Stuff Portrait Friday! My last for a while...

This will be my last SPF until who knows when, with my poor, witchy baby being sent away to Jersey today. Because of her current condition, refusing now to even take a semi-out of focus picture (see the first picture shown? - can you even see it? that's supposed to be a pic of my trunk!), alas, my trunk will not be featured for today's SPF - - I know, I know - - you're all really broken up about it, I know. I'm so sorry. This is all I have to offer for now and it'll have to do... FOREWARNING: This post is quite a rambling rambler...

#1 My garbage can: Behold, this is my ridiculous garbage can kept in the pantry of my kitchen. I'll come back to the "ridiculous" aspect in a moment, but I gotta say something else here. [TANGENTS: 1) In the upper left corner? Blue packaging? Anyone recognize this item? See here. 2) All that crap to the left of the can? It's my paper and glass recycling and I know, it's a bit outta control. You have NO IDEA though! If you could see above the can?!? there are 3 HUMUNGOUS bags hanging from the wall, loaded with plastics, all waiting to be taken to the recycling center located at the opposite side of the Vegas valley. {NOTE: Usually, my friend Ryan and I will make a morning of it on a Saturday - we have breakfast together and thereafter, we drive across town to dump our weeks' worth of recycling. Yes, we're that nerdy and that devoted to our recycling. And no, there are no recycling services at my apartment complex or his, nor do any of my local grocery stores offer recycling services, bastards! Not even Trader Joes! Why? Because Vegas sucks in the recycling department, sitting amongst the bottom 5 worst, most poorly ranked recycling states in the US. (I wrote a term paper about it last semester.) The problem is that Nevadans have access to thousands and thousands of acres of undeveloped desert property available for unlimited landfill use, and because legislation is under zero pressure to conserve the land for commercial or residential development [remember, this place is a vast and empty desert], they "don't see a real need to promote recycling." What do I think of that? Utter bullshit. Utterly shameful. I won't go on about the diverse ecosystem here or the reasons to recycle - I'll spare you.} Anyhow, having spent my H.S. years in Iowa, where they recycle more tons of material per year than some metropolitans areas and have their own bottle bill (a 5 cent payoff for each glass or aluminum bottle returned), I was well trained to conserve/recycle considering all that and the fact that my mother's family comes from rural Idaho... At my Grams' house in Bear Lake, if you ran the water for too long, the well water would turn a nice gritty, sandy seafoam green. May I also remind everyone, I'm a person who feels guilty if I let the water run in the bathroom sink while I brush my teeth.] As I was about to say, before my tangents/rant [WARNING: Here comes another weird rant!], I am quite serious about placing trash where it belongs - in the garbage - and I absolutely hate it whenever I find trash elsewhere. Because of this, coupled with the fact that I'm all about convenience in many regards, I have conveniently placed several garbage cans just about everywhere throughout my home; beside the toilet, beside the bathroom vanity, beside the bed/compooter desk, and atop the dryer. I had an extra can that I recently gave up to my honey-man and it's been placed under his desk in L.A. and I tell you, the man couldn't be happier! He has thanked me THREE TIMES on three different occasions for the wonderful convenience of having a garbage can beneath his desk. It has changed his life = I'm soooo not joking! Really! Anyhow, so far there's never yet been a garbage can in my living room, but don't think I haven't been tempted.
As for the ridiculousness of my kitchen's can (finally), do you see its size? Let's count: There's me, my roomie and my honey-man only visits about 2-3 days each week and that's it; only 2.5 people contributing trash; not a family of 5 or 6. My can is too big!!! Why I ever bought one so large, I dunno, but we do all know that when a large garbage can doesn't fill quickly, it doesn't get tossed quickly, and if anything organic and/or wet is thrown in there, it will stink to high heaven in less than 24 hrs. In my case, it doesn't help that I have a roomie from Japan who cooks sometimes super strange, super smelly foods daily and I'm in love with a carnivore! The can must go! Twice, I have sworn to get rid of the damn thing, waiting to do so until I'm out of large-size garbage bags. So why hasn't it happened yet? My sweet and most reliable, most courteous roomie, Kanako, dutifully switches off with me for the buying of water filters (we share the same Brita) and dishsoap (we share this too) and also GARBAGE BAGS! A few months ago, just when there were about 6 bags left from the bulk size box my previous roomie had bought, Kanako beat me to it, buying ANOTHER BULK SIZE box of 55 bags before I could tell her not to do so!!! Right now we're about 1/2 way through that box. Once the bags are about 3/4 of the way gone, I imagine it'll be time for me to move. *sigh* I am soooo not taking this can to Cali with me. Honey-man? Do not let me do it!!! And do not let me rationalize its use as a can to keep our recyling in either.

