sick-sick-sick

*tip-toes* {207/365}
Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

I HATE being sick!

I can actually handle the aches and pains and even the coughing but when the head is stuffy…watch out!

The husband seems to be a getting better though. He went to the ER last Friday and I am trying to stick it out. I was not feeling as bad as him and was actually feeling much better yesterday, that is until I tried to go to bed last night. I ended up on the couch the entire night and did not sleep at all. I am SO congested! I thought that Sudafed would help but so far, nothing.

I managed to get dressed this morning and headed out to school in the blustery cold and was SO happy to be out of the house and to feel the cold air because I was just too hot! I was only able to handle class for an hour and then decided I would be better off at home. The husband also went to work today but as soon as he walked in the door they sent him right back home. Poor guy had to walk all the way to work in the cold rain.

Who knows when I will go back to class. Either way, I did bring home all my packets so hopefully I will get lots of work done.

sick

*learning to manage* {206/365}
Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

The husband came down with something a couple of days ago and I think he has now passed it on to me. I think he caught whatever it is when he went to Urgent Care for a totally different reason. Whatever it is...it is bad. I don't think I have ever had my chest hurt so bad. Hopefully I will not get it as bad as he did and hopefully it will go away soon.

So that is basically what I have been up to in a nutshell.

Today, it be raining

Today I am... {204/365}
Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

What a nice lazy day.

It is quite rainy and dark outside today. A nice day to do absolutely nothing. I just wish I didn’t have a list a mile long of stuff that needs to get done. Well at least I know that the laundry will not get done so I won’t even worry about it. I guess that is the only bad thing about having to walk outside to the laundry. At least it does not rain too often.

Lately, I have been feeling somewhat blah and I don’t know why. It just seems to come and go. Whenever I want to do something creative, I suddenly feel tired. Maybe my brain is full. Who knows? Hopefully after the next couple of weeks I will be in a more creative mood.

On a much brighter note….I am on the last chapter in my Medical Terminology book. I hope to test out of that this coming week and cannot wait to celebrate when I turn in the book. I am SO excited to be so close to finishing the school portion of my training. I am just hoping that I get an actual job instead of an externship. There is a chance of that. I had mentioned it before and it actually looks like I am one-step closer. So please keep your fingers crossed.

People must really like bananas

I had a lovely surprise when I visited my flickr account last night. My green banana hat picture that I posted yesterday had over 66 hits! (This afternoon it is now up to 76 hits) Not only that but my total account had 252 hits! Just for yesterday! My most popular picture only has 289 hits and the rest maybe average 10/20 hits ever. I cannot believe that THAT many people came to see my pictures yesterday.

Now only if they would comment and tell me if they are any good. LOL!

Who knew that bananas would be the way to go? Today's topic (if I chose to accept it) is "The Eyes." Normally I would LOVE to do a photo of my eyes, but lately they seem to always be bloodshot. Now how sexy is that? I don't think I can ever top the excitement of a green banana hat though. Everyone that participated had the best pictures and one even made it to Explore! If you check it out, you'll see why. It cracks me up everytime I see it. They were all hilarious and so very creative.

Everyone needs a green banana hat!

Believe me, they are ALL the rage!

All the cool kids have one!

Just wait! Green Banana Hats will be on the cover of all the savy magazines this coming season!

C'mon! You know you wanna!

I never had so much fun taking a self-portrait. I guess I need to use more props. Props = FUN!

You know what isn't fun? School. It is very hard being back at school after a 3-day weekend. I am SO running out of time to finish. Not the time the school has given me, which is until May. But the time I have given myself. My own personal finish line. I need to finish by the time I set for myself or else I will go bananas. LOL!

weekend un-accomplishments

*exposed* {198/365}
Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

I had such high hopes for this weekend.

I made a list of stuff that needs to get done. I still have a lot to cross off and the weekend is over. Well to be honest it is not a list just for the weekend but I was hoping to accomplish more than I did.

I brought home lots of homework but never cracked open a book.

I wanted to scrapbook but cannot seem to get motivated. I found a box of old unfinished layouts and I did finish off one of them, but the others...no such luck. I need to print out journaling for some but I don't have any ink for the printer. It has been over a year since I last had printer ink but every time I go to buy some, I cringe at the $50 price tag. I have not minded so much since I really want to start using my own handwriting more on my pages but I do have some that require a ton of journaling and I really need a printer for that.

About the only thing I did do this weekend was finally watch the movies that have been sitting on the shelf for weeks. I can finally send those back to Netflix. Yay! One thing crossed off the list.

I also got my photos uploaded for my 365days project. It feels good to be caught up. Can you believe I am now on day 202!!!!! I cannot believe how fast time flies.

T.G.I.F

*All*Star Reflection*
Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

Today did not start out at all like I had planned.

I had planned to wake up nice and refreshed from a super resting slumber but instead woke up with a headache. I almost did not even make it into class today but I dragged my butt out of bed and got myself ready. On the way to class I almost turned back when my stomach turned queasy. Good thing it was cold outside (30 degrees cold! At 8:30am even!). So down the window went. The cool air helped a lot!

It was really important that I took a particular test today. Feeling ill did not help me with any last minute studying. The café was closed so that meant no coffee. It did not help that someone was messing with the cooling/heating system and turned on the A/C full blast (remember it was 30 degrees this morning). I finally felt well enough (and warm enough) to take the test. I really struggled with this one. I was not as confident with this test as I have been with the others. I hope that I don’t fail it too badly.

My eyes sure are tired!

*toes are weird* {190/365}
Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

Lots and lots of testing this week pretty much has me drained. I did not realize how much until this afternoon. I just could not study anymore! I am looking forward to having a day off tomorrow. I hope to catch up on a few things, especially scrapping. But, knowing me, I will probably sleep too late and end up doing nothing productive. Who knows, maybe I’ll paint my toenails.

This week I have been watching the Comanche Moon mini-series this week. Did any of you watch it? It is the prequel to Lonesome Dove. I thought I had seen Lonesome Dove but now I think that maybe I have not. Now I need to go and rent it; or get the book.

