The one where I show sweat equity

This is what I looked like at the end of the night last night. See that wallpaper in the background? It's coming down too like the paper I tackled last night in the closet. (By closet I mean the second bedroom upstairs that I will be transforming into my closet/gym/office.) The shirt? Why thank you for asking. Besty gave it to me for Christmas. I cannot wear it out in public because for some reason people get mad about it. It says Team Edward or Jacob? Team Shut the Frak Up! Those Twihards? They will cut you!

My favorite part of this pic is the sweat ring on the bandana I stole from Sister (technically she left it when she moved out) and shirt collar. What this pic does not show is the excess of dust on my legs and feet. I was sanding a layer of paper down so I can texture the wall. Sanding paper, you say? Why yes, because after stripping it down to the lowest layer it is easier to sand the final paper backing than it is to scrape it off. Then I'll prime that paper layer as if it were the top layer of sheet rock. Stripping that last layer often will strip the paper of the sheet rock too. Why? It is not primed.

Here is a tip to anyone I cannot convince to NEVER put wallpaper up in your house: Before you put the wallpaper up prime the sheet rock so that when you want to strip it off it is easier to do so. OR NEVER put wallpaper up in your house!

The one where I take over my sister's blog

No secret here my sister Colleen is super talented. I have referenced this many MANY times. I am not so much with the sewing talented, but excel with other talents ... come on, you know it is true! Well once upon a time I told Sister that I wanted to be a guest blogger on her sewing site. Paused for her laughter which never came. Last night it happened. I am a guest blogger on her site with a sewing project so easy even I can do it ... with her help.

So if you please, take a stroll on over to The Busy Bean blog and check out the post: Denim Skirt From Pants Tutorial. Excuse the lack of nail polish on my toes or the crazy hunchback pick with my tongue hanging out all over the place. (That is really the only way I can sew ... Michael Jordan style sewing.)

The Prank

I make it a point not to talk about work here. I think it is rather unprofessional to complain about work on a public forum such as this. So let me just be clear, I am not complaining about my work conditions or a coworker here. This is just a story, that happens to take place where I work, after hours.

Mom and I went to see Mary Poppins again Tuesday night. We both happen to work at the same place, so I left my car here and we drove downtown together in her car. After the show ended (cherry seats so good I can tell you that this Mary Poppins has blue eyes!) we drove back to the office for me to get my car. When we pulled into the parking lot the lights of her car hit mine and I had a sudden panic attack. Something was wrong with my car. It looked like someone had keyed it REPEATEDLY. I might have cussed a little. Then we were able to see the car closer and it was not in fact damaged. Someone had wrapped it in shrink wrap. Then I know I cussed. So at 11:00 at night, in a rougher than some neighborhood, I was forced to unwrap my car while my dear Mother watched helplessly. I knew immediately which one of my coworkers had done it. So yesterday morning I told him he was a jerk, with a smile on my face!

This particular coworker loves a good joke. He frankly loves a bad joke. But pranks are his thing. I generally do not approve especially at work. Because it is all fun and games until K burns his eyebrows off or J eats a meal worm and is diagnosed with cancer. Know what that means for me? Paperwork.

That being said, opportunity knocked for a sweet action payback last night on this coworker of mine. He is a hunter. I would in fact call him a mighty hunter. He just shot a deer in the bow hunt. I do not know if they call it a 5x6 or an 11 point buck. But he sure is proud of that thing. So he brought in the antlers to work (I don't get it either) and for some reason left those antlers on the shipping table. Now I did not touch them, or harm them in anyway. That is just gross. But he got a text from me at 5:30 last night "Payback is sweet. Two words for you, son: Deer. Horns." I knew that would be enough to cause fear in his life. I knew it. And I was right!

He told me this morning that he stewed over it last night as to what I could have done to those antlers. He was envisioning me wrapping them in shrink wrap which would have ruined the width of them, or hanging them on the wall (they are not cured enough or something), or decorating them for Christmas, etc. I know I should not feel this good at a simple payback, but words are diabolical sometimes too!

Playlist anxiety and random thoughts

I did something which is causing some little bits of anxiety in my heart right now. In my car I am listening to my Broadway music playlist ... on shuffle. This morning I had a a song from Caroline or Change followed by Sweeny Todd followed by Aspects of Love followed by Secret Garden followed by A Chorus Line followed by The Woman in White followed Bklyn by and rounding off with Les Mis. Good line up, I grant you! However my CDO was kind of screaming at me that the world was going to end because the songs were out of order! Grow from love.

I am trying to teach my niece Mac, who is turning 2 this month, that a birdie says "Ka Ka, Ka Ka, Tukki Tukki." She will say Ka Ka. We'll get it!

Cancer still sucks. Legit! Epic fail, cancer! Epic fail! (that does not mean anything new has happened with Mom's relapse, just a statement)

I had a cable company come an install services at my home ... after they left I cried. I now am a firm believer that cable installation is not something that should make a person cry. The install is shotty and the equipment does not work. I put on my angry face (shout out Foxy! Happy Birthday) and laid into the voice mail of my sales person. It will get fixed or they will lose me as a customer AND I will blog about it all using the name of the company. They are trembling I am sure. The 10s of readers that I have on the internets unite!

