Wednesday, February 28, 2007

UGH!! and a circle journal...

So, I now know the most evil invention of all time for mothers of small children... It is my local Post Office. Not because my child behaved badly either... Here let me recount for you my 24 minutes of sheer shock this morning...

I admit it, I had lots left to do for my circle journal... So, I stayed up reeeeeaaalllllyyyy late on Monday and Tuesday to finish it. I gleefully showed the finished product to Jen this morning, and she gave it her stamp of approval. So, I happily headed to the PO after dropping Lincoln off. I am telling you that so you will know my ire was not due to lack of sleep. I had my wrapped journal, my baggies to put in as packing in the box, my Sharpie, and Amber's address... I am a prepared mailer this morning. Until....

I arrive and realize the PO doesn't open until 9am... it is 8:45am. I contemplated coming back, but then I will hit the busy lunch time crowd. So, I let Emerson out of his seat to play a bit, and call my mom. At 9am I promptly get off the phone and prepare to go in. In the mean time, a car had come and parked ridiculously close to me. Now, I know I drive that big huge boat of an SUV, an Excursion, but I swear, sometimes I think people purposely park like that as a form of scolding for my gas guzzling vehicle. Its like they want me to hit their car with the door so they can say, "SEE... if you weren't driving such a big car that wouldn't happen!" Which is stupid because the doors aren't bigger... try again greenpeace. So, I slink out of my door, barely opening it so I don't hit that car. As I am opening Em's door, the guy, we'll call him Sedan Man, comes out of the PO, and jumps in his car. Now, I am already helping Emerson out, the door is barely opened, and he is parked so close if I fart it will melt the paint on his goofy car. DO you know what Sedan Man did??? He just backed right out anyway! I had to literally shove Em back in the door and seek refuge in it myself so he wouldn't hit me! I was shocked, but then I got ticked when I saw a car seat in the back his stupid sedan! WHAT?!?!? How could anyone who has ever had to take kids in and out of a car seat act that way??? He got the glare... I have a very good glare, it clearly states, "You are a disappointment to your mother and humanity." I think Sedan Man may get better gas mileage, but wowee, running over kids in a parking lot... not something greenpeace looks for in its spokesmen...

Onto the journey into the PO.... yeah, you thought, were probably hoping, that it ended there... no such luck pal... keep reading...

So, I am in line. I grab a box, a label, and I am dutifully trying to get it all in order while I am in line, but time runs out... I step aside to the closed counter to finish my packing and what not. When I am done, no one says "Here, you were in line, jump back in." Maybe if Emerson had been screaming instead of being all cute and munching a granola bar. I was given the clear "Head to the back" look by one and all... All I could think was, don't any of you remember what it was like to juggle kids and mailing stuff and all??? Where's the love??? And the ever helpful postal employee doesn't say anything either. So... to the back of the long line we go.
Now, in walks a young female. She is mailing a carton of cigarettes. I was technically in front of her, but due the line length and where I had to stand, she didn't realize that, and honestly, it was just one more person right??? So I get behind her. Well, she helps me by pointing out that I have the wrong kind of priority box, gets me the right kind, and then says, " Would you like to get in front of me? I mean, you do have a little one with you." I swear, I think I saw angel wings sprout from under her coat. I told her it was okay, but then I realized... You and I would've thought that when we walked in the PO that if someone was going to help a young mother out, it would have been the gramma mailing her homemade cookies or the other Mom who had no kids with her, etc. There were lots of "good" people and not one of them cared. In walked a young college age girl, not well dressed, looking tired, and mailing cigarettes... yet, she was the one... she did it... and that is why you should never judge a book by its cover. Or a mailer by their parcel I guess...

So, that act alone made my day. I had to laugh when, I went to switch to the correct box, I had to go to the closed counter again, and when I turned around and saw a couple of moms and grammas mailing more care packages, I just walked to the back again...

So, Amber, after 24 minutes in the actual post office, (not including our wait time in the car!) The Circle Journal is on its way!!!!!!!

Okay, enough of my babbling... in my defense, I haven't been posting or getting to read/comment on blogs since last week, and felt you would all need some of my longwindedness so you would know it was the real me, not a kidnapper or anything... :)



I also got the sweetest card from Ronda... all purpley too, that little stinker!! She even sent me these adorable photo holders she decorated with ribbon, and a way cool chipboard album... Thanks Ronda, you are so sweet!! :)

And I got Malou's CJ... amazing... can't wait to work on it!



Here are the circle journal scans I got... no they are not sneak peeks, they are all out scans, so if you are a Circle of Seven chicka and want to be surprised, don't look any lower!!!!!!!!!!! :) The journal has a thick chipboard (I know, what else???) cover and then thinner chipboard inner pages. My theme was "Where I come from". I chose it because we are a diverse circle of ladies and it can be done in several different ways... i.e. Your hometown, your family life, your country, your heritage, a battle you made it through, family traditions or foods, etc... See, there are lots of ways it could go! I was torn between exploring my German heritage, and my hometown. I decided on the hometown as you can see...

Hope you all have a lovely day... and remember to look for the good guys mailing cigarettes... :)


The theme page...




The "instructions..."



The sign in page. Each little flap lifts up for each lady...




My pages...



Page two... My favorite part is the little mini album with
some more old family pics and snow scenes. And yes, that
is my mom's car buried in the snow. It was in the newspaper
so it came up when I did a google search!! It's even in a book
someone wrote. Too funny...

