Trapped

I'm still a bit traumatized by what just happened.....of course, while it was happening, I did think "this will definitely be a blog-worthy story!"

My office building has been going through some changes....it has sold a few times in the past several years and a couple of really large tenants have moved out. As such, my company is now on the top floor -- at 28. For a while the building considered building out condos above us, but they've since reverted to intending to fill the empty floors with commercial tenants. Which leaves about 14 empty floors above.

Since there are no people above us, the elevators don't work going up. Except that somehow, today when I punched DOWN to go get lunch, the elevator took me UP. I didn't give it too much thought, but tried to push the floor again where I wanted to go. No dice, so I got off the elevator intending to push DOWN again and wait for the next elevator. Well, the button wouldn't stay illuminated. (Apparently, I should have just stayed on the elevator, but I was thrown off so much that I wasn't thinking quite straight.)

So. Now I am one floor above mine. Locked in between two sets of glass doors in the elevator bay. The elevator call buttons aren't working. There is no phone or fire alarm to pull. There was a door alarm "in case of emergency" to break the glass, so after waiting a few minutes, punching the elevator call buttons repeatedly and periodically hollering to see if anyone on an elevator would hear me, I broke the glass. Ear-piercing shrieking alarm to follow.

I expected building security to come. They did not. So. Now I can get out onto the floor. But this is an unoccupied floor. No people, no phones.

Ok. So, I'll check out the fire stairs down to my floor. Put my sandal into the door on 29 so that I wouldn't be locked in the stairway and went down to try and open the door onto 28. No dice. Locked. Went back up to 29 thinking that building security would be coming soon......

Finally decided ..... phoooey on this. I'm going down. So, I walk into the fire stairs and let the door click locked behind me. Walk down to 28. Try the door again. Locked. Start banging.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG

Nothing.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG

I decided to jiggle the door back and forth rather than just banging -- see sometimes, there is construction above us and we hear loud banging. I didn't want to be confused for random construction noises.

This fire stairway is located in the hallway towards our restrooms, so I figured eventually someone would have to pee and would walk by. Keep banging and jiggling the door.

Finally, our president opened the door. Whew. I told him bits and pieces of the story, barely managing to contain my tears. I held it together pretty well throughout the whole ordeal (only about 30 minutes, really), but now I'm feeling the effects. I was afraid that I wouldn't be missed for a long time -- see it happened at straight up noon -- most people were out of pocket for lunch already. They might have thought I was out for lunch and not miss me for a couple of hours.

So, now I'm waiting on a call or a visit from the building security manager to tell him the story. Hoping that my nerves settle a little first so that I don't start crying.

Totally random post to follow:

I can't even put together a full coherent sentence, so I'm just gonna make a list tonight.

• Went to Nashville for Zoe last weekend -- it is always good to get away. I saw quite a few friends from far and near -- Amy, Angie, Bret, Ofelia, Terri, Jean & Glynn, a boy named Brad from my middle school years (yikes - he has a 14 year old!!!!!!), of course Brandon, Mike, and probably so many more that I just can't remember tonight
• Sunday, I drove down to Tullahoma where I have family and spent the day with my aunt, grandma, and cousin and his family. It was a great homecooked Sunday lunch and good visiting time before I had to head back to the airport.
• On the plane to Nashville, when we parked at the gate the flight crew was extra vehement about us remaining buckled in our seats. Then 3 Nashville cops and a juvenile detention officer got on the plane and escorted a kid off in handcuffs. Don't know what the story there was, but it was definitely something different.
• Crazy, busy week because I found out that I'm taking another trip soon to count inventory....this time to our field office in Vernal, UT. Unless my memory is faulty, I don't believe I've ever been to Utah (beyond sticking my toe in at the Four Corners area). Should be very interesting, though it crunches a few deadlines in the next few weeks.
• Tonight I finally mowed my yard again -- I've been so consumed pulling out those bushes in the front that I hadn't taken the time to mow. Plus, I hacked down a bunch of plant garbage in the back yard tonight.
• Tomorrow I'm headed to the State Fair with my good friend Sarah - can't wait to see what new and unusual food there is to sample!!
• Thanks to one of the perks of my job, I'm headed to the Cowboys vs Patriots game on Sunday. Because it is such a big game, they are opening the gates early -- I'm praying that we don't have to sit through too much traffic or wait in an extremely long line to get in the stadium.

