this was fun

I was checking out my friend Carrie's blog - she had a cool little thing called "What Kind of Donut Are You." So I had to take the quiz and find out. This was the answer, which was the same as Carrie's, interestingly enough! ;-o

You Are a Caramel Crunch Donut

You're a complex creature, and you're guilty of complicating things for fun. You've been known to sit around pondering the meaning of life... Or at times, pondering the meaning of your doughnut. To frost or not to frost? To fill or not to fill? These are your eternal questions.

What Donut Are You?

here are hints 3 & 4

hint #2

Life will be really different for a couple of years, then back to more "normal."

for the impatient folks in my life...

I guess I can post an occasional hint.

Today's hint:
The accounting/finance field just doesn't seem to fit me anymore.
Yes, I know I stated that in my last post, but it is important in the scheme of things. ;-)

poor neglected blog

Poor thing. I've been totally ignoring this little guy. There has just been SO much going on in my life.

Of course, the kitties. Gotta love 'em. But gotta spend time with 'em too. They're sweet, fun, adorable, and they just LOVE attention!!

I started dieting (AGAIN) a few weeks ago. The first two weeks were calorie counting. Then last week I started back on the South Beach diet, which has worked for me in the past. But it takes a lot more prep time for eating.

I just had some girls over a week and a half ago. They were here for scrapbooking! We met for dinner Friday night, came here, and scrapped until everyone either hit the road or hit their bed. Saturday again - we scrapped until the wee hours. I had a blast!! And I love seeing my scrappin' buddies!!!

Last week I made a change in my work life - I dropped to 30-32 hours a week. Why?! Well, first and foremost, I need to take control of my life. And that means time for me to get healthy in mind and body. I also really really detest what I do - it was good right out of college, but bit by bit over the years I have liked it less and less. Accounting/finance just doesn't work with me and my personality. So fewer hours doing that boring stuff makes Marcia a happier person.

Today I finally made it to an athletic club to start working out again. This has been on my to-do list for a while now. I like the club, and it wasn't very busy even tho I was there at prime time. They have a bunch of very neat classes - I think they'll provide incentive for me to continue to go. Also cool - a friend/co-worker goes to the same club, so she and I can try to work out together sometimes.

Next weekend is CKU Albums in Chicago. WOOHOO!!! This is the big scrapbook school that is WAY awesome! And I'll get to see some friends from my last CKU in Provo again - I can't wait!!! But I've had stuff to do to prepare, and so that's taken a bit of time.

In mid-April there's an annual scrapbook convention here in Milwaukee that is pretty awesome. So Friday night we girls will go out, and then Saturday I'll be taking classes and checking out the vendors.

Our upcoming cruise in May - very sadly neglected. Normally, by now, I would have every excursion planned and all private guides hired. Not this time. I have done very little on this one.

There are other major changes upcoming in Marcia's life. ;D Guess you'll just have to stay tuned to find out what!!!!

a random question challenge

Sometimes these twopeas challenges look like so much fun!! This one I'm answering quick, very little thinking involved, so the answers are definitely different than they would be if I carefully considered the various possibilities. ;-)

1. I almost peed myself when I won a trip to Europe.
2. Country music = comfort. My folks listened to country, so it reminds me of my youth.
3. The smell of leather reminds me of a new car.
4. When I was little my mom told me to get down from the door frame from which I was hanging.
5. The last time I screamed was because that's what you do on a rollercoaster!
6. The one person I aspire to be most like is my dad.
7. I love my kitties every day.
8. I scrapbook because I enjoy the artistic creativity.
9. People drive me crazy when they drive the speed limit or slower.
10. A special gift I remember receiving, that meant the world to me, was my organ. Whoa - I got it (a big organ, not just a little toy thing) when I was about 6 years old. And I played it SO MUCH.

turning 39

well... actually, that's kind of a nisnomer. If ya think about it, I've been in my 39th year here on this earth since 3/2/2005. Today is actually the beginning of my 40th year. Does it make a difference? Not really.

