Vent: my desk is covered in paper

AAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! We're nearing the end of the fiscal year, or so I'm told, so everything is in SUPER CRAZY mode right now. My desk is covered in more projects, tasks, paperwork and junk than it ever has been before. I like to keep an organized desk with a small pile of papers neatly stacked awaiting my attention, but ya'll, my desk is completely covered. I can only see little bits of woodgrain desk between the mass of paper. I can, however, find the phone and my stapler, thank goodness. Both has been in demand this morning. I've got a massive mailing that will begin next week (with temporary help I hope), graduation prep and tons of little things that need to be wrapped up for the fiscal year (which technically isn't until June 30th, but we get 'cut off' by the end of April)!




On another note - it's feeling like spring! We've got about 1/2 dozen tulips blooming around the mailbox with another 3-4 dozen gearing up! I love spring flowers. The two things about spring that I just don't love are pollen and daylight savings time. Both are upon us. My pretty blue car is looking green from the yellow pollen and we're losing an hour of sleep (and morning daylight) on Sunday, boo! Here is more information than you ever needed to know about Daylight Saving Time.

Total Eclipse Of Sun Working Way Across World

WRAL: World Watches First Total Solar Eclipse In Years



Since we can't see it here watch video from Turkey

Official UNC Asheville License Plate

Wow! I just happened to check out UNCA'a Alumni site and saw this! Very cool, but I'm not 100% sold on it... especially since 300 people have to apply AND pay before they will be made. Very cool none-the-less.

Any other UNCA alums interested? (I know there are a few Bulldogs lurking out there) Check it out for yourself, I'm sure we'll be getting a mailing about it soon.

Because Paul is awesome!

We now have some very nice shade in the backyard. First, he found an awesome deal on a 'gazebo' at Lowe's a few weeks ago (it was about 75% off)! He then was able to figure out a way to fit the new gazebo, which is amazingly larger than it seemed, onto our patio. That required a few trips to Lowe's and Home Depot to purchase bricks (150, 6lbs each), timbers (3, 8ft each) and other miscellaneous items. Then after redoing the brick because of a surprise in the size and a need to be able to open the backdoor, he was able to put it all together despite the very silly and near useless directions. Because I am so proud of our amazing work I had to post pictures (and it gave me another reason to be outside on this amazing spring day!)

From the back of the yard:


From the bridge


Another angle


One last look....


Now I want to add a window box for flowers at the kitchen window (far right) and get a new light for the patio (to replace the jelly jar light from the builder). It was a lot of fun to work outside, although it did give me my first sunburn of the season. I wore sunscreen on my face but not on my arms, so I'm working on a good t-shirt tan again this year!