Random observations about the Money Pit:
-The previous owners were mentally retarded
-NEVER buy a fixer upper when you both have full time jobs and one of you goes to Grad School
-I like the idea of living in an apartment for a few months to recuperate from being here
-Killz is a fabulous product
-Learn how to repair and install drywall
-Flat paint is the devil
-I hate big ants
-Carpet tack strips should be used as a torture device
-Make sure you buy a house that has room for 4 cars in the driveway
-Older homes have clay pipes for the sewer which = TROUBLE
-Do not let the paint dry in your tray….scraping out dried paint with fingernails is no good
-Sawdust in the nose is not a pleasant experience
-Do not let Matt paint…period
-Linseed oil stinks
-Never bite off more than you can chew
-Once you come up with an idea for a paint color/project/etc, DON’T CHANGE YOUR MIND
-If you’re broke, be prepared to do everything yourself, even if you don’t want to
-I like naps
-Never buy custom stain colors that they have to tint at the paint counter
-Peel and stick tile is f-ing awesome
-Naps are good 🙂
ETA:
-Roller and brush cleaner is EXTREMELY foul smelling
-Working while sick sucks
-when replacing a toilet, be sure to buy 2 wax rings, because you WILL mess the first one up
-big trees are pretty, except right after a severe storm
-Wal-Mart is the root of all evil
-I hate roller and brush cleaner (yes, I already mentioned it. I thought it warranted repeating)
-Don’t buy a lot of Christmas stuff unless you have a place to store them for 11 months
-sawdust can make a black car look tan (you still need to wash my car Matt)
-if you invite parents over to help, expect nagging of some sort
-turn off phones while working or you’ll never get anything done

I’ve spent little time on the computer lately, as some of you are well aware. We have an actual real estate agent, and she’s come by twice. Matt and I think she’s wanting to sell the house too low though. She’s figuring the price on simply inflation, not the fact that we’ve put a shitload of work into the house, not to mention the new overpass, Wal-Mart, Target, Shop and Save, school, and 12 screen theater that has gone up in the past year. We just need to bring that to her attention though.
If you’re in the area, I do recommend stopping by around August 1st to see a pink carpet-free house. 🙂 In the meantime, I have tons of painting to do. Thank God the weather will be hella better this weekend so we can do some yardwork. I really don’t feel like weeding 100 degree weather. Ugh.
If any of you have tried to get a hold of me on my cell phone, I’m sorry! I can’t find it at the moment, and I’m sure the battery is long drained.
Must go to bed now…I have to drive to my parents’ cabin tomorrow with Mom to go and get some tools for this weekend. I really hate getting up at normal peoples’ time.
ETA: Anyone know where I can get better a template for this blog? I really don’t want to have to make one….I have enough Photoshop work that I’ve put off.

Sunday was my last day at Costco. I’m actually kinda sad. I miss the people that I work with. I certainly don’t miss the hours or the BS. I had planned on taking a couple of weeks off just to get the house ready to sell and to do all things I have been putting off, but I starting working for Mike Kastler (local photographer-really cool guy) on Monday. I do basic work for him, but it’s something I’m not used to. I know how to color correct photos, no prob, but it’s difficult to work for someone else because you have to work to THEIR specifications. I think I’ll get the hang of it soon. The cool thing is that I can show up in jeans and a t-shirt and get to work. AND I can actually use my iPod!
Oh, and Janette is home for a few weeks! YAY!!
Next post will be more creepy pictures. 😉

Well, I’ve finally put in my two weeks at Costco. I had initially planned on staying there for another year or two while the business took off, but Kevin (the warehouse manager) won’t let me go part time! WTF?!?! I mean, I can kinda understand his reasons, but that doesn’t mean that I have to like it. Rachel tried to give me solutions, but none of them really worked. Besides, I’ve been really sucking at work. I’ve been lazy as all hell, and even if I don’t want to do a job, I should really try my best. So I figured I should quit now so they have time to train someone for Chistmas. I’ve toyed around with the idea of working during the holidays. Make some extra cash. It was a REALLY hard decision to come to because I LOVE the people I work with. I’m going to have to make trips up there at least once a week to see my peeps. I feel guilty leaving my friends (and I do honestly consider them my friends), but I know that if I want this business to succeed, I HAVE to put 100% into it. Balls to the wall, as I’d like to say. 😀
On a business note, things are going good. I work for STLDigital making sports posters and wedding albums, and I had a meeting tonight with another photographer to make wedding albums. This is all in addition to the website, which I have FINALLY started working on. I’m stressed and not sleeping much, but it’s nothing like the stress that I was feeling pre-lexapro. This is something that is normal and healthy. I’m not having the constant headaches and feeling like I’m about to explode, which is good, I guess. 🙂
Other updates:
-I fell off the wagon on the caffeine. Honestly though, it’s the only thing keeping me up in the morning. I said I was going to quit after Mother’s Day, but I think I will after my last day at work.
-Matt is almost finished with the half wall upstairs. He did the first coat of paint today. Now we need to get a board to put on top.
-Finally got an office area set up with my computers. Trying to work on my Powerbook is not such a good idea.
-Found out that I will be an aunt to a nephew! Rodney and Christine can have a boy; Matt better give me a little girl (when the time comes of course. No babies any time soon, thank you.).
-Still making creepy pictures. I really need to post them
-Saw Over the Hedge this weekend with Matt, Don, and Mallen. Took a ride in the Nissan Z (thank you Don) with the top down. Hit 115mph on Hwy 40. Good times. 😀
-Found out that I will be taken off Lexapro starting September: w00t!!!