word verification...

is it just me or does anyone else have a heck of a time reading this buggers? so a lot of sites have them and lately i cannot get them right. all the darn lines and squiggily majigs. what is that about? oh well, maybe it's just my old age. a first of many things, i shall complain about as i grow up!
had my evening planned. how to pack and bake. darn basement flooded. stupid sump pump or ejector pump or stupid water thingy. so frustrating. so thankful it wasn't worse. so happy we found it, early. nick is awesome. he told me not to worry. that he would arrange to be home for the plumbers. that i could leave for michigan as planned. gosh, do i love this man! he's a total sweetheart. and grateful that my mother convinced my lil bro to come over just in case nick can't make it in time! gotta love family...sometimes!
for some good news. our cleaning lady came today. alright. technically she is the cleaning lady but i feel strange calling her that since she is nick's cousin. i've always talked of having someone come clean the house every now and again...just never looked into it. or thought we could afford it. crystale is a kick arse cleaner. i swear, if she is moving...she's cleaning! well, she came today and did an awesome job. i'm so glad i did it. kinda nice to come home after a long day to a clean house. to not have to worry about mopping! yay!
and now starts my four day weekend. can't wait! getting more nervous/excited by the minute!

rain drops keep fallin on my head...

ah, the sound of rain. i love it. so calming, relaxing. and the smell...love it. the sound and smell of rain: two of my favorite things! maybe that is why i'm a water baby {aquarius}...
love the fall. cool weather, lots of rain...perfect for snuggling! :)
had a busy few days. saw the white sox, apple picked, finished out a swap, working on some odds and ends, got a cleaning person, packing for my mini getaway to detroit. so excited. yes, i'm still nervous! i mean, i know these girls but i don't know them. ya know? everyone has been so friendly and helpful in trying to help me figure out how the heck to drive my butt there! it's gonna be a blast. i think it's just my timid personality.
honestly, for a while. i wasn't sure if i wanted to go. i hate new things/change. i know this isn't technically change. but it's a scary thing meeting 13 people you don't know. at least for me it is. but i'm trying to work on my sense of adventure. to realize that not doing it doesn't get me anywhere. that i would rather do something and regret it, than not do it and regret that. i would have an experience to learn from. another part of it is, that i hate doing things alone. i admire the crap out of someone who can go to dinner and a movie by themselves. i just can't do it. so i figure this is also me taking a journey by myself. not worrying if nick or a friend has to pee. that i can pull over whenever the heck i want. that i can pick any fast food joint i want. it's also the fact that i think it is going to be amazing to be surrounding by people who love this hobby of mine, as much as i do. not many people i know scrap. i wish they did. but they show no interest. that darn scrapbooking negativity aura thingie. that we are obsessed camera wielding crazies. well, let me tell ya something...we carry scissors too! ;) anywho. enough with my rant. hopefully, when i get back i can share some fun pics and some exciting news!

busy bee...

so work is busy as usual and i try to make home time, down time. a time for me, for us, to just relax and enjoy. but this week is an exception. tomorrow i get my hair done. no biggie but still not a night at home. thinking of going browner for fall. we shall see. thursday we are going to a chicago white sox game with two of our friends. the tickets were free. hopefully, decent. and it should be a gorgeous fall evening. friday i have to work on a brad swap that i hosted. saturday is our down day and sunday we are going apple picking. gonna get some cool fall pics i hope. can't wait to pick some pumpkins too!
the following week isn't soo crazy but the weekend should be a blast. heading to detroit to meet some fellow knk members. never met someone that i've only known online in person before, so kinda nerve wracking at the same time! but it should be neat to spend time with people who enjoy my hobby as much as i do. kinda stinks since none of my friends nor family scrapbook so they don't really understand!
and i'm super stoked about a concert we are going to attend. it's ben folds!! i absolutely, positively love him! it's gonna be such a great concert. nick and i <3>

proud new owner...

of a kick arse printer! i'm so excited. haven't the foggiest idea of how to work it tho!
so my old printer died. nick spent quite some time trying to fix it and finally got frustrated and gave up. totally surprising for him. he is usually the patient one. okay, so maybe he did spend a few hours on it... well, he said that we should probably just buy a new one. that's when i replied, 'any one i want?' now this was said in my cutest shannon voice. that he is just a sucker for! and it worked. can i just say, thank goodness for credit cards! yes, i know that just because you have a $5,000 limit. doesn't mean you have $5,000 for free! i have so been trying to behave and pay off our debt. and i'm pretty sure i will have three of them paid off before the new year! darn college debt. but back to the printer...
after multiple stops, we found it at best buy. brought it home and it was broken. grrr. headed back to best buy to exchange it and finally got it working around 6 or so. what a long adventure! lemme just tell you, the thing is ginormous. took up the entire top of my cabinet. i don't care tho. it's gonna be so great to finally be able to print on my 12x12 cardstock!!! wee! it's gonna be so much fun!
if anyone has any giant printer tips or regular sized ones for that matter please let me know! :)
so i tried to post a link but blogger ate it. the new printer is a epson R1800.

off to see the wizard...

the wonderful wizard of oz!
heading to the wizard of oz fest with my mom tomorrow. our third annual excursion! can't believe it. we started the tradition the year i was married. thought it would be good way to have some mother/daughter time! it's great. so fun to walk around and see everyone dressed up! {we do not dress up!}, to hit the craft booths and do some shopping!
we usually get some pretty cute stuff! love going to craft fairs...just don't like to go too often or i get burnt out! also fun to spend quality time with mom. just talk about whatever floats our boats. this year we have invited my aunt. her husband is the one that passed away in may. last year, she mentioned joining us. i'm not sure if she will make it since we weren't sure which day we were going until a few hours ago. darn nick's crazy schedule. this working two infusion sites is getting crazy. that and he was supposed to join us tomorrow {to carry our purchases of course} but unfortunately he has to go in and mix some meds. ;( i'm sure he isn't upset. a quick run into work and an uninterrupted day of video games. every boy's dream!
anywho. i'm off to see the wizard...

personality test...

so i'm not very original. i've seen this on a few blogs and thought i would try it out for myself. not too bad with the breakdown...