Just so you know, I always try to respond to all comments left on my blog. So, I hope those of you that leave comments subscribe to them. ‘Cause I don’t want you all to think that I am ignoring you. ;)

My first EXPLORE!

Wow!

Who would have thought!

Life is worth living now! LOL!

Seriously! Can you tell I am excited?

For those that are not familiar with Flickr. Explore is the top 500 most interesting photos uploaded on a particular day. This one made it to #445. I'll take it!!

Not much scrapping being done at the moment. That is not good for someone that is attempting to scrap a page a day. My total? Three! That is good for me though.

I should be finished with my training (and ready for my externship) in about a month. I am working hard at getting everything completed. I took 4 tests yesterday and that pretty much wiped me out. Today, I have only taken one.

Yesterday we also talked to the company where I will be doing my externship. Since it won’t be a hospital I will actually be able to code. I am looking forward to that and hope that at the end of the month when I am to start my externship that they still want me. Another bonus about this company is that they are only one street away from where I live. Hopefully when I finish my externship, I will then be able to quickly find a job.

Speaking of a job. I need a part-time one. Any ideas on where I could go? It would have to be places that are opened nights and weekends. I was thinking places like Target, JoAnns or Michaels. I wonder if they hire part-time help.

Two pages ~ one layout = *FOUR*

Well it is finished. It only took a week of sitting on the table but it finally got done. I had to buy some more alphabet rub-ons in order to finish what I started though. Rub-ons sure do take a lot of work, especially the really tiny ones.

Can you believe these pictures are from 2001? Yikes! Talk about old pictures. These are the first pictures that I have scrapped that have my Uncle in them. Maybe now I can scrap more recent pictures of him.

I am not too sure that this layout is finished though. I had wanted to put the date on the page but the place that I had planned to put it did not work out. I also think that it needs something in that white space in the middle of the page. What do you think? So far, everything I have tried has made it too busy.

So that makes Four pages for the year but only Three uploaded for the LOAD challenge. Hmmmm considering that I *should* be on layout 11, I think I need to step up the pace. Well, actually considering this is *me* we are talking about…I think I am right on target. LOL!

A less scrappy post

**new chuckies**
Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

No scrappy content to share.

Sorry.

Not that you all come here just for the scrappiness. Right?

I thought that on those days that I would be in class, that it would be easier to work on a partially completed scrapbook layout when I got home than to create a brand new one from scratch. So after a full day of testing on Monday, I got home and pulled out a folder that contained some layouts in various stages of completion. I pulled out a stack of photos and the papers that I had chosen to go with them years ago and sat down to see what I could do. I just so happened to chose a layout that was not even really started. The pictures were matted and that was it. The paper I had chosen was faded and icky. It had been so long since I had started to scrap these pictures that my style had changed. I pulled of the cardstock mats from the back of the pictures and tried to see how I could scrap them. It was kind of hard since the pictures had already been cropped. I think though that I did manage to come up with an arrangement that would work. I used paint and had to wait for it to dry.

I probably could have finished up Monday night but I started to not feel well. Before Christmas, I had a day where I had really bad back pain that wrapped around to the front of my chest. On Monday night I had a feeling of heaviness in my chest. I decided it would be best to just go to bed.

I tried to sleep as well as I could and in the morning I still felt bad. I stayed home from school and slept most of the day. I did manage to glue down the painted pieces onto my layout but it still needs a couple of things.

Last night I slept much better. Sadly, the husband did not. He has not been able to sleep for days and I am starting to get worried.

So far this morning has been good. I still feel heavy in the chest and wishing for an inhaler. The classroom is freezing and has cold A/C coming out of the vents. Finally someone came to look at it and nothing has changed. People are planning on leaving it is so cold. I really want to accomplish a lot today so I am going to try to stick it out. I hope to have actual scrappy content to share with you all tomorrow.

Now there are *TWO*

I woke up this morning a bit under the weather. It seems the more I actually take allergy medicine the more I seem to feel terrible when I stop taking it. Today, the in-laws were going to stop by and the husband decided to vacuum the rug and the couches. That was the worst! Our vacuum cleaner is pretty new (well 2004 is still considered new right?) and I loved it when we first bought it but now, not so much. We never had any problems with it but something must have happened when we used it to clean that last day in our apartment. Now whenever we turn it on it STINKS! Kind of a musty/moldy smell but there is no mold. B ran that vacuum forever and the smell really made my head pound. I just wanted to go back to bed but cleaned up the bathroom and the litter box, which did not help at all with my headache.

After our company left, and I took a little nap, I was able to finish the layout I had started last night. I had used paint and it took awhile to dry so I had to wait. This brings me to a question. For those of you that have used Heidi Swapp paint. Do you find that the paint really does not dry completely? I painted some chipboard and it took awhile to dry and even still, it is quite sticky. I notice her paint is quite rubbery compared to say the Making Memories paint. So have any of you encountered this?

And now…here it is…the reason for the title of this post…my 2nd layout of the year. I wonder how long I can keep this up.

I have *ONE*

That is…one finished layout for 2008! It only took me a few days but it is finished and uploaded to the LOAD challenge gallery. Go me! ;)

I started out wanting to create a round page since I have never scrapped a shaped page before. I had planned to cut the photo edges so that the layout would be totally round but then I got to thinking how this layout would look once it was in the scrapbook. I just *knew* it would bug me to have the next page in my scrapbook showing thru. So, I decided to not cut the photos and to stick the round shape down onto a regular page. Now I no longer have to stress. LOL! I am very happy with how it turned out.

happy friday night

{180/365}
Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

School-wise, today was a very productive day. The rest of the day, not so much.

I was only at school for 4.5 hours today (that is as long as they are opened on Friday) but I think I accomplished more today than during a full school day which is 9 hours. I am trying to finish up the rest of my coursework within the next 3 weeks so it is study-study-study.