Today is just another day. Each day adds 24 hours to my lifespan here. Each day brings another 1440 minutes with which to do something, whether it be work, sleep, eat, be with family/friends, party, watch tv, play with the kitties, scrapbook, motorcycle... whatever. In the end, each day provides me with an additional 86,400 seconds to enjoy or not. The choice of how we spend that precious time is up to us (in most cases).

If you can't tell, I'm not one for making a big deal out of birthdays. Altho, as a coworker and friend mentioned today, a birthday in actuality may be a great day to call your mother to thank HER, since she's the one who carried you for over 9 months and then bore you. Yikes!

So anyway, even if birthdays aren't a big deal, I'll say it anyway:
Happy birthday to me!

And a thought for the day: are you making the best choices when it comes to how you spend your very precious time living here on earth?

argh - got tagged again! ;-)

Emily, my dear good friend tagged me with another blog challenge. So here goes:

WHAT SCRAPBOOK LINES/PRODUCTS/ETC DO YOU DISLIKE?
Most stickers - I seldom use stickers besides alphas.
I'm also not a big fan of traditional rubber stamps - I can never get the image right where I want it.

WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING YOU HAVE EVER HAD TO SCRAP?
I still need to do the toughest one - when my dad died. I have scrapped some pages about him, but not "the one."

WHAT TECHNIQUE DO YOU USE MORE THAN ANYTHING?
Is scraplifting considered a technique?? I really can't pick out any one technique that I use most!

WHAT'S THE SMALLEST SCRAP OF PAPER YOU SAVE?
Yikes - probably 1 x 12 or 3 x 3, but only if I have more than one piece.

EVER HAD ANY SCRAPBOOKING-RELATED INJURIES?
Paper cut?

FINISH THIS SENTENCE, "IF I WASN'T A SCRAPBOOKER, I WOULD SPEND MY MONEY ON:
I don't "take from Peter to pay Paul" - meaning that I don't use money on scrapping that I would use on something else. If I want something else, I buy it. :-) The question as I see it is what would I do with my time if I didn't scrap? Well... I actually don't spend a lot of time scrapping, and have no clue what I would be doing instead. So I guess I just can't answer this question.


GIVE US YOUR BEST STORAGE OR ORGANIZATIONAL IDEA:
Vertical paper storage - got the idea from someone on twopeas - take several (many!) stackable paper trays, tape them together, put them on a shelf so that the open side is in front, up and down. woohoo! Ain't it purty?!

YOU JUST WON A WEEK LONG SCRAPBOOKING CRUISE FOR 5. WHO'S GOING WITH YOU?
I'm making the assumption that all the cool celebs are already going, so I get to take my scrappin' buds:
Amy - she's scrapped with me the most - puts up with me! And we get along great; we room together and don't have any problems (as far as I know!).
Bobi - she's been my scrappin' bud the longest. It's too bad we don't live closer to one another, we only see each other a couple times a year. Miss ya, Bobi!
Emily - we have so much in common and get along SO great! I think the planets, suns, etc. were all aligned just right the day we joined forces in our Provo 2005 Scrappin' Biker Babe dorm. Sometimes things are just meant to be.
Gini - my sister. She keeps saying she wants to scrap. She has some supplies. But she hasn't started. She needs time away from her 4 kids (ok, 3 kids and DH) to get going.
And if the 5 doesn't include me, my fifth guest would probably be Annie. My brother's gf. Nice fun gal. She dishes it out as well as she takes it. And if she can put up with him, she can easily put up with me for a week! In fact - she has. The two of them took a week long cruise with DH and I in 2004, and we're going together for another 15 days this May.

Okay...now this is where I'm not going to follow directions. Per instructions, I'm supposed to tag 4 more ladies. But I don't know lots of folks who blog, so I'll just say that anyone who scraps (or stamps or any other hobby that this can be modified for) should feel free to try out this challenge!

another blog challenge

Another challenge from twopeas: list some fun facts about myself. This is a kewl challenge!!

