thing that the rumor mill ground out is true. We are working this Sunday. It's already becoming harder and harder to concentrate on things that I want to do. My brain is already getting tired, and I haven't even been back a full week yet. I need to come up with a daily plan of things that I need and want to do and stuff that I want to research on the computer. I want to start on my third book, be it my poems, battle photos in black and white, flower photos, or my ones from the zoo. I've come to the decision that even if I don't sell any of my work I'm still going to do these projects for myself. I get tremendous amounts of pleasure and satisfaction working on my projects.

Elizabeth

mill is grinding out stories that we will be working the next 28 days straight. I really need to get out of here.

On a good note, a coworker has given me permission to scan her photos and play with them in Photoshop. She just had a new baby boy a couple of months ago, and he is so adorable. Then again so are her daughters. It will be a wonderful stress reliever to work on her photos.

I am seriously considering signing up for some type of online class again. I need to have my nose in a book learning something. I also need to make some serious changes in my life. Maybe I've hit a midlife rut. Who knows?

Elizabeth

yesterday sometime between Wyrm and I leaving at 1:00 PM and me calling home around 3:30 PM. Yay!! Unfortunately my grandma is still without power and so is my sister. Talk is that it may not be fixed until some time this weekend. My sister left an update on her status and mood on her MySpace page. She is aggravated.

Sure enough Wyrm and I return to work off of our vacation, and it's straight back into ridiculous nonsense. I had to wait on him till 3:30 AM this morning. That's 2 1/2 hours of just sitting here. It's more tiring having to sit for that long and wait. We didn't get home till sometime after 4:00 AM. I'm exhausted today.

Elizabeth

luck. "Sigh". Power is still off and now we have to sift through stuff in the freezer and get rid of the food that has thawed. Our county's judge executive has declared a state of emergency. School's been called off so CR is at home today to help mom. Wyrm and I unfortunately have to return to work. Power has been restored to part of our town, but not on our end. Kentucky Utilities company is out working everywhere to fix it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that by the time I get home tonight after work the power will be on. Have to wait and see.

Elizabeth

it never seems to fail that whenever one of those monstrous storms slams into the coastlines we end up getting some remnants of it, be it severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, or forceful winds. This time is no different. 70+ MPH winds is what Hurricane Ike has sent our way after hitting Texas. Mom woke Wyrm to tell him that a tree limb had fallen on the car, and that it would be a wise idea to move it. We both crawled out of bed. Wyrm went to move the car, and I went over to CR to see what he was doing with his game on the computer. Lights Out! The power went off around 10:30 AM and has proceeded to stay off this whole day. My last day of vacation before I have to return to work and the power goes out. At least it has made the day seem to drag by slowly. We've managed to keep ourselves entertained. I went traipsing around town photographing the damage the wind had done, only I can't upload my photos. We've played Skip-Bo, Yahtzee, and Clue. We all finally decided around 12:30 AM to just go on to bed. It is so hard to go to sleep with deafening silence when you're used to fans running. Hoping the power will be restored when I wake up.

on my last day rewatching season 1 of NCIS, I'm looking back at this past week and so wishing that I had more time on my vacation. "Sigh." I do not want to go back to work. In my mind it feels like I've managed to accomplish quite a few things this week. I've worked on two photo books this week and published them Blurb.com. I have to say that  I am very proud and pleased with my work. Even if no one buys a copy, I believe I'm still going to continue publishing my photos and possibly my poetry just for myself. I've managed to relax and enjoy myself. Got to go to the Trail of Tears Pow Wow in Hopkinsville, KY this year. It's the first time I had ever been. I'm happy with my photos that I took, but I do wish they had been a little bit crisper. This past year I've been adjusting my viewfinder for my sight and haven't got it fixed yet. I'm trying to keep from having to use my glasses while shooting. It's looking like I may have to give in though.

The hubby and I have made a pact together to change our eating habits. We're planning to start on Monday. Instead of heading towards the cafeteria or vending machines, I purchased Progresso soups, raw vegetables, and salads. We have got to get this weight off of ourselves.

on writing. I've been coming into work and watching episodes of Numbers and Primeval on my iPod. Today I will write though just for the simple fact that I'm done with my episodes.

