Another Short Post

It's 51 degrees and raining and a good time to catch up on our blogging friends.

Earlier today we went out to fill up the car and then off to Winco to stock up on the things that I make my own trail mix from the bulk foods section. I wanted to run the errands before the rain.

                                       

Today we finally got the gifts packaged and shipped to Hawaii.  In addition to the guitar I put in a couple of stuffed animals, mainly to cushion the presents  The box was oversized so of course I had to pay a surcharge.  I was still pleasantly surprised when the cost to ship,and insure the package was much less than I expected, $28.56 is a lot less than the $100.00 + quoted by the Mail Store. 

When I got home there was a package waiting for me on my porch.  I ordered the Shark Portable Steam Pocket Cleaning System.  Does anyone out there in blog land have one?  I'm hoping that it will help keep an RV "clean and sanitized".  So far I have only used it in the kitchen to clean the cabinet doors.  So far  it seems to have done a decent job.  If I like it here, it will be nice for the smaller space of an RV.

Not much else to do tonight, maybe a movie?

Good night to all.

Thanks for visiting

Susan and Angel          http://whatsupwithsusanandcompany.blogspot.com/

Talent Showcase, Moderate Success.

Today was the day for the Craft Fair at work.  I used 5+ hours of vacation to participate.  From 10:00 am until 2:00 we could display and sell our wares.  There were 12 of us, selling all kinds of things, quilted items, baby blankets, jewelry, greeting card, handmade soaps and lotions and then there was FOOD, yummy food, (nachos, beef jerky, dried apple chips, rocky road, peanut brittle, fudge, cookies and amazing cake pops on a stick) and of course my watercolors (note cards, stationary and prints).

                        

It started out kind of slow.  My supervisor came down and bought some note cards for someone's birthday.  Then nothing for a while and all of a sudden there were quite a bit of activity.  I ended up selling several cards and a couple of 8x10 prints.  I am actually surprised that I did as well as I did.  We were to donate 20% of our sales to our choice of two charities,  Now I will need to find another outlet to sell my artwork.  I already have a web site that I need to develop geared to what I am currently doing.

  

There were a lot of compliments, but not a lot of sales, except the food of course.  A lot of people from the other parts of the company, even the CEO, came by to check us out.  I guess it will depend on how well we did as to whether or not they will do it again.

After I packed up my stuff, I headed over to Platinum Wheels to get a new tire.  Last Saturday I pulled out of the driveway and discovered the right front tire was flat.  Fortunately I have roadside assistance on my insurance and within an hour I was on my way.  The tire could not be fixed so I have been nervously driving without a spare until today. At least I covered half of the cost of the tire with what I made on my sales.  "Easy come, Easy go".

I needed to get home right away, because someone was coming over to pick up the tent.  He paid me earlier today while I was at work.  He is Boy Scout leader and can use the big tent.  He may get more of my camping stuff when I decide what I need to get rid of.  Then later one of my neighbors stopped by. 

While we were visiting, Angel started growling.  We realized she was looking in the mirror and growling at Jean's reflection.  She's such an entertaining puppy.

It's getting late and I have to work tomorrow.  Good Night to all those out in Blogger Land!

Thanks for visiting

Susan and Angel            http://whatsupwithsusanandcompany.blogspot.com/

Shopping, Scanning and Shipping

Friday Angel and I went to check out popular local store that has succumbed to the effects of the economy.  A year or so after the death of the founding father, William Glen, the family decided to call it quits.  It has been a Sacramento retail landmark for the last 47 years.  It is sad to see this store close.  I was looking for a thermos type travel mug, which they didn't have.  The one that I did get works well as far as drinking from it but it isn't a thermos so it doesn't hold the temperature like I wanted.  I did find a small grill and bake set for a microwave/convection oven or an RV oven. Part of it I can use in my toaster oven but the pans are too wide,

                                          

I also couldn't resist a warm and cuddly pink robe for $15.00 instead of $40.00.

We also drove up to El Dorado to Clear Bags to get a box of envelopes for the note cards. I was disappointed to have a note on my order stating that as of January 1st  all walk-in customers will be charged retail, unless they call their orders in with a minimum order of $40.00, if not the minimum there will be a minimum order fee.  Oh well I think that I have enough supplies to get me through for a while. Now if I can only sell what I have, then I will probably have that minimum order. 

Now that I have my laptop back and the printers reconnected I can get back to work on scanning my artwork into memory (nearly another 100 images).  That is what I have been doing since Friday.  I think that I have most of my note cards scanned and packaged for sale.  The event at work is on Wednesday of next week.  There are the note cards (most need hand painted and some are prints), note enclosure paper, laminated bookmarks and watercolor prints.

I just got off the phone with the Geek Squad about disabling the touch pad.  I will have to bring it back in for them to install the driver properly.  I think that I have been in to visit them at least once a week since I first brought the laptop in to be fixed.  That's okay because every time I go in I learn a little bit more.  They are really nice and patient there, even though I am so technologically challenged.

I also need to take the Christmas gifts for my great grandsons and get them shipped.

                                          

                                   Can you tell that the big one is a guitar?

            Jessica and the boys.                                        Nick and the boys.

Nick is in the Navy and is stationed near Honolulu Hawaii and will be there for 3 years.

I  had better finish this for now and get out to ship the gifts and visit with the Geek Squad.

Okay, Angel, time for your ride!