That's all for now, I think. I'm enjoying the rest of my evening relaxing on the couch and looking forward to the season premiere of Men in Trees in a few minutes.

Trimming the Hedges

Thanks to my brother-in-law, Phillip, I was able to (mostly) remove some fairly unruly hedges from my front yard tonight. I had borrowed his electric hedge trimmer to just try and tame the chaos --- and ended up 90 minutes later with five or six stumps. Yay!!!

So, does anyone have any tips or tricks on getting the stumps out? And how to protect my daylilies and iris while doing so? Should I just pull out the bulbs and replant later?





Before:
















After:

4 AM

When the alarm rings at 4 am, it is way too early.....and still oh so very dark outside.

update: yes, I am in Yuma again counting inventory.....the plane leaves at 6 am, so I have to get up way before breakfast to make it on time.....

Moving Day - revisited

One year ago today, I moved into my new house. Wow. I almost can't even believe that it has been a whole year!!! I was so very blessed to find a home that didn't require a lot of work -- not even really any painting! Still, it took a while to get settled and find a new home for all my stuff (and why do I have so much stuff?!?!).


Anyway, I am so thankful for my house. And determined to open up the doors more often this year to host family and friends.


Enjoy some before/after photos:

Fall Into Reading

Courtesy of Callapidder Days....my list of books to read between Sep 23 and Dec 21. Doubt I will make it through them all, but who knows? A few are loaned from my brother-in-law, Phillip, a couple are books that I won throughout the Spring in giveaways by Callapidder Days, the rest are from my friend Allyson who recently moved.

The Last Disciple...Hank Hanegraaff/Sigmund Brouwer
The Historian...Elizabeth Kostova
Over Her Head...Shelley Bates
Hope of Glory...Nicole Petrino-Salter
Tuesdays With Morrie...Mitch Albom
A Bend in the Road...Nicholas Sparks
Cocktails for Three...Madeleine Wickham
Cold Sassy Tree...Olive Ann Burns
Walden and other writings...Henry David Thoreau
Emily Ever After...Anne Dayton & May Vanderbilt
The Thief Lord...Cornelia Funke
The Navigator of New York...Wayne Johnston
Red House...Sarah Messer
Valley of the Dolls...Jacqueline Susann
Bergdorf Blondes...Plum Sykes
Shopaholic & Baby...Sophie Kinsella
Family Trust...Amanda Brown
Everyone Worth Knowing...Lauren Weisberger

Wild Hogs

I thought this movie sounded great when the previews first started showing. Somehow, though, I never made it to the theater to see it.

I finally rented Wild Hogs tonight......and it didn't disappoint. The sight of the motorcycles was enough to keep me interested, but it is really very funny too. Laugh out loud so I can hardly breathe funny at several points. I'd highly recommend it.

While the super Dolby surround sound of a theater probably would have enhanced the beautiful sound of the Harley pipes, watching the movie at home was just as satisfying.

Headed now to finish up laundry, then a good long night of sleep.

Reading update.....

So, here is the update since my last reading update post.....

Thr3e - Ted Dekker
The Innocent - Harlan Coben
Just One Look - Harlan Coben
The Irresistable Revolution - Shane Claiborne

Be watching this weekend for my entry into Fall Into Reading hosted by Callapidder Days. My friend Allyson recently moved and unloaded a lot of books onto my shelves, so I've got quite the list of upcoming books.

new license plates & scrapbooking

So my question of the day is this......why did I have to get new license plates?

I bought my car in November 2000. So, this November will be 7 years that I've had my car. When I renewed the registration, they sent me new license plates. WHY??

*********

I went on another scrapbook retreat this last weekend. And ..... drumroll, please ..... I finished my scrapbook! It started with my surprise 30th birthday party last year, covered my trips to New York and Germany, the purchase of my house last fall, and Christmas. Yay!! Now, I just have to decide if I have enough scrapbook-worthy things going on to start another.....or just come up with other projects for retreats.

