Area Woman

The April.May issue of Area Woman came out today. Be sure to pick up a copy and check out pages 38 and 39. Ms. Samantha has a spot on both pages! One is from a December '06 shoot at Meg Spielman Studio, the other is from a September '07 shoot by Rialee Photography. ~Kate

Sick Sam

Sick Sam Singing

Sick Sam Sick

Sick Sam Sort of Smiling

Can you tell what is boogers and what is oatmeal?

...G r o s s !!!

Dad's Bike

Daddy brought his bike home last night and I was so excited to see it again! I wasn't ready to sit on it with Dad when it was running though, I got a little scared, plus I didn't feel good so I was a little bit sensative. I don't mind the noise when it's running. In fact, I like to dance to the beat of the exhaust! I just don't like to sit on it yet. ~Sami

Certified Electrocutions

For the few that don't know what this picture is of, it is the hole in the ceiling and the wiring for the dining room light fixture. The blue thing is the junction box (aka electrical box or ceiling box).

The project: replace 3 light fixtures (dining room, kitchen and entryway).
Saturday -
1:00 p.m.: (Kate) Take Sami to Grandma Deb's for a couple hours.
1:00 p.m.: (Joe) Remove old/original light fixture. Wait for wife to read directions.
1:30 p.m.: (Kate) Locate & review instructions. Crinkle eyebrows & scratch head.
1:50 p.m.: (Both) Begin installation of $40 "Quick & Easy Installation" (hereinafter "Q&E") chandelier (1st attempt).
2:20 p.m.: (Both) Accept failure of 1st attempt. Remove semi-installed Q&E chandelier.
2:30 - 6 p.m.: (Both) Assess the situation, research possible solutions, make hole in ceiling bigger, re-attempt installation, sort of accept failure of 2nd and 3rd attempts.
6-8p.m.: Go to Home Depot to buy different light fixture. Leave with a $3.00 "old work" junction box, convinced that it is the answer to our problem.
8p.m.: Pick up daughter from Grandma Deb's (couple-hour visit turned into 7 hr visit)
Sunday
7 a.m.: Breakfast at the Shack (our dining room table had been converted to a workbench; and also, we were in no mood to even see the disaster that we created the day before)
1p.m.: (Joe) Take Sami to Grandma Pam's for a couple hours; return to Home Depot in search of solutions.
1p.m.: (Kate) Take pictures. Laugh to self. Laugh at self. Go to local north side hardware store in search of solutions.
2 p.m.; Realize that we cut the ceiling hole too big, blah, blah, yadda, yadda, marriage is on the rocks.
3 p.m.: (Joe) Accept the fact that he has to crawl up in the 2 ft. high attic to reinstall a level, flush ceiling box. Go to local hardware store for "new work" ceiling box hardware. Steam coming out of ears.
3:02 p.m.: Secretly run to Lowe's and buy new, more expensive, less "quick & easy" chandelier.
4 p.m.: Joe in attic. Smacks head on one of many nails protruding from roof. Stab self in fresh tattoo with old protruding nail.
4:15 p.m.: Finally good team work in progress, excellent communication, marriage is looking safe.
6:30 p.m.: Joe leaves to pick up Sami. Wiring still needs to be completed. Confidence. Kate can handle it. Joe has almost returned to his less annoyed self.
7:00 p.m.: Kate can handle it. Wiring complete. Crap! Missed a step. Need to undo wiring, but need extra hands to help hold the chandelier.
7:30 p.m.: Joe returns home. Joe sees chandelier hanging and wiring exposed. Steam coming out of ears. Kate and Sami relocate to opposite end of house.
9:00 p.m.: Extra hands not needed. Joe completed correction of Kate's missed step. Joe puts Sami to bed, which returns him to calmness.
9-midnight: Kate finishes only part of project she should have been involved in (light bulbs) & cleanup. Can't wait to start the other two light fixtures!

Lights Out!

Priceless

New (cheap) light fixture: $40

Replacement ceiling electrical box: $3.00 ( x 5)

Fuel (4 trips to local hardware store; 2 trips across town to the big stores): $15

Electrical experience and education: $0.00

Cutting the hole in the ceiling too big: P r i c e l e s s.

Buddies

Kitchen Designer

Sami J. helping Mommy look at her kitchen design book.

My Pody Hat!

She got her very own toilet for Christmas from Santa Clause and she is finally starting to show some curiosity as to what it is for. She has found many different uses for it (shoe, addition to her obstacle course, container, etc.), but her favorite is "pody" accessories. She discovered a beautiful blue bracelet and a gorgeous white pody hat.

Hold On To Your Pantyhose

Geez, I'm gonna put more pictures up, I just need to clear a path to my computer. Other things on my agenda: fix the dents in both driver's side doors of my car since some donkey (use your imagination) backed into my car and didn't own up to it. I won't say how much $$ it's going to cost (thank goodness for insurance, even with the deductible), but I will say that I'm looking for ways to make some extra $ cha-ching $. I thought about picking up a paper route, but I don't think I would end up making much extra considering the amount I would be spending on coffee and energy drinks. I'm not having a pity party...it's more like a pity parade on the pity path.

****PICTURES ARE ON THE WAY****

The Video...

is of me and Joe. The first few are of me and then it is Joe. I have a ton more pictures that I want to put together, but I just had time for a few there. I thought that I put a caption on that post saying that the video is of me and Joe, but I guess that didn't work out like I thought! ~Kate