Earthquake, Hormones and Pizza

Good Saturday evening everyone!  It's a whole lot better than my Saturday morning was around here, that's for sure!  For those of you who take hormones, do you ever forget them?  Do you turn into a big bawl baby when you do?  My goodness -- what an AWFUL morning with me screaming and crying.  The most HORRIBLE thing you can imagine happened, of course, to start the tears.  You know I just got new glasses -- well I got new contact lenses also.  They just got delivered yesterday, so I had them in my eyes this morning when I got in the shower.  I was showering and suddenly noticed this crack in the floor of the shower -- about 4 inches long.  I thought, "OMG, I'm going to fall through the floor!"  "The earthquake must be sucking our shower down into the ground!"  (We had a small earthquake in Oklahoma last Fall.) 

I hurried and finished -- got out of the shower -- grabbed a towel and ran out to tell Jerry who was at his desk working -- where ELSE would he be.  I simply said, "There is a huge crack in the shower floor!"  "I'm going to call somebody Monday to come replace our shower floor."  Jerry not knowing, of course, that I have missed my Friday hormone dose, proceeds to inform me that the crack has been there for ages, and I am NOT going to get someone to fix it.  I turn into Crazy Joy and start crying and carrying on like the world was coming to an end.  I tell him I am going to leave him and go buy another house that has a safe shower in it.  I tell him he doesn't love me, and he would rather work than make sure our house is safe for me.  NUTS!!!  I can say that NOW, but I sure didn't feel that way this morning.

After bawling for a couple of hours with Jerry TRYING to work and pretending he doesn't even know I'm in the house, I REMEMBER I forgot my hormones yesterday.  I quickly went into the bathroom and dug them out of my makeup kit and applied them.  Whew!  It is AMAZING how quickly they worked.  It was only a little while and I was wondering why I had made such a big deal out of a crack in the floor.  Jerry told me he would fix it -- and yes, I'm sure he will -- SOMEDAY!  You know my imagination.  I picture black and green slime growing under the crack because the water goes right down into it.  I imagine all kinds of slime creatures living under my shower.  I wonder if THAT is what causes my allergies!  I think I will put some masking tape on top of it tonight while it is dry -- just in case!

After I decided to leave the Pity Party that nobody wanted to attend, I decided to finish the slinky knit top I started on Thursday.  I would have finished it on Thursday except that I decided to go press the center back seam with a hot iron, and the hot iron decided to MELT the fabric clear through to the ironing board.  YUK, what a MESS it left on my iron too.

This is SLINKY fabric but the white print on it is some kind of puffy stuff.  The two together make this fabric like a sponge.  You can see the iron just FRIED the fabric.  I unplugged the iron and took it to a sink for later cleaning.  I have a spare iron, so I got it out.  Fortunately, I had enough of the fabric left to cut out another back.  I wasn't in the mood to finish the top though, so I put it aside.  Actually, I had to work on Lucy some more.

Jerry brought in his Krud Kutter today to clean around the crack in the shower floor, so I used it to clean all that yuk off my iron.  It took awhile, but it did come clean.

This is the exact same pattern as the polka dot top I posted a pic of a few days ago.  I made it again to see if I could make the neckline come out right.  It did come out right this time, but I wish it was lower.  This is a Silhouette pattern, #210.

 

That is supposed to be a SIDE pose.  Didn't get too sideways, did I?  Oh, well.  You get the idea.  Great pattern, and I would make it again.  What I like best is the different bust sizes included in the pattern.  I used the "D", and it worked perfectly.

NO FULL BUST ADJUSTMENT!

Thank you, Peggy!

After I finished my blouse, Jerry suggested we go to Lowe's.  GUESS WHY????  He wanted to look for something to fix the shower with.  Now, isn't that sweet?  Then we went to Hideaway Pizza for my very favorite Maghuerita Pizza and salad.  Jerry had Supreme.  It was a lovely date.  Now, he is outside spreading something on our lawn and spraying the weeds in the garden with Round-Up.  How do I EVER get mad at this man!?  It's the hormones!  He'll tell you the same thing.  He is a Pharmacist, you know.  I'll make it up to him later!

Better go.  Jerry will want to watch a movie.  I think I'll let him pick tonight.  It's the least I can do!

Hugs, Joy

The kisses are for Jerry!

Restaurants, Service and Banking

Dinner last night at Longhorn with Robert and Deanna was WONDERFUL!  I am really happy when I get a nice waiter.  There are so many terrible waiters these days that couldn't care less if you ever come back or not.  In fact, they probably wish you wouldn't come back and make them have to work so hard. 

Did you ever have a waiter that cannot multi-task?  I was at Olive Garden the other day.  I got this nice, handsome young waiter named Justin.  He is real good at the first part of his job where he comes up to your table -- introduces himself to you -- and then goes to get your drink.  He has that part down.  But the rest of his job is quite disconcerting to him.  He gets mixed up as to what tables are his and which table was first and how long you have been waiting for your food.  It was the lunch hour, and some people did have to get back to their jobs.  I had gotten this guy before, and when I noticed he was my waiter, I wanted to leave -- and I've done that before -- but I didn't this time.  All I ordered was ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT chicken soup and salad -- how hard can that be!?  I did request dressing ON THE SIDE, but that must have been too high tech for the guy because the salad was soaked with dressing. 

