Thursday's Thoughts ...

Well, geesh. I seem to have missed a few Ten Thoughts Tuesdays. So, here's my Thursday Thoughts. I'm not going to number them ... we'll just see how far I get. LOL!

Today's my mother's birthday. I was supposed to go over to their condo for dinner. Mom called me after class today and told me don't come over, she's not feeling well. Besides, my dad's sister is coming from out of town just for the night. She didn't really want to bother with the visit, but has no choice in the matter. She pretty much told me to "save yourself! Run, run run!!" She likes Dad's sister, but just doesn't want the burden of hosting an overnight guest, especially since she's not feeling well.

Homework!! I'm up to my eyeballs in homework. The semester is 2/3 of the way over ... only five more weeks to go. Three tests this next week to study for, including one take home test, two projects due this week and work is progressing on the final presentations for classes. It seems the only thing I'm doing these days is homework.

We had a really neat project in Stress Management today. Coach is doing a seminar presentation for other Stress Management teachers. She hates using power points so she came up with a neat presentation ... using students hands. We had to write in one or two words what we wanted our futures to hold (something stress management related). I'd journaled about how the kids cause me stress ... so my hands said "empty nest". She loved it! There were a lot of good words, including "peace" (done in a peace sign), "love life", "be independent" "mind, matter" (done as mind over matter - very creative) ... and the list went on. Two students even put their heads together, or should I say hands and wrote "don't worry, be happy". Coach was showing a few of us the photos after class, including a test shot of her own hands she'd done in her office before class. She was going to delete it when I said "no, no ... that's the blank canvas in which our futures will be written". She'll show us her presentation (practice on us before the big day) and will even make copies of our hand photos for each of us. Should be fun!!

Last time I went to my doctor's office he told me that I need to change insurance if I want to continue to be his patient. He's dropping my insurance carrier. Well, I don't want to change insurance, so I've been researching new doctors. Easier to change docs than insurance, you know? Today I got a letter from my insurance company saying they've assigned me to a new primary care provider. What's funny is that this new doc happened to be one of the three that really caught my attention. I'm geeked. I have a new doctor ... and from what I've heard from a few of his patients, one hell of a good doc, too. Hopefully I'll like him as much as those that have recommended him do.

Spare time right now is spent working on Elsie's Attic. That's going very well, especially considering how much time I'm not devoting to it right now (not near as much time as I would like). Single Son and I are working on the website ... but don't expect to hear announcements about it's grand opening for a while. Probably summer at the rate we're going. Seems that for every two steps we progress forward we're kicked back a step. That's okay ... it'll be worth the aggravation in the end.

Not a lot else going on around here. Then again, I don't have a lot of time for much else at this point.

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods!! I think about you guys often!!

Another Scam Alert!

Cell phone just rang. I didn't recognize the phone number or the area code for that matter. So I ignored the call.

Glad I did.

I googled the phone number ...

818 870-5081

Here's a list of the google listings I found for this phone number ...
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=73l&q=818-870-5081&btnG=Search

None of them good. Seems this phone number is a scam of some sort. Not sure what their scam is. But it ain't gonna be me that's one of their victims!

LESSON LEARNED ... When in doubt IGNORE the call!! Google it after to see what you can find! If it's a legit caller you can always return the call later.

3 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

Description:
I got this from a group I'm on and thought it sounded good. Of course, I had to try it out!! It really works and is delicious. You can eat it straight out of the mug (try it with a scoop of ice cream!) or remove it from the cup (carefully) and slather on your favorite cake icing!!

Ingredients:
1 Large Coffee Mug
4 tablespoons flour (that's plain flour, not self-rising)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional) mini chips would be the best
Small splash of vanilla

Directions:
Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.
Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla, and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!

Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

EAT! (This can serve 2 if you want to share!)

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Friday The Thirteenth ...

So, anyone notice today's date? LOL!

Normally I don't hold much superstition for Friday the 13th. (Notice I say normally?) I don't believe that 13 is an unlucky number any more than any other number. In fact, ask anyone from Sicily and they'll tell you Friday the 13th is a lucky day!!

Then there's today. A comedy of errors. Nothing major. I think my Guardian Angel woke up on the wrong side of his cloud this morning, that's all.