19 comments:

  1. Wow. Wow to everything. I'm all about sitting in the car, waiting for stuff to open. I'm all about evil eyeing. I'm all about NOT cutting out of line to finish. I would've gone to the open window and made the rest of 'em wait.

    In reality, I probably would've done exactly what you did. Back of the line, making eye contact with each person along the way, hoping they'll give you a break.

    Love the circle journal. That is cool. How did you guys get started in that? Fun.

    I made a statement about scraplifting on my blog. Now I feel my e-friends think I'm a fraud. Like all I do is scraplift. I rarely scraplift, b/c of the guilt factor. Sometimes I'll lift an element, or picture placement, but rarely do I lift a whole page. How do you feel about lifting??

    Glad to see you posted today. I was beginning to wonder.

    Chrissy

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  2. Anonymous1:21 PM

    What an ordeal! At least you got the cj mailed off. Love, LOVE, LOVE your CJ! What a great topic! Can't wait to work on your cj!

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  3. Anonymous1:49 PM

    just wow, okay
    well, the cj looks wonderful though

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  4. Where to start??? First of all "yikes" about the sedan man and just about getting run over. Where is the love out there anyway? (Could you teach me your stare -- gotta get one of those - my dh just laughs at my attempts!). And, about the line, how rude of all those people. I can hardly believe it. Glad cigarette girl was kind to you! And about that circle journal .... it's so beautiful! Love those papers you chose (some of my favorites). Have a great day Jude! Kim

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  5. Welcome back...I've missed you! I see you CONVENIENTLY don't have your email on here, so I can't very well shoot you a message asking where you are! LOL
    Ohhh, the trips to the PO! I'd rather just drive something somewhere...even if it IS in another state. Sometimes, I think it would take less time!
    But I'm glad you made it through and you got your package mailed.
    The circle journal is TOO cute. I've never seen one in person. To be honest, I don't even know what it is :-). But you did a great job on it.
    Again, welcome back and I'll be checking in on you again...SOON! LOL

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  6. what a morning! your layouts/pages look awesome!

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  7. Jude, what a funny post office story...maybe not funny while you were enduring it, but how you told the story was pretty entertaining. Your CJ is awesome! Great theme for it too! I'm in a CJ group with some local gals...I'll have to remember that theme for our next go-around. Also, the way you did the layouts is very inspiring. Question: Is the Project Planning Notes page one you tore out or did you purchase it? Also, is that your handwriting? It is awesome if it is and if it's a font...it's awesome too! Wow, my comment is nearly as long as your post..heh heh. Have a great day!

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  8. Jude, you are the best story teller! Every time you just make me laugh. I don't think I would have stepped out of the line at the PO...does that make me rude? I love your circle journal. And I see those cute little primas! How did you ladies start that up? I'm a little embarassed to say I don't quite know how they work.
    The other day, you asked me to email you my address, well I couldn't reply to your comment..but I think I've fixed it so that if you reply to this comment you should be able to get my email address, in that case, you could send me yours...if that works for you! =o)

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  9. This is so funny Jude!! Of course not funny in the ha ha way, but funny in the way that it is amazing that we survive what we are put through some days!! I just hope someday my kids appreciate things like that - simple errands turned into major outings :) Also love the circle journal - very nice job!

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  10. This looks awesome Jude. Great job on it. This is so much fun...I got Amber's in the mail and mine out...I just had to mail it from work...and the postman picks it up. I'm sooooooo glad I didn't have to stand in line. I remember all too well doing that with little ones...albeit mine weren't being like all cute and adorable eating a granola bar...they were typically digging in my purse for a tampon to swing around (actually happened) and calling strange men daddy (no I did not make that up).

    Anyway...dig the cj. Happy day. And the little girl with the angel wings....awesome...glad you mentioned her...People like her need credit..

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  11. jude...i can't e-mail you back b/c i don't have your address. so where exactly do you live? believe it or not...i got off of work early!

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  12. You have an amazing talent for telling a story and letting the rest of us feel like we were right there with you!!! Awesome. I was laughing and glaring, and loving cigarette girl right along with you.

    Beautiful CJ...

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  13. Theresa was here. I have to put Connor to bed. I'll come back when I have more time to read your novel. Love the CJ. I'm going to steal you sign in idea for mine.
    Love ya

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  14. O-M-GOSH!!! how crazy was that??? and you still have your sense of humor...love it!!! we are always surprised by the obvious and unobvious!!! I can honestly say that my biggest pet peeve would have to be lack of common sense and consideration which apparently you fully got treated to in the post office!!! glad you got the Cj out and it is.....AMAZING!!!! so cute!!! can't wait to get it!!! ciao chica!!

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  15. Jude, I just read your comment and yes, I'm definitely still interested. If you would, please send me an email with your email address so we can discuss it.

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  16. THanks for coming over and commenting on my blog...now I only need 98 more..HA! I love that you took the paper from Office supply...I'm totally with you on not caring if it's acid free or not. In fact, the other night I was out shopping looking for something similar and ended up buying a invoice book/sales receipts book that I'm gonna use for some journaling. Thanks so much for the idea..I love it! BTW, is it ok if I add you under my "blogs I read" links? I like you! :)

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  17. You do realize it's a new month right? You haven't posted in an entire month. Or for the entire month of March, I should say.

    Just a gentle reminder shove, Chrissy

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  18. Ok...Like when is it coming to me!!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!! Girl it's gorgeous! Oh man...just love ya

    -Karla

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