Our back yard - in more ways than one...

Mr. B is doing a total back yard make-over and this is just the start...

I think probably one of the hardest part is the "start"..but that's just me.

You see, I can't see what's in his head, and he can. He knows how it will look and I do have complete trust in both his vision and his abilities.

But I am such a visual person - it's hard for me to know what he's thinking...

Braxton & Lulu were definitely thinking "why is HE allowed to dig...we get yelled at..."

Back and forth, forth and back..wheeleing and digging, and dumpin'....

.

So, while I showed you some of his laborious day, I'll also show you around my little neighborhood - for those who might not know what Utah looks like ...at least my little corner of it!

These were taken on one of the trips either going to or home from Home Depot...

Pretty..eh??

Guess what I was doing during all this hard work????

Well, someone had to document this, right?? And...I saved some of the Hens & Chicks...

At the end of the day, he surveyed all that he had done.............and he felt.........TIRED!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Honey. I know it will be magnificent!

Love,

-me

One week down...

...and only 208 weeks to go!

Retirement, here I come!!

.............eventually....

(and yes, "Dear", I am planning on retiring at 62...so there..)

T

This week was an exciting one - new job - new people - new computer (I'm used to working on a PC and at work we have Mac's )

Which is really OK because I love the PC vs Mac commercials - I always like the Mac guy so much better..the PC guy is such a nerd...and not in a good way...Like those guys who asked you to the prom the day before..so it was go with them or stay home....I didn't attend too many proms....

Anyway, I'm getting around. Answered the phones today. The easy questions were, well, easy. duh...

But some of the questions we're like a new TV game show....

"Let's play...STUMP THE NEW PERSON!!!

"Contestants" came in every age and gender. And all, and I do mean all, were kind and very patient as I told them...

"zzzzzssssskjdffghskritzzz..must be the phone.wait..I can't hea..sssszzzdnasfiepda...you're not coming in cleaafjlkjeklazzssss... Can you hear ME??"

Ahhh, just messin' with ya.

Actually when I explained to them that I was new and my supervisor was off-site, they were very kind. Most questions I could answer - some just wanted to speak to a "live" person and all were understanding when I asked for their phone numbers and told them I wanted to be certain of my answer and I'd get back to them..

I spent a lot of the day just familiarizing myself with the email responses to questions "we" (my supervisor and predecessor) have already researched.

So tomorrow, I will try to sleep in - although my stupid "internal clock" is on European time..I wake up about 5:00am even on week-ends.

(not our bed- this was our cabin that my friend Heather had them make up for our 25th anniversary ..thank Heather!)

This is how you'll usually see me after 9PM...

Just wanted to say I have been enjoying all of your blogs so much.

....I guess that would be more of a compliment if there was anything worth watching on TV -

I have been enjoying your blogs. Seriously. Thanks for entertaining me, educating me, making me ponder and most of all allowing me have soo many good friends to be grateful for.

Colleen signing off...............

...I'll bet a lot of you don't even recognize this....Damn kids anyway..

-me

Did I ever tell you....

..I really like my eyes?

No, no no, not in a narcissistic way...like in a a BFF way.


Yeppers....they are my "Best Friends Forever"... Well, one a little more than the other.


I have one lazy eye...have had for years - the condition that is - I've had the eyes for like.... EVER..

When I was a little kid, they put me in glasses and told me I needed to wear a patch over the good eye to make the lazy eye stronger...


Yeah..like that's gunna happen.. I was a little kid...there was NO WAY I was going to Prince Road Elementary School with glasses and a patch...no way.


Pirates were not cool then...Johnny Depp wasn't even a twinkle in his Daddy's eye at that point...


Anyway, the lazy eye continued on it's lazy journey....all the time the stronger eye getting stronger and stronger.


It's kinda like on the average, things look pretty good. I mean, if you have one foot in the fire and one foot in ice then, on the average, you should be comfortable, right??


So it is with my eyes.


When I look in the mirror, the good eye says, "whoa - maybe you should re-think the make-up.."

....and the lazy eye says "hey....lookin' good!"