#3 My junk drawer, as found: If our new place in Cali doesn't have room for a junk drawer, I'll be sad. I use something out of this drawer almost daily. I love my junk drawer. Every home should have a junk drawer.

SPF ~ In All My Glory!

Once again, according to Kristine... under my bed as it is, my pots and pans as they are, and my stereo(s). I think the idea behind this "In All My Glory" theme was to reveal unkept spaces... I'm an anal retentive, insanely organized looney! Very few messes to be found; everything has it's place and I own a gazillion Sterilite storage bins... how many? I really don't think I should have to count - trust me.

SPF - Love it, Not so much, and Me!

On behalf of SPF and Kristine, Kami had taken over last Friday's SPF theme - and I'm just getting around to it. Yes, I know it's no longer Friday, but hey, if I wanna play, I gotta play when I can - right?

#1 What I love about my home: I love that I have a washer and dryer available 24/7, for my own discretionary use AND it's right outside my patio door, tucked away in a double-doored closet. Why is it outside? Any person living in Vegas would prefer to have his/her dryer running outside = 1) much more quiet, 2) won't heat up my home interior, and 3) results in lower electricity bills. Another thing I love about my home: See the dark, open doorway behind Otis?
This is roomie's bedroom door. Now, see the other pic which shows a large frame on the wall, beyond Otis, who's looking back at me over his kitty shoulder? To the left of that wall with the large frame is my own bedroom door, on the complete and total opposite side of the front room/apartment, away from my roomie's.
This means that we don't share a bedroom wall between us. It is soooooo nyce. This aspect of my apartment's layout was what sold me on the place - that and the washer/dryer kept outside. Oh, and I also absolutely love my kitchen "passthrough" window.

#2 What I don't love about my home: I can't really think of anything I don't like about my current abode, other than the fact that I don't own it and pay rent for it. I could say I don't like the water heater(s), but that's hopefully now a thing of the past. There is one little thing, however: See the pic with the beige little box inserted into the lower part of an electrical outlet, with Owen standing off to the right side (he always sniffs it - I have no idea why)? One day, oh-so casually, I unplugged this box and immediately, the security alarm for my apartment went off, blaring like an ambulance siren! Thankfully, ya plug the damn thing back in and it'll quit right away, BUT the first time I discovered this deafening phenomenon? One of the alarm speakers is just to the right, above the bed and its sound-off is aimed directly at whomever unplugs that lil' beige box. I about had a freakin' heart attack! I swear! And Otis and Owen? They both poofed up like racoons, sprinting from the bedroom, to only be faced with double the alarm power in the front room, where two alarm speakers were sounding off! They were so rattled by the experience, their little hearts were still racing almost 20 minutes later.

#3 What I love about me: I love that my honey-man loves me!

Stuff Portrait Day!

