I put up a Christmas Tree this year..
The first one Since 2002.

It's a small one about 4-5 ft tall.
It's fake but it's pretty. I put on some Christmas music and I decorated it with lights, fragile ornaments, owls(of course), and a blue velvet circle thingy underneath..
and while the Holidays are not my best time of year, I must admit it is nice to see it in my den..
My Dad said it was nice, and my friend Sus gave her approval...
with any luck, D will be around tomorrow and he will see it too...

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Do you ever feel like your life is on the cusp of some sort of change?
Mine feels that way...
maybe I'm just hormonal.. ha!
I'm fine with some change.. so let the winds blow if they must..
maybe it's good stuff
right?
:)

on another note.. I'm currently reading two books.. the Weather warden series book #4
and "the Omnivore's dilemma"
and enjoying them both very much..
the Omnivore's dilemma is great so far.. Im only about 50 pages in but it's already been an eye opener..
I can recommend, it to just about anyone..
we all eat
and it's good to know about your food and where it REALLY comes from..
(no this is not a PETA sponsored book, and they author is not a vegetarian)
check it out..
did you realize that over 1/2 of the things you buy in food stores, and in turn put into your mouth contain or are made out of corn? (this includes deserts, condiments, and meats)
yep
you are what you eat.. and scientists say that on a molecular level we are "corn walking"...

I moved some of my furniture around and it's a bit roomier in there now.. thank goodness, I was feeling a bit cramped..
I also built a cabinet this weekend.. that was fun.. it has a wood piece that slides in and out on rails that has metal baskets mounted on it. It's right next to the stove so I put spices and oils in the baskets..
now I just need to paint it.. and then get some new counter tops for it all.. ya woodwork is cool!

I am about to leave work and take the rest of the day off!
I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening with D..
and that will be nice...

I hope everyone is having a nice Veterans day today!
Be sure to thank those that serve!

I passed the Project Management Professional Exam today! I am now a certified Project Manager with the Project Management Institute!
I have taken different certification exams in my career, and this one was the most difficult by far!
Ive been preparing for this for about a year, and when I hit the "end exam" button this morning, I could hardly breathe...
When it came up and said "congratulations" It was all I could do not to yell out with excitement...
YA YA YA YA!

... well ok a friend of D's lives in New Mexico.. she's very artsy and intersting.. for about two months now, she's asked us to send her pictures, videos, recordings.. etc.. she's working on a little drama type project... it's interesting.. she's a unique individual no doubt..

check out "soft edges" here if you are curious...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4DkRFJO9nE

Very creative Bonni T!

halloween is coming.. I love this time of year..
the Trees are so beautiful...
I had a wonderful surprise last night as D came to our exercise class.. he said that he was free for the evening so we went to noodles for dinner, and he spent the night with me..
Nice to have him around..
bosom buddies we are..

well...this weekend I travel to Tunica... My grandmother loves to go.. it's almost her favorite thing to do.. so my mother, stepfather, grandmother, myself and Donnie are all riding over together in my stepfathers large truck.. I've actually never been, I've been to Vegas a few times, but not Tunica..
we're taking the camper so we are actually going to 'camp'.. this is going to be funny.. what Tunica calls a campground is actually just a large parking lot with RV hookups.. there is very little grass, and no trees.. haha.. but people don't go to tunica for nature, they go to gamble, and gamble we shall.. at least I will until I spend the 50 or so dollars that I plan to take along with me.. after that is gone.. I'm done.. Donnie and I will plant ourselves somewhere to people watch, or maybe in the camper with books a little wine..

this job it's like a gaping wound that wont heal.. but it isn't quite painful enough for me, so I was thinking maybe I should go ahead and dump salt on it. that way I can experience such immense agony, I will pass out and get some peace..

ACK!

