All In A Day's Work

The funny thing about transcription is that sometimes you drop into "the zone" and your mind doesn't even have to be present. Especially if you're typing something that is familiar to you...a doctor you have typed for years and you can pretty much read his/her mind or a relatively easy chart note by a good doctor with no accent and a mellow voice. It's like the sound comes in your ears and goes straight to your fingertips and leaves your brain completely out of it, free to do it's own thing. Take last Thursday for instance. The picture below was on my calendar for the day, which is sitting right under my computer screen. Now, you know my love for puppies, especially golden puppies, so you can imagine how this picture continued to delight me throughout the entire day. I could imagine myself sitting right down in the middle of this wiggling, squirming, fuzzy pile of wonderfulness.


Sometime during the day, as I'm typing, I'm looking at this picture and my mind starts to wonder. I think about where these puppies live. Is it a farm? I imagine how fun it must be for them to venture out for the first time. All the new smells. Then I start wondering what they're thinking. Maybe it goes something like this...
Pretty soon I've had a whole puppy conversation in my head and I'm done with my tape. I go back and look everything over, proofing it carefully. Everything makes sense, words are spelled right...I didn't type any puppy conversations. The words came in my ears, bypassed my brain, and went directly to my fingers. Isn't that crazy?!

Now, don't get me wrong...my job isn't easy. It usually takes a high degree of concentration. I'm responsible for our most difficult specialty, endocrinology. I have to be up on diabetes, thyroid disease, and all the other hormone-related disorders. However, once in a while, if I'm caught up or need a break from endo or OB/GYN, my other "speciality," I'll grab a family practice or pediatrics tape, drop into "the zone," and daydream about puppies.

Look at this little guy's plump puppy tummy...


I love plump puppy tummies. Apparently, according to this same calendar that is also full of interesting dog facts, it's common for a puppy to have a big round belly because their abdominal organs are larger in proportion to the rest of the body as compared to an adult dog. Bet you didn't know that. I didn't either. Now we do.

Simple Saturday

This was supposed to be my Simple Saturday card, but I worked Saturday morning and then was busy after that, so I didn't get much done. I worked on it today instead.

It really was quite simple to do. The flower is made with Stampin' Up's large oval punch. I cut the stem freehand from Mellow Moss paper, and the printed paper is part of the Two Scoops collection from Basic Grey. I'm going to have to head back to Archiver's and pick up another sheet of this paper...I love it! It looks like melted strawberry and vanilla ice cream all swirled together.

Scrappin' Sunday is going to be a little bit late this week also, as it's almost midnight and this girl has got to get to bed in order to function at work tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get some time to work on it tomorrow night.

What's your personality type?

You Are An INTJ

The Scientist You have a head for ideas - and you are good at improving systems. Logical and strategic, you prefer for everything in your life to be organized. You tend to be a bit skeptical. You're both critical of yourself and of others. Independent and stubborn, you tend to only befriend those who are a lot like you. In love, you are always striving to improve your relationship. You have strong ideas of what love should be like. At work, you excel in figuring out difficult tasks. People think of you as "the brain." You would make an excellent scientist, engineer, or programmer. How you see yourself: Reasonable, knowledgeable, and competent When other people don't get you, they see you as: Aloof, controlling, and insensitive

What's Your Personality Type?

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
Name something you would categorize as weird.

Those of you who eat watermelon without salting it first. Salt enhances the flavor, people!

Soup
What color was the last piece of food you ate?

Brownish. We went out to our favorite family restaurant tonight. I had the cod special with baked potato and a salad...lots of brown going on there; however, my last couple of bites were of Paul's Swedish pancakes. Yum-O.

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy being alone?

Six maybe. I'm a hermit. I don't mind being alone but not totally alone. I spend a lot of time up here in my craft/computer room while Paul is downstairs on the laptop or watching TV...I'm alone but not really. On a job I prefer to work independently without a lot of supervision. I work better when there is no one looking over my shoulder.

Main Course
Fill in the blank: I will _________ vote for ___________ in _______.

I will always vote for nuts and other crunchy things in my ice cream.

Dessert
Describe your sleeping habits.

I won't spend a lot of time on this because we all know about my sleep...or lack there of. I will add that I notice that I always tend to not be able to fall asleep unless I start out on my right side and I have to be super tired to fall asleep on my back.

Speaking of sleeping, I'm on my way downstairs right now to veg out on the couch and probably fall asleep. I need to stretch out. It's storming out and Abby has positioned herself under my desk. I've been sitting crooked for the past hour to accommodate her. Poor thing. When we left to go to dinner tonight, she literally tried to follow us out into the garage, which is something she never does, so I'm a little worried about the storms that must be on the way. I guess some parts of the city saw golf-ball size hail earlier today.