As I'm sitting here half asleep with my earplugs in to muffle the racket, I'm silently wishing that today was already done. It is my last night of work before I start my vacation and oh how I am so looking forward to it. I've started redoing my Battle of Sacramento book. I like the page layouts of the publisher much better than the previous one I used. I'll continue to use the other program to sell artwork and calendars and such. I'm also planning on redoing my newsletters and printing copies to distribute since I've now replaced my ink cartridge. We've got the Trail of Tears Pow Wow planned for tomorrow. And I would like for us to go out for our anniversary Tuesday. To others this may seem trivial stuff, but to me who works six or sometimes seven days a week on 2nd shift all of these things are projects that I don't get to work on either because I'm here at work or I'm too tired when I'm at home. Now I'll have the opportunity to work to my heart's content on my projects.

Elizabeth

Bad Mood. At least it is just my department only today. That means the bathroom will be cleaner, break rooms will be cleaner, less people on production floor. hardly anyone in the hallways, breakroom is practically empty and so on. That is enough to lift my spirits somewhat. I'm just hoping that they don't work us till 3 or 4 in the morning like they did last week. I've got plans for tomorrow.

Grandma will be celebrating her 90th birthday on Sept. 1. Her only birthday wish was that she would like all of her family to be with her, but she wasn't sure if her nerves could handle a big family dinner like we used to do. So my Aunt Jessie and my Uncle Sonn got together and come up with the idea of an open house sort of thing with only cake and punch. No hassle or hustle and bustle of cooking, in and out and whatnot. Only Grandma doesn't now that those two have come up with this idea. It's a surprise. I'm planning on getting up and going. I will of course be packing my camera, lenses, and batteries. Picture fun. Grandma has beautiful flowers in her yard that I am so wanting to get a hold of with my macro lens. Can't wait.

Here lately there has been someone that has been on my mind lately. My friend, Karen, from grade school. I've been thinking about calling, but I usually talk myself out of it. I tell myself that she's just too busy and wouldn't have time to talk or it would inconvenience her. Don't know why I've ended up this way. Just have. I don't even call my friend Tammy that much. I have an issue with talking on a phone, but then again I have lots of issues.

Elizabeth

written anything for the past couple of days. There's not really that much to write about. See, I told ya I live a boring and mundane life. I've actually been pacifying myself with downloading the rest of the episodes of Numb3rs to be completely caught up with all of my fave shows. I'm getting ready for the season premieres of Bones, Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles, NCIS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: New York, CSI: Miami, and Numb3rs. New to my list of fave shows is Primeval. My husband discovered it somehow and said it look pretty interesting and that we should check it out. I am so hooked! It rates way up there with my other fave shows on leaving me wanting more. Way cool show!

Counting down to my last week of vacation. Can't wait. It's posted to work this Saturday, but we are supposed to have Sunday and Labor Day off. Then for me I'll work 4 days. We don't really have any major plans except for the Trail of Tears Pow Wow at Hopkinsville on Saturday the 6th and our anniversary on the 9th. I'm hoping to sweet talk my hubby into taking me to the Olive Garden.

Elizabeth

what will be said to me today for missing yesterday. Yes, I didn't go into work yesterday. The hubby said we didn't have enough gas to go into work and back and no money to get gas with. He then proceeded to give me this ridiculous speech on on how I blew our money during vacation. Yeah, right. Like he didn't help and enjoy it too.

I didn't think work could get any more stupid. I just found out that the computer I use has been moved up two flights of stairs to a different room. I've been saying I needed to lose weight anyway. They are rearranging certain people's hours to try and cut back on overtime, but yet they'll continue to post it for weekend work. Now does that make any sense. Uh, no.

Elizabeth

introduce myself here. Of course my name is Elizabeth and I live in a small town in Kentucky. I have one son from a previous marriage who is a Senior this year and will be graduating in 2009, and I have my husband who I have been married to for ten years.

