Musings of a Crafty 30-Something

Well, that's a Bummer

It's kind of a bummer that Vox is closing it's doors come September 30. I mean, really, I was beginning to think that Six Apart was taking on a bit too much - after all, they purchased LiveJournal (is that  next?? I hope not!), they have TypePad (which is usually a paid service but if you import your Vox blog there, they'll let you have one for free), and the are the creators/developers of Movable Type, a blogging platform that I will be honest, I was never really able to figure out. So the end of yet another era is upon us. :(

First Yahoo! shuts down GeoCities, now Six  Apart shuts down Vox. What's next?? 

Things You Give Up

Back when my mom was still alive, we had some interesting financial issues. Part of the problem was that my mom would spend money like it was going out of style and then conveniently decide not to pay the credit card bills. The house, water, electric, gas, and car payments always got made, but the credit cards? Not so much. :P When she finally decided to get down to business and start working on those credit card bills, we had to give a few things up.

We didn't give up the car insurance even though the car was totally paid for, but we did have to give up our roadside assistance program that we had. We gave up our cable TV, we gave up on going out for dinner, and we stopped making the drive down to the Omaha area to go to the Air Force base down there to get Mom's meds because she said that was too expensive. (Not really, the gas + lunch down there cost less than 1/4 of what her meds did but oh well.)

We both had doctor bills to pay off, she had credit card bills to pay off, I had a credit card bill to pay off, and we were trying our best to get it all paid off but sadly the bills never did get paid off. Part of that had to do with some shady dealings regarding a credit card company that was literally ADDING our monthly payment to the balance instead of subtracting it - when we pointed it out we were told they'd see us in court - and part of it had to do with Mom's paychecks getting cut down to the point where between her checks and my job we were barely paying for our necessities. :/

But you know, it's funny the things that you give up and just don't even think about it anymore - roadside assistance, cable TV, internet, etc. Not having them doesn't seem like such a problem once they've been gone for a while. :D

Finding Personal Tastes

One of the things that drove me bananas when I was in high school was the fact that music was treated like a fad. One year it was all about country music, the next year it was all about pop, then it would be all about rap, then it would be all about hair metal, then it would be all about heavy metal, then it would be all about alternative, and then it would go back to being all about country again. It drove me absolutely nuts. People just couldn't find their own musical tastes and leave it at that.

I think one of the worst parts about that was the fact that not only did their musical tastes change, but their clothes changed. Not only did you listen to the music, but you had to make sure you dressed the part too. Kids came to school wearing cowboy boots and jeans with belt buckles and the like, or grungy flannel shirts and jeans. No one had their own style - at least not without getting stared at or laughed at for it.

Myself - I wore what I wanted to wear and I listened to what I wanted to listen to. My CD collection had Madonna and Mariah Carey, Garth Brooks and Reba McEntire, Motley Crue and Def Leppard, and Pearl Jam and Nirvana. I didn't care what other people were listening to - if I liked it, I listened to it. I wore jeans and t-shirts, I wore stretch pants and sweaters, I wore sweat pants and t-shirts, jeans and sweatshirts, sweat pants and sweatshirts, and skirts and tops or dresses. Whatever I felt like.

These days I don't see that happening as much - music is pretty much whatever you like - you like, but fashion? Same old, same old. People think they need to tell you how to dress. Sorry - I'm not one to listen to others. Guess what? I dress for ME not for you. I don't care if you don't like the way I look - you don't have to look at me if you don't like it.

Shipping Options

Having a business where my primary method of getting the items to their buyers is shipping them, I have been exploring various shipping options. For the jewelry, I tend to use padded envelopes that have bubble wrap inside of them. That seems to be the best option for that.

But for scarves, home decor items, and baby blankets, I've been looking for boxes that will work. I mean, it isn't like I can ship them in stainless steel drums, so I have to find the right kind of boxes. I got some from the post office that are for the flat rate shipping and I'm hoping that for the baby blankets, these large boxes will work. If not, I'll have to go back to square one. I'm hoping not to have to do that.

I have had people ask me why I don't ship via UPS or FedEx, and frankly the reason is that for the most part, I've discovered that the USPS is actually cheaper than the other options I have available to me. So I use the USPS. It's the right option for me.

