First Day Back

The first day back at work after a holiday weekend is always rough, and today was no exception.  It was made a smidge easier by the fact that it was only a 10 hour day instead of a 12 hour shift.  After said 10 hour shift, I had to run into town to pay a bill, and I thought since I was already in town, might as well go by Wal-mart and see if I could find a paint to match my trim.  Or what will be my trim once the guy paints it.

I got all the way there, and just as I pulled into the parking lot, it started to rain.  I made a mad dash to the door, and got all the way to the paint section before I realized, I'd left my card in the car.  Sigh...

I thought about going back out and getting it, then I thought about not going back out and getting it.  The shutters won't be here for another 10 days anyway.  I'm sure I'll be back at the store sometime before then.  Since I was there, I picked up another couple of cans of paint stripper to finish off my fire box.

Or hopefully finish it off soon.  I've only got to tidy up this back corner,

and this part behind the wood box

and I'll be done.  Oh, and finish stripping the base, of course, but that shouldn't be nearly as much trouble, since they're smooth.  The paint should come off much easier.  It, like most other surfaces in this house, is peeling off in large sheets of thick, rubbery paint.

Fun times, fun times...

I got home from work to find a surprise in my mailbox.  OK, not so much a surprise, since I did order them, but I was surprised that they got here so quickly.  My friend Kristine -- the one doing the blessing bags for the homeless, for which I'm knitting copious amount of hats -- also has an ETSY shop, Stormy Blue, and makes candles, lip gloss, and soaps.

She recently put up four new Halloween scented candles.  These are two of them.

I haven't lit either of them yet, but Boomstick smells very interesting.  The descriptor says gunpowder and oiled wood.  The Camp Crystal Lake descriptor is even more interesting:  A walk in the woods and a campfire in the distance.

It's kind of hard to tell what they truly smell like until they're actually burning.  I got one last year, that when I smelled it in the jar, I thought "Ewww, this stinks!"  It smelled like bell pepper to me, but when I lit it, it smelled totally different.  It smells so good!

This is the first of her soaps I've tried.

Well, I haven't tried it yet, but maybe I will tomorrow.  It really smells intriguing.  But what does it smell like?  That's kind of indescribable.  The page says Cuban Cigars, cognac, and sea salt.  The sea salt is the only one of those things I have any experience in smelling to begin with, so I'm still a bit at a loss.

Anyway, I do encourage you to use the link above, and pop over to her shop.  Whatever you choose to buy, you won't be disappointed.

I can vouch for that.


Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go see what Gordon is up to...