He asked if I wanted my salad first, to which I answered "Yes", but he neglected to tell me that IF I said "Yes" that I may never see the soup.  I waited and waited and waited, meanwhile eating several breadsticks that I usually don't eat. 

Then he showed up at the table next to me where people had just arrived.  When he got done with them, I waved him over and asked if I could please have my soup.  He came back some time later with a tray of food, BUT he went to the table next to me.  He was passing out drinks and salads to that table and I could see MY SOUP on the tray.  I wanted to walk over there and ask him if I could please take my soup off the tray.

He finally turned around and put my bowl in front of me.  I ate that and since it was "all you can eat", I wanted another bowl.  I didn't get to be 20 pounds overweight by eating just ONE tiny bowl of soup!  But, alas, I could have hatched my own chicken by the time I saw the guy again!

In fact, I did NOT see him again except at another table.  Other waiters would walk by now and then, so I decided to summon one of them to my table.  I asked if they could please check on the health of my waiter as I had not seen him for ages, and I was done eating and I needed to leave.  Some other person showed up with my bill and took my credit card.  I got my receipt back but NO chocolates.  You are supposed to get a chocolate mint at OG.  As I was leaving, a girl came up to me near the door and asked how my dinner was.  I told her I didn't get my chocolate.  She ran over to a counter and returned to me with an entire bowl of chocolates!  She tried to give me a handful.  I told her I only wanted ONE.  She should have taken the bowl to Justin.  Maybe a little caffeine would WAKE HIM UP and remind him he had customers.

And so you will know I'm not just one of those "impossible to please" customers, let me tell you about dinner at Longhorn last night.  Jerrod was our waiter and was very nice and clean and unadorned with pokey things in his face or tattoos all over his arms.  Our friends arrived there before we did, and they were already at a table.  Jerrod was there too, and he talked to us like he already knew us.  Deanna must have told him that I LOVE great service, or he was just great to start with.  He was easy to talk to, and he listened well.  He was very responsive to whatever we said.  I tried to be on my best behavior; and before the evening was through, I even invited him to come live with us!  That was AFTER I told him to please not cover his body with tattoos and to marry a Christian girl.  He said he certainly would.  Such a nice young man!  When I mentioned that my grandson -- his age -- was in the Army -- he reached over and shook my hand and said, "Thank him for his service."  Then Robert told him his grandson was in the Navy, and he shook Robert's hand and said it again.  Service, patriotism, honor and respect.  WOW!  It did my heart good to see they still exist in America all wrapped up in one very promising young man.  It was a fabulous, enjoyable meal!  Jerry would not let me leave a tip, because I tend to leave $20 bills when I get good service.  I've had waiters run after me in the parking lot to hug me!

Oh, speaking of good service, I HAVE to tell you about Red Lobster.  It was way back in the "olden days".  I was in my twenties and the girls were very young.  The four of us were at Red Lobster, and I ordered crab legs.  I had NEVER had crab legs before, but I heard how great they were.  When my crab legs were delivered, I struggled and struggled trying to get them open.  I finally was in tears with injuries on my fingers and my crab legs were all cold.  The waiter came over and saw my frustration.  Now, I am NOT making this up.  Jerry will verify it.  The very good-looking and charming dark-haired young man who was waiting on us came to our table.  He picked up my plate of crab legs and said, "These are cold.  I will go get you another order."  He came back in a moment with a plate of steamy hot crab legs.  He then proceeded to use the little cracker tool and cracked each leg open himself.  He then dipped the meat in the butter, and put the meat in my mouth!  I thought Jerry was going to gag.  I was in HEAVEN!  Now THAT is what I call SERVICE with a smile -- the smile being mine!

About an hour before we had to leave to go the Longhorn tonight, I got a call from an employee.  She told me that when another employee made the daily bank/post office run, that the bank REFUSED to take our deposit. 

The checks we were depositing were just like the checks we have been depositing for the past 20 years:  Checks from insurance companies.  Sometimes they are made out to our Corporation and sometmes they are made out to our DBA.  The bank has never questioned either payee name in all these years.  Some girl named Shontall who later informed me she was the boss of the tellers and the highest officer in the bank (I'm SO SURE!) explained that "we have tooken them before, but we can't anymore".  She called me by the wrong name and told me we couldn't use our Corporation name.  I asked to talk to her boss.  She told me her bosses were all in another State.  I asked to talk to someone I would set up a new account with if I walked in the front door of the bank.  She said I could talk to Daryn (a woman), but she was busy.  

I waited a few minutes, and I called the bank back.  I asked to talk to Daryn.  Daryn came to the phone.  I explained the problem and how absurd I thought it was.  She told me they would have to set up a new account with BOTH of our names on it.  I told her that I had just bought 5,000 checks, and if I had to set up a new account, it WOULD NOT BE with her bank.  Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. 

