Repressed Hermit-itis

Ugh. Sometimes I think I was a hermit in another life. I have repressed hermit tendencies, that only come up once in a while--like today, for example. I would really like to go crawl into bed and hide for the rest of the week. It's just not going right.

I raised my voice to the boys when we were getting in the car this morning (they were in the wrong seats, they knew this, and we were already late) and I expressed a certain amount of frustration
laced with irritation
and most likely some anger
...only to look across my driveway to see my neighbors getting into their car. Bet they were happy to have an earful from me at 8 am.

Then I found out that there's no room for us on the fire station fieldtrip this week. Julian, my firestation-loving son is crushed. We were out of town when the original notice went out and I didn't get to respond in time. There's nothing I hate more than causing him disappointment about the things he loves.

I put on a crock pot of roast and veggies last night. This is one dish I truly enjoy making. There's something so "see me cook" about chopping potatoes and onions and carotts and onions and smelling the delicious aromas of the crock pot cooking all thru the night. It's usually all I can do not to have a taste before breakfast...but today I just don't feel it. I'm not even hungry.

I was given a $75 gift card to Target last week. Guess what? I can't find it. I have no idea where it went. I am so bummed. And annoyed. $75.

I attended a neighborhood meeting last week. I was part of a brain-storming session during which I shared an idea and had it immediately shot down by someone who had no right to do so. I didn't stand up for the idea (which I still think is one with merit) and now I'm just pissed at myself for not doing a better job of standing up for the idea and for allowing myself to be intimidated by a busy-body.

My Jenni Bowlin Studio kit came yesterday. It's a great kit (of course) but I totally don't get why the front cover of the notebook has the JBS logo on it. Seems to me, the label could have been left blank for use as part of the individual design. As much as I like Jenni's schtuff...I don't need her name on my notebook. Or perhaps a blank label could have been included in the kit for covering it. Oh well.

A friend of mine is having difficulty with an international adoption. She and her husband have been working on this particular adoption from Haiti for more than a year and a half and are really feeling the frustration right now. They thought they would be home with their childby now but they've been strung along a bit (it seems) and these matters that entertwine legal issues with heartstrings are the worst. I brace myself before opening each email. It's such an up-and-down journey. I ache for them so much.

Ugh. Anybody have some happy juice I can drink??

On a lighter note: We sold the red Jeep last night. I miss it. I liked that car. 201,000 miles worth of love.

And I have taken on a new commissioned scrapbook job--first one in three years. A special one. Joal took my 8x8 cruise book to his annual managerial meeting in Dallas last week to show some of his buddies he works with. (The cruise was a work event.) His regional manager who also serves as the COO and cruise organizer saw it and was from what Joal said "completely impressed". He wants me to do a larger version for the next cruise (Feb 07) to be displayed in the company office lobby and at regional meetings to "inspire the troops" toward earning the cruise. I've already started on the designs and paper selections. I'm thinking of perhaps getting the album imprinted with the company logo...all sorts of ways to go with this.

The 2007 cruise will be from Miami to Key West, Cozumel and back to Miami. Hemmingway's Key West. I'm happy about that.

I've begun posting the 2006 cruise album at peas--you can see it here.