My job, our home improvement projects, and the weather are kicking my ass. I wish there was some way that I could do laundry remotely from work. I need a robotic maid. On a random side note: it seems that all my clean shirts get toothpaste dripped on them before I manage to leave the house. I know you're all waiting to see what I made...but I haven't finished it yet. Everything else is taking all my attention.

We are shopping for a counter top for the kitchen cabinets that we installed in the basement. The husband and I have different views on what color would look the best. Actually, we can agree on one color...but it is in a more expensive price group, and we just can't justify the extra money for a basement. I've got some stock photos from the manufacturer's website that has cabinetry ALMOST the same color as we have. I think ours are a tad lighter. He likes the one on the left, I like the one on the right. What do you think?



(Click tile for larger view in new window) At first, I thought the left one, called Mesa Granite, was too gray...but it actually has many warm toned colors in it. I also didn't like the white specks, but he thinks that the white will help blend with any white appliances (microwave, fridge, etc.)


(Click tile for larger view in new window) I preferred the one on the right, called Mocha Granite. I liked the more subdued colors, and the softer look. It doesn't seem as "busy" as the other one. I prefer the brownness to the gray. (Chad has always leaned towards the gray colors. Even when we were choosing bathroom tiles, and I was leaning more toward warm tones to match the cabinet colors.)

I finally gave in and told him the Mesa would look fine, and that we should just get that. What does he do? He says, "Are you sure? I don't want you to be mad at me later on for getting this color." I say "yes, it is fine." He couldn't let it go...he was making me want to keep arguing my color choice. If I said I'm fine with it, just accept it a be happy. His reason: "I feel guilty that I'm winning."

AHHHH! Men! Fine then, I will be happy to "win" and not feel one ounce of guilt for getting my way! :o)

I'm headed to a few stores to do a couple projects today. These are the things I will be picking up:

~ 2 - 2" PVC pipes (10 feet)
~ 2 - 1.5" PVC pipes (10 feet)
~ 2 – 2" PVC t-connectors
~ 2 – 1.5" PVC t-connectors
~ 4 – 2" PVC end caps
~ 2 - hitch-pins with cotter pins
~ appropriately sized drill bit (for hitch-pin holes)
~ 7 yards of muslin fabric
~ 3 boxes of RIT fabric dye
~ 1 box of acetate sheets (transparencies)
~ The cheapest stockpot I can find (too bad it's not garage sale season)
~ salt
~ white vinegar

Wondering what I'm doing? I'll show you when I'm done!

By the way, this is what happens when you leave grossly overpriced foliage on the kitchen counter overnight unattended.

Let me paint the picture for you...the husband was overly sweet to me and got me a Detroit Piston's jersey from the game he attended (without me) Wednesday, bought my favorite movie candy...Raisinets, and had tucked a movie theater gift card in these pink roses for me to find when I got home from work last night.

This morning, at the last moment before I left for work, I went into the kitchen to find the vase tipped over on the countertop, but still half full of water. The rest of the water was all over the floor and had run under the oven. The beautiful bunch of flowers were lying in a skewed pile on the floor. I scooped them up, and rearranged them as best I could in the vase, that's when I noticed that they had apparently been MUNCHED.



Which do you think was the brains behind the operation, and which do you think was the eager accomplice?

Due to much frustration in landing a career (read: a job where I will enjoy my work for a long term basis and where I feel my skills and education are being utilized. NOT a temporary assignment or contract position) in the Chemistry field, I have been considering further education. I was rather disappointed recently to learn that a company I had interviewed with had "chosen another candidate". I was really hoping to get one of the two positions they had open. I also really felt that I was a great fit, and that the interview had gone exceptionally well. I wonder where I fell short? It would be nice if they told me, however I a skeptical of getting any clear feedback from them since they didn't bother notifying me even after I had called and e-mailed inquiring about the status a couple of times before that. I waited almost two months to hear. I was crushed. I just don't understand.

