when we got back. Oh no, wrong again. After plodding thru the show, and looking at some very nice things, (but some very surly artists, whats up with having no booth presence at a major show?) we decided to walk around Lancaster. Lancaster sucks. That's all I have to say. Nice bead store, though. She had some funky colors of seed beads, but I didn't purchase any. I have way too much stuff now, and I just wasn't shoppy. We headed home.

By now, he was starving so we stopped at the dysfunctional Bob Evans near the house for lunch. I like Bob's. For a chain restaurant, they're pretty good. However, the local one must be where all idiot waitresses and inept managers go before they're drummed out of food service. The glass my tea came in was filthy. The waitress was really dumb ("Huh? Dirty? I guess I'll bring you a new one...duh...) and just all around a poor excuse for a lunch. Again. That's two strikes on them. Every time Hunny wants to go there, I remind him of the last experience. But yet we still end up there. I can't tell you why.

Once we got home, I checked my email, and he hit the couch and promptly grew roots. I did my laundry, and puttered around and he slept. I did manage some chores, but not everything I needed, but oh well. Monday's another day.

And back we are to Monday, to start the countdown all over again. Is it spring yet?

Good grief! More than a year has passed since I blogged here.

That's kind of sad, considering how much it had been. That witch from work pretty sucked all the joy OUT of blogging (thank you, witch & her minions) While she's a constant pain in my ass, it's gratifying to know that my very existence irritates her. Yay for existing!!

The jewelry biz, or expensive hobby, is going along swimmingly. We've had some really good shows this year. Last year I joined some local organizations that I may or may not actually benefit from. Since I'm not a meeting going person, I tend to miss alot, but frankly Monday night meetings aren't my thing, as I'm brain dead after the first day back to work, and the Sunday meeting infringe on my 'me' time. So I read the minutes, and that seems to work.

In other news, I still work where I worked when I started this blog (see above re the witch) and it is what it is. I was asked what are my goals, and frankly I couldn't come up with anything that didn't sound shitty. "I would like to be able to retire without an ulcer or having a heart attack" THAT wouldn't go over well at all. As I've said, I like what I do, but it's just difficult to do a good job with all the stipulations and constraints. Just leave me alone to do my work, and I'll be fine. If I have to concern myself with petty things, it just gets in the way of productivity. But, as I've been told, there's the right way and the wrong way. It's cool though, because we are busier than ever. And that's a good thing.

Carry on and all that, maybe I won't wait another 18 months to blog again...

Back from the short mini beach vacation.

Obbie's birthday is celebrated at Lewes Delaware. This is the 4th year (I think) for it. It's always a shame that it takes so long to get here but goes by so fast. We had a good time, good food, and some laughs.

Now it's back to work. Yay.

Wow...it's still here! The ole' blog hasn't disappeared. While I can't promise a daily update, I do believe I'd like to get back to blogging. Facebook is getting a little stale these days. I don't play the games anymore, and sometimes I've got more to say than just a few lines.

It's Spring Craft Show season. We've done two already, with moderate success. The big big one is next weekend, the Great Tastes of PA Food & Wine Festival at the Split Rock Resort in the Poconos. Of course I will work myself into a majah snit getting ready, but that's what I do.

Day Job is busier than ever. Lots of rush jobs. I could go on and on, but the bigs have taken to the internets, and while this blog has been fallow awhile, it doesn't mean it stopped being observed.

There's a garden again this year. The usual suspects, tomatoes, peppers and weeds. A few experiments-broccoli, brussels sprouts and one lone squash. I haven't decided if squash need friends. Never grew it before. But I'm almost out of space already.

And more kittens. They're getting packed off to someplace soon. I just can't figure out how to disperse them short of taking them to the vets under cover of darkness in a box with a $50 bill attached, "Please take care of these babies, I can't"

Carry on!

Yesterday was the last outside show of the year. Alas, Mother Nature decided that perhaps we should rethink the plan. It had been raining and cold for several days. Cold meaning high 30's.
With some nice wind as a bonus. Not good for an outdoor craft event. Or any event for that matter. We went to the site at about six am, in the rain and wind. The director was there, and she basically said, "It's up to you, but it's not going to be a good day for a show. We are promoting it as 'rain or shine', but it's your call. No refunds." Fine with me, I counted my boof fee as a donation, and we went home.

Later we went to a bead show, and bought a few things, nothing major, came home and napped the day away. Had grilled cheese & tomato soup for dinner while the wind blew and the rains rained.

Today the rain has stopped, but it's pretty chilly. Nice day to stay inside and clean, and catch up on all the things I don't do enough. There's a nice beef stew in the crockpot for the second football game later.

I sent Obbie to the store for 'good' bagels. Shall we take bets that the bagels will be out of a plastic bag and not the store bakery? Hey, I'm just sayin.....

On Saturday, we had another show. Small Town, USA. We did okay, sold a few things other than kid necklaces & rocks, for which I'm always grateful. After the show we went to a friends house and had dinner, drinks and a bunch of laughs. That was great fun. The not so fun part was driving home, although it does make me switch to drinking water about an hour or so before we leave. I think the drive is only 37 miles, but it feels like 137, especially the last 16. I was a little noddy, but for once, Obbie stayed awake and kept talking.

The next day we went to the Fells Point Fun Fest. If you ever have an opportunity to visit, I highly recommend it! Lots of vendors, everything from African Art to flea market wares to Sham Wows to high dollar ART. Then there's food vendors of every stripe, rides for kiddies, non-profit information booths, bands, beer, bars, and did I mention the food? We visited my favorite beading person in the world, sat in her booth for awhile and people watched. It was a beautiful day on the pier, with the boats coming & going. All the bars had their doors wide open and the football watchers were whooping it up. We ate a mozzarella filled arepa, which was surprisingly good, an empanada (a first for both Obbie & I) and watched a vendor who had a big wrought iron tee pee over an open fire. On the teepee were steaks, stretched out on hooks, so the fire would cook them from the inside out. This was very cool, and we ended up with some of the sliced steak to go. (We ate it in the car, so it didn't get very far) We came home with full bellies and sore feet (the cobblestones are KILLER on the feet) and I ended up falling asleep very early 'watching' the Steelers.

And back to Monday. Work is awful lately. The Big is miserable, going around finding fault with everything and everyone, putting all of us in terrible moods right off the bat, since we're never sure if we're going to be next to have something we do picked apart. It makes for a stressful work environment for everyone, including upper management. Because of course, they get THEIR asses bitched at if there's a problem with us peons. Oh well. Suck it up. Five o'clock is our mantra.

And that's it for now. Another show this weekend. Work, work work....

I'm home early today. The landlady's husband died, so I went to the 'visitation'. And took the rest of the afternoon off. I did some errands, then came back to the house.

I've got some projects in the works, and I really should be working on them. I'll get there eventually. My bead guru is making a ring for me, and I'm making her some chain maille in trade.
We have a show on Saturday, and Sunday we're heading to Baltimore for the Fells Point Festival.
Apparently, it's a big festival, so we'll have a good time strolling around people watching. The bead guru is there selling, so we'll stop by and visit with her and her hubby awhile. That's always a good time.

Until then, I'm making more stuff for the show on Saturday. I never think I have enough stuff!!