Stacey Saves the World

I love waking up early on the weekends (with enough rest, of course) and opening the windows and hearing the birds outside. The cats all have a full belly so they’re lounging around and the house is quiet.

I’ve had a pretty busy week so I’m grateful for mornings like these. My order of CD sleeves finally came in and I am SO happy with them! I have a few to dress up later today to send out, so I’ll be sure to take photos and post them. Work has been, work. Dealing with the public is always so strange, that I don’t know if I should laugh or cry. It really broadens the sense of how large the world is to me, but also makes me even more happy to stay in my little home on the farm. I think the most time-consuming and Wanting to Bang my Head Against the Wall Moments are the phone calls. When someone calls for questions and I tell them ‘Everything is on our website’ and they reply ‘Oh, what’s the address?’ and I give them the address and they respond with ‘Well, can I still ask you the questions?’ It’s as though they don’t get the drift that I have other things to do and if they’d just hop on their computer, everything they ever needed to know about having their cat “spaided” will be on there. And seriously, spaided? We don’t “spaided” or “spray” or “spraided” cats. It’s not a plural word. It also does not contain the letter R. I swear, Southerners will add as many extra letters and syllables to a word as they need to to feel they’re getting their points across. It’s like a word can’t just be good enough as it is. The same with food. If you can eat it, we can fry it. WHY do we feel the need to add extra butter and batter to a dill pickle?!

I visited my vet’s home last week as she hired me to take photos of her cats.  She’s one of my favorite vets ever and I was more than happy to do it for her.  My anxiety kicked into overdrive the morning of the shoot, though, not knowing at all what to expect.  After everything was said and done, though, I was SO happy with the results.  She had the most beautiful little home and her cats were lovely.  We had one that wouldn’t come out of hiding, but I did sneak a few photos of him.  Ruby was a beautiful Abyssinian with the funniest personality.  She was a camera whore in the making.  Jerome was huge with a new-wave haircut that’s soon going to take over the world – mark my word!

I’ve also started jogging again. It’s fun, until the day after when I’m ready to jog for that day. My shins are SO sore. I know I’ll get there, I just wish it would happen a little quicker. I also wish there weren’t strange people at the park because on our 48 acres of land, there isn’t a flat surface to run on for more than 20 yards at a time. I’m wondering if all of this fuming from the phone calls I get is going to kick in a burn a few calories, because at the rate I’m going, I should be good to go in about a week and 4 days!

Here is a photo of Jerome and Ruby!

I had never had sushi before last night. Never cared to, though I was a bit curious. I suppose my cravings for Japanese food took over, though. Well, a combination between that and seeing random blogs I visit online featuring it. I never knew what to get, what they contained or anything. I just got the urge to try them.

I went out yesterday evening and brought some back home for Andy and I to try together. We both had a lot of work to do so we didn’t have time to go sit down and eat it. I had no idea what kind to get, so I bought 4-5 different types. Andy was pretty eager to try it as well, which was exciting. I had a tough time picking them up with my chopsticks (or picking anything up with them, actually) and was taken back a bit about the eel. The eel was inside the spicy roll, though, which I really wanted to taste. I started with the California Roll. Eh, it was OK, a bit too fishy. One thing I noticed from the beginning, though, was how big the pieces were. I mean, they were normal sized pieces, but when you’re trying something new for the first time, you don’t want something that will not allow excess oxygen into your mouth should you need it to hurl the food back out. I also realize it’s fish and fish is fishy and this was raw fish, but I like cooked fish that’s not so fishy. Perfect candidate to try sushi, yeah?

I tried the Cream Cheese roll next. Yuck. Too dry, too fishy, too much. Weird, because I love rice, avocado, cream cheese AND crab. Next, I tried the spicy roll. It took me a second. I had to meditate. In the back of my mind, I remembered I didn’t have a living will. I hadn’t yet done all of the things I wanted to do. I needed to paint my nails. Laundry needed to be done. Ugh. I had to get it over with. Somewhere from plate to mouth, though, I dropped the roll. It came apart. I thought this was a sign, but I had already made up my mind and there was no turning back. If I turned back, I may have never tried again. Andy was eating the spicy rolls up – he loved them. That gave me courage. Hell, it gave me courage that he even wanted to try them with me! So, I put it back down, put it back together and ate it. Yum! But ugh! I loved the sauce, but not the sushi. The eel wasn’t bad, but it was just so much at once. I finally unwrapped a piece, tasted the seaweed and was pretty sure that was the part I didn’t like. I tried one more piece, though, after I realized we had slivers of ginger on the plate. That was a bit better, but I’m here to admit, I’m not a sushi fan. Maybe if it were being prepared right in front of me and I got a few of the kinds where the shrimp or whatever were cooked? But that time was not last night. I was disappointed, especially since I had spent $35 and now had all of this sushi neither of us would probably eat. I gave a piece to my little brother (California Roll) and he thought it was OK. I couldn’t convince my mother, so when we went to a friends last night, we took it along. They couldn’t get up the nerve to try it, though, so it was trashed. Ahhhh. I hate wasting money.

I am alive this morning, though! Andy and I both – which we were curious if we would be after eating raw fish.

My reaction!