For the first time since mid-December, once again, it's Stuff Portrait Friday! Call me silly - I do - but I think it's fun... So, according to Kristine:

#1 My Toys:
There's my 1.0 GB USB flash drive, mah new cordless mouse which I bought for my new laptop (If you click on the image, you'll see that it's name is "Annejelynn's 31st Birthday Present"),and mah new Nano, plus my two sewing buddies, mah serger and my sewing machine, itself. I consider all these things to be my "toys" - plus the digicam I used to take all these ridiculous pictures.
















#2 My Secret: Secrets? I don't have any secrets... Nooo, no I don't - I have no secrets (evil giggling ensues).

#3 My Eyes: Taking these pictures? I have to say it was fun! Self-torture all in the name of SPF!?! The watery eyes were the result of my looking into a bright light while taking these "my eyes" pics.

SPF ~ Past, Present & Future

Okay, I said Sunday, but it's Monday...

This one has been really hard for me - everything I've thought of is either ridiculously trite or way toooo serious. Last night over dinner, I told my honey-man (a sweet, most tolerant supporter of my blogging) that I was having a really hard time with this past week's SPF... Initially, it was just a matter of me not being able to make up my mind as to what would be appropriate, but as of last Thursday, it's been difficult to keep anything in the proper perspective.
Earlier today I was told that I've tested positive for the presence of pre-cancerous cells found in/on my cervix. Not at all as bad as it could have been -"pre" is certainly better than "malignant"- but it was not at all what I wanted to hear. A few weeks ago I went in for my annual OBGYN visit and a rather plump polyp about the size of half my pinkie finger was found and removed on the spot. I was told that tests would be done in the following week and I wouldn't hear from the office unless something was wrong. This past Thursday while at work, I received a call and as I was told, "This is so-n-so from Dr. ______'s office. Your results from your last visit were abnormal [pap results vs. the polyp was not distinguished at the time of the call] and we need to have you come in next week if possible for a whatever-she-called-it biopsy series." My stomach immediately flew up in my throat and all I could think was "oh shit." Last Friday, my then present condition could only be described as "calmly floating along, yet slightly preoccupied." Why get upset when I don't really know what's going on? Right?
Considering my mother's health history, my own health has always been a subject of concern for my family, both immediate and extended. Turns out the polyp that was removed was found to be benign - very happy news. The additional biopsy samples collected today should provide more conclusive information as to whether or not whatever else that was found is considered "low-risk" or "high-risk," but I won't know until my follow up two weeks from now. Sure, the chances that I've got something seriously wrong/high-risk are low, but chances are chances and in my life's experience, things don't always work out how we'd like them too. This reality has apparently sunk in for me, despite all my efforts to not get upset or jump to any conclusions I really don't know or yet have... I had a dream the other night that I had to have a hysterectomy. Just a dream, but a disturbing one at that. My past, my present and my future all just seem fuzzy right now. I'm preoccupied is all - everything seems to be a bit on hold until I know more.

Stuff Portrait Friday - gunna wait 'til Sunday

I am drowning in class papers and the like - I really want to participate in this latest SPF, but it'll hafta wait until tomorrow...unless you'd want to see my old toothbrush, now a fish filter cleaner (my past), my current toothbrush (my present) and one yet to be used, in its packaging still (my future). No? Then hopefullly I can post something else tomorrow.

Stuff Portrait Friday

Once again, according to Kristine - this Friday's theme, "Show Me the Money."