The wallpaper stripping is, I would say, 50% done. That makes me smile. I think that it will be done on Saturday. I am already taking preventative ibuprofen so my back won't hurt after an all day Saturday strip day. That might not be the best name for the day. My sisters and I are stripping wallpaper while the bros knock off a lot of cottage cheese from the ceiling in the bed rooms.

If you are thinking about wallpapering your home for any reason ... like you have lost control of all of your senses ... please call me first. I will do an intervention!

Tuesday night when the I was crying from the cable fiasco, Sissy came up to me and said "Oh Stephanie, don't worry." Then she gave me a hug and a kiss. That girl is the oldest 3 year old I know. But, it is amazing the restorative powers that a kiss from a niece can have.

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I am just going to leave that in, apparently my finger hit the 9 key when I looked away to answer a phone call.

I have some great friends. I have been blessed so many times in my life with dear ones that make me laugh and cry at all the right times.

My family pretty much rules. Nuff said.

Deep Thoughts ... by Starbuck

People who have a death wish should ride a motorcycle without a helmet AND smoke at the same time ... especially if they have long unruly hair. Also people who want to be mocked on my blog should ride a motorcycle without a helmet AND smoke at the same time ... especially if they have long unruly hair.

Mary Poppins meets Utah

My girls and I went to see Mary Poppins last night at the Capitol Theater for our season ticket night. I was riveted! There were times I looked over at Sister and said "That just happened!" I will not give spoilers here because it is playing in Utah for 2+ more weeks. RUN!! Do not walk to get tickets. RUN to get them if you can. Or just click HERE. I am not kidding you! This show was brilliant. I had only two complaints ... and one was under 4 feet so I do not know if I can ethically slam his performance and really no one else would mind the shotty spot job like I did! :) The following things made my jaw drop: the sets, the lights, the props, the choreography, the flying, Mary Poppins and Bert, the sets, the lights, the props, the choreography, the flying, and the flying. I love that I already had tickets to see it again (I sometimes do that when a good show is coming to Utah because I do not get to New York, Chicago, LA or Seattle as often as I would like to to see good theater.)

I was like a kid again watching the movie for the first time. I wanted to feed the birds. I wanted to Step In Time. I wanted to learn to spell Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious again. I wanted to run on stage and play with the carpet bag. I wanted to go up to the booth and teach whoever was spotting Mrs. Banks how to not cut off her head. I wanted to sing along. I wanted to get up and dance on every single bit of that stage. And I mean EVERY bit of that stage! My jaw dropped at one specific part with Bert's dancing. Jaw dropped. It was practically perfect ... in every way. 

So what am I saying? Loved it. Go. See it if you can. I do not think you will be disappointed!! 

My New Friend ... Shawn

I have a new friend. I take her with me wherever I go, though I did have an impulse to pluck her from my life. She is bold, she is short, she is not afraid to be the center of attention. She is currently the bane of my existence. She is my new friend. I call her Shawn. She is a short, WHITE hair right up front and center on my head. She is my first white hair. I have had some grey hair (which were all shaved off when we shaved our heads a few years ago and I have not seen since), but Shawn is white. Brilliant white. Short and white. I am not afraid of grey hair, I am old enough to have earned a few ... but white? C'mon really? I am only 35. White?! I guess I cannot really complain, I have a friend who shall remain nameless here (like he reads my blog anyway) who is 18 months younger than I am who is rather dapper with his uber salt and pepper hair. But Shawn is here to stay. I welcome her with open arms ... that have clenched fists at the end.

Workout Dude

Every morning when driving to work I pass this park and ride lot. And every morning there was this guy who parked his black Toyota FJ Cruiser in the south west corner, at an angle, and worked out behind the car, partially hidden from view. There was a weight bench fully stocked and Workout Dude was actually in the park and ride working out. Now I would pose the same questions every day to myself as I passed Workout Dude: Why does he workout in a parking lot? Why does he carry his weight bench in a Toyota? Does he live in his car with a weight bench and that is why he does not leave his Workout Dude equipment at home? I wonder how Wretchel is doing? I wonder if Workout Dude is training for something. What is this guy's story? I bet Workout Dude is lonely.

All of those questions make sense especially if you know Wretchel because she has that car but in blue.

Well last week Workout Dude was not at the park and ride. He was not working out. I did not think of Wretchel all week. I miss Workout Dude. It put a smile on my face every day to see this random guy in a parking lot working out with a weight bench that he obviously keeps in his car at all times. If I had a weight bench I might keep it in my house, but Workout Dude may be on to something... he can workout whenever he needs to or has the time or passes a park and ride. You are a smart and elusive man, Workout Dude. You intrigue me. Please come back! I miss you ... and Wretchel.