Church Work and Changes

 A few months ago (maybe longer), I noticed that there were no covers over the wires and cables on the platform at church. They've been making changes for the past year and a half or so (carpet, platform changes - front steps covered to extend the platform, paint, new chair covers/cushions, etc.) and the covers that used to be on the platform were moved to cover some wires/cables on the sanctuary floor. (They've also built a small platform in the front middle of the congregation/seating area for a video camera. Wires and cables stretch from that platform to the sound booth in the back of the sanctuary.) That left wires and cables uncovered on the platform and I started to worry about people tripping. 

 

It would be bad enough if our pastor, pastor's wife, singers, or other speakers tripped, but if a visiting minister tripped and got hurt we'd be the church where Brother so-and-so fell and broke his arm or nose or something. We'd never live it down in our fellowship. lol Not to mention it would be awful for the one who got hurt. Especially if it were an older minister. We've had a few visiting ministers since those wires were uncovered, but thankfully none of them have tripped.

So anyway, a few weeks or so ago, I ordered a wire/cable cover for the wires on the right side of the platform. It's a nice open area and I could use the whole six feet of the cover and not have to cut it. I only ordered the one to see if it would be exactly what was needed instead of ordering 2 or 3 only to find out it wouldn't work. (I ordered it in black to blend in with the black carpet so it wouldn't stand out to people in the congregation.) It worked great, so the next week I ordered another one for the left side. That side had three smaller areas that needed covering (between the drums and wall, and drums/multi-mic holder/speaker and a raised area on the platform), so I cut the wire cover a couple times to cover the three areas/groups of wires. Again, it worked great and looks safer and less messy.

I'm wondering what Pastor and the singers thought if/when they noticed the covers. I didn't tell anyone at church I was doing it, so they don't know who did it. lol But they should be safe now and that makes me feel better.

Kelly and I vacuum the sanctuary every Saturday (though last week I did it on Friday) and I straighten the rows, reconnect chairs, move things around if they're out of place or just aren't working, set thermostats throughout the building, etc. So I feel a responsibility for the upkeep and safety for anyone who will be there.

There are more wires that need covering on the sanctuary floor (the two covers they moved from the platform don't cover all of it), but I can't find the right kind of cover for them. There are more wires (probably around 6) all grouped together and I can't find a cover wide enough or deep enough. I don't know where they got the two that are already there. I worry about someone tripping and getting hurt and possibly suing our church. Both the injury and the suing would be awful. I searched online for awhile recently, but couldn't find the right size cover. *sigh*

 

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I mentioned that Kelly and I vacuumed on Friday last week. That's because I've been wanting to take care of some other cleaning at the church and didn't want to do it on the same day that I vacuum. It takes 2-3 hours to do the sanctuary. Other cleaning on top of that would just be too much in one day.

Kelly and I went to the church on Saturday to clean doors and walls. I was also going to clean the stall doors, stall walls, and cabinets in the bathrooms, but the people who clean the bathrooms were there and I didn't want to make them feel bad if they saw me cleaning what they don't clean. I think they would probably feel like I would be saying that they don't do a good enough job. They actually do fine with what they do clean (toilets, floors, counters, sinks, mirrors), but for some reason they don't clean the stall walls, stall doors, cabinets, or bathroom doors. 

 

I did get the women's bathroom door cleaned before they showed up, but then I had to move to the other doors in the building and any bad spots (kids' shoe prints, anything not a scuff mark) on the walls that looked like they could be cleaned. They really just need to repaint. Again. People, especially children, are rough on things.

 

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The newest project at church is tearing up the tile in the foyer and putting in hardwood floors and putting in glass double doors in the foyer where there's currently a wall and adding a patio outside those doors. The main doors into the church are glass double doors. When you walk in, to the left several feet away is a wall (with a cafe stand) and that's where the new doors and patio will be. They haven't actually done much yet, but maybe soon.

One of our pastor's brothers (he has two) moved here from California last year. (Pastor and his brothers were born and raised in CA by their Italian immigrant parents.) He's an older man - probably late 50s. He's doing a lot of the work. He's actually been quite busy at the church for the past few months. We all love him and love that he's found a home and family here. I thought it was cute when he got a motorcycle (which he rides to church - sometimes in a suit! lol) and Pastor posted about it on Facebook, congratulating him. 

 

It makes me smile to see him walking into the church in his suit, carrying his helmet. And I love seeing him on the front row worshipping and people at church (including Sean) talking and laughing with him. I haven't spoken to him myself yet, but speaking to people I don't really know is difficult for me.

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Recent purchases:

Banana Republic skirt. Ordered from someone on PoshMark. Originally about $85. I paid less than $30 after shipping and tax.

Boden skirt. Ordered from someone on PoshMark. Originally about $99. I paid less than $50 after shipping and tax. More than I actually wanted to spend, but I had a hard time finding it in the right size. After months of searching, I finally found it. I used to have it in a different size, but it was too big.

 

Liz Claiborne skirt. Another skirt I used to have (several years ago), but was too big. I ordered it from someone on PoshMark. Originally about $50. I paid less than $30 after shipping and tax.

 

T Tahari dress. Ordered from someone on PoshMark. Originally $128. I paid less than $51 after tax and shipping.

