april 29

@ 11a | 2 cents...

I went to the gym last night after a little persuasion from Eric and a lot of kicking my own butt to get off the damn couch. Let me sum up the three mood changes in my one hour cardio workout through song... "Numb" by Linkin Park --> "Fake Plastic Trees" by Radiohead --> "Walk On" by U2. By the time I got home my legs hurt but I felt much better.

This or That Tuesday: take comfort

1. Lying down on the couch, or stretching out on a recliner? Couch.
2. Going barefoot or wearing soft slippers? Barefoot.
3. Eating ice cream, or pizza? Homemade pizza.
4. Watching on TV...a classic movie or a reality show? Classic movie, I don't indulge in network reality TV.
5. Wearing: blue jeans or sweat pants? Jeans.
6. A long, soothing bubble bath or a quick, invigorating shower? Shower.
7. Furniture: leather, or something more on the fuzzy side? Cloth, I don't like leather furniture, or car seats for that matter.
8. Soft, classical music, or upbeat rock & roll? Upbeat!
9. Darkness or light? Light.
10. Thought-provoking question of the week: You get married, or otherwise begin cohabitating with a significant other. S/he moves into your place, but brings with them the UGLIEST chair you have ever seen! You really don't want this thing in your home, but SO says it is the most comfy chair s/he has ever sat in, and no way will they part with it. Do you: grin and bear it, or scheme to get rid of the montrosity somehow? Compromise. Eric has a thrift store couch that is super comfortable but ugly and he dislikes my pretty newer futon. So, the next time we move it's sectional couch time for the living room. :)

april 28

@ 2p | 2 cents...

We are leaving for Cancun in less than a week and I have been very busy getting all my work done and trying to anticipate any problems that might arise in my absence. I recently completed 17 chemistry-related graphics for an online course and you can view how my Illustrator skills are progressing here. :)

Although we didn't do any hiking this weekend, we did purchase a tent and some more plants for the deck on Saturday. We watched a bit of the draft once we returned from Atlanta then walked downtown to see the cyclists after dinner. Sunday morning we planted the tomato and pepper plants after Eric made french toast for breakfast. Yum.

Unfortunately, I was informed on Friday that the botanical gardens denied me again for an opportunity to exhibit artwork there. Since I've sold 4 paintings this month it's hard to be too upset.... but. I'll keep showing my artwork in local shops and restaurants and hope that some more sales can take the sting out of that rejection.

april 21

@ 11a | 2 cents...

We hiked 4.5 miles this weekend and got to see 4 more waterfalls. Since the weather has been cool and cloudly lately, it's a great time to head into the mountains. There is no way we are doing this in the middle of summer when it's 100 degrees out.

Sylvan Mill Falls - next to a cozy bed & breakfast
Hemlock Falls - beautiful sites all along this 2.5 mile roundtrip trail
Moccasin Creek Falls - difficult hike past Hemlock Falls, but I got to see my first slug, a cool millipede and experienced my first time "downhill-surfing"... at least i didn't fall on my ass.
Denton Creek Falls - about 400 yards before the N.C. border, up an unmarked dirt road, over a stream, and Eric winds up sitting next to a gigantic spider.

april 16

@ 12p | 2 cents...

This or That Tuesday Wednesday: money, money money!

1. File taxes as early as possible, or wait until the last possible minute? As early as possible, although this year they were mailed out rather last minute due to a mix-up with a 1099 form.
2. File electronically, or mail paper forms? Mail in paper forms.
3. Prepare your own taxes, or have someone do it for you? We have my dad's accountant do it for us.
4. Are you a saver or a spender? Saver.
5. Do you prefer to carry cash, or pay with plastic (credit/debit cards), or by check? I carry little cash with me since we use credit cards for most purchases.
6. You're broke and desperately need a job, but the only places that are hiring are retail or fast food places. Which would you pick? Retail.
7. Keeping track of your money: are you more meticulous or careless about it? Eric does most of the financial stuff, but even before we were married, I was very good about balancing my checkbook and knowing how much my credit card bills would be.
8. What do you do if you find yourself with a lot of change weighing down your purse/pocket/wallet? Do you try to spend it to *get rid of it*, or do you put it in a jar or a piggy bank? Start paying in nickels. :)
9. Which form of fake money do you like better...Monopoly money or those chocolate coins covered with gold foil? Chocolate!
10. Thought-provoking question of the week: You find a wallet containing $5,000 in cash, as well as several credit cards and the owner's drivers' license. Your rent is due tomorrow and you're short $200. Do you take the money (some or all of it) and mail back the wallet anonymously...or do you return the wallet with all contents intact? Return the wallet with money intact. I would try and contact the person by phone, however, mailing all that money isn't particularly safe either.

april 14

@ 3p | 2 cents...

Just got back from mailing off our taxes... thankfully, we will be getting a nice refund this year which will go toward our Roth IRA accounts in 2003. Nice.

