Always Smile...

Well so much for writing on the end of every shift. As you can tell, life does get in the way. With everything I have going on, I don't know how professional bloggers do this for a living! Although I have to admit that I have thought about doing that but then I take a step back and realize that my ADD keeps me going in all different directions.



I read a quote once that said if you wanted to try and understand a women's mind, imagine having millions of tabs open in your internet. It was something like that, but it holds true. Even sitting here writing, I'm thinking about what I need to do and taking mental notes of a grocery list and when I want to go get the stuff.



So with that, I am going to get up and go do something.

2014 and what....

I know there are like literally less then probably two people who read my blog, but it makes it feel good knowing that I am trying to make some kind of difference in my world. By publishing it in a blog makes me feel accountable to hold myself to whatever it is!

2014...I would like to say started off with a "BANG" but it was just another day. I do what I usually do and refuse to make a resolution. I refuse because I don't want to make a promise to myself and not see it through. So instead of a resolution, I thought of other ways to (I guess) change. I want to be more organized. I am slightly already but could be more. I want to eat healthier, I already make good choices but I want to make more. I want to do stuff for me, I do but I want to do more. ... Are you sensing my theme here. I want to DO MORE for MYSELF!!!!

I am going to try and write a blog, for starters, at least once a week. I want to write it on Day 6 of my work week. In other words, my day 6 will be my Friday which will not always be the standard Friday. I'm hoping it will consist of how my week went, how I changed (if at all), and what I expect in the next days. A lot of things will be going on and I hope to get it out there.

That being said, I know today is Thursday for everyone else in the regular corporate America, however today is my Tuesday!!! So my next entry will be either the 13th or the next day, since I work evenings this shift, I most likely will just vegetate in front of the tv when I get home until about 2-3 am! But I may surprise you.

I never know how to end a blog post and ending like a letter (Sincerely) just seems weird to me! So I just thought of an idea. On my desk I have a book entitled "The New York Public Library Desk Reference." This edition has a Copyright date of 1989. So I'm sure there are other updates out there, but for my purposes I will be using this edition. Don't like...don't read it! Everyone could use some knowledge in their life, even if you already know it, a refresher never hurt!

The Day
The mean solar day is the average length of a day as determined by noting one passage of the sun across the meridian of an observer and calculating the time that it takes for the sun to cross the same point in the sky a second time. Because the sun's time in making such a circuit varies seasonally, the uniform length of out day is based on a fictional average rather than on what is actually seen on any given day (called apparent solar day). The mean solar day is the basis of out 24-hour calendar day. It is actually 24 hours, 3 minutes, 56.66 seconds long in sidereal time.
The mean sidereal day is determined by a procedure similar to that of fixing the solar day; however, this procedure uses a star's passages across a reference point on the celestial sphere (that point now being the vernal equinox) instead of the sun's passage. That means that the solar day appears to be about 4 minutes longer than the sidereal day because Earth in its solar orbit has to move a little farther to get back to the point at which the sun crosses the mans meridian.

Practice makes perfect...

I thought I would start just playing around with the sewing machine and see what I could get into. Well tonight proved to be somewhat of a challenge. (See pictures as we go). I found a picture on Pinterest, but forgot to save it for later, so I was pretty much making up my own measurements and just going with it. Well as you are about to see, that idea had about as much wattage as a burning out light bulb.

First, I sewed the piece on inside out...

Then my bobbin was working against me....

 The stitching became loose....

 So as a test drive on the re-thread, this is what the underside looked like....

Needless to say, with it being 2043hrs (8:43pm), I've decided to take a deep breath and ask my sister if she knew why it was doing it...Well, that didn't really get no where as I said not to worry about it. I remembered I adjusted the stitch length. After taking a closer look at what the h - e double hockey sticks I was doing, I noticed somehow the whole thing was off. I re-threaded the machine once again and low and behold....

I finished my first sewing project. Granted it took me like forever, but I did it. I know it's not perfect, but it's mine and I'm proud of it!

I'm glad I didn't walk away and leave this go. I messed around with the machine and was able to accomplish it. Just remember you can do anything you can set your mind too!!!

Sewing 101

I've always been fascinated with creations people make by hand. I've always wanted to learn to sew, since how my older sister was enrolled in a sewing class, I wanted to sew also. I never touched a sewing machine until I was in my 7th grade Home Economics class. I made a drawstring bag and some food. I haven't touched a sewing machine since....well over 15 years. I have taken over my mom's old Singer Touch & Sew Deluxe Zig - Zag Model 636...

For the most part, I think it works the way it is supposed to. I had some difficulties this morning as I was trying to test the stitches...I forgot to put the 'foot' down and ended up having to redo the bobbin! Of course, my mom didn't have the instruction book and trying to figure it out while she gave me directions over the phone was not the best plan. My sister who lives with me, is supposed to know how to do this but I chose to figure it out for myself. So I went to Singer's website and was able to print out the entire owner's manual for this model sewing machine! Whoop Whoop!!! Within a matter of minutes I had the bobbin in working order, I also figured out how to re-thread the whole thread to needle procedure.

I must say I do feel quite accomplished today! I didn't get to start any projects yet but I can see me starting something this week. For anyone following or reading,  you are in for a real treat as I will share my ups and downs in this sewing adventure! If you are also a novice at sewing, please feel free to share how your 'first time' went down! For the more advanced sewing readers....I'll take all the suggestions you have.

Now I did take it upon myself to register for a beginners basic sewing class, luckily I am going with my cousin, who also has no idea how to sew using a machine. Between the two of us, I'm pretty sure we will be able to figure it out and be a positive supporter for each other!

Tone It Up Novice

I have made a decision that now is the time for me start taking care of myself! I have gone through spurts that take me through extensive exercises gym visits then I end up skipping a day or two and stop all together. The girls @TIU make it easy since I'm starving myself. I still get to eat food (which I love). This is a program that makes me accountable by having to check in and track my meals and exercises. The best part is, like I said, you are still eating and not cutting out foods. You can have anything just in moderation. Which many people seem to forget.

So lets get this ball rolling and get to the new me!!