Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Speaking to the Boss...

I got to speak with the Jones Boss last night. Well, I heard her tell her mother that she needed the phone. :) So, I am not sure that she was even going to give anyone a chance to escape...
"Are you coming to get me at the airport" She demanded (and I mean demanded, this three year old is a boss.) "Yes" I replied, I grew up with her mother, so I know it is just best to say yes all the time.
"Okay, I am going to get my purse, and my phone, and the keys, and then you haf to come to this new house of mine to get me and then we are going to the airport." Miss Aniston is very much the grown up.
The funny thing was I was on my way to the airport to get Mr. Bywater who had just gotten to fly to Kansas City for a day...wooo...hooo... he says. :)
So I tried to get Aniston to talk to me about dance class and her new house, but it was all in vain. "Okay, I'll see you at the airport, love you, bye!"
That was it. That was all I was getting.
Then when I logged onto Facebook this morning my brother in law had posted this...
my 3 year old threw her moms purse on her shoulder and said "see you later, I am off to the airport to fly to costco."
:) Happy Wednesday.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Dreaming of Sugar Cookies..



I am dreaming of Sugar Cookies today for some reason. I think that Valentines Day must be around the corner, or I just have a sweet tooth.


Either way, who can blame me? :)

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Scott and I were lucky enough to go to Minneapolis for our anniversary. Well the real story is that Scott had a vacuum show, and plane tickets were cheap, so that ment I got to go too!
We had so much fun! Well, I had fun anyway, Scott worked most of the time. Here are some things we did.
Shopped! Hello Mall of America! You are Scott's dream come true!

Ate and Ate! :) We had Bubba Gump the first night, and then my personal favorite Johny Rockets the second night.

One of our favorite stores was the Lego store. We probably could have spent hours looking at the cool figures that they had built out of Lego's. I am partial to Woody, Scott really liked the snake.

Well, the sales person shared with us that it takes about 50 guys, four months to build some of these characters. Holy cow, do you think that job would get boring?












My favorite part was going to see the Mill City Museum. No, it wasn't because of the cab ride that felt more like an amusement park ride on the way to and from. It was the most fabulous building! Minneapolis is known for it's history of flour mills, and this was an old flour mill that the city had made into a museum. I couldn't get enough, really, shopping holds no ground for me when there is a museum nearby! So, this mill was the old General Mills flour mill until they shut it down in 1965. I learned how they made flour, how they used the hydroelectric current of the St. Anthony falls to generate power for their mill, and where and how Betty Crocker became involved. My favorite part was the ninth floor of the museum, where I ran into a device that was used to circulate the explosive flour dust out of the air of the mill. Hello! It was a Cyclone. It was like being stuck inside of a Dyson! I was so excited I had to call Scott and tell him.
Funny enough the Pillsbury mill is on the other side of the river from the old General Mills flour mill, it is still in operation. Sorry, I am a nerd and forgot my camera, but I did get the best souvenir ever from the gift store. It is a dish towel that says "so I am not Betty Crocker"


Coming home was a lengthy process, one I am not thrilled to repeat but funny in its own way. So, Mr. Bywater thought it would be good to get an 8 man tent at the show...???....????
What???....?????
We dragged it everywhere, it was knocked off the suitcase a time or two, it wouldn't fit through some of the doors. Then we finally unloaded it at baggage claim. Thank Heavens... Now, note to all that this is at 5:00 in the morning...not really a time of the morning I aspire to be up at anymore, there once was a time, but alas, no more.
So, we then proceeded through the crowded security lines for our morning massage. Then to our gate. Well, let's just say our plane came in and they announced it had a flat tire and would need to be fixed. Long story short, the 10:00 A.M. flight to Chicago left before the 7:20 A.M. flight. We figured out we could have driven home faster then we flew.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

When it snows, it's a blizzard...

We've all heard the phrase "When it rains, it pours." I believe I have said it myself a time or three, but since I now live in the "Windy City" I choose the snow. And yes, I am talking about the blizzard that dumped on us yesterday, and the blizzard of good things, and bad, that seems to be surrounding me.

I had the worst experience this morning trying to take my first test of my back to school life. I tried and tried to make sure that the necessary things were in place and working for said test to come to fruition. I was taking a Math test and I know Shelbi and Math don't mix. I also can admit that sometimes Shelbi and technology don't mix. Well, my advance thinking got me nowhere with people at school, but then I got somewhere with set up and thought all was well. Let's just say that Math, Technology and Shelbi are an explosive combination. After 30 minutes of trying and trying to take the test I finally typed up a frustrated e-mail to my mentor and hit send. I also in the meantime spoke to a rude representative who apologized that their technology couldn't support mine and asked if I had another computer. "oh, yes sir" I replied politely" and it is a MAC too." I then hung up on said representative, and then gave up trying to take said test.
Five minutes later I called Scott
Scott: "Hello"
Shelbi: "Tell me to calm down"
Scott:"Honey, calm down. What is going on?"
Shelbi: "Hang on I have to finish this Reese's Peanut Butter Cup"
Long story short, I freaked. Which I hate to admit, but I did. Call me a control freak, but when I can't control things I assume the worst and that there is no solution. Happily for me, and for everyone who talks to me in that 2 hour period, there is chocolate.
And, there is always a solution, I am taking the test on Friday at a testing center.

On two the second snowstorm...

Okay, so it is not a bad snow storm, but a good snow storm. I have been asked to be more of a part of the magazine I work for in writing blog posts, creating layouts, and having more of a face with the readers as well as the convention attendee's.
I am very excited about this, but of course, as is very typical for me, give that chocolate 10 minutes to wear off, and I am trembling.
Am I good enough to be a part of this?
Will I make the cut? Or will the editors think "What the heck is this?"
I love being a part of the convention attendee's experience, but there are stalwart readers, will they be as nice and forgive me when I say button without a "t"? Will they love me like the convention attendee's do? Or will they say "Who is this weirdo? "
Will I have time for this with school, and everything else I do?

Good thing that there is always a solution. :) I am headed to the kitchen for some more chocolate.

So, here are my snowstorms, all before noon. Wow, I think a nap is in order.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

9:50 am

The dog is snoring, I am working, and missing these ladies. And these people....

One of the things I miss the most is being surrounded by my people.