weekend goals

so mr lance is rebuilding our computer system with new pieces -- so far i think it's going okay --

the accounting program/data is on the new server and working
the word/excel docs have migrated
the electronic file cabinet docs are currently getting backed up from the old server

it's a building full of computers in odd places ... old server is still hooked up and running in the closet -- new server is hooked up and parked in the file room  -- new workstation was somewhat balanced next to the coffee pot -- it's now unplugged and awaiting the relocation of the new server to the old server so it can go to the file room.... and if you can figure it out good luck -- i lost it at 8:30 last night ...

and oh -- someone thinks they "just got to have" their tax return Monday (it's an estate) ... well you asked you receive

and in the midst of the plugging/unplugging ... I copied all the worksheets, letters, checklists for our year end packets -- 15,000 pages thru the copier .... it only jammed 15 times :)


good to be me



edit: Mr. Lance begged off yesterday -- so I was tasked with the compacting,fluffing, backing up and restoring our electronic file cabinet data -- I must admit by the end of the process -- I was damn good -- it freaking works ... and it all appears to have migrated over ... this should not be in my skill set -- going in this morning to move 2010-2014 tax data over ... because, well because I can ...  then I'm going to shut down that old server and roll with it ...

Turkey Day --

I'm slowly learning the ins and outs of my new camera ... 

and the screens are off the patio doors so I can sit at the table and shoot out the doors ....

(warmer that way) ...

unfortunately -- a branch was in the way ...

found this one on wastebook -- the chamber's page ...

nice shot Ed :)  

so the only thing on today's agenda was to get that damn piano out of the basement -- they got the cast iron sound board off of it ... (only took a year) ... and the boys decided they needed more muscle to get it up the stairs .... I voted for the saws-all gizmo -- pieces  .. Jean want's it whole ... 

we'll see if and when the muscle arrives over the weekend 

my "black Thursday" shopping -- was somewhat extravagant -- 50% off at CJBanks -- the sweater that I liked (but really didn't need) shall be delivered and then there was the $1,100 of Office Depot -- that got out of hand quite quickly --

10 cases of paper

1 desktop computer

1 large monitor (for said computer)

1 scanner (duplex/color) for ^^^^

keyboard/mouse  (of course)

colored sharpies (the cheapest thing)

2 external drives for back ups

I used restraint and skipped the laptop ... it was in my cart for a while

so my new home office (once that damn piano is gone) will have a new computer, monitor and fancy scanner -- the stand up desk and spiffy used chair are ready and waiting 

projects, projects, projects

Life ...

it appears to be a flipping mess out there 

be safe

be smart

and no I won't make it to the office to get your payroll done

thanks for the midnight email 

seriously ...

I need to get a life.

technology

can't live with it or without it.

attempting to make the blog private
need to read directions a bit better.

or maybe just read

argh.


new email is working quite well
no news from the geeky dude with the computers ...
if he took off with my $$$ I'll have revenge


seriously
they were back ordered.

argh argh.

3002

so, there is a baby shower on Sunday 

cousin Cyndi Lou is having a BABY!!!

I pieced a top last weekend at Green Lake

(before I surfed the www and had a nap)

and life is crazy 

so I had to piece a back

loaded it to the long arm

find a batting that fit 

quilted it

 made the binding 

and trimmed it up

in 2.5 hours last night (it's not overly large)

and there was 4 loads of laundry

I started my morning with more freaking laundry -- it never goes away ....

the bedroom was tidy'd up (those clean clothes had to go somewhere)

then I went to the grocery store 

yikes ... 

baby shower food fixings 

eggbake ( x 2 -- fancy & plain)

sausages for a crowd

monster cookies for home/office

eggnog !!!

operation limited access to the Watermelon Diva starts Monday

email me at marie.dranttel.com if you want access

thanks Deb, Mary & MaryAnn -- you are in ...