It will be so unreasonably busy around here this month. Not only do I have my schoolwork, I also have to find a part-time job…oh and I went ahead and signed up to do LOAD (layout-a-day). But only ‘cause all the cool kids are doing it and I have always had a longing to be cool. That being said…I did not a bit of scrapping tonight and the layout I am currently working on is going on maybe it’s 3rd day of construction.

This afternoon we ran a few errands. We had to stop by the mall for just a minute and you would think it was still the holidays. The parking lot was packed! Got home exhausted and ready to just relax. Poor hubby has been up since 3:30am this morning! I don't think that it helped any that it was so warm outside and I was wearing long sleeves. The hubby was more prepared for the weather in his shorts and t-shirt. Supposedly it is supposed to feel like winter on Sunday. :)

Tonight we watched 1408 (the unrated version). That movie was just too spooky for me. I hate ghosts and really hate it when things just pop up on the screen. I spent most of the time with my eyes mostly shut because I just knew something was going to happen and then when I did open them I got freaked out because I opened them at the wrong time. LOL!

Well I guess I had better do the dishes before turning in for the night.

Nighty-Night!

*knock*knock*

{179/365}
Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

Is this thing on?

I find it kind of funny that people I know don’t read this blog and people I don’t know do. That is why I find it so weird that I worry about what I put up on the blog. I worry so much about hurting people’s feelings but if they don’t even read it why should I worry so much. I am not talking about being mean to someone about what I post but really putting my feelings out there. I worry that some people I know would be offended. But, if they don’t even read it, why should it bother me? It does kind of make me sad that my own friends – well the very few that I have, don’t even read my blog. Especially since I kind of hoped it would help those that live so far away keep in touch.

Today was the husband’s birthday. The big THREE-EIGHT! We spent a nice day at home. He had a friend come over and Rock Band was played. I on the other hand tried to finish up a layout I started yesterday. I don’t know why it takes me so long to finish a page. I don’t think I would make a very good candidate for doing any Layout-a-Day challenges. My 365 day project is still moving along though. I am already half-way thru the project. Time sure does fly! Oh and the layout? Still not finished.

Happy January 2nd!

*me*
Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

So how is 2008 treating you so far?

My New Year’s Eve was pretty laid back.

I spent the day being lazy and spent some time reading a book in our new recliner. Have I forgotten to mention my new friend, the recliner? A matching recliner was given to us for Christmas from the in-laws. It is oh so comfy. I actually have to fight with the cat in order to get to sit in it. It is her new favorite place too.

New Year’s Eve (night) was spent on the computer organizing photos in my new Photoshop Elements 6.0 Organizer. If only I could use the actual Elements program. The Organizer works but the Editor gives out lots of errors and I cannot do anything with it. Since I cannot return the program and I do not have the funds to contact Adobe technical support I am stuck with a very expensive Organizer. I do have Photoshop 5.0 Limited Edition on my system and that works just fine but I don’t get all the bells & whistles. Since it is the bells & whistles that are currently not working in the new version, I am pretty bummed out. I am to the point that I am afraid to spend any money at all since all the purchases I make always seem to end up being terrible decisions. No wonder I can spend hours in the store trying to decide if I should buy something, I am always worried it is the wrong thing to buy. So for now the rest of my Christmas money has been put away and knowing me it will end up being used for bills or rent.

On New Year’s Day, I cleaned and had a nice little chat with one of my neighbors. Then since I had to go back to school the next day, I went to bed early like a good little girl and ended up tossing and turning the entire night. Lately, I have had problems falling asleep and last night was no exception. All the other nights of sleeplessness were no problem since I was on vacation and could sleep late. I could not do that this morning though because of school.

Now onto the subject of school…

I think it is going to take me some time to get back in the swing of things. I really need to concentrate and I think my mind is still in “vacation mode.” I did manage to take 2 tests today and there may hopefully be some good news soon on maybe a job opportunity but I don’t want to get my hopes up too soon. So keep your fingers crossed!

The last day

Now what kind of blogger would I be if I did not blog this last day of the year? This eve of the New Year?

I never really get excited about the beginning of a New Year. The days will pretty much be the same after the New Year begins except I will become another year older and I will need to remember to write 2008 on my checks. But in a way I am kind of looking forward to the new year. I hope that it is much better than the last 365 days. Not that 2007 was all bad but major bad things ended up happening that have changed how I live my life. My Uncle’s passing did make these recent holidays hard, as it will all future holidays. Losing my job has thrown me for a loop. I am still not working but I am getting to the point where I really need to find at least a part-time job. Starting school was another big change. I have always loved school and learning something new is always a bonus. I miss seeing my old friends from work though. No one really stays in touch and that is sad. The husband was in a car wreck and the kitty got sick. So much happened I cannot even remember it all. One bright spot of 2007 was that it snowed. Now that was cool! Oh and “The Move.” How could I have forgotten about “The Move?”

This New Year should bring some interesting changes as well such as starting a new job and hopefully attending my 20th high school reunion (Man! I am old!).

The husband and I are home tonight. We have never really been ones to go out on New Year’s Eve. We will probably be asleep way before the clock strikes midnight.

i be lazy

{178/365}
Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

What can I say?

This entire holiday break consisted of me being just plain lazy. I am running out of days and all the things I had planned to do over this break have not gotten done. I am not in the mood to go back to school. Not yet.

I cannot believe that tomorrow is New Years Eve. This year is almost finished. I am really looking forward to a new year - one with much better changes than what happened in 2007. I have never felt that way before. I always took things as they came but let me tell you...2007 is a year that I will not forget. So much happened this past year that I am surprised that I did not lose my sanity.

I was exhausted when this picture was taken. To read the reason why, click on the photo and it will take you to the story.

There's no place like home for the holidays...

There's no place like home for the holidays...
Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

I cannot believe it is the day before Christmas Eve! Wow! Christmas is here!

So are you all ready? The poor husband is out shopping right this very minute. Hopefully he finds something quickly and comes home without being super stressed out. Especially since he is shopping for my gift. All the other gifts have been purchased and I need to spend this afternoon wrapping them all up. I am only going to wrap them but let the husband do the bows. The husband and his Mom have a war going to see who can tie the better bow. I am sure this year will be quite interesting.