Just one little thing after the other. Nothing major. Really. Little things like dropping pretty much anything I've held on to (including the cup of soda I had just purchased), forgot the packaging tape I had just bought (quick sales clerk chased me down to give it to me), car stalling (not typical of that car), forgetting to get my prescription (and having to go back out for it later) and Grandson really getting on my nerves today (I've been pretty good at ignoring him today). To name but a few things I've done today.

Okay, so that last one isn't really a little thing. I hate ignoring Grandson. But I was trying to do some online research and his constant busting into my room with "Gramma, look at this." just really grated on the ol' nerves. And since I was the only adult here to pay him much attention, you know he was hanging out with me. Ya, DIL went to a bridal shower today (ever been to a goth wedding shower? Neither have I), Married Son has a new video game and is off in his own world.

Kids ... they never grow up!!

So what was I researching you ask? Hehe ... Well, let me tell you. I'm so fed up with trying to get my website up and running that I gave up!! I deleted the bugger today. I'll have Single Son do up a web page for me. Until then, I'm looking into eBay auctions. Something I've toyed with doing for a while now. Yup ... eBay. Been checking out all their tutorial stuff so I can get the site up and running by April 1st. You know me ... gotta research before I do anything! LOL!

Until then, it's strictly catalog sales. Those are going pretty good, too. Got more than a few sales from classmates, friends, family, and even a teacher put in an order. LOL.

Of course, it helps to get word out about Elsie's Attic when I make it the topic of all of my presentations these days. I'm taking mostly business classes, teachers *love* when a student does a presentation on a business they own. Seems small business owners put their all into their presentations (more-so than a student doing ... say ... Google or McDonald's as their research topic). I'd have to agree after seeing how students react during the question and answer period following a personal presentation. Lots of interesting questions, that's for sure. Even a dozen or so requests for "you got a spare catalog I can have?".

Maybe I research too much? With all the problems I've encountered the last few months trying to get Elsie's Attic going I'm beginning to wonder if I think way too much? Yeah, I wanna reduce the risk involved with being a small business owner (especially in an economy that sucks with a capital S) by not going into anything blindly. But is there such a thing as too much? Too much research? Too much thinking?

Inquiring minds want to know!!

... and before I leave, yet another shameless plug. Anyone wanting a catalog, please let me know in a private message and I will mail out a catalog to you.

Birthday reminder

This week we celebrate a special birthday!  Monica Lewinsky turned 34.

Can you believe it?  It seems like only yesterday she was crawling around the Oval Office on her hands and knees, and putting everything in her mouth.
 
They grow up so fast, don't they?

Ten Thoughts Tuesday ...

Wow, been a while since I've done a ten thoughts entry.

1) Getting test grades back. Did okay on my government test. Got a 76%. Well, not that great, but when you consider the class average was 72% (only one student graded above my 76), then it's good. Just handed in my accounting test yesterday (the take home test). Won't know until next week how I did on that one. The remaining two tests I will get my grades on later this week.

2) Getting very frustrated with the Elsie's Attic web page I'm trying to set up. Getting to the point I may hit "DELETE" and start all over again. I don't know what's going wrong, neither does Single Son who has been my consultant through all of this. He's now offering to design and host my site for me. I'm really tempted, too. But that'd put my website offline for about another month. Oh wait ... it's not online now thanks to technical issues.

3) WTH is it with Married Son and trees? Last week his truck seized up, so he had to buy a new one. Three days with the *new* truck and he ran into a tree delivering papers in the middle of the night. Oh, I should probably mention that the last three vehicles he's owned have had minor run-ins with trees. I've since labeled him *The Splinter Kid*.

4) Speaking of my sons ... we're now back to everyone has their own vehicles back!! Single Son's van is finally back on the road and Married Son didn't damage the truck too bad that he can't drive it. Even DIL has the use of a van that Exie Poo has loaned to her. New rule, though, is that I park in the driveway. They all get the gravel parking in the front yard. I'm the only one with a car ... their big assed vehicles are better able to park on the uneven gravel. So far, so good. They've all been adhering to the "Mom's Driveway" rule.

5) Now a thought on ex husbands. Ran into Bubba up at the Chinese restaurant last week at the Star Trek meeting. He tells me he needs to talk to me alone. So outside to the parking lot we go to talk. What a waste of my time. Although, it was a reminder (if I ever need one) on one of the reasons I divorced him. He's an idiot. Actually tried to get me to apologize for divorcing him and fighting for custody of Alien. He's still ignorant as hell, too.