But, if I listen to both, I re-check the mirror and (hopefully) fix the issues.


They also are very kind to me.... when I look in a full length mirror and ask "does this make me look fat??" "Nah..." says they. I usually see myself through skinny eyes...Oh, and did I mention younger ones too??


And....they wake up at different times . The good eye usually wakes up first. Wide awake...wide open...


Not so much the lazy eye...won't stay open..I go around looking like a cyclops...or like I'm winking at the old-creepy-guy in the car next to me on my way to work.....


When I'm feeling down... they well-up and let loose over Maxwell House coffee commercials..and I feel better for it.


So yes, I really do like my eyes...and I am thankful I have them...disfunctional as they are..


Have a good tommorrow and don't forget to think about the little things you take for granted...


-me

"Tracing Your Roots - or not - with COLLEEN"

Ha ha ha , ah ha....

But seriously..

"What I learned at work today"

by Colleen B.

My supervisor was out today, so I was left to my own devices..oh my..to learn some of the verbiage and acronyms used in DNA research...I do understand why I need to learn... I do...I really do...

But, I have been outside the "scientific" world for, uh, about 41 years..

Back to my junior year in Mr. McIntosh's' class at Tucson High School...where if I remember correctly, didn't really like science......or Mr. McIntosh..

But we're here now and I need to know this stuff..and remember it the "Science" version instead of the "Colleen" version..

Back Mutations - a mutation that essentially undoes itself...

And not..

..the Hunchback of Notre Dame or the tattoo on the biker chick's back-side...

Ancestor of Interest - a focus individual whose Y-DNA or mt DNA descendants are sought for a DNA study....

And not..

...the geriatric rich Uncle that's "circling the drain" ...

Admixture - the blending of 2 or more geographic origins with an individual..

And not...

...what you do with the beer batter and the onion ring recipe...

Complimentary pairs - the DNA molecule that is made up of 2 long helical strands that connect together...

And not.....

...Rum & Coke

Coalescence - the process by which the number of ancestors are reduced as one goes back in time so that they ultimately converge on a single forebear shared by all..

And not...

...the smell you smell when your neighbor lights his grill with a quart of lighter fluid...

Daughtering out - When a Y-DNA line dies out because only daughters were born..

And not...

"I have 2 daughters that I have managed not to kill while they were in their teens and I am having NO MORE.."

Germ Line - Mutations that occur when the egg and sperm are formed..

And not...

..the ring around the bottom of the toilet bowl that Ella won't "go potty" in until Grammie cleans it...

Karyotype - A picture of all chromosomes of an organism, often arranged in homologous pairs according to decreasing size...

And not...

..someone who enjoys lip-syncing show tunes at a gay Karaoke bar...

And last but not least...

Maximum Likelihood Estimate (or MLE) - The value associated with the highest possibility, used in reporting estimates when MRCA of selected individuals lived & results of geographic origin tests...

And not...

Time given by Mr. B as to when the newest project on the house will be completed.

And so it goes - another day with my nose at the grindstone..

(forget the onion rings - just gimme the beer...)

-me

I've got a QUIZ for you !......

OK, so what does a W-4, and I-9 a new note-taking book and bottle of French Imported Lemmonade on a desk say to you??

........................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................................??

YES! I have started a new job! Yeah...

Now: a moment of silence for the dearly departed "free time" I've had the opportunity to get to know over the past couple of months.....




OK, so here's the scoop - I am a Customer Service Adminisrtator for GeneTree -



"GeneTree (www.genetree.com) is a new category of family networking site designed to help people understand where their personal histories belong within the greater human genetic story. The GeneTree site creates unparalleled opportunities for unlocking genetic heritage and identity, connecting with ancestors and living relatives, and sharing meaningful information and experiences to help preserve family histories. GeneTree expands the concept of family, providing fresh new answers and perspective to the universal questions, “Who am I?” and “Where do I come from?”



WHOA! And to think all I could do as of the interview was spell "DNA"....



It's very exciting and I am learning a great deal and I've only been there 8 hours. Can you imagine the stories I could tell at the next family reunion??