The bank must have been hit with a lightning bolt right that second, or something, because Daryn SUDDENLY became very, very helpful.  She was soooooooooooooooooooo sorry, and she was sure she could get a Manager involved.  I asked her if that would be Shontall since she informed me she was in charge of the whole bank.  She thought I was kidding. 

I called and talked to Daryn again this morning after faxing her three documents with both our names on it.  She told me she is pretty sure that she and the Manager will get it fixed and not to worry about it.  I'll let you know how this one turns out.

FedEx just arrived with Lucy's new outfit!!!!!!!!!  I am so excited.  I can finish padding her now and get back to sewing.  I received my fabric from Gorgeous Fabrics, and it IS gorgeous.  I'll take pics later.

Have a terrific Friday!

Hugs, Joy 

Dress Form Woes and I Want to Move

Thursday and steak dinner at Longhorn tonight with our very long time friends, Robert and Deanna.  IF they will let me, I will take their pictures for tomorrow's post. 

I have decided I want to move away from our lake house.  Let's hope this is a passing fancy!  My husband would let me move WITHOUT him, I suppose, but other than that, it won't happen.  I am just so much happier when I am up here at our other house where I have so many friends and nice neighbors AND stores just down the street.  My phone actually rings once in awhile, and it is not a recording or a salesperson!  I will just have to cast this care on the Lord.  Maybe the new neighbors moving in next door to us at our other house will be nice and friendly.  The economy has really changed the "landscape" down there (150 miles South of here), and many people have moved or just don't ever come to their lake houses.  You will see 5 or 6 houses in a row for sale, or houses for sale that have been on the market for years.  The one that just sold next to us must have been on the market for five years, at least.  I know the owners took a lot less than what they were asking.

For new readers:  We have two business locations, and have a home in each town.  Our homes are 150 miles away from each other.  The 2nd home is really Jerry's office.  We do have really nice employees down there, but I can't be "friends" with them.  It always causes issues.  Hard to be the boss and a friend.  Ask me how I learned that??? 

(Note:  I am not Phylly's direct boss.  I work at the other location,  AND we were friends before she was an employee.  With her, it works.)

Okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay....about Lucy (my Fabulous Fit dress form).  My third email to Fabulous Fit got a response.  Jill told me they had gotten 85 emails in a row, or something, because of a new system.  You know, the whole urgency of this dress form nightmare is the fact that I paid $1200 for it!  No small piece of change.  If it had been $200, then I would expect to have all these issues with it.  But for $1200, she ought to have a gold ring in her nose!

But WAIT!  She doesn't HAVE a nose!  Well, she SHOULD!

The latest development is that they have mailed me a new outfit for her with a zipper that works.  That is really nice, but it means I have to rip off all the padding I put on her yesteday.  Actually, it will FALL off when I take off her clothes.  Twenty years from now, I'm sure I will laugh at all of this -- right?

After all, I may need a story from my past to write about in the blog I'm writing when I am 80 years old.  By then, I'll probably weigh 120 pounds and have to have a smaller dress form.  My Mom is 80, and she is thin now.  Like anyone CARES you are thin when you are 80! 

I'm cutting out a new top out of Slinky today.  I'll post pics tomorrow.  Jerry will be here soon, and I am SO EXCITED to see him and even to see our two crazy cats, Barney and Bootsy.  My cats are trained to jump up ONLY on this one chair.  They don't get on anything else in the house.  They are only allowed inside the house when we are there, however.  If we left them alone, that red couch would be stuffingless!

It's a gorgeous day here in Oklahoma.  Hope your day is Purrfect!

Hugs, Joy

Fabulous Fit Dress Form Review Update

My goodness!  What a nasty ride this has been for me.  Extreme emotional highs and lows -- all the way down -- then all the way up -- then all the way down again.  Only this time, Fabulous Fit (FF) doesn't care.  To put it in a nutshell, here is my review of FF:

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being horrible and 10 being perfect, I give the product -- the dress form itself -- an 8.

I give FF customer service a 1.  The reason for that is they simply do NOT do what they tell you they will do.  In my experience, they promised me the moon so I would keep the dress form, but then they did the least they could do and just forgot about me. 

When I received my FIRST dress form -- Marsha -- I spent days padding her and getting her to my satisfaction.  Then FF called me and told me that Marsha looked like a MONSTER, and "how could I post those pictures?" and then told me that I could not sew and I could not measure.  I am not exaggerating at all.  I have an email I typed to my friend that day through a veil of tears.  They asked if I wanted to return it.  I said, "Yes!"

I got her all packed up and ready to return -- at MY expense -- and I got a call from Jill, the owner of FF.  She was super sweet and offered to pad a new dress form for me according to all my measurements.  She said they would do it exactly to my specifications, AND that they would INVOLVE me in every step so I could blog about it.  I was REVIVED and EXUBERANT. 

You can read the posts on that.  See titles with "Dress Form" in the heading.

