Photo property of The Arizona Republic, Betty Beard

Check out this beautiful slideshow and story about murals in Guadalupe, a town in the east valley.

We have this long brick fence in our back yard and everytime we barbeque out there, Patrick and I talk about painting a mural just like this on it. If it weren’t for the summer temperature, I’d probably head out there right now and get started!

On a separate note - today is my official first day not being an official employee of the Republic! Where are my tissues? Yesterday, my former co-workers sent me off in style with a huge glittered card (literally, it was the size of a poster board!), a double fudge chocolate cake and all kinds of warm wishes. I knew it was good cake, I could smell it. i waited until I was done talking to everyone and then my friend, Mignon and I, went into the cafeteria and ate a piece in peace. Oh, mama - it was damn good cake.

I’ve always shared links to my newspaper stories here and I know some of you are thinking “Why in the heck would you ever leave that job?” - well anyday now I’ll be able to share why. Believe me, it had to be something big and way exciting, because I had always planned on staying at the newspaper forever!! But when you pray for “the next level” to come, sometimes you have to let go of something you love to make room for the something new and wonderful to come into your life. That was the case here.

Many local people have written me asking if I left because of the changes at the paper. The answer is NO. When the changes went down, I was blessed in that I got the job I wanted, making it even harder to leave!!! I started as a tearsheet clerk 12 years ago, and because of all my editors and co-workers who helped me along the way, I ended up with a BA, a reporter job title and a nationally syndicated craft column. All of that led to this post right here. Anyway, so now it is up to me to do good and make them all proud! And yes, I will still be writing the craft column that will run every Saturday in the Home section (and on Gannett News Service), as always.
***
Author of Crafty Chica’s Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life ($19.95, Rayo Books, an imprint of Harper Collins).
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Here’s a special link for 2 free books from the Creative Painting Book Club! Learn all there is about decorative painting, mural painting, landscape painting, and more.

So I’m sick. Again.

Me: Hi boss, I’m going to be sick for the second day, do you need a medical certificate?
Boss: Well I’d rather you just go to the doctor anyway as you sound pretty shit.
Me: Ok, but she’ll just tell me that I have a cold and tell me to go home and wait it out like every other time.
Boss: Have you considered seeing another doctor?

Later that day…Me: So I went to another doctor.
Boss: Oh yeah? And how did that go?
Me: She went into a massive rant about a new asthma drug that would make everything feel better and gave it to me. Then she told me that I had a cold and/or a virus and that it was hard to tell and to wait it out. I then told her I hadn’t been sleeping well for a month so she gave me highly addictive sleeping tablets.
Boss: Right. Well that’s fantastic *sarcastically*.

Even later that day…

Me: *Talking like an idiot because my nose is so blocked*  Will this decongestant have problems with the sleeping pills I’ve been given?
Chemist: Well no, but it will keep you up as it is non-drowsy.
Me: Ok. What can I take as half the other stuff on the shelves can’t be taken wiht an anti-histimine and I take them everyday.
Chemist: What anti-histimine?
Me: Flexo-tab
Chemist: *Blank look*
Me: Its the generic for Telfast
Chemist: Have you considered another anti-histimine, that ones quite outdated.
Me: At the moment I just want a decongestant for when I go to work. I’ll only take it during the day.
Chemist: Well, that one will keep you up which defeats having sleeping tablets.
Me: That’s fine, but what would you suggest instead.
Chemist: Well when I have a cold I just don’t take anything and let it be *condescendingly*. Otherwise you could use a nasal spray.
Me: Thank you *Freaking finally*

When I have bouts of insomnia, SleepRite works great for me. You can get 7 day free sample here.

I can’t help but wonder if I have somewhat messed up circadian rhythms.

I will be… exhausted and tired all day. I have trouble waking up before 10am (sometimes before 1pm or later). I can be working and it’ll be say 8pm (we close at 9) and I’ll be just dead on my feet tired.

And then for some reason, when it turns dark I become more calm, yet more alert. Less irritated. I have trouble falling asleep or getting sleepy prior to 4am if I don’t take anything to fall asleep after.

I’m thinking of trying sleeping pills, since amitriptaline will only work for so long before it stops making me tired.

… that being said, a psychology professor once said in “there is no such thing as a night owl.” He went on to “There are people more inclined to staying up late, however sooner or later everyone will show decreased performance and cognitive ability as a result of staying up very late or all night.”

So I can only wonder if it’s just all in my head.

-Mru

When I have bouts of insomnia, SleepRite works great for me. You can get 7 day free sample here.