1) I'm 38 yrs old, an aunt to 16 kids and a great-aunt to 19 kids. 4 of my nieces and nephews are older than me. (yes, I'm an oops.)
2) I do something "new" each year. Some things I've done:
skydiving
hot air ballooning
ridden highest ride in the U.S.
cave tubing
polar bear club (jumped in Lake Michigan on New Years Day)
parasailing
glider ride
held a sting ray
snorkeling
ziplining
3) I love to travel. I have a HUGE list of places I want to go!
4) DH and I opted not to have children. We enjoy our life and lifestyle as it is.
5) I love kitties/cats!!!
6) I'm a creative soul stuck in an analytical job/world.
7) I was a social work major until the middle of my junior year of college. I switched to accounting and still graduated on time.
8) I really want to move away from Wisconsin - way too cold for me!
9) My fave Halloween costume was Boy George - that was a long time ago!
10) I played trombone through middle school, high school and college. I'm short (aka vertically challenged), and had to turn slightly sideways to extend my slide to its furthest position. The most memorable performance - in college, 10 trombone players all standing on stage - me in the middle of 9 men, mostly tall and big.
11) I was a bit of a loner in grade school - high school; very unpopular because one of the popular girls decided she didn't like me. When I went to college where no one knew me, I was popular, a partier, a joker.
12) If I could get a good paying job third shift, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I am SUCH a night owl!!!
13) I used to dislike beer. Now I love it, especially dark beer - the kind you can chew. I had some dark beer in Prague, and mmmmm, it was good! And I became hooked.
14) My trip to Europe with Dad, Mom, one brother and one sister, along with a big tour group, was my most memorable vacation-to-date. We visited Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria. That area is "the homeland" to us, so it was very very neat to go there with family.
15) I've always been fascinated with Greece, as long as I can remember. I think that if there is such a thing as reincarnation, I lived in ancient Greece as someone relatively well-to-do.
16) When I was young my Mom worked out of the house, so I was with Dad every day - he farmed, so I could be with him most of the time. I remember sitting on the tractor, visiting the little boy next door, going to the coffee shop daily. :-) I've been told that he read to me, but that he didn't like children's books, so he read out of the encyclopedia!

Well... I'm thinking that's all for now. This is a challenge I might revisit soon!!!

yet more

photos of my babies ;-)

Henry in the kitty condo. When we first let the kitties have run of the house, Henry was a bit scared of the big open spaces, and he really liked the kitty condo because it's more enclosed for him. Even tho he's used to and enjoys the house space now, he still likes "the box" as we call it - it's comforting to him.

Alex on the recliner chair. Good thing I put a blanket on it - that chair is his fave place to lay/sit/sleep. Cleaning kitty hair off furniture is no fun! It's also his fave place to cuddle with me. YAY!!!!! I got a lap kitty!!!!!

latest blog challenge

from twopeas, one of my fave boards...

10 Things You Love About Your City / Where You Live, which in my case would be Milwaukee, Wisconsin:
1) Summerfest
2) nice size, not too big, not too small
3) downtown has an eclectic mix of styles and ages of buildings
4) rush hour traffic isn't horrible, like LA or Phoenix
5) good selection of ethnic restaurants
6) on Lake Michigan, nice beaches, views, etc.
7) festivals every weekend all summer long
8) near Bristol Renaissance Faire
9) beer and brats, what more can I say?!
10) the world-reknown Calatrava building that houses the art museum

I've been tagged

thanks to Emily, my fellow Scrappin' Biker Babe. That's ok, tho, 'cause these are usually pretty fun!! Carrie - you're tagged! I don't know where you're gonna post, but lmk so I can peek!!!