6) As much as I love this house ... and have decided to stay in Michigan and fight out the economic depression here, I'm seriously thinking of moving to another part of the state when I can afford it. With both ex husbands living in town, I can't go anywhere without running into one of them (or their families). I need to go somewhere that is ex free! Maybe living down the road from my folks will be the solution (or in their basement apartment). That way I'll be closer to them to help them out.

7) Folks ... now there's a subject that has me rolling my eyes lately. I blogged about the "community project" where I had to teach them certain relaxation techniques. What I didn't blog about was Mom asking me to trim her toe nails. Just nasty!! Damn things were freaking talons!! Next time I take the chain saw. Hope no one was eating while reading this.

8) Oh oh oh! Yesterday was one of those "Feel Good" days. I was sitting outside at school having a smoke. Young girl walks up, asks if she can buy a ciggie for a buck. I gave it to her. We got to talking. She was complaining that her white purse was showing signs of wear and asked me if it was obvious. It was. I told her, it looks a little dingy, but nothing that I don't think you can't clean. She commented on "I need a black purse like yours". I told her that with my busy schedule and a three year old grandson it's the only color I own. The double take she did was precious. "Grandson. No way. You're too young". I asked her how old she thought I was ... 39 she said. Told her ten years older and that she's my favorite person on campus!! I sorta thought that since she got the ciggies for free she was being nice. LOL! But I tell ya, I had a smile on my face for a long time after that.

9) Telling Mom about the above, Mom comments with ... You gave her Leader Dog a treat, I hope.

10) Guess I wrap it up here. Got a power point presentation to polish up for tomorrow's marketing class. We get to do a presentation on "my favorite thing" (product, business, service). I've chosen Elsie's Attic.

This 'n That ...

Spring break is almost over. Drats!! And I'm still not done with my accounting exam. Not for lack of working on it ... it's eight pages of questions! I'm almost done ... just a few more before I can transfer my answers over to a scantron. Yay!! I love those multiple choice questions, even if the answers took a lot of figuring out. LOL.

Let's see ... so what did I do for my spring break? Besides homework.

Been keeping up with ya'll through email updates. Looks like I'm not the only one that's slowed down on blogging recently. LOL! Nice to know we all have lifes outside of the computer room.

Lots of stuff for Elsie's Attic going on this week. I'm in the process of trying to get my webpage up and running. Loads of problems with that. Hoping the resident computer geek (Single Son) can figure it all out. The sooner the better!!

Oh, I decided to carry only $20 and under items on the webpage for the time being. I will have catalogs available to those who want them that have literally hundreds of items ranging from a few dollars to $300 or so.

Had our monthly Star Trek meeting up at a local restaurant on Thursday. It was brought up that on June 1st we'll all need passports (book or card) to travel to Canada. Oops!! I need to get mine and quick. One of the Star Trek groups I belong to is a Canadian group ... and we have lots planned this summer. Won't do me any good if I can't get to Canada to participate, ya know?

Let's see ... yesterday I had a doctor's appointment. No biggie. Just a fasting blood test. I hate those things (only because by the time it's done I'm starved). Jumped on the scale, too. Lost 8 pounds since my last doc's visit last month!! Sad thing is I wasn't really trying to lose weight!! Well, at least not that much. Could you imagine how much I'd have lost if I'd been actually trying?

After my appointment I went to my folks house. I was supposed to teach them some relaxation techniques I learned in Stress Management class as part of an assignment ... like breathing techniques and visualization. Can't teach breathing techniques to my mom ... "I've been breathing for 79 years. Now you tell me I'm doing it wrong?" Geesh!! Same with a visualization technique. Mom visualized the "hunks" from her favorite home renovation show working around the house (need I say in the nude). Daddy visualized pushing Mom into the lake. We went to Daddy's favorite restaurant afterwards. Breaded scallops, a baked potato and chicken noodle soup ... talk about carbs! LOL! But ... after having starved all morning long I deserved it!

Woo hoo!!! It's pouring out! I love the sound of rain hitting the roof. Thunder and lightning off in the distance. Yippee!! Spring may finally be on the way!!!

But ... thunder and lightening means I better get off the computer and shut it down.