A funny thing happened at lunch yesterday...I like ketchup. I had ketchup on a napkin for my fries. When done, I folded the messy napkin. Some ketchup ooozed out onto my fingers. Just like a little kid, I thought it was cool and squeezed a little harder. SPLAT!!! Ketchup splattered all over my face, my shirt and my jacket!!!!! I'm a DORK!

Carpet is expensive. I know this now, more than ever. I've also learned that dog pee, once it soaks through to the pad never goes away. It can't be cleaned up. It's nasty. It makes the carpet smell bad. The carpet makes the house smell bad. Cleaning it makes it worse. A professional cleaning makes it REALLY worse. Bad enough that I ripped the carpet out of my living room. If you've ever heard stories about pet pee getting under the carpet pad and never drying let me tell you...IT IS TRUE! It soaks through to the floorboards too. Leaves nasty, smelly, musty, disgusting, spot. Have to let it dry. Kilz will cover these spots. Now I have a living room with carpet cut out of the middle, a perimiter of carpet around 2/3 of the room, a carpet island at my computer desk AND a big area in front of the TV that's painted white with Kilz. It ain't pretty, people. Someone said I had a choice to not purchase new carpet (said because I was stressing a bit that day). I suppose I could live without carpet in my living room. But the house would never sell that way. If I want to have even the slightest chance of selling it I have to replace the carpet. But hey...new living room carpet makes it worth a little more than it was before! Carpet is ordered and now I just wait...

Did I say I'm stressed? Understatement. I have to go to CA next week for a conference. I'm broke and borrowed $ from one of my retirement funds to get the carpet. I have to take a computer with me to CA which means hassles at the airport. This meant purchasing a new keyboard to fix the computer I'm willing to drag to CA. Why do I have to take a computer? I have a grant due the 24th of this month! My mom got bad grades on her stress test and has to take more tests. Carpet issues. Money issues. Work issues...AGH!!!!

On a brighter note...my ex father-in-law is like a second dad to me. He brought a lawnmower that my mom had set aside for me but that I had no way to get here. He drove all the way here (2.5 hrs) just to bring the mower to me. Wasn't that nice of him?

I'll be blogging from CA each day so watch for updates!

HAPPY EASTER!!!!!