OMG OMG OMG!

OMG I got my first Etsy Front Page! Woot! *Happy Dance!*




It's the Miriam Necklace, one of my personal favorites and the very first piece I made for my shop!!! How's that for serendipity!!!

What a great day!

All for now,
Nugget

What I Learned in Preschool Today...

Little Nugget is not ready to dislodge herself from my butt just yet.

For the last month or so, I have been eagerly awaiting the coveted yet elusive "Mommy Alone Time." I've heard about, read stories, but thought it was just a fairytale. Until last week, when we had a meeting with Monkey's preschool and they said she could start. Today. What? Seriously? OMG! Since that moment, although struck with guilt over the degree of excitement brought about by said news, my mind has been all a-whirl with what to do with my new found freedom, known as the Morning Session.

I have long sought to return to jewelry making and my dream of building a crafts empire, you know, just in case my evaluation doesn't go so well at work this week. I dropped her off, holding back the tears until I got back out to the parking lot, then timidly went about the business of "Mommy Time." An hour later, I got a phone call. From the school. OH. NO. My empire, dangerously behind schedule, will have to wait. Little Nugget had been crying for an hour!!!

:-(

Apparently I am the human equivalent of a giant squishy pacifier of comforty-goodness for my Sweet Babygirl. Sigh. I got her calmed down (don't know how, but we'll take it) and decided to stick around. Because there would be no staying for the Little Nugget if Mommy wasn't staying too. So we went outside and hung out on the playground for awhile, and she dug it. And the boys dug it too. Sheesh. She's 3, and already the boys notice her. One little boy even stuck his tongue out at her, giving Mommy the perfect opportunity to explain that really that's all she needs to know about boys, they're silly, have cooties (except her Daddy and Grandpas), and should be regarded with skepticism or avoided altogether. Her response to this was to get up and go play "kick the ball" with her new little boyfriends. Sigh.

I wonder if we get to fingerpaint tomorrow....

Nugget

UPDATE: Oh. My. God: I forgot the funniest part of the story: one of Little Nugget's boyfriends asked me if I was her SISTER!!!!! LOL, His Mommy taught him well!

One of My Internal Organs is a Worthless MoFo...

I refuse to believe that my gall bladder would go all wacky on me THE SAME WEEK my husband has his removed (he's recovering nicely, BTW!). I'm really starting to think that his evil organ has possessed mine...kinda like Paranormal Activity, only more like Pear-Shaped Organ Inactivity. HA!!! I crack myself up!!!

Other Random Observations (I'm really too tired to write in a more coherent fashion, although it never stopped me before):

Little Nugget's torso is now a size 3T, but her arms and legs are a 4. Tall girl. Can't wait until short-sleeved, shorts and skirts weather. That should disguise it for a couple of months until the rest of her catches up.

She might be starting preschool soon, not sure what to think of that yet. Oh I know what I think, but feel a little guilty for being so excited...lining up all the artsy-fartsy crafty projects and such. Should be finding out soon if they have a place for her. Mommy will be learning how to make glass beads soon after.

....sorry distracted by Idol...

STRANGE dreams lately: my new boss and the new AA trying to kill me; Crazy Bitch AWOL neighbor stalking me and my Nugget on vacation; giant spiders taking over and various spider mayhem...OK, nightmares really. And late night foot cramps. Not sleeping well (explaining the black circles under my eyes...not just misplaced mascara...) Waaa!

...Danny Gokey!!!....

Couldn't stand the irony this morning of taking the Little Nugget with me and Gammy to a Weight Watchers meeting, her shoving a fistful of yogurt raisins in her mouth and gnawing on them chipmunk-style, puffed out cheeks and all. Made me giggle. She has her Daddy's metabolism. :-)

Speaking of diets, I really did nothing this week but eat cheese, at least that's how it seemed. Yep, lost weight. Go Milk!
......
Someone I work with is an alarmist. They need to take a Lexapro and leave me alone. It's not my problem they're that way. I make my deadlines.

.....

No matter how hard I try, every time I contact IT at work, I look like an idiot. I should know better. And I do. Me: "Oh hey it's doing that thing I said it wouldn't do" IT Guy: "That's because I just remoted in, I'm doing that" Me: *hanging head in shame*

At least I'm smarter about computers than anyone else in my department (crap). Oh yeah, I'm testing out some $5,000 piece of software at work. I finally got the DELETE button to work today. *jaw clenched* 27 days left on the test, woo-hoo!

No wonder my gall bladder's pissed.

All for now,
Nugget

Really There are NO Excuses, but Try This One On For Size...

I SO had good intentions to rock hard on the remodelling project(s) underway and for about 2 hours I really opened up a serious can of whoop ass.

