Art & Life of SwarDrawS

So today was the day my kaleidoscope Flash thing was center stage for a divisional all employee meeting. I haven't been able to relax for over a week over this job just knowing some disaster was going to befall it.

I left before the big thing was done but all indications were that all was going to go well. I stopped by the building the thing was at while they were practicing and it looked good. The client was very happy.

Why did I waste all that energy worrying about this?

Now onto the car, another source of anxiety for me the last week, especially yesterday.

I went in today after work and bought my purple car. No sunroof which I am still a bit sorry about. I still think there was something up about that cause Walt my sales man seemed surprised himself.

Anyway, it was a pretty pleasant experience. I for some reason was getting myself worked up for the worse where they try and tack on everything. When all was said and done, my invoice price was all I paid, no hidden extras or strong arming me for rust proofing or something. They did try to sell me on an aftermarket sun roof but nothing too pressured.

I can't wait to see the car tomorrow since I didn't get a good look at it before it got dark. I think the purple might be a little darker then I hoped. Funny that I was so set on getting the purple when I never really seen it on an actual car. While I waited for them to clean it up I kept looking at the red one in the showroom and wondering if they could of got me one of those with a sunroof. Oh well I will get over it.

In the meantime I enjoyed the blue dash lights, very cool.

Posted by swardraws at 11:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So on Saturday I go sit in a few cars and do lots of interest research. By the end of the weekend I have decided I wanted a Hyundai Elantra. Of course that isn't even a car I sit in.

The problem with Hyundai's however is they have a bad rep. Everytime I tell anyone I want an Elantra they either groan or flat out tell me they suck. The thing is that with all the research I have done I learn that isn't the case anymore and that they are really good cars. They have lots of features and aren't all that expensive.

Now it is time go test drive one. I decided I wanted a purple one with a sunroof. The Hyundai guy say he should be able to get one from another dealer.

I need to get this car on Friday. That is the last day of their $1000 cash back and also my rent a car is due back (I had to extend it a day since it really was due today)

I get a Car Quotes thing from the credit union where I only have to pay dealer invoice.

Today I called the dealership and stupid me mentions the Car Quotes and with that pretty much said, you aren't making any money from me. An hour later they call back and tell me my car, the purple one with a sun roof turns out to already be sold.

Dang, now I have done it. There isn't anything in it for them to go out and find my car anymore. Now I feel screwed cause I won't probably be getting any car now and the $1000 rebate will be done and ....I was pissed.

But then at that moment work got crazy with all these little emergency requests. The big job I mentioned in the last post got completed this morning and the client LOVES it. The all employee show for that is tomorrow so in the back of my mind, I can't relax yet but do feel better about it.

In the middle of all the crazy work, my boss emails me a nice note with my performance review. I apparently have done really good this last year. That was good. Then right before I leave the Hyundai guy calls and has secured my 2nd choice of a car (purple with no sun roof). He will have it tomorrow. I feel much better now but I know anything can still happen and I am still worried about the final sale.

We had the Subaru towed back home. Have no idea what to do with it. I don't want to think about it right now.

Also during this week of major decisions, Apple finally annnounces the Mac Book Pro updates I have been waiting for for months. So now I need to make decisions about that too. If I buy from Apple, I can get the faster drive and get it in a few days. If I go to MacMall, I get the standard drive and save $200 in rebates but it won't ship out for a week and a half. What to do, what to do?

I look forward to staring at a blank wall doing no thinking this weekend.

Wish me luck tomorrow on the car and the All Employee Meeting show. I hope I can survive whatever life throws me. I feel a bit at the end of my rope.

Posted by swardraws at 09:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Monday, the temperature was in the single digits. After a day of work I get in my Subaru and take off. As I race out of the parking lot I tell myself to take it easy. It is not nice for the car to take off like that when it is that cold. I might break something.

On Tuesday morning I get up with a sense of dread. I get over it and get ready for work.

When I park the car at work I notice the car isn't blowing warm air. It was then I noticed that the thermostat was on Hot. Dang. I limp it home that night watching the thermostat fluctuate. When it approaches hot, I pull over for a moment. RAW installs a new thermostat in the beast.

Wednesday morning, I work at home and try to figure out what to do with the car. I call Libertyville Subaru. They say limp it in, it should be ok since it is so cold out. I get ready to go and there is no RAW or car. I was so pissed because he doesn't have his cell phone on so I can't reach him. Finally he comes back but the car officially overheats during his joy ride. I call for a tow truck and have RAW take me to work.