I met some folks and actually remembered names - which is sooo unlike me - but there's a Jeff and I have a son Jeff - then there's a Kobe - and I have a grand-dog named Kobe -



...a Brian which is the name of the grandson who has Kobe - (the dog not the co-worker) a Kerry which is my niece's name (but this one is a guy - like Kerry in Ireland..)



A Kimberly that likes coffee (!) and wants to be called Kim...and Paul - which just happened to be my favorite Beetle.....



See, I have it all figured out.

Now to figure out the mitochondrial DNA vs the Y DNA and the Y chromosome and the XX one...High School biology anyone?? Anyone??



Buhler?? Buhler??



So wish me luck - the thing is, this interestes me - I like History and I am into the geneology thing so this should be a good fit...

...and anywhere that you get a bottle of French-imported Lemmonade on your desk on your first day along with an email from the VP saying he's taking me & my boss out for lunch has go to be PERFECT, right??

Cya2morrow!

-me


PS- the site is free - check it out - you can even make a family tree and have fun - all for FREE!
Let me know what you think, OK?


-me too





Q: What is GeneTree?A: GeneTree is a family history sharing site created to help people everywhere understand how their personal stories belong within the framework of the greater human genetic story – by discovering their genetic heritage and identity, connecting and collaborating with living relatives, and sharing meaningful information and perspective through personal stories, photos, video and documents.

I saw something I really really liked...

..on HGTV - which is no surprise to many of you who are fans.

They did a room over with a decidedly tropic-theme. Not my usual fare, but they made curtains and slip covered a chair using a material called "bark cloth" -

I had never heard of this but as you know I'm not much of a sewer (that word still looks funny to me - not "funny" like haha - but like I totally spelled it wrong..)

Anyway, I saw some of the most beautiful florals I have ever seen! Like beautiful paintings - lovely artwork....I looked some up and here's what I mean...

These swatches don't look exactly like the one they used on the show - that one had bigger flowers, but spaced out - not too busy - and it was a crisp white background - but you get the general idea here. Love it! I think used as an accent piece like on a sun porch or dinning room would be pretty.

I made another composition book - this one was inspired by Anna Corba and her works. I just love what she does, so I took her lead to make myself this note-taking book...

Front...

Close-up..

Back...

Back close-up..

Ta-Da!

This was fast & fun. I also was inspired by Cath Kidson's work - I love the oil-cloth brightness of her stuff. I think I'll try these books using some real oil-cloth instead of paper.

Anyway, that's what I was up to today - it was raining buckets (we need it so I won't complain) and with the horrible weather some states are having, all I can do it be grateful and sent up prayers for those who have been affected.

Have a good tomorrow.

-me

Whew! 300 posts...I'm pooped....Too pooped to post??

Nah...never too pooped to "talk" to you all!

Sunday is supposed to be a "day of rest". We took that seriously today. WAAAAY seriously..

This is what our day looked like..

Got up around 8 - 8AM! Lulu was already up and waiting for us to keep her company..

8:15AM

Braxton makes it to the sofa...

9:15AM...YAWN...

9:30AM Lulu's still waiting. This time for her walk..

9:45AM..............I'm waiting......are you getting the leashes??Are you! Huh? Are you???

10 AM -Mr. B's relaxing today - yesterday was "tear-the-garden-logs-out-and-move-LOTS-of-dirt-day."..

10:45AM - I have returned from our walk and and aimlessly taking photos in the room..this is one of my most favorite signs..it reads "Home is where your dog is..."

11AM - Braxton was really tired after his walk...

Lulu was tired, but concious...

2PM - We tried to get Braxton to chase the stuffed giraffe, but he was not totally into it....

3:30PM - Lulu gets all comfy on her Dad's lap..

5 PM - Aw, come on, Braxton! Let's play....Geesh - if dogs could give "crustys"....

8 PM - Settling in - and holding down that blanket very well!

10 PM - It's 10 o'clock - do you know where your feet are??

10:11 PM- Sweet dreams - see you at post 301.....

nightie-night..

-me