Four jobs you’ve had in your life:
1. accounting analyst / financial analyst
2. waitress at pizza joint
3. combine driver - for you city folk, that means that I drove a big honkin' tractor with an even huger piece of equipment behind that would pick up pea vines that were already cut and then it would separate the peas from the vines and the pods.
4. ok... can't remember the official title of this one, but this was probably the best - I worked on a crew of people who surveyed people in various parts of Wisconsin. No biggie?? - yeah right. We actually stopped people while they were driving on state highways to ask them questions like "where are you coming from" "where are you going to" etc. Wanna talk to someone who's really po'ed? just stop someone on their way to work!

Four movies you would watch over and over:
1. Lord of the Ring trilogy
2. Twister (not stellar, but brainless fun anyway- "we got cow" "we got two cows" hahahaha)
3. Shawshank Redemption
4. ???

Four places you have lived:
1. Lodi, WI
2. Waukesha, WI
3. Wind Lake, WI
4. Oak Creek, WI (yes, I've been boring, living only in Wisconsin!)

Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. Project Runway
2. Stargate SG1
3. That 70s Show
4. CSI

Four places you have been on vacation:
1. Europe (Greece, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Hungary)
2. Mexico (Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Cabo, Cozumel, Cancun)
3. Caribbean (many of the islands)
4. U.S. (most of our wonderful states!)

Four websites you visit daily:
1. various yahoo groups
2. twopeasinabucket
3. my own blog
4. cruisecritic (when we're planning a cruise)

Four of your favorite foods:
1. chocolate!!!!! especially dark
2. beer, again especially dark
3. pasta
4. a good latte or mocha

Four places you would rather be right now:
1. New Zealand
2. African safari
3. Mediterranean cruise (going in May!)
4. warm beach anywhere with foofoo drink in hand

the kids

are doing mostly better. YAY!!!! We think that all the "illnesses" are gone: the parasites, upper respiratory virus, tapeworm and fleas. And they're fun and sweet and sometimes a royal pain! But overall - having new kits is a VERY good thing!!!

a couple more pix of my sweet

not-so-little babies

I've been ignoring the world...

can ya blame me??!! ;-)

my babies

are so dang cute! I was with them most of yesterday and last night and again this afternoon. I try to wear them out playing, and then cuddle with them and let them fall asleep on me, under me, or wherever near me they want to be. They really like to sleep close to my face, which is ok, until they try to sleep on TOP of my nose. I gotta breathe, KWIM?? A little while ago Henry literally moved inch by inch until he was flopped all the way across my neck - he did try to lay over my face, but obviously I didn't let that happen. They're so cute and loving - it's like they have to touch my face while they fall asleep.

Right now they are in one room, which is recommended until kitties get used to their new home. And I do feel kind of bad about it. But those little monsters {said very affectionately!} go shooting out that door as soon as we open it. MAN are they quick!

The little guys have a parasite called Giardia, so we're supposed to give them pills. Well... the pills are nasty nasty nasty, and we have to break them into little pieces which makes it a zillion times worse. So I did some research last night to figure out how to get them to eat the darn little pill pieces. Gotta love the internet!! Anyway, it seems like our method is going to be to crush the pills and add tuna juice and meat. LOL - tuna smell and taste can cover up just about anything!!!

Henry's the one showing off his acrobatic abilities in this photo, but both of them enjoy running and jumping. They love the feather toys!

finally

we got our babies!! Without going into details, suffice it to say that we would never recommend to anyone to get their kitties from the shelter that we did. It's been over a week, and the only reason we were able to bring them home today was because we went in and I was rather persuasive. They claim that they do what is best for their cats, but I can't believe there is any reason why it would be better for our little babies to sit in a birdcage for nine days when they could have been in our house. But anyway... off the soapbox... THEY'RE SO CUTE!!!

They're sweet and lovable, but also very playful and precocious. I'm just waiting for one of them to get injured during their play fighting or when they run across the room and can't stop before hitting whatever's on the other side!