To give you an idea of what type of person I am, I have been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, OCD, and avoidant personality disorder. I've also been told that I have a problem with environmental depression (only at work). Feel free to look all that up to find out what they all mean cause right now I don't feel like going into it all again. Maybe later.

I am a photo nut. I was bitten by the shutterbug right after my son was born, and I've been snapping away ever since. I started out with a regular point and shoot film camera and then my hubby upgraded me to a Canon Rebel G. After experiencing an SLR first hand, I fell in love with them, and it wasn't long until I upgraded myself to the digital age and bought a Canon Digital Rebel. I love to snap anyone and anything. I'm notorious for catching backsides. It's not that I do it on purpose or anything. It's just where someone happens to bend at the time I shoot or someone walks in front of them at the time I'm snapping. There's been many laughs over the years of my butt portraits. :)

I love to read. I have books, upon books, upon books. My shelves are overflowing with them. I range anywhere from self teaching books, Star Wars novels, photography, books based on video games, internet, web designing, and so on and so on. Most people collect knicknacks and whatnots. Me? I collect books. Don't know what it is, but there's just something about picking up a brand new book, be it hardcover or paperback, and rifling through the new pages. And I love that newness smell. Set me up in the middle of Books-A-Million with a futon and a compact refrigerator full of chocolate milk and I will believe that I have been sent to heaven.

Writing has been a childhood passion of mine. I've been writing stuff since before I knew how to spell. My first poem I wrote when I was about 6 years was a gift to my mother and she still has it to this day in a frame. My creative juices left me years ago when I went to work or should I say dove into the black abyss. That's what my place of employment means to me. I'm trying now to get back into my creative frame of mind and get back into my hobbies that I so love dearly. For too long I have let that place have control over me and have let things go. Hence the reason I'm going to try blogging again. I've blogged at Windows Live Spaces and Blogger before. That's when I got blogging/writer's burnout and quit. I'm going to try picking it back up again. I am truly happy when I have a pen in my hand creating or my camera around my neck snapping away. So I've decided to share my passions once again as you can see. I will be adding a photo to my entries, and my entries will consist of anything that I want to write at that time. Be it an actual journal entry, poem, or short story. Enjoy.

Elizabeth

with blogging here at Windows Live Spaces. Hopefully I can keep up with it and not get blogging burnout like I did before. I will be adding my journal entries that I write while I'm at work, but for now this posting is really just a test to adjust background color, font color and such. For some strange reason I can't get the little color boxes to pop up when I click on the little painter palette. For that matter I haven't been able to get certain links to work on my computer for quite some time. My next entry I will sort of introduce myself (yet again).

Elizabeth

today. Huge as meaning, I just decided to step on the bathroom scales on a whim. I hadn't checked my weight in quite some time, and I've been noticing that my jeans are somewhat tighter than usual. I was in for a shock. The scales rolled to 220 lbs. What!?!? Oh no. I have got to do something, but I'm always failing with diets. Something has to be done. I cannot go over 220.

Today was disappointing that I have to waste it being here at work (or the black abyss as I like to call it). At least I get to be here with just my department. That means the bathroom and breakrooms will be clean, production floor will be emptier, and just a whole lot less people which puts me in a much better mood than I normally have throughout the week.

I did manage to get what I think are the best shots into the KY. Gov. Beshear album uploaded and fixed at MySpace. Now I just need to burn some discs for Tammy of my photos of the Gov. and of her photo shoot that we did. I'll also get to play around in photoshop tomorrow.

Elizabeth

I am in a foul mood today. It didn't start out that way though. I was on my computer arranging photos of Gov. Beshear and deleting the ones that I didn't want to show on MySpace. I was enjoying myself and then my hubby showed up ready to head into work. Work. That dampened my spirits. Then it was fuss fuss this and fuss fuss that pretty much all the way into work. And then when we get there he tells me to leave the window on my side of the car alone. I go to put it up and then he wants to crack it. Thank you for leaving a space big enough for every flying thing known to man that has a stinger on its butt through and nestle inside the car. I so much appreciate that. And let's not forget that I walked out the door and left my time card at home. I now have no watch today. Hoorah! I'm really thrilled over today.

Elizabeth

beautiful. The sun was hidden behind a light gray overcast sky and not out to cook my fair sensitive skin. the breeze was wonderfully cool laden with the dampness of a peaceful slight rain. A wonderful day until I walked into this black abyss called work and found it posted that they were robbing me of my weekend. My heart has sank, and I can already feel my mood matching its speed downward. I absolutely hate it here. Any ounce of happiness that I am able to muster is soon stifled by this horrid place. I so wish I could leave. It would be a dream to win the lottery and not have to worry about paying bills so that I can concentrate my energies on pursuing the things that I desire. I so wish that I could go back to school. I feel that I am mentally able to handle it now (or so I hope). Ugh my train of thought has left me. That is what this place does to me. It fogs my brain to the point of silence, and I cannot think. I despise this feeling this place gives me, but I swear that I am just too tired to fight it. I do not need to be here. I need to be doing something else, but I'm unsure of what that something else is and too scared to try for failing. A vicious unending circle this is. I must find a way to break it.

Elizabeth

what to write about today. I got a few photos (meaning about 8 out of 100+) transferred to my iPod of the KY Governor. Also downloaded an update. I believe I'm going to wait to work on my photos until this weekend. Talk is that we shouldn't have to work. That'll give me two days to work on them. I want to get all of them transferred to disc for Tammy, and I want to try and photoshop a few.

I'm also thinking about keeping a food diary in hopes that it might help me to change my eating habits.

Yesterday went fairly well. I still wouldn't say great for this place, but I do feel more rested after being on vacation. I also think that writing everyday is helping alot. Even just writing mundane things to myself. I'm thinking about blogging again. I'm not going to worry about trying to compare my life to anyone else. I'm just going to write for me. No time constraints or anything. Just for me.

Elizabeth

with pen in hand but not knowing what to write. Yesterday went fairly well. I wouldn't say perfect but coming in with it just being my department helped tremendously to soften the blow of the end of my vacation. I need to hand on for about 3 weeks, and then I'll be on vacation again. I've already got another photo shoot planned with my friend, Tammy, that I am looking forward to. I also need to look up on the "net" about the Trail of Tears. Last year it was held around September so I'm hoping it will be the same for this year. That would be an awesome photo opportunity.

Here I have my computer now to work on my photos, but now I'm already coming home tired. Yesterday I woke up on my own fairly early only to be wakened by the stupid alarm clock today. I believe I really need to invest in a laptop to bring with me.

Still need to do wish list

Elizabeth

and paper is before me. I am going to get back in the habit of writing again, even if it's just doodles and such. And speaking of habits, I am going to make a change in my overall health starting with water, again. Numerous times I've tried to make changes and can't stick with it. So here I am trying again to make some good changes for myself.

It's the end of my vacation, and I am so sorry to see it go. Michael called and said that he would be dropping off my computer and here I am at work. I've so wanted my computer last week to work on my photos. Now I have to work in time before and after work. It's not as enjoying having to work in a time constraint. Good news is that my friend, Tammy, wants to do another photo shoot again on my next vacation in a couple of weeks. Something to look forward to. At least coming into work today straight off my vacation, I get to come into an empty building with no Debone. I actually felt lightened seeing that posting.

Things to do on computer:

add to wish list at Amazon: Photoshop Elements (latest version), Photoshop (full version), Microsoft Office Professional, wide angle lens (for my camera) D&D book for hubby, and games for my boy.

play with pictures

Elizabeth

I am on hiatus...

from blogging for awhile. I guess you could say that I have blogging burnout and writer's block so I'm just going to lay low and try writing later on. Have a great summer!

Later

very, very, bad with posting these past few months, but you can only write about boring mundane stuff about life until you get bored with writing it. There has been something that I've been meaning to write about for awhile, but I kept forgetting. I've been aiming to write about two fun sites that I have found. The first site I found thanks to Val at Mulewings. LetterPop. It's a fun site where you can create newsletters using premade templates. The second site I discovered thanks to Caffeinated Librarian. Shelfari. I really have fun with this site. It's a place where you create an online bookshelf of the books you own. You can find others that also share in the same books that you have. Take a few minutes and check them out.

Later