It's drizzling rain outside today and while most people who have naturally curly hair hate it when it rains because it makes their hair 'unruly' I totally dig it..
I love the way it feels outside when its like this, and I Love the curls that come into my hair when it's like this..
bring it on..
the unrulier the better!

now.. what I am not a big fan of is afterward.. if its Alabama August summertime and the sun comes out after a rain shower,,, then its hot and muggy..

ya.. not to wild about that.

but I like drizzly rain...
:)

it's a shame but my friends in the Band HOT SOUP have decided to call it quits... All good things must come to an end.. and they have had a good run.. it's been a couple of years actually.. but as of Saturday night they will be no more..
Everyone is just moving on to other projects etc..
I have enjoyed playing with them.. I'm not an official member, they just kind of adopted me recently and it's been a blast..
it's ok...
I'm going to miss it, but I've got other projects to keep me busy..

I'll be playing Saturday night, it's my birthday and why not spend it on stage with a group of friends having a good time..
D will be in the audience as well as lots of other friends and fellow musicians ..
I think it will actually be a blast..
hopefully the weather will hold and we will be outside..

today I spent time typing up all the travel notes from my trip to Paris with my mother.. we did have a really wonderful time.. we saw a whole lot of stuff while we were there.. it was very cool.. Mom had fun and did things she never would have ever done on her own... It was funny she wasn't to difficult to please/make comfortable except when it came time to eat.. she did not care for Parisian food...that was a chore, however the coffee was good enough to almost make up for it! we did love the coffee!!! it's the best.. here, I drink tea normally instead of coffee, but if I were to live in paris .. well the coffee is just different.. it's fantastic...

in other news.. at my job there are two Project Managers. Katie and Myself.
well, Katie's leaving. so now I'm going to have to take on her customer list (in additiion to mine) until I can get the new person up to speed.
I think I know who upper mgmt will choose and I'm fine with the choice.. actually I'm been apprised of all the applicants and none of them would be bad IMO.
but this is our busiest time of year and it will be a challenge to take on a double load of customers at the drop of a hat like that.. but this too shall pass..
haha...
Katie is young and talented.. I'm very happy for her! she will do great things...

lets see... well
Grad School... Im currently awaiting the next one to begin.. I can only afford to take one class at a time and so it's taking me quite some time to finish, but thats ok.. at least this way I can concentrate and make good grades..
:)
um... well guess that's enough for now..
it's getting late...
tomorrow is another busy day..

the PMP exam just might kill me...
or at least put me in the poor house..
I wont bore anyone with details but I feel like the powers of the universe are against me on this one..
wow.. seriously strange/bad timing and just bad luck so far

I need a raise.. I hope maybe I'll get one.. didn't last year so, I'm due one damnit!
but I know the economy isn't what it should be, so it probably wont happen..

I'm playing music this weekend and next weekend.. that will be fun..

I've started a few new projects..
One duo with another female musician named Lisa M. (harmony yay!)
and I now play drum-kit with a new band called "Neb"
haven't played kit since I moved from Knoxville..
we've been practicing a while now actually and we just might get out and gig in another month or so..
it's fun..

ok, back to work..

This weekend :
Friday I hung out with my father.. I took off 1/2 day and we didn't do much.. but it was nice to spend time with him..

D came over Friday night to spend the weekend with me.. and it’s always nice to have him around..

Saturday afternoon I went to Valhalla funeral home to see off a new/old friend.. Rest in Peace Gene.. This was a sad occasion but I'm glad I went.. His wife was doing well all things considered.. she said that God had placed a peace in her heart and that she was going to miss him but he wouldn't want her to just sit and sob over him so she refused to do so.. My heart goes out to her, I know how much she loves him..

Saturday night I Played music at Humphrey's with 'Hot Soup' It was incredibly hot outside but man did we have a good time.. It feels so good to play music with those cats.. they can really groove..