Thanks for visiting

Susan and Angel        http://whatsupwithsusanandcompany.blogspot.com/

Time Change and Not Much More

Although while reading Myrddin's Travels, he reminded me to turn my clocks back, I of course didn't do that.  Instead I must have been thinking about it all night long and ended up waking up around 2:00 am to check out all the clocks and then went back to bed.  Then I heard a flock of geese flying overhead, they must have been flying low, because they seemed to be quite loud.  Then the rain started.  By the time I was ready to leave for church it was pouring. 

Since I can't download the pictures of the presentation, I asked Pastor Steve to let me take a picture of him with the painting.

                  

The rest of the day was spent with a nap and  watching our local PBS TV station, interesting program on Thomas Jefferson.  Of course, Angel was happy in my lap most of the time. 

It's back to work tomorrow.  It has been very busy there.  It is the time when we have a lot of companies having their open enrolments, so people want to know what their benefits are and those that already have them are in a hurry to use them before the year is over and they lose them.  I will be glad when it slows down. 

Forgive me for not welcoming my latest followers, Jeana with Four Windows with a View,  also Dawn and Denise with Cruzin2some, as well as Gail with Gail and TC'S Travels, and any others that I haven't mentioned.  Thank you all for being interested in my preparation to follow the Dream.

Thank you for visiting

Susan and Angel     whatsupwithsusanandcompany.blogspot.com/

Another Week is Gone

Here it is Saturday again.  There just isn't enough time to do all the things that need to be done.  I haven't even taken any pictures lately.  After I got the laptop home I couldn't get  the printers connected and had to wait until Ted could help.  By late Friday night, I'm not sure what he did, but he worked his magic and finally got both of them online.  He also got me hooked up to Skype, although I don't know how to use it.  Another lesson is needed.

Today Angel and I went in search of a frame for a portrait of my great grandson Carter,so that I can include it in a Christmas package to Hawaii. 

                                

Angel sure likes to shop.  We went into several stores and finally found one.  We also got gas and I had to go into Sam's Club alone to get frozen fruit for my protein shakes.  They don't allow dogs even in the carrier.   When I got home I wrapped the presents.  Has anyone ever tried to wrap a guitar?  Interesting looking package!   Now I have to put ribbons and bows on and take them to get them shipped.

This whole situation with the computer has been a bit frustrating, having it being repaired in the first place was the beginning.  Then not having internet access for paying bills and all the other stuff that I do online, was why I pushed up the purchase of the IPAD.   Then I tried to download pictures off my camera, so I had to buy the camera connection kit.  I couldn't download pictures off the memory card that I have been using with my laptop since I got it.  Back to Best Buy I went to find out why.

 

Thanks to Tyler we figured out that the memory card has been corrupted.  It is too costly to restore them onto something else, so I can consider them gone.  I had to buy a new memory card.  Fortunately they are not too expensive, only $14.95.  On the corrupted card are all the pictures from BOO at the Z00 and the Anniversary Dinner, including the one of me presenting the painting to the congregation. The newest glitch is that I will have to take it back in because I can't turn the finger pad off, although if I leave the sound on it beeps to tell me that I touched the pad.  I hope nothing else goes wrong.

Here are a some of the pictures of my work and how they go all out for Halloween.

    

The last one is the image I painted on the teepee that is next to the cactus in the third picture. 

I don't normally go in to work on my day off, but I wanted to see how everyone decorated and I would be off on Monday when everything has to be back to normal. Halloween has always been a big deal, but this year it seems like not everyone got into it. I think that it is because anything that we did had to be on our own time.  In the past we were able to do a lot of it when it wasn't busy.  In the past couple of years there hasn't been time when it wasn't busy.

As good as this company is to work at, I will be glad when I can start a new adventure out there on the road.  As it gets closer, though, it gets a bit scary.  There is something to be said for a stable work environment.  I really need to concentrate on the preparation to make sure that I can really do this. 

Well it's off to bed.  I'm not sure what tomorrow will bring, most likely rain according to the TV weather.  Hope that all of you are having a great weekend.

Thanks for visiting 

Susan and Angel

It's About Time!

I have my laptop back. YEA! YAHOO! YIPPEE!   What more can I say? 

She's happy too.  Now she can help write our blog.  Just wanted to let you all know that I will be able to post pictures again.

That's all for tonight. Gotta get to bed.  I'll write more tomorrow.

Thanks for visiting

Susan and Angel    

Another Short Post

This weekend has just flown by. Saturday found me deciding to get a perm. I was getting tired of the straight hair, no body, couldn't do much with it. I had to put out $65.00 + tip. If you factor in that it will probably be another three or more years before I do it again, that's not too bad. The rest of the day I didn't do much of anything

Sunday, it was church and a quick trip to CostCo. I actually got out of there spending only a little bit more than ten dollars. I just needed to get yogurt for my protein shakes. It was just another day for me. I know it was Halloween, but there's usually only a hand full of kids that come by. I didn't bother with it at all this year, and kept the porch light off. There must not have been more than a few, because Angel barked only a couple of times. I've been a really weird mood lately. I just don't feel like doing anything, not that there's nothing to do. I need to get something for Carter for Christmas to include in the package with the guitar that I will be sending to his big brother Hunter. I also need to finish a painting of him for his parents. I had better get my act together and get it done.

Today I took off for no particular reason. I got out in the shed to find the sprayer and found that it would not hold any pressure, so off to Home Depot to get a new one. As you could see in one of the backyard pictures on a previous post, there is a lot of Bermuda grass that needs to be killed before any landscaping can be done. The spraying is done, but I'm sure I will have to do it again. That stuff is hard to kill.

Right now the Giants/Ranger game is on. Giants up by 2 and my bed is calling. Early day as usual tomorrow, at least it will be a three day work week.

Hope that you all had a great weekend and will have a better week

Thanks for visiting

Susan and Angel