Do You Believe in Angels?

I borrowed a few of mom's stamp sets to have something new to play with, including this little whimsical angel. It's a set from TAC, and I think about ordering it every time I look at the catalog, but then I just tell myself I'll just borrow mom's instead...and I finally did. I thought it would look nice embossed since it's a line image, but then I didn't feel like digging out my embossing powders and heat gun tonight. Plus I have a limited number of embossing powders and I really wanted her to be colorful, so what I did instead is the Poppin' Pastels technique. I stamped her with Versamark and then used chalks to dust over the lines. I'm happy with how it turned out. I don't use my chalks very often, and I have no idea why.

The chalks I used are metallic, so it gives it a nice shimmer.

Speaking of angels...We went to Sam's Club the other night to pick up some necessities that we like to stock up on, and they had strawberries priced at $3-something for 2 pounds. Big huge beautiful strawberries. What a sight for sore eyes those were after the long winter. I picked up a box of them, thinking they would be good for snacking. Then Paul spotted the angel food cakes piled up next to the strawberries...how strategic. Angel food cake isn't my favorite, as I think it's too sweet (I much prefer devil's food ). However, anything is good with strawberries, so we picked up one of those too. That's what we had for dessert tonight. Doesn't it look yummy?

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Card Details:
Stamps: Angel (TAC), sentiment (Inkadinkadoo)
Ink: Versamark
Paper: Cardstock - DCWV; Pattered - Basic Grey.
Accessories: Metallic chalks

Scrappin' Sunday

I didn't have very long to work on this today because I want to get outside and enjoy a little bit of the sunshine, so I just quickly put together a page using just pictures and paper, no journaling or elements.

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Details:
Paper: Butterfly Princess Digital Scrapbooking Freebie from mmscraps.
Template: Template #110 by Trish Heffner at Templates 'n' More .

Simple Saturday

Friday's Feast

Yeah, I know...it's Saturday. I haven't had much blogging time. I've been working a ton of overtime again, and this past week Paul has been sick. He either had some sort of stomach flu or food poisoning (my money is on the latter considering some of the places he eats lunch at). He's just now starting to feel better, but he has had a miserable couple of days.

Appetizer
Name a color you find soothing.

Blue. I'm seriously thinking about painting our bedroom and the master bathroom blue...like a dusty blue. (Shhhh...don't tell Paul...He's not going to want to paint again.) I've been seeing that color a lot on Trading Spaces, and I really like it.

Soup
Using 20 or less words, describe your first driving experience.

I honestly don't remember my "first" driving experience. One time that stands out, though, is driving around with dad in the car right after I got my permit. I ran a red light...and there was a cop behind me.

I think I used more than 20 words there.

Salad
What material is your favorite item of clothing made out of?

Fleece.

Main Course
Who is a great singer or musician who, if they were to come to your town for a concert, you would spend the night outside waiting for tickets to see?

There is no one I would spend the night outside downtown to get tickets for. Sheila and I were just talking today about concerts. We went to quite a few when we were younger, and the bands we saw in the 80's are starting to make the rounds again...but for some reason they just don't have the same appeal as they once did. One band that we never got to see that I would definitely go see today if they should happen to came to town is Bon Jovi.

Dessert
What is the most frequent letter of the alphabet in your whole name (first, middle, maiden, last, etc.)?

Thanks to my middle name, that would be the letter "N."

Beautiful Day!

Finally it seems like maybe spring is here. It reached the middle 70's today...perfect! Of course, that couldn't happen on a weekend. It's supposed to rain the rest of the week and through the weekend, so I thought I better use the time today between when I got home from work and when the sun set to clean off my flower bed. I noticed my tulips are poking through. I can't wait for them to bloom! Here is a quick card I stamped last night but didn't have time to post.


There was just too much on TV last night...between AI, the season finale of Biggest Loser (congrats, Ali!!...the first female Biggest Loser--What an inspiration!!) and SVU. Tonight all there is the results show for AI, so I had a little more time. Speaking of AI, what is with the judges being so hard on Carly?! I feel kind of bad for her. I thought everyone did really well last night. I can only imagine how hard it must be to perform a Mariah Carey song. David Cook definitely has star potential in his ability to change the songs and make them his own. As far as who will get voted off tonight...I have no idea. It's getting harder to choose. I'm thinking it might be Kristi. I guess it's time to go downstairs and see.

What The Shell?

I just love this little guy. The look on his face is priceless. I picked up my latest Close To My Heart order from Krista this weekend, so I used some of the papers in the Paper Packet I ordered for this card. I'm telling you, the papers from CTMH just get more and more gorgeous with each catalog. I'm starting to really enjoy using the kits because of the coordinating colors. The kit I ordered is called "Life Delights" and contains some of my favorite colors...Blush, Chocolate, Lilac Mist, and Sweet Leaf. She was supposed to order me the markers that coordinate, but she forgot (that's what I get for just telling her and not writing it down), so I had to use my SU! markers. For the layout this time I went with Lauren Meader's Saturday sketch from her blog My Time, My Creations, My Stampendence. I swearI have like a million buttons but I never find myself reaching for them. I thought this sketch provided the perfect opportunity to dig into my stash. I used plain white thread to stitch the buttons because I just don't like naked buttons.



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Details:
Stamp: Turtle (Inkadinkado), sentiment (original by our local stamp shop)
Ink: Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue (SU!); Black (Palette)
Paper: Life Delights Paper Packet (CTMH)
Accessories: Buttons, thread, decorative edge scissors (Fiskars)

Scrappin' Sunday

It has been two years ago that Gary decided on his own to leave this world. Sometimes it seems like it was just yesterday and yet sometimes it seems so long ago. I went looking for one of my favorite pictures of him for this week's digital layout. The journaling reads as follows:

When you least expect it, something --
a bit of music, a familiar scent --
will bring a memory to mind...
In that moment, you'll know that a link remains --
a bridge from the past
to the future...
And you'll know that the life you loved
in some way goes on forever.

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Details:
Papers/Elements: Raspberry Road Designs

Not-So-Simple Saturday

This card started out to be my Simple Saturday card, but then I found this matching ribbon in my stash and it grew from there.

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Details:
Stamp: Solidago Sprig by Rubber Stampede
Paper: Cardstock - Taken With Teal (SU!); Pattern - Cloud 9 Designs
Ink: Misc. markers
Accessories: Ribbon, , eyelets, dew drops

Ten Questions

There is no Friday's Feast this week, as the chef is taking a week off, so to appease those of you who are fans of the Feast, I found the following 10 questions:

1. When you were born, how much did you weigh?

6 pounds 6 ounces.

2. What's your sugar poison?

Yellow cake.

3. If you had to choose between meat and cheese for the rest of your life, which would you choose? Then be specific.

Definitely cheese. Everything is better with cheese.

4. What in your opinion is the worst song ever?

It's a Small World. Go on that ride once at Disney and I guarantee you will never, ever, ever want to hear that song again.

5. Who was your favorite teacher growing up and why?

My kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Wood, as she introduced me to the world of books.

6. What personal activity, when performed in public, bothers you the most?

Talking on a cell phone while trying to push a cart full of groceries.

7. Ok, there's a $50 bill lying on the ground. You pick it up. Dumbfounded by your incredible luck, what do you selfishly purchase?

After making sure I'm not on some version of Candid Camera (how often do you see a $50 bill floating around), I would probably either go out to dinner or buy some stamps.

8. Do you have a recurring nightmare? If so, explain.

I don't really have one recurring nightmare, per se, but in a lot of my dreams, I am trying to make an important phone call and keep getting the number wrong.

9. Name one place on Earth you've never been but vow to visit at least once.

I would like to see the Grand Canyon.

10. You notice that question #9 wasn't really a question. You feel smart for catching such a small detail. What else can you do really well that reminds you how smart you are?

Ha! I don't know. Half the time I'm pretty clueless. Sometimes I feel smart. Sometimes I feel like I don't know anything about anything.

Flabby Abby

In order to assure you that she is not anorexic, Abby has decided to pose for more pictures. Apparently mom didn't like the picture of Abby I posted on her birthday. She thinks she looks too skinny. At the vet last week she weighed in at 70.6 pounds, so she's far from anorexic. It was the angle of the photo, as I was trying to get her bandaged leg in the picture.

The vet would like her to lose about 3 more pounds before she hits her senior years. About three years ago she weighed in at a whopping 91 pounds, so she has, in fact, lost almost 21 pounds. Her vet is extremely pleased.

I wish someone would say they want to retake my picture because they think I look too skinny! That never happens. That must be what's wrong with all the pictures of me...it's the angle.

What's With The Cupcakes?

I have been on such a cupcake kick lately (stampwise...I haven't eaten any...not that I haven't wanted one). I absolutely fell in love with this particular cupcake stamp by Hero Arts. I just love the swirled look of the frosting.

