St. Louis Photographer » A Journal by Holly McCaig

Andrea is like my go-to gal. Always willing to come let me take her photo for whatever I need. THANKS A! Anyway, she came over Friday for me to do a couple of quick shots of her for the Valentine’s Day special. The advertisement shown has all the details!

Christmas will be here soon. Yes, Christmas. Geez.

This year, we’re on a mission to keep this house organized, and not so rushed. I am opting to use the Houseworks Holiday organization method, found here. Next week, the 31st, is the first week where you plan and prep your forms and put your binder together. I have printed those out now in attempt to be ahead. If you want to follow along, definitely check it out!

I found it when I was using the normal household forms on their other website – which are now printed and ready to follow for this coming month!

Wanted to post really quick while I was moving on to the next item on my list…

First off, Jake (my brother) started Mizzou today with a special paramedic program they have. It’s not officially Mizzou, but they sponsor it. So, he goes out there now every Tuesday for the whole day. At Meramec he would have not been able to start his paramedic classes until next year. Making it such a long, drawn out process. With this program, he’ll be certified in one year. Hoping he can get it complete before they call his number for the St. Louis City Fire Academy. I hate the thought of him having to drive two hours back and fourth every Tuesday, but he is ready to move on in this career.

And, he is currently unemployed, but continues to focus his efforts on his contract screenprinting, embroidery and promotional products business. He was doing that while employed at a local company in addition to managing the printing production there, but that company is…let’s say in a lot of legal trouble, got sold, and they owe employees LOTS of money. Very shady stuff going on – state is investigating. Jake quit over it all just before it was sold. Tried another screenprinting company that he decided that employees smoking weed on their breaks was not something he wanted to be a manager of. Yes, how can you manage employees that are high all the time, running equipment?

My point is, he’s trying to make a go of things by doing contract work. It’s called, Flash Point Printing. If you need screenprinting work, embroidery, or promotional/marketing products done, please feel free to contact him. They have a graphic artist so artwork is not a problem if you need it. Their website isn’t all complete, but I highly recommend him! Click here to visit Flash Point Printing and find his contact information.

And, this won’t be my “official” list, but it’s what I HAVE to do TODAY!

UPDATED at 2:45: I have a LOT done! WOOHOO! Will do the emails now and then save the futon and lighting stuff for tonight when I can get help from my mom. We’ll fill out all the planner pages too. Feeling accomplished and if I have time will start on the PP stuff!

• Call my uncle to get weight and dimensions of ebay item – prepare shipping label and wrap that up. (selling on ebay is a LOT tougher than it used to be…more hoops to jump through and have to wait 21 days for your money to be released after you sell it. Crazy!
  
• Finish collab kit with (can’t tell just yet) Have completed all my pieces I think…sent those off to partner and we just have to put together a preview and post it for sale at Inspiration Lane.
• Print out the to-do house list (room-by-room projects that MUST get done – many before Friday) Opted to get the first week of Holiday Planning items printed too. Need to put these in binders and fill out tonight.
  
• Answer priority emails
• Finish July accounting reports for accountant. Why did I let two months get behind? And, soon will have to do Augusts! Need to dig out my paperwork for taxes this quarter too. Time for some lunch now.
• Take apart futon so we can haul it to Goodwill (no, we didn’t put it in the sale or on Craig’s list after all) Done Wednesday….better late than never!
  
• Figure out WHERE to put my lighting equipment that’s piled in the family room so we can move other furniture in there.
• Keep cranking on PP designs – I have to get a further ahead schedule somehow

Yes, those are the things I HAVE to do today. No question – PLUS, I have to watch Hillary tonight on the DNC. JUST HAVE TO! I’m really fired up after last night’s convention! Totally inspiring and exciting.

Tomorrow, I will have to finish those things I didn’t today and get to editing the rest of Larry’s photos. I need to go pick up the bathroom paint and prep the walls in there. And clean. We’re supposed to go out of town this weekend, and yet, my grandmother is coming here to visit with Jake, but stay in our house. Meaning – the house still needs cleaning even though we won’t be here.

Can you say life is completely out of control????

Where’s my morning coffee and Sudafed?

I did it. I crated her last night. She wasn’t sure what was happening and did fight me. It’s worse because, here Jack is wanting to pop in there too. He seems to enjoy the crate. He loves it. I put her food in there and he went right in and ate it. I gave her a treat when inside after I closed the door.

So, as she sat there – yet, “SAT UP” in the crate for what seemed like forever while I read last night, Jack lay on the floor staring at her…wondering why? He finally got up on the edge of my bed and stared at her there too.

I didn’t sleep well because I wanted to keep checking on her to see how she was doing, so I’d look over and sometimes she was up staring and watching and other times she was laying down (I *think* asleep).

Got up this morning and let her out – she was all excited, butt wagging, little nub tail pointed out. Took right outside and she pooped and peed. Came back in and I wasn’t ready to really be up, so I crawled in my bed and read a few more chapters of New Moon (yes, I finished Twilight – rock on). And, then she curled up next to me and slept. Probably not the smartest thing to let her do, but figured we’re working on it.

INSERT PISSED OFF FACE HERE.

See, every time I put up a Blip Video – it wipes out half my post and “unpublishes” it. Thinking NO MORE BLIP! I can’t even remember everything I wrote prior to this. GRRRR>