Your Personality Profile

You are dreamy, peaceful, and young at heart. Optimistic and caring, you tend to see the best in people. You tend to be always smiling - and making others smile. You are shy and intelligent... and a very hard worker. You're also funny, but many people don't see your funny side. Your subtle dry humor leaves your close friends in stitches.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

murphy's law #2849

the day after shannon buys gas will be cheaper than the day she buys the gas....
argh, what is up with that. it never fails. every single time i buy gas it is at least $0.10 cheaper the following day. i bought it right after katrina when all the gas crisis talks were everywhere. sure enough, i buy gas and the following day it's $0.30 cheaper. that is it. new rule. when i need gas or decide to buy it {i have another new rule...at least a half a tank at all times due to crazy oil situation} i will make myself wait an additional day...you think it will work?! ;)

ready for some football!

i am so ready. i love football. i love the fact that nick and i love football together. that we can cuddle on the couch for hours just watching football.
i remember being little and watching football with my dad. i even had a birthday party that was in honor of the 85 bears. i'm a dork i know... what little girl has a football party? what little girl draws a poster of the fridge? one who's dad got her to sit with him while he yelled at the teams! cracked me up. never understood why men yell at the television. now i just chuckle because at some random moment nick or i just may be yelling at the t.v.! i swore i would never do that. what have i become?! :o)
today was our first day of lounging. watched those darn bears lose. seriously, what else is new? getting ready to make some dinner and watch the espn game on high def. did i just say high def? i swear, nick is wearing off on me!!!

crazy...

what the heck is up with the anonymous responders....
sorry peeps. but i've changed how i allow people to respond. hopefully, they will go away and i can change it back! thanks so much for the kind emails/pm's. it really does mean a lot to read these replies! ;)

i really dislike...

four day work weeks. i absolutely love a three day weekend, who doesn't? i just dispise going back to work after them. i mean, it's complete and utter chaos. trying to fit in all the patients who are normally seen on monday into the other days of the week...then have management schedule a mandatory meeting for friday morning, so the office is closed for part of that day too. where the heck are these people supposed to go? okay, fine. it wouldn't be SO bad if we weren't short two people. yes, everyone deserves a vacation...but not after a holiday! :) that and the fact that another is no longer employed with us. just makes for frustrating times and exhausted shannon!
thankfully, i love the majority of my coworkers. yes, we all have our days and can get on each other's nerves. but that is part of being a family, right? ;) no matter how hairy the job or the situation it's always better when you are surrounded with people that you like and care for. this is so the case where i work. it can be frustrating when you are busting your butt and you feel that there is another person slacking off. it seems easier when you know that everyone is working just as hard as you are, if not harder. it's awesome to know someone so well, you know how they are going to respond to a situation, what they are going to say. it's refreshing to be so stressed yet be able to laugh so openly and freely.
i haven't had very many jobs in my time span...but i honestly can say that this is by far the best job i have had. challenging, rewarding, fun all at the same time.
it's funny how the scariest steps in your life can turn out to be the best ones. i almost didn't take this job. silly, i know. i'm just such a chicken. i love my safety/comfort zone and i was so in it when i was approached with this. but i was so intrigued by the office job! but also so very overwhelmed as to what nick and i were going thru at the time: his graduation, our marriage, buying a new house. i wasn't sure i could handle adding job change into the mix. i mean, that is a lot to do in less than one month's time!
i can't say i didn't look back either. because i did. thought of all the skills i would be losing, the new surgical procedures i wouldn't be learning... but i had to realize that nursing isn't just the hospital. it's not that one aspect that was so drilled into my brain at school. that working in oncology could be just as challenging and rewarding as any other field. the constantly changing treatments and therapies. the growing with a patient through everything instead. and so many other things.... so all the stress and second guessing was definitely worth it. even during our crummiest days at the office it can hardly compete with the even crummier days in the hospital!
ack. that was so longer than expected. but i guess that is just what happens when i let my fingers loose!!

karma?!

so one of my goals this weekend was to head to the 'rents house and lounge by the pool and catch some end of summer rays. well, i think karma came up and bit me in the arse....
you see, this weekend i did a layout about my friend jason who never learns his lesson and ends up sunburn almost anytime we are in the sun....and guess what. i'm fried. maybe i should have learned from that smartbutt layout i completed. but no...shannon thinks she can be in the sun without sunscreen for 2 hours and be fine. welp, i was so wrong. i even have sunglass lines...groan!
normally, i am such a good sunscreen girl. okay, so i've been getting better. i usually carry both spf 8 and 15 with me when i go to the meyer pool.... maybe i should reword that. i did have the sunscreen with me. i was just a dork and forgot to apply it.
nick, on the other hand, never applies sunscreen and rarely gets burned. it's that darn native american in him! and when i ask him to apply he says i'm a nagging mother!
oh well, what is done is done. i've aloe-d up and hopefully i won't peel. grrr....