There were lots of people in the streets after the gig because crossroads had their 'DJ night' and there is something about the crowd coming from crossroads on a 'DJ night'.. I guess that music gets people all riled up or something because afterward there is so much aggression and tension, the police had their hands full .. so we were stuck at Humphrey’s because there were too many people to get the cars into the alley to load out..

well when we finally got home around 3am I discovered that 1 of my 2 kitties had hurt his back right paw.. and he had hurt it badly.. the skin was rolled back from one of his toes entirely.. and he had about a 1 sq inch place with no skin.. so we were off to the emergency clinic.. Thank goodness we have that clinic.. but it's not cheap.. I am just glad that D was there to help me.. my kitty, Nun (pronounced NOON) is large and difficult to get into a cat carrier.. D was an immense help.. with Nun and for me.. it was upsetting to see him hurt like that..so anyway, we get him to the clinic and he of course needs stitches.. they sedate him, give him stitches, and antibiotics, then wake him back up.. 375.00 later.. he's fine.. or at least a lot better than he was before.. wow.. that was expensive.. but he'll live

Sunday night I went to the Sport's Page and watched Donnie play music with Tommy Sheppard, Nole Webster, and Mike Roberts.. they call that a "4 guys on a couch" gig.. well it ended up that Scott Kennedy came in (he is Mike Roberts normal drummer for 5'oclock Charlie).. Scott gets his drum set out and tells me to get my Djembe out of the car.. and so we join them up on stage for the last 2 hours of the night.. It was fun playing with all of those 'local heavy' musicians.. Scott is a fantastic drummer.. and a really funny guy too.. my hands hurt but I didn't care because we were having too much fun.. however.. today.. I'm exhausted from only 3 hours of sleep last night..

I will sleep like a baby tonight.. after I give Noon his medicine that is.. *sigh*

so I'm on the Arsenal yesterday and there was a turtle in the road.. he's about 5 ft into the road and he's headed across it but he's got probably.. 20ft to go!..
(He was about 5 inches across.. decent size turtle.. but moving slowly)
so I stop my car, and get out
he quickly hides in his shell,
I pick him up and place him on the other side of the road because at the rate he's going .. he's not going to make it before he gets hit by a car..
I hope that was the destination he wanted because if not.. he's WAAAY off course now but oh well.. I think I got it right because I'm fairly sure I could see a creek in that direction.. chances are with as hot as it was yesterday, he wanted the water..
but the middle of the road? ... not a good place for him to be..
so he's either splashing away in the creek right now or cussing me..
haha...
Happy Trails little guy!

this weekend I played an 8 hour gig.. 8 f#@k'n hours... jeez.. now I work 8 hours a day all the time but that's not spent slapping my hands into inanimate objects the entire time..
I mean at moments, I had fun, and I guess Saturday was the day for charity (despite my non-charitable spirit that day). I assisted in a garage sale for my Eastern Star group (the only highlight being that I got to visit with sus, granted she had to deal with my sourpuss) and then the gig was for a biker group called BACA (Bikers Against Child Abuse) which both are for very good causes. I will say that I did need to burn off some of that bad energy so it was good that I played percussion for hours and hours it was almost like a mixture of release and penance for my bad attitude.. haha.. but now my hands are totally sore from all of that.. I love being a percussionist but I think I'll probably regret all of that abuse one day.. my hands will probably be useless by the time I'm 60..

today the insurance man came to the house and he says I have no hail damage to my roof...
I'm glad I do not have to worry with replacing my roof just now.. but I kind of wish I could because it's not a flat roof, it's wavy.. and looks weak in places but .. he says the shingles are good, and I shouldn't have any problems for the next 10 years, unless of course some REAL hail comes and does damage..
so I suppose I have mixed feelings about the results of today... I'm glad I don't have to fool with it right now and pay that deductible, but at the same time, a new roof would help me rest easier because of the strange waviness of it... that must be some thin wood used underneath my shingles...

sigh...
well, anyway.. maybe I'll build a garage in my back yard.. my dad tells me that I can have my grandfathers wood working tools... and that is awesome.. I'd love to build some furniture, plus I'm a sentimental girl, and having my grandpa's stuff is cool.. :)

and I think I could build furniture, really.. I mean why not? :)..
but I don't have a place to put that stuff right now.. AND a garage would increase the value of my property too.. and that is also a plus...
guess I'll have to research the price of doing that...
hrm...

