PaulasWorld

On Vacation.

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I’m a bit slow to update my blog in general, but I’m even more slow now because I’m on vacation!  I’m in St. George Utah, a gorgeous, hidden gem of a place.  It’s still in Utah, so it is hard to get a cocktail around here, but its just so incredible here nature wise.  Take a look at the red rock views below…  and the weather is great – hot and dry. 

I’m working on my bikini-clad beach body tan, and 4 days into it, I still DO NOT have tan lines.  I’ve been careful not to burn myself by using SPF 8, but lordy, I would think my skin would be a bit more bronze given the amount of time of been out in the sun (about 8-10 hours).  Tomorrow, Friday is my last day to get some sun, so I may go without any sunscreen ….  we shall see.  Wish me luck – I’d like to go home witih dark skin and some deep tan lines.

Lastly, this place brings back a lot of memories, good and not so good.  I will share a few of these stories with you at a later date – when I have time and am ready to reminisce about a few of the hardest years of my life.

Found the Mouse.

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This is an update to a previous post, Mouse in Hiding. 

The mice were found by a GE repairman, named Willy, when he came to replace the washing machine control board. 

After I escorted Willy to the laundry room, I went to the dining room to get back to work.   I could hear his electric screwdriver taking out screws to the top and front panels.  I heard a few moving around noises,  then an “Ugghhh”, then a “Ms.”….. ” “Ms…?”  I went into the laundry room, and here is what I found:

It became instantly clear why a) the laundry room smelled so bad, b)  I couldn’t find the mouse, and c) the washing machine broke.  The mice had short circuited the master control panel of the washing machine.  They literally, had fried, were electricuted by the washer.  😦

I was mortified.  The only thing I could think to do is take a picture (the one you see here), take a video (which I cannot get working), and avoid eye contact with Willy.  I asked him if he had ever seen anything like this.  His response:   “No.  Never.”.    He took off the control board and replaced it with a new one. However,  the new one he brought with him was defective so he needed to put the original one back in.  He then asked me to do something I never thought I would ever have to do – He asked me to clean up the original control board. 

I had to scrape the mice off the control board, pick off all the fried hair and skin, then brush the board with a toothbush, gently, so I did not destroy the pieces and gadgets on the control board.  It was SO GROSS and it smelled really bad.  Really bad.  Really really bad.  It took me about 20 minutes to clean the control panel.  I worked in silence, both of us not knowing what to say to one another.   Willy finally said it was clean enough to put it back into the washer.  He took it from me,  re-installed the control panel, put the top and front panels back on, then gave me a bit of advice on how to work with GE to get the part (on backorder) and installed BEFORE the warranty expired.

This story goes on and on, dealing with GE’s customer service folks is a story all in of itself.   I will write about this later. There seem to be a lot of very bad Customer Service Reps out there.. but there are a few good ones.    I have stories of both.

A New Beginning.

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I have some great news to share with you.  I am almost the proud owner of a newly rennovated old (1905 to be exact) home.  Honestly, after my divorce I did not think I would be able to afford a home in the Bay Area in the neighborhoods that I wanted to live in.

With the housing crash and a bit of good luck, its going to happen for me.  I’ve known for about 4 weeks now, but I’ve not wanted to jinx myself – so I’ve not shared the news with many folks.

I currently live in a transitional neighborhood – not many folks are like me, in both ethnicity or family size.  I live in a largely spanish and very family oriented neighborhood.  I see a lot of families out, talking walks with their kids, their pets, heading/returning to/from work..  Its a great blue collar neighborhood.   I’m not like them, but the neighborhood is safe, close to the freeways, close to all my friends, and the cats love it. 

Here is how it happened:  A few months back I asked my landlord if I could purchase the house I live in – its a beautiful, rennovated craftsman style home.  It has a lot of its original character… I just love it.  But alas, the owner said no. Given the market conditions, I started looking around… homes were starting to come around in my price range but not in the neighborhoods I wanted to live….

BUT, then the luck happened to me.  My landlord has another house TWO doors down that he is interested in selling.  It’s in terrible condition… but has good bones.  We walked thru it with him, and I could see it – I could see the perfect house… the perfect house for me.  I was sold.  We negotiated a price (which includes rennovations), and woaalaa, the process has started.

So today, it became very real.  I went to Home Depot with the project manager/contractor and designed and PURCHASED my Kitchen.  My new Kitchen will arrive in approximately 4 weeks and will be installed shortly thereafter.   Spending a lot of money sure makes it all become reality.