Jill requested pages and pages of measurements which I put together that very day for her.  I took a video of myself wearing a muslin dress I shipped to her.  I sent my underwear to her AFTER taking embarrassing pictures of myself front, sides and back to also send to her.  I sent her a drawing of my shoulders.  I sent a pair of slacks I had just made.  I immediately went home from work and sewed a dress to send to her the same day.

So I sent all that off and I waited -- and I waited -- and I waited.  Nothing.  I started emailing.  All I got was "Don't Worry" from somebody named Akira.  Don't know who that is, and after asking several times who it was, still never got a reply.  Don't know yet who it is.  After two weeks and several emails, I finally got notice that they would get to it the 3rd week.  They would send pictures, and they would involve me.  NEVER HAPPENED.  I have FIVE emails saying they will send pictures.  I still don't have a single picture.  All I got was several "Don't Worry" emails from Akira.

Well, just this week, the new dress form arrived.  I had two friends here that day, and I made a video of us opening the box. 

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

We took out the new dress form -- who I am calling LUCY -- and held her up.  WOW!  She looked so fabulous.  High, perky boobs, totally flat belly, nice round butt cheeks and no sway back, no high hip and no round back!  I told my friends I WISH I looked like that!  There was one thing on this new dress form that was PERFECT, and that was the width of the shoulders.  That is it!  Everything else was wrong.  I will show you BEFORE and AFTER pictures of Lucy.  I just spent two hours trying to pad her to look like me, BUT when I zipped her zipper up it just kept on going.  There was NO STOP at the top of the zipper on her jump suit.  I couldn't believe it!  So now, I can't take her outfit off, or I will never get it zipped back up again.  This nightmare just doesn't want to end.

Here is what her bust measured BEFORE I added more stuffing -- 39 1/4".

I told Jill I was 41" and sent measurements for that.  That isn't just a LITTLE off!

Here is Lucy on the left as I received her.

Here is Lucy on the right after I padded her today, but BEFORE I could finish her because her zipper pull went flying off in the air.

 

This picture with me in it from yesterday shows Lucy as she came right out of the box.  She looks amazing, but she sure doesn't look like me.  I didn't have a flat stomach when I was a child, never mind now!

This is the front of Lucy NOW, after I padded her and moved her boobs down.  MAJOR bust issue here!  The dress form is a size 12 and her hard formed breasts are HIGH up.  So when I move the bust pads down to where they need to be for my shape, the hard boobs inside still stick out.  That is why the chest looks so retarded.  I can't remove the jumpsuit now because the zipper pull is off of it, and I would not be able to zip it back up.  I have emailed FF to see if I can buy another outfit, but no response.  The fluff isn't right below her belly, but again, I can't get her suit off to fix it.   

Here is the BACK of Lucy now with a very strange lump in her upper right thigh area.  I didn't put it there -- they did.  I have no idea how to remove it since I can't get her suit off.  Cry, cry, cry!

Here she is wearing the outfit I had on today while I was padding her.  It is very close!

Pardon all the strange spacing between the pics.  Blogger isn't working with me today for some reason!

I really believe that this dress form company needs to get a line of dress forms that are shaped like people over 60.  You can't use teenager dress forms and pad them to look like us.  Maybe I should start my own company!  I would say that if you have lumps and bumps and uneveness, that you will never be able to get this form exactly right.  FF will tell you that you can.  But you can't!  They sure didn't get Lucy right when they padded her, and they are totally nonresponsive to my email requests now.

I would say the Duck Tape version is the only way to get your exact body shape.  Back to Michelina!  Here in this picture, we have removed all of her stuffing because we decided to try Fabulous Fit.

Hugs, Joy

                                

                                                                                                   

New Silhouette Top and Flies in Food

I watched DWTS last night.  My favorite is Katherine Jenkins, the amazing singer.  If you haven't heard her sing, look up Time To Say Goodbye on Itunes and listen.  She was a guest singer on DWTS last season and she sang that song.  I think Jackie Evancho is even better, but she isn't on DWTS.

I said I would post a picture of my new Silhouette pattern blouse today, BUT it didn't turn out exactly right.  Not Silhouette's fault.  It's my really poor choice of fabric.  This was my "muslin", so it really didn't have to turn out -- but I love, love, love polka dots, so I wish it would have.  What I messed up was the neck binding.  I was in the middle of it when Lucy arrived yesterday, and we dropped what we were doing and ran to the front porch.  I may cut the binding off and start over on the neck.  Or it may join the City Dump with my other wadders.

You can't tell my mess-up much in this picture, but you can see I really did make another blouse.  I may try to transfer this style to my SFD blueprint.  I know Glenda is going to wonder why I didn't do that to start with.  It just takes longer, and Silhouette patterns are suppose to fit real well in the shoulders and arms, and it does do that!  I did not change them at all.

And there is Lucy.  I did about 25 sit-ups last night to try to get my stomach to look like that, but ALAS, it still looks the same.  They must not have any 65-year olds running around Fabulous Fit.  I thought about a tummy tuck, but I hate pain, and I would probably find something wrong with it -- like the HUGE scar it leaves! 

