A day off! Yay! I spent the day with my family and I am catching up on the blogs I could not read when I work...after I get home from work I am too tired to look at anything. There are so many interesting and creative women out there in blog land... many live in southern California. There was something called a Blissfest that was held somewhere in Arizona that caught my eye... Mary from http://sweetpeasandsnapshots.com/ blogged about it. I forget I live so close to Arizona now that I can drive there in a few hours... it will be something I have to add to my bucket list. As you know I have not been able to do any creating lately and I really miss it... I find myself daydreaming about it while I am at work... thank the goddess for blogs cause it gives me something to look at and enjoy while I am on hiatus of sorts.
Here is the link to Blissfest incase you want to earmark the event for next year!
http://blissfest2009.blogspot.com/2009/10/blissfest-blog-bling.html
Hope your day was fun and don't forget to laugh out loud!
xoxo Inge

The word is out... complain about our food, bring back a half eaten pie and say it sucks and we will give you lots of free stuff (food) ... really! This company has given the phrase "the customer is always right" a whole new meaning! Oh well, my husband reminds almost daily, it isn't my money...
Hope your day is fun and don't forget to laugh out loud!
xoxo Inge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4RNb3tt0LM

Now I want to start this post by saying I am grateful to have a job and a well paying job at that... but having said that I really miss being able to blog, go to the gym, spend more time with my critters and hubby, snoop in thrift shops, make stuff... the 10 hour days really take it out of me. I am no spring chicken and it takes me longer to recover from the long work day and my days off are not together, they are split. Life is too short to work for the sake of working to make money. My goal is to remain at this job until John gets settled into a job that he likes and then I plan to go part time so I can work on doing something that excites me... discussing food costs, labor costs and managing waiters that remind me of cats (have you ever tried to get cats to do something they don't want to do? Then you have a taste of managing waiters in a restaurant) And don't get me started with the customers. xoxo Inge

I had to buy new underwear today, actually some bras but I decided to look for some undies since I was there. Imagine my surprise when I came across undies with built in padded butts!These southern California people... Sooo I bought a pair... when in Rome!

Hope your day is fun and don't forget to laugh our loud!

xoxo Inge

We found a great place to eat that caters to dog lovers. It happens to be a chain of restaurants and we ate at the one in Huntington Beach. There is outdoor seating so dogs and their humans can partake in a fancy dining experience. Charlie, Cooper and Olive were very excited to be able to sit at the same table with us and munch on fries... something they never get to do. If you are in the area check them out. There is a full bar inside and the ambience is classy pooch.
http://www.lazydogcafe.com/home/about

Hope your day is fun and don't forget to laugh out loud!
xoxo Inge

Check out this fun dress form, I found it at the Gottchalks going out of business sale for only $25!

Finally a day off... I just came off a 7 day work week... 70 hours total. To be honest, this job is hard as hell... I run from the time I get in the door until I go home at night... take a break? Who has time? I mean really... I have to clock out to make the company happy that I am complying with the law but who are we kidding? If I am the only manager there... how can I enjoy the luxury of having 30 minutes to myself when there are constant things going on that need my attention. Anyone working in restaurants knows exactly what I mean. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful to have found a job in this economic climate... I just don't know if I can meet the physical and mental demands this job requires ... I find myself daydreaming of owning my own business again... We shall see.

I like the home we are living in... I just don't know about the wood floors. John and I talked about finding a place with wood floors thinking it would be easier to take care of with the critters... but so far it has to be dry mopped everyday. It's shocking to see how much fur accumaltes in just one day. I know the critters are shedding on a carpet too but the carpet hides the fur better. Be careful what you wish for sometimes it can be more work.

Here's some photos of my new place. I still have some boxes laying around but I am too tired to put them away for now. I just want to enjoy me day off...

Hope your day is fun and don't forget to laugh out loud!

xoxo Inge

I like going to interesting coffee shops. I know I said I absolutely love Starbucks and I really do but I like independent coffee shops that have character. I went to such a coffee shop in Chowchilla, California. I was on my way to Chico at the time to help with the move a few weeks ago... I cannot believe the family has been here a few weeks already... anyways I decided to find a place to eat breakfast and I wanted to go somewhere else than my ususal Starbucks stop. I found Coffee Cats located on the main street in Chowchilla... 515 Robertson Blvd Ste 1515 Robertson Blvd Ste 1 to be exact. I took some pictures but the glare from the window does not do the coffee shop justice. Inside is decorated with cute cat decor including pictures... some are for sale by a local artist... the artist also offers paintings of the local farm animals... anyways I really liked the place and if you are in Chowchilla stop in have a cup of java... and they also offer sandwiches.

I am off to work... the big Friday night! Hope your weekend is fun and don't forget to laugh out loud! xoxo Inge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkGAlrtuoJ0

I have finally come up for air! These past 3 weeks have been non-stop work, work and more work. October 5th the family arrived and I am soooo happy! Actually 2 days before the move I drove back to Chico to help the family move. We hired someone to drive the moving truck, John drove a car with Charlie and I had the rest... 3 cats and 2 Chihuashuas. I was pleasantly surprised there was not much back seat driving coming from the cats. I bought a large dog crate and covered it with a sheet so the cats would not be scared by the trucks going by. The total drive was nearly 11 hours and then we unloaded immediately. I have no idea how I accumulated so much stuff! I know some of was from my antique booth and then there was the craft stuff and then who knows what! Frankly, I was embarressed and I don't embarress easily. Since then I donated 7 boxes and several pieces of furniture. I went through each box and decided if I didn't LOVE it, it had to go. I still have alot of stuff but I can honestly say, what I kept I LOVE ... at least until we move again.

I am done with job training and I am at my permanent restaurant. I enjoy it but the hours are sooo long... 10 1/2 to be exact. Frankly, I am still amazed I pulled it off and got hired to be an assistant manager at a successful restaurant chain... no not Denny's. I have been there 4 days and I am the only female manager so I know I have my work cut out for me. I think working at Jacks helped me prepare for working here though. Someone decribed me once as wearing my ovaries on the outside... I take that as a compliment and I think that asset will help me in my new job.

John, me and the doggies found time to find the local dog park and we also went to the dog beach yesterday at Huntington.

We had a great time and found some interesting sea shells to bring home.

Hope you are having fun and don't forget to laugh out loud.

xoxo Inge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhJQp-q1Y1s

My garage is clean and tidy!!!! Finally, I can move on and get excited about seeing John and my critters again. I have been driving around the area and checking out the local super markets and parks. I found a super market called Henry's Market, organic and fresh produce! Now I want to find a gym close by so I can work on getting my "guns" pumped up again! I feel different when I eat right and go to the gym on a regular basis. I get lots of exercise at work but it is not the same thing. I think John and I will really enjoy this southern California lifestyle... we better because we will never move this far away again. I cannot repeat that enough!
Hope your weekend is fun and don't forget to laugh out loud!
xoxo Inge
I absolutely love the 3 Stooges and this is one of my fav clips... it is labled wrong though there is no plumbing involved.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8xFUMTvHIs