Return of The Meme

Tenika is back from her fabulous trip and it looks like the meme has returned as well. Woo hoo!
This week is a simple challenge, the only hard part is to narrow my list down to only 10 places, I feel like I have been living under a rock, I have never even had a passport!! Up until last week, I had gone 33.5 years without seeing Vegas! So here's the challenge posted on 2peas.

10 Places I Want To Travel

1. Ireland. It is on the "Do Before I die" list.
2. England
3. The Grand Canyon....everyone wants to do what the Bradys did.
4. Rhode Island, I have this stupid fantasy of what it is like, so I have to check it out.
5. Hawaii
6. Australia
7. Spain
8. Scotland
9. North or South Dakota, just wanna say I was in a Dakota
10. New York, I can't believe I have never been to NYC

So, pretty boring list, now that I am looking at it. But simple. I haven't been to very many places (yet), so some of the obvious travel destinations still remain on my list.
Thanks to Tenika for bringing back the meme!!

"I never meant 2 cause you any sorrow..."

I never meant 2 cause u any pain
I only wanted 2 one time see u laughing
I only want 2 see u laughing in the purple rain

This was the highlight of my Vegas vacation.....Purple Reign. It became our rock in Vegas, we knew should we find ourselves wandering the strip or losing at blackjack, we could always catch the Purple Reign show at the Boardwalk right across from our hotel. And bonus....they sing Prince songs!! (as well as Morris Day and The Time, anyone for The Bird?) It was what I expected from Vegas, entertainment, impersonators, insanity. I loved it!! We saw them three times. The first night was a fluke, but we kept coming back time and time again. As I watched them perform, I couldn't help but think about The Dave Chappelle Show and his skit with Prince and Charlie Murphy. I just wanted the guy to jump off the stage and make me some waffles.

On the second night we saw PR, I apparently had enough liquid courage to find myself right up next to the stage half way through the set, guess it wasn't that crowded and eventually on stage!! Yes, I danced with Purple Reign and apparently, based on the pictures I had a great time. The next morning after this second show, my first words were..."I had a dream I was dancing with Purple Reign. Wait, Did I??" To which I heard, "I had the same dream." So, it was true, me, on stage in my hot pink top and matching shoes, shaking my money maker with Prince. or Morris?? Not really sure, perhaps a little too much liquid courage.

I am glad that Mike took the pictures though, I am always commenting that I don't have enough pictures of myself. At first, I looked at them and thought how embarassing....I wonder if I looked like a dork. But look at that smile on my face...I was having a damn good time. I love it!!
The third time we saw them was on Saturday night. This has to be the busiest night in Vegas, it was insanity. Way too many people...EVERYWHERE. I was tired of people I didn't know rubbing up against me, so off to the 2am show it was to see them one last time. We had to, they don't perform on Sundays. hehehehehe
Loved Vegas, will definitely go again.....I just hope Purple Reign is still performing!

Nectar of the gods!!

Could I be any busier??
Worst part about going on vacation....returning. Even worse, returning to a mess and a ton of work!! After returning from Fabulous Vegas, I came back to find a mess on my desk along with a large mob of angry mortgage brokers and more work than I can possibily ever accomplish in a week, nor want to. Ugh! Also, upon my return, the internet went out making it impossible to appease the mortgage crowd for a day, so I heard a lot of complaining and mild yelling. I wa lucky enough to get this lovely cup 'o joe this morning, I missed my Drunkin' Donuts while in Vegas. (side note: Vegas was uber fun and definitely the "vacation" I needed and I couldn't have been happier with how my 6 days were spent, *perfect*) This little cup and crabby Indian lady in the morning really gets my day started.
Now, I am back in full force!!

To add to the chaos, school has started and I am happy I will no longer hear "I'm bored" a thousand times a day, but with every silver lining there is a cloud. I am sure it is just a matter of days before trouble begins. The boy is only happy when he is rattling cages.
Other things I am working on:

Still looking for a place, this is really pissing me off.

Got new stamps for the intimidating swap, now I just need an idea and time.

Need to find some sort of Temp help at work for when things really pick up. (this always happens when I am all alone, I get crazy busy)

Need to pack.

Going to MOA for Scrapfest in a couple weeks.

Man, I wish I could go back to the days of doing nothing again........