There is so much I’m getting with this, which is why it feels so surreal….   The plan is for me to move into the new home sometime in October.  That a little less than 2 months away!!  Here are the items that I get really excited about:

  • Working with the team to design the house…  moving walls, designing kitchens and bathrooms, picking materials, its so much fun.  The house is going to be me…..
  • The house has soooo much character.  I do love the older homes and the quality/character that was put into them.  This home was built in 1905… the main rooms have coved ceilings, and the entire house has 9 foot ceilings..
  • A patio/deck off of the kitchen.   I’ve wanted this since 201 Chester (10 years ago).   I have designed the new kitchen with a six foot slider that leads onto a large deck… just dreamy!
  • Three bedrooms AND two bathrooms, one of them a master bathroom.  My own bathroom… sooooo nice!
  • A laundry room with a counter and shelves… places to store laundry room stuff and a counter to fold my dried goods….. so luxurious!

So, when I get a chance I will post pictures. The house looks like nothing now, a shell of its to-be fabulous self.   I will post the pictures as I take them and we can watch the transformation together.

Friends, Coons, and Cats.

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Hello friends.

Last week was just absolutely crazy.  There was something going on every single day/evening..  I usually keep to myself, would be considered a shut-in if I didn’t have to go to work everyday….

My dearest friend from Paris was in town with her boyfriend and his daughters.  I had so much fun with them, but boy my friend runs a tight ship.  She had the family doing something every day – it reminded me of my family trips way back when…   a story for another time.    They family left on Wednesday, heading for Southern California (where you can actually get in the water without a wetsuit) and good ol’ Las Vegas (you have to see it at least once!).

In addition, Zoey cut her foot really badly and had to go to the hopital on Monday.  I woke up on Monday with blood all over the bed, and it wasn’t from me. Zoey was curled up next to my head, which is unusual…  when I got out of bed I saw all the blood.  I checked her out, and sure enough, she had a deep gash/cut on the back of her bony little foot.  She was so sad, the vet said it was very painful and they had to put her down, give her some anesthesia to fix her up.  She was a bit out of it last week, but she is back to her funny furry self now.

We also had a ‘coon problem ’round these parts.   A mother and baby pair of raccoons settled themselves into my attic – which would be fine with me if they weren’t so mean and hated cats so much.  The bad news is the mom raccoon was trapped and euthenized, the good news is the baby raccoon is being domesticated by a friend of the trapper.  I’ve just received an update, the baby is being hand fed and is eating everything that he/she is given.  Next step is to ‘get cuddly’ with the raccoon…   I can’t wait to get another progress report.

Hooping Queen.

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I had dinner with girlfriends this evening.  Some of my favorite girls nights are with the A-Team (mother and daughter pair).  Love these people.

Anyway, A1 is one of my best friends,  A2, her daughter,  who just turned 6, is so much fun.  I did not have the opportunity to go to her birthday party (darth vader theme, is she cool or what?!?), but I did have the opportunity to give her an unwrapped gift – a hoola hoop.  I had recently given one of these gems to another little friend of mine, it was so much fun, I had to get another one. I’m glad I did.

A2 is apparently a hoola hoop queen. Her mother did not know, but we both learned today, with much delight, that the kids are hooping.   I have to tell you, there is so much joy in watching a little kid hoola hoop their little heart out.  This got me thinking about Hoola Hooping…..  and here is what I found on the www:

  • Hoola is actually spelled Hula.  I have been alive for 39 years, known about the hula hoop for 30+ years, and never thought it was spelled any other way than hoola.  Crazy.  For history on the Hula Hoop, check out wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hula_hoop.
  • There is an entire subculture of people dedicated to hooping. You can join one of the many communities here: http://www.hooping.org/ .  Join and find hooping friends in your area …
  • Forget Hooters girls, how ’bout a Hoola Girl??  Check this out:

I am going this weekend to get myself a hula hoop and start hooping! Great exersize that puts a smile on your face AND gives you a great body?!?    Sign me up!!!!

I Scream for Ice Cream.

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Yum yum… nothing is better in the summer time than a cup o’ ice cream.  I dont usually keep it in the house because, of course, I’ll eat it.  This is contradictory to my weight loss goals, so thus, no ice cream in the house.

However,  I did buy some ice cream, just had a scoop (small one!) .. and it was delicious.   Ice cream is so good, one of life’s simple pleasures.  I’d love to have an ice cream maker and make it myself. I hear its easy and SO MUCH FUN.

My childhood favorite was Mint ‘n Chip from Baskin Robbins.  My “new” favorite is Jamoca Almond Fudge, new being 10 years now….  If I have to buy it in the store, I prefer vanilla or cookies ‘n cream…  

Ok, I have to go to bed, I’m exhausted. Work has been too much for me lately…. I need a vacation…. or maybe a bit more ice cream.  😉

So Far So Good with Weight Loss.

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Hello all.

I know its been forever, there are so many things going on that I’m not writing about!  I will do better this month.

Good news – I’m officially down 7 pounds.  My middle has widdled(not all the way), my legs look stronger, and more importantly, I am almost ready for my beach body unveiling (which begins August 23rd).    I’d love to lose another 5 pounds before I reveal my body to the world, but for now, I’m satisfied. Ideally I’ll lose another 15, and be at my high school-college weight. 