My favorite part of these retreats is just being able to sit around a visit with these ladies from church that have become such mentors and friends. Church can be so hectic trying to chase kids, meet commitments, etc that it is hard to have time to really visit. These retreats provide hours and hours to talk, laugh, cry, and share with each other. It is so good.

One year ago....it is official

One year ago on this day of September 15, I signed scads of papers and officially became a homeowner. Yikes.

Next week, on September 23 (the official moving day), I'll share some before/after photos....

Projects

My friend Kelly came over last Thursday night and helped me re-think and reorganize my scrapbooking supplies and craft closet in my office. I don't have any "before" pictures, but the after make me very happy. Now I am able to find and pull out exactly what I need, rather than having to open and unload every container. We both love to organize and actually this was payback to me for a fun Saturday about four years ago when we spent the day organizing her closet.

Then over the weekend, I have been creating a quote canvas to hang in my dining room. I had never painted on canvas before, so it was a unique experience. It really wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I spent about 20 minutes priming the canvas with gesso on Friday night, spend about 30 minutes Saturday night rolling on the background color, and only about an hour today painting the words. I'm pleased with the result - no it is not perfect, but I think it looks pretty good for a novice!

I'm planning to do another canvas for Christmas decorations and swap them out.

Now, to sit and rest for a few minutes before I head out to my small group.....

Nerd Quiz

Courtesy of Udge

Rockin Girl Bloggers

Sarah has bestowed upon me the honor of:







Wow. Who knew!? So, according to the stipulation of accepting the award, I must now nominate 5 other Rockin' Girl Bloggers.

So, without further ado, and in no particular order, I nominate:

Princess Terri - she always has fun things to say and manages to make a pointed statement at the same time. Plus, she's just fun to hang out with!

Amanda - love seeing photos of her precious baby girl....and the creative way she uses that gift of photography to bless others.

Stephanie - one of my favorite blogfriends who I have not yet met in person -- love how she sprinkles wisdom in with everyday life.

Sara - love, love, love that my good friend is using wonderful techonology of blogland to share photos of precious baby Jenna.

Candy - love the encouragement and honesty that is displayed in this little corner of cyberspace. A prayer warrior that I am so glad to have on our side.

Sunday afternoon timewaster.....

Reading Update

Sarah referenced an article this morning that discussed American's reading habits and fact that 25% of Americans didn't read a single book in 2006.


It's been awhile since I gave you a 2007 reading update, so here it is.....this morning I started my 54th book of the year (Thr3e by Ted Dekker). I guess I skew the curve a bit.

When I was growing up I used to read constantly. After college, my reading slowed dramatically. I think it was because I was tired when I got home from work and I couldn't stay up until all hours of the night reading! Since I started riding the train to work last fall, I almost can't keep books in the house to read! I get about 20-25 minutes each way every day, plus I usually read for 30 minutes or so at lunch. That's at the very least an hour of reading time every day!

Since my last update, I've added the following books:

At Home in Mitford - Jan Karon
A Light in the Window - Jan Karon
These High Green Hills - Jan Karon
Out to Caanan - Jan Karon
A New Song - Jan Karon
A Common Life - Jan Karon
In this Mountain - Jan Karon
Shepherds Abiding - Jan Karon
Light from Heaven - Jan Karon
Perfecting Kate- Tamara Leigh
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J. K. Rowling
Tell No One - Harlan Coben
The Negotiator - Dee Henderson
The Guardian - Dee Henderson
The Truth Seeker - Dee Henderson
The Protector - Dee Henderson
The Healer - Dee Henderson
The Rescuer - Dee Henderson
Op Center - State of Siege - Tom Clancy
Black - Ted Dekker
Red - Ted Dekker
White - Ted Dekker

New proverbs

Got these in an email from my (almost) 95 year old Granddaddy this morning.....they're pretty cute!

A first-grade teacher had twenty-five students in her class, and she presented each child in her class the first half of a well-known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. It's hard to believe these were actually done by first graders. Their insight may surprise you. While reading these keep in mind that these are first graders, 6-year-olds, because the last one is classic!