View from the Top

I always want to take pictures at work, of the cool, interesting people I work with, of the games that clutter up our warehouse, of the oddities around the office........but I never do. Well, this morning, my boss' camera in hand, I looked at my desk and thought, "What a sight!!" I really can't believe that I look at this same crap every day. These files piled up, busting out of the holder. Could I just file them and get them off my desk? Sure, I could. But that would break the oath I made to myself, to never take a job with filing duties again. So, there they sit, just waiting for the perfect day to topple over, probably spilling my coffee right into my lap. Oh, you conniving files!!

Then, there is the mug 'o pens and junk. It sits right in front of me at my desk. It holds the most important instruments of my job.....the pens. It also has the last remaining pair of scissors in the office, they just seem to disappear. To ensure that this pair does not wind up in someone else's hands, I have carefully labeled them as though I am in 4th grade again. I do the same with pens if I really love them. There is also the blue highlighter, an important tool in this field. Apparently, appraisers love to be alerted to problems in a report by means of a blue highlighter. Not yellow or green...only blue. Made the mistake of ordering yellow once, that will never happen again!
These important tools are housed in a mug my boss brought back from Israel about 4 years ago. It says something in Hebrew and Jerusalem across it. Never even drank out of it, just assumed it should remain here and hold the pens.
When people ask me what I do for a living, which comes up more often than you would think, I usually respond with, "What do you think I do?" This most often would happen when I was teaching classes at the Big 'A'. I was curious what people assumed or thought I did based on what little interaction they have had with me. Most often, they would say teacher. I get that alot. Makes sense though, I was originally a special education major (irony) and could have been very happy in that chosen profession. Sometimes I get sales person or drug rep.....some sort of shmoozing job. Also makes sense, I guess. After the initial guessing period and I explain that I work for a real estate appraiser in this boring office, everyone usually has the exact same reaction......."Really?!?!??" Makes me think. Especially as I look around and see the mug and the files tipping in my direction, how DID I end up here? Looking at this stuff should be the exact motivation I need to get off my butt and DO SOMETHING!!!
So you'd think.

The 411

Still alive and kickin', thanks for asking.

1. Waiting for my buddy Carol to come back from Hong Kong, need a little scrappin' push.
2. Scrapped 2 whole pages of my Disney adventure, 8.5x11 format which is really stumping me.
3. Had a garage sale last weekend, planning on a repeat this weekend to try and lighten the load for the big move.
4. STILL looking for a place to live. This is getting ridiculous. I have until the end of the month and it is quickly approaching.
5. Trying to come up with a killer WOW idea for a SU! swap I am in. It is like the American Idol of swaps, if you ain't good enough, you are booted from the group. Talk about creative pressure.
6. Reading this blog and laughing out loud.
7. Realized the other day that I am one of the only single scrappers out there besides those young people. What the heck!! It is almost like this is a suburban America craft and you need the 2.2 kids, dog and perfect husband just to fit in. Added that to the list of reasons I hate being single.
8. Sitting on lawn chairs in the living room because the furniture in the house is gone! My new handed down couches are here in the warehouse until the move, so until then I am feeling a bit hillbilly. (no offense implied toward the hillbillies)
9. Going to Vegas next week. First all grown up vacation since 2001, so I can't wait. Will be the complete polar opposite of my Disney vacation.....relaxing, no kids and uber fun!!
10. Trying desperately to find a new swimsuit and some decent clothes before the above mentioned trip as well as get a haircut and a pedicure. I am in need of some pre-ME time before my 6 days of ME time!!
11. Everyday I get to listen to an adorable 9 year old complain about how bored he is. That never gets old......ugh!!!
12. Finished the wedding invites for my cousin in 2 days a couple weeks ago. They loved them, which is all that matters, now I just have to make some Thank You cards.
13. Eating a ton of crap to counteract the stress.....very productive. Not!! Put on 5lbs which are not going to look pretty in a bathing suit.
14. Getting ready to say adios! to my baby brother who leaves for school next Friday. Will miss him terribly, he is like my first born because I helped raise this one. I was 16 when he was born and everyone thought he was mine, like an afternoon special.
15. The lady that worked with me quit while I was on my Disney vacation, so now I am all alone and thus busier. Also, I have no one to fill in for me while I am in Vegas!

That's about all, nothing really exciting at all. Every couple days I have this burst of creative energy and I really want to create something, but by the time I actually think about doing it that feeling has dissipated. I need to pack up that room, not make something. Definitely missing simpler times, but this to shall pass. (or so I keep having to tell myself)