Since it rained all last week and this weekend was two sunny 75 degree days, we decided to take our butts hiking. We saw three waterfalls in the Helen, GA area of the north Georgia mountains and hiked 8.2 miles total. I probably don't need to mention that my legs are killing me today, but it's a good sore. Really.

The new photos of Anna Ruby Falls, Dukes Creek Falls (not recommended), and Raven Cliffs Falls (highly recommended) have been added to our waterfall page. Enjoy!

I am working on a pastel of a purple crocus that I plan to complete this evening, so I'll post a photo then. Meanwhile, here's the pink dogwood I finished last week. My sister suggested a butterfly/flower painting, possibly coming soon...

I also bought my plane tickets to Chicago for a friend's wedding in May. So, I'll have 5 days to wind down after returning from Cancun before I ship off again. I know, I'm a jetsetter. :)

april 8

@ 11a | 2 cents...

This or That Tuesday

1. Sexier (female)...Pamela Anderson or Jennifer Garner? No question. Jennifer Garner.
2. Sexier (male)...Ben Affleck or Matt Damon? Matt Damon.
3. The better piano player...Billy Joel or Elton John? Billy Joel.
4. Funnier...David Letterman or Craig Kilborn? Jon Stewart.
5. The dumber cartoon cat...Stimpy (of *Ren & Stimpy*) or Tom (of *Tom & Jerry*)? Tom.
6. A better news anchor...Tom Brokaw or Dan Rather? Dan Rather.
7. A better TV chef...Emeril Lagasse or Jacques Pepin? Never seen Jacques, so Emeril.
8. The trashier talk show host...Maury Povich or Jerry Springer? At least Jerry seems to know how trashy his show is. I say Maury Povich.
9. The worse fast food burger joint...McDonald's or Burger King? McDonalds.
10. Thought-provoking question of the week: Only a handful of U.S. Presidents have been considered to be *great* Of the following two, which one do you consider to be greater...Franklin D. Roosevelt or Abraham Lincoln? Why? I know much more about Lincoln since I read Carl Sandburg's biography of him in high school. I like him because he grew up in Illinois (where I'm from), and not only was he president when the slaves were freed, he was an eloquent speaker and a sensitive man.

@ 10a | 2 cents...

I have an interview with a guy at the UGA botanical gardens tomorrow afternoon to see if they'll let me show my artwork there. This would be a good thing for several reasons... they send out a mailing list and throw an opening reception for you which greatly ups the chances of selling artwork, looks good on the 'ole resume, plus it's lots and lots of exposure. I set up the interview yesterday and he told me to bring in one original work and pictures of a few others. But all of my original artwork is currently hanging at Jittery Joes! So, instead of stealing an exhibited painting for a week, I completed the following pastel last night. Whew!

april 7

@ 10a | 2 cents...

So far, so good. We have successfully changed hosting companies (yahoo!) and hopefully, things will be a bit smoother around here.

This weekend I finished up a freelance project while Eric was busy taking down our winter greenhouse, planting and sweeping the deck. He got his purchase order from the University to get his Sony Clie on Friday, so we picked that up on Saturday morning. The weather was a bit unpredictable, but we managed to keep busy around the apartment.

I hung my artwork at a local coffeehouse on Friday and a woman from work stopped by and decided she wants to buy "on the phone with mom". This is the third painting I've sold in as many weeks! :) I'm hoping to sell at least one more painting during the May employees show in my building as well. By the way, I finished this painting just in time to include it at Jittery Joes.

In other news, I am putting together a wedding site for one of my good friends from college who is getting married in October 2004. She is very excited about the details, so I think this is going to be a great project.

On the job front, I have been asked to complete about 15 chemistry illustrations for an online class our department runs. So now I am starring in the videos and designing graphics for these people. The good news is that I enjoy doing scientific illustrations and my workload is low at the moment.

april 1

@ 9a | 2 cents...

Eric is trying to decide between the following Sony handhelds... Personally, I like the one with the keyboard. It's $100 more but you are getting a better operating system, Blue Tooth and a keyboard. Hmmm...

This-or-That: Classic Games Edition

1. Tag or hide & go seek? Tag.
2. Hopscotch or wiffle-ball? Hopscotch.
3. Chutes & Ladders or Candyland? Chutes & Ladders.
4. Chess or checkers? Chess.
5. Parcheesi or backgammon? Don't know how to play either!
6. Twister or Yahtzee? Twister.
7. Trivial Pursuit or Scrabble? Trivial Pursuit.
8. Monopoly or The Game of Life? Game of Life.
9. Go Fish or Gin Rummy? Uno. :)
10. Thought-Provoking Question of the Week: You have a young child (or just babysit one), who is about 6-7 years old, and you like to play various games with him/her. Do you: let the child win sometimes to help improve his/her self-esteem, or play normally, in order to teach the child that we can't always win in life? I would play normally, but I might not try as hard to win.