Art & Life of SwarDrawS

I ordered a new keyboard last week even though my old one wasn't broken. It was old and it had black keys and unless I turn on my desk lamp, I couldn't see what I was typing. So I ordered me an updated Apple keyboard which is white.

This week I battled my regular enemy, the one I thought I would win from since the family is away but alas, I did not. Time. I didn't get a damn thing done this week and I can't explain it.

I started the week with a daily 2 mile walk. At the end of the walk I would wonder why I don't do these more often, they are so good for state of mind. Then my Wednesday, I couldn't make the time since I was trying to make up for the time lost by phone calls. Actually on Wednesday Paula called and we talked for nearly 2 hours so that blew that walk. I know, just get up and walk anyway.

The next night it was Sherry who called but it was later in the evening. Not to mention the 30 minute phone conversations with Hollace and then with RAW.

Tomorrow Sherry comes over and we are going to Ravinia and the Botanical GArdens. She probably won't be here until 3 or 4 so I will try and cram in a lot beside the grocery store and general clean up.

Here is what I have been trying to do all week in that ever precious free time that I am wasting.
I need to cut and mat 5 photos, assemble my window frame photo, work on the kiwi story videos, start the big photo project, go to the county fair, walk 2 miles daily, read my book, investigate whether or not to join Weight Watchers, eat right, go to Walmart and put away that damn laundry.

Out of time. Bye

Posted by swardraws at 10:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Everybody get up...no no no get down. Everybody get up.....no no no get down..." I am listening to PJ & Rooster by Outkast and it wasn't until Hollace started singing that line when I go to put her down to bed that I realized the lyric.

Tonight it is just me and the attention starved cat. RAW and Hollace went to Indiana for 2 weeks.

So what did I do on my first day of freedom?

First of all they didn't leave until after 11. RAW was thinking they would leave by 9. I knew better.

Then I started my house cleaning as someone with attention deficit. I started in the kitchen. I would clean clean clean then would find something that belonged in another room so I would put it there and then stay there and clean clean clean. Before I finished, my attention would go in another room. Eventually I would make it back into the kitchen to do more work. It went on like that until I think I eventually got it done...for the most part. Somehow I ended up in the computer room and organized the closet and cleared a lot of clutter from the room. That wasn't even in the plan.

I have been stifled creatively and I blame it on the fact I call it the computer room and it is crammed. So starting right now I am calling it my studio and I simplified the room as much as I can.

I didn't really eat all day with the exception of a fun size Milky Way bar here and then. At around 7:30 I finally saute up some shrimp and make a salad. I was full and satisfied by that yet I still felt compelled to make some toast with pb&j. WTF?

Around that time I decided to join WW online and give it a real go. What a perfect time since it is just me for 2 weeks. By the time the family gets back I should have the WW habit cemented in. Sounds good in theory. I now just need to get the proper head for dealing with dieting online. I need to really change my internet habits to include this. I am still not sure if I can do this which is why I haven't signed on yet.

That's it, that is all I got to say for now.

Posted by swardraws at 11:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I should just go to bed but I want hope to stay up for another 1.5 hours so I can get another Pokemon movie recorded on the DVD so Hollace can take them to grama's house. She leaves for Indiana tomorrow morning for 2 weeks. I hardly know what to do with myself. Don't worry, I am sure I will manage.

Speaking of that last sentence, a Hollace-ism....
While on vacation, everytime she pushed open a door she would say "its a heavy door but I manage"

Hollace will need her Pokemon fix while at gramas especially because Cartoon Network is no longer on her cable. I am pretty sure however, between RAW and his mom, no one will remember how to operate the DVD player anyway.

Last weekend we went camping with the camping club. As usual I didn't fit in or was part of the clique. The woman camping next to us would barely say hi when she passed by us let alone smile. Her husband seemed friendly. Before I go and brand her rude yet, I will go with the assumption that she is shy like me. I am sure I come off the same way except I do smile.