I sent Jill at FF a long email telling her how disappointed I am that they missed the mark so far in getting this to look like me.  No comment back from them.  I told her I was going to keep her, so I'm sure they are glad to hear the last of me.  They sure won't be the first company to feel that way!  I can be a real PITA when I get poor customer service.  My daughter will tell you that I am always getting free stuff.  It's a running joke in my family.  No mystery.  I just complain to management if I get lousy service, and management always "fixes it".  Most people don't want to make waves.  I AM a wave, lol!

My daughter told me that one time she and her family went to a BBQ place to eat.  She, of course, being my daughter, knows that I won't settle for bad food or bad service, and knows first hand what I do about it.  She was served her dinner, and there was a DEAD FLY lying on top of her meat.  She told her husband, "My Mom sure wouldn't put up with this.  I'm going to call the Manager!"  So she called the Manager, and the Manager came over to their table.  My daughter tells the Manager, "There is a DEAD FLY in my food!!!"  She expects the Manager to apologize profusely, take away the gross plate, and bring her back a free dinner and dessert and coupons for the next visit -- after all, that's what they do for me.  Nope.  Not how it ended.  The Manager says to her, "Well, we don't charge extra for the flies!", and he walks away.  She said she just ate off her husband's plate, and they left and never went back.

Now this is where she got it wrong:  I would have followed his butt right over to wherever he went, and I would have said, "May I please have the name and number of the District Supervisor?"  He would have spun around on his heels and saluted her!  I kid you not.  You want to know how I learned to do that?  Here is the story:

My girls were 8 or 9ish.  My neighbor and friend, Sherry, called and asked if we wanted to go to Ken's Pizza with her, her daughter, her friend -- let's call her Linda -- and Linda's two little boys.  Sherry was 9 months pregnant and about to give birth any minute.  Linda had a moving truck coming the next morning, and they were moving out of State.  So this was sort of a going-away dinner, I suppose, but only Mom's and kids were there.

So we all go into the Ken's Pizza, and we have to wait for them to find a long table to put us all at.  Sherry had a buy-one-get-one-free coupon and Linda had a buy-one-get-one-free-coupon, so that is why they chose the place.  So we order two large pizzas to get the two free pizzas.  I'm just going to pay my share because it wasn't my idea, and I don't have any coupons. 

We are the only ones in the place, but we wait and wait and wait and wait.  No pizza.  Finally, the pizza comes, but we have to ASK for plates.  They tell us they don't have any clean plates, and they will have to wash some.  Okay.  Go wash them!  They came back with a few, but not enough.  THEN we tell them we need some silverware.  They don't have any silverware -- why? -- because it is all dirty too!  We ask them to please wash some.  Then we get around to passing out the pizza, and the pizza is cold and it IS NOT the kind we ordered.  I am just "along for the ride", and I'm minding my own business, but agreeing with them that I'm not eating it either. 

Sherry -- knowing my reputation for getting things done -- says to me, "Joy!, YOU need to go get the Manager."   I said, "WHY do I have to go get him?"  She said she was too pregnant to go get him.  So I go find the Manager who appears to be 16 years old.  He is a cocky smart-aleck, and tells me there isn't anything he can do about it.  I go back to our table, and I tell Sherry and Linda that the Manager is a child, and he doesn't care, and he isn't going to do anything.  Sherry tells me to GO BACK and tell him we aren't going to PAY.  So, I go back to the cocky kid and tell him that we aren't going to pay if he doesn't bring us some clean plates and hot Pizza of the right kind.  He tells me he isn't going to do that, AND he tells me that IF we don't PAY, he is going to call the Police!!!  I go back to the table and tell Sherry and Linda that he is going to call the Police.  They tell me to GO BACK and tell him to GO AHEAD.

Do you remember me blogging about how I do everything people tell me to do.........  This is the same Sherry that had me go get those kids ............. but, I digress ..............

So I GO BACK to the cocky kid.  The place is deserted except for us -- no wonder -- and I tell the kid to just CALL the Police because we aren't going to pay.  I told him two of the pizzas were free anyway, and we had not even eaten one slice.  All the pizza was still there!  So he calls the police, and the policemen come.  I think there were two of them.

By this time, it is late, and the kids are tired and still hungry.  We are all standing up by the register talking to the police.  Sherry is doing all the talking.  She explains what happened and how we are NOT going to pay.  THEN the policemen tells Sherry that SOMEBODY is going to have to GO TO JAIL!  I kid you NOT!!!  Sherry looks at the policemen and guess what she tells them????  Can you guess?????

She tells them that she is nine months pregnant and expecting any minute and that her friend Linda and kids are moving the next day, so they will have to take ME to mail.  No joke!  The policemen look at me and tell me they will have to take ME to jail.  I am in SHOCK and wishing I had never met Sherry or Linda.  I finally find my voice and start talking to one of the policemen myself.  I ask him what I can do so I won't have to go to jail.  He walks behind the cash register and gets the cocky kid, and he tells him that he wants the DISTRICT SUPERVISOR'S name and number.  The policeman gives the name and number to me and explains that a Manager of any business HAS to give you that if you request it.