1. Don't change horses......until they stop running.

2. Strike while the......bug is close.

3. It's always darkest before......Daylight Saving Time.

4. Never underestimate the power of ......termites.

5. You can lead a horse to water but ......how?

6. Don't bite the hand that ...... looks dirty.

7. No news is......impossible.

8. A miss is as good as a ...... Mr.

9. You can't teach an old dog new ......math.

10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll ...... stink in the morning.

11. Love all, trust ...... me.

12. The pen is mightier than the ......pigs.

13. An idle mind is......the best way to relax.

14. Where there's smoke there's ......pollution.

15. Happy the bride who......gets all the presents.

16. A penny saved is ......not much.

17. Two's company, three's......the Musketeers.

18. Don't put off till tomorrow what......you put on to go to bed.

19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and ......you have to blow your nose.

20. There are none so blind as ......Stevie Wonder.

21. Children should be seen and not ......spanked or grounded.

22 If at first you don't succeed ......get new batteries

23. You get out of something only what you ......see in the picture on the box.

24. When the blind lead the blind ......get out of the way.

And the WINNER and last one!
25. Better late than ......pregnant.

Catching up.....

I know, I know.....I've been away a while. Sorry.

I can say that I've been thoroughly enjoying my iPod. Two days after I bought it, my family left for our vacation -- a road trip this year to and through Tennessee. It was great fun to all spend a week together - though I think we all were tired of the car by the time we got back home.

This past weekend my church family had our first all-church retreat. It was so much fun - lots of extended fellowship and times to play. If it hadn't been quite so hot it would have been even better!

Beyond all that, it's really just the same ol thing.....work and life!

the dark side

I'm a PC girl. I always have been a PC girl (except for a vague memory of Apple IIe computers from middle school).

Daddy is a tech-geek and has worked in computers my whole life, so we have had a computer in the house since I was 5. The first computer I can remember that we had was a TRS-80 in about 1981. Over the years we had many different computers - but as technology evolved, we always stayed on the PC/Microsoft/Windows side of the fence. I had to use a PC/Mac combo in college for a certain class and it drove me insane, because I couldn't figure out how to make the Mac side do what I needed to do!

Last night, I switched over to the dark side......a least a little bit.....

I bought an iPod.

For several years, I've had mp3 capabilities on my PDA, but resisted going the way of the masses and following the herd to the Apple store, partially just on principle. In the last several months, though, I decided to check out iTunes and see what there was. Oh my goodness -- all the fun stuff to download and listen to and watch. But, I had to be tied to my computer at home to do it, because I couldn't sync any of that fun stuff to my PDA. Only boring mp3 music files on my 1 GB memory card.

In anticipation of the day I'd decide to just give it up and cave in to media hype and peer pressure, I have spent evenings and weekends the past few weeks burning all my CDs to iTunes. It was an enjoyable process - I forgot about a lot of the music that I own! Last night, I opened the iPod box, plugged it into my computer and VOILA! all my music is there!!! I found some podcasts and downloaded them this morning. On the train ride into work today, I listened to a Cash Cab podcast. So fun!!

Can't wait to rediscover all my forgotten music......and start to discover more! So, any suggestions for podcasts or new music to enjoy?

Spider

Last night I got home from bible study about 9:30. I hadn't been home yet from the day, so I walked out on my front porch to check the mail. As I turned to look at the street from the mailbox, I noticed a huge spiderweb with a fairly good sized spider - probably at least half-dollar size - in the center. Kinda creeped me out, so I ran back inside.

This morning as I was in the kitchen, I looked out the window to see the web.....and it was gone! Completely. No trace whatsoever. I don't know if that is typical of spiders at all, but it was interesting to me.....

Mattie Ruth

I went to NM this weekend to visit my friend Mollie's baby, Mattie Ruth. It was great to be able to love on this precious, much-prayed-for beautiful baby and her parents.

















Mattie & Me





































Sarah, me, Mattie and Mollie

















Mollie, Wade and Mattie