The Gem!

Work has kept me busy the last week or so. Although, all the bosses have been in Germany this past week, it seems that those of us left behind still have to work just as hard.

So glad it's Friday, as the week seems like it really dragged. I think because I knew we're heading up to the cabin for the weekend and I have been looking forward to it. Of course the weather has been exceptional for this time of year but, the temperatures are supposed to take a nose dive tomorrow. It figures as we are getting our new (to us) toy delivered tomorrow and want to take it out to play.

Our very old and very used pontoon boat was lovingly referred to as "The Jewel" and it was in desperate need of replacing. While out driving around and visiting a few marina's, we came upon this snappy little number and it was right in our price range. While it is still an older boat, it is in "like new" condition. To pay homage to our old boat we've decided to name this one "The Gem".

Keep your fingers crossed that it runs as good as it looks and gives my family many years of happy boating. Hope you all enjoy a fun filled weekend.

Noah is Here!

My friend Judy finally delivered her baby boy this morning at 1:??am. He weighed in at 7 pounds, 1 ounce and is 21 inches long. Since dad is a bean counter it is only right that little Noah arrived on Tax Day! Judy is doing fine despite having an unscheduled C-section. Here's a picture of the latest member of our morning message board chat.

What Brought You Here?

Just checking to ask, What brought you to my blog? I have many views and hardly any comments. Please comment here and let me know how and why you visited this blog. There's is no real reason for my question, but I am curious. Your comment can be about anything.

Hope you'll comment and Hope you'll have a great day.

Real Biker's Wear Pink.

First Ride of the Season!

A little chilly out, as temps were only about 50. but K.I.S.A. and I went for a little motorcycle cruise last evening. It was great to get outside after this extremely long winter.

As you can see, I'm wearing 3 layers of clothes to keep the the wind down. Strange to be riding and still see a few snow piles in some parking lots and still a bit of ice out on the lake. But all in all it was a very enjoyable ride.

Temps are supposed to reach the low 60's this weekend so we will definitely do a bit more riding. We usually ride out to Hell, Michigan for lunch at the Damn Site Inn. Yes, there really is a Hell. Kind of a biker hang out, but really nice people and good food. Not the kind of bikers you're thinking, but the old couples like K.I.S.A and me.

Here is another picture which shows my bike a bit better. It's a 2003 Suzuki Intruder 800cc. It's a small, light bike which is great to learn on and easy to handle for a Grandma like me. Lately though, I've been having the itch to get a newer bike and really thinking of getting a Harley. Can't decide though, since they are pretty expensive since you are just paying for the name and the prestige, my bike is paid for and there is nothing wrong with it. It's just that almost every biker wants a Harley.

So what do you all think? Wanna go for a cruise?

Happy Tuesday!

I actually have a free afternoon here at work. The boss has gone home for the day early so that means I'll get to leave a little early too. Yipee!

It's really been a pretty boring day. Just the usual paperwork here at the office. I really need to win the lottery. I say that alot, don't I? I'd rather be home playing with my scrap and stamp stuff or out on the road traveling somewhere.

I think my "Bucket List" is probably the same as most. My main goal is to visit all 50 states before my time comes. I have about half of them done and hope to get at least another one or two in before the end of the year. It's really hard when you only have three weeks to use through the whole year. I think the American work force really needs to adapt the European views of vacation and family. The Europeans get at least six weeks a year as they place a higher priority on family time. I do work for a German owned company, however us workers here in the United States don't get to benefit from the six week rule only the German facility gets the time off.

Oh well, maybe some day I'll get to retire and spend my days traveling.....One can dream.

Happy Sunday!

I belong to a RAK (Random Act of Kindness) group through Papertrey website. http://www.papertreyink.com/. And the way it works is you send random homemade cards to others who have signed up as well. It's just kind of a fun way to practice using your stamps and that the cards will be received by someone who is appreciative of the work and fun it takes to create a homemade card. Well, I received my first ever RAK card this week from a girl named Kelsey who lives in TN. It was such a nice surprise to find it in the mailbox. Here is a picture of the great card she sent.

Then this weekend I went to the mailbox and there was another RAK card. How cool is that??? I got another great card from Angie in Indiana. It's so fun getting mail from around the country. Plus everyone is just so talented and willing to share ideas and techniques. Here is the card I received from Angie. Papertrey makes such fun stamps that really work well and interchange with each other so easily.

Today I was able to get in my stamp room and play a little bit and made a quick card to send as a thank you to girls who sent me a card. My cards are pretty simple since I never have nearly enough time to play with my stamps as I would like

Here is a picture of the card I made today. Actually the only part of this card that is stamped is the stem and the little "thanks" in the lower corner. The flower is a die cut from "Cuttlebug" dies cuts. It's probably one of my favorite flower dies. There is a little crystal in the center that really sparkles. It doesn't show up too well in the picture.