3001

 I could really use an afternoon with my feet up and a beverage 

even if it were indoors ...

this too shall pass

 so I decided to make this blog semi private 

if you want to follow I can give you permission

please email me at marie@dranttel.com

I can add you to the list 

yep, I got a domain name and new email addresses tonight ..

new computers over the weekend

lots of change

me, myself and I

 those who know me best, know I take the pictures -- I don't have my picture taken ... I really really hate the spotlight.  I am a classic introvert --- classic ...

And I run for elected office -- believe me -- it's a struggle ...

it must have been funny

our annual trip to WCW -- Mom wasn't feeling well at this event and missed it and the quilts .

so didn't we do a fabulous job on the wardrobe coordination :)

Win TWIN's

I missed the memo on the wardrobe :)

Scrapping Divas 

and the political gig

Me and my smallest friend WJ

she's adorable isn't she

as Uncle George used to say 

"later alligator" 

#2999 - very picture heavy

So, I've thinking --3,000 blog posts is a lot of blog posts over 10 1/2 years ... I'm going to either a) quit entirely or b) dramatically cut back -- hanging out with the scrapping Divas this weekend in Spicer at the Green Lake Bible Camp and there has been a few chats about work, life, balance.  All of 2019 I've struggled with work, life - balance.  It's been a year of chaos.  So taking small measured steps to make life better.

Going out with a bang -- and a few of my favorite pictures

(favorite places, spaces and people) 

and since I'm on the laptop the picture pickings are slim ;)

life at West Lake Jefferson -- restorative to mind and body

my first pix of a load of organized watermelons and still a favorite 

that damn patch taught me life skills - not sure I always applied them to life

but I learned

July 2019 -- sunset on the water

Life is not about the clutter (weeds)

but about being the best you can be

the little details make life good

sunset on 3rd Street

and I've seen a pile of sunsets on 3rd Street

a new young Somali friend recently reminded me that the sun rises and sets everyday and here in Minnesota we have the BEST sunrises and sunsets

she was right - and we need to see every single one of them

it is good for our soul

and all the little things we've learned in the machine shed 

and the good byes in life 

last shot after closing up the cabin (2019) for the season

for every end - there is a beginning

I just don't always realize it at the time

July 2009

the morning after Grandma died -- we all tap dance around death and sometimes sugarcoat the word 

but truly death is not the worse thing on this earth

after a dry spell it rained 4 inches the night she died 

I think she may have had a talk with Mother Nature

and I (and every other farmer) was grateful

 

those market moments

and those snow moments

we've had some doozies over the last decade 

this was 11/13/11? 

#2998

  Blog post #2998  ... hmmm how do we mark the milestone.  Well 3 of the scrapping divas and I are at the Green Lake Bible Camp -- scrapping/sewing.  It was a wild drive up here -- so, like I drove on every County Rd in Nicollet, Sibley, Renville and Kandiohy (sp?) Counties -- so it was a fast drive ... 70 mph anyone ...

  GLBCamp is a really pretty place.  Green Lake is not froze over yet.  It is also very pretty.  The pictures are on my phone.

Natalie climbing over the bar to fill the water pitcher

at the Spicer American Legion

good food -- 

Friday night sunset from inside

Saturday afternoon

the lake up the road has a fish house on it

Diva Jan and I drove to Willmar for a break

the quilt top I pieced for a baby shower gift next week ...

looking at the lodge from the lake

we shared the facilities with 100 kids from Faith Lutheran Church of Waconia

and the view from O'Neils Bar & Grill

we've not missed a bar  ...

also good food

well

I think I'm just going to use up some of my previously rescued fabric.

the weekend plans include 

1) -- one baby quilt from a FQS Bonnie/Camille kit

2) -- to more table runners from some charm packs

3) -- one layer cake throw ... i like the size on these

4) -- maybe some more paper pieced log cabins

5) -- and a lot of document prep for year end in my other life :)

6) -- finish my book and start another 

oh no ...

say it isn't so ...