Sherry and Linda give me their part of the bill -- decide I am handling it -- and they disappear.  I have to pay the cocky kid for the Pizzas none of us ate.  I am NOT a happy camper.  I could have gone to JAIL, for heaven's sake, and how would I explain THAT to my husband!?  I had to go to work the next day!  I was the Land Manager of a small oil company, and  I would have to tell my boss who was the owner of the company that I was in JAIL!

So, the next day at work, I called the number the policman gave me.  The District Supervisor wasn't there, but I told the whole nightmare to whoever answered the phone.  They told me they would give him the message.  I figured I would never hear back from anyone but, at least, I wasn't in jail.

BEFORE THAT DAY WAS OVER, the District Supervisor HIMSELF drove to EACH ONE OF OUR HOUSES.  He apologized profusely.  He refunded all of our money.  He said he had immediately fired the cocky kid.  He begged us to come back one more time, and he gave us coupons for free pizzas for all three families.

So THAT is how I learned to stand up for myself when I get bad service or food.  I'm not one to just do that for no reason.  Sometimes, it is warranted, however.

Gotta go.  Hugs, Joy






 

Dress Form LUCY Arrived Today!!!

Well, what can I say.  How can you be elated and downhearted at the same time???  The new dress form who I am calling "Lucy" arrived today.  Phylly and Margaret were both here to help me open the giant box she came in.  AND I had a special surprise helper:  Margaret's grandson, Alex.  He was a natural in front of the camera, don't you think?  I made a video for you if you are interested in watching us open a box.  You can be the FIRST to see Lucy, just like we were.  Here is the link:

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

Why am I ELATED?  Because she is very nicely clothed in her little jumper, and she is attractive insofar as how SHE looks.  Her shoulders are right as to one higher and the width of them.  That is very nice!

Why am I DOWNHEARTED?  Because I DO NOT look like that!  I sent them a video, pictures in my underwear, 8 pages of measurements, and this is what they came up with?  Her apex's were two inches too high.  Her bottom is round and full -- mine is flat.  Her stomach is as flat as a board.  Mine is very round and full.  I measure 34 around the upper chest.  She measures 37.  I have one hip HIGHER than the other -- hers are both exactly the same.  My bust is 41.  Hers is 40.  Her waist is the same as mine, and her hips are the same as mine at one location. 

I bet the lady that called me never even touched this dress form.  One side of her chest is inside the inner garment.  One side of her chest is inside the outer garment and slides up and down.  I know that the boss would not have let this go out like this if she had CHECKED her measurements and viewed the dress on me and the dress on her. 

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I am back to where I started.  I will have to pad her myself.  Of course, I won't have to start from scratch, but it may seem like it by the time I get down to her tummy area because all of the upper pads will fall off getting to it.  I should have known better than to get all exhilarated over this when Jill called me and made those promises to me over the phone. 

AND, still not a single picture.  I have FIVE emails from Fabulous Fit promising me pictures.  I NEVER got them.

I guess they figure that if they leave me alone this time, and they don't call and insult me telling me I can't sew and I can't measure, that I will keep the dress form -- and I will.  Jerry will help me and she will be exactly like me eventually.

My final review of Fabulous Fit is this:  Very nice dress form, but very poor customer service.  You cannot believe what they tell you on the phone or in an email.  I find this very disappointing as I was so looking forward to raving about the customer service after all the promises made to me.  I won't lie about it though.  I will post a full review over at Patternreview.com, and you will see Lucy in future videos.

Other than that, Phylly and I had a BLAST today, and Margaret came over because we were all going to go to Johnnie's for lunch.  When Margaret arrived, she asked me when Lucy was coming.  I told her I had no idea.  She asked if I had tracked it.  I told her I didn't know how.  So she told me to go to Fedex.com, and the rest was simple.  LO AND BEHOLD, we found out she was coming TODAY.  So Phylly ordered me to fix lunch because as soon as we would leave, the Fedex truck would come.  Fortunately, I had Margaret's favorite dish:  broccoli salad!  (JK -- She hates it!)  We had ham sandwiches, chips and dip, salad and ice cream for dessert.  We decided that was better than Johnnie's anyway.

Phylly worked on her new red dress all day long, and I made the cutest polka dot top for myself.  Look for pictures of it tomorrow.  I have to put the neckband on, and I can't do it tonight because Dancing With The Stars is on.  I can't miss that.

I will be doing a review of my very first Silhouette top pattern.  I am very pleasantly surprised at the amazing fit right-out-of-the-box.  And Peggy Sagers says she isn't that smart.  Her patterns have B, C and D cup sizing.  VERY NICE feature!!!

Gotta go.  I'll be back tomorrow with pics of my darling new top.  I've got to go do a thousand sit-ups so maybe I can meet Lucy's stomach half way.   