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~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~

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Dead Mango, No Babies, New Dresses

 March 2nd or 3rd: Our orange clown fish Mango died. Early on the 3rd, Charlie had gotten up for work and said he didn't see Mango. I looked on the floor on the back right side of the aquarium and there he was - dead, dry, kind of crispy. *sigh* I flushed him down the toilet. I can't believe we lost Mango. He (or she) was so pretty, but also picked on our black and white clown fish Gerard a lot.

In other fish news, our orange clown fish Poppy and our white clown fish Friga have laid eggs about 5 or 6 times now (well, I guess one of them has laid eggs and the other one isn't doing his job?) and then eaten them after a few days. Charlie had read that they will do that if the eggs aren't fertilized.

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March 11-13: Kelly was very sick with nausea and nearly vomited a few times. She spent a lot of time in bed. People keep saying it's going around. I had nausea and vomiting starting on February 25th.

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Sean and Ashley left late yesterday afternoon for their anniversary trip to Southport. (Their anniversary is the 21st - married 2 years.) They're coming home on Tuesday. I hope they have a great time and pray God keeps them safe. Mama worries.

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Lately I've been loving the song Same God. I listen to this video over and over.

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I've made several dress purchases in the past month.

I ordered this dress from someone on eBay. (New, never worn.) Brand: Jessica Howard. I paid less than $51 after shipping and tax. I think it was originally around $80.

I ordered this from J.C. Penney. Jessica Howard. I paid about $56 and change after shipping and tax. Originally around $70 or $80, I think.

I've had this dress in black for several years. I saw it in navy on Poshmark a year or so ago and recently decided to order it. (Partly because I think it's pretty and know how it will fit and partly because another navy dress I saw was gone before I could order it.) I paid less than $35 after shipping and tax. Brand: New York & Company. Originally around $100, I think.

I ordered this from someone on Poshmark. Brand: Tahari. I paid less than $31 after shipping and tax. I wore it to church a couple weeks ago with a cream shrug and nude sandals/heels. The dress was originally over $100. Maybe $145? I've had a thing for big florals lately.

I remember seeing this dress at Dillard's several years ago. I thought it was beautiful, but maybe it was more than I wanted to pay then? I bought it from someone on Poshmark. Brand: Antonio Melani. I paid less than $35 after shipping and tax. It's a little shorter than I prefer by about an inch, so I've ordered what's called an "extender" (basically a slip with pretty lace at the bottom that should give me about another inch of coverage; the lacy part will show below the dress) from Amazon. I also ordered a white shrug from ThredUp ($15.99) that buttons at the top to help cover my chest. I will also wear a camisole for modesty.

I ordered this from someone on Poshmark. She was originally selling it for $29, but she dropped the price to $15 and I couldn't pass it up. Brand: Lauren Ralph Lauren. I paid $24 and change after shipping and tax. I wore it to church last Sunday with a pink shrug and nude sandals/heels. The dress was originally around $100 or more.

I'm planning on wearing either the green dress or the first pink dress for Easter.

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~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~

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Birthday Dinners, Stomach Bug, and Milo

In my last entry, I forgot to write about what Kelly and I had for our birthday dinners. I wanted Salvino (a restaurant that serves delicious Italian food), but they're closed Sundays-Tuesdays. We had to wait until Wednesday night, two days after my birthday. No big deal though. I didn't mind. I got the chicken piccata, as I always do, and it was delicious! I don't remember what Charlie and Kelly had.

For Kelly's birthday, she wanted me to cook Greek chicken and orzo, which I did. I also served a vegetable with it, but I don't remember which vegetable.

Charlie's birthday was February 21st. He's 53 now. When I asked him if he wanted to go out or have me cook something for him, he said he wanted my goulash. So I made that and a yellow cake with chocolate frosting.

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This past Friday afternoon (February 25th), some time between 2:30 and 2:45, I suddenly got sick with a stomach bug. I'm not sure what caused it. I had made chicken fried rice the night before, but I know it wasn't that since only I got sick. I had had two blueberry bagels early Friday morning and a few vitamins. So either there was something wrong with the bagels or I had picked up the bug the day before, either when I went to the vet or the pet pharmacy (two different locations) to get Milo's medications. 

 

The last time I vomited was early 1999. After the first time I threw up I said to Kelly, "Well, I had a good run." lol Thankfully I only threw up twice (the second time was around 5:00 that Friday evening), but I felt pretty awful until Saturday night. My appetite didn't come back until Sunday night. It was a struggle to get just 5 or 6 crackers down on Friday because I just didn't want anything. Saturday I managed to eat a few pieces of plain bread. Sunday, I ate a few pieces of plain toast. When I finally felt hungry, I had 3 scrambled eggs and two Eggo blueberry waffles.

I'm still having to be a little careful though. It seems like my stomach is a little sensitive and the wrong thing can make it feel sick. :-/ I'll be glad when it's completely back to normal.

I told Charlie and Kelly, out of all the typical sickness symptoms (fever, headache, body aches, chills, congestion, etc.), I'll take anything over vomiting. It is the worst! lol

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Milo got another pain shot yesterday. He's always so excited to leave the house, but then is very nervous on the way to the vet. He's calm on the way home. When we get back home, he follows me around the house for some reason. lol He gets his next shot on April 1st.

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~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~

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