The damn things just would NOT stay in my chopsticks

Andy showing me how to properly hold them. I was too busy taking photos, though.

Ah ha! I am holding the sushi AND it has wasabi on it! Btw, did you know the interweb tries to respell ‘wasabi’ as ‘Kawasaki’? I’d hope everyone would know the difference.

Spicy Rolls

Full Moon Dish

Cream Cheese Roll

California Roll

I decided to find some nice, professional looking CD sleeves for my clients to receive their image CDs in. I found some nice cloth ones on etsy, but those can get pricey after a while, and the branding isn’t that constant. I wanted something creative, yet personal. After eying them for a few days, I finally gave in and bought some recycled CD sleeves. Not only do they look rustic and professional, but they’re also recycled, which excites me.

So I have my CD sleeves ordered, but how do I personalize them? I decided to go to AC Moore, one of the local craft stores, to see what I could find. I decided that I would like to try letter pressing them. With not one clue about it. Let’s just say that not one of the nice ladies in the craft booking section knows a thing about letter pressing. In fact, they looked at me kinda strange. I finally asked a sales woman and she didn’t know anything about it, either. I pulled out my trusty blackberry right there in the isle of scrapbook paper (but not before stepping to to the side – those ladies are crazy about their scrap booking. So after googling it, I realized this wasn’t just a new hobby I could pick up at the craft store. I felt defeated and left. 3 hours, and NOTHING to go on my CD sleeves!

I had a run a few errands yesterday so I stopped by Michael’s, another craft store. Talk about MUCH BETTER! I accidentally looked to my right upon walking through the door, though, and was pulled into the beading section. Their selection was amazing, but I only walked away with a phoenix (which also happens to be my business logo) charm and a necklace for it. So I go to make my way over to the papers and I see feathers! Beautiful feathers! Beautiful feathers that I can make more headbands with! So…I picked up a few. I didn’t prepare for all of this. Once I arrived at the paper section, I saw it. A letterpress kit. But, I was over that. I was just going to stamp them. I bought some nifty stamps, amazing distressed inks and some neat tags to go on them. Only when I got home and looked at these stamps, this new creation of clear stamps, I thought to myself These are weeeird. Pretty, but weird! So, how do they work?! I probably should have inspected them before leaving the store, but I realized I needed an acrylic block for them to attach to before I use them. Face, meet palm. All I wanted were amazing CD sleeves! Needless to say, I’ve had enough of craft stores and wasted hours this weekend. Once my sleeves arrive, I’m going to try a few things and see which I like best and post the outcome here.

Also, while out yesterday shopping for neat crafts, I got it into my head that I’d like to try sushi. For the first time ever. ADD, much? So I called Andy and asked if we could go out to eat this weekend, at a nice Chinese restaurant here in town. I don’t know if I’ll still have the nerve to try it once I’m there, but we’ll see! For now, I’m eating pizza for breakfast and am finally going to edit the photos that are going to go on the CD that will then go into the most awesome CD sleeves EVAR! I will make this happen, and I know you’re as excited as I am!.

Holidays used to be so big in my family. They were bigger than they should have been. So many gifts, so much food, and lots of church. I can’t help but think of all of that today, being 24 years old and with a realistic view of the world, minus an important parent. My sister and I would wake up early and our baskets would be hidden and we’d go on a search for them. If the weather was nice, we knew they’d be outside, so out we’d go through the dewy grass – looking in trees, behind our bikes, high and low. Our baskets were always made by my mother, filled to the brim with candy and things we actually needed and wanted, along with a stuffed bunny. I remember the yellow checkered dress with the lace trimming the front. The white stockings, white paten leather shoes and purse. Curls abound, running to my father’s room to show him my new dress for church. He always said I looked beautiful and walked with me to show my mother, restating the fact “Mama, doesn’t she look beautiful?”

I dyed eggs with my little brother yesterday, hoping to create some sort of special memory for him. The truth is, though, it did just that for me. This morning, I have eggs boiling so I can make deviled eggs and go to my mother’s to eat. I have a small feeling of nostalgia, and can’t help but wish I were a little girl again.

I hope everyone has a happy Easter, or passover, or whatever it is you celebrate. If it’s nothing – have a great weekend, and enjoy yourself today!

Working with the public, you hear and see some crazy things. I work at the front desk of a local vet and I cannot believe the time we waste on some phone calls. This is one I received a few days ago.

S-Stacey

C-Caller

S: -name of work here-, can I help you?

C: Yes, I was calling to see if I can get the rabies for my dog. How much is it and when can I do it?

S: Our walk-in vaccine clinic is Monday-Thursday, from 9:30-11:00 and all vaccines are $12 each.

C: 11:00 at night?

S: …no, 11:00am.

C: OK, can I make an appointment for Friday?

S: Ma’am, it’s walk-in only, you don’t need an appointment, and we’re closed on Fridays. It’s Monday-Thursday only.

C: Oh, OK! And how much would it be to get just the rabies?

S: It’s $12, all of our vaccines are $12 each.

C: OK, thank you. Bye.

…not a minute later

S: -name of work here-, can I help you?

C: Hey, I just called and asked about the rabies. So, if my dog needs to get 2 shots, how much will that be?

S: …$24.

C: OK, thank you. Bye.