I think she hung out the whole time with the people across the street, the popular people. Their 5 year old daughter hung out with Hollace most of the weekend. The mom did come over and talk to me for a short while.

The last night we were there, I had three little girls playing in the camper while I watched This American Life on the iPod and all the other adults were apparently at the popular people's campfire. I didn't really mind, someone had to make sure my camper wasn't getting tore up. The third girl is the 7 year old daughter of the rude neighbor. She finally came over probably after her mom told her to go play with Macinzie over here. She came over and introduced herself as shy like Hollace. Hollace had fun at least. Normally at these camp outs Hollace still plays by herself. She is like her mama and is afraid to approach people. Didn't I teach her well?

Sue and Karl our apparent camping buddies were there. I haven't figured Sue out yet. There is nothing shy about her but there is as she never attends any camping things like the group dinner or brunch. She only makes an effort to be social with me which makes me feel good even though we have nothing in common.

That weekend Hollace finally decided to put her head under water. She always avoided doing that like the plague but now she is trying to hold her breath. She was so proud but then all the people at the pool started hounding her for holding her nose to do it. She got upset when they kept harping on her. Give the girl a break, she just started doing this that day.

That is it. I am still tired and I killed all of 15 minutes. Only another 1:15 to go. Maybe I will go read. Yeah right!

Posted by swardraws at 11:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was on vacation again last week. Didn't really go on "vacation" though. Last weekend we painted Hollace's bedroom. It needed to be done badly but I was dreading doing the task. It is done. I made sure we would be finished by Monday.

Two mornings in a row I awoke clique dreams. The first one was where I was trying to get to Chicago by bike but there was a flood on the path so I had to ditch the bike and go through some buildings. I got hopelessly lost. All I could remember was running and running and getting nowhere. The next day the dream was one of those being caught naked in public.

I got $250 in extra money in my check for rewards for job well done. I was going to just pay my credit card with it since I have been a bit heavy handing with the card lately but that isn't fun so I went on a funky watch spree. I bought 4 new watches. I got one so far

I got the red one

Here are the other watches I am expecting this week

On Wednesday we took the camper to Crown Point for fun with the family. We went to the parade which Hollace doesn't enjoy. Too noisy and she doesn't want to go chasing candy in the street like the other kids. She exhibited Asperger tendicies that day. She wasn't very social at the picnic either. She didn't want to do what the other kids were doing, she just wanted to hang out inside.

Cindy and her clan headed home by 6:30 cause Cindy and Tim had to work the next day which left us and Pam and her two youngest. Cindy was the one who usually spearheaded the fireworks trip. Pam didn't think her little guys would care so we decided we will probably skip it. Hollace said that is the only part of 4th of July she likes so we decided to go after all. Four year old Joshie took a liking to Hollace and wanted to do everything she did. Both him and 6 year old Phil were fighting to sit next to her. They all did pretty good and it was a fun time. We are glad we went. It did start to rain at the end and we ended up running for the car just in time for the down pour.

Next next morning both Pam and her family and us headed our separate ways. We went east to RAW's mom's. It was a nice visit but as usual I felt like a slug and didn't want to do anything. I am always so tired and lazy when I go down there. We left by Saturday afternoon and went back to Crown Point to pick up the camper we left there and got home by dark.

A couple times very early this morning I woke up and thought I had to throw up. Since I hadn't thrown up in nearly 25 years I wasn't worried that I would, I was worried though why I had this feeling? Food poisoning, flu, morning sickness? Fortunately after the second bout, I was fine.

Today it was hot so there wasn't too much outdoor activity. Plenty to do inside. Me and Hollace went and seen a movie (Ratatouille).

Now it is time to go back to work tomorrow.

Posted by swardraws at 10:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I just got an email return receipt for an online Christmas card I sent a friend from back in 2002.

That is bizarre in itself but I actually thought of this person just today. I only knew her briefly back in 2002 and somehow was wondering how she (Jeni) and Yvonne were doing and if they were still friends. I think I hear Twilight Zone music now.

Posted by swardraws at 11:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)