Yes, we sat around for some time this morning leisurely drinking our coffee and watching the renno-fest marathon that is HGTV on Saturday morning: Holmes on Homes, eh, and some other ones. I don't quite remember, it's all a blur of fencing, tiling, dry walling...And you'd think that would put a fire in our belly, but people, we were tired and clearly in need of much greater motivation than mere TV personalities were going to provide. At least for me. Hubby Nugget had far greater initiative at that point, but I needed additional prodding because I was tackling the dreaded problem: the butt-ugly, unevenly applied popcorn ceiling that the obviously EVIL previous owners put up. There really should be a law against that, if not some code violation.

Having already accepted (due to my habitual viewing of HGTV) that I will have to slip coat every square inch of wall in the house (the alternative being new drywall), I had yet to reach acceptance about what needed to be done with the ceiling. I envisioned water, drop cloths, breathing aparatii, and hours and hours of horrible aching tedious dirty work.

And all that was true, except the hours and hours part. The ceiling had been painted, so no need for water. I just knocked off the popcorn part, and was done in less than two hours. Which is awesome, except I had really just expected to work on that today, and wasn't really in the mood to start slip coating. (I have to psych myself up for something I've never done before. Well, I've done slip coat, but that was on plaster, no biggie. This is 50-year old sheet rock. Nuff said.)

Plus when I got done, then allowing clean-up time, it was about 4 o'clock, which really is too late in the day to start something new. Ehem. Now don't get me wrong, I've been busy: I cannot tell you how many messes and toy box explosions I've cleaned today. Plus laundry sorting...oh yes, and Monkey wrangling. That's job number one.

Oh who am I kidding...I feel like an unbelievable lazy turd right now, obsessively checking Facebook and the Blog-o-sphere for new updates. Busted! But I did do all that stuff today. I just feel bad that I should have done more. Oh well, some days you just need a day off...oh wait...TOMORROW'S MY BIRTHDAY!!! Well if that's not an excuse to be a slacker for 2 or 3 hours, I don't know what is!!!

Check out the computer game that's been occupying much of my lazy turd time: Pure Hidden. If you're into seek-and-find games and like really pretty, relaxing graphics, check it out! (note to self: must remember it's OK to take some relaxation time!!!!)

All for now,
Nugget

I Really Should Write These Posts Earlier in the Day...

I'm usually at my best when I write in the morning. So now it's almost 9:00 p.m., and I just remembered that I hadn't posted yet, even though I had a great topic ready this morning!

But alas, we spent the day outside working (mostly my Nugget)/lounging (me)/playing (both of us) with the Little Nugget, and when I came indoors to attend to urgent peanut butter sammie needs, I ended up doing laundry, dishes, and kicking ass in the Photoshop Expediency Project, which is what I'm now calling the attempt to rid myself of a giant pesticle in my (what some would call hostile) work environment.

Have to give some stats, to demonstrate the awesomeness at which the project is hurdling towards the finish line: I have approximately 4,000 digitized images depicting various works of ancient art to edit and basically re-create in Photoshop (started with over 10,000, just so you get the scope of the project). I have been averaging about 50-75 images per day, on a good day. Since the inception of the Photoshop Expediency Project, which was at exactly 12:20 Thursday afternoon, I have finished almost 1,200 images!!!

I really don't think that merits any further comment, we all know that World Domination is within reach!

Oh hell yeah!
Nugget

Halloween Festivites, Partay!

I promised pics, and I deliver! A couple of weeks ago, Hubby Nugget and I headed up to the great state of Iowa to partake in the annual "Lazy K Ranch Halloween Party." Apologies to my Facebook friends who have already seen these!

Hubby Nugget and I went as the Progressive Insurance Girl and the Verizon Guy:

My brother and sister-in-law were the Kennedys, after the shooting:

I present the Bobbits....

...and the dismembered member:

Before you get too grossed out, it was made of bologna. And ketchup.

Jello shots are never a good idea:

The naughty pumpkin!

One couple came as the painting American Gothic (by Grant Wood):

It was such an awesome idea that we all had to give it a try:

We HAD to have HN pose with the group to get a "Verizon Network" photo op:

That was so awesome! Finally, witness Hubby Nugget chillin in the coffin that decorated the front yard:

You just can't beat that!

Good times,

Nugget

Don't Mess with the Support Staff...

or they will mess you back.

So I've been working on this massive digitizing project for Curmudgeon (also known in this blog as "Pesticle"), and have delivered many, many images. So NOW he decides he doesn't like the way I'm delivering, via CD, which is the only way we currently have. Says there are too many images on the CDs, he can't find anything. Nevermind that I include all data in a spreadsheet so he can find said images, but hey, when I mention the data, he says, "Oh I don't need the data, I know what everything is." Whatever.