Tomorrow is back to work. Blah.... I'm so not ready for Monday. Well Tuesday is another chance to win the lottery.

We're Back from the Smoky Mountains

We had a great time and lots of fun. It's funny how K.I.S.A. and I can have such a good time all by ourselves. Once the kids are grown and gone and it's just the two of you again it's amazing how much we like to be together and like doing the same things.

About the trip - I poured rain all the way down and it rained hard. After we checked into our hotel, which was in a great location we went in search for some lunch. We heard the BBQ was great. We found a place called Corky's and both ordered the pulled pork sandwich. It was pretty yummy. The waiter then asked us if we'd like to try some deep fried pickles? Well, we had seen them on the Food Network after all, so we weren't totally oblivious to them. They were awesome and I would definitely eat them again. If you've never tried them, you must. After lunch we decided to go to the Aquarium since it was still raining. What a great Aquarium, lots of cool stuff like sharks and stingrays and assorted other sea creatures that you can get up-close and personal with. Once we were done at the Aquarium, the sun had come out and the weather was perfect. Luckily it stayed that way the rest of the trip. We spent the next few days wandering around Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and the Smoky Mountains and doing all the usual tourist stuff. We even went up in the Tram that is suspended by wires and takes you up the mountain. What a great view of the town we had.

Although we were gone for several days, it was still wasn't long enough. All we talked about on the way home was how we needed to win the lottery so we could just cruise around this beautiful country taking in the scenery and talking to the interesting people we met along the way.

Oh well, no winning ticket this week. It' s back to reality for us.

Today's Stuff!

1. The Good Stuff: We are headed out of town for a few days and boy am I looking forward to it. I haven't had a day off since New Year's Day and am ready for a little vacation time. K.I.S.A. and I will be heading to Gatlinburg, TN for a few days of relaxation, site seeing and hopefully some fun. Plus I will have a chance to play with my new camera.

2. The Great Stuff: I had my review at work today. It turned out to be very good and I'm happy with everything that the boss said. To make it even better, "I GOT A RAISE" on top of maxing out on the bonus amount. The boss even told me to take Monday off as a freebie and not have to count it toward vacation time. I really do work for a very generous company, for as much as I complain sometimes.

3. Just Stuff: So, I will be back early next week and hope to have some nice pictures of the Smoky Mountains to share with you.

2 Posts in One Day

I thought I would share a few cards I made, plus it gave me a chance to try out my new camera.

The last card is an Easter card for my Grandson, I guess it's a bit dark, but I'm learning. The other cards are a Mother's Day card I made using another set from Papertrey Ink stamps. http://www.papertreyink.com/ The set is called "Woman of Life" and I think it's one of my favorite sets. I also used the same set on the third card. I hope you like the cards and I'll be playing with the camera some more so I can get the photography thing down.

I finally bought one!

For over a year now, I've been eyeballing a nice new digital SLR camera. However, they are a bit on the pricey side. I've had an older digital point and shoot type camera for a couple of years and have just never been happy with the pictures it took. (see the Lamb Card in the previous post). Since it is time for the second part of our bonus at work, I thought I would get something for myself and I was good and put the first bonus in the bank to save.

So Friday evening K.I.S.A. (Knight In Shining Armour) and I are grabbing some dinner out and making a few stops when he decides he needs to go to Radio Shack. Well, right next door happens to be a Ritz Camera store. I said "I'm gonna look in the camera store while you're in Radio Shack". He replies, "OK, I'll meet you there". Wouldn't you know it, the camera store is running a big sale that starts on Saturday morning. One of the camera's I've been looking at is going to be on sale, plus it comes with a nice camera bag, several extra goodies and a $50 gift card too. I do have to say the sales girl, Carol, was very helpful and really taught me a lot about the camera I was interested in as well as a few others. My biggest concern with buying a digital SLR is ease of use. My fears were soon alleviated as I was soon snapping away with the store model. Since the sale doesn't start until Saturday, I walk out with nothing, but Carol does offer to hold a camera and sales gifts for me.

Saturday morning, I'm up early and ready to head to the camera store as soon as they open. I'm there shortly after 10:00 am. After learning about filters, downloads and free classes I'm out the door and on my way home with my new Nikon D40X camera. It is a beginner SLR camera, but heck I'm a beginner and we all have to start someplace. I do have to say, that I really am happy with the camera and it truly is easy to use. I feel that I can do some advanced things with it already. Hopefully in the next few days, I'll be able to post a picture or two taken with my new toy.

I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday.