Productive and a question

This morning I got some information out for a client who has a fast moving project. I will be working on more of it today. I have two clients on the cusp of completion and will be contacting them with pricing, selections and a surprise color board. LOL.

Also, I FINALLY got the car dealership locked down on a time. Today at 1:30pm (eastern Standard time) I will be at the dealership signing my life away and speeding off in my new car.

That brings me to my question. I plan to name the car. I need help. I had one suggestion from my bff Lioux at Damn You Dan for 'Bugsy' and I love it. But I feel I need to explore all options. So please click on my email link in my profile if you have a name suggestion. After getting some suggestions that I like I will make a poll for everyone to vote on the best name and the list will include 'Bugsy' for sure.

Lastly... let me say: "HOLY GREAT WEATHER!" I am loving this .... what do you call this stuff? Oh yeah... SUNSHINE! Crazy warming stuff that makes me smile more than usual. I am loving the warm weather and sunshine. It makes me want to skip out on my design work and run barefoot in the grass. Also, the grass is looking great with Scotts help. I haven't heard hubby complain about weeds or anything. Could this be a great summer? I don't know but not hearing about clover and his griping would make it be so! LOL

Later gators!

In need of repairing....

I'm glad I had a nice weekend because it helped balance out the frustration from hearing from one of my clients (the big one) that she and her husband had sold their home up here and need to be out in 30 days. Because of that she decided to finish the project in Florida with another Design's R Us store and she wanted me to make her a packet and to cancel her contract.

GRrrrrrr.... this project was soooo close to being completed. She seemed to think the retainer she paid would cover the work completed. I had to send her an email today stating that #1 According to the contract they signed they have to cancel the contract in writing, #2 they need to pay the remainder balance for time spent on the project (which is an additional 12 hours) and that the packet wouldn't be given to her until the payment was recieved. I emailed it, a copy of the timesheet showing what I spent time on and for what. I also need to forward to her a copy of her contract.

Hubby said that if she refuses to pay he'll put an artists lien on her house prohibiting the sale from going through. It's times like these that I dislike people. Did she honestly think that in over a month and all the stuff I showed her that I only spent 25 hours on the project? I spent 37 actually. And what else I hate is not finishing a project.

And wednesday I am to meet the orthodontist who STILL hasn't signed his contract and doesn't seem to grasp (despite his advanced degree) that I can't have meetings while I'm on the clock at Designs R Us. I will not show a stitch of anything without a signed contract and retainer fee paid. Even with it people can be jerks so why would I work without it?

Thank goodness for the good weekend because it helped repair me. LOL

Lucky shammy baby!

We got about 4 inches of snow yesterday and hubby shoveled it. This morning there was another 3-4 inches. Hubby woke up at 7 am on his day off to shovel so me and 'Wolfee' (our new Jetta) could get out. Of course I can get through 3-4 inches but the end of the driveway usually has about 12" from the plow clearing the roads.

THEN hubby came inside to make me an omlette with cheese and bacon on the side with toast and French Vanilla coffee (because we aren't REAL coffee drinkers.) I was 5 minutes late to work due to that. I appreciate it all the same but after killing himself outside shoveling he didn't need to worry about me and breakfast (it was soooo sweet though. Perhaps I need to repay him somehow. Hee hee.)

I get to work (slighly late) but the center doesn't open until 10 and I was there at 9:07 am to prep as required. The roads were all snow covered but the highways were pretty good.

I get signed into a computer and my day is off. I had a day that I didn't want to come down from because I was on such a high. There is no reason why at first, I was just very happy. At work I kid around ALLLLL the time. A smile is almost always on my face. I can't explain it, there just is one. Perhaps it's because I really don't HAVE to work, we are having me work to pay down debt and do other things with. Perhaps I just enjoy because I don't feel I HAVE to do it. Or maybe it's because after being cooped up in the house with two beautiful children that conversations with adults delights me. I have found that I can joke and flirt and talk about adult things. This job is like a break for me (a paid break at that! I know!!)

So then I'm organizing my drawer because it seemed like it needed to be organized since I've been there almost a whole month and hadn't done so thus far. What should I find? The signed contract from the ellusive client and the retainer check. WOO HOO!!

That sent me flying high. I was so excited! Then a guy came in who I had helped briefly a previous day looking for fabrics. I helped him without pointing out I charge $50 an hour. I was just in a good mood. But then, after finding a few samples to take home to show his wife I told him if he needed any more help to let me know, that I'm an Interior Designer. He lit up and said, "Really? Oh we need your help." He seemed geniunely happy to learn that. He asked what I charged and do I go to peoples homes. Of course I do. So he took a business card with a promise to call. DING DING DING... and we're off.

My manager calls me to tell me about a commercial client who wanted to meet with me. DING DING DING. Possible client #2.

Then a new person called, a member, looking to redesign his office (he's a doctor.) DING DING DING!! WE HAVE A HAT TRICK! (if you like sports you'll get that. hee hee.)

I contacted another client who needs to sign his contract and helped members with orders and blah blah blah. I got up a ton of times to assist people (including a woman who works with me who started after me. She's supposed to be well versed in blinds but for some reason she asked me to help her with blinds. Yeah... I know. The jury is still out on that experience, I think.)

About an hour before quiting time one of the owners came up and quietly said, with a smile, that a member paid me a compliment that I had helped him by not just pointing to where to find the binder but I got up and walked right to it and gave the binder to him and that that was service. The owner was pleased, I was pleased, the owner's wife was there and seemed pleased and said good job! I was now so very very happy.

All my calls were answered, all my problems were solved. I wish EVERY day was like this one. I know they all can't be but I am grateful for this (and for the retainer check! *dancing the irish jig*)

So I'm like a freakin' little happy leprauchan dancing around my pot 'o gold. And NO you can't have it. hee hee.

Happy St. Patricks Day my peeps!!

The morning that wasn't

I was going to have a 10:30 am meeting this morning after sending my son off to school and waiting glued to the radio for the announcement for the winner of the Nickelback tickets.

So I had my mp3 on radio and got my son off to school for his field trip to see a play with a bagged lunch and a smile on his face (less one tooth... I'll post about that later.)

I prepped for my meeting with the client that has rescheduled with me twice and this was our third attempt. I got my daughter ready and papers ready and me ready. We headed off and got to the store just in time. But my client wasn't there yet. Awesome, I had some time to spread out all my stuff and get some books. I was ready, contract in hand and preliminary stuff too.

tick tock tick tock tick tock. Soon it was 11 am. No client. I phoned her. She wrote down Wednesday. She picked the day!! I was sitting with my appt. book open at Starbucks and wrote the day in as we spoke!! Wednesday I drive my parents to the airport so I would remember discussing working around THAT day. *sigh* I was pleasant, she apologized and I left feeling more than a little pissed that my morning was wasted. Not only that, I still have NO idea what is going on with the contest. If I didn't win, rip it off like a bandaid and be done with it! *double sigh*

So there you have it, my morning that wasn't. blah

Questions.. Statements and general confusion

Today I worked an 8 hour shift and other than the contacts bothering me I had a good day. From there we ate at Applebees (which will be one of our last visits there because it was subpar.) Next stop.. the mall. I had coupons for Vic. Secret and got some free things and discounts on some things but found out they missed one coupon so I will be calling the store tomorrow (darn it it's a long drive there so I hope they can help me over the phone....grrrrr....)

THEN we went into a bag store because I wanted to look at laptop bags. Well. We found hubby the most awesomist laptop/briefcase on wheels for all his legal blah blah blah with a handle to spare his shoulder when he walks from one side of town (where he parks) to the other (where he works.) I was more excited than he was by the purchase. Next time we get me a bag but he shleps more stuff farther more often than I so it was exciting. Next week I believe I'll get my retainers that will more than pay for both the Vic. Secret purchase and the bag and then some (other bills.) By the end of April we'll be looking at a car for mmmmmmeeeeeee. woo hoo.

Now for the question...did I ever post the pics of the valentine boxes? I'm generally confused and apparently forgetting a lot lately. I need to organize my brain. *sigh*

I hope all my bloggy friends are fan-tab-u-licious!!!

The sun is a deceiver!!

Yes it's sunny and I love it! But it's deceiving to see the sun shining beautifully and then step out into the frigid air. Still, I won't fully complain.

Today I spent time at Starbucks. I had an appointment scheduled but when I checked my cell phone voicemail the client needed to reschedule..... again. So I have until Monday but that gives me a breather from the hectic pace I've been moving at. Woo hoo to that!

Also at Starbucks I was able to take the time to review my novel quickly and decide how to revamp and practically rewrite most of it to make it better. I am determined to get it well enough to not only be picked up by a publisher but to fly off shelves in the erotica section. lol.

With a few 'to do' lists written up and a few phone calls I feel like I accomplished a lot.

I also did a good deed of the day. A man was at Starbucks with his two young kids (6 and under, I overheard.) They were wound up and rambunctious and driving their dad up a wall as he tried to meet with two other guys. After he seemed quite frazzled I looked into my Calvin Klien bag of mommy tricks and found two small boxes of restaurant crayons and grabbed some paper and offered them to him for his kids. He seemed genuinely appreciative and it managed to calm them for the remainder of his appointment. But they did break a few making him embarassed to admit it to me. I replied that I he could keep them and I wasn't the least bit worried. He thanked me again and left as I wished them a good day. I better scrounge for more of those crayons for my kids to keep the monsters at bay. LOL.

75% better

By 4pm today and now I'm feeling 75% better than at my worst today. I feel like such a slacker having laid in bed most of the day and had taken a bath. I finally felt well enough to go to the grocery store and then get dinner and clean some floors. I did get a few more things done this evening as well so I feel I wasn't a complete waste. Now I know I wasn't feeling good and shouldn't feel badly about relaxing, I just hate wasting a day and losing the enjoyment of a day off.

I had to reschedule my appointment due to the weather but my migraine would have been a more obvious obstacle for me. Tomorrow we plan to meet and I hope it works out. I also have a few phone calls I ignored today to return.

What's amazing to me now is realizing that 75% better is wonderful, I can't imagine being 100% better. I realize that I took feeling fine for granted and since I haven't had a migraine like this since December, I think, I forgot how great it was to feel good. I shall try to make sure I don't forget again.

Thank you all for the well wishes!! [[[hugs]]] to you all! <3

March and my peeps

I have to say I agree with hubby.... March is the suckiest month of the year (because of the weather.... sorry to anyone with birthdays in this month.)

One morning it's 32 degrees the next morning it's 12 degrees with wind that threatens to make your cheeks freeze and fall off. The high today is supposed to be 23 but in a few days it might be 44. No wonder this month is the 1 month my kids always always get a cold or sick. Warm, cold, warm, cold. Geez.

Now that I've been working for a few weeks I have to say the one thing I realized I don't like is how it effects my blogging. LMAO. Okay, if that's the worst thing about the job then I must be doing okay, right? Hubby would probably say I blogged too much (but what does he know. *sticks tongue out*)

This morning I have a 2 hour seminar at work and later today my son has a well doctor visit. Other than that my day is mine. (if you call more drafting, laundry and other cleaning mine...lol) I'll be around though to see all my blog peeps!

Saturday hodge podge....

I had a pretty good day at work and while it was 8 hours it didn't feel like it. Sure the end of the day was hectic but I think being a mom has prepared me and I was relaxed there. I've been told about 2 dozen times that I'm blowing them away with how well I'm doing which surprises me because it seems relatively simple.

Next week I meet with one of my design clients and will have my first contract signed for big money. I can't tell you how excited I am and I hope the discussion of money goes over well. *biting nails* It's a huge amount but we are doing a ton of stuff.

We took my kids to TRU's today for my son's gift card that was burning a hole in his pocket and then a new Old Navy opened in my town. A Children's Place is fabled to be opening soon and all I need is a Victoria's secret and I'll never need to treck the 45 minutes to the nearest mall. That would totally rock.

Hubby had dinner made for me when I got home and I think a few drinks might be in order for me tonight. Woo hoo for a day off tomorrow (and drafting....lol)

I hope all my fav blogging buds are having a fan-tab-ulicious weekend!