(ya, attempting to be funny)

bath day for Ms. Ruby ...

inside and out 

oil change next week (hopefully)

then she goes to bed ...

but if it doesn't snow ....

she might be rolling

elder #1 is antsy to get stuff stored for the winter

she goes in first ... 

then the boat, the camper, the lawn mowers, the atv's, the old tractors that don't run but I might want to fix them over the winter -- the snowplow and finally the tractor that does run 

it's a full shed (s)

the little things in life

we all have the little things in life 

mine is iced coffee

-2' when I got to the office this morning

iced coffee was breakfast

and since I'm addicted I'm allowed two a day 

the second one is generally at 4:00 - 4:15 .... 

once chaos is the norm

it might be 3 ... sometimes one at night 

I'm controlling the spiraling by drinking more iced coffee :)

spiraling

the re-occurring theme of my life is that it seems to be always "out of control" .. spiraling today -- bouncing like a beach ball .. I thought my weekend of working on projects would kind of get me back on track .. alas .. wrong again -- although I think the whole world is spiraling -- and I'm just one of the domino's teetering on the edge of hell

I thought we were up to date on the projects at the office and wham -- a weird wrench files via the email .. email is evil -- that's all I'm going to say .. just evil

the scrapbooking diva's and I are going on a little road trip this weekend -- I've got my overnight bag and lists ready ... I'm taking a B/C kit I bought several months ago and maybe some fat quarters to cut into strips to make some more mini log cabins -- I'm kind of enjoying paper piecing log cabins ... it's relaxing -- no spirals involved  .. 

thanks for letting me rant.

and yes, the freaking copier went down again today -- one would thing my $9,000 baby would not need a service call during month 2 -- that would be service call number 4 .. does not make me happy ...

powerful words

Cousin Mary's facebook post this morning (shared with her permission)

These are pieces that Paul chipped off the Berlin Wall shortly after it came down 30 years ago today. We keep them as a reminder of how cruel people and groups have been and continue to be, but that love, goodness and honesty eventually break down those walls.



the polarization, the bitterness, the unkind acts that are suddenly seem to be the norm are getting to me .... we've lost our ability to have civil conversations -- to have differing opinions ... 

change, we need to change ....

change

but I don't like chaos ...

so today's moment was a call from a broker (on speaker phone with the client) asking detailed/pointed questions about the prior year tax return .... because they were "planning" for 2019  --- ya right.

1.  I don't speak on speaker phone EVER

2.  I don't give out instant information

3.  you are not a CPA and you may / may not know the particulars for said client

4.  really???? really ???

and Mrs. H got the brunt of my ranting when I hung up the phone after refusing to give out info .. (over the freaking speaker phone) 

seriously -- W T H ....

so I have to change -- life has to change

suggestions welcome

twice.in.one.day

  Day 4 of the 4 days of education .. literally 2 hours to go and frankly it feels like it is killing me .. the multiple screens the multiple computers -- the endless ringing of the telephone ... over stimulation is the issue ... and it's cold, damn cold for November ... 

  So these live webinars are well, sort of live sort of taped.  The presenting organization pings questions out via the www to the participants and one must answer to get class credit ... this is 32 hours of credit for me ... which is good -- the topics are relevant -- but ... the endless interruptions  -- endless ... the mind tends to wander with the interruptions ...

   

life.

all the important things

seminar slides

seminar feed via www

laptop for notes

two mice

glasses

post its

notes

desk cleaning -- Elvis is in the building !

critters on the move

new snow 

yuck

another day .. 

note ... new lamp next to salt lamp

kinda cool

oh help me ...

  for some unknown reason I thought it wise to sign up for back to back continuing education seminars -- 1040 school for Monday/Tuesday and Entities for Wednesday and Thursday --

  I thought at the time it would be good to knock them all out in one week -- one slow week in my life.  Slow ... wrong -- 19 phone calls yesterday and approaching that number today -- I've let them roll to the answering machine and during breaks and lunch doing the call backs.  I was here until 9:00 pm last night.  Tonight will be no different.

  One dude walked in -- thought he could describe is issue -- while I was participating in the webinar and I would be able to answer his question AT THE SAME TIME.

  NO, NO and NO....

  so now it is day 3 and Robyn is policing the front door and not letting anyone in ...

  it freaking snowed 3 inches -- omg -- totally unnecessary -- i shoveled i don't like shoveling





  

.... fall .....