I'm Apparently Multi-Talented

All I did today was use the online software at Avery's website to design some labels for us to affix to the new menus from Angel Food Ministries, and for some reason, they now think I'm multi-talented. I suppose you could say I am - I make jewelry, crochet, knit, do a lot of things on the computer, and I sing and play instruments. So I suppose you could say I am multi-talented. But I don't usually think of myself that way.

I guess it's just something that I don't think about. Then again, why would I? I'm not generally one to toot my own horn and frankly, I was a bit embarrassed when they started talking about it. One of the gals at church even asked me if I made labels for payment. I said I don't, but now I'm seriously considering it. :) We'll see what happens! :)

It's Chilly In Here!

BFL and I have totally different likes when it comes to the amount of air conditioning that is used in a room/house. She wants it to be frigid, I want it to be just cool enough to be comfortable.

When I lived in Texas with my mom, her breathing problems were made worse by high amounts of humidity. De-humidifiers were extremely hard to find in the area in which I lived, so I ended up turning up the air conditioner until the house was just freezing cold. I would actually wear sweaters and use an electric blanket when I went to bed. Mom was fine, but I was frozen.

BFL is like my mom - she wants it freezing cold, but for different reasons. I just wish that she didn't feel the need to have the room we share (2 bedroom house, her mom gets one room, we get the other) absolutely freezing cold. :P

Insomnia

I'm telling you, I've been suffering from insomnia for so long, I can't even begin to imagine what life would be like if I could sleep like a normal person. I've been on a backwards sleep schedule since I was a baby, but you can't blame my parents - they tried to get me on a normal sleep schedule. I just wouldn't be turned around and my doctor said that it was all right - I was just backwards.

That being said, it's still a pain in the rear end when all of your friends and relatives are out cold long before you are! I've actually trained my best friend to stay up with me for the most part, although I didn't mean to do that, she just started doing it. LOL But seriously, I'd love to be able to sleep on a normal schedule for once. :)

Getting Comfortable

If you watch WeTV you know that they have a show on there called "You're Wearing That?!?" that basically is kind of like "What Not To Wear" in that people turn in their friends and family for "fashion crimes" because they're embarrassed about what that person wears. Let me think for a second here.... nope, sorry, I don't get dressed or wear something because YOU or anyone else likes it, thinks it's fashionable, or thinks it looks good on me. I wear it because I like it, I think it's comfortable, and I want to wear it.

I don't care if it's a pair of men's running shorts or a pair of stirrup pants. If I like it, I'm comfortable in it, I'm going to wear it. If you don't like it, don't look at me. As long as I am appropriately covered and comfortable, you all can just look the other way if what I'm wearing isn't to your liking. It's my body, they're my clothes and I'll wear what I want.

Why do we, as a society, feel the need to tell others what they should and should not wear? Shouldn't that be up to the person who is wearing the clothes? I think so. I think we should be pleasing ourselves with what we wear, not everyone else. Just a thought.

107 - I Have No Life

"It’s been said that allegedly if you’ve seen over 85 movies you have no life. Mark the ones you’ve seen. There are 239 films on this list. Copy this list, go to your own blog, paste it in and put x’s by the ones that you have seen. Add them up, change the header adding your number, and post it.”

( ) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
( ) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest
(x) Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
( ) Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
( ) Blazing Saddles
( ) Airplane
(x) The Princess Bride
( ) AnchorMan
( ) Napoleon Dynamite
(x) Labyrinth
(x) Saw
(x) Saw II
(x) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
( ) Anger Management
(x) 50 First Dates
(x) The Princess Diaries
( ) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
(x) Scream
(x) Scream 2
(x) Scream 3
( ) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(x) American Pie
(x) American Pie 2
(x) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
( ) Harry Potter 1
( ) Harry Potter 2
(x) Harry Potter 3
( ) Harry Potter 4
(x) Resident Evil 1
(x) Resident Evil 2
( ) The Wedding Singer
(x) Little Black Book
(x) The Village
(x) Lilo & Stitch
(x) Finding Nemo
( ) Finding Neverland
( ) Signs
( ) The Grinch
(x) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
(x)Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
(x) White Chicks
(x) Butterfly Effect
(x) 13 Going on 30
(x) I, Robot
(x) Robots
( ) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
( ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
( ) Along Came Polly
(x) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
(x) Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
(x) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
( ) Joe Dirt
( ) King Kong
(x) A Cinderella Story
(x) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
( ) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
(x) Final Destination
(x) Final Destination 2
(x) Final Destination 3
(x) Halloween
(x) The Ring
(x) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving Christmas
( ) Flubber*
( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(x) Practical Magic
( )Chicago
(x) Ghost Ship
(x) From Hell
(x) Hellboy
(x) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
( ) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards
(x) The Day After Tomorrow
(x) Child’s Play
(x) Seed of Chucky
(x) Bride of Chucky
(x) Ten Things I Hate About You
(x) Just Married
(x) Gothika
(x) Nightmare on Elm Street
(x) Sixteen Candles
( ) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
(x) The Grudge
(x) The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
( ) Bad Boys
( ) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Sleven
( ) Ocean’s Eleven
( ) Ocean’s Twelve
( ) Bourne Identity
( ) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
( ) Bedazzled
( ) Predator I
( ) Predator II
(x) The Fog
(x) Ice Age
( ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
(x) Independence Day
(x) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
(x) Darkness Falls
(x) Christine
(x) E.T.
(x) Children of the Corn
( ) My Bosses Daughter
( ) Maid in Manhattan
( ) War of the Worlds
( ) Rush Hour
( ) Rush Hour 2
( ) Best Bet
(x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
( ) She’s All That
( ) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
( ) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
(x) Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
(x) The Terminator
(x) The Terminator 2
( ) The Terminator 3
(x) X-Men
(x) X-2
(x) X3
( ) Spider-Man
( ) Spider-Man 2
( ) Sky High
(x) Jeepers Creepers
(x) Jeepers Creepers 2
(x) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Little Mermaid
(x) Freaky Friday*
( ) Reign of Fire
( ) The Skulls
(x) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2
(x) Swimfan
( ) Miracle on 34th street*
( ) Old School
( ) The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf’s Tribe
( ) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
(x) Boogeyman
( ) The 40-year-old Virgin
(x) Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings: Return Of the King
( ) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
( ) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
( ) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
( ) Base-ketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
(x) House of 1000 Corpses
(x) Devils Rejects
( ) Elf
( ) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
( ) American History
( ) Three
(x) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(x) Monsters Inc.
(x) Titanic
( ) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
(x) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
( ) Hulk
(x) Dawn Of the Dead
(x) Hook
( ) Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
( ) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
( ) Waterworld
( ) Kill Bill Vol. 1
( ) Kill Bill Vol. 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
(x) Kingdom of Heaven
(x) The Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness
( ) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
( ) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
( ) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
( ) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
( ) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks: Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks: The Battle For Endor
( ) The Matrix
( ) The Matrix: Reloaded
( ) The Matrix: Revolutions
( ) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America: World Police
( ) Red Dragon
(x) Silence of the Lambs
(x) Hannibal
Grand total: 107 out of 239

The sad thing is, I can think of a lot of movies not mentioned here that I've seen. Examples:

Daredevil
Elektra
Beauty and the Beast
Aladdin
Snow White
Someone Like You
Kate & Leopold
Swordfish
Mannequin
Twins
It
The Shining (both versions)
Stephen King's The Golden Years
Blow
Chocolat
The Ninth Gate
Van Helsing
The Pacifier
Chronicles of Riddick
Pitch Black
A Man Apart
xXx
Halloween H2O
Scooby Doo
Scooby Doo 2
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Cabin Fever

See?? Lots of movies not listed on that list that I've seen. There's more I know, but I can't think of all of them. LOL

It's So Hot

Our church has a new pastor that will be starting on August 29th. I'm sure you're wondering what that has to do with the title, and I'll get to that in a moment. :) But for now, let me start by telling you about this great pastoral search.

In July of 2009, the pastor of our church announced that he was leaving to pastor another church in Wyoming. This left us with a need to find a new pastor. For a year we had various interim pastors that came from their churches to fill in for our church so we'd have someone preaching.

In July, we finally got to have a try-out pastor who was then unanimously voted into the pastor's position by the congregation during  a special business meeting. Now for what that has to do with it being so hot here - we're in Iowa. Our new pastor moved here from Florida. :/ We think he brought the heat with him! LOL

But seriously, it's been in the 90s or low 100s with heat indexes of over 115. It's not pretty out there. You walk out the door and melt. It's bad. :( Hopefully it gets cooler soon - before we start hearing about heat related deaths!