Alex is the lighter/brighter orange on the left side of both pics; he has some tabby stripes and some calico type swirls. Henry is the darker, definite tabby striped little guy on the right; his fur looks like he ran through some black soot. And they're both little bundles of purr. ;-)

more happy news!!

After I got home from work and shoveled dinner down my throat, Greg asked what my plans were for the evening. "Nothing." "Well, I want to take you somewhere." Sometimes Greg just likes to surprise me, and I knew this was one of those times - no use asking where or why. So we ended up at a kitty shelter.

I'M GETTING 2 KITTENS FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!!

I have missed Cat so much... he was only 8 when he died this spring, and it was so unexpected, I wasn't prepared for that. And even now, sometimes I think I see a cat movement and I look for Cat. Cat was always nearby, underfoot more like LOL, a constant companion. Sometimes he'd tell me all about his day, and other times he was quiet. Sometimes he'd rub all over me, sometimes he'd want to play, and sometimes he just wanted to be nearby but NOT touched. But he always loved being around people, always wanted to know what was going on!

Greg had made many comments making me think that there was no way I could convince him to get another kitty. Apparently today he decided that it was the thing to do. Don't know why, probably will never know. Definitely NOT gonna argue!!! Another thing I've learned about Greg - if he makes a decision that I like, I gotta jump on it then and there, before he changes his mind. So I made sure that I filled out all the paperwork before we left the shelter just so he won't change his mind on this one!

The kitty shelter is one that doesn't euthanize, so some of their cats have been there a long time. It was kind of sad, but the cats didn't seem upset or sad. Most were very sociable. I walked in expecting Greg to only be interested in youngsters, but he walked around and petted just about every cat and kitten there. There was an adult he really seemed to like, but it still had its claws. Ok... don't throw the anti-declaw posts at me - Greg insists on declawed cats. And I would never even contemplate declawing an adult cat.

So after meeting all of the cats there, Greg and I ended up back at the little kitten cage. There were 4 kittens in it. This particular shelter requires that kittens be in a home with at least one other cat. Plus a lot of the siblings are required to go in pairs. So we were down to a big decision: two orange brothers or a black/white and tabby brother/sister combo. I think neither one of us really wanted another tabby again so soon - the little girl looked so much like Cat - even tho they were super friendly and energetic. So we opted for the orange kitties!! They're pretty laidback, very sweet, little purring motors.

Another shelter requirement - after you file for adoption, there is a "cool-off" period of at least 3 days. Some folks make a spur of the moment decision and then regret it quickly. And the shelter is only open certain days. So Greg and I won't get new kitties until next week. But on our way home, we bought the stuff we need so we'll be all ready for them when they get here.

I can't wait!! My little babies are so cute!