Shortly after, I did receive an offer of a direct hire position from the company that I am currently working a contract assignment for. When one door closes, I guess God opens another one. Unfortunately, this job requires me to drive 40 miles each way (which I've been doing for 10 months now anyway.) Also, by some strange mathematical formula which makes no sense whatsoever, I actually end up making $0.60 less an hour than I did working for the temp agency. Figure that one out for me. The position is also for a Laboratory Technician I. Ideally, I would like and should meet the requirements for a Chemist position, but this company doesn't have Chemists. In July I will be up for review and eligible to move up to Technologist I, which would also come with a raise. I will be hired in on Valentine's day, which is nice because going in in the morning for orientation and a benefits overview means I will have the evening off to spend with the husband (who also happens to have that day off!)

The main trouble that I'm facing is the vast variety of jobs I could* do with a degree in Chemistry. There are of course the Big Three automotive companies in Detroit, there are all kinds of smaller automotive suppliers, there are adhesives and sealants, there is water treatment, there is air quality analysis and gas suppliers, there are pharmaceutical companies, there is metal pretreatment and coating, there is plastics, etc. etc. etc., you get the idea.

I don't know what I WANT to do. I always thought I was leaning towards pharmaceuticals. Problem is, Pfi2er closed in Ann Arbor putting thousands of employees out of work. They are flooding all the other companies in the area, and beating me out of even the entry level jobs based on having more experience. I did a little adhesive work...it was alright, but I have no passion for it. It is messy and not precise enough for me. More like baking...dump a bunch of chemical ingredients in an industrial mixer, stir them up, and glue something together with it to see if it does what it is supposed to. I want to do instrumental analysis like GCMS and FTIR. I want to characterize products. I want to make discoveries.

Then I started thinking that maybe I needed to go back to school to focus my education a little more. The idea of a pharmacy degree greatly appeals to me...but the idea of 6 years of school and a highly competitive program which I probably won't get into does not. Teaching high school Chemistry and Physics was something I thought I wanted to do at one time...but now I think I would not be good at it. Public high school teenagers would walk all over me. Eventually, I want to be a primarily stay at home mom. So the idea of a big expensive education right now that I might not finish before I become a mother isn't such a great one.

Arts is another direction. I have always loved art. I loved drawing painting and all types of creating as a child and young adult. I don't have nearly as much time for it as I wish I did. I love photography, and that is something I want to transition from a hobby to a livelihood eventually. I also love the challenge of creating something from nothing...and solving the unexpected problems that arise along the way. I used to aspire to be a Graphic Designer working on automotive styling, but I let too many people tell me that it was too competitive of a field. I was torn between my love of Art and my love of Science. The cliche "Starving Artist" steered me towards a science education.

I consider myself to be very technical minded. I love figuring things out, solving problems, and knowing how and WHY something works. I am great with computers. I have never taken any computer classes (except for a basic Web Authoring elective in high school which taught me basic HTML), yet...I have designed this page with CSS elements, I have built two computers, and I tested out of the required computer class in college knowing that it would bore me even though I didn't know how to use Microsoft Access (and that made up 1/4 of the test) I managed to figure out how to do all the tasks required on the test by using the built in "help," having never opened the program before in my life. I am considered "tech support" for all my family members (sometimes that's aggravating...how many times can you explain to a 67 year old how to send an email?) I can pick up any software you throw at me. I am one of those people who throws away the instruction book for anything because I can learn to use the item quicker and understand it better on my own. I need to constantly learn MORE.

If I sum up everything I've said (and good for you if you're still reading and I haven't bored you to tears by now...sorry I am sounding like such a downer), I come to the conclusion that I need to get some REAL teaching on this Technology thing. I am interested in it, it can only benefit me to have more knowledge. I am thinking I would like to try my hand at some for profit web design. (It mixes ART with GEEKERY!!!) I could make use of those skills when I become the previously mentioned "stay at home mom" for a little extra income. I am 95% decided on taking this class online through my local community college to test the waters:

ITWP-1000 - Introduction to Web Programming
3.00 credits
Course Fee: $32.00
Prerequisite: ITCS-1010 or ITBS-1240