Last night we watched the movie Stardust. Have you seen it? I thought it was a cute story and even made me laugh. Thumbs up on this one.

It's almost Christmas!!

{157/365}
Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

I cannot believe there is only a week until Christmas. I have so much to do this week that I am sure it will just fly past at an alarming rate.

I was not feeling well at all yesterday (Monday) so I left class early and headed home. I started to feel a bit better by the evening. I did have to run out and return the present that the husband bought for his mom. The mall was crazy! I did manage to find a super close parking spot but still had to walk to the other side of the mall to make my return. I managed to buy my mom something and I picked up the husband’s gift. He always knows what he is getting so I am NOT looking forward to wrapping it but I want something nice looking under the tree. When I bought his gift all the geeky boys in the geeky store (did I mention it was a geeky boy store?) ran over to watch me make my purchase. They were drooling and sad that they never got to see one out of the box. It was all too funny really.

Today, I am back in class and trying hard to concentrate. Lots of people asking for my help so I have been pretty distracted. I skipped lunch in the hopes of leaving a bit early today. Plus it is freezing in this room! Not just the everyday regular freezing I complain about but the actual A/C is on! And it is winter! Calls have been made since Friday (when it started) to complain but nothing has come from it. In fact today it is even colder!!! Who needs the air conditioning blowing when it is less than 60 degrees outside! Crazy I tell ya!

So how is your Christmas shopping going? Finished yet?

So...

Have you seen the movie, "I am Legend?" Did you like it? I want to see the movie but I am trying to decide if I should see it in the theatre or just wait until it comes to video. If you have seen it, do you think it is worth it to wait?

It is getting down to the wire with Christmas shopping. The husband went out today and bought gifts for his parents. One which I will have to return tomorrow (or sometime this week) since it is a duplicate. Hopefully, I can return it since it is a book. Are books returnable? Wish me luck as I brave the mall. Yikes!! I still have to buy my gift for said husband and for my parents. I never go to the mall but this year I am out of luck as it seems that is where I will be purchasing all my gifts.

So tell me...which picture do you like better? Color or Black & White?

Snowmen like it cold...

{155/365}
Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

...but I do NOT!

It is freezing in the classroom and the Café is closed. :( No coffee today. Of course I really do need coffee today.

This morning started out with having a flat tire. I made it to a gas station but had to ask if they even had an air pump as it was hidden. I am so glad I did not have to keep looking for one and that the one I did find was free. Free is always nice.

Today is a short day of school. I did manage to take a major test today so it’s all good. Now I just need to decide on what I want to work on next.

Yesterday the husband and I drove to the mall to buy a gift for the boy (aka the oldest nephew). The store did not have what I wanted to buy him so we had to drive all the way across town to a different mall that did have it. Yay! Another present purchased. That makes two! LOL!

After the mall we stopped at Best Buy. The husband really wants a PSP3 but they are not backward compatible. They don’t play PSP2 games. He has been doing a ton of research and I guess that he will be able to play some of his PSP2 games on the PSP3 but only if he buys the most expensive (80GB) and he may have to download some game emulators to make it work. We keep hearing that there was a 60GB version that played everything but Sony has discontinued that version. :( It is times like this that it really bugs me how the large companies steal our money. Not that it doesn’t bug all the other times. They make 2 versions of a game system but you cannot play your old games unless you buy the more expensive model and then with that one it is a maybe. Bad, bad, bad move.

This kind of reminds me of what one of the local scrapbook stores here in town does. They offer a reward to those that spend the most in their stores. There are two levels, (Silver & Gold) depending on how much you spend. However, the store cannot tell you if you have spent enough to have reached one of the levels. We will call it the “special club.” So if you make the “special club” one year and spend the same amount of money the next year that does not mean you will be in the “special club.” I got a postcard in the mail that stated I was $100 away from reaching Gold status (which is the highest level). It told me that I needed to spend this amount before the end of the year but that even if I did spend this amount that did not mean I would reach Gold status. Gold status is dependant on the amount spent by their super best customer. So you get those with tons of disposable income coming into the store and jacking up the amount we have to spend in order to get even a little bit of benefit. I can spend thousands in that store and still not make it into the “special club.” I was there a month or so ago and a lady was just throwing stuff on the counter. When they told her she was already at $250 and she was still piling things on the counter, I walked away. It did not help my mood any to see her waving around a Gold status coupon. Must be nice to have that much money and get a huge discount because of it.

Okay. I really did not want this post to end up being a gripe. Just a couple of things I have been thinking about lately.

* Foggy

{149/365}
Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

My drive this morning was quite interesting. The city was covered in fog so thick you could only see a car if it was right in front of you. Forget seeing any of the stop lights. I had no problems driving to school but let me tell you…those that drive in fog without any headlights are idiots! They were also the ones that were driving fast and changing lanes. Except for those idiots, traffic was not bad; I think it was the best driving day so far.

With all my school work, I have not been keeping up to date with all the holiday preparations. I did not plan on sending out any Christmas cards but the hubby started bugging me about them. He only wanted me to send out a couple so that is good. I decided to just send cards to a few family members and those that sent me one last year. Can I tell you that I mailed babies of this morning! I am so excited! I am so ahead of the game. I usually don’t send out our cards until the week before Christmas and I am sure everyone gets them a few days after the holiday. I may send out a handful more (like to friends) but I am not pushing it.

Our tree is decorated but the Christmas storage boxes are still out and the tree is looking a bit bare. Usually it is in a corner and we don’t decorate the back. This year, we have to decorate the entire thing. I think we need more ornaments.

Took two (2) tests yesterday, today…not so much. I had planned to complete a couple but only took one. Some of these sections are quite larger than I anticipated. I met with the instructor today and it appears that we will have to submit an extension in January. :(

So tell me, what do you think of this picture? I posted it to my stream but I guess no one likes it. :( I knew I should have picked that other picture.

* It's wet - wet - wet!

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Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

It is quite wet outside and oh so chilly.