I first saw it on one of my favorite stamping blogs, Indigo Stamps, and loved how she used it with bright colors. This past Wednesday was Double Dollar Day at our local stamp store. They keep track of your purchases, and when you reach $500 you get a percentage off all the time. On Double Dollar Day, they double your purchase amount, so you reach $500 quicker...plus you get a 40% off coupon to use on your next visit. Anyway, I stopped after work because that's the one day they're open after 5 pm. To my delight, I saw that they had this particular set. I picked it up and looked around a little more waiting for the line at the register to go down. In the meantime, I found the turtle and the "What the shell..." saying from the card I posted a couple of days ago. I just had to have that too, but I couldn't bring myself to spend the money. The cupcake set alone was $20 for four stamps. I wound up putting down the cupcakes, telling myself I already have a couple of cupcake stamps (like I don't have a couple of turtles stamps already also), and bought just the turtle and the saying. I was sitting at work the next day and it hit me! Wait a minute! I now have a 40% off coupon that I can use to get the cupcakes. Then, of course, I became obsessed with the thought of the cupcakes and it's all I could think about until Friday when I could make it back to the store.

Bear with me...I am getting somewhere with this.

So...Friday I drive back to the store hoping that nobody bought the cupcakes in the meantime because by now I must have them. I go in and make my way around to where they were the other day. They're not there. One of the ladies that works there was stocking some stamps in the area and started telling me about all the new stamps that came in that week. Then she tells me, "I don't know if you're into cupcakes or not, but check these out," and she hands me a set of the clear acrylic stamps by Hero Arts that are all cupcakes and sayings. What's wild is the set contained the exact same swirly-frosting stamp that I wanted so bad. I gave her the strangest look. I told her she must have been psychic because that's the exact stamp I came in there looking for! To top it all off, the acrylic set was $5 cheaper and contained more stamps than the wood-mounted set...and I saved my 40%! Yipee!!! It's like it was meant to be. As it turns out they did still have the wood-mounted set, but it was hidden under some things that she had sitting there.

I got this...

Instead of this...

Cool beans, huh?

Hmmm....Interesting

Your Thinking is Abstract and Sequential

You like to do research and collect lots of information. The more facts you have, the easier it is for you to learn. You need to figure things out for yourself and consider all possibilities. You tend to become an expert in the subjects that you study. It's difficult for you to work with people who know less than you do. You aren't a very patient teacher, and you don't like convincing people that you're right.

What Kind of Thinker Are You?

That's all I have today. We spent a couple of hours tonight doing our taxes since the 15th will be here before you know it, so I didn't have time to play around.

I pass a tax preparation business on my way home from work every day, and this time of year they usually have people dressed up like the Statue of Liberty and Uncle Sam holding signs promoting their services. Today Uncle Sam's sign said there are 9 more days left to file. Back when it was freezing out, Uncle Sam was walking around carrying his sign while wearing a ski mask...like a robber. I'm sure not many people failed to see the irony in that.

Scrappin' Sunday

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Details:
Papers/Elements: Shabby Princess
Template: Di Hickman

Simple Saturday

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Details:
Stamp: Inkadinkado
Paper: Mellow Moss cardstock (SU!); Chatterbox printed
Ink: Palette Noir; Mellow Moss marker (SU!)
Accessories: Brads
Note: Turtle is actually stamped on inside of card. Circle is punched window.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
Invent a new flower, give it a name, and describe it.

How about this peony-like version of a poppy called Poppy Venus crossed with the leaves and long stalk of a tulip. It would be a perennial that would come in multiple different colors and grow perfectly in the shade or the sun.

What would I call it? A lollipoppy, of course, because it would look just like a lollipop.

Soup
Name someone whom you think has a wonderful voice.

Hmmmm. Well, since it's American Idol season, and I was very disappointed this past week when she was in the bottom 3, I'm going to say Brooke White. I love the naturalness of her voice.

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how clean do you keep your car?

Inside or outside? Summer or winter? I admit I'm not very good at keeping the old thing clean. All the dirt helps hide the rust. I would give it a 6 right now since we just drove it through the car wash about a week ago.

Main Course
How do you feel about poetry?

It depends on the type. Some of it I love. Some of it is too deep for me and I just don't understand it.

Dessert
What was the last person/place/thing you took a picture of?

Gee...who do you think it was of? Yes...you guessed it. Abby. It was her birthday picture in the post below.

Happy Birthday, Puppy Love!

My baby turned 5 today, which in people years apparently makes her 40. She passed me right up. She had her annual checkup today. I know...nice mama I am...taking her to get a shot on her birthday. She got a clean bill of health. Her blood test results still have to come back, but I'm sure they're fine. She gained only 1 pound over the winter, which they were very impressed with. She said that most dogs gain 5 or 6 pounds over the winter. Lucky girl. If I could only say the same thing about myself! She weighs in at 70.6 pounds. They still want to be down to about 67 because of her petite build.

Here is a picture of her after getting home from the vet. As you can see, she still has the bandage on her leg where they drew blood. She's such a good girl...never tries to remove the bandage on her own. She is badly in need of a haircut. Her tail feathering is starting to sweep the floor again.


Here is my favorite picture of her from the day we brought her home. She was 8 weeks old here. It seems like just yesterday.