I wish I had something prophetic to say today... but
well
nope.
so anyway, don't litter,
cut back on your use of plastic,
recycle, and care for plant life...


peace out

Kim

Tonight I attended a choral concert here in Huntsville..
I knew Chanticleer was a fantastic group but I guess I just wasn't prepared for how amazing they really were in a live performance...
My childhood friend, Greg Peebles is their newest addition.. and I am so proud of him I could just burst...
I spoke with his sister Toni after the concert, and we both said the same thing.. it was so beautiful... we wept like children..
Bravi Gregory...
Bravi

a note to Eric Whitacre... Your acapella arrangement of "Sleep My Child" for the choral group "Chanticleer" is so far surpassing the original arrangement.. It's almost not the same piece...
.. and I will say, thank you for writing such a beautiful piece and thank you even more for that particular arrangement...


It was also nice to see Frances Moss, who is an absolute jewel to the human race.. along with her trusty sidekicks Joan Goree, and Dr. Purie too...
as well as Sus, and other members of the choir that was directed by Dr. Moss, from our college days when we all actually sang with Gregory..
Haven't had all of those people in one room in quite a long time..

Well after all of that amazing music, I am emotionally drained.. so I'm off to bed..

Tonight is the first gig for my band 'Four-Forty'
we'll be in Guntersville..
we are a little rough around the edges but I think it will be fun..
we'll see how it goes..

I purchased Foo Fighters new cd.. "Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace"
I'm enjoying some new music... of the edgy variety.. it's been a while since I purchased any edgy music..
I've been so steeped in blues based female voices and indie..
so this is cool..

This weekend was fun.. D and I had fun at Dolce and at Monaco..
the movie '21' was very entertaining.. Nothing too heavy, nothing to violent.. but entertaining just he same.. we took our drinks into the theatre and rocked in those fancy VIP leather seats.. it was fun..

Dolce had fantastic ambiance, and the food was good but I must admit.. it wasn't worth what we paid for it.
Don't get me wrong we had a great time but I will say a few things... Some of the tables in the restaurant were neat .. round tables with round benches.. kind of cozy and private but the tables for two were not like that at all.. and we were sat at one of those.. The table they sat us at was much too close to another table.. you know surin has that same thing going on .. those little tables for '2' are too close together, you feel like you are sitting with strangers.. Everything you say can be heard by those next to you.. It's funny to sit there and pretend to ignore someone who is only like 1 1/2 ft away from you.. pretending that you didn't hear what they just said, when in fact you heard it perfectly clear ... when you talk you feel like you are interrupting another conversation..
The next thing, is really quite funny.. dishes were too big for the table, we barely had enough room for our drinks, bread, oil plate, and salad bowls.. then came the pasta.. we had to re-arrange the table to make room and it was all piled up.. they didn't' think that through when they designed it I guess..
it's bad when you go to a place and pay 80+ for a dinner and you find yourself having to re-arrange the table and pile up dishes just so you don't have to set anything in the floor.. D and I were sitting there in our fancy clothes trying to be all hip and trendy as the ambiance/decor suggests in that place but how cool can you act while you're trying to pile up dishes and re-arranging centerpieces and salt shakers.. people were looking at us but we couldn't help it.. there wasn't enough room on the damn table for our food!
I started to put some stuff down in the floor to make room just so they would get the idea.. ha-ha!
but even though this sounds like I'm totally angry about it.. I'm not.. D and I got so tickled about it.. and we just laughed it off like we do most things.. made fun of them, ate our food and decided that next time we would ask for a different table or maybe we just wont go back.. it was very pricy for good food but not SPECTACULAR food..
anyway, I can recommend it if you're looking for a place for a special occasion.. just don't let them sit you at one of those tiny tables..
:)
Ok this post is long enough..