It has been raining since I left school yesterday. The hubby had quite a hail storm outside his work and so I had to drive over and pick him up. I did not drive thru any rain the entire way and when I got to his work, the huge storm was already over. Once we got home, it rained and it is still raining. I am not used to the rain so it is quite exciting. Of course I am inside (without a window) so I am missing it. I REALLY want to see the snow capping the mountains but they are covered in clouds.

Yesterday, I was able to take one test. I now just have to wait for it to get graded. I have two that I am waiting on and one of them was the hardest test I have had to take yet. At least it was the last one on that particular subject matter (ICD-9).

Now I am off to take another test. Wish me luck!

brrrrr…it’s cold outside!

*belonging* {143/365}
Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

It is finally starting to feel a bit more like winter. I like that. Now I can wear my nice soft and warm sweaters. Tonight the mountains around town should get even more snow and we should get even more rain. It was quite foggy this morning while I was driving to school. Yet we had to turn the A/C on this morning. Go figure!

Speaking of school…

I am supposed to be in class for 30 hours a week. I cannot complete a section until I test out of it and that can only be done in class. There are also sections that can only be completed in class (and not at home). On Friday, we got kicked out of class early because the hours have been changed. Too bad no one ever mentioned the change in hours to either the students or even to some of the staff. I was not a happy camper to have to leave early. I have my class days all planned out and I was unable to complete the sections I had planned. I now also have to change my entire weekly schedule to accommodate the change in hours. Since I am already at school 9 hours a day (plus a little over 1 hour drive time), I really don’t have a way to fit in any additional time. Plus each month, the department seems to close earlier and earlier. I am so not a happy camper.

On a brighter note…Candy Cane Hershey Kisses! Need I say more?

* Just one of those days

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Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

Today did not start out very well. The hubby and I had an argument and so I was not in the best of moods when I got to class.

There is one lady that bugs the heck out of me (and others). She was in the little side room where I sit with 3 other people today. She has a seat in the main classroom but for some reason she feels she can only study the medical stuff in our little room. When I got to class, I noticed that the chair I use was missing. This chair is not a regular classroom chair but an office chair. It was adjusted to fit me. This lady was sitting in my chair. I did not say anything to her but she finally overheard me looking for a chair to sit in and made a comment that she did not know it was mine. Hard to believe considering it was at a desk with my full name on it and she moved it down the row. So she gives it back. She had changed EVERYTHING about the chair. All the settings (height, angle, etc) were changed. I was SO not a happy camper. Not only did I have to readjust everything, but the chair reeked of smoke and she only sat in it for a short while. In fact the ENTIRE room smelled so bad today. I just had to mention it to the instructor. I found out later in the afternoon that I am not the only one that found it to be a problem. Other people in our small room complained as well. This is also the lady that yelled at the instructor when the instructor was helping another student. Let’s just say she has issues.

I did hear today that one of the gals in my class already got offered a position for a job. She is barely into her 2nd week of her externship. I am so happy for her. I hope that I am just as lucky.

* drained

{141/365}
Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

I am happy that this Monday is pretty much over. It was such a weird day. I really had problems concentrating and pretty much felt like I was in a fog the entire morning. Everyone else I talked to felt pretty much the same. Just one of those mornings I guess.

I ended up taking 2 coding tests today. Boy they are getting harder and harder. I really had wanted to complete more than 2 sections but it takes over an hour to complete each section and no less than one hour for the test. The coding final is even worse. The instructor says that some people have taken 2 days to complete. The gal who sat next to me took the ENTIRE day (8+ hours) to complete hers. I am NOT looking forward to that.

Here's hoping that Tuesday is more productive.

* Wool is itchy

*YAY!* {137/365}
Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

I am so glad I don’t have to wear it all the time. Well I don’t have to wear it ever, but I have such a pretty sweater and it was so cold and rainy yesterday that I just HAD to wear it. It rained the ENTIRE day yesterday. It was 100% chance of rain and that is just what it did. It got really bad around midnight with huge gusts of wind and hard pouring rain…then it stopped. Just like that.

Today it looks a bit dryer outside but I have only briefly glanced out the window. I hope it stays dry so I can do some laundry.

Thank you to all that took the time to comment on my last post. I appreciate the words of encouragement.

My instructor has been on vacation this past week but I did see her briefly on Friday. I mentioned again how I did not have enough time and I think she realized that I was supposed to be on a faster track. She mentioned that we could probably do an extension but I really don’t want to have to do that. See… once I am finished with this program, I can then look for a job. I REALLY want to go back to work. I NEED to go back to work. My unemployment also runs out in January so I am SUPER motivated to finish. I took seven tests last week and I hope to crank out even more next week. Lots of subjects I still need to cover.

On a much better note…

Remember my eBay saga?

I can finally say that it is finished! YAY!

I had purchased a Silhouette from an eBay seller and she took off with my money. Well she did not actually take off because I did finally talk to her on the phone. She said she felt so bad about the whole situation and in the same breath kept bragging about how much money she just made selling Tupperware and did I want to buy some Creative Memories from her. I don’t really trust someone when they tell me they do not have any money to pay me back but then tells me she just made $600.00.

PayPal would only return $200.00 of my purchase and when I submitted a chargeback for the remaining $99.00, PayPal just ignored it. eBay also ignored all claims. But I am happy to finally say that after many phone calls and emails to the bank, I finally found a $99.00 deposit in my account the other day. Happy times!!!!!

Realization

{135/365}
Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

I have come to the realization that I am running out of time to finish all my school work. I actually came to this realization back in September when I received my first review.

My instructor wants every student to complete one chapter a week in Medical Terminology. However, there are more chapters than I have weeks. I also have many other subjects that I still need to complete. By testing out of most of the course's lower subjects, my time in class was reduced. I have to finish all my coursework by the first week of January. It does not help that we are off of school the week of Christmas/New Years. I also have to find a place to do my externship. Oh and then there is getting ready for the holidays. Stress is good right?

*mirror mirror on the wall*

*mirror mirror on the wall* {134/365}
Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

I always thought it would be cool to have a twin. But then when I really think about it....she would most likely be prettier than I, smarter than I, and a lot more popular. Since I pretty much feel that way about everyone else BUT me, why would I need a twin for that?