He wants them broken down by categories, Like all the Parthenon images on one disc, all of the Jupiter Capitolinus on one, etc. I get that. But I also get that he requested literally over 10,000 images and needs them by December, and if I'm to have this done in a timely fashion, I can't take the time to catalogue and re-organize all the images in little chunks and spoon feed them like baby food. Dude.

I reassure him that we are working on a new web-based delivery system and once we get over this bump, it will all be better.

He says, "I don't care about a delivery system, once you get these all scanned for me I won't need you or a delivery system."

Oh no he di-int!

I calmly looked at him and said, "you really don't think you'll need anymore images?" to which he replied, "oh no I can get beautiful Botticellis online, so why do I need you?" I said, "you can get Botticellis, but you can't get "Villa Papyri," and he countered with "no, but you're scanning them for me so I won't need it."

Dude.

I've spent the last year Photoshopping almost 10,000 scanned crappy 30 year old slide images and you're gonna say that to me?! Wow. My first impulse was to say something like then I guess its ok if I delete the rest of these bad images because you can easily replace them with images from the internet (HAA! I'd like to see him try!!!), but I decided it is more prudent to consider this the light-bulb moment, like when you wake up one day and realize that your boyfriend is a giant asshole and why hadn't you seen this before when its so clear! Now I've always known he was an ass, but I've decided that he no longer deserves my quality services. Apparently he feels that I am vulnerable, he has been suspiciously nice lately so I was prepared for the attack. Such a little weasel. Don't fuck with the person who is working on your project!!! What an idiot!

As of this moment, I am no longer making silk purses of these pigs ear images, I am hammering through the remaining sets to GET THEM DONE, then I'm gonna burn so many fricken CDs he'll regret the day he ever set foot into my office. If I'm feeling really ornery, I might not include the data! Ha!! And when I'm done, I will deliver them in one giant heap on his desk!!! Oh yes!

Then I'll get back to work on more productive things, like serving the faculty who actually appreciate me!!!

All for now,
Nugget

Bookclubbing

Back in the day, I was in a bookclub of sorts. It was populated by like minded sorts, and was devoted to all things Arty. It went on for quite some time, a few years even. At first we met once a week at a local coffee shop (thereby augmenting my caffeine addiction), and discussed an article or chapter that someone had chosen. Then it was every two weeks, then once a month, you get the idea. Eventually I engaged in the madness that was a PhD program and drifted away, although by then it was really kaput anyway. On the bright side, I formed wonderful friendships with my two remaining girlies, A & R. No readings anymore, just hangin with my girls.

So why the nostalgia? Well, since I came to my senses about the advanced degree, I have had a hankerin to read for fun. I've been pecking away at this one book for awhile, but I find I really need the discipline of deadlines to really accomplish said reading enjoyment. Reading for fun seems so...wrong. Which is crazy, I know, but after years of my advisor asking why I was reading such and such, it's not scholarly enough to use in my dissertation, blah, blah, blah, it kind of gets drilled in your head that books are work. You use them for research, you write them, you don't read them for entertainment.

I guess what I'm saying is I'm looking to join a book club. I see this thing on Facebook, so I might check that out. But still might be kind of cool to join something locally, not virtually. Because I don't drink enough coffee as it is!

All for now,
Nugget

Geeks of the Midwest, Unite!

I am an art historian. Have I ever told you that? I don't remember. I know that I've alluded to my *useless degrees. (*I mean that in the best possible way. That is to say, art and art history are wonderful and interesting courses of study, but they rarely pay the bills.) Anyhoo, I seriously got burned out while pursuing the doctorate, and could no longer stomach the stuff. It just wasn't fun anymore, felt like work (same thing with reading...). Didn't step foot in a museum, except to have lunch with my Visual Resources peeps N & D (see you next week ladies!).

Fast forward to this week, and the annual gathering of regional art historians in a convention-like setting held this year in my fair town. I used to always go to this thing, back in the day when I had mad love for it. I even presented a paper once, in Chicago, 1998 ("Influences of the Decadent Movement in the Art Nouveau Jewelry of Rene Lalique".) That cracks me up, hard to believe that I presented a paper in front of a audience of almost 100 people (people with PhD's!!!)!!! But I can't remember the last one I went to, I just wasn't interested once I went into burn-out mode.

So last week, one of the professors in my department asked if I wanted to go since we're hosting it, I thought, "why not. I'm not paying for it. Plus I get a day out of the office."

You know what? I had fun. It was energizing! All the papers were interesting and I learned a few things I didn't know before. I saw a lot of friends and colleagues I hadn't seen in some time!
And as it turns out, one of my BFFs was presenting a paper! (Little stinker didn't say anything until the last minute!) It was a very good day.

And the best thing, I like art history again!

But no, I am not going back to school to finish the doctorate. You can't make me.

All for now,
Nugget