HUGS, JOY 

Sunday And A Slumber Party Tonight!

My favorite preacher was gone again today.  He must have taken a two-week vacation.  I suppose even preachers have to have time off.  Someone was preaching on how to be a leader, and I did learn a few things.  One:  When you correct someone (in a good way), you are "teaching".  I wonder how I could get that truth infused into my daughters' brains!

Then he talked about Lawrence (?) of Arabia -- some book he wrote, I think -- and how he gathered up all the nomads, crooks and bums in the desert to be in his army.  He had to take them into a town one time where they all stayed in a hotel.  At some point, the hotel manager went to Lawrence and told him his "army" was tearing up his hotel.  Lawrence went to the rooms to see what was going on, and his people were tearing the faucets out of the walls.  They told Lawrence that they were going to take the faucets to the desert so they could have all the water they wanted.  Lawrence, of course, explained that you had to have a WATER SUPPLY in order for the water to come out of the faucet. 

And WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THAT, you are asking. 

The point is that if you aren't teaching the truth from the Bible, then you are a "faucet in a desert" because you don't have a "water supply".  Remember, he is talking about being a leader or Elder in a church.

So after church, I did my usual Sunday thing, I began cleaning house.  LET ME WARN YOU, when you get new glasses, you can see the tiniest speck of dust, and the house that looked clean yesterday, suddenly looks like a sand box!  So I am giving myself a break now while I drink a float of 7-Up (no caffeine) and strawberry ice cream -- YUMMO!  And I just got an email from Phylly saying she is coming to spend the night with me tonight because we have a sew day tomorrow.  Better make sure I have POPCORN, and, of course, some tasty water for me! 

ANDDDDDDDDD, speaking of caffeine, I really have noticed a big difference in ME now that I have been off of it for the last couple weeks.  I am sleeping like a baby, and I am dreaming again.  I dreamt last night that I cut off all my hair.  I know that is because Deanna emailed me that she gave herself a haircut for several days in a row, and her hair is now very short.  In my dream, I looked like this, and I was NOT happy about it!

Also, I didn't get out of bed until 9:00 this morning.  That is very bazaar for me.  I always wake up at 6 AM to either blow my nose, tinkle or both.  Then I can't go back to sleep, so I get up and drink my first cup of coffee.  Another benefit is my allergic reactions are much improved.  I bet I took only 2 Benadryl all last week.  I haven't had any at all yesterday or today.  I even walked through the perfume department of Dillard's yesterday.  I did hold my nose, but I didn't have a reaction of swollen throat, rivers of mucous and runny eyes. 

Jerry sent me an article yesterday about caffeine and all the malfunctions it causes in our bodies.  That includes chocolate.   The article said that it takes a month to get all the caffeine totally out of your body -- or was it six months.....  Whatever. 

I am drinking decaf teas, and they are just as good insofar as being hot and tasty -- maybe even better!  Here are the three I have right now.  I'll have to find some more so I will have options for my new caffeine-free style.  I will put some in my purse so I can just order hot water at a restaurant, and then I can have a hot drink. 

Hey!  A thought just came to me:  Margueritas and wine don't have any caffeine!  Hope Jerry doesn't read any articles saying those are bad for me too.  I guess they do have about a zillion calories.  And I drink a lot of water already, but from what I read about water, it is deadly!

Gotta find something to make so Phylly can do the fitting on me tomorrow while she is here.  She is going to start sewing her red linen Vogue dress together. 

Down side of "no caffeine" -- I would LOVE to take a nap.  Haven't had a nap since I was a child and our Mother MADE us take a nap so she could watch the Loretta Young show.  Too grown up for us.  Nowdays, you can't let kids watch cartoons, never mind other programs.  I'll jump on the trampoline a minute.  That should wake me up.

Hugs, Joy 

Saturday Surprises and New Glasses

The temperature is 80 degrees outside.  It has been so nice -- even almost too hot.  Not windy though, so great for meeting Phylly for breakfast, shopping for fabric, exchanging one pair of glasses, finding a fun new store, finally meeting the neighbor lady and her 1st grade daughter and a surprise visit and gift from Margaret.

Phylly and I met at 8:30 for breakfast at the not-so-great Beverly's restaurant.  I think we will go to Panera Bread next time.  Then off to the very wonderful Helen Enox Fabric store.  Wish I had thought to take a picture of it.  So much beautiful fabric from end to end.  You just have to touch and feel until your fingers go numb.  I actually went into the main office and asked the Manager if he had any shopping carts.  Sure enough.  He took me into a back room and told me to take whichever one I wanted.  Those bolts are HEAVY, and I needed wheels to get over to the buttons which cover an entire wall and part of another.  Here is what I came home with.  If Phylly will bring her beautiful new fabric over on Monday, I'll take a pic of it for you. 

 Slinky knit in the middle and fabric for two pair of pants to match it.  I was hoping the brown would match my "clown" jacket, but it doesn't.  I knoooooooooooooooow -- I should have taken a swatch with me!

And this black and white -- as always -- caught my eye.  It is kind of hefty, so I will probably make the clown jacket again with it. 