I am finding it very hard to concentrate this week and it is ONLY Tuesday. Well I think it is Tuesday. I don't remember because I cannot seem to focus. My school work is suffering as well.

I don't know if it is because this week is a short week and underneath it all I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving or if it is something else. I just cannot put my finger on it.

Maybe it is because there is a new toy waiting for me at home. Who knows.

All I know is that I don't like feeling like I am in a daze the entire day. Maybe because we hit a record of 88 degrees yesterday and it is November and it should not be THAT hot. Maybe I just need a nap. Goodness knows the entire box of chocolate I just ate did not help any.

hello.

It is weird how out of touch you can be when you stay away from the computer. I have not touched it in days and because of that, I forget what day it is. LOL~ It really does feel nice though. It was a nice break.

Nothing too exciting going on around here. The highlight of my weekend was taking my car in to emissions. It passed. I always breathe easier after the test is finished. Not that I expected my car to fail, but it is a test after all and I never know how well my car has studied before hand.

I also stopped by one of the local scrap stores to check out the new Creative Café. I really was not impressed. I bought a couple of felt pieces but that was about it. It really is quite pricey. I guess it is supposed to be a make-n-take station but this store is just selling the products. I spent $10 on 3-yards of felt ribbon and 7 small die-cut felt pieces. I cannot believe I did that!

Today B and I went to do a bit of grocery shopping. The first store we went to was a mob scene. Being the weekend before Thanksgiving we should have realized it would be crowded. B wanted to buy a Butterball turkey and it was too expensive at Fry’s. They wanted $1.29/pound {with card}. It was their most expensive brand. So, we decided to buy the turkey at Albertson’s where my mom bought hers. What a difference! That store was practically deserted. Their prices are higher on things but they were selling Butterball turkeys for .99cents/pound {no card needed}. We are planning on going to my family for Thanksgiving but B always likes to buy our own turkey so we can have left-overs. Nothing beats left-over turkey!

The all-in-one creative update

I keep mentioning that I would share current pages and I never got around to it. So here it is. The all-in-one post. Much more creative and upbeat than my posts of late.


Here are a some of my most recent Scrappay Divas challenge pages:

Scrap an Object



Supplies used:

Bazzill - cardstock & flower
American Crafts - letter stickers
Dollar Tree - foam letters
Heidi Swapp - ribbon
ric-rak
button

This is a picture of one of B’s fancy dinners.


Stamping on patterned paper



Supplies used:

Basic Grey: patterned paper, chipboard, tag
Autumn Leaves: brads, flourish stamp
Making Memories: paint
Doodlebug: gem
Colorbox: chalk ink
ribbon

I really liked this challenge. I finally used my flourish stamps and the stamping actually looks like it is originally part of the patterned paper.

And I also wanted to share another page that I did just for the fun of scrapping but it seems like Blogger is not being very cooperative. :(

So until next time....be creative!

hectic

Last night and this morning have been quite hectic. I think I have had my fill of stress for the entire month.

B picked me up from class late last night because the car was over heating. He had to stop to let it cool off for a bit. Of course this is the day he also had the cell phone and it was left at home. We had problems before with the car overheating and it was due to the relay switch for the fan not turning on. The car heats up while it is stopped and usually cools down while it is moving. B wanted me to drive and even though I prefer to drive, it was hard not to get stressed out with B freaked out that the car would explode at every stop light. He did not want me to stop for anyting. I can tell you I did NOT enjoy the drive home.

This morning was also stressful. Today B has a couple of job interviews. The first one was at 9am and I have to be at school at 8am. We left a little early this morning in order for B to make it to his interview on time. On the way to school we got stopped by a train. A very LONG train! A very LONG and SLOW train on a rarely used track. We were stopped for a good 10 minutes or more and we decided it would be better to just drive back home (we were already more than half-way to school). We got home in time for B to go to his interview and then we drove me back to school. I had all these plans of taking lots of tests this morning and now I don’t really see that happening.

On a good note…

B was offered a job from this morning’s interview. YAY! Now he just has to see if he gets an offer from the other interview (it is a callback (2nd) interview). If he takes the first offer he will start tomorrow. :)

See this picture?

*Do a little dance* {111/365}
Originally uploaded by DreamsOfNyssa

It is such a silly little picture. However it has now become my most popular photo on Flickr. It is even more popular than my ankle picture. It has been invited to a group and even gotten a couple of kudos. How cool is that?

My home computer has been having issues. The main issue is that I still have dial-up. Go ahead and laugh. I will wait.

At least I have XP on the thing. I won’t tell you how long it took me to upgrade. Well if you are a regular reader of my blog you already know.

I have been having problems downloading my email at home and it has made me grumpy. I think it is finally working now though. I hate that it takes so long to do things though. However since I don’t have $50+ to spend on an Internet connection, I will stick with my $20 dial-up.

This week I am trying to test out of as many packets as I can. All my lessons are set up by packets/chapters. I work at my own pace and test when I am ready. I have been working on insurance packets. Insurance is confusing and boring. How does anyone ever understand Medicare?

Time moves so quickly

What a waste of a weekend. I think the antibiotics I am on have made me feel worse than before I started to take them. The doctor has me taking 2000mg a day for what she “thinks” is the start of a sinus infection. I spent all day Saturday in bed except for a few hours to watch Torchwood and a movie. On Sunday I did manage to get myself out of bed but I never got dressed and just sat around the house. I got NOTHING done.

Today, of course I am much better. Isn’t that the way it always goes? I guess I cannot get too upset about getting sick over the weekend since I did not have to miss any days of class.

Speaking of class….I am starting to stress that I won’t finish in time. Who am I kidding? I have been stressing all along. I am supposed to be finished completely (with Internship) by the beginning of February. That means my class work needs to be finished by the beginning of January. The goal is supposed to be one med-term chapter a week. I have a lot more chapters than I have weeks.

spinning round

The room is spinning. Yikes!