more blog world fun

JANUARY
1. Did you have a new year's resolution this year? No
2. Who kissed you at midnight? Greg. We were in North Carolina - we attended a cool outdoor party in downtown Charlotte.
3. Did it snow where you live? Not sure if it snowed on NY day, but I'm sure it snowed sometime in January - it would be very unusual to not get snow in Wisconsin in the winter.
4. Have you ever been to Times Square to watch the ball drop? No
5. Big January Events: We visited North Carolina to see if it was a feasible location to move to. We had a couple realtors check out our current home. And I went to a couple weekend crops (scrapbooking).
FEBRUARY
1. Who was your valentine? Greg, of course.
2. What did your valentine get you? A card... ??? We generally don't celebrate days like that.
3. When you were little, did you buy valentines for your whole class? Oh, yes. Those little tiny cards, and I think I put the little heart candies in each envelope.
4. Big February Events: Mexican Riviera cruise on the Carnival Pride!! And a weekend skiing in the U.P.
MARCH
1. Are you Irish? not that I know of.
2. Did you wear green on St. Patty's Day? I usually do, just for fun, but I don't think I remembered this year!
3. What did you do for St. Patty's Day? nada
4. Big March Events: A weekend in the Dells for our bike club's winter getaway, and a weekend in Madison for a scrapbook convention.
APRIL
1. Do you like the rain? As my close friends know, I hate getting my face wet. So I'm not fond of being out in the rain, but I don't mind when I'm snuggled in the house. I actually love to watch a big storm roll in!
2. Did you play an April Fool's joke on anyone this year? no
3. Big April Events: two more weekend crops (yahoo!) and a friend's wedding
MAY
1. What's your favorite kind of flower? Love the smell of lilacs!
2. Do you like the spring? YES - summer is on the way!! And I like the smell of spring, and the warm breeze, and sunshine on my face.
3. What would you think of as a spring color? yellow, pretty much any pastel
4. Big May Events: I started playing volleyball weekly again, after a hiatus to improve my back. We also got the bike (motorcycle) out more often for longer rides, including a long weekend in northern Wisconsin. And I registered for CKU - I got all the classes I wanted!!!
JUNE
1. What year did you graduate from school? H.S. - 1985, Undergrad - 1989, Masters - 1994
2. Did you go on a vacation last June? no - we don't have to take vacations around school, since we are child free!
3. Big June Events: My CKU yahoo board logo was chosen as the winning entry! - the crazy scrappin' gals bought all sorts of things with my logo on them: shirts, mousepads, clocks, pins, magnets, mugs, bracelet charms, etc. Also - I started at a new client - a change of pace.
JULY
1. What did you do on the 4th of July? We took another weekend bike trip to northern Wis and to Door County.
2. Did you go on any vacations during this month? see #1
3. Big July Events: Summerfest and getting ready to attend CKU.
AUGUST
1. Did you do anything special to end your summer? just the usual ;-)
2. What was your favorite summer memory of '05? CKU Provo - OMG what a phenomenal time, great memories!!! Absolute best? - our CKU dorm was one of 3 chosen to perform in front of the entire student/teacher body - and based on audience applause we won hands down - we rocked the place!
3. Did you go swimming a lot in the summer? no
4. Big August Events: Obviously - CKU. Also a weekend bike club trip to Munising U.P. Michigan. Oh, yeah, and state fair and Renaissance Faire.
SEPTEMBER
1. Did you attend school/college in '05? no
2. Who is/was your favorite teacher? probably my 2nd grade teacher.
3. Did you like fall better than summer? NO - it means winter's back on its way
4. Big September Events: Our big 2 week bike trip out west: Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, etc. We celebrated our 11th anniversary on the 24th.
OCTOBER
1. What was your favorite halloween costume ever? Boy George - I looked AWESOME!!
2. What's your favorite candy? I love chocolate in general, but I really love Skor bars.
3. What did you dress up like this year? I didn't.
4. Big October Events: Another weekend crop. Seeing cousin Tom Wopat perform in Madison - added bonus: it was Halloween weekend, and State St, Madison is absolutely crazy, fun to watch!
NOVEMBER
1. Whose house did you go to for Thanksgiving? My sister Bonnie's.
2. Do you like stuffing? yes, if it's moist. Sometimes it's dry - yuck.
3. What are you thankful for? Husband, family, friends, relatively good health, financial stability, ability to do what I/we enjoy.
4. Big November Events: Our bike club's annual fundraiser - this year we tried something new - a murder mystery lunch - Greg and I both had parts, and I had a BLAST!!
DECEMBER
1. Do you celebrate Christmas? yes, but not so much the religious aspects. It's more of a celebration of family and friends, and of course giving and receiving!
2. Have you ever been kissed under mistletoe? yes
3. Do you like cold weather? NO NO NO
4. How would you rate your year on a scale of 1-10? 9.5
5. Big December Events: holiday party at our house, another weekend crop, family get-togethers. Lucky Greg went to Vail skiing!

Emily - you've been tagged!

layouts of our 2005

Mexican Riviera cruise. We spent one night on the Hotel Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA and then we left for a 7 night cruise to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. The ports provided nice variety, but the weather was too chilly for sunning onboard. Bummer!