The red and black is slippery rayon, but isn't it pretty?  I will wear it with my yoga pants or black jeans.

Remember the turquoise crepe blouse I recently threw in the trash.  I bought some more of that fabric.  Margaret loved that one.

I gave Phylly a hug and hurried off to go to the Mall to replace the eyeglasses I bought yesterday.  One pair just didn't fit right, and I hated them.  The other pair was fine.  I'm still not sure I totally love the pair I exchanged for, but they will have to do.

Here are my two new pair of glasses.  I always get two, because one of them is SUPPOSEDLY free.  What a joke that is!

 

The one on the left is the replacement for the ones I didn't like.  An EXTRA $50, of course.  That place is something else.  Must be part of Obamacare!  I was terribly surprised and shocked to find out that the glasses-in-only-an-hour machine was still broken, but it was only half as broken as it was yesterday, so I had to wait only two hours this time.  You will recall this glasses place is at a mall, so I had to wander around and find SOMETHING to do again.  I actually got in my car and drove all the way to the other end of the mall to go to Penneys, but I could not find a parking place.  So I decided to drive to the middle of the mall and park.  What was I to do?  Here I was in the middle of the mall, and I don't ever shop in the middle of the mall. 

I saw the Orange Julius place, and I thought that sounded really good, but I figured it had a thousand calories in it, so I talked myself out of it.  PLUS, when I buy a big drink at the mall like that, I want to carry it around until I eat all the ice out of the cup, BUT when I go into a store to shop, I have to put it down.  Then I forget where I put it down, so I have to walk around and around looking for it.  Then I see it -- or I THINK I see it -- but all these thoughts go through my head.  WHAT IF someone poured arsenic down the straw when I wasn't looking -- or WHAT IF it isn't really my drink and somebody else had one just like it and they had AIDS -- or WHAT IF a fly came in the store and flew down the straw and is in the bottom of the cup now!!!!!  I kid you not here!  I then decide to pick the cup up and throw it away in case it really was mine, but I won't take another sip out it.

Since I didn't buy a drink, I decided to look at the stores, most of which had teeny boppers in them wearing clothes I couldn't get my big toe in, never mind my rear end!!!!  The music in those places is enough to rattle your brain, so I don't like that either.  Have I said I don't really LIKE malls?  I get distracted with the tattoos and body piercings on these "children", and I try to figure out what on earth causes them to do that to their youthful flesh.  I'm trying to get marks OFF my body, and I didn't put them there to start with! 

I did come across a little store called RUTH'S.  I cold see a lot of crosses in the window display and a beautiful little picture of Jesus' face.  I was THRILLED that this might actually be a Christian store that I would feel right at place in.  I walked in and the nicest little lady -- no tattoos -- no body piercings -- came up and OFFERED to help me.  There was a clue right there!  This is NOT an ordinary store.  I told her I loved the picture of Jesus in the window.  She said they had sold all of them but that one but she would be happy to go get it for me.  I told her I didn't want her to go to the trouble.  She said it WASN'T any trouble -- ANOTHER CLUE! -- so she squeezed her body between two racks and reached her arm as far as she could into the window and pulled out the picture for me.  How sweet.  I asked her to hold it for me while I wandered around just looking at lovely things with nice sayings and pretty pictures.  Lots of teens in this store, but nicely and decently dressed and no body marks or stabbing jewelry through tongues, lips and eyebrows.  Lovely, soft music in the background.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.  I felt right at home.  I found one other little plaque that was totally darling with my signature verse on it!  Had to have that, of course.  Here's pics of what I bought.  When I sit in my chair in the morning meditating and praying or reading my Bible, I can look right into these eyes.

I know..........we don't really know what He looks like .............. but I know this for sure, if He DOESN'T look like that ............. He looks even MORE beautiful!!!

And, look at this cute little plaque I found at Ruth's.  What a NICE store.  I might even park in the middle of the mall again someday just to go back and visit.

Then it was back to pick up my glasses -- back to my house -- and then a surprise visit from Margaret who brought me ANOTHER surprise.  Look at this cute little doohickey.  I'm not sure what I'm going to put on it, but it sure is cute!

And I forced Margaret to pose for a picture with me.  I tell her all the time how beautiful she is and how she looks like Grace Kelly.  She just guffaws and tells me I'm nuts.  You are SUPPOSED to say I'm "special"!

And there I am in my "clown" jacket.  I don't care -- I really like it -- and this one did not end up in the trash!

Margaret and I went to Panera Bread for dinner where we both left with a loaf of their YUMMY raisin bread.  I, of course, bought it for Phylly who is coming over on Monday.  I'm going to have to eat a little so I don't hurt Phylly's feelings.  You KNOW how sensitive she can be!

OH!  I met more neighbors today.  A lovely couple, our age, Mike and Adeline.  Margaret introduced me to them.  (Margaret used to live across the street from me here.  That is how we met.)  Maybe Adeline will be a new friend!

Off to read in my jammies.

Hugs, Joy