Its interesting, because I know 7 pounds is not that big of a deal, but I am happy when I get on the scale and I see that its adjusting downward… and I feel much more confident.  Now, I just need to stand up taller and straigher… 

The beach body vacation is scheduled for the week of August 23rd. My mom and I have rented a condo, and we are going to sit by the pool, cook dinners, go shopping, get pedicures, etc..  Just relax and do nothing.  Its been a long time since either of us have done nothing, so this will be very theraputic for us. 

For those of you who have wished me luck on my NYR, thank you.   I hope you are all gaining on your goals and are feeling good about your progress.

Mouse in Hiding.

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So last Monday was a tough one.  I had an 8am call, a 9am in the office meeting, and a 7am step-over-the-gift from the cats morning…  I thought almost stepping on a cleaned-up dead mouse was bad.. but that isn’t even close to what I’m experiencing now.

The mouse I mention in my last blog?  No, not the one the cats brought to me as a gift, the other one they brought around, alive, and chased around the house.  I never received the gift….  but after a few days, I know where it is.  It is dead, under the washer or dryer, rotting.  It’s been hot at home lately (I live in No. CA), so the smell has been horrific.  I do not have the strength to move the washer or dryer by myself (believe me I have tried).  The cats dont seem to notice… its killing me.

I’m going to have a friend over tomorrow to help me move the washer and dryer, find that dead, rotting mouse body, and toss it out.  I’ll be so relieved when “it” is gone.

Not Just Your Regular Monday.

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Today was a tough Monday.  I have a lot to do at work, and 2 fewer days to get it done in – I’m taking vacation this week to visit family in Utah.   Knowing I had a lot to do, I went to bed early on Sunday evening.  And I never would have expected the Monday that I had.

First,  the cats were up very early this morning.  They were running around, chasing something.  I wanted to sleep so I put my eye pillow on and ear plugs in my ears….  and when I woke up at 7am, this is what I almost killed myeslf to NOT smash into the carpet.  Yes, you see correctly, a dead mouse. Apparently its been licked clean and was delivered at the foot of my bed with pride. 

It’s obvious it was  a great gift if soley based on the efforts of the two furry creatures that brought such a treasure to me.  The cats were exhausted from all their efforts.. here they are, sleeping. They did not stir once while I was getting ready for work.  Not at all.  They usually get up, get a bite to eat, then like to say good-bye to me.  Nope, not this morning.  It was as if they were saying “take your present, now keep it down”.

I went off to work without so much as a kiss, a lick, a look.  😦   Work was work, I’m learing a lot.  Its starting too feel not so overwhelming.  But like I’ve stated numerous times, there is a lot of work.  I end up working a bit late and eating a bag of chips for dinner.  I got home, fed the cats, got into my jammies, and started working again.

Spider In the HallwayIts been about 30 minutes, and the cats have just come into the house with another ‘prize’.  Alive.  They are/were chasing it around the house…  the poor thing has hidden itself somewhere safely and they are stalking it…. waiting for it to feel safe enough to come out, then WHAM!  In addition to this nonsense, the spiders are coming out (Spring/Summer in CA). To your left is what I found in the hallway, on my way to bed.  Yes, that is a QUARTER under the spider.  The thing is enormous.  I do not believe in killing anything, so the damn thing is still in the hall.  I’ve closed the bedroom door…. fingers crossed that it stays where it is now and doesn’t travel any closer to me…

So with a day like today, I’m going to hit the sack, and wish for a better, less active, furry day.  I need to get a good nights sleep – I have a LOT of work to do/finish up tomorrow!!

The Cat Cave.

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So, I’ve been far too busy with work AND most recently with alergies/sinuses.  All very unpleasant to talk about, so I’ve spent the last few weeks alone (because I’m not that intersting company these days).

Given this, I’ve enjoyed my “cave”. My cave is my entire home (since I don’t have to share).   We all know about this, the cave, the spot, the one place we can call our own, that we can be ourselves in.  Prior to my divorce, it was the guest room (otherwise known as the “red couch room”).  Now I have the whole house to myself.  🙂

The cats have also had the run of the house, but even though they are allowed in every room, I think they also want a place place they call home.  Its under a rose bush in the backyard.  They love hanging out there – it gives them privacy but also views of the “goings on” in the neighborhood.  

I noticed the cats love for this spot, as did a friend of mine.  Before his departure, he made sure that the cats would have room to rest in their “cat cave”…   I didn’t realize how nice it is FOR ME for the cats to have this space.. a place to call their own, a place I find them on a daily basis.  Attached is a picture of Zoey enjoying the shade of the roses on a warm summer day.

Work has been especially tough lately, and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of how lucky I am that a) there is a safe spot for the cats to call their own, and b) that I have friend that made it all happen without me asking.  What a treasure.