Wednesday night RAW and Hollace pick me up. We go get some pizza and then hit the new Lowes to look at their kitchen stuff. Got to get started with the kitchen.

7:30pm Wednesday night, a manager at work calls me. Everyone is in a panic. A job I am working on needs to be complete by noon on Thursday for a VP to view. I am only 20% done with it. They need me to work on it all night to finish it.

Now I am totally fretting and sick over this project. If it wasn't for the car problems, I wouldn't have my files with me since I have been working at home in the mornings. I am thankful for that. I work from 8-midnight and get the project in good shape to finish up before noon the next day.

I get to work by 9 and they are talking to Holly and making her do a alt version totally stressing her out. While I had a week to do mine, she only has 3 hours.

All ends well with the project at least for now. While I don't know the details, it sounds like only manageable changes which is normal. Now that I have been stressed out, my paranoid brain starts thinking of things that can wrong with this high profile project. I got to stop that. This morning I woke up chattering just like I did when stressed out after 9-11. Dang girl, things aren't that bad

Subaru finally calls to report on what is wrong with the car. Blown gasket, $2500 and $500 for a power steering pump. Gulp. The car is worth on $3500. Now what do I do? Well first I rent a car for a week. It is a nice Hyundai Sonota.

I am really not in the mood to go car shopping not to mention financially it is not a good time. I am trying to get this kitchen thing going and I am still earmarking money for a new computer. Damn you Apple, why couldn't you release the new MacBook Pros when everyone was hoping for in January.

Today I ask everyone at work about cars and try to narrow down what I want. What the hell do I do with the Subaru stuck at Libertyville Subaru now? I guess I know what I will be doing this weekend.

Posted by swardraws at 11:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am on a spinach kick big time. I eat the green leafy things every day, sometimes twice a day.

It started when going to Applebees where they have this yummy spinach shrimp salad with hot bacon dressing--yummm.

I started buying it at home now and eat it with french dressing. I never eat french dressing but it really works with spinach.

Now that I work at the park and under the cafeteria, every day for lunch I check out the prepared salad side of the salad bar to see what kind of spinach salad they have. If it isn't anything I want, I go back to the build your own side and make make my own with crumbled bacon with tomato bacon dressing (kind of like french).

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Lately I have been really bugged with plastic grocery bags. The planet is choking on them and I have been accumulating way too many of them. I gather them all up to take to Jewel to recycle them but I keep forgetting to bring them so the pile gets bigger.

Last week at Jewel I bought 2 reusable thermal grocery bags. I was thrilled to find out for the most part, all of my groceries fit. Tonight I went to Super Target for groceries and brought my bags and again all of my groceries fit. I think I am saving like 6-8 bags a week now. I feel good about that.

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Winter is kicking by butt. Well everyone around here actually. We haven't had a winter like this in, I can't remember. Every other day it seems to snow and snarl up traffic. If it isn't snowing, it is fridgid sub zero temps. This Sunday they are forecasting ice and snow. RAW is in Indiana this weekend and due back in the middle of the mess. Ug.

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Last weekend was Hollace's birthday party. Six girls painted ceramics for the occassion. Cousin Emma came and stayed the whole weekend which made Hollace's weekend. I bought Emma a Webkinz so they both could play. I fired up 2 computers and let them have at it.

While they were playing I got on the treadmill finally and started walking. I walked every day this week. I was especially thrilled when I realized I could finally catch up on the This American Life podcasts. Those are perfect to walk to cause I am so engrossed in the story the time really goes fast.

Posted by swardraws at 12:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Happy birthday Hollace. Today they declared a snow day, before it actually snowed.

Over night we were suppose to get a big pile of snow but it didn't happen. Instead all the moisture was deverted down south where 52 people died over violent weather. There was sleet for the drive home. It took me two hours to get home but first I had to pop over to my polling place and vote in the primaries.

Even thought they didn't get the over night forecast right, I still heeded the snow forecast for today. They were still saying over a foot of the white stuff was due today so I worked at home.

And it looks like we did get all the snow they forecasted this time. So glad I didn't have to drive in it.

Since Hollace didn't have school and I was home. We let her open her presents over lunch. I got her the one for sure thing she wanted, a platypus. That is my kid. She is excited. She got a couple more Webkinz as well and a kids chemistry kit for her "out of this world" lab. The one thing I think was cool was the book I got her which is called "The Daring Book for Girls" All kinds of cool stuff in that book.

Tonight we were suppose to go bowling for her birthday but the snow kept us a little snow bound. Maybe we can get out tomorrow. Her party is on Saturday.

Posted by swardraws at 09:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)