Introduction to Internet Programming using HTML, CGI, JavaScript and other Internet development tools. Primary emphasis will be placed on fundamental understanding of HTML for formatting of pages, establishing links and inclusion of CGI and JavaScript with images, graphics and sound. (3 contact hrs)

I'm sure it will go over much of what I do already know, but I'm sure there will be new information, and it will help to have taken the class should I choose to continue on that course. I need to find out if they will allow me in without taking the prereq. since I really feel "computer basics" would be a huge waste of my time and money. I also need to decide if I would want to go for a certification or an associates degree in this, or just take the classes that I want to take and do it for the knowledge. That mainly depends on whether they will let me transfer all my gen. ed. classes that I took for my Chem. degree towards this degree/certificate.

*If the economy wasn't so bad and there were actually entry level positions open.

Here it is...after lots of hard work...and frustrating trial and error code modifications. There are still a few things I am going to tweak...but that can easily be done now that it is online. I am planning to change my profile photo soon...I just have to find a photo that I like better. I have some in mind...but with two desktop computers, a laptop, and an external hard drive...I'm not sure where to find those files right now. I will be changing those icons in the sidebar next to all the links...not sure to what just yet. I haven't gotten around to figuring out why the links in the sidebar show neon green when you hover over them, when I look into that I will change it to another color. I plan on playing with the fonts and colors just a little...but it probably won't be that noticeable.

Can anyone please help me figure out how to get rid of or at least minimize that huge gap at the top above my header. I have a feeling it has something to do with the bit of code that I put in to hide the blogger nav bar...but now I can't get rid of the space. It displays differently in Firefox and IE, and just looks wierd. By the way, this layout will display the best in Firefox...but I tried to make it look ok in Internet Explorer as well. Please let me know how it looks to you.

One last look at the old blog compared to the new look.

Any suggestions?

I'm getting ready to switch to a new look for the site. It won't look that different...just a bit more polished, with some style changes...and the sidebar will be moved from right to left. Although it won't look that differently (I'm keeping the same color theme...and for now my header will be basically the same), it took a LOT of work. I basically started from scratch with the CSS code. I found a wordpress template I liked...and modified it with all the important bits of code for blogger. I kept the style sheet pretty much the same, but changed some colors and tweaked a few other things. You will see soon. I think I have almost all the bugs worked out...but I can't be too sure until I upload it to blogger, since I'm trying to make something foreign work with all blogger's little quirks. So you all are my Q.A. team. Please let me know if there are any problems with ANYTHING. All suggestions are greatly appreciated.

I think I want a new blog look. I like the Vargas girl up there...and I don't know if I want to get rid of her...but I'm bored with the overall everything here. I think I might want a photo banner. I wish I could tinker with it all day today. I did take the day off due to snow *cough*notasmuchastheypredictedbutstillenoughtouseasanexcuse*cough* give me a break here...I have a 40 mile commute to work...it totally sucks in any weather.

So I promised the husband that I would be extremely productive today. I need to make a big impression with him on how much I got done today. I'm planning laundry, floor washing, toilet scrubbing, dish washing, taco making, spare bedroom and office organizing, sorting out stuff for a yard sale in the spring, and whatever else I can come up with to "WOW" him. And here I sit drinking coffee and reading blogs.

I did already go to the grocery store and to another store to get cat food. I need to go out again to fill a prescription and take a pre-employment drug test. Yay, everyone LOVES to pee on command with an audience. More about that later (the job, not the peeing). I want to sit here and share some thoughts that are weighing on my mind...and I want to share some lighter recent happenings...I just don't have the time to do it justice right now. I am going to use coming back to post later as my motivation to get some cleaning done first.

Here's your homework assignment: Encourage me...tell me how badly you want to hear about the awesome new "sport" I discovered, and the updates to my career (or lack thereof), and what I sold for $700 on Craigslist in a matter of 15 minutes. Pester me to see photos of the progress on our huge basement finishing progress, or my progress in the storage closet spare bedroom, or the SNOW.

Oops...out of coffee...time to get to work!