#1 The Last Thing I Bought for Myself: Dryer Sheets - no joke. Fabric softness has always been considered a luxury item for me. We're talking about a girl who NEVER bought this kind of stuff, including liquid fabric softener (heaven's no!) until only last year... Off to college in '93, before my parents happily left me to my new prison cell, I mean my new apartment-style dorm in Rexburg, ID (suddenly itching as I recall the day), my step-mum was so kind as to start me off with the proper, needed away-from-home products: Shampoo, Conditioner, a couple bars of Dial soap, a bottle of Laundry Detergent, a can of Spray Starch for ironing (to this day, I STILL have this very same can of starch, as I refuse to even buy clothing that requires ironing), and one box of dryer sheets, among other things. That box of dryer sheets kicked around with me as I moved from place to place over the following 5 years. Yes, it took me 5 years to use one box of dryer sheets, reserving the said product for only static-prone dryer loads. See, I had been told (and it's true) that fabric softeners wear out yer threads. People, I'm the kind of person who has and still wears clothes from high school, with a couple exceptions. Plus, I'm a total cheap skate and have in the past refused to PAY for a product that will only help me wear out my own clothes... BUHT I discovered the yummy delight of SOFT BEDSHEETS, fragranced with Vanilla Lavendar no less, thanks to my old roomie, Seorin. I love the stuff now, although I must confess, the bath towels I've had since I had been married (circa 1997) are now starting to show their age, thanks to a year's worth of avid liquid fabric softener use. Honestly, I'm trying to now curb my use of liquid fabric softener. Yes, NO need to tell me, thanks = I'm a total nerd and I know it (as Hall & Oates blares in the background while I type).
#2 The Last Thing Someone Bought Me: My most considerate, sweetest and most adorable honey of a honey-man found this book and bought me my own copy. His faith in me and the support he gives me is enough to make a woman feel she can conquer the world, I tell ya - although paying my bills and establishing a college fund and a nice retirement plan is really enough for me. Regardless, there are things I do well and he knows it and won't let me forget it and I love him for it. Thanks baby! I can't wait for a good holiday break, so I can read this!
Also, I must mention my parents were recently here in LV for a little visit and the spoiling was ridiculous. From Shu Uemura mascara (oh my gosh, it's amazing stuff) to tickets for Hall and Oates. Most importantly though, it was great to see them and spend time with them both. Big hugs!

# 3 My wallet, of sorts: Not the typical leather or nylon product, eh? I saw this in a Sky Mall catalog when flying home from a San Francisco trip, just before going on a trip to New York. I got home, got online and ordered one as a pre-NY gift for myself. I love metal etching and thought it'd be nice and compact, see? And I love metal etchings - did I mention this already? I really hate purses (although you'd never know judging byhow many I do have - most were gifts...
NOTE to Friends & Family: No more purses, PUHLEEZE!

Stuff Portrait Friday!

AGAIN, according to Kristine ~

#1 A Tacky Vacation Photo: Alrighty~ at the time this photo was taken -maybe 2003- I was already living in the great, big City of Sin, but it was a visit/vacation for my mum's family at the time. This is an automated photo taken at the very beginning of the "Big Shot" ride at the top of the Stratosphere. I cannot count how many times I have ridden this ride! I absolutely love it. The Maliboomer (sp?) at Disneyland's California Park does NOT compare. Big Shot totally rocks. See the two freaked out fellas in the center? These clowns are my two most shameless, most extroverted, very loudest cousins, Kyle (left) and Emmett (right). I have placed their faces online without any worry whatsoever that either of them would be the least bit perturbed because, well, they're utterly shameless and the both of them love attention. The smiley face guy was a friend of Emmett's and I don't know him well enough to plaster his "OMG" face online for all to see.


#2 Something My Honey-man's Angel Boy-O made for me: This lil' drawing has been on my fridge door for nearly a year now. I have a few other drawings from the angel boy-O, but this one is my favorite because I'm the green figure holding the yellow one's hand - and the yellow one is supposed to be him. Now ain't that sweet?


#3 My Hairbrushes: My honey-man very recently made a comment that I use quite a big hairbrush. Have you seen my hair? Unfortunately, I probably don't use this brush or the various combs/piks as much as I should.

Stuff-Portrait Friday!

Once again, according to Kristine...

#1 Something in my house where it doesn't belong: I actually don't know WHERE this belongs, honestly. My last roomie left it behind when she moved out and told me to do with it whatever I may, but it's pretty dang big for a "mini-fridge." Since she left in August, it has just sat right here - it is not meant as a knitting basket stand. And no, I don't want to use it like a full service mini-bar for my living room guests. humpht.
What to do (tapping my finger to my bottom lip)?

#2 Something broken in my house, but I've kept it anyhow: This adorable, LITTLE fine/thin/fragile wheel spun piece of pottery... I found it in one of my parent's many boxes of misc. college stuff and I wouldn't let my father toss it or his "The World According to Garp" either. After one of my many moves, from place to place, a hole was finally punched through it somehow unbeknownst to me - dunno. I now just turn the hole towards the back of the bookshelf on which it sits. I had never known it was spun so thin until the hole came along - it's amazing really.

#3 Something in my house that I will NEVER eat: Man, I la-la-la luv sushi, but I will probably never attempt to make it on my own, nor will I ever bother/think to wrap my rice in this seaweed paper!?!? so I can have myself some seaweed paper!?! with my rice??? No way. This is yet again another item my last roomie left behind for me when she moved out. For some UNKNOWN, BIZARRE, utterly UNSPOKEN reason, I haven't yet thrown it way (even now after taking its picture). I think it's just because it has been stashed in the freezer since she left, and I've been too busy to think about it/notice it until now. I'll ask my NEW roomie (who is from Japan, mind you) if she would use/eat it.

SPF ~ Alas, it sucked - mah Phoney - my digicam

Once again, according to Kristine...Stuff Portrait Friday!

#1 I had been all excited, until it got home: When I bought this, I was so thrilled to have not only a legitimate coffee maker, but one including all it's fandangled features and the way tre' cool design. HOWEVER, the damn thing repeatedly leaked coffee, including grounds, all over my kitchen counter, down the front of the lower cabinets, all over the floor = A BIG FAT FREAKIN' MESS! After my honey-man had no luck determining what it was I had been doing wrong (I was convinced I'm incompetent), we successfully concluded there was a serious design flaw at hand, so we returned the sucker and never looked back.

B.P.O.S. = BIG PIECE OF SHIT (sorry, just being HONEST!)

I'm not at all alone in my experience with this awful machine.
(click to here to see the horrible reviews)

#2 My cell phone: Why do I have a Nokia brick instead of a sleak, oh-so cool (supposedly) flippy phone? Cuz I have a hard time as it is, trying to answer my cell without inadvertently hanging up on someone and I need to be able to answer the phone using ONE HAND, thank you!?!! There's no freakin' way I want to flip anything open in order to take a call, nor do I want to try learning some ridiculous wrist action to do it one-handed. NO. I've only had this phone for a month now and I'm not at all used to it's menu listings and the split "talk" and "end call" buttons. My previous phone was an ancient lil' Nokia though and I loved it. I miss my Salt 'n' Pepa's "Push It" default ring and the Jingle Bells ring I had set for my honey-man... BUT with my new phone and my new Cingular service, I love it that we're now on a "Family Plan" and that the 400-500+ minutes we spend talking to one another each month is no longer counted against our "Anytime Minutes." Hallelujah! Plus, I'm tellin' ya, ROLLOVER MINUTES ROCK!

My very own navy blue brick!

#3 My digital camera: I love my camera ~ why? Because I took over 1,600 pictures while in Montreal and it didn't cost me a friggin' fortune to find out only 700 of 'em are worth keeping! ME LOVE IT!

The FujiFilm E550 = 6.0 megapixels per shot at MY service...

Stuff Portrait Friday! on Sunday!

Once again, according to Kristine...

#1 Meine Kuche - not that big, is it? but, believe it or not, I have had much, much SMALLER! Try so small that the refridgerator had to be kept in the bedroom!?!

In my kitchen there muhhst be a pantry - the narrow door is for my blessed pantry. It is equipped with 4 deep shelves and 5 shallow shelves for stacking stuff - Heck! I should take a pic of my pantry, eh? - that'll be another post for later. Anyhow, with my mormon roots, I am a woman of bulk foods and excess food storage... need a can of Cream of Chicken soup? how about a cake mix? would you like White Sour Cream or Yellow? need a can of evaporated milk? I have four cans of it in stock right now.
I.love.my.pantry.

Not a whole lot of counter space...but I have a dishwasher! That fact, coupled with my oh-so willing honey-man, who actually LIKES doing the dishes, makes for no reason at all not to bake/broil/roast/grill/saute/simmer/boil/blanche/steam or stir fry. I hate doing the dishes -my only deterrant to cooking- that and, ah, money! - it can be quite expensive to go all out and cook as I may -it'd be easier if I were feeding the throngs, but right now, there is no gabble of children to feed.

I absolutely love my pass through window. Love it. The only thing that would be better is an entirely OPEN kitchen - I would love that much more. I hate walled-off kitchens - being cut off from the rest of my living space. For me, the kitchen serves as a center of loving, creative activity in the home - I love cooking, especially for others. It's relaxing for me. I don't want to be working in the kitchen, separated from those for whom I may be cooking.
P.S. You see that sponge there? along the back of the sink?
IT IS NOT MINE

#2 Meine Handschrift - notes from Research Design class - Exciting, no? Hardly so, I know.

#3 einer Sache - okay, right now you should be thinking, "What the hell is that?" Exactly my sentiment when it was first sent to me (along with a number of equally bizarre items) from my childhood friend Anna Dilemma, who lives in Tokyo. This stuff is called "Pink Top Cream" - the only English on the package - and the illustration on the package? humpht - WTF? how was I to really know? it's colorless and has no scent... Is it lip gloss? Considering the illustration on the package, I didn't think so. Well, I have a new roomie, Kanako, and she happens to be from Japan! I brought out this lil' pink-nippled package from deep within a bedroom cabinet, and asked her the other night to tell me what this stuff is. She was stunned - she giggled - she asked me, "Where'd you get this?" and then giggled some more. It was hilarious, watching her try to find the words to tell me what it is: When applied, um, this "Pink Top Cream" will cause one's nipple to be pink.

Juhhhst Lovely.

Blogger - BLAK!

Alrighty - apparently the Blogger gods that be don't want me to post anything that includes any photos. fooey! Stuff Portrait Friday will have to wait even longer now...and my Montreal post, just the same. This is really my first time having Blogger trouble beyond it refusing to let me post comments. *sigh*

Stuff Portrait, er, Monday!?!

Alright, alright...so I'm way late. I know, but I wanted to play!
So, with that...

The Neighborhood eyesore - more than a mile down the road from my place, there's an older housing development. In Vegas, "older" could mean 20 years old or younger. Anyhow, the entrance has two development signs on either side and both are in terrible shape. I've been wondering if they're just waiting for them to fall apart completely - ? Must not be too concerned about maintaining much appeal for landing new home owners. It's real odd, I think, for a decent area to neglect the entry like this.


Interesting Neighborhood sign - Everyday, I drive past this lil' "Buggy Bath" car wash depot on my way to work. Each week, a new inspirational/food for thought message is posted on the business sign. Me being into quotes, I absolutely love this! -and I love it that the owners think to do this, instead of promoting some business slogan.


Picture(s) Taken in Secret - Technically, I have a lot of "taken in secret" shots, if one considers all the "napping kitty" pics I have... although, I'm almost sure that most of those "napping kitty" pics were not truly taken in secret; I was merely being ignored!
These lil' buggers sense everything, I tell ya! The other day, Owen started going absolutely NUTSO at the base of the coat closet, near the front entry. I came over to open the closet door for him, and he immediately dove into its back corner and emerged seconds later with a big spider between his teeth! yes, how lovely - such a useful lil' guy too, isn't he? Owen, the Fierce bug killer. Otis is equally fascinated by bugs - but he's my lil' lounging lover boy, not nearly as active as his lil' bro-bro.