I finally broke down and decided to get my ear checked out. It was starting to bother me. I was dizzy and it felt like I had water in my ear. So yesterday I went to Urgent Care where I wasted 3+ hours and $100 to be told there was nothing in my ear. That is what I had feared. I was given antibiotics and I started those last night. I decided since I had missed the entire morning of school that I would just stay home. I am happy that I did because as the day wore on I just felt terrible.

This morning I woke up feeling a little better but I am still dizzy. I came into class today and I hope that I make it through the day. It is hard to concentrate when the room feels like it is spinning.

So that is where I am right now. Probably starting a sinus infection and dreading getting out of bed in the morning.

I did want to let you all know about a lot more interesting stuff – like one of my silly photos being really popular, some layouts I never shared and that Blogger finally now offers comment emails. But that will have to wait until AFTER I have some coffee. Maybe that will slow down the spinning. Ya think?

I did something stupid

I think I have something stuck in my ear. I say think because at first I just KNEW that I did, then B got me thinking that maybe I don’t. So now I really don’t know. Sometimes my ear feels different and sometimes it doesn’t. I don’t know if I am imagining it – ya know?

I have no way of knowing for sure. I sure did wish I knew of someone that could just look into my ear for free. I don’t want to go to the ER and then be told that I have to pay hundreds for them to tell me that nothing is in there. Being poor sucks!

dreams

I had the most terrible dream last night and I have not been able to shake it all morning. Usually I cannot remember my nightmares. I only find out that I have been having one when I wake up screaming, kicking and hitting. I usually even end up jumping out of bed. Only a select few remain in my memory. The ones that don’t make me wake up screaming. The really bad ones. I have had a couple of unsettling dreams lately involving members of my family and I am starting to get freaked out by it.

Please send scrapping vibes...

Lots of fun scrapping contests going on this past weekend. Lots of “Croptoberfests, if you will.”

I had hoped to participate in a few but my scrapping mojo is a bit low right now. Still, I checked out the challenges and started to look thru my photos. I had great intentions of at least scrapping one page, but I had a problem finding any “fall” type pictures. Nothing too “fall-y” when it comes to the desert. I could not even find any non-fall type pictures that I wanted to work with either. I have not ordered any new photos in quite some time and I am a bit bored with these old photos I have on hand. I really should scrap them but I want new ones to play with. Maybe next month I will be able to order some. I keep saying that but I never seem to have the funds when I want to order some.

So…..I walked into the closet where I store my scrapping stuff and ended up rearranging instead. I moved a few things around and cleaned up the huge mess that some call “ribbon.” My ribbon is now taking up 2 drawers instead of one. I really need to do something about that. I really don’t even use ribbon all that much. All my paint is now just sitting out. I don’t know yet if I want to put it back into a drawer or have it sitting out so I can look at all the pretty colors. I may just rotate what I leave out for inspiration purposes.

Oh and look!!!!! This 365 photo was chosen as someone’s fave. Which is super cool since this is my favorite photo at the moment.

faved again

Lots of stuff happening around here and most of it is not really all that great. :(

The one thing that I have brightening my days at the moment is my 365 project. Someone chose this photo as one of their faves and I know it is silly but it sure does make me giddy that someone likes my photo enough to choose it as a favorite. :)

I've been faved!

I started the 365 challenge for me. My pictures are not fancy or super-involved – they are just me – for me. Just as with my blog, I get super excited when I get comments on my self-portraits. I have even gotten some new contacts. Contacts that are people I don’t know. I got an even nicer surprise the other day. Someone added these 2 pictures to their favorites. I guess someone really likes my hair. Better than my foot, I suppose. :)

it's been weird

It has been a weird sort of week. I think I am finally over being sick. I am SO happy about that. I missed class on Tuesday so I had to come in to class toay, on Thursday. I am so used to having this as my day off so it is weird being here today. I was already confused as to what day it was - so now I am REALLY confused. I have just been really out of it.

I never shared the layout I did for the Scrappay Divas challenge from September. It was the challenge to color on your page. This is what I came up with:


Here is a close-up of the coloring since you really cannot see it in the scan:

Love Today

Nothing is better than some Mika/Scissor Sisters action early in the morning. You can’t go wrong when a song has laser beam sounds in it. LOL! It was just what I needed to get myself started this morning. Well that and the coffee and bagel action I had for breakfast. So now I am ready for a full day of learning. Actually, I am ready to dance in the car again but I will save that for the drive home.

They gave out awards again yesterday (my day off). I got the award for fastest typist in September ~ 75wpm. That is 2 months in a row that I got this award. I don’t remember last month’s (August) speed so I need to check and see if I improved any from the previous month. I do know that I already have hit over 80wpm for October.

Darn! I just got back a med terms test and I did well on the test portion but noticed the teacher had not graded the spelling portion. Now I am sorry I mentioned it to her. I did not do well on the spelling on this test at all. I am embarrassed at how bad I did. I hate when I miss a word by just one letter. Darn that choledocholithiasis! At least I don’t have to retake the test.

We bought a lamp.

Since today was B’s last day of vacation and we are both feeling a bit better (although I am still pretty stuffy) we decided we had better go out for our anniversary date. Only a week late but it still counts, right? We didn’t make it to the movies but we did have a nice early dinner. B got his king crab legs and that is all that matters. LOL! He really does love those king crab legs and he has me hooked on them as well. They were yummy but I think we had just a bit too much salt today. Poor guy has to go back to work tomorrow and I know he is not looking forward to it. Good thing I only have class for a few hours tomorrow. It will be nice to get home early.

After dinner, we stopped by Target. We went in for tissues and of course came out with much more. While wandering around the store, we found a lamp we had looked at before on sale for $13.12 down from $52.49. Talk about a deal! It is a large lamp, which is what we had wanted, so I am happy. It looks pretty good in the living room too.

Now if only I could breathe so I could get myself to sleep tonight. I get so jealous watching the cats sleep that I always have to go and wake them up!

9 6 3 = YUCK!

I promised to share a picture of how small the type is on my 10-key exercises. Well here is the best I could do. For someone who wears glasses (and even those who don't), it is WAY too small. My hand is so tired. My poor ring finger has been forced to do things that no ring finger should ever be made to do. Ouch! I don’t think it has ever moved so much and I took piano for 13-years. I have not even attempted my 10-key exercises today. I am having enough trouble trying to get a good timed typing done.

Today is another stuffy day. I can handle being sick. The one thing that bothers me the most is being stuffed up. I hate not being able to breathe. I always have a fear that I am going to suffocate. Nothing seems to work either. I am looking forward to not having school tomorrow.

How can it be October?

Today my cold has hit me full force. Very stuffy around these parts. I sure do hope it does not last long. I don't think I have ever sneezed so much in my life. B is trying to avoid me saying that he does not want me to get him sick. HELLO?!?!? He was the one that got me sick in the first place. I told him that giving me his cold was the sweetest anniversary present ever! Actually he got me Knocked Up for our anniversary (the movie that is). LOL!

I am working on my 10-key today. I know how to type 10-key by touch, but now I have to learn how to do it using the correct fingers. LOL! My fingers are getting tired. It doesn't help that the type on the exercises is so small. I really do need to take a picture and share.

September is over (how did that happen?) and I finally updated all of my August 365 shots. I have a dream of not being a month behind when it comes to posting my pictures. I don't even know what day I am on since I am so behind. It helps in a way though. I see the photo a month later and if it is a bad one, it no longer bothers me. ;)

Here is a funny for ya! See the foot photo from August 1st? Can you believe that is my most viewed photo ever on Flickr? Unbelievable!

So here is what I looked like during the month of August. August is when I started school so the pictures should at least be a bit more appealing than when it was me just dragging myself out of bed. LOL!

*sniffle*

This past weekend was B's and my 10th anniversary. I cannot believe it has been 10-years ~ it has only felt like 5 minutes. 5 minutes under water!!! LOL! (now that funny is courtesy of my mom).

We had plans to go out and do something but B was sick so we just stayed home. Now, B is feeling better and I am the one that is sick! He has the week off of work and I have to go back to class. It is not just allergies either. I HATE being sick. It has been a LONG time since I have had a cold. I just hope it is over quickly since I cannot miss any days at school. What makes me feel even worse is that I don't even have the car in case I want to go home early. B is on vacation so he dropped me off this morning.

I guess I am just in a foul mood all around. I did not wake up on the good side of the bed this morning.

...today's post brought to you by the letter "d" as in duodenum!

scrappy goodness

I have been a busy girl. A busy scrapping girl.

This weekend I met with a couple of the Scrappay Divas to crop. It felt good to get out and do something creative. I actually even finished a page. For me that is an accomplishment. Just a simple page but even the simple ones seem to take me forever. I think the most time spent on this layout was looking for the perfect shade for the title. Thanks to Amber, who found the PERFECT shade of green paper or else I would have been wandering the store the entire night.


Last week’s Diva challenge was to use a billboard for inspiration. Here’s my layout for the challenge. The billboard I used (and the other Diva layouts) can be found on the Scrappay Divas site. I had fun making this page. I LOVE when scrapping is fun. It makes me want to scrap even more. I think actually having a dinning room table is helping just a bit as well. Have I mentioned recently how much I love our new place?

This week’s challenge is to “color on your page.” I had fun making that page too! There is also a RAK for the person who completes the most challenges. Go here to see my layout for this week’s challenge.

Thanks *Ü*

I really appreciate the comments I have received regarding the calendar I made for my 365 day photos. Actually, I appreciate all my comments. It really makes my day that you took the time to say something about what I shared.

Thank you.

Those that commented wanted to know how I made the calendar. I posted the instructions on how I made my calendar in the comments on that post. You can read the steps I took to create it – here.

searching...

Back in 2001 when B and I made a trip to Skagway, Alaska, we stopped at the Skagway Brewery Company. B ended up buying a t-shirt that became a favorite. It is now 6-years later and the shirt is finally kaput! I have looked before to see if I could buy another shirt online but everything I found told me that the gift shop was not online and I guess in 2002 they shut down the brewery. Our 10th anniversary is coming up and I thought I would try again to see if I could find him another t-shirt. From what I have come across so far, it looks like the place may be open for business again; but all the phone numbers I have found are different. It would really be a miracle if I ever found him another Skagway shirt without having to travel there to get it.

Well, Torchwood is on. I missed the first ½ hour when it was on earlier so I guess I had better get myself to the T.V.

The Diva's are back!!

It has been awhile but the Scrappay Divas are back!

Come on over to the Scrappay blog and check out our new challenges. This week's challenge is billboard inspiration. I would love to see what you all come up with. Come scrap with us! :)

It's ALL about ME!

Back in July, I mentioned this little challenge.

Well I am proud to say that the challenge is going great. I guess I really do like myself so much that taking a picture a day is just my thing. LOL! Of course, I started in July, it is now September, and I have barely finished uploading my July pictures. As with everything else in my world, procrastination is rearing its ugly little head.

So, without further ado, here is a little snippet of me and my world from July. Enjoy.

If you would like to see them up close and personal you can visit my 365 Flickr set.

simple scraps

As you can see....I made a card. Just a simple card for my Dad's birthday.

I have tons of projects that are "in process" at the moment so it feels good to actually finish something. It feels even better that I used up some scraps for this card. I told myself that I will only use my scraps when I make cards. That way it does not hurt so much to give them away.

It is starting to feel like home

Sunday, B's parents will be coming over for dinner.

So, today I finally put out the knick-knacks and photo frames. We have been here a month, so it was about time that I made the place a bit more homey. I am not finished, but it will do for now. At least the shelves are no longer bare and the pile they were in is gone. I hope to get more decorating and some cleaning done tomorrow before our guests arrive.

B has been working the past few days on making homemade sauce and other goodies. It really has smelled quite yummy in here. I can’t wait to see it all put together. Forget see, I can’t wait to eat it! I